Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 318 Who instigated it?

Cheng Qian's eyelids twitched when she heard this.

After a pause, he also laughed: "Not to mention the princess and the county lady, even the three princesses, I forgot about my feelings and called them by their names directly."

"That's right! In these two palaces, which servant has more experience than your Aunt Cheng?" Tao Xingjian said with a forced smile.

The Queen Mother sighed, held her forehead and asked, "Tao Xingjian, are you finished?"

Tao Xingjian immediately stood up, crossed his hands and bowed respectfully, bowing his head and saying: "In reply to the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty has sent me to ask if it is possible for you to come forward and persuade these two.

"The Supreme Lord has loved the Northern King for half his life. If there is even a one in ten thousand chance that the Northern King can survive, Your Majesty would like to try it so that the Supreme Lord does not have to be sad.

"Now all of your majesty's arrangements are slowly being implemented, and Governor Ding is also working hard to find clues.

"If the two of you from the Northern Palace can stay at home and wait for news behind closed doors, it would be a great help."

The Queen Mother hesitated for a moment and glanced at Daiyu first.

Daiyu looked at her innocently, blinking her eyes, as if she didn't understand anything, but seemed to have said everything. Seeing the empress dowager's hesitation, she tilted her head, stuck out her tongue, and made a face.

The Queen Mother pointed at her and scolded her in a funny and angry tone: "You are really a naughty girl!"

Then he smiled at Tao Xingjian, "Okay! I'll send someone out to tell them to come to the palace tomorrow morning and I'll tell them.

"Tell the emperor that if any of the women in the family make trouble again, no matter if they are imperial edicts or anyone else, he doesn't need to care! Send them directly to the Yanjia Palace, and I will scold them to death!"

At the end, his eyes were sparkling!

Cheng Qian couldn't help but hold her forehead and advised: "Madam..."

"That's enough!" The Queen Mother rolled her eyes at her, "It's fine if you care about others, but they ignore you for my sake.

"You're still meddling in my affairs? Besides the Supreme Lord, Tao Xingjian is sitting right here. Ask him if the Emperor dares to meddle in my affairs?!

"You are bigger than the emperor!?"

It was clearly a joke, but the Empress Dowager's smile faded a little.

Tao Xingjian, Daiyu and Tanchun all looked up at Cheng Qian.

But Cheng Qian didn't seem to hear anything. She smiled bitterly and sighed, took a half step back, bent her knees deeply, bowed her head and said, "Yes, I overstepped my authority."

Then, without waiting for the Queen Mother to say anything, he straightened up and pointed back calmly, "The noodles in the kitchen are ready. Should they be served?"

The Queen Mother looked at her steadily and waved her hand: "Bring it up and serve it."

At the same time, he smiled at Daiyu, "I know you miss your uncle Tao, so go and see him off!"

Then he pointed at Qingwen and said, "It's dark, help your master."

Daiyu stood up happily and quickly bent her knees: "Yes! I promise to be back soon!"

She was so happy that she seemed to be flying. She ran to Tao Xingjian and said with a smile on her face: "Master Tao, I will take you out!"

Tao Xingjian smiled and bowed: "Thank you, Princess."

He then respectfully bowed to the Empress Dowager and took his leave, bowed to Tanchun, nodded to Cheng Qian and Aunt Meng, then took three steps back and walked out calmly.

But when he turned his head and saw Daiyu's happy smiling face, he also smiled instantly.

The Queen Mother watched from behind and couldn't help but smile. She tilted her head towards Tanchun and pointed at Tao Xingjian's back: "Look, what did I say? Once he saw his niece, his whole person blossomed!"

Tanchun watched from behind and laughed quietly, "Sister Lin is always popular. You only talk about Grand Eunuch Tao, but you don't even know that just now, when you saw Sister Lin enter the palace, your eyes lit up!"

The Queen Mother paused for a moment, and subconsciously spit at her, then couldn't help but burst into laughter: "I can hear the jealousy in your voice!"

As he said this, he hugged Tanchun and pointed his index finger at her forehead, "Little thing! You have such a little bit of brains, but you use them all to compete for favor with your sister!"

Tanchun blushed, turned around and imitated Lin Daiyu, hugged the empress dowager's waist a little stiffly, and said in a low voice: "My daughter also wants to be favored..."

"Silly girl!" The Queen Mother hugged her and coaxed her softly, "You are my daughter, and I love you the most. But now, you hide behind me, and no one dares to do anything to you.

"But your sister Lin is different. She has the Jia and Lin clans on her shoulders. Even I dare not say that I can bear the responsibility. There is no other way, I can only love her a little more.

"When you get married tomorrow, you will have a husband to protect you. But your sister Lin is in such a situation that no one can marry her. Her road ahead is long and difficult..."

As he said this, he let out a long sigh.

Tanchun agreed with this. She raised her head and asked the Empress Dowager in a low voice, "The Emperor... has no explanation?"

The Queen Mother quickly put her finger to her lips, glared at her, and shook her head to indicate that she couldn't say anything.

Tanchun understood and shut her mouth.

Cheng Qian was standing nearby and heard what the Queen Mother said earlier. She also thought it made sense and nodded unconsciously.

But she didn't hear Tanchun's last sentence, and couldn't help but come closer and ask.

The Queen Mother's smile faded a little more, and she pointed at her face and said, "I didn't sleep well last night. The mattress was not dry enough. Go and see, I have dried the quilt for me myself.

"If I still can't sleep well today, you have to go to the palace and wash clothes for me for three days. I mean what I say!"

Cheng Qian was stunned for a moment, but seeing the empress dowager's expression, she immediately took a step back, knelt down and said yes, then stepped down from the steps and walked towards the back hall.

Aunt Meng glanced at the Empress Dowager and Tanchun who were whispering together, then slowly backed away and went after Cheng Qian.

When they arrived at the back hall, they saw Cheng Qian instructing the little palace maid to warm the quilt for the empress dowager, while she herself was sitting on the fumigation basket, wondering.

Aunt Meng stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder, whispering, "The Queen Mother asked you to dry the quilt yourself, why didn't you obey?"

Cheng Qian frowned: "I haven't had this kind of job for many years! The Queen Mother just doesn't like me to interrupt her, so I won't say anything!"

"Sister Cheng, I used to be the one who always interrupted and talked nonsense, and you always scolded me in private. Why are you doing the same now?"

Aunt Meng squeezed her to sit down, looked at her slightly unhappy face, and sighed, "I am not as high-ranking as you, nor do I have the dignity you have in front of the Queen Mother.

“You and I have been sisters for many years, and you still can’t stand me sitting side by side with you.

"Then why don't you think about your own status? After all, we are all servants in the palace. Even if the princesses and county ladies are poor relatives who are not related to us at all, they are still masters!

"You said it yourself. You didn't serve them when they were growing up. Why do you call them by their titles? Just because you are the Queen Mother's trusted aunt?!

"And then feel at ease and take advantage of your favor?

"Sister Cheng, I remember that you have never been a confused person.

"So, did you listen to someone's instigation and look down on them from the bottom of your heart!?"