Chapter 235
She shook her head and said helplessly, "How could I not want to? But Shen Qingnian is already Xuan'er's illness. If I interfere too much, I can't guarantee what will happen when Xuan'er finds out."
After saying that, the Empress Dowager asked the nanny beside her, "Did you see Xuan'er's expression just now?"
The old woman thought for a moment and replied, "His Majesty's expression was anxious just now, but it was much better than his usual cold demeanor. He seemed more like a person with flesh and blood."
The Empress Dowager nodded and sighed, "If Shen Qingnian's return can restore Xuan'er to her original state, that would be the best outcome, especially with the arrival of the little princess."
Over the past three years, Xuan'er has gone from being mad to being indifferent, and she has watched it all but been able to do anything about it. Now that Shen Qingnian has returned, she only hopes that Xuan'er can be the same as before...
The old woman beside him bowed her head and agreed.
"Shen Qingnian has been away from the palace for a long time, and she is inevitably a bit restless. You convey my imperial decree that she should copy scriptures for one hour every day and send them to Yongshou Palace every three days," the Empress Dowager instructed the nanny.
She will still give them a good talking-to if necessary.
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Inside the Golden Palace.
Song Xuan brought Shen Qingnian back to the palace.
He looked at the woman before him, his tone rather somber: "Why didn't you send someone to find me?"
If Zhu Lan hadn't sent a eunuch from outside the Golden Hall to report this, he might still be unaware of it.
When he first met Qing Nian, he was furious, not to mention his mother. He was afraid that his mother might do something to Qing Nian in her anger.
Shen Qingnian saw the man's worry, and her heart warmed. She comforted him, saying, "It was my fault, and it is right for the Empress Dowager to punish me. Besides, with Xiao Xi here, there is no need to worry. The Empress Dowager will show leniency for Xiao Xi's sake."
She was also a mother, and she could guess some of the Empress Dowager's thoughts.
Upon hearing this, little Shen Xi immediately puffed out her chest and said, "Father, Mother is right. Little Xi can protect Mother. Grandmother also likes Little Xi very much!"
She can protect her mother.
Xiao Yanqing nodded and said, "Father, Xiao Xi is right. Grandmother loves children the most. With Xiao Xi around, Grandmother will definitely not make things difficult for Mother."
With two little ones chiming in, Song Xuan's pent-up frustration dissipated.
He patted the two boys on the head before saying to Shen Qingnian, "I will explain to the Empress Dowager that I will not bother you again."
"Then thank you very much, Your Majesty," Shen Qingnian said with a faint smile, her cool demeanor softening.
Incense wafted through the hall, surrounding the family of four, as palace servants brought out tea and snacks.
Song Xuan caught a whiff of the familiar jasmine scent and couldn't help but look toward the incense burner.
Ever since the truth was revealed, whenever he smelled or thought of the jasmine scent, he felt incredibly distressed, as if it were gnawing at his bones. But now, when he smelled the jasmine fragrance, he only felt its delicate and refreshing aroma.
Seeing Song Xuan looking at the incense burner, Shen Qingnian assumed that he was recalling past events and was displeased, so she took the initiative to say, "If Your Majesty is not pleased, I will order someone to extinguish the incense."
Although she initially used jasmine incense out of ulterior motives, she gradually grew to like its delicate fragrance, much like her feelings towards men...
Upon hearing this, Song Xuan simply said, "It is naturally of the celestial ice and snow variety, possessing all the riches and fragrances of the mortal world. This incense suits you very well, and I like it very much as well."
With a different mindset, the pain of the past is no longer unbearable.
Xia Zi, who was standing behind Song Xuan, spoke up at the right moment: "If Miss Liu likes it, the palace incense masters have developed a number of incenses with the scent of jasmine. This servant can send someone to deliver them."
Those incenses were all developed by Song Xuan after Shen Qingnian left, and he had smelled each one.
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