The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 426: Encounter with the Queen Mother
In March, the flowers in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom, like beautiful faces, waiting to be admired.

Nian Shilan had nothing to do today, so she took the Fourth Prince for a walk in the Imperial Garden. Following them were not only her personal palace maids, but also the Fourth Prince's wet nurse and a number of other people.

Xiao Linzi followed behind the Fourth Prince, stretching out his arms to carefully protect him.

From Nian Shilan's perspective, it looked like an old hen protecting her chicks, which made Nian Shilan purse her lips and smile.

The Fourth Prince ran a few steps and suddenly stopped.

His eyes were attracted by a flower by the roadside. It was a pink peony with a huge butterfly resting on its petals.

Nian Shilan followed the Fourth Prince's gaze and also found it interesting.

Counting the days, it is indeed the season for peonies to bloom, but this peony is growing alone by the roadside, mixed in with some evergreen shrubs.

Peonies in the Forbidden City have always been grown in groups in the flower beds; single peony plants like this are very rare.

Not to mention the huge blue butterflies that are already here in March.

I think these butterflies and peonies must have worked much harder than their peers to be so dazzlingly beautiful beside the road.

The Fourth Prince squatted down, but did not get close. He just watched the butterfly busy among the petals.

Xiao Linzi quickly squatted behind him, still holding his hands in a protective gesture.

Nian Shilan did not disturb the Fourth Prince. After he watched for a while, he saw the butterfly flapping its wings and about to fly away. The Fourth Prince then became a little anxious and turned around, pointing at Shaoyao and said to Nian Shilan.

"Eniang, Eniang."

Judging from the anxious tone, he was afraid that the butterfly would fly away.

Nian Shilan then walked up to the Fourth Prince, took his little hand, asked him to stand up, and then held the Fourth Prince loosely in her arms.

She spoke softly.

"Mother, you know that Hongli saw the butterfly was about to fly away, right?
But did Hongli ever think that the butterfly went out early in the morning?

It's time to go back and see its children."

The Fourth Prince turned around to look and found that the butterfly had indeed disappeared. He was confused and said in a baby voice.

"Mother, look for Hongli."

Nian Shilan was extremely delighted that the Fourth Prince could actually understand what she said.

In addition to daily greetings, the Fourth Prince had memorized many fixed words. This was the first time that he summed up her meaning by himself.

So Nian Shilan put her face against the Fourth Prince's little face and laughed happily.

"Hongli is so smart!"

While the mother and son were laughing and joking, a cough was suddenly heard, followed by the eunuch's sharp voice.

"The Queen Mother is here~ Everyone please leave~!"

Nian Shilan sneered in her heart, slowly stood up, and protected the Fourth Prince behind her.

She raised her head and looked in the direction where the voice came from, and saw Empress Dowager De's procession coming in a grand manner.

Dowager De, dressed in bright yellow clothes, sat on the sedan chair, with about twenty palace maids on both sides and servants following behind her.

I don't know what this scene is for.

Since Empress Dowager De fell ill two years ago, Nian Shilan has not seen her like this for a long time.

Nian Shilan originally wanted to avoid it, but when she heard the eunuch's voice, the ceremonial procession had already entered the Imperial Garden, and when she turned around, it was only a few steps away.

Nian Shilan held the Fourth Prince's hand and came to the front of Empress Dowager De's sedan chair.

Queen Dowager De stood high above, looking down at Nian Shilan.

"I, your concubine, and the Fourth Prince Hongli, pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years~"

Nian Shilan knelt down to pay respect, but the Fourth Prince knelt down in a serious manner and looked up at Nian Shilan. He didn't know how to greet the person in the sedan chair in front of him, but he knew that since even his mother had to pay respect to her, she must be someone more powerful than his mother.

Nian Shilan noticed the look in the Fourth Prince's eyes and said.

"Fourth Prince is still young and has not yet learned how to speak. I beg the Empress Dowager to forgive me."

When Empress Dowager De saw Nian Shilan and her son, she was filled with hatred but could not show it on her face.

She still had to maintain a kind look and said with a smile.

"It's okay, the Fourth Prince is still young and naive. I haven't seen him for a long time.

The last time we met was a quick glance at the New Year's Eve banquet.

People say that children grow quickly when they are exposed to the wind, and it is true.

Look at my grandson, how cute and adorable he is."

Seeing that Empress Dowager De was speaking slowly but had no intention of asking her and her son to stand up, Nian Shilan stood up straight and reached out to pull the Fourth Prince up from the ground.

Empress Dowager De's expression changed. An Muhe, the personal eunuch serving beside her, glanced at her expression, coughed lightly, and spoke in a shrill voice.

"Empress Hua, the Empress Dowager hasn't asked you to get up yet, but you got up on your own. What kind of rules are these?"

Nian Shilan gently pushed the Fourth Prince towards Xiao Linzi, who immediately stepped forward and took the Fourth Prince back a few steps.

Only then did Nian Shilan look at Queen Dowager De with a smile.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I thought you forgot to ask me to stand up while you were talking.

The Empress Dowager knows that the Fourth Prince had a fright some time ago and has been feeling unwell recently.

First, I am worried about his health. Second, the Fourth Prince is the Empress Dowager's grandson.
I think the Queen Mother couldn't bear to let him kneel on the cold ground."

The smile on Empress Dowager De's face had long since faded, and she spoke coldly at this moment.

"Are you blaming me for being old and confused? You were busy talking but didn't ask you and your son to stand up.

Listen, Concubine Hua is blaming me. The Fourth Prince is my grandson.

I naturally don't want him to be wronged, but the meaning behind Concubine Hua's words is...
It was more like saying that I made him kneel down on purpose.

I have heard that the Nian family is a prominent and aristocratic family, but I didn't expect that the daughter they raised would be so eloquent.

You know, women have always considered being gentle and submissive as a virtue, not being argumentative!"

When Queen Dowager De said her last words, Nian Shilan suddenly felt dazed.

Isn’t this last sentence the same thing I used to scold Zhen Huan in my previous life?

But things change, and today it was Empress Dowager De who said this.

A bold idea suddenly popped up in Nian Shilan's mind - would the Queen Mother De in this life be as domineering and arrogant as she was in her previous life?

If you calculate carefully, the Empress Dowager De in this life is only about 45 years old, which is far from the age when she helped Yinzhen ascend to the throne in the previous life.

There are many things that I have no experience or knowledge about.

Moreover, the estrangement between Empress Dowager De and Yinzhen and his mother was more obvious in this life. Perhaps I wouldn't have to put too much effort into overthrowing Empress Dowager De.

When Empress Dowager De saw that Nian Shilan didn't speak for a long time, she thought she was stumped by her question, so she took advantage of the situation and pursued her.

"Empress Hua has no respect for elders, but for the sake of Fourth Prince, I will not argue with you.

You should kneel here for two hours and reflect on yourself!

As for the Fourth Prince, I can't bear to see him being dragged down by his own mother at such a young age.

Zhuxi, take the Fourth Prince with you and let's go back to the palace!"

There was no skipping last night, Bao Bao, it was because of the review. It was only released today, so I lost yesterday's welfare monthly ticket 5555