The Empress Dowager said with surprise, "Ru Ying, why are you always so quick to kneel before me? Get up and speak."
Mrs. Qiao's given name was Ru Ying. She was a descendant of the great Qiao Qin family clan. The Qiao Family held an eminent position in literary circles; nearly half the civil servants at court had once been guests of the Qiao Family.
The Empress Dowager cared about her reputation, so she had always held this sister-in-law in high regard.
But Mrs. Qiao remained kneeling, her neck stiff, her gaze falling with heartache upon the daughter kneeling beside her.
The Empress Dowager acted as if she had only just noticed Ji Qingwu was still kneeling and waved her hand.
"Qingwu, you may rise as well."
The floor tiles were ice-cold, and Ji Qingwu's hands and feet grew numb from kneeling.
Her heart grew cold, too.
'Grandmother, grand-aunt, cousin... In the end, only my mother is truly good to me in this world.'
Ji Qingwu's calves were tingling. As she sat down on a cushioned chair, she mentally shrank her small circle of loved ones, leaving only Jiu Jiu, Mrs. Qiao, and her eldest brother.
The Empress Dowager asked, "Ru Ying, tell me, what important matter did you wish to request?"
Mrs. Qiao's expression was grave. She chose her words carefully and said, "Empress Dowager, Qingwu is still in mourning for her late husband. She should not be entering the palace, lest she bring misfortune upon Your Grace and the other noble ladies of the court. I request that Qingwu be allowed to remain at home and not go out until her mourning period is over."
Hearing Mrs. Qiao's words, Ji Qingwu simply raised an eyebrow, having no objection to her mother's request.
Prince Yong's lips moved, just as he was about to say something.
But the Empress Dowager cut him off, pressing a hand to her forehead as if in pain. "In that case, we shall do as Ru Ying requests. You may all withdraw. Old Madam Ji and I have some private matters to discuss."
The Empress Dowager had issued an order to leave, so everyone had no choice but to exit the main hall of Cining Palace.
Prince Yong was called to a halt by Aunt Fanghua, who stood beside the Empress Dowager, while the mother and daughter of the Ji Family's second branch went ahead to a side hall.
Ji Qingwu trailed behind Mrs. Qiao like a little tail, never leaving her side.
When they reached the doorway and were sure no one was around, Mrs. Qiao looked deeply at her daughter.
"Xiao Wu, do you resent me for confining you to the house?"
Ji Qingwu immediately shook her head. "How could this be confinement? It's clearly a way for me to have some peace and quiet."
Hearing her reply, Mrs. Qiao said with relief, "Xiao Wu, both the Empress Dowager and Prince Yong have designs on you. But those palace gates and noble courts, filled with blue-blooded royalty, are actually a den of wolves. You've only just returned home. I can't bear to see you go and suffer such hardships."
The sweet prize that the second branch was fighting tooth and nail for was, in Mrs. Qiao's eyes, nothing but a den of wolves where one would only suffer.
Ji Qingwu nodded and reached out to take Mrs. Qiao's wrist.
Her tone was sweet and endearing. "I can't bear to leave you either, Mother."
Mrs. Qiao had another son and daughter, but hearing Xiao Wu call her "Mother" like this made her heart feel as sweet as if it had been soaked in honey.
Stroking her dark, beautiful hair, Mrs. Qiao's eyes filled with affection.
"My good girl, once you've laid low at home and this storm passes, you can do whatever you want."
Ji Qingwu's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.
'I'm Mother's good girl.'
However, she thought about what had just happened in the hall and asked, "Mother, you publicly petitioned for me to stay at home. Won't the Empress Dowager be displeased?"
Mrs. Qiao looked up and pointed toward the sky, saying meaningfully, "Whether the Empress Dowager is pleased or not is of little importance. You only need to remember who owns this Imperial Palace, who owns this world. How could the Ji Family's schemes possibly escape *his* eyes?"
Ji Qingwu knew her mother was decisive, but she hadn't realized Mrs. Qiao was so perspicacious.
'How should I put it... she has a great sense of the bigger picture.'
Ji Qingwu repeated silently in her heart: 'In the Imperial Palace, the mood of His Majesty the Emperor is what matters most.'
—————
「Cining Palace」
The Empress Dowager walked over to Old Madam Ji, her earlier composure gone.
Her tone was somewhat urgent. "Mother, tell me, what should we do now?"
"Qingyuan is beautiful, but she isn't clever. The very fact that she blurted out today, right in front of you, that the fifth girl has a child shows she doesn't have the Ji Family's interests at heart. She only cares about her own selfish gains."
The old madam continued, her eyes clear and bright, "If one day Qingyuan were to enter the palace as a concubine, I'm afraid she would cause no end of trouble for the Ji Family, and it would ultimately implicate you, Your Grace."
