Chapter 476 Farewell
At that time, they were both only in their early twenties. When the Prince of Anshun was away on a military campaign, she would consult the Princess Consort of Anshun whenever she encountered a problem or was unsure of what to do.
"Sister, please help me."
"Sister, give me some advice."
At that time, Princess Anshun was her pillar of support, someone even more reliable and dependable than Prince Anshun.
She admired, respected, and was also jealous of Princess Anshun.
She was jealous of Princess Anshun's composure in the face of adversity, her ability to effortlessly obtain what she desired.
She always wanted to outdo Princess Anshun in some way, but in all honesty, she never resorted to any underhanded tactics; at most, she only gained an advantage verbally.
Now that her son has finally ascended the throne, she thought she could finally surpass the former power of her sisters, but she found that she was still inferior to him, so she felt very bitter and sad.
However, this feeling was quickly overwhelmed by reluctance when she saw that the Empress Dowager was about to leave the capital. She found that she would rather endure being overshadowed by the Empress Dowager every day than let the Empress Dowager leave.
The Empress Dowager patted her hand and said gently.
"You're already the Empress Dowager, how can you still act like before and make your juniors laugh? My two children are naughty, how can I not keep an eye on them? Once they've settled down, I might return to the palace to visit them someday, or perhaps take you to stay in the northern frontier for a while."
She was not at all surprised by the Empress Dowager's reaction. Having known each other for two or three decades, she knew that the Empress Dowager was not a malicious person; otherwise, she would never have kept her alive until today.
When Prince Anshun went on his campaign, he had seven concubines in his household. Apart from Consort Chen and Consort Jiang, the others all tried to harm her and Wen Zhiming, but she either drove them away or killed them in return.
Empress Dowager Cixi, aside from being fond of verbal advantage, was actually quite timid. Even if you put a sword in her hand, she wouldn't dare to kill anyone. As for the schemes and tricks behind the scenes, if she knew them, she wouldn't have been bullied by her own family, who would all have to come to her for help.
The Empress Dowager was so reluctant to part with her at this moment not only because she recalled their past and remembered her kindness, but also because she was somewhat lost and confused after newly ascending to the position of Empress Dowager. She wanted to keep her by her side to manage the harem together, which made her feel at ease.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager lowered her voice and gave instructions.
“Now that we are getting old, we should take good care of our health and enjoy our later years. We can enjoy flowers, operas, tea and other pleasures in our daily lives. We can leave the affairs of the harem to the Empress. The children are young and it is only right that they work hard. I think your daughter-in-law is steady and responsible. You should hand over all the power to her and enjoy your retirement. Life in the palace will be more comfortable than ever.”
Empress Dowager Cixi was timid and weak-willed. If she hadn't interfered, Wen Kehao and Su Leyan would definitely not have treated her unfairly, based solely on the debt of giving birth to her.
However, if she insists on getting involved in palace affairs, and is unable to resolve them yet insists on making decisions for others everywhere, I'm afraid that over time, she will completely erode this affection, and it will be difficult for her to have a good end.
Listening to the Eastern Empress Dowager offering advice and making plans as before, the Western Empress Dowager felt a lump in her throat, and the confusion and panic in her heart instantly found direction. She nodded and said.
"I will listen to my sister and get well soon. I will visit her in the northern frontier and then bring her back to the capital for a short stay."
Empress Dowager Dong said with satisfaction, "That's right. No matter how many concubines the Emperor has in the future, remember to always be of one mind with the Empress and don't be easily provoked. As long as you do this, you will have endless good days."
Empress Dowager Cixi nodded repeatedly, her eyes brimming with tears.
“I’ve remembered everything. Remember to write back to me after you’ve settled in…”
The two empress dowagers finally bid each other a reluctant farewell, while the officials looked at Wen Zhiming and his wife, also showing their reluctance and repeatedly trying to persuade them to stay.
"We are deeply saddened by the departure of the Northern Frontier King from the capital. Thanks to His Highness's diligent governance over the past few years, the country is now strong and the people prosperous, a far cry from what it once was. His Highness has barely enjoyed a few days of peace before he must again toil for the people on the border..."
"After today's farewell, we do not know when we will see Your Highness again. We humbly request that Your Highness postpone your journey for another day or two, so that we may prepare a small feast to express our gratitude and to bid you farewell. We wish you a safe journey."
"Yes, these past few days the Prince and the Emperor have been busy with the transfer of imperial power. We dared not disturb them. Now that we are setting off in such a hurry, we feel really bad and can hardly rest easy."
"The sun is blazing today. The Empress Dowager and Princess Le'an are an old woman and a young girl, and they are tired from their journey. I'm afraid they won't be able to adapt. Perhaps we should wait a few more days until it's cooler before setting off."
Wen Zhiming put his arm around Meng Lingge and said to the ministers who were trying to persuade him to stay.
"The trade between the Golden Moon and Blue Feather kingdoms is imminent. The prince of Blue Feather has already set off. Our Golden Moon kingdom has always valued etiquette, and there is no reason for us to keep our ally waiting. Moreover, today 50,000 soldiers are ready. How can I, as the prince in charge of the army, arbitrarily change my itinerary?"
"You are all ministers of the Golden Moon Kingdom. The new emperor has just ascended the throne, and there are still many things that require your joint efforts. I appreciate your kindness, but the emperor, I, and you all have important matters to attend to, so let us take our leave here. If there is an opportunity, I will treat you all to a proper meal next time we meet."
The transfer of imperial power has been completed, but after the new emperor ascends the throne, there are still many things to be done in the court and the harem, as well as more than a hundred women in Wen Kehao's household who have not yet been settled. This will certainly keep the officials busy for a while.
After Wen Zhiming finished speaking, he cupped his hands in greeting and helped Meng Lingge into the carriage. The officials knew that saying anything more would be of no use, so they could only follow behind the carriage and silently see her off.
Wen Kehao stood at the front. The two brothers had said everything they needed to say in the past two days, and there was nothing more to add. Wen Zhiming rolled down the car window, and the two brothers exchanged a glance, everything understood without words.
The carriage moved slowly forward, and after only a few steps, a loud cry was suddenly heard. Then a small figure chased after it, crying and shouting at the carriage.
"Sister, don't go..."
Upon seeing that it was Prince Wen Shaochen, the guards immediately stopped the carriage.
Wen Shaochen was still young and didn't quite understand why he had suddenly become a prince, while his elder sister Wen Woyu had become a princess.
The naive young man thought he could live in the palace with his elder sister and play together from now on. It wasn't until the adults saw him off that he realized something was wrong. He panicked as soon as the carriage left, broke free from Su Leyan's hand, and chased after it.
Seeing the carriage stop, Wen Shaozhen cried even more heartbreakingly.
"Sister, don't go, I want my sister..."
Children have the purest minds; he only knew that Wen Woyu was his best playmate and the best royal sister to him.
Usually, when he cried, Wen Woyu would comfort him and give in to him, so he thought he could keep Wen Woyu by crying.
Seeing this scene, everyone's suppressed emotions were touched by Wen Shao Chen's cries, and their eyes reddened. The Empress Dowager even hugged Wen Shao Chen and cried bitterly.
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