The Second Master of the Red Chamber

The next morning, Jia Lian, Jia Zheng, Grandmother Jia, the two ladies Xing and Wang, and Lady You all dressed up in their finest attire and went to the palace to receive the banquet.

Of course, according to their rank, Sister Feng and Daiyu were also qualified to sit in the palace.

However, Sister Feng was unwell and Daiyu disliked her, so they both stayed at home.

The New Year's Eve banquet was essentially the same as the corporate annual meeting in later generations.

The emperor's grand banquet for all officials was, in effect, a reward for their hard work throughout the year.

The noble ladies and their families naturally went to Kunning Palace, where the Empress was responsible for entertaining them.

The civil and military officials, members of the imperial family, and nobles were personally entertained by the emperor at the Zhaode Hall.

Zhaode Hall is one of the three main halls of Daming Palace, located behind Taihe Hall.

Because it was located between the outer court and the inner court, this place was usually used as the place where the emperor entertained his officials.

While the entire palace was bustling with activity due to the grand banquet, the Chonghua Palace area to the east appeared unusually deserted in contrast.

There were hardly any people walking on the palace road.

Princess Zhaoyang, who had just entered from the bustling Kunning Palace, couldn't help but sigh inwardly upon seeing this.

Without dwelling too much on the changing times and shifts in power, she quickly entered Weiyang Palace and met the Empress Dowager in the pavilion in the backyard.

Princess Zhaoyang felt a pang of sympathy seeing the Empress Dowager, dressed in thin clothes, sitting alone in the cold wind playing the zither.

No one understood the Empress Dowager's loneliness better than she did.

In the past, many younger relatives and wives of officials would come to visit every day.

Although the Empress Dowager rarely received visitors, it still brought some life to Weiyang Palace.

Now that she's moved out, those people don't come anymore.

This once vast Weiyang Palace is now no different from a cold palace.

"Royal Grandmother~"

Almost the instant Princess Zhaoyang saw the Empress Dowager, the dignified demeanor she had cultivated over the past two years due to her duties as a council member vanished.

With a sweet smile on her face, she took quick steps forward and called out affectionately.

The Empress Dowager turned around and saw the little fellow; a smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"Today your father and mother are hosting a banquet for all the officials, why aren't you with them? What are you doing here?"

"Qingran naturally misses her grandmother."

"It's been quite a while since I last visited Grandmother. I hope she won't be angry with me."

The Empress Dowager looked at Princess Zhaoyang, who had already walked onto the pavilion, and shook her head while holding her hand, saying, "You have grown up and have your own residence. Your father has also put you in charge of a section of the Imperial Guard."

You now have your own things to do, so naturally you can't stay by my side every day anymore.

Princess Zhaoyang said coquettishly, "Grandmother, please stop talking."

Military affairs were one thing, but the most boring thing was dealing with the trivial matters of the princess's residence.

My grandmother also knew that the mansion my father bestowed upon me was too large, with many estates and people under it.

During the Lunar New Year, I have to handle many things personally.

I really miss the days when I lived in Zhaoyang Palace. Back then, I didn't have to worry about anything; my grandmother would arrange everything for me.

I was so happy back then.

The Empress Dowager simply smiled upon hearing this: "If you really miss it, why don't you move it back?"

Anyway, I've always kept Zhaoyang Palace for you, and nothing inside has been touched.

Princess Zhaoyang smiled and said, "Okay, when I finish the tasks that my father assigned me and he no longer needs me, I will move back and live with my grandmother."

"What a sly little devil."

The Empress Dowager patted Princess Zhaoyang's head, her tone as doting as ever.

As her child grows up, she understands that he has his own ideals and aspirations.

She would definitely not want to come back and keep her company like a child.

However, the fact that she could say such sweet words to coax him meant that his pampering of her back then wasn't in vain.

Thinking about how times have changed and how the world has changed, I have already endured more than twenty years in this deep palace.

The grandniece whom she had taken over back then has now grown up completely, and the Empress Dowager can't help but feel endless sighs.

