Empress Dowager summoned him

  In general, the daughters of ordinary officials are married by the emperor himself, which is a very prestigious thing. It's said that when the daughter of the illustrious Qingchang Hou Mansion was about to receive an imperial edict from the empress dowager herself, many aristocratic families were extremely envious. So, being married off by the imperial family itself can be called glorious and utterly impressive.

  However, after Zhiyi and others analyzed the pros and cons of being connected to the Jingwang Fu by marriage, no one considered it a joyful occasion anymore.

  Especially the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, after delivering the imperial edict of marriage, also conveyed a verbal message from the Empress Dowager to Ruoxi, declaring that Ruoxi would enter the palace to meet the Empress Dowager.

  As soon as she thought of it, her face turned pale. That shocking glance at the Hongguo Temple that year had become a nightmare that she couldn't shake off. Now, the Empress Dowager was finally going to summon her. If the Empress Dowager really had another identity, as she suspected, this time entering the palace would likely be more disastrous than auspicious for her.

  The eunuch urged him hastily, and didn't even give Ruxiang time to return to Fang Fu to change into new clothes. He directly had Ruxiang sit on the exquisite horse-drawn carriage he brought himself.

  The eunuch saw Ruo Xian's pale face and thought she was afraid of the empress dowager's majesty, so he comforted her: "Miss, don't be afraid. The empress dowager is a kind and loving elderly person. She is just curious about you and won't make things difficult for you. Besides, the empress dowager has always doted on King Jing. This time, since you are about to marry into King Jing's mansion, the empress dowager only wants to take a look at your appearance, with no other intentions."

  If it's really like that, then so be it. What I fear is... Alas, forget it. Whether you stick your head out or hide it, it's all the same; in any case, we'll have to face it sooner or later. And so, with great effort, she suppressed her trembling legs and got onto the carriage with a quivering heart.

  ……

  The palace was indeed magnificent, from the main gate, the carriage drove all the way in, her heart racing from start to finish. Especially when entering the grand entrance of the palace, her three maids were also called down from the carriage and told to wait outside, she became even more nervous. The wheels hit the marble floor, the dull sound echoing like a blunt knife lingering over her.

  She was recalling the shadow of that year in her mind, and she felt more and more ominous. She clenched her fists tightly. The weather today wasn't very good, although it didn't snow, but the cold wind mixed with a chilling feeling blew on her face, like a knife cutting pain. It's not clear whether it was because the eunuch delivered the imperial edict in a hurry or what, but there was no charcoal fire prepared in the carriage. She was shivering all over, and she didn't know if it was fear or terror that had taken hold of her.

  The horse carriage went on, the wheels rolling, and after a while, the eunuch had Ruoqing get down from the horse carriage and then transfer to a small sedan chair with a green canopy. They walked for a while longer before arriving in front of a palace gate, where they were led out of the sedan chair and continued on foot.

  As she can no longer appreciate the beauty of the imperial palace and its majestic splendor, she is thinking of a countermeasure...

  After walking with her head down for a while, the eunuch suddenly said: "We have arrived at Cining Palace. Miss Fang, please follow this matron to enter."

  With a deep breath, she smoothed out her clothes and, with everything in order, turned to the lady official standing before her in deep crimson satin robes and said softly, "Thank you, milady."

  "This must be the Miss Fang that the King of Jing is so eager to marry, he doesn't care about anything else. Miss Fang, please come in, the Empress Dowager has been waiting for you."

  As if afraid of being slow, following the female official, they turned left and right, walked to a high gate corridor, came to a magnificent palace, looked at the majestic and solemn Cining Palace in front of them, worthy of the Empress Dowager's residence, really different from ordinary sounds, standing alone outside, can feel the oppressive atmosphere here.

  Under the leadership of that old lady, I came to the front of Cining Palace. In the south of the garden, there is a narrow and long rectangular pool with a white marble stone bridge spanning across it. After crossing the stone bridge, I entered the corridor again and came to a step in front of me. Let Ruoxi wait for a while, then went up two steps and entered the warm wall of the palace. The female official said to one of the palace girls in green clothes: "Go quickly to Empress Dowager Rongyin and say that Fangniang has arrived."

  The palace maid gave Ruheng a glance, then turned and went in.

  Before long, the palace maid came out and stood on the high steps, her voice clear and crisp. "The Empress Dowager has an edict, summoning Miss Fang to an audience."

