vrcanaries Chapter 288 Cining Palace
Chapter 288 Cining Palace
Shen Meizhuang listened intently to An Lingrong's every word, committing the plan to memory. After An Lingrong finished speaking, a trace of worry still lingered in Shen Meizhuang's eyes. She anxiously asked, "Rong'er, are you completely confident in this plan? If there's even the slightest mistake, even at the risk of offending the Empress Dowager, I won't let you go to the Cining Palace alone today."
An Lingrong smiled faintly, trying to comfort Shen Meizhuang, and said softly, "Sister, the key to this plan lies in you! I will handle it carefully. If this plan succeeds, our future actions will be much smoother."
After saying that, he called Xiao Luzi over and whispered to him for a while.
After everything was arranged, An Lingrong took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and walked out of the hall with her head held high.
Zhu Xi had been waiting outside and bowed slightly when she came out. An Lingrong returned her polite smile and walked out of the gate of Yonghe Palace with her.
Shen Meizhuang did not dare to delay and quickly acted according to An Lingrong's plan.
There was a drizzle, and the wind brought a slight coolness, brushing across the face, making people feel refreshed.
When I stepped into the Cining Palace, the courtyard was empty, with no one in sight.
Arriving at the corridor, Zhu Xi said coldly, "The Queen Mother is worshiping Buddha, Concubine Wen, please kneel here and wait!"
What, kneel and wait?
Now that she understood the Queen Mother's intention, An Lingrong was not prepared to put herself in a difficult position, so she asked calmly, "Could it be that Auntie conveyed the wrong message? Is the Queen Mother sure she wants me to wait on my knees?"
"My dear, what do you mean?"
"Haha. My poor health is known to everyone in the palace. The Empress Dowager, who worships Buddha all year round, must be kind and compassionate. How could she let a sick person like me kneel here? If Aunt misdelivered the order, wouldn't it damage the Empress Dowager's reputation?"
Zhuxi choked and was speechless.
An Lingrong's expression remained calm as she spoke softly, "Aunt, why don't you ask the Queen Mother again? If she explicitly tells me to kneel and wait, I will naturally obey."
After hearing this, Zhuxi's forced smile froze instantly, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. Finally, he could no longer pretend and turned back to the hall.
An Lingrong stood there quietly, waiting patiently.
A cup of tea passed, and the surroundings were still silent. Not even a servant could be seen. She knew in her heart that the Queen Mother had done this on purpose, trying to intimidate her and make her feel uneasy outside the palace gates!
Unfortunately, she was facing An Lingrong, who did not play by the rules.
"If the Empress Dowager is busy, I dare not disturb her any further. I will take my leave first. I will come back to talk to her when she is free." An Lingrong raised her voice slightly and spoke loudly to the hall.
However, there was no response from within the palace. An Lingrong's lips curled up in a subtle arc. The silence was tantamount to acquiescence. So, she slowly turned around, lightly stepping, ready to leave.
"Your Majesty, please wait!" At this moment, Zhu Xi's emotionless voice came from behind, "The Queen Mother invites Your Majesty in!"
"Thank you, aunt."
This was the first time An Lingrong entered the Cining Palace alone.
Upon entering the hall, a serene and restrained atmosphere washes over you. The floor is paved with a warm, fine-textured black jade marble, its veins naturally smudged like a landscape painting, creating a luxurious yet understated feel.
In the very center, the low table in front of the empress dowager was made of small-leaf red sandalwood, with several sides inlaid with a whole piece of mutton-fat white jade. On the table was a small cloisonné enamel incense burner. The body of the burner was based on sky blue enamel, and gold wire outlined the lotus pattern. The lotus petals were delicate, and the stamens were dotted with tiny rubies. Wisps of green smoke rose from the burner, filled with the elegant fragrance of sandalwood.
The flower stand in the corner, simple and elegant in shape, was crafted from rosewood. In a porcelain pot on the stand sat a rare black orchid, its slender leaves standing like green swords, its inky black flowers blooming quietly, emitting bursts of delicate fragrance.
The Queen Mother was sitting on the couch, one arm resting on the small table, her head supported by her hands and her eyes closed to rest.
An Lingrong walked lightly to the Empress Dowager, slowly squatted down, knelt down and saluted, her voice soft but clear: "Your concubine greets the Empress Dowager!"
The Queen Mother seemed not to hear.
As she was performing the ceremony, An Lingrong secretly complained in her heart that it was such a pretentious act, and the means of torture were always the same over and over again, with nothing new to say.
She raised her head slightly, a hint of subtle stubbornness flashing in her eyes, and she opened her lips again and said, "Your Highness pays respects to the Queen Mother!"
But this time, the only response she got was still deathly silence.
"I send my regards to the Queen Mother!"
An Lingrong raised her voice, its mellowness resonating even more clearly in the empty palace. Each of her greetings was like dropping a stone into a still lake, creating ripples but ultimately failing to break the ice of indifference on the Empress Dowager's face.
"Concubine..."
Just as she was about to shout again, "What are you shouting for!" The empress dowager at the top finally responded. She slowly opened her eyes, her eyes full of majesty, as if a peaceful deity had been disturbed, with a hint of anger and offense.
An Lingrong, however, remained calm and composed. She parted her red lips and replied slowly, "I pay my respects to the Queen Mother. Seeing that she ignored me, I thought you didn't hear me. I know that you are old and your hearing may be impaired, so I spoke a little louder. I hope the Queen Mother will forgive me."
After saying that, he stood up straight.
The Empress Dowager's face was filled with majesty. She stared at An Lingrong with a sharp gaze and said in a deep voice, "It's not that my hearing is poor, it's that my eyesight is poor. Concubine Wen, do you admit your guilt?"
"I do not know where my crime lies. Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."
"I've always thought you were gentle and quiet, but I never knew you were so bold."
Facing the Queen Mother's questioning, An Lingrong responded with a simple yet powerful response: "Your Majesty, your words are too harsh. I dare not! I am truly filial to you, and heaven and earth can bear witness to that."
The Queen Mother snorted coldly and continued, "Since you entered the palace, you have remained obscure, not vying for favor or causing trouble. I thought you were the same as Concubine Jing and Noble Lady Xin. It wasn't until recently that I had the time to think about it. You've secretly caused quite a bit of trouble!"
An Lingrong said calmly, "I feel ashamed to accept your words, Queen Mother. Everything I did was only to protect myself!"
"Then you persuaded Concubine Wan to return to the palace, was it also for your own protection?"
"Wanpin's return to the palace is the emperor's great favor, and has nothing to do with me!"
"I have already investigated. It was only after you went to Ganlu Temple that the Emperor started going there frequently. How dare you say that this matter has nothing to do with you!"
An Lingrong lowered her head, forced a sarcastic smile, and then said, "I went to Ganlu Temple to retrieve the hairpin that the Empress gave me. As for the story behind that hairpin, I'm sure the Empress Dowager knows it."