91: The Older, The Wiser

The Empress Dowager took the Empress’ hand and patted it.

“When people get older, they will always have serious illnesses and small disasters. It’s normal so don’t listen to the nonsense of those physicians.”

An old mama next to her quickly explained, “Empress Dowager was irritated by Jiu, Sixth Miss Xiao.”

She originally wanted to say Jiu Wangfei, but remembering that Empress Dowager didn’t like this title, she still called Xiao Ting Sixth Miss Xiao.

In fact, many people are accustomed to calling her Sixth Miss Xiao instead of Jiu Wangfei. On the one hand, it’s because Sixth Miss Xiao’s reputation is that big, and on the other hand, it’s because of Jiu Wangye‘s usual attitude.

That indifference and carelessness made people feel that Xiao Ting was just a temporary mistress of Jiu Wangfu.

The Empress Dowager glared at the mama, then looked at the Empress and said: “For so many years, you have truly suffered. Now that that woman, Xiao LingYue, has been sent to the Cold Palace by the Emperor, in the future, you can make some light requests. The Third Prince isn’t that young, and the Crown Prince position couldn’t be ignored.”

“This consort understands.” The Empress said, happy in her heart but talking with humility.

The Empress Dowager’s mind was the same as her on this point, so that’s good.

But the next sentence made the Empress dissatisfied.

“The third child should choose a consort soon, do you have any plans?”

The original intention of the previous Summer Lotus Banquet was to choose a consort for the Third Prince, but it was interrupted by Xiao Ting, and no one was selected in the end.

After that, the matter wasn’t settled.

“Everything depends on Imperial Mother.”

The Empress Dowager smiled and said: “There are three candidates in bengong‘s heart.”

“Which one does Imperial Mother prefer?” The Empress asked obligingly.

“Last time at the Summer Lotus Banquet, the fourth girl, Xiao Mei, was really talented. She’s Xiao LingYue’s niece but the most important thing is that she has a normal relationship with Xiao LingYue. Are you afraid he’ll like her?”

The older really is the wiser. The Empress Dowager said the Empress’ thoughts directly.

“Imperial Mother, this consort likes Xiao Mei, but it’s only now that I discovered that if Xiao Mei was chosen at that time, it would have harmed the third child.” The Empress was not embarrassed when she said this with an apologetic look.

“As long as you know! After all, Xiao Mei is the daughter of the Xiao family, and as proud as Xiao LingYue. She’ll ruin everything and regarding the future marriage of the third child, you must not have other thoughts. Otherwise, you’ll lose the watermelon only to pick up sesame seeds.”

The Empress hurriedly knelt and shouted: “What Imperial Mother taught, this consort learned.”

The Empress really liked Xiao Mei at first. First, she’s barely worth the Third Prince. Second, she wouldn’t conflict with Xiao Guifei. Moreover, Xiao Guifei would help the Third Prince. Third, the Xiao family has no foundation, so the Emperor will rest assured.

After all, the Emperor was still young and it would make him uneasy to see the Crown Prince become too powerful.

The Xiao family was the best choice at that time.

But now it seems that no flower can bloom for a hundred days, and there are no good people. Who would have thought that Xiao LingYue, who had dominated the harem for many years, lost power and went straight to the Cold Palace, almost losing her life?

Had it not been for Xiao Ting spoiling the situation, she would have almost made a big mistake.

“Well, it’s all for the third child, so you are not wrong. Get up!”

“Thank you, Imperial Mother.”

“The third girl from Duke An’s place is not bad. You pick a day to call Xi Ruo and her into the Palace to meet San’er. Look at the situation and talk about it then.”

The Empress Dowager directly ordered. The Empress lowered her brows and happily agreed, but she was a little angry.

It’s a pity that as Empress Dowager’s niece, she’s Empress Dowager’s favorite candidate as the future Empress, but the Empress didn’t like that girl.

Her scheming mind is too deep!

But she didn’t mention it again. Instead, she changed the subject and asked: “Imperial mother, do you know what the parchment scroll that Xiao Ting handed over is?”

The Empress Dowager’s face sank when she heard those words. She directly released her hold and asked in a deep voice, “Why are you asking about this?”

She obviously knew it.

The Empress was overjoyed at guessing it right. The Emperor must have spoken to the Empress Dowager.

“Imperial Mother, this consort just thought that if that thing can save Xiao LingYue’s life, it’s naturally not an ordinary thing. How did Jiu Wangfei get it?”

“Have the Emperor pursued this matter? What if the two Aunt and niece colluded?”

The Empress directly confessed her guess, making the Empress Dowager slightly stunned, and then said, “Bengong is not clear about this. The Emperor only mentioned to bengong that this map is of great importance. As for how Xiao Ting got it, no one knew.”

“But when you say it like this, you do have a point. If this matter is truly collusion between that Aunt and niece, then the problem is serious.”

Seeing the Empress Dowager become suspicious, she struck while the iron’s hot and said, “Yes, think about this, that Aunt and niece must have colluded. If Xiao LingYue wasn’t threatened along with the lives of everyone in the Xiao fu, would Xiao Ting still hand over the map?”

