They spent a day visiting each prefecture capital along the way, stopping frequently, and it took them more than half a month to reach the capital.
By the time we arrived at Tongzhou Wharf, it was already the evening of August 28th.
Granny Shen thanked Gu Xin and the other two for bringing her three grand-nephews back, and then told Gu Hui and Gu Xin that she looked forward to seeing them again.
Nothing happened on the way, and the three of them, including Granny Shen, did nothing wrong. Although Gu Hui and Gu Xin didn't like her, they weren't averse to her either, and they still waved goodbye to her.
Lu Zheng looked at Gu Hui and Gu Xin: "If we go to the capital now, it will take three hours by carriage. How about we stay on the boat tonight and leave tomorrow morning?"
Gu Xin nodded without hesitation: "Okay, okay. Let's go right now. It'll be just dawn when we arrive, and Mom and Dad will be terrified. Why don't you send someone to tell them first, Yuan Yuan, so they can prepare? I'm afraid Dad will yell at me and Hui Hui if we suddenly show up. And you, who brought us out, will get yelled at too."
Lu Zheng tapped Gu Xin's nose: "Okay, I understand. I'll go arrange it right away. Shall we go to Tongzhou for a stroll later? It's quite lively there at night."
Gu Xin nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay!"
...
Instead of heading to the capital, Granny Shen and the other two went directly to the Imperial Summer Palace.
The Imperial Summer Palace was not far from Tongzhou City. Every year, members of the royal family would come here to stay for a few days. It was much cooler here than in the capital.
Only the Empress Dowager would come before the Dragon Boat Festival and return after the Mid-Autumn Festival.
An hour later, the three of them, including Granny Shen, arrived at the Summer Palace. Shen Feng and his daughter Shen Min withdrew, and Granny Shen went to the residence of the Empress Dowager.
The old lady was playing chess by herself; it wasn't time for her to go to bed yet, and she was wide awake.
"Have they all arrived?" The Empress Dowager asked, without looking up, as she held a black piece and looked at the chessboard.
"Your Majesty, the ship docked an hour ago, and they should be returning to the capital tomorrow," Shen Mama replied with a bow.
"Then give the order later, and we'll return tomorrow." The Empress Dowager set out the chess pieces, then picked up a white piece. "Are they really that similar? Are they really exactly the same?"
"Your Majesty, the third daughter resembles the eldest daughter by eight parts, and the eldest daughter by two parts. The most similar features are the eyebrows and eyes," replied Granny Shen.
"Alright, you may leave now!" the Empress Dowager replied.
After Granny Shen left the room, the white chess piece in her hand fell to the ground.
If you sat across from her, you would see that her lips were trembling and tears were finally welling up in her eyes and streaming down her face.
From the time she became Empress Ye of the Great Zhou Dynasty until now, when she became the Grand Empress Dowager, she has cried three times in total. This is the fourth time she has cried.
Once she gave birth to twins and had to give one away. She had to decide which one to give away quickly, otherwise, if others found out, she wouldn't be able to give it away. That time, she gave away the younger one. She thought that the older one would stay in the royal family and suffer, while the younger one would be raised outside to enjoy a life of luxury!
The second time, the child she kept fell ill, and medicine was ineffective. With the concubines eyeing her with predatory intent, she switched back to the younger child. That time, they almost found out, and she had to send the older child far away. She felt guilty towards her eldest son, who had been raised as the crown prince in the palace, never smiling at such a young age. After leaving the palace, he couldn't enjoy the wealth and luxury his younger son enjoyed outside, because he had to hide, and she didn't even know if he would recover. That time, she cried again.
The third time was also because of her eldest son. That year, natural disasters and man-made calamities struck frequently, and the place where her eldest son lived became completely uninhabitable. The person who protected him never returned, and later someone found the body of the person who had protected her eldest son. She cried; she was terrified of losing this unfortunate child.
The fourth time, which is now, is that there is news about her eldest son. He is married, has children, and is surrounded by grandchildren. She is finally no longer worried.
Thinking about everything that had happened over the years, she could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com