The Noble Consort was thinking to herself, planning to test Lin Anran a little.
…
In the ancient imperial harem, not every concubine was qualified to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Only those ranked Pin or above had the right to greet her.
Likewise, only the Empress and the Four Imperial Consorts were permitted to ride in sedan chairs within the palace. The other concubines had no choice but to walk.
Lin Anran’s sedan chair led far ahead in the front. Behind her came the sedan chairs of the Noble Consort, Virtuous Consort, De Consort, and Worthy Consort in pairs, while the six Pins followed at the very back, supported by their palace maids.
Glancing behind her, Lin Anran suddenly felt as though a department head was leading subordinates to a higher executive’s office for a meeting.
The distance between the Empress’s Fengyi Palace and the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace was not far. After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived.
After everyone stepped down from their sedan chairs, they waited outside Cining Palace. A eunuch first had to announce their arrival, and only after receiving the Empress Dowager’s permission could they enter to pay their respects.
During the wait, the Noble Consort suddenly stepped forward.
“Congratulations to Your Majesty the Empress for finally reuniting with Princess Shengshi. After staying in Cining Palace for two months, I’m sure the princess must miss you dearly.”
Princess Shengshi, Luo Li, was the legitimate daughter of the current Emperor and Empress.
Because Guo Luoli had been born during the very first year of the Emperor’s reign, she had received the title “Shengshi,” meaning Prosperous Era, from birth.
Lin Anran did not want to associate with this lunatic Noble Consort, so she adhered to the principle that the more one said, the more mistakes one made. She merely gave a faint hum of acknowledgment and ignored her afterward.
Lin Anran’s unusual reaction only deepened the Noble Consort’s suspicions.
Previously, whenever Princess Shengshi was mentioned, the Empress would lose emotional control.
Having failed to probe anything, the Noble Consort smiled and asked again, “Does Your Majesty plan to bring Princess Shengshi back to Fengyi Palace today?”
In the original novel, the Empress had not only forcibly taken Princess Shengshi back to Fengyi Palace, but had also quarreled fiercely with the Empress Dowager over it, angering her so badly that she fainted on the spot.
If the Empress was also someone who had transmigrated into the novel, then knowing the plot in advance, she would surely cleverly leave Princess Shengshi in Cining Palace to avoid directly clashing with the Empress Dowager.
Lin Anran was no fool. Naturally, she could tell the Noble Consort was testing her.
Unsure of the woman’s intentions, she simply smiled faintly at her before once again looking straight ahead, clearly unwilling to engage further.
After being snubbed by Lin Anran, the Noble Consort was naturally unwilling to let the matter rest.
Just as she was about to continue probing, the Worthy Consort walked over instead.
“Why is the Noble Consort asking so many questions? Could it be you’re trying to encourage the Empress to forcibly take Princess Shengshi away and provoke the Empress Dowager into anger?”
Seeing the Worthy Consort speaking up for Lin Anran, the Noble Consort said nothing more. She merely gave a meaningful smile before walking away.
The Worthy Consort really was a mad dog, biting at anyone she saw.
After the Noble Consort left, the Worthy Consort shot Lin Anran a disdainful glare.
“I advise Your Majesty not to impulsively take Princess Shengshi away today. Otherwise, I’m afraid your position as Empress may soon come to an end.”
With that, the Worthy Consort let out a cold snort and arrogantly walked off.
Lin Anran quietly processed the information she had just obtained. After sorting through it, she reached one conclusion: forcibly taking Princess Shengshi away would result in her being deposed as Empress.
Deposed?
That absolutely would not do.
Even a deposed empress from a powerful family would inevitably meet a tragic death.
Her dream retirement life had only just begun—she had no intention of dying yet.
Before long, a eunuch returned to announce that the Empress Dowager had summoned them.
Supported by Chunhua, Lin Anran entered Cining Palace first. Led by the eunuch, she crossed the spacious courtyard and stepped into the main hall.
Following the original owner’s memories, Lin Anran imitated the proper etiquette and greeted the Empress Dowager.
“You may all rise,” came an elderly yet resolute voice.
“Thank you, Empress Dowager.”
In the Great Xia Dynasty, where hierarchy was strict, the left side held the highest honor.
With Chunhua’s support, Lin Anran sat in the seat of honor on the upper left side of the hall.
She lifted her gaze toward the head seat.
The Empress Dowager appeared to be around fifty years old. She was well-maintained and dignified in bearing. Years spent in a position of power made her seem far from gentle; instead, she carried the aura of a formidable matriarch.
Their gazes met in midair, and the Empress Dowager frowned in displeasure.
“During these two months of confinement, has the Empress properly reflected on her mistakes?”
Right from the start, the Empress Dowager gave Lin Anran a show of authority in front of all the concubines, showing no regard for the Empress’s dignity.
Everyone waited eagerly for drama, assuming Lin Anran would quarrel with the Empress Dowager again.
Instead—
“Mother Empress, this daughter-in-law has already reflected deeply and fully realized her mistakes.”
Everyone stared at Lin Anran in disbelief, even suspecting they had misheard.
The Empress had actually admitted fault for once?
The harsh reprimand the Empress Dowager had been preparing became lodged in her throat because of the Empress’s sincere apology.
“This daughter-in-law has failed Mother Empress’s expectations. I specially wrote a self-reproach letter and ask Mother Empress to review it.”
As she spoke, Chunhua took an envelope from her sleeve and handed it to the matron beside the Empress Dowager.
The matron glanced at the Empress Dowager, and only after receiving a slight nod did she accept the envelope.
When the Empress Dowager opened it and saw the densely written three pages of confession paper, her eyes widened in shock. She could hardly believe this had been written by the usually hysterical Empress.
Lin Anran felt a little smug inside.
Wasn’t it just writing a self-criticism report? What was so hard about that? Back when she worked within the bureaucracy, she had constantly been required to write all kinds of self-reflection reports. She was already an expert at it.
Lin Anran believed in bending when necessary. If a formal apology could solve the issue, then it wasn’t really an issue at all.
The Empress Dowager put away the self-reproach letter, her authority still imposing even without anger.
“Since the Empress recognizes her mistakes, has shown sincere remorse, and has promised in her confession never to repeat such errors, then this dowager shall trust the Empress once more.”
All the concubines were dumbfounded.
What exactly had the Empress written in that self-reproach letter to calm the Empress Dowager so completely?
After all, the Empress Dowager valued heirs above all else. The Empress causing the Noble Consort’s miscarriage had already crossed the Empress Dowager’s bottom line. Just two days ago, she had even demanded that the Emperor depose the Empress.
And now she was forgiven just like that?