  As the emotions ran deep, she took a deep breath and stepped up to the stairs, entering alone. Inside, she saw that the purple copper incense burner was burning with fragrant dragon's brain incense, wafting out thin wisps of smoke. In the pink and blue ceramic vase, two bundles of bright and dripping wax plum blossoms were inserted, emitting a refreshing fragrance that intoxicated her heart. The Empress Dowager Longyu, dressed in everyday red and yellow embroidered clothes with white ermine fur trim on the collar and cuffs of her sleeves, sat solemnly on the purple sandalwood throne, surrounded by palace maids standing at attention with serious expressions.

  Under the strong pressure of tension and fear, with a shy and timid expression, she knelt down in the middle, shouting: "The minister's daughter has seen the empress dowager, the empress dowager is forever safe and sound." Then she deeply knocked her head on the ground, waiting for the empress dowager to respond.

  Fortunately, the person above didn't make her kneel for too long and said softly: "Get up."

  "Thank you, Empress Dowager." Ruhua slowly stood up, her movements elegant and smooth. The Empress Dowager's eyes flashed as she turned to a woman beside her wearing bright blue brocade: "This is the girl that King Jing recklessly snatched away, hehe... just looking at her from afar, she already has such color." Then she turned back, speaking warmly to Ruhua: "Good child, come closer and let me take a look."

  Yu Ru Yin walked a few steps forward and stopped in front of the Empress Dowager, looking at her with a timid and fearful expression.

  The Empress Dowager stared at her with a stern gaze, but she met it calmly and then slowly lowered her head. Putting on an air of fear, "Your humble servant is too crude, afraid of polluting the phoenix eyes of Your Imperial Majesty."

  The empress gazed at Ruqun for a moment, then suddenly smiled slowly and said: "You little girl, after many years of not seeing you, this shy temperament is still unchanged."

  "Has Her Majesty met my daughter?"

  The empress dowager chuckled, but her eyes were fixed tightly on Ru Xiang, "What? Forgotten?"

  It's probably just a joke, Your Majesty. I'm just a humble woman of lowly status, and I've been living in the inner chambers for years, rarely stepping out of the house. You've been living in the palace for so long, how could you have seen me? It must be that there are people in this vast world who happen to look like me.

  The empress's face flashed with suspicion, and she leaned in to tease: "Silly girl, you're really quite forgetful, even forgetting about me?"

  The Empress Dowager's expression remained bewildered, and after careful consideration, she shook her head, twisting her fingers, and stammered: "Your Majesty forgive me. I, I have a poor memory..."

  The empress dowager furrowed her brow, suddenly waving away the people beside her. After everyone had retreated, she said: "Alright, there are no outsiders here now, so you don't need to pretend with me anymore. Lift your head and take a good look at who I am."

  She looked at the empress carefully, thought again and again, still hesitated and shook her head, then knelt down, with a sob in her voice, "Has Your Majesty ever seen my daughter? But...my daughter has not..." At this point, there was a hint of fear in her tone, "Your Majesty, please forgive my daughter's offense for speaking the truth, my daughter really, really...has never seen Your Majesty before." Then she had an expression as if she was about to cry and was trembling all over with a pale face, "Perhaps Your Majesty has been out of the palace before, but Ru Yi didn't notice you, my daughter is guilty, please forgive her." She said, knocking her head on the ground.

  The empress dowager was also confused, and it seemed that Ruyi's emotions were not fake. She took out another bangle and handed it to Ruyi, "Take a look, do you recognize this one?"

  As if she had intended to control herself, but after seeing the bangle, she still couldn't help trembling slightly. However, her mouth remained firm, insisting that she didn't recognize the Empress or this bangle, and hadn't seen it before.

  The empress, however, was not one to be trifled with, and any reaction from Qing escaped her sharp eyes. Seeing this, she instead let out a sigh of relief, pulled her up from the ground, and smiled: "Alright, get up, I must have been seeing things, mistaken you for someone else."

  As if his heart skipped a beat, cold sweat broke out on his back, but he said: "I presume the Empress Dowager has seen my daughter before, but my daughter is nearsighted and couldn't recognize the imperial carriage, my daughter is guilty, please forgive her."

