On the second day after the wedding, according to custom, one had to go to the palace to pay respects to the Emperor and kowtow and offer tea to the Empress Dowager.
Xiao Feng was still in a coma, so Wan Jinlan had to go alone.
I didn't sleep well for two nights in a row, and there are some dark circles under my eyes.
After washing up, she fed Xiao Feng breakfast first.
Since he was unable to chew, the chef in the mansion could only follow the imperial physician's instructions and make some nutritious porridge for Xiao Feng, with all the ingredients chopped into small pieces.
The imperial physician said that the prince was getting thinner and thinner, and it would be best to feed him one or two more meals a day in the future.
After feeding Xiao Feng, Wan Jinlan prepared to enter the palace. It was already dawn and it was getting late.
Nanny Li said, "Princess, don't worry. Just enjoy your breakfast. The Queen Mother will understand if you take some time."
Wan Jinlan said with a smile, "My mother is thinking about the prince, and he might be waiting for you in Ci'an Palace now. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take some snacks for the carriage."
After entering the palace, Wan Jinlan first went to Taiji Palace to pay his respects to the emperor, and was then given a seat.
Emperor Jian'an looked more than ten years older than when he was at the Lishan Palace.
"How is Brother Feng?"
Wan Jinlan replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the prince is still unconscious. He had a fever last night and felt cold when he woke up this morning. He has lost a lot of weight."
Emperor Jian'an sighed, "I have ordered people to search for extraordinary people among the people. Madam Wan, you must take good care of Brother Feng."
Emperor Jian'an gave her some warnings, gave her some rewards, and then let her go to Ci'an Palace.
The Empress Dowager had indeed been waiting in Ci'an Palace for a long time. Nanny Li entered the palace with Wan Jinlan. After returning to the palace, she did not go to Taiji Palace, but went directly to Ci'an Palace.
After reporting everything that happened in Prince Qi's mansion, the Queen Mother nodded and said, "Mrs. Wan is a virtuous and sensible woman."
On the way to Ci'an Palace, Wan Jinlan met Princess Shun and the Third Prince's wife.
Princess Shun's face was flushed uncontrollably, while Wang Minghui had a sneer on her lips and suppressed anger in her eyes.
Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the atmosphere between the two sisters-in-law was unhappy.
Yes, one is at the peak of his career, while the other is declining.
Wan Jinlan was half a head taller than both of them, and he waited leisurely for them to come and pay their respects.
"Meet the Imperial Aunt."
She seemed to hear the sound of Wang Minghui grinding her teeth.
This title of "Imperial Aunt" is so damn beautiful.
Princess Shun was of the same rank as her, but because of seniority, she also had to bow to her.
In the entire palace, there are only two people who can make her bow to them.
"Are you two going to Ci'an Palace?"
Princess Shun nodded and smiled, saying, "Our prince and the third prince were sent to quell the rebellion. This morning, they told me to send the child to the palace to show my filial piety to my mother on behalf of the prince."
Wang Minghui on the side sneered silently. Prince Shun just wanted his son to curry favor with his father while he was away suppressing the rebellion. No one was more calculating than him.
The three of them walked and talked together. Wang Minghui endured for a long time, and finally said: "I heard that the emperor's uncle is seriously ill and can't even get off the bed. I feel so sorry for the emperor's aunt. She has to endure this just after getting married."
Wan Jinlan has been in the circle of noble ladies in Beijing for many years. She is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. Her aunt was a noble concubine in the palace. When she went to Yangzhou after she came of age, she took the initiative to contact Prince Qi Xiao Feng and took the position of Princess Qi as she wished.
It can be said that Wan Jinlan has a lot on his mind.
She was born with fine clothes and even if she got married, she wanted to find a man who could keep her rich and prosperous without having to bow down to most people.
Xiao Feng's status was good, and his appearance was also to her liking. She had been content with it before. Although some misfortunes had happened now, what did it matter? She was still the Princess of Qi.
Wan Jinlan smiled and said, "Your Highness, please don't worry about my life. Seeing that your Highness looks good, I'm relieved. It seems that she hasn't been affected by the events of the past few days. That's good, after all, overthinking is pointless."
Wang Minghui was previously bullied by Princess Shun, and now she was bullied by Wan Jinlan. Her face was distorted with anger.
"Wan Jinlan, why are you so proud? I heard that King Qi is dying. You are entering the palace early to bring good luck, but you will inevitably become a widow in the future."
"How dare you! Slap me in the face."
No one knew why the Empress Dowager was not in Ci'an Palace, but instead at the corner of the palace road.
Wang Minghui was so frightened that her face turned pale and she quickly knelt down, "Granddaughter-in-law, please forgive me, Your Majesty, for your words."
Princess Shun breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that she had remained polite to Wan Jinlan today. This Wang Minghui was a fool. As long as the Queen Mother was still alive, Wan Jinlan could not afford to offend her. In the past, Wang Minghui was known as a talented woman in Kyoto, but now it seemed that her brain was really not very bright.
"The Third Prince's Consort Wang has a bad mouth. She will be slapped thirty times. She must return home to reflect on her actions. She will not be allowed to enter the palace without a summons from now on."
The Queen Mother coughed a few times, her face flushed with anger.
Wan Jinlan stepped forward to support the Queen Mother and patted her back gently. "Your Majesty, don't be angry. I believe that good fortune will come to those who are lucky. The prince will wake up."
The empress dowager was not much older than her grandfather, both had gray hair on their temples, but her grandfather looked much healthier than the pampered empress dowager because of his martial arts training.
After returning to Ci'an Palace, Wan Jinlan kowtowed and offered tea. After receiving the reward, he sat to the lower left of the empress dowager.
The Queen Mother took off the emerald green jade bracelet from her hand and patted her hand, "Thank you for your hard work."
Wan Jinlan smiled and said, "It's not hard at all. I just hope that the prince can wake up soon. As long as he can wake up, I won't feel any hardship at all."
Princess Shun, sitting across from her, felt a momentary envy at the harmonious relationship between her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Compared to Concubine Chen's constant admonishments, the Queen Mother's attitude toward Wan Jinlan was truly like that of a mother and daughter. But thinking of the rumored dying Prince Qi, Princess Shun's spirits calmed down considerably.
After Princess Shun paid her respects to the Queen Mother, she left tactfully.
Seeing the Queen Mother's tired expression, Wan Jinlan said, "I often massage and loosen Grandmother's body in the boudoir. Why not massage her today as well?"
The queen mother's expression softened. "You worked hard yesterday. I'm fine."
Wan Jinlan still stood up and stood beside the empress dowager, pressing her temples with moderate strength.
The Queen Mother closed her eyes, her expression becoming more relaxed.
After an incense stick of time, the empress dowager opened her eyes and sat up straight. She understood the elegant meaning of the music and Wan Jinlan sat back down as she was told.
"You are a filial son."
Wan Jinlan smiled and said, "Mother, please take good care of yourself. When the prince wakes up and enters the palace to see that mother is not in good spirits, he will blame his daughter-in-law for not serving her wholeheartedly."
The Queen Mother beckoned, "Wan, come here."
Wan Jinlan didn't understand what he meant and walked closer.
The empress dowager took off a simple yet exquisite wooden hairpin from her head. After Wan Jinlan squatted down, she personally put it on her bun.
A nanny standing by the side had her eyes flashing, then she lowered her eyes, looking at her nose and her heart.
At this moment, Wan Jinlan felt that this hairpin seemed familiar, and she wondered if it had the same special meaning as the one her aunt had given her.
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