The imperial physician arrived and was directly led to Nan Zhiyun's chambers. Nan Zhiyun's knees were badly bruised, a frightening sight. When the Empress Dowager saw them, her heart clenched.
After the physician examined Nan Zhiyun, she sat back down beside her, dismissing the attendants.
"Yun'er has been wronged," the Empress Dowager said, hugging the girl tenderly. She knew what had happened, but often felt powerless.
"Yun'er just said she regretted it. Do you regret entering the palace?" the Empress Dowager asked.
Perhaps it was the Empress Dowager's presence that gave her a sense of security. Nan Zhiyun recounted everything without any reservation: "Empress Dowager... Yun'er had a dream. In the dream... Prince An rebelled, and I took a sword for His Majesty... I..." Nan Zhiyun sobbed uncontrollably, unsure how to explain, or if the Empress Dowager would believe her.
"Good girl, it was just a dream. Let's not think about it anymore, alright?" The Empress Dowager did not seem to believe her.
"But... but the dream felt so real, as if it had already happened. Empress Dowager... I'm scared. I regret it. I shouldn't have disobeyed you and Father and entered the palace. His Majesty... he doesn't like me. No matter what I do, he doesn't like me. I want to go home. I don't want to stay here anymore..." Nan Zhiyun was just a young girl, and coupled with her past life experiences, she was terrified.
"Alright... then we will go home. We won't stay here anymore." The Empress Dowager's expression was complex. How could she not know Nan Zhiyun's personality? This time, she was truly scared and hurt. If she could truly come to this realization, it might not be a bad thing.
The Empress Dowager made up her mind. After Nan Zhiyun had calmed down and rested, she left. Yu Jingchen was nowhere to be seen outside, but it was to be expected. Yu Jingchen only felt disgust for Nan Zhiyun, not care, not even a pretense of it.
"Have His Majesty summoned to Ci'an Palace. I will wait for him there," the Empress Dowager instructed her attendant.
"Yes," An Xin replied. Although she didn't know what the Empress Dowager was planning, she trusted that her orders had a reason.
After His Majesty ascended the throne, his relationship with the Empress Dowager grew increasingly distant, especially after Consort Shu entered the palace. His Majesty no longer bothered to maintain even superficial politeness with the Empress Dowager.
Zichen Palace
When Yu Jingchen heard that the Empress Dowager wished to see him, he honestly did not want to bother, but the Empress Dowager was still his mother in name. So, after a short while, Yu Jingchen went to Ci'an Palace.
The Empress Dowager had been waiting for a long time. It was just about dinnertime, and the Empress Dowager had specifically ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare many dishes, most of which were Yu Jingchen's favorites.
Yu Jingchen looked at the table full of food, his heart stirring slightly. Since becoming emperor, he had become indifferent to such things. He might have enjoyed these dishes before, but how could an emperor's preferences be easily discerned?
Since becoming emperor, Yu Jingchen had disciplined himself daily. Just as the Empress Dowager had disciplined him when he was crown prince, he disciplined himself. It had to be said that many of Yu Jingchen's habits were taught to him by the Empress Dowager.
"Why has the Empress Dowager summoned me?" Yu Jingchen glanced at the dishes and then spoke to the Empress Dowager above.
"It has been a long time since we dined together. Today, His Majesty will join me for a simple meal," the Empress Dowager said in a calm tone, betraying no unusual emotion.
"There's no need. I am very busy," Yu Jingchen replied curtly, refusing outright. He felt nauseous!
"Heh, is His Majesty now even reluctant to eat with me?" the Empress Dowager smiled. An Xin helped her to stand.
Yu Jingchen maintained his cold expression: "Does the Empress Dowager not understand? We both know the current situation."
"It's just a meal. Your Majesty, look, these are dishes I specifically asked the imperial kitchen to prepare. Your Majesty has always liked them. I know that since becoming emperor, Your Majesty has rarely touched these things. But today it's just us. Why don't Your Majesty try them again and see if they taste the same as before, and if they suit your palate?" The Empress Dowager did not seem angered by Yu Jingchen's reaction.
Yu Jingchen remained silent. The Empress Dowager was not in a hurry. She sat down in a nearby seat and then gestured to Yu Jingchen.