“Not bad.”

The more the Empress Dowager thought about it, the more it seems to be the case. She immediately sat up on the bed, still half uncomfortable.

With fierce eyes, she said, “You go to Jiu Wangfu and bring that woman back. Bengong will interrogate her personally.”

The Empress was happy in her heart but hesitated outwardly.

The Empress Dowager scolded her.

“Aren’t you going?” This matter was of great importance, and she didn’t dare delay.

“Imperial Mother, this consort still has something to say, I don’t know if it should be said or not?” The appearance of the Empress hesitating and stopping made the Empress Dowager even more annoyed.

“Say what you have. When did you learn to speak with bengong in such a roundabout way?’

The Empress showed an awkward smile, and then solemnly asked with caution: “Does Jiu Wangye know about this matter?”

“What are you implying?” The Empress Dowager’s eyes grew colder. She narrowed her eyes slightly, making it difficult to see her emotions.

“En, this consort thinks so. Judging from the situation at the time, it was Jiu Wangye who asked Xiao Ting to hand over the map. Does that mean he knew that the map was on Xiao Ting a long time ago, but he didn’t say anything until the Emperor ordered all the members of Xiao fu to be imprisoned for questioning before they brought up the matter?”

Having said this, the Empress paused, leaving time for the Empress Dowager to think, and then concluded: “Such behavior is truly doubtful.”

The Empress Dowager fell into deep thought, her eyes flickering. The Empress waited for a while before the Empress Dowager came back to her senses. She slightly bowed and said, “Imperial Mother, these are just guesses of this child, not necessarily facts. Please don’t take it to heart, this consort will retire first.”

After speaking, she got up, turned, and left, leaving the Empress Dowager sitting in Ci’An palace with a look of surprise on her face.

The series of events that a mysterious map appeared in the Imperial Palace caused a lot of attention.

Jiu Wangye and the Emperor cared more about the identity of that woman in black.

Who sent her to steal the map?

The Empress stared at the map, thinking it was a particularly important thing.

Other members of the royal family also began to investigate secretly.

For a time, storms surged inside and outside the Imperial City and the undercurrents continued. Soon, someone will guess the truth.

By then, the Palace will no longer be peaceful.

Rui Wangfu, a small courtyard that’s not gorgeous.

SiYue Junzhu sat under the grape trellis in the yard, stretched out her hand to pluck a bunch of amethyst, crystal clear grapes, slowly peeled the skin, and threw the pulp into her mouth. She didn’t have the arrogance that a wealthy child should have.

“Are you saying that the person who saved you was Jiu Wangfei?”

In front of her, under the scorching sun ten feet away, was a woman in black kneeling on one knee, with her long hair tied high with a hairband, her upper body standing upright, and her eyes cold with determination.

“Yes.”

A simple word, but it made people tremble.

SiYue Junzhu sat on the stone bench with her legs stretched and folded, her fingers turning the teacup lightly, and the corners of her eyes and brows full of smiles, but regardless of how she looked, she said, “She also took the map?”

When they talked about the map, they already escorted SiYue outside YaoChi Palace.

The ones left at that time were only the pivotal figures of the royal family.

So she didn’t know why Xiao Guifei didn’t die in the end but thrown into the Cold Palace.

She didn’t know the whole story until just now when the woman in black escaped from the Palace.

It was still that cold word, “Yes.”

“You know how hard it took this princess to find out about this incident and found such a good opportunity, caused such a big incident, and killed so many people. Everything is to cover you.”

SiYue Junzhu spoke very slowly. When talking about such a big event, she said it lightly and showed no signs of anger.

“Now you’re telling this princess that you got the thing, but it was swapped out, and now you have to go back to the Palace.”

“Hehe, that trick is called ‘beating the grass to scare the snake’!”

“Please punish this subordinate.”

The black-clothed woman landed the other knee and looked straight ahead. Although she was kneeling there, there was no trace of humbleness.

She squatted on the ground with the hilt in her right hand.

After saying this, she unsheathed the sword and it unexpectedly went to her neck. She was about to become a corpse on the spot.

At this moment, SiYue Junzhu‘s figure flashed. The woman didn’t see how she moved at all and just heard a bang. The cold sword on the black-clothed woman’s hand fell to the ground, while on her neck, a shallow red scar gradually appeared, bleeding out.

“Did I raise you for so many years just to let you die?”

SiYue Junzhu stood tall, her moon-white long skirt mopping the floor and pouring down like a stream of water.

Her voice was neither salty nor weak but has its majesty.

The woman in black finally bowed her head.

SiYue Junzhu looked at her condescendingly. Although there was a smile in her eyes, the woman didn’t feel relaxed. On the contrary, she had to be on guard.

“Even if you die, you should die for a reason. This princess sacrificed so many people to protect you, aren’t you ashamed for your comrades?”

The black-clothed woman gritted her teeth, “subordinate is willing to commit crimes and meritorious services. If this one enters the Palace again, this one will definitely get that map.” She swore.