Unfortunately, the old nanny met Chu Jinjin today.
There's also the unconventional Liu.
Before Chu Jinjin could speak, Madam Liu spoke first, her eyes wide and her expression extremely serious: "Daughter, I suddenly remembered something, let's go."
Chu Jinjin nodded without hesitation: "Yes, daughter obeys."
Aunt Wang: "..."
What's going on here?
Seeing that the two were really about to leave, she hesitated for a long time before whispering, "Where are you going?"
She asked a pointless question.
She was extremely anxious and continued to threaten, "The Empress Dowager has summoned you; how dare you disobey her decree?"
"Of course I wouldn't dare, but His Majesty just gave me an imperial edict that he has important matters to discuss. I will come to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager after it is over." Of course, the Emperor didn't say it, but Chu Jinjin was certain that he would help her keep it a secret.
We haven't even arrived yet, and this old servant already has this attitude.
They're clearly trying to make things difficult for me.
Chu Jinjin glanced at her and said indifferently, "By the way, ask the Emperor how a mere servant dares to be so arrogant. I went to the north to investigate the disaster and almost didn't make it back. I have made some contributions."
Aunt Wang: "..."
As an old servant in the palace, she instantly understood what was going to happen.
The Emperor dared not do anything to the Empress Dowager, but he didn't care about her. If he really got angry, even the Empress Dowager couldn't protect her.
Aunt Wang was both flexible and resilient. She gritted her teeth, knelt down, and slapped herself hard: "This servant deserves to die. Please, Madam Liu, calm down."
That slap was incredibly loud.
Liu grimaced: "Does it hurt?"
Aunt Wang: "......"
Madam Liu sighed, "Ah, you're over fifty, aren't you? It's not easy being this old."
Aunt Wang: "..."
Why does it sound like genuine concern?
That's just how Liu is; her sympathy comes on its own, regardless of stance or occasion. She stuffed the purse back into her hand: "Take it. Get up and lead the way. Don't look down on people like that next time. You know you're the one who gets slapped in the face the easiest."
Aunt Wang was so angry she wanted to kill someone.
She simply refused to accept the gift.
She glanced at the mother and daughter who seemed to have done nothing, just like Eunuch Zhao, and suddenly understood why the Emperor had done what he did.
How could there be such a woman in the world?
Inside the Imperial Study.
Xiao Huai said calmly, "Xu Wenda, what brings you to see me in such a hurry?"
In this life, one may not even understand oneself. When faced with a desperate situation, there is nothing one cannot do.
Xu Wenda's previous thinking was very simple: if he married Wang Ruoyun, the Wang family would definitely help him, he could get a good official position, and then he would find a way to get Chu Jinjin's forgiveness.
But I don't want to think about anything now.
All I want is for my family to be safe and sound.
Chu Jinjin's refusal to help him was tantamount to pushing him into a desperate situation, and he thought of the Emperor.
His only remaining value to us is probably his knowledge of Chu Jinjin.
"I went to see Miss Chu last night." Meeting the Emperor's favorite woman at night was a capital offense, and Xu Wenda felt a tragic sense of desperation. He told the truth, explaining why he went to see her and what Chu Jinjin had said, without missing a single word.
The atmosphere was so quiet that the sound of Xiao Huai picking up his teacup could be clearly heard.
After a long pause, he said softly, "You really are a talent."
Xu Wenda could not help but hear the sarcasm in the words, but more importantly, he had made the right bet. He kowtowed heavily and said, "This humble servant is willing to go through fire and water for Your Majesty."
Xiao Huai chuckled: "There are countless people in the world who would like to serve me. What can you do? Can you get Jinjin to agree to enter the palace?"
"I cannot do that in a short time. The only thing that can make Jinjin feel the same way is Your Majesty's sincere heart." Xu Wenda felt extremely unfamiliar with himself. "Moreover, I believe that Miss Chu is worthy of Your Majesty's favor precisely because of this."
Standing to the side, Eunuch Zhao curled his lip.
That's incredibly powerful!
He had seen it clearly just now: when Xu Wenda said that Chu Jinjin had refused, the Emperor was not angry at all; on the contrary, the corners of his lips turned up.
Men are all despicable.
The easier something is to obtain, the less it is valued; conversely, something hard to obtain can arouse a desire to conquer.
Chu Jinjin's refusal was tantamount to passing a test that hadn't even begun, and at the same time, it piqued the Emperor's interest even more.
“What a woman like Jinjin pursues is naturally different from what ordinary people do.” Xiao Huai stood up and paced back and forth a few steps. “Xu Wenda, in your opinion, what should I do next to get Jinjin to agree?”
Xu Wenda slowly uttered two words: "It's very difficult."
He paused, then continued, "Wealth and power are alluring, but Miss Chu is not interested in them. The Emperor cannot give her what she seeks, but nothing is absolute. I do have a solution."
Xiao Huai became interested: "Tell me about it."
“Miss Chu is the most filial daughter. It would be difficult to get her to give up her principles in a short time. Of course, the Emperor could issue a decree directly, and for the sake of her family, Chu Jinjin would have to agree, but that would be even more difficult.” Xu Wenda said confidently, “My solution is simple: go through her parents, especially Madam Liu.”
He knew very well how important Liu was to Chu Jinjin during the time they dated, though he couldn't explain why.
When they got engaged, Chu Jinjin made another request besides not allowing him to take a concubine.
If Liu is ever unhappy, we should bring her to live with us.
You know, there's no reason for a mother-in-law to stay at her son-in-law's house, especially since she's a concubine.
But Chu Jinjin spoke with great seriousness.
Xiao Huai's expression suddenly changed, and he turned and walked out.
The scheming of women in the imperial harem is sometimes impossible to guard against. He suddenly realized what the Empress Dowager was planning.
Just as he thought.
Upon learning of his intentions, Empress Dowager Xia immediately ordered a thorough investigation of Chu Jinjin throughout the night. All the neighbors near the Chu family home, all the shops, and even those with whom they had dealings were questioned in detail.
As a woman herself, she knew exactly what a woman's weakness was.
Therefore, Liu's entry into the palace was a great thing for her.
She believed that persuasion was futile and that Chu Jinjin should give up on her own.
At this moment, in the courtyard, the mother and daughter knelt on the ground side by side, with Aunt Wang next to them. With the Empress Dowager backing her up, she was so proud that she could fly.
Liu sighed weakly and muttered, "I should have known better than to wear this dress. Now look what's happened, it's ruined the first time I've worn it."
Before he even saw the Empress Dowager, he was accused of some arrogant crime and forced to kneel.
"You insisted on coming." Chu Jinjin didn't seem to care; this little bit of suffering was nothing to her. She sighed, "Does it hurt?"
Summer clothes are thin; those few clothes are no different from kneeling directly on pebbles.
Liu looked up: "Aunt Wang, how long do we have to kneel?"
Aunt Wang: "......"
She felt like she had wasted so many years of her life and didn't know how to answer.
Who would dare ask such a question?
What shocked her even more was what happened next: Chu Jinjin suddenly stood up and gently helped her mother up.
Aunt Wang was dumbfounded: "You, you want to rebel? How dare you defy the Empress Dowager's decree?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
