Chapter 616: Stroke (1)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The 21st year of Chong’an was destined to be a troubled period for Great Xia. First, the old prince attacked the emperor, causing the emperor to be seriously injured and fall unconscious. After he finally woke up and arranged for Lord Jing to supervise the country, there was no movement again.
Then, when the Fragrant Teahouse revealed the old prince’s evil deeds for many years, the commoners waited for the emperor to recover so that they could convict the old prince.
Additionally, the Empress Dowager had returned to the palace!
The empress dowager, who had not returned to the capital for nearly twenty years, suddenly returned at this time. Was she hinting that the emperor was really about to die?
Looking at Lord Jing, who had been receiving a lot of attention in the intermediate court recently, it was not difficult to guess that Lord Jing would become the next emperor once the current emperor passed away.
With Lord Jing’s momentum, several family clans in the capital rose with him, including Lord Jing’s maternal family, Prime Minister Liu’s Mansion, and Consort Jing’s maternal family.
There was no need to mention the Prime Minister’s residence. With Imperial Concubine Liu in the harem all year round, she had always been the target of many officials’ fawning.
The Shen family, on the other hand, held their heads high for a rare moment after Shen Ping’s mishap.
So what if Shen Pingxiu was stripped of his official position? As long as Lord Jing took the position of emperor, Shen Pingxiu would still be a legitimate noble.
Perhaps because they had been reminded, the Shen family had learned their lesson this time. They did not come to find trouble with Shen Yijia immediately.
Shen Yijia did not take it to heart.
She originally thought that the empress dowager’s return to the palace had nothing to do with her, but she did not expect…
“Is this the girl you mentioned to me?” Empress Dowager Wei’s voice sounded above her head.
Shen Yijia came back to her senses and quickly bowed. “Greetings, Empress
Dowager. ”
Madam Qiu smiled and said, “That’s right. It’s all thanks to this girl accompanying me these days. Don’t scare her.”
“Look at your heartache. Get up quickly.” Empress Dowager Wei waved her hand and instructed the nanny beside her to move a small table between her and Madam Qiu. She waved for Shen Yijia to sit down.
Shen Yijia sat down obediently and could not help but look at the nanny again. She thought to herself that fate was really magical.
She had never seen the empress dowager before, but this nanny was clearly the woman who had hitchhiked that day. Coupled with the time the empress dowager returned to the palace, it was not difficult to guess that the old madam wearing a veil was the empress dowager in front of her.
At the same time, she was glad that she and Song Jingchen had disguised themselves that day.
Madam Qiu said matter-of-factly, “My heart must ache. If not for this girl, how could I be sitting here now?”
From the conversation between the two of them, he knew that Madam Qiu and the empress dowager were close friends.
“Then you have to protect her well.” Empress Dowager Wei held Shen Yijia’s hand and took off the bracelet on her wrist for her to wear.
Shen Yijia glanced at Madam Qiu and saw her nod. “Thank you, Empress Dowager.”
There was no smugness, let alone flattery.
Empress Dowager Wei nodded in satisfaction and patted the back of her hand.
“What a good child.”
Shen Yijia resisted the urge to pull her hand back and forced a smile.
Perhaps seeing that she was uncomfortable, Madam Qiu changed the topic. “You too. Why didn’t you tell me in advance that you were returning to the capital? I heard from Huixin that something happened to your carriage halfway. You’re too bold.”
“Back then, I could leave the capital on my own. Why do I have to be picked up when I return?” Empress Dowager Wei looked at the nanny at the side reproachfully. “Why haven’t you changed your bad habit after so many years?
You tell her everything.”
Nanny Huixin smiled apologetically. “That’s because Madam Qiu cares about the empress dowager. She asked me when she saw me. If I didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t let me go.”
Madam Qiu also smiled. “What’s wrong? What you could tell me in the past can’t be said now?”
“Alright, you’re all on the same side. I can’t win against you,” Empress Dowager Wei said.
The two of them teased each other for a while before Madam Qiu asked with a serious expression, “Did you return to the capital this time because you were worried about His Majesty’s health?”
The empress dowager had just arrived in the capital yesterday, but today, she asked her to bring Shen Yijia into the palace. It was definitely not as simple as wanting to take a look at Shen Yijia.
The empress dowager picked up her teacup and took a sip. She glanced at Nanny Huixin. The latter understood and waved her hand to dismiss the palace servants in the hall.
“I’m afraid that Great Xia will fall into chaos.” She sighed.
The emperor did not come from Empress Dowager Wei’s stomach. He was already at the age of a governor when he was registered under her name.
As for her own child, he died of illness when he was ten years old. She also lost all her maternal love. Apart from her title, she actually didn’t have much feelings for the emperor.
This was also the reason why Empress Dowager Wei could leave for so many years without returning to the palace..
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