  The empress suddenly glared at her, "Foolish girl, I thought you still remembered me. Unexpectedly, you have forgotten me completely. Never mind, get up. I won't be angry with you, you can put your heart at ease." Seeing Ruoqing's confusion and helplessness, she herself reached out to help Ruoqing up and sat down together on the couch.

  How dare you, she thought, wanting to get up, but the Empress Dowager pressed her shoulders with both hands, and she sat down on the couch with a thud. Underneath was a soft cushion embroidered with intricate patterns of tigers and flowers, soft and comfortable, but Ruqing felt like sitting on pins and needles, and muttered: "Empress Dowager, this is not in line with etiquette..."

  The empress dowager chuckled and said: "You must still remember the Shenniang who served you back then, you should still have an impression of her."

  As if a sudden jolt in her heart, but she forced herself to remain calm and replied vaguely: "Shen Pozi? There is such a person. She's a good person, unfortunately, later on, she redeemed herself and left Qizhou, until now, no one knows where she is. What's the point of mentioning her all of a sudden?" Then, she deliberately took a closer look at the empress dowager and boldly guessed: "Could it be that Shen Pozi is a relative of Your Majesty's family?"

  The empress dowager knocked her forehead and scolded: "You say it is, then it is."

  Even if the empress dowager really remembered her past kindness, now that she was a noble mother of the country, it would be too embarrassing to let others know that this dignified empress dowager had once been a slave in the Fang Mansion.

  If it were me, I would probably try every means to keep those people who had seen her in a sorry state at arm's length.

  The empress dowager also knew the concerns of Ru Qing, in fact, over the years, every move of Fang Fu in the capital had been on her nerves, especially Ru Qing...

  The empress gazed at that delicate, jade-like face, her thoughts sinking. She sneered to herself: "Alright, it's not that I don't want to take action... but every time I think of back then... if it weren't for your wholehearted support and help, there wouldn't be a me today, nor would there be the current emperor. And yet I... who knows if you've already regretted it a million times? If only I had known earlier, I shouldn't have let you help me."

  The Empress Dowager said, "What are you talking about? I don't understand what you're saying." Anyway, her only way out now is to pretend, keep pretending until the end, and never admit it even if she dies.

  The empress dowager couldn't tell whether Ruo Xian was genuinely pretending not to recognize her or if she really didn't know who she was. However, thinking back on the years of secretly observing her, she deeply understood Ruo Xian's character and knew that even if she did know her true identity, she wouldn't recklessly reveal it. So, she put her mind at ease and said: "Alright, no need to pretend not to recognize me anymore. I'm just very curious - back then, when you were in a desperate situation yourself, why did you still go all out to help me?"

  She knew that she could no longer deceive herself, and now her life or death was in the hands of this seemingly gentle but actually ruthless old woman. So, suppressing the fear in her heart, she said softly: "Mr. Hu had taught us siblings before that helping others is a joyful thing. If one always expects something in return, it loses the true meaning of helping. Even if time could be turned back, I would still help Auntie Shen. No matter what the consequences are. Because, maternal love is always great."

  The empress dowager was somewhat moved, and suddenly she reached out to wipe the corner of her eye, sighing: "It's really hard for you, at such a young age, to have such a broad mind. Tell me the truth, how did you find out my identity?"

  "Back then, Shenniang always used the deep feelings between Concubine Jing and her maid to teach Ruqing. Ruqing dared to make a bold guess." The second-grade concubine, Concubine Jing, had been missing for many years, yet a lowly servant like Nian'er could recall the intricate details of Concubine Jing's relationship with her maid in such detail. Who else would know these things so clearly, aside from those closest to Concubine Jing? Furthermore, Shenniang was no ordinary person; whenever Ruqing received gifts from her elders, she could always tell at a glance the value of the jewelry and accessories, and accurately say where they came from. Without a certain family background, how could she be so accurate?

  The empress gazed at Ru Qing, smiling slowly. "I didn't expect that you, at such a young age, could guess so accurately. Have you ever thought that one day, you will meet me again?"

  Ru Qing shook her head, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I never thought of it." She raised her head and looked at the empress's stern and majestic face, saying very seriously: "In those years, Fang Fu's Shenniang had long been missing and her whereabouts were unknown. Now, standing in front of Ru Qing is a national empress, motherly and dignified, with extraordinary bearing."

