It took Su Wan'er an entire night, but she finally managed to deal with all the memorials.
Of course, for some memorials of great importance, Si Junlin seriously guided Su Wan'er on how to handle them.
The next day, after a day of rest, everyone set off back to the capital.
Since Si Junlin was injured, on the way back, Su Wan'er insisted that Si Junlin take the carriage, regardless of whether he was willing or not.
Si Junlin originally wanted to ride a horse, but when he thought that the horse he had ridden had run off into some unknown corner of the forest, the words he hadn't yet spoken were swallowed back.
Finally, they returned to the palace. From afar, Su Wan'er saw the Empress Dowager waiting anxiously.
When Su Wan'er got closer, the Empress Dowager led the concubines who had been left in the harem to greet them. "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on your successful return from the hunt."
"Thank you, Mother." Su Wan'er dismounted and helped the Empress Dowager up. As for the other concubines, they had to bow to Si Junlin who was getting out of the carriage.
When Si Junlin passed by her, Su Wan'er whispered to him, "Does the Empress Dowager always come out like this?"
Si Junlin just shook his head slightly. Obviously, the Empress Dowager didn't usually come out to greet them.
Su Wan'er was immediately puzzled. The Empress Dowager's appearance at this moment must be more than just to welcome her back from the hunt. There must be other things.
Sure enough, after Si Junlin and the others had returned to their respective palaces, the Empress Dowager asked her to go with her to the Empress Dowager's palace.
On the way, Su Wan'er had heard that the Empress Dowager had stopped the people who were going to send Concubine Mei to the cold palace. Since they hadn't received her imperial edict, they could only wait outside the sleeping quarters.
Although the Empress Dowager hadn't said anything yet, her meaning was obvious.
It was clear that the Empress Dowager had come this time to plead for Concubine Mei.
"Lin'er, I heard that after this hunt, you intend to send Concubine Mei to the cold palace?" the Empress Dowager said bluntly.
"Yes," Su Wan'er replied simply. She wasn't bothered about how the Empress Dowager had known this. How could the Empress Dowager, who had climbed to this position, not have her sources of information?
"Why? Just because she schemed against the Queen?" The Empress Dowager didn't think there was anything wrong with scheming against the Queen.
Su Wan'er felt a chill in her heart.
In the Empress Dowager's eyes, it seemed that being schemed against as the mother of the nation was a very trivial matter. How could this not be sad? If the person being schemed against was Concubine Xi, it would probably be a different scenario.
Su Wan'er sneered and said to the Empress Dowager, "Mother, do you think it's a small thing for the mother of the nation to be schemed against?"
Su Wan'er didn't say "Queen" but "the mother of the nation" in the hope that the Empress Dowager would understand that the title of Queen was not an ordinary one but that of the mother of the nation.
The Empress Dowager fell silent. Of course, she knew how noble the title of the mother of the nation was, but she just didn't like the person in that position.
"Mother, even if you think it's a small thing for the mother of the nation to be schemed against, what about deceiving the monarch? Do you also think that deceiving the monarch is a small thing?" Su Wan'er pressed.
"Deceiving the monarch?" The Empress Dowager's face immediately darkened.
A cold look flashed in Su Wan'er's eyes.
Sure enough, the Empress Dowager just didn't like her. If the protagonist of this incident was her beloved son, her attitude towards handling it would be different.
"Of course, Mother, do you think I'm a person who can be swayed by emotions?" A mocking smile appeared on Su Wan'er's lips.
The Empress Dowager pressed on, "Lin'er, tell me what happened at that time." If Concubine Mei dared to deceive her, then she would be of no use.
Su Wan'er told the Empress Dowager what had happened at that time. "Now, Mother, do you still think Concubine Mei is innocent in being sent to the cold palace?"
The Empress Dowager leaned back against the chair wearily and waved her hand casually. "Since Concubine Mei has acted like this, confine her to the palace. It's good for her to reflect. However, the confinement should not be too long. After all, the family behind her is still very useful to our royal family."
So that's it. No wonder...
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Mother, just rest assured." Su Wan'er got up and was about to leave.
After today's incident, Su Wan'er finally understood. The so - called favor that Concubine Mei received was just because of the power behind her. The reason why she wasn't favored was that her family's merits were too great, and the royal family was worried about them, so naturally she wouldn't be favored.
Moreover, she didn't even have the right to freely choose the person she liked.
After walking out of the palace gate, Su Wan'er immediately gave an order to Fang Xi. "Pass on my imperial edict. Concubine Mei has deceived the monarch, but considering it's her first offense, confine her to the palace for half a year as a warning."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Fang Xi replied.
Concubine Mei didn't wait for the news of "being pardoned without guilt" in her Qin Palace. Instead, she received the imperial edict of confinement.
Confined for half a year. Wouldn't her palace be just like the cold palace? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and her temper became increasingly irritable.
As for Su Wan'er, after leaving the Empress Dowager's palace, she went straight to Si Junlin's palace.
"Did the Empress Dowager make things difficult for you?" Si Junlin asked with concern when he saw her not - so - good complexion.
Su Wan'er glanced at him indifferently and finally shook her head. "It's okay. I'm just a bit tired."
"No, there must be something on your mind. Your complexion gives it away." Si Junlin had been an emperor for so many years. If he couldn't even tell this, he would have been deceived by his courtiers countless times in the court.
How could Su Wan'er tell him? What good would it do to tell such things? Since it was of no use, why should she tell him?
So, no matter how much Si Junlin pressed, Su Wan'er still said the same thing. "No."
Seeing Su Wan'er's determined look not to say anything, Si Junlin got a bit angry. He simply stopped asking. "Since you've come here, do you want to have lunch here? Eating something might make you feel better."
Su Wan'er had actually come here just to find a place to have lunch. Having lunch alone in the imperial study was quite boring. Now that Si Junlin had invited her, she naturally agreed.
Of course, the most important thing was that this was the palace where she had once lived, and sitting here, she didn't feel uncomfortable.
Si Junlin turned to instruct Qingcao.
Soon, lunch was served. This time, Su Wan'er didn't sit opposite Si Junlin but beside him.
There was no other way. After Qingcao and the maids had served the dishes, they habitually withdrew.
So what was left to do? She had to serve him.