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The Unstoppable Lady: Fortune Meets Power (Web Novel) - Chapter 535: She is my great aunt!
Chapter 535: She is my great aunt!
This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl
Empress Dowager Zhuang had a chat with the Zhuang family, but she felt tired.
Zhuang Taifu ordered a few children to withdraw, letting Zhuang Mengdie and Zhuang Yuexi return to their respective courtyards to rest. He then asked Prince An to join him in his study room.
“Yes.”
Prince An went to Zhuang Taifu’s study.
The study was lit by an oil lamp, the light was not too dim, but it wasn’t too bright, either. The storm outside carried on unabated.
Zhuang Taifu waved his hand, dismissed the servants, leaving only himself and Prince An in the room.
The empress dowager had been found, but Zhuang Taifu discovered that this grandson wasn’t as excited as he had imagined. As a matter of fact, he had been this way since the palace examination.
This led Zhuang Taifu to doubt whether Prince An had lost his confidence after one setback.
Zhuang Taifu earnestly said: “It’s not a big deal if you didn’t do well in one imperial examination. You can still rise to the top in your official career, and you can still defeat him. I must say, you will definitely win!”
Life is very long, and a small victory or defeat doesn’t count at all. What’s important is to look forward and aim high, and never look back.
“The Empress Dowager and the Zhuang family are your support!”
Prince An wasn’t disappointed because of the imperial examination, or at least not entirely. In his view, he lost to Xiao Liulang in the palace examination because the emperor wanted to suppress the Zhuang family, and it was normal for him to lose. But the real pain came from the different way Gu Jiao treated him and Xiao Liulang on the day of the parade.
But he could not express these feelings.
“Grandson understands. If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave.” He bowed and prepared to leave.
“About the Empress Dowager…” Zhuang Taifu stopped Prince An, his gaze was meaningful, “You should know what to say and what not to say.”
Prince An asked with a dull expression: “What does the grandfather think I should and should not say?”
Zhuang Taifu was displeased with his attitude, his eyes slightly cold: “You’re young, it’s okay for you to be emotional, but don’t go too far.”
Prince An sneered in a self-mocking tone: “Was the Empress Dowager really controlled by the emperor? Why would the emperor personally go down to Jiangnan to bring her back?”
Zhuang Taifu said, “Xiao Liulang has joined Xuanping Hou, who is the emperor’s trusted minister. Who knows whether the emperor went to Jiangnan just to deceive us with a blinding trick?”
Prince An sneered: “She cured the empress dowager’s leprosy, and she even saved the empress dowager’s life. Do all these things seem like manipulation to my grandfather?”
Zhuang Taifu said, in a stern voice: “The Empress Dowager didn’t have leprosy and it’s incurable. Besides, it’s not about saving or not saving, but they need the Empress Dowager and can’t let anything happen to her. If any member of our guard had been in the same position they would act in the same way, any one of them would be willing to sacrifice themselves for the Empress Dowager!”
Prince An no longer argued with his grandfather, his eyes lowered: “If my grandfather says so, then it must be.”
After that, he bowed and turned to leave.
Zhuang Taifu looked at his retreating back and said, “Remember who you are! Don’t let emotions get in the way!”
“I get it.”
A low response echoed in the night.
The rain was heavy, and Gu Jiao’s injuries were severe. She couldn’t return to Bishui Alley, so she rested in the small courtyard of the medical hall for the night.
Dr. Song made a bowl of calming soup. Xiao Liulang fed it to her, and after the medication took effect, she soon fell asleep.
Xuanping Hou stood under the eaves, accompanied by a dejected old Jiujiu. Chang Jing was at the end of the corridor, playing with marbles on the floor.
Xuanping Hou’s hands were tucked in his large sleeves. His brow furrowed unconsciously as he looked at the pouring rain: “So the Empress Dowager fainted on her own in front of Liulang and that wench’s house?”
“That’s what I heard,” the old Jiujiu replied listlessly.
Xuanping Hou said: “Do they know that she’s the Empress Dowager?”
The old Jiujiu looked at him icily: “Are you trying to trap me?”
Xuanping Hou kept his expression unchanged: “I’m not.”
This old man looked so lost, as if he had just lost his wife, and thought he could get around with tricky questions.
Of course, that wench wouldn’t know that she’s the Empress Dowager, and the real Xiao Liulang wouldn’t know the Empress Dowager either. Only Ahen did, so if the old Jiujiu hesitated or said something like ‘how would I know,’ he’d expose himself.
Xuanping Hou had a toothache.
A stubborn old man, such a pain to handle!
But having said that, is that ugly girl really Xiao Liulang’s wife?
The first time she saved him, he gave her a small silver coin. The second time she saved the emperor, he gave her a slightly larger silver coin.
Remembering his miserly acts in front of his daughter-in-law, Xuanping Hou’s toothache worsened.
Damn, he was too rash!
–
Liao Quan went home to inform the family of Gu Jiao’s condition. He told them that Xiao Liulang was looking after her at the medical hall and they didn’t need to worry or make the journey in the rain to see her, it was more important for them to take care of themselves.
