Cining Palace

  "See the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager is a thousand years old," Su Jing followed the crowd into Cining Palace and knelt on the ground to pay respects. Latest chapter full text

  She has been in the palace for so long, but she has only come to Cining Palace three or four times. At first, she was under house arrest and missed it twice. Later, she missed it again because of going out of the palace, or for other reasons. Anyway, she doesn't come here often.

  Su Jing had planned her own way out when she entered the palace, not clinging to Empress Dowager's thighs, nor forming cliques with imperial concubines. Even if she was alone and struggling hard, she would cut off her own retreat, but it was a one-time effort that was the most effective and long-lasting solution. Of course, the premise was that she had to hold on and survive.

  "Get up, it's hard for you all to come here to see this old woman," the empress dowager said with a smile.

  Since the last quarrel with the emperor, she had also reconsidered for a long time. The emperor's wings were now hard, and he was no longer as gentle as before. She had to change her approach, let him suffer setbacks, and realize that he was still not good enough.

  The queen got up and sat down on a chair beside her, "Look at what the empress dowager said, I was thinking of coming to accompany the empress dowager all the time, but the empress dowager is worshiping Buddha, I'm afraid of desecrating the gods."

  The empress dowager snorted, "Alright, you all just say these nice words to coax me, I don't want to make you lose face because of my temper, otherwise the emperor will definitely say that I'm not right."

  Every word and every phrase reveals a kind, gentle and affectionate image, also subtly revealing the good relationship between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor Mother and son.

  The empress was indeed playing the role of a virtuous and dignified, elegant and refined daughter-in-law in front of the empress dowager, carefully choosing her words to amuse the empress dowager. It seemed that she had subtly confirmed the rumors from the previous days, that the reason why the empress regained power smoothly after being released from her banishment was because of the empress dowager's influence.

  Whether it's true or false, only these two people know best in their hearts.

  The Empress Dowager and the Queen played the role of "motherly love and filial piety", but they almost ignored Consort Shu and others sitting on the other side, not to mention Su Jinglan and the like. It turned out that she thought too much about the Empress Dowager pursuing her for being overly favored by the Emperor.

  Not long after, the Empress Dowager made an excuse that she was tired and let them leave, leaving only the Queen alone. Even Concubine Xiao Yi was asked to leave, and the palace staff were also dismissed before she slowly spoke.

  "You married the Emperor and in the blink of an eye, it's already been ten years. At that time, you were personally chosen by me, the Empress Dowager," the Empress Dowager reminisced about past events. Latest chapter full text.

  The queen rarely stayed behind, fearing there was a conspiracy in her heart. She didn't know why the empress dowager brought up past events, so she just reminded herself to be careful and responded accordingly, "Yes, I've been married to the emperor for ten years now. Mother, you saw me when I first entered the palace, it's still the same as the first time we met, not a bit different."

  The Empress Dowager patted the Empress's hand affectionately and said, "I knew you were a good child from the moment I saw you. You've worked hard for ten years."

  "I dare not, Mother Empress has already spoiled me, being able to share the Emperor's worries is my good fortune."

  The empress dowager picked up her teacup and took a sip, "Although the emperor is not my biological son, I have raised him since he was young and there is no difference between him and my own flesh and blood. All these years, you haven't raised a single male heir, and I haven't said a word of blame to you."

  She raised her hand to stop the empress, indicating that she should wait until she finished speaking. She continued, "The emperor is not young anymore, and I am also old. If in my lifetime I cannot see the emperor have an heir, I fear I will have no face to meet the late emperor."

  Without an heir, this has always been a thorn in the Empress's heart. She also doesn't know why it is that after the Second Prince passed away, her belly never stirred again. Now that the Emperor no longer touches her, there is even less hope for an heir.

  She had also considered it for a long time and discussed it with Jinmu for a long time, deciding to adopt a child would be fine, but the question of who to choose was still being observed, after all, this person's selection was very important, one careless move, fearing not only wouldn't get anything good, but would also bring trouble.

  Swallowing the grievances in my heart, I choked out a voice, "I still remember the look on the prince's face when he left that rainy night. This life of mine will probably never be able to forget it. Every time I think about it, my heart is bleeding."

  The empress dowager seemed to be in pain, and she also wiped her eyes. "Yes, this is the only way, always looking forward, you can't let the emperor cut off his descendants, after all, Prince Yong'an is still here."

  The empress did not expect the dowager to put such a big hat on her, and she hurriedly said, "No, how dare I, your son, say that Your Majesty has no descendants except for these sisters who cannot get pregnant? I also have no way."

  "They don't know why they can't get pregnant, the Emperor doesn't understand but I do, the Empress probably forgot, I also rose from a small concubine to my current position," the Empress Dowager finished playing with emotions and started being tough.

  Combining softness and hardness is the best way.

  The queen's eyes revealed a hint of fear, for these ten years, she had risen from being a princess to becoming the empress, no matter if it was for the king or the emperor, this woman was always just barely enough, new people came every year, but children were scarce, and those who managed to be born after conception were even fewer. Compared to the previous emperor, the current emperor's offspring were undoubtedly sparse.

