The Empress Dowager looked at the nanny and said, "You've been with me since you were little, and I understand that bond. I just hope you live well and stay with me. I'm an old woman now, with half my body already in the ground, so don't think about so much."
"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant swears to follow you to the death," the nanny hurriedly declared her loyalty.
The Empress Dowager turned around, her face radiating kindness.
When Yun Qingluo entered, she felt that the atmosphere in the room was a little too harmonious. She was surprised, but she remained calm on the surface.
He walked to the center and gave a slight curtsy to the Empress Dowager.
She was pulled up by the nanny beside the Empress Dowager.
The old woman smiled and said, "Your Majesty, there's no need for such formalities. The Empress Dowager has been looking forward to your arrival for a long time."
Yun Qingluo felt a hint of gratitude in her eyes when she heard what the nanny said, but she didn't take it to heart at all.
If she believed such nonsense, she would truly be seeing ghosts.
Yun Qingluo smiled and said, "I chatted with His Majesty too late last night, so I got up late. It's my fault for being unfilial and making the Empress Dowager wait."
The old nanny looked disapproving. "Hey, why is the Empress still calling her the Empress Dowager? She should change her address."
Yun Qinglu remained silent, looking down at the handkerchief in her hand, pretending not to have heard.
Upon seeing this, the nanny instinctively looked towards the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager's face darkened, but she still shook her head slightly. "It's just a form of address, it doesn't matter. You must be cold from waiting outside for so long. It's all my fault for being so focused on breakfast that I forgot to call you in. Someone, bring a seat."
Yun Qingluo looked at the hypocritical master and servant, feeling impatient, but she could only put on a smile.
"Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long. We were able to admire the red plum blossoms in the Empress Dowager's courtyard for a while. They were really beautiful."
The Empress Dowager was slightly taken aback when she heard this, not expecting that she would take the initiative to bring it up.
She was still wondering how to bring it up.
"That red plum has been in this courtyard for over a year. It didn't bloom last year, and I thought it wouldn't bloom this year either. But to my surprise, it not only bloomed, but it's quite beautiful. If you like it, I'll have someone transplant it to your palace later."
Yun Qingluo looked at the Empress Dowager's kind face, but her heart turned cold.
There is always a kind old man standing in the Cining Palace, but whether the old man's heart is as benevolent as that of the Buddha is unknown.
Yun Qingluo raised her head, feigning excitement, "Really? Is the Empress Dowager really willing to part with this beloved plum blossom? To be honest, I really like this red plum blossom very much. However, if I do this, I will be taking away what others love. The Emperor will probably say that I am unfilial."
The Empress Dowager glanced at Yun Qingluo, picked up the tea on the table, took a small sip, and smiled, "I'm overjoyed that you like it. It's a blessing for this tree that you've taken a liking to it. Alright, it's settled then."
The weather is nice outside today; it's a good day for transplanting.
After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she ordered the eunuch on one side to find someone to take care of the matter.
Yun Qingluo's lowered eyes revealed a hint of coldness. "The Empress Dowager is truly kind-hearted. No wonder Achen is so filial to you. Achen told me that you were very good to him when he was a child."
It was really good, but why did it turn out bad later?
I wish things could stay this way forever.
Although Ah Chen never explicitly said it, he always remembered the kindness he received in his childhood. As a result, he did not make things difficult for the Empress Dowager when he ascended the throne, and even had the Cining Palace repaired.
During this time, she wanted to kill her and A-Chen, but A-Chen simply let it go, willing to treat them with courtesy and repay evil with kindness.
It's not that Ah Chen is stupid, but that there are very few people in the world who are kind to him, and he cherishes every bit of kindness.
Unfortunately, this friendship can only go this far now.
"This child is kind-hearted, which is a good thing. He will surely become a wise ruler in the future," the Empress Dowager said cryptically.
Yun Qingluo followed up, "The Empress Dowager is right. The Emperor is indeed kind-hearted. After all, repaying evil with kindness is not something everyone can do without resentment."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup, but then resumed her normal posture.
"I am exhausted. Judging from the Empress's complexion, she probably hasn't rested well either. Go back and get some rest. You are the only one in the harem, so the heavy responsibility of producing offspring for the royal family falls on your shoulders."
Yun Qingluo didn't want to stay any longer, so upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, she stood up, bowed respectfully, and left.
The old woman stared at Yun Qingluo's elegant departing figure and said angrily, "Empress Dowager, look, she's becoming more and more presumptuous and rude."
The Empress Dowager's eyes were icy. "No rush, we can just wait and watch the show."
"The Empress Dowager is truly wise. She foresaw this day and made preparations in advance. Once she can no longer have children, even if the Emperor is not in a hurry, the ministers will be. At that time, due to the pressure in the court, the Emperor will definitely choose a concubine, and then she will have a good time."
The Empress Dowager glanced at her and said, "Don't mention this again."
The old woman said in a low voice, "Yes, Your Majesty, I am only a servant who feels wronged on your behalf."
"I have endured all kinds of hardships to get to this position. What is this little grievance? Tianmo Kingdom values filial piety, and the Emperor will not do anything to me."
"It's good that the Empress Dowager has considered everything carefully," the nanny said softly.
"Help me to the Buddhist hall." After saying this, the Empress Dowager stood up and walked towards the small Buddhist hall at the back. The nanny stepped forward to help her leave.
Yun Qingluo stepped out the door and saw a group of people busy digging up trees in the yard.
Yun Tao, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, “Your Majesty, why would the Empress Dowager send us plum trees for no reason? Our relationship with the Empress Dowager isn’t that good. She has even made things difficult for you many times in the past.”
Yun Qingluo looked at Yun Tao, who was standing up for her, and chuckled, "I don't realize she's implying something about me."
Yun Tao exclaimed in surprise, "Ah? You went to all that trouble to transplant a plum tree just to remind you?"
Seeing Yun Tao's dumbfounded expression, Yun Qingluo could guess that she was thinking that the Empress Dowager was seriously mentally ill.
But she doesn't intend to tell the truth, and she doesn't intend to for the time being.
After all, they were still in the Empress Dowager's palace, where there were too many spies.
She said this to dispel the Empress Dowager's doubts.
She was skilled in medicine, and the Empress Dowager knew about it.
Therefore, she couldn't let the Empress Dowager know that she had figured it out.
but......
Xiao Yi's voice echoed in my mind, "However, this tree probably wasn't prepared for you. It's a pity you wiped out all the concubines in the harem, otherwise, this leaf wouldn't have fallen on your head."
When Yun Qingluo heard Xiao Yi's words, she knew that it was still upset about what happened in the Empress's bedroom earlier.
"I guess I'm lucky," Yun Qingluo teased Xiao Yi intentionally.
Xiao Yi snorted coldly, speaking in a sarcastic tone, "Yes, this tree has been cultivated with medicine since it was a sapling, for decades. No wonder the Empress Dowager became a lonely figure; this can be considered retribution."
Yun Qingluo narrowed her eyes. "I heard that the Empress Dowager once gifted this tree to many beautiful women."
A tree was given away, then taken back, and then given away again. Those in the palace who were unaware of the situation praised the Empress Dowager of Tianmo Kingdom for her sentimentality, saying that she cared about the life and death of a tree.
Oh.
Nostalgia.
Perhaps they were afraid of being discovered, which is why they were so eager to take back the tree at the opportune moment.
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