  The empress stared intently at Ru Qing, who met her gaze calmly. She had said all she needed to say and made her position clear; now it was up to the empress to decide what to do next and whether she could put aside her deep-seated concerns.

  She can't kneel down and beg for mercy, this is also too embarrassing for a transmigrating woman.

  Fortunately, this Empress Dowager Longyu was not an ordinary person. She had served as a palace maid in the past and knew Rongyin's character, so she lived her life with caution and careful consideration. This clever and astute girl should be protected by others, even if she knew the secrets hidden deep within her heart. However, these things are no longer important now. The girl before me is intelligent and kind-hearted, it's really unnecessary for her to live a life of worry and fear due to her own selfishness.

  The Empress Dowager held Ruoxi's hand and smiled kindly: "Has the Emperor's edict been received today?"

  As if seeing her change the subject, Xiao Xiao let out a small sigh of relief and said: "It was Second Brother who received the edict. However, I have yet to personally thank the Emperor and Empress Dowager for their kindness."

  "What's so good to thank for? Last night, Jing Wang rushed into the palace, at that time, the gates of the palace were not yet open, and the guards did not allow him to enter. This kid actually brought a ladder, climbed over the wall and broke into the imperial palace, without fear of being caught as an assassin. He ran all the way to Ai Jia's bedroom, kneeling down and begging Ai Jia to grant him marriage."

  A few short sentences, but the emotions seemed to be like listening to a heavenly book. After she digested the intense news here, she found that the empress dowager was staring at herself with great interest, and her face turned red, exclaiming: "Li Xiu actually broke into the palace? He, he...". Is this too bold?

  "The Empress Dowager and the Emperor, will they not punish him for his offense of breaking into the palace?" The palace gates are not to be trifled with. Once the designated time arrives, all the palace gates are closed and locked, and the keys are taken away by the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department. They are only returned at the next day's shift change. Once the curfew time has arrived, it is not easily opened again. Even the Emperor himself may not be able to get someone to open it for him.

  But Li Xiao, a mere barbarian king, now that the Emperor is trying to strip the powers of the various barbarian kings, those kings have long been extremely cautious. Some timid ones have already returned the three military symbols, and some with foresight, who understand how to avoid harm, have also shown their attitude by giving up part of the imperial land and returning the three military symbols, no longer interfering in local politics. Even if there are ambitious ones, they have begun to bide their time, tucking their tails and behaving themselves. Who is like Li Xiao, this scoundrel? Everyone else is pretending to be humble, but he actually dares to pretend to be superior. Not to mention his previous act of snatching the bride, now he even dares to storm the palace, truly treating others with contempt. He's not afraid that the Emperor will punish him for the crime of great disrespect. If the Emperor harbors resentment towards him, it's likely that he'll even be stripped of his title.

  The empress sighed, "How can I not be angry? I was having a good dream, but this little scoundrel broke in without regard for rules or respect for his elders, disturbing my peaceful sleep and almost breaking down the main gate."

  As she secretly observed the Empress Dowager's reaction, she saw that although her tone was unpleasant, her face was full of smiles. She found it strange in her heart, but also felt relieved. The Empress Dowager looked at her with a smiling expression and began to recount what had happened back then.

  Li Xiu rushed into the Cining Palace, startling Empress Dowager awake. He deeply knew he had committed an unforgivable sin, so he knelt on the icy white jade stone steps outside for a long time. On that cold winter night in the imperial palace, it was extremely chilly; ordinary people would shiver all over if they stayed outside for even a moment. But Li Xiu remained still, only hoping Empress Dowager would take charge and allow him to marry Fang Ruoxi.

  Here is the translation:

  "Speaking of which, the empress let out a long sigh. 'You weren't there at the time, so you definitely didn't see how things were back then. This little scamp, kneeling on the icy cold stone steps, I told him to get up but he refused, only wanting me to agree to his request first. This child, normally so arrogant and overbearing, who would have thought that for a woman, he would be so humble and willing to throw away all propriety.' The empress smiled warmly at Ru Xing. 'I also heard about Li Xiao's forced marriage earlier. I was thinking, I didn't expect you to be such a lucky girl, with good fortune coming your way just when things seemed hopeless. At the time, I thought that if Li Xiao had married you as his princess consort, the Jiang and Xiang families would have been left in the dust. Just thinking about those two greedy women...I couldn't help but clap my hands in delight.'"

