Chapter 84: Domineering White Moonlight 3 I must choose a woman with both good character and good looks for him...
When Lan Xin helped A Li to the palace gate, a vermilion and gold-painted sedan chair carried by eight people was already waiting there.
The sedan chair is made of fine nanmu wood, with agarwood edging and agarwood-colored cloud-patterned forged curtains hanging down. The gilded top of the sedan chair sparkles in the dusk, and exquisite palace bells are hung on the four corners. It is the sedan chair most commonly used by Princess Wangshu, who likes pomp and circumstance.
Ah Li frowned and said, "Bring another one."
The message just received said that the Queen Mother is currently in the small Buddhist temple, and she "told" Ali to go there. This cannot be a good thing, so it is better not to make it too public.
In those days, Ali's parents died trying to save the imperial concubine and the prince, leaving her an orphan. To show their generosity and gratitude, the royal family brought Ali back to the palace, made her a princess, and raised by the imperial concubine.
But the imperial concubine was constantly ill at that time, and the emperor could not bear to see her tired, so he decided to send Ali to Shou'an Palace to be raised by the empress dowager.
The Empress Dowager is the biological mother of the current Emperor. Besides the Emperor, she has only one daughter, Princess Rongqing. However, after the princess married many years ago, Shou'an Palace has been deserted. The Empress Dowager herself has not been involved in palace affairs for many years. She usually eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures. She rarely goes out and hates extravagance.
Whenever Ali saw the Queen Mother, he was like a mouse seeing a cat, and would instantly put away all his arrogance and rudeness.
The palace servants quickly brought a plain sedan chair that was neither new nor old. Ali then got on the sedan chair and went to the Empress Dowager's Shou'an Palace.
The palace servants carrying the sedan chair walked very quickly and arrived near Shou'an Palace in just a few moments.
Ali saw from a distance that someone was looking towards this side in front of the palace gate.
She carefully got off the sedan chair and greeted the palace maid: "Sister Su Yue, I'm here to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager."
Su Yue is a second-class maid in the Empress Dowager's palace. Although she is only 25 years old, she is extremely careful and thoughtful in her work.
She held A-li's hand and first expressed concern for A-li's injured foot: "My princess, are you okay? How come your foot has been injured for a day? Have you called the imperial physician?"
Ali nodded and smiled sweetly: "I have seen the imperial physician, it's nothing serious, just take care of it. Thank you for your concern, sister."
As she spoke, she glanced towards Shou'an Palace and asked, "Is the Empress Dowager in the palace?"
Su Yue noticed the tension in A Li's eyes and eyebrows, and she led her into the palace gate, saying softly, "The Empress Dowager is waiting for the princess. I will take the princess there."
Shou'an Palace was always cold and silent. The palace servants kept their heads down and their eyes lowered, and made no sound when they moved.
Ali and his companions walked through a long corridor and saw a plaque with the words "Ciyin Pavilion" in the depths of a grove of green bamboos.
Aunt Wenying, the Empress Dowager's personal attendant, was standing outside the door. Upon seeing them arrive, she bowed slightly and greeted them: "My princess, how are you? The Empress Dowager is waiting for you inside."
"Aunt Wen." Ali quickly returned the greeting. Wen Ying smiled and dodged to the side, gently pushing open the door behind her.
The copper bells on the eaves of the Buddhist hall rang softly, and in the lingering air of sandalwood, the empress dowager, dressed in her casual plain clothes, knelt on a cushion, slowly plucking the rosary in her hand.
Lan Xin and the others stayed outside. A-li endured the pain in his ankle and limped into the hall. He bowed solemnly and said, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, A-li is here to pay his respects to you."
The Queen Mother said nothing, but turned her back to her and silently recited Buddhist scriptures.
Seeing this, Ali suppressed the uneasiness in his heart, knelt on the ground, clasped his hands in front of him, and closed his eyes.
