Chapter 219 – I Am The Empress Dowager, Who Am I Afraid Of? (part 12)

Originally, the wet nurse had already appeased Empress Jiang. She didn’t expect that Concubine Shu would be waiting for two days later to make a show of her strength under the pretense of paying her respects to Empress Jiang. It was then when Empress Jiang learned that His Majesty had assigned for Concubine Shu and several others to take over the power in the palace.

Empress Jiang fainted immediately. Concubine Shu and the others looked at each other. Didn’t the empress know about it? They just came to show off, but they didn’t want to anger the empress. If the empress was gone, and another empress came in who was more shrewd than this, then it would be tough for them.

Concubine Shu quickly said goodbye.

Among those who pinched Empress Jiang in distress, it was the wet nurse who managed to reawaken Empress Jiang. “Empress, your health is important. With regards to who holds the power in the palace, does it matter? When you are well, the power will be returned to you. Even if Concubine Shu has a few assistants in the Six Palaces, what can they do? Is the phoenix seal still with you? Don’t they still need to obediently ask you?”

Empress Jiang burst into tears. Was this the same? The power had been divided, so how was it going to come back? She thought that if she was ill, His Majesty would hand over the palace power to the empress dowager for a while. Therefore, Empress Jiang had not been worried.

Unexpectedly, His Majesty actually did not hand it over to the empress dowager and did not discuss it with her. Instead, His Majesty divided the palace power to Concubine Shu and several others, and also promised them the right to assist her with the Six Palaces. His Majesty really hated her!

Although Empress Jiang was well prepared, she still had a hard time accepting this fact.

What did she do wrong? His Majesty was so ruthless! She just didn’t visit the empress dowager in time and wanted to take advantage of the empress dowager’s injury to bring her biological son back to live with her for a few days. Why was that unforgivable?!

His Majesty was so ruthless!

Empress Jiang lay on the pillow and cried.

The wet nurse was very distressed, but she didn’t know how to comfort Empress Jiang.

In the end, it was Empress Jiang’s mother who came to the palace and gave her daughter a good idea.

“You must be more stable. As long as you keep yourself safe, and for the sake of His Royal Highness, you will still be the empress!” Mrs. Qin persuaded.

“However, with the palace power gone, even if I am still the empress, it is just in name!” Empress Jiang leaned in her mother’s arms and cried.

Mrs. Qin was still nearly 60 years old with gray hair. She had to work hard for her daughter and her family. “Empress! Even if it’s just in name, as long as you take advantage of this title, there will always be a day when you can open the clouds and see the moonlight. Empress, mother told you a long time ago that His Imperial Highness being raised in Peaceful Age Palace will benefit you and His Highness, so why didn’t you listen?”

Under the questioning of her mother, Empress Jiang finally opened her heart and shared all the real reasons of why she angered Emperor Long’an. Therefore, Mrs. Qin was very puzzled.

Empress Jiang cried. “Yuanqi is my son, so he should be the closest to me! But he…”

“You are confused! Your elder brothers were also raised by your grandmother when they were young. Did they get closer to your grandmother than me when they were older?” Mrs. Qin was speechless. She really didn’t understand what her daughter was thinking. How could she not tell which one was more important?!

Mrs. Qin was very helpless. Her husband’s amazing talent and ingenuity were extraordinary. How come none of the children inherited it at all! Mrs. Qin firmly refused to admit that she lowered the IQ of their children. Maybe it was inherited from generation to generation!

Empress Jiang was crying, and when she heard this. How could she forget this?

“Mother, do you have any ideas? Tell me quickly!” Empress Jiang said anxiously.

Mrs. Qin shook her head helplessly. “Mother and son are naturally related. When the children grow up, they will naturally know who is more important! Besides, your grandmother is an elder after all, so she can only live for a few more years!” They were in the palace so some things could not be said clearly. Mrs. Qin could only stop here. She hoped that her stupid daughter could understand what she meant.

Empress Jiang’s eyes lit up. Yes, why didn’t she think of this?

Mrs. Qin was afraid that her daughter would think nonsense again and get into trouble, so she simply said a few more words. “Your eldest brother was raised by your grandmother until he was seven years old. Among your brothers, he has the deepest relationship with your grandmother. When they grow up, it is better to be close to their grandmother than to me. Empress, do you know how I won back his heart?”

Empress Jiang understood. She looked at Mrs. Qin gratefully. How stupid was she before? There was a prime example in front of her. Why didn’t she remember that?

She remembered that because her eldest brother was closer to their grandmother. Even his wife was personally selected by their grandmother. Her mother didn’t care. She obeyed grandmother in everything, and was considered to be very filial. When she was young, she thought this was injustice towards her mother. Later, eldest brother thought that eldest sister-in-law was too serious and difficult to get close to. Mother gave a maid beside her to eldest brother as a servant who could serve him. Later, the concubines most favored by eldest brother were all from mother. Because of the pillow talk in those concubines’ rooms, eldest brother increasingly became closer with mother.

In the end, mother’s position in eldest brother’s heart finally surpassed that of grandmother. Eldest brother had truly become mother’s son.

The concubines of second older brother and third older brother were people arranged by mother. When mother did all this, she didn’t hide it from her.

