tallest building

Chapter 205 Empress Dong

June is hot.

The eldest princess invited Wen Mingqian to the mountain to escape the summer heat.

That day, Wen Mingqian was washing the princess's hair under the sugar maple tree in the courtyard when he ran out of sweet bean noodles, so he asked Sang Er to fetch some.

"I love it when you wash my hair." The princess lay there with her eyes slightly closed. "Every time Yu Hu and the other two wash my hair, they can't help but pluck out any gray hairs they see. I always say, what's the point? People always get old."

“Your Highness is in the prime of your life, I haven’t seen any gray hairs on you yet,” Wen Mingqian said as he combed her hair.

"Of course there are, and there will only be more and more. Human life is fleeting, like grass and trees in autumn. Now that I think about it, how many people can outlive grass and trees?"
Take this tree, for example. It's two or three hundred years old. Countless people have walked under it, and what happened in the end? They all just went through birth, aging, sickness, and death, generation after generation.

“Yes, when I was little, I read a poem that said life is like morning dew. I thought it was too exaggerated. No matter how short life is, how can it be like morning dew that dries with the sunrise? But now that I think about it, ten or twenty years is just like the blink of an eye, isn’t it?” Wen Mingqian couldn’t help but sigh.

"You told me yesterday that you were preparing to go to the palace. Did you want me to introduce you or Princess Zhao?" Perhaps the topic was too sad, because the princess did not want to continue the conversation.

“A few days ago at the Prince Zhao’s residence, the Princess Zhao did hint at something,” Wen Mingqian said. “If Your Highness were to make an introduction, she would naturally carry more weight than the Princess Zhao, but I think it would be better for her to make the first move, so as not to involve Your Highness.”

"You don't need to worry about me, Wu Chou, telling me about your situation and repeatedly begging me to help you."

"What you're about to do is no easy task, especially since he's not in the capital, and it concerns the royal bloodline. Although I live a secluded life, it's only because I don't want to get involved in useless complexities. Of course, I won't stand idly by on such an important matter," said the Princess.

“I understand Your Highness’s intentions. In that case, why don’t you tell me about the Empress so that I can be prepared in advance?”

"Dong Xiangning's father, Grand Tutor Dong, held immense power in the court, deposing and installing emperors twice. People compared him to Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty. You must already know this, so I won't elaborate."

Although Dong Xiangning was a woman, she possessed the temperament of a man. She did indeed contribute to His Majesty's efforts at the beginning of his reign.

However, he was a bit too autocratic, having absolute power in the inner palace and even extending his influence to the imperial court.

She has a sweet tooth, especially for candied fruits and preserves, which she always keeps by her side.

She enjoys listening to operas, and her favorite is "Embroidered Mandarin Ducks," a play about the court musician Fan Wenzhao, which she greatly admires.

She doesn't drink alcohol, but she likes to eat fermented rice. Her favorite color is bright red, and her favorite clothing pattern is phoenixes adorned with peonies.

She disliked reading, was mediocre in writing, and hated pedantry.

In addition, she is extremely intolerant of heat and often seeks coolness in the summer.

Another problem that's hard to solve is that she particularly hates long fingernails; you should keep that in mind.

Initially, she and His Majesty were a harmonious couple, and His Majesty treated her with great respect. If she had known better, the later discord would not have arisen. Later, Consort Shen entered the palace, and the two women had very different personalities. Consort Shen was naturally respectful to her, never daring to compete with her, and even never wearing clothes of the same color as her.

It was precisely because of her low-key and gentle nature that the Empress was able to tolerate her.

But being tolerated for a time doesn't mean it will last forever. She is a person of exceptional talent, and no matter how low-key and reserved she is, her extraordinary qualities will always show.

One year, a plague broke out in the palace, and everyone was terrified. Only Lady Shen remained calm and composed. She not only personally guarded His Majesty's sickbed, but also worked with the imperial physicians to develop a prescription that could effectively curb the plague.

This enabled the epidemic in the palace to be brought under control quickly, which can be said to be a great achievement. As a result, His Majesty valued her even more and conferred upon her the title of Imperial Concubine.

But fortune and misfortune are always intertwined in this world, and the Empress began to resent her because of this incident.

Later, when Lady Shen became pregnant, she became an even bigger thorn in the Empress's side.

“I have remembered everything Your Highness said,” Wen Mingqian said. “It is the principle of catering to one’s preferences and avoiding one’s dislikes. Especially since she is of such a noble status, I cannot afford to make any mistakes in front of her.”

"It's always better to know yourself and your enemy. I also heard that he has developed a problem in recent years, which is that he often suffers from headaches and mental instability. When I went to the palace this January, he looked rather haggard. He doesn't like to take bitter medicine, and he can only take the medicine prescribed by the Imperial Hospital for three days at most."

“That’s just like Princess Zhao; neither of them likes to take bitter medicine,” Wen Mingqian couldn’t help but smile.

"However, they are different in some ways. The Empress is not particularly concerned with beauty. Unlike Princess Zhao, she does not strive to maintain her youthful appearance. So you need to think about what you can do to win her over," the Princess reminded her.

At this moment, Sang Er brought over some fragrant noodles, and Wen Mingqian and she carefully washed the princess's hair together.

"By the way, I heard that the old lady of the Gong family passed away and had the scriptures you wrote in your own blood buried with her. Those things are extremely rare; I wonder how you managed to write them," the eldest princess said.

“When the old lady was alive, she told the eldest wife more than once that after she passed away, the scripture should be taken to the underworld with her. Although her death was sudden, the family will definitely follow her wishes.” Wen Mingqian said, “I wrote that scripture for five or six years. I thought that I had to get her approval before I could return to the Gong family. There had to be something that could move her.”

"These scars on your arms must be from writing scriptures, right?" the princess said, looking at her arms with the sleeves rolled up.

"Yes, it's also to remind myself not to slack off," Wen Mingqian said. "It's just a pity that I haven't even entered the palace gates yet."

"It's truly remarkable that you've come this far. That's how things are in this world. Take a seed, for example. You see it's not moving at all in the soil, but once it sprouts out of the ground and sees the sunlight, it changes every day."

"Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. I hope I can emerge soon." Wen Mingqian carefully wiped the princess's hair several times with a large handkerchief until it stopped dripping.

“Madam Wen, someone from the Prince Zhao’s residence just delivered an invitation.” Cui Zhen walked over, holding an invitation in her hand.

"Thank you for your trouble, Aunt." Wen Mingqian accepted the gift with both hands. "Princess Zhao has invited me to visit her residence the day after tomorrow."

“Then go ahead,” the eldest princess said. “The Empress is a person who values ​​family ties very much. Princess Zhao is her own sister. Although she was raised in another family since childhood, she has treated Prince Zhao and his wife very well over the years. If you protect Princess Zhao well, you won’t have to worry about not being able to see the Empress.”