The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 633 - 633 Princess 305 (second update)

Chapter 633: Princess 305 (second update) Chapter 633: Princess 305 (second update) Empress Dowager Zhuang’s image wasn’t so easily compromised; after all, she was very standoffish with others.

Shu Fei was just about to speak up for the Fifth Prince to seek some justice when a cold glare from Empress Dowager Zhuang turned her face pale with fright!

Empress Dowager Zhuang arrived swiftly and left just as quickly; in the time it took for an exchange of glances, Feng Nian had already traveled far.

Even though the Fifth Prince had indeed been wronged, who would have the guts to snatch someone from Empress Dowager Zhuang’s grasp?

“Empress Dowager is too partial, not even asking what happened to Xiaowu,” Shu Fei complained bitterly.

Empress Xiao looked at her coldly, “Shu Fei, watch your words!”

Realizing she had misspoken, Shu Fei hurriedly bowed, “This concubine knows her mistake.”

Zhuang Gui Fei suddenly asked Shu Fei, “Does that niece of yours still practice medicine?”

Shu Fei fell silent.

How would she know?

She hadn’t even met the girl!

Gu Jinyu gently spoke up, “Replying to Gui Fei Niang Niang, my sister does practice medicine. Many critically injured patients from that Ministry of Industry accident were sent to the Medical Hall where my sister works.”

“You have the nerve to talk about the Ministry of Industry accident!” Shu Fei lashed out at Gu Jinyu.

Shu Fei had been a highly favored consort in the Imperial Palace for many years—it was only because of Gu Jinyu’s scheming that she wasn’t still the Emperor’s favorite at this very moment!

Both Empress Xiao and Zhuang Gui Fei understood the ins and outs of the intrigue and disdained Shu Fei’s behavior, but neither showed it outwardly or said a word.

Zhuang Gui Fei said to Empress Xiao, “Since Empress Dowager has summoned the physician, perhaps her phoenix constitution is troubled. This consort will go to Renshou Palace to check on Empress Dowager.”

Empress Xiao slowly nodded, “That’s fine. I still have some matters to take care of, so I won’t go over now. I will visit the Empress Dowager later to pay my respects.”

Zhuang Gui Fei smiled slightly, bowed a little, and turned to leave.

As she turned her back, the smile on her face faded.

No matter how high her status or how much Empress Dowager valued her, she could never call Empress Dowager “Mother”!

Empress Xiao continued on her way to find Qin Chuyu.

After a few steps, a flash of insight struck her, “Eunuch Su, that girl… wouldn’t happen to be the one who invented the bellows and the glutinous rice mortar, would she?”

“It’s her,” Eunuch Su nodded.

Empress Xiao broke into a cold sweat for herself.

The Emperor highly valued that girl; it was fortunate that she hadn’t punished her in time.

But on second thought, how had that girl become a honored guest of Empress Dowager Zhuang?

She seemed very familiar with Empress Dowager Zhuang, as if they had not just met for the first time.

Did the Emperor know about this?

…

Elsewhere, Empress Dowager Zhuang and Gu Jiao returned to Renshou Palace.

Eunuch Qin went to the small kitchen to instruct the chef to prepare Gu Jiao’s favorite snacks.

Empress Dowager Zhuang led Gu Jiao back to her own Sleeping Palace and sat down on a long bench, “Tell me, what brought you to see us today?”

Gu Jiao sat down beside her, thought for a moment, and said, “I missed Empress Dowager.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted, “We don’t believe that for a second!”

Gu Jiao curved her lips into a slight smile, took out a food container from her small basket, and opened it to reveal an aroma of buttery sesame and brown sugar that was overwhelming.

“It’s still warm.” Gu Jiao presented the steaming Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake, topped with freshly toasted white sesame seeds, glistening temptingly and richly fragrant.

Empress Dowager Zhuang’s salivary glands worked overtime!

Gu Jiao placed a small yellow duck bowl in front of Empress Dowager Zhuang.

Looking at the childish tableware, a line of irritation crossed Empress Dowager Zhuang’s face. Why did they have to use such juvenile tableware?!

“Are we out of bowls at home?” she asked with a dark face.

Gu Jiao made a sound of agreement, “Today both Uncle Zhou’s and Aunt Liu’s families hosted banquets, not enough bowls to go around, so they were borrowed.”

The bowl cabinet was loaned out until empty, except for the odd and peculiar tableware of the little monk, which no one borrowed.

These items of tableware were personally made by Gu Jiao, crafted in styles he was delighted with. However, he had a little habit of liking novelty and quickly tiring of the old. As soon as Gu Jiao made something new for him, he would no longer want the old ones.

He had now taken to little cat bowls and no longer used little yellow duck bowls anymore.

Empress Dowager Zhuang: So, not only are you serving us with tableware used by the little monk, but you are using ones he has discarded…

Our heart aches.

We won’t speak of it!

The allure of the Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake was tremendous, and despite the aversion to the little yellow duck bowl, Empress Dowager Zhuang joyfully indulged in the delicacy that Gu Jiao had brought.

After only three, Gu Jiao wouldn’t allow her to eat more.

“But there are still three left,” Empress Dowager Zhuang said, feeling hard done by.

“Those are for Eunuch Qin,” said Gu Jiao.

Empress Dowager Zhuang thought, Oh, whatever Eunuch Qin gets will end up with me anyway!

Gu Jiao said, “I’ll take it to Eunuch Qin and watch him eat.”

