Chapter 642 Rejection
There was no way Xiao Yan would follow her and acknowledge the enemy as his father and call Emperor An "Emperor Father".
Even if it's just a casual affair, it won't work.
Tang Ning was silent for a long time before kneeling down and saying, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your appreciation. Tang Ning is overjoyed."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "So you agree?"
Tang Ning said: "No."
The Queen Mother's smile paused. "If you have any concerns or other ideas, you can tell me. If I can satisfy you, I will satisfy you."
Tang Ning: "The Empress Dowager has misunderstood. I am not so ungrateful. What you said is already a great honor. How could I dare to ask for anything more? I shouldn't have rejected the Empress Dowager's kindness, but I am truly unworthy of the position of the eldest princess, let alone the title of the head of the princes and princesses."
The Queen Mother's smile faded. "Do you think the title of Princess is not enough?"
"Tang Ning has absolutely no such intention."
"If you don't have this intention, then why don't you agree to my request?"
The Queen Mother looked at Tang Ning steadily. "I pride myself on not asking for much. I simply ask you to call the Emperor "Father" in name only. This will resolve the current chaos in the court and make Xiao Yan's position in the court more legitimate. You are so intelligent that you must understand the benefits of this."
Tang Ning said seriously: "Tang Ning understands, and it is precisely because of this understanding that I cannot accept it."
"My brother has served the country loyally in the court. His actions may differ from those of Your Majesty, but he has no intention of disobeying. The Rong and He families have been loyal to the royal family for many years. Even if he does not have the title of eldest princess, he will not go against the wishes of his elders and will always put loyalty to the emperor first."
The Queen Mother's expression turned colder. "Since you mentioned Xiao Yan, you should understand that becoming the eldest princess will only benefit you."
Tang Ning lowered her eyes: "Please forgive me, Queen Mother."
"you!"
The Queen Mother seemed to be enraged for a moment, her eyes turned completely cold, and she looked at Tang Ning who was kneeling on the ground and kowtowing, and her previous friendly attitude disappeared completely.
The atmosphere in the bedroom became cold. Yue Jian, who was standing outside the hall, heard the sudden silence from inside and her heart instantly rose. She lightly touched her sleeves with her fingertips and pointed her toes towards the inside of the hall, waiting for Yu Ling to land before rushing in.
Tang Ning knelt on the ground and was even more alert, his back tense and his hand touching the object on his wrist.
Just when she thought the Queen Mother would get angry, the cold atmosphere suddenly disappeared and the Queen Mother's voice returned to calm.
"Never mind. I was asking for too much. If you don't want to, just pretend I never mentioned it."
Tang Ning quickly said, "Thank you, Queen Mother."
"Don't thank me, the ground is cold, get up."
When Tang Ning stood up with the support of the ground, the frost on the empress dowager's face was no longer there.
"I originally hoped to have more considerate granddaughters, but I didn't expect that I would be despised when I am old."
Tang Ning was terrified: "Empress Dowager..."
The Queen Mother said, "I was just joking with you. Since you don't want to, it would seem I'm forcing you if I forced you. But even though you don't want to be the eldest princess, please come to the palace more often when you have time and talk to me."
Tang Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes."
The Queen Mother said, "You have been in the palace for some time now. Now that my health has improved, there is no need to keep you here any longer."
"Madam Ran, go and have someone prepare a banquet for the ladies and princesses at Shoukang Palace tomorrow. Invite the Emperor and the Crown Prince as well. After I thank them, let them leave the palace and return home as soon as possible to prepare for the New Year's holiday."
Nanny Ran said, "Yes, Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother failed to summon Tang Ning and lost the desire to talk to her. She looked tired and said, "I am tired."
Tang Ning said consciously: "Then Tang Ning will take his leave first."
"Go ahead."
Tang Ning bowed respectfully to the Queen Mother before leaving the hall.
After she left the bedroom, the door closed again. The empress dowager, who originally had a rosy complexion, could no longer hold on and collapsed on the chair.
"Her Majesty the Queen Mother!"
Nanny Ran was shocked and hurried forward to support the empress dowager, only to find that her body was cold.
There was a charcoal pot burning in the room, but the empress dowager's hands and feet were like ice. If you look closely, you can see a faint purple color on her rosy lips.
The medicine that Doctor Wu had prescribed before could forcibly refresh the mind, but it could only make the empress dowager look better so that no one could notice her physical condition. However, if she wanted to talk to people for a long time like she did just now without being noticed, she had to have taken a strong medicine.
"How are you? Would you like to see Doctor Wu?"
"No need, help me to the bed."
Nanny Ran quickly helped the person to the bedside. After the empress dowager lay down, she took a thick quilt and wrapped her in it, and then took hot water and brought it to her mouth.
After the Queen Mother drank some hot water, her body finally warmed up a little.
Nanny Ran placed the charcoal basin beside the bed and took out a hot water bottle and stuffed it into the bedding. The empress dowager looked at Nanny Ran busying back and forth and suddenly spoke.
"Aran, she really refused..."
Nanny Ran paused.
The Queen Mother whispered, "I had hoped that if she agreed, perhaps I was wrong. If she became the eldest princess, I wouldn't have to take that final step, but she refused."
She promised so many benefits and even went so far as to beg for peace with Tang Ning in a humble manner, but she still refused.
The Queen Mother couldn't help coughing, suppressing the hoarse sound, with a fishy-sweet taste in her throat.
"Aran, go prepare the banquet for tomorrow and invite the Emperor and the Crown Prince to come."
She paused and said:
"Go ask the Fu family girl to come over and give me some medicine so that Qiwen can calm down."
Nanny Ran's hands trembled as she tucked the quilt in for her: "Okay."
…
When Tang Ning came out of Shoukang Palace, the snow was falling even harder outside.
The howling cold wind blew the snow all over the sky, and it felt freezing when it hit my face.
The previously swept areas on the palace path were now covered in snow. Yue Jian followed Tang Ning and supported her as she walked forward. Seeing that Tang Ning hadn't spoken, she couldn't help but whisper, "Girl, is there something the Queen Mother wants to see you for?"
Tang Ning pursed her lips: "The Queen Mother wants me to recognize His Majesty as my adoptive father and confer the title of Princess Yongning on me."
“???”
Yue Jian paused and turned her head suddenly, her face filled with astonishment: "Appoint you as the eldest princess?!" She lowered her voice in shock and asked: "Is the Queen Mother crazy?"
Tang Ning's eyes were unfathomable. When she first heard what the Queen Mother said, she thought for a moment that the Queen Mother was crazy.
Xiao Yan had humiliated the royal family before, and later supported the prince and Emperor An to seize power. He also made Emperor An lose all face because of the He family affairs. As the emperor's biological mother, the empress dowager did not bear a grudge against them, but she actually wanted to make her the eldest princess and give her great wealth.
But then, in just a moment, she vaguely understood what the Queen Mother meant.
The Queen Mother was not crazy, she just felt that something was wrong with the situation in the court and wanted to use the position of the eldest princess in exchange for Xiao Yan's concession.
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