spend time

Eunuch Zhao had no choice but to quickly go to the Zhaohe Palace to convey the words of the hated Empress Dowager.

Outside the Showa Hall, there are several hundred imperial guards patrolling. These elite soldiers are all from Nanyang County, and are the princess's confidants, willing to kill and burn for her.

The situation in the palace also became delicate with the arrival of a thousand Nanyang guards.

Before, Empress Dowager Zheng was tough in her words and deeds, and the princess was respectful to her elders and had basically never had any verbal disputes in front of others. Now, the princess has a thousand loyal, reliable and sharp elite soldiers, and her confidence has become visibly stronger. The coronation ceremony is tomorrow, and the Showa Hall, which has a new owner, has also gained a bit of majestic and murderous aura.

"The Empress Dowager has an oral order. Please pass it on to the princess." Eunuch Zhao lowered his posture and spoke very politely.

The imperial guard Sun An responded and went in to pass the message.

This is another difference of Jiang Shaohua. She is not used to using palace servants, and her personal guards are the ones who run errands and pass messages - of course, it may also be because most of the palace servants are the eyes and ears of the Empress Dowager Zheng, and Jiang Shaohua does not trust the people in the palace at all. Of course, her personal guards are more familiar and convenient to use, and she feels more at ease.

Eunuch Zhao waited for a moment and was then led into the Zhaohe Hall.

The princess went to the Heavenly Prison, dealt with the Prince of Dongping and his son, and reprimanded the Prince of Huaiyang and the Prince of Wu'an. She was not idle when she returned to the Zhaohe Palace, as she was reviewing memorials.

It was already late, Chen Changshi and the others had already left the palace. Only the Earl of Changning was with the princess.

Jiang Shaohua put down the memorial, looked at Eunuch Zhao, and said in a gentle tone: "What is the Empress Dowager's oral instruction?"

Eunuch Zhao carefully considered his words and spoke in a very tactful tone: "Your Majesty was a little surprised to hear that the princess had been to the Heavenly Prison. She would like to invite the princess to go and ask in person."

Jiang Shaohua raised his eyebrows, his tone full of understanding: "It seems that the Empress Dowager is very angry with me. She wants to summon me and scold me, right!"

Eunuch Zhao smiled awkwardly: "The princess is joking." Without waiting for Jiang Shaohua to find an excuse to refuse, he knelt down and begged: "The queen is indeed very angry and ordered me to invite the princess. If the princess doesn't go, I'm afraid I won't survive tonight. Please have mercy on me and go to Jingyang Palace with me."

With the temper of the Empress Dowager Zheng, what could she not do when she was angry? The words "beaten to death" were definitely not a threat.

Perhaps, Empress Dowager Zheng had noticed that Eunuch Zhao had been secretly flirting with the princess, and wanted to use this incident to warn Eunuch Zhao.

In short, Eunuch Zhao is now in a dilemma.

Jiang Shaohua smiled and did not make things difficult for Eunuch Zhao. He quickly stood up and said, "Eunuch Zhao, please stand up. We have known each other for more than six years. Eunuch Zhao often speaks up for me in private. How could I make things difficult for Eunuch Zhao?"

Eunuch Zhao was so moved that he burst into tears and kowtowed three times before standing up.

There was no need to express his loyalty. Given his status, he shouldn't and couldn't say it. However, the balance in his heart tilted more and more towards the princess.

The Empress Dowager is already old, how many years can she live? The Daliang Palace will eventually belong to the princess, and the princess should have the final say on everything. The Empress Dowager was so angry tonight not because the father and son of the Prince of Dongping were executed, but because of the attitude revealed by Jiang Shaohua in this matter.

In other words, this was a wrestling match. If Jiang Shaohua took a step forward, it would mean that the Grand Empress Dowager Zheng would have to take a step back. This was something that the controlling Grand Empress Dowager Zheng could not tolerate.

Cui Du wanted to go to Jingyang Palace with them, but Jiang Shaohua said, "We are just talking about gossip, so it's not appropriate for outsiders to be present. You can stay in the Zhaohe Palace, and you don't have to go with us."

With outsiders present, Queen Mother Zheng would be more likely to get angry and embarrassed, and it would be difficult to resolve the situation. Cui Du understood and nodded in agreement.

……

After a stick of incense.

The tea bowl crumbs on the ground had been cleaned up completely, and the tea had been put away properly, without any trace left.

Queen Mother Zheng had a gloomy expression as she stared at Jiang Shaohua.

Jiang Shaohua seemed not to notice the unpleasant expression on Empress Dowager Zheng's face, and greeted her with a friendly expression as usual: "Grandmother, have you had dinner? Do you have a good appetite tonight?"

Empress Dowager Zheng sneered: "With a granddaughter as capable as you, I don't have to do anything and worry about nothing. It's great."

Jiang Shaohua sighed lightly and said sincerely, "I dealt with the father and son of Prince Dongping this way for the sake of the royal family's reputation. They committed a serious crime, so we should send them to hell. Executing them in public by lingchi, so that all the people can see with their own eyes that the Jiang family members suffer and die. This will not benefit the royal family, and will only make the people lose their awe of the royal family."

Empress Dowager Zheng continued to sneer: "It sounds nice, but I know the real reason very well."

Why else?
King Dongping exchanged the letter in the secret room for a pot of poisoned wine and died a quick death.

If it weren't for those letters that strangled the Zheng family's lifeline, Empress Dowager Zheng would not have easily nodded and given in, allowing Jiang Shaohua to live peacefully in the Zhaohe Palace.

Empress Dowager Zheng's old and new grudges surged in her heart, and her face became uglier and uglier: "Jiang Shaohua! Don't forget how your cousin treated you when he was alive. Now that you have inherited his throne, you should avenge him. Are you worthy of your cousin and me by treating the Prince of Dongping and his son like this?"

Jiang Shaohua responded calmly: "If my cousin knew about this, he would only be happy that Daliang has a successor."

Empress Dowager Zheng: “…”

Yes, Jiang Song is such a person. His methods are not tough enough, his heart is not cruel enough, but gentle and kind.

If Jiang Song were still alive, he would be respectful to her as his grandmother and would never use her weaknesses to take advantage of her and wrestle with her everywhere like Jiang Shaohua did.

What’s even more infuriating is that Jiang Shaohua is gaining the upper hand step by step.

Empress Dowager Zheng's emotions were surging. Her endless anger gradually turned into sadness. She sighed deeply, "I am old and useless. You have your own ideas and abilities, so why do you still take me seriously?"

Jiang Shaohua was flexible and immediately lowered her attitude to coax the Empress Dowager Zheng: "Grandma, please don't say such angry words. Grandma is not old at all, and she is smart and capable. There are so many people and things in the palace. I am not familiar with them, and I can't manage them all. Grandma has to do the hard work for me."

Empress Dowager Zheng caught Jiang Shaohua's words and said with a sullen face: "You have already dealt with the father and son of Prince Dongping. It is too late for me to say anything now. Why didn't you deal with Prince Huaiyang and Prince Wu'an at the same time?"

"Don't talk nonsense like sitting on the throne. Keeping these two people will cause endless trouble. If you can't do it, I will do it."

If the Prince of Huaiyang and the Prince of Wu'an gained power, they would never allow Prince Ping to grow up safely. She would never let them leave the capital alive! (End of this chapter)