Chapter 243 Sending the Crown Prince to the Imperial Palace
Dinner at Cining Palace is served in a warm side hall.
The dishes were exquisite, but the atmosphere was quite subtle.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat side by side with Shuixian, opposite them was the Empress Dowager with a gloomy expression, and Chengge'er, who was arranged to eat at a small table next to them and was served by a nanny, but was still restless.
Consort Wan sat a little further away, her head bowed and eyes lowered, but she was listening intently to every sound.
Emperor Zhaoheng spoke first, his tone relatively gentle.
He first inquired about the Empress Dowager's daily life, and then casually mentioned, "Mother, I recently looked through the family genealogy and found that the Prince of Anlin's family has a seven-year-old child who is said to be intelligent and gentle. There is also the young grandson of the Marquis of Pingxiang, who is five years old this year. He is very beautiful and adorable, and I heard that he is very sensible and well-mannered."
"If Your Majesty feels lonely in the palace and wants a child by your side to make things more lively, I think it would be good to choose one or two well-behaved children from those families to come and keep Your Majesty company."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's face immediately darkened, and she placed her silver chopsticks on the table with a crisp sound.
"What does the Emperor mean by this?"
The Empress Dowager's voice was cold and hard, filled with obvious displeasure. "Do you think I'm getting senile and can't even raise my own grandson properly? Or do you think that Yi Rui's child, who has my blood in his veins, is not worthy to stay by my side? Not worthy to stay in this palace?"
Emperor Zhaoheng frowned slightly, and his tone turned cold.
"Your Majesty knows perfectly well that this is not my intention. I am concerned about Your Majesty's health."
"The epidemic has just subsided, and it is most important to avoid mental and physical exertion. It is a good thing that Cheng'er is young and energetic, but he is also unruly. I am afraid that he will not know his place and will disturb the Empress Dowager's peace and quiet, preventing her from recuperating in peace. Moreover..."
He glanced sharply at Cheng Ge'er, who was secretly throwing away the vegetables he didn't like on the ground. "I'm even more afraid that his behavior will corrupt Yongning, Qingyan, and Qinghe."
"you!"
The Empress Dowager was so angry that her chest heaved violently, and she was about to have an attack.
Just then, Narcissus spoke softly, easing the tense atmosphere.
She first addressed Emperor Zhaoheng in a gentle tone.
"Your Majesty, I understand your intentions. You are worried that the Empress Dowager's health is not yet fully recovered and that overworking her will not be conducive to her recovery."
Then, she turned to the Empress Dowager, her gaze sincere, her tone carrying just the right amount of respect.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor's intentions are truly filial. His Highness the Crown Prince is of noble birth and of pure blood; it would be best if you personally instructed him. However..."
She looked slightly troubled. “I think His Highness is naturally active and energetic. Although Cining Palace is solemn and beautiful, it is also very secluded and has many rules. It is indeed a bit restrictive for a lively child.”
"If there were a more open space where His Highness could run and play freely and unleash his nature, wouldn't that be perfect for both Your Majesty's rest and His Highness's growth?"
Seeing that the Empress Dowager seemed to be deep in thought, Shui Xian said in a low voice, "When Imperial Physician Pei Jichuan came to check on the Empress Dowager's health a couple of days ago, he specifically instructed her that the Empress Dowager's illness had damaged her vital energy, and the most important thing was to rest quietly and avoid worrying or overworking herself. She needed to rest peacefully for a period of time in order to consolidate her foundation."
She brought out Pei Jichuan, the imperial physician who had saved the Empress Dowager from an epidemic, and his weight suddenly increased considerably.
The Empress Dowager listened to Narcissus's words, and every word seemed to be for her sake and for her health.
Looking at Narcissus's calm and gentle face, she felt a complex mix of emotions.
This woman indirectly caused Yi Rui's downfall and was a thorn in her side... Yet she did contribute to the fight against the epidemic, and Pei Jichuan's prescription did indeed save her.
At this moment, the tone and content of her words were much more pleasing to the ear than the emperor's cold, harsh words, which were filled with obvious disgust. They were also more in line with her current exhausted state of mind.
