FID – Chapter 834

Chapter 834: Never Thought of Wanting Him Dead

Liu Yusheng spoke up, and naturally, Qian Wanjin wouldn’t stop her, nor would Feng Mohan disapprove.

However, his thoughts were much more complicated. After the Empress Dowager mentioned wanting to go to Xinghua Village, a serious expression overtook his face.

The Empress Dowager’s travel was a significant matter, nearly as important as the Emperor’s journey.

If something were to happen to her on the way, the responsibility would fall heavily on his Imperial Aunt’s shoulders.

Considering the Empress Dowager’s identity and status, it was one thing whether she could adapt to a small village, but what worried him most were the people in the Liu courtyard.

Would the great-grandparents be comfortable? What if someone accidentally said the wrong thing and the Empress Dowager got angry? Wouldn’t the elders suffer?

Rubbing his temples, he found some comfort in knowing that his Imperial Uncle would be there. With him around, he trusted that the Liu family would be safe.

“Imperial Aunt, be careful on the way back. That old hag’s temper is unpredictable and difficult to handle.”

Liu Yusheng scolded him, “I’ve been staying in the Yangxin Hall for over two months now. Have you ever seen the Empress Dowager make things difficult for me? And from now on, stop calling her ‘that old hag.’ She is the Empress Dowager, your great-grandmother.”

Feng Moxian pouted, “Imperial Aunt, you’ve changed. Now you’re helping that old hag and not me anymore.”

“Stop throwing a tantrum. You are the Emperor, you need to have the demeanor and magnanimity of an Emperor. Look at your Imperial Uncle, has he ever given his elders nicknames?”

“I called her by a nickname in front of Uncle, and he didn’t correct me,” Feng Mohan grumbled, unwilling to back down.

Liu Yusheng gave him a sharp flick on the forehead, making him grimace in pain.

Behind them, the granny was carrying a package and supporting the Empress Dowager as they came out from the inner chambers.

With that, their quiet conversation came to an end.

The Empress Dowager’s trip to Xinghua Village was not widely publicized, and not many people knew about it.

Only after her departure did the news spread throughout the entire palace.

The concubines immediately went into a frenzy.

Although most of them had not been in the palace for long—some for just over three years—there were countless old servants in the palace, some of whom had been there for decades. The small bits of information they passed along were enough to shock the concubines, sparking many speculations.

Since entering the palace and becoming Empress, the Empress Dowager had not left the imperial palace except for royal sacrificial ceremonies.

This was the first time in over forty years!

And she wasn’t going for a religious ritual or ancestral worship, but to Yunzhou, to Xinghua Village, the hometown of Feng Qingbai’s Consort!

Wasn’t that strange?

Liu Yusheng had only been staying in the Yangxin Hall for a little over two months, yet the Empress Dowager had already taken a liking to her!

Would this change the relationship between the Empress Dowager and Feng Qingbai? Everyone knew they had a deadly feud!

While people were puzzled, countless others were also filled with jealousy.

Liu Yusheng came from a humble farming background, yet she ended up marrying the most powerful prince in the empire—the King of Nanling. Even the current Emperor had to respectfully address her as Imperial Aunt.

And now, after only a short time in the palace, she had already won the favor of the Empress Dowager. 

How were the concubines, who had been in the palace for years and were scolded as bothersome even when going to greet the Empress Dowager, supposed to feel?

The Princess Consort’s luck was simply too great!

While unrest stirred in the hearts of the harem, over at the wharf on the outskirts of the capital, Feng Mohan was also feeling unsettled as he watched the passenger boat disappear into the distance.

The Empress Dowager’s decision had completely caught him off guard.

If his Imperial Aunt hadn’t agreed before he had the chance to speak, he wouldn’t have allowed the Empress Dowager to leave the palace for Xinghua Village no matter what.

To him, Xinghua Village—especially the Liu family courtyard—was sacred ground. Anyone who disturbed it was, in his mind, stepping on a landmine.

Staring out at the shimmering canal waters, Feng Mohan’s gaze darkened.

It was the Empress Dowager’s first time on a passenger boat, and not long after departure, she began to feel chest tightness and discomfort—seasickness.

