Chapter 1306: Grandma Is the Empress Dowager

"I know I was wrong, please, Mother, punish me." Yue Fanchen quickly bowed his head to admit his mistake.

Looking at the person who, in her impression, always exuded a cold arrogance with the word ’cool’ nearly engraved on his forehead, Mu Hanyan almost burst into laughter seeing him act like an obedient rabbit. But then, she remembered something and couldn’t laugh anymore.

"Hehe, niece, even though I lost to you and lost a bit of face, from now on you have to call me uncle. I’m not actually losing out at all." Yue Fanchen laughed with a hehehe, muttering in a low voice.

Indeed, Mu Hanyan had thought of this... and naturally, Yue Fanchen had thought of it too.

"Shameful thing, can’t even beat your own niece, yet you dare to speak." The Empress Dowager slapped Yue Fanchen on the head, then slightly smiled and thoughtfully said, "But luckily you didn’t win, and most importantly, you didn’t harm my precious granddaughter. Otherwise, just watch how I’ll deal with you."

"Mother, you’re being too biased. I am your flesh and blood." Yue Fanchen clutched his head, looking wronged and pitiful. It was rare for him to act spoiled, even abandoning the formal title of Mother Empress and instead using the more common term for mother, making him seem closer.

"You are my flesh and blood, and so is Han Yan not?" Unfortunately, Lu Nianxin didn’t buy it, her palm swinging again, with another thud landing on Yue Fanchen’s head.

Yue Fanchen stuck his tongue out and didn’t dare to say more.

"By the way, your mother probably hasn’t told you about her origins and background, has she?" Lu Nianxin ignored Yue Fanchen and asked Mu Hanyan.

Mu Hanyan shook her head. In both her lives, she never heard anyone mention her mother’s history or background. She always assumed her mother came from a humble background, never expecting her to have such an impressive background.

Thinking of this, Mu Hanyan suddenly recalled something. Back when she was with the Mu Family, her grandfather had once reminded her to hold back if she ever fought with Yue Fanchen again. At the time, she thought he was worried about ruining the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Now she realized, her grandfather must have already known about her mother’s heritage.

"I’ve already told you my identity earlier. I have two sons and one daughter. The eldest son, your eldest uncle, is the current Emperor Shangyue. The youngest son is this incompetent one next to me. Your mother is ranked second, intelligent and clever since childhood, and was granted the title of Princess." Although all this was something Mu Hanyan could have guessed, Lu Nianxin still explained it as she didn’t know the details.

"Furthermore, Yue Country was founded on martial strength. The founding emperor was initially a poor cultivator, so the court doesn’t have too many elaborate rules." Lu Nianxin patted Mu Hanyan’s head lovingly and said.

"Yes, Grandmother." Feeling the warmth from her palm, Mu Hanyan felt close, as if she were once again beside her mother, and the words ’Grandmother’ slipped out of her mouth.

"Silly child, I’ve said it before, we in Yue Country aren’t so wrapped up in formalities. Just call me Granny. ’Grandmother’ isn’t that quite a mouthful?" Lu Nianxin said with a laugh.

"Mm, Granny." Mu Hanyan smiled broadly.

"Come and tell Granny how you’ve managed over the years. You’ve suffered a lot, haven’t you?" Lu Nianxin pulled Mu Hanyan to sit beside her. Her affectionate demeanor showed not an ounce of the dignified bearing befitting the mother of a nation, resembling any loving elderly who cared for her grandchild.

Mu Hanyan’s emotions completely relaxed as well, leaning against her and recounting her experiences over the years.

"That old scoundrel Mu Beichen actually abandoned your family in such a barbaric land as Heishi City, letting you suffer slights and scorn from the branch family members. The next time I go out traveling, I’ll be sure to confront him about it." Although Mu Hanyan tried to pick out fun and interesting stories to tell, Lu Nianxin was clearly aware of the intrigues within noble families. After hearing everything, she was still furious.

"Actually, Grandfather was doing it for my own good." Mu Hanyan hurried to explain.

Hearing her directly call Mu Beichen an old scoundrel and say she’d confront him, Mu Hanyan couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat: this Granny seems pretty fierce.

"I know a bit about the Mu family. But even if it was for your own good, he shouldn’t have sent your whole family to Heishi City. If I’d known that old scoundrel was such a coward, unable to even protect his own granddaughter, I wouldn’t have allowed your mother to marry into the Anyun family in the first place. I should have had your father come to Yue Country, and let’s see who would dare to harm you then." Lu Nianxin’s tone softened slightly but was still filled with righteous indignation.

"By the way, Granny, how did my mother and father meet?" Mu Hanyan asked, not out of gossip but to distract her Granny and cool her anger.

"I took your mother to travel the world and met your father during our travels through West Qin. It’s all fate; among so many young talents in Yue Country, not one caught your mother’s eye. Yet she took a liking to your father at first sight.

At the time, he didn’t know our identity, nor did we know he was the Young Master of the Anyun Mu family. If we had known, I would have stopped them by any means necessary. By the time we found out, it was too late." At this point, Lu Nianxin let out a long sigh.

"Why was it too late? Was it because Sister was already pregnant by then?" Yue Fanchen, who was listening intently, suddenly asked.

Mu Hanyan broke out in a cold sweat. Is this really the Yue Fanchen I know? It must be an illusion, surely an illusion.

"You brat, is that how you should talk about your own sister? See if I don’t beat you to death!" Lu Nianxin slapped Yue Fanchen, knocking him to the ground, and then moved in with a flurry of kicks and punches.

Mu Hanyan was dumbfounded at the sight. Her Granny was not only fierce in temperament but also formidable in cultivation. Yue Fanchen, with all his strength, couldn’t even put up a defense under her hand and was struck down with a single slap.

Of course, that wasn’t the point. For her to have dared to travel the world with her daughter back then, her strength was undeniably robust. The point was, was Yue Fanchen really her biological son?

Witnessing this scene, Mu Hanyan finally understood where her slightly violent nature came from.

"Spare me, Mother, spare me, I dare not do it again." Very soon, Yue Fanchen’s exaggerated wails echoed through the ancient and solemn palace.

Nearby, several palace maids covered their mouths, giggling, their eyes becoming exceptionally warm.

Mu Hanyan was initially puzzled but then gradually understood: Yue Fanchen had been sent abroad to learn from a young age, and upon his return, he was thrown into the Imperial City Guards to train. The mother and son had very little time together. This bout of hitting and kicking, to outsiders, may seem violent, but to them, it was a rare moment of closeness.