"The Queen Mother wants to see me?" Shen Liyue found it quite incredible.
Jiang nodded, "Maybe it's because of what happened at the palace banquet that day."
The Empress Dowager did not attend the palace banquet that day, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t know what happened at the banquet.
Chen Liyue was puzzled. Nothing major happened on the day of the palace banquet. Although the emperor and empress had intended to arrange a marriage, it didn't happen in the end. So why did the empress dowager want to see her?
Seeing Shen Liyue’s confused look, Jiang became even more worried.
So he patiently explained to Chen Liyue, "The current Queen Mother is not actually your Majesty's biological mother. Your Majesty's biological mother died when you were young. The current Queen Mother had no children, so she placed your Majesty in the Queen Mother's Palace to be raised."
"The Empress Dowager's surname was Jiang. The Jiang family had a queen in their early years, but she died during childbirth, leaving behind the eldest and second princes. The Empress Dowager wanted to choose another girl from the Jiang family to be the queen, but the Emperor refused, insisting on making the then-Noble Consort Su the empress."
"The Empress Dowager couldn't persuade the Emperor and made Concubine Su the Empress. From then on, the Empress Dowager lived in seclusion and rarely came out of Fukang Palace."
After Jiang's explanation, Shen Liyue had an idea in her mind.
The Empress Dowager's absence was probably just an appearance seen by outsiders. She probably fought with the Emperor a lot in private.
But Shen Liyue didn't dare to say these words. Some things were better to be known by oneself, and speaking them out would cost one's head.
In short, no matter what, Chen Liyue has to go to Gong Chen Liyue this time.
The Queen Mother only summoned Chen Liyue, and Jiang was not allowed to go with her. The palace had strict rules, so Jiang could only worry about Chen Liyue at home.
Early the next morning, Shen Liyue washed and dressed, and entered the palace with Lian Dong and Yu Zhou.
Seeing the Queen Mother, Shen Liyue saluted respectfully, then knelt quietly on the ground and waited without any hurry.
When the Queen Mother saw Chen Liyue, she behaved generously and neither servile nor overbearing, and she had already developed a slight liking for Chen Liyue.
So he stretched out his hand and called Shen Liyue: "Get up, come closer, let me see."
Shen Liyue stood up and walked towards the Queen Mother. When she reached the Queen Mother, Shen Liyue paused and straightened her back.
"Well, he looks like a likable person," said the Queen Mother. "Please give him a seat."
"Thank you, Queen Mother." Shen Liyue bowed again and sat down in the seat below the Queen Mother.
From the moment she entered the house until now, the Queen Mother could find no fault with Shen Liyue's etiquette. After all, she was the daughter of a prominent family, and her every move was noble.
"How old?" asked the Queen Mother.
Chen Liyue replied, "Reporting to the Queen Mother, this subject is fourteen years old."
The Queen Mother nodded. "Have you ever been married?"
Chen Liyue said, "No. I am still young and have not yet fulfilled my filial duties to my parents. I want to spend more time with them."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "It's good that you have such filial piety, but what woman shouldn't marry? If you can marry into a good family and support your parents in the future, you will also fulfill your filial piety."
Chen Liyue quickly said, "I am terrified and dare not have such thoughts."
The Queen Mother was about to speak when a servant came to report that Princess Anle had arrived.
Hearing the words "Princess Anle", Shen Liyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Princess Anle was Lu Yun, and Lu Yun was here to save her.
The Queen Mother frowned slightly. She didn't like the current Queen, and by extension, she didn't like her children either.
But the emperor dotes on her, and Lu Yun is a princess after all, so there is no reason for the empress dowager to not let her in.
Princess Anle was then summoned into the palace. When Lu Yun saw the Queen Mother, she smiled and greeted her.
"Yun'er pays her respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager live a thousand years."
The Queen Mother raised her hand and said, "Get up. What brings you here today?"
Lu Yun said, "My royal brother said that Yuelailou outside the palace has released a new plum blossom cake that is very delicious. It was delivered to the palace today and he asked me to bring it to the Royal Grandmother to try."
Lu Yun turned around and asked the maid to bring the plum blossom cake. The plum blossom cake was packed in a food box. When she opened the lid of the food box, she could smell the fragrance. It looked like a five-petal plum blossom, dotted with some crystal clear meatballs, just like falling snow hitting the plum blossom, which was very cute.
"My royal brother said that this should be eaten while hot, otherwise it will lose its flavor if it gets cold." Lu Yun said.
The Queen Mother said, "It's hard for your Royal Brother to think that there is nothing in the palace, yet he keeps sending things in from outside."
Lu Yun said, "My Royal Brother has many affairs to attend to, but he always thinks of the Royal Grandmother."
The Queen Mother smiled, then suddenly remembered something and asked Chen Liyue, "The Yuelai Tower that Yun'er just mentioned is your home, right?"
Chen Liyue answered honestly: "Your Majesty, it is the business of my mother's family, Jiang Ji."
"Yes." The Queen Mother nodded.
No one spoke, and the hall fell silent.
The Queen Mother had asked Shen Liyue to come over today and had something else to say, but since Lu Yun was here, it was not convenient to say those words.
So he simply waved his hand and said, "I'm tired after sitting here for half a day. You guys can go now."
Shen Liyue and Lu Yun quickly stood up and said goodbye, bowing before leaving the hall.
After leaving the hall, Shen Liyue breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Lu Yun sincerely: "Thank you for coming to help me out, otherwise I would have to spend my time dealing with the Queen Mother."
Lu Yun snorted and said unhappily, "I've been sending you invitations lately, but you've been saying you're busy. Since I heard you were coming to the palace, I had no choice but to come and see you myself."
Chen Liyue chuckled: "It's true that I've been busy recently, but I saw that the jewelry store had a new batch of patterns yesterday. I'll have someone send them to you later."
It would have been fine if this hadn't been mentioned. Lu Yun became even angrier when this was mentioned. "Yesterday? You and Xu Qi'er spent the whole day shopping yesterday, right? Why didn't you call me while you were shopping?"
Shen Liyue was surprised how Lu Yun knew that what happened just yesterday had spread to the palace so quickly?
Lu Yun rolled her eyes at her, "Didn't you ask my brother to send Xu Qi'er back home?"
Shen Liyue then remembered that she had run away yesterday under the pretext of asking Lu Xingzhou to send Xu Qier back, and left Lu Xingzhou there.
When Lu Yun gave the plum blossom cake to the empress dowager just now, she also said that it was sent by Lu Xingzhou, so it must be what Lu Xingzhou told Lu Yun.
Shen Liyue felt a little embarrassed after all, as she had run away and sold out Lu Xingzhou.
"Then...did Prince Yi send Miss Xu back home?"
Lu Yun looked at her sideways, "You want to know? Go ask yourself."
Chen Liyue: ...
Lu Yun was not really angry with Chen Liyue after all. After knowing each other for many years, she also knew that Chen Liyue would not be friends with Xu Qier given her character.
But Shen Liyue's hiding from her these past few days really made her a little sad.
It's really like a fire in the city gate that affects the fish in the pond. Lu Xingzhou offended Shen Liyue, so what does it have to do with her, Lu Yun?
Lu Yun felt that there were some things that he still had to say.
But Shen Liyue had already thought of it and said to Lu Yun, "I'm sorry for the past few days."
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