Chapter 99: The Wedding

  Mrs. Lin stepped forward and paid her respects to the Empress Dowager, saying with reverence: "The Empress Dowager's kindness is boundless, I have brought my two maidservants to express our gratitude."

  Lin Zhaoyan and Lin Xingyan also hurriedly knelt down, saying a string of flattering and thankful words.

  The empress slowly rose from her chair, slightly raised her hand, "Everyone get up!"

  Mrs. Lin stood up first, followed by Lin Zhao Yan and Lin Xing Yan.

  The empress dowager sat firmly on the high platform, her sharp phoenix eyes scanning Lin Xiang's words below, "Your family's Seventh Girl is clever and elegant, steady and courteous, just like Little Six in the past. From now on, following Ah Jia by my side can also comfort Ah Jia's longing."

  Old Lady Lin smiled and said, "Qī Niángzi has been well-liked by everyone in the mansion for her humility and good manners. Now that she has entered the empress dowager's sight, it must be the blessing of her past life."

  Lin Xing's eyes lit up, and she also replied loudly: "Xiao Nu thanks the Empress Dowager for her appreciation. From now on, Xiao Nu will definitely serve the Empress Dowager wholeheartedly."

  The empress dowager nodded her head in satisfaction.

  This girl is very good, although she is a concubine-born daughter, there isn't a bit of petty-mindedness on her body, but she also has the ambition and discontent of a concubine-born daughter. With proper guidance and utilization, she will definitely become a great assistant in the future.

  "Since she's going into the palace, her status needs to be changed. After all, she's taken Little Six's place, and in the imperial family, there can't be any children with low status."

  This refers to Lin Xiangru's humble origins.

  The princess's illegitimate child is different from that of a noble family. Even if the princess has an illegitimate child, it is still the emperor's child, with a noble bloodline, and cannot be denied.

  A member of the nobility who is born out of wedlock, to put it bluntly, is even inferior to some favored palace maids by the princess's side.

  Lin Xingyan's illegitimate status must be changed.

  Old Lady Lin fully understood the meaning of the Empress Dowager, and she also planned to put Lin Xiang's name under Liu's name. After all, it was just a girl, and it didn't cause any substantial harm to Liu either, so she had no reason not to agree.

  "My wife understands and will start making arrangements today."

  The empress dowager nodded in satisfaction.

  Lin Xing's eyes lit up again.

  Lin Zhaoyan couldn't help but secretly sneer, the Empress Dowager had given Lin Xingyue so much glory today, and in the future she would reap just as much suffering.

  That dream is definitely more than just a dream.

  "Yuehua has been much better lately, and it's been a long time since you've seen her, Lin old lady. Why not go see her tonight to comfort your mother-daughter longing?"

  The Empress Dowager let Lin Lao Tai Tai go see Jing Fei in such a humane way, making Lin Lao Tai Tai herself stunned for a moment. However, she was not foolish enough to decline, so she hastily thanked her and followed the palace maid out of the grand hall.

  Without the accompaniment of Old Lady Lin, Lin Xingyan was so nervous that she didn't know what to do. She tried her best to think of a topic that could be chatted about and would make the Empress Dowager have a better impression of her. Just then, she heard the Empress Dowager say: "Xingyan."

  "The little girl is here!" Lin Xingyan hastily stood up, looking at the empress dowager with full expectation. "Whatever you need, just give orders, I will definitely do my best to accomplish it."

  She has already integrated herself into the imperial palace and considers herself a member of the Empress Dowager's family.

  But this positive and determined attitude looks like a maid who has come for an interview.

  The several palace maids standing beside the empress dowager could not help but lower their heads and laugh.

  Lin Xingyan was still unaware, and continued to look at the Empress Dowager with excitement and anticipation.

  The empress dowager smiled slightly, "Eh, don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunities for this kind of thing later. You've never been to the imperial palace before, and since you'll be living here from now on, it's essential that you familiarize yourself with the layout of the palace. Rather than waiting for a suitable day, why not let a few palace maids accompany you to explore Cining Palace today?"

  The night grew darker, and although the palace had hung lanterns everywhere, it was still so dim that one couldn't make out the scenery. Choosing to go out at this time to observe the terrain was truly an excuse and a joke.

  The Empress Dowager obviously wanted to get rid of Lin Xingyan.

  Lin Xingyan was however excited and confused, thinking that he could live in the palace from now on and would be able to rise to prominence, so he happily agreed, and under the leadership of the palace maid, like a proud peacock with its feathers fully open, he walked out of the grand hall with his head held high.

  In the grand hall, only the Empress Dowager and Lin Zhao Yan were left.

  Lin Zhaoyan remained silent and stood still in the temple, from the beginning to now, she only said those necessary words as a matter of routine, and didn't say another word.

  She was nervous in her heart, and the reminder of Fang Gonggong's words was still in her ears. The Empress Dowager would not have made her a county master for no reason, and she must be here to resolve her confusion now.

  As expected, when she took her third breath, the Empress's voice, like a morning bell and an evening drum, slowly echoed in the great hall, "An Yang..."

  Anyang

  It's not Lin Zhaoyan, nor is it Si Yatou, but rather Anyang, the master of Anyang County.

  Lin Zhaoyan had a moment when she almost didn't dare to confirm whether the Empress Dowager was calling her, and instead lowered her head, staring intently at the shiny and transparent South Pearl on her shoe.

