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“Grandmother, I understand!” Qu Moying said obediently.

It was important to explain this matter clearly to the Old Lady, to prevent any unnecessary trouble caused by others.

If the Old Lady knew, it would be equivalent to Qu Zhizhen knowing as well.

If someone wanted to interfere in this matter, it would become inconvenient. The shop falling into Qu Moying’s hands was beneficial for the Qu Mansion, and Qu Zhizhen would not let go easily.

Regardless of how it appeared, the transfer of the shop was willingly accepted by Madam Duan, and even if someone had objections, they couldn’t say much. Qu Moying’s identity destined her to be a reasonable candidate for the transfer, even if it meant Earl Ling’an’s Mansion suffered a loss.

After finishing the discussion about this matter, Qu Moying brought up the topic of Dowager Consort Qu’s condition to the Old Lady, explaining the incident of her chance encounter with the Lord Wei, Pei Qingmin. She provided a clear account of the situation.

Whatever the Lord Wei had in mind, she would deal with it carefully.

“Dowager Consort Qu is ill?” The Old Lady asked urgently, sitting up straight.

“Yes, that’s what I heard. Grandmother, should I go to the palace to visit Dowager Consort Qu?” Qu Moying asked.

“Yes, of course you should go.” The Old Lady replied emphatically. She pressed her hand on the table, looking somewhat uneasy. “Dowager Consort Qu allowed you to visit her in the palace anytime, but of course you can’t actually go anytime. Let Granny Yan deliver the note first and wait for the news from the palace before going in.”

Entering the palace required submitting a note in advance, and only after receiving permission from the person in charge could one be granted access. Although Qu Moying had previously received a special exception from Dowager Consort Qu, the Old Lady still wanted her to follow the rules when entering the palace.

As for the phrase “anytime,” it had to be used at the most appropriate moment. Qu Moying couldn’t let herself be complacent and think she could go whenever she pleased, as it could lead to trouble.

“Grandmother, according to Lord Wei, the emperor attaches great importance to Dowager Consort Qu’s illness. He even brought many required medicinal herbs into the palace.” Qu Moying asked tactfully, hoping to tap into the Old Lady’s experience to understand the reason behind this.

The Old Lady’s expression grew somber. Dowager Consort Qu had indeed been low-key, but the Old Lady was aware of it since Dowager Consort Qu shared the same surname.

The emperor’s special attention and the abundance of medicinal herbs surprised her. Considering Qu Moying’s words, she pondered the past events, but couldn’t identify a reason why Dowager Consort Qu would receive such significant attention from the emperor.

The palace was different from the outside world, and the Old Lady, although not well-informed, relied on her age and experience.

“I am not sure why the emperor places such importance on Dowager Consort Qu, but Dowager Consort Qu was indeed a concubine of the late emperor. However, she was not particularly favored. As for why the emperor values Dowager Consort Qu so highly, it may be because she once showed kindness to him!” The Old Lady spoke slowly, offering the only reason she could think of.

Kindness? Was that a sufficient reason? Did the emperor need an old consort to show him favor? She heard that the emperor ascended to the throne at a young age and had enjoyed smooth sailing all these years.

Qu Moying questioned, unable to comprehend the situation. She quietly observed the Old Lady, waiting for her analysis. There were many things she didn’t fully understand due to her young age and limited knowledge.

“I’ve heard… that Dowager Consort Qu had a close relationship with the emperor’s Paramount Empress,” The Old Lady hesitated for a moment, lowering her voice to enlighten her young granddaughter. However, she added, “I’m not entirely sure if it’s true. It was something I overheard by chance.”

“The Paramount Empress? I heard that she died in the cold palace?” Qu Moying’s curiosity grew.

The empress was a forbidden subject within the palace. Crown Prince Pei Luo’an had repeatedly warned Ji Hanyue not to mention the Paramount Empress when meeting the Empress. It was even forbidden to discuss her anywhere else in the palace, to prevent rumors from spreading and potential trouble from arising.

These were the instructions Crown Prince Pei Luo’an had given when Qu Moying first entered the palace as the future Crown Princess. Reflecting on it now, Qu Moying found it all rather puzzling. She didn’t quite understand the underlying reasons. When she asked Pei Luo’an about it at the time, he remained silent with a solemn expression, and she didn’t press further.

“The empress’s name was He, and her relationship with the emperor was extraordinary… But later, she became entangled in some accidents, leading to her confinement in the cold palace, where she eventually died.” The Old Lady sighed.

“Is it true that Noble Consort He entered the palace because of the empress?” Qu Moying inquired.

Previously, she hadn’t paid much attention, and she even thought Noble Consort He was a good person for voluntarily entering the palace to take care of her ailing sister from the clan. But now, considering Ji Youran’s involvement, it seemed that everything about caring for her sick sister and subsequently being forced to stay in the palace was essentially a facade.

It was all a deceptive illusion.

Whether it was Ji Youran or Noble Consort He, they were merely leveraging a good reputation. It was likely that Noble Consort He had some connection to the empress being sent to the cold palace.

Qu Moying never could have imagined that her trusted sister would eventually wield a bloody dagger against her. The thought made her empathize deeply.

“That’s what they say, but after that, Noble Consort He remained in the palace. The emperor issued an edict, and afterward, the Paramount Empress had an incident and was sent to the cold palace. I’m not quite sure about the details. Your father hadn’t passed the examination at the time, and I couldn’t inquire about the palace affairs.”

The Old Lady sighed again.

“The empress didn’t give birth to a royal prince?” Qu Moying continued to ask now that they were alone.

“No, she didn’t have any children. When the empress entered the palace, her family was affected by the chaos caused by the rebellion of the three lords. Once the forces behind her dwindled, the current empress and other noble daughters entered the palace,” The Old Lady explained, recalling some information she had pieced together later.

