Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 521 - 272 - : Entering the Palace_2

Chapter 521: 272 Chapter: Entering the Palace_2

Cheng Yue was just about to kneel at Sister Gong’s reminder when Empress Dowager Fu embraced her, crying out with affection and endearment, calling her "my flesh, my liver, my Yueyue." The others began to cry as well.

Pan Yue couldn’t remember the Empress Dowager, her maternal grandmother, but she felt the embrace was exceptionally warm, the scent extremely familiar. Distress welled up inside her, and she began to cry plaintively in the Empress Dowager’s embrace.

After a while, Empress Dowager Fu, holding Pan Yue’s face, said, "My poor Yueyue, in the years you were away, I nearly cried my eyes blind. You’ve finally come back. Even if I die now, I can go to Zi Yang in peace..."

Pan Yue cried, "Although Yueyue can’t remember you, looking at you makes my heart feel warm. Yueyue likes you, likes you so much..."

Hearing this, Empress Dowager Fu cried out even more affectionately.

Everyone soothed them for a while, and the two finally stopped crying. Empress Dowager Fu led Pan Yue to sit on a yellow velvet carved phoenix couch. Qian Yixiu and her younger siblings once again performed their salutations to the Empress Dowager. Given the special occasion, Mingming and Jingjing were held by their wet nurses as they saluted.

Empress Dowager Fu then beckoned the other siblings over. She pinched Ming Wa’s cheek and praised him before handing him back to the wet nurse to sit down, and then gathered Qian Yixiu and Jingjing into her embrace.

First caressing Jingjing’s little face, she said, "Jingjing looks just like Yueyue did as a child. Back then, Zi Yang was still alive, and he often brought Yueyue to the palace to accompany me..." Before she could finish, she started crying again.

After another round of consolation, a female official took the slightly frightened Jingjing back to her wet nurse.

The Empress Dowager then caressed Qian Yixiu’s face, pulling at her clothes and saying, "Yixiu, you also resemble your mother. She was about your age when the incident happened. I still remember the day she came to the palace to bid me farewell, wearing clothes somewhat similar to the ones you’re wearing..." She couldn’t finish speaking before she began to cry again.

A beautiful woman at the side said with a laugh, "The Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother, you’ve been crying and crying all this time, and I’ve been standing here until my legs have gone numb, without even having had the chance to speak with my little aunt or my niece and nephews."

Her words brought laughter to the Empress Dowager, who pointed to the three middle-aged beautiful women and the young, beautiful man sitting and said to Cheng Yue with a smile, "This is Consort Shu, this is Consort De, this is Consort Xie, and this is your Apricot Sister, who is now your elder sister-in-law, Yueyue, you know them all."

Consort Liu was the Fifth Prince’s mother, Consort De had no children, and Consort Xie was the Sixth Prince’s mother. These three had the favor of Empress Dowager Fu and were allowed to be present on this occasion. Many other consorts, princesses, and commandery princesses wanted to come but were not allowed.

Now that the harem lacked a mistress, Consort Liu and Consort De were in charge of the harem’s affairs.

Qian Yixiu led her siblings in paying their respects to them, while Cheng Yue stood dazedly, not knowing to rise and salute. Sister Gong quietly offered her guidance, but the Empress Dowager raised her hand to stop her.

The three noble ladies presented gifts of reunion to the siblings, while Lady Fu, Pan Yang’s wife, held them and wept.

Empress Dowager Fu joked, "You say that all I do is cry, but you’re doing the same."

Lady Fu, upon hearing this, stopped crying and began to laugh. She then said to Pan Yue, "Little aunt, do you remember me? You used to call me Apricot Sister."

Pan Yue shook her head indifferently.

Qian Yixiu had long heard that Aunt Fu was a niece of Empress Dowager Fu’s natal family.

Consort Liu laughed, "Princess Zhenyue doesn’t look a day over twenty-seven, more like a seventeen-year-old girl, still so refreshing and beautiful."

Empress Dowager Fu touched Pan Yue’s face and nodded with a smile, "Indeed, Yueyue is still as handsome and charming as ever. It’s amazing how Lord Xiangen’s house, despite barely having enough to eat, took such good care of Yueyue, truly a charitable home."

Qian Yixiu said with a smile, "Reporting to the Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother, at home they all joke that my mother looks like she could be my older sister."

This made everyone laugh, agreeing that they indeed looked like sisters.

Zhu Sujin also said, "Indeed, sometimes my little sister calls my mother as if she’s calling her ’little mom’."

Empress Dowager Fu squinted with a smile, pretending to scold, "You monkey, why would you even call your cousin mother?"

Pan Yue quickly pouted and said, "Jinwa was raised on Yueyue’s milk, Yueyue likes it when Jinwa calls her mom."

Empress Dowager Fu, hearing this, nodded and said, "Alright, alright, Yueyue is Jinjin’s foster mother, so calling you mom is not wrong at all."

Consort Liu and Consort Xie wore happy smiles on their faces, but inside they were filled with distaste. They never imagined that Princess Zhenyue, even simple-minded as she was, would still be so favored by the Empress Dowager. That she had the Empress Dowager’s favor was one thing, but what was truly upsetting was the fact that the boy who grew up in the countryside was also receiving favor — an utterly revolting thought.