  Young ladies in Shengjing City are currently in the fashion of adorning their shoes with a single pearl from Dong or Nan to show off their status, which is a trend that came from the wealthy regions of Jiangnan two years ago.

  The sisters of the Hou Mansion also followed suit, taking the pearls they had collected and having them sewn onto their clothes by skilled maids. Wearing their curved-hemmed skirts and sleeves, as they walked, the pearls would occasionally catch the light, looking particularly charming.

  Lin Zhaoyan had never messed with this kind of thing before. As long as she didn't think about it, no one else would either.

  Until recently, Lin old lady was afraid that she would be summoned into the palace frequently, and didn't want the empress to discover that the Hou Mansion had been treating her harshly. She sent over a set of beautiful clothes, as well as a full set of embroidered shoes for spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with each pair adorned with a top-quality southern pearl.

  Walking outside, no one would believe she was so underappreciated in the mansion.

  Thinking of this, Lin Zhaoyan smiled wryly, who said she didn't get any benefits from the empress dowager?

  Superior attention always brings infinite benefits.

  But behind this benefit will be handcuffs and shackles, a sea of blood and bones.

  "Come closer, I have something to discuss with you in detail."

  Lin Zhaoyan did not dare to refuse, she straightened her body, lifted the hem of her skirt with a subtle movement, and walked step by step towards the palace.

  On both sides of the sleeping palace stood rows of goose-yellow lanterns with a soft and lustrous glow, casting a colorful glow throughout the room. The two southern pearls on her shoe head reflected dazzling light, piercing deeply into the eyes.

  The empress sat at the front of the hall, narrowing her eyes as she looked at her. The thirteen-year-old little girl had a thin and weak body, and through her lowered head, one could clearly see her tightly pursed pale lips. However, every step she took was extremely steady, without a hint of panic.

  She suddenly remembered that fourteen years ago, the woman chosen by fate was also like this. Although she was terrified, she said in a firm and resolute tone: "Let them go, I'll take full responsibility."

  A weak woman can still do this, she really thinks that those men who sacrifice women for power and status are hypocritical and disgusting to the extreme!

  Is there an emperor who has never plotted against his pillow companion?

  The Empress Dowager thought of the previous emperor, in order to prevent the external relatives from dominating the government, she provoked a dispute between the Qin and Gu families, balancing each other, as a result, she indeed suppressed the Gu family, but also buried the life of her most beloved woman.

  She, Qin Shi, has never been a ruthless person, otherwise she would not have let her son survive until now, nor would she have sent him to the sealed land of Longxi, just to keep him away from disputes and prevent him from being killed by his loved ones like his mother.

  Now she wants to send her son's "guilt" to him, he should understand her kindness and treat it well, shouldn't he?

  The empress dowager smiled faintly, her smile tinged with a hint of bitterness.

  She stepped on the bones of the dead to sit in this position, but as she grew older, her heart became softer and softer...

  "Empress Dowager." Lin Zhao's soft and gentle voice called back the Empress Dowager's thoughts, she raised her eyes and saw a delicate and elegant girl standing neatly by her side.

  "Good child." The empress smiled and unconsciously took her hand.

  Lin Zhaoyan's body trembled slightly.

  "Don't be afraid." The empress patted her hand gently and comforted, "You don't have to be afraid, I won't harm you."

  Lin Zhaoyan bit her lip and responded in a low voice, "Yes."

  Whether it was Lu Yan's ambiguity towards her or the Empress Dowager's fondness for her, she felt as if she were in a fog, unable to see or touch anything clearly.

  The empress patiently explained, "I know you're a low-key and introverted child who doesn't like to compete with others. You must think that I've wronged you by making you the county mistress, but can you think of this point? Could it be that I haven't thought of it?"

  Lin Zhaoyan was at a loss for words for a moment.

  The empress dowager continued: "Keeping you in the marquis's residence would certainly invite jealousy and trouble, but what if we let you leave Shengjing? Leaving Shengjing, leaving the marquis's residence, far away from all these people and things, you can start your life anew."

  "Your Majesty!" Lin Zhao Yan's eyes widened in incredulity as he stared at the Empress Dowager.

  Empress Dowager, is this about sending her out of Shengjing?

  Although she was not favored in the Marquis's residence, she had her most beloved family members there. She had Man Shuang and Man Hua, as well as her father and mother, and also her younger sister who didn't understand things yet and needed to be reminded by others!

  She can't leave Shengjing!

  "Your Majesty, I don't want to leave Shengjing, I don't want to start a new life. I'm content with things as they are!" Lin Zhaoyan almost said all this in one breath, she was really afraid that the Empress Dowager would take it upon herself to send her away.

  "Are you satisfied with just a specially made dress and headdress?" Empress Dowager said.

  Lin Zhaoyan's eyes widened even more, her hands clutching the half-exposed sleeve of her cloud-patterned brocade robe that hadn't had time to be embroidered with flowers, the fear in her heart growing thicker.

  The empress knew she was out of favor, and that these magnificent clothes were hastily made for her. She pitied herself, so she wanted to send her away to a new place to live a carefree and happy life?

  If it weren't for Lin Chen and those people she still had feelings for, she would have agreed without hesitation.

  But there is no if.

  "Satisfied. As long as she can be by her father's and mother's side, the little girl is satisfied, with no other desires."

  "Even if it's just getting you married, would you be unwilling?"

  Lin Zhaoyan didn't react for a moment and stared blankly at Taohou.

  Actually, there aren't few people who truly love and care for Zhao Yan from the bottom of their hearts~