Chapter 520 Dinner at Jingfeng Pavilion
Tianyi, who had been waiting for a long time, saw the two masters finally appear and hurried forward to greet them. He bowed and said in a clear and steady voice: "Master, Princess, just now, Eunuch Xi from the Queen Mother's Palace came to tell her that the Queen Mother wants you to move to Jingfeng Pavilion and accompany her for dinner."
Mo Liyuan had an indifferent expression, and only uttered a brief "hmm" from his nose. He did not stop, still holding Lan Xiyue's hand, and walked straight out of the yard.
Lan Xiyue turned her head and looked at the tall and straight man beside her. There was a hint of helplessness and mischief in her clear eyes. She lowered her voice and said, "Mo Liyuan, the Queen Mother summoned you, but didn't mention me. If I go, I'm afraid the Queen Mother will not be able to eat dinner once she sees my face."
Her tone was relaxed, but a subtle worry flashed across her eyes. After all, between her and the Queen Mother, there was a life: the life of the Queen Mother's own son.
Mo Liyuan tightened his grip on hers, his voice low and firm, "Yu'er, don't be afraid. I'm here. Even if Mother is displeased and wants to embarrass you, she'll have to consider my power." He paused, his tone a bit colder, "Of course, if I'm not here, you don't have to go to Jingfeng Pavilion to pay your respects, to avoid any trouble."
Lan Xiyue was amused by him and smiled, like a spring flower just blooming: "You say that as if you have such a big reputation."
Having said that, she knew in her heart that he was protecting her in his own way.
But... Lan Xiyue still felt heavy in her heart when she thought about facing the empress dowager who hated her to the core.
How could the revenge for killing her son be easily resolved? She could almost foresee the icy cold gaze of the Queen Mother in Jingfeng Pavilion. But now that the Queen Mother was living in the palace, avoiding her was not a long-term solution.
Mo Liyuan said nothing more, but held her hand even tighter. He held her hand and walked steadily through the deep corridors and exquisite courtyards of the palace, heading towards Jingfeng Pavilion in the backyard of the palace.
He had his own calculations: the Queen Mother, mistakenly believing Yue'er to be pregnant, would, despite her overwhelming hatred, be wary of the crucial issue of an heir. He wanted to use this opportunity to show his mother clearly how much he cherished and protected Yue'er, and with time and his persistence, slowly wear away that deep resentment.
Jingfeng Pavilion
The lights are bright and the sandalwood incense is curling.
As soon as the two of them stepped into the main hall, the palace maids and eunuchs standing on either side knelt on the ground in unison, and their respectful voices echoed in the empty hall: "Greetings to the Regent, and may the Regent Princess be blessed with good health!"
Mo Liyuan didn't look around, just waved his hand casually, then took Lan Xiyue's hand and walked straight to the warm room in the inner hall.
In the warm room, the empress dowager was sitting upright on a rosewood phoenix couch covered with a thick brocade cushion, twisting a string of smooth Buddhist beads in her hand.
When she saw Mo Liyuan coming in, the lines on her face softened for a moment, but when her eyes fell on Lan Xiyue, who was following closely behind and was firmly protected by her son, the softness froze in an instant. Her two carefully drawn willow-shaped eyebrows were deeply frowned, and her eyes were filled with undisguised disgust and coldness.
"Greetings to the Regent, Princess Regent." The old maids and palace maids standing beside the Queen Mother also hurriedly saluted.
Mo Liyuan looked calm, nodded slightly to the Queen Mother, and called out, "Mother."
Lan Xiyue also lowered her eyes and, following the rules, called out in a clear voice, "Mother." Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.
The Queen Mother snorted coldly, her gaze like a poisoned icicle, fiercely piercing Lan Xiyue. Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable tone of expulsion: "Who asked you to come? Get out! You have nothing to do here!"
The air in the hall froze instantly, and you could hear a pin drop.
All the palace people held their breath and wished they could bury their heads in the ground.
Mo Liyuan suddenly tightened his grip on Lan Xiyue's hand and pulled her closer behind him, his tall body forming a protective barrier.
He raised his eyes, and met the Queen Mother's deep gaze calmly. His voice was not loud, but it was filled with overwhelming pressure and a coldness that brooked no argument: "Since the Queen Mother does not want your son and the princess to bother you here and are unwilling to share the joy of family, then Yue'er and I will take our leave and not disturb you from having your meal." After saying this, he actually made a gesture to turn around.
"You...!" The Queen Mother was so angry at his ruthless defiance that her chest heaved violently, and the knuckles of her fingers holding the Buddhist beads turned white. She stared at her son's face, which looked very similar to the late emperor, but even colder and more resolute. She glanced at the woman behind him, whom she hated to the bone, and a huge feeling of powerlessness and deeper resentment surged in her heart.
She suppressed the anger that was about to burst through her throat, gritted her teeth, and squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth, her voice trembling with suppression: "...Now that you're here! Why are you leaving? Sit down and have a meal together!" Every word sounded as if it was fished out of ice water, and it was chilling.
Mo Liyuan paused when he heard this.
There was still no expression on his face, as if he was just following an ordinary order.
He took Lan Xiyue's hand and walked calmly to the table. He first pulled out a cushioned rosewood chair for Lan Xiyue. His movements were natural and smooth, with obvious consideration.
Lan Xiyue sat down as he indicated.
Mo Liyuan then sat down beside her, very close to her, their shoulders almost touching, silently providing support.
The Queen Mother felt extremely uncomfortable when she saw how cautious and caring her son was towards Lan Xiyue. Her heart felt blocked and she felt as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly.
She turned her face away abruptly, no longer looking at the unpleasant scene. The nanny helped the Queen Mother over and sat down. The Queen Mother said to the nanny beside her in a stiff tone: "What are you still standing there for? Serve the food!"
"Yes, Her Majesty the Queen Mother," the nanny responded quickly, quickly walked out of the warm room, and shouted to the outer hall, "Serve the meal!"
The silence lasted only a moment before light and orderly footsteps were heard outside the hall.
The palace maids and eunuchs carrying multi-layered carved mahogany food boxes came in one after another. With well-trained movements, they quietly took out the steaming and fragrant delicacies from the food boxes and carefully placed them on the polished rosewood table.
Crystal braised pork, braised crab meat and lion head, bird's nest and shredded chicken soup, lotus shrimp balls, seasonal fresh vegetables... there are so many options, all with great color, aroma and taste, extremely luxurious.
When all the dishes were placed, the palace maids and eunuchs bowed together and retreated silently like the tide, leaving only the tempting aroma of food in the room and an even more stagnant, almost suffocating atmosphere.
For a moment, the only sounds in the warm room were the occasional clatter of dishes and chopsticks, and an unbearable silence.
The flickering candlelight cast flickering shadows on everyone's face, illuminating the repressed emotions even more clearly.
Lan Xiyue sat upright, her eyes fixed on the table full of delicacies, but she felt that they were tasteless and had no taste.
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