The Empress Dowager's expression softened slightly, but she still did not budge.
Just as the stalemate reached a deadlock and the atmosphere became delicate again, Cheng-ge, who had been making a mess of his food at the small table next to him and was getting impatient with the nanny, suddenly burst into tears.
He jumped off the stool and rushed to the main table like a cannonball, grabbing the Empress Dowager's leg and stomping his feet while crying:
"Grandmother! The palace is no fun at all! It's so boring! I want to leave the palace!"
"I want to go to the imperial palace! There are mountains and water there, and I can ride horses! It's a thousand times more fun than this dilapidated palace! I want to go to the imperial palace!"
He shouted loudly and clearly, with the typical arrogance of a child.
The Empress Dowager was already in a bad mood, and Cheng Ge'er's outburst made her face turn extremely ugly.
She was already in a bad mood because of the emperor's words, and now seeing her grandson being so unruly and making a scene in front of the emperor and empress made her feel even more humiliated.
She sternly rebuked, "Cheng-ge'er! How dare you! Who taught you manners? How dare you be so disrespectful in front of the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort! Shut up now!"
Cheng Ge'er was usually pampered in the Prince Duan's mansion and the Empress Dowager's palace. He had never been so severely reprimanded in public.
He was stunned for a moment, then became even more aggrieved and started throwing a tantrum, crying loudly and pushing the old woman who was trying to stop him. The old woman stumbled and almost fell.
"They've rebelled!"
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she trembled all over. Looking at her grandson rolling on the ground, completely lacking manners, she thought of his dead father and felt both heartache and anger. In a moment of desperation, she raised her hand and slapped Cheng Ge'er's buttocks.
"If you keep causing trouble! If you keep causing trouble, I will punish you severely!"
Her blow wasn't actually that hard; it was more out of anger and helplessness towards Cheng-ge'er.
Where has Cheng Ge ever been subjected to this?
He simply couldn't believe that his beloved grandmother would hit him!
He was stunned for a moment, then burst into a deafening wail, collapsing to the ground, kicking his limbs wildly, crying his heart out as if he had suffered a great injustice, repeatedly shouting, "Bad Grandmother! You hit me! I want my mother... Waaah... I want to leave the palace! I want to go to the imperial palace!"
The scene became chaotic for a time.
The Empress Dowager looked at her grandson rolling on the ground and felt dizzy. She clutched her chest and turned pale.
Just then, Shui Xian stood up and walked calmly to Cheng Ge'er's side.
Unlike the others, she didn't panic or even yell. Instead, she slowly squatted down.
Shui Xian reached out her fair and slender hand and gently helped Cheng Ge'er up, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face. Her movements were gentle but carried an irresistible force.
"My lord, don't cry."
Her voice was like the softest melody. She took out a Luban lock that she had prepared beforehand and waved it in front of Cheng Ge'er, "Look, isn't this fun?"
Cheng Ge'er's crying subsided a little, and he sobbed as he looked curiously at the exquisite gadget he had never seen before.
Narcissus patiently guided him to try to play with it, while whispering soothingly in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Your Highness wants to go to the imperial palace, right? The imperial palace is indeed interesting, with beautiful scenery, where you can ride horses and fish, much more comfortable than the palace. However, it would be most proper and enjoyable if the Empress Dowager took you there personally."
Her elegant demeanor contrasted sharply with the Empress Dowager's frantic state of mind.
Emperor Zhaoheng remained seated, observing everything with a cold eye. As he watched Shui Xian easily calm down the troublemaker, he understood that the time had come.
He cleared his throat, his voice not loud, but it instantly suppressed the remaining noise in the hall.
"Mother, you have seen it with your own eyes. Cheng'er is so unruly and difficult to tame. Keeping him in the palace will not only be of no benefit to your rest, but I'm afraid that as time goes on, he will become even more difficult to discipline, and then he will cause a great disaster, and you will regret it too late."
He looked at the Empress Dowager with a deep gaze and a resolute tone.
