Chapter 218 – I Am The Empress Dowager, Who Am I Afraid Of? (part 11)

Empress Jiang’s face was pale and she was stunned. She looked at Emperor Long’an in disbelief. “Does Your Majesty think of your concubine? Your concubine is your wife!” She always knew that His Majesty did not give her special treatment. His Majesty treated all his concubines like this, and the only one who could make His Majesty care was probably the empress dowager.

She had also been indignant about this. She just wanted to understand this and there was nothing wrong with that. His Majesty attached great importance to the empress dowager, more than His Majesty placed on the other concubines.

But she didn’t know that she was so unbearable in His Majesty’s heart. They had been married for many years and kept each other company for that long. Was this all she was worth in His Majesty’s heart?

“If the late emperor hadn’t arranged this marriage, Our wife, do you think you could still be the empress? We don’t understand. Jiang Gelao is so knowledgeable and intelligent. Why are you…” Emperor Long’an couldn’t hide the disappointment in his eyes. “We know what you are thinking. You are afraid that Yuanqi will always be raised by empress mother, and will consider her to be his mother in the future, not you! Don’t worry, I can’t bear to let empress mother continue to work all the time. When Yuanqi turns ten years old, he will move to the East Palace. Leave!”

Emperor Long’an was too lazy to look at Empress Jiang again.

Qin Li immediately stepped forward to help Empress Jiang. “Empress, please!” She was out of luck. If she had brought this up at another time, he would guess that His Majesty would not have said this, even if His Majesty was angry. Empress Jiang came at a bad time. His Majesty was worried about the empress dowager’s injury and couldn’t find a place to vent. Empress Jiang just happened to suffer his temper.

Empress Jiang was embarrassed and angry. She hid her face and left.

The empress dowager was injured, and the concubines came to visit. They either came alone or brought the princes and princesses with them. There was an endless stream of visitors in Peaceful Age Palace.

Li Su was overwhelmed, so she asked Wet Nurse Xu to stop them, saying that she needed to rest.

“Hey, why didn’t the empress come?” Li Su suddenly asked.

Wet Nurse Xu smiled. “It was said that she was ill, but this servant asked Jiexiang to go and see. Her face was so bad and she couldn’t even get out of bed.”

“Sick? What’s wrong? Who will handle the palace affairs?” Li Su asked curiously.

“His Majesty has let Concubine Shu take charge. This is not a concern for the empress dowager. The only thing that matters is that you take good care of yourself,” Wet Nurse Xu advised.

Li Su thought about it too. “When Yuanqi is out of school, I will send him to see the empress. After all, she is his mother.”

“Understood. Don’t worry. Drink the soothing soup, close your eyes, and rest. Should this servant ask someone to sing a song for you?” Wet Nurse Xu served Li Su the medicine.

Li Su nodded and took a candied fruit. The soothing soup was really bitter, but after drinking it, her feet didn’t seem to hurt as much. Why did it feel like she was gaining weight again? Zhang Yuanshou insisted that the slimming treatment would not start until her feet were healed. Alas, she felt that when she recovered from her foot injury, she would gain weight again.

The sound of silk and bamboo echoed, accompanied by the musicians singing while wearing gold and jade.

But this candied fruit tasted really good. Was there a new product in the imperial kitchen? This pastry was also delicious, though it was a little greasy! “Ah-Xu, get a bowl of milk to cut through the grease!” Li Su called out loudly.

“This servant knows.” Wet Nurse Xu quickly ordered someone to bring a bowl of milk.

Zhao Yuanqi had just finished school and was just about to return to Peaceful Age Palace when the eldest maid beside him bent down and said to him, “Your Highness, the empress dowager said that the empress is ill, so Your Highness should go and see the empress.”

Empress mother was sick? Zhao Yuanqi frowned. He didn’t want to go to Feminine Tranquility Palace. Although his own mother lived there, as soon as he stepped into Feminine Tranquility Palace, he would think of the time when he lived under the pressure of his mother. He would feel uncomfortable.

Zhao Yuanqi took heavy steps and went to Feminine Tranquility Palace.

Empress Jiang was indeed ill. Half of her illness was anger and half of it was shame. In fact, after listening to Emperor Long’an’s words, she was very disheartened. The people around her couldn’t understand her thoughts, and she didn’t either. She also did not tell anyone what Emperor Long’an said, not even her own mother. She was so heartbroken.

At this time, after hearing that the crown prince had come, Empress Jiang had some energy. She was confused for a while, but then she had thought about things. What the empress dowager had today was due to the late emperor’s favour, but also because she raised His Majesty. In this life, she couldn’t count on her husband, but she still had a son! As long as her son ascended the throne, the current empress dowager’s life could be hers!

“Yuanqi!” Now, Empress Jiang also understood that her son was her only hope, so she was even more reluctant to let go of his hand. She must let her son and herself be extremely close! The emperor said it simply. This was the son she gave birth to! Why should she make wedding clothes for others?

“Empress mother!” Empress Jiang’s excitement made Zhao Yuanqi a little scared, and he unconsciously took a step back.

Empress Jiang was a little hurt by her son’s actions. “Yuanqi, I am your mother. You are my flesh and blood. How can you be afraid of me?!”

The maid next to Empress Jiang, who was also the empress’ wet nurse, quickly persuaded, “His Royal Highness is still young. You are too excited and scared His Highness.”

Then, she said to Zhao Yuanqi, “Your Highness, the empress has missed you very much. Although she was ill, she was happy to see His Highness for a while.”