Liu Yusheng gave her a small medicinal pill and urged her to lie down, which finally eased the symptoms.

Once the Empress Dowager and the granny had gone into the cabin, Qian Wanjin and Shi Xianrou leaned in close to Liu Yusheng, speaking in hushed tones, “Nannan, what’s going on here? Has the power dynamic in the harem shifted?”

The Empress Dowager left the palace!

If the tides of power hadn’t shifted, would she really have left home like that?

Anyway, the Empress Dowager they knew was always inscrutable, full of strategy. Whenever she did anything, there was always a deeper motive behind it.

She might not be as openly sinister as Dowager Consort Liu, who wore her scheming nature on her face, but who dared say the Empress Dowager wasn’t difficult to deal with?

She could appear calm and collected on the surface, then turn around and have you ruined.

That old woman had survived the ruthless power struggles of the imperial court to remain standing. That was no easy feat.

Looking at the two in front of her as if facing a great enemy, Liu Yusheng sighed and rubbed her forehead. “It’s not what you think. The Empress Dowager isn’t like what you’ve heard or seen. I’ll explain more to you later, but in short, nothing serious will happen.”

She trusted Feng Qingbai.

Once they met back home, she would ask him directly. The past misunderstandings would definitely be cleared up.

If this could help the Empress Dowager resolve the knot in her heart, it would be a good thing for both her and Feng Qingbai.

Living with hatred is the most painful and exhausting way to live.

The boat journey took ten days. Aside from the first two days of seasickness, once she adjusted, the Empress Dowager stopped confining herself to the cabin. 

From time to time, she would go up on deck to face the wind, take in the canal scenery, and watch the ships passing by. Most of the time, she would simply stare into the distance, lost in thought, standing like that for half a day.

She knew—she really shouldn’t have come.

But she simply couldn’t bear waiting in the palace any longer.

Her son was dead. Her grandson, gone. Her maternal family had cut ties with her long ago. All these years, she had been utterly alone, with nothing left.

If there was still something she had… it might have been him.

But their identities had long since become worlds apart.

Yet…The Empress Dowager clutched the railing before her tightly, moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes.

Yet she had never wanted him dead.

She had never imagined he would die before her.

The Dongyue border had been pacified. Feng Qingbai had returned safely to Nanling. Everyone else would surely return safely as well. But what about General Qin Xiao?

“Your Majesty, the river wind grows strong in the evening. Don’t stand too long;come rest in the cabin.”

Behind her came the soft voice of the young woman.

The Empress Dowager stood a moment longer. Only after the wind had dried the tears from the corners of her eyes did she turn and quietly return to the cabin.

Ten days later, the passenger boat docked in Yunzhou. The three companions disembarked with lighthearted joy and headed straight to the prefect’s office, where they picked up Liu Zhixia and Fu Yuzheng. Together, they rode a carriage back to Xinghua Village.

It was now mid-September, just two days away from Liu Zhiqiu’s wedding.

Inside the carriage, the Empress Dowager sat upright, flanked by Liu Zhixia and Fu Yuzheng, who both appeared stiff and reserved—far less relaxed than Qian Wanjin and Shi Xianrou had been in her presence.

Fu Yuzheng held Xiao Maodou in her arms, who was now nearly two years old.

The Empress Dowager had held the baby once before. Back then, he had been no bigger than a little dumpling. Now he could speak and call people by name.

Time really does fly.

While the Empress Dowager was quietly observing Xiao Maodou, Liu Yusheng was also quietly watching her expression.

The Empress Dowager had previously been very concerned about her pregnancy, and Liu Yusheng had been sure she liked children. But now, though her expression was softer and more gentle than usual, there was no particular fondness toward Xiao Maodou.

Could it be that the Empress Dowager only likes newborns?

Her grandson had died just after his first month. The thought made Liu Yusheng’s heart ache, and she subtly scooted closer to the Empress Dowager.

“What are you doing?” The moment Liu Yusheng got closer, the Empress Dowager frowned.

“Touch my belly.”

The Empress Dowager’s face darkened—but in the end, she still placed her hand on Liu Yusheng’s stomach.

Everyone else in the carriage: “……”

What just happened?