"Since he is so eager to go to the imperial palace, and you, Mother, love your grandson dearly, why don't you take him to the imperial palace in the suburbs of Beijing to recuperate for a while?"
"It not only fulfills the bond between you and your grandson, but the tranquil environment of the palace is also conducive to your health. Moreover, the palace grounds are spacious, with beautiful mountains and rivers, which also suits his playful nature and prevents him from being restricted and spoiled in the palace."
"Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"
The Empress Dowager looked at her grandson, who was still sobbing but clearly attracted by the Luban lock in Narcissus's hand, then at her son, whose expression was cold and whose mind was made up, and finally her gaze fell on her wrinkled hands.
She thought of Yi Rui's fate, the loneliness of her own bedridden illness, the glory of wielding power in the harem and the reality of being sidelined, unable even to control her grandson's fate...
A profound sense of powerlessness, coupled with a slight longing for a peaceful old age, caused her to slump back in her chair.
By continuing to force her grandson to stay in the palace and confronting the emperor head-on, what could she possibly gain?
Besides more arguments, exhaustion, and this grandson who might really be spoiled rotten...
She seemed to have all her strength drained away. She closed her eyes, sighed with endless exhaustion, and her voice was hoarse.
"Fine...fine...let's do as the emperor says."
Three days later, on a clear but somewhat chilly morning.
The Empress Dowager's ceremonial carriage stopped outside the Shenwu Gate.
The ceremony was elaborate, with Emperor Zhaoheng, accompanied by Shui Xian and a group of high-ranking concubines, seeing them off at the palace gate.
Emperor Zhaoheng, dressed in court robes with a solemn expression, spoke gently to the Empress Dowager in her phoenix carriage: "Mother, please go to the temporary palace to recuperate. Please take good care of your health. I will take care of everything in the palace. Mother, you need not worry."
His words were respectful, yet carried a clear sense of distance.
Shui Xian, dressed in the auspicious robes of an Imperial Noble Consort, stood respectfully beside Emperor Zhaoheng with her head bowed, her voice gentle: "Your Majesty, I respectfully bid you farewell. May Your Majesty enjoy good health and long life."
The curtains of the imperial carriage were lowered, blocking the view from inside and outside, so no one could see what the Empress Dowager's expression was at that moment.
Only when the car starts moving does the slightly swaying corner of the curtain reveal an indescribable sense of loneliness.
Narcissus and Emperor Zhaoheng stood side by side, watching.
Watching the long convoy gradually disappear into the distance, finally vanishing at the end of the official road.
On the way back to the palace, Emperor Zhaoheng dismissed his entourage of palace servants and walked alone on the long street with Shui Xian.
He reached out and firmly grasped Narcissus's slightly cool hand.
"This time, we owe it all to Xian'er's mediation."
He turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with admiration. "If it weren't for your skillful words of comfort, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager wouldn't have given in so easily."
Narcissus looked up and smiled gently at him, a smile that looked especially beautiful in the thin winter sunlight.
"Your Majesty flatters me. It is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens and ease the tension between Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager."
Although Emperor Zhaoheng praised her, Shui Xian remained humble and gently declined the credit.
Seeing her like this, Emperor Zhaoheng felt even more affection for her and tightened his grip on her hand.
In a secluded corner where no one was watching, Narcissus slightly turned her head and exchanged a knowing glance with Tinglu, who was attending her behind her.
Why would the heir apparent of Prince Duan suddenly think of the imperial palace? Although he had visited the imperial palace with his parents before, in the innocent world of a child, how could he possibly remember such a thing?
A few days ago, Tinglu disguised herself as a lowly palace maid responsible for cleaning the Imperial Garden and "accidentally" encountered Prince Chengge, who had escaped the supervision of the nanny and was playing alone in the Imperial Garden.
Tinglu casually described to him how beautiful the scenery was outside the imperial palace, how one could ride horses across the mountains and fields, and fish in the streams...
It was a thousand times more fun than the strict, palace-like buildings and walls of the imperial palace.
Young and ignorant, and constrained, how could Cheng-ge resist such temptation?
Everything was exactly as Narcissus had anticipated...
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