After Prime Minister Xia and Madam Linglong left Shou'an Palace, Nanny Yang caught up with them.
"Madam, the Queen invites you to have a cup of tea in Jingning Palace."
Jingning Palace is the palace where the Queen lives, and Madam Linglong naturally knows that.
Prime Minister Xia looked at Nanny Yang warily, "Did the Queen say anything?"
Nanny Yang smiled and said, "Nothing, just a cup of tea and a chat."
Prime Minister Xia thought for a moment and said, "Then I will go with you."
Nanny Yang bowed and said, "Prime Minister, please go back first. The Empress and Madam are only talking about women's matters. It is not appropriate for you to be present."
Madam Linglong knew that the Queen definitely did not leave her alone just to chat. She recalled her rude words just now in the Empress Dowager's palace. Would the Queen want to punish her
But the Empress Dowager didn't ask for punishment, so what could the Queen say
She grabbed Prime Minister Xia's sleeve and said worriedly, "Prime Minister, I cannot go to Jingning Palace alone. How about you ask Concubine Mei to accompany me?"
Prime Minister Xia said, "Okay, you go with Nanny first, and I will go find Concubine Mei."
Nanny Yang laughed, but her eyes were stern, "Your Excellency, please don't bother Concubine Mei."
Prime Minister Xia smiled back, "Women are afraid of trouble, and it's always a good thing to have relatives accompany you."
Nanny Yang said calmly, "Then follow the Prime Minister. However, the word 'relative' reminds me that Miss Xia and the Prime Minister are also relatives."
Madam Linglong had really had enough today. In the Empress Dowager's Shou'an Palace, the Regent targeted her everywhere. Even a servant beside the Empress Dowager dared to scold her. Now, Nanny Yang beside the Queen kept provoking her. How could she have ever endured such anger in the palace before
She looked at Nanny Yang and said coldly, "Even the Empress Dowager doesn't ask about the family affairs of the Prime Minister's Mansion. How dare you, a servant, discuss the family affairs of the minister? How many heads do you have to lose?"
Madam Yang smiled instead of getting angry, "My head is right here, if you want to take it, just take it."
Madam Linglong said angrily, "How dare you look down on me like this? I am the prime minister's wife after all."
Prime Minister Xia looked at Madam Linglong's hideous face, and a trace of disgust in his heart rose again. In fact, he didn't think that he had found a superficial woman before. When he knew her, she was very talented and painted very well. Later, she said that she was afraid of Yuan's jealousy, so she vowed to stop painting. He just thought that she was generous and gave up a lot for him.
Therefore, even though her performance in the following life did not satisfy him very much, he felt that he could understand and tolerate it because she gave birth to a pair of children for him and gave up her interest and talent in painting.
However, today the Empress Dowager said that compared to her, Yuan was a hundred times better than her, and he couldn't stand it.
Men are like this. No matter what they think is a problem, it is not a problem. But when others say something, especially when people of higher status than them say something, they start to feel strange.
"Okay, Madam Prime Minister, please come in!" Nanny Yang said sarcastically.
Madam Linglong said stubbornly, "No, I won't go. If the Queen has anything to say, please send someone to the palace to announce it."
Prime Minister Xia pulled Madam Linglong away and warned in a low voice: "You must not offend the Queen again today, otherwise, Wan'er will never be able to marry the Crown Prince."
Madam Linglong had not thought of going to this level for a moment. After hearing what Prime Minister Xia said, she panicked. "What should I do?"
Prime Minister Xia thought for a moment and said, "You will definitely suffer some injustice today. Go ahead. I believe the Queen will not do anything to you. I will go find Concubine Mei right away and ask her to go over and watch over you. With Concubine Mei around, the Queen should be a little cautious."
"But..." Madam Linglong felt panicked, but after thinking about it, she felt that there was nothing to panic about. Since the Empress Dowager had just said that she would not pursue the matter of breaking off the engagement, the Queen could not make things difficult for her on this matter.
If she was asked to go, at most she would be scolded, and she would just take it.
"Okay then, I'll go." said Madam Linglong.
She turned around, looked at Nanny Yang, and said arrogantly, "Let's go, lead the way."
Nanny Yang bowed and said sarcastically, "Madam Prime Minister, please."
Prime Minister Xia was extremely angry, but he could not do anything, so he could only walk away coldly.
After Prime Minister Xia left, Nanny Yang stood still and looked at Madam Linglong. "The Queen has ordered that in order to pray for the Queen Mother during the month of Guanyin's birthday, all female relatives entering the palace must kneel three times and kowtow nine times in Jingning Palace."
Madam Linglong was furious when she heard this, "Why do we have to kneel three times and kowtow nine times in Jingning Palace to pray for blessings? This is clearly embarrassing us."
Nanny Yang said coldly, "I'm not targeting Madam. When the eldest daughter entered the palace, she also knelt three times and kowtowed nine times to the Jingning Palace, and she knelt all the way through the palace gate. Madam must know about this. Even the eldest daughter had to enter the palace like this. As a concubine, can you have any special privileges?"
Nanny Yang deliberately emphasized the word "Madam" to reveal her sarcasm.
"You..." Madam Linglong was so angry that her face turned blue, but she was unwilling to kneel. She clenched her fist and said, "I won't kneel unless the Queen orders me to do so."
Nanny Yang said, "I am giving this order on behalf of the Empress. This is the Empress's wish. Madam is unwilling. Do you not want to pray for the Empress Dowager? If so, I will report back to the Empress Dowager first."
How could Madam Linglong dare to let her say this to the Queen Mother? She gritted her teeth and knelt down, "Okay, if you want to pray for the Queen Mother, I am willing."
Nanny Yang carried out these three kneelings and nine kowtows consistently, and required Madam Linglong to follow the same standard as Zi'an's kneeling and kowtows when he entered the palace.
Madam Linglong was filled with anger and almost shed tears. She had never suffered such an injustice before.
The queen had already returned to Jingning Palace. When she returned, she saw Madam Linglong kneeling and walking in from afar.
She stood in front of the corridor, looked at Madam Linglong coldly, and asked Zi'an beside her, "Do you know why I did this?"
Zi'an's eyes were directed in the same direction as hers, but she felt that it was meaningless for the queen to do this. After punishing her in the palace, she would still be as vicious as ever when she returned home.
"I know. Your Majesty is standing up for me," Zi'an said.
The queen slowly shook her head, "No, given her personality, it's useless for me to stand up for you here. I want your father to see that your mother is far superior to her."
"I don't understand." Zi'an was a little puzzled.
There was a cold light in the queen's eyes, "To govern people, you must govern their hearts."
Zi'an still didn't quite understand and looked at the queen in confusion.
The Queen tilted her head and asked her, "Do you know the story of your father and Chen Linglong?"
Zi'an said: "I'm not sure, but I heard that he admires Chen Linglong's talent."
The queen sneered, "What talent does Chen Linglong have? You have been in the palace for many years. Have you ever seen it? Back then, your father was attracted by a painting. That painting was not painted by Chen Linglong, but by your mother."
Zi'an exclaimed, she was really shocked, she really didn't know about this.
(End of this chapter)