Chapter 217 – I Am The Empress Dowager, Who Am I Afraid Of? (part 10)

After sleeping for about half an hour, Wet Nurse Xu had someone wake up Li Yuanqi to wash his face and change his clothes before sending him to the study.

After returning, Wet Nurse Xu estimated that it was almost time and went in to wake Li Su.

Just looking at the empress dowager, who had wrapped herself into a ball and was huddled in the quilt again, caused Wet Nurse Xu to sigh helplessly. She was a grandmother and not a child.

Wet Nurse Xu did everything she could to drag the empress dowager from the bed. Of course, this took 15 minutes.

Just like this, Li Su still complained. “Why did you pull me up? There’s nothing to do in the afternoon! Don’t you have to study the evening menu again? It’s just such a trivial matter, A-Xu, you can decide!”

Wet Nurse Xu sighed helplessly, and combed Li Su’s hair. “This servant is doing this for your own good. What if this messes up your sleep schedule?”

Li Su didn’t believe that. “A-Xu, you are talking nonsense. You know that I can fall asleep whenever I want.”

Wet Nurse Xu’s movements stopped. She angrily thought that, yes, people who were heartless had high quality sleep.

“But haven’t you noticed that you’ve gotten fatter recently?” When Li Su heard Wet Nurse Xu’s words, her expression became solemn. Wet Nurse Xu was a little proud. She was the person in the world who knew her girl best. The late emperor couldn’t compare to her.

Li Su listened to Wet Nurse Xu’s words and touched her waist subconsciously. It was as if she had more meat! “A-Xu, am I really fat?”

“Yes, feel the flesh on your waist. Haven’t you gained a lot of weight?” Wet Nurse Xu continued.

Li Su took a deep breath and woke up immediately. “You’re right, I can’t sleep anymore. I have to lose weight.”

Wet Nurse Xu’s right eyebrow jumped. Why did she have a bad premonition?

Sure enough, Wet Nurse Xu’s hunch was right.

Li Su felt that she was gaining weight and wanted to lose it. The first thing she thought of was using a skipping rope. So, she instructed the palace people to make her a skipping rope. As a result, after a few jumps, she sprained her foot.

Wet Nurse Xu looked at Li Su’s red and swollen ankles and was very annoyed. She knew exactly what the empress dowager was like, so why did she try to coax her. She should sleep when she wanted to sleep and enjoy herself. Her girl was the empress dowager, and it wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford it.

Li Su felt nothing. She sighed at the fact that this body was so delicate that even jumping rope could cause a sprained ankle. But when she saw Wet Nurse Xu’s red eyes, she smiled. “A-Xu, why are you crying? Isn’t it just a sprained ankle? I just need to rest for two days. Don’t be sad!”

When Wet Nurse Xu heard what she said, not only was she not moved, but she glared at Li Su. When the late emperor was alive, this girl had never gained surface injuries, but now she had a sprained ankle because of her. How could she face the late emperor when the time came?

Before the imperial doctor came, Emperor Long’an came in a hurry. When he saw Li Su’s red and swollen ankle, his face was gloomy. The people around him were so frightened that they all knelt down.

Li Su said angrily, “It’s okay. We are fine. It’s just a sprained ankle. We just need to rest for a few days. Don’t be stern and frighten everyone.”

Emperor Long’an couldn’t bear to look at it any longer. Empress mother was always afraid of pain, but he didn’t know how painful it was now. Perhaps she pretended to be strong to comfort him. Presumably, her son was such a failure. How could his mother be hurt?

“Empress mother!” Emperor Long’an choked out.

Li Su was really speechless. She had just sprained her ankle. Why did everyone act like she had some kind of terminal illness?!

“How could such a thing happen to empress mother’s foot? How did you serve her?!” Emperor Long’an wiped his tears and asked.

Wet Nurse Xu immediately knelt down. “It’s because this servant is no good!”

“A-Xu, get up! I want to jump rope myself. What does it have to do with you?” Li Su said. “Wet Nurse Xu , get up.”

Wet Nurse Xu was the dowry maid of the empress dowager. She accompanied the empress dowager for many years and watched Emperor Long’an grow up. Facing her, Emperor Long’an’s face softened a lot. “If empress mother is bored, your son can order the servants to arrange some new plays for her to watch.” Then, Emperor Long’an remembered that empress mother didn’t like listening to dramas.

“Your son forgot that empress mother doesn’t like watching dramas. So, when empress mother feels better, your son can go outside with empress mother?” Emperor Long’an racked his brains for ideas.

“Okay, your filial piety is known to empress mother. Empress mother doesn’t really feel bored, but she feels that she has gained weight recently and just wants to lose weight.” When Li Su said this, she felt a little guilty.

Emperor Long’an was stunned. Losing weight…

Wet Nurse Xu almost ended up laughing.

Emperor Long’an also recalled something at this time. It seemed that when he was a child, empress mother also had a trouble with this. It was also because she felt that she had gained weight, so she refused to eat dinner for several days. At that time, father emperor thought that empress mother was ill.

Emperor Long’an, who wanted to understand what was going on, was very confused. “Empress mother, you are not fat at all. Really, if you don’t believe Us, ask Wet Nurse Xu.”

Wet Nurse Xu lowered her head with a guilty conscience. She was the one who had said that the empress dowager was fat.

Emperor Long’an noticed something from Wet Nurse Xu’s expression, but he also knew that Wet Nurse Xu was loyal to empress mother, so she must have her reasons.

“Even if empress mother really thinks you’re fat, don’t fool around. You can ask the imperial doctor to prescribe some medicine.” Emperor Long’an advised.

“Really? Does the medicine prescribed by the imperial doctor work?” Li Su asked in surprise. Could Chinese medicine help with losing weight? It was so amazing?

