mtl008 Chapter 151 Too Childish
Chapter 151 Too Childish
"Your Majesty, you should also take better care of Prince Yi and his concubine. You might as well give them some rewards at the birthday banquet, just to show that you are in a good mood. In this way, the gift to Miss Liang will not seem too prominent." The old nanny advised earnestly.
The Queen Mother frowned, clearly not enthusiastic about the proposal.
"Your Majesty, I understand that you have no affection for Prince Yi's concubine, but please be patient for now and do not arouse His Majesty's suspicion." The old nanny spoke again, with a hint of urgency in her tone.
With the gentle words of the old nanny, the empress dowager's expression finally relaxed a little, and her usually dignified and inviolable face revealed a barely perceptible softness: "Then please invite the two people from Prince Yi's Mansion over, and let me see if they are really as outstanding as people say."
……
The moment they received the summons, Su Rao and Su Yi were both stunned, feeling inexplicably surprised.
Su Rao originally thought that she had long been forgotten in the power struggle in the deep palace, but she did not expect that at this busy time, the empress dowager would still remember a small person like her.
As for Su Yi, as the principal wife of Prince Yi, although she often stayed in the palace, she had never expected such a sudden summons.
Led by the palace maids, the two walked along the corridor, through the flower-filled imperial garden, and slowly moved towards the empress dowager's residence.
The sunlight shone through the sparse clouds, dappling onto their delicate skirts.
This scene happened to fall into the eyes of Mrs. Wang and Mrs. Huo.
Mrs. Wang frowned slightly, feeling quite unhappy. She was thinking about how to find fault with Su Rao, but she didn't expect that she had won the favor of the Queen Mother.
"What is going on? Why did the Queen Mother summon that woman and Princess Yi alone?" There was a hint of dissatisfaction and confusion in her tone.
Madam Huo's eyes turned slightly, and she analyzed carefully: "The Queen Mother has never liked Prince Yi's concubine. I'm afraid she has a plan for summoning her this time. Maybe she wants to teach her a lesson."
After these words were spoken, Mrs. Wang's expression eased slightly, and a hint of calculation quietly emerged in her eyes.
"Zhao Zhao, can you find out for me what gift did Prince Yi's concubine give to the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet to make the Empress Dowager so concerned?" Madam Wang moved closer to Madam Huo and lowered her voice. There was a hint of coldness in her eyes and her words were full of inquiry.
Su Rao and Su Yi stepped into the Queen Mother's palace and bowed respectfully. The air was filled with a faint scent of agarwood, which made people feel peaceful and calm.
The Queen Mother's eyes swept over the two of them gently, and she said calmly: "Stand up, no need to be so polite."
Soon, a palace maid slowly walked into the hall holding a jewelry box inlaid with gems, and gently opened it in front of the two of them. The box was filled with jewels and precious stones, each of which was a rare treasure.
Su Rao was confused and didn't understand why, and the Queen Mother's voice sounded again, with a somewhat elusive meaning: "Pick something you like."
A hint of surprise flashed across Su Rao's face, and she secretly wondered in her heart what the Queen Mother was trying to do.
Could it be that, like in the previous life, his attitude suddenly changed and he wanted to show her a favor?
However, when he looked up at the empress dowager, her expression was stern without any warmth, and it was obvious that she did not have good intentions.
"What? You don't like my things?" There was some displeasure in the Queen Mother's tone.
Su Yi reacted quickly and answered quickly, with just the right amount of surprise and respect in her voice: "My sister and I are just too surprised. The Queen Mother's reward is so precious. We two sisters are so grateful that we dare not have the slightest disdain for it."
As she spoke, she looked at Su Rao gently, indicating that she could choose first.
The Queen Mother seemed to have found an opportunity when she heard this, and her tone was a little sharp: "With the principal wife present, how can the concubine be chosen first? Is this the rule of Prince Yi's Mansion?"
Su Yi's face changed slightly, realizing her mistake, and she quickly explained, her tone sincere: "Queen Dowager, please calm down. Rao'er and I are like sisters. We are indistinguishable from each other on weekdays. We only follow the rules because of outsiders. The Queen Dowager is our relative, so it is inevitable that we get carried away and get a little closer."
Su Yi's words were so smooth, thoughtful and flawless that the empress dowager could not find any fault with them. She could only snort softly, as if to acquiesce in her explanation.
"Choose quickly, don't make me wait too long." The Queen Mother urged, obviously unwilling to waste any more words on this matter.
Su Rao understood what he meant, and her eyes moved among the pile of jewellery. Each piece was meticulously crafted and priceless.
However, compared with Huo Chengjun's dazzling night pearl, these treasures suddenly pale in comparison.
That preciousness is not just material value, but also an immeasurable emotional weight that is heavier than a thousand pounds.
Finally, Su Rao selected a simple yet luxurious gold bracelet from among the many treasures, bowed slightly to the Queen Mother, and smiled gently: "Thank you for your kindness, Queen Mother."
"How tacky." The Queen Mother snorted, but there was less harshness in her words.
Su Rao responded with a smile, "Although gold is vulgar, it is naturally extraordinary and has a unique flavor when set against the noble temperament of the Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother's gaze lingered on Su Rao for a moment, and she slowly uttered four words: "Very cunning."
But there was a hint of playfulness in his tone, less severe than before.
Su Yi was not to be outdone and chose a jade bracelet that was so emerald green that it made her look so beautiful. The Queen Mother then gave her the following comment: "As expected of Prince Yi's wife, you have a unique vision."
Su Yi had mixed feelings. These seemingly complimenting words actually contained a hidden edge, and it was obvious that he was using him to suppress Su Rao.
Su Rao suppressed her inner disdain. She had her own interpretation of the Queen Mother's attitude.
If you look at it from a negative perspective, it is targeting everyone; but from another perspective, it is more like a child competing with others, always trying to find opportunities to touch the other person in subtle ways, as if seeing the other person's displeasure can give him some kind of satisfaction.
However, Su Rao didn't care about it and just thought such behavior was too childish.
"Sister, your vision is indeed much better than mine." Su Rao said sincerely. Her answer made the Queen Mother feel powerless as if her fist was hitting cotton. She simply waved her hand and signaled the two to leave.
"Empress Dowager, do you like Concubine Su or do you hate her?" the old nanny at the side couldn't help but ask.
The Queen Mother glared at her, with a bit of helplessness in her tone: "You asked this question, how could I possibly like a guy who doesn't know the rules?"
Leaving the bedroom, he stepped into the brightly lit banquet hall.
Su Yi was soon surrounded by a group of noble ladies, chatting and laughing, while Su Rao was alone and no one cared about her. She was happy with the quietness.
While strolling in the palace, Su Rao accidentally discovered a familiar figure by the winding river, it was Huo Chengjun.
She set up a tea table and sat at it, stroking her hair from time to time, as if she was expecting someone to come.
The tea was boiling, and Huo Chengjun was preparing it with skill. During the calm and graceful movements, she secretly sprinkled black powder into the tea.