The carriage was ready at the gate of the mansion early in the morning. Zi'an ordered people to tie up Nanny Liang and go into the palace together.
In Yanxi Palace, the newly appointed Empress Dowager also got up early.
She received the news yesterday that the Regent Princess had returned.
After so many days of preparation, the play can finally begin, and she is very much looking forward to it.
Everyone in the palace was busy early in the morning. The Empress Dowager had a habit of taking a bath early in the morning. She had to use fresh flower petals for bathing. After rinsing her mouth, she had to use goat milk and bird's nest stewed for two hours to moisten her throat. She had to use angelica powder produced by Yagao Pavilion, which was expensive.
When she was a concubine dowager in the past, the harem had cut spending and her various expenses were reduced. Now that she is the empress dowager, all the harem is managed by her and Hu Huanling, so the expenses are more luxurious than before.
Moreover, Hu Huanling's family had plenty of money and had been paying tribute to her these days. Because of this, although she was satisfied with Hu Huanling, she also looked down on him in her heart. After all, she was the daughter of a merchant, so she understood these tricks of currying favor.
Rurong, the head maid of Yanxi Palace, was holding a rhinoceros comb sent by Qing Kingdom and slowly combing the empress dowager's hair. Looking at the person in the bronze mirror who was already over sixty years old, she knew that the Marquis's Mansion had contributed a lot of silver to her over the years for her management and expenses, and she had spent it all on maintenance, so she looked only in her early fifties.
I just can’t smile. If I smile, the crow’s feet at the corners of my eyes will become particularly obvious.
"The Empress Dowager becomes more and more beautiful the more I look at her." Rurong had served her for more than ten years and knew that she loved to hear people complimenting her appearance the most.
The Empress Dowager pressed her eyelids with her hand and sighed, "Time flies by. When I was young, the threshold of the mansion was broken by people who came to ask for marriage. I still remember the surprise in the eyes of the late emperor when he first saw me. If it weren't for the seductiveness later... Never mind, never mind, it's all in the past."
The resentment that rose in her eyes slowly subsided, and she looked at herself in the mirror with pride. Empress Dowager Sun was far inferior to her.
After a pause, she said, "I heard that the Regent Princess is a beauty made of water. I wonder if she is less beautiful than when I was young?"
"Of course it can't compare to the Empress Dowager's." The palace maid serving in the hall came over with a smile, holding a set of the Empress Dowager's ceremonial court dress in her hand.
The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Seventh Prince is ignorant. He married a wife but didn't even bring her to me. In the final analysis, it is Empress Dowager Sun who doesn't know etiquette. If she were more considerate, wouldn't she be asked to meet the concubines in person? After all, she is the concubine of the late emperor. After she passed by the bed, shouldn't Seventh Prince call her mother?"
Huanyan said, "Don't be angry, Queen Mother. I didn't kowtow to you before, so I should make it up to you today. It's still the Queen Mother's etiquette. Besides, Nanny Liang is a person who handles things properly. If she takes action, the princess will surely not be able to bear the consequences. We have given her a warning first. When she comes to the palace to pay respects today, she will have to keep her tail between her legs. You can also make her suffer a big loss in front of the princesses and princesses."
The Queen Mother said slowly, "I don't mean to embarrass her, but she is the regent princess after all. If she doesn't have manners, won't she corrupt the customs of the Great Zhou? I used to be familiar with the old lady of the prime minister's mansion, and I know she is not that kind of person. Xia Zian is going too far."
"It makes me upset just looking at her," Huanyan curled her lips, "Now the people in the capital still say that she is good, don't they? The emperor was seriously ill at that time, and she had the support of the prince, so it was not easy for her to make a good name for herself. This servant is also ignorant, and she didn't know that as a daughter or granddaughter, she would poison her family in this way for the sake of wealth and status. I heard that her stepmother, Madam Linglong, and stepsister Xia Wan'er were also tortured half to death by her."
Ru Rong tied her hair into a bun, and used a hairpin to hold it in place. She deftly twisted her hair and moved it down a fraction, saying, "I've heard of unfilial sons and unfilial grandsons, but I've never heard of the elders of a family bullying one person. Anyone with a brain would know what's going on, but the people believed her completely, and didn't think about who caused the scandal of breaking off the engagement in the street."
The Empress Dowager hummed, "Empress Dowager Sun did not punish her that day, but I will not tolerate her being so presumptuous. She will come to the palace to pay her respects today. If she behaves arrogantly, you will act according to my mood."
"Yes, I know." The two replied.
She was wearing a yellow court gown, with exquisite embroidery showing her nobility. The finest rouge and powder were applied on her face, hiding the signs of aging and giving her a girlish glow.
"The fragrant lotion sent by Concubine Zhao is quite good. After using it for a few days, I feel that my whole face has become radiant." The Empress Dowager touched her face and said with great satisfaction.
"Indeed, Concubine Zhao is also a caring person." Huanyan said.
"How could she not be thoughtful? She is from the Empress Dowager Sun's family. Even though she was kicked out of the family, she has to work hard to win the favor of our Empress Dowager." Rurong carefully adjusted the hem of her skirt, tidied up her collar and the big red coral necklace hanging around her neck, and then smiled with satisfaction.
As for the Queen's Jingning Palace, it is true that a new emperor chooses new ministers. In the past, Queen Liang was also a person of taste. Now that Hu Huanling moved in, she decorated the house into a magnificent place.
The Hu family was famous for their gold and rice, so the layout of the main hall and bedroom was first given a new look, which was indescribably luxurious and magnificent.
The pearwood furniture was replaced with rosewood furniture wrapped in gold foil. Even the large four-fold white jade screen was edged with gold. It was really... a dazzling decoration.
Hu Huanling was two years older than Hu Huanxi. When she came of age, many young men from prominent families came to propose marriage to her. However, when Hu Huanling was born, her father said that she would achieve great things in the future and could even become the mother of the country. Therefore, she was always a rare treasure and finally became the queen.
"I heard that the Regent Princess will also come to the palace to pay her respects today. Your Majesty, you can finally meet this person." Hong Shang, the head maid of Jingning Palace, dressed her up and said with a smile.
"Well, I really want to meet her. I heard Huanxi say that she is an outstanding person in the past." Hu Huanling said softly, hiding the smile on the corner of his mouth.
"Your Majesty, I don't know whether he is outstanding or not, but I heard that he is a powerful character." Hong Shang said.
"It doesn't matter if she's powerful. I'm her sister-in-law, so we should love each other."
"Your Majesty is so kind-hearted."
Hu Huanling raised his eyebrows slightly, "Let's go to Yanxi Palace first. We can't ask the Empress Dowager to wait for me."
In the Yanxi Palace, a group of noble ladies in gorgeous clothes arrived early and were waiting in front of the hall.
The palace lanterns had not yet completely gone out, and the light of dawn was only a hint of blue-gray on the horizon. Gradually, a pale sky appeared, and then a golden light leaped onto the horizon.
"The Queen is here!" As the eunuch of Jingning Palace passed on the message, all the noble ladies in front of the hall came forward to pay their respects.
(End of this chapter)