After Zhao Yuanqi heard this, he took two steps forward.

Empress Jiang grabbed his hand and said, “My son, my heart and soul, you are the only hope of empress mother, and empress mother will depend on you for the rest of her life. You have to work hard, study and practice martial arts well, and be better than all your brothers! My son!”

When Zhao Yuanqi heard these familiar words, he seemed to return to the time when he was living in Feminine Tranquility Palace in the past, and he felt unwell. His face was pale and there was sweat on his forehead.

Seeing that something was wrong, the eldest wet nurse rushed forward and said gently in Zhao Yuanqi’s ear, “Your Highness, Your Highness.”

Zhao Yuanqi came back to his senses, glanced at the eldest wet nurse, and broke away from Empress Jiang’s hand. “Empress mother, imperial grandmother said that your son’s progress in reading is for himself, not for the sake of comparing to others. There is no limit to learning, and your son is not a saint. How can he compare to everyone?”

“Imperial grandmother said this. Imperial grandmother said that. Is everything your imperial grandmother said right? You are not her own, so how can she treat you sincerely?! Your emperor father has other children, not just you. Only your empress mother is truly there for you in this world! Only your empress mother is truly good to you. Good child, you can only listen to your empress mother’s words. You should only be good to your empress mother, and you can’t listen to the words of others, okay?” Empress Jiang said excitedly.

Zhao Yuanqi frowned. In the words of his empress mother, not only did she speak resentment to imperial grandmother, but what she said did not match the words of his masters in school! Empress mother was this confused?

When the eldest wet nurse heard this, she quickly said, “Empress, His Highness needs to go greet His Majesty. His Majesty will also ask about His Highness’ homework during lunch.”

The wet nurse next to Empress Jiang was also very anxious. “Don’t delay, Your Highness. The empress is confused and talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart, Your Highness.”

Then she took Zhao Yuanqi’s hand away from Empress Jiang’s and looked at the eldest wet nurse with a smile.

Empress mother was really sick and confused! How could she say such a disrespectful thing? The people serving by the crown prince were all arranged by His Majesty. If this reached His Majesty’s ears, who knew what kind of turmoil would result from it?

When Zhao Yuanqi heard those words, he took two steps back and saluted Empress Jiang. “Since that’s the case, your son will retire to let empress mother recuperate in peace. Your son will come to see you again.” After speaking, he turned and walked away without hesitation.

The eldest wet nurse bowed to Empress Jiang, turned around, and quickly followed.

Empress Jiang saw Zhao Yuanqi leave without a second thought, and thumped the bed angrily and cried. “Did you see that?! This is my son, the son I almost died giving birth to, and he avoids me! Tell me, what else can I place my hopes on?!”

The wet nurse hugged Empress Jiang in distress. “Empress, the crown prince is still young. When His Imperial Highness grows up, he will understand your painstaking efforts.” The empress was difficult. Ever since Jiang Gelao passed away, the Jiang family was not as good as before. All the aura of the Jiang family seemed to have gone to Jiang Gelao only. The men of this generation and the next generation of the Jiang family had nothing. Forget about studying, making progress, making contributions and supporting the empress. They all relied on the empress for everything.

There was no help from the outside, and there were threats inside, so the empress was nervous to the point of losing her senses, therefore forcing His Imperial Highness to make great achievements. They didn’t expect that His Imperial Highness could not bear it. He ended up seriously ill and almost died. The empress was also very regretful, but His Majesty did not even discuss things with the empress and just took the Crown Prince to Peaceful Age Palace to be raised by the empress dowager. Wasn’t this obviously disrespecting the empress?

But whether it was the empress or the people who served her, they did not dare to say anything about it. It was a good thing that His Imperial Highness was raised by the empress dowager. To the outside world, one had to pretend to be grateful and proud.

The most abhorrent thing was that there were those idiots who thought that the empress had planned all of this to allow the crown prince to be favoured, and therefore deliberately let His Imperial Highness pretend to be sick. She also used these words in her speech to the empress.

Really…

“Empress, we can only bear it for now,” the wet nurse persuaded painstakingly.

“Endure? Why should I continue to endure? I have been enduring it since the day I married His Majesty. How long do I have to endure for?!” There was no hope. What hope did she have in her life?

Why did her dad marry her into the imperial family in the first place? If she had married into an ordinary family, she might have it a lot easier than she did now.

Empress Jiang complained about her deceased father for the thousandth time in her heart. Although, she had never thought about whether she was willing to give up the chance of marrying into the imperial family and possibly becoming the empress to become the wife of an ordinary commoner.

The wet nurse sighed. “You are the empress bestowed by the late emperor, and His Majesty’s original wife. Even for His Imperial Highness’ sake, His Majesty will not easily dismiss you. As long as you are still the empress, you will always have a chance to succeed. When that day arrives, Daliang will be ruled by filial piety!”

Right now, she could only comfort the empress like this. Although she did not know why the empress was ill, and what angered His Majesty so that His Majesty never came to see the empress even when she was ill, and why His Majesty ordered Concubine Shu to share the palace power with the empress, she knew that if the empress continued to be confused, it would be really dangerous.

Empress Jiang paused, obviously listening to this. Yes, Daliang ruled the world with filial piety, and the current empress dowager was just His Majesty’s adoptive mother. If Yuanqi was enthroned as emperor in the future, then she would righteously be the empress dowager! Until then…

Empress Jiang’s eyes were alight. It seems that she had her own life that was unique among thousands of people in the future!