Cishou Palace.
The Empress Dowager lay on the soft couch, her eyes closed, her breathing steady, while the female physician behind her rubbed her throbbing head.
Hearing footsteps coming from inside the hall, the Empress Dowager raised her hand to signal the female physician to stop.
"But what happened that made you come back so late?"
Granny Zhang quickly walked to the Empress Dowager's side and whispered a few words.
The usually gentle and kind Empress Dowager showed a hint of shock and waved to the female physician beside her, signaling her to step back.
Once everyone in the room was completely alone, the Empress Dowager reached out and grabbed Zhang Mama's sleeve: "Is it really true!"
Granny Zhang nodded: "This old servant is not mistaken, that little boy looks exactly like the young master of the Jiang family!"
The Empress Dowager instinctively denied it: "It's just that they look alike, and besides, you've only seen Fei Ge a few times over the years..."
The Jiang family has been wiped out for so many years, how could any miracle possibly happen?
"But this old servant saw the little boy's younger sister and mother, and they look exactly like Miss Ru when she was young!"
"You should have heard of the little boy's mother, Jiang Dai, the owner of Sihua Jiayaozhai. The barbecue noodles at the autumn hunt came from this restaurant."
“Jiang Dai is twenty-four years old this year. Not only does her age match, but she was also found nine years ago when she was rescued. The timing all matches up. Moreover, Miss Jiang said that she vaguely remembers that her home is in Yunjiang!”
Because she was anxious, Granny Zhang spoke faster than usual.
The Empress Dowager remained silent, and no one knew what she was thinking.
After all, if Jiang Dai really is He Nianru's granddaughter, then she really doesn't know how to face this situation.
"She..." The Empress Dowager began, but then paused, "Have you told her about the things between her ancestors and me?"
Knowing the inside story, Granny Zhang shook her head: "How dare this old servant speak without permission!"
Let the Empress Dowager speak about this herself; what happened back then is quite poignant.
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, her voice tinged with weariness: "Have Chaoyang come tomorrow."
Zhang Mama agreed and then left the hall as instructed by the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was left alone as she slowly rose and took out a jade pendant from a hidden compartment in her dressing case.
*
Ye Chuhe never imagined that she would actually become the Empress Dowager many years later.
Sixteen-year-old Ye Chuhe only wanted to survive in the palace. Fortunately, she had a female knight-errant by her side who knew martial arts.
She had saved this female knight before she entered the palace, so to repay her life-saving grace, the female knight disguised herself as a maid and followed her into the palace.
Ye Chuhe actually knew that this female knight-errant also lacked an excuse to enter the palace, but Ye Chuhe did not know what the female knight-errant wanted to do in the palace, nor did she ask.
Sixteen-year-old Ye Chuhe, with her intelligence and the help of a martial arts-skilled female warrior by her side, repeatedly escaped danger in the imperial harem.
Eighteen-year-old Ye Chuhe gave birth to a son in winter.
As agreed, the female knight-errant could leave once the child had safely reached the age of five.
Winter passed and spring came, and the two spent every day together. They were not like sisters, but they were even closer than sisters.
But before the child was even five years old, the female warrior suddenly disappeared and was never seen again.
Ye Chuhe secretly sent people to search for two days and three nights.
Ye Chuhe didn't even get involved in the concubines' worries about the emperor keeping a mistress in a golden house.
However, when the two met again, the female knight-errant that Ye Chuhe had been searching for was right beside the emperor, becoming the most favored woman in the harem without any official title.
At that time, King Wen, who was only five years old, asked Ye Chuhe, "Aren't you going to look for Aunt Ru anymore?"
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