Chương 71: 71. Empress Dowager tea party. Part one.

Empress Dowager Palace has been a quiet place for a long time since the present Emperor who ascended the throne to replace his father who died from the illness. Since the death of her husband, Empress Dowager closed her palace from visits or social events of the Palace which should have been ongoing. Empress Dowager took her hands off all the affairs of the Inner Palace since her son became Emperor and handed over all the authority of the Inner Palace to her son's wife through her head maid. The quarrel that occurred between Empress Dowager and the Emperor also made the Emperor not care about his mother's choice to close her palace's door from the visit of the inhabitants of the Inner Palace.

"My Imperial Mother wants to make a tea party at her Palace?" The Emperor reaffirmed the news given by the head eunuch in the Emperor's office.

"Yes, Your Majesty. This eunuch got this news directly from head maid Cu who was asked by Empress Dowager to deliver this news to you."

"Why did my Imperial Mother do this and invite my Empress to attend this tea party? The Empress needs more rest now."

The Emperor furrowed his brow, thinking in his Imperial Mother's reasons for holding this tea party. His Imperial mother not only invited Empress and the concubines, but she also invited the wives of the officials and other royal families' wives.

"This Emperor needs to meet her now!"

The Emperor rose from his seat and walked out of the study to the Dowager Empress Palace which was quite far away. The Emperor sat on a luxurious and comfortable palanquin accompanied by a group of Imperial guards and eunuchs. The movements of the servants who carried the palanquin looked swiftly and agile, they all placed the handle of the palanquin on their shoulders stably, showing that they were all experienced martial artists with internal energy.

It is not easy for the palanquin's eunuchs to be able to handle the palanquin that is ridden by the Emperor, they must be martial artists who can use movement skills and have stable internal energy so that they are not easily tired of carrying the Emperor's palanquin that the Emperor often uses to move towards to another palace which is quite far away.

"Emperor, we arrived."

Looking at the gates of the Empress Dowager Palace whose paint had begun to fade a little, the Emperor looked gloomy and sad. He had not paid attention to His Imperial Mother Palace for a long time after their big fight. When he came last time, it was already late at night so he didn't pay much attention to the Imperial Mother Palace's condition. Now coming in the daytime, allowing the Emperor to pay more attention to the situation of this old Palace.

"Send people to paint the Dowager Empress Palace again with plant paint. Ask the Head maid Cu about some repairs that can be helped for this palace."

The head eunuch who followed behind the Emperor issued some response to the orders given by the Emperor. The eunuch notice how the Emperor feels guilty looking at the old Palace where Empress Dowager stays look a little abandoned.

"Empress Dowager, the Emperor is coming to see you."

Cu Yanmi's voice; Empress Dowager head maid was heard outside the bedroom of Empress Dowager who was still sleeping. Jing Yuanmeng; The Empress Dowager opened her eyes quickly when she heard that her first son had come to visit.

"The Emperor's visiting this Dowager?!"

"Yes, Empress Dowager. Your Majesty waits in the main hall. "

"Ah, Yanmi, help this Dowager get dressed. We can't make my very busy son wait a long time."

Empress Dowager sounds enthusiastic and happy that her son is visiting again soon. This woman in her mid-forty yearned for her first son's visits who had now made up with her. This gentle woman was very fond of her two sons before, unfortunately, she had quite a big fight with her first son because of Yu Fengyan's legal wife. Despite this woman's good intentions towards her first son, Yu Fengyan was very angry at that time, causing them to have a big fight.

Cu Yanmi entered the Empress Dowager room which looked elegant and simple even though every item that decorated this room was expensive. Empress Dowager is a simple woman and does not like items that look luxurious and gaudy, so each item here looks artistic and attractive even though the price is expensive, the stuff not looks too luxurious.

Helping Empress Dowager to tidy up and dress together with other maids, Cu Yanmi looked at her mistress who still looked charming even in her forties. Naturally, the previous Emperor loved Empress Dowager a lot and never interested in other women, because this woman was wise and kind-hearted. Although Empress Dowager was kind, this woman was very strict so that she could continue to survive as an Empress in the past despite having to endure the chaos inside the Inner Palace. She never involved herself in the Inner Palace dirty schemes but she can protect her sons and herself inside the Inner Palace chaos. Her deeds make all her people amazed and worship her a lot.

"Imperial Mother."

Yu Fengyan stood up and greeted his mother who walked into the hall, a place to welcome guests at the Empress Dowager Palace. Yu Fengyan looks at his Imperial Mother robes which looks simple and elegant. His Imperial Mother never likes wearing excessive clothes like other Inner Palace's women. Her style makes the Emperor and his younger brother also dislike those things.

He recalled the reason His Imperial Mother did not particularly like luxury even though she was born into a wealthy and influential family because all members of the Jing family were families who uphold simplicity. That reason made Yu Fengyan never try to suppress the Jing clan as an Emperor.

The Jing family was not interested in being involved in the Empire's power struggles, they were all loyal and patriotic towards Zi Empire since Zi Empire was founded. Jing family members are also an influential family because all members of the Jing family have high martial arts skills and they all always take the role of guardian family for Zi Empire. The people like them and love them because of all their merit and attitude of all Jing's family members who have never arbitrarily used the Jing clan's abilities.

"What's the reason that made you come to visit this quickly, Your Majesty?"

Hearing His Imperial Mother's question, Yu Fengyan scratched his nose, embarrassed.

"Forgive me for not visiting you often since our previous big fight, Imperial Mother. Yu Fengyan was too young and emotional before to not realize Imperial Mother's good intentions towards me."

Hearing the Emperor's sincere apologies towards her, Jing Yuanmeng's gaze became very gentle towards her first son.

"It's okay, Your Majesty, this Dowager understands. This Dowager shouldn't put too much pressure on you like that before, remembering that this Dowager also does things that are not much different from what you were doing before."