Chapter 926: Dealing with the Funeral
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Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
At that time, the Empress Dowager was sitting in the temple hall in a daze. “In terms of judgment, I’m not as good as the previous emperor.”
Back then, the Marquis of Weining and the Marquis of Changxing were connected. They were both generals who controlled the military power and were also like the sun in the sky. Even the Empress Dowager had to avoid them.
“King You” was summoned back to the capital.
The Empress Dowager had originally planned to personally step in to protect “King You”, but she had never expected that she would only receive bad news about “King You’s residence” and “King You”.
After that, King Li of Zhou’s “suicide” was almost an established fact, and it completely disappointed the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager seemed to be talking in her sleep. “I’ve watched Xinger grow up since I was young. In terms of imperial power, although I have my own selfish motives, I’ve always treated him as my own son.” Towards the end, even her voice was hoa.r.s.e, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes. “If I had known earlier, Xing’er wouldn’t have ended up like this. Back then, l . . .
The rest of the sentence was almost inaudible.
However, Auntie Shen had served the Empress Dowager for decades. How could she not understand?
The Empress Dowager had long regretted it.
There was silence in the room for a while. Then, the Empress Dowager sighed slowly. “Over the past few days, I’ve often thought of Concubine Hui.” A smile appeared on her lips again. “Peach blossoms are floating things. I’m afraid it’s inauspicious to plant peach blossoms in the palace. However, Concubine Hui is a farm girl and doesn’t care about this. She planted a courtyard of peach blossoms in Chengqian Palace. A concubine complained to the emperor. The emperor felt that it was inappropriate, so he asked Concubine Hui.”
Auntie Shen also thought of this.
The previous emperor doted on Concubine Hui very much and even issued a decree to let her live in the Chenggan Palace. It was the closest palace to the Emperor’s palace.
“I still remember that Concubine Hui said that peach blossoms are good things. In spring, they can be admired, used to brew wine, and used to make food. They can also be used to make rouge powder. In summer, people eat peaches, and in autumn, people harvest rubber. In winter, people drink peach blossom wine. There’s no such thing as inauspicious.”
As a n.o.ble lady of an official’s family, she had been raised in her own room since she was young. When she was a little older, she had been appointed to the current emperor, who was still a prince.
After that, the palace sent over a nanny. Not only would the nanny take care of her daily life, but the nanny would also keep an eye on her words and actions and teach her the palace rules and etiquette.
To her, Concubine Hui’s every move was filled with novelty, so she couldn’t help but interact more. “One year, peach blossoms bloomed all over the courtyard. Concubine Hui used the peach blossoms she had harvested in the first year to make peach blossom snacks and brew peach blossom gum. I sat under the peach blossom tree with Concubine Hui and drank the peach blossom wine from the first year while eating the food made from peach blossoms. Concubine Hui also said that when the peach blossoms bloom next year, she would use the peach blossoms to make some rouge powder and give
it to me…”
In her life, she fought with her sister and the concubine at home. When she went to the palace, she fought with the concubines. She didn’t have a day of peace.
It was a carefree feeling that she had never felt in her life.
“Unfortunately, after Concubine Hui pa.s.sed away, the previous emperor ordered someone to carefully take care of the peach trees in the courtyard of the Chengqian Palace. However, probably because everything was sentient, when the owner died, no matter how meticulous they were, the peach blossoms in that courtyard did not grow as well as before, and the flowers bloomed less and less year by year. In the end, the previous emperor ordered someone to shovel the peach blossoms. I never saw the scene of the peach blossoms blooming again.”
In the past, she did not understand why, but later on, she did.
After the owner of the flowers pa.s.sed away, no matter how meticulous the palace servants seemed on the surface, they could not compare to the change in the human heart. How could they compare to Concubine Hui’s sincere love and meticulous nurturing?
The room gradually fell silent.
Auntie Shen carefully raised her head and called out softly, “Empress Dowager…”
After a while!
“Get up.” The Empress Dowager coughed a few more times. “Didn’t you say that you wanted to feed me pear paste water? It’s been difficult for her to keep thinking about me and sending things to the palace. What she spent so much effort making is ultimately not ordinary. She’ll get used to it after using it.
When she uses the other King of the East, the difference will be obvious.”
Auntie Shen lowered her head and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve.
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and picked up the pear paste again, carefully serving the Empress Dowager.
Perhaps it was because the pear paste water was really effective, but after the Empress Dowager took it, her coughing gradually stopped, and her expression improved a little. “What do you think of Princess Shaoyi?”
Auntie Shen was stunned for a moment before she quickly said, “l don’t dare to speak nonsense.”
The Empress Dowager glanced at her. “Don’t play dumb. Pretend that I don’t know that you like her very much, and that you treat her better than other n.o.ble ladies.’
Auntie Shen was nervous and quickly explained, “When Auntie Xu was in the palace, she was close to me. After all, Auntie Xu personally raised her. l . . . ”
“That’s enough.” The Empress Dowager waved her hand and interrupted her. “Don’t explain. I’ll only gossip a little. Princess Shaoyi’s heart is like gla.s.s. Not only do you like it, but I also like it.”
Just like Concubine Hui, Princess Shaoyi was a rare woman in the world.
Every time she thought of Princess Shaoyi, she couldn’t help but think of
Concubine Hui.
“It’s also because you, the Empress Dowager, have eyes that recognize gold and jade.” Although Miss Shen heaved a sigh of relief, she still felt that the Empress Dowager wouldn’t have said this for no reason.
The thoughts of a superior were far from as simple as they appeared. Even a casual sentence, gaze, and action had a deeper meaning.
The Empress Dowager smiled and changed the topic. “Invite Eunuch Zhu over.
Go personally. Don’t let anyone notice.”
Auntie Shen was shocked and suddenly felt a little uneasy.
The room suddenly fell silent.
After a long time!
The Empress Dowager leaned against the desk and took a nap. As soon as Eunuch Zhu entered the room, she opened her eyes. Eunuch Zhu quickly knelt down and greeted the Empress Dowager.
“Get up!” The Empress Dowager waved her hand and pushed the ebony box, which was inlaid with gold and jade, on the desk to Eunuch Zhu. “Arranged for someone to send a reward to Princess Shaoyi. You will be the one making the arrangements. This box was given to Princess Shaoyi by me. Send it over together. No one can know about this.”
The Qianji Palace had already been sealed. As the imperial eunuch, Eunuch He naturally had to take care of it from the side. All the matters in the inner palace were handled by Eunuch He’s G.o.dson, Eunuch Zhu.
There was no one more thorough than him in the entire palace.
Eunuch Zhu held the box with both hands and bowed. “Empress Dowager,
don’t worry. I won’t let you down.”
Ever since the Empress came to the Longevity Palace to take care of her illness, the Empress gradually became aware of the things in the Longevity
Palace. The “anyone” that the Empress Dowager mentioned also included the Empress.
Even if the Empress Dowager gave something to Princess Shaoyi, she had to avoid being noticed and borrow his hand.
It seemed that the Empress Dowager did not trust the Empress.
The Empress Dowager seemed to be a little tired. She pushed her eyelids open and gradually closed them. “When I go…”
These words made Eunuch Zhu’s expression suddenly change. He knelt on the ground with a thud and buried his head.
Why did these words sound like she was briefing him on her funeral?!