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"Yes..." The Emperor hesitated for a moment, took a turn, and did not speak directly but said, "Over the years, the court has always placed great importance on Border City, and I have consistently allocated the most resources to the area around Border City.
In order to assist the common people and to build the dam, but in recent days, heavy rain has actually washed away the dam of Border City." As he spoke, the Emperor couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
"Ha, really, what are the officials of Border City doing? Is the dam of Border City built with straw and branches?" His voice unconsciously rose by eight degrees, emanating from his chest with a powerful and heartfelt resonance.
The Empress Dowager continued to turn the prayer beads in her hand without stopping, saying, "The Emperor should calm down and investigate where the court's resources have gone; it should not be driven by emotions."
"Yes." The Emperor lowered his head and replied respectfully. As he bowed his head, his gaze quietly swept over the jade pendant at his waist. After a moment of thought, he cautiously looked at the elderly person sitting quietly before him with closed eyes.
He carefully said, "Empress Dowager, I would like to ask you something."
"Speak." The Empress Dowager's voice was fresh and indifferent, sounding as if she had no distractions; for an elderly person, having a clear mind is also good.
The Emperor hesitated for a moment, looking at the Empress Dowager as he cautiously probed, "I want to ask you, Empress Dowager, when I was born, did you ever have anything worn on me?"
"What is wrong with the Emperor? Why do you suddenly ask this?" The Empress Dowager's voice was cold as she suddenly opened her eyes.
The room was filled with the scent of burning Buddha hand incense; white smoke curled around, and the magnificent golden hall was shrouded in a layer of hazy white mist, making it appear vaguely otherworldly.
For a moment, there was an eerie silence in the air, quiet enough that even dropping a silver needle on the ground would make a sound.
The Emperor's eyes were clear, his expression calm, and his voice extremely confident. "Recently I have been reading Confucius and Mencius's great discussions. Confucius said that at fifteen one should focus on learning; at thirty one should stand firm; at forty one should be free from doubts... And older generations often say that one can see one's future at one year old. So..." The Emperor paused for a moment.
Seeing that the Empress Dowager still showed no signs of discomfort, he continued, "I want to know what I was like when I was just born. I have heard that one can tell future behaviors from what an infant grabs during their first grasping ceremony, and that those items are often kept on the child. Therefore, Empress Dowager, I would like to know what I grabbed as a child?"
His voice was light and soft, tinged with curiosity as if he were genuinely puzzled. His hands hidden in his sleeves were already sweating.
A thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead; fearing that the Empress Dowager might become suspicious, he felt an inexplicable sense of tension, worried that she might say something inappropriate.
The Empress Dowager pondered for a while before thoughtfully saying, "What has been on your mind lately? Instead of caring about national affairs, you are thinking about these trivial matters."
The Empress Dowager's voice scolded him with a hint of sternness. Li Ye respectfully lowered his head and humbly replied, "You are right to admonish me."
His voice carried a hint of shame, completely resembling that of an elegant person. He lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and still unwillingly asked, "Empress Dowager, could you tell me? Otherwise, I can't help but be curious."
"You were very sensible as a child; you didn't require me or the Former Emperor to worry about your studies or writing. You were also very clever, having grasped a good fortune from the moment you were born.
At that time, my status was not high, and you had just been born. I was afraid something might happen to you, so I concealed the matter of your fortune-telling ceremony and only informed your father. Our family customs are different; I forgot to have you undergo the ceremony when you turned one month old."
The Empress Dowager's voice was cold, yet it contained subtle traces of affection, as if she were lost in deep memories.
After a moment, she raised her eyes to look at the Emperor. Li Ye felt as if something had struck him in the heart; he suppressed his trembling body and fearfully asked, "Empress Dowager, what did I grasp?"
"The Tiger Tally." The Empress Dowager's voice was extremely faint, devoid of any emotion, like someone drinking water without taste.
The Emperor was startled and instinctively took a step back, swaying in place as if struck by lightning. He couldn't help but continue asking, "Did I not grasp a jade pendant or something? Empress Dowager, did you not give me a jade pendant to wear?"
The Empress Dowager looked at Li Ye in surprise, her gaze quietly sweeping over the jade pendant at his waist. She said solemnly, "What is wrong with you, Emperor? Are you blaming me for not giving you a jade pendant back then?
The jades in this palace are all top-quality Hetian Jade. If I had given you such a fine piece when you were young, who knows which Jade Bitch might have taken advantage of it."
She slightly closed her eyes, recalling the scene from back then. When she was in the palace with the Emperor, they were surrounded by enemies; she dared not reveal their wealth and acted with utmost caution.
If it hadn't been for the sudden assistance from the Chancellor back then, she might not have survived that situation. Where would there be today's Emperor and herself?
"I wouldn't dare. Recently I've heard that Noble Ning is pregnant and thought about preparing a good Flawless Jade for my son. I hope they can become pillars like Flawless Jade in the future. That's why I wanted to ask the Empress Dowager if anything was given to my son that made him so outstanding."
The Emperor observed the Empress Dowager's expression and cautiously spoke.