The Queen Mother would stay in the small Buddhist temple for two or three hours every day, and Ali used to often chant scriptures and worship Buddha with her.
But since Ali moved to Qingluan Palace, he rarely set foot here again.
The spring clothes were thin, and the chill from the bluestone floor gradually penetrated into his knees. Ali did not dare to move and knelt behind the empress dowager politely.
About half an incense stick of time had passed when the empress dowager moved and she immediately stood up.
The wound on his foot was trembling slightly, but Ali didn't show it on his face. He held the empress dowager's hand steadily, helped her sit aside, and poured her a cup of warm Lu'an tea, which he offered to her after she put down her rosary.
The Queen Mother took it, stroked the rim of the cup with her fingertips, and took a sip.
Ali handed over the handkerchief at the right time, and stood quietly aside with his eyes slightly lowered.
The Empress Dowager was a kind-hearted person, and she looked somewhat similar to the Guanyin statue enshrined in her Buddhist temple.
She wiped the corner of her lips and finally looked at A-li: "A-li, you haven't come to visit me for a long time. I don't think the skills you used to serve me are still there."
Upon hearing this, Ali knelt down again, his head bowed low. "It is Ali who is lazy. Please punish me, Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother did not continue the previous topic: "After kneeling with me for such a long time, have you calmed down?"
Ah Li didn't understand what was happening and carefully chose his words, "Yes, after kneeling here with the Empress Dowager and reciting scriptures, all the restlessness in my heart has dissipated. Lately, whenever Ah Li has concerns or puzzles, he will follow the Empress Dowager's example and recite scriptures. It really has a miraculous effect."
"Oh? Ah Li has learned to resolve his problems on his own?" The Queen Mother paused for a moment. "But I heard that Ah Li got angry at Minister Chen's daughter at the flower viewing banquet yesterday."
Ali felt a chill on his back, and his palms began to sweat as he lay on the ground.
Yesterday, Princess Fu'an held a flower-viewing banquet at Yunyi Villa outside her residence, inviting all the famous young men and ladies in the capital, and Ali was naturally among them.
But at the banquet, Ali made things difficult for Chen Danzhi, the daughter of Chen Shilang, the Minister of Personnel, in public. Not only did he force her to kneel down, he also ordered the palace maids to slap her.
It is said that when Miss Chen left the table, she cried so hard that her face turned pale and she could not even get into the carriage. However, the person who started it all remained smiling and talking, not realizing that there was anything wrong.
I didn't expect that this matter would reach the Queen Mother's ears so quickly, and I don't know who reported it.
Ali couldn't see the Queen Mother's expression, so he could only take a deep breath and slowly said, "It was indeed Ali who did something wrong. It was Ali's fault."
The Queen Mother lowered her eyebrows and looked at her, with a hint of surprise in her eyes.
This girl was raised in her palace since she was a child. She was quite well-behaved and obedient when she was young. Although she was not very smart, she was very good at acting coquettishly and foolishly to please others.
When the emperor sent this girl to her palace, she just thought of it as one more person living in Shou'an Palace. All the care was done by the servants, so she didn't need to worry about it. She just teased her with her in her spare time to relieve her boredom.
But as she grew older, this girl relied on her favor and Jingchuan's protection to act arrogantly in the palace. She didn't know when she developed a strange and overbearing temper, and she was not willing to admit her mistakes easily.
Why did you suddenly change your temper today and accept it so readily?
The Queen Mother did not respond and waited for Ali to speak further.
"A-Li went to Aunt Fu'an's flower viewing banquet. He wasn't supposed to meet these young ladies, but several sisters from the Fu family were there. A-Li thought that the Empress had been in the palace for a long time and must have missed her family, so he took the initiative to meet them. Who knew he would run into a group of young ladies who were enjoying the flowers halfway..."
She paused deliberately, as if considering whether she could say it.
The Queen Mother glanced at her and said, "Just say it."
"Yes," Ali bowed again and continued, "When Ali was walking by, he heard those ladies discussing the selection of the Crown Princess."
