Chapter 615: Chapter 561: Lovesickness and Bad Taste_1
Chapter 615: Chapter 561: Lovesickness and Bad Taste_1
Yan Wentao and Yan Wenkai’s departure had little effect on the members of the Yan Family; they carried on as usual, only Daohua, Yan Zhigao, Madam Li, and Yan Zhiqiang occasionally showed a worried expression, as they knew the truth.
In the blink of an eye, March arrived.
As March came, the temperature gradually began to rise, and people started donning light and pretty dresses, with social gatherings among families becoming more frequent.
While Yan Yihuan, Yan Yishuang, and Yan Yile were so carefree they forgot all their woes, following Madam Li to social visits, Daohua listlessly hid in her courtyard.
Ever since Xiao Yeyang and her two brothers left, she often felt gloomy and uncomfortable, unwilling and too lazy to move, and couldn’t stop thinking about where they might be now or whether their journey was going smoothly whenever she had a spare moment.
One day, just like always, Daohua started training the seven puppies, but after only working with Xiaoyi and Xiao’er, she found it boring. She handed the puppies over to Bi Shi and went back to her room to lay down on the Chaise Longue, picking up a newly acquired storybook. However, only a few pages in, she felt even more suffocated and threw the book aside, resting her head on the chair and closing her eyes for a nap.
Seeing Daohua, who was languid and interested in nothing, Guyu and Lixia both became worried.
Guyu, “Is the young lady suffering from spring lethargy?”
Lixia frowned, “But it seems the young lady hasn’t been in previous years.”
Both looked to Wang Manman, and Guyu asked, “Sister Manman, do you know what’s wrong with the young lady?”
Wang Manman glanced at her mistress. What else could it be? She was lovesick.
This looked exactly like how Daohua had reacted when Brother Xiaoliu went to Beijing. At first, Daohua didn’t understand why, but once when she went to the kitchen for food and was distracted, the butler jokingly asked if she was suffering from lovesickness, and that’s when she knew she was unwell.
Fortunately, in February, Brother Xiaoliu sent a letter to the young lady, and he included one for her as well. She began to recover slowly after reading the letter.
She thought, once the Little Prince returned, her young lady would naturally get better.
“The young lady is fine; she will get better after some time. Go on with your business, and I must remind you that this is the time when the young lady is most likely to lose her temper. Don’t gather around and annoy her, or she might punish you.”
Hearing this, Guyu and Lixia quickly dispersed.
Daohua dozed on the chaise longue until noon, went to the Songhe Courtyard to have lunch with Old Madam Yan, and then came back to lie down again.
After resting for a while, she felt that she couldn’t continue this way and needed something to distract her attention, so she asked Wang Manman to bring her the account books from various estates.
“Have we finished sowing the seeds on that new ten thousand mu estate?”
Wang Manman nodded, “As soon as we got the estate last year, Brother Xiaoliu started preparing. Tenant farmers, long-term workers, and short-term workers were recruited early on, so despite the size of the estate, it didn’t delay this year’s spring farming.”
Daohua nodded and began to examine the account books closely.
Beijing, Imperial Palace.
Eunuch An lifted his eyes to the sky and then looked at the Emperor who was still engrossed in reviewing documents, took a deep breath, stepped forward with a smile, and said, “Your Majesty, it’s almost noon. The Empress Dowager sent someone over this morning to say she wishes to have lunch with Your Majesty.”
After speaking, Eunuch An stood still, looking down, saying no more.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Eunuch An thought he heard a barely audible sneer.
Just when Eunuch An’s back was about to give out from bending, the Emperor set down his pen, looked up at Eunuch An, stood up, and said, “Proceed to the Cining Palace.”
After saying this, he walked out with long strides.
Eunuch An breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly followed.
The nanny glanced at the sky and couldn’t help but ask, “Empress Dowager, should we begin serving the meal?”
The Empress Dowager sat motionless like a meditating monk, with her eyes closed and her right hand swiftly rotating prayer beads, she said indifferently, “The Emperor hasn’t arrived yet. Wait.”
No sooner had her words fallen than the eunuch announced, ‘The Emperor has arrived.’
The Empress Dowager immediately opened her eyes; the expressionless look on her face became warm and kind as she looked at the Emperor entering the hall, and she smiled, “The Emperor is here, quickly serve the meal.”
The Emperor stepped forward to salute, then gracefully took his seat, “There was an abundance of documents today, and I’ve arrived late. I hope the Empress Dowager will not take offense.”
The Empress Dowager, hearing the term of address from the Emperor, saw a spark in her eyes.
Empress Dowager, not Mother Empress. Indeed, those not of her own flesh can never be raised to feel truly close.
The Empress Dowager shook her head with a smile, “What are you talking about, Your Majesty? It is I who have delayed Your Majesty’s duties. It’s just that it’s been some time since we mother and son have seen each other. I’ve been anxious to see you, and that’s why I asked you to join me for lunch.”