Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Empress Dowager Li couldn't help but exclaim, "So I was thinking, who else could truly mourn your father? I never thought... since the Emperor knew about Concubine Yi's condition, why didn't he be more lenient?"

Emperor Shenwu said, "I am busy with government affairs. Besides, in the six palaces..."

"Emperor," Empress Dowager Li interrupted him: "Your father once said that your personality would make you lonely until the end of your life. I didn't believe it then, but now I think if you were not the emperor, no woman would be willing to be with you." It was true that he had not even learned one tenth of the tenderness and consideration that the late emperor had for women.

Emperor Shenwu: "..." He had rarely heard Empress Dowager Li talk about him like this since he was a child.

Empress Dowager Li continued, "Never mind. Noble Lady Yi's description of border affairs is quite interesting. I'll invite her to dinner more often."

Emperor Shenwu said, "Since the Queen Mother and Concubine Yi are on good terms, we should invite her to talk more often. This way, she can also eat normal meals with the Queen Mother."

Empress Dowager Li nodded and said, "I think Concubine Yi has a very pure and genuine character. There is no other woman with such a character in the harem." It is reassuring to have such a woman in the harem to accompany the emperor more often, especially since Concubine Yi comes from the Lan family.

Emperor Shenwu looked at Empress Dowager Li and said, "Mother, Concubine Yi once gave me medicine as a gift, but she was only eight years old at the time and has long forgotten it."

Empress Dowager Li was surprised again: "What's going on?"

Emperor Shenwu replied, "When I first entered the border, I was pursued by assassins sent by Concubine An. After escaping them, I was injured. Later, I ran into Concubine Yi, my childhood friend. Seeing that I came from a military family, she gave me medicine for my injuries. When the Lin family's son broke off the engagement, I investigated and discovered that the eldest daughter of the Lan family was the one who gave me the medicine. While Concubine Yi didn't save my life, she did give me the medicine. Therefore, it wasn't just General Lan that allowed her into the palace."

Empress Dowager Li suddenly realized, "So there's a hidden reason behind this... Emperor, you were being hunted by assassins and were injured, why haven't I heard you mention this?"

Emperor Shenwu said, "My mother had a hard time in the harem at that time, and I have always been independent..."

The emperor seemed unable to continue: "...Anyway, I have solved it all." The mother and son had been alienated and cold to each other for a long time, and the knot in their hearts could not be untied in a short time.

After Emperor Shenwu left, Empress Dowager Li remained silent. Nanny Li comforted her, saying, "Your Majesty must have been worried about you, Empress Dowager. We were thousands of miles apart, and correspondence was inconvenient. Empress Dowager, don't dwell on the past. What's important is the future. Harmony between mother and son is the blessing of the former dynasty and the harem."

Empress Dowager Li sighed heavily: "After all, I care very little about him. I wonder how many things and injuries he has not told me... Nanny Li, you said that the emperor has always been cold-hearted towards women. Could it be because of me..." Emperor Shenwu never received a woman's tenderness and love from his mother since he was a child. Could it be because of this that the emperor is so indifferent and heartless to women?

As the queen mother, she had never seen the emperor treat any woman differently. Even Concubine Yi was treated differently because of the medicine she gave him.

Nanny Li said, "Your Majesty, you're overthinking it. Now that you have Noble Lady Yi, no matter what the reason, it's a great blessing to have even a little bit of your majesty's attention. I'm sure Noble Lady Yi will accompany and serve your majesty wholeheartedly."

Concubine Xie invited Lan Qingwu to a banquet in her palace again. Lan Qingwu couldn't refuse and had to go again.

Unexpectedly, this time, there was no good delay. Lan Qingwu saw that her table was filled with various snacks made of glutinous rice. She looked up and saw that the other concubines had the same snacks. She lowered her eyes and thought, maybe she was overthinking it.

