On the ninth day of November, it was the empress dowager’s birthday.
All the officials offer gifts to the Empress Dowager. As long as they were high ranking officials, they can line up and personally offer the gift to the Empress Dowager. Official below 5th rank can’t see the Empress Dowager at all. They can only let the eunuch listed their gifts.
The emperor was busy with his official business but rushed to the Fuan Palace to see the Empress Dowager as soon as he finished.
Just like in the previous years, the Fuan Palace was very lively, and there were so many beautifully wrapped gifts, constantly being transported by the eunuchs to the warehouse.
“Imperial mother, this year’s birthday, looks more lively than in previous years!” The emperor entered the hall with a smile and slightly bowed to the empress dowager, who was sitting in the main seat, dressed gorgeously.
The Empress Dowager chuckled. It can be seen that she was very satisfied with her birthday this year.
“The empress has the heart. She is responsible for my birthday. I heard that she prepared for many days. She was so tired and become thin. Emperor, you have to reward her.”
The emperor smiled, but his eyes looked a bit unnatural, and he even immediately change the topic: “Is there any gift that imperial mother especially like today?”
“Yes, yes, look at this.” The Empress Dowager made a gesture to the palace maid on the side. The palace maid immediately took the red velvet box and opened it. In an instant, a beautiful and unique looking jade pendant appeared in front of the emperor.
The emperor’s complexion drastically changed. He immediately grabbed the box from the palace maid and took out the jade pendant inside to take a closer look.
“Emperor, what’s wrong with you? Is there anything wrong with this thing?” She’s the Empress Dowager, what strange treasures she hasn’t seen? But such a special jade pendant was still very rare to see, so she fell in love with it in a glance and played with it for a while.
The Emperor asked anxiously, “Where did this come from?”
The Empress Dowager said: “What’s the matter?”
The Emperor asked another question: “Who sent it?”
The Empress Dowager looked at the palace maid. The palace maid busily replied: “Answering back to his majesty, this jade pendant was sent by the Magistrate of Dongyang City.”
The Emperor immediately said to the eunuch who was with him: “Immediately announced that this person should go to the imperial study room to see me. Also, let someone go to Prince Jin’s Mansion and find Housekeeper Sun, let him bring the man in charge of the treasury in the Mansion.”
When the eunuch left, the Empress Dowager anxiously asked again: “What is going on? Why are you looking for the Housekeeper of Prince Jin’s Mansion?”
The Emperor pointed at the jade pendant in his hand and said: “This jade pendant belongs to Yan’er. How did it end up in the hands of the Magistrate? How could something that was supposed to be in the mansion of Prince Jin appear in the hands of others and be sent to you as a birthday gift?”
The Empress Dowager’s complexion also changed: “This, this is Yan’er’s thing? Didn’t you make a mistake?”
The Emperor said: “This jade pendant only has two copies in the whole world. It was Dongfang Mu who got it from an expert in the world. When I arrange a marriage for Yan’er, this jade pendant was the token. Such a thing, can I mistake it?”
It seems that it can’t be wrong. The Empress Dowager feel sorry for herself. She finally received a gift that she likes, but it turned out to be Chu Yan’s token of engagement. It seems she has no chance to get it.
The emperor didn’t stay for too long and hurriedly went away with the jade pendant.
*
Imperial Study Room
Cang Shuhang, who originally eating in the banquet with the ministers in the main hall, was invited to the imperial study room.
He was both excited and nervous inside his heart.
He just sent out his gift, could it be that the Empress Dowager already praised him in front of the emperor? And now the Emperor intends to promote him? But this is too fast! It feels like a dream, and not true at all.
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