The White-haired Queen

As soon as the Queen Mother finished speaking, Princess Qinghe's tear-stained face instantly broke into a brilliant smile. She quickly knelt down to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your great grace! Thank you, Queen Mother, for your compassion. I am so grateful!"

After saying this, the Empress Dowager slowly stood up and walked forward gracefully. At the same time, she stretched out her delicate hand, gently held Princess Qinghe's hand, and walked out of the pavilion together. The sunlight fell on them, as if covering the whole scene with a layer of golden gauze, making it look particularly warm and peaceful.

The two walked side by side, their steps light and in unison. The Empress Dowager occasionally turned her head and whispered a few words to Princess Qinghe, her concern evident in her words; while Princess Qinghe followed closely behind, listening to the Empress Dowager's teachings, her eyes sparkling with respect and gratitude.

In this way, they slowly walked out of the pavilion and went farther and farther away. The palace maids behind them followed silently, not daring to make a sound, for fear of disturbing this peaceful and beautiful moment.

The two slowly turned around the small round door of the courtyard, and suddenly their eyes opened up - a lush and vibrant scene appeared before them. It turned out that this was the Empress Dowager's vegetable garden! The garden was full of all kinds of fruits and vegetables, which were dazzling and dazzling.

The Queen Mother pointed at the vegetables in the garden with great interest, her face filled with a smile of pride and satisfaction, and said to Princess Qinghe beside her: "Look, these are all planted by me myself. Although they are not as luxurious and precious as the delicacies from land and sea, fine clothes and delicious food in the palace, I can eat them with peace of mind!" Princess Qinghe nodded slightly to show her sincere admiration.

The Queen Mother then said meaningfully: "In fact, growing vegetables is also a great art. Not only do you need enough patience to care for their growth, but you also need to carefully observe the changes at each stage. This is just like governing our huge country. It also requires careful management to ensure long-term stability." Princess Qinghe nodded thoughtfully and responded softly: "Queen Mother, you are so right. I have benefited a lot today!"

The Queen Mother was very pleased to see this, smiled with satisfaction, then gently took Princess Qinghe's hand and continued to walk forward. As they walked, suddenly, the Queen Mother noticed a small insect lying on the leaf of a tomato plant, so she reached out her hand without hesitation and caught it swiftly.

Princess Qinghe couldn't help but widen her eyes and asked in astonishment: "Queen Mother, you are not afraid of these insects at all?" The Queen Mother responded with a calm and composed smile and replied in a firm tone: "What is there to be afraid of? All things in the world have spirituality, and we should respect every living life." When Qinghe heard this, she couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for the Queen Mother's compassionate heart in her heart.

After turning another small round door, they arrived at the Rare and Treasure Garden, which was filled with exotic flowers, plants and trees.

Walking into the rare and precious garden, all kinds of rare and unique plants came into view. The Queen Mother introduced the origin and characteristics of each plant to Qinghe in detail. Qinghe listened with great interest and exclaimed from time to time.

Suddenly, the Queen Mother stopped and pointed to a small tree full of red fruits and said, "This is the red fruit. Eating one can prolong your life." Before she finished her words, a bird flew over and pecked off a red fruit.

The Queen Mother smiled and did not stop it. Qing He asked in confusion, "Queen Mother, why didn't you stop it?" The Queen Mother said softly, "Everything has its own way of survival. The red fruit is the food of this bird. We should not interfere."

Qinghe suddenly realized, and her awe of the Queen Mother deepened. They continued to walk forward, admiring the wonders of the garden. The Queen Mother also told Qinghe that these exotic flowers and plants were presented by other countries or collected by her over the years, and each one had unique value and meaning.

Finally, the Queen Mother picked a blooming snow lotus and gave it to Qinghe, telling her to be as pure and noble as the snow lotus. Qinghe happily took the snow lotus, thanked the Queen Mother, and they left the Wonderful Treasure Garden together.

Walking through the Rare Treasure Garden, you will see a courtyard surrounded by high walls, which is where the Empress Dowager Cixi's real secret garden is located. The gate of this mysterious garden is tightly closed, with a heavy lock hanging on it, as if telling the endless secrets hidden in it.

It is said that the Empress Dowager Cixi never brought anyone into this forbidden area, not even her closest and most intimate maid Cuiping. Today, although Princess Qinghe has politely rejected the Empress Dowager Cixi's proposal for marriage, this woman who does not care about worldly affairs does not seem to be planning to give up easily.

The sun shines through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows and illuminating the path paved with bluestone. Princess Qinghe and her maids stand silently at the door, staring at the tightly closed door, with a surge of curiosity and awe in their hearts. What secrets are hidden in the world behind the door? Are there rare and exotic flowers, plants and trees? Or are there unknown treasures?

A breeze blew by, rustling the leaves, but it did not break the tranquility. Princess Qinghe took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart. She knew that behind the door in front of her might be a huge risk, but it might also contain an opportunity to change her fate.

In this silent atmosphere, time seemed to have frozen. Princess Qinghe secretly made up her mind that no matter what was waiting ahead, she would face it bravely and never back down. After all, the road of life is always full of unknowns and challenges. Only by moving forward courageously can we uncover the truth hidden in the darkness.

The Queen Mother unlocked the door and led Princess Qinghe into the secret garden. The garden was a different world with green trees, blooming flowers, and a small and exquisite rockery.

"This is where I relax on a daily basis." The Empress Dowager said with a smile.

Princess Qinghe looked around and was filled with admiration.

The Queen Mother walked to a peach tree, picked a fruit and handed it to Princess Qinghe: "Try it, this is planted by me."

Princess Qinghe took a bite and found it sweet and juicy, so she quickly thanked him.

The Empress Dowager looked at her and said earnestly, "Qinghe, do you know why I brought you here?"

Princess Qinghe shook her head.

"This place is my pure land. I hope you can find your own pure land and not be disturbed by the world."

After hearing this, Princess Qinghe felt something in her heart and seemed to be thinking about something.

The Empress Dowager patted her on the shoulder and said, "You are a smart child. You naturally understand what I mean. Whether you are willing to marry or not, I will respect your choice."

Princess Qinghe knelt down again and said sincerely: "Thank you Queen Mother for your teachings. Qinghe understands."