The Ulanara family acted swiftly. Yi Hua sent people to keep an eye on Changchun Immortal Hall. They saw the Empress Dowager hurriedly go to Yangxin Hall and then return with a sullen face. Not long after, news spread that the Empress Dowager was going back to the capital to pray for the late Emperor.
Yi Hua dressed neatly and went to Changchun Immortal Hall. For the first time, she saw the Empress Dowager not feeding cranes, but sitting with an inscrutable expression. Green Granny was directing the eunuchs and maids to pack up the trunks.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!" Yi Hua slightly bent her knees and slowly walked to sit down on the stone bench opposite the Empress Dowager.
"Your Majesty, I was shocked to hear that you are returning to the capital to pray for the late Emperor. Your love for him was truly profound. If the late Emperor knew this in the afterlife, he would surely be deeply moved." Yi Hua appeared deeply touched. "However, the summer heat is unbearable now, and you should take care of yourself. In my opinion, it would be better to pray in the Buddhist hall of the Yuanmingyuan Garden, where you can also enjoy the company of your family."
The Empress Dowager opened her mouth, and after a long while said, "The most important thing in praying for the late Emperor is sincerity. I will naturally return to the Forbidden City."
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is truly a model for all women. I admire you greatly." Yi Hua continued, "I wonder how long Your Majesty's journey will last? I will prepare in advance to welcome you back."
The Empress Dowager glared at Yihua, her expression sharp as a knife: "Ulanara clan, if you've come here to mock me, then there's no need for you to say anything more. I can no longer return, but does that mean you and the Emperor will never return to the capital?"
"Your Majesty has misunderstood me. My sincere heart towards you is as clear as day and night," Yi Hua said emotionlessly. "I have learned a lot from you. Your feelings for the Fourteenth Prince make even an outsider like me want to shed tears."
"Put yourself in my shoes, I'm sure you can understand my favoritism towards Honghui, can't you?" Yihua was so angry that she couldn't help but directly break off relations with the Empress Dowager.
“Your Majesty, Honghui is someone you watched grow up from childhood. He is also your first grandson. I once thought that with this child around, your relationship with the Emperor would eventually return to normal.”
"I never imagined that you would actually want to ruin Honghui. Not only did you accuse him of disrespecting the late Emperor and altering imperial edicts, but you also had the Fourteenth Prince's son accuse him of being unfilial to his mother. How can you bear to let Honghui bear the stigma of disloyalty and unfilial piety during the prime of his life?!"
Yi Hua's words were like knives, cutting into the Empress Dowager's heart.
"It's also my fault as a mother that I didn't notice Honghui's unusual behavior during this period."
“Honghui is my eldest son, the son whom the Emperor values and loves most. Your Majesty, I will absolutely not allow anyone to harm him, including you.”
Yi Hua stood up and approached the Empress Dowager, who awkwardly looked away: "Your Majesty, who do you think the Emperor and Hong Hui would choose between us?"
"You'd better watch yourself; I'll stop myself."
"If you lay a hand on my child again, Your Majesty, you should also be prepared to lose your child!"
The Empress Dowager immediately stood up: "What are you going to do to the Fourteenth Prince?"
"Guess!" Yi Hua smiled, ignoring the Empress Dowager's hysteria, and turned to leave.
The Empress Dowager was somewhat flustered. She looked at Granny Green and said, "Is she bluffing? How dare she lay a hand on the Fourteenth Prince!"
Green Granny didn't know what she was feeling. The Empress's confidence came not only from the Emperor's indulgence, but also from her three children, especially Honghui, who was almost certainly the heir.
In order to protect Honghui's interests, the emperor will also protect his birth mother.
So at this moment, Granny Green lost her confidence. If she really angered the Empress and acted impulsively, the matter would likely end without any resolution.
Seeing the panicked look on Green Granny's face, the Empress Dowager smashed the tea set on the table to the ground, venting her dissatisfaction.
******
Apricot Blossom Spring Pavilion
Liu Liu was watching curiously as the eldest princess embroidered her dowry.
"Big sister, did you embroider this red veil?" Although everything is red, the overlapping patterns and the gold threads of various similar colors along the edges of the patterns make it look extremely complicated.
The eldest princess shook her head: "No, I was just adding the finishing touch."
"That's really difficult." Liu Liu stretched out her hand. She had recently started learning embroidery, but she felt that her hands had their own ideas, and the things she embroidered were a mess.
"Elder sister, a few days ago, Madam Zhu came to see the Empress Dowager. I heard that she set the wedding date."
Liu Liu counted on her fingers: "In three more months, my big sister won't be able to stay with me anymore. Liu Liu is so sad."
"How heartbroken are you?" the eldest princess asked with a smile.
“I’m so, so sad, it’s this big.” Liu Liu said, drawing a circle with both hands.
The eldest princess looked at Liu Liu with affection: "You are still so childish. You should learn a little embroidery. Even if I don't need it now, you will need it when you get married, for your husband's personal clothing and your future children's shoes and socks."
"There's a nanny here." Liu Liu didn't care.
"Big sister, can I still leave the palace to visit you?"
"Of course, but it has to be agreed by Father Emperor and Mother Emperor."
"Yes, when my older sister has her nephew, I'll take him out to play."
"Liu Liu will be a very good aunt." The eldest princess wholeheartedly agreed. The little wolf had grown up with Liu Liu since he was a child, so she had experience with her.
"It would be wonderful if the Empress Dowager had another child," Liu Liu suddenly thought.
The eldest princess smiled slightly and said, "You should tell that to the Empress Dowager."
"What do you want to tell me?" Yi Hua asked, opening the curtain to come in first. "Little Liu, did you skip class again?"
"Empress Mother, Liu Liu also enjoys going to class, but I was saddened by the thought of my eldest sister leaving us soon, so I came to keep her company." Liu Liu felt a little guilty.
"Stop using your older sister as a shield. This is disrespectful to the master. Go and apologize to him right now!" Yi Hua couldn't tolerate her bad behavior. Yin Zhen didn't care about her at all. He just thought the princess was innocent and cute, and he needed to manage her more strictly.
Liu Liu stuck out her tongue, gave Da Gege a look, and quickly slipped away.
"She's bothering you again." Yi Hua glanced at the red veil. "It's beautifully embroidered."
"Liu Liu is doing well. With her around, my daughter doesn't feel bored," the eldest princess chimed in.
“Good child, your father, the Emperor, also carefully considered the Zhu family before choosing them. The eldest grandson of the Zhu family is also on good terms with Honghui. With Honghui watching over you, he wouldn’t dare to disrespect you.”
"As for Madam Zhu, she seems gentle and polite now, but you are the one living with her. Although you can live in the princess's mansion for a long time, you still need to get along well with your mother-in-law to feel at ease."
"If she makes any unreasonable requests, you must not tolerate it. You can come to the palace or the Yuanmingyuan to find me at any time, or even to your father, the Emperor."
Yi Hua spoke from her own experience.
The eldest princess put down her embroidery and kowtowed respectfully to Yihua: "Your daughter thanks Your Majesty!"
"Why."
Although the child wasn't registered in her name, she had helped raise him all these years, and there was still some genuine affection in her heart. Yi Hua's eyes reddened slightly.
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