The virtuous concubine held a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from her face.
"I have been kneeling before the Buddha since yesterday, begging earnestly, not daring to relax even for a moment. Thank heavens for the Buddha's protection, and now the princess has finally returned safely."
She was weeping, yet smiling, and her tears of joy seemed genuine.
In fact, every action was carefully practiced. She cried like a pear blossom in the rain and pretended to be sincere and affectionate, just to attract the attention of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Then, the empress dowager was busy teasing Su Qiqi, and the emperor was busy comforting Shen Mingyue, and no one paid any attention to the virtuous concubine.
Lu Qingyuan snorted coldly, "According to what you said, Qiqi's safety is all your fault? Where do you put Miss Yan?"
At this time, Yan Xi was sitting on a stool, with her legs crossed, holding a piece of cake in her hand and eating it slowly.
He looked like someone who was not someone to be trifled with.
The virtuous concubine glanced at Yan Xi calmly and put on a false smile: "Thanks to your help, our Princess Chaoyang was able to return to the palace safely. But the fact that the princess was able to meet you must be the blessing of the Buddha."
As she spoke, she covered her face slightly and coughed weakly twice. "It's worth it that I knelt before the Buddha and begged so hard for so long, and even caught a cold. Alas, as long as the princess is safe, everything will be worth it."
With just a few words, he tried to take all the credit for himself and portrayed himself as a kind and loving person who was willing to compromise.
Yan Xi was very disdainful and too lazy to argue with Concubine Xian.
She took a bite of the cake in her hand and smiled as she ate, "It seems that in the future, no matter whether we encounter natural disasters or man-made disasters, we don't have to panic. We just need to let this lady kneel before the Buddha, and the Buddha will help to properly resolve all problems."
"this……"
The virtuous concubine didn't know how to answer for a moment.
He could only grit his teeth and reluctantly replied, "If I can really do something for everyone, I will naturally do my best and work tirelessly."
These words did not win anyone's praise or affirmation.
Lu Qingyuan couldn't help but retort, "I told you you were fat and you gasped! You can't even tell the difference between good words and bad words!"
The virtuous concubine clenched the handkerchief in her hand awkwardly.
She looked at Su Qiqi in the Queen Mother's arms, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, full of worry: "A girl's appearance is the most important thing. The little princess got a cut on her face, and I don't know if it will leave a scar in the future."
Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother said in a deep voice, "Have the Imperial Hospital send some scar-removing ointment later. Apply it to her every day. We must not allow her to have any scars on her face."
Shen Mingyue bowed: "I understand."
"Empress Dowager, I am truly heartbroken!"
Xianfei suddenly knelt down, tears streaming down her face. "Your Majesty, your Majesty, has so many things to do that you are often unable to attend to everything. I, your concubine, have nothing to do, so why not let me raise the little princess?"
The Queen Mother said indifferently, "You still have to help me embroider the longevity painting, so forget about taking care of Qiqi."
The virtuous concubine insisted, "The baby is very sleepy. I can wait until the princess has rested before embroidering the longevity painting. I have always been considerate and will take good care of the princess and will never let her suffer any injustice."
“No… no, no!”
Su Qiqi kept shaking her head.
[You two-faced evil woman, don't even think about separating me from my Imperial Concubine! ]
[I, Su Qiqi, am the Imperial Concubine's person in life and the Imperial Concubine's ghost in death!]
Afraid that everyone might not understand what she meant, she quickly stretched out her hands towards Shen Mingyue and hummed with difficulty: "Hold, hug..."
"Ah! Can someone hug me now?"
The Queen Mother was so surprised that she laughed with joy.
She feigned dissatisfaction and tapped Su Qiqi's nose, scolding her, "You're so young and already recognize people? You're just thinking about getting into your mother's arms, but I can't hold you?"
"Mother, Qiqi is worried that your hands will get sore from holding me for too long. She loves you and wants to be filial to you!" the emperor said with a smile.
This made the Queen Mother laugh even more happily: "You are so smooth-talking that you can only make me happy."
"I am telling the truth. Our Qiqi is the most obedient and sensible, right?" After the emperor said this, he looked at Su Qiqi with anticipation.
"...Yeah!" Su Qiqi nodded cooperatively.
"Wow!" Lu Hongxuan exclaimed, looking like he had never seen the world before: "Oh my God! Qiqi really knows what we are talking about!"
“It’s incredible.”
The more the empress dowager looked at her, the more she liked her. She held Su Qiqi in her arms, stroked her little face, and smoothed her hair. She was reluctant to let anyone else hold her.
She glanced at the virtuous concubine kneeling at her feet and said impatiently: "Qiqi likes the noble concubine, so let the noble concubine raise her."
The virtuous concubine was unwilling to give in. She kowtowed and cried, "I am afraid that the noble concubine is too busy and may neglect it. If something happens to the princess again..."
“That’s enough!”
The emperor looked at Concubine Xian with dissatisfaction and couldn't help scolding her.
"Stop trying to sow discord here with your sarcastic words! You all didn't want to raise Qiqi in the first place, and now that the Imperial Concubine has been raising her for so long, you're trying to snatch her away? What are you thinking? Qiqi only recognizes the Imperial Concubine as her mother, so there's no point in you snatching her away!"
Being insulted, Concubine Xian cried and shook her head: "Your Majesty, I just feel sorry for the princess, I..."
"Zhao Xu, send Concubine Xian back to the palace."
At the emperor's command, Zhao Xu stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. I will escort you back."
"Empress Dowager..." Concubine Xian looked at the Empress Dowager pitifully and for help.
She finally got to see the emperor, but she didn't accomplish anything and gained nothing. How could she bear to go back?
She begged the Queen Mother for help, hoping that she would let her stay.
However, the Queen Mother remained unmoved. Instead, Zhao Xu urged her a few more times.
Helpless, she could only leave unwillingly.
Lu Qingyuan looked at Lu Hongxuan half-jokingly: "I remember you weren't that smart when you were little, but you were quite naughty. Why is Qiqi so well-behaved, smart and cute?"
Lu Hongxuan didn't feel angry at all. Instead, he patted his chest proudly and said, "Qiqi is my sister. I talk to her and play with her every day. I teach her boxing and feed her soup. Of course she is smart and cute!"
Mo Yunchi, who was silently eating cakes on the side, couldn't help but twitch his lips: "Nonsense!" Su Qiqi is of course smart, because she is not an ordinary person! But...
Su Qiqi's fate seemed to be covered by a layer of mist. It was vague and made him itch, and he couldn't help but want to peek more.
But no matter how much I count with my fingers, I calculate again and again, but why can’t I figure it out or see through it?
Yan Xi moved closer to Mo Yunchi and whispered, "It's complicated and confusing, and it's hard to predict the future. The situation is like the wind and clouds, changing constantly. There's no need to rush for success, just wait and see."
"Mother, can't you see through Qiqi's fate?" Mo Yunchi asked curiously.
Yan Xi nodded: "The only thing that is certain is that she and you will have an unbreakable connection and fate. But she is too young, and the details will have to wait until later."
Hearing this, Mo Yunchi said, "I'm not in a hurry. I'll wait slowly."
Yan Xi hinted: "Indeed, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Good things need to be brewed."
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