Princess Zhaoyang, who was squatting on the ground and hugging the Empress Dowager's knees, was also looking up at the Empress Dowager's profile.

Even though she had seen it countless times, Princess Zhaoyang still genuinely felt that her imperial grandmother was truly beautiful.

Moreover, her own grandmother was clearly the epitome of beauty that time could not diminish.

She came to Weiyang Palace when she was seven or eight years old, and after more than ten years, she watched her grandmother go from the best years of her life to this middle-aged state.

Logically speaking, no matter how beautiful a face is in its prime, it cannot withstand the test of time.

However, she could hardly see any signs of aging on her own grandmother.

If it weren't for the plants in Weiyang Palace growing taller year by year, and if she hadn't seen in the mirror that she was no longer the little girl she once was, how would Princess Zhaoyang have known that more than ten years had passed?

From a young age, she greatly admired her grandmother's beauty, knowing that she could never compare to her.

However, she was not discouraged, because she knew that no woman in the world could compare to her grandmother's beauty.

Otherwise, why would the Emperor's grandfather, who was over sixty years old at the time, have taken a liking to the Empress Dowager at first sight and insisted on bringing her into the palace?

He even went so far as to defy public opinion and insist on making his grandmother empress.

Unfortunately, the emperor's favor is always shallow and short-lived.

Moreover, he was an old and frail emperor.

Back then, she didn't understand why her grandmother always had a faint melancholy on her face, as if she had no interest in anything in the world.

Now she finally understands.

No matter what kind of woman she is, whether she loves power or is indifferent to fame and fortune, deep down she hopes that a man will love and cherish her.

Just like her.

When I was young and impetuous, I never thought I would fall at the feet of a man.

Until she met her second son.

The urge to get close to him, to fall in front of him, and to be pampered by him still makes her heart flutter when she thinks about it now.

Even after she learned that their identities made it inappropriate for them to be together, she still couldn't bear to leave him.

Even when he declared that he didn't care about worldly opinions and possessed her domineeringly, she was completely captivated and fell for him.

If I am like this, what about my grandmother?
She used to think about a question a lot.

Did the Empress Dowager truly love the Emperor?

She could never find the answer, because every time her grandfather visited her grandmother, her grandmother always had a bright smile on her face.

But after her grandfather passed away, her grandmother became aloof and detached from worldly affairs.

Now she feels very stupid.

No young woman would truly love a man in his seventies or eighties.

She understood this completely when she saw how easily her grandmother accepted her grandfather's defeat and imprisonment, even seeming somewhat indifferent.

Because she knew that if it were her own son, Erlang, she certainly wouldn't accept it so easily.

Looking back now, I think that most of the smile on my grandmother's face back then was for the sake of the family, and the remaining part was probably just gratitude for my grandfather's favor.

She played the role for over twenty years, from the old emperor to the frail and elderly, even to the point of being unable to walk independently.

Now she no longer needed to hide it; she spent her days in her palace, accompanied by her zither.

The more Princess Zhaoyang thought about it, the more heartbroken she became.

How long will the Empress Dowager have to endure this life of being unable to control her own destiny?

Is the best years of her life really going to quietly vanish without a trace?
Did the Empress Dowager have a man she truly loved in her heart?
As soon as she thought of it, the handsome and upright figure of her second son appeared in her mind.

She recalled that back at the Crown Prince's villa, it was her own grandmother who first met Erlang.

At that time, the Empress Dowager's horses went out of control due to the witch's mischief, but were eventually rescued by Erlang, who was loyal to his duty.

She still remembers the scene she saw when she rode after them on horseback.

He was a young and valiant general, leading a white horse.

A stunningly beautiful woman, whose face was revealed after her veil was lost, sat on a white horse.

At the time, she was preoccupied with the safety of her grandmother and did not think it through.

Looking back, the scene was truly beautiful, just like those beautifully written folk tales.

After that, it was also the Empress Dowager who first took a liking to Erlang, and even though she knew he was already married, she still wanted to force him to become her husband...