Soon, Concubine Xie broke her fantasy, "Noble Lady Yi, why don't you try this glutinous rice snack? Although it's hard to digest, it was made by me personally. I made it especially for my sisters. Everyone is eating it, so why don't you try your chopsticks too?"

Concubine Li, who was sitting below, looked straight at Lan Qingwu. Lan Qingwu looked towards her, only to see Concubine Li turned her head away expressionlessly. Lan Qingwu understood in her heart that Concubine Li had accidentally learned from the Empress Dowager that she had a bad stomach, so she asked Concubine Xie to prepare this for her.

I heard one of the concubines say, "I heard that Concubine Yi has a bad stomach and has been drinking porridge for years to nourish her stomach. This piece of glutinous rice..."

Ru Ping's expression behind him also turned grim. The other concubines occasionally cast vague glances at him.

Under Concubine Xie's piercing gaze, Lan Qingwu finally picked up her chopsticks. However, she saw Concubine Liang Huo De standing up. She quickly walked over to Lan Qingwu, knocked over the glutinous rice snack with one hand, and said, "I don't think you should eat it."

Concubine Xie said with an ugly face, "Sister Concubine Liang, what are you doing? I am the superior, she is the inferior. She must eat when I tell her to, otherwise it would be insubordination."

Liangpin gave a provocative smile: "Sister Xiepin, I am also a respected person, who do you think she should listen to?"

Then he turned around and said, "Why don't you come with me? Are you going to eat these things here?"

After saying that, he walked out of the hall. Lan Qingwu stood up, bowed, and also walked out of the hall, not bothering to look at Xie Bin's extremely unhappy expression.

Behind them, Concubine Xie angrily shouted, "How can this be! How disgraceful! A military commander is a military commander, and he's so rude and has no manners or etiquette!"

Lan Qingwu and Liangpin came outside the palace. Liangpin couldn't help but ask, "Are you just going to eat like this?"

Lan Qingwu said helplessly: "Your Majesty Xie is a concubine, and there is nothing wrong on the surface. If you force me, I will not be in the right. But I still have to thank Your Majesty Liang for letting me suffer less." Lan Qingwu bowed after saying this.

Liangpin waved her hand and said, "Her Xiaoyan should find an excuse to refuse from now on."

Lan Qingwu agreed with this, and the two of them separated at the intersection and returned to the palace.

Empress Dowager Li summoned Lan Qingwu to the Cining Palace again. She mentioned the vibrant colors of the Guanyin painting, which differed from the usual palette. Lan Qingwu explained, "I collected flowers of different colors and used their juices to create this blend. I've loved flowers and plants since I was a child. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Your Majesty."

Empress Dowager Li's usually solemn expression softened. "You are quite ingenious."

Lan Qingwu: "When I was a child, after I finished my lessons on etiquette, I had nothing better to do, so I loved to do these things."

At this time, Nanny Li brought a plate of jujube and yam cake to the small table. Lan Qingwu knew at a glance that it was specially prepared by Empress Dowager Li. Red dates can replenish blood, and yam can strengthen the spleen and nourish the stomach.

Lan Qingwu looked at the plate of golden cake beside him and said, "Your Majesty likes sour food. This golden cake will definitely suit your appetite."

A hint of surprise flashed in Empress Dowager Li's eyes: "Madame Li, send someone to deliver this plate of golden cakes to His Majesty." She didn't pay much attention to the emperor's preference for this kind of snack.

When Nanny Li heard this, she immediately asked the palace maid to deliver it.

Lan Qingwu watched the palace maid leave and said, "Empress Dowager, I remember one time when I was serving His Majesty a meal, His Majesty saw a dish of steamed fish rolls and immediately sent a palace maid to bring it to you."

Empress Dowager Li was momentarily stunned, her mind full of mixed feelings: "There was that one time..."

Nanny Li couldn't help but smile. "Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager are so close, they always think of each other when they have something delicious."

Empress Dowager Li felt a little relieved.