AWB Chapter 372 Meeting Gao Xian's Gaze
Chapter 372 Meeting Gao Xian's Gaze
Shou'an Palace.
The Empress Dowager sat on the phoenix throne, her sharp gaze sweeping over Qin Jiuwei.
"You have bewitched the emperor and disrupted the court; I could kill you."
Qin Jiuwei knelt on the ground, her expression showing no sign of panic.
She raised her head and looked back at the Empress Dowager without fear: "Your Majesty, you won't kill me."
"Oh?" The Empress Dowager sneered, her eyes growing even colder.
"Tell me then, why haven't I killed you?"
"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has always prioritized the overall situation, possesses a broad vision, and cares deeply for the world." Qin Jiuwei's voice was calm, even revealing a hint of respect.
"You will not let your personal desires disrupt the order of things, nor will you let a moment of anger ruin the stability of the court."
"That is why I dare to assert that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will not kill me."
She looked up at the Empress Dowager, her gaze clear and composed: "I am Xie Yanli's wife. If I were to die in the palace, what would the Crown Prince do? Now that the Great Liang is eyeing us covetously and the border situation is unstable, why should the Great Jin waste its strength on internal strife?"
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, slowly shifting her gaze away from Qin Jiuwei's face.
Qin Jiuwei is right.
That's exactly what she thought.
This woman was exceptionally intelligent and had a keen understanding of the big picture.
No wonder Xie Yanli liked her so much, and even the Emperor couldn't forget her.
Looking at the Empress Dowager's expression, Qin Jiuwei knew that she was alright.
She had spent time with the Empress Dowager in her previous life and knew her temperament to some extent. She was always calm and composed, and always put the overall situation first.
This summons to the palace was merely a test; they wouldn't actually do anything to her.
And she was well aware of this.
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, about to speak, when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the hall.
Before anyone could announce it, a tall, slender figure had already entered the hall.
Gao Xian was dressed in casual clothes, his eyes showing some fatigue, but he could not hide the imperial aura around him.
"Mother!" Gao Xian said as he entered, "This has nothing to do with Qin Jiuwei. Please do not make things difficult for her."
"Your subject is willing to admit his mistake, but Jiuwei is innocent. If you really want to punish someone, please do so against your subject."
Gao Xian's face was filled with undisguised anxiety.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, clearly indicating he had run all the way here.
He kept his eyes fixed on the Empress Dowager, afraid of missing any change in her expression.
The Empress Dowager's face remained cold.
"It's not that I can't forgive her, but Your Majesty, you must understand your place. You are the ruler of a country, and you shouldn't neglect state affairs for a woman."
"Look at what you've done these past few days! How am I supposed to explain this to the late Emperor?!"
Upon hearing this, Gao Xian's expression changed, and he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty is right to reprimand me. I know I was wrong. From now on, I will definitely focus on state affairs, attend court on time, and no longer neglect to submit memorials."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will never allow state affairs to be delayed because of my personal matters."
The Empress Dowager raised her hand, and the cold expression on her face softened slightly.
"Since you have expressed this opinion, I will believe you this once and for the time being."
Upon hearing this, Gao Xian slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
He's been frequently drunk lately; if the Empress Dowager really did something to Qin Jiuwei...
He's definitely beyond saving.
I can't keep drinking like this anymore.
Qin Jiuwei raised her eyes to look at the Empress Dowager.
Suddenly she realized that the Empress Dowager didn't even intend to reprimand her.
She knew this had nothing to do with her.
Summoning her to the palace was nothing more than a pretext.
A pawn used to force the emperor to promise to return to power.
Now, the Empress Dowager has achieved her goal.
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, "Alright, I'm tired, you may all leave."
Qin Jiu bowed slightly, slowly stood up, and turned to walk out of the hall.
He had only taken a few steps when he looked up and met Gao Xian's gaze.
Gao Xian stared at her intently, his gaze complex and profound.
