"What is she doing here?" Yinzhen frowned, intending to refuse, but Qian Shengyan said, "Then Your Majesty should go and see the Empress."
She paused for a moment, then said, "The end of the year is approaching, and there's nothing more I can do. Perhaps Your Majesty the Empress has something you'd like to discuss with His Majesty."
Yinzhen thought to himself that this was the first New Year's Eve banquet after the mourning period had ended, so he really had to prepare it properly. He could only say, "Let the Empress come in."
After saying that, he didn't go out, but turned around and sat on the small couch by the window.
Qian Shengyan: ...
Can't I go out and see Ulanara?
She doesn't want the enemy to see her like this at all!
But she had no say, while Ulanara seemed quite anxious and soon came in.
As Ulanara entered, she first bowed to Yinzhen, then turned to look at Qian Shengyan, her face full of guilt and pity: "I heard that the Imperial Noble Consort has been seriously ill for many days. I have long wanted to visit her, but... I am truly ashamed..."
She sighed, "Faced with life and death, I retreated, but the Imperial Noble Consort rose to the challenge. I greatly admire her. During this time, I was meditating in the Lotus Pavilion when I heard that the Imperial Noble Consort's injuries were serious. I was heartbroken and copied some scriptures for her..."
As she spoke, Ulanara gestured back, and a young palace maid came out carrying a thick stack of papers to show her. She continued, "Now that my sister is better, I am relieved. We will now prepare to go to Ciyun Shanhu to burn sutras and fulfill our vows."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Qian Shengyan said with a smile.
Regardless of the other party's intentions, the fact that they said these words suggests they have learned their lesson after much painful reflection.
Yinzhen was clearly satisfied. He even beckoned, took the scriptures, and glanced at them. Seeing that the handwriting was elegant and not perfunctory, he finally showed some kindness to the Empress.
Ulanara was delighted, then bowed her head and greeted Yinzhen: "Your Majesty, I... have another request."
"You speak," Yinzhen said.
Ulanara then said, "Next year... if Honghui is still alive, he will be thirty years old next year. I dreamed of him a few days ago, and he has grown so tall... I think we should hold another sacrifice for Honghui before the New Year..."
“You have the heart of a loving mother, and you should.” After saying this, Yinzhen paused for a moment and then sighed, “Yes, Honghui…”
The room fell silent, but Qian Shengyan couldn't help but click her tongue inwardly.
Has Ulanara changed her strategist, or has she come to a realization?
This is the style we should be going for.
As the late emperor's personally chosen primary consort, and having committed no major offenses, having given birth to a son, having served the late emperor and the empress dowager, and with no particularly prominent family background, there was no way she could be deposed.
As long as Ulanara behaves herself, Yinzhen is willing to give her some face.
Perhaps Hongshi's incident was a huge blow to her? She seems to have become quite talkative now.
Yinzhen already knew that since Qian Shengyan was seriously injured, the Empress had been relatively quiet, and several things had nothing to do with her. He was willing to believe that she had figured things out, so he chatted with her for a few minutes and then told her to go back and prepare for the Laba Festival and New Year's Eve banquet.
Ulanara left happily, and Qian Shengyan breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, she only wanted to be the Empress Dowager; she had no interest in becoming Empress...
She even felt that being an Imperial Noble Consort was troublesome enough...
She really wants to return it if she can...
After Ulanara started, Guo and Geng also came to see Qian Shengyan. However, because Yinzhen was there, the two only exchanged a few words. Seeing that Qian Shengyan had woken up but her complexion was still not good, they did not stay any longer and went back.
The children also arrived. Ferguchun, who lived nearby, arrived faster. She also brought Hongshan with her. Ever since Qian Shengyan fell into a coma, Ferguchun had taken little Hongshan to live with her in Wutong Courtyard, which was also a way to take care of him nearby. She was just afraid that some servants would neglect the prince again because of Consort Xi's serious illness.
Hongli and Hongzhou were only one step behind Fuerguochun. After Hongzhou sensibly greeted the Imperial Noble Consort, he soon said that he also wanted to pay his respects to his mother and left first.
Because of Yinzhen's presence, the others did not dare to disturb Qian Shengyan any further. After exchanging a few words, they prepared to leave. Even the youngest, Hongshan, only looked longingly at his mother without crying or making a fuss.
Qian Shengyan felt a pang of sadness when she saw how obedient her child was.
But she still couldn't sit up, and even reaching out to pat the child was difficult. Seeing her like this would only upset the children, so she could only watch them leave with reluctance.
Then Yinzhen sat down again, massaging her legs while chatting casually with her.
He didn't mention the matter of the children in Yinxiang's family last night, but Qian Shengyan heard that the number of patrolling guards in Qianqing Palace had doubled and the checks were extremely strict, not even allowing a mouse to get in.
Another day, Yinzhen showed her several small boxes: "These are all the pills that Luo Ziqing presented. Look, this is..."
Before he could finish his introduction, Qian Shengyan looked terrified, ignoring the injury on her chest, and struggled to knock the box out of his hand.
The pain from her wound almost made her cry out. She clutched her chest and said in a sobbing voice, "Didn't Your Majesty promise me that you wouldn't take any pills?"
She was in so much pain, and worried that Yinzhen had already ingested these heavy metals. Clutching her chest, she struggled to crawl to the bedside, tears streaming down her face. She cried and begged Yinzhen to order some experiments to test the toxicity of these pills. She even wanted to get paper and pen to write down how the control group should proceed.
Yinzhen's displeasure at her knocking over the box quickly faded with her expression. He picked her up by the waist with a mixture of helplessness and amusement, and gently placed her back on the bed. "Alright, don't move around. Your newly healed wound will reopen." He paused for a moment, then said with a hint of compromise, "Since you don't like it, I won't eat it."
"The Imperial Hospital..."
"I remember. I'll order people to catch rats, roosters, and raise fish, just as you said. Lie down..." Yinzhen was completely helpless, but seeing Qian Shengyan's stubborn expression, he had no choice but to wave his hand and have people put the pills away. He then really did order people to catch rats, roosters, and small fish.
The Imperial Hospital made all the preparations that day, and Yinzhen ordered Imperial Physician Zhou to take full charge of the matter. Qian Shengyan was finally relieved, but she still held Yinzhen's hand and repeatedly told him not to use the pills in private.
I'm so worried about it.
Yinzhen agreed to her request, then pinched her cheek, both amused and annoyed: "The emperor's word is law. How many times do you want me to agree?"
Qian Shengyan snorted. Although she had no hope of ever becoming Empress Dowager, it was still a good thing that Yinzhen was alive, right?
After being stared at so intently by Yinzhen for three days, Qian Shengyan became numb. Fortunately, Yinzhen was still an emperor, and an emperor with self-pursuit. Even his willfulness had its limits. Three days later, he still got up early to attend court. Moreover, because he had neglected so many important matters, the morning court session that day was exceptionally long.
Qian Shengyan quickly called the children over.
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