After Wanwan finished her meal, she took the gifts to Cining Palace, where the two highest-ranking people in the harem lived: the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.

Sumalagu: "Princess, Consort Ming has arrived!"

The Empress Dowager was still practicing her swordplay when she asked, "Why is she here?" She was quite surprised by Wanwan's arrival.

(The author saw a scene like this while watching the Kangxi Dynasty, where Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was practicing swordsmanship, which was actually a form of physical exercise.)

It's no wonder the Empress Dowager thought that way, because she was dissatisfied with the Empress. So usually, on the first and fifteenth of the month, the people in the harem would go to pay their respects to her and the Empress Dowager, led by the Empress.

Normally, concubines wouldn't come to Cining Palace to pay their respects to her, so she was quite surprised when Wanwan arrived.

Sumalagu: "That princess...should we see Consort Ming or not?"

The reason Sumalagu asked this question was because Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang did not usually treat the concubines in the harem well.

I don't talk to them much, hence this question.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "Guests are welcome. Since you've come, let's see you. Lead the person inside. I'll be there in a little while."

Sumalagu replied, "Yes, Princess."

………………

Su Mala Gu said, "Greetings, Consort Ming. The Empress Dowager is changing her clothes and will be out in a moment." She then bowed to Wanwan.

However, Wanwan dared not accept Sumalagu's greeting and instead stepped aside to avoid it. After all, Sumalagu's status was not low, and even Emperor Kangxi treated her with great courtesy.

Even the Empress dared not accept her courtesy, let alone a mere concubine.

Sumalagu saw that Mingfei had turned aside to avoid her bow, and thus she also developed some goodwill towards Mingfei.

She could treat herself as a servant to serve the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, or even the Emperor.

But no one else should ever treat her as a real slave.

Sumalagu said, "Your Highness, please sit down. This servant will go and see the Empress Dowager."

Wanwan said, "You're too kind, Granny. I really don't deserve such praise."

"I will wait a moment. You can continue with your work, Granny."

And so, Sumalagu entered the bedchamber to help Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang change her clothes, while Wanwan sat on a stool waiting for the Empress Dowager to come out.

After watching Sumalagu leave, within the bounds of etiquette, Wanwan's gaze lightly swept over Cining Palace, the palace in the inner palace where women held the highest status.

How should I put it? It's not too extravagant, but it has strong Mongolian customs.

Wanwan thought to herself, 'It seems I gave the right gift today.'

A moment later, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang came out.

Although Wanwan glanced at the layout of Cining Palace, she didn't forget why she was there, so she kept a close eye on things.

Wanwan said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

"May the Empress Dowager enjoy longevity like the pine and crane, remain youthful through the ages, regain her former glory in her seventies, and experience lasting joy."

After listening to Wanwan's words, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang gained a slightly different understanding of Consort Ming. After all, when other concubines paid their respects to her, they would only say, "May the Empress Dowager be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang sat in the chair in front and said, "Get up. What brings Consort Ming to my Cining Palace?"

Wanwan got up and sat down in the chair behind her.

Wanwan said, “As I have just entered the palace, I should have paid my respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager as soon as possible. However, because the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager prefer quiet, it was only on the second day after I entered the palace that I paid my respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, under the guidance of the Empress.”

"Because Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant, the morning greetings have been cancelled, so I thought of coming to visit the Grand Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "Oh, I see."

"Su Mo'er, go and invite Qiqige over."

Wanwan replied, “I would be so unworthy of the title of Empress Dowager. After I have paid my respects to you, I will go and visit Your Majesty. How could I possibly invite Your Majesty to come here?”

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said, "Don't worry too much. Qiqige will be coming to keep me company soon anyway. There are very few people in the palace who can speak Mongolian, so no one can talk to Qiqige. Therefore, Qiqige usually comes here to keep this old woman company when there is nothing else to do."

Wanwan said, "So that's how it is. Your Majesty, I thank you."

Wanwan and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang chatted for a while, and then the Empress Dowager arrived. After all, she lived in a side hall of Cining Palace, which was just a few steps away.

"Aunt, I've arrived," the Empress Dowager said to the Grand Empress Dowager in Mongolian.

Upon seeing the Empress Dowager, Wanwan immediately stood up and bowed to her, saying, "Your Majesty, I greet you. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

May Her Majesty the Empress Dowager have everything go smoothly and be accompanied by happiness forever; may her life be as long as the heavens and her blessings as deep as the sea, shining as brightly as the sun and moon, and may she never grow old!

The palace maids around the Empress Dowager translated what Wanwan said into Mongolian for the Empress Dowager to hear.

The Empress Dowager found these words quite auspicious and said, "Get up."

Upon hearing this, Wanwan got up and sat down.

Now that Wanwan has met all the people she was visiting, including the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, it's time to bring up the gifts.

"Listen to the Rain and the Wind, bring up the gifts I prepared for the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Empress."

Listening to Wanwan's words, Tingyu Tingfeng took the two paintings from the palace maid outside the hall.

Wanwan said, “I thought that since the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager left the grasslands and came to the Forbidden City when they were young, they must miss their hometown. So I personally painted two paintings to give to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.”

Wanwan gave Tingyu and Tingfeng a look, and they understood. The two of them simultaneously opened the painting in their hands.

The painting in Tingyu's hand depicts a unique Mongolian sacrificial ceremony, the Naadam Festival.

The activity that Tingfeng is holding is also unique to the Mongolian people; it is an equestrian performance.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!