Qu Moying felt a sense of pity for this empress.

Although a royal prince, regardless of which consort gave birth to him, had the potential for the throne, even if he isn’t born to the empress, it wouldn’t be an issue.

However, the empress, who didn’t bear any children, witnessed others giving birth one after another, and in the end, she was sent to the cold palace. Her life was filled with sorrow and hardship.

On the other hand, Noble Consort He, who shared the same surname, climbed to a higher position using the empress as a steppingstone. Although the emperor may have felt some remorse toward the empress, that remorse was not directed at her. Instead, it benefited the cunning Noble Consort He.

Even if this empress were in the depths of the underworld, she would never forgive the emperor.

“Why did Emperor value Dowager Consort Qu because of Paramount Empress?” Qu Moying suppressed her sigh and changed the subject again.

“I’m not sure, it could be, or it could not be. I heard that the emperor still keeps her palace. There are rumors among the common people that the emperor cares most about Paramount Empress. But even so, what does it matter? She didn’t leave any children, and now she has already passed away.”

The Old Lady spoke, filled with sighs.

When Paramount Empress entered the palace, The Old Lady had not yet arrived in the capital. She only heard that Paramount Empress was incredibly beautiful and came from a prominent family. She had a close childhood relationship with the emperor. However, her family faced troubles, and their main lineage was wiped out. Later, Paramount Empress was confined to the cold palace.

The Old Lady believed that even without anyone plotting against her, Paramount Empress would have still felt depressed and miserable in such circumstances.

How long could she have endured? She had lost her family, had no children to carry on her lineage, couldn’t even see her husband’s face, and was constantly surrounded by scheming women in the palace. There was no way out for her.

“Grandmother, should I go and visit Dowager Consort Qu, then?” After hearing the Old Lady discuss Paramount Empress’s situation, Qu Moying could only sigh inwardly and return to the previous topic.

“Both morally and reasonably, you should go and visit Dowager Consort Qu. However, if you go to the palace, only visit Dowager Consort Qu’s palace. Don’t go anywhere else without an official summons.” The Old Lady nodded, contemplating for a moment before cautiously giving instructions.

Although Prince Yun held power and influence, it was still the imperial palace. If anything were to happen to Qu Moying in the palace, the Old Lady didn’t believe that Prince Yun would be overly concerned.

If possible, she would rather Qu Moying be a regular wife of an ordinary family, unlike the current situation.

But now she couldn’t make that decision.

“Grandmother, don’t worry, I understand.” Qu Moying nodded and promised.

Since the conversation with the Old Lady had already concluded, Qu Moying didn’t linger. She bid farewell to the Old Lady and returned to her Qianyue House.

Meanwhile, the Old Lady sat on a chair, frowning, remaining silent for a long time.

Granny Wu, observing her expression, knew that she was worried about Dowager Consort Qu’s situation. So, she offered a reminder, “Madam, you can discuss this matter with Second Master. He may know more about it than you do.”

The Old Lady appreciated Granny Wu’s suggestion, hoping that the Fourth Lady could visit the ailing Dowager Consort Qu since she didn’t have any close relatives around. However, she was concerned about the potential trouble it might bring in the palace, hence her worries.

“Very well!” The Old Lady nodded.

Granny Wu went to the study outside to find Qu Zhizhen, who happened to be present. Upon hearing that the Old Lady wanted to speak to him about an important matter, he immediately put down what he was doing and headed to the inner courtyard.

After they were seated in the main room, the Old Lady recounted everything about Qu Moying’s recent incident. Qu Zhizhen’s brows furrowed as he listened.

“Zhizhen, do you think it’s safe for Moying to go to the palace?” The Old Lady expressed her concerns.

“Is it Lord Wei who mentioned this matter to Moying?” Qu Zhizhen asked, his face serious. In reality, the Old Lady had already explained everything clearly, but he had some doubts.

Lord Wei was known for his refinement and indifference. He never involved himself in palace affairs. Moreover, considering his frail health, he wouldn’t have the ability to do so even if he wanted. Why would he specifically mention such trivial matters to Qu Moying?

Although this matter might not be trivial for others, for Lord Wei, it truly was inconsequential.

He was a wealthy and idle prince. Regardless of which future emperor ascended the throne, it would not have any impact on him. Keeping a brother who posed no threat had tremendous benefits for the reputation of the next emperor.

Hence, the other imperial princes treated him well.

When Qu Moying spoke to the Old Lady earlier, she deliberately omitted certain words that implied Pei Qingmin’s intentions. In her perspective, it seemed like the Lord Wei encountered Qu Moying and kindly brought up this matter.

“It was the Lord Wei who mentioned it. It must have been when he saw Moying that he recalled this matter. When she was still in the palace, she had once met the Lord Wei,” the Old Lady explained with certainty.

Qu Zhizhen accepted this explanation.

“If Dowager Concubine Qu is truly ill and this message comes from Lord Wei, then we must certainly go and visit. Mother, don’t worry, nothing will go wrong. Once Moying is ready, I will have someone deliver a note to the palace, requesting an audience with Dowager Concubine Qu.” Qu Zhizhen said. This method was more reliable than Qu Moying personally delivering the note to the palace.

“Very well, let’s proceed with that plan. I will prepare the gifts and also ask Moying to prepare something heartfelt. It doesn’t need to be precious, only meaningful.” The Old Lady replied.

The two of them discussed the details of Qu Moying’s visit to the palace to see Dowager Concubine Qu. Afterward, Qu Zhizhen returned to the outer courtyard.

However, while he was halfway there, he suddenly saw his eldest daughter, Qu Qiuyan, approaching in a furious state. What could have caused another disturbance? Qu Zhizhen stopped in his tracks, feeling displeased.