When the young emperor met Murong Jie and his wife, he greeted them with the same courtesy as he would meet his parents, kneeling down and kowtowed three times.
Murong Jie reached out his hand to help him up, and said earnestly: "This courtesy can only be done once, you are the emperor now, so it should be me who pays respect to you."
"No," the little emperor's eyes were filled with admiration, "My life was saved by my uncle and aunt, and the throne was also won back for me by my uncle. The grace of rebirth is like my biological parents, so what's wrong with me kneeling and kowtowing to them?"
"Nonsense." Murong Jie rebuked, "If you are an emperor, you must act like an emperor."
"I didn't bow to you in front of the ministers, I just bowed my head when there was no one around." The little emperor looked at the two treasures that Zi'an was holding, and was very happy. "My brother and sister."
Zi'an smiled, "Go and meet the Emperor brother."
Before entering the palace, they were taught. The two children were quick to understand. After hearing Zi'an's instructions, they both stepped forward and shouted, "Brother Emperor!"
"Good, that sounds good, call again!" The little emperor was delighted.
"Brother Emperor!"
The two babies cried out again. These little kids all knew that whenever their parents asked them to call someone, they would get something delicious. At least, that was the case yesterday and this morning. Especially for their grandmother, they would get candy as soon as they called out. Today, they had only been eating for about half an hour and their cheeks were sore.
The emperor was just a teenager after all. When he saw these smart and cute brothers and sisters, he became playful and wanted to take them out to play.
Murong Jie naturally followed him. As soon as he left the hall, someone came from Fushou Palace and said that the Empress Dowager wanted to invite the princess over.
The Empress Dowager seldom leaves Fushou Palace nowadays. She has been ill since Murong Jie left Beijing. After she recovered, she went out and, for some reason, she rolled down the stone steps in front of the corridor. It was only a few steps, but she was seriously injured. She could hardly move the left side of her body, and her left leg could not move either. She could only lie in the palace.
She heard yesterday that Zi'an had been found and the couple were coming back, so she had people keep an eye out for them. When she learned that Zi'an had entered the palace, she immediately sent someone to invite him.
Zi'an hadn't seen the Empress Dowager for more than two years. In the early winter weather, she was half lying on the chaise longue, wearing a white fox fur coat with gold edges, her hair tied up in a ponytail bun, and her hair full of pearls and jade, she looked extremely noble.
She must have dressed up deliberately, with thick powder on her face to cover up her pale complexion. She was a little fatter, or rounder, than before.
Seeing Zi'an, she smiled slightly and said in a friendly manner, "I'm happy to see you back."
Zi An bowed and said, "You see the Empress Dowager."
The Queen Mother smiled and waved her hands, "Come on, why do you have to go through so much formality between sisters-in-law? Come and sit down!"
After saying that, she patted the place next to her.
Zi'an didn't walk over, but sat on the chair next to him, "How is the Empress Dowager?"
The Queen Mother's eyes dimmed and she sighed, "It was better two years ago, but since Prince Liang got married, things have been getting worse day by day. I don't know if it was because the date of Prince Liang's wedding was not chosen well. I told you at the time that my birthday was in that month, and there would be a good day two months later. I would choose another good day to get married, but you didn't believe me, and now I'm like this. They went home just three days ago and haven't come back yet. I wanted to ask them to go to the temple to pray for me, but I don't know how long I have to wait."
Zi'an heard her full of resentment, as if she felt that her poor health was due to the fact that Prince Liang had not chosen the right date for his wedding, and that was her fault.
Zi'an curled his lips and smiled indifferently, "Take care, Queen Dowager!"
When the Queen Mother saw her like this, she sighed softly, "Are you still bothered by the past? It's all in the past. I don't take it to heart."
Zi'an was slightly startled, his eyes fixed on her. She didn't take it to heart
"Yes, you have done me and the emperor a favor, and I remember it. So, I don't want to care about the things you scolded me for, and I don't remember them. It's all in the past, so don't take it to heart."
It turned out that he was scolding her outside Xiwei Palace. Zi'an sneered.
She has become inflated. Now that she is the empress dowager, all the mistakes she made in the past have become natural and reasonable, and she even thinks that it is others who are wrong.
The Empress Dowager said to herself, "I heard that the Emperor named your daughter a princess and your son a prince. This is an exception and violates the ancestral system, but I approve of his doing so. A man should remember his roots when he drinks the water. I have always taught him this."
Zi'an said nothing, just looked at her with cold eyes.
The Empress Dowager felt a little uncomfortable when she saw her like this, and her momentum weakened. "Zi'an, I asked you to come here because I want you to see me. The imperial physician said that I can't move half of my body anymore. You are a skilled doctor, and if the imperial physician can't cure it, you can, right?"
Zi'an smiled faintly, "I don't know. I'm not that smart either. At least, I didn't notice that someone used my hair to cast a spell, did I?"
The Queen Mother looked at her steadily, a little annoyed, "Why are you talking about this? Aren't you fine now? Or are you not living well now? I see that you are living well."
Zi'an breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, that's great. I'm very happy now. I have a pair of children by my side, and my husband treats me well. I have a very good reputation both in the court and among the people. I can be a role model for my children. I'm very happy."
"Then we have to..."
Before Mei Fei finished speaking, Zi'an interrupted her coldly, "But, before this, do you know what kind of life Lao Qi and I lived?"
The Queen Mother was startled, and her momentum weakened. "That's all in the past."
"It's in the past, but some grudges can never be forgotten. The lesson you taught me at least made me understand that some people are not worth being nice to, because you never know when she will bite you back. And she doesn't feel guilty at all. On the contrary, she feels justified because she is now the Empress Dowager, high above everyone else. Whatever everyone does for her is taken for granted in her eyes."
"You... I didn't mean that. You are a doctor. Wu Yanzu came to see me and he said you are a doctor. If you were here, you would treat any patient, even the most treacherous and evil ones. I did some wrong things, but they are harmless, right? You are back safely, and after going through this ordeal, your relationship must be stronger than before. You have more than I do, so what else can't you let go of? Do you insist on holding on to the past grudges? That's all in the past."
Zi'an shook his head. "Everything has its cause and effect. You are still blaming this and that. You think the marriage of the King of Liang offended you? What a joke! Should I be grateful for the hardships that Old Seven and I have gone through? Even if we should be grateful, it's not for you. God is merciful. You should take care of yourself. Maybe if you do more good things, God will have mercy on you and send you a good doctor."
After Zi'an finished speaking, he got up and left.
"Wait a minute!" The Queen Mother raised her hands and shouted hurriedly.
(End of this chapter)