Chapter 889 The Mysterious Consort
The Empress Dowager had been waiting for them in the palace for a long time. When she heard that they were coming, she immediately let them enter the palace.
After they bowed to the Empress Dowager together, she smiled with her eyes narrowed.
The two people in front of her were really a perfect couple. The man was extremely handsome, and the woman was extremely beautiful.
She knew her grandson best. Moreover, she pampered him wholeheartedly. Even though Chu Liuchen looked as gentle and calm as usual, the Empress Dowager could still see from his face that he was suppressing his joy. It was real.
This was how a lively person should be. He used to have only one facial expression and it seemed that no one could see him through.
Because of this, the Empress Dowager thanked Shao Wanru from the bottom of her heart. It was also because of Chu Liuchen that she thought Shao Wanru was increasingly good-looking.
They were a perfect match and pleasing to the eye.
Previously, the Empress Dowager was worried because they had not consummated their marriage. Now her worries had faded away. As long as the two of them lived a happy life, and as long as Liuchen was happy, she had no worries.
For so many years, she had never seen Liuchen so happy.
The Empress Dowager smiled from ear to ear as she pulled the two of them to sit down beside her.
“Imperial Grandmother!” Chu Liuchen rubbed his forehead with a headache. His Imperial Grandmother, who had always been wise and kind, was smiling from ear to ear today.
“I know. I am so happy!” the Empress Dowager answered and then sighed softly. “Liuchen, you are a married grown-up now. Don’t be headstrong and willful in the future. You have to think of Imperial Grandmother and your new princess!”
When she said that, the Empress Dowager’s eyes turned red. This child had been giving up on himself for so many years and didn’t take himself seriously at all. It was obvious that he didn’t want to live.
Fortunately, this child had taken a fancy to Rui’an’s granddaughter. Otherwise, he might have lost his life.
“Imperial Grandmother, don’t worry. I’ve recovered now. Although I’m a little weaker than ordinary people, I’m fine!” Chu Liuchen comforted the Empress Dowager.
“That’s good, that’s good. My worries are settled. In the future… even if I die, I can rest a.s.sured!” The Empress Dowager wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
She had so many grandchildren, but the one she cared about the most was Chu Liuchen. He was a really poor child.
“Imperial Grandmother, why do you say that? You will live for a hundred years!” Chu Liuchen comforted her with a smile. “You will have great-grandchildren in the future!”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager lit up her eyes and nodded repeatedly. Liuchen was young, while Shao Wanru was even younger. They were indeed not in a hurry to consummate their marriage. Looking at the perfect couple in front of her and thinking about how lovely their children would be, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help laughing.
“Come on, reward Princess Chen!” the Empress Dowager ordered.
The palace servants had already brought out the prepared gifts. Looking at the rows of palace eunuchs and palace maids holding gift boxes in their hands, Shao Wanru hurriedly stood up and said, “Your Majesty, these are too much.”
“Call me Imperial Grandmother!” the Empress Dowager took Shao Wanru’s hand and said kindly.
Shao Wanru bit her lip and then said softly, “Imperial Grandmother!”
“Good, good! From now on, live a good life with Liuchen. If he bullies you in any way, tell me. I will teach him a lesson for you!” the Empress Dowager said with a smile.
“Teach Chu Liuchen a lesson?”
Shao Wanru subconsciously looked up at Chu Liuchen beside her and found that he was also looking at her with an indescribable affection in his deep eyes. She immediately blushed and quickly lowered her head. In fact, he bullied her in the palace sedan chair when they came over!
Seeing that although they didn’t talk, their eyes were full of affection, the Empress Dowager finally felt relieved.
This time, Liuchen married the woman he wanted to marry. That was great!
He didn’t need to follow his parents’ routine which in the end harmed their child.
The Empress Dowager was very happy. She talked to the two of them and even asked someone to invite the Emperor over for lunch. As for the gifts, they were prepared by the Empress Dowager, so Shao Wanru could only accept them shyly. However, Chu Liuchen felt that it was natural for her to accept them, so he didn’t feel ashamed at all. He even thanked the Empress Dowager on behalf of Shao Wanru, which made the Empress Dowager call him “shameless” and scold him with a smile.
The Palace of Benevolent Peace was full of joy.
The Emperor came here quickly. When he arrived at the Palace of Benevolent Peace, he chatted with the Empress Dowager for a while before ordering for lunch.
After lunch, the Emperor took Chu Liuchen to the Imperial Study. The Empress Dowager was tired, so she went to rest first. Shao Wanru also slept for a while in the side palace, and then got up.
Seeing that it was still early and the Empress Dowager was still taking a nap, Shao Wanru went out of the palace with Yujie.
It was the beginning of spring and it was a good time to enjoy the scenery. Many flowers sprouted in one night. This was the case even in Duke Xing’s Mansion, let alone in the Imperial Palace.
