Jiang Si wasn’t worried about the Grand Elder’s decision at all. What concerned her was the solution offered by the Wumiao.
Elder Hua lowered his voice and said, “There’s a palace maid named Caixia in the Empress Dowager’s palace. She’s one of our people.”
Jiang Si’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she looked at Elder Hua.
“Caixia will inform the Empress Dowager that the mission is complete. She should then fake her death as planned years ago and return to the clan…”
“Fake her death?” Jiang Si’s delicate brows furrowed.
Faking her death seemed too lenient for that troublemaking old witch, but the Empress Dowager was acting on orders, so she wasn’t entirely free to choose her actions.
The Grand Elder’s decision to let the Empress Dowager fake her death was already a compromise. After all, from the Wumiao’s perspective, they could never admit to the Great Zhou Emperor that they had sent a pawn who had become the Empress Dowager.
This would put Great Zhou and Wumiao in an irreconcilable position.
For Great Zhou, the Wumiao were a somewhat thorny tribe, not worth provoking. It was best to leave each other alone.
For the Wumiao, Great Zhou was a behemoth. They were polite in normal times to avoid trouble, but if Great Zhou ever decided to deal with the Wumiao, it would spell disaster for the tribe.
Elder Hua observed Jiang Si’s expression and asked, “What does the Holy Maiden think?”
Jiang Si’s mind raced through countless thoughts before she finally nodded. “This is acceptable.”
The Empress Dowager faking her death and leaving Great Zhou without causing further harm was barely acceptable.
“I have another question,” she said.
“Please, Holy Maiden, go ahead.”
Jiang Si’s fingertips caressed the white porcelain teacup as she stared intently at Elder Hua. “Does the Empress Dowager know that A’sang and I look identical?”
Elder Hua was momentarily stunned but quickly shook his head. “No, she doesn’t.”
Jiang Si put down the teacup and voiced her confusion. “Why does Madam Duo know, but the Empress Dowager doesn’t?”
Elder Hua explained, “Madam Duo has seen A’sang’s portrait, but the Empress Dowager hasn’t.”
Jiang Si pondered for a moment, then smiled. “So, the Empress Dowager’s status is even lower than Madam Duo’s? Is Madam Duo there to monitor the Empress Dowager?”
Elder Hua replied awkwardly, “Madam Duo is there to assist the Empress Dowager with her mission. The Empress Dowager is a crucial part of this plan, and her position is special. Knowing too much would be detrimental.”
“Then does the Empress Dowager know about the three prophecies?”
“She doesn’t know the details. A chess piece placed decades ago, with so many changes in between – it would be too risky to let her know all these secrets.”
Jiang Si’s lips twitched slightly.
It seemed the Empress Dowager was indeed a mere pawn, as her title suggested.
A person who had been a pawn for decades, yet sitting in the most revered position – what must she be thinking?
When Jiang Si returned to the palace and went to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, she indeed noticed a palace maid named Caixia.
The maid had delicate features but was considered ordinary among palace maids.
Caixia showed no unusual reaction when facing Jiang Si, not even an extra glance. It was unclear whether she was good at hiding her emotions or if the person relaying messages to the palace hadn’t mentioned Jiang Si’s identity.
After Jiang Si left, the Empress Dowager’s mood remained gloomy for several days.
One evening, Caixia approached the Empress Dowager and whispered, “The Grand Elder has sent a message.”
The Empress Dowager looked at Caixia with an indecipherable tone. “Speak.”
“The Grand Elder says it’s time for you to return home.”
The Empress Dowager’s expression froze, remaining unchanged for a long time.
“Empress Dowager?” Caixia sensed something was amiss.
The Empress Dowager snapped back to reality, giving Caixia a deep look before saying nonchalantly, “I understand. I’ll prepare.”
Caixia finally relaxed and retreated.
That night, the Empress Dowager tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
The Grand Elder was calling her back to the Wumiao?