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment before coldly responding with an "Mm," slowly saying, "If there's nothing else, Emperor, you may leave. The affairs of state are important; there's no need to waste more time on an old woman like me."
"Yes." With that, the Emperor turned and exited the Empress Dowager's chamber. As he left the palace, Zhang Zehai followed behind and noticed his gloomy expression, thinking he must have done something wrong.
However, recalling how he had served the Emperor as usual since early morning without any mistakes made him wonder if it was instead a conflict between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
Thinking this way made Zhang Zehai even more hesitant to speak; he quietly followed behind the Emperor without daring to make a sound. Upon returning to his room, the Emperor had no thoughts of that woman; his mind was filled only with thoughts of that jade pendant and Old Madam's face.
As he thought about it, he couldn't help but find it amusing. He couldn't resist sneering, "How strange, how strange! How could such a peculiar thing happen in this world? I am the Emperor! A dignified Sovereign!"
He chuckled coldly to himself, realizing how foolish his actions were at that moment.
The royal family was filled with filth; having grown up in the depths of the palace, he naturally understood those unspeakable matters. Therefore, when Mo Xier was humiliated by those old hags, he felt disgusted and repulsed.
He never expected that he had become a product of conspiracy himself.
What exactly was his background? Perhaps even the Empress Dowager did not know.
He gently took off the jade pendant from his waist and pulled out another piece from a nearby brocade box, fitting the two pieces together. This was the cleverness of the jade pendant; it consisted of two interlocking pieces, unlike the usual semi-circular ones.
From the tone of the Empress Dowager's earlier words, it seemed she was unaware of this jade pendant's existence. But given her age, did she truly not know, or had she simply forgotten?
Li Ye felt troubled at this thought. He dared not ponder further; just thinking about what he would do if the Empress Dowager was not his biological mother made him uneasy.
For the past few days, he had been repeatedly experiencing a nightmare.
In his dream, he appeared as an infant during a stormy night filled with thunder and lightning. Someone kept shaking his cradle while various figures flitted about. Eunuchs and palace maids screamed in panic, and hurried footsteps echoed around him.
He opened his eyes to see what was happening, but his body wouldn't move, and all he could manage were incoherent babbles.
In a daze, he realized he was in the courtyard of a wealthy family. It was an exquisitely decorated room; although it couldn't compare to the grandeur of the palace, it featured intricately carved railings and decorations that exuded a unique charm.
In front of his bed stood two white jade lions carved from ivory, imposing and majestic.
The lions stared directly at him with fierce eyes, scaring him into crying out loud.
Li Ye didn't understand why he was crying or why he was having such a dream. Time seemed to twist; it felt like an eternity yet also just a moment before the scene shifted again.
However, he didn't sense anything wrong. Deep within the palace, he saw his father holding him and playing with him. Only the Emperor could possess such an imposing demeanor; it vividly displayed on his father's face. The young Empress Dowager leaned against the door quietly peering inside with a bittersweet smile on her face.
Then came the sounds of soldiers and horses. He woke up from the dream in shock, drenched in cold sweat. The chilly moonlight streamed through the window, bringing a shiver down his spine as he trembled in fear.
Why? What exactly is the reason? These days, every time Li Ye recalls it, he feels an inexplicable sense of panic.
A panic about his own origins, a panic about this high-walled courtyard.
Outside the window, the peach blossoms are radiant, the leaves are lush, and the air is filled with the fragrance of Crabapple Blossom. After a night of heavy rain, the petals have fallen.
The dense green branches of the peach tree sway, and a few drops of mud splash against the window, dust swirling in the air. In the warmth of the spring breeze, another beautiful sunny day arrives.
The Empress Dowager's birthday has come as scheduled. The palace gates are wide open, and luxurious carriages adorned with curtains roll into the palace one after another. From these carriages emerge graceful and virtuous young ladies, as well as cleanly dressed and distinguished young gentlemen from noble families.
Finally, various officials step down. They are seasoned and composed, accustomed to such grand occasions. Occasionally, a few happen to get out of their carriages and exchange polite but insincere smiles with colleagues from the same court, engaging in small talk.
Mo Xier blends in among them; she is the first to step down from her carriage, followed by Night Star. After a long while, Old Madam is finally helped down by Liu Xuxin.
This is a very strange combination, yet it is hard to pinpoint what feels off about it. There are always curious glances cast their way.
Logically speaking, Old Madam is elderly and could have opted out of attending such a banquet. However, since an invitation was sent by the Empress Dowager, Old Madam had no choice but to attend; she could not refuse to honor the Empress Dowager's face.
Night Star cast a cold glance at Old Madam but showed no other expression as she walked directly toward the center of the hall. Today's banquet is set in the Imperial Garden.
In the Imperial Garden, flowers bloom in abundance, reaching their most brilliant state. Palace maids and eunuchs bring out pastries and drinks, along with peaches—each large peach tied with golden silk threads, arranged beautifully to symbolize the Queen Mother's longevity peaches, wishing for longevity equal to that of heaven itself.
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