When Aunt Xiufang saw Qiao Yu coming, she didn't greet him as enthusiastically as before. There was sadness and desolation in her eyes. After all, she was no longer the "noble slave" in the palace who even the emperor had to give her some face.
"Lady Lan, you haven't been here for a while. Is there anything urgent? You're not in good health, so why bother coming here in person?"
Qiao Yu did not feel disappointed even though Xiufang was not as friendly as before. After all, the little bit of love that Xiufang showed in the beginning was not directed at him.
"A banquet will be held to celebrate the birth of my son. As the elder sister, I naturally want to go there in person, so I came to ask if there is anything I want to tell my aunt."
Xiufang thought that the beautiful woman in front of her was no longer the one she knew. She never expected that she could still miss her master. She couldn't help but burst into tears:
"Okay... okay, the Queen Mother is always thinking about you."
Compared to Xiufang's excitement, Qiao Yu calmly avoided the other person's attempt to pat her hand affectionately, but because she acted too naturally, Xiufang didn't notice anything wrong.
As he walked into the bedroom of Cining Palace, the strong smell of medicine hit his nose, which made Qiao Yu, who had been soaking in medicine jars for years, feel a little uncomfortable.
Lying on the bed was the most noble woman in Dongxu. But now, due to illness, Empress Dowager Xue became more and more old and frail, and her dry face no longer had the glory of the past.
“Yun..Yunlan!! Tiger..Tiger Talisman…!”
When Empress Dowager Xue saw Qiao Yu, she forgot to even say hello. Her mind was full of the tiger talisman. She excitedly wanted to stand up and say something but she couldn't say anything. In the end, she could only utter a few intermittent words.
"My aunt is ill and confused. The tiger talisman is now missing. How can a woman like Lan'er help you find its whereabouts?"
When talking about this, Qiao Yu didn't forget to shed a few tears.
Xiufang sighed, "Don't blame me, Lady Lan. Ever since Commander-in-Chief Xue contracted a heart disease and the tiger talisman was stolen by a prostitute, my master's spirit has become increasingly poor."
Qiao Yu wiped away the tears that didn't exist, and frowned slightly. Her worried and distressed look was so real:
"It's all because I'm useless and can't help my aunt. Lan'er is going to see Sheng'er. Is there anything I want Lan'er to tell Sheng'er?"
After hearing what Qiao Yu said, Xiufang wisely left the room and waved away the servants in the room.
When Empress Dowager Xue heard Hua Bosheng's words, a glimmer of hope instantly ignited in her eyes. Her expression was filled with power and unwillingness, but she wanted to say something for a long time, but could only utter a few words:
"And... Lie'er... Lie..."
He has already stepped half into the coffin but still remembers to have wishful dreams.
Lie'er is the son of Hua Yunlan's adopted cousin, General Xue Shaozuo. Mentioning him at this time is just to let Qiao Yu complete Xue's unfinished "great cause".
The conspiracy had already been plotted against Hua Bosheng. Qiao Yu instantly lost the energy to flatter. Without any disgust, he approached Empress Dowager Xue, whispered something in her ear, and then stood up and left.
She had only come to see how many days it would take for Empress Dowager Xue to be buried.
"Empress Lan is gone." Before Xiufang could exchange a few words with Qiao Yu, she heard Empress Dowager Xue's groaning voice coming from the inner room, and then she seemed to fall off the bed with a loud noise.
"Aunt Xiufang, please go quickly and call Doctor Jiang to come and check on your aunt."
The last thing Qiao Yu said to Queen Mother Xue was: Aunt, guess where the tiger talisman is?
Empress Dowager Xue was ill, not stupid. She figured it out in a moment, but now she had no strength to speak. Even if she did, everyone would just think she was having a hysterical attack.
On the day of leaving the palace, Qiao Yu did not make a big fuss, and did not even inform Yan Fu, but arranged for a few sedan chairs to accompany her.
Before getting on the carriage, Qiao Yu finally set his eyes on the very inconspicuous little kid and spoke to him in a rare friendly manner:
"Even if I'm not here, you must study diligently with the Master and not be lazy."
Little Yan Shian is only five years old, but he insists on acting like a mature young man. When he frowns, he looks even more like a little old man.
Qiao Yu poked the little kid's eyebrows in dissatisfaction, but did not use too much force.
But Yan Shian was still taken aback by this 'intimate' gesture, but he quickly regained his calm and composed expression.
"Your son will follow the instructions of Lady Lan."
Yes, it was Empress Lan, not the Empress Dowager or the Consort Mother. Qiao Yu had never told himself that he was not allowed to do so, but no one had taught him to call her that.
It is conceivable how distant the two were. Normally, this nominal mother would only come to the Imperial College to inspect his studies on a whim, and nothing else.
"It's still not fun like this. Let's get going, Xiao Xiazi."
When I arrived in Washington, although it was a different mansion, it was still like my first visit to my parents, with a crowd of people standing at the door to welcome me.
"The Imperial Concubine came without a second thought, not giving my younger brother any time to prepare. You said you were not in good health, yet you acted so hastily."
Qiao Yu decided to come to Washington this morning. Although he had told Hua Bosheng that he was coming, he did not inform him of the day of his arrival.
When Lan Chaodian started packing up his belongings, Zhu'er reminded him, and Qiao Yu remembered to tell Hua Bosheng one day in advance:
"Alright, alright, Sheng'er's been nagging me so much that my ears are almost callused, but you don't welcome me? Then I'll have no choice but to stay at the inn with Zhu'er and the others..."
As she spoke, Qiao Yu picked up an embroidered handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, looking completely unsympathetic.
Hua Bosheng knew that this sister was always trying to make fun of him, but he still couldn't help but panic, and for a moment he didn't even call her by her honorific name:
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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