HomeThe Brocaded Tale of the Girl SiChapter 711: The Lantern Festival

Chapter 711: The Lantern Festival

The Empress’s teacup shook, hot tea splashing out as her face turned pale.

Emperor Jingming, however, was delighted: “The Empress Dowager is interested in viewing lanterns this year? That’s wonderful! You and the Fourteenth Princess must accompany your Imperial Grandmother well.”

In Emperor Jingming’s heart, he wished for the Empress Dowager to participate in more lively events. For so many years, she had been detached from worldly affairs, living a quiet and lonely life, which pained him as her son. Fortunately, recently the Empress Dowager had enjoyed the company of her granddaughters, so she wasn’t too isolated.

Proposing to view lanterns was the Empress Dowager’s first such request in many years.

“Your Majesty—” the Empress called out urgently.

Emperor Jingming looked at her: “What is it, Empress?”

The Empress gripped her teacup tightly, her knuckles turning white as she forced a smile: “The Empress Dowager is quite elderly. The Lantern Festival is still chilly. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for her to go view lanterns?”

Emperor Jingming’s expression darkened slightly: “How could it be inappropriate?”

“I’m afraid the Empress Dowager might catch a chill—”

“She can just wear more clothes,” Emperor Jingming waved dismissively. “Besides, Xuande Tower isn’t outdoors. I’ll order more braziers to be added. It certainly won’t be cold.”

“But Xuande Tower is so tall, it might be inconvenient for the Empress Dowager to climb up and down—” the Empress persisted.

Emperor Jingming was even more dismissive: “That’s even easier to solve. The eunuchs can carry Mother up and down the stairs.”

At this point, Emperor Jingming gave the Empress a strange look: “Empress, what’s wrong with you today?”

Old Seventh’s wife had been calm and peaceful after praying for over a month, so why hadn’t a small Buddha hall been set up in Kunning Palace yet? And why was the Empress acting so oddly?

“I’m just worried about the Empress Dowager—” the Empress explained dryly, realizing how weak her excuse sounded.

She was truly panicked by this sudden turn of events. Of all the possibilities she had considered, she never imagined the Empress Dowager would want to view lanterns this year.

Could this be why Fuqing couldn’t avoid going to view lanterns at Xuande Tower during the Lantern Festival, leading to the accident the Yan Prince’s wife had foreseen in her dream?

Although the Yan Prince’s wife said Fuqing had only been injured from a fall, the extent of the injury and which part was injured remained unknown. Heaven knew how serious it might be—it must be serious, otherwise, why would the Yan Prince’s wife especially come to the palace to mention it?

The Empress wasn’t foolish. After a moment’s thought, she understood that Jiang Si would only downplay the situation, not exaggerate it.

This realization made her even more alarmed, giving rise to a fear that fate was unavoidable.

“I said there’s no need to worry,” Emperor Jingming’s expression turned serious. “It’s rare for the Empress Dowager to be interested in viewing lanterns. Don’t dampen her spirits with all these concerns.”

The Empress’s expression stiffened. Looking at her smiling daughter and then at the slightly displeased Emperor Jingming, she could only nod.

“Fuqing, you and the Fourteenth Princess go play. I need to speak with your mother.”

Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess tactfully withdrew.

Emperor Jingming cleared his throat as if casually remembering something: “By the way, didn’t Old Seventh’s wife come to the palace a few days ago?”

“Yes,” the Empress pressed her lips together, thinking that the Emperor asking about the Yan Prince’s wife’s palace visit surely meant nothing good.

Sure enough, Emperor Jingming asked, “Did you ask Old Seventh’s wife which Bodhisattva she prayed to?”

“The Child-Giving Goddess.”

Emperor Jingming was stunned: “Hm?”

The Empress’s mouth twitched slightly as she calmly replied, “The Yan Prince’s wife prayed to the Child-Giving Goddess.”

She wanted to see if the Emperor dared to ask her, an elderly Empress, to pray to the Child-Giving Goddess.

Emperor Jingming was silent for a moment before saying, “Actually, which Bodhisattva one prays to isn’t important. What’s important is sincerity—”

Moreover, all those Bodhisattvas know each other. Perhaps the Child-Giving Goddess passed the message to another Bodhisattva, which is how Old Seventh’s wife managed to pray for her brother’s return.

