Kunning Palace is not far from Cixi Palace, where the Empress Dowager resides, but for Lin Wanwan, who has just crawled back from the brink of death, the journey felt exceptionally long.
She was carefully dressed and made up by the palace maids, and changed into a light pink palace dress befitting her status as empress. Although her face was covered with thick makeup in an attempt to conceal her sickly pallor, her unsteady steps and the lingering weariness between her brows still betrayed her weakness.
She sat in the sedan chair, while Xiao Che rode a horse beside her, keeping a distance.
He remained as cold and aloof as ever, his lips pressed tightly together, revealing no emotion whatsoever. If Lin Wanwan hadn't been able to see the "[Going to another boring meeting.gif]" image above his head bobbing up and down with the horse's movements, she would have almost thought he genuinely enjoyed accompanying her to this "family meeting."
The two did not exchange any words along the way.
Silence, like an invisible net, enveloped them.
Soon, a solemn and magnificent palace came into view. The vermilion palace walls and golden glazed tiles reflected an awe-inspiring majesty in the afternoon sun.
This is the center of power in the entire imperial harem—Cian Palace.
After getting off the sedan chair, Lin Wanwan, supported by Chun Tao, followed Xiao Che and stepped onto the white jade steps.
The hall was filled with the finest calming incense, its rich aroma unable to suppress the invisible, suffocating pressure emanating from it.
Upon entering the main hall, Lin Wanwan saw a woman dressed in a dark gold phoenix robe sitting in the main seat.
She was in her early forties, and her well-maintained face showed almost no wrinkles. Her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with a phoenix hairpin with gold and kingfisher feathers, and her eyebrows and eyes were exquisitely drawn. She did not deliberately put on an imposing expression; she simply sat there quietly, yet an air of authority and power naturally emanated from her.
This is Empress Dowager Wang, the biological mother of Xiao Che, of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
"Your subject (your daughter-in-law) greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace."
Xiao Che and Lin Wanwan stepped forward together and bowed in greeting.
"Get up." The Empress Dowager's voice was gentle, like spring water infused with honey, very pleasant to hear. But Lin Wanwan keenly sensed that beneath this gentleness lay a subtle distance and scrutiny.
She secretly glanced up and saw that the Empress Dowager's gaze had bypassed the Emperor beside her and landed directly on her.
What kind of look was that?
It's like the most astute jade craftsman examining a newly cut piece of raw jade, with a critical eye, an assessment, and even a hint of... barely perceptible disdain.
It was as if he were looking at a piece of merchandise, not his daughter-in-law.
"Your Majesty, Wanwan, please have a seat." The Empress Dowager raised her hand, gesturing for the palace servants to offer seats.
"Thank you, Mother Empress."
Lin Wanwan sat down on the embroidered stool brought by the palace maid, only daring to sit on half of her buttocks, her back straight, adopting the most respectful and submissive posture.
"Wanwan," the Empress Dowager spoke first, her gaze still fixed on Lin Wanwan, "I heard you've woken up, and a huge weight has been lifted from my heart. Look at your face, as white as paper, you must have suffered terribly. The servants in the palace are becoming more and more unruly, allowing you and the Emperor to be so frightened."
Her words sounded like concern and a reprimand to the servants, but Lin Wanwan sensed the deeper meaning hidden in her words.
—You, the empress sent to bring good fortune in marriage, are truly "unlucky." You've only just entered the palace and you've already caused such a huge mess, almost losing your own life and implicating the emperor as well.
This "inauspicious" label was casually and easily placed on top of me.
Lin Wanwan felt a chill run down her spine, knowing that the confrontation had already begun.
She quickly rose from the embroidered stool, slightly bent her knees, and adopted a fearful and uneasy appearance. Her voice grew weaker and weaker: "Thank you for your concern, Mother. It is all my fault for being unlucky and failing to serve Your Majesty well. On the contrary, my disloyalty has disturbed Your Majesty's health and caused you worry. I feel guilty."
