Chapter 371: Longing for the Imperial Grandmother
Chapter 371: Longing for the Imperial Grandmother
Qi Wang was somewhat surprised by this outcome, but he soon accepted it. "It's not too bad. As long as my aunt is satisfied, that's all that matters."
It was understandable that the aunt would be unrelenting, given the excessive fuss caused by Madame She's incident.
Qi Wang even thought to himself, "If I were in his shoes and something like this happened to my little girl, I would beat the man to death on the spot. And then forgive him?
Forgive my ancestors!
Qing Wang mentioned the situation with Xu Mingxian again. "The Jin Yangzi Manor is now in complete disarray. Old Mrs. Xu has suffered a stroke and is unable to manage the affairs of the manor. It's now being held together by one of the concubines."
The concubine in charge was not the one favored by Jin Yangzi.
She had been sent away long ago, soon after the incident involving the swapping of the legitimate and illegitimate daughters.
Madame Xu had secretly used some underhanded methods, administering a drug to the other concubine, who was now both deaf and mute.
Being someone who only valued appearances, Jin Yangzi barely even recognized the other concubine in her current state.
Bringing her back?
That was basically impossible.
Upon hearing this outcome, Qi Wang raised his eyebrows. "In the end, our royal brother softened his heart. Otherwise, kicking them out of this circle in the capital wouldn't have been a bad idea."
According to Qi Wang's thinking, directly demoting Jin Yangzi to commoner status and expelling his entire family from the capital would have been a fitting punishment.
Regardless of what became of the fake, as long as Jin Yangzi was prevented from having any further opportunities to entangle with their manor, that would be sufficient.
Qi Wang didn't hide his sinister thoughts at all when speaking with his brother, Qing Wang.
After listening, Qing Wang smiled and said, "Even if our royal brother intended to make such arrangements, the censors from the Imperial Censorate would likely advise against it. Our royal brother probably doesn't want to hear their nagging."
While the charge of a lax household discipline and offending a grand princess' manor was serious, it didn't warrant demoting Jin Yang to commoner status.
Therefore, if the punishment were too severe, the censors from the Imperial Censorate would undoubtedly offer various counsels and objections.
The two brothers chatted for a while, and as evening approached, Qing Wang brought up taking his leave.
Qi Wang wanted to persuade him to stay for dinner, but Qing Wang refused.
Qi Wang didn't insist.
After seeing Qing Wang off, it was time to pick Su Su up from school.
Su Su had done well in her zither lesson that day, and as expected, the zither teacher praised her again after class.
Qi Wang's heart swelled with pride and pleasure.
However, the thought of people still coveting his precious jewel made him scowl once more.
He thought to himself, "No one shall touch my treasure!
Whoever dares shall die!
Starting tomorrow, I'll stand guard with my sword at the manor's front gate. Let's see who dares to come!"
Su Su, unaware of the adults' worries, felt shy and embarrassed by the teacher's praise. She buried her little head in her father's neck, her soft hair tickling Qi Wang's ears.
The surge of anger in Qi Wang's heart instantly vanished without a trace.
He happily hugged his obedient and pliable little daughter and took the children to dinner.
The next day, Su Su didn't have to go to school early in the morning, and Ren Shuhan and the others also had a day off, allowing them to return to the manor to rest.
After being carefully dressed and prepared by Queen Qi, Su Su accompanied her father and mother in a horse-drawn carriage as they headed to the palace.
The Empress Dowager's health had still been rather poor lately, with incessant coughing and occasional bouts of dyspnea, causing the court physicians to fear for her life.
If it weren't for the inconvenience, the physicians would have considered residing in the Empress Dowager's palace full-time.
After taking her medicine in the morning, the Empress Dowager's spirits had improved slightly. She could get up and move around, but she didn't have the strength to walk for long periods.
The Empress Dowager had exhausted herself after a short while, and she broke out in a cold sweat.
Unable to do so, she sat back down with a sigh. "Oh dear."
Aunt Xu quickly chimed in with some auspicious words to prevent the Empress Dowager from falling into a negative mood.
The Empress Dowager was cheered by Aunt Xu's silver tongue and broke into a smile.
When the news arrived that Qi Wang, his wife, and little Su Su had arrived, the Empress Dowager's spirits lifted.
She quickly tidied herself up and sat behind the ornate screen.
As Qi Wang, accompanied by his wife and Su Su, entered the room, they noticed the beautiful screen standing before them.
Qi Wang was aware of his mother's insistence, and he knew that further persuasion would be futile.
Thus, he led his wife and Su Su to first pay their respects to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager's voice was slightly hoarse as she replied, "Quickly rise, there's no need for such formality among family."
The view beyond the thin silk veil of the screen was not particularly clear.
However, the Empress Dowager could make out that Su Su's face seemed to have filled out a bit, and her hair had grown softer, transforming from a short crop to a delicate, fluffy style.
Although it was still not very long, hair, especially on children, tended to grow quickly. Before long, it would be long enough to be styled into a cute little bun.
The child no longer appeared as frail as she once did, and her body had filled out nicely.
Her height seemed to have increased slightly, although it was not very noticeable, and the Empress Dowager couldn't be sure if it was just her imagination.
"What a well-nourished child!" the Empress Dowager thought to herself, a soft smile playing on her lips. Aloud, she asked, "Su Su, have you missed your Imperial Grandmother?"
Even someone as stern as the Empress Dowager unconsciously softened her tone when speaking to a child, doing her best to flatten her voice and avoid sounding intimidating.
Su Su felt that the Empress Grandmother was a kind person, so she answered obediently, "Yes, Imperial Grandmother, I've missed you."
The child's voice was crisp and sincere.
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager's eyes grew slightly moist.
She thought, "What a dear child! Because of her arrival, Jiao Yang's remains were finally recovered."
It was as if their fates had been intertwined, and she had not named her 'Jiao Yang' for nothing.
The Empress Dowager mused that perhaps it was a magical twist of fate that had brought them together. "Perhaps it was a wondrous stroke of destiny that connected us, even though we had never met."
The Empress Dowager dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly as she spoke with a gentle tone, "Your Imperial Grandmother has been thinking of you too, dear Su Su. Unfortunately, she is unwell and cannot hold you closely just yet. But once she recovers, she will hold you tight and shower you with kisses."
Su Su understood that being unwell was not a pleasant experience.
Upon hearing this, her adorable little eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she said in a soft voice, "Imperial Grandmother, I'm not afraid. I can let you give me kisses."
Although the little girl spoke bravely, she did not act presumptuously and rush forward.
Both Mother and Aunt Xu had taught her that her status was unique and that she must always be mindful of proper etiquette.
The Emperor was her uncle, and the Empress Dowager was her great-aunt. Compared to affection, it was more important to observe the proper rituals and respect.
Hearing Su Su's voice, the Empress Dowager's eyes grew moist once more.
She could tell whether a child was trying to please her or speaking from their heart, and this sincerity moved her.
It was this sincerity that had caused her eyes to moisten several times already.
The screen created a sense of distance, and many things were not as clear as they would have liked.
In truth, the Empress Dowager longed to hold the little child in her arms and shower her with affectionate words.
However, she feared passing on her illness to the young girl.
Illnesses could be troublesome for children, and she did not want to take any risks.
It was due to these layered concerns that the Empress Dowager chose to meet her great-niece behind the screen.
Second Watch
(End of Chapter)
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