Now that the Empress has returned, as the Princess Consort of Zhaoyang, she naturally needs to first establish a good relationship with the Empress. As for what happens in the future, she can deal with that later.
Once Princess Zhaoyang had made up her mind, she left the main hall of Ci'an Palace and led her maids to Liuyue Palace.
Inside Liuyue Palace, Hailing was resting. Because of the days of carriage travel, she was pregnant and extremely tired. She fell asleep as soon as she lay down, so when Zhaoyang Prince Xiyan came over, she was stopped by Shimei and others.
"Princess Zhaoyang, please return. Her Majesty the Empress is resting and cannot receive guests at the moment."
Shi Mei had already heard about west Yan's marriage to Prince Zhaoyang, so she spoke with a blank expression.
Upon hearing this, west Yan assumed that Ji Hailing was not going to see her, and she was very angry and annoyed. This damned woman is so arrogant. Humph, so what if she is the Empress?
Thinking about it, he led his people away from Liuyue Palace and left the palace.
Outside the gates of Liuyue Palace, Shimei and the others acted as if they didn't see that Princess Zhaoyang was angry. Fuyue, who was standing next to her, whispered, "Sister Shimei, why do you think the Empress Dowager wanted someone from the Xi family to marry Prince Zhaoyang? She arranged for Miss Xiyuan to marry Prince Zhaoyang before, but she ended up forcing Miss Xiyuan to her death. After Miss Xiyuan died, when you weren't in the palace, she betrothed Miss Xiyan to Prince Zhaoyang."
"Since the Xi family couldn't get anything out of the Emperor, they set their sights on Prince Zhaoyang, who was also a member of the imperial family."
Shi Mei didn't care much. Who knew what the Empress Dowager was thinking? The previous Miss Xi Yuan was actually a very good person. Their lady liked her too. Unfortunately, the Empress Dowager forced her into marriage and killed her. Now, she actually made Xi Yan marry Prince Zhaoyang. However, they were quite happy that Xi Yan married Prince Zhaoyang. It would be good if the two of them were tied together and fighting each other.
Fu Yue nodded in agreement with Shi Mei’s words, but a disdainful smile appeared on her lips: “The west family really will stop at nothing, but so what? I heard that Xi Yan is not favored. On her wedding night, she got into a fight with Prince Zhaoyang. After that, Prince Zhaoyang stayed in his concubine’s room instead of going to her room. So she goes to the palace to see the Empress Dowager every few days, which annoys the Empress Dowager to no end.”
"Serves her right," Shi Mei cursed inwardly. Thinking of how the Empress Dowager had made things difficult for their mistress at every turn, she couldn't help but curse her in her heart. She deserved what she got.
Chapter 112 Defeating the Prime Minister and Raising Grain Donations [VIP Text Version]
In Liuyue Palace, Hailing slept until dark. When she woke up, the palace lights were already on. Ye Lingfeng was sitting in front of her bed, holding her hand, his pupils filled with a burning light as he gazed at her deeply, as if she were some precious treasure.
Seeing how much this man loved her, she felt content with the journey she had taken; all the suffering she had endured and everything she had done for him was worthwhile.
"Night, what brings you here?"
"I've come to take you to Cixi Palace for dinner. We'll go to Cixi Palace together to have dinner with the Empress Dowager."
He had already sent someone to Cixi Palace to inform his mother, and now he came to pick up Ling'er to go together. He didn't want there to be any rift between his mother and Ling'er, as they were both family members he cared about. So he hoped that through his efforts, his mother would like Ling'er and get along with her.
Hearing Ye Lingfeng's words, Hai Ling felt a little hesitant. She was still uneasy about the Empress Dowager, but looking into Ye Lingfeng's doting eyes and remembering the suffering he had endured to ease her heart, what was wrong with her making some efforts for him? She had poisoned the Empress Dowager, so now she would apologize to her, hoping the Empress Dowager could put aside past grievances and the two of them could reconcile. Since they both cared about Ye Lingfeng, they should get along well and not make things difficult for him. The Empress Dowager would surely understand this. Hai Ling comforted herself, and then a big smile appeared on her lips.
"Alright, let's go and have dinner with Mother."
Ye Lingfeng reached out and helped Hai Ling up, then personally helped her dress and tidy everything up. The two of them left the palace. Outside the door, Shi Mei and Shi Lan were waiting. As soon as they saw the Emperor and Empress come out, they quickly curtsied.