It seemed to have endless things to say, but in the end, it said nothing.
Qin Jiuwei and he exchanged a glance, but did not linger.
They walked directly outside the hall.
Gao Xian's gaze followed her back the whole time, carrying a hint of loneliness that was hard to detect.
The Empress Dowager looked at Gao Xian's expression, shook her head, and sighed heavily.
The royal family is most averse to having a romantic interest.
But unfortunately, her son is a huge womanizer!
This can't go on forever.
He can be as affectionate as he likes.
However, he cannot be without princes! Otherwise, the empire will be unstable!
After Gao Xian left, the Empress Dowager immediately instructed, "Granny Wei, the Emperor may not be in a hurry, but I cannot be. Go..."
After listening, Granny Wei lowered her head and respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Suburbs of Beijing.
In a remote village.
Xie Siyuan sat alone by the window.
His clothes were so old that their original color was no longer visible, and his hair was disheveled like weeds.
The room was cold and dark, with several holes in the window paper, letting in a constant stream of cold air.
There were only a few grains of cold, hard rice left in the wooden bowl at my feet.
The small stove in the corner had long since gone out, without even a wisp of smoke.
On the day of his father's funeral, he deliberately acted obedient and sensible.
In order to soften Lady Hou's heart and bring him back to the mansion as soon as possible.
But after waiting for so long, there was still no one from the Marquis's residence!
Let's just leave him here in this village and ignore him!
Just then, a murmur came from outside the window.
Although the voice was low, it clearly reached Xie Siyuan's ears.
“Look at that young master. He initially said he would stay for a month, but so much time has passed and the Marquis’s mansion hasn’t sent anyone over.”
"That's right! The Marquis's mansion doesn't care about him anymore! If the Marquis's wife cared about him, she would have taken him back long ago. Why would she leave him alone in this wretched place?"
"Now that the second young master has also passed away, he has no parents, who cares about him! I guess he'll just stay in this manor for the rest of his life."
Xie Siyuan pursed his lips, his gaze gradually turning cold.
My heart is filled with resentment.
Hatred towards Lady Hou, hatred towards the Xie family.
He clenched his fist so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palm.
For some reason, Xie Siyuan suddenly remembered a slender figure.
Xu Liuer.
When he was a child, Xu Liuer protected him countless times.
She tolerated him countless times.
But now, he has neither a father nor a mother.
Xie Siyuan's eyes held resentment and defiance.
But a dull ache pierced my heart, like being pricked by needles.
The eldest princess's mansion.
Soft light streamed through the window screen as Gao Yunzhi leaned against the soft couch, her hand gently stroking her pregnant belly, a tender smile on her face.
She is over nine months pregnant, and the imperial physician predicts she will give birth this month.
"I feel much more at ease knowing that you're all here with me."
Gao Yunzhi raised her eyes and looked at Qin Jiuwei and Xu Liuer beside her.
This is her first pregnancy.
Childbirth is so dangerous, she was really scared...
Qin Jiuwei's gaze softened as she gently took Gao Yunzhi's hand. "You always tend to overthink things. The baby isn't even born yet, and you're already worrying about this and that. The imperial physicians are all here; this time, everything will definitely go smoothly."
Gao Yunzhi smiled and nodded gently.
As the three chatted, they started talking about pastries.
Gao Yunzhi blinked.
"I remember when I was a child, the imperial chefs in the palace would make a kind of white jade jujube cake. It was fragrant, sweet and melted in my mouth. I've been thinking about that taste lately. Unfortunately, the imperial chef later got sick and died, and I haven't been able to eat it since."
Xu Liuer's eyes lit up when she heard this.
"White jade jujube cake, I learned how to make it at home when I was a child, I can try to make it for you."
"Really? Liu'er, you can make white jade date cake?"
"This white date jade cake is a special pastry from the border region. However, I can't make it as exquisite as the ones in the palace, but the taste should be just as good."