klisemfg Chapter 218 If you can't sweep your own house, how can you sweep the world?
Chapter 218 If you can't sweep your own house, how can you sweep the world?
After seeing Su Yun off into the palace, his grandmother, Madam Mei, summoned a palace servant: "Where is the Empress Dowager?"
The palace servants were about to reprimand them when they exclaimed, "Who dares to ask about the Empress Dowager's location? This is utterly outrageous!"
The head eunuch immediately rushed over, his face full of a smile: "Madam Mei, the Empress Dowager has been feeling restless lately and is resting in Yifang Garden."
Madam Mei nodded calmly: "Take me there."
The head eunuch immediately bowed and said, "Yes!"
After Madam Mei boarded the hearse, the palace maids exclaimed in surprise, "Who is she? How could she reveal the Empress Dowager's whereabouts like that?"
The head eunuch glared at him and said irritably, "You'd better open your eyes wider, this is the old Lady of Zhenyuan Marquis!"
"Let alone seeing the Empress Dowager, even if she barged into the Imperial Study today, the Emperor would have no choice but to pardon her!"
"Whoever dares to slight the old lady, go down and apologize to the old Marquis!"
The palace maids were trembling with fear when they remembered a legend.
A female general entered the palace carrying a large sword, and no one dared to stop her...
He was upright and righteous, and he scolded the late emperor severely, causing him to rescind the decree that would make the people suffer.
The female general was not only exonerated but also commended afterward.
I never expected that I would see this female general again after decades.
"She... has aged so much!" the palace servant exclaimed in surprise.
Cultivators have long lifespans; aside from high-risk professions like emperors, living for one or two hundred years is quite easy.
Those with high cultivation can walk among humans for one or two hundred years, and then live in seclusion in the mountains for another one or two hundred years.
If their descendants are in trouble, they will return to their ancestral home to help them.
If everything is peaceful and there are no major breakthroughs, then one will pass away peacefully after experiencing everything in this world.
It's truly a pity that this female general has aged so much in just a few decades.
The chief eunuch gently shook his head: "The old lady sacrificed herself for the country, exhausting her life force. It is already a blessing from heaven that she has been able to hold on until now."
The palace maid nodded silently: "No wonder the late Emperor and His Majesty were so lenient; they knew she didn't have much time left..."
The head eunuch's eyes narrowed: "Very well, so you'll know some secrets, even the old lady of the Marquis can gossip about them?"
"Drag him away and give him eighty strokes of the cane!"
The palace servant trembled violently, his eyes filled with boundless fear: "Grandmother, spare me! Spare me!"
The same amount of caning can be applied gently or aimed at vital points.
Now that this serves as a warning to others, can I even hold out until nightfall?
The head eunuch remained unmoved, coldly watching the gossipy palace servant being dragged away.
What he didn't say was that Madam Mei was not only a heroine, but also a close friend of the Empress Dowager.
Friends are never afraid of unexpected visits.
Soon, Madam Mei met with the Empress Dowager.
Lush grasses, willows swaying in the breeze, misty lakes...
As a royal family garden, Yifangyuan is like a natural landscape painting, with extremely beautiful scenery.
The Empress Dowager stood by the lake, gazing at the vast, mirror-like surface of the water.
Time has left its mark on her face, but it has not diminished her beauty in the slightest; instead, it has added a touch of grace that comes with experience.
As Madam Mei leaned on her dragon-headed cane, she immediately spotted her close friend, who had been by her side since childhood.
Upon seeing the black phoenix robe she was wearing, he couldn't help but sigh.
This is not a modest formal suit, but a mourning garment of grief and indignation!
"Help her up, don't let her kneel." The Empress Dowager spoke calmly without turning her head.
His calm voice carried authority, yet it also put people at ease.
Even from just one word, people can understand that this is an extremely protective old man!
Granny Huang quickly helped Madam Mei up, and only then did she realize that Madam Mei's body had become lighter.
If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's prior order, Madam Mei would have already knelt down by now!
As an elderly woman who had served them for over fifty years, Granny Huang was also aware of the feelings between the two.
She couldn't help but smile wryly: "Madam, please stand there. Don't make things difficult for the Empress Dowager!"
When has the old Lady Zhenyuan ever knelt before the Empress Dowager?
Others may observe proper etiquette, but for best friends who have cherished each other since they were young, there is no need for such formalities!
But Madam Mei remained motionless, her knees still limp, determined to kneel down.
Granny Huang could also tell that things were getting serious.
Madam Mei was actually willing to sacrifice her dignity to gain the favor of the Empress Dowager.
There was no other way but to use the most humble approach to beg my friend to soften his heart.
Granny Huang smiled wryly and comforted her, "Madam, please don't be like this. We can talk about it again."
Madam Mei remained silent, but unfortunately, after exhausting her source of power, her cultivation level was no match for that of an old palace maid.
They were held up with utmost respect.
The Empress Dowager didn't even turn her head: "Kneel down, and I'll leave."
Granny Huang quickly said, "Madam, look..."
Swish!
Madam Mei stood up, leaning on her dragon-headed cane: "Xuanyi, I'm sorry."
His voice was calm, yet it was the most sincere apology from this usually stern old man.
Granny Huang was somewhat dazed. When had she ever seen this old lady so humble and subservient?
She was a heroine who dared to fight even the late emperor, and only the current empress dowager intervened and forced her to back down.
Although he stood up straight, he spoke the most humble words.
The Empress Dowager trembled and seemed slightly lost in thought.
But she quickly regained her composure, her gaze resolute once more: "You haven't wronged me; the one who should be wronging you is me."
Granny Huang's heart skipped a beat, and her palms broke out in a light sweat.