  As if following the laughter, she suddenly thought that she had been robbed of her marriage, and there was nothing to be proud of. She looked down in distress and said: "But I don't want to be robbed... Your Majesty, he's so fierce..."

  The empress dowager seemed to be in a great mood, and she pulled Ruyi's hand over, "Li Xu may have a bit of a temper and be a bit eccentric, but he has always been responsible. A gentle and lovely girl like you, he likes you so much that he can't even react. As long as you use your usual charm to coax him, I guarantee that he will be completely won over."

  The blush on her face, she said in a low voice: "Empress Dowager, don't tease me anymore, I...I..." What ability does she have?

  The empress saw that she was so shy, and it wasn't good to tease her anymore. So she said: "I heard you don't want to marry him, why is that?" The empress really didn't understand, the Jing Wang Fu was such a noble family, and the Fang family had such a high status, being able to form an alliance with the Jing Wang through marriage was a great opportunity that wouldn't come around in ten lifetimes. Yet the Fang family had refused it repeatedly, which was truly beyond her expectations.

  As if afraid to look at the empress's face, he lowered his head, twisted his handkerchief and said in a low voice: "Since the beginning of our great Qing dynasty, Taizu Emperor had explicitly stipulated that military generals were not allowed to marry with meritorious kings. And our Fang family already has three daughters married to high-ranking officials, if we add another one to Jing Wang Fu, wouldn't it go against Taizu Emperor's edict?"

  The empress dowager stared at Ruqing for a while, then suddenly praised: "No wonder the two brothers of the Fang family can achieve such success in their official careers. It turns out that you are all alike, with hearts as clear as mirrors."

  As if delighted in her heart, Empress Dowager's words seemed to be praising her two brothers. So, does it prove that the Empress Dowager has a high opinion of the two brothers?

  But she said, "Second Brother holds a heavy military post and is also the Emperor's personally appointed General of the Second Rank. He commands 100,000 border troops. The Empress Dowager cannot again bestow marriage like that with Li Xiao."

  The Empress smiled and said, "I and the Emperor have also considered the pros and cons. However, the Fang family is a family of scholars with strict family rules, and Li Xiao is also young and promising, and he and several brothers of the Fang family are all open-minded, so let's just arrange the marriage. I and the Emperor can be at ease."

  As if stunned, I don't know what to do.

  "Once again," the empress dowager glanced at her, "the imperial edict for the marriage has been issued, you must not speak lightly of it, there is no possibility of changing one's mind."

  As if he was stunned again.

  The empress dowager burst out laughing loudly again, "With such a good match as the Prince of Jing's household, you still don't want to marry? What kind of reasoning is this?"

  His face twisted in bitterness, he scratched his head, and the scenes she often imagined flashed through his mind: several beautiful women, stark naked, frolicking with a man, while another woman, humble and obedient, personally sent someone to ask about him, speaking softly and patiently, telling the man to drink less, take care of his body, and even brewing hangover soup or tea... Just thinking of this scene made him shudder.

  "Empress, to be honest with you, although the King's residence is good, as for Rong'er's temperament, it's no different from walking on a steel needle, if there's even a slight mistake, she might fall into an irredeemable situation. Rong'er... has a weak personality, first, she lacks insight, second, she lacks the capacity to tolerate and accommodate, I'm afraid she won't be able to bear the heavy responsibility of being a king's consort..."

  The empress dowager hesitated, as if she was going to launch a counterattack, and then knelt down again, "Please have mercy on me, Your Majesty. I am of humble origin and low status, and I would be content with marrying into an ordinary family. The position of princess is already a great honor for me. Please withdraw your decree." She knocked her head heavily on the ground as she spoke.

  It's all over.

  ……

  Winter nights in the capital city arrive quickly, and before long after dusk, the sky is pitch black. Fortunately, the palace lanterns made of rhinoceros skin are hung all along the palace walls, illuminating the entire imperial city with a sea of lights.

  Under the high palace walls, that one gate which was wide open, among the officials and nobles coming in and out, not a single familiar figure of their own daughter could be seen. Several people were anxious to the point where they almost choked with smoke, and as night fell, the temperature dropped sharply, no matter how many circles they turned on the ground, they couldn't shake off the chill that crept up from their feet to their hearts.

  "Xiang Jie," Yuqin shrank her body, trembling with both lips, "what to do, it's so late, the girl hasn't come out yet, will she... will she..."

