The three little guys haven't gone to bed yet.

Big Tiger was catching crickets for Little Tiger, while Second Tiger was squatting by the basin soaking his small stones.

Su Ergou was recuperating from his injuries and fell asleep in his room.

Su Cheng prepared dinner, which was already unpalatable and he made too much at once. At this moment, Qin Canglan was forced to sit in the kitchen and eat the sweet potatoes that the family could not finish.

"Big Tiger, Second Tiger, Little Tiger."

Su Xiaoxiao closed the gate and said hello to the three little ones.

Da Hu caught a cricket and flew over to her: "Mom! Look at the cricket I caught!"

Su Xiaoxiao looked at the big and fierce cricket, smiled and said, "Da Hu is really powerful."

"Xiaofu is also very good!" Xiaohu was not to be outdone and came over with a jar of crickets in his arms. "Look! There are so many!"

"I caught it!" said Da Hu.

Xiaohu said, "Give it to Xiaofu, it belongs to Xiaofu!"

Quite far-fetched argument.

Erhu came running over: "Mom!"

The three little tigers rubbed against her in her arms, making her heart soften.

Su Xiaoxiao touched the three people's heads, then bent down, lifted up Dahu's trouser legs and looked at his injuries.

The wound has healed well and has formed a scab.

"Does it hurt today?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.

Da Hu shook his head.

Children are not as sensitive to pain as adults, and they forget everything when they are having fun.

Su Xiaoxiao went to see Su Ergou again.

During the day, Doctor Fu came to change the bandage on Su Ergou's wound and bandaged it very well.

"I can't eat anymore."

"How come you can't even eat two sweet potatoes when you're so big?"

From the kitchen, the sound of Qin Canglan and Su Cheng’s conversation could be heard.

Qin Canglan sat on a small stool, like a tall bear, holding a black thing in his paw, with an expression that was hard to describe.

Half an hour ago you said there were only two sweet potatoes left...

"Dad." Su Xiaoxiao entered the kitchen.

Su Cheng's eyes lit up and he put down the spatula: "Girl! You're back! Have you had dinner? Are you hungry?"

"I've eaten." Su Xiaoxiao said.

Qin Canglan also smiled: "Daya!"

Su Xiaoxiao: "Grandfather."

Qin Canglan staggered forward and fell, and the black sweet potato slipped out of his hand. He tried to grab it in a panic, but the disobedient sweet potato bounced several times in his hand, and he almost overturned the stove.

"What did you call me just now?"

Qin Canglan, who grabbed the sweet potato, looked at Su Xiaoxiao in disbelief.

Su Xiaoxiao said, "Grandfather."

Qin Canglan's aura instantly reached 2.8 meters! His granddaughter called him grandpa!

He's a grandfather! Although it wasn't the first time Su Xiaoxiao called him that, Qin Canglan wasn't a fool. How could he not see that Su Xiaoxiao was just playing around when she called him grandfather in the Duke's Mansion?

This time, I really mean it! Qin Canglan couldn't stop laughing. If it weren't for his ears blocking his view, the corners of his mouth would have stretched to the back of his head.

Su Cheng curled his lips.

Thinking of something, Qin Canglan said, "By the way, Daya, I heard that you went to the palace to treat someone. Was it for the Queen Mother?"

Su Xiaoxiao nodded: "It's her."

Qin Canglan was silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed: "Your grandmother... was close friends with her back then, and they had a good relationship, but unfortunately... alas, fate played tricks on us, and they eventually broke up."

Su Xiaoxiao was confused: "Break up?"

Qin Canglan sighed, "She hopes that if the late emperor ascends the throne one day, our Qin family will support our eldest son, Prince Nanyang, to become the crown prince. She even approached your grandmother for this, but our Qin and Su families support her second son, Prince Ruyang."

Su Xiaoxiao murmured, "At that time, the late emperor was still the regent, right? Did the empress dowager realize the late emperor's ambition so early?"

