"He... he... he..."
Empress Dowager Xiao was furious, her eyes wide as she watched the young Emperor leave with quick strides.
"He’s being defiant!"
Nanny Xiao was so scared that she shivered, kneeling at Empress Dowager Xiao’s feet. "Your Majesty, calm your anger. The Emperor is young and playful; his desire for freedom is understandable."
"He’s still young? He’s already almost twenty-five! Which of the Noble Families and high-ranking officials outside the Palace didn’t start looking for matches for their children at fourteen or fifteen, having them married and with children by seventeen or eighteen!" Empress Dowager Xiao was so angry she wanted to slam the table.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor is no ordinary child! He is the Son of Heaven; how can his marriage be treated lightly? Besides, didn’t the National Master say last year that the Emperor’s Hongluan Star hasn’t moved yet, and he hasn’t met the future Empress? Your Majesty, why not heed the National Master’s words and wait patiently? Once the Emperor’s Hongluan Star moves, won’t you be closer to holding a grandchild?"
Nanny Xiao was an old servant by Empress Dowager Xiao’s side. She was rational, and having doted on the young Emperor since he was a child, she often mediated the conflicts between him and the Empress Dowager.
Upon hearing her words, Empress Dowager Xiao felt somewhat appeased.
"Your words are sensible. In that case, find an opportunity to invite the National Master to me. I want to ask him, when exactly will the Emperor’s Hongluan Star move? If the future Empress never meets His Majesty, is my imperial son to never marry and establish an Empress?"
Empress Dowager Xiao vented her anger, and Nanny Xiao worked to quell it.
"Yes, yes, yes! The Emperor’s delay in establishing an Empress and selecting consorts is all the National Master’s fault. If he hadn’t said that the Emperor’s Hongluan Star hasn’t moved and that His Majesty hasn’t met the future Empress, the Emperor wouldn’t be constantly going to cry before the late Emperor. It’s all that accursed old National Master’s fault! When I have him invited, you can scold him to your heart’s content. If that’s not enough, you can punish him, or even have the Emperor dismiss him from his position as National Master!"
"Enough, you’re the only one who knows how to cheer this old woman up. The National Master is an enlightened sage from Tianji Pavilion, having come down from the mountain to experience the world. Our Great Han Dynasty was incredibly fortunate to secure his service; how could we possibly drive him away? By the way, isn’t it said that the Emperor conferred the title of Princess on someone outside the Palace? Why didn’t His Majesty bring her back to the Palace?" Empress Dowager Xiao suddenly remembered this and asked Nanny Xiao with curiosity.
"This old servant has inquired about this matter from those around His Majesty. Your Majesty, do you know who returned to the capital with the Emperor today?" As Nanny Xiao mentioned this, her face was full of joy.
"Oh! Who is it? Seeing your expression, it couldn’t be someone you know, could it?"
"Oh, my Empress Dowager! This person isn’t just an acquaintance of this old servant; they are a pillar of our Great Han Dynasty, the orphan of the late Old General Ji. Old Madam Ji and her sons and daughters-in-law are here! It’s said that apart from the eldest son of the Ji Family and his wife, everyone else has returned."
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiao was at first stunned, then overjoyed.
"Is this really true? Old Madam Ji has returned? And her family? Has her daughter Xi’Er returned? Let me tell you, that Ji Xi’Er is about the same age as the Emperor. Back then, I wanted to arrange a marriage contract between her and the Emperor, but I was forcefully stopped by the late Emperor and the General."
When Ji Xi’Er was mentioned, Nanny Xiao’s expression stiffened, and she then sighed. "Your Majesty, you had best not get your hopes up. Do you know who the adopted daughter His Majesty took in from outside is?"
"Who is it? I completely forgot to ask the Emperor about this just now. Oh dear, I’m really getting old and becoming useless. I’ve been so forgetful lately."