Seeing that Xuan Yuanhan was so anxious about Yi Shangyun's matter that he almost lost his composure and ruined important matters, Cheng Liangyi hurriedly left to arrange related matters as soon as he received the order.
"No, it seems we must speed things up in Yong'an Palace."
"Otherwise, if Lu Yuan really gets there first and brings Yun'er back to Dongning Kingdom to succeed to the throne, then Yun'er's future situation will be even more difficult!"
After Cheng Liang left, Xuan Yuanhan continued to silently ponder and plan on his own.
What made him even more uneasy was Emperor Jing.
"What exactly did he find out, and what is he using to blackmail Yun'er?"
"Is it because of these reasons that Yun'er chose to leave me in this way?"
Upon realizing this, Xuan Yuanhan couldn't help but keep softly calling her name again and again.
"Yun'er..."
"Yun'er..."
It is late autumn.
Chrysanthemums of all colors were in full bloom throughout the Western Qin Imperial City, but those in Yong'an Palace were the finest.
Several clusters of autumn chrysanthemums were placed at the palace gate to welcome visitors; some were curled up, some were unfurled, and their fragrance was faint and elusive.
We entered the palace gates.
Azure sky, wispy white clouds, golden fruit, and vibrant red walls.
And there were also colorful autumn chrysanthemums, clustered together.
Some stand proudly as large as a fist, others sway in the wind, some are as fiery as the sunset, others are graceful and dignified, still others resemble clear green water, like a fairy walking slowly...
Although they are all chrysanthemums of the same lineage, they bloom with flowers of different shapes and colors, which is amazing and makes the place lively and extraordinary.
For thousands of years, chrysanthemums have been regarded as a symbol of longevity due to their ability to promote health and long life.
Furthermore, its noble character of blooming proudly against frost and exuding fragrance late in the day has earned it the reputation of being a gentleman among flowers.
The Chinese nation endowed it with spirit, regarding it as a symbol of strength.
All of this makes Yong'an Palace appear even more solemn today.
On this clear autumn day, Lu Tianjiao, filled with joy, finally entered the palace.
Inside Yong'an Palace, wisps of incense smoke rose gently.
The Empress Dowager sat high above, regally.
The empress, who was sitting beside him, also sat down to accompany him.
Lu Tianjiao slowly walked into the main hall alone and respectfully knelt down to pay homage to the two masters in front of him.
"This humble woman, Lu Tianjiao, pays her respects to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty the Empress! May you live a thousand years!"
The Empress nodded slightly and smiled at him.
The Empress Dowager was overjoyed and said anxiously, "Get up! Come forward quickly so I can take a good look at you."
Lu Tianjiao then slowly raised his head, stood up, and came to the Empress Dowager's side.
The Empress Dowager reached out and took one of his hands, gently stroking the back of his hand as she reminisced.
"I remember the last time I saw you, you were just a little girl who didn't know anything and needed someone to hold your hand wherever you went. Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, that little girl has grown up so much. Look at your beautiful and charming appearance. It seems that I have indeed really grown old."
A gust of autumn wind brushed his face, and Lu Tianjiao spoke up: "May Your Majesty live a long and healthy life. You are in the prime of your life, how can you say you are old?"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager couldn't stop smiling and said, "This girl has grown up. I never expected her to have such a clever tongue. Her sweet words have made me very happy and pleased."
Lu Tianjiao continued to flatter her, saying, "What I've said is just the truth. It must be that Your Majesty is too preoccupied with the trivial matters of the palace and has never paid attention to them."
The Empress Dowager seemed quite satisfied with Lu Tianjiao, and nodded repeatedly.
After a while, she continued, "If it weren't for the fact that you came to the palace with your father, Lu Xian, to report on your duties some time ago, and I happened to run into you in the Imperial Garden, I would have almost forgotten about you."
Lu Tianjiao's face suddenly darkened, and she said, "My brother and I lost our mother when we were young, and we never knew what maternal love was. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager took pity on us. I still remember the teachings she gave me in the palace when I was young. I will never forget them until the day I die."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager also let out a sigh.
"Alas, they are two poor, unfortunate children who lost their mother at such a young age. Now one of them has already reached marriageable age, and your elder brother has also passed the age of twenty. I heard that he is still not married. It seems that Lu Xian is the only one who has to be both father and mother and a subject. He really can't take care of these things. This is truly the oversight of our royal family, which has delayed the important matters of your lives."
She paused, then suddenly asked Lu Tianjiao, "Are you satisfied with the marriage I have ordered you to marry?"
How could Lu Tianjiao be content with just a concubine?
However, Xuanyuan Han himself insisted on doing so in the main hall, and naturally no one could change his mind.
As long as she could enter the Qin Prince's mansion, she always felt that she would have another chance in the future.
So, even if she was dissatisfied, she had to be satisfied. She put on a smiling face and said, "There are countless noble ladies from prestigious families in the world who all want to marry His Highness Prince Qin. I was born into a humble family, and what virtue or ability do I have? If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's favor, how could I have fulfilled my wish in this life? I thank the Empress Dowager for granting my wish!"
