Chapter 803 Holding Hands for the First Time, Finally!
“Sit down!” Empress Dowager said gently.
A servant had already brought a chair over. Shao Wanru lowered her head and said, “I don’t dare to make any offense!”
“None taken. Sit down and talk to me!” Empress Dowager was very kind. Her purpose today was to see Shao Wanru’s reaction.
She had sent someone to inquire about Shao Wanru’s behavior recently and was very satisfied with this girl.
“Yes!” Shao Wanru answered softly and sat down on a chair by the side. She straightened her back, put her hands on her knees, and still lowered her head slightly. The palace maid served tea in front of her table, and then bowed her head and stepped aside carefully.
“How is your life in Chuxiu Palace?” Empress Dowager asked with a smile.
“Your highness, it is good!” Shao Wanru said calmly.
“Did anyone say anything?” Empress Dowager asked again.
Shao Wanru looked calmer and calmer without any resentment. “The beauties are all fine and they didn’t say anything inappropriate. There’s nothing serious!”
“What do you think of your Big Sister’s matter?” Empress Dowager said bluntly while looking at Shao Wanru’s reaction.
“It’s her own fault!” Shao Wanru’s face was full of shame, but she didn’t try to hide it. There was a blush on her pink face. If she really told the truth at that time, the whole Duke Xing’s Mansion would be involved. “But thanks to his and your highness’s kindness!”
Others all a.s.sumed that Shao Yanru had been wronged. In fact, Shao Yanru did not feel wronged at all. Since she dared to do such a thing, she already had been prepared that it might be exposed.
“Your Big Sister is now living in the imperial palace, but she can only stay like this now. From now on, she will be in that cold palace, and it is basically impossible to see her again.” The Empress’s face turned cold. When thinking of Shao Yanru, she turned really unhappy. “Was Shao Yanru the granddaughter whom Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion appreciated from time to time?” She wondered.
Shao Wanru didn’t know why Empress Dowager would say such words to her. It was hard for her to answer. She lowered her head, bit her lip, and hesitated.
Fortunately, Empress Dowager did not intend to let her answer. She looked at her and said, “You and Chen have known each other for a long time. What do you think of him?”
Although Empress Dowager was satisfied and her grandson also came to ask for marriage, she had to know Shao Wanru’s reaction. She couldn’t let her grandson marry a woman who didn’t love him.
Chen’s had been in poor health, and now he had finally recovered. So she thought it was not allowed that his newly married granddaughter-in-law to make any trouble. Shao Yanru was from Duke Xing’s Mansion, and she was a troublemaker.
Although Shao Wanru did not grow up in Duke Xing’s Mansion, Empress Dowager still was worried about that matter.
“Prince Chen… is fine!” Shao Wanru blushed and lowered her head. Her hands that were on her knees moved unconsciously, and she looked very timid.
Seeing her being like this, Empress Dowager was very satisfied and nodded slightly. “Chen and you have been friends since childhood. He saved you at the gate of the palace a long time ago. Do you remember that?”
“I will never forget it!” Shao Wanru said softly.
“That’s good. You two should live a good life together in the future. Don’t make me worry. Chen is not in good health. If there’s anything you need, just tell me. Don’t bother him!” Empress Dowager warned her.
Her words were very straightforward and almost confirmed Shao Wanru’s future ident.i.ty. Shao Wanru felt inexplicably shy but also felt relieved. She bit her lip and just nodded with her face reddened.
Since the marriage was still unsettled, she couldn’t continue to talk about this topic.
“Imperial Grandmother, what funny thing are you talking about? Let me have a good laugh!” A leisurely voice came from the door, and Chu Liuchen, who was donned in a light blue brocade robe walked in slowly. He was handsome, followed by Xiao Xuanzi, who was smiling. Both of them seemed to be very likable.
He walked up to Empress Dowager and bowed to her. After that, he turned to look at Shao Wanru, who was blus.h.i.+ng, with an increasingly elegant and leisurely smile. Sensing Chu Liuchen’s gaze, Shao Wanru almost felt her face burning. She hurriedly stood up and bowed to him. Chu Liuchen waved his hand and said with a smile, “Don’t bother!”
He lifted her robe and sat down on a chair. “Imperial Grandmother, tell me about it.”
“Child, you are joking with Imperial Grandmother again. Which eye of yours saw that Imperial Grandmother was talking about something funny?” Empress Dowager, who was amused by his intimate att.i.tude, reached out her finger to gently tap Chu Liuchen’s forehead and answered with a smile. After that, she looked at Shao Wanru, who was shyer and shyer.
“You didn’t come here directly after hearing that I brought her here, did you?”
After saying that, she looked at Chu Liuchen’s forehead and really saw some sweat drip. She couldn’t help feeling distressed for a moment and complained to Xiao Xuanzi, “Why didn’t you keep an eye on your master? Look at how tired your master is. If you do this again, you will be punished!”
Xiao Xuanzi complained, “Empress Dowager, I did try to stop him by saying that nothing will happen. But my master is worried, so he just comes over. I can’t stop him even if I want to. If Empress Dowager continues to punish me, I will be really wronged!”
After saying that, he wiped away the tears that didn’t exist at the corners of her eyes, which made Empress Dowager laugh.