"Someone said her father had made great contributions to the country, and her character and appearance were unique in the capital. She might not be unable to become the Crown Princess..."
As the current crown prince, Xie Jingchuan has not yet chosen his crown princess. Naturally, there is a lot of discussion in the court, and everyone hopes that their own female relatives can be chosen.
However, there are very few people who would speak out about this matter like the Chen family did.
Ali's voice gradually became quieter. "It was Miss Chen who said this. Ali knew this was inappropriate, and to prevent the Crown Prince's reputation from being damaged, I spoke out to stop it. In my anger, I lost my composure."
As the words gradually fell, the Buddhist hall fell silent. The empress dowager remained silent for a long time, as if she was examining the truthfulness of her words.
Ali lowered his head deeply, still pretending to be obedient.
In fact, she made things difficult for Miss Chen at that time not for the sake of her reputation, but because she couldn't stand others coveting the position of Crown Princess.
These thoughtful words were just something she came up with in a hurry.
"If that's the case, then I have wronged you." The Queen Mother spoke again, her voice light but unable to conceal the majesty in it.
As soon as these words came out, A-Li knew that he had passed this test, but he still kowtowed several times to apologize: "In this matter, A-Li acted rashly and failed to live up to the Queen Mother's earnest teachings."
The Queen Mother nodded. "It's good that you have this intention, but you are being too impulsive. There are a thousand ways to deal with the Chen family girl's matter. Why do you have to do it yourself?"
Ali was stunned.
Her intuition told her that although the empress dowager never interfered in state affairs, the emperor was her own son after all, and this matter involved Xie Jingchuan. Her so-called punishment was probably to do something to Miss Chen.
"Empress Dowager," A Li bravely raised his head, still indignant, "Miss Chen has been frightened by A Li and can barely speak clearly. She looks like a fool, yet she dares to dream like this! I wonder where all the books she's read have gone!"
The Empress Dowager frowned, as if dissatisfied with her crude and blunt words, and said something perfunctorily: "In that case, let Minister Chen return home and discipline him properly to prevent any more trouble."
Ali secretly breathed a sigh of relief and bowed: "Yes, Queen Mother."
Miss Chen has lived in seclusion for a long time and may not be aware of the seriousness of her behavior. It is probably because her father talked nonsense at home and she learned it from him.
The Queen Mother picked up the teacup and blew on it: "Get up, don't kneel anymore."
Ali then stood up. The pain in his foot seemed to have numbened, and there was no need to pay attention to it now.
The Queen Mother motioned for her to sit down and brought up another topic: "However, the selection of Crown Princess Jingchuan must indeed be decided. The Emperor, at his age, already had a former Queen and two concubines, and he himself is not in a hurry at all."
The Queen Mother suddenly looked at the silent A Li and said, "I am an old woman, deaf and blind, and I haven't been out for a long time. You have been in contact with the young ladies in the capital. In your opinion, are there any suitable candidates among the noble ladies?"
Ah Li subconsciously tightened his hands on his knees, thought for a moment, and then smiled and shook his head, "How can Ah Li have such good taste as the Empress Dowager? I think those young ladies are all very good, but if they are suitable for His Royal Highness, they are not good enough. I still need you, the Empress Dowager, to discern the best."
The Queen Mother's thin face also showed a hint of smile: "You are the only one who can talk, but instead of helping me to share my worries, you hide away and are lazy."
A-Li wiped his hands clean, picked up the honey pear on the table and began to peel it. "A-Li really doesn't have any skills in matchmaking, so I can only serve the Empress Dowager wholeheartedly to relieve her worries."
The Queen Mother observed her movements and said with a hint of meaning, "Speaking of my deepest concern, it's Jingchuan's marriage. His mother isn't particularly attentive, but I can't bear to see him suffer any injustice. I must choose for him a noble lady of both good character and appearance."
