Chapter 2258: Middle Hit

Sang Qian and Zheng Dan returned the courtesy, saying, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. Anyone would have lent a hand in that situation."

While they said that, in reality, if not for their connection to Zu An, the two women might not have taken such a great risk.

"What 'Empress Dowager'? That sounds too distant," Liu Ning said, taking their hands and seating them. "I'm a little older than you. If you don't mind, just call me 'older sister' from now on."

"Absolutely not. Your Majesty's status is noble. It would be truly disrespectful if other ministers or palace staff were to hear us," Sang Qian hastily declined.

Zheng Dan, with a half-smile, thought to herself, "Does the Empress Dowager really want us to call her 'older sister' out of gratitude for saving her, or because of her connection to Zu An?"

Hmph, if we're talking about seniority, she would probably have to call *us* older sisters.

Oh, wait, I don't even know when she and Zu An got together.

Definitely later than me, but with Qianqian, it's hard to say.

"What's this about disrespect or not? How can those formalities compare to your life-saving grace?" Liu Ning said, deliberately putting on a stern face. "Are you still upset about me leaving without saying goodbye before?"

"We wouldn't dare," Sang Qian said with some difficulty. "Since Your Majesty is so earnestly kind, then we shall address each other as sisters from now on."

Zheng Dan secretly gave a thumbs-up, thinking to herself, "Qianqian is indeed clever. She only said 'address each other as sisters,' not specifying who is older or younger."

"By the way, how did you and Ah Zu meet back then?" Zheng Dan asked curiously. When she had been at the Sang family's home, the Liu family had suffered a great disaster, so many questions were difficult to ask.

"In my early years, my cultivation level was actually quite high, but then an accident left me with an incurable injury, and I became an ordinary person. Fortunately, Zu An later entered the palace, and with his help, my injuries gradually began to show signs of recovery. As time went on, we... fell in love." Liu Ning spoke of these past events with both sweetness and a hint of shyness; after all, their identities back then had the air of a forbidden romance.

Sang Qian was filled with emotion. The wife of the world's strongest expert, the lofty Empress, an existence admired and envied by basically all women, was now talking so intimately with them. In the end, it was all because of Ah Zu.

Zheng Dan's expression was a bit strange. Zu An seemed to have only one method for healing injuries, and Zhao Hao was still alive back then. That guy truly had guts.

Having lived in the palace for many years and being accustomed to the methods of concubines vying for favor, Liu Ning naturally noticed the two women's little trick of deliberately not calling her 'older sister.' So she said sincerely, "My identity is special; I'm destined not to be openly with Ah Zu. But I am very grateful to him. To be able to quietly stand behind him and occasionally help him is enough for me. I ask for nothing else."

Hearing her words, Zheng Dan's expression couldn't help but dim. The Empress Dowager's identity was special, but wasn't hers as well?

Although Ah Zu knew she was innocent, in the eyes of the public, she was just the Sang family's daughter-in-law. Even if she remarried, she would inherently be considered inferior. Why bother competing over who was older or younger, since none of them could be the primary wife anyway?

She only regretted that her family's arranged marriage hadn't chosen Zu An back then...

However, she also knew clearly that no matter how one looked at it, Zu An at that time would not have been considered a son-in-law by the Zheng family.

The Zheng family wasn't like the Chu family, which was unwilling to participate in the struggle for the throne and needed a useless son-in-law to deter the Shi family's covetousness.

Sigh, Chu Yan, who knows what good karma she accumulated in her previous life, to casually pick a shield and end up with someone like Ah Zu.

She had also come to terms with it now. Even if she could remarry Ah Zu, there was no real need. Rather than being just another face among his concubines, it was better to be the Sang family's young mistress. That guy seemed to enjoy the feeling of having an affair with someone's wife.

Thinking of this, her small face couldn't help but flush.

Sang Qian was also quite melancholic. Although she had given birth to a daughter for Big Brother Zu, it was nominally the child of her sister-in-law and brother, and could not be made known to the public.

Although she had become much more familiar with Big Brother Zu recently, she hadn't experienced various thrilling events with him like those other women had, so their emotional foundation was still somewhat lacking.

Thinking of this, both women let out a soft sigh, saying, "Older sister is right. We are no different."

This time, their address was truly heartfelt. Since they couldn't be the primary wife anyway, and given the Empress Dowager's status, calling her 'older sister' wouldn't be a loss.

Furthermore, sharing similar unfortunate circumstances in this regard, the three women felt an exceptional sense of empathy when conversing.

Next, the three women conversed more intimately, no longer as polite and formal as they had been initially. The three of them had already become quite familiar with each other in recent days, and now that the last knot in their hearts was untied, they became like close girlfriends.

Liu Ning led the two women to several large chests. "Before, there was no opportunity, but this time after returning, I specifically prepared some gifts for you," she said. "My two younger sisters, see if you like them."

"Then thank you, older sister," Sang Qian and Zheng Dan said, no longer declining her kind offer. Upon opening the chests, they saw that besides all sorts of beautiful and valuable jewelry, there were also many Heaven-grade elemental stones, protective magical artifacts, and cultivation elixirs, among other things.

"These are too valuable," they exclaimed. Even though the two women were prepared to accept her gifts, they were still shocked. These items were enough for a family in Brightmoon City for an entire year.

Liu Ning smiled and said, "My life was saved by you two. What are these few items compared to that? Do my two younger sisters think my life isn't worth this much?"

"Since older sister is so kind, we won't be overly modest then," the two women said, exchanging glances and smiling.

Seeing them accept, Liu Ning's face was full of smiles. "Then tomorrow I'll have my subordinates deliver these items to the Sang Manor."

Storage bags couldn't possibly hold so many items, and it was impossible for the two women to carry them themselves.

"Thank you, older sister," Sang Qian and Zheng Dan said, delighted. With this batch of resources, their cultivation speed would increase even further. More crucially, their relationship with the Empress Dowager deepened, and since she was also a Grandmaster, they could ask her for guidance on cultivation problems many times in the future.

However, in a setting like today's, as they chatted, the conversation naturally turned to Zu An.

Liu Ning was also curious how they had met Zu An, and the more they talked, the more they felt a connection.

Suddenly, Liu Ning stood up and said, "Since we're already in the palace, why don't we go find Ah Zu?"

Zheng Dan and Sang Qian's eyes lit up. "Can we really do that?"

Although they were very familiar with Zu An, they had never met in such a solemn and sacred place as the Imperial Palace before.

"Why not?" Liu Ning said, growing more excited. "He's the one in charge in the Imperial Palace now. Besides, I'll be with you, who would dare question you? Let's go, and I'll show you around the palace at the same time."

There was something else she didn't say: most likely, that vixen Linglong would also go find Ah Zu. If she did nothing, wouldn't she be playing right into her hands?

If she went to find Zu An alone, it would feel too obvious that she was disturbing their intimacy, but now with Sang Qian and Zheng Dan present, no one could say anything.

The three women stood up and were about to put on their cloaks when suddenly they felt a wave of dizziness in their heads, and without prior agreement, they all sat back down.

"Older sister, what's going on? Why do I feel a bit dizzy?" Sang Qian and Zheng Dan only felt weakness throughout their bodies and were momentarily stunned.

"You've been poisoned!" Liu Ning's face was as cold as frost.