"Greetings, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."
"Get up."
Ye Lingfeng waved his hand, issuing a domineering and composed command.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Everyone stood up, and Ye Lingfeng led Hai Ling out of the hall, followed by the eunuchs and maids who served them. The group headed towards Cixi Palace in a grand procession.
In Cixi Palace, the Empress Dowager had already ordered a meal to be prepared and was waiting in the main hall. However, as it grew later and the Emperor and Empress had not yet arrived, the Empress Dowager became impatient, frowned, and looked outside the hall, feeling sullen, until a eunuch came in to report.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, the Emperor and the Empress have arrived."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager took a deep breath. She didn't want to have a conflict with Ji Hailing in front of her son, as that would only make Feng'er more distant from her. After adjusting herself, the Empress Dowager's expression became much more natural, and she smiled and waved her hand, "Go down."
The eunuch withdrew, and she stood up. Ying Mama immediately reached out to support the Empress Dowager, who then walked towards the head of the main hall.
At this moment, Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling had already entered the palace. At the door, eunuchs and palace maids greeted them loudly: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor and Your Majesty the Empress."
"Get up."
Ye Lingfeng's clear and cheerful voice rang out, and one could tell from his voice that he was in a very good mood.
The Empress Dowager's eyes darkened, and she felt a pang of sadness. It was truly heartbreaking that the child she had raised had been given away to another woman.
However, when Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling walked up to her, her face was adorned with a gentle, warm smile.
Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling spoke at the same time: "Your subjects greet Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager nodded, carefully examining Ye Lingfeng, then Hai Ling. Her eyes slowly moved down, looking at Hai Ling's belly, a smile spreading across her face. She reached out and took Hai Ling's hand, speaking lovingly, "Ling'er, look at you, a pregnant woman, running around everywhere. You must be more careful in the future."
"Yes, Mother."
Hai Ling responded, somewhat flattered and a little taken aback. The Empress Dowager seemed too kind. She wasn't naive enough to think that the Empress Dowager actually liked her or wasn't angry anymore. It could only be that she didn't want to upset everyone in front of Ye Lingfeng, so she didn't show it.
The more she acted this way, the less she could afford to upset her. With that thought, Hailing smiled and spoke respectfully.
"Ling'er will remember Mother's words."
"Hmm," the Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction. Regardless of whether Ji Hailing was sincere or not, seeing her respectful attitude made her feel better. This was the proper attitude of a daughter-in-law. "Come on, let's go to the side hall for dinner. I've already had dinner prepared and am just waiting for the two of you."
"Yes, Mother."
Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling responded at the same time, then smiled at each other. The Empress Dowager pretended not to see it and pulled Hai Ling towards the side hall.
Inside the side hall, dinner had already been laid out. The young palace maids stood around the room, and as soon as they saw the Emperor, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager enter, they quickly curtsied.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor, Your Majesty the Empress, and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Get up, all of you," the Empress Dowager waved her hand, signaling everyone to rise, and then said with a smile, "You may all leave now, so that we can have our meal in peace."
"Yes," everyone in the hall withdrew, except for Ying Mama, who was by the Empress Dowager's side, and Shi Mei and Shi Lan, the two maids who were by Hai Ling's side.
Granny Ying and the servants Mei and Lan stepped forward to serve the dishes. The Empress Dowager sat in the center, pulling Hai Ling to sit beside her. Ye Lingfeng sat next to Hai Ling, and he was happy to see his mother and Hai Ling getting along so well. However, Ye Lingfeng knew in his heart that his mother was only doing this because she didn't want everyone to be sad. No one knew what she was really thinking, but he was determined to mend the rift between them.
The three sat down to begin their meal. Hailing stood up first, looked at the Empress Dowager, and apologized for what she had done last time. Although she believed she hadn't done anything wrong, the Empress Dowager's actions during those days had made her uneasy. For the sake of Ye's empire, she had to act that way. But now, to make the Empress Dowager feel better, this apology was necessary. After all, the Empress Dowager had raised her son for over twenty years, and now he doted on her and indulged her every whim. It was normal for a mother to feel unbalanced. Perhaps she hadn't thought this way before, but since becoming pregnant, she had thought about it more. If one day her son got married and abandoned his mother who had given him life, she would also feel unbalanced. Therefore, a wise woman knows how to appropriately lower her stance.