Chapter 145: The Empress Dowager
Chapter 145: The Empress Dowager
The delicious lunch had Su Su's eyes and mouth working overtime.
However, she was small and didn't have a big appetite, so even if she wanted to taste everything, she couldn't.
She was already quite full after the honey-glazed steamed buns.
After drinking half a cup of pigeon soup, she also had some red bean dessert soup.
Once she was full and content, sleepiness started to set in.
The Princess of the Qi Kingdom was scheduled to go to the palace with Feng Xuanrui in the afternoon, while the other brothers were headed to the manor.
Concerned about Su Su, the princess discussed with the young girl and decided to leave her at the mansion to play with Liu Hemeng, under the watchful eye of Doctor Liu.
With Aunt Xiang and the servants around, the princess reluctantly agreed to leave Su Su behind.
As the Princess of Qi was leaving with Feng Xuanrui, Autumn asked softly, "There are still some cherries in the kitchen. Would you like to take some to the palace?"
The princess was puzzled by her question, "I assume there should be plenty ready in the Imperial Garden by now, so we don't need to bring any."
Fruits in this season weren't particularly rare or exotic.
Especially for the royalty, the variety and abundance of fruits produced in the Imperial Garden were considerable.
Hearing her response, Autumn hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Manager Liu from the manor mentioned that only one cherry tree bore fruit this morning, and its cherries were exceptionally vibrant in color. The rest of the trees still have unripe, half-green cherries, and it'll probably take another three to five days for them to ripen. I was thinking that the trees in the Imperial Garden might not be ready yet, so I asked if you wanted to bring some..."
Autumn didn't think much of Manager Liu's comment about only one tree bearing fruit; she attributed it to variations in cultivar and temperature.
However, when the Princess of Qi heard this, her heart skipped a beat.
She couldn't help but recall the previous night when she had tried to coax Su Su to sleep by promising to take her cherry-picking once the fruits were ripe.
Su Su had asked her if she liked cherries.
With their sweet and sour taste, cherries that were fully ripe had a higher sugar content and a better texture. They could also be used to make various sweet soups and cold drinks, so the princess naturally liked them.
She had agreed, and the little girl had obediently gone to sleep, with the princess giving it no further thought.
Now, hearing Autumn's words, the princess felt a sense of panic.
She wondered if it had something to do with Su Su...
This child...
Could it be that she truly brings good omens?
But the princess of Qi didn't want that! Their kingdom was already prosperous and powerful; they didn't aspire to climb any higher.
Their current life was comfortable, and if the young girl truly had some extraordinary trait, they didn't know if their kingdom could protect her...
The princess felt that she needed to be cautious and ensure that others didn't notice anything unusual.
After pondering this, the princess nodded to Autumn, "Perhaps that particular tree is closer to a water source, causing it to ripen earlier than the others. It's possible that the trees in the Imperial Garden might have similar variations in ripeness, and besides, cherries don't travel well, so let's not bring any for now."
They could quietly enjoy the cherries at their mansion without attracting attention or raising questions.
If word got out...
Recalling the princes and princesses from the Grand Princess's mansion who had also partaken of the cherries that morning, the princess's confidence wavered.
She forced herself to calm down, gathered her thoughts, and decided to proceed with taking Feng Xuanrui to the palace first.
After lunch, the Feng brothers took a short nap before setting off for the manor.
Su Su didn't feel sleepy yet, so she played a game of 'Five Woods' with Liu Hemeng before the two little girls held hands and drifted off to sleep.
Aunt Xiang quietly hummed a lullaby, watching over them until they were fast asleep before stepping away.
The fabrics that the princess had sent for had already been delivered to Aunt Xiang.
The Empress Dowager had a soft spot for her great-grandson, and Feng Xuanrui's journey had been a challenging one. Knowing this, the Empress turned to look at him and gently caressed his head as she asked, "You've lost weight. I hope you didn't suffer too much along the way?"
The challenges Feng Xuanrui faced on his journey were naturally omitted from the reports sent by King Qing to the Emperor. However, he intended to provide a detailed account of his experiences to His Majesty in private.
The Emperor, in turn, had shared the gist with the Empress Dowager, so she was well aware of the hardships her great-grandson had endured. Her anger burned at the thought of those despicable scoundrels daring to lay a hand on him. In her fury, she wished to draw her blade and head to the dungeons immediately to chop those miscreants into pieces!
However, the Emperor had reminded her, "The country has its laws, and the family has its rules."
Once the case was thoroughly investigated and concluded, those guilty parties would undoubtedly face justice.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager muttered a curse under her breath directed at her son. She then looked at the Princess of Qi and said, "Deal with those unruly concubines and maids as you see fit. You're a royal princess inscribed in the Imperial Jade Register; how could you possibly fear them?"
"Those good-for-nothing wretches are only bold enough to act out because you're too kind. If they dare to overstep their boundaries, they should be taught a lesson!"
...
The Empress Dowager went on to scold the Princess of Qi at length.
As her scolding continued, she let out a soft sigh. "It's not entirely your fault. That good-for-nothing Ninth Son is always up to no good. I hear he's been stirring up trouble in another courtyard again?"
When the Empress brought up this matter, the Princess felt embarrassed and could only force a smile.
The Empress's anger escalated as she continued, "At his age, he still doesn't know shame! His despicable deeds have become known throughout the capital, and here I am, embarrassed as your grandmother! That good-for-nothing son of mine, he deserves a tight slap to wake him up!"
"You wait and see. I'll send someone to that other courtyard right away to bring that good-for-nothing back here, and the first thing I'll do is slap him twice!"
(End of Chapter)
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