Meeting Empress Dowager pt2

The remark made Zhao Xing's heart sink. What did the Empress mean by what she said? In the end she could only play dumb.

"Thanking Empress Dowager for the praise."

The Empress Dowager seemed to have totally lost interest in her. She scoffed, making Zhao Xing flinch a little.

'Not good, not good, if she gets suspicious how should I handle her?'

Zhao Xing was afraid she would ask questions she wouldn't be able to answer. She could only silently pray that everything would go smoothly.

"Yang'er is the grandson I'm most proud of, before his biological mother passed on, she had asked me to take care of him. Then I was much younger, and had the strength to do so, but now the increase in age has weakened my strength both in the harem and in the court, what I can do, I will definitely do it, I only hope that Yang'er lives a long life in good health."

Zhao Xing secretly glanced at the woman sitting on her high seat.

'Why is she telling me this?'

She didn't have time to think too much, because the Empress Dowager changed the topic.

"I heard you've been conferred the title of noble princess, people are talking about it all over, it only just happened yesterday, news sure travels fast." The Empress Dowager looked at the prayer beads she had in her hand, her expression as cold as ever.

Zhao Xing could only smile. Though she could clearly feel how nervous she was.

'If Zhang Zhengyang doesn't hurt me, the fourth prince doesn't poison me to death, then if she messed up today the Empress Dowager could have her head rolling in the next second.'

The eyes of Empress Dowager lifted as she stared at her.

"In the future come and visit this old one often, Zhengyang said he would arrange a teacher to teach you how to read and write, you're from the mountains, and must not know how to write, a noble princess of our empire not knowing how to read or write wouldn't make us look good at all. I would like to see by myself how much progress you would make in a little time."

'What is this old lady talking about?!' She could read and write perfectly well ok? Her scores in Chinese weren't bad ok? How could she look down on her like that?

Even though she knew it was normal for a girl that had lived in the mountains all her life to be illiterate, the way this old woman put it made her look bad, as if she was intentionally insulting her. She even said she wanted to monitor her, and made sure she made progress. Was she trying to say she lied about only just learning etiquette?

It was clearly her that was praising her, she never said she was a genius!

But Zhao Xing humbly replied, "This one would definitely do her best as to not embarrass Empress Dowager and the country."

The old lady scoffed once more. Zhao Xing could only smile fawningly and continue to act stupid. After all, she was a poor peasant girl that lived in the mountains since childhood, she couldn't be too smart, no?

Zhao Xing got stabbed time and time again the time she spent with the Empress Dowager.

The old woman was really talkative. She was expecting her to act like in the dramas, say she's tired and that she wanted to rest, after a while but she didn't, she dragged her to have lunch and made remarks on how she carried herself. The worst thing was that she couldn't say anything to defend herself. This was the nation's grandmother, if she hurt this ancestor she was afraid of losing her head. She couldn't turn to anyone for help. Even Nuo Nuo who stood beside her couldn't do anything but bow her head and act invisible. Zhao Xing was sure that even the wise and clever Nuo Nuo was intimidated by her. Her aura was indeed frightening. Zhao Xing felt stupid for thinking that this place felt calm and peaceful. She even had a hunch that the Empress Dowager was one that loved to talk and discuss like those aunties in her world, but since she didn't have anyone to talk with, she was called here so she could vent her frustrations. If not, how come she had the energy to criticize so much? She even had the guts to say she aged and had no more strength?!

If she still had so much energy at this age, she didn't dare imagine the amount she had had when she was younger.

By the time she could have a breather she sat exhausted in the carriage that was to bring her home still arranged by the Empress Dowager. At least she could be considerate.

As she sat in the carriage she wondered if the Empress Dowager had discovered something and was indirectly warning her. But for her to directly tell her that Zhang Zhengyang was her favorite among all the princes it must be that she really, really treasured this grandson of hers. She wondered why, the imperial family was already so complicated, things like affection was mostly measured by the amount of interests one could gain from the other party. But from the information she got, the Emperor currently seemed to favor the fourth prince more, if it was the aspect of being favored that Zhang Zhengyang had lost, then why else was the Empress Dowager mentioning this was it a test? Was she deliberately testing her? The Empress Dowager also mentioned how the late empress had asked her to take care of Zhang Zhengyang. This would mean the relationship between them must have been a special one.

The Empress didn't say anything about her saving the Crown Prince. Did she not believe it? Was she already suspecting her that much?

All the thinking made her feel dizzy. It was really hard talking to those in power. When she gets back to the Crown Prince's manor she'd definitely get even with that unreliable man surnamed Zhang.