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Meanwhile, when Zhuang Yuexi returned to the Zhuang Family in tears, Grand Preceptor Zhuang asked her what was wrong and if something had happened to the Empress Dowager that she was crying like this.
Back when Empress Dowager was sent to the temporary imperial residence to recuperate from her illness, although she was a little sad, Zhuang Yuexi didn't shed any tears.
Zhuang Yuexi felt very aggrieved as she spoke, "Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager drove me out of the palace..."
Grand Preceptor Zhuang was full of confusion, "Why?"
Zhuang Yuexi told him the story of how she caught Gu Jiao climbing on the phoenix bed and how she was slapped by Gu Jiao and broke the phoenix seal as a result, "...It was clearly her fault. She slapped me causing me to knock into that display cabinet! But Empress Dowager actually blames me for it... "
Grand Preceptor Zhuang frowned suspiciously, "Doesn't the Empress Dowager dote on you a lot? How can that be... "
How could Zhuang Yuexi say that the one the Empress Dowager really doted on wasn’t her but that girl?
But it was strange. Empress Dowager’s behavior during the day didn’t have any obvious indication of it. However at night, Empress Dowager seemed to become a different person. Something must have happened in between!
She spoke out her doubts.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang was silent for a long time before he said, "I understand, go back to the courtyard first. Tomorrow I'll enter the palace to meet the Empress Dowager."
"Yes." Zhuang Yuexi still felt wronged when she replied. With her eyes red, she headed back to her own courtyard.
The following day, after the morning court, Grand Preceptor Zhuang caught up with Empress Dowager Zhuang's phoenix palanquin and called out, "Empress Dowager!"
Empress Dowager Zhuang raised her hand.
One of the palace maids waiting upon her understood and said softly, "Halt."
The phoenix palanquin stopped near the Emperor's audience hall.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang cupped his hand in salute and said, "Empress Dowager, can this official have a word with you in private?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang dusted off her wide sleeves, "Speak. There is no one here who cannot listen."
"Yes." Grand Preceptor Zhuang swept his eyes at the expressionless palanquin bearers and Eunuch Qin before he stepped forward, approached the lofty palanquin, and said, "Xi'er caused trouble in the palace yesterday. Rest assured that this official has already taught her a lesson as soon as she returned home. May the Empress Dowager quell her anger."
"Speak human language." Empress Dowager Zhuang said indifferently.
Unless it was necessary, Empress Dowager Zhuang didn’t like to beat around the bush with people, and obviously, there was no need for that with her own brother.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang said with a sigh, "I have asked Xi'er about yesterday’s matter. She was indeed at fault and shouldn't have intruded into Empress Dowager's bedchamber. However, she is Empress Dowager's grandniece after all. For Empress Dowager to punish her in front of so many servants and a commoner girl, isn't this not giving her a way out?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang responded, "She is not a commoner, but the daughter of the Marquis Ding'an Estate, as well as the wife of the new Zhuangyuan."
Grand Preceptor Zhuang: Is that the point?
Empress Dowager Zhuang continued, "Moreover, she also dared to fake Aijia's imperial decree. How can Aijia give her a way out?"
Grand Preceptor Zhuang knew nothing about the faking of imperial decree, but if it was true, then this was indeed not a small matter.
It was the same as faking the imperial decree of the Emperor, both were unpardonable crimes.
Empress Dowager Zhuang: Heh, she dared tell JiaoJiao that Aijia doesn't want JiaoJiao anymore. What absurdity?
Grand Preceptor Zhuang originally came to express his criticism, as a result he ended up muted and embarrassed instead. Naturally, he blamed Zhuang Yuexi for not telling him the complete truth, causing him to be embarrassed. Even so, he was still very curious about the girl's ending.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang looked at Empress Dowager inside the phoenix palanquin and asked, "May this official ask how the Empress Dowager dealt with that girl?"
He didn’t care if she was the wife of the Zhuangyuan, or if she was the daughter of a Marquis Estate. The point was that she climbed the phoenix bed and caused the phoenix seal to be broken, so she deserved death as punishment!
"Does Aijia need to report her actions to you?" Empress Dowager Zhuang shot him a cold glance.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang didn't dare to respond for a moment. He clenched his fists and ultimately said, "Then... This official shall excuse himself."
"Wait a minute." Empress Dowager Zhuang stopped him, "You came just in time. Aijia remembered something. Aijia recently gave your granddaughter a lot of things. Give them all back to Aijia!"
Grand Preceptor Zhuang stumbled and almost fell down!
Did he hear it right?
Empress Dowager wanted the things she had already given away to be returned?
Grand Preceptor Zhuang: You, you are the Empress Dowager of a country, how can you do such a thing?
The original Empress Dowager Zhuang naturally wouldn't do such a demeaning thing, but she was now the Empress Dowager Zhuang who had experienced living a tough life!
Her JiaoJiao even went to the distant market to sell mountain products in order to support the family. What did status amount to? Could it be eaten!
Why should she give the treasures she earned with her own ability to the wrong person?
So what if she wanted it back?
Grand Preceptor Zhuang barely held himself from spitting out a mouthful of old blood. In the end, what did he come here for? If he didn’t look for her, she wouldn’t have remembered it.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang returned to the Zhuang Residence.
Zhuang Yuexi was delightedly waiting for his grandfather to get justice for her, only to see his grandfather’s hesitant appearance upon his return.
"Grandfather, what's the matter? What did the Empress Dowager say?" She asked eagerly.
Grand Preceptor Zhuang coughed lightly and said, "Empress Dowager asked you to return all the things she gave you before."
Zhuang Yuexi’s complexion turned pale, "What?"
Grand Preceptor Zhuang also felt that this was wronging his granddaughter. He said with difficulty, "In any case, didn't you say you don’t like those things?"
When did she say she didn't like them? It was just that they were different from the things she usually liked. Besides, it was one thing not to like them and it was another thing for them to be taken back by the Empress Dowager!
Zhuang Yuexi seemed to have thought of something and exclaimed, "What about the princess mansion in the south of the capital? Empress Dowager won't take it back as well, will she?"
Eunuch Qin, who was tasked by the Empress Dowager to pick up the things back, heard this question as soon as he stepped at their door. He turned to the junior eunuch accompanying him and said, "Go back and ask the Empress Dowager if the new mansion should also be taken back."
Zhuang Yuexi:“…!!!”
Why did she have to ask that?!!
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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