They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 503 Promotion
The Emperor, whether intentionally or unintentionally, hinted to him that there might still be remnants of the Prince of Yuchang lurking in the capital. He ordered him to be outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant, fearing that the Emperor might soon take some action and that he should be prepared to arrest them.

Knowing that Liang Minglang's words meant it wouldn't matter if he refused the Empress Dowager's summons, as long as the reason was plausible, Xu Zhichun breathed a sigh of relief.

That's good.

Then she would understand.

The palace maid failed to bring Xu Zhichun into the palace, which enraged the Empress Dowager, who then berated her severely.

Only then did they send someone to summon her. They couldn't very well go again tomorrow; that wouldn't look good. They would have to wait quite some time. The Empress Dowager was even more displeased.

She's becoming increasingly impatient.

Lady Xue, observing the situation, suggested to the Empress Dowager that her mother bring Lady Xu into the palace together, wouldn't that be better?
The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up, and she nodded and smiled, "That's a good idea, let's do it that way."

"Yes, Queen Mother."

Xue Meiren was also very pleased. She couldn't wait for her mother to give Xu Zhichun a good beating and to have a chance to humiliate her.

She had no idea about the An family or the eldest daughter; those were irrelevant people who shouldn't exist. She was the rightful eldest daughter of the Xue family.

Lady Rong'an was overjoyed to receive her daughter's message; to be able to enter the palace was an honor.

It'll also let everyone see that even if her daughter is only Consort Xue now, so what? As long as the Empress Dowager likes her, she'll rise to great heights sooner or later!
Lady Rong'an sent Granny Yu to the Marquis of Wuxuan's residence, telling Xu Zhichun to come to the Marquis of Rong'an's residence the next morning, as she wanted to go to the palace with her.

"This is an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager."

Didn't Xu Zhichun publicly claim that she had nothing to do with her family? She'll go to their door in person tomorrow morning so that everyone can see for themselves.

Lady Rong'an had already planned it all out; when Xu Zhichun arrived tomorrow, she was determined to give him a good humiliation and a lesson.

Anyway, she now had the Empress Dowager's decree, so she was fearless. She really didn't believe that Xu Zhichun, no matter how arrogant, could possibly oppose the Empress Dowager.
If she really had that kind of guts, Lady Rong'an would be more than happy to see it!
Going against the Empress Dowager? Ha, she must have a death wish.

Lady Rong'an was filled with countless thoughts, but she never expected that Xu Zhichun would actually refuse.

They refused openly and honestly.

What a coincidence, isn't it?
They are observing a fast and serving the Buddha; how can they easily leave?

Even as the Empress Dowager, she couldn't possibly compete with the Buddha.

Lady Rong'an's anticipated powerful punch missed completely, and she gritted her teeth: "Is she really in the Buddhist hall? Did you see her? You're not lying, are you?"

Granny Yu was also very frustrated. She had originally thought that going to the Marquis of Wuxuan's residence today would allow her to show off her power, regain some dignity, and finally get her revenge, but she didn't expect to be so disappointed and lose face.
"This—she shouldn't be so bold as to deceive the Empress Dowager, right?"

"Humph!"

Lady Rong'an also felt that she dared not.

Lady Rong'an's head started to ache again. Her hopes were dashed, and she was in such a bad mood. How much worse must it be for the Empress Dowager?

How should I explain things to the Empress Dowager when I go to the palace tomorrow?
The best course of action would have been to send a message today, away from the Empress Dowager, to avoid being scolded. Replying today would also show that she took the Empress Dowager's instructions to heart and provided timely feedback.

However, Lady Rong'an hesitated for a while before deciding not to give up the opportunity to enter the palace.

Firstly, it was an honor, and secondly, she hadn't seen her daughter for a long time and wanted to take this opportunity to see her. The next day, Lady Rong'an had no choice but to go to the palace alone.

The Empress Dowager was furious when her hopes were dashed.

Why didn't you send someone to report this earlier yesterday?

She spent the whole night planning what to do today, but it was all for nothing.

Isn't this just playing with her?
Lady Rong'an has such audacity!

Lady Rong'an hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I was just thinking that it would be safer to report to Your Majesty personally."

"Humph!"

It's just a matter of a word; why worry about whether it's safe or not? She just wanted to take this opportunity to visit Consort Xue in the palace.

The Empress Dowager was furious and wanted to expel her from the palace, but she didn't have many people she could use. Consort Xue was one of them, and she didn't want to disappoint her.

The Empress Dowager suppressed her temper and waved her hand, "Alright, I understand. Take your leave. You and your daughter haven't seen each other for a long time, talk for a while before you go."

Isn't this exactly why Lady Rong'an came?
He immediately kowtowed in gratitude for the favor and went to the palace with Lady Xue.

The mother and daughter had a lot to say to each other and were eager to know how the other was doing.

Lady Rong'an was concerned about how she was doing in the palace, while Consort Xue was concerned about the Rong'an Marquis's residence and the Wuxuan Marquis's residence.
She loathed Xu Zhichun and was filled with hostility, wishing him misfortune. Yet, she had to grit her teeth and admit that if Xu Zhichun were to reclaim the Earl's Mansion, it would greatly benefit her.

She suppressed her disgust, pinched her nose, and thought, "That little bitch got off easy, so I'll allow her to be recognized as a member of the family. I'll deal with it later."
With the Empress Dowager backing her up, she was sure she would have a chance to rise above others.

Whenever Xu Zhichun was mentioned, Madam Rong'an had endless complaints, and Consort Xue's face grew darker and darker as she listened.

"Outrageous! Outrageous! How dare she! How dare she!"

"That bitch! Does she never want to acknowledge her ancestors again in this lifetime?"

"That's outrageous! What is she trying to do? What does she mean by this?"

Lady Rong'an sneered: "She even took your father to court, which shows she's a shameless scoundrel. There's absolutely no way she'll be able to return to her ancestral home. Fortunately, my son has regained his status and is favored by the Empress Dowager, so he'll have his day in the future."

Xue Meiren's smile was very forced: "."

She knew perfectly well that the Empress Dowager was willing to help her this time because of the powerful connections and strength of the Marquis of Wuxuan's mansion, Ji Yingxuan, and the Ji family of Jinling behind him.

If all of this becomes an unattainable illusion, will the Empress Dowager still value her? Or, to put it another way, will she still have any value to the Empress Dowager? She doesn't know.
Lady Rong'an was completely unaware of all this, and only thought that the Empress Dowager valued loyalty and righteousness, and that she valued the grace of her daughter saving her life.

She was relieved, but also had some concerns about the future.

Lady Rong'an whispered to her daughter, "I'll speak frankly, but although the Empress Dowager values ​​you, you are still the Emperor's concubine. The most important thing is to produce heirs for the Emperor. My child, there's plenty of time. You should think about this carefully. While the Empress Dowager still has influence, you must quickly find an opportunity to conceive. The Emperor has few children; with a child, he will surely have a bright future."

Xue Meiren's eyelids twitched violently.

Some things shouldn't be said too bluntly; the mother and daughter should understand each other perfectly well.