Xia He stood guard outside the door, fearing that the Empress might have something to say. She glanced over and saw two people walking towards them from a distance. One of them was Chunlan, and the other was Granny Wu.
Upon reaching the door, Granny Wu asked Xia He, "Is Your Highness alright?"
"Reporting to Granny, I have been guarding the door since Chunlan left. There was no sound from inside, and I did not hear Her Majesty give any instructions."
Xia He said to Granny Wu with a slight worry.
Nodding to indicate that she understood, Granny Wu walked to the door and knocked.
"Your Majesty, are you alright? Chunlan told me you were in a bad mood when you returned today, and this old servant was very worried about you."
Granny Wu's tone was full of worry and utmost sincerity.
Empress Niohuru leaned back on the couch, shedding the dignified and solemn demeanor of an empress. Without her ornate hairpins or heavy makeup, she was just an ordinary woman in her early twenties when no one was around.
Hearing about Granny Wu, she was somewhat surprised. Why was Granny Wu brought out?
Just as he was about to speak up and tell the people outside that he was fine, for some reason, it was Erzi who came in who spoke first.
Granny Wu was secretly delighted. She gave Xia He and Chunlan, who were beside her, a reassuring look before carefully stepping into the inner hall.
There were no lights on inside. As it was dusk, the light from the doorway gradually diminished as the door closed, making the room somewhat dim. It took Granny Wu a while to adjust before she could see what was inside.
Niohuru leaned against the small couch and, seeing her enter, softly called out, "Granny!"
With just this one sentence, Granny Wu couldn't control herself, and her eyes welled up with tears.
She accompanied her own princess from childhood to adulthood, and even after the princess entered the palace, she was still by her side all the way. Even though the princess is now the Empress of the Qing Dynasty, in her heart, she is still that little girl who used to hug her and cry when she was a child.
Holding back her tears, Granny Wu stepped forward, her body trembling slightly, and gently stroked Niohuru's head with great tenderness, just as she had done when she was a child.
"Princess, if you are sad, just cry it out! Crying it out will make you feel better. Don't keep it bottled up inside. The imperial physician said that your health is getting worse because of your emotional distress. You need to relax and take care of yourself."
At this point, Granny Wu couldn't help but shed tears of self-reproach. "It's all my fault. If I had taken better care of you back then, you wouldn't be so heartbroken."
A familiar sensation came from above her head, and her memories seemed to return to her childhood. Back then, she was just a princess in the Niohuru family, not the emperor's concubine or empress. She had no worries and was carefree.
Hearing what Granny Wu said, Niohuru felt helpless. It was easy to say "relax," but she really couldn't do it.
Hearing the old woman's self-blame, taking all the blame upon herself, Niohuru was moved, and long-buried memories seemed to resurface.
A sharp pain shot through her heart, and tears welled up in her eyes, eventually spilling out uncontrollably.
Tears slowly dripped down the corners of her eyes, down her face, down her clothes, and finally onto the ground.
Niohuru raised her hand and touched her cheek, looking somewhat bewildered.
Why am I crying?
Those painful memories from the past, like needles, continue to prick her heart.
At this moment, it seemed that she could no longer hold back. Just like when she was a child, Niohuru hugged Wu Mama and cried bitterly in her arms.
Holding Niohuru in her arms, Granny Wu gently patted her back again and again, saying, "Princess, it's alright. This old servant will always stay by your side."
Upon hearing this, Niohuru cried even harder, as if she wanted to vent all her previous bitterness, grievances, dissatisfaction, and pain.
Granny Wu's eyes were full of heartache, her eyes were red, and she didn't say anything more, just repeated the actions in her hands.
It took Niohuru a long time to vent her emotions and calm down.
"Your Majesty, if you are feeling distressed, I have heard that Consort Wuya has just given birth to the Sixth Princess. However, due to her low rank, she is not allowed to raise the child according to palace rules. Why don't you go and beg His Majesty to take the Sixth Princess to Kunning Palace to be raised?"
Seeing that Empress Niohuru had finally calmed down, Wu Mama knew what her heartache was, and then offered her suggestion.
Niohuru shook her head slightly and refused.
“Your Majesty, it’s not like you’re raising a young prince, just a little princess. His Majesty will certainly not refuse you,” said Granny Wu, still trying to persuade her, not understanding the situation.
"Granny, there's no need to persuade me anymore. I will not do that."
“But…” Granny Wu wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Niohuru.
She looked up at Granny Wu, her eyes deep and unfathomable, concealing a multitude of emotions.
After a moment, he began to speak eloquently, revealing his deepest thoughts.
“Granny, ever since I miscarried that year, I have had difficulty conceiving again. Over the years, I have felt envious and jealous of the concubines in the harem who have become pregnant and given birth.”
She sighed softly and continued.
“But now I am the Empress, the mother of the nation, and the model of the harem. Over the years, I have only been able to tell myself over and over again that it is okay, all the princes and princesses in the harem are my children, and they all have to call me Empress Mother.”
"Then, Your Majesty, why did you refuse my suggestion?" After the Empress said this, Wu Mama was even more puzzled.
"Granny, I am now the Empress, the Emperor's principal wife. Do you know why His Majesty chose me as the Empress after the late Empress passed away?"
Niohuru did not explain the reason, but instead asked a question in return.
Granny Wu honestly shook her head, indicating that she did not know.
"Hahaha!" Niohuru chuckled twice, a glint of sadness flashing in her eyes.
With a slight upturn of her lips and a sarcastic tone, she whispered in Granny Wu's ear, "It's because I can't have my own children."
After saying this, Niohuru felt much more relaxed. The heavy weight in her heart was finally lifted, and the rest of her words were easy to say.
"When the late Empress died in childbirth, the choice of successor was between me and Consort Tong. In the end, I became Empress and Consort Tong became Imperial Noble Consort Tong."
Niohuru poured herself a glass of water to moisten her throat and continued.
"Consort Tong longed for a child of her own, which is why she could not become Empress. With the Crown Prince already chosen, His Majesty would not allow another legitimate son to appear in order to secure the Crown Prince's position. Consort Tong chose a child, and because I was unable to conceive, His Majesty chose me to become Empress."
"Your Highness, even so, you should still be able to raise the Sixth Princess, right?"
"No, no, no, you don't understand, Granny. I can't have my own biological children, nor can I have adopted children. This time, because I like children, I wanted to raise the princess, so I begged His Majesty. What about next time? Next time, for other reasons, will I want to raise another prince? His Majesty chose me back then because I am smart, sensible, and able to fulfill my duties as Empress very well."
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