The more Qinglan thought about it, the more unwilling she felt. The Empress Dowager's decree of marriage had been issued for so long, and Ning Huaizhi had led his troops out to war. She didn't know when he would return. If he wasn't so lucky this time and died in the army, wouldn't she become a widow before she even got married?
Qinglan felt extremely agitated and wished she could immediately go to the palace to speak with the Empress Dowager and see if there was any way to salvage the situation.
However, when Qinglan thought about how she had cried as she entered the palace to beg the Empress Dowager for the marriage, she knew she couldn't bring herself to say anything about asking the Empress Dowager to retract her decision.
If she really said those words without any reason, wouldn't the Empress Dowager think she was making fun of her? If she really angered the Empress Dowager, she might not even have the Empress Dowager as her support in the future.
Qinglan thought for a moment that if she frequently went to the palace to complain to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager might take pity on her and cancel the marriage on her own initiative. Or, if the marriage could not be canceled, it would be good to be able to drive Jiang Yuwei out of the General's Mansion.
She would visit the Empress Dowager every day, whispering in her ear, hoping that if Ning Huaizhi really died on the battlefield, the Empress Dowager would appreciate her hardship and not allow her to marry him. Then she could marry Young Master Qiu later.
Thinking this through, Qinglan decided that she should meet with Young Master Qiu more often in the future. After all, she still needed to keep him on his toes so that he wouldn't marry someone else as his wife.
Right now, the most important thing is to go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager and tell her all the grievances I've suffered from Jiang Yuwei and Ning Huaizhi these past few days.
With that thought in mind, Qinglan took Yangliu into the palace without saying another word.
When Qinglan entered the palace, the Emperor was in the Empress Dowager's courtyard talking with her. Upon seeing Qinglan, he hurriedly greeted her:
"Little Qinglan, you are a filial child, often coming to the palace to keep the Empress Dowager company."
Qinglan smiled and stepped forward to bow.
"Your Majesty, I have been close to my maternal grandmother since I was a child. Now that I have no relatives around me, I naturally get closer to my paternal grandmother. If it weren't for the strict palace rules, I would love to come to the palace every day to be with my paternal grandmother."
The emperor burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Haha, you're always good at pleasing the Empress Dowager. From now on, with my decree, you can enter the palace at will. Even if you want to live in this palace to keep your grandmother company, no one can stop you."
The Empress Dowager laughed upon hearing this:
"Your Majesty, you're joking again. Qinglan is already engaged and will be getting married soon. She won't have time to stay by my side every day."
Upon hearing this, Qinglan quickly stepped forward and sat down next to the Empress Dowager, saying in a coquettish tone:
"If I could stay with my grandmother every day, Qinglan would be willing to never marry!"
The Empress Dowager smiled and reached out to tap Qinglan's head, saying:
"You're talking nonsense again, girl. Who was it that came to the palace crying and complaining a few days ago, saying that she wanted to marry Ning Huaizhi?"
Upon hearing this, Qinglan lowered her head and smiled shyly.
Seeing this, the emperor laughed heartily, rose, and bowed to the Empress Dowager, saying:
"Mother, since Qinglan has come to the palace to have a private conversation with you, I won't stay any longer. There are still a lot of memorials waiting for me in the Imperial Study, so I'll take my leave now."
The Empress Dowager nodded, and Qinglan quickly bowed to the Emperor. The Emperor then left with his entourage.
Qinglan waited until the Emperor left before sitting down again to massage the Empress Dowager's legs.
The Empress Dowager looked up at Qinglan's worried face and smiled:
What brings you to the palace today?
Qinglan looked up at the Empress Dowager.
"Grandmother, do you know that General Ning has led his troops into battle?"
The Empress Dowager nodded.
"I never concern myself with the affairs of the previous dynasty, but I have heard a little about Ning Huai's expedition."
Qinglan took the Empress Dowager's hand and spoke with a sorrowful expression:
"Grandmother, I... I'm feeling uneasy. Ever since General Ning left the capital, I haven't been able to sleep well night after night. If he really died on the battlefield, wouldn't I become a widow before even entering the family?"
The Empress Dowager burst out laughing upon hearing this.
"Do you really have no faith in General Ning's abilities?"
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager patted Qinglan on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, even if Ning Huaizhi really dies on the battlefield, I won't let you be a widow. Your grandmother will arrange another marriage for you then."
Qinglan sighed softly.
"I'm already engaged now. If I wait until General Ning leaves to arrange another engagement, I'm afraid people will gossip about it..."
Upon hearing Qinglan's words, the Empress Dowager frowned slightly and said calmly:
"I see you came to the palace today to blame your grandmother for arranging this marriage for you, is that it?"
Qinglan quickly stood up and waved her hand, saying:
"No, no, that's not what I meant. I just felt uneasy and wanted to talk to my grandmother for a while. After all, she's the only family I have left."
Hearing Qinglan's words, the Empress Dowager's heart softened again. She reached out and pulled Qinglan to sit down, patiently saying:
"Don't worry, Qinglan. I promised your mother that I would find you a good marriage and give you a grand wedding. I will not break my promise."
Seeing the Empress Dowager's words, Qinglan finally felt relieved, and then smiled and began massaging the Empress Dowager's legs again.
"I knew my grandmother loved me the most."
As she spoke, Qinglan's eyes darted around, and she said indignantly:
"You have no idea that a few days ago when I went to the General's Mansion's shop, Jiang Yuwei still saw me as a thorn in her side and gave me a cold shoulder. She even scolded me in front of everyone."
Qinglan sighed.
"Sigh, I really don't dare to think about how I would get along with Jiang Yuwei if I married into the General's Mansion. Just seeing her now makes me feel scared."
The Empress Dowager frowned as she looked at Qinglan and slowly spoke:
What are you doing at her shop?
Qinglan had thought the Empress Dowager would make the decision for her, but she didn't expect the Empress Dowager to ask her this question. Thinking of her behavior that day, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes.
He hurriedly spoke up:
"I... I was actually thinking of going to take care of the General's Mansion's business. Now that the news of my marriage bestowed by the Empress Dowager has spread, I naturally need to patronize the General's Mansion's business more often, so that others won't have anything to say."
The Empress Dowager was a formidable figure. Seeing the panic in Qinglan's eyes, she instantly realized that things were not as simple as Qinglan had described.
Having already confronted Jiang Yuwei face-to-face last time, the Empress Dowager genuinely felt that Jiang Yuwei wasn't a bad person at heart, and didn't seem like the type to actively provoke Qinglan. Thinking this, the Empress Dowager shook her head and said:
"Just go to that shop less often in the future, and that will solve the problem."
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