Chapter 397 Avoiding the Son
"Hahaha... If you make things difficult for the Bai family, then your Qi family won't have an easy time either! Just you wait, just you wait, I will absolutely not let you two comfortably trample on the flesh and blood of the Bai family and live a carefree life! Qi Jun, you wicked bastard who harmed your maternal grandfather's family and allowed Qi Huan to kill your father, committing regicide and patricide! You will definitely be punished!"
The Empress Dowager stood up unsteadily, propping herself up on the chair. Her phoenix eyes stared at the two of them, filled with hatred.
"And you, Qi Yuxuan! Aren't you so good at climbing the social ladder? You seduced Qi Yuemian into recognizing you as her goddaughter, and you even caused the entire capital to contract the plague to pave the way for your position as a princess? Now you're trying to seduce my son! You harmed the Xiao family, and now you've harmed the Lin and Bai families too. You ruthless jinx, you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later—"
"Enough!" Qi Jun interrupted her, unable to bear it any longer.
Qi Yuxuan was so shocked by what she saw that she was speechless.
The Crown Prince's mother and Empress, whom she remembered, have now completely changed.
With sunken eyes, dry and loose skin, and brittle and frizzy hair due to neglect, she looked haggard, even less attractive than other well-maintained ladies. She resembled someone who had just recovered from a serious illness, and her whole being was emaciated.
Qi Yuxuan turned her head and glanced at Qi Jun with concern.
Speaking of which, the Empress Dowager is still quite young, no more than forty years old, even a few years younger than the Grand Princess. But unexpectedly, she has changed so quickly. I wonder if Qi Jun feels very sad seeing his mother like this.
The Empress Dowager's words were harsh, but Qi Yuxuan wouldn't listen to them. Whether it was delirium or just her ramblings, the Empress Dowager's current state indicated she was ill. When someone is ill, their own suffering is the most important thing, and the suffering of those around them is secondary.
The Empress Dowager is Qi Jun's biological mother, the mother who has accompanied Qi Jun as he grew up for the past twenty-one years. Unlike Qi Yuxuan and the Grand Princess, the bond between Qi Jun and his mother is definitely much stronger.
However, to Qi Yuxuan's surprise, Qi Jun's expression was too calm, so calm that it was even somewhat indifferent.
“Xiuyuan…” she tugged at his hand and called him softly.
In such a situation, it was not appropriate for her to deal with it directly; it was better for Qi Jun to speak up.
The young emperor looked at his mother, who stood before him with her neck stiff, and a barely perceptible look of disgust flashed in his eyes.
"Mother," he stared at the Empress Dowager, his voice somewhat cold, "Since the Empress and I are newly married and the tea ceremony is held, Mother, you probably do not wish to accept this tea, and you also do not wish to see the Empress and me. From now on, the Empress and I will certainly not disturb your rest."
"By imperial decree, although I rule the world with filial piety, I am concerned about the health of the Empress Dowager. From this day forward, the Empress Dowager shall move to the Western Garden in the capital for quiet recuperation. She shall not leave the palace without my written order, and all noblewomen, both inside and outside the palace, are forbidden from visiting her."
The emperor's words completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope in the hearts of everyone in Kunning Palace: "All ceremonial guards in the West Garden shall be abolished and their provisions reduced. Only four palace maids shall be left to serve you. Anyone who has private correspondence or dealings with the Empress Dowager, regardless of whether they are relatives or officials, shall be treated as a traitor. The Qilin Guard shall be ordered to investigate them strictly."
If the emperor had simply moved the empress dowager to the West Garden, everyone would have breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she would be able to return to the palace once she recovered. But the emperor then announced that he would reduce the ceremonial guards and supplies, decrease the number of staff, and that anyone who came to or from the palace would be punished for treason!
Everyone present understood the meaning of these words. The palace servants' hearts sank, and Aunt Tao was even more incredulous. She quickly got up and kept kowtowing, begging for mercy.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager is your birth mother! We beg you to have mercy and rescind your decree! The Western Garden is desolate, and there are too few palace servants. How can they possibly care for the Empress Dowager and help her recover? Your Majesty..."
Unfortunately, Aunt Tao did not live to see the emperor retract his decree. The emperor and empress disappeared from Kunning Palace, and she completely lost her strength and collapsed to the ground.
The Empress Dowager sat back down in her chair, looked at the two cups of tea, and began to laugh loudly. As she laughed, tears streamed down her face again.
After leaving Kunning Palace, Qi Jun and Qi Yuxuan sat in the imperial carriage and headed straight for Cining Palace, the residence of the Empress Dowager.
The two remained silent the entire way.
Qi Yuxuan didn't know how to comfort him, and Qi Jun was restless and didn't know where to begin.
Fortunately, Kunning Palace was close to Cining Palace, and before the two could decide what to say, they arrived at their destination.
The imperial carriage landed, and the two continued to walk side by side.
Granny Zhang was waiting at the door. Seeing that the two looked unwell, she had a guess in her mind. She went up to them without changing her expression and respectfully greeted them.
"This humble servant congratulates Your Majesty and Her Majesty on the auspicious arrival of the dragon and phoenix, and on your boundless blessings and peace! The Empress Dowager specially ordered this servant to greet you here this morning, and respectfully invites Your Majesty to proceed—"
Only when they saw the Empress Dowager waiting in the main hall did the Emperor and Empress finally show a smile.
The two stepped forward hand in hand and bowed.
The Empress Dowager, with a kind and gentle face, smiled and beckoned to the two of them: "Quickly, get up!"
"My two dear grandsons, come here and sit down to talk. You must be tired from getting up so early today?"
When the Empress Dowager said this, both of them thought of what had just happened at Kunning Palace, and their smiles became somewhat stiff.
Seeing their expressions, the Empress Dowager sighed, "Don't blame your mother. She's just too devastated and can't get over it right away. I've tried to advise her before, but alas... well, everyone has their own destiny."
The Empress Dowager was listless for a moment, but immediately perked up: "Let's not talk about that. You two, come here. Have you had breakfast this morning? My small kitchen has a specialty snack. I ordered someone to make it for you yesterday. You must try it when you come today."
Qi Yuxuan smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Then I shall respectfully comply."
She was beautiful, and even though she hadn't slept much last night, she was still radiant, with a rosy glow on her cheeks, so beautiful that it was hard to look away.
Upon seeing her like this, the Empress Dowager felt a complex mix of emotions. Such a lovely girl—she had once liked her because of her affection for her, but…
The Empress Dowager rarely showed a hint of regret, though it was fleeting, Qi Jun caught it.
He subtly curled his lips into a faint smile, echoing the Empress Dowager's words, but his gaze swept over Sun Miao, who was following behind him.
Having served the emperor for so long, Sun Miao could tell what the emperor meant with just a glance. He was also alarmed when he heard the Empress Dowager say that she wanted to try the snacks from the small kitchen. Today was only the second day of the emperor and empress's marriage. Could the Empress Dowager possibly harm the empress?
However, he would never make decisions for his master without permission, so he immediately found an excuse to leave and planned to investigate the Cining Palace and the pastries.
Soon, the Imperial Medical Academy sent over the results, leaving Sun Miao dumbfounded.
This little thing actually contained a significant amount of contraceptive?!
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