Inside the courtyard, the ceremonial guards were lined up neatly, their expressions solemn and dignified. Zheng Yu also appeared not far from the corridor, his gaze fixed on the entrance. A moment later, the melodious sound of bells and drums drifted in from outside, followed by a group of guards brought by Eunuch Chen entering one after another.
As per protocol, once the entire group had arrived, the guards of the Princess's residence knelt down in unison, proclaiming, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has arrived! Long live Her Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
"Long live the Empress Dowager, long live the Empress Dowager." He Yi was naturally nervous. This was the first time the Empress Dowager had come to visit her at the Princess's residence since she changed her identity. As she knelt down, she managed to exchange a glance with Zheng Yu amidst her busy schedule.
A palpable sense of gravity flashed in both of their eyes.
"Long live the Empress Dowager!" The entire household knelt in the courtyard. He Yi heard footsteps and slowly raised her head, her heart pounding like a drum. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Zheng Yu. The two were only a few steps apart, their eyes briefly meeting in the air.
Zheng Yu glanced at He Yi. Although he remained silent, He Yi knew that he was reminding her with his eyes not to worry, that he was there for her.
The Empress Dowager's laughter entered the room before her footsteps. "Heyi, I personally selected the site and had it built for you, Princess. Now that it's decorated, it's quite nice. I feel very happy to be here with you."
"It is truly an honor for Princess He Yi's residence to have Your Majesty grace us with your presence today." Zheng He Yi hurriedly bowed, extremely solemnly. The Empress Dowager smiled, "This little girl has already learned to be so glib."
"Not at all," He Yi greeted her. The Empress Dowager extended her hand to her, and He Yi then slightly raised her eyes to look at her. She saw that the Empress Dowager was wearing a red-gold phoenix robe with a pheasant pattern, and there were two palace maids in their thirties on either side of her.
Four people helped the Empress Dowager slowly and methodically into the residence. The Empress Dowager was always dressed in finery, and her head full of pearls and jade shone brightly in the sunlight.
The light was so dazzling that it was almost impossible to open one's eyes; the wealth was truly overwhelming. Looking closer at the Empress Dowager's face, the Empress Dowager wore her usual gentle smile.
When those kind eyes looked at He Yi, a faint ripple appeared in their depths. "You and I don't need to stand on ceremony. We don't need so many formalities. I just came to see how your Princess's Mansion is being managed since I had nothing else to do."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
He Yi smiled slightly as she stood up. But when her gaze met that of several elderly women standing silently behind the Empress Dowager, she immediately felt a chill. Their eyes were sharp as hawks.
These few people were silently scanning every corner of the princess's mansion, seemingly determined to find something wrong. Fortunately, the welcoming ceremony proceeded flawlessly.
Qingju and Granny Li did not disappoint; they were flawless in almost every step. The Empress Dowager seemed quite satisfied as well, and made small talk, saying, "You've grown these gardenias quite well. It seems the young princess is now learning to enjoy life."
Pleasant to the eye and mind? Good heavens, she was just brought in to save the day. She couldn't even keep a potted green ivy alive. Zheng Yu bowed and said, "It is naturally thanks to Your Majesty's blessing. This morning, all these potted plants were drooping and withered, but they have turned lush and green since you arrived."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Heyi looked at Zheng Yu in surprise.
So this is the real Zheng Yu. These aren't heartfelt words at all. These sour, flattering, and obsequious words are not something a young master like Zheng would say.
Although she didn't particularly like hearing these insincere words exchanged in social interactions, He Yi still secretly breathed a sigh of relief, for a good start is half the battle.
As long as we persevere until the Empress Dowager departs, she will still be cheerful, so our efforts will not have been in vain.
But an hour later, a problem arose at lunch. The Empress Dowager had wanted to try the Princess's specialty dish, and just as she picked up her chopsticks to pick up a steamed perch, she noticed that the fish was covered with scales that had not yet been removed.
The Empress Dowager frowned. Cui, the old nanny beside her, hurriedly approached to serve the Empress some food. Little did she know that there was a thin hair mixed in with the jellyfish salad.
Looking at it made her lose her appetite. To be honest, this was all beyond her expectations. When Zheng Heyi saw the strand of hair, she panicked and wanted to kneel down immediately.
The Empress Dowager slammed her chopsticks down on the table, her face instantly turning ashen.
The air around them seemed to freeze for a moment. Although the guards in the distance had no idea what had happened to make the Empress Dowager so furious, almost instantly all the servants knelt down.
Zheng Heyi didn't dare to breathe loudly.
"Zheng Heyi!" The Empress Dowager's voice was extremely cold. "I think you've become so dazzled by this title of Princess that you can't even manage the most basic meals? You're being far too lenient with your servants as a princess!"
He Yi was stunned. She knew that the cooks in the mansion were specially trained, and Zheng Yu had emphasized to her yesterday that the fifteenth day of the month must be clean.
It's likely that this was caused by the maids who delivered the food on the way. As for the steamed sea bass, it's the most common signature dish, and it's probably the maids who helped in the kitchen who caused this.
She was certain this was not due to the cook's negligence! Seeing the Empress Dowager's anger, He Yi was about to kneel down and beg for mercy when she heard the Empress Dowager say coldly, "Very well, you've only just started managing the household, how would you know these things? Today I will teach you what ruthless methods are, just you wait and see."
After saying that, she gave a wink to Granny Cui behind her.
Granny Cui understood immediately, "Go find the cook."
A moment later, the trembling cook arrived. Before she could even speak, she was almost paralyzed. Granny Cui's lips curled into a ferocious sneer. Seeing the cook arrive, Granny Cui stepped forward, grabbed the half-dead cook, and raised her hand to slap her.
He Yi saw the cook looking at her pitifully, as if asking for help, and two lines of tears were already falling down her cheeks. She felt extremely distressed.
"Your Majesty!" He Yi stepped forward timidly. "There must be something fishy about this. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly! The cook has been working in the mansion for a long time, and I know her well. She is always cautious and would never make such a basic mistake."
The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow with a cold laugh, a mocking glint in her eyes. "Oh? Could it be that I've wronged her? Heyi, you are now a princess of high status, how can you always side with the servants? If word gets out, won't people laugh at your incompetence in managing your household?"
Zheng Heyi bit her lip, still wanting to argue, but she knew that saying more would be useless at this moment. The situation was against her, so she could only back down: "Yes, Heyi knows she was wrong. However, this matter concerns the reputation of the household. I beg Your Majesty to allow Heyi to investigate thoroughly before taking any action."
The Empress Dowager stared at her and said, "Alright, I'm tired today, so I won't argue with you. They're lucky today, and I won't stoop to their level."
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