bookcurios Chapter 1015 Empress Dowager Liu’s maiden name
Chapter 1015 Empress Dowager Liu’s maiden name
His intuition told Duke Dingguo that this might be the last time he would see the Empress Dowager.
At this moment, Duke Dingguo suddenly felt a deep sadness in his heart...
This was also the first time he looked at Empress Dowager Liu so seriously after she entered the palace.
Although the Queen Mother looks haggard now, she was known as the most beautiful woman in the capital when she was young! There were countless men who admired her.
The late emperor was lustful. Otherwise, the Empress Dowager would not have been favored by him at first sight.
When she was a young girl, the Empress Dowager had a crush on someone she loved, but for the sake of her family's honor, she resolutely cut off all feelings and became the woman of the late emperor.
She has devoted her entire life to the Liu family without any complaints or regrets.
I didn't expect that at my old age, I would still use my life to create a future for the Liu family...
Duke Dingguo couldn't help but feel that he, as a brother, was useless and had to let his sister give up everything and fight for him.
In this situation, Duke Dingguo forgot the distinction between the high and the low. He only remembered that the old woman in front of him, who was about to reach the end of her life, was his beloved sister since childhood.
His voice was choked with sobs: "Shuying..."
Empress Dowager Liu's maiden name "Liu Shuying" comes from Lin Bu's "Plum Blossoms in a Mountain Garden", which means "Sparse shadows slant across the shallow water, and the faint fragrance floats in the moonlight at dusk."
It refers to the posture of plum blossoms swaying horizontally and obliquely by the shallow water, creating a cool and secluded artistic conception.
When she was young, Empress Dowager Liu was not only the most beautiful woman in the capital, but also had an impressive family background, making her the most noble lady!
It is no exaggeration to say that she is a favored daughter of heaven.
Even when facing the princess, she did not feel inferior.
Liu Shuying's personality is just like her name, cold, aloof, beautiful and secluded.
It's a pity... The palace is a big melting pot, and it will eventually change everyone beyond recognition...
Duke Dingguo lowered his head and said, "It's my brother who is useless..."
"My brother cannot continue the glory of the Liu family, and you have to waste your life in the deep palace..."
Empress Dowager Liu couldn't remember how many years it had been since she had heard anyone call her by her maiden name. At this moment, hearing this familiar yet unfamiliar name, she was actually a little dazed for a moment...
After being immersed in the harem for a lifetime, Empress Dowager Liu's originally soft heart had long since become extremely cold and hard.
But at this moment, looking at the white hair on her brother's temples and hearing him change his maiden name like he did when he was a child, Empress Dowager Liu's heart suddenly softened.
She exhaled slowly, and said with all her strength, "I am... the daughter of Duke Dingguo. I was born to shoulder the honor of my family. I do not regret it!"
Then, the two of them talked in secret for a while.
Nanny Yuan came in and urged, "Duke, the time has come. If you don't hurry over, the palace gates will be locked."
Duke Dingguo then took a deep look at Empress Dowager Liu, his eyes were full of complex emotions. There was guilt, pity, and reluctance, but in the end, all of them turned into determination!
He suppressed the tears in his eyes, turned and left.
Everything the Queen Mother has done is for the Duke Dingguo's Mansion.
So is he.
He would never let the hundreds of years of foundation of the Duke Dingguo Mansion be destroyed in his hands!
The eldest princess left the Cining Palace with Duke Dingguo.
Xiao Caizi was waiting outside.
When he saw the eldest princess, he immediately bent down and came forward to greet her.
After the ceremony, Little Caizi said respectfully, "Grand Princess, the Queen asked me to take you back."
The eldest princess then waved to Duke Ding and said, "Grandpa, see you next time!"
The eldest princess looks very similar to Qingqing.
Especially as she gets older, her peach blossom eyes look exactly like Qingqing's!
When Duke Dingguo looked at her, it was as if he saw Qingqing when she was a child.
His heart suddenly ached.
If he had not indulged Qingqing in her reckless behavior and prevented her from falling into depravity and marrying His Majesty as a concubine, would Qingqing not have ended up being sentenced to death by a white silk ribbon?
His confrontation with His Majesty was not just to protect the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, but also to avenge this blood feud!
"...Okay. Grandfather will take you to stay at Duke Dingguo's mansion next time."
Soon, little Caizi brought the eldest princess back to Changchun Palace.
After a tiring day today, the eldest princess is a little tired.
After entering the main hall, she yawned loudly but still bowed politely: "Yun'er greets mother."
The eldest princess went to the Cining Palace with Duke Dingguo.
Concubine Zhuang didn't believe that Duke Dingguo really wanted to visit the Empress Dowager.
She held the eldest princess's hand and asked with a smile, "Did Yun'er have a good time in the Cining Palace just now?"
The eldest princess nodded with a smile: "Happy!"
"But... Yun'er hasn't seen the Royal Grandmother for such a long time, and it seems that her health has deteriorated a little..."
"Mother, can Yun'er visit the Imperial Grandmother more often in the future?"
Concubine Zhuang did not answer this question, but smiled and said, "Duke Dingguo is the Empress Dowager's brother from the same mother. It is a rare occasion for siblings to meet today. They must have had a very happy chat, right?"
The eldest princess shook her head and said, "I don't know about Yun'er. When we arrived at the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager asked Nanny Yuan to take Yun'er downstairs to eat mooncakes."
A hint of disappointment flashed across Concubine Zhuang's eyes.
She touched the eldest princess's head and said gently, "Okay, it's getting late, Yun'er, you should go to bed early."
Then, Concubine Zhuang gave a look to the nannies who were serving the eldest princess, and they immediately took the eldest princess back to the bedroom to wash up.
Little Caizi walked behind Concubine Zhuang and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, do you suspect that Duke Dingguo and the Empress Dowager discussed something?"
Because Concubine Zhuang's father was the Imperial Tutor, she was taught not only poetry and songs, "Female Virtues" and "Female Training" since childhood, but also the situation in the court.
So in some things, Concubine Zhuang was much more perceptive than other concubines in the harem.
She twirled the Buddhist beads in her hand while saying, "Your Majesty is a great ruler with great ambitions. Since you have already destroyed the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, how could you continue to tolerate the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion?"
"I don't believe that the Duke Dingguo's Mansion didn't sense the danger. If that's the case, how could they just sit there and wait for death?"
Little Caizi frowned and said, "I'm sorry to say that. The Queen Mother is just a woman in the palace. Now she is seriously ill. Everyone says that she will not live long. If Your Majesty wants to get rid of the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, what can the Queen Mother do in this state?"
Concubine Zhuang said slowly: "Although the Empress Dowager's hands cannot reach the former dynasty, she was once the master of the harem! Do you really think that the Empress Dowager has no control over the harem now that she is no longer in charge?"
Little Caizi was still confused: "Please tell me clearly, Madam..."
Concubine Zhuang smiled meaningfully and said, "Fortunately, the most favored concubine in the harem is not me, and the most favored heir to the throne is not the eldest princess raised by me."
"Even if the Queen Mother wants to deal with someone...she should deal with the one in Zhongcui Palace."
And she just needs to watch the show quietly.
When necessary... add fuel to the fire!