freenovelworld Chapter 38 Call the Empress Rouyi
Chapter 38 Call the Empress Rouyi
"Brother Shen is truly enviable."
Xiao Long raised his glass and looked down at Shen Cong'an, who was sitting many people below him.
As a result, everyone's attention was drawn to the area once again.
At this palace banquet, the Emperor and Empress paid special attention to Xie Wanru, while the Crown Prince focused on Shen Cong'an. The Yong'an Marquis's residence was truly in the limelight.
"Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. I do indeed feel that this moment is one of the happiest moments of my life."
Shen Cong'an spoke frankly and openly.
He was reborn, no longer a shameful living dead, and with a sensible and obedient son by his side, he was naturally happy.
"Haha, well said!"
The emperor, seated at the head of the table, gave a thumbs-up, so Shen Cong'an immediately stood up and raised his cup. Shen Mo also stood up, using his small body to act as Shen Cong'an's cane.
The palace banquet then ended in an atmosphere that appeared harmonious but was actually rife with hidden agendas.
After the banquet ended, everyone began to return to their residences. Only then did Madam Shen realize that Shen Nianqing, who was by her side, was missing, and she immediately sent people to look for her.
“Mother, my sister drank too much and is feeling unwell. I have already sent someone to take her back home, so you don’t need to worry.”
Shen Cong'an led Shen Mo closer.
Madam Shen had her suspicions, but she didn't ask any further questions. She knew it was far from simple.
Xie Wanru stayed overnight in the palace as arranged by the Empress.
So, when Shen Nian'an returned home, he was so angry that he smashed everything in his room, which frightened Shen Yanzhi, who had returned with him, so he turned around and ran to Old Madam Shen's side.
That night, some cheered with joy, while others were filled with rage.
Early in the morning, dozens of palace servants carried exquisite meals in and out of the Empress's bedroom.
There are nearly thirty dishes for breakfast alone.
Dongzhu almost drooled. Ever since her young lady married into the Shen family, she rarely stayed overnight in the palace. She had almost forgotten what food in the palace tasted like.
"Look at your little glutton next to you, he's practically drooling."
The Empress covered her face and laughed.
Although she was a servant, Dongzhu had been by Xie Wanru's side for decades, and the Empress knew her, so she wouldn't speak to her so formally.
Dongzhu quickly swallowed, giggled, and tried to cover up her earlier lapse in composure.
"Then let Dongzhu and the others go down to eat. Today, let Wanwan serve Aunt Rou breakfast and show her filial piety."
Xie Wanru stood up and addressed Rouyi directly, instead of the Empress.
"well."
The Empress knew perfectly well that the girl had another meaning behind her words, and that she probably wanted to share her innermost thoughts with her. So she dismissed everyone around her.
Aunt Caiyun led everyone away, leaving only the Empress and Xie Wanru in the room.
"Wanwan, do you know why the Emperor and I asked you to stay for a few more days? We know that you have been wronged. I wanted to keep you in the palace so that you could tell me what's on your mind. The Emperor had some gifts prepared last night. Alas, we are sorry. We shouldn't have involved you in the affairs of the adults."
The Empress slowly peeled a tea egg for Xie Wanru. She didn't wear any protective gear, but people of such high status usually don't peel eggs for others.
She removed half of the egg white before feeding it to Xie Wanru.
Xie Wanru has never liked eating egg whites since she was a child, but eating only egg yolks is too dry, so she breaks off half of the egg white.
Xie Wanru opened her mouth and took a bite. "The eggs from Aunt Rou's palace are still the best."
The Empress held up the remaining half, waiting for Xie Wanru to swallow before feeding her. The two of them seemed even more affectionate than a biological mother and daughter.
After eating the other half, Xie Wanru also prepared a small dish for the Empress and respectfully placed it in front of her.
The small dishes contained the Empress's favorite foods. The Empress remembered Xie Wanru's preferences, and Xie Wanru also remembered the Empress's preferences.
“Aunt Rou, I enjoy the benefits of being a daughter of the Xie family, and I must also take on the responsibilities of this identity. Neither you nor the Emperor have wronged me; it was my own willfulness that led to this.”
Xie Wanru meant what she said.
Although she was to choose someone less conspicuous, her father hadn't forced her to marry anyone. It was just that the Emperor didn't want her to marry the Third Prince, as the Third Prince would have the powerful Xie family as a threat to His Highness the Crown Prince.
"Besides, I'm the one who agreed to marry her, so I should bear the grievances myself."
But she can slowly find someone she likes. After all, she now knows that the Third Prince is not the right person for her. It was her own foolishness that made her insist on marrying him out of spite, which made the Third Prince regret it and led to the current situation.
Her purpose in entering the palace this time was to appear vulnerable in front of the Empress, so she began to show weakness.
"Alas, my Wanwan has suffered so much."
The Empress shed a single tear. In that instant, she saw the shadow of her former mother in Xie Wanru.
Her best friend.
After Xie's mother passed away, the Empress never had a close friend like that again.
At that time, she was not yet the Empress, but the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace. She was framed by a concubine and fell into an icy lake. Her mother had just given birth less than 100 days prior and was already weak, but she jumped into the lake without hesitation to save her.
If it weren't for Xie's mother, she and the child in her womb, who is now the crown prince, would probably have died on that day. Xie's mother even beat up the concubine to avenge her.
It was precisely because of this that the Emperor felt especially sorry for her and the child in her womb. As soon as the child was born, he was named the Crown Prince, a position that no one could challenge.
Unexpectedly, Xie's mother developed a chronic illness and her health was never very good. Xie's youngest son was raised by a wet nurse, and Xie Wanru was born to Xie's mother at great risk.
Xie Wanru never even drank a drop of her mother's milk.
"Aunt Rou."
Xie Wanru's heart skipped a beat. She had originally thought that these people were all experts at weighing the pros and cons and were mostly just putting on an act, but the Empress in front of her at this moment clearly cared about her.
“I know you’re not happy in the Shen family, but I can’t do anything about it. How come you and that second son of the Shen family haven’t had a child after two years? You even need to be adopted. Now that the Emperor and the Crown Prince value the Shen family, they will also value Shen Nian’an. I just hope he will treat you better in the future.”
The Empress wiped away her tears, still looking at Xie Wanru with heartache.
Xie Wanru never expected the Empress to act this way. At this moment, she suddenly felt that the Empress was like her mother.
“Aunt Rou, to be honest, I have been married to Shen Nian’an for two years, but he has never stepped into my boudoir. I am only married into the Shen family in name, but in reality, I am still a girl of the Xie family.”
Xie Wanru continued to show a wronged expression. She knew that it was wrong of her to take advantage of the Empress's feelings, but if she didn't seize on the Empress and Emperor's current feelings of guilt towards her, she wouldn't be able to get a divorce from the marriage she had entered into so impulsively.
The Emperor bestowed the marriage upon her, but if she wanted a divorce, it wouldn't be a matter between the two of them. Without the Emperor's approval, she could only silently endure the loneliness of her old age.
"What? He actually takes you so lightly? He's just the second son of a marquis! He has no official rank or achievements, he..."
The empress was about to scold, but she held back.
No matter how awful Shen Nian'an is, he is still Wanwan's husband. Isn't her cursing Shen Nian'an just slapping Wanwan in the face?
"Wanwan, you haven't told me anything for the past two years. Tell me quickly, what else is there?"
The Empress pulled Xie Wanru to sit down and asked her to tell her everything that had happened at the Shen residence.