Chapter 305 The Princess (Second Update)
Empress Dowager Zhuang's image is not so easily shattered, after all, she is still very cold and unapproachable to others.
Just as Consort Shu was about to speak up for the Fifth Prince, Empress Dowager Zhuang shot her a cold glare, and Consort Shu's face turned pale with fright!
Empress Dowager Zhuang arrived quickly and left quickly; in the blink of an eye, the phoenix carriage was already far away.
Although the Fifth Prince did suffer some injustice, who would dare to snatch him away from Empress Dowager Zhuang?
"The Empress Dowager is so biased! Doesn't she even ask what happened to Xiao Wu?" Consort Shu felt extremely aggrieved.
Empress Xiao gave him a cold look: "Consort Shu, watch your words!"
Consort Shu realized she had misspoke and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong."
Consort Zhuang suddenly asked Consort Shu, "Does your niece know medicine?"
Consort Shu was speechless.
How did she know?
She'd never even seen that girl before!
Gu Jinyu spoke softly: "Your Highness, my sister is skilled in medicine. During the accident at the Ministry of Works, many critically ill patients were sent to the clinic where my sister works."
"How dare you talk about the Ministry of Works' accident!" Consort Shu lashed out at Gu Jinyu.
Consort Shu had enjoyed the Emperor's favor for many years. If Gu Jinyu hadn't tricked her, she would still be the Emperor's most beloved consort!
Empress Xiao and Consort Zhuang both understood the inside story. They disdained Consort Shu's behavior, but they didn't say a word on the surface.
Consort Zhuang said to Empress Xiao, "Since the Empress Dowager has summoned the physician, it must be because she is unwell. I will go to Renshou Palace to see the Empress Dowager."
Empress Xiao nodded slowly: "Very well, I still have some matters to attend to, so I won't go over for now. I'll pay my respects to the Empress Dowager later."
Consort Zhuang smiled, gave a slight bow, and turned to leave.
The moment she turned her back, the smile on her face vanished.
No matter how high her status was or how much the Empress Dowager valued her, she could never call the Empress Dowager "Mother"!
Empress Xiao continued her search for Qin Chuyu.
After walking a few steps, a thought flashed through her mind: "Eunuch Su, that girl... could she be the one who invented the bellows and glutinous rice mortar?"
"It's her," Eunuch Su nodded.
Empress Xiao broke out in a cold sweat.
His Majesty values that girl highly; thankfully, I didn't have time to punish her.
But then again, how did that girl become a guest of honor of Empress Dowager Zhuang?
She seemed quite familiar with Empress Dowager Zhuang, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Is Your Majesty aware of this matter?
...
Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Zhuang and Gu Jiao returned to Renshou Palace.
Eunuch Qin went to the small kitchen and instructed the cook to make the snacks that Gu Jiao liked.
Empress Dowager Zhuang led the man back to her bedchamber and sat down on a long bench: "Tell me, what brings you here to see me today?"
Gu Jiao sat down next to her, thought for a moment, and said, "I miss my great-aunt."
Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted: "I don't believe it!"
Gu Jiao smiled and took out a food box from her small basket. When she opened it, a fragrant aroma of ghee, sesame seeds, and brown sugar wafted out.
"It's still hot." Gu Jiao brought out the steaming brown sugar glutinous rice cakes. The brown sugar glutinous rice cakes, which had been fried until they were shiny black, were sprinkled with freshly roasted white sesame seeds. They looked tempting and had a rich aroma.
Empress Dowager Zhuang slurped her saliva!
Gu Jiao placed a bowl with a small yellow duck in front of Empress Dowager Zhuang.
Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at Xiao Jingkong's tableware and her face darkened. Why use such childish tableware?!
"Aren't there any bowls at home?" she asked with a dark expression.
Gu Jiao grunted and said, "Uncle Zhou's family and Aunt Liu's family are having banquets at the same time today, and there aren't enough bowls, so they were borrowed."
The cupboard was empty, except for a small, clean set of oddly shaped tableware that no one wanted to borrow.
These tablewares were all handmade by Gu Jiao, made to his liking. However, he has a slight tendency to get tired of the old and crave the new; once Gu Jiao makes him something new, he won't want the old one anymore.
He's now obsessed with cat bowls and no longer uses his little yellow duck bowl.
Empress Dowager Zhuang: So you not only used the tableware that the young monk had used, but you also used the tableware that he didn't want...
My heart is filled with bitterness.
I will not say!
The allure of brown sugar glutinous rice cakes was immense. Despite her dislike for the little yellow duck bowl, Empress Dowager Zhuang still devoured the food brought by Gu Jiao.
She only ate three before Gu Jiao forbade her to eat any more.
"There are clearly three more," Empress Dowager Zhuang said, sounding aggrieved.
“That’s for Eunuch Qin,” Gu Jiao said.
Empress Dowager Zhuang: Oh, anyway, Qin Kun's time is hers too!
Gu Jiao: "I'll take it over to Eunuch Qin and watch him eat."
Empress Dowager Zhuang: "...!!"
By the time Consort Zhuang arrived at Renshou Palace, the incident involving brown sugar glutinous rice cakes had already passed.
