Upon hearing this, Granny Mei was stunned and stammered, "This..."
She couldn't possibly relay the Emperor's words! If the Empress Dowager heard them, she'd be furious enough to fall ill even if she wasn't already.
Hongli was still reading the memorials when he gave his orders. However, Granny Mei did not take her leave. Hongli raised an eyebrow in displeasure. "Is there anything else?"
Granny Mei held back for a while, but in the end dared not say anything out of line. She curtsied and said, "It's nothing, this servant will take her leave."
After Granny Mei left, Hongli put down the memorial in his hand, slowly leaned back on the gilded dragon chair, closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed, and asked Li Yu in a weary voice,
"Tell me, am I an unfilial son?"
From an outsider's perspective, the emperor's actions were indeed somewhat irregular. Logically speaking, the emperor should have at least one legitimate son, and the empress dowager seemed to be right.
But Li Yu had always been by the Emperor's side, and he knew very well that the Emperor only had eyes for Consort Chun. If the Empress had been well-behaved, the Emperor might have occasionally visited Changchun Palace out of guilt or sympathy. However, the Empress repeatedly challenged the Emperor's bottom line, which led to the Emperor's complete disgust with her.
Now that the Empress Dowager is pressuring him and even threatening him by feigning illness, the Emperor is getting increasingly angry, which is why he made this decision.
Li Yu saw things clearly, but he knew he shouldn't speak out, so he lowered his head and respectfully replied:
"This servant only attends to Your Majesty's daily needs and dares not make any judgments. This servant only knows that whatever decision Your Majesty makes, you have your reasons."
Hongli certainly had his reasons, but he also faced pressure. Making this decision meant he had to endure criticism from various quarters.
Despite the Empress Dowager's aggressive behavior over the years, he has never taken any drastic actions. This is because he always cherishes the bond between mother and son, cares about the opinions of outsiders, and does not want to be talked about. Therefore, he has always tolerated her and has not turned against her.
However, the Empress Dowager did not restrain herself; instead, she intensified her actions, repeatedly coercing him. Hongli could no longer tolerate it and thus ordered her to be sent out of the palace.
Hongli could guess how the Empress Dowager would react upon hearing the news, but he didn't want to care. This time, he wouldn't be soft-hearted and had to teach her a lesson!
Just as he expected, when Granny Mei returned to the palace to deliver the message, the Empress Dowager sat up straight in shock, both surprised and furious.
"The Emperor actually wants to send me out of the palace? Look at him, what a fine son I raised! For a woman, he's actually going to drive away his own mother!"
The Empress Dowager was in a fit of anger, and Granny Mei could not add fuel to the fire. She kindly advised, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. In fact, the Emperor still cares about you. He sent you to Changchun Garden because there are hot springs there, which will be convenient for you to receive treatment."
The Empress Dowager knew perfectly well that Granny Mei was just trying to appease her. "If he really cared about me, why doesn't he come to Cining Palace to visit me? He no longer sees me as his mother and has completely forgotten the kindness I showed him in raising him!"
To quell the Empress Dowager's anger, Granny Mei made an excuse: "The Emperor is currently reviewing memorials. He will come to visit you after he finishes his work."
"Are memorials more important than my health?" Recalling the events of recent years, the Empress Dowager grew increasingly disappointed in her son.
"Since he doesn't want to see me, then I will grant his wish and set off for Changchun Garden tomorrow. From now on, he can do whatever he wants, and I will no longer interfere with him, so that he can have some peace and quiet."
If this continues, it may be difficult to resolve. Granny Mei felt troubled and boldly advised, "Your Highness, in my opinion, you should not be angry with the Emperor. As long as you cooperate with the imperial physician's treatment, the Emperor will not send you to Changchun Garden."
The Empress Dowager, with her strong and unyielding nature, could not bear such an injustice. "I am his mother, how could I be threatened by him? Am I afraid of him? If he wants me to go, I will go. When he gets criticized and tries to bring me back to the palace, I will not let him have his way!"
The Empress Dowager had already made up her mind and immediately ordered the palace servants to pack their belongings. Granny Mei could not dissuade her and could only instruct the palace servants to bring enough clothing and utensils for daily use.
The Empress was still immersed in the pain of losing her son, and even though she knew that the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were having a conflict, she was unwilling to get involved.
Since the emperor wouldn't listen to her anyway, why should she humiliate herself?
Gao Xiuwen had also heard about this matter. Cui Ning asked her mistress what she thought, "Your Majesty, are you going to persuade the Emperor? If the Empress Dowager really leaves, then Consort Chun will be the only one in power from now on."
"So what? I pose no threat to Consort Chun, and she won't turn against me for the time being, so it doesn't matter. Since the Emperor has already given the order, he must have made up his mind and won't change it; no amount of persuasion will change his mind." After thinking for a moment, Gao Xiuwen added:
"However, I really have to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. After all, the Empress Dowager is very fond of me, so I still have to maintain appearances."
After her afternoon rest, Gao Xiuwen changed into a lake-blue embroidered peony cloak, carefully groomed herself, and then went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
At that time, Hongli was summoning the Grand Councilors, so Li Yu invited Consort Rong to wait in a side hall.
After the Emperor finished his business, Li Yu entered the palace to report that Consort Rong was requesting an audience.
Gao Xiuwen was self-aware; she usually wouldn't bother Hongli. Her sudden visit today was probably about the Empress Dowager.
After Gao Xiuwen entered the palace to pay her respects, Hongli did not look at her closely and spoke first, "Other matters can be discussed, but if it concerns the Empress Dowager's departure from the palace, let's not talk about it."
Just moments ago, Gao Xiuwen was wondering how to begin, but the Emperor's words had shut her down completely. It seemed the Emperor had made up his mind this time. Not wanting to offend Hongli, Gao Xiuwen smiled and subtly changed the subject.
"Your Majesty misunderstands. Your concubine would not dare to interfere with Your Majesty's decisions. I came today to deliver soup to Your Majesty and also to ask you a question. The six-month period has come to an end, and your concubine wishes to see her mother. Is that permissible?"
High-ranking concubines in the palace can reunite with their families once every six months. Since this is an outsider entering the palace, this matter is of great importance and requires many imperial edicts. Su Yushan is in the inner palace and cannot make arrangements. This matter must be approved by the emperor, which is why Gao Xiuwen came to ask the emperor for instructions.
Since it was the rule, Hongli did not stop him. He ordered Wang Jinbao to leave the palace and go to the Gao family to deliver an oral message, inviting her mother to the palace.
After discussing this matter, Hongli did not taste the soup she brought, saying that he still had political affairs to attend to. Gao Xiuwen wisely took her leave and did not linger.
After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she turned and went to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. She told the Empress Dowager that she had just tried to persuade the Emperor, but he wouldn't listen to her and she was at her wit's end.
The Empress Dowager believed it to be true and did not suspect anything; she was filled with grief, indignation, and resentment.
"Now the emperor listens to no one but Lady Su. Lady Su would love for me to leave the palace; she wouldn't try to persuade the emperor. Who knows, she might be the one pulling the strings behind the emperor's decision!"
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