Inside the Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Du slammed her hand on the table, causing the teacup to tremble slightly and the lotus-shaped pastry in the dessert dish to shake.
Her face darkened, her eyes blazing with anger, and she gritted her teeth as she said, "You, Jiang Luoluo, have ruined my plans at this crucial moment!"
Seeing this, Rong Momo quickly stepped forward to soothe her and gently comforted her, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Here, have a piece of your favorite lotus pastry."
She gently handed over the snacks, her words carrying a hint of reassurance, "No matter how much trouble Jiang Luoluo causes, she can't really stir up any waves. She can't escape your Buddha's palm."
Empress Dowager Du snorted coldly, took the lotus-shaped pastry and took a bite. This was something she had specifically instructed Xiao Lingchuan to buy from outside.
The lotus seed cake was soft and sweet, melting in her mouth, but it did not alleviate her anger.
At this moment, a young eunuch rushed in, knelt down and reported: "Your Majesty, Manager Liu has confessed. His daughter was whipped to death by Princess Anrou. In order to avenge his daughter, he killed Princess Anrou and made it look like she had hanged herself."
Empress Dowager Du's expression remained unchanged. She calmly wiped her fingertips with a handkerchief and said in an icy tone, "It seems he has already arranged everything."
Although he was far away at Yuanhua Temple, he was constantly worried about her safety.
Xie Yizhi, that unfilial son, opposes her at every turn, and even today in the imperial court, he publicly questioned her about whether she was his biological mother.
Even Xie Qiyu was instigated by him to join him in opposing him.
Thinking of this, Empress Dowager Du's anger intensified, and she nearly clenched the handkerchief in her hand into a ball.
Despite her anger, a sense of unease crept into her heart.
Has Xie Yizhi already realized something?
But he was still an infant at the time, and Xie Qiyu was only two years old. How could they know that she was not their biological mother?
Empress Dowager Du's thoughts instantly returned to many years ago, to the sixth year of the Great Qi Dynasty, when Consort Shen gave birth to Xie Qiyu; and to the eighth year of the Great Qi Dynasty, she gave birth to Xie Yizhi.
At that time, she was still the Empress.
She was the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family, and the late emperor made her empress in order to consolidate his throne.
As the mother of the nation, she should have been a model of virtue for the world, but the late emperor never showed her the slightest tenderness.
She never paid any attention to the concubines in the harem who vied for the emperor's favor, with all sorts of open and covert attacks. But Consort Shen, that quiet and unassuming woman, became a thorn in her side.
The late emperor doted on Consort Shen, spending half the month in her palace.
As for her, despite being the Empress, she rarely even received a proper look from the late Emperor.
Consort Shen gave birth to princes one after another, becoming the biggest winner in the harem, while she was always just a dispensable decoration.
She had once fantasized about being able to know and stay with the late emperor, and fantasized about one day being able to give birth to their children.
But reality repeatedly brought her back to reality; her tenderness was ultimately no match for Consort Shen's every smile and frown.
She endured for many years, scheming step by step. First, she lowered her stance and became friends with Consort Shen, pretending to be gentle and virtuous, so that Consort Shen would lower her guard.
Then, they gradually won over the people in Consort Shen's palace, even replacing the imperial physician who examined her pulse with one of their own.
Finally, when Consort Shen was completely unprepared, she personally served her a cup of calming soup laced with arsenic.
Consort Shen died in her arms with tears in her eyes. Before she died, she even held her hand and whispered, "Empress, what did I do wrong?"
wrong?
She did nothing wrong. Her only mistake was blocking her own path, and those who block the path must die.
As the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, how could she tolerate such humiliation? Since the late emperor wouldn't give it to her, she would fight for it herself.
After Consort Shen died, she cried so hard she almost fainted. She personally took care of the funeral arrangements, and her eyes were red from crying.
Her performance was flawless; even the late emperor was moved by her deep sisterly affection and granted her permission to raise Consort Shen's two children.
At that time, Xie Qiyu and Xie Yizhi were just two ignorant children. They were helpless and could be shaped into their personalities however she wanted.
Therefore, she used both kindness and strictness on Xie Qiyu, teaching him to read between the lines and cultivating a cautious and timid nature.
She needs to be able to control her eldest son to be a good eldest son.
Xie Yizhi was only her second son, and she didn't care about him at all, treating him as an insignificant pawn.
Therefore, Xie Yizhi developed a rebellious nature from a young age. He was even more unruly, and she just watched quietly, waiting for the day when Xie Yizhi would cause a major upheaval so she could teach this little brat a lesson.
After the late emperor's death, she finally became the supreme empress dowager, gradually consolidating power in her hands.
So she personally issued an imperial decree, ordering Xie Yizhi to lead a thousand cavalrymen to the far north, intending for him to die there.
But that bastard was incredibly lucky. Not only did he not die, but he also managed to fight against hundreds of thousands of troops in the northern desert with only a thousand cavalrymen. He survived and even created the Flying Eagle Army!
She closed her eyes, her heart churning with hatred.
She thought her life would continue like this, scheming in the cold palace, rising and falling in power struggles, until she died one day.
But then she met that person, who would quietly chant sutras for her in the Buddhist hall, take her to try vegetarian food, and sit with her until dawn when she had insomnia.
He gently stroked her hand and said tenderly, "For you, I would be willing to be punished by Buddha and suffer all kinds of injuries."
His gaze was full of affection, and his tone was firm: "You will always be the treasure in my palm."
At that moment, she realized that there were still people in this world who were willing to pamper and cherish her like that.
She was the Empress Dowager, but she was also just a woman. She longed for a love that would be unforgettable, so that her life would not have been in vain.
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