"What a well-behaved and sensible child."
The Empress Dowager patted her hand again, seemingly helpless, and said, "I never expected that Prince Qin, who appears cold and ruthless on the surface, would actually be so affectionate. However, Princess Qin has already passed away. After you enter the manor, you will ultimately be the future mistress of Prince Qin's manor. For now, as long as you don't mind being a concubine, that's fine!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao gritted his teeth and still stammered with a smile.
"Won't……"
"Concubine..."
"very good!"
Seeing that Lu Tianjiao was clearly determined to enter the Qin Prince's mansion no matter what, the Empress Dowager said nothing more.
He then raised his voice and called out to the outside of the hall, "Come in, all of you!"
In an instant, about a dozen palace maids followed and entered.
The Empress Dowager began by introducing the maids: "These are the maids I use most readily. A few days before you entered the palace, I had them carefully selected again, and these dozen or so are the best among them. Today, I will bestow them all upon you for your use, and they will be part of your dowry!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao was taken aback and refused, saying, "This...this is absolutely unacceptable! Since they are old servants whom the Empress Dowager is used to, they should stay and continue to serve the Empress Dowager properly. I don't need anyone to serve me at all; I can manage on my own."
The Empress Dowager said, "Now that you've entered the Prince of Qin's residence, you're a princess consort, how can you not have your own maids? I've heard that there are very few maids in the Prince of Qin's residence, practically none. You still need to keep them all, I'm afraid these alone are far from enough! I'll pick out some more for you later."
Lu Tianjiao insisted on refusing: "But no matter what, they are all people that Your Majesty is used to using."
The Empress Dowager said, "I still have the Empress to train new people for me. You can use her as you like. Don't worry about me."
Seeing that he could no longer refuse, Lu Tianjiao had no choice but to compromise and accept.
She then bowed to the Empress Dowager and said, "In that case... I thank Your Majesty for your kindness."
At this moment, the Empress Dowager's expression suddenly became more serious, and she said, "There is only one condition."
Lu Tianjiao said, "Your Majesty, please speak."
The Empress Dowager said, "There is only one rule: once you enter the Prince's residence, never forget the rules that I personally taught you in the Imperial Garden that day."
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao suddenly paused, as if he had been frightened by something.
At this moment, he faced the firm gaze that the Empress Dowager cast upon him.
This forced Lu Tianjiao to agree: "Yes, I will always remember the Empress Dowager's teachings and will never forget them."
At this point, the Empress Dowager finally smiled again and said, "That's excellent!"
Then, she turned her gaze to the Empress and said, "Alright, I am indeed old! I can't teach you much anymore. This concubine of the Prince of Qin should be taught by the Empress herself in the future! After all, the Prince of Qin is the Emperor's only brother, and the Empress is the Prince of Qin's only sister-in-law. It is only right that she do her best for him."
Upon hearing this, the Empress smiled and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your command and do my utmost to train a qualified princess for my uncle!"
The Empress Dowager seemed quite satisfied, smiled, and then dismissed everyone: "Alright, I'm tired too, you may all leave now!"
The Empress and Lu Tianjiao both rose and bowed to the Empress Dowager.
"Your subject takes his leave!"
"This humble woman takes her leave!"
We walked out of the gate of Yong'an Palace.
The empress pondered for a long time as she walked back to her palace.
Finally, he decided to ask Lu Tianjiao: "Miss Lu, I heard that you have been in love with Uncle Qin since you were a child. But Uncle Qin said that there is only one Princess Qin. Even so, are you really only willing to be his concubine?"
Lu Tianjiao thought for a moment and replied, "I have known His Highness Prince Qin since childhood at the academy, and I have indeed fallen in love with him at first sight. As long as I can be with His Highness for the rest of my life, even if I can only watch him from afar, nothing else matters."
Upon hearing this, the Empress instinctively felt that the answer was exactly what she had expected.
But I had a feeling that what Lu Tianjiao wanted was definitely not just this.
Then she recalled the scene from a few days ago when she accompanied her father and brothers to the palace and met the Empress Dowager in the Imperial Garden.
She then asked, "Furthermore, the Japanese Emperor clearly told you to wait for me in that pavilion so I could take you back. But how did you end up in the Imperial Garden? Did you already know the Empress Dowager was there, and that's why you went there on purpose?"
Lu Tianjiao vehemently denied it, saying, "It was indeed by chance that I met the Empress Dowager in the Imperial Garden. I waited for the Empress for a long time but she did not return, so I stumbled into the Imperial Garden by accident. It was not what the Empress Dowager thought. I really did not know that the Empress Dowager was also in the Imperial Garden that day."
Upon hearing this, the Empress let out a cold laugh: "Hmph..."
He then reminded her, "In the future, in the Qin Prince's mansion, I hope Miss Lu can restrain these petty tricks of yours. The Qin Emperor has experienced countless battles and seen countless people, but he is a person who absolutely cannot tolerate any nonsense, especially in the Prince's mansion."
Listening to the Empress's words, Lu Tianjiao followed in her footsteps in silence, without saying another word.
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