Empress Dowager Zhuang thought, “…!!”

By the time Zhuang Gui Fei came to Renshou Palace, the Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice Cake interlude had already passed.

Gu Jiao was taking the Dowager Empress’s pulse, both seated on chairs, sunlight streaming in from the window, glinting off the Dowager Empress’s silver hair, and also off the girl’s black tresses.

The scene was one of tranquil beauty.

Consort Zhuang was startled.

She thought she might be seeing things, for in that fleeting moment she seemed to glimpse a trace of tenderness in her aunt’s eyes.

The least tender person in the whole world was her aunt.

The emotion in the Dowager Empress’s eyes had already vanished, replaced by a face full of dominance and authority, “What are you doing here?”

Consort Zhuang gave a small smile, “Didn’t aunt invite a physician from among the common folk? I’ve come to see how Aunt is doing.”

After all, she was a close niece, and the Dowager Empress wasn’t bad to Consort Zhuang. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been allowed to enter so quickly. Even the Empress had to wait outside for a while when coming to pay respects.

The Dowager Empress said, “I am fine, merely had someone come to take a calming pulse.”

“So it is, then I am relieved,” Consort Zhuang replied, settling herself on a lower stool near the Dowager Empress.

Gu Jiao, meanwhile, sat at the Dowager Empress’s side to take her pulse.

The Dowager Empress did not hold Gu Jiao to palace rules, so Gu Jiao was not aware that the long chair was the Dowager Empress’s exclusive seat, one that ordinary people weren’t qualified to occupy.

Physicians at the Imperial Palace would be kneeling on the ground to take the Dowager Empress’s pulse.

Of course, Consort Zhuang had no idea that Gu Jiao had even slept in the Dowager Empress’s Phoenix Bed, sleeping sideways, face down, drooling… all sorts of sleep.

After finishing the pulse examination, Gu Jiao gently placed the Dowager Empress’s hand back down.

“Didn’t I tell you I was fine?” huffed the Dowager Empress. She hadn’t seriously summoned her to Renshou Palace to be her physician.

Gu Jiao said, “You mustn’t sneak sweets anymore.”

The Dowager Empress choked, “I, when have I sneaked any! Could it be that dog Qin Kun—”

When she had said half of it, realizing Consort Zhuang was still there, she shifted her tone, coldly stating, “I certainly do not eat sweets. That’s something for children!”

“Oh, then it seems this is no longer needed.” Gu Jiao quietly put back the candied fruit she had taken out from her pocket.

The Dowager Empress: Don’t, you, dare, put, it, back!

Consort Zhuang: “…”

Actually, the Dowager Empress’s manner was always quite grand, and that aspect, whether before or after returning to the palace, as aunt or as Dowager Empress, didn’t change much.

Even when she spoke to Gu Jiao, it couldn’t be said that her tone was very pleasant.

But liking someone is something you can’t hide. When you look at that person, there’s a light in your eyes.

The last time Consort Zhuang saw her aunt like someone so much was when Princess Ning An was in the palace.

Although Princess Ning An was not her aunt’s biological daughter, she was more cherished than her own, with her aunt lavishing her with all her affection.

It was unfortunate that Princess Ning An, for the sake of a man, against the Dowager Empress’s protests, married off to the bitterly cold lands of the Northern Frontier.

Her aunt had told her, if you dare walk out that door, this palace will break all ties with you!

Her aunt held sway over the court and could manipulate the world with the clap of her hands, yet she could not control her own daughter’s marriage matters.

Because she cared too much, she had her weak points.

When Princess Ning An threatened with death, her aunt still lost.

Consort Zhuang would never forget that night years ago—Princess Ning An dressed in a vibrant red bridal gown, in the midst of snow swirling in the cold wind, outside the silent Renshou Palace, weeping profusely as she kowtowed three loud times: “Your unworthy daughter… unable to serve by Her Majesty’s side… to care for Her Majesty in her golden years… please take care of your health… Your daughter… bids… farewell.”

Princess Ning An left for marriage.

Her aunt became ill.

She nearly lost her life.

After that, her aunt severed the last trace of humanity, transforming into a completely domineering, calamitous consort.

Meanwhile, Lady Shu took the Fifth Prince back to Changchun Palace and the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss.

She called for Gu Jinyu, “Why did you never mention that the girl knew medicine?”

Gu Jinyu replied, looking down, “Your Highness never asked.”

Lady Shu drew a sharp breath!

Lady Shu furrowed her brow, then asked, “When did she meet the Empress Dowager?”

Gu Jinyu shook her head, “I don’t know.”

“You know nothing when asked, what use are you!” Lady Shu got nothing useful out of Gu Jinyu, impatiently dismissed her.

The more Lady Shu thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Wasn’t that girl His Majesty’s person? Having gained His Majesty’s favor, why was she so close to the Empress Dowager?

Could it be… she had switched her allegiance to the Empress Dowager?

Ha.

Lady Shu suddenly chuckled coldly.

Good. She had been worrying about how to deal with that girl—this was like being offered a pillow as she was about to sleep.

“Summon someone.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” A palace maid approached.

“Where is His Majesty?” Lady Shu inquired.

“In the Imperial Study Room,” the maid answered.

Lady Shu’s eyebrows arched, “Prepare the sedan chair, I shall go to the Imperial Study Room.”

She was ready to make a drastic move, to expose that girl to His Majesty!