After an incense stick had burned, the imperial guards cleared the way, and the people on the street quickly made way for them.
A tall carriage draped with bright yellow curtains slowly drove up the Golden Goblet Street.
The entire street was eerily silent.
Yuan Yao was quite curious and asked Danqing to bring out a small stool.
She stood on a stool and peered out the window.
Danqing helped her up: "Princess, be careful."
"It's nothing, it's nothing," Yuan Yao said. "I just wanted to take a look from afar."
Two long columns of imperial guards walked along the street, blocking pedestrians from entering.
Directly ahead, a troop of imperial guards on horseback led the way.
The massive carriage wheels rolled over the stone slabs, the dull sound echoing in everyone's hearts.
After walking for about five minutes, the carriage arrived at a place ten meters away from Si Shi Chun.
As Yuan Yao was watching, the carriage suddenly stopped.
A sudden thought struck her, and she prepared to jump off the stool.
At that moment, on the long street, the curtain of the carriage was suddenly lifted.
The hand that lifted the carriage curtain was thin and small.
Then, from behind the carriage curtain, a small, pointed face appeared, with large, lifeless eyes staring directly at Yuan Yao.
Jiang Lanyue?
Yuan Yao frowned.
Suddenly, Jiang Lanyue stepped aside.
Inside the carriage, a well-maintained face looked this way.
The moment their eyes met, Yuan Yao felt a chill run down her spine.
Those eyes looked very gentle.
However, there was a hint of intimidation in his eyes.
The Empress Dowager... is so young?
Yuan Yao was somewhat surprised.
However, she reacted quickly and immediately bowed to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager gave her a deep look, and then the carriage curtain was lowered.
Immediately afterwards, the carriage restarted.
A long line of men drove towards the palace.
"Phew..." Yuan Yao jumped off the stool.
Qin Xin asked with a smile, "Princess, have you seen the Empress Dowager's carriage?"
Yuan Yao rubbed her forehead and said in a childish voice, "It wasn't just the imperial carriage, we even saw the people..."
"Really?" Qin Xin was somewhat surprised.
Danqing handed over a cup of tea: "Princess, have some water."
It was too hot outside, and Yuan Yao's forehead was sweating after sitting in the sun by the bed for a while.
She took a sip of water to moisten her throat and continued with her work...
In the evening, Yuan Yao returned to Qianhua Palace as usual.
She had just finished bathing when a young eunuch came to deliver a message: "Princess, someone from Huining Palace has come to deliver a message."
Huining Palace?
Isn't that the Empress Dowager's bedroom?
The Empress Dowager had just returned to the capital when she summoned her for an audience?
Yuan Yao's hair was still dripping with water.
As Danqing dried her hair, he said, "Princess, it's not good for you to be exposed to the wind. Please invite her in to talk."
Soon, a tall palace maid entered the hall: "This servant is Tanxin from Huining Palace, greetings to the Princess."
"Princess Yuan Yao, this servant is acting on the Empress Dowager's orders to request your presence."
Yuan Yao glanced at the sky: "Shall we go now?"
Tan Xin, with her hands clasped and eyes lowered, replied, "Yes."
It's getting dark.
Besides, she hasn't had dinner yet!
Danqing frowned and said to Tanxin, "My princess is busy with the desserts for the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. She just returned from Sishichun and hasn't eaten yet."
"Go back first, the princess will be here shortly."
"You mean, make the Empress Dowager wait?" Tan Xin asked with a half-smile.
Danqing's brows furrowed even deeper.
At this moment, Yuan Yao patted Danqing reassuringly and said, "No one has said anything, let the Empress Dowager wait."
Please, Sister Tanxin, go to the side hall for tea. I, the princess, will go change my clothes first.
Tan Xin was politely invited to a side hall.
Moon Palace.
As Danqing combed Yuanyao's hair, she said, "Princess, the Empress Dowager chose this time to invite you, it probably isn't a good thing."
