Chapter 66: Clingy "I only wish that wherever your majesty's heart desires, your steps will follow..."
Qingzan noticed that the emperor's attitude seemed different than before. When she first became a noble lady, she had lived in Ziquan Palace for so long, and at least he had been patient enough to wait a few days before coming to see her. Now, the empress dowager just wanted to summon her to speak to her.
Qing Zan jokingly asked, "Your Majesty, why are you so clingy?"
The emperor was speechless for a moment. He is clingy?
Fortunately, the bold woman in front of him did not really not understand his intention of holding her.
Just as the emperor was about to speak with a slight sneer, Qing Zan said seriously, "Your Majesty, don't you hope that I will become stronger? If Your Majesty were by my side, I would definitely feel dependent on you... Actually, there is no need to worry about me."
Sweet words always work, especially when paired with a pair of sincere rather than flattering eyes.
The emperor thought that all those sweets must have been eaten in vain, as the words she spoke became so sweet and soothing.
He loosened his hand, letting his sleeves hang down casually, no longer showing any trace of concern or tension.
"There's really no need to worry. Qingqing is certainly much more respectful to the Queen Mother than she is to me. It shouldn't be difficult to please her."
Qingzan returned the favor with a bright smile, her eyes flickering as she stepped back and performed the simple, subtle ceremony a woman would normally perform when bidding farewell to her husband. Since the emperor had dispensed with her formalities, she naturally wouldn't bother emphasizing them further.
Xiao Fang watched her leave with the palace maid, and walk into the sunlight pouring down on the palace steps. Her long skirt brightened the lonely autumn sky.
After a long while, Xu Delu smiled and reminded, "Your Majesty, you can't see this anymore."
"Stop talking too much." The emperor finally turned around and returned to the palace.
While the emperor and his empress were talking, Xu Delu was not idle either. He solemnly packed the sword tassel that the emperor had ordered in a brand new jade box and handed it to Doukou.
Because there were palace maids from Ziquan Palace leading the way, Doukou didn't dare to speak loudly, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
He held the small box tightly in his hand, and had already guessed what treasure was inside. From time to time, he would raise his hand to Qingzan and gesture with a mischievous look on his face.
The maid in Ziquan Palace seemed to have eyes on her back. She stood straight as a crane and said, "Your Majesty truly dotes on the noble concubine."
Qingzan's eyebrows twitched, and he had an inexplicable premonition.
The palace maids around the Empress Dowager were usually the most disciplined, and those sent to the Taiji Hall to invite people were even less likely to speak freely. This palace maid said this, perhaps because she had heard her master muttering such things, or perhaps her master was often exposed to such words.
No matter what, the Purple Spring Palace is right in front of us.
In fact, compared to the palace complexes where ordinary concubines lived, this palace could be described as quite secluded. Even without the idle chatter of the palace servants, it easily exuded the majesty befitting its owner's status.
Qingzan walked slowly in this solemn atmosphere. An and Doukou exchanged glances, and both of them became calm and quiet.
Only the soft and charming humming voice turned through the corridor, without the support of gongs and clappers, a sudden burst of sad singing spread out.
With the direction of the sound, the end of the journey was clear. The Queen Mother was listening to a song and dance performance in a side hall at the back.
Qingzan saw this graceful and beautiful woman lying on her side on a nanmu couch, her face looking quite peaceful.
Of course, the etiquette for the Empress Dowager was unwavering. But the old lady seemed reluctant to burden her. As soon as she entered, the Empress Dowager pointed with her chin at the embroidered cushion beside her and said, "Sit down."
"When you came to Ziquan Palace that day, I was so overjoyed at having a grandson that I didn't even ask you if you still needed the servants in the palace."
Qing Zan replied, "Everything is fine in my palace. They serve me very wholeheartedly."
"No need to cover up for them." The Queen Mother had clearly already formed her own judgment: "If everyone was dedicated and useful, why would you have been allowed to get bumped outside yesterday?"
Qingzan had just sat down when she had to stand up again in a hurry and knelt respectfully before the Queen Mother. "I was offended because the Queen and I have a long-standing grudge, but I didn't know how to back off. This is truly my own fault and has nothing to do with anyone else."
As she bent her waist, the maidservant beside the Empress Dowager hurried over to help her. Her expression was much harsher than that of Nanny Lian: "What are you doing, Your Highness? Aren't you deliberately trying to make Her Majesty nervous and worried? Just sit still."
Seeing Qingzan sitting down again, the Queen Mother said, "Alright, I know the Queen's temper. Even if you hide, she will come to make you unhappy. You must have heard about the art of exorcism."
"Forget it. Since you want to plead for the people in your palace, I won't bother with them about their inability to protect the master."
Qing Zan breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty's kindness is a blessing to the harem."
As always, she seemed to be a little impatient in setting up the plan this time. She took advantage of her pregnancy and did not want to give the Queen a chance to breathe, but she forgot that the Queen Mother and the Emperor would take care of her body, but could still punish the people around her.
Qing Zan: "I thank you on their behalf. I understand your kindness, and Your Majesty always thinks I am soft-hearted. However, my background is different from that of other concubines in the palace. When I see them, I am reminded of my own origins."
These words made the nanny shudder with fear. Everyone knew that the Queen Mother was also the daughter of a poor family who grew up among the common people. Could this be a satire on the Queen Mother's harsh punishment of the servants or a sign of forgetfulness of her roots?
But the Queen Mother was not angry.
Qingzan always remembered that when the empress dowager summoned her to Hanliang Palace for the first time, she told her about her background. It can be seen that the empress dowager did not think that this was something that needed to be avoided. After all, it was the only way for her to get to where she is today.
