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Meanwhile, Imperial Consort Zhuang went to see Empress Dowager Zhuang at Renshou Palace.
She was beaming as she said, "Aunt, you were behind it right? I knew aunt had the ability to deceive the Emperor. Your strategy of winning by surprise is brilliant! Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing thought she could create trouble for you by returning to the palace, but she was outwitted by you, and you managed to reconcile with the Emperor with a little effort! By the way, why didn't aunt do this earlier?"
Empress Dowager Zhuang looked at her with an expressionless face.
Imperial Consort Zhuang felt a lump in her throat. She shrank her neck and said, "What's the matter aunt? Did I say something wrong? Everyone in the palace knows that the culprit who poisoned Xiao Heng has been found—— it was Zhang Xiu. How did aunt manage to make Zhang Xiu take the blame? Since Zhang Xiu is the Emperor’s people, it’s natural that aunt can’t order her around. In this way, aunt is cleared of suspicion!"
"Are you done?" Empress Dowager Zhuang asked coldly. "Aijia wants to look through the memorandums in peace."
Imperial Consort Zhuang pursed her lips and bowed before taking her leave.
The news that Zhang Xiu poisoned Xiao Heng spread quickly throughout the imperial palace, and it didn’t take long for the six palaces to know the truth about Xiao Heng’s poisoning. The Emperor misunderstood Empress Dowager Zhuang for many years, but now the truth had come to light, it made sense that he would take the initiative to reconcile with Empress Dowager Zhuang.
However, some people believed that this was just a trick by the Emperor. By appearing to express remorse and filial piety towards Empress Dowager Zhuang for the Zhang Xiu incident, he might be trying to gain her trust and lull her into a false sense of security, making it easier to catch her off guard and strike her in the future.
Empress Xiao stayed in Huaqing Palace for a while before returning to Kunning Palace to take care of Qin Chuyu.
The Emperor turned to Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing and asked, "How is imperial concubine mother's condition?"
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing smiled and said warmly, "I'm fine now."
But the Emperor did not relax his expression as he said, "The imperial physician said that imperial concubine mother needs careful recuperation and medication every day. Grannie Cai, you must take good care of her."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Grannie Cai replied respectfully.
The Emperor nodded and said to Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing, "This son shall go to the study first. If imperial concubine mother feels bored in Huaqing Palace, you can take a sedan chair to the imperial garden for a walk. The imperial physician said it's not good to stay indoors all the time while recuperating."
"Your Majesty need not worry about me. With Your Majesty's dragon protection, I will be well. But Your Majesty..." Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing said, her gaze falling on his slightly weary brow. "Your Majesty looks tired. Have you been reviewing the memorandums overnight again?"
The Emperor laughed nonchalantly, "There have been heavy rainstorms in many areas recently, causing serious disasters. There are bound to be many memorandums."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing took his hand and earnestly cautioned him, "Your Majesty still needs to take care of your health."
The Emperor patted the back of her hand and smiled, "This son will pay attention."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing's expression cleared up slightly. Then she thought of something and asked, "Is Your Majesty still using the nerve-calming incense that Grannie Cai gave you?"
"Yes." The Emperor replied.
"Is it still effective?" Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing asked.
The Emperor smiled, "The incense was personally prepared by imperial concubine mother, so they are definitely effective."
The Emperor comforted Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing a few more times before leaving for the imperial study.
He didn't come to eat with Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing at noon, choosing to eat in the study instead.
Eunuch Wei went to the imperial kitchen and told the staff to cook a few delicious dishes, but there weren't many varieties.
The Emperor used to eat with grandeur, but since he had lived in Bishui Alley, he had simplified his three meals a day.
After leaving the imperial study, Eunuch Wei went back to Huaqing Palace and picked up several memorandums left in the small study last night.
As he was leaving the small study, he met Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing and Grannie Cai walking towards him.
“Imperial concubine dowager.” With the memorandums in his arms, Eunuch Wei saluted Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing.
Grannie Cai, next to her, bowed at him slightly.
He also bowed at her in return.
In terms of rank, he was above Grannie Cai, but the palace was never a place that simply went by rank. The Emperor respected Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing, and as the saying went, if a person was in power, even their chickens and dogs would ascend to heaven.