Instead of refuting the Empress Dowager's words, she went along with it and took all the blame upon herself. However, she cleverly shifted the nature of the incident from "misfortune and bad luck" to "disloyalty of the servants."
My bad luck is because there are bad people around. This logic is perfectly natural.
Sure enough, upon hearing her impeccable reply, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in the Empress Dowager's well-maintained phoenix eyes. She seemed to have not expected that this seemingly frail and sickly new empress would be so eloquent.
Xiao Che, who had been resting with his eyes closed as if it were none of his business, barely moved his eyelids.
The atmosphere inside the hall froze for a moment.
The Empress Dowager's expression darkened noticeably.
She picked up the teacup beside her and gently skimmed off the foam with the lid, making a soft sound. This action completely dispelled her gentle aura, replacing it with a chilling majesty.
"It's good that you have this intention." The Empress Dowager put down her teacup, her voice still calm, but the admonition in it could no longer be concealed. "However, as the Empress, the mother of the nation, this intention alone is not enough. You come from the Ministry of Rites, so I imagine Minister Lin taught you 'Rules for Women' and 'Instructions for Women.' The way of being an Empress is first and foremost to be virtuous and gentle, and secondly, to be law-abiding and cautious in speech and action."
Her words were sharp as a knife, hitting the nail on the head.
Don't think you can pull any tricks on me just because you have a little bit of cleverness. Your job is to stay put, don't cause trouble, and don't say anything!
This is no longer a hint, but a blatant warning.
Lin Wanwan's heart sank to the bottom.
She could sense that the Empress Dowager harbored a deep-seated aversion and contempt towards her. This feeling was not solely due to the poisoning incident.
She lowered her head, her long eyelashes concealing all her emotions, and could only obediently reply, "Your Majesty's teachings are correct, your daughter-in-law will keep them in mind."
"Just keeping it in mind isn't enough."
The Empress Dowager clearly had no intention of letting her off so easily. She launched into a long-winded explanation, quoting classical texts and historical examples, from virtuous empresses of the past to exemplary figures of the present dynasty, elaborating on how an empress should "uphold her duties," "assist the emperor," and "ensure the continuation of the imperial line"...
Her words were like a cold, barbed whip, lashing at Lin Wanwan's nerves again and again.
Lin Wanwan was already recovering from a serious illness and was extremely weak, barely holding on by sheer willpower. At this moment, under the constant mental pressure from the number one boss in the harem, she felt her head buzzing and her vision blurring.
She forced herself to maintain a respectful and attentive expression, but fine beads of cold sweat were already forming on her forehead.
She knew that this was the Empress Dowager trying to intimidate her.
She wanted to use this method to smooth out her rough edges, destroy her pride, and make her understand from the very beginning who the true master of this harem was.
Lin Wanwan felt like she was about to collapse.
Just as she was about to lose control of her swaying body, she used her last bit of strength to steal a quick glance at Xiao Che sitting not far away.
The man remained indifferent. He lowered his head slightly, leaned back in his chair, his breathing steady, and his eyes closed, as if he were truly asleep.
He seemed to have no intention of intervening in the persecution his nominal wife was suffering.
A hint of disappointment flashed through Lin Wanwan's mind.
However, when her gaze habitually shifted to the top of his head, she froze.
The emoji above Xiao Che's head had changed at some point.
It's no longer that boring "So boring.gif" from before.
Instead, it's a new, more volatile animated GIF—
A pixelated figure sits in a chair, frantically pounding its tiny fists on the table in front of it. Its face displays extreme impatience, accompanied by a line of angry words.
[Will this ever end?!]
Upon seeing this meme, Lin Wanwan's mind, which had become muddled due to weakness and exhaustion, instantly cleared up for a moment.
So it turns out... he wasn't really indifferent after all.
He was simply too lazy to deal with it, or rather, disdained to deal with such clashes between women in the inner quarters of the house.
But he got annoyed.
He was extremely agitated.
This realization was like a pebble thrown into Lin Wanwan's calm heart, creating ripples.
A bold, somewhat adventurous plan began to slowly take shape in her mind.
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