Chapter 223 – I Am The Empress Dowager, Who Am I Afraid Of? (part 16)

Zhao Yuanqi was still waiting eagerly for Li Su’s answer, but Li Su didn’t know what to say.

Seeing this, Wet Nurse Xu held back her smile. “Your Highness, for this matter, the empress dowager said that you have to discuss it with His Majesty.”

“But emperor father has always listened to imperial grandmother’s words the most. If imperial grandmother agrees, then emperor father would definitely not object. Wasn’t imperial uncle’s marriage something imperial grandmother decided?” Zhao Yuanqi asked.

However, Li Su shook her head. “That isn’t true. Your emperor father is filial, but he is not stupid. If it involves the country, your emperor father will not blindly follow the words of imperial grandmother. Look at your imperial grandmother who eats and drinks all day. When has imperial grandmother ever intervened in the political affairs of the previous dynasty? This is the reason why your emperor father listened to the words of imperial grandmother so much. You are not the same as your imperial uncle.”

Although Zhao Yuanqi was young, he also understood these truths. He was still a little disappointed. “Is it really not possible?”

Li Su couldn’t help feeling distressed when she looked at him. After thinking about it, she said, “You are still young now. When you grow up, if you have someone you like, and if the other person has a good character, is smart and stable, then you will be a good match. Even if her family background is a little lower, it won’t matter. When the time comes, imperial grandmother will intercede for you. However, whether your emperor father and court officials will agree is something imperial grandmother can’t guarantee!”

Zhao Yuanqi immediately cheered. In Zhao Yuanqi’s heart, emperor father was an omnipotent person. Imperial grandmother, who could suppress emperor father, was even more remarkable. Imperial grandmother agreed, so that was that!

Wet Nurse Xu looked at Zhao Yuanqi, and then at Li Su, who looked annoyed, and sighed helplessly.

Li Su actually regretted it after speaking, but when she saw Zhao Yuanqi’s happy expression, she figured it would be fine to let him be happy first. He was still young. When he gets older, he will probably realise how ridiculous it was to think like this.

But many years later, when Zhao Yuanqi held a girl’s hand and walked to her, knelt down, and begged her to call the shots, Li Su realized how wrong she was. She underestimated the obsession of a child.

But these were stories that happened later.

Now, Li Su did not know.

After, Zhao Yuanqi was overjoyed. “Imperial grandmother, I heard from Wet Nurse Xu that you are going to invite imperial aunt’s family as guests tomorrow. Can I come and have a look?”

“Don’t you have to go to school? What? Do you want to be lazy?” Li Su asked with a smile.

“I won’t be lazy. My homework is very good and the masters praise me. I’m just curious as to what kind of girl can make imperial uncle so happy!” Zhao Yuanqi said with a wink.

Li Su smiled, “Okay, when they come tomorrow, I will have someone call you.”

Zhao Yuanqi was happy, and Li Su looked at the time. “Okay, it’s time for you to go pay respects to your empress mother, go on, imperial grandmother will wait for you to come back for dinner.”

Wet Nurse Xu also said with a smile, “Tonight, the kitchen has prepared His Highness’s favorite fried chicken!”

Zhao Yuanqi’s eyes lit up. Fried chicken was his favourite food. Imperial grandmother said that fried chicken is high in calories. If he ate too much, he would gain weight easily. He was only allowed to eat it once every 10 days.

“Imperial grandmother, I’m going right now. Imperial grandmother, wait for me!” Zhao Yuanqi got off the bed in a hurry and ran out quickly.

Li Su smiled and watched Zhao Yuanqi leave. She then glared at Wet Nurse Xu. “Who said that we’re going to eat fried chicken today?”

Wet Nurse Xu glanced at her helplessly. “It is this servant who wants to eat it, okay?”

Only then did Li Su nod with satisfaction. “Let’s have two types, one sprinkled with cumin powder and the other with black pepper powder. Make some sour plum soup.” Fried chicken and cola were a good match. It was a shame that there was no cola here. She could only have sour plum soup.

When she went back, she must buy a few boxes of Coke and store them in the space.

Sometimes people were so strange. The things that usually didn’t matter, suddenly became relevant, like the Coke. She suddenly wanted to drink it. If she couldn’t have it, she would end up thinking about it, and it would eventually become an obsession.

For Li Su right now, Coke was her obsession.

Wet Nurse Xu smiled proudly and said, “I have already ordered that. Empress dowager can rest assured!” Who was she? She was the person who understood the empress dowager’s thoughts the most in the entire world!

Zhao Yuanqi hurriedly went to the Empress’ Palace, ready to pay his respects, then leave.

He did not expect that, besides Empress Jiang, his maternal grandmother, Madam Qin, was also there today.

After Zhao Yuanqi paid his respects, he was ready to leave. He didn’t expect for Empress Jiang to stop him. “Yuanqi, sit down. Your empress mother has something to tell you.”

Zhao Yuanqi frowned slightly. He did not sit down, but said, “What is it, empress mother?”

“Your empress mother is sick now, and only cares about you. We know that everything is fine for you in Peaceful Age Palace, and the people around you are courteous and thoughtful, but the empress mother still can’t rest assured. Your grandmother picked a little girl from home who is smart and clever. Empress mother wants her to follow and serve you. Just accept her and take it as reassurance from empress mother, okay?” said Empress Jiang looking at Zhao Yuanqi.

Madam Qin frowned slightly. She had been teaching for a long time before. Empress Jiang should move people with affection, and impress on His Royal Highness with the affection of a mother to her son. What happened? The empress changed her mind again.

