Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress
Chapter 1083 - 1085: When I Catch You (5)

Chapter 1083: Chapter 1085: When I Catch You (5)

"They say men are like teapots, and women like cups; how can a single teapot have only one cup? That’s utterly absurd..."

...*...*...

Nangong Yi and Caiwei left the Jade Palace and headed for the Empress Dowager’s residence in Shouning Palace.

The Empress Dowager had not involved herself in the matters of the Imperial Harem for many years, only occasionally inquiring into the affairs of her parental home—beyond that, she devoted all her energy to a vegetarian diet and the recitation of Buddhist scriptures.

When Caiwei and Nangong Yi arrived at Shouning Palace, the managing old palace maid welcomed them inside.

The Empress Dowager’s living quarters in the Warm Pavilion consisted of three interconnected rooms, probably designed that way for ease of heating. The east side was partitioned by a flower bird screen consisting of twenty-four panels, and the west by the Duobao Pavilion.

Upon entering the central room of the Warm Pavilion, they saw a white jade Guanyin statue, over a foot tall, enshrined within a Buddhist shrine carved from aloeswood. Under the candlelight, the kindly and benevolent Guanyin watched over all beings within the hall.

Before the shrine was a long table, adorned with a coral tower, the Diamond Sutra, and a wooden fish among other things. A three-legged incense burner contained a stick of incense that was still burning, and a chiseled floral pattern silver tray beside it held some fresh fruit.

The Empress Dowager sat on a babu bed, appeared thin and frail, her Hair showing signs of aging with streaks of gray, looking to be in her sixties or seventies. She wore a brocade beizi in blue with flowerless adornment and had no ornate hairpins, just a simple forehead cover, giving her a plain but refined appearance. Yet, her spirit and vitality seemed quite good.

Nangong Yi, accompanied by Caiwei, knelt down in respect and then offered tea to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager accepted the tea from Caiwei, gifted her a jade Guanyin for childbirth, and instructed her to place it in the inner chamber to burn three sticks of incense daily, assuring her it would be beneficial.

After offering a few words of advice, the Empress Dowager suddenly said to Nangong Yi, "I’ve heard that Fu’er is still without an official rank or position, and he is not so young anymore. It’s time for him to share in the Emperor’s burdens. If there are any suitable tasks, just send him. Youngsters mature after a few challenges."

Fu’er, mentioned by the Empress Dowager, was Ji Wanfu, the heir to the Duke of England, who had once been beaten by Caiwei at Jufude and had also commanded some prostitutes to beat her, although that had not come to pass.

Nangong Yi had long heard of the absurdities of Ji Wanfu, known for mingling daily in Hua Street and Liu Lane as a dandy, the king of pleasure quarters, and the head of the Mandarin Duck Society. Entrusted with tasks like visiting brothels and gambling, he certainly would excel, but giving him the role of receiving dignitaries could end disastrously—they would likely end up in a brothel...

Such a man, despised at sight by Nangong Yi, would naturally not be employed by him. Moreover, he never had a close relationship with the Empress Dowager and did not take her requests to heart.

All his life, the Empress Dowager, his grandmother, had never provided him or his mother any protection. Several times during his childhood, when he and his mother were driven to despair by Jin Guifei and Nangong Shi, the young Nangong Yi sought refuge in Shouning Palace only to be ruthlessly turned away by the Empress Dowager.

Because at that time, she always thought it would be Nangong Shi who would ascend to the throne; thus, to avoid suspicion from Jin Guifei and her son, she had deliberately distanced herself from Nangong Yi and his mother, remaining indifferent towards them. Therefore, in the heart of Nangong Yi, the title ’Empress Dowager’ was merely a nominal term, devoid of any emotional significance!

"Currently, all the officials are already managing their respective duties, and there is no suitable position for him!" Nangong Yi said indifferently.

The light in the Empress Dowager’s eyes dimmed for a moment. She was well aware of how she had treated Nangong Yi before. Human plans are no match for those of heaven; who could have predicted that it would be Nangong Yi who would ascend to the throne? If she had known, she would have left some room for both herself and her parental family, not to have been so utterly heartless toward Nangong Yi and his mother. Now, it truly filled her with remorse...