"A harmonious relationship between husband and wife is a sign of prosperity."
Ali paused while peeling the skin, but managed not to lose his composure and agreed, "The Queen Mother is right."
The Queen Mother withdrew her gaze, her expression unreadable.
Ah Li cut the peeled pear into pieces and placed them on a small plate. He said with a smile, "I heard that this pear is very sweet and delicious. Your Majesty, please try it."
"Well, it's good," the Queen Mother said when she saw A Li still refilling her tea. "Don't bother. It's so hard to come to Shou'an Palace. Stay here with me tonight. It's your old room, and it's all cleaned up."
Ali lowered his head: "Yes."
*
The next day was the day to go to Chengguan Pavilion to attend classes. While Ali was having breakfast, he was thinking about going to Qingluan Palace to get something later, when Mingshuang had already delivered all the necessary tools and books.
Seeing this, Ali put down the crystal jade shrimp dumplings in his mouth and called her over.
The Queen Mother slowly drank the blood swallow and coral soup. When she heard the voice, she looked over and said, "Ming Shuang has served you very diligently. It's worth it that I gave her to you."
Ali looked at the things she brought and found that they were all in good condition, so he asked her to wait in front of the palace gate.
Just as they finished their meal, Su Yue walked in: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince come to pay their respects."
A hint of surprise flashed in the Queen Mother's eyes: "It's strange today, this mother and son came together, please let them in."
Seeing that A Li was about to retreat to the back hall, the Queen Mother stopped her and said, "Sit down and meet him together."
"Yes." Ali agreed and sat obediently beside the Queen Mother. He picked up the bone-loosening Ruyi beside him and slowly massaged the Queen Mother.
Imperial Concubine Xiao Xunlu and the Crown Prince quickly entered the palace and knelt down to pay their respects. "Your Highness and I pay our respects to the Empress Dowager."
"Get up. It's hard for you to come so early." The Queen Mother smiled and motioned for them to sit down.
Xie Jingchuan stepped forward and helped the imperial concubine to her feet.
This is truly a beauty that makes people forget the world at first sight. She is slender and graceful, and wearing a light-colored palace dress, she looks even more elegant. Her beautiful eyes are graceful and charming, and she is so beautiful that she can captivate the whole country.
During the selection of concubines, the emperor fell in love with Xiao Xunlu at first sight, even though she was only the daughter of a minor official at the time.
After entering the palace, Xiao Xunlu was the most favored of the six harems. Within half a year, she was promoted from a low rank to the position of concubine. After she became pregnant, she was named a noble concubine. After she gave birth to the emperor's eldest son, Xie Jingchuan, she was favored even more. As a result, all the male members of the Xiao family were promoted.
There is no queen in the palace now. Although Xiao Xunlu is a noble concubine, she is already the head of the harem. She only needs to wait for an imperial edict to enter the Kunning Palace with full legitimacy.
The Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine were talking indifferently to each other. Ali's gaze couldn't help but drift towards Xie Jingchuan, and happened to meet his gaze.
Xie Jingchuan, who was sitting upright, smiled at her, his face as bright as spring breeze, and touched his pale lips with his finger.
Ali was puzzled, but still followed his movements and touched his lips. Only then did he realize that there was still a little sugar stain on his lips, and his face turned red immediately.
Concubine Xiao, who was inquiring about the Empress Dowager's health, seemed to have just noticed A-Li. She raised her beautiful eyes and said, "The princess is here too. I was planning to go to Qingluan Palace later, but I didn't expect to run into her in the Empress Dowager's palace."
A-li looked surprised: "I wonder what the Imperial Concubine wants to see A-li about?"
Concubine Xiao smiled and covered her mouth with a handkerchief. "It's not convenient to be here with the Queen Mother right now. I'll talk to the Princess in detail later."
The Queen Mother suddenly spoke, her expression gentle and full of concern: "What happened to Ali? Noble Concubine, why don't you tell us here so that we can all listen."
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