Hearing Emperor Jingming’s explanation, the Empress’s eyes widened. She suppressed the urge to scratch the Emperor’s old face with her long nails and said through gritted teeth, “If that’s the case, why not pray directly to the right Bodhisattva? Why trouble the Child-Giving Goddess?”

Emperor Jingming gave her a look that said “You don’t understand”: “The key is we don’t know which Bodhisattva the Child-Giving Goddess passed the message to.”

The Empress: “…” It sounded so reasonable that she was almost convinced.

“Empress?” Seeing the Empress silent, Emperor Jingming prompted.

The Empress firmly stood her ground: “I won’t pray.”

Emperor Jingming was startled, clearly not expecting such a blunt refusal from the Empress.

Usually, even if the Empress refused, she would do so more tactfully. But now, having just learned about the Empress Dowager’s plan to view lanterns and feeling anxious, she didn’t care about sparing the unreasonable old Emperor’s feelings and flatly refused.

“Empress, think it over carefully. The palace has been unsettled lately—”

The Empress had only one response: “That’s the Child-Giving Goddess!”

“What’s wrong with the Child-Giving Goddess? Even if you can’t get anything else, you might get a child,” Emperor Jingming said offhandedly.

The Empress’s face twitched: “You’re overthinking it. At my age, wouldn’t that exhaust the Child-Giving Goddess?”

Emperor Jingming hurriedly coughed twice and fumbled for an explanation: “Giving a child doesn’t necessarily mean bearing one yourself—”

Before he could finish, Emperor Jingming seemed to realize something and quickly stopped.

The Empress also had a strange feeling and dared not think further.

The imperial couple tacitly avoided the topic. After some idle chat, Emperor Jingming stood up to leave.

As soon as he left, the Empress immediately ordered someone to summon the Fourteenth Princess, specifically instructing her to avoid Princess Fuqing.

The Fourteenth Princess returned to Kunning Palace and paid her respects to the Empress, suppressing her curiosity.

The Empress extended her hand: “Fourteenth, come sit by me.”

The Fourteenth Princess approached and sat down properly beside the Empress.

The Empress looked at the Fourteenth Princess deeply and patted her hand: “I have a task for you.”

“Please tell me, Mother.”

“Tomorrow, when viewing lanterns at the tower, don’t leave Fuqing’s side.” The Empress rubbed her eyes as she spoke, deciding to reveal something to the Fourteenth Princess. “A mother’s intuition… thinking about tomorrow night’s lantern viewing, I feel inexplicably uneasy. I sense Fuqing might be in danger…”

The Fourteenth Princess’s eyes gradually widened in surprise.

The Empress smiled, “This is just my feeling. It wouldn’t be appropriate to make a big fuss and have people follow Fuqing, so I can only trouble you…”

In tomorrow’s setting, palace servants might not be able to stay close to Princess Fuqing at all times. Only the Fourteenth Princess, with her equal status and close relationship to Fuqing, could do so without drawing attention.

Despite her doubts, the Fourteenth Princess didn’t show any on her face. She nodded slightly, “Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t leave Thirteenth Sister’s side for a moment.”

“Good. You may go now but don’t mention this to Fuqing. We don’t want her to worry unnecessarily.” As the Empress said this, a cold light flashed in her eyes.

Fuqing wasn’t a careless child. Even when she was blind, her manners and etiquette were no worse than other princesses. It wouldn’t be easy for her to fall accidentally.

What the Empress feared was that it might not be an accident. If so, it wouldn’t be wise to alert potential wrongdoers.

The next day was the Lantern Festival. The weather was unusually pleasant, and as night fell, it didn’t feel too cold.

In front of Xuande Tower, thousands of lanterns were lit, creating a lively atmosphere.

The Emperor and Empress accompanied the Empress Dowager as they slowly ascended the tower. Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess followed closely behind the Empress Dowager, with the other princesses further back.

Shortly after everyone reached the top of Xuande Tower, the lantern mountain suddenly burst into radiance.

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