In the days following Prince An's death, the emperor was noticeably depressed.

Gu Jiangli didn't say anything more.

Rather than offering words of comfort, simply staying quietly by his side might be more effective.

After that, the Empress Dowager visited Jing'an Palace more often.

On the one hand, it was to check on Gu Jiangli's pregnancy, and on the other hand, it was to check on the emperor's condition.

The emperor was the empress dowager's only son, so it was normal for her to care about his feelings.

One day when she arrived, the emperor had not yet finished his court session, and only Gu Jiangli was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea.

When Gu Jiangli saw the Empress Dowager, she was about to get up when the Empress Dowager stopped her, saying, "Don't get up, just sit still."

The Empress Dowager spoke gently and had a kind face. Gu Jiangli was not concerned with formalities, so he poured her a cup of tea and the two sat facing each other in the courtyard.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is here to see His Majesty, isn't she? Judging by the time, he should be back soon. Your Majesty need not worry too much. His Majesty's mood has improved a lot recently compared to the past few days. The physicians from Yunjiang have also begun to treat His Majesty's health. In a while, His Majesty will surely recover gradually."

The Empress Dowager smiled slightly, took a sip of tea, and said, "Actually, my visit this time wasn't just to see Heng'er."

"The Empress Dowager came to see me?" Gu Jiangli looked down at her slightly protruding belly and said with a smile, "The baby is fine. He is very sensible. Physician Lin comes to check on him every day. There are no problems."

"Okay, that's good."

The Empress Dowager said something and then fell silent, but her expression clearly showed that she had something left unsaid.

Her hesitation made Gu Jiangli suspicious, so he asked directly, "Your Majesty, please speak frankly."

The Empress Dowager's expression was complicated. She slowly placed her hand, which was adorned with Buddhist prayer beads, on Gu Jiangli's stomach, and her kind eyes almost overflowed with compassion.

"Actually, I'm leaving now. I plan to go back up the mountain to pray for you and Heng'er's child."

"Are you leaving? When?"

"Probably... today."

Gu Jiangli was somewhat surprised, "So suddenly? You haven't been back in the palace for very long, why not wait until the baby is born before leaving?"

The Empress Dowager shook her head and smiled, "Since it's for the sake of the child's well-being, it should naturally be done before the child is born."

Her tone was gentle yet firm, as if she had already made up her mind and no one could change it.

Gu Jiangli stopped trying to persuade him and said with some regret:

"So much has happened since you returned to the palace, and you haven't even had a proper chance to get to know His Majesty yet. Do you really have to leave in such a hurry? Perhaps staying for another two months would be better."

Although she hadn't spent much time with the Empress Dowager, she could sense that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had a good relationship.

If the Empress Dowager could stay in the palace longer, perhaps the Emperor could recover his mood more quickly.

After all, he had just lost a trusted "family member," and the fact that the Empress Dowager could spend more time with him was a comfort to him.

But the Empress Dowager was determined and seemed particularly insistent: "No, Consort Yun, I feel at ease with you by Heng'er's side."

The Empress Dowager looked at her belly and murmured, "There are some things that I would always feel guilty if I didn't do them."

Although her voice was very soft, Gu Jiangli could still hear it clearly.

"Owes? What does the Empress Dowager owe?"

The Empress Dowager finally withdrew her hand from Gu Jiangli's stomach, tightly gripped her Buddhist prayer beads, and smiled, "It's nothing. Perhaps it's because I'm getting old, and I have a different perspective on some things I thought were right at the time."

"Staying in this palace is noisy and chaotic, and it's impossible to feel at ease. It's only when I'm on the mountain eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist prayers that I can calm down and get a good night's sleep."

Looking at the Empress Dowager's calm and kind face, Gu Jiangli sensed the many stories hidden in her eyes.

But in this deep palace, who doesn't have their own story?

What's more, this person is the Empress Dowager, the former Empress.

How could a kind-faced, gentle woman with no scheming in her heart possibly sit comfortably in the positions of Empress and Empress Dowager?

In recent years, the Empress Dowager has lived a simple and frugal life in a temple in the mountains, far removed from the world, praying for the Emperor and for the Heavenly Emperor. Perhaps, she is also atoning for her own sins?

In that instant, Gu Jiangli seemed to understand everything, and then smiled with relief.

From that point on, she stopped trying to persuade him.

"It's good that Your Majesty can find peace and tranquility in the mountains. Some secrets need to be kept to oneself and taken to the grave. If there are too many people around, it's inevitable that one will lose control and let it slip. The mountains are quiet and peaceful, without any noise, which is indeed suitable for Your Majesty to cultivate in seclusion and pray for the well-being of the people."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager stood up without changing her expression.

She looked at Gu Jiangli, whose expression remained gentle, showing no sign of anything amiss.

After a moment, she said:

"Consort Yun, I know you have a very perceptive mind. You can guess many things on your own without others having to explain them clearly. I only hope that you will never mention what you have guessed to Heng'er, is that alright?"

Without thinking, Gu Jiangli answered directly:

"If the ending of the story is already predetermined, and the truth of the story will cause His Majesty great pain, then I will keep this story buried in my heart."

The Empress Dowager gazed at her intently, her smile both sorrowful and heavy.

"Consort Yun, thank you. Thank you for being by Heng'er's side. It was the right choice for Heng'er to entrust his heart to you."

After saying that, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, turned around and left.

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