Chapter 622 The Palace’s Eyes
After the empress dowager fell ill, she stayed in Shoukang Palace to recuperate. Not only did she not show up at the previous palace banquets, but she also rarely summoned many ladies from outside the palace to enter the palace.
Apart from the people from the Xuan family, only the old lady of the Fu family came twice.
Princess Huan was trying to be funny and the Queen Mother was indeed amused by her words and started to laugh.
"You're always talking nonsense. There are all kinds of opera troupes outside the palace, and you're still greedy for Ai's?"
"How can it be the same?"
Princess Huan pretended to be dissatisfied: "Are you really reluctant to let us see it later?"
"You, you!"
The Queen Mother stretched out her hand and lightly nodded at Princess Huan, the smile on her face becoming even brighter.
Perhaps because of Princess Huan's amusement, the Queen Mother felt relieved and her originally pale face also showed a few more colors.
"I've been ill for a long time, and it's just what happens to old people. I shouldn't have let you into the palace, but I didn't expect the emperor to listen to the astrologer's advice and make you come all this way. If people find out, they'll probably accuse me of mobilizing so many troops."
Everyone said they dared not.
Mrs. Cao and the others even spoke up.
"Don't say that, Empress Dowager. His Majesty is being filial to you. Even if outsiders knew about it, they would only praise him."
"Yes, you are ill, and His Majesty is worried. He will try everything to make you better."
"Although the Empress Dowager's illness is minor, Your Majesty cares about you and would rather sacrifice himself to take your place, even if it weren't for the astrological advice. We are willing to serve the Empress Dowager."
"Exactly."
"It is the duty of the court ladies to attend to the Empress Dowager."
Everyone praised the emperor for his filial piety and expressed their relief for the empress dowager's illness.
Even though everyone present could see that the Queen Mother was not in good health and even seemed extremely weak when she spoke, no one was so foolish as to say it out loud. They just looked like they hoped that the Queen Mother would recover soon.
The Queen Mother smiled slightly, and her eyes swept across the crowd, landing on Rong Yue for a moment: "Second girl Rong, come here."
Rong Yue was stunned for a moment before she realized that the Queen Mother was calling her. It had been a long time since anyone had addressed her like this: "Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother looked at her and said, "Come closer."
Rong Yue hurriedly took a few steps forward and walked to the bedside. Prince Ji's concubine had already stepped back tactfully, but Princess Huan, who had been standing beside the Queen Mother to amuse her, took two steps back with a cold face and some reluctance.
The Queen Mother seemed not to notice Princess Huan's expression and just held Rong Yue's hand.
"You, child, when you were still in Prince Cheng's mansion, you often came to the palace to visit me and chat with me from time to time, but after leaving the mansion, you refused to come into the palace."
"I've wanted you to come to the palace several times to ask about your recent situation, but you always refused, saying you weren't feeling well. Later, I fell ill, so you delayed coming. You haven't come to see me for such a long time. Are you divorced and are you even resentful of me and the rest of the royal family?"
Hearing this, Rong Yue quickly said, "Rong Yue doesn't dare."
"The Empress Dowager has been very protective of me, and I have always remembered her kindness. However, I am divorced after all, and with so many scandals that have occurred in Prince Cheng's mansion, it is inevitable that people will gossip about me. How dare I disturb the Empress Dowager?"
"What nonsense."
The Queen Mother scolded him lightly: "Prince Cheng is Prince Cheng, and you are you. He is a traitor who deceives the emperor and deceives the emperor. What's wrong with you being deceived by him?"
"The Emperor personally approved your divorce. Even the royal family dared not speak out. I want to see who dares to criticize you from outside."
After she finished speaking, she seemed to be angry and couldn't help coughing.
The maid who had been watching over her hurried forward to calm her down: "Madam, the imperial physician said you can't get angry."
Rong Yue was also startled by the Empress Dowager's sudden anger. Seeing her hunched over from coughing, she anxiously supported her, "Don't be angry, Empress Dowager. Don't let your anger get to your head. My affairs aren't worth your concern. Please calm down."
The empress dowager was comforted by the two men one after another, and someone helped her to breathe smoothly. After a while, the coughing in her mouth stopped.
Rong Yue quickly took the warm water handed to her by Nanny Ran, carefully helped the empress dowager use some, and then helped her sit down again.
The Queen Mother leaned against the pillow and panted softly: "But has anyone ever troubled you about Prince Cheng's affairs?"
Rong Yue quickly said, "No, Your Majesty has bestowed upon me a title and bestowed upon me special favors. No one dares to embarrass me. As for the gossip outside, I live my life behind closed doors. I was fortunate to have escaped unscathed in the first place, so I don't care about those irrelevant people."
The Queen Mother's expression finally relaxed upon hearing this. "Indeed, you were impetuous when you were still a child, and you wouldn't let yourself be wronged. Your sister, on the other hand, is much more quiet and reserved."
She sighed softly:
"It's a pity that she fell into a den of danger and ended up like that. Fortunately, you successfully escaped that traitor, Prince Cheng, and the child left by Madam Rong is now safe. I heard that she is also engaged to the bloodline left by the He family. She is now the Duke of Dingguo, right?"
The Queen Mother casually sighed like this, and Rong Yue, who was sitting beside the bed, had an inexplicable feeling that "it's coming as expected".
The Queen Mother mentioned Tang Ning, so she naturally had to respond and could only follow the Queen Mother's words, "Indeed, he is the Duke of Dingguo. His Majesty personally conferred the title on him, saying that it was to make up for the death of the Third Master of the He Family in battle for his country."
She did not say that He Wenzhuo died in vain, but only said that he died in battle, giving Emperor An enough face.
After she finished speaking, Rong Yue turned to the crowd and said, "Tang Ning, come and pay your respects to the Queen Mother."
Tang Ning stepped forward and bowed: "Tang Ning greets the Queen Mother, the Queen Mother is Changle Wuji."
"Get up!"
The Queen Mother's eyes lit up when she saw Tang Ning. She quickly asked her to stand up and began to praise her, "She is indeed a beautiful and talented child. She looks a bit like her mother, both are beautiful."
Tang Ning pursed her lips and smiled shyly.
Rong Yue smiled and said, "You're too kind. Tang Ning is very different from my sister."
"My sister has a very unshakable personality and is very patient. Even my father used to say that she was like a little Maitreya Buddha. She could just laugh it off no matter what happened."
"This girl is more like her father, with the same quick temper and intolerance. She only became better after discussing the marriage with Xiao Yan. If she ever crosses your eyes later and lets you know that her temper is not as good as you praise her, please don't blame her, Empress Dowager."
The Queen Mother's smile faded.
Prince Ji's concubine couldn't help but glance at Rong Yue.
Rong Yue's words seemed like she was being modest, saying that Tang Ning was unworthy of the Queen Mother's praise, but in fact, it seemed like she was telling the Queen Mother.
Tang Ning is not someone who can hold back her anger, and her temperament is not as tolerant and considerate as Madam Rong was back then. Besides, there is Xiao Yan behind her, who has an even more eccentric temper.
If anything goes wrong, please bear with me.
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