  Her face was pale, not just from the cold, but also from the prolonged fear that had drained her complexion. She lowered her voice and growled, "Don't spout nonsense, our young lady has a good destiny. Nothing will happen to her." In fact, she wasn't confident either. The people in the palace were ruthless, and her family's daughter was weak and of low status. The current Empress Dowager was also a formidable figure, and she feared that if her daughter said one wrong word, the Empress Dowager might turn against them.

  Linglong was the most optimistic of the three, comforting her by saying: "Don't worry, nothing will happen to our young lady. Besides, the Emperor has already issued a decree for their marriage, and our young lady is going to be the future princess consort. If the Empress Dowager really wants to take action, she will also consider the prestige of the Jing Wang Fu..."

  "Let's hope so."

  Yuqin was running in small steps on the ground, occasionally looking towards the palace gate. Suddenly, she saw a green canopy carriage coming out from inside and slowly heading in this direction. She couldn't help but pull Xiangxiang's sleeve and trembled with her voice: "That... could it be Miss's carriage?"

  ……

  As she emerged from the palace, she felt as if her whole body had been rolled through both icy and boiling water, leaving her physically and mentally exhausted, yet somehow also feeling a sense of indescribable relief. Now, with her body cold and wet, she couldn't tell whether it was due to being frightened or if the fear that had been suppressed in her heart for years had finally been shed, bringing a lightness to her whole being. The carriage didn't have any charcoal fire, so she rubbed her cold feet together, desperately rubbing her hands to try and generate some warmth.

  In the imperial palace, a specially made black lacquered carriage with a green canopy and a single wheel brought Ruyi to the entrance of the palace. The eunuch's sharp voice called out: "Miss Fang, we have arrived at the palace gate. Please get off the carriage."

  As soon as she got off the carriage, she said a few words of thanks and saw her own carriage in the distance at the corner of the hutong opposite. She picked up her skirt and walked over, while Xiang Linglong stared wide-eyed at this side, seeing that it was indeed Ruyi, her eyes lit up and her face flushed with joy, and she hurriedly ran towards her.

  "Miss, you've finally come out, my heart can finally be put back in my stomach." Xiangxiang patted her chest, stretched out her icy hand to grasp Ruoqing's, and tears immediately filled her face. Choking with sobs, she carefully examined Ruoqing up and down, seeing that except for a tired expression, there was nothing wrong with her, only then did she put her mind at ease. "Miss, the Empress Dowager didn't make things difficult for you, did she?"

  As if by magic, the matter was completely beyond her imagination, and the mortal danger that could erupt at any moment had dissipated into thin air. Later, Empress Dowager would say "let's discuss it further later", but overall, this trip to the palace was very rewarding for her. Although she was so frightened that she lost brain cells, at this time, she only felt cold, hungry and tired, and could only wish to fly back home immediately, sleep soundly for three days and three nights before doing anything else.

  Xiang Xian didn't want to say more, so he stopped asking and quickly pulled Ruo Qing into the carriage. The coachman received the order, cracked his whip, and the horse carriage headed in the direction of Fang's residence...

  Her mood is pretty good, after several years of anxiety and worry, she has finally put it all down, feeling a sense of relief in body and mind. Now, she's thinking about something else...

  ……

  After returning to Fang Fu, Ru Xiang received an unprecedented grand reception. The concerned and worried faces made her feel warm in her heart. Although she didn't like this family, with just a few people, she had to be careful everywhere and put on a smiling face. However, it couldn't be denied that compared to the imperial palace trip, Fang Fu, from small to large, was much more cozy for her.

  As she leaned into the old lady's bosom, the warm charcoal fire in the house gradually restored her frozen body and mind to warmth. She looked at the people in the house with gratitude: Fang Jinglan, Li Shi, Zhi Li, He Shi, and Zhi Yi. Their faces were all filled with unconcealed concern and worry for her. Suddenly, she felt relieved, no matter what her father was like, no matter what her identity was, she still had family members who cared about her. She said softly: "Thank you, Grandma, Grandpa, Mother, and brothers for your concern. I'm fine. The Empress Dowager didn't make things difficult for me."

