While pondering over Long Xiaojiu's disgusting infatuation with the "emperor uncle", half an hour had passed in a blink of an eye. Even someone with the heart of an emperor like Si Junlin was gradually getting impatient. Why was that woman, Su Wan'er, so attentive to others?!
The weather grew even gloomier. The clouds hung low, making people feel oppressed and out of breath. At breakfast, the meal was served. He took a couple of bites, and then, under Qingcao's disjointed persuasion, ate some vegetables before reluctantly putting down his chopsticks.
Su Wan'er had gone to court, but it was to find that saintess earlier!
However, the whole imperial palace seemed to have fallen into complete silence. For such a long time, he had been emphasizing the affection between husband and wife to Su Wan'er. After spending days and nights together, he had already revealed his feelings, but that woman still remained oblivious.
Sometimes, he always felt that she was so far away. Although Su Wan'er's non - response might be considered a good outcome, better than a direct rejection, it was precisely this that made Si Junlin even more irritable.
It started to rain outside, and the coolness seeped in bit by bit. Si Junlin shivered slightly, and Qingcao immediately fetched a cloak.
Look, Su Wan'er was so attentive to those around her that even a single movement could elicit a response from others. But why... was he not in her heart?
Just as Qingcao was about to put the cloak on Si Junlin, Si Junlin suddenly straightened up at this moment, looked in the direction of the main courtyard and said, "Get a hooded cloak. I'll go and greet the emperor when he returns from court and pay respects to the empress dowager together."
Qingcao was slightly stunned for a moment. She waved to a little maid to go and get the cloak, then came to Si Junlin's side and whispered, "My lady, the weather is so bad... Why the sudden change?" Pay respects to the empress dowager? It's already good enough that the empress dowager doesn't cause us trouble...
Naturally, Qingcao was unaware of the identity swap this time, so she was extremely puzzled. Was it rare for her lady to want to improve the empress dowager's impression of her?
"The empress dowager must be bored all alone. Besides, the emperor hasn't returned to the palace for three days. It's only right that we go and visit her."
Si Junlin spoke unhurriedly, looking far into the sky, "Go and chat with the empress dowager, and accompany the emperor to fulfill his filial piety."
Since she said so, Qingcao didn't try to persuade her any more. She just pulled her back into the room and said, "My lady, since you're going to visit the empress dowager, you should dress up a bit. Don't be too disrespectful." Saying that, she pressed Si Junlin in front of the mirror, undid her hair bun, and used the newly replaced hair oil to redo her hair.
Dress up? So troublesome? Was the empress dowager the kind of person who would make things difficult for others because of their clothes? Si Junlin let her hair be combed uncomfortably. Then, thinking about it... if it was Su Wan'er, the empress dowager might really do so.
Si Junlin smiled and didn't say anything. She was about to go back when Qingcao asked if she was still going to pay respects to the empress dowager.
Although it was just a pretext, as she had just said, she really should go and pay respects to her mother.
Even if it was in Su Wan'er's identity, as long as she didn't act disrespectfully, presumably the empress dowager wouldn't deliberately make things difficult for her.
When she arrived at the empress dowager's palace, she heard Concubine Mei's voice coming from inside. Was she here? Since seeing through her true nature that time, Si Junlin had completely loathed her. But Su Wan'er always advised him not to write her off completely, saying it would make him seem heartless.
Today, he didn't know what was wrong. He kept thinking about that woman!
"To think that it's the empress who has come. You damned servants actually dared to let the empress wait outside. Do you want her to catch a cold?" Her voice was slightly raised. It was not the usual feigned weakness, but it made Si Junlin dislike her even more. Moreover, such behavior was the greatest disrespect in the empress dowager's palace.
Although Si Junlin didn't know what had happened before she came, she understood in her heart that perhaps she had come at a bad time. But she had already come and couldn't leave now.
As soon as Si Junlin entered the inner room, she saw that the empress dowager seemed to be flipping through Buddhist scriptures, while Concubine Mei had a wanton smile on her face. She stepped forward to pay her respects, and only then did the empress dowager turn her head and tell her to rise, and then she was given a seat beside the empress dowager.
She didn't know if the empress dowager had seen the harmonious relationship between the emperor and the empress too often recently, or if she had been coaxed by Concubine Mei's tricks again, but she had actually started reading Buddhist scriptures and no longer had the hostility towards Su Wan'er as before.
But she still didn't seem very happy to see her: "Why has the empress come?"
"I thought that the empress dowager might be lonely here, so I've come to pay respects on behalf of the emperor." To tell the truth, they were husband and wife, and Su Wan'er did have the obligation as a daughter - in - law to fulfill filial piety on his behalf.
"Since the empress has free time, she should serve the emperor well. Moreover, why would I need you to come and pay respects?" The empress dowager's words were neither cold nor warm. She was probably still holding a grudge against Su Wan'er for causing two of her favorite concubines to fall out of favor one after another. And Su Wan'er "monopolized" the emperor, and kept talking about having heirs, but there was still no sign of Su Wan'er being pregnant.
Actually, how didn't he want Su Wan'er and him to have their own child? But... in the past, it was because of all those bad memories, and the strange matter of the identity swap.
But now, that woman was still hiding her feelings. Why was she so oblivious?
"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress. Now that you have the emperor's exclusive favor in the harem, the younger sisters can't do much to help. We can only watch helplessly as the emperor... spends the night in the harem every night, but there are still no heirs..."
Sure enough, Concubine Mei never failed to be annoying by hitting the nail on the head.
Si Junlin gave her a look. She saw that although Concubine Mei lowered her head meekly, her eyes seemed to be filled with something more than met the eye, as if she was brewing something.