Qin Canglan added: "However, their breakup was not due to this. It seemed to be due to something else. Huayin refused to tell me, and I didn't ask."

Su Xiaoxiao asked: "Can I ask why the Qin and Su families don't support King Nanyang?"

"It was the will of the late emperor." Qin Canglan didn't think his granddaughter shouldn't ask these questions. "Before his death, the late emperor sent a secret order to me and the Marquis of Zhenbei who were far away at the border, to establish the King of Ruyang as the new king."

Yongshou Palace.

The Queen Mother slowly woke up.

The eunuch in charge hurriedly stepped forward and asked softly, "Empress Dowager, are you awake?"

The Queen Mother glanced at Princess Jingning who was lying on the bed and waved to the eunuch in charge.

The eunuch in charge understood and lowered his voice: "The princess has been guarding your bed and has just fallen asleep."

The Queen Mother raised her hand.

The eunuch in charge helped her sit up slowly.

"What about the child?" asked the Queen Mother.

"You mean... Doctor Su?" The eunuch in charge took a pillow and placed it on the empress dowager's back, and poured her a cup of warm water. "She just left."

The Queen Mother leaned back on the thick pillow, took the teacup, took a sip, and said with emotion: "She really looks like Huayin."

The head eunuch smiled and said, "I entered the palace late, and have never seen the old Duke's wife, but looking at Doctor Su's face, it seems that she is more blessed than other ladies from wealthy families."

The Queen Mother handed him the cup and said, "Just tell her she's fat."

"Ahem." The eunuch in charge was embarrassed.

The Queen Mother paused and said, "She is much thinner than when Huayin was young."

The eunuch in charge choked.

How fat the old Duke's wife must have been when she was young...

The empress dowager glanced at the cabinet on the dressing table. The eunuch in charge understood and immediately stepped forward, opened the cabinet door, and took out an exquisite painting box.

He held the painting box in front of the Queen Mother.

The Queen Mother slowly opened the lid of the box and took out a scroll.

The eunuch in charge put the box away and dimmed the oil lamp.

The Queen Mother carefully unfolded the scroll.

The painting shows a beautiful pavilion with four stunning women sitting in it.

The woman in purple was playing the piano, the woman in white was playing chess, and the woman in red was brandishing a red tasseled spear, looking very heroic. Only a chubby little girl in blue was sitting next to them, sitting with her legs crossed, leisurely gnawing on a chicken leg.

The eunuch in charge took a furtive glance.

The woman in purple playing the piano must be the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother is good at playing the piano, and Princess Jingning followed her example.

That fat girl must be the old Duke’s wife, Su Huayin.

Doctor Su does look like her.

As for the other two women playing chess and wielding red tasseled spears... the eunuch in charge couldn't guess who they were for a moment.

He had been with the Queen Mother for ten years, and during these ten years, he had never seen the Queen Mother be too close to any of the female members of the family.

In short, the people in the portraits have either passed away, such as the old Duke's wife Su Huayin, or have become estranged from the Empress Dowager.

The Queen Mother's dry and wrinkled hands brushed across the person in the portrait inch by inch.

Things have changed and people have changed, and there is no going back. -At dawn, Su Xiaoxiao got up early.

Da Hu also got up and sat in horse stance in the yard.

The little guy has been very hardworking recently.

Su Xiaoxiao walked over, bent down, and gave Dahu a little kiss as a reward.

Da Hu's little face turned red all of a sudden.

"Ha ha!"

Su Xiaoxiao couldn't help laughing.

Children are so fun.

On the other side, Hu Jiusheng also got up early and went directly to the Imperial Hospital.

The imperial physicians have also arrived.

Everyone saluted him.

Hu Jiusheng asked, "Yongshou Palace... is it still Doctor Su who is treating the Queen Mother?"

Doctor Zhang arrived first and told him what he had heard: "No, Doctor Su left the palace last night."

Doctor Li said unhappily, "The Queen Mother was so ill, and she just passed away like this? This is outrageous!"

(End of this chapter)