How could she forget something so important!

“Mother!” Empress Jiang held Mrs. Qin’s hand tightly.

Mrs. Qin nodded slowly and whispered in Empress Jiang’s ear, “Mother has secretly sent people to search for young and beautiful girls all over the country who are about the same age as His Imperial Highness. They will be carefully raised and taught. Don’t worry!”

Mrs. Qin had thought about picking a good girl from the younger generation of the Jiang family and raising her carefully, so that she could become the crown prince’s consort in the future and continue the glory of the Jiang family. It was a pity that, among the younger girls in the Jiang family, there was not a single one with good qualifications. How important was the crown princess’ position? She couldn’t take this risk if she didn’t have a good enough girl.

In desperation, she had to retreat. Without vying for the position of crown princess, she would definitely be able to teach a little girl who was close to the Jiang family and the empress so that she could serve His Imperial Highness and become His Highness’s favorite concubine in the future!

The knot in Empress Jiang’s heart disappeared. “Mother, I will leave this matter to you! You must do it well!”

“Don’t worry! Empress, if you and His Imperial Highness are well, then the Jiang family is well. Mother understands,” Mrs. Qin said with a smile.

After the wife of an official entered the palace, Feminine Tranquility Palace finally fell silent.

After learning about it, Emperor Long’an snorted coldly. “Pay close attention to the Jiang family, especially Mrs. Qin’s movements. The girls raised in the Jiang family’s courtyard should carefully be investigated and people of unknown origin must not be allowed in. Put some people in.” Since the Jiang family had ideas, then he would let them raise them so that they may have something to do. It would save them from running around like headless chickens and causing trouble.

As for how to educate them, that’s not for the Jiang family to say!

As for their purpose… If Yuanqi couldn’t resist even a woman’s bewitching and was easily bewitched, then he wasn’t qualified to be the emperor either.

On the other hand, Defang, this bastard, was playing outside. When he told Defang that empress mother was injured, he didn’t come back! Defang was so unfilial. When Defang came back, he must teach him a good lesson!

Emperor Long’an thought angrily.

Li Su had never cared about Empress Jiang. As long as she kept herself safe and didn’t scare the children, she didn’t bother to care about her.

The last time Yuanqi went to see her, when she said those words, Yuanqi had a night terror that night. Really…

She really didn’t know how the Jiang family taught their children. She had seen stupid people, but she had never seen them so stupid that they didn’t know it. This was the case with Empress Jiang. Her mother, Mrs. Qin, didn’t seem to be much smarter. It was said that the other daughters of the Jiang family were similar. Even the men of the Jiang family were like that.

Li Su didn’t understand. It was said that Jiang Gelao was amazingly talented and resourceful, so how could his children turn out like this…

Was this just alternating levels of intelligence between generations?

When Zhao Defang finally came back, Li Su’s foot injury had healed. She was now devoting herself to losing weight and it was quite effective.

When Zhao Defang heard that empress mother was injured, he was so anxious that he hurried back. However, when he saw Li Su, he felt a little at a loss.

Wasn’t her ankle twisted? She seemed to have lost some weight? Could it be that someone abused empress mother? Who was so bold?! What about imperial brother? Didn’t the emperor care?

Zhao Defang was a little confused.

“Defang is back? Tell empress mother quickly. Is empress mother thinner?” Li Su asked proudly.

Zhao Defang nodded blankly. “Empress mother, you have indeed lost weight. Didn’t you say that your foot was injured? Isn’t it better to recover from your foot injury? Why did you lose weight instead?”

Li Su had heard many people say that she was thin, but she didn’t believe what those people said. Now, even Zhao Defang said that she has lost weight. That means that she was probably really thin.

Li Su was very happy. “It seems that Zhang Yuanshou was right. Let him prescribe medicine for Us tomorrow.”

Wet Nurse Xu quickly stopped her and said, “Empress Dowager, you are perfect now. If you are too thin, you will not look good. If you don’t believe me, ask the prince.” Then, she quickly winked at Zhao Defang.

Zhao Defang scratched his head. “Empress mother, to be honest, I think you are too thin now. You don’t have much flesh. You should be a bit fatter.”

Li Su’s face changed. “You think I am too skinny? Is it that scary?” She was very worried about her son’s aesthetics. She was in good shape now. It was just that her clothes were not form fitting, so it was hard to see.

“Anyway, I don’t like it.” Zhao Defang shook his head fearfully. “Girls, they should be fatter and look good. They are blessed!” After speaking, Zhao Defang was in a trance for a while, and he suddenly thought of someone. She also had a small round face and laughed often. She was very cheerful.

Li Su saw something from Zhao Defang’s expression, and didn’t care about anything else. She immediately approached Zhao Defang. “Son, say, are you interested in someone? Which girl? Tell your empress mother. Empress mother will ask your imperial brother to bestow a marriage for you!”

Zhao Defang blushed. “Empress mother, don’t talk nonsense. What person! It’s nothing!”

Li Su didn’t believe him, and this scene was obviously what it looked like. It seemed that spring had finally come for her son! This stinky boy didn’t like feudal arranged marriages that much? She had introduced so many girls to him before, but he wasn’t interested. As a result, he went out and found someone he liked.