"Your Majesty, the Princess Consort of Zhaoyang has come to the palace to pay her respects."
The Empress Dowager frowned, her expression growing increasingly displeased, and muttered, "What is she doing here again?"
This Princess Consort of Zhaoyang was Xiyan, the Empress Dowager's own niece. The Empress Dowager ordered Xiyuan to marry Prince Zhaoyang, but Xiyuan refused to marry him and eventually committed suicide by poisoning herself. Among the Xi family's generation, only Xiyan and Prince Zhaoyang were of similar age, so Xiyan was betrothed to Prince Zhaoyang.
Who knew that Prince Zhaoyang was a womanizer and loved women? How could Xi Yan keep him? In addition, Xi Yan was willful and unruly, and the two of them fought almost every day. Therefore, Princess Zhaoyang Xi Yan would come to the palace to complain every few days. Whenever the Empress Dowager heard that she was coming, she would feel depressed and angry.
I should have known better than to betroth Xiyan to Prince Zhaoyang. I only brought trouble upon myself.
The young eunuch was waiting for the Empress Dowager's decree when, at the palace gate, the voice of Princess Zhaoyang, Xiyan, rang out.
"Aunt, Aunt."
The person had already entered, and the Empress Dowager knew it was impossible to refuse to see him. She sighed, waved her hand, and signaled the young eunuch to leave.
As soon as west Yan entered the main hall, she cried to the Empress Dowager, "Aunt, you must do me justice! That bastard hit me again yesterday!"
As she spoke, she revealed half of her face, which indeed had five fingerprints that had not yet faded. Her eyes were also red and swollen, indicating that she had been crying for quite some time. However, the Empress Dowager knew her character and could not help but scold her.
"Did you cause trouble again, which is why he hit you?"
If west Yan hadn't made a scene, Prince Zhaoyang wouldn't have hit her out of respect for her. Xi Yan is really too insensible.
As soon as the Empress Dowager spoke, west Yan burst into tears: "Aunt, it's not that I'm making a fuss, it's just that he's being so outrageous. Am I, a dignified Princess Zhaoyang, inferior to his concubines? He won't come into my room, but instead stays in the concubines' rooms. How can I agree to that? So I went to argue with him, but who knew he would hit me."
Although west Yan gave a brief explanation, the Empress Dowager could guess that she must have caused a huge uproar, which was why Prince Zhaoyang hit her. When will this niece learn to win a man's heart?
Look at the woman in front of me, and then think about the one in Liuyue Palace. How can they be so different?
She could make the emperor refuse to take any concubines and still be willing to do so. You, on the other hand, can't even hold onto one man and still have the nerve to cry and make a fuss.
"Xiyan, do you think crying and making a scene will work? Women can't deal with men by just crying and making a scene. You need to use your brain."
Upon hearing this, west Yan realized that she had been beaten so badly, yet her aunt was still lecturing her. Shouldn't that man be punished instead? Thinking this, she started crying again, feeling wronged: "Aunt, you have to stand up for me! If you hadn't made me marry Prince Zhaoyang, I wouldn't have married him. I wanted to marry the Emperor, but you made me marry Prince Zhaoyang."
It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned the Emperor. The moment she did, the Empress Dowager's eyes narrowed, and she glared at her coldly: "Do you think you can get the Emperor to marry you? Will the Emperor even marry you?"
Upon hearing this, west Yan fell silent. However, the thought of being beaten by Ye Ranyi filled her with resentment. Yesterday, Ye Ranyi had beaten her in front of many concubines and servants. Did she have no shame? She represented the Xi family. If someone from the Xi family was beaten, wouldn't her aunt stand up for them?
“Aunt, that night Ranyi beat me in front of everyone. I am a member of the Xi family. His actions clearly show that he doesn't respect the Xi family, nor does he respect you. Aren't you angry, Aunt? It's one thing for the Emperor to disregard us, but now even Prince Zhaoyang doesn't respect us.”
When west Yan mentioned that the Emperor did not respect the Empress Dowager, she directly touched on the Empress Dowager's sore spot, and the Empress Dowager shouted angrily.
"shut up."
This shout made Xi Yan stop talking. She looked at her aunt, the Empress Dowager, and found that her aunt was angrier and more furious than usual. Although she would get angry in the past, she rarely lashed out at her. Today was obviously different. west Yan dared not cry anymore and looked at Granny Ying, carefully speaking.
"What's wrong with my aunt?"
Granny Ying sighed, all because her thoughtless words had stirred up the Empress Dowager's worries.