Chu Liuchen joined in the fun and scolded with a smile, “You are so persuasive. You put all the blame on me!”
Hearing his words, everyone laughed, and the whole atmosphere immediately relaxed.
Shao Wanru’s straight shoulders also relaxed a little, and she secretly let out a long sigh of relief. With Chu Liuchen around, she was indeed much more relieved.
“As expected, a servant must be like his master. Look at what you said. I can’t hit you anymore because of your words. Since you care so much about your master’s affairs, I won’t punish you this time but give you a reward first!” Empress Dowager wiped away her tears that came out of the laughter and said with a smile.
A palace maid came over and handed Xiao Xuanzi a big purse. Xiao Xuanzi was so happy that he knelt down and kowtowed several times, and then stepped aside happily.
“Imperial Grandmother, I thought you were going to give the imperial edict, so you ran so fast. If I had known earlier, I would not have come!” Chu Liuchen said disdainfully.
“Okay, okay, I shall issue the imperial edict soon!” Empress Dowager looked at the man and the woman beside her. Both of them looked like a pair of golden children coming out of a painting. She was very happy and nodded with a smile at the moment.
“Imperial Grandmother, please hurry up. I am afraid that the Empress will not like it and try to stop it.” Chu Liuchen said with a frown in distress.
Shao Wanru just sat there in silence, imagining herself as a wooden sculpture. However, the nervousness could be sensed since her hands were intertwined.
“Why would the Empress object? What does it have to do with her?” Empress Dowager sounded not happy.
“I heard that there is something wrong with the seniority. It seems to be about Secondary Consort,” Chu Liuchen said.
His words reminded Empress Dowager. She immediately understood Chu Liuchen’s meaning. She snorted and said with her face darkening, “Secondary Consort’s affairs happened later. If there is a mistake in seniority, it’s Secondary Consort’s own business. How you be involved in this? Three years ago, I made a decision for you. It doesn’t matter even if Secondary Consort has something to do with you. What’s more, Secondary Consort is just Secondary Consort. She won’t come out and be an eyesore in the future!”
“It’s good that Imperial Grandmother thinks so!” Chu Liuchen said with a smile and looked at Shao Wanru with undisguised love in his eyes.
Seeing that her grandson was really satisfied with Shao Wanru, Empress Dowager liked Shao Wanru more and more. At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling sad because her grandson had not been found the right one for so many years, but the one in front of her seemed to be a little different. Not to mention that it was not Shao Wanru’s fault in terms of seniority, even if it was Shao Wanru’s fault, Empress Dowager would not care about it.
Chu Liuchen chatted with Empress Dowager for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, Empress Dowager asked them to stay for lunch. After lunch, they left together.
The sedan chair waited at the gate of the Palace of Benevolent Peace, but Chu Liuchen walked forward slowly with Shao Wanru without a sedan chair. After having walked a large distance from the palace gate, Shao Wanru asked in a low voice, “Your Highness, why are you here at this time?”
“I’m afraid Imperial Grandmother will scare you. I can’t let anything go wrong with my future princess!” Chu Liuchen teased. He squinted at her with his beautiful eyes and smiled elegantly.
Shao Wanru’s heart beat wildly. She actually felt at a loss, which was an indescribable feeling. In the memory of her last life, she had always been disliked. Even if she was not disliked, no one had treated her like this. Even Wen Xichi, who had always been gentle to her, had never cared about her so much.
It was true that there would be no danger in Empress Dowager’s place. Empress Dowager cared about Chu Liuchen. He would not hurt her at this time, but it could not be said that nothing would happen in Empress Dowager’s palace. Just now, Empress Dowager’s meaning was very clear. She was testing her. If she could not pa.s.s the test, then she might not be able to become his first concubine. Although she might still marry Prince Chen, she was not the person who could accompany him in name and truth.
In the past, she didn’t care about it. She just regarded herself as a s.h.i.+eld, but now she cared about it.
The Empress Dowager’s meeting seemed to be ordinary, but in fact, it was very important! Her heart was soft, and the hard fortress had been removed unconsciously.
She glanced at him, and her long eyelashes fluttered. Her eyes were as clear as two clear springs. Chu Liuchen tilted his head and happened to see that his reflections were in her clear eyes. He couldn’t help but smile. He liked the feeling that she devoted herself to him.
“Don’t worry. Imperial Grandmother’s decree will come to your mansion today. You go back to pack up, and perhaps you can leave that palace soon!” Feeling his surging affection, Chu Liuchen softened his voice, which was not as hoa.r.s.e as before. “It’s not peaceful in the palace recently. You’d better go out of the palace as soon as possible.”
Shao Wanru blinked her eyes and then blinked again. Inexplicably, she had an impulse in her heart. She reached out her hand from her sleeve and boldly shook his hand outside the sleeve.
His hand was no longer as cold as snow. It was a little warm. However, she was so nervous that her hands and feet were cold. After holding his hand, she turned around and walked forward quickly, not daring to look at him again. This was the first time that she took the initiative to hold Chu Liuchen’s hand.
At that moment, she saw Chu Liuchen stunned, and then his handsome eyes became bright and vivid.
A low and m.u.f.fled laugh came from behind her ear. Her hand was held by a slender big hand and pinched tightly. It hurt, but it also brought a kind of numbness, which made her intoxicated.