Furthermore, later, when the old witch caused trouble again, Erlang even saw his grandmother's body. This happened within the palace grounds, in the Imperial Garden.

Although the situation at the time was to use a counter-strategy to get rid of the disgusting old hag in one fell swoop.

But if it were anyone else, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager would never have resorted to such methods.
Erlang should be the second person besides the Emperor to have seen the Emperor's grandmother's body!

Thinking about it carefully, if the Empress Dowager really had someone she liked, could it be Erlang?

Princess Zhaoyang herself was unaware that her thoughts had already wandered far beyond the heavens.

But her eyes were still gazing up at the Empress Dowager's exquisitely beautiful half-face, and the slight sadness etched upon it.

Suddenly, some images flashed through her mind.

That was the scene of her second son pressing down on one beauty after another and pampering them.

Among the beauties were Hu Yuanyao, Liu Rushi, and even her maids Yuanxi and Ziwei.

But their flushed, delicate faces seemed to transform into those of the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager hadn't heard her beloved granddaughter's voice for a long time, so she looked down.

He noticed her chest rising and falling slightly, and her face seemed to be flushed. He was startled and asked, "What's wrong?"

He then touched Princess Zhaoyang's forehead with the back of his hand.

Princess Zhaoyang suddenly awoke with a start.

She felt extremely ashamed in the face of the Empress Dowager's concerned gaze.

I deserve to die for having such blasphemous thoughts about my grandmother.

However, some ideas, once formed, are not easily dispelled.

It was because she had just seen her own grandmother's body, and also Jia Lian's.

Realizing she couldn't shake off this rebellious thought, Princess Zhaoyang didn't dare look the Empress Dowager in the eye.

They thought nothing was wrong with themselves.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager was going to call the imperial physician for her, Princess Zhaoyang quickly changed the subject, saying, "It's so stuffy in the palace. Why don't you come to my residence for the New Year, Grandmother?"

The Empress Dowager was taken aback, then smiled and said, "It's good that you have this intention, but..."

The Empress Dowager knew that Emperor Ningkang had not done anything disrespectful to her at the moment.

That's because she has never gotten involved in those power and political disputes.

Even regarding the matter of Consort Li, she was merely on the defensive.

Therefore, Emperor Ningkang had no reason to take action against her, his stepmother, for the time being.

However, she was, after all, the Empress Dowager, a position that meant Emperor Ningkang could not simply ignore her.

Therefore, if she stays obediently in Weiyang Palace, the emperor might not mistreat her.

If she makes any unusual move, Emperor Ningkang will certainly not let it go.

Last time, someone impersonated her and sent a message outside the palace, which was discovered by Emperor Ningkang.

Even though it was later found that she had nothing to do with the matter, Princess Zhaoyang was still dismissed from her duty of guarding the Forbidden City.

Emperor Ningkang would not feel comfortable letting her leave the palace.

Princess Zhaoyang also remembered this matter, and her heart sank. She quickly grabbed the Empress Dowager's arm to make amends, saying, "That's right. Since I want my grandmother to accompany me, there's no reason for my grandmother to move."

I've already made up my mind. Once I've finished dealing with my current affairs, I'll move back to Zhaoyang Palace to spend the New Year with my grandmother.

Although the Empress Dowager was touched by this, she still smiled and said, "Never mind. As you said, it's stuffy here now, and I'm afraid it will make you feel stifled."

No way.

Hehe, I won't feel bored once I get here.

"When that time comes, I'll come and bother Grandmother every day, and Grandmother mustn't find me annoying."

Princess Zhaoyang felt guilty and wanted to make amends.

Secondly, she also remembered that Jia Lian was planning to marry her two cousins.

Rather than wallowing in resentment in the mansion, it would be better to move to the palace to keep his imperial grandmother company.

In this way, Jia Lian wouldn't have to worry about her feelings, and if he couldn't find her when he wanted to, he might miss her even more.