"His Majesty is gone, what are we going to do?"
The person in the bronze mirror had rosy cheeks, bright eyes like a deer's, and two buns on her head tied up like little dragon horns.
Why is it that someone always makes things difficult for such a cute girl like her?
well……
Danqing took two pieces of sweet cake and handed her a glass of water: "I wonder when she will be back."
"Eat something first, to tide you over."
"Sister Danqing is still the best!" Yuan Yao took the sweet cake and took big bites.
Danqing said gently, "Eat slowly, be careful not to choke."
"No way!" Yuan Yao replied with a smile.
After eating two pieces, she drank some water and then said softly, "Canfeng, come out for a moment."
A gust of wind swept by, and the remaining wind appeared before her.
Yuan Yao said, "Tonight, there's no way to avoid going to Huining Palace."
If the Empress Dowager still won't let me leave after half an hour, you should go to Yong'an Palace and make sure to find the Emperor.
While I don't want to judge others by my own standards, I also can't allow myself to be put in danger or be bullied for no reason.
Canfeng nodded: "Understood."
Yuan Yao ate something, rinsed her mouth with tea, and then went out.
Tan Xin looked her up and down.
The little figure in front of me was wearing a light yellow flowing dress, with two small buns tied with a matching hairband.
It looks fresh and cute, with a lively spirit.
No wonder everyone, inside and outside the palace, is praising her.
Tan Xin lowered her eyes: "Princess, please."
Yuan Yao felt very uncomfortable being scrutinized.
However, she still held back.
With the Ninth Prince absent, she couldn't act recklessly, lest she give others leverage to attack her father.
As night falls, palace lanterns are lit up everywhere.
Once outside Qianhua Palace, the area outside the main gate was completely empty.
There wasn't even a sedan chair.
Danqing said, "Sister Tanxin, does the princess intend to just walk over like this?"
Upon hearing this, Tan Xin turned to look at Yuan Yao, lowered her eyelids, and said, "The Empress Dowager is nearly sixty years old and climbs three thousand steps every day to offer incense to Buddha."
"The princess is so young, surely she can walk a short distance?"
Upon hearing this, Danqing's eyebrows furrowed in anger.
Yuan Yao chuckled softly, her sweet voice turning slightly cold: "It's just a short distance, of course I can walk it."
Since the Empress Dowager wants to make things difficult for her, then so be it.
She wanted to see what the Empress Dowager was up to!
Qianhua Palace is about an hour's walk from the Empress Dowager's Huining Palace.
By the time they arrived at Huining Palace, Yuan Yao's legs were about to give way.
Danqing was heartbroken.
When has her princess ever suffered such an injustice?
Standing outside the gate of Huining Palace, Tan Xin said, "Princess, please wait here and don't wander off. I'll go in first to inform her."
Yuan Yao nodded, still smiling, "Thank you."
Tan Xin raised her chin, turned around, and entered Huining Palace.
Soon, a young eunuch came out and said in a soft voice, "Princess, at this hour, the Empress Dowager is worshipping Buddha."
During the Empress Dowager's Buddhist worship, outsiders were not allowed to enter Huining Palace.
"Princess, you may kneel and pay your respects right here."
bow down?
A hint of surprise flashed in Yuan Yao's eyes as she looked at Dan Qing.
Danqing had not expected the Empress Dowager to pull such a stunt.
Yuan Yao narrowed her eyes and asked, "May I ask this eunuch, is Yuan Yao kneeling before Buddha or the Empress Dowager?"
The young eunuch smiled respectfully: "The princess should kneel before Buddha, of course."
Yuan Yao: "..."
Suddenly, the sounds of chanting and wooden fish drums came from Huining Palace.
The young eunuch slipped and knelt at the entrance of Huining Palace: "When the Empress Dowager returns to the palace, wherever she is in the palace, if she hears chanting or the sound of a wooden fish, she must kneel down and pay her respects."
"Princess Yuan Yao, please."
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