“Of course it’s true. In addition to medicine, acupuncture, massages, and other things, they are definitely effective. Your son will ask Zhang Yuanshou to give you a prescription later.” Emperor Long’an said decisively. It must be useful. If it really didn’t work, then it was better to ask Zhang Yuanshou to give empress mother a recipe to adjust her body than have empress mother play around and hurt her body.

Zhang Yuanshou hurried over and checked the empress dowager’s injuries. They were nothing serious. She just needed to rest for a few days. After learning the reason for the empress dowager’s injury, he was very speechless. Under Emperor Long’an’s eyes, he patted his chest to indicate that he had an exclusive secret recipe so the empress dowager could lose weight.

This was true. Traditional Chinese medicine, combined with acupuncture, could indeed make people lose weight after a period of time. But, how was the empress dowager fat? If the empress dowager was considered fat, then what about his wife?

After coming out of Peaceful Age Palace, Zhang Yuanshou clutched his chest and felt so tired! This empress dowager and her son were really…

In the evening, when Zhao Yuanqi came back from school, he heard that imperial grandmother was injured, so he ran over immediately and rushed into Li Su’s arms with tears in his eyes. “Imperial grandmother! Where are you injured? Is it serious?”

Li Su was a little embarrassed. “Imperial grandmother just sprained her ankle. It’s okay, Yuanqi, don’t be sad.”

Zhao Yuanqi turned around immediately, insisting on looking at Li Su’s feet.

Li Su was a little helpless. She had to lift the quilt and let Zhao Yuanqi see it.

Zhao Yuanqi rushed over and looked at Li Su’s swollen ankle. Just as he was about to reach out to touch it, Wet Nurse Xu quickly stopped him. “Your Highness, there is ointment on it. Don’t get your hands dirty.”

Zhao Yuanqi burst into tears. “Imperial grandmother, does it hurt? Your grandson will blow on it!” He did not dislike the pungent smell of the ointment, so he leaned over and blew on the wound. In the past, when he fell, imperial grandmother would blow on his injury, saying that this would blow away the pain.

“Oh, you really are imperial grandmother’s grandson. It doesn’t hurt anymore. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Li Su smiled and pulled her good grandson over into her arms. “Are you hungry? Go, wash your hands and change your clothes. Imperial grandmother will get people to get a meal.”

Zhao Yuanqi nodded. “Imperial grandmother, your grandson will be here soon!”

After saying that, he jumped out of bed, bowed to Li Su, and then exited.

“His Royal Highness is really filial!” Wet Nurse Xu smiled with satisfaction.

Li Su looked at Zhao Yuanqi’s back. Her family’s Yuanqi was so sensible and filial. She couldn’t see how he could be considered incompetent and cowardly no matter how hard she looked! It seemed that her butterfly wings were quite powerful!

When Empress Jiang heard about the empress dowager’s injury, her first reaction was not to visit Peaceful Age Palace, but to think whether she could take this opportunity to bring her son back to raise him. She could bring him back and wait for the empress dowager to recover, then send her son back to Peaceful Age Palace.

The more Empress Jiang thought about it, the more she felt that this was a good idea. She even thought that she was being sympathetic to the empress dowager, doing this so that the empress dowager could recuperate from her injuries.

So Empress Jiang hurriedly went to the Supreme Hall and told Emperor Long’an of her thoughts. She sought the support of Emperor Long’an.

Emperor Long An was reviewing the memorials when he heard Empress Jiang’s words. He threw the imperial pen he was holding. Qin Li and the people who were waiting for him quickly knelt down.

Empress Jiang did not expect that Emperor Long’an would be so angry, so she was a little uneasy.

Emperor Long’an glanced at Qin Li, Qin Li understood, and hurriedly signalled the other palace servants to retreat. No matter how dissatisfied His Majesty was with the empress, for the sake of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty would still have to give the empress face in front of outsiders. Therefore, His Majesty would never let others see him reprimanding the empress.

“Empress mother is injured. Have you even visited empress mother in Peaceful Age Palace?” Emperor Long’a’ asked angrily.

Empress Jiang flinched and shook her head. “Your concubine was thinking of going to Peaceful Age Palace after talking to His Majesty.”

“Idiot!” Emperor Long’an couldn’t bear it any longer, and said angrily, “If it wasn’t for father emperor setting up this marriage, if it wasn’t for Yuanqi’s sake, We would have abandoned you as an idiot long ago! What kind of virtues do you have, and how are you capable of your position?!”

Empress Jiang’s expression changed greatly. She knelt on the ground. She didn’t understand why His Majesty was so angry!

“Your Majesty, what did your concubine do wrong? You want to accuse your concubine like this!” His Majesty said she was a fool! He also said such heart-wrenching words. If this got out, then wouldn’t her position as empress be considered as a big joke?! What face would she have in the central palace!

“It was because of your incompetence that you couldn’t even take care of a child well, and Yuanqi almost died. So We sent Yuanqi to Peaceful Age Palace to be raised by empress mother. What was Yuanqi like in your palace? What is he like in empress mother’s palace? Don’t you feel ashamed? Our son, the crown prince of Daliang, is not your tool to fight for power! Now that empress mother is injured, as a daughter-in-law, you don’t go to visit, but think about taking Yuanqi back. Who is empress mother? Didn’t she raise your son? You have no virtues as an empress. You are not a kind mother, and you are not filial to your mother-in-law. What right do you have to be so righteous and arrogant in front of me?!”

Usually, Empress Jiang’s conduct was a mess and Emperor Long’an turned a blind eye for the sake of her father, Jiang Gelao, and Zhao Yuanqi. But Empress Jiang should look down on empress mother. Emperor Long’an couldn’t bear it anymore.