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墨書 Inktalez
After returning from praying for blessings at Dazhao Temple for the Empress Dowager, the concubines in the harem had not seen any sign of Queen Meiru.
For several consecutive days, when they went to the Queen's Palace to pay their respects, they were met with closed doors. The personal maidservants in the Queen's Palace were also nowhere to be found, leaving only a few unfamiliar Eunuchs and palace maids who claimed that the Empress was unwell and could not see anyone.
In no time, the concubines began to gossip, speculating whether the Empress was truly ill. Among them were some shrewd individuals who would avoid such topics when they arose.
That afternoon, while a group of concubines was discussing matters together, Consort Chen happened to walk by. Covering her mouth with a silk handkerchief, she coughed meaningfully and said, "What is meant to come will come; what is not destined will never be forced. The Empress is a prime example..."
She then pointed her orchid finger at the beautiful concubines with a cold smile and continued, "I advise you all to stop gossiping. The most important thing right now is still the Emperor's favor. Tell me, who among you has been summoned by the Emperor this month..."
The concubines fell silent.
Not only this month but even last month, it was only the quiet Consort Yi who had been summoned, and that was merely a summons, not an act of favor.
Seeing the concubines' defeated expressions, Consort Chen snorted disdainfully. "Looking at you all makes me uneasy. If you don't find ways to win the Emperor's heart now, there will come a day when you will regret it..."
With that, she turned and left.
Consort Chen always spoke arrogantly; she looked down on these lower-ranking concubines and even the Empress herself. The chastised concubines left with their heads down, none of them understanding the implications of Consort Chen's words.
However, some quick-witted concubines guessed that something must have happened to Queen Meiru and that there were changes in the central palace. They suspected that Consort Chen's words hinted at this change, but they had no idea what kind of change it might be.
---
In the afternoon, after finishing her work with the Fire Stick and practicing swordplay, Xiao Luo went to visit Empress Dowager Mingxi.
At that moment, Empress Dowager Mingxi was sitting in the courtyard of the palace trimming flower branches while chatting with someone beside her. She wore a rare smile and nodded occasionally as she worked.
When the person beside the Empress Dowager stood up from the ground, Xiao Luo recognized her as Mei Shuang and couldn't help but show a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Aunt Yu, standing next to the Empress Dowager, was the first to notice the Emperor and quickly bowed while softly reporting, "The Emperor has arrived."
Empress Dowager Mingxi looked up, and Mei Shuang, who was crouching on the ground, also spotted him through the gaps in the flowers. She hurriedly lowered herself further to pretend to pick up fallen flower branches.
Today, Xiao Luo wore a light-colored casual outfit suitable for the season. Under the emerald crown, he appeared a bit less aloof and more elegant. Even Empress Dowager Mingxi admired his attire, saying, "My son has truly caught my eye today..."
Xiao Luo was momentarily taken aback but quickly cleared his throat to change the subject. "What flower do you have in your hand, Empress Dowager?"
Empress Dowager Mingxi looked at the red-centered white-petaled flower she held and complained, "I don't even know the name of this flower! I asked the palace florist, but all they could tell me was something like... what was it again?"
After pondering for a moment without recalling, she sighed, "Ah, I'm getting old; look at my memory..."
She then turned to Mei Shuang beside her and asked, "Can you tell me what this is called?"
Not seeing her at first, she shifted her gaze to the ground and felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Oh dear, are you trying to squeeze in there? The stems are covered in thorns; come out quickly..."
Mei Shuang felt speechless. It was clear that the Empress Dowager intended for her to show her face in front of the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire. However, she had no intention of attracting this cold man's attention.
When she had spotted Xiao Luo through the flowers earlier, her instinct was to hide. Unfortunately, she had leaned forward a bit too much and got her hairpin caught on a thorn when trying to pull back.
Aunt Yu noticed and hurried over to clear away the branches but accidentally pricked herself on a thorn.
Just then, Xiao Luo approached. Empress Dowager Mingxi stepped aside and gave her son a look that urged him to help.
Mei Shuang's hair was firmly snagged by the thorn, leaving her unable to move. When she saw Xiao Luo's light-colored outfit with gold trim coming closer, she felt embarrassed and could only awkwardly smile while raising her hands to fumble with her hair. "No need, no need! I can manage myself..."
Before she could finish speaking, she gasped in surprise as she pulled her fingers back and noticed two sharp thorns painfully sticking into her delicate fingertips.
Seeing Mei Shuang's flustered expression made Xiao Luo's lips curve into an involuntary smile. He bent down and extended his long fingers to deftly untangle Mei Shuang's hair. With a gentle tug, he freed her from the thorn that resembled a hook.
Mei Shuang only felt a slight tingling itch on her scalp, and then a deep, magnetic voice above her said, "Alright," which made her feel as if she had been granted amnesty. She quickly stood up and turned around—
Just as she saw the enlarged face in front of her, it was too late; her clear forehead collided with the beautifully sculpted yet hard jaw of the Sovereign.
Caught off guard, the impact was quite forceful.
Mei Shuang gasped again, baring her teeth and raising her eyes to see the man in front of her instinctively retreating backward, his brows slightly furrowed.
Damn!
This was too rude and unladylike! This was in front of the meticulous Empress Dowager, and she had shown such disrespect to the Emperor.
