The Empress Dowager opened her eyes: “Let them in.”
Soon, the handsome couple entered hand in hand and paid their respects to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager looked down at the two bowing before her, her gaze profound.
She remembered refusing to see them when they came to pay respects on their wedding day. At that time, she truly hadn’t imagined this day would come.
After a moment of silence, the Empress Dowager said gently, “No need for such formality, rise.”
Then she beckoned to Jiang Si: “Crown Princess, come sit here by this old one.”
Jiang Si approached and sat on a small stool brought by a palace maid.
The Empress Dowager gazed at her kindly and smiled, “This old one thought you were blessed when I first saw you, and it seems I was right. Remember to visit often in the future.”
Jiang Si smiled, “As long as Grandmother Empress doesn’t mind my disturbance. You truly are the most gracious elder this daughter-in-law has ever met.”
“Why do you say that?” the Empress Dowager asked casually.
Regardless of one’s feelings towards the person before them, everyone likes to hear pleasant words.
Jiang Si met Empress Dowager’s gaze without hesitation, her smile open and sincere: “This daughter-in-law was originally worried that you might blame me for Aunt Rongyang’s matter…”
Anger flashed briefly in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, but her tone remained even: “How could that be? Grandmother Empress knows this matter had nothing to do with you. This old one is very pleased to have such a filial daughter-in-law.”
After the couple left, the Empress Dowager’s face immediately darkened. Even speeding up her prayer bead counting couldn’t quickly restore her calm.
“Empress Dowager, please don’t be angry at the Crown Princess’s frankness. Your health is most important,” her trusted maid advised.
The Empress Dowager laughed coldly: “Frank? Do you believe a woman who has won the favor of the Emperor and Empress and helped her husband become Crown Prince would be frank? She was provoking me!”
Thinking of Jiang Si’s smile, the Empress Dowager’s hands shook with anger.
Having lived in luxury for many years, it had been a long time since anyone had been so brazen before her.
She even saw a hint of condescension in Jiang Si’s eyes, as if the person before her wasn’t the most noble woman in the harem, but a lowly existence.
Just like herself in her youth.
The Empress Dowager hadn’t thought about the past for so long that she had almost forgotten what it was like.
But today, the new Crown Princess had reminded her.
Those memories were not pleasant for the current Empress Dowager.
Her gaze grew increasingly cold, and thoughts she had temporarily set aside began to resurface.
Meanwhile, having successfully provoked the Empress Dowager’s anger, Jiang Si walked with light steps towards the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.