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Chapter 838: Extra Oil (Part )

King Ping's wedding was filled with a lot of fun.

I won't mention the excitement during the wedding ceremony. I'll just say that on the second day, when the sun was already high in the sky, Prince Ping and his new wife Princess Ping entered the palace to meet the emperor.

King Ping never performed the greetings. He loudly called his cousin "mother" and then happily pulled Feng Wushuang to go to the imperial garden to play.

Feng Wushuang whispered, "Your Highness, please wait a moment. I need to pay my respects to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager!"

King Ping, who never waited for anyone, behaved himself for once today and stopped making a fuss. However, he still held his wife's sleeve tightly and refused to let go.

Feng Wushuang had no choice but to salute in this awkward posture: "Wushuang greets His Majesty, and greets the Empress Dowager."

Jiang Shaohua smiled and said, "No need to be polite. Just stand up. From now on, just follow Prince Ping and call me cousin."

In fact, Empress Dowager Li disliked Feng Wushuang in every way, but she couldn't show any of it in front of Jiang Shaohua, and smiled very kindly: "Good child, since you have entered the Jiang family, you will be a family from now on. There is no need to be so reserved."

The gifts for meeting each other are all first-class and generous.

Afterwards, Feng Wushuang paid his respects to Marquis Changning and the Crown Prince, as well as several elderly concubines who also paid their respects one by one.

The bride should have listened to the elders' instructions, but King Ping couldn't help it and dragged his wife out.

Jiang Shaohua was very indulgent to King Ping and said with a smile: "Go if you want to play! Come back when you are hungry."

King Ping responded happily. As he ran out of the door, he even remembered to remind Feng Wushuang: "Be careful!"

Jiang Shaohua laughed dumbly.

Empress Dowager Li also found it funny and said to Jiang Shaohua, "You have really made great progress since you got married."

Jiang Shaohua said with a smile: "Marrying a wife is a lifelong event. Marrying someone who has a similar personality to you and you like her, you will naturally be happy in your life."

Empress Dowager Li was stabbed softly and smiled awkwardly: "Your Majesty is right."

Jiang Shaohua stopped there and quickly changed the subject to chat with Empress Dowager Li.

When talking about matters in the harem, we cannot avoid Empress Dowager Zheng.

Empress Dowager Li said softly, "The Empress Dowager is getting older every year, and her health is not as good as before. She has been sick three times this year. I went to visit her yesterday, and I was afraid that the Empress Dowager would not make it. She cried and told me that she wanted to see the Emperor."

From the third year of Zhaoping to now, more than six years have passed. Jiang Shaohua has never set foot in Jingyang Palace again, and naturally has never seen Empress Dowager Zheng again.

Considering what Empress Dowager Zheng had done, Jiang Shaohua was extremely generous in allowing her to endure the days in Jingyang Palace. The ministers who knew the inside story privately said that the emperor was too lenient because of his nostalgia. If she had been more ruthless, Empress Dowager Zheng would have died of illness silently long ago.

Empress Dowager Zheng, who had lost her power and everything, endured six years in Jingyang Palace until her energy ran out.

Jiang Shaohua was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "I understand. I will go to Jingyang Palace to visit my grandmother in a few days."

……

Three days later, after the court meeting was over, Jiang Shaohua went to Jingyang Palace.

Hundreds of imperial guards were on guard outside the Jingyang Palace day and night, with strict security. Only the eunuchs who delivered meals were allowed to enter through the side door every day. The main gate of the Jingyang Palace had not been opened for a long time.

The emperor arrived and the main gate of Jingyang Palace opened.

A familiar face that looked a little weathered came to greet me.

Jiang Shaohua glanced at him and said in a gentle voice, "Eunuch Zhao, long time no see." Eunuch Zhao, who was kneeling on the ground, swallowed the tears in his eyes and said in a choked voice, "Your Majesty still cares about me. I am very grateful. I kowtow to your Majesty."

Before he could even kowtow, Jiang Shaohua had already stepped forward and reached out to help Eunuch Zhao up: "In the past few years, thanks to Eunuch Zhao's careful care of my grandmother, I have no worries. I will remember Eunuch Zhao's contributions in my heart."

Eunuch Zhao's eyes turned red.

How did he get through these six years?
Empress Dowager Zheng was not a good-tempered person. She was imprisoned in Jingyang Palace, never seeing the sun, and she complained and cursed all day long. When she got angry, she often took it out on him. As a slave, he could only accept it.

Fortunately, he was finally about to make it. Empress Dowager Zheng was too ill this time. She drank medicine for half a month but her condition did not improve. She was like a candle about to go out and could close her eyes and die at any time.

Jiang Shaohua came today to see off the Empress Dowager Zheng for the last time. If he could endure it a little longer, he would be completely free.

Jiang Shaohua stepped into the bedroom of Empress Dowager Zheng.

Whoa, whoa, whoa!
A series of dull coughs rang out from the bed, followed by a wheezing sound like a bellows, accompanied by the sharp curse of Empress Dowager Zheng: "Zhao Chunming! Where the hell have you been!"

Eunuch Zhao stepped forward reflexively and reported in a low voice: "The emperor is here to visit the queen. I will go to greet him."

emperor?

Jiang Shaohua finally agreed to come and see her.

Empress Dowager Zheng looked dazed, staring blankly at the familiar figure beside the bed.

After not seeing each other for six years, Jiang Shaohua's face had not changed at all, except for the majesty of an emperor. When their eyes met, an invisible pressure spread out, making Empress Dowager Zheng breathless.

"Shaohua," after a long while, Empress Dowager Zheng managed to squeeze out a few words with difficulty: "You are finally willing to come to see me."

Jiang Shaohua stared at Empress Dowager Zheng.

She had not set foot in Jingyang Palace for six years, but she had never missed any news about the Grand Empress Dowager. She knew that the Grand Empress Dowager was extremely thin, and now seeing it with her own eyes, she was even more miserable and pitiful than she had imagined.

All the grudges and entanglements will completely disappear with the passing of Empress Dowager Zheng.

Eunuch Zhao quietly got up and walked out.

Jiang Shaohua then opened his mouth: "Grandma, I am here to see you off for the last time."

Empress Dowager Zheng looked like she was laughing and crying at the same time. Her whole body was shaking. She managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Okay, okay! This way, it will not be in vain that I have loved you so much."

Perhaps he was too excited and started coughing violently, as if he was going to cough his heart and lungs out of his chest.

Jiang Shaohua did not move, but watched coldly as Empress Dowager Zheng coughed heart-wrenchingly, the thick sputum she coughed up was full of blood.

"I can't bear it any longer." Empress Dowager Zheng panted violently for a few times and looked at Jiang Shaohua with pleading eyes: "Shaohua, I have done a lot of wrong things, but it was I who protected you back then. That's why you have the opportunity to inherit the throne."

"When I close my eyes and pass away, you will let the Zheng family live. Let them leave the capital and return to their ancestral home in Xingyang."

"This is my only wish. If you agree to it, I will be able to close my eyes in peace."

As he spoke, he raised his skinny hand that looked like a bird's claw.

Jiang Shaohua's heart was as cold as a rock. She did not grab the hand of the Empress Dowager Zheng, nor did she agree. She watched coldly as the Empress Dowager Zheng lowered her wrist dejectedly, and watched the Empress Dowager Zheng cry bitterly and blame herself.

When she said she was coming to see Empress Dowager Zheng off for the last time, she meant it literally.