These two close friends are about to start fighting each other, waging a war with no winners.
Madam Mei was straightforward: "If you spare Yun'er, you can take everything from the Zhenyuan Marquis's mansion."
"Even the title of nobility, I can return to the imperial court."
The Empress Dowager said coldly, "My Great Qian Dynasty doesn't need another marquis."
Without hesitation, Madam Mei said, "I will trade my life for Su Yun's."
The Empress Dowager sneered: "Is it worth it? For a mere outsider..."
Madam Mei interrupted, saying slowly and deliberately, "Su Yun is my grandson."
The Empress Dowager stood with her hands behind her back, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I don't need you..."
Her voice trembled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure: "Friend."
Boom!
Granny Huang knelt down, tears streaming down her face: "Tai... Mei..."
She offered words of comfort in sorrow, but didn't know who to comfort.
The reason Madam Mei came here today is very simple: the news that the Eighth Princess was secretly harmed by Su Yun has reached the royal family.
The grandson of the Su family bewitched the granddaughter of the Qin family, which is no different from murder.
The cultivators had many methods, and the Empress Dowager didn't care how a four-year-old child could harm a successful imperial heir.
All she knew was that Su Yun had to pay with his life!
Madam Mei came to plead for Su Yun.
She knew that Emperor Qian was not the final problem, so she sent Su Yun into the palace.
He then came to find the Empress Dowager.
No grandmother could tolerate her grandchildren being harmed and losing their souls.
Both elderly women had to take action against each other's families in order to protect their own!
This is a war with no winners; whoever wins, loses in the end.
Madam Mei spoke up: "What can I do to save Su Yun?"
When the Empress Dowager turned around, people realized that this dignified and solemn old woman, who was always very serious in order to maintain the dignity of the royal family, was a model of virtue for the nation.
At this moment, tears streamed down his face: "Xiaomei, your grandson is your grandson, but my granddaughter..."
"Isn't she a granddaughter?"
Sorrow, pain, sadness, and frustration welled up from his extremely restrained words.
Which elder would want to see their children or grandchildren in trouble or framed by others?
And the one who harmed his own family was none other than his best friend from his youth.
He is that caring person who helps and supports each other through weddings, funerals, national wars, and other times.
The more the Empress Dowager listened to Madam Mei's pleas, the more heartbroken she became.
why you?
Why you of all people!
Madam Mei fell silent.
The Empress Dowager wiped her face, and her tears vanished instantly, transforming her back into the supreme ruler who embodied the dignity of the nation.
She said calmly, "Su Yun has harmed the imperial heir and must be severely punished."
"I have brought him here. Execute him immediately!"
Swish!
Madam Mei suddenly looked up: "What!"
The Empress Dowager clapped her hands, and a palace maid immediately raised a mirror.
Su Yun was being led off the carriage by another old nanny, who pointed inside: "Young master, the Empress Dowager and your grandmother are waiting inside. Please come in."
Qingman, a maid standing nearby who looked completely bewildered, also wanted to go in, but was stopped by someone: "Young master, you can go in. This is the royal hunting ground. The Empress Dowager is here, so outsiders don't need to come in."
Qingman relaxed a little when she heard that the old lady was also there, but she still couldn't be completely at ease.
She rushed home: "I need to notify my family right away... but who can I notify now?"
"Master? No way."
"Young Miss? But she doesn't listen to us."
"If only the Marquis would come out of seclusion..."
Upon seeing her reflection in the mirror, Madam Mei displayed anger for the first time: "How dare you!"
She raised her dragon-headed cane, as if to strike.
The guards from the Empress Dowager's palace all tensed up and gripped their sword hilts.
Granny Huang quickly shook her head: "Don't move!"
The guards were bewildered. The Empress Dowager was about to be assassinated; why shouldn't they move?
As expected, the Empress Dowager was not afraid at all. She stood right in the attack range of the dragon-headed cane, her neck stiff, and said, "Go ahead and hit me."
"Kill me, and your grandson will have a chance to live."
Old Madam Mei held her cane, her body as silent as a cast-iron statue.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths...
After a long while, for the first time, Madam Mei showed a sense of dejection, as if she had lost control of the situation.
With a thud, he slammed his cane on the ground: "What do you want me to do to let Su Yun go?"
“He…he is a man of great fortune, even the Emperor knows that.”
"Su Yun's death is nothing but harm to the Great Qian Dynasty!"
She was at her wit's end; the Empress Dowager was fiercely protective of her offspring and would never let her off easily.
Reasoning doesn't work now, and sentimentality doesn't count either.
Madam Mei could only resort to grand pronouncements that were beneficial to the nation and its people, trying to find some angles to defend herself.
The Empress Dowager scoffed, "What good would it do for the Great Qian Dynasty if my granddaughter died?
"She is widely recognized as the Eighth Prince by the common people!"
Madam Mei remained silent; the Eighth Princess indeed had an excellent reputation.
He was extremely skilled in both domestic affairs and military command, and repeatedly made outstanding contributions.
In every aspect, his abilities even surpass those of the Crown Prince.
Many in the court speculated that Emperor Qian might later establish a new crown prince and replace him with an empress.
But now, all the speculation has come to nothing.
The Eighth Princess's soul was extracted, and she is now in a daze and has become a useless person.
The Empress Dowager lost not only a granddaughter, but also a beloved junior with outstanding achievements and extraordinary abilities.
Madam Mei seemed to have lost all her strength, and for the first time in decades, she showed a pleading look in her eyes: "Is there really no room for negotiation?"
The Empress Dowager's heart skipped a beat, but she still said firmly, "Yes, didn't you say he was beneficial to the country and the people?"