latelenovela Chapter 84 is just hoping you won't regret it. This Crown Princess... is not someone to be trif
Chapter 84 is just hoping you won't regret it. This Crown Princess... is not someone to be trif
Since the founding of the Changping Dynasty, no Empress Dowager has ever resided in Shou'an Palace. Even the Holy Mother Empress Dowager has always lived alone in Ci'an Palace.
Shou'an Palace was where the imperial concubines lived together.
In order to give the Empress Dowager a surprise, Emperor Longyun used the pretext of thoroughly investigating the case of Prince An to strictly control entry and exit from the capital. Therefore, the Empress Dowager and Prince Ping were unaware of all the recent events in the capital.
The weather was already quite warm in early April, especially around midday.
But under the warm sun, Empress Dowager Qin felt a chill all over her body.
"Outrageous!" Empress Dowager Qin slammed her hand on the armrest of the imperial carriage, trembling with rage. "I am the Emperor's legal mother, the Empress Dowager. How can I, the Empress Dowager, crowd into the Shou'an Palace with my concubines? Doesn't the Emperor fear that the court officials will gossip about his filial impiety?!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down." Li An remained expressionless, still wearing a fawning smile. "Your Majesty has probably misunderstood His Majesty again."
"The Cining Palace has been uninhabited for many years and is inevitably somewhat dilapidated. It will probably take some time to repair it. However, Her Majesty has returned to the palace to avoid disaster and to prevent Buddha from turning his back on her. In this urgent situation, His Majesty has no choice but to allow Her Majesty to stay in the Shou'an Palace."
As he spoke, Li An's smile became even more obsequious.
"After all, Her Majesty is indeed anxious to return to the palace; she can't stay on Buddha Mountain and suffer the disaster, can she?"
Stay or leave if you want, or get out if you don't!
Crown Prince Hua Min had watched Li An grow up and always respected Li An. Moreover, Li An had been Emperor Longyun's tutor since childhood, so he naturally hated this vicious empress dowager even more.
Emperor Longyun had originally planned to have the commander of the Imperial Guards greet the Empress Dowager on his behalf today, fearing that Li An, being merely a palace servant, might be harmed if the Empress Dowager acted recklessly. Having the commander of the Imperial Guards would be much better, as Mu Bolin held an official position, making it difficult for the Empress Dowager to act against him easily.
However, Li An suggested that it would be better to have someone represent Emperor Longyun present, so Emperor Longyun allowed him to come on his behalf.
Empress Dowager Qin's lips trembled, and her neck turned red. The concubines and imperial heirs kneeling on the ground also kowtowed deeply, fearing that they would be used as a scapegoat and punished by someone.
The empty space made it difficult to breathe and felt extremely oppressive.
Just then, Prince Ping, who was following behind the Empress Dowager, stepped forward.
“Eunuch Li. Even if Cining Palace is uninhabitable, there is still Ci’an Palace. I remember that my father would have people repair Ci’an Palace every year. How can we let my grandmother live in Shou’an Palace?”
Emperor Longyun renovated Cixi Palace to commemorate his birth mother, and naturally did not want Empress Dowager Qin, that despicable and petty person, to interfere.
Li An smiled faintly, “Your Highness, Cixi Palace is the residence of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager has never adopted any children and has her own offspring. She would not want to live in Cixi Palace, where His Majesty’s birth mother should live. His Majesty understands the Empress Dowager’s wishes and naturally does not want to make things difficult for her.”
Who do you think you are, daring to live in the Cixi Palace, the birth mother of His Majesty?
His Majesty had other plans to bring you back; otherwise, you would probably have been assassinated long ago!
Prince Ping naturally understood this principle to some extent, but he was still very unwilling. "Eunuch Li, when did Father Emperor decide on this matter?"
"Your Highness, this matter was decided by His Majesty with his ministers at the court meeting on March 16th, and there is no objection from the court or the public."
King Ping was speechless.
The flags in the procession looked somewhat wilted in the midday sun, just as the Empress Dowager Qin's heart and face were equally gloomy.
But she had to endure it.
Even if she returned under the pretext of "fleeing from disaster" or "bad fate," she would have to endure it, even if she could only live with the concubines in Shou'an Palace.
Only by returning to the palace, to the center of power, could she truly be considered an empress dowager and have the means to do what she wanted.
Empress Dowager Qin swallowed the metallic taste in her throat and, after forcefully calming her turbulent emotions, slowly opened her eyes.
"Your Majesty, please tell me what else you have done for me."
Li An smiled apologetically, “His Majesty knows that the Empress Dowager has been worshipping Buddha at Mount Fotuo for many years and must be a devout follower of Buddhism and reluctant to part with her. Therefore, His Majesty personally supervised the process of having the Imperial Household Department decorate the main hall of Shouan Palace according to the regulations of a Buddhist temple dormitory, in order to comfort the Empress Dowager’s pain of separation.”