These were Xiao Liulang’s exact words.
Yao’s wife was pregnant, Gu Yan had a heart condition, and Xiao Harisen was too young, they all should stay at home. Only Gu Xiaoshun was tough enough, but because of that, he really must stay to take care of the family.
“Why was she injured?” Gu Yan asked.
“It’s … it’s just that the rain was too heavy, and the roof collapsed.” Liao Quan said awkwardly. Some things were not suitable to be discussed in front of the children, but he had informed Yao’s wife of all the details.
It was only at this moment that Madame Yao realized she hadn’t misheard before, the young guard named Wuyang had indeed called the old lady empress dowager.
Her feelings were complicated.
On one hand, she was shocked by the empress dowager’s identity, and on the other, she felt an immense sense of loss over her departure.
As a lady of the deep court, who often lived far from the capital, she had not heard many rumors about Empress Dowager Zhuang. The woman she had come to know was the children’s old lady, who seemed careless, yet clearly cared for everyone around her.
“Are they…are they alright?” Madame Yao asked.
Liao Quan smiled and said, “They’re fine, just some superficial wounds.”
Gu Jiao’s injuries were more serious, but not life-threatening. However, she would need a long period of rest and recuperation.
Little Jingkong looked around, stuck his small head out, stared for a long time without seeing anything, then he walked into the house and asked with his palms open, “Where’s grandma?”
Liao Quan didn’t know how to respond.
Gu Yan seemed to have sensed something but remained silent.
Madame Yao paused for a moment, brought Little Jingkong, whose head was wet with rainwater, gently into her arms, wiped his bald head with a handkerchief, and said, “Grandma went home.”
Little Jingkong tilted his head, looking confused, “But I didn’t see her leave!”
Madame Yao tried to mask the bitter sadness welling up within her, caressed his little bald head, and said, “She went back to her own home.”
Little Jingkong spread out his hands, “Isn’t this grandma’s home?”
A torrential rain fell for several days straight, flooding the rivers nearby. It wasn’t until the sixth day of May that the skies finally cleared.
The Ministry of Works was busy managing the flooding on the avenues of the capital, cleaning out the underground drains to restore normalcy for the citizenry. The Guozijian and all other academies also resumed school.
Big news happened in the Capital in May. The Empress Dowager, who had been recuperating in the royal residence, suddenly declared her recovery, and grandly arranged a formal procession to return to the palace.
The common people flocked out to get a glimpse of the splendor of the Empress Dowager of Zhan Country. The spectacle was no less than the parade that followed the top scorer of the palace examination. After all, the top scorer’s parade occurred once every three years, whereas the Empress Dowager’s outings were exceedingly rare.
When the Empress Dowager went to the royal residence for treatment, it was done quietly without the knowledge of the people. The last time the masses had seen the Empress Dowager’s formal procession was when the previous emperor had passed away, and she had led the funeral procession, accompanying the previous emperor’s coffin out of the imperial palace.
Since then, the virtuous and moral widow became the powerful Empress Dowager Zhuang.
Lior Quan had just sent Little Jingkong to the Guozijian.
The hubbub on the street attracted the students, who ran out to join the throng, eagerly watching as thousands of imperial guards solemnly escorted the Empress Dowager’s procession.
Officials led the procession, holding placards calling for quiet and giving way, followed by dozens of dignified eunuchs and palace maids. Only then came the incredibly luxurious carriage.
“Wow! What a big carriage!” Little Jingkong exclaimed.
“Empress Dowager–”
“Long live the Empress Dowager”
The common people along the route were all kneeling, paying their respects to the person in the carriage.
Little Jingkong didn’t kneel, though it was not too conspicuous due to his small stature.
He stared at the grand carriage, and suddenly, the curtain of the carriage was pulled back by the wind, revealing the Empress Dowager in a heavy phoenix crown and gorgeous phoenix robe.
Despite the change in dress and aura, Little Jingkong recognized her instantly, “Grandma?”
The carriage proceeded in no hurry past the entrance of the Guozijian.
“Grandma!”
“Grandma!”
Little Jingkong ran after the carriage.
However, the cheers from the crowd drowned out his small voice.
“Oh dear!”
He stumbled and fell, rolling over to the feet of one of the imperial guards.
The stern-faced guard helped him up, “Whose kid is this? Take him back.”
“Her house! Her house!” Little Jingkong pointed at Empress Dowager Zhuang’s carriage.
The guard sternly said, “Impudent! That’s the Empress Dowager!”
Little Jingkong stomped his foot, “Clearly it’s Grandma!”
It is Grandma! He wouldn’t recognize her wrongly!
A man standing nearby laughed, “Kid, that’s the Empress Dowager from the imperial palace, not your family’s grandma.
This kid must be simple-minded, not being able to distinguish between his grandma and the Empress Dowager.
Little Jingkong replied seriously.
So grandma’s house is in the Imperial Palace?
“Xiaoqi! Xiaoqi!”
Little Jingkong dashed into the classroom of the Guozijian, shaking awake Qin Chuyu, who was sleeping soundly at his desk with drool all over, “Take me to the palace! I want to see grandma!”