Seeing that Princess Zhaoyang was serious, the Empress Dowager smiled, patted her hand, and said no more.

In the royal family, she only had this one close relative.

Although the Fourth Prince is also his eldest niece's biological son, he wasn't raised by her, so they weren't that close.

After having the palace maids bring out fresh tea, the Empress Dowager suddenly asked Princess Zhaoyang with a hint of reproach:

"What's the story with that young master Wei?"

Princess Zhaoyang laughed upon hearing this, "What young master of the Wei family? Wei Ruolan? What happened to him?"

"You're still pretending to be naive. I've heard about this all along, I don't believe you don't know."

Princess Zhaoyang then revealed a hint of guilt.

It turns out that on that day at Iron Net Mountain, Wei Ruolan's attempt to "advise" Jia Lian to stay away from Princess Zhaoyang failed, and she was instead "humiliated" by Jia Lian.

His fiancée not only didn't help him, but also treated him with extremely cold words and attitude.

Afterwards, Ruolan couldn't understand it, so she went to ask her father and mother to dissolve the marriage.

Wei's parents naturally disagreed, saying that a royal marriage was not a child's play.

He even told him to give up on that idea.

Then Wei Ruolan felt more and more wronged, and thus became depressed and ill.

This was alright, since he had been in poor health since childhood, and his family was used to it and had been taking him to doctors for treatment.

Who knew that after the autumn harvest, news of Jia Lian's great victory in Liaodong would reach back, making him famous throughout the land once again and a great hero praised and admired by everyone.

This became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Rumor has it that on the day Jia Lian returned to the capital in triumph, Wei Ruolan was so angry upon hearing the news that she coughed up blood and fell seriously ill.

As for why outsiders know so much about the Wei family, it all started with the Third Prince's revenge against Princess Zhaoyang, when he secretly had someone slander her reputation.

At the time, "lacking moral character, shamelessly engaging in illicit affairs, and driving her fiancé to his bedside" was one of the charges the Third Prince had fabricated against Princess Zhaoyang.

However, the incident was suppressed because Emperor Ningkang was angered, and Jia Lian was ordered to deal with the culprits.

The news that the young master of the Wei family is terminally ill has created a kind of echoing effect.

Therefore, rumors and gossip began to circulate again.

This time, however, no one dared to easily criticize the imperial granddaughter Feng Nu; everyone was mocking the Wei family.

The Wei family became the laughingstock of the capital overnight.

Princess Zhaoyang had naturally heard about it. Although she felt bad that the Wei family had been implicated because of her, there was nothing she could do.

Who told the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager to force her to choose a husband? And Wei Ruolan just happened to have a reputation for being sickly, which was perfect for using as an excuse.

Faced with the Empress Dowager's questioning, Princess Zhaoyang blinked and said, "Qingran really doesn't know what happened to the young master of the Wei family."

Oh, I heard he's not feeling well, maybe he's sick again?
"After all, she's the husband my grandmother chose for me. Should I go to the Wei family myself and see him?"

The Empress Dowager was speechless for a long time before saying, "Let's just forget about it."

Are you asking me to go take a look at that person because you're afraid they're not dying fast enough?
Now that things have come to this, the Empress Dowager no longer has the will to control Princess Zhaoyang.

The reason they forced her to choose a husband was originally to comply with the Emperor Emeritus's wishes.

Now that the Emperor Emeritus is "enjoying a life of luxury," it is up to his biological father to take care of Princess Zhaoyang's affairs.

However, it is clear that Emperor Ningkang has no intention of interfering in her private affairs for the time being, and has given her many important responsibilities, obviously no longer treating her as an ordinary princess.

Since that's the case, let her be.

As for the Wei family...

Putting aside the fact that they still proactively sent over the roster even though they knew all the rumors about Princess Zhaoyang.

Even if they were forced into it and suffered injustice as a result.

The injustices given by the royal family cannot be called injustices; they are divine grace.

If you can bear it, bear it; if you can't, you still have to bear it. (End of Chapter)