Chapter 11 The Queen Mother's Romantic Luck
"Which eunuch is this?" Chu Xuanyi asked with forced calmness.
"Your Excellency, it is Eunuch Zhang from the Cining Palace who serves the Empress Dowager." The guard replied.
Chu Xuanyi's heart sank even further. Eunuch Zhang was a close confidant of the Queen Mother, and he had come personally to deliver the message. It seemed that this matter was set in stone and there was no way to avoid it.
"Please invite Eunuch Zhang to the front hall to serve tea. I... will be there in a moment." Chu Xuanyi ordered.
He now needs some time to digest this "bad news" and... give Jiu a "pre-job training" that is a hundred times more rigorous than the last time he went to the palace to meet the emperor!
He rushed to Jiu's yard in two steps. He saw Jiu squatting on the ground, concentrating on watching a group of ants moving their homes. He kept muttering to himself, "One, two, three, four, hey, hey, are you moving your homes to bask in the sun? Be careful not to get eaten by the rooster!"
Chu Xuanyi: "..." He felt that he was about to become heartbroken because of this girl.
"Ajiu!" Chu Xuanyi's voice was filled with suppressed anger and a deep sense of powerlessness.
Ah Jiu was startled. Turning back, he saw Chu Xuanyi's ashen face and stood up timidly: "Sir... I didn't run around. I was just watching ants in the yard..."
"Stop looking at the ants!" Chu Xuanyi interrupted her, took a deep breath, and tried not to sound murderous. "The Empress Dowager summoned you to the palace. Right now, right now, change your clothes with me, and then... shut your mouth! No, I'm going to find a piece of cloth to tie your mouth shut!"
When Ah Jiu heard that they were going to the palace, his eyes lit up: "The Empress Dowager? Is she the Emperor's mother? Doesn't she have lots of delicious snacks? More than what's in the Imperial Study?"
Chu Xuanyi felt his temples throbbing. "Now is not the time to discuss snacks! Listen, Ah Jiu, the Empress Dowager is old and loves quiet and respects rules! When you see the Empress Dowager later, you must be respectful and kowtow. Answer whatever the Empress Dowager asks, and don't say a word if she doesn't ask! And you are not allowed to...you are not allowed to express any 'opinions' about anything in the Empress Dowager's palace, you are not allowed to 'optimize' any of the furnishings, and you are not allowed to give the Empress Dowager any 'eight-treasure porridge' or 'little flowers'. Do you understand?!"
Ah Jiu was a little confused by his series of "don'ts", but nodded obediently: "Oh... that means you can't talk nonsense, you can't touch things, and you can't help the Queen Mother check if there are any little flowers on her head, right?"
Chu Xuanyi: "Yes! Absolutely right! Especially the last point! Absolutely not allowed!" He was scared, he was really scared. What if Ajiu saw a "golden Buddha lotus" floating above the Empress Dowager's head and then said that it looked like a "big white steamed bun just out of the pot", he would probably just hit his head on the ground and apologize on the spot.
After a chaotic preparation, Chu Xuanyi took Ajiu, who had changed into the simplest clothes and been repeatedly reminded of court etiquette (although he seriously suspected that Ajiu had not listened to a word), and followed Eunuch Zhang into the palace.
The Cining Palace, unlike the solemn and awe-inspiring Imperial Study, exuded a sense of peace and tranquility. The air was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, and the furnishings within the palace, primarily Buddhist statues and scriptures, gave it a simple and solemn air.
Ah Jiu looked around along the way, her little face full of curiosity, but she still remembered Chu Xuanyi's instructions and tried hard not to yell. However, when she saw a huge golden Buddha statue, she couldn't help but whisper to Chu Xuanyi, "Sir, this Buddha is so big! Is he covered in lots of honey? He looks so sweet!"
Chu Xuanyi stumbled and nearly fell. He glared at Ah Jiu fiercely, warning her to shut up with his eyes.
Finally, they were led to the Queen Mother's bedroom.
The Empress Dowager was dressed in a dark blue dress embroidered with lotus flowers, her hair meticulously combed and wearing a string of dark brown Buddhist beads. She sat cross-legged on a soft couch covered with a bright yellow brocade cushion, her eyes closed, resting. Although she was over sixty, she was in good spirits, and there was a graceful and peaceful air between her brows.
"Your servant (minister) pays homage to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager be blessed with good health." Chu Xuanyi and Eunuch Zhang bowed.
Ah Jiu imitated them and knelt down awkwardly, whispering, "Ah Jiu... pays homage to the Empress Dowager... Empress Dowager, you are so beautiful, like an old immortal in a painting!"
Chu Xuanyi: “…” Girl, your flattery is… a bit too direct!
The Queen Mother slowly opened her eyes and her gaze fell on Ajiu. Her eyes were gentle and she smiled faintly, "Get up. Are you the little fortune teller in Master Chu's mansion, Ajiu?"
"Yes, yes!" Ah Jiu nodded immediately, a bright smile on his face. "Empress Dowager, how did you know about me? Did His Majesty tell you? The 'Eight Treasure Porridge' I calculated for His Majesty is absolutely accurate!"
Chu Xuanyi's heart skipped a beat. It's over. This girl still can't control her mouth!
The Queen Mother's smile deepened upon hearing this. "Haha, the Emperor did mention you to me. He said you were an interesting little girl, and that your metaphor of 'eight-treasure porridge' was quite brilliant."
Chu Xuanyi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that His Majesty did not say anything bad about Ajiu.
"Little girl, come here." The Queen Mother waved to Ajiu.
Ajiu walked over without any hesitation and looked at the empress dowager curiously.
"I heard that you can not only predict the fate of a country, but also...see other people's marriages?" The Queen Mother spoke slowly.
Chu Xuanyi's heart was in his throat again! As expected! The incident involving His Royal Highness the Regent, that "stupid little pink flower," had finally reached the Queen Mother!
He was about to open his mouth to explain on Ah Jiu's behalf, but he heard Ah Jiu say to the Queen Mother in a serious tone, "Your Majesty, do you want to have your marriage determined? But... you're already so old, you shouldn't have any romantic luck, right?"
"Pfft--" Eunuch Zhang, who was standing aside, couldn't help but almost laughed out loud. He quickly lowered his head and shrugged his shoulders slightly.
Chu Xuanyi's eyes went dark, and he felt that he was really going to die in the Cining Palace this time.
This girl, she really has no desire to live at all! She actually said in front of the Queen Mother that she has no luck in love?!
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