The Empress and the Emperor left one after another, and Concubine Wan tactfully said, "I have things to do in the palace, so I won't bother the Empress Dowager any more."
The Queen Mother nodded.
After everyone left, only the Empress Dowager, the palace maids from Ci'an Palace, and Wan Jinlan were left in the hall.
The Queen's malice and dislike towards her were clearly laid out in the open. Thinking of Wang Minghui, Wan Jinlan had nothing to understand.
As for the emperor's attitude, she always felt it was a bit subtle.
The Queen Mother's expression softened considerably. She stood up and said, "Wan's girl, help me take a walk in the garden."
Wan Jinlan stepped forward respectfully and helped the empress dowager to the garden in Ci'an Palace.
It is spring today. The winter jasmine flowers are blooming in an orderly manner above the palace walls. The spring sunlight is warm but not too strong, and it feels cozy when it falls on the body.
The Queen Mother patted her hands and said, "Tell me about what happened between you and the Prince of Qi in Yangzhou. Don't overthink it. I asked you to speak, so just say it."
Wan Jinlan looked at the white hair on the empress dowager's temples, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, heard her voice, and felt her feelings for Xiao Feng.
She thought for a moment and said, "In fact, the King of Qi and I haven't met many times in Yangzhou."
Of course, she was lying. As for why, the Queen's words had made her wary, so she naturally wanted some.
"His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi is a man of radiant grace, and he used to be stern and serious towards me. The fact that I was able to speak with him was thanks to the chubby puppy that Prince Guangling gave him. I love dogs, so I shamelessly visited him..."
"Later, he was busy, so he entrusted Diandian to the care of a servant..."
Wan Jinlan's words basically revolved around the points, and the empress dowager had a relaxed smile on her face as she listened.
"When Your Highness brings Diandian back, the Empress Dowager will know how fat Diandian is. The two yellow spots above its eyes make it look like it has four eyes..."
After hearing Wan Jinlan's words, the empress dowager felt relieved.
If he didn't like her, why would he propose to her?
The Queen Mother sighed inwardly. She and the King of Qi were not close. Ever since she left him in Kyoto that year, the rift between them seemed to be forever irreparable.
Wan Jinlan had lunch in Ci'an Palace. Without the empress and emperor, the meal was restrained but also comfortable.
"Go to the Imperial Concubine's Palace. Anyang keeps mentioning you in front of me. I'm tired. Please leave first."
Seeing that the empress dowager looked tired, Wan Jinlan bowed obediently and retreated.
Only after she followed the palace maids to Yongfu Palace did she finally feel relieved.
I really don’t want to come to this palace a second time after coming here once.
Anyang had been waiting for the whole morning when she heard that Wan Jinlan had entered the palace. She had also heard about the affair between Wan Jinlan and Uncle Qi, and was so anxious to know the inside story that as soon as Wan Jinlan arrived, she grabbed him and asked him all kinds of questions.
"Will this princess have to call you aunt from now on? I never thought of that."
When Princess Anyang looked incredulous, the head maid from Concubine Wan's palace came and said, "Miss Wan, the Queen wants to see you."
Princess Anyang also followed. When Concubine Wan saw this, she didn't say anything, but still sent all the palace people away.
"Mother, what are you trying to say? You're so mysterious." Anyang could no longer suppress his excitement.
Concubine Wan glanced at her and said, "What I want to talk about is the relationship between the Queen Mother and the Prince of Qi."
"As everyone knows, the Prince of Qi is the daughter of the Queen Mother, and is over twenty years older than Your Majesty. Your Majesty and the Prince of Qi are brothers. Those of us who have been in the palace for a long time all know that the Queen Mother and the Prince of Qi are not actually close."
Wan Jinlan listened carefully. She always felt that something was strange. The questions the emperor asked him today and the empress dowager's attitude towards the emperor seemed to hide great meaning.
"Mother, could you please speak faster?" Anyang, who couldn't hear the main point, was scratching his ears and cheeks in discomfort.
"When Your Majesty was still a prince, three years before you ascended the throne, the Queen Mother was forced to flee to Tanzhou with Your Majesty, and the Prince of Qi was left in Kyoto."
There are many secrets in this, such as the late queen once blocked a poisonous arrow for Your Majesty and suffered physical injuries. After Your Majesty regained power, the late queen's family inevitably became arrogant. In the end, the late queen's family was killed by Your Majesty without a single survivor.
For example, the current queen was once just a concubine in the backyard of His Majesty's palace. She shared hardships with the Queen Mother and His Majesty before she was crowned as queen.
Concubine Wan entered the palace after His Majesty and the Queen Mother returned to Kyoto in order to consolidate the military's power. Over the years, she gradually learned about what had happened in the past.
In the palace, those who know too little might at any moment offend those above them, while those who know too much and think too much might inevitably suffer from restless sleep. Whether one can survive well depends on one's wisdom.
"The Prince of Qi was young at the time and was left behind in the capital city, which was full of jackals. One can imagine what life was like there," Concubine Wan sighed.
Wan Jinlan said in a very low voice: "I feel that the relationship between His Majesty and the Prince of Qi is not as good as the rumors say. The Queen Mother and His Majesty are not that close either."
The atmosphere in Ci'an Palace was strange today. The emperor's attitude puzzled her the most. She was not stupid, so it was normal for her to notice something strange.
Concubine Wan shook her head. "The relationship between the Empress Dowager and His Majesty has been a bit subtle over the past few years. I can't figure out what's going on right now. Once I leave Yongfu Palace, I'll keep all these things to myself."
Not only Wan Jinlan was confused, but Concubine Wan was also confused. What exactly did His Majesty mean by his words today?
Forgive her for being blunt, but His Majesty has the intention of discrediting the King of Qi today, as if he doesn't want this marriage to take place.
Wan Jinlan nodded like a chick pecking at rice to show that she understood. She was not stupid, so she would not tell anyone.
Concubine Wan said all this today to give her niece some advice. If she marries the Prince of Qi in the future, there should be rules and proper manners for how she should get along with her husband and mother-in-law.
It was already 3 p.m. when Wan Jinlan left the palace. When he arrived at the palace gate, he got on his own carriage. When he turned into the alley, the carriage suddenly stopped.
The driver, Ma Liu, said, "Miss, someone is blocking the road."
When she lifted the car curtain and saw that it was Xiao Zheng, she wondered if this man had come to avenge him from last time.
Xiao Zheng looks much thinner than last year, and his facial features are more angular.
"I have something to ask." He went straight to the point and walked up to her car window.
"you say."
Xiao Zheng lowered his voice, "Has Xiao Mingyi been married off to Youzhou?"
Wan Jinlan paused and told the truth, "As far as I know, yes."
After asking, Xiao Zheng did not stop and quickly disappeared into the alley.
Wan Jinlan heard from Princess Anyang today that Prince Guangling fell ill on the way to the capital and caught a cold. He has been ill on and off and has not recovered yet. Whenever the weather changes, his condition also changes.
The imperial physician went to see him and found that his condition was indeed very serious. Within a few months, Prince Guangling could not even get out of bed.
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