Gu Jiao was taking the pulse of Empress Dowager Zhuang. Both of them were sitting in chairs, and sunlight streamed in from the window, illuminating Empress Dowager Zhuang's full head of silver hair and the girl's head of black hair.
The scene was serene and beautiful.
Consort Zhuang was stunned.
She thought she might be seeing things, because for a fleeting moment she had seen a hint of kindness in her aunt's eyes.
My aunt is the least kind person in the world.
The emotions in Empress Dowager Zhuang's eyes had vanished, leaving only an air of domineering authority and majesty: "What brings you here?"
Consort Zhuang smiled and said, "Didn't my aunt invite a doctor from the common people? I've come to see my aunt."
After all, she was her own niece, so Empress Dowager Zhuang treated Consort Zhuang quite well. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to enter so quickly. Even when the Empress came to pay her respects, she would have to wait outside for a while.
Empress Dowager Zhuang said, "I am fine. I just sent someone to check my pulse."
"I see, then I'm relieved." Consort Zhuang said, sitting down on a stool slightly below Empress Dowager Zhuang.
Gu Jiao sat beside Empress Dowager Zhuang and took her pulse.
Empress Dowager Zhuang never used palace rules to restrain Gu Jiao, so Gu Jiao didn't know that this bench was Empress Dowager Zhuang's special seat, and ordinary people were not qualified to sit on it.
When the imperial physicians took Empress Dowager Zhuang's pulse, they all knelt on the ground to ask.
Consort Zhuang naturally had no idea that Gu Jiao had even slept on Empress Dowager Zhuang's bed, sleeping sideways, on her stomach, drooling... in all sorts of positions.
After taking the pulse, Gu Jiao gently placed Empress Dowager Zhuang's hand back.
"I already told you I'm alright, didn't I?" Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted, as if she hadn't actually summoned her to Renshou Palace to be a doctor.
Gu Jiao said, "You're not allowed to steal any more candy."
Empress Dowager Zhuang choked: "Oh, when did I steal any food! Was it that dog Qin Kun—"
Halfway through her sentence, realizing that Consort Zhuang was still there, she changed the subject and said coldly, "I don't eat candy, it's something only children eat!"
"Oh. Then it seems I don't need to give you this." Gu Jiao silently put the candied fruit she had taken out of her pocket back.
Empress Dowager Zhuang: No, you are not allowed to let them go back!
Consort Zhuang: "..."
In fact, Empress Dowager Zhuang still maintained a very high level of decorum. This was true whether she was the aunt or Empress Dowager Zhuang before or after returning to the palace.
Even when she spoke to Gu Jiao, her tone wasn't exactly pleasant.
But you can't hide your feelings for someone; when you look at that person, your eyes will light up.
The last time Consort Zhuang saw her aunt like someone so much was when Princess Ning'an was in the palace.
Although Princess Ning'an was not her aunt's biological daughter, she was treated like a daughter, and her aunt showered her with almost all her love and affection.
Unfortunately, Princess Ning'an disregarded Empress Dowager Zhuang's advice and married far away to the harsh northern lands for the sake of a man.
Her aunt once told her, "If you dare to walk out of this door, I will sever all ties with you!"
My aunt wielded immense power, able to control the world and manipulate the nation at will, yet she couldn't control her daughter's marriage.
Because you care too much, you develop a weakness.
When Princess Ning'an threatened suicide, her aunt still lost.
Consort Zhuang would never forget that night many years ago—Princess Ning'an, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, knelt three times with tears streaming down her face in the cold wind amidst the swirling snow and the silent Renshou Palace: "Your son is unfilial...unable to serve Your Majesty...to ensure Your Majesty's peaceful old age...Please, Your Majesty...take care of yourself...Your son, bids farewell!"
Princess Ning'an got married.
My aunt fell ill.
I almost lost my life.
After that, my aunt severed all traces of human kindness and became a thoroughly powerful and ruthless empress who brought ruin to the country.
After returning to Changchun Palace with the Fifth Prince, Consort Shu felt increasingly uneasy.
She called Gu Jinyu over: "Why didn't you mention before that the girl knows medicine?"
Gu Jinyu lowered her eyes and said, "Your Majesty didn't ask either."
Consort Shu gasped!
Consort Shu frowned and asked again, "When did she meet the Empress Dowager?"
Gu Jinyu shook her head: "I don't know."
"You know nothing, what use are you!" Consort Shu, unable to get anything out of Gu Jinyu, impatiently let her go.
The more Consort Shu thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. Wasn't that girl His Majesty's person? She had gained His Majesty's favor, so why was she so close to the Empress Dowager?
Could it be... that she has sided with the Empress Dowager?
Oh.
Consort Shu suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Excellent, she was just wondering how to deal with this girl, and this is like a pillow delivered to her when she was sleepy.
"Someone come here."
"Your Majesty." A palace maid approached.
"Where is His Majesty?" Consort Shu asked.
"In the Imperial Study," the palace maid said.
Consort Shu raised an eyebrow: "Prepare the sedan chair, I am going to the Imperial Study."
She was determined to uphold justice and expose this girl to His Majesty!
I just want to laugh out loud three times, hahaha!
And then, please vote for me with monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)
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