In Qingning Palace, the Queen Mother had long known that the Madam Tai and Jiu Niang had entered the palace one after another. When Jiu Niang came, she even brought a strange man to Qianqing Palace, but she had been restraining her emotions and did not send anyone to Qianqing Palace to inquire. Sure enough, her wait was not in vain. The Madam Tai and Jiu Niang finally came in person and brought her a piece of news that she had not expected and could indeed be said to be extremely shocking.
Unlike Yuquan, whose face changed drastically, the Queen Mother seemed very calm and even laughed: "Sure enough, the closer it gets to the end of the year, the more messed up things become. I don't know if it's the devil's doing or if Erlang is really unlucky!"
The Madam Tai did not speak, and Jiu Niang had always felt awkward in Qingning Palace, so she was even more taciturn than when she was in Qianqing Palace. The silence of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law did not affect the Queen Mother's mood. She sighed slightly, but asked directly: "Is the Emperor going to summon the people on that boat now? The city gates were closed, so how did they get them in?"
"I asked Yingying to go in person." Although the Queen Mother's eyes suddenly turned fierce, Jiu Niang remained calm. "The city gates are locked, and officials are not allowed to enter or leave the city unless it is an emergency such as a military or national event. At this time, it is more appropriate to let Yingying make an excuse to go out of the city to see her eldest brother, rather than using the master's name. And Dalang is in charge of the Five Cities Military Department and has the right to pass, so it is easy for him to bring people into the city."
"The Queen Mother might say that Yingying shouldn't be involved in such things, but she is not a child anymore and she has to make decisions based on importance. If we hide everything from her, we are underestimating her. As for the family, I have entrusted it to Erlang and have given him a general idea of the matter. If he never has the opportunity to take charge of things on his own, how can he grow up?"
The Madam had previously ordered Zhu Hong to go, but now after hearing what Jiu Niang said, she also felt that her daughter-in-law was more thoughtful, and immediately agreed, "Empress Dowager, Jiu Niang's measures are very appropriate. It is better for Yingying to go out of the city at this time. Others will say that this girl is domineering and arrogant, but she is used to it anyway. Yingying is rough on the outside but meticulous on the inside, and she will definitely be able to do it well."
"Of course she can. As long as this girl wants to do it and is willing to do it, she can do everything." The Queen Mother sighed helplessly, with a hint of regret in her voice. "I just hope that she will not get involved in these messy things, and just be a perfect couple with her ideal husband."
"There is no such thing as a couple who are detached from the mundane world. If there is, it's not Shou and Yingying."
This time it was the dowager's turn to make fun. She even mentioned Zhu Ying's unhappy return today as a joke, and sure enough, the empress dowager laughed. But after laughing, the empress dowager immediately remembered the time when the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law entered the palace, and immediately ordered Yuquan to ask someone to serve the meal. When Yuquan went out and came back, he brought another piece of news.
"Someone from the Qianqing Palace said that the emperor has asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince to have dinner together. Please don't worry, Empress Dowager."
"Thank God!" The Queen Mother finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her son knew him best. Although he was often careless and eccentric, the Emperor was a very emotional person. Sometimes he would even forget his position as a monarch and would be more persistent in being a son, a brother, a friend, and even a father.