Ha! Is this a way to torture yourself?
The Queen Dowager remained silent for a long time, closing her eyes to suppress her anger.
It's alright, it's alright. As long as we achieve our goal, enduring a little bit is nothing!
Li An glanced at the sundial not far away, not wanting to delay any longer.
"Your Majesty, it's almost lunchtime. Why don't you return to the palace first?"
Empress Dowager Qin still did not open her eyes.
"The Emperor is very kind. Let's go back."
The Empress Dowager's entourage slowly made its way to Shou'an Palace, and the concubines and imperial children who had been kneeling for a full quarter of an hour were finally able to rise.
At noon, Empress Dowager Qin finally arrived at Shou'an Palace.
Shou'an Palace was one of the residences of the late emperor's concubines, and because of the large number of people, it was quite large. To facilitate their chastity and Buddhist worship, it was also separated from the new emperor's harem. Shou'an Palace and its surroundings were decorated with many tall trees and Buddhist halls, and the air was filled with the strong scent of sandalwood all day long. As soon as you entered, you would feel the deep and secluded atmosphere of a Buddhist temple.
Not to mention that Emperor Longyun also specially added a lot of things from the temple, making the entire Shou'an Palace look more serene and out of place with the imperial palace.
Li An lagged behind the Empress Dowager and led her through a dense forest into the main hall.
All the valuable items that were originally in the main hall were taken away by Emperor Longyun under some pretext and placed in his private treasury. As a result, the entire interior was decorated in a simple and plain style, without even a brightly colored vase, let alone any other precious items.
Even though she was prepared, the Empress Dowager Qin could not hide her indignation upon seeing the layout, which was comparable to a real temple.
Prince Ping frowned, somewhat doubting whether his plan to join forces with the Empress Dowager was correct.
"Your Majesty, I have already ordered someone to prepare lunch for you in advance. You must be tired from your journey, so why don't you wash up first and then have lunch and rest?"
"Meal?"
Empress Dowager Qin gave a heavy snort in annoyance.
"I'm afraid it's just cabbage and tofu with absolutely no meat in it, just watery soup, right?"
Li An bowed and clasped his hands, "Your Majesty is truly insightful! This was specially prepared for you by His Majesty, so that you would be comfortable and at ease eating it. This is His Majesty's filial piety!"
Ha! Filial piety?
He'd be so angry he couldn't eat, so he could save some money, right?
Having already endured such great humiliation, the Queen Dowager of Qin did not want to be angry about this established fact.
She waved her hand casually, "Go back. The emperor is ill, and he needs you, his personal attendant, to serve him properly. Now that I'm back, I should see him. Before dinner, have the empress, the crown prince, and that male concubine all come over to pay their respects to me."
When Lin Shiming was mentioned, Empress Dowager Qin's eyes revealed undisguised disgust.
Five years ago, everyone knew how she tormented and manipulated those bitches, Bai Qiongzhu and Lu Yuxu. Now, five years later, she can still take care of them!
Empress Dowager Qin's nail guards pierced her palms, and in her pain and rage, her face became even more dark and twisted.
Li An, who was standing next to her, took in her expression, lowered his head and looked down to hide the hatred in his eyes.
"This servant will certainly convey the message to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."
I just hope you won't regret it, because this Crown Princess... is not someone to be trifled with.
Li An smiled meaningfully, "This servant takes his leave."
After Li An left Shou'an Palace without hesitation with several eunuchs, Prince Ping finally stepped forward and said, "Grandmother, this place is indeed a bit... too simple. Why don't I prepare something for you?"
Empress Dowager Qin gave a cold laugh.
He didn't say anything when that lackey Li An was here, but now that he's gone, he's offering his hindsight advice.
"No need. I'll just focus on my Buddhist practice." Empress Dowager Qin glanced at Prince Ping. "Besides, this is your father's 'filial piety,' do you dare disobey him?"
King Ping's thin, somewhat harsh face twitched.
For the past twenty days, he has been watched by the imperial guards around him every day. From morning to night, he has been kneeling and praying for blessings, and copying scriptures by lamplight. He has not been able to stop for a moment. Moreover, he has been arranged to eat only vegetarian food with no oil at all. He has lost more than ten pounds and his face is extremely haggard.
The fact that he still has the strength to ride a horse back from Buddha Mountain today is all thanks to the foundation he built up in the past.
Therefore, even though he had spoken out of good intentions, he was still being humiliated by this old woman under this pretext, and Prince Ping was truly resentful.
But he didn't dare show it; he just bowed his head and clasped his hands, not saying a word more.
The Queen Dowager Qin was truly exhausted and too lazy to care about this grandson who was not related to her by blood.
"Alright, you can go back now. Go back and rest, then come back before dinner." Let's see how I teach those wretches a lesson!
King Ping paused, then bowed deeply, saying, "Grandson takes his leave."