Xu Wen, the eldest wife of the second house of the Sheng family in the capital, was filled with joy and exclaimed "Amitabha" (Amitabha). The news of Empress Jing'an's awakening was brought back to the palace by Sheng Huairen. Sheng Huairen, who had been gloomy for days, finally softened his expression and instructed Xu Wen: "If the palace issues an imperial decree to invite you in, be sure to greet them properly."
Xu Wen rarely gave Sheng Huairen a smile and said with a faint smile: "Don't worry, sir, I will abide by the rules." Neither of them mentioned Concubine Hong. Sheng Huairen accompanied Xu Wen and Sheng Shu to have dinner and then left the main courtyard.
Three days later, an imperial decree arrived from the harem, and Empress Jing'an summoned Xu Wen to the palace. The next day, Xu Wen changed into the attire of a royal rank and left the palace in a carriage.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to Her Majesty. May Her Majesty be well and at peace." Xu Wen knelt down to pay her respects, gathering her skirt. Empress Jing'an then called her up. She glanced up at her, and though her face was still rosy, she appeared full of energy and spirit. Only then did Xu Wen feel relieved and followed Zishu's lead to take a seat.
Empress Jing'an, who was sitting on the upper throne, smiled kindly and asked, "How are you these days? Is Shu'er feeling well?"
Xu Wen leaned forward slightly and replied, "Your Majesty, Shu-ge'er and I are all fine. Your Majesty has been ill for a long time. How is your health now?"
Princess Jinyi came in at this time. Xu Wen stood up to greet her. Princess Jinyi slightly turned sideways and accepted the half-salute. Then Princess Jinyi sat next to Queen Jing'an.
Empress Jing'an responded to Xu Wen first: "Don't worry about me. I'm much better now. In the future, please come to the palace more often to talk to me."
Xu Wen quickly agreed. Empress Jing'an turned to Princess Jinyi and asked, "You must have homework this morning. Why are you here with your mother?"
Princess Jinyi, who had sat down obediently, replied, "My daughter finished her homework quickly. I heard that Madam Sheng had entered the palace, so I came to see her."
Giving Princess Jinyi a glare, Empress Jing'an and Xu Wen said, "Look, she seems to be here to watch the fun."
Xu Wen sat down again and said with a smile, "The princess is just curious. I was lucky enough to hold the princess in my arms once before, when she was still in her cradle."
The two talked about Princess Jinyi's childhood. Princess Jinyi sat aside with her head tilted, a big smile on her face, and she sat aside drinking tea and eating snacks without interrupting.
Before lunch, Ziyan escorted Xu Wen out of Fengyang Palace, and Princess Jinyi stayed behind to wait for lunch. Just as the dishes were served, the Emperor and the Eighth Prince arrived, and the family of four happily gathered together for lunch.
Reclining on her couch for a mid-afternoon nap, Empress Jing'an saw the present day again. Zhou Shuyan lay in a hospital bed, with Song Ning sitting beside her. Outside the window, it was already dark, and the clock on the wall read nine o'clock. Song Ning's eyes never left Zhou Shuyan. After a moment, he grasped her hand, softly calling her "Yanyan."
After a moment of palpitations, Empress Jing'an woke up from the couch. The emperor, who was sitting on a chair beside her, asked with concern, "Fang Ting, what's wrong?"
Empress Jing'an, still in a trance, shook her head, and was then held in the emperor's arms for a careful inspection. It was not until Zishu brought in a hot handkerchief that the emperor let go of Empress Jing'an.
What Empress Jing'an didn't know was that as the Emperor sat beside her and watched her fall asleep, he suddenly felt a palpitation in his heart. It felt as if for a moment he was about to lose Empress Jing'an again, and a trace of fear flashed through the Emperor's heart for no reason.
After playing a few games of chess with Queen Jing'an, the emperor left Fengyang Palace and went to Tianji Palace.
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