"Your Majesty, please sit down and eat. It is so late, Your Majesty must eat something. Even if you don't like it, make do," the Empress Dowager's demeanor was somewhat motherly now. Yu Jingchen was silent for a moment, then finally compromised and sat down, but did not pick up his chopsticks.
"Why isn't Your Majesty eating? If you don't start, I fear I won't be able to eat either," the Empress Dowager smiled gently. Yu Jingchen suddenly felt that the Empress Dowager was acting a little strangely.
He couldn't pinpoint why. After several attempts by the Empress Dowager to persuade him, Yu Jingchen finally picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
Naturally, the food had not been poisoned. The Empress Dowager would not be so foolish, and Yu Jingchen knew this. Therefore, he was not worried that the food had been tampered with.
"Does it still taste the same as before?" the Empress Dowager asked.
"What does the Empress Dowager want to say?" Yu Jingchen was becoming impatient.
"What can I do? I just want to have a meal with Your Majesty. How long has it been since we mother and son have sat together and eaten peacefully?" the Empress Dowager spoke unhurriedly.
Yu Jingchen could not understand her meaning. The Empress Dowager picked up her chopsticks and served Yu Jingchen some fish: "Your Majesty used to love this fish the most. Try it again."
Without waiting for Yu Jingchen's reaction, she picked up a crab. There were tools for shelling crabs nearby. The Empress Dowager personally began to shell it.
Yu Jingchen watched silently. He looked at the fish in his bowl that the Empress Dowager had served him, paused for a moment, and then ate it all.
The Empress Dowager slowly shelled the crab, her movements suggesting she did it often. However, as an Empress Dowager, she did not seem like someone who would do such things.
When the Empress Dowager finished, the crab meat was completely shelled. Sauce was provided. After dipping the crab meat in sauce, she pushed the plate towards Yu Jingchen: "Your Majesty, please try it. You loved this when you were little. You used to ask me to shell it for you because you couldn't do it yourself." The Empress Dowager recalled past events, a faint smile on her lips, as if reminiscing about those days.
Being reminded by the Empress Dowager, Yu Jingchen was also brought back to childhood memories. He was young then, perhaps five or six years old. That was a time when his relationship with the Empress Dowager was at its best, and in his memory, she was the most loving and motherly towards him.
Every meal, he would clamor for crab. Usually, servants would shell the crabs, but the Empress Dowager insisted on doing it herself. Over time, he would always pester her to shell the crab for him. Every time, she was very patient. At that time, perhaps she was the best mother he knew.
Yu Jingchen looked at the crab in the plate, and a complex mix of emotions suddenly arose within him.
"Why isn't Your Majesty eating? Do you not like it anymore?" the Empress Dowager asked.
Yu Jingchen did not speak, but slowly ate the crab meat. It tasted the same as before, yet he felt it was somehow different.
"So, it's delicious, and Your Majesty likes it, but you still need to control yourself. Crab meat is cooling, and eating too much might make you ill." As she spoke, the Empress Dowager picked up another crab. However, this time, she injured her hand while shelling it.
"Ah..." the Empress Dowager exclaimed.
"Empress Dowager," An Xin quickly moved to check.
Yu Jingchen also turned his head at the sound and saw that the Empress Dowager's finger was bleeding from the injury. The Empress Dowager's hand... perhaps due to old age, was not as it used to be.
"It's nothing, just a small injury. I'm used to it, aren't I? I used to get injured often when I shelled crabs, especially at the beginning," the Empress Dowager waved her hand dismissively, not taking it seriously.
But to Yu Jingchen, it sounded different. The Empress Dowager had been pampered and raised in luxury since childhood. How could she know how to shell crabs? When she first started, she often got injured. At that time, she had said the same thing: "It's nothing, just a small injury..."
"If you are injured, there's no need to shell it anymore. There are so many palace attendants. You don't need to do everything yourself. Or perhaps, the Empress Dowager deliberately did this, trying to use a stratagem of self-inflicted harm?" Yu Jingchen's words were harsh.
The Empress Dowager smiled faintly: "If Your Majesty thinks so, it doesn't matter. I cannot control Your Majesty's thoughts anyway. Your Majesty doesn't need to dwell on the past anymore. After this meal, I will no longer disturb Your Majesty." The Empress Dowager then served Yu Jingchen another piece of fish.