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing looked at him kindly, "Eunuch Wei, how many years have you been serving by His Majesty's side?"
Eunuch Wei didn't hesitate for too long and answered quickly, "This servant has followed Majesty since he was fourteen. It has been thirty years now."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing nodded her head, "Do you remember who selected you to be by His Majesty’s side?"
Eunuch Wei was slightly surprised and did not understand why Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing suddenly asked this. He answered truthfully, "It was imperial concubine dowager."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing fixed her gaze on him and asked, "Then can this concubine dowager trust you?"
She used "this concubine dowager" to refer to herself.
Eunuch Wei's expression turned solemn, he hugged the memorandums tightly in one arm and freed his other hand to lift the hem of his robes before kneeling down. "Whatever orders imperial concubine dowager has, this humble servant is willing to die for them."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing raised her hand to help him up and said, "Get up and speak, why talk about dying? You have been by the Emperor's side for a long time, he cannot do without you. I am just worried about the Emperor, I cannot trust what others say, so I came to ask you."
Eunuch Wei wiped his cold sweat, not daring to let Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing help him up as he was just a lowly person. He quickly stood up and lowered his head, saying, "Whatever the imperial concubine dowager wishes to ask, please feel free to ask."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing opened her mouth, "How is His Majesty’s health?"
Eunuch Wei thought that Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing would ask whether the Emperor had really reconciled with Empress Dowager Zhuang. Unexpectedly, she was concerned about the Emperor's condition.
Eunuch Wei felt embarrassed for misunderstanding her and replied, "Responding to imperial concubine dowager, His Majesty has had trouble sleeping and eating recently."
A glint flashed through Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing's eyes, "Is he also mentally confused at times and having nightmares at night?"
"Yes..." Eunuch Wei was surprised, "How does imperial concubine dowager know?"
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing sighed, "I guessed it. When I spoke to him just now, he was mentally exhausted. I asked him if he had been reviewing memorandums all night, and he said there were too many memorandums to go through. I guessed he couldn't sleep, just like when he was a child. When he was under a lot of pressure, he would have nightmares and then I had to hug him to sleep...I thought that after all these years, he had grown up and wouldn't be like he was in his childhood."
Eunuch Wei said, "Imperial concubine dowager is worried about His Majesty."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing smiled bitterly, "He is my son and I raised him from birth, how can I not worry about him? By the way, the nerve-calming incense I gave His Majesty, did he use it? It was a recipe I obtained from a highly respected monk and can help treat His Majesty’s insomnia and nightmares."
Eunuch Wei replied, "His Majesty used it."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing asked again, "Did he really use it?"
Eunuch Wei smiled awkwardly, "He did use it. If imperial concubine dowager doesn't believe me, this servant can fetch the ashes of the incense for you."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing smilingly said, "No need, I trust you. Besides me, you are the only one in the entire Huaqing Palace who sincerely cares about His Majesty."
Eunuch Wei bowed and said, "This servant is humbled."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing handed him a box and said, "This is a new type of nerve-calming incense. Its effects are better than the last one. Take it to His Majesty, and I hope he will no longer be troubled by nightmares. If it works well, come back to me, I have plenty more."
Eunuch Wei took the box and said, "Yes."
Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing said, "Then I'll take my leave first."
Eunuch Wei bowed and said, "Take care, imperial concubine dowager."
After Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing left, Eunuch Wei took the memorandums and the incense to the study and told the Emperor about his encounter with Imperial Concubine Dowager Jing.
The Emperor laughed and said, "Zhen doesn’t remember what happened when Zhen was a child. But you, why did you have to tell imperial concubine mother about my situation? You only made her worry."
Eunuch Wei explained, "Your Majesty, imperial concubine dowager had noticed that you were not feeling well. If we kept it from her, wouldn't she worry even more?"
The Emperor shook his head and said, "Forget it."
Eunuch Wei smiled and asked, "What about this nerve-calming incense?"
The Emperor said, "Since it's a token of imperial concubine mother's kindness, keep it. Use it at night and see if it works."
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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