  The empress dowager was the one who had sold herself into the Fang household as a maid back then, and currently only Old Lady Fang and she knew about it. If others found out, it would be bad, so Yu Rou lightly described the empress dowager's majesty and kindness, saying that she just wanted to see her out of curiosity and didn't have any other intentions. However, it was true that she had almost fainted from fright when she first entered the imperial palace.

  The old lady knew the turmoil in her heart, seeing Ruo Xue safely return and seeing her relaxed expression, presumably the threat from the empress dowager had been eliminated, and a hanging heart was finally put back in its original place. Gently patting Ruo Xue's hand, she said: "Silly girl, the empress dowager is just two eyes and one nose, like ordinary people, what's there to be afraid of? You didn't do anything wrong, why would she bother with a little maid like you? It's your marriage to Jing Wang that I'm more concerned about, how does the old lady view it?"

  Yu Ru sat up straight and told everyone that she had begged the Empress Dowager to withdraw her decree, canceling her marriage to Li Xao. The Empress Dowager seemed to be wavering, and Yu Ru thought that she would likely discuss it with the Emperor again. She estimated that there should be a result within two days.

  Zhili Xiaoming let out a sigh of relief, finally putting down the heart that had been hanging for a whole day.

  Looking at how easily and intimately Ruò Qíng bickered with the old lady, Zhī Yì's emotions were somewhat complicated. He didn't know whether Lǐ Xiāo and Ruò Qíng's marriage was right or wrong.

  Fang Jinglan was disappointed, but thinking that being related to the Jing Wang Fu would be detrimental to the career of the three brothers of Zhi Li, he relaxed and comforted Ru Qing a few words before letting her go rest. He himself went to the study room, wanting to use time and books to console his heart which had lost hope of reinstatement...

  He also felt a little regret, but thinking that her husband's second uncle was right, she cheered up and arranged some delicious food. Let Ruxiang and the four servants fill their empty stomachs.

  Chen Xiang and the others didn't eat lunch, and they had to endure for seven or eight hours before eating dinner. They were so hungry that their stomachs were stuck to their backs. This time, they couldn't care about the distinction between master and servant, and the four of them sat down together, wolfing down the four dishes and one soup on the table until it was spotless.

  Yu Qing also let the people eat a lot, one person had three large bowls of rice, He Shi was afraid that she would be constipated, and only allowed her to drink the last bowl of slightly thin porridge, saying that this way it wouldn't hurt the spleen and stomach.

  Linglong's throat was big, she was the first person to eat her fill. She put down her bowl and chopsticks, and complained in front of He Shi: "That empress dowager is really something, keeping you here for so long and not even leaving you any food."

  She gave her a white eye, "Still not afraid that you will be worried and frightened outside the palace." She had been with the Empress Dowager for about two hours, saying many things, she had almost forgotten, anyway, it was all miscellaneous things, Li Xiao's marriage, and again explaining to the Empress Dowager her "struggle" over the years, all sorts of things, just talking until the sky darkened, a palace maid came in to light the lamps, asking if the Empress Dowager would transmit food, the Empress Dowager only then kept her for dinner, but Ruqing was not at ease, and this was able to escape, however, the Empress Dowager also rewarded her with delicate thin cakes...

  "Huh, what about the pastries and beef that the Empress Dowager rewarded me with?" Ruo Xian suddenly remembered, realizing that she had been so excited and thrilled along the way that she had actually forgotten about the food that the Empress Dowager had given her.

  "The girl thought for a moment and said, 'Miss, I saw it with my own eyes, you didn't have anything in your hands when you left the palace.'"

  Yuqin Linglong also said that she didn't see anything on Zhen's hand, and Zhen was extremely regretful. "It must have fallen into the carriage. How hateful." Having gone to the palace once, not bringing out even a little something is really too much of a pity.

  "Never mind, it's just some food, if it's gone, then so be it. It's not a big deal. The most important thing is that my sister can come back safely."

  ……

  In the following days, Zhi Li was very concerned about the news in the imperial palace. Unfortunately, he had been in Shanxi for many years and didn't have many connections in the capital city. He couldn't find anyone reliable to ask about the news in the imperial palace. However, he was quite resourceful and visited the Fu family, his sister's husband Clock Jin, and his third brother-in-law Yang Qi Tai, and basically got 80-90% of the information.

