Chapter 30 This may be the beginning of a new life for her.

When the Duke of Chu decided to enter the palace, Jiang Yu had already made preparations for meeting the emperor. It wasn't that she knew the emperor would definitely see her, but she estimated that there was a possibility.

The emperor is the supreme ruler of this world and the key to whether she can realize her ideals in the future. The first meeting with the emperor is of great importance to her.

She had Xia He take out a set of clothes in a combination of turquoise and jade from the wardrobe, put them on, tied her hair in a single bun, and wore a gold-inlaid jade hairpin, looking dignified and elegant.

Jiang Yu had always known the importance of appearance to a person. Appearance is the first signal a person sends to the outside world, and people form their first impression of a person based on their appearance upon first meeting them. Sexy, dignified, alluring, sloppy, and so on.

This first impression often becomes a fixed impression. Once this fixed impression is formed, it takes considerable effort to change it.

Of course, first impressions are not just about appearance, but also include a person's words and actions. However, appearance is the first impression one gets, and it is the beginning of a fixed impression.

After quickly tidying herself up, Jiang Yu left Yunfeng Courtyard. At the gate, she encountered her worried biological mother, Lu Yifang, and her sister-in-law, Zhang Xiangling.

"I heard someone from the palace wanted you to come in, so I came right away." Lu Yifang took Jiang Yu's hand and said, "Why don't I go with you?"

“Mother,” Jiang Yu said with a smile, “it’s alright. Everything is going according to my and Grandfather’s plan, so don’t worry. Besides, Grandfather is in the palace too.”

Despite her words, Lu Yifang was still worried. However, the eunuchs in the palace were still waiting, and Jiang Yu didn't have time to explain to her. So, as she walked towards the front courtyard, she said, "I know what I'm doing, so don't worry."

Knowing the importance and urgency of the matter, Lu Yifang didn't say anything more despite her worries, and followed Jiang Yu to the front hall.

Upon seeing the eunuch who had come to deliver the imperial decree, Jiang Yu bowed respectfully and said, "Jiang Yu greets Eunuch."

The eunuch was taken aback for a moment when he heard her self-reference. Women in the Great Gan Dynasty usually referred to themselves as "little woman," and married women would refer to themselves as "concubine." Very few people would refer to themselves by their own names, but that did not mean she was wrong.

However, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Chu's mansion is no ordinary person.

The eunuch returned the greeting, "No, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager are waiting for Miss Jiang in the Imperial Study. Please come in."

"good."

Lu Yifang and Zhang Xiangling saw Jiang Yu and the others off at the gate, and only returned after watching the sedan chair disappear from sight.

Jiang Yu arrived at the palace gate in a sedan chair, just as Su Yuezhen and Qi Yuanhong alighted from their sedan chairs. The two were so shocked when they saw Jiang Yu lift the curtain and step down that their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Jiang Yu smiled at them and said, "I didn't expect to see you two again so soon."

"Jiang Yu, did you do this?" Su Yuezhen glared at Jiang Yu. If this weren't at the palace gate, she would have rushed up and scratched Jiang Yu's face.

Qi Yuanhong's expression was extremely complex, a mixture of regret, resentment, anger, disappointment, and helplessness, which distorted his face.

Jiang Yu was very happy to see the two of them like this. What could be more delightful than seeing your enemy jumping up and down in front of you, yet being unable to do anything about it?

She flashed a bright smile at the two of them, then turned and followed the eunuch into the palace. Su Yuezhen stared intently at Jiang Yu's retreating figure, then looked at the dejected Qi Yuanhong and said, "What, regretting it? But regretting it won't help."

She stepped through the side gate of the palace, and Qi Yuanhong followed, clenching his fists. He was now certain that Jiang Yu was connected to the Duke of Chu's mansion, and everything Jiang Yu had done was done on her behalf by the Duke of Chu's mansion.

He had learned about the Chu State Duke's Mansion these past few days. Because the Duke of Chu was seriously ill, the men of the mansion seemed to be failing him, and the mansion was on the verge of ruin. However, the Chu State Duke's Mansion was a long-established and powerful family in the capital, with a vast network of connections.

