Then he shouted, "The Emperor Emeritus has arrived!"

What? The retired emperor has come too?

Marquis Wu'an led everyone in kneeling to pay their respects, and Li Xi followed suit. Both of the most important figures at the top of the Jingyuan pyramid had arrived at the Marquis's residence? Li Xi couldn't help but feel curious.

Only the Empress Dowager sat calmly in her chair, sipping her flower tea. Miss Yu, standing to the side, gloated, thinking to herself that this lowly commoner was ignorant, but she dared not utter a sound.

Upon seeing the Empress Dowager, the Emperor Emeritus and the Emperor were overjoyed and rushed forward. To avoid arousing suspicion, they feigned composure and said, "Mother, your sons have come to escort you back to the palace."

A single sentence couldn't sum up their worries over the past few days, and the Emperor Emeritus said with relief, "Come on, the children have missed you."

"Very well, it has been a long time since I returned to the capital and visited the Marquis of Wu'an's residence. I wanted to come and see my old friend. Everything is well here now, and his granddaughter has grown into such a beautiful woman. I think he can rest easy now."

The Empress Dowager pulled Meng Zhelan along and said kindly, "I have a special connection with these three children, so let them accompany me into the palace."

Li Xi and Meng Zhelan were still in shock. What? The old lady was the Empress Dowager? They had thought she was from a wealthy family, but she turned out to be the most honored woman in Jingyuan. They had been so ignorant of their place, calling her grandmother. All three of them blushed instantly.

“This, what have we, the three of us siblings, done to deserve this…” Meng Zhelan said somewhat awkwardly.

The Empress Dowager took her hand and said softly, "It's a good opportunity to help me recover. Let's go, Xiaoxi, Ling'er."

The emperor's procession had gone far away, but the group of people were still standing there in a daze.

The old lady next to them turned out to be the Empress Dowager; thankfully, they didn't become enemies.

Ms. Yu and Ms. Yin, who were standing nearby, realized that they had made a big mistake, especially Ms. Yu, who had just said she wanted to slap them.

Ms. Yu realized the enormity of her mistake, and a wave of despair washed over her. She understood that she couldn't undo the damage and could only try her best to make amends.

The Empress Dowager left with the three men without saying anything, and didn't mention anything about punishing her.

"Mother, what should we do? This is terrible! I, I..." Miss Yu frantically tugged at Madam Yu's sleeve.

Madam Yu already knew from other people what her daughter had done wrong, and she was trembling with fear.

She hurriedly took her daughter home to discuss it with her father.

Miss Lin scoffed and said, "You reap what you sow."

Of those present, only Marquis Wu'an had ever seen the Empress Dowager. The last time he saw her was seven or eight years ago, when she and the Emperor Emeritus returned from their travels. It was the Emperor who summoned him to the palace, saying that the Empress Dowager wished to see him.

Even in Kyoto, the Empress Dowager often went out, so some of the women and ladies in the inner quarters never saw her.

This disaster has reached the heavens, and Miss Yin is terrified. She walked back with heavy steps.

Upon returning to Cining Palace, the retired emperor and the emperor personally helped the empress dowager into the hall.

They chatted and laughed, as if they had returned to the happy times of the past.

The Emperor recounted everything that had happened in the palace to the Empress Dowager, while the Empress Dowager shared her experiences after leaving the palace.

Upon returning to the palace, the Empress Dowager received a warm welcome from everyone. Concubines, palace maids, and eunuchs rushed forward to greet her.

"Mother, why are you with Doctor Meng? And who are these two?" The Emperor asked curiously, looking at the three people standing to the side.

"If it weren't for them, I'm afraid I would never have seen you all again." The Empress Dowager sighed deeply and then recounted the whole story.

It turns out that two months ago, after traveling around, the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager felt a bit tired and decided to return to the capital to enjoy family time with their children and grandchildren.