  Firstly, the Empress Dowager was indeed worried about the marriage between the King of Jing and the Know-Righteous family, so she agreed to it based on the affection of elders towards their juniors. Then, Li Xiu broke into the palace in the middle of the night, disturbing the Empress Dowager's good dream, but was moved by Li Xiu's sincerity. Later, when Li Xiu mentioned that the Fang family had an ancestral rule against marrying a military general's family with a noble title-holding family, he voluntarily avoided suspicion and left the capital with Ruoxi. Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor actually felt relieved, and it was only then that they issued the imperial decree granting the marriage in the middle of the night.

  The emperor and Li Xiong were close relatives, and the reason he was able to ascend to the throne in the first place was also inseparable from the strong support of the Jing Wang Fu. In these years since ascending to the throne as emperor, although various forces have been stirring, the old king of Jing returned his military emblem, allowing him to immediately take control of the 200,000 border troops. This calmed down the various forces.

  Considering the above reasons, the emperor was happy to give Li Xiao this favor. As for the potential benefits that the marriage between the Jing Wang Fu and the Fang family might bring, the emperor didn't think it was a big deal. The Fang family had shown great understanding and loyalty to the emperor, and Li Xiao was also a clever person, so what was there to worry about?

  Especially later Li Xiu entered the palace several times, and it is unknown what he said to the emperor and the empress dowager. Two days later, the empress dowager issued another decree, ordering Ru Xiang to enter the palace.

  How could he be so cruel, that Li Xiao is really a bastard. Why did he have to marry her? In the capital city, there are so many excellent girls, but he had to come and bother her, what did she do to offend him?

  While Zhiyi's face turned gloomy, Fang Jinglan was secretly delighted and didn't feel ashamed. After the old lady sighed and regained her composure, she began preparing dowry for Ruxin. Mrs. Li thought about Ruxin's glory as a concubine's daughter and became so jealous that her heart was shattered, leaving no room to care about other things.

  It's just that the servants were whispering among themselves, and when Master heard that Fourth Miss had been granted a marriage, he was overjoyed and showed off in front of Second Master, who got angry and snatched away a fox-fur cloak from Master's house. In the end, when leaving the courtyard, he even took away several sets of clothes, shoes, and hats belonging to Wen Ge'er.

  ……

  Two days later, another imperial decree was issued from the palace, announcing that Ruyi had been granted permission to enter the palace.

  Ru Jing entered the palace to see Empress Dowager, while Zhi Yi directly attended the emperor's audience, both on the same day and at the same time. Zhi Yi went to the imperial study, while Ru Jing went to the rear palace.

  The brother and sister walked in silence, both feeling anxious and worried. They couldn't help but blame Li Xiao again, and they were so angry that they wanted to catch him and beat him up for being a troublemaker who always caused her trouble.

  "Brother, the Emperor has summoned you, it can't be about my marriage, could it?"

  Zhīyì Miàn wú biǎoqíng dìdiǎn tóu, "jí yǒukěnéng."

  English Translation:

  Zhiyi nodded expressionlessly, “It's very likely.”

  As if she had lost her temper, what virtue and ability did she have? For her own marriage, the empress dowager and the emperor were actually busy.

  "Last time, I explained to the Empress Dowager that marrying into the Wang family would go against our ancestral rules. The Empress Dowager didn't seem to mind either. Why is that? The Empress Dowager is such a clever person, she couldn't have not thought of the danger in this?"

  Her eyes softened and she asked in a gentle voice, "Be honest with me, since your brother explained the harm of allying with the Wang family to you, what have you been thinking?"

  Her face turned red as she replied, "Actually, I didn't think that much of it. It's just that marrying into the Wang household is indeed not beneficial for our family."

  Not quite satisfied with the answer, he asked again: "What else?"

  As if her fingers were tied, she refused to answer. How could she say that her brothers had finally achieved success today and couldn't let it be ruined because of her marriage? If her natal family's brothers were not capable, she would also be unable to hold her head high in her husband's household. Therefore, rather than marrying into the Wang household to become an empty shell of a princess, it was better to invest her hopes in her brothers, and this way she could cast a long line to catch a big fish.

  It's really too utilitarian to have such an idea, she wouldn't dare say it even if you killed her.

  Zhi Yi asked again: "Honestly ask you a question, do you have any liking for Li Xu?"

  It started with confusion, then silence, and finally fell into deep thought...

  Digression

  "Uh, guys take a closer look at the article, after reading it do what you need to do, see you tomorrow."