The Empress Dowager's hands were well-maintained, delicate, soft, and warm.
Yuan Yao felt a chill as the Empress Dowager's hand covered her...
She tried to pull her hand back.
However, the Empress Dowager tightened her grip and said kindly, "I am rarely in the palace and have little opportunity to enjoy my grandchildren."
"This time, upon returning to the capital, I immediately felt a connection with Princess Yuan Yao."
Yuan Yao chuckled dryly, "Yao'er thanks the Empress Dowager for her praise."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly and continued, "I only learned about what happened outside Huining Palace that night later."
I haven't been feeling well these past few days and haven't been able to visit you. You're not angry with me, are you?
Yuan Yao: "?"
Isn't this a rhetorical question?
She opened her mouth and said in a childish voice, "Yao'er has never blamed the Empress Dowager..."
Yeah, right!
The Empress Dowager patted her hand and said with satisfaction, "I knew you were a good child."
Good child, so it's only right that I get bullied by you, old man?
Yuan Yao was speechless for a moment.
Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager said something that left her even more speechless.
The Empress Dowager said, "In recent years, the Emperor has had many more princesses."
Unfortunately, the princesses were all grown up and needed to go to school, while the others were too young to be weaned and could not be separated from their mothers.
As for Yue'er, she went to accompany me because she had no mother to take care of her.
In this palace, there is only Princess Yuan Yao, who is neither too old nor too young, and has no biological parents.
I'm thinking, why not take advantage of this auspicious day and promote Princess Yuan Yao to the rank of princess?
When I return to Mount Fotai, I will take you there with me, so that I may also enjoy a few years of being surrounded by my grandchildren.
What???
As soon as the Empress Dowager spoke, the entire area outside the ancestral hall fell into complete silence.
Apart from those around the Empress Dowager, everyone else was in shock.
The Empress Dowager intends to elevate Yuan Yao to the rank of princess, treat her as her granddaughter, and take her to Mount Fotai?
Would the Ninth Prince agree to her doing this?
Yuan Yao was also stunned and forgot to open her mouth.
She stared wide-eyed at the Empress Dowager in a daze.
She even forgot how angry she was.
The Empress Dowager looked at her with a smile and asked, "Good child, would you like to be my granddaughter and stay with me for a few years?"
Good my ass!
Before Yuan Yao could speak, a cold, hoarse voice rang out from behind them: "She refuses!"
emperor!
"emperor!"
"The Emperor has arrived!"
Li Deshan shouted at the top of his lungs: "The Emperor has arrived..."
Everyone then realized what was happening and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty..."
The emperor strode over.
He walked to the Empress Dowager's side, reached out, and pulled Yuan Yao from her grasp.
"hiss……"
Yuan Yao felt a sharp pain in her wrist and gasped for breath.
"Did I hurt you?" The emperor frowned and looked down at her hand.
Yuan Yao shook her head, then suddenly pouted, "Wow..."
Her cries drew everyone's attention.
The emperor waved his hand: "Rise, all of you."
The princes and nobles got up from the ground.
The emperor, who had not been seen for many days, had a strangely shrunk figure.
His skin was whiter and cleaner than usual, and the bags under his eyes had shrunk considerably!
The emperor seemed to have become five years younger!
The emperor, now five years younger, squatted down beside Yuan Yao, leaned in close, and blew on her hand: "Whoosh, whoosh, it won't hurt anymore."
The princes and princesses stared at their father in astonishment, as if they had seen a ghost.
Yuan Yao cried out, "Your Majesty..."
Her voice was filled with grievance.
The emperor was heartbroken and immediately took her into his arms.
His gloomy gaze fell on the Empress Dowager's face.
The Emperor said, "I had no idea that the Empress Dowager had come to like Yuan Yao so much."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager smiled gently and said, "Didn't I say that I wanted to see her back when we were at Mount Fotai?"
"Heh..." The emperor chuckled indifferently.
He lowered his head and looked at Yuan Yao in his arms: "Why were you crying just now?"
Yuan Yao's little face was already wet with tears.
She asked, feeling wronged and frightened, "Your Majesty, has Father abandoned Yao'er?"
Why...why did the Empress Dowager take Yao'er to Mount Fotai?
Where is Father? Yao'er wants to find Father...
fart!
The emperor couldn't help but curse in his mind: "How could your father not want you?"
Even if your father doesn't want you, I will still want you!
Besides, I'm not dead yet. Who would want to take you out of this palace? They'd have to step over my body first!
After speaking, he looked at the Empress Dowager with a sinister gaze.
Upon meeting the Emperor's gaze, the Empress Dowager involuntarily took a step back.
Jiang Lanyue quickly stepped forward to help her up: "Grandmother..."
The Empress Dowager, her face full of hurt, said, "Emperor...you have truly...disappointed me greatly!"
"Haven't I disappointed the Empress Dowager enough?" the Emperor said mercilessly.
The Empress Dowager's red lips trembled slightly as her gaze fell on Yuan Yao's face: "I never intended to compete with Your Highness for someone..."
I just feel that it's never appropriate for Yuan Yao to be by his side.
Mount Fotai is a peaceful place. If Yuan Yao could stay with me and Yue'er, I would certainly raise her with all my heart..."
"Inappropriate?" The Emperor hugged Yuan Yao tightly and asked gloomily, "Does the Empress Dowager think that Yuan Yao is the daughter of the Ninth Prince, and that it is inappropriate for him to raise his own daughter?"
The Empress Dowager, rubbing her temples, said, "I..."
The emperor sneered and continued, "Since the Empress Dowager wants to take Yuan Yao away, why didn't she discuss it with him while the Ninth Prince was still alive?"
He's currently in the disaster area, busy helping the people, and his mother suddenly tries to take his child away from him. Doesn't she think that's going too far?
Hearing the emperor's increasingly outrageous remarks, showing no mercy whatsoever, the Empress Dowager was so angry that her blood boiled.
She raised her trembling hand, pointing at the emperor: "Emperor, you..."
The emperor stared at her coldly.
The Empress Dowager swayed and almost fell backward.
Jiang Lanyue's face was deathly pale, and she almost cried as she said, "Grandmother! Grandmother, please don't frighten Yue'er."
The Empress Dowager raised her hand and touched her with difficulty: "Grandmother...it's alright..."
Jiang Lanyue shook her head, crying, "Yue'er doesn't believe it!"
As she spoke, Jiang Lanyue helped the Empress Dowager up, her large, lifeless eyes filled with tears.
She looked at the emperor and said softly, "Father, today is, after all, the birthday of the Empress Dowager."
She just really likes Yao'er and wanted Yao'er to keep her company. How could you... how could you say that to her?
After speaking, she glanced at the princes and nobles.
So many people, today, have all witnessed the Empress Dowager's humiliation.
Presumably, news of this place will spread within half a day...
Jiang Lanyue cried, "Father, you have gone too far today!"
"Insolence!" The emperor held Yuan Yao in his arms, staring coldly at Jiang Lanyue: "Who do you think you are, daring to blame me?"
The Empress Dowager swayed slightly, pulled Jiang Lanyue behind her, and said, "Emperor, if you want to blame someone, blame me."
"Lan Yue is your own daughter. You don't need to insult her in front of so many people for the sake of an outsider."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com