  She has also endured a lot of pressure over the years, and for those who are pleasing to her eyes, she will occasionally let them off easy and allow them to become pregnant. As for whether they can give birth successfully, it's up to them themselves, on the condition that the baby is a girl, such as Consort Xian.

  No matter how she defends herself, there is no living male heir, this is a hard wound, an unavoidable fact. As the Empress, being infertile and not nurturing is one of the seven grounds for divorce, so deposing her is also acceptable.

  It's just that the emperor has never mentioned it in all these years, nor has he pursued it further, and it seems like he has tacitly approved of her actions. She had previously thought that the emperor knew about what she had done, and was so scared that she didn't sleep well for a month, but later on, not a single word was mentioned, and she just assumed she had been scaring herself.

  "It's not my fault, I'm not feeling well, and it's troubling Mother."

  The Empress Dowager has been living in the Cining Palace for many years, rarely managing the affairs of the harem. Thinking of this, she also had some respect for the Empress Dowager. Although she was the emperor's foster mother, after all, she was the Empress Dowager, as she said, knowing her methods, but now, after all, there was no clear statement, so she could only pretend to be ignorant.

  The empress dowager snorted, "Don't think you can deceive me with these few words. The emperor is busy with state affairs and has no time to bother with such trivial matters. As his mother, I must consider his well-being."

  "What does Mother want to do now?"

  "This year, a new batch of imperial concubines were selected to enter the palace. I think it's not bad either. That Du Gui Ren is still pregnant, but whether the child in her belly is good or not, and why they might be bad, the Empress should know clearly," said the Dowager coldly.

  "Look at the Empress's natural reaction, sneering with a smile. 'After Du Guiren became pregnant, those few days when several pots of flowers suddenly appeared in front of the door of Yanqing Pavilion, I'm sure the Empress is not unaware, right? The Imperial Hospital had someone deliver the attached decoction earlier, what ingredients were added to it, I'm sure the Empress is also very clear about that.'"

  The Queen was startled, "Empress Dowager"

  She actually knew everything.

  "You think you've been doing those things without anyone noticing, huh? Your tactics are nothing new to me, I've seen right through them from the start."

  "The Empress Dowager begs for mercy from the Empress Dowager" The empress finally came to her senses and knelt down.

  The Empress Dowager supported her with a gentle hand, "If I really wanted the Emperor to depose you, I would have presented the evidence to him long ago."

  "The son thanks the empress dowager," the queen insisted and kowtowed.

  "My family helped you clean up the mess, don't think a casual thank you will let you off the hook"

  The queen nodded repeatedly, "Whatever the empress's orders are, just say them, I will definitely do my best."

  "When you were under house arrest, I also told you that your family and the Yuan family have become much closer recently. I heard that your younger brother is even engaged to my niece. From now on, we will be relatives, and whatever happens, we will be in this together." The empress dowager continued to coax.

  The empress dowager had apparently thought of this too, and when she came to the Kunning Palace to find her earlier, it was for this marriage. "I will definitely do my best to help you, Mother."

  "I know you've had a hard time giving birth, and I don't blame you. But as for that child, she's still young, and her body is already being taken care of by someone else. The imperial physician also said it would be suitable for her to give birth. What does the empress think?"

  The empress, upon hearing this, knew that the empress dowager had long since made up her mind. The fact that she had just spoken so much to her was probably only for show. Her heart felt extremely bitter, but there was nothing she could do, and she could only nod her head, "I understand, I will certainly advise the emperor."

  "Good child," the empress dowager patted her hand again, "I know it's hard for you, but when Mei'er was born, you became his legitimate mother, and that won't change."

  This was a veiled hint that her position as queen would be secure, but whether it was true or false, no one knew.

  Kunning Palace

  "Your Majesty, how dare the Empress Dowager do such a thing?" The Queen told Jinmumu about what happened in Cining Palace, and Jinmumu was shocked.

  The Empress Dowager had previously intimidated the Queen in Cining Palace with her soft and hard tactics, at this time she had already reacted, "She had long been digging a pit for me."

  "After some thought, 'How did you deal with those few pots of flowers at the entrance of Yanqing Pavilion? Did anyone see it?'"

  Jin Momo was shocked and hastily thought back, "That flower is non-toxic, I let Pei'er change it once a day, for a total of only three days. The medicine used as an abortifacient was directly put into the sachet by Pei'er herself, and only when combined with the other substance does it become toxic, and it's only effective on pregnant women. When Pei'er had the accident, it was already four or five days later, I was very careful at the time and destroyed the sachet immediately."

  "Hmph, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager has been keeping an eye on me for a long time," the Queen took a deep breath. "Let's not bring this up again, since there is no evidence, it can't be acknowledged."

  "It's a pity that Ruan Yuening's children can use this method except for Du Wanru, who is very unlucky."

  At first, she was on guard against these newly entered palace maidens, fearing that they would become pregnant the first time they served in bed, so she made preparations early.

  Palace Concubine (Yi) / 33 / 33265

  Gong Shu