They walked all the way along the road of the Palace of Benevolent Peace casually. At first, they walked on the main road, but later they got onto the side roads. The flowers on the main road were not as beautiful and colorful as those on the side roads. After all, people were supposed to walk on the main road. If wonderful flowers grew in the middle of the road, they would be easily destroyed.
It was easier for them to grow on the side roads, and people could still appreciate them.
Shao Wanru was not familiar with the Palace of Benevolent Peace in her last life, and it was not in the same direction as Chuxiu Palace. She knew nothing about this area and just walked casually along the scenery.
They walked further and further away from the Palace of Benevolent Peace.
“My Princess, these peonies are so beautiful. There are so many varieties!” They entered a garden where many varieties of peonies were planted. Their beauty dazzled Yujie.
The precious peonies that could not be seen outside were blooming, which were extremely beautiful.
Shao Wanru lowered her body, looked at a peony, and said softly, “The gate of the courtyard read ‘The Peony Courtyard’, it should be full of peonies.”
Everyone liked beautiful flowers, and she also liked them very much, so she couldn’t help taking another look at them.
“My Princess, let me pick one for you to wear. You will definitely look more beautiful!” Yujie rolled her eyes and said. Her Princess was more delicate than flowers. Wearing this flower would definitely complement her.
“This is the Imperial Palace!” Shao Wanru glared at the lawless servant girl.
“I know. You can wear it here. We won’t go out, so no one will know!” Yujie really liked the peonies here.
Moreover, she always felt that if her Princess wore peonies, she would be more beautiful.
“No one can pick the flowers in the Imperial Palace at will!”
“I know, I…” Yujie suddenly felt that this was wrong. Because she recognized that the voice was not her master’s. She raised her head in astonishment and was stunned when she saw a beautiful woman with a dazzling face standing on the opposite side. “There’s someone else in here?”
Shao Wanru also raised her head and looked at the three people on the opposite side, or in other words, one master and two palace servants.
A palace maid, a palace eunuch, and a beautiful n.o.ble lady.
The lady should be in her twenties or thirties. Shao Wanru couldn’t see clearly, but she couldn’t help marveling at her outstanding appearance.
Time seemed to be particularly kind to her and didn’t leave any signs of aging on her face. She looked at Shao Wanru with her beautiful eyes and gave a gentle and kind smile.
In terms of manner, she was absolutely not an ordinary person.
Shao Wanru took a few steps back and bowed immediately. “Your Highness, I’m sorry that I disturbed you by accident and I ask for your forgiveness.”
Even if she didn’t know her ident.i.ty, judging from her appearance and behavior, she must be an imperial concubine. However, she was so beautiful that Shao Wanru couldn’t remember any other imperial concubine in the palace who was so beautiful.
Among all the beauties she had seen, Shao Yanru was the most outstanding, but the one in front of her was better than Shao Yanru. Her age even gave her more elegancy. She was very beautiful, elegant, and imposing. Such a woman was destined to be extraordinary.
Shao Wanru considered all the famous imperial concubines in her mind, but she did not think of anyone.
“Are you Princess Chen?” the lady looked Shao Wanru up and down and asked with a smile. She came over from beside a cl.u.s.ter of peonies, and two palace servants hurriedly followed her.
“Yes, I wonder which palace Your Highness is from!” When she approached, Shao Wanru hurriedly bowed to her, but her curious eyes still fell on the imperial concubine in front of her.
No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t think of such an outstanding imperial concubine in her past and present lives!
When her eyes fell on the clothes the lady was wearing, her pupils suddenly contracted. People in the palace were not allowed to use Colorful Yarn at will. If she was right, the clothes in front of the women should be made of Colorful Yarn.
The sentence “the Emperor doesn’t like it” meant that these imperial concubines couldn’t make clothes with Colorful Yarn. At most, they could make some bed curtains, sachets, and other small things in private.
How could she make such a large piece of clothes so openly? Was she not afraid that the Emperor would be angry? This was really strange!
“I live alone in the quiet palace and seldom come out. I didn’t expect that I would see Princess Chen today,” the imperial concubine said in a soft voice and looked Shao Wanru up and down, with an increasingly gentle smile on her face.
Pointing at a small pavilion among the peonies, the imperial concubine said, “Shall we go there and have a seat? I just happened to be enjoying the flowers here and prepared some tea!”
“Thank you, Your Highness. I’m sorry to disturb you!” Shao Wanru said embarra.s.sedly. She had even prepared tea. It could be seen that the imperial concubine wanted to enjoy the flowers quietly, but she disturbed her.
“It doesn’t matter. Sitting alone was too quiet!” the imperial concubine said with a smile. She then turned around and walked to the pavilion with Shao Wanru following her.
They entered the pavilion respectively.
The imperial concubine waved her hand, and the two palace servants walked out of the pavilion. Shao Wanru hesitated for a moment and also waved her hand. Yujie also walked out to the entrance of the pavilion with the two palace maids.