in2ebook Chapter 107 Arrival at the Imperial Palace
Chapter 107 Arrival at the Imperial Palace
Inside the spacious and luxurious carriage, the Empress Dowager sat on a soft couch, her gaze falling on Su Nuannuan beside her. A hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes as she softly asked, "Why are you so determined to accompany me to the palace, child?"
Su Nuannuan tilted her head slightly, a sweet smile on her face, and softly replied, "Your Majesty, when you go to the temporary palace, someone will need to accompany you to fulfill your filial duties. Why can't I take on this important task?" She blinked her bright, watery eyes, which were full of sincerity and expectation.
The Empress Dowager sighed softly, then asked, "Aren't you worried that this trip will cause the Emperor to gradually forget you?"
Su Nuannuan smiled slightly and replied confidently, "Your Majesty, do not worry. With my two adorable little ones, Cheng'er and Yao'er, by my side, how could His Majesty easily forget me? Besides, having them by your side will allow you to enjoy the bliss of family life, won't it?" With that, Su Nuannuan reached out and picked up a cup of freshly brewed fragrant tea from the table, carefully handing it to the Empress Dowager with gentle and elegant movements, her tone as tender as water.
The Empress Dowager smiled and took the teacup from Su Nuannuan, took a sip, and said jokingly, "You silly girl! Actually, at first, the Emperor and I originally planned to have Consort Li accompany the Second Prince and the Third Prince to the Imperial Palace, but we never expected that you would interfere."
Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan playfully stuck out her tongue and said, "Oh dear, it was I who inadvertently stole the limelight from Consort Li. When we return to the palace next time, I will definitely pay a visit to Consort Li in person to sincerely apologize and make amends." After saying this, she covered her mouth and chuckled.
"You! What am I supposed to say to you?" The Empress Dowager gently put down the exquisite teacup in her hand, then slightly raised her right hand and gently poked Su Nuannuan's forehead with her index finger, her face full of doting smiles as she slowly spoke.
Su Nuannuan blinked charmingly, like an innocent little girl, and softly replied, "Whatever Your Majesty says is of course excellent. No matter what you say, I will listen obediently." As she spoke, she unconsciously fiddled with the sachet at her waist, looking truly endearing.
Looking at Su Nuannuan, who still maintained the demeanor of a young girl, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head, scolding, "Look at you, you're already a mother, how come you're still so childish."
However, Su Nuannuan didn't care. She pouted playfully and said in a coquettish tone, "So what if I become a mother? I just don't want to grow up so quickly!" After saying that, she made a face at the Empress Dowager, which made the Empress Dowager laugh out loud.
As the laughter subsided, the Empress Dowager suddenly seemed to remember something and changed the subject, asking, "After this trip out of the palace, we won't be able to return until my birthday in the winter month. That's a full two months. During this time, don't you miss the Emperor at all?"
Faced with the Empress Dowager's question, Su Nuannuan hesitated for a moment, but quickly regained her composure. She smiled sweetly and replied, "Empress Dowager, being by your side is the most important thing. As long as you are happy and healthy every day, I will be content." Clearly, Su Nuannuan chose to avoid answering the Empress Dowager's question about the Emperor.
The Empress Dowager, being a shrewd woman, immediately understood upon hearing Su Nuannuan's reply that this woman also did not care about the Emperor.
"Think about the Emperor's concubines. Among them, it seems that only Consort Li is still quite active, often using all her tricks to compete for the Emperor's favor. As for Consort Qin, it seems that she hasn't actively sought the Emperor's favor for quite some time. As for the Empress, if it weren't for the fact that the Emperor is required to stay overnight at Anning Palace on the first and fifteenth of each month and on important holidays, she probably would have almost forgotten about him!"
"Oh, my poor son!" The Empress Dowager sighed inwardly.
It's important to understand that the Empress Dowager's special trip to the imperial palace for recuperation was precisely to escape the troubles of the inner palace. Those concubines, eager to vie for the Emperor's favor, fought tooth and nail, resorting to any means necessary; while those who had no interest in the Emperor's favor racked their brains to avoid it. Worse still, the Emperor seemed completely oblivious to all this. Seeing this situation always bothered the Empress Dowager, so she simply chose to avoid it altogether.
It's truly a case of: some suffer from drought while others suffer from floods, and the well-fed don't know the hunger of the starving.
After that, the carriage fell silent. The Empress Dowager slowly closed her eyes and began to rest. Su Nuannuan, on the other hand, sat there quietly, bored and motionless.
Time passed by, minute by minute, as the carriage sped forward. Finally, near noon, they successfully arrived at their destination—the imperial palace.
The palace was located not far from the outskirts of the capital, yet the journey took an entire morning. The main reason for this was the sheer number of carriages. Not to mention the magnificent carriages carried by the two masters, there were more than ten carriages following closely behind, four of which were carrying items belonging to Su Nuannuan.
When Su Nuannuan came to the palace this time, she brought everything she could carry, including the dried vegetables she usually kept.
In Cuiwei Palace, only a few young palace maids remained to handle the daily cleaning work.
As the carriage slowly entered the palace, the palace servants who had been waiting there immediately rushed forward to greet it. The palace steward led a group of palace servants to kneel down in unison, respectfully kowtowing and shouting in unison, "This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and Your Highness Consort Zhuang."
With the careful assistance of Su Nuannuan and Granny Song, the Empress Dowager alighted from the carriage slowly but gracefully. Standing steadily beside the carriage, she slightly raised her hand to indicate that everyone should rise, and said softly, "Rise, all of you!"
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, the palace steward hurriedly led the palace servants in bowing again to express their gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." After the ceremony was completed, they all stood up. Then, the steward methodically directed some of the palace servants to the carriages at the back to help unload the luggage and belongings; while he himself maintained a bowed posture, carefully leading the Empress Dowager and Su Nuannuan toward their residence.
"This is your first time in this palace. I've already arranged for palace servants to guide you around and familiarize you with your new living quarters. This way, you'll adapt to your new environment more quickly and feel more comfortable. As for me, I have Granny Song to take care of me. She's always very capable, so you can rest assured." The Empress Dowager gently patted Su Nuannuan's delicate hand with a loving expression and spoke in a gentle tone.