As Mei Shuang silently cursed herself, she quickly reacted, blushing and hurriedly apologizing to the Emperor whom she had bumped into, "Ah, I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. Did I hurt you?"
While saying this about hurting the Emperor, it was actually her forehead that hurt.
Xiao Luo raised a hand to touch his chin, turning his eyes away, and said lightly, "It's fine."
What could he say? He had just been suddenly bumped by this reckless woman, and his jaw felt sore. However, he didn't feel angry.
Empress Dowager Mingxi witnessed this scene and looked at Mei Shuang's embarrassed face, flushed like an apple, and then at her son's calm expression. A hint of unnoticeable meaning appeared at the corner of her lips as she pretended not to see and turned back to continue trimming her flowers.
After trimming a few branches, she put down her small golden scissors and asked Aunt Yu beside her, "Jade, has the bird's nest I asked you to stew in the Small Kitchen been prepared?"
Aunt Yu understood and quickly replied, "This servant will go check..."
After Aunt Yu left, Mei Shuang felt increasingly out of place. She was anxious and uncomfortable, every pore in her body seemed to exude unease. She even began to doubt whether she should be standing there at all. After all, even the personal maid had been sent away by the Empress Dowager; what was she doing here as an outsider?
She hurriedly said with understanding, "Empress Dowager, I—"
Empress Dowager Mingxi noticed her thoughts but ignored her, simply addressing Xiao Luo, "Come here, my child. Is there something you need?"
Xiao Luo withdrew his gaze and glanced at Mei Shuang, whose face was flushed from being interrupted by the Empress Dowager. He then replied, "You called for me, Your Majesty. I thought you had instructions for me..."
Only then did Empress Dowager Mingxi seem to remember something, patting her palm in realization, "Look at my memory; I was just focused on trimming the flowers and forgot the important matters. Come inside and let's talk."
Once inside, Empress Dowager Mingxi sat on the couch while Xiao Luo took a seat in front of her. Mei Shuang quickly served tea to both the Empress Dowager and Xiao Luo before stepping aside.
The Empress Dowager glanced at the silent Mei Shuang and asked Xiao Luo, "Have you clarified the situation regarding Dazhao Temple?"
Upon hearing Dazhao Temple, Mei Shuang felt an inexplicable jolt in her heart. Did even the Empress Dowager know about the strange occurrences there?
Xiao Luo lowered his eyes as he sipped his tea, appearing calm and composed. After setting down his cup, he cast a glance at Mei Shuang. "Why not ask this 'Miss Lin Yuxiang'? She has been praying for you, Your Majesty, with great sincerity..."
When Xiao Luo's gaze fell upon her, Mei Shuang happened to look up and met his eyes. For some reason, she felt that those deep, unfathomable eyes held significant meaning.
What did he mean? Was he suggesting that she should be questioned about Dazhao Temple?
She had indeed experienced quite a bit there, but she was unwilling to recall it. Even if she did, it would be a long story. Moreover, given the gravity of the matter, it seemed that the Empress Dowager was already aware of it. The way she asked if it had been "clarified" made it clear that she knew something about it; how could she possibly know what had been clarified?
Thinking this over in her mind while maintaining an expression of ignorance, she found herself truly being questioned by the Empress Dowager.
All Mei Shuang could do was cautiously ask, "What does Your Majesty wish to know?"
"You can start from the beginning..." Empress Dowager Mingxi said leisurely as she sipped her tea without a care.
"From the beginning?..." Mei Shuang genuinely had no idea what kind of scheme Xiao Luo was plotting by insisting that she speak.
However, how could she dare to defy a royal command? She began recounting everything from when she entered Dazhao Temple, witnessed the bizarre scene with the Buddha statue, almost got poisoned while drinking soup, to how Mei Ru died and was taken away by someone. She described her encounters with poison on the road and then her nights spent copying scriptures at Dazhao Temple.
Naturally, there were some dreamlike experiences that she chose to omit.
She chattered on for quite a while, while Empress Dowager Mingxi leaned against the couch, her eyes half-closed as if she were asleep. Xiao Luo remained expressionless and distracted, making Mei Shuang feel like a storyteller, and a rather unsuccessful one at that.
After talking for what felt like an eternity, Mei Shuang found her throat dry, yet there was no sign of movement from the Empress Dowager.
It wasn't until she paused for a moment that the Empress Dowager opened her phoenix-like eyes, glanced at Mei Shuang, and said calmly, "This palace understands... Regardless of whether you were Shuang'er of the Left Chancellor Mei Manor in the past or Lin Yuxiang today, you must remember that you possess an extraordinary lineage. This is something you must keep in mind!"
Extraordinary lineage? Mei Shuang silently repeated the phrase in her mind, feeling confused by the Empress Dowager's words.
However, it was clear that the Empress Dowager acknowledged the name she had casually chosen for herself. Did this mean that the Empress Dowager was already aware of her transformations?
"Yes..." Mei Shuang thought to herself while verbally agreeing.
Empress Dowager Mingxi could naturally see the confusion in Mei Shuang's eyes. However, it was evident that this was not the right time to reveal the answer to this girl; some things she would understand in due course.
The Empress Dowager's gaze lingered on Mei Shuang's porcelain-white face, a fleeting look of daze crossing her eyes. She then turned to glance at Xiao Luo, who appeared indifferent beside her, and let out a barely audible sigh. After all, human plans cannot compare with heaven's designs; was she truly fated to be estranged from her own son?
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