The Empress Dowager said anxiously, "Mother, I find it harder and harder to fathom the Emperor's thoughts. Since he ascended the throne, women from the families of meritorious officials and decorated nobles have all been selected to enter the palace. And yet, the Ji Family—only the Ji Family—has no one in the rear palace."
Old Madam Ji said worriedly, "I understand what you're saying. We have spent so much time and effort training Qingyuan over the years, but her ambition is high while her perspective is narrow."
Thinking of all the years of planning, the Empress Dowager sighed. "When I heard the news of Qingwu's return, I also wanted to start planning as soon as possible. If she were suitable, I would arrange for her to enter the palace. With the Ji Family and me as her backing, we could secure the glory of the entire Ji clan."
That was why the Empress Dowager was initially pleased when she first met Ji Qingwu. A woman so dignified, courteous, gentle, and lovely—the Emperor should have taken a liking to her.
But who would have thought she was a widow with a young son?
Worse, she had entered the Ji Mansion carrying her child in front of the entire city. The Empress Dowager couldn't even help cover it up.
How could she possibly be sent to the Emperor's side now?
A moment ago, the Empress Dowager had been angry at her for failing to live up to expectations. A young lady like a delicate flower, yet she'd had her body taken by some coarse brute from the countryside and even borne a child.
Old Madam Ji said calmly, "Your Grace, since things have come to this, we can only think of another way."
The Empress Dowager composed herself and asked, "Mother, do you have a clever plan?"
"Besides stuffing a woman into the Emperor's bed, there is another path."
"What path?"
Old Madam Ji gazed at a pomegranate-shaped vase on display in the palace.
"The Emperor has only one son, and his birth mother is unknown. Moreover, in the past three years, there has been no news of any Concubines in the rear palace becoming pregnant. Perhaps the blades on the battlefield were indiscriminate, and the Emperor's 'foundations' were damaged long ago. If Your Grace can find an opportunity to personally raise the little prince to adulthood, why would you need to worry about your position not being secure?"
The Empress Dowager frowned in thought for a long moment.
"That makes sense."
If she raised the imperial grandson, and he ascended the throne one day, she would become the Grand Empress Dowager.
And if he were to then marry an Empress from the Ji Family...
At this thought, the cloud of frustration in the Empress Dowager's chest finally dissipated.
"Shixi."
The Palace Attendant standing at the door lowered her head, pushed the door open, and entered, responding respectfully, "Empress Dowager, your servant is here."
"Go yourself and find out where the little prince is. I have not seen the child for some time. Have Princess Consort Wei bring him to Cining Palace."
The Emperor only had this one son, who was four years old this year.
Strangely, no one in the entire palace, not even the Empress Dowager, knew who the prince's birth mother was.
The little prince's face was remarkably similar to the Holy Emperor's; his features, his eyes, and his nose looked as if they were cast from the same mold.
Therefore, no one ever doubted the prince's bloodline.
Currently, Young Master Yuan Heng was being raised in Princess Consort Wei's Guanju Palace.
Princess Consort Wei was the younger sister of Wei Ting, a subordinate who had personally accompanied the Emperor on his military campaigns. Since entering the palace, she had been promoted three ranks in quick succession, rising from a Noble Lady all the way to a concubine of the first rank, her prominence in the rear palace second to none.
It was rumored both inside and outside the palace that Princess Consort Wei was the most likely candidate to ascend to the position of Empress.
However, the Empress Dowager was not usually close to this imperial grandson.
After all, the Emperor was not her biological son, so this boy couldn't really be considered her biological grandson. Thus, they would only meet during festivals and holidays, and the Empress Dowager never paid him any special attention.
Puzzled, Shixi headed toward Guanju Palace.
She didn't see the Ji mother and daughter at the entrance.
Ji Qingwu and Mrs. Qiao had gone for a stroll in a small, nearby garden.
The Royal Garden was different from that of an ordinary household. Everything planted was a rare species; even the weeds didn't just grow randomly.
Ji Qingwu's eyes lit up. She squatted down and said joyfully, "Mother, look at the leaves on this little plant."
It was a medicinal herb that could calm shock, regulate qi, and soothe the nerves.
Although she didn't understand what was so special about the slender-leafed plant, Mrs. Qiao looked at her daughter's charming, upturned face and said with a smile, "If you like it, I'll have the gardener plant more of them in our courtyard at home."
Mrs. Qiao didn't care what kind of plant it was, only whether her daughter liked it.
This blatant favoritism warmed Ji Qingwu's heart. She gave a pure, sweet smile and said, "Thank you, Mother."
From behind several rows of lush, green trees...
A sudden cry for help rang out!