"What happened?"
Granny Li was on high alert, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "Princess! Eunuch Chen from Fengkun Palace has arrived, saying that the Empress Dowager will be visiting our Princess's residence in three days!"
[Holy crap! Why is the Empress Dowager suddenly going to the Princess's residence?]
[Wasn't Granny Li dismissed from her post? How dare she still come to deliver messages? Is she trying to make amends?]
[The Empress Dowager has arrived! The palace is a treacherous place; the wicked female supporting character should be careful.]
[The person upstairs is worrying unnecessarily. After all, He Yi is the Empress Dowager's savior.]
The Empress Dowager resided in Fengkun Palace for a long time and rarely went out.
It is true that Zheng Heyi saved the Empress Dowager back then, but the two have had little contact since then. It is really strange that the Empress Dowager would suddenly condescend to come to her princess's mansion.
He Yi stared at Granny Li, "After you were dismissed, the affairs of the manor were handed over to Qingju. Why did you come to the Ning Prince's manor to deliver a message without authorization?"
Actually, Li Mama herself had already said that Qingju had sent her, but Zheng Heyi still wanted to ask more questions. She hated people who made decisions on their own. Upon hearing this, Li Mama burst into tears.
"This old servant deserves to die for coming uninvited. This old servant is afraid that Miss Qingju is too young to handle such a huge matter!"
Granny Li sighed, "This old servant also wants to make amends, not to mention how grand the Empress Dowager's entourage is! If we don't receive her properly, it's a crime punishable by death! Miss Qingju is currently ill and frail, so the manor needs someone to manage things from top to bottom."
As the two were talking, they heard the sound of carriage wheels rolling on the ground behind them. They turned around and saw Qingju coughing and slowly lifting the curtain inside the carriage.
"Oh dear, what brings you here?" Zheng Heyi felt a little guilty; her pale face was as white as a sheet of paper.
But a certain excitement flickered in the little girl's eyes.
“Princess, what Granny Li said is true. Eunuch Chen has already replied, saying that he wants to determine the procedures for receiving the Emperor. Now that he is neither sick nor ill, this matter is of utmost importance.”
Seeing that Qingju was so ill yet still managing the affairs of the Princess's residence, Heyi was naturally satisfied and smiled with relief. She gritted her teeth.
Fine, she wouldn't stoop to Li Mama's level; she'd give her a chance to atone for her mistake. Now was not the time to dwell on past grievances. She sat in the carriage and ordered in a low voice, "Don't delay, return now. Li Mama, you'll stay by my side and serve me. If anything goes wrong, I'll settle all the old and new scores with you!"
[The villainous female supporting character is finally going to make her mark! Getting past the Empress Dowager won't be easy.]
[Miss Qingju is working despite being sick, so pitiful! I suggest the princess get a bonus!]
[Granny Li, can't you be more careful? Don't cause any more trouble!]
Soon the carriage arrived at the Princess's residence. Eunuch Chen from Fengkun Palace had not yet left and was sitting at the head of the table, smiling at her. He Yi had met Eunuch Chen before, so she was not very nervous.
Eunuch Chen was much more respectable than the guards and subordinates. After bowing, the two sat down again. He Yi looked at Eunuch Chen and saw that he was gently stroking the whisk, as if he were stroking a cat.
With a forced smile, Eunuch Chen said, "Princess, you're finally back. The Empress Dowager instructed me to deliver a message: the Empress Dowager wishes to see you in person. Her imperial procession will arrive in three days, so please prepare yourself well, Princess."
That sounds very polite, but it's not.
He Yi was filled with doubts, but dared not think too much about it, fearing that something might go wrong in three days. She hurriedly discussed the details of receiving the emperor with Eunuch Chen.
Such as how the ceremonial guard should be arranged, even where the Empress Dowager should sit, what she should be responsible for at what time, and the menu for meals.
It was truly meticulous, with everything in great detail. Fortunately, with Eunuch Chen's arrangements, although everything couldn't be exactly the same as the palace's rules, it was still quite orderly.
The Empress Dowager's entourage is chilling upon closer inspection!
[The villainous female supporting character is going crazy! On one hand, her best friend is facing a political marriage crisis, and on the other hand, there's the Empress Dowager. Being a successful woman is truly difficult.]
Although everything was not quite right, with Eunuch Chen around, they managed to get by. By the time Eunuch Chen left, it was already dusk.
He Yi felt extremely tired, but she couldn't rest immediately. She looked at Qingju, who was busy going in and out, and said, "You're still not well, go and rest. Li Mama and I will keep an eye on the matter of receiving the emperor. Don't let things fall apart. I plan to give you an important position in the future."
Yes, green oranges are the kind of timber that can be used to build pillars of society.
"Princess, it's alright."
Qingju wrote down the dishes and other information she had discussed with the cook and handed the prepared menu to Zheng Heyi.
"This is a list I made according to Eunuch Chen's instructions. Please take a look and see if there's anything I need to add or remove. Also, the silk in the storeroom is running low; I'm afraid it won't be enough..."
He Yi smiled and took it, slowly looking at it. It was covered with rare dish names, such as "Golden Jade Abundance" and "Peace and Prosperity," none of which she had ever seen before.
Now He Yi herself had to admit her ignorance. This was all arranged by Eunuch Chen, and she wondered how much silver this reception would cost.
The accounts were too complicated to calculate, and as He Yi did so, her face fell, and she couldn't help but sigh. While she was away recently, Jin Keming had been running amok, and in reality, the manor was already strapped for cash and practically an empty shell.
Now that the Empress Dowager has arrived, and with the additional expense, it's truly adding insult to injury! But the Empress Dowager rarely leaves the palace, let alone comes to us with her kind and benevolent expression.
He Yi sighed wearily, pinched her brow, and said hesitantly, "Was all of this arranged by Eunuch Chen? Are there any other dishes? We shouldn't try to come up with our own ideas; we should be on the safe side. Since Eunuch Chen is already giving us instructions, we should just follow his lead."
Qingju chewed on the calligraphy brush, pondered for a while, and said, "I've remembered everything that Eunuch Chen arranged, so it can't be wrong."
"That's good," Zheng Heyi breathed a sigh of relief. "The last line of defense is food safety, which must be the top priority. The ingredients must be fresh, and you should keep a close eye on the chefs."
[The villainous female supporting character is truly formidable; I admire her skills!]
[Did you see that? Qingju is actually a treasure of a girl; even before she's fully recovered from her illness, she can still manage things perfectly.]
[I have a feeling that the Empress Dowager's trip is not simple, and I'm really worried for the villainous female supporting character.]
For the next two days, everyone in the princess's mansion was extremely busy.
He Yi was extremely busy, afraid of making even the slightest mistake. With time running out and the task heavy, she personally led Qingju, Granny Li, and others to rehearse the welcoming ceremony again and again, from the kneeling posture to every etiquette. If there was even the slightest mistake, they would do it again.
Now that Granny Li has been given an important position again, she is acting out of character, working even harder than before. Perhaps this is because the old woman is afraid of being dismissed again, so she is being extremely cautious in everything she does.
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