eurekapd Chapter 116: Heart-breaking Clothes
Chapter 116: Heart-breaking Clothes
Shen Zhiyao knew at a glance that Lu Wanyi definitely knew something was wrong. Just as she was about to ask her, she saw her turn around and look at her with a serious expression.
"Sister, where did you get this dress?" Lu Wanyi asked seriously.
"To be honest, it was given to me by the Empress Dowager." Shen Zhiyao said.
It wouldn't take long for Shen Zhiyao to hide the fact that the Empress Dowager had given her the ordinary clothes, so she simply confessed.
"This..." Lu Wanyi frowned and said, "Actually, I don't know much about what happened, but I entered the palace earlier than you, and I once saved an old maid who was demoted for making a mistake in the clothing department. She happened to mention this to me."
In fact, it was Bao Luan who told her this, but she was not in a position to tell the truth, so she had to make up a reason.
"Sister, this matter is really important to me, please tell me the truth." Shen Zhiyao said seriously.
"Don't worry, sister. You have always treated me sincerely. Now, I will do my best to help you." Lu Wanyi tightened Shen Zhiyao's hand and said.
Shen Zhiyao nodded slightly.
"That old palace maid once overheard Nanny Wang and Eunuch Li from Renshou Palace chatting and saying that the Empress was actually not willing to marry into the Fourth Prince's Mansion back then. It was the Empress Dowager who went to the Pingxuan Marquis' Mansion alone and successfully persuaded the Empress to marry the current Emperor with her own eloquence." Lu Wanyi said.
"The Queen doesn't look like someone who can be easily persuaded. The Queen Mother is really powerful!" Shen Zhiyao said in false amazement.
Lu Wanyi nodded in agreement and said, "The situation was indeed serious at the time. All the princes who participated in the battle for the throne, except for the young Ninth Prince, valued the power in the hands of Marquis Pingxuan and had their eyes on the Queen. Among them, Prince Rui was the most active. The Queen Mother was simply snatching food from the tiger's mouth!"
Ordinary people would feel deep admiration for Queen Dowager Zhao just by imagining it.
"I don't know what method the Empress Dowager used, but after just one meeting with the Empress, she agreed to marry into the Fourth Prince's Mansion. Some people also say that the Empress might not have done it for the Emperor at the time, but for the Empress Dowager Zhao!" Lu Wanyi continued.
"For Queen Mother Zhao?" The more Shen Zhiyao listened, the more frightened she became, but the fog in her heart dissipated a little.
Lu Wanyi went straight to the point and said, "It is said that after convincing the Queen, the Queen Mother was very happy and gave her a piece of exquisite brocade dress that she had prepared in advance. It is the same ink green color and has the same exquisite plum blossom embroidery. It is very similar to yours, and it should just be a different style."
"This is all I've heard so far, and it may not be very useful as a reference," said Lu Wanyi.
After Shen Zhiyao heard this, she pieced together her guesses with the fragments of information Lu Wanyi had told her, and she had a rough idea of what she was thinking.
It seems that Queen Dowager Zhao successfully "fooled" the then immature Gu Yunran by relying on her personal charm and certain promises.
So the brocade dress became a symbol of some kind, and also became a small source of regret in Gu Yunran's heart.
And today, she is wearing this piece of clothing that looks very similar to the "token of love" that Zhao Yingqing gave to Gu Yunran back then.
Queen Dowager Zhao's intention is self-evident.
This old aunt is using herself to poke Gu Yunran in the heart!
Shen Zhiyao couldn't help but let her imagination run wild, and even wondered if Gu Yunran had cried all night late one night in order to shed all her tears for the future.
Gu Yunran was deceived into marrying a man she did not love and did not even think highly of. She lived a life she did not want and pursued goals that were not hers. What a torment it was for a woman in her prime!
Perhaps for a period of time, Gu Yunran could only be controlled by Zhao Yingqing like a puppet.