Even the pity for the palace ladies is a manifestation of the glory of the time.
The Empress Dowager's face truly showed a trace of contemplation. "Well, there aren't many soft-hearted people left in this palace. Did the Emperor tell you what I said to him the last time you were here?"
Qing Zan realized that the Queen Mother was finally going to talk about the main topic of the day, and she straightened her back and replied, "Your Majesty only asked me to be filial to you."
The empress dowager sneered. It turned out that the person the emperor liked could not be stupid. No wonder she let her go in the first place.
But I'm afraid it's just half-baked cleverness.
The Queen Mother spoke bluntly and with a certain authority, "Last time, I told him not to favor one over the other. The Queen has gone astray because she feels wronged. There cannot be another Queen in this palace."
Qing Zan nodded calmly and obediently: "I understand."
At this moment, the song and dance performance had just come to an end. Two women in gorgeous attire were holding hands and circling around the stage facing each other: "Sister, why did your love end before your beauty faded? I sit and watch the palace flowers bloom last night, and the spring rain brings me sorrow~"
One of the women laughed sadly and turned away, "Ever since the Jade Concubine came down to earth, she has allowed the world to be polluted with cosmetics. She lives in the Pearl Tower, which never sleeps, so why would she care about someone awake alone behind the curtains? It's a pity that you and I have gone astray and misled!"
The lyrics were so blunt and explicit that the Queen Mother seemed displeased. She frowned slightly and said, "Let them go."
But if she really didn't like it, how could this song and dance drama be performed? If the Queen Mother was not comfortable saying something, someone would speak for her, whether it was spoken or sung.
All the actors retreated behind the screen, and soon they left the hall carrying a large pile of singing, dancing and pipes, causing a rustling noise.
The Queen Mother sighed and said, "I have always disdained the behavior of these whining, complaining women, but now that Quexian is pregnant, she can't help her mood. Pregnancy is inherently dangerous for women; you have to be careful and attentive in every way, and always need others to accommodate you. The Emperor won't listen to me now, so I need you to persuade him more."
The Queen Mother had said this much, and all that was left was to give a clear order, asking people to share their favor with Concubine Yang.
Qingzan could have agreed, at least fulfilling the Empress Dowager's wishes. But if the Emperor listened to her and accompanied Concubine Yang, would Yang Concubine Yang really be happy? She was afraid that would only create a rift between her and the Emperor.
What’s more, if you agree to it once, there will be a second time.
Qing Zan: "I really want to agree to your request, Your Majesty, but Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. How can I dare to influence Your Majesty's wishes? When I was with Your Majesty, I was always afraid that I could not sympathize with Your Majesty in everything and share Your Majesty's worries. Therefore, I was very cautious and terrified... How could I dare to talk about persuading her? But I promised Your Majesty that I would go and see Concubine Yang more often. I was pregnant with Concubine Yang at the same time, and no one could understand the hardships Concubine Yang was going through better than me."
The Queen Mother did not comment, but her eyes were locked behind Qingzan.
Nanny Lian, who had not appeared the entire time, caught up breathlessly and exclaimed, "Your Majesty!"
It was the people in the hall who were shocked.
Qingzan turned around and saw the emperor standing next to the big pillar supporting the roof of the hall as soon as he entered the door. He was wearing a black robe and high boots, and was silent.
When he came, he must have just passed by those actors. The sound of his footsteps was drowned out by the tinkling of the bells and bracelets, so she didn't notice anything.
Lian Ma hurriedly apologized to the Empress Dowager, but the Emperor did not allow anyone to pass on the message. She had found this place by following the sounds of singing and dancing. What else could they do?
Qingzan stood up and was wondering how much the emperor had heard when he heard the emperor step in and approach the empress dowager:
"I'm afraid it's useless to tell her what the Queen Mother said."
The Queen Mother pretended to be stern and said, "If it were useful, why would I bother with all this trouble?"
Qingzan stepped forward and was about to reach out and pull the emperor's sleeve, but then she remembered that the empress dowager would not like to see her being so tender and affectionate with the emperor, so she just walked to the emperor's side and said, "Your Majesty, the empress dowager is also worried about the royal heir, and she is also afraid that I will make too many enemies in the palace."
When the Queen Mother saw that one of the two men had a bad face and the other had a good face, she became the most inhuman one and immediately lost interest in talking.
But she is not someone who cannot tell good from evil. She can still tell whether someone is truly doing it for the good of her and her son.
She waved her hand, not continuing to dwell on the previous topic, and simply said, "I'm tired."
Qing Zan then retreated with the emperor: "Why did Your Majesty come again?"
The emperor said in a gloomy tone, "If I had not come, how could I have known the difficulty of your plight—how cautious you are about the smallest matters, and how deeply apprehensive you are?"
"I was just trying to appease the Empress Dowager." Qingzan said in a low voice. When she was about to cross the courtyard, she saw Madam Lu directing the palace servants to work.
It turns out that Madam Lu was the Empress Dowager's person. No wonder she was spared from interrogation by the Palace Justice Department and was not imprisoned in the inner prison.
The emperor noticed that she was distracted while talking to him, so he turned his gaze away from her, paused, and asked calmly, "Should I go see Concubine Yang? Or should I listen to the Queen's explanation before closing the case?"
Qingzan also paused, frowning, and said seriously and solemnly, without any joking, "Then I only wish that wherever your majesty's heart is, your steps will follow."
The emperor said nothing, but took in the subtle hint of iris in people's faces when they spoke and the lingering glances when they fixed their eyes.
Then, he took two steps towards her.
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The author has something to say: Girl: Wherever your heart leads you, there you go~
Gouzi: Coming right here.
Suddenly I imagined a dog flicking its tongue.
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