With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

Nangong Wu stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "Ru Ning greets the Empress Dowager and the Empress!"

"Ru Ning is here!" The Empress Dowager's sharp gaze swept over her, her voice tinged with displeasure. "I heard you just gave birth to three children of unknown fathers?"

Upon hearing this, a low chuckle immediately filled the hall.

Nangong Wu stood up. "The children have a father; I've found him!"

Seeing her get up like that, the Empress Dowager's face immediately darkened.

A skilled nanny, noticing the Empress Dowager's displeasure, immediately rebuked her: "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager hasn't told you to get up yet, how dare you rise on your own? This is utterly disrespectful."

"I think she hasn't even learned the palace rules yet!" Standing to the side, Nangong Lingling held the Empress Dowager's hand, a wicked smile on her face.

"Grandmother, you must send someone to the Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion to teach her proper manners, lest she do something that disgraces the royal family again."

Nangong Jing also feigned concern, saying, "Sister Wu, not to be rude, but you're too..."

"Li Shuang, make your move!" Nangong Wu's voice was icy.

"Yes!" Li Shuang stepped forward and slapped the old woman across the face.

"Slap!" The crisp sound of a slap was particularly clear in the hall.

Then, a commotion broke out.

The old woman was slapped so hard she fell to the ground, her ears ringing and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

This was the first time the Empress Dowager had encountered such a situation, and she was momentarily stunned.

Everyone in the hall wore expressions of disbelief and shock.

It is said that one should consider the owner before beating a dog. When Nangong Wu slapped the head maid of Shouning Palace, it was tantamount to slapping the Empress Dowager in the face.

"Li Shuang, you're too weak! This old man didn't knock out a single tooth." Nangong Wu said with some disdain.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness. I will definitely use more force next time to knock out her canine teeth," Li Shuang pleaded.

"Nangong Wu, how dare you!" The Empress Dowager's hand trembled with rage as she pointed at her. "You...you are utterly lawless! Rong Mama is someone close to me, how dare you hit her?!"

The Imperial Noble Consort, Madam Zhou and her daughter, and Nangong Jing all wore gloating expressions when they saw the Empress Dowager was angry.

I thought Nangong Wu was doomed this time!

Offending the Empress Dowager meant that even Emperor Mingde couldn't save her life.

Unfortunately, the scheme set up for her hadn't even begun before this woman had already brought about her own demise!

"A lowly servant girl who bullies others and acts like a fox borrowing the tiger's power dares to offend even me, so what if I hit her?" Nangong Wu retorted.

"Empress Dowager, is this how you manage your servants? They all have no respect for hierarchy!"

"This time, out of respect for Your Majesty, I'll teach her a lesson. If she dares to do it again, I'll take her dog's life."

If a prince who holds great military power, second only to the emperor, dares not utter a word when a mere servant girl rides on his head, then living would be a huge joke.

Her words, "a dog relying on its master's power" and "a fox borrowing the tiger's might," immediately twisted the Empress Dowager's face.

She was the most noble woman in the world, and yet she was dared to talk back to a junior and be disrespectful to her. It was simply unbearable.

"Your Majesty, please do justice for this old servant!" The beaten nanny kowtowed to the Empress Dowager.

"Guards! Seize Nangong Wu and give her fifty strokes of the cane first," the Empress Dowager ordered, her eyes filled with ruthlessness.

Several imperial guards rushed in through the gate. These men were the Empress Dowager's men, and upon seeing Nangong Wu enter, they immediately took up positions outside the gate.

"Prince Zhenyuan, please forgive me!"

Nangong Wu took out the golden token and held it up in front of the imperial guards, saying, "This token, bestowed by the late emperor, is here. Let's see who dares to touch me!"

Upon seeing the four characters "as if I were personally present," the guards were so shocked that they all knelt down.

The Empress Dowager also saw the words on the token, and her distorted expression turned into one of stunned disbelief.

She never expected that the late emperor would give the Prince of Zhenyuan such a token.

With this token, even the emperor cannot touch her.

"I have already paid my respects, so I will take my leave now!" Nangong Wu put away her token and turned to leave.

Did the Imperial Noble Consort think that by using the Empress Dowager to suppress her, she could bully her at will and force her to submit? How laughable.

From behind came Nangong Lingling's furious voice: "Grandmother, this bitch is too arrogant! She doesn't even respect you! I'm going to tell Father to take away her token!"

Nangong Wu led Li Shuang and Li An back to the Imperial Garden and sat down in a small pavilion.

She then took out the gold token to look at it.

It seems that both the great-grandfather and the late emperor were very fond of my grandfather, which is why they bestowed this token upon him.

But by the time of Emperor Mingde, the Zhenyuan Prince's Mansion had already begun to be wary of it, and by the time of the next emperor, it was likely that he would not be able to tolerate her.

After all, she commanded an army of 300,000 and possessed such a token; any emperor would feel uneasy with that.

When it was time for the banquet, Nangong Wu leisurely arrived at the banquet venue.

The main hall was already packed with people, including Emperor Mingde, and the ceremony of presenting gifts was about to begin.

"The Prince of Zhenyuan has arrived!"

The hall fell silent, and everyone looked towards the entrance, presumably knowing what had happened at Shouning Palace.

The smiles on the faces of the Empress Dowager, Emperor Mingde, and the Imperial Noble Consort, who were seated high on their thrones, also vanished.

Nangong Wu walked to the center of the main hall and first greeted the three most honored people, "Ru Ning greets the Empress Dowager, Imperial Uncle, and Imperial Aunt."

"Ru Ning has arrived!" The Empress smiled gently.

"Ru Ning received an invitation from the Imperial Noble Consort and had no choice but to come." Nangong Wu presented a scroll with both hands, which contained her own calligraphy.

You don't have to spend money to write your own words, but your heartfelt wishes are still there.

"I, the King, extend my heartfelt wishes to the Imperial Noble Consort for a joyous birthday and a long and healthy life!"

When the Imperial Noble Consort heard her self-reference, she wanted to grind her teeth in anger.

Most ministers referred to themselves as "your subject" in front of her, but this woman referred to herself as "this king," which showed her no respect whatsoever.

A eunuch stepped forward, took the scroll, and immediately unfurled it.

When they saw the four characters "May you live as long as the Southern Mountain" written on it, they were taken aback for a moment, and then held it up to show the emperor and the imperial concubine.

"The Prince of Zhenyuan has gifted me a piece of calligraphy and painting!"

The people in the main hall looked at those four characters with strange expressions.

Nangong Wu is so stingy!

The Imperial Noble Consort is His Majesty's favorite concubine, yet he only sent her these four words? That's far too perfunctory!

"Uncle, I wrote these four characters. Isn't it a big improvement?" Nangong Wu thought her handwriting was very good.

The original owner was timid by nature, but had excellent handwriting.

The Imperial Noble Consort gritted her teeth. How dare this vile woman give her a few words she had written herself?

This is practically a public slap in the face for her!

Emperor Mingde's expression was somewhat unnatural. "Ru Ning is very thoughtful!"

Nangong Lingling couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly stood up. "Nangong Wu, today is Mother's birthday, yet you present her with a few illegible characters you wrote yourself as a gift. Who are you insulting?"

"It's a small gift but carries great meaning. What's wrong with the words I wrote myself? 'May you live as long as the Southern Mountains'—this is my wish for the Imperial Noble Consort to enjoy health and longevity. It's such a beautiful sentiment, how dare you say I'm insulting her?"

Nangong Wu took the calligraphy and painting back and displayed them to everyone, asking, "Gentlemen! What's your opinion? Is my calligraphy ugly?"