If they could get in touch with the Duke of Chu's mansion, they might not be any worse off than the Earl of Qingshan's mansion. But it's too late for regrets now.

The road from the palace to the Imperial Study was long, and it took the three of them about fifteen minutes to get there. Jiang Yu stood at the bottom of the steps, looking at the three gilded characters for "Imperial Study," silently took a deep breath, and stepped up the steps.

This may be the beginning of a new life for her.

Jiang Yu lifted her skirt slightly and walked steadily up the steps to the entrance of the Imperial Study. She was already very familiar with palace rules and etiquette, having been personally taught by the Duke of Chu.

Stepping into the study, she lowered her head slightly and walked to a distance of two meters from the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Lifting her skirt, she knelt down and said, "Your subject Jiang Yu greets Your Majesty and Empress Dowager."

Behind her, Su Yuezhen and Qi Yuanhong also knelt down and kowtowed.

"Jiang Yu, is it?" A kind and aged voice rang out. Jiang Yu looked up and met the Empress Dowager's gaze, then smiled and said, "This subject is Jiang Yu."

"Good, good, good." The Empress Dowager smiled and said to the Duke of Chu, "Your granddaughter is wonderful; she brings joy to the eyes."

The Duke of Chu smiled and said, "This child is so carefree. If it were anyone else in this situation, they might have tried to kill themselves."

The Empress Dowager looked at Jiang Yu with even more kindness, and she stretched out her hand to Jiang Yu, saying, "Come, let me take a look."

"Yes." Jiang Yu stood up and placed her hand in the Empress Dowager's soft palm.

The Empress Dowager squeezed her hand, feeling the thin calluses left from martial arts practice, and asked with a hint of heartache, "How have you been these past years?"

Jiang Yu laughed again, "When I was abducted and woke up back then, I had no memory of what happened before..."

Jiang Yu did not hide anything and recounted her experiences over the years, including how she made herself smelly and dirty and sold herself as a maid, how she caught the attention of her adoptive mother Cheng Yunxiu, and how she opened some shops.

The Empress Dowager patted her hand and sighed, "It's fortunate that you've been so clever since you were little, otherwise you would have suffered so much all these years. Your adoptive parents are also good. When you have time, bring them to the palace. I will reward them well."

Jiang Yu bowed deeply in gratitude, and the Empress Dowager then took her hand and asked, "What do you plan to do about being forced into a divorce?"

Jiang Yu glanced at the Emperor, seeing his expressionless face, then turned to look at the kneeling Earl of Qingshan, Consort Su, Su Yuezhen, and Qi Yuanhong. She took a few steps back and knelt down again, saying:

"I was forced to divorce, so of course I have resentment and anger. But Qi Yuanhong has already repaid my family for the money I spent on him over the years. I misjudged him and thought I was just being bitten by a dog. I wanted to end this matter here and have nothing to do with him from now on."

But what I never expected was that Qi Yuanhong and Miss Su would try to kill me. I cannot tolerate this, so I wrote a notice to let everyone know about the evil deeds they have committed.

My grandfather, knowing that I had suffered such a great injustice, was so indignant that he came to ask the Emperor and Empress Dowager for justice. My grandfather's concern for me is what troubled the Emperor and Empress Dowager.”

She then bowed again.

"Look, she's going to plead for you now," the Empress Dowager said to the Duke of Chu with a smile.

The Duke of Chu looked pleased, "This child is a filial son."

At that moment, the emperor's voice rang out, "Do you think things are just going to end like this?"

Jiang Yu looked up at the emperor and said, "I do hate, but hatred and revenge will not make my life better in the future. I do not want to waste my time on these evil people."

The emperor looked intently at Jiang Yu. He knew very well that the notice had been posted and the Duke of Chu had come to the palace to plead his case, so things couldn't just end like this. But Jiang Yu's behavior left him somewhat puzzled.

He had expected that Jiang Yu would come to the Imperial Study to complain about her grievances and demand punishment for the Marquis of Qingshan and Qi Yuanhong. But she did none of that; in fact, she kept smiling.

This woman is somewhat incomprehensible.

At this moment, Jiang Yu kowtowed on the ground again and said, "This humble woman has said a few presumptuous words. I hope Your Majesty will forgive my boldness."