In the dim lamplight, the Empress Dowager stared at her own hands.
Once fair and beautiful, they were now covered in wrinkles, no longer resembling their former glory.
Decades ago, when she first entered the palace, she had longed to return to the place that had given birth to her and raised her.
Although her status in the Wumiao was low, it was still her home, with her parents and relatives, and everything familiar to her.
Later, she became accustomed to being at the pinnacle, used to the magnificent view from the top.
Could she go back?
The Empress Dowager suddenly coughed.
The night-duty palace maid immediately got up, asking anxiously, “Is everything alright, Empress Dowager? Would you like some warm water?”
“No need,” the Empress Dowager gestured for the maid to go back to sleep.
The maid fell silent, but her slightly irregular breathing indicated she hadn’t dared to fall asleep.
The Empress Dowager shook her head gently.
She couldn’t go back.
She had long grown accustomed to being the supremely noble Empress Dowager, used to having her every command obeyed, her words determining life and death.
How could she silently return to the Wumiao as an ordinary old woman, even having to wash her own feet?
Just thinking about it made the Empress Dowager shudder.
She was in her twilight years. If she had to choose an identity, it would naturally be the Empress Dowager of Great Zhou, not an obscure old woman of the Wumiao.
Within a few days, a palace maid named Caixia disappeared from Cining Palace.
Although Jiang Si had been paying attention to the happenings in Cining Palace, she was still somewhat restricted and only learned of this news several days later.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Si wasn’t particularly surprised.
It’s not easy for someone who has enjoyed decades of wealth and power to return to an ordinary life.
After waiting for a suitable opportunity, Jiang Si finally found an excuse to leave the palace and meet with Elder Hua again.
“Caixia is dead,” Jiang Si said bluntly as soon as they met.
Elder Hua was shocked, his voice changing. “Caixia is dead?”
Jiang Si nodded, repeating, “Caixia is dead.”
Elder Hua’s voice trembled. “How could this happen?”
Besides the Empress Dowager, Caixia was the only remaining hidden piece in the palace.
Elder Hua knew all too well what Caixia’s death meant, but she clearly couldn’t accept this fact.
Jiang Si’s gaze locked onto Elder Hua as she said word by word, “Caixia’s death shows that the Empress Dowager has actively severed her ties with the Wumiao. She has betrayed us.”
Elder Hua’s face twitched violently, her hand rising and falling, at a loss for what to do.
Jiang Si’s expression turned cold. “The Empress Dowager is unwilling to fake her death. What does Elder Hua think should be done?”
Elder Hua’s emotions surged violently. After a long struggle, she said, “I must report this to the Grand Elder. Everything will be decided by the Grand Elder.”
Jiang Si stood up. “Very well, I’ll await the Grand Elder’s response.”
The Wumiao was far from Great Zhou, and a round trip for a letter would take several months.
In the blink of an eye, the 21st year of Jingming had passed, and the annual Lantern Festival was approaching. The cosmetics and jewelry shops once again became bustling with activity.
Lushengxiang’s business was getting better year by year. With the Crown Princess’s backing, no one dared to cause trouble, and customers flocked in like clouds.
On this day, Xiu Niangniang and Lu Chuchu opened the shop, and it was quickly filled with customers coming to buy fragrances.
Seeing this, Xiu Niangniang felt completely at ease.
A nearby shop assistant couldn’t help but say, “If only we could expand the shop a bit more.”
With such good business, not expanding the shop or selling more fragrances seemed like a waste of potential income.
Lu Chuchu glanced at him and laughed, “What are you worrying about? This is just fine.”
Being safe, stable, and happy was much more interesting than earning a bit more silver.
She wanted to stay in this capital for a long, long time.
At that moment, someone suddenly rushed up to Lu Chuchu, pointing at her and exclaiming, “You, you’re the Princess of Northern Qi! How can you be here!”