"Your Majesty, this is a result of emotional distress. External medicine is only an aid; you still need to rely on yourself."
The Empress smiled involuntarily as she watched Hou Xiangxiang taking her pulse and giving her endless instructions. She had been in the palace for so many years and still had no children.
It wasn't that the Emperor didn't come to them, but rather that back then...
If I had a daughter, she would definitely be just as lively and adorable as this girl.
"Do you like that piece of fabric?"
When Huo Xiaolong and Hou Xiangxiang entered, a group of palace maids were offering her the finest brocades to choose from, and one of them just happened to be exactly to the young lady's liking.
The yellow was shiny, not the royal gold, but a fluorescent yellow that made dark-skinned people look even darker.
Hou Xiangxiang nodded and smiled a little shyly.
"Here you go, you can use it to make curtains or something when you get home."
"Since it was bestowed upon me by Her Majesty the Empress, of course I should make it into clothes and wear it. Thank you for your gift, Her Majesty the Empress."
The Empress didn't react immediately and stared straight at Huo Xiaolong.
Does that mean your best friend always has this kind of taste? Is this something you can wear out in public? If you're not going to wear it out, please don't say I gave it to her.
The girl in the python robe hurriedly avoided the empress's eyes, looked up at the sky and at the roof beam, thinking, "It's none of my business, I can't control her, and I don't know her for now."
"Your Majesty's health can still be improved. I will prescribe a medicine for you first. However, after taking this medicine, you will no longer be able to take the medicine from the Imperial Hospital."
"Then Your Majesty should remember to go out more often and talk to considerate people; this will naturally improve your mood."
The woman hadn't styled her hair in a bun today; her long hair was loose behind her, and she was wearing an undergarment. She held Hou Xiangxiang's hand and said...
"Then you should go to the palace and spend more time with me. You have a token from the Prince of Zhenbei, so have him bring you here more often in the future."
Huo Xiaolong can now freely enter and leave the palace, firstly because she is a woman, so even if she comes in the middle of the night, the emperor is not afraid of any scandalous affairs within the palace.
"yes."
The Empress sat on the bed, slowly drinking her medicine with the help of the palace maids. She thought about the scene of Huo Xiaolong and Hou Xiangxiang playing around, and her memories seemed to go back to the past.
"How wonderful, to have a close girlfriend and sisters by my side."
“I used to be like my sister.”
Upon hearing this, the head palace maid's hand holding the bowl trembled slightly, and then she spoke earnestly.
"Your Majesty, that was all in the past."
"Alright, shield me from the sunlight, I need to rest."
"Your Highness, you haven't seen the sunlight for several days. Miss Hou just said... why don't you go out for a walk?"
"What's there to change? The sky is just this square sky, the earth is just that cold earth, it's really boring..."
The Queen sat on the bed and looked out the window at the familiar yet despairing scene, like a cat in a cage, wanting to escape but unable to, only able to watch the birds in the trees fly away.
"Oh, Your Majesty, I forgot to remind you earlier that you should get more sun and not keep the curtains drawn all the time."
Huo Xiaolong and Hou Xiangxiang, who had just left, returned, and the eunuch at the door didn't even have time to announce their return.
The little girl felt that the Empress was unhappy, even somewhat pitiful. That sense of despair and isolation made her uncomfortable. She tugged at Huo Xiaolong's lips and started chattering.
"I feel like the Empress isn't happy either. You know, she's the most powerful woman in the world, what obstacle can't she overcome? She's a bit tired of living, you know?"
"What? Are you feeling sorry for him?" Huo Xiaolong was a little jealous.
"Tsk, that's not what I meant, it's just... I feel like she shouldn't be like this, isn't it better to be alive?"
The girl in the python robe understood her friend's meaning; she had only intended to tease her, and then Hou Xiangxiang spoke up.
"I forgot to tell her that she needs to sunbathe every day. Look at her face and fingers, they're completely bloodless, and her fingertips are even cracked."
"Then go back and tell her. If you're worried, go back and remind her again."
"We just came out, wouldn't it be inappropriate to go back and report again? This is the palace, after all."
Huo Xiaolong laughed and pulled the little girl back. "So what if it's the palace? Do you know we're the emperor's favorite now?"
"Your Majesty, why have you drawn all the curtains again?"
Ignoring the anxious expression and the hands that tried to stop her, Hou Xiangxiang and Huo Xiaolong pulled the curtains open again.
"How about I go out and play with you for a while?" the girl asked cautiously.
The woman couldn't help but be curious when she saw the two girls return and, without asking, open the curtains.
Are all the friends around the Prince of Zhenbei really like this?
My previous friend beat up a prince.
This is ignoring the Queen's orders.
The woman spoke.
"What's fun outside? The palace only has the same places."
"Let me go play shuttlecock with you. The wind isn't too strong outside today, so it's perfect for the few of us to play. Long'er is really good at playing shuttlecock."
The Empress, dressed with the help of palace maids, led the two men to the Imperial Garden.
The two girls were amazed by the garden full of flowers, with bees and butterflies dancing among them.
That's what you call professional; it's so beautiful it's dazzling.
"Pick whichever flower you like and wear it. Such a beautiful flower is worthy of the two of you."
The Empress sat on a stone bench with a soft cushion under her bottom, holding a teacup in her hand and speaking with a smile.
Until the shuttlecock landed at her feet, Hou Xiangxiang spoke.
"Your Majesty, please help me and Long'er kick the shuttlecock back."
"Little sister, help your older sister kick the shuttlecock back."
The shadows of reality and memory merge together, sharing the same tone, the same expectation, and the same smile.
The Empress stood up, picked up the shuttlecock, and kicked it back.
It's been so many years since their master has come out for a stroll, let alone have so much fun.
The head maid beside her knew this and was genuinely happy for the Empress, but... little girl, could you please stop catching grasshoppers in the flowerbeds and scaring our Lady!
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