Madam Qin thoughts were fine, but she had ignored the Empress Jiang and was arrogant. In her opinion, Zhao Yuanqi was Empress Jiang’s son, and he should be close to Empress Jiang. Even if he didn’t get close to Empress Jiang now, Empress Jiang was his mother. He should obey Empress Jiang’s words. She couldn’t weep pitifully.

Zhao Yuanqi knew what was going on, but it was just a palace maid. “It’s just a palace maid, your son can accept her.”

Empress Jiang and Madam Qin breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Qin said with a smile, “Ruyi, why don’t you come to see His Imperial Highness, the crown prince?”

A girl wearing the uniform of a palace maid came out from behind Madam Qin and walked to Zhao Yuanqi’s side. “This servant, Ruyi, greets His Imperial Highness, the crown prince!” Her voice was like a song, sweet and agile.

Madam Qin looked at Ruyi, who was kneeling on the ground, with satisfaction. She was one of the girls with the best aptitude, looked good, had a good figure, and could learn everything quickly among the girls in the courtyard. She didn’t want to send someone in so early, but she heard that His Majesty intended to choose a concubine for the crown prince. Although he couldn’t get married immediately, if she was a childhood sweetheart and was close to the crown prince, then her plan would not be in vain.

Therefore, Madam Qin would plan ahead.

Zhao Yuanqi was obsessed with fried chicken, so he didn’t bother to listen to her. “Ruyi, Peaceful Age Palace already has a Ruyi, so you can change your name…”

Zhao Yuanqi almost blurted out the words ‘fried chicken’, but managed to prevent himself from doing so. He also remembered that imperial grandmother often said that the official match for fried chicken was Cola. Although he didn’t know what Cola was, he would definitely find the thing that imperial grandmother wanted to eat in the future.

“Let’s call her Cola!” Zhao Yuanqi said. He chose the name just to remind himself to not forget to find Cola for imperial grandmother.

Empress Jiang, Madam Qin, and Ruyi were stunned by the name Cola. Ruyi was a nice name. What the hell was Cola?

Empress Jiang still wanted to say something, but Madam Qin tugged her sleeves secretly. “Cola is a good name. Let’s call her Cola! Cola, please thank His Imperial Highness for the name.”

Cola was a smart woman. She immediately fell to the ground again after hearing those words. “Cola thanks Your Highness for the name.” The name was just a code name. She knew what was important.

“It seems that you have not been taught very well? You should call yourself a servant,” Zhao Yuanqi said.

“Yes, this servant understands.” Cola changed her tune in a kind-hearted manner.

“Empress mother, if there is nothing else, then your son will go back first. Your son will go back to accompany imperial grandmother to eat.” Zhao Yuanqi got up.

Empress Jiang stared and wanted to speak again. Madam Qin glanced at her, and then smiled. “Your Imperial Highness should go! Don’t keep the empress dowager waiting.”

After Zhao Yuanqi paid his respects, he turned and left.

Cola looked back at Madam Qin, got up quickly, and followed.

Behind her, Madam Qin racked her brains to comfort Empress Jiang, who was heartbroken.

Zhao Yuanqi came and went in a hurry. He soon returned to Peaceful Age Palace. As soon as he entered the door, he washed his hands and changed his clothes.

Cola was abandoned there and ignored. She didn’t panic, she just stood there quietly.

“Who is she?” a palace maid asked.

“Older sister Ruyi, she is a maid from the empress mother’s family, and the empress mother gave her to His Imperial Highness,” said one of the attendants.

“Oh, that’s it.” The palace maid looked at Cola with a look of understanding. “What’s your name?”

“This one used to be called Ruyi, but His Imperial Highness said that Peaceful Age Palace already had Ruyi, so he changed this one’s name. Now this one is called Cola,” the little palace maid said in a flattering manner.

Cola? Ruyi burst out laughing. This name…

“Did His Highness say how to deal with her?” Ruyi asked.

“No.”

“Forget it, I’ll ask His Highness later. You take her to find Wet Nurse Fang first, and do it according to the rules.” Ruyi thought about it. Even if it was just adding a parrot to Peaceful Age Palace, their details had to be checked.

“Yes, older sister Ruyi.” The little attendant said with a smile. She then turned to Cola and said, “Come with me!”

Cola followed obediently. She was very satisfied with her performance today. From the beginning to the end, her performance was perfect. This was what masters liked in a servant.

But Ruyi shook her head. “No, there is something wrong with this little palace maid. I order for someone to go down and watch her. She is not allowed to be alone. She is not allowed to approach the empress dowager or His Imperial Highness. She is not allowed to approach the dining room.”

“Older sister Ruyi, how can you see that something is wrong with her?” The little palace maid next to her looked curious.

“It’s not that easy. Do you remember what it was like when you first came to Peaceful Age Palace?” Ruyi asked.

The little palace maid next to her remembered, and then blushed. When she first came to Peaceful Age Palace, she thought that she had entered a fairyland, and she looked at everything. She completely forgot all the wet nurses’ warnings and instructions. She looked around, did not pay attention to the path, and ended up falling. It was an ugly sight.

It wasn’t until a month later that she slowly got used to it.

“Think about what it was like when you came to Peaceful Age Palace, and then look at her. How old is she this year? She is still a child, but she can be so calm and self-contained. Isn’t there a problem with this? In my opinion, she is either very scheming or has other plans! You should be careful,” said Ruyi.

“I know, older sister Ruyi!”