Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 502 The road is long and long

As she spoke, she fiddled with the bracelet, her fingers threading through it.

Lin Zhiqing frowned.

Ordinary people don't hold bracelets like that.

Before she could examine it closely, the old woman tucked the bracelet into her sleeve.

Seeing this, the Empress did not blame her: "It is indeed the nanny who is very thoughtful. In that case, I can only send the bracelet to the Imperial Music Academy another day."

Her tone was calm, but slightly lower than before.

The situation is a bit complicated... Lin Zhiqing nodded with furrowed brows and thanked the Empress again.

She couldn't help but wonder, is the Empress truly the most powerful woman in the harem?

Why did she always feel that the old nanny was the empress, as if the empress had to do things according to the old nanny's wishes?

But the feeling wasn't strong, and no one else reacted; it seemed only Lin Zhiqing could see it.

Because she is better at capturing micro-expressions and micro-movements than others.

"I lived with my father on the border when I was young. It was an extremely harsh and cold place. I feel sorry for Miss Lin," the Empress said softly.

Her tone was tinged with regret, and her eyebrows were lowered as she spoke, clearly showing her sympathy for Lin Zhiqing.

"What are you saying, Your Majesty? Marrying into the Great Liang is a blessing that no one else can obtain. Even my niece, Bai Ling, is on the list of those to be married off to." Consort Xian said with a smile.

Niece?
Maybe it's because she's not his biological niece, so he doesn't feel sorry for her.

Lin Zhiqing did not discuss the issue of marriage alliances in much detail.

This is the royal palace. It's okay for others to say the wrong thing, but if she says the wrong thing, she could very well die without a burial place.

Lin Zhiqing had known about Consort Xian's stance for a long time.

However, her maternal family, the scholar's mansion, did not express support for the marriage alliance, so Lin Zhiqing did not waste time persuading Consort Xian.

She secretly cast her gaze at Consort Shu's face.

Consort Shu seemed somewhat distracted.

Her eyes darted left and right, never landing on the Empress or the others, as if she wanted to survey her surroundings so she could leave as soon as possible.

Sure enough, before they could exchange more than a few words, Consort Shu began to resign.

The Empress was easy to talk to; she waved her hand and released the person.

"Her Majesty the Empress is still too kind-hearted," Consort Xian said seemingly unintentionally.

The Empress then smiled and said, "These palace walls have trapped too many people. If we don't have a kind heart, how can we gain a foothold here?"

Ok?
That statement is probably not quite right.

To gain a foothold in a cannibalistic palace, the worst thing you can do is be kind-hearted.

Strange!
How weird!

"Your Majesty is right." Consort Xian didn't say anything more, but instead inquired about the Emperor's condition:
"Your Majesty, is the Emperor well?"

"Still the same as before." The Empress sighed. "His illness shows no signs of improvement, and he remains delirious."

Upon hearing this, Consort Xian's expression was not good either.

Lin Zhiqing could tell that Consort Xian had feelings for the Emperor, but she didn't know how much those feelings were.

"Your Majesty, the wind is picking up. The Emperor will be looking for you soon," the nanny said.

The Empress smiled faintly, her gaze falling on Lin Zhiqing again: "Miss Lin's name has the character 'Qing' at the beginning. This 'Qing' is excellent; it reminds me of some people."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiqing's heart stirred.

Lin Zhiqing also knew someone whose name contained the character "Qing".

Empress Wuqing!

However, Lin Zhiqing was not sure if the Empress was talking about the same person, but within her knowledge, there was indeed only one person whose name contained the character "Qing".

However, what did the Empress mean by mentioning this matter?

Before she could think it through, the Empress left with her entourage.

"Respectfully seeing off Her Majesty the Empress." Lin Zhiqing watched the Empress's retreating figure, her mind filled with doubts. Even after returning to the Lin family, she kept recalling the Empress's every smile and gesture.

Today's experience was truly bizarre.

First of all, aside from a brief glimpse of the Empress in the palace, Lin Zhiqing had no interaction with her.

The Empress treated her very well at the Thousand Carp Pond today and kept extending goodwill to her.

what is this?
Could it be that the Empress also suffers from an unspeakable psychological illness?

If that's the case, why not just let Lin Zhiqing get treatment directly? Why waste so much time saying such useless things?

If it's useless?

Lin Zhiqing carefully considered every word the Empress said, and it seemed to be just some polite words.

If we had to pick one out, only two sentences have some profound meaning.

First of all, the character "Qing" in Lin Zhiqing's name is excellent, resembling a certain person.

However, this statement was too broad in its implications. Even if Lin Zhiqing guessed that the Empress might be referring to Wu Qing, he couldn't be sure, nor could he fathom its deeper meaning.

Secondly, the Empress said that one must be kind-hearted to gain a foothold in the palace.

This statement is inherently contradictory.

Logically speaking, since the emperor fell seriously ill, there have been no major disputes in the harem.

At least that's what Lin Zhiqing heard from Lu Huai.

Could it be that people with overly clever minds are not well-liked in the palace?
Does such a peaceful harem really exist?

Lin Zhiqing shook her head; this information was too disorganized.

The Empress is a rather strange person.

Could it be that she is controlled by the nanny because she is young?
Consort Xian, Consort Shu, and the others did not find it inappropriate for the old nanny to interrupt repeatedly, clearly having long been accustomed to the way the Empress and the old nanny interacted.

Is it really that simple?

Lin Zhiqing pursed her lips, knowing that she would definitely pay close attention to the Empress if given the chance next time.

But now her target is still Consort Shu.

Lin Zhiqing recalled that Consort Shu was a person who was not good at speaking. Most of the time, she did not like to speak and her every move was distant.

Perhaps after entering the palace, she closed her heart and locked away her love, losing all her passion?
With so many women in the Emperor's harem, each with a very different personality, Lin Zhiqing was already having a headache after only meeting a few.

She took a deep breath. It was a real pity that there had been no progress in her meeting with Consort Shu today.

We'll have to find another opportunity next time.

Could it be that Consort Shu has some kind of mental illness?

The moment the thought crossed Lin Zhiqing's mind, he tapped his head.

If she finds patients everywhere she goes, she should start to wonder if there's something wrong with her.

A doctor should have a compassionate heart; she shouldn't always hope that others get sick.

Thinking of all this, Lin Zhiqing sighed.

The road ahead is long and arduous; this matter must be handled gradually.

With less than ten days left until the January deadline, we need to speed things up.

Consort Xian's mental state has improved a lot recently, and Lin Zhiqing is thinking that perhaps more treatments should be conducted near Qianli Pond.

In this way, the chances of bumping into Consort Shu are also higher.

But what happens after the chance encounter? If it fails to attract the attention of Consort Shu, it will all be for naught.

Lin Zhiqing frowned. Perhaps she should find something that could attract the attention of Consort Shu.

For example... things related to the nephew of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

After all, she was a former lover, so she should carry some weight.

Thinking about all this, Lin Zhiqing secretly made a decision in her heart.