Transmigration: A Farm Girl’s Brocade
Chapter 522 - 272: Entering the Palace_3

Chapter 522: Chapter 272: Entering the Palace_3

After everyone had chatted for a while, Qian Yixiu had the tributes brought forward. As the clothes were unfurled, everyone was stunned. Even though these were the most fashionable women of the Great Qian Kingdom, none had ever seen such beautifully unique crane and auspicious cloud patterns.

"So beautiful, the cranes seem as if they are about to fly off the fabric," exclaimed Consort Min in amazement.

Everyone marvelled, saying they had never seen such lifelike and beautiful crane garments.

The Empress Dowager had reading glasses brought to her and looked over the embroidery time and time again, touching the cranes on the fabric and asking, "Did Yueyue embroider this with her own hands?"

Yueyue nodded and said, "Mmm, Yueyue embroidered every day, her eyes even hurt from it. Yixiu says that Yueyue has enjoyed the blessings of the Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother and must show filial respect to the Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother. Wishing the Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother a thousand years of crane-like longevity, fortunes vast as the sea and sky."

This was the flattery that Qian Yixiu had drilled into Yueyue many times at home, and not bad, she had memorized it all.

Empress Dowager Fu was both elated and tearful, nodding her head and saying, "Good child, good child. Yueyue, Yixiu, you are all good children."

Mingming and Jingjing, now more familiar, were no longer scared. Hearing the words of the Empress Dowager, they couldn’t help but say, "And Ming Wa, and Jingjing too."

Zhu Sujin also jokingly added, "And the great-grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren too."

The Empress Dowager laughed heartily and said, "Yes, yes, all of you are Ai’s good children."

Having looked at the shoes and forehead cloth as well, and finding them all to her satisfaction, she thought these were the most pleasing clothes she had ever received. She smiled and took Yueyue’s hand, "Ai likes all these items, just don’t work so hard next time."

Yueyue said, "Yueyue loves the Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother and doesn’t mind the hardship."

Empress Dowager Fu knew that Yueyue still had the innocence of childhood, and her words were not empty flattery, but truly from the heart. She patted her hand, saying, "Yueyue doesn’t mind the hardship, but your Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother minds Yueyue’s hardship."

After laughing and talking for a while, it was already midday. Consort Shu, Consort Min, and Consort Xie took their leave, and then the Empress Dowager summoned Pan Yang and Qian Manjiang into the Cining Palace to dine together.

No sooner had they finished their meal, than the voice of an eunuch rang out high from outside the palace, "The Emperor arrives."

With the exception of Empress Dowager Fu, everyone rose and knelt down, Yueyue kneeling with the help of Sister Gong.

The Emperor walked directly to Empress Dowager Fu’s side and sat down to her left, saying, "All rise."

His voice was neither very authoritative nor a bit hoarse. Qian Yixiu, curious about the legendary Emperor, kept her eyes low as she rose, but still managed to catch a glimpse of him.

He was dressed in his Dragon Robe and wearing a Crown, of medium height, slightly thin, with some gray in his beard, and deep forehead wrinkles that showed he was a man who had thoroughly exhausted his mind for the sake of his country. But the fierce gleam in his eyes still struck fear into those who met his gaze.

After everyone had risen, Empress Dowager Fu beckoned Yueyue to sit at her right side.

The Emperor, upon seeing Yueyue, couldn’t help but his eyes redden. He said, "Yueyue is alive; now I can face the Imperial sister with honor."

Empress Dowager Fu, wiping away tears, said, "Ai’s heart is consoled, so why does the Imperial Son bring up such sorrowful words?"

The Emperor hurriedly said, "It’s my fault, for making Mother upset."

Once more, Qian Yixiu, along with her siblings, kowtowed to the Emperor.

The Emperor bade them to rise and looked carefully at the three siblings, his gaze finally resting on Yixiu. He murmured, "Seeing her, I have an illusion that time has stood still, back to fourteen years ago... She resembles her so much..."

The Empress Dowager also said, "Yes, Yueyue was about this size when the tragedy happened... Just the spitting image..."

The Emperor nodded, and the siblings then went to sit down to one side.

The Emperor’s gaze then returned to Yueyue, and he said, "Yueyue, don’t be nervous. From now on, just like before, if there is anything, come directly into the palace to find your Emperor’s Maternal Grandmother or the Imperial Uncle."

Yueyue, leaning in the Empress Dowager’s embrace, looked at him and said, "You are so stern, Yueyue is scared."

Qian Manjiang and others were so frightened their legs went weak — how could they rashly judge the Imperial Face. Sister Gong was also not a little frightened and quickly whispered a reminder, "Commandery Princess, this is the Emperor, be mindful of etiquette."

The Emperor waved Sister Gong off with a hand and with a hint of a smile on his face said, "Not scared anymore, right? I am your Imperial Uncle; when Yueyue was little, I held you often."

Yueyue thought for a moment, seeming to have no recollection of this Imperial Uncle. She said, "Yueyue doesn’t recognize you, still scared of you, but likes you very much."

"Oh, why is that?" The Emperor, often on the receiving end of flattery, had never been flattered so candidly.

Yueyue said, "Because Yixiu likes you. She said the Emperor is a wise ruler who has brought peace to the realm, so that the people have enough to eat, and who has opened... opened... opened... the door..."

Qian Yixiu interjected hurriedly, "Mother, it’s enlightened." And softly reminded, "Mother, we are not discussing state affairs today; we’re talking about family matters..."

Those were not the words that Yixiu had rehearsed for Yueyue to say. Qian Manjiang and Pan Yang also became a little restless, uncertain of what Yueyue would say next.

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