Chapter 640: I Need a Granddaughter
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Thanks to you all, I'm feeling much better now. However, my illness has been going on for a long time and it's hard to cure it all at once. The Imperial Physician said I'll need to continue taking medicine to recuperate."
Tang Ning's face was filled with joy: "That's great! The Queen Mother will surely enjoy eternal happiness and longevity after this experience."
The Queen Mother laughed immediately and said, "You are such a sweet-talker. Come, sit next to me."
Tang Ning, like a simple-minded little girl, sat directly next to the Queen Mother.
She chatted with the Queen Mother with a smile on her face, neither too restrained nor overstepping the bounds. The Queen Mother also had a kind face, as if she liked Tang Ning very much, and was often amused by her and laughed out loud.
The palace servants guarding outside couldn't help being surprised when they heard the laughter inside.
"The one who went in was Princess Xiangning, right? The Empress Dowager seems to like her very much."
"Yes, in the past few days, when the ladies of other families came to serve, the Queen Mother never laughed so much. Even the Princess of Huan and the Concubine of Prince Ji were treated by the Queen Mother indifferently. I didn't expect that Princess Xiangning could make the Queen Mother so happy."
"Before, the Queen Mother never invited Princess Xiangning and Madam Rongguo to come and take care of her. I thought the Queen Mother didn't like them..."
"No, listen to the sound, doesn't the Queen Mother seem to dislike it?"
As the palace servants outside were talking, they heard faint laughter coming from the inner room. Someone whispered, "This Princess Xiangning is truly the Queen Mother's favorite. Even Madam Xuan is probably not as good as her."
"Shh, be careful she might hear you..."
The person who was speaking thought of Miss Xuan's temper, his face suddenly changed and he quickly shut up.
…
Tang Ning chatted with the Queen Mother for a while, chatting about all sorts of things under the sun. At the same time, she was wondering why the Queen Mother had called her over alone. Could it be that she really just "liked" her and asked her to come over and talk to her?
Tang Ning was thinking in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He just kept smiling and seemed very patient.
The Queen Mother had been trying to test Tang Ning and had been watching her expression the entire time. Seeing that she had been in there for a full half hour, she showed no sign of anxiety at all. Instead, she was very relaxed, as if she didn't care at all that she had other thoughts.
The Queen Mother sighed softly. No wonder Song Tangning was so popular with Xiao Yan.
I originally thought that he was a simple and easy to coax, but now it seems that he is not easy to fool.
The Queen Mother had originally wanted to suppress Tang Ning's aura and wait for her to speak first, but now she saw that she was afraid that she would not have the chance. She no longer had the heart to chatter and said directly to the side: "My memory is so bad. I am so old that I even forgot to ask someone to serve you tea, Madam Ran."
Nanny Ran quickly came over with tea: "It's my fault. You were so happy chatting with Princess Xiangning that I forgot about it for a moment."
She placed the tea in front of Tang Ning and said, "Princess, please try this tea."
"This tea was sent by His Majesty some time ago. It's called Wenyuan Tea. It grows on a mountaintop in the north. It's shrouded in fog year-round, with only one or two hours of sunlight each day. Because the days are so short, only a very small amount of this tea can grow."
"This year, the palace only received less than two kilograms of Wenyuan tea. Your Majesty filially sent most of it to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager usually doesn't drink it herself, so today she specially ordered the servants to bring it out to treat the princess."
Tang Ning was flattered when she heard this: "Thank you, Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Try it quickly and see if it suits your taste."
The tea was dark red in color. After being poured into the cup, the bottom was dark and muddy, but the top was clear and dust-free.
Tang Ning held the tea to her lips, her sleeve covering the slight swelling in her throat, and then her eyes lit up: "It really is good tea."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "If you like it, ask Madam Ran to get some for you to take back later."
"How can that be possible!"
Tang Ning quickly put down the teacup and said, "This tea is not only precious and rare, but also a token of your majesty's filial piety to the Empress Dowager. How could I possibly steal the Empress Dowager's favor? I'm already honored to have a cup of it in Shoukang Palace. The Empress Dowager must not discomfit Tang Ning."
Seeing this, the Queen Mother scolded her: "You are so young, but you are just like your grandfather, so particular about rules."
"I remember when Taifu Rong was in the palace, Taizu and the late emperor both held him in high regard, and even granted him special permission to avoid the need for formalities. However, he said that without rules, there would be no order. Even when he was in a high position, he had the etiquette between monarch and subject ingrained in his bones."
"You are just like him, I like you."
Tang Ning's face froze.
The Queen Mother said, "You are too young to understand. Back then, the late Emperor and Grand Tutor Rong had joked about arranging a marriage for their children. When your mother married into the Song family, the late Emperor felt it was a great pity. Fortunately, the second girl Rong married Prince Cheng, but who knew that Prince Cheng was such a rebellious person and didn't know how to cherish her."
"When you were born, the late emperor took a liking to you and said you were destined to be our royal daughter-in-law. Who would have thought that the Lu family would snatch you away first? Later, the Lu family called off the engagement, and before I could even make a move, this Duke Dingguo showed up and snatched you away."
Tang Ning's expression remained unchanged, but the smile in his eyes faded a little.
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "I have regretted this for a long time. It would be wonderful if a good child like you could marry into the royal family."
"The Queen Mother is joking."
Tang Ning said, "There are many talented and virtuous girls in the capital. I am not as good as many of them. Besides, my grandfather often said when he was alive that everyone has their own destiny in life, and many things cannot be forced."
"Although my marriage had its ups and downs, it ended happily. I would like to thank Your Majesty for granting me the marriage and making my marriage go smoothly."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Indeed, you and Duke Dingguo are a perfect match, both talented and beautiful."
"Duke Dingguo is a young genius, a pillar of the Wei Dynasty. Not to mention the other princes in the royal family, even the crown prince is not as good as him. If a delicate and beautiful child like you were to marry one of them, it would be an injustice to you."
Tang Ning pinched her fingertips, not understanding what the Queen Mother wanted to say.
She first mentioned her marriage to Xiao Yan in a suggestive manner, as if she wanted someone to break them up, but now she changed her tone and praised Xiao Yan, even going so far as to belittle the crown prince and the other princes.
What does the Queen Mother want to do?
She half lowered her head and said, "Tang Ning is unworthy of such flattery from the Empress Dowager."
The Queen Mother said, "Since I say so, then you certainly deserve it."
"There's no need to be so modest. If you weren't so good, Duke Dingguo wouldn't have treated you differently so early on, and wouldn't have been so eager to ask the Emperor for a marriage as soon as his status was restored."
After she said something meaningful, she looked at Tang Ning.
"I originally wanted you to be my granddaughter-in-law, but now it seems hopeless. Duke Dingguo cherishes you so much. If I were to take you away by force, I'm afraid he would directly overturn this palace."
"But I really felt a little regretful. Later, after thinking about it carefully, I felt that it didn't matter. Although I can't have a granddaughter-in-law, I still need a granddaughter as lovely as you."
"I wonder if you are willing to fulfill my wish?"
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