After Bo Muxi ascended the throne, as Queen Mother Zhao's ambition grew and deteriorated, Gu Yunran finally chose to break away from Queen Mother Zhao's control and stand on Bo Muxi's side, while Concubine Zhao began to gradually replace her and stand by Queen Mother Zhao's side...
Shen Zhiyao was originally an actress and had a strong sense of immersion. She couldn't help but put herself into the role of Gu Yunran, examining everything that happened in Renshou Palace today.
Gu Yunran's expression at that time might not have been simply frozen, but rather he was looking at Shen Zhiyao, who was standing upright in her exquisite ink-green uniform, with compassionate eyes, as if he was looking at the pitiful and helpless self of the past...
With a "clang", Qiuyue accidentally knocked over the lid when adding ambergris into the incense burner.
The crisp and sharp sound of metal collision shattered Shen Zhiyao's thoughts.
"Master, please forgive me. I was clumsy and disturbed your peace. I really deserve to die!" Shijin knelt down and apologized.
Shen Zhiyao sneered and lowered her eyes and said, "Get up, Qiuyue, maybe you interrupted me just in time. I don't want to experience that feeling any more..."
Qiuyue stood up upon hearing this and looked at Shen Zhiyao with confusion, totally not understanding what she was talking about.
Seeing her so distraught, Lu Wanyi thought that what she said was too heavy, which caused her to be so absent-minded, so she comforted her softly, "Don't worry too much, sister. Regardless of whether the rumors are true or false, and regardless of the Empress Dowager's intention in giving you this gift, you should find the Empress to explain as soon as possible. It would be the worst if the misunderstanding was left overnight!"
"Sister Lu is absolutely right. In fact, I wanted to go directly to Fengyi Palace after leaving Renshou Palace to explain everything to the Empress, but I was troubled by some unresolved doubts and did not dare to take any risks. Thanks to sister for coming to answer my questions. It really helped a lot!" Shen Zhiyao was truly grateful.
"There's no need to be so polite between you and me! I won't keep you any longer. There's no time to lose. You should go to Fengyi Palace as soon as possible!" Lu Wanyi said.
"The situation is urgent. When it's convenient another day, I will hold a banquet to thank my sister." Shen Zhiyao said with a smile.
Lu Wanyi didn't bother to be polite with her. After nodding, she took Taoxiang's hand and walked away.
Shen Zhiyao looked at her lonely back and felt deeply moved.
Although she had no close friends in the palace, the good thoughts she released on a whim made her have a good relationship with Lu Wanyi, which did give her some help.
In the palace, it is important to establish prestige, but you must never see everyone as an enemy. You must still strive to win over those who should be won over.
Shen Zhiyao dressed up again in front of the bronze mirror, put on light makeup, and changed into warm-colored palace clothes. What's more, this dress happened to be made of the cloth bestowed by the Queen.
She calculated the time and then took Qiuyue with her, sitting in a sedan chair and heading towards Fengyi Palace.
She ran a lot today. Fortunately, she was qualified to ride in the sedan chair, otherwise, she would have been very tired!
When they arrived outside Fengyi Palace, Shen Zhiyao got off the sedan chair, reported her purpose to the eunuch at the palace gate, and then waited patiently and respectfully.
Shijin was informed by the palace servants that Concubine Jin had come to apologize, which made him even more furious.
She deliberately paced lazily, looking here and there, deliberately stalling for time, wanting Shen Zhiyao to wait outside longer.
She knew her master too well. Since she cared so much about Concubine Jin, she would naturally not be so cruel as to let her wait too long.
Shijin was only concerned with venting his anger, and completely ignored the master and servant who were waiting at the palace gate. Qiuyue had been pacing back and forth for a long time.
"Master, is the Queen really angry? We have come to Fengyi Palace so many times, but this is the first time we have waited so long!" Qiuyue asked worriedly, her brows wrinkled with worry.