Chapter 617 He's just feeling guilty!
On the other hand, Gao Qingtong arranged for the Empress Dowager to live in Shou Kang Palace. This palace was originally prepared for the Empress Dowager. Before Emperor Huijing passed away, it was always cleaned and maintained and repaired every year at a cost.
However, after Xie Shang ascended the throne, he stopped arranging for anyone to clean the area.
Gao Qingtong said, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. The palace servants will clean it up soon. It's too cold. I'll have someone warm up the room before Your Majesty moves in."
The Empress Dowager grasped Gao Qingtong's hand. "Qingtong is so thoughtful. I haven't returned to the capital for decades. The Emperor is my grandson, yet he doesn't even think of these things. I see that the rules of the inner palace are becoming increasingly lax. This is a sign of impending doom!"
Gao Qingtong was shocked after hearing this. She wished she could turn deaf. It was clearly the Emperor who asked her to arrange accommodations for the Empress Dowager. She even said that the Emperor couldn't believe it. Was the Empress Dowager senile? How could she curse the Great Zhou Dynasty to perish?
She came back hoping for the fall of the Great Zhou Dynasty!
Gao Qingtong quickly replied, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so I should take care of the trivial matters in the harem. Please do not blame Your Majesty, Empress Dowager."
"I was referring to the Empress. I didn't see her when I returned to the palace. Instead, it was you, Consort Gao, who came to greet me. The Empress's lax management of the harem is her responsibility. With her around, our Great Zhou Kingdom is in danger!" The Empress Dowager then took Gao Qingtong's hand, as if trying to win her over, and said kindly, "However, I don't like those overly conventional etiquettes. I prefer peace and quiet, and Qingtong is very much to my liking in this regard."
"It's all what I should do." Gao Qingtong felt embarrassed when she heard her say that. She hadn't come here specifically for the Empress Dowager. No one in the palace would mention the Empress Dowager. It was as if she didn't exist.
I don't know if the Empress Dowager has received the news of the Empress Dowager's return to the palace, because she hasn't come to pay her respects yet.
Gao Qingtong was smart enough not to bring up the Empress's whereabouts, but just listened quietly to the Empress Dowager complaining and saying that she didn't care.
The Empress Dowager found it boring that she didn't like to talk much, and wondered: Could it be that Minmin and Yun'er have been locked up outside the palace by the Emperor?
The Empress Dowager decided to settle down there and wouldn't leave until she saw Minmin and Yun'er.
Jiang Fenghua is quite capable; she has everyone, young and old, completely at her beck and call. She held a coronation ceremony and now wants to hold a second wedding. What has she done to deserve this?
The Empress Dowager's dissatisfaction seemed to stem from jealousy.
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Empress Dowager Cheng had long known about the Empress Dowager's return to the palace. Given the Empress Dowager's status, even though no one recognized her, no one dared to stop her from entering the palace as long as she took out her gold token and announced her identity.
Empress Dowager Cheng said to Granny Xi, "My mother-in-law, who favors my youngest son, has suddenly returned. There must be something fishy going on. Just watch, she's no pushover."
Granny Xi had been in the palace for over ten years but had never seen the Empress Dowager, let alone heard of her.
Empress Dowager Cheng must have met her. At that time, she had just married the late emperor and become his empress, and she was also given many eye-rolls by the Empress Dowager.
Now Empress Dowager Cheng dares not provoke Jiang Fenghua.
Empress Dowager Cheng sneered as she began to gossip about the Grand Empress Dowager, "During the reign of Emperor Shengzu, the Grand Empress Dowager wasn't the most favored. The one most favored by Emperor Shengzu was a woman from the common people. I don't know why, but even after that woman entered the palace, she wasn't made a concubine. Yet, she was still favored by Emperor Shengzu. Oh dear, the Grand Empress Dowager was furious at that time, but she was helpless! Actually, the Grand Empress Dowager isn't exactly easy to deal with either. It wouldn't be right for me not to pay her respects to her immediately. I should find some time to pay my respects to the Grand Empress Dowager!"
Granny Xi rolled her eyes. Aren't all men like this? They fall in love with every woman they see.
The Empress Dowager was confined to Cining Palace by the Emperor and was not allowed to leave. However, during the Emperor and Empress's absence from the palace, the Empress Dowager did not actually stay in Cining Palace; she was quite free.
Now that the Emperor has returned, I wonder if he will release the Empress Dowager. After all, she is his own mother, and the Emperor has probably long forgotten what she did!
The Empress has returned, but the palace now has another troublesome old matriarch, making life in the palace quite lively from now on.
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The following day, the Ministry of Rites delivered the ceremonial robes for the coronation ceremony directly to the Jiang residence. Xie Shang did not go to the Jiang family in person, but instead sent palace maids and officials from the Ministry of Rites to announce the auspicious time for the coronation ceremony.
The people who came to deliver the dress were Granny Wang and Xiao Yu.
Jiang Fenghua already knew about everyone around her from the Jiang family. She said, "You are Granny Wang."
With red eyes, Granny Wang bowed respectfully and said, "This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress."
"Please rise, Granny Wang," Jiang Fenghua said.
Granny Wang stood up. No wonder the Emperor wanted her to come to the Jiang residence. Could it be that the Empress has lost her memory and forgotten all the court etiquette?
Xiao Yu also bowed to Jiang Fenghua and greeted her, saying, "Xiao Yu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, pays his respects to Your Majesty the Empress. I have come here on His Majesty's orders to arrange things at the Jiang residence."
Jiang Fenghua nodded slightly, her eyes clear. "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Xiao."
Xiao Yu paused. Had she really forgotten everything? He thought to himself, there had never been any connection between them; she had simply forgotten his name.
Jiang Fenghua didn't chat with Xiao Yu for long, and went straight to ask Granny Wang, "My mother told me that Granny Wang is taking care of my three children. Why didn't Granny Wang take them out of the palace?"
"Your Majesty, please don't worry, you will see them soon. The princes and princesses are very well-behaved and they also hope to see Your Majesty as soon as possible. Now let's practice the etiquette for the coronation ceremony."
Back in the courtyard, Wang Mama said, "Your Majesty, you can no longer refer to yourself as 'I,' but as 'this palace.' When I bow to Your Majesty, you can simply say 'no need for formalities.' When you see the Empress Dowager, the Grand Empress Dowager, or the Emperor, you must refer to yourself as 'your humble servant.' The Empress is the mistress of the harem, and all the concubines are under your jurisdiction. They must also respect Your Majesty. Your Majesty's authority is evident even without anger, which is how you keep the concubines in check..."
Jiang Fenghua felt completely overwhelmed after hearing this. No wonder Xie Shang didn't let her return to the palace directly; it turned out he disliked her for not knowing etiquette. Humph, he disliked her for not knowing etiquette, but she disliked him for being a womanizer.
If it weren't for seeing her three children, she wouldn't bother acting with him. Her second sister told her that he also had a wicked mother-in-law.
Thinking of this, Jiang Fenghua asked, "Is the Empress Dowager easy to get along with?"
Granny Wang was relieved that she still had her former vigilance, and said in detail, "They are not easy to get along with. The relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and even the late Emperor, is very strange. Before I left the palace, the Emperor told me that once Your Highness entered the palace, no one would dare to make things difficult for you. Your Highness doesn't need to be afraid of them. The Emperor has Your Highness's backing! The Emperor considers Your Highness's needs in everything..."
"He's just feeling guilty!" Jiang Fenghua said directly.
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