On the way back, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor Emeritus had a falling out. The Empress Dowager then took a few guards and traveled back to the capital overnight. Unexpectedly, the two were assassinated by mysterious people one after the other. They did not expect that their whereabouts had been exposed, so they were ambushed. The guards escorted the Empress Dowager all the way, and when they were about to return to the capital, they were assassinated by mysterious people again.

The Empress Dowager fell on a rock and lost her memory, unable to remember who she was. She wandered the capital for an unknown period of time before being rescued by Li Xi...

Those in the palace who heard about the Empress Dowager's experiences over the past two months all showed expressions of heartache.

"The Emperor Emeritus and I owe you three a debt of gratitude. Just tell me what you want, and I will do whatever it takes to fulfill it," the Emperor said sincerely to Li Xi and the other two.

Li Xi hadn't expected the emperor to have this side to him, and couldn't help but feel flustered. She dared not claim credit; who would have thought she'd find the most noble woman on the street? "Your Majesty," she said, "it is our honor to be able to help the Empress Dowager."

"My son, the three of them have treated me very well. Xiaoxi is upright and kind; when I was dressed in rags, no one paid me any attention. But she rescued me without hesitation. Lan'er's medical skills are superb; she cured me in just one month. Ling'er even cooks me different delicious meals every day and treats me with the same respect as a grandmother. I haven't met such sincere and kind people in a long time." The Empress Dowager praised them, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Such character is truly rare among the three of them." The Emperor also agreed. "Go ahead and suggest your suggestions. If I don't reward you, I'm afraid I'll be reprimanded by the Empress Dowager."

Meng Zhelan was somewhat flustered, because they really didn't want anything. They could earn money, and they also had houses and land.

Seeing their troubled expressions, the Empress Dowager knew she hadn't misjudged them. "Your Majesty," she said, "I will make the decision for them. These three requests can be kept for now, and they can bring them up again later."

Seeing this, the emperor no longer insisted. "Very well, I will listen to the Empress Dowager. Men, prepare a banquet. Let all my children and grandchildren come tonight."

The retired emperor, seeing the empress dowager looking at him, became somewhat agitated, "Wanqing, I..."

Before she could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager interrupted her, "Hey, Xiao Xi, why don't you come with me for a stroll around the area? The scenery of this palace is quite nice, much better than the Marquis's residence." She completely ignored the pitiful look on the Emperor Emeritus's face.

Meng Zhelan and Ling'er, each holding an arm of the Empress Dowager, walked towards the Imperial Garden, with Li Xi following behind. Behind them, the Emperor Emeritus remained.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor Emeritus is behind us." Ling'er noticed that the Emperor Emeritus was following closely behind.

"Never mind that old man, come on, I'll take you to Lingxi Garden. There are plenty of birds and beasts there, Xiaoxi, you'll definitely like them." Not only was the Emperor Emeritus following behind, but a group of maids and eunuchs were also keeping a distance.

Many of the exotic animals in the palace were gifts from envoys of various countries, and they were indeed very much to Li Xi's liking.

Elephants, orangutans, camels, stilt horses, peacocks, and countless others.

Li Xi was surprised to find a zoo here; the ancients certainly knew how to enjoy life.

When the four of them got tired, they returned to Cining Palace. The pastries on the table were already prepared. The exquisite pastries were carved with intricate patterns, and every detail revealed the nobility and luxury of the royal family.

"I'm tired, you may all leave." The Empress Dowager dismissed the servants, leaving only the Empress Dowager and the other three women in the hall.

"Is the palace fun? Why don't you stay here and keep me company?" the Empress Dowager joked.

Li Xi still had many things to arrange and would be leaving the palace tomorrow. "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, we..." She had other matters to attend to, and dared not utter the last few words.

"I was just joking with you. I know you are all ambitious children. If you have something to do tomorrow, you can leave the palace first. I will come to find you when I find an opportunity," the Empress Dowager said secretly.