"His Majesty has returned to the palace."
"The Emperor has returned?"
west Yan stood up excitedly, seemingly forgetting that she had already married Prince Zhaoyang. She smiled broadly, but upon seeing her aunt's expression, she seemed quite angry. Thinking of this, she remembered someone: "Has Ji Hailing also returned to the palace?"
This time, Granny Ying didn't speak, she just nodded, then glanced at the Empress Dowager, who had a dark face and said nothing.
Upon hearing that the Empress had returned, west Yan stopped arguing and her face was filled with jealousy and resentment. She hadn't expected that woman to actually come back. She thought that the woman was under the influence of the Love Thread and would never return. She never expected that she would return so soon.
"Wasn't she under the influence of the Soft Love Silk? Why is she back? I heard that the Soft Love Silk prevents two people from meeting?"
"The Emperor helped the Empress resolve her emotional entanglements, so the two of them returned together."
Upon hearing Ying Mama's words, Xi Yan's face fell, and she looked at her aunt, the Empress Dowager: "Aunt, did that woman offend you? Don't worry, I will help you in the future."
If it weren't for Ji Hailing, she would be married to a handsome and outstanding emperor now, and wouldn't have to suffer the wrath of Prince Zhaoyang. With this thought in mind, Xi Yan transferred her anger towards Ye Ranyi to Hailing, and made up her mind to help her aunt deal with Ji Hailing. She was no longer the Xi Yan who could be bullied by everyone in the Xi Mansion. Now she was the Princess Consort of Zhaoyang. If Ji Hailing wanted to touch her, she would have to have a legitimate reason, otherwise she couldn't touch her.
Upon hearing Princess Zhaoyang's words, Granny Ying's face fell. This Princess Zhaoyang was truly eager to stir up trouble. Instead of helping the Empress Dowager, she was harming her. The Emperor favored the Empress, and now the Empress had royal blood. If they were to do evil to the Empress, wouldn't they be courting death?
The Empress Dowager's previous actions had already aroused the Emperor's resentment. If she were to engage in any further inappropriate behavior, the Emperor would likely become even more distant from the Empress Dowager.
Although Granny Ying understood, she couldn't speak up. One was the Empress Dowager, and the other was Princess Zhaoyang. Where was she supposed to speak? In private, she could share her opinions with the Empress Dowager, but in front of Princess Zhaoyang, she still knew her limits.
The Empress Dowager's expression softened somewhat after hearing west Yan's words, but Xi Yan was ultimately destined for mediocrity.
Forget it, she didn't want to worry about anything anymore. She instructed Xi Yan, "Xi Yan, behave yourself. The Emperor and Empress are back. Think before you act and don't cause any trouble. If you do, even I can't help you."
She didn't want Xi Yan to help her. That woman wasn't thinking clearly, and she didn't want her to end up getting into trouble instead of helping.
The Empress Dowager was well aware of this, and seeing west Yan's nonchalant expression, she couldn't help but remind her again.
"Remember what I'm telling you. Just be a good Princess Consort of Zhaoyang. And don't always get angry with Prince Zhaoyang. Men always have to save face. Just be more agreeable to him and soften his heart. Then he won't make things difficult for you. Also, there is a Consort Jinlan in Prince Zhaoyang's mansion. You must be filial to her."
This niece is really indecisive. Not only does she constantly clash with Prince Zhaoyang, but I also hear that she usually talks back to Consort Jinlan. So even the Consort doesn't help her. If she continues like this, I'm afraid Prince Zhaoyang will divorce her in a fit of anger, and it won't matter even if she is from the West Mansion.
Where does a woman's status come from? It comes from men.
Isn't that the one in Liuyue Palace? Because of the Emperor's favor, she gets whatever she wants. Of course, the premise is that this woman has to be smart enough. So, comparing my own niece with the one in Liuyue Palace is simply not comparable.
"aunt."
west Yan was somewhat dismissive of her aunt's words and pouted, but when she saw her aunt glaring at her, she had no choice but to reply, "Yan'er understands, Aunt, don't worry."
The Empress Dowager yawned, then, supported by Granny Ying, went into her bedchamber to rest. If it weren't for waiting for the Empress to come and pay her respects, she would have gone to rest long ago. However, the thought of the Empress made her feel uncomfortable. She had been waiting for a while, but the woman hadn't come over. Clearly, the Empress Dowager didn't take her seriously.
In the main hall of Cixi Palace, the Empress Dowager went to her bedchamber to rest. Princess Zhaoyang, Xiyan, rolled her eyes and quickly came up with an idea.