Chapter 52: Her Father, the Flatterer

When Xue Qinghe was supported out by her maid Qiu Xin, she coincidentally ran into Xue Qingyin walking out.

The moment Xue Qinghe moved, her head spun.

Xue Qingyin wasn’t much better off; she walked step by step with difficulty, looking even more pitiable than Xue Qinghe.

Xue Qinghe’s expression flickered briefly as she wondered for a moment if Xue Qingyin was doing it on purpose.

“I asked someone to call you out. Today, you and I are entering the palace together,” Xue Qingyin announced.

Xue Qinghe looked up in surprise.

“Are you feeling better?” Xue Qingyin asked.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Xue Qinghe lowered her head and replied, “Yes, better.”

She didn’t say another word.

Xue Qingyin also felt awkward and decided to drop the matter.

“Miss Xue.”

A slender woman stood beside a nondescript gray carriage, calling softly and drawing everyone’s attention.

Xue Qinghe didn’t even need to think; the call was clearly for her elder sister.

Sure enough, the woman approached Xue Qingyin and asked with a smile, “Miss Xue, have you finished the medicine?”

Xue Qingyin immediately recognized who had sent her.

Who else could it be but King Xuan?

Xue Qingyin felt a bit puzzled.

Why was King Xuan sending someone now?

Could it be to escort her to the palace?

Suppressing her confusion, she replied with a smile, “There’s still plenty left—enough for three more rounds of riding.”

The woman couldn’t help but laugh. “Miss Xue is quite the amusing one.”

This confirmed it further—she was indeed sent by King Xuan.

The woman spoke softly, “I am Wanxia, a maidservant from the Empress Dowager’s side. I was ordered to escort Miss Xue to the palace banquet.”

The people behind Xue Qingyin were shocked.

First, it was the Golden Sparrow Princess, then the Zhao Duke’s estate, and now…the Empress Dowager herself had sent someone?

What kind of luck did their eldest lady have?

Little did they know, Xue Qingyin herself was just as baffled.

She wondered silently: Wasn’t she supposed to be sent by King Xuan? How had this turned into a summons from the Empress Dowager?

“Miss Xue, don’t just stand there; let’s talk in the carriage,” urged the maid Wanxia.

Xue Qingyin took two steps forward, then stopped and called back, “Qinghe, come along.”

Xue Qinghe hesitated, too scared to move or even meet the maid’s eyes.

If the summon was specifically for Xue Qingyin, how could she tag along?

She feared the maid might say something harsh, or worse, that Xue Qingyin had brought her out to humiliate her on purpose.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Xue Qingyin asked when she noticed her sister frozen in place.

Xue Qinghe didn’t know how to respond.

Wanxia, perceiving her unease, said simply, “Please.”

Relieved by the maid’s politeness, Xue Qinghe finally moved hesitantly to stand beside her sister.

The tale progresses as they arrive at the palace, where Xue Qingyin’s peculiar treatment sparks further intrigue.
The Empress Dowager observes everything through a hidden window, plotting to test Xue Qingyin’s worthiness as a potential match for King Xuan. What follows is a web of court politics, subtle manipulations, and the unfolding mysteries surrounding Xue Qingyin’s family background and its impact on her future.

“Let them sit for a while.” After the Empress Dowager said this, she ordered someone to close the dark window and stop observing.

“His Royal Highness Prince Xuan…maybe he will be here soon.” Wanxia whispered.

“Then we’ll talk about it when he arrives.” The Empress Dowager pursed her lips heavily and said unhappily: “Prince Xuan’s marriage has been held until today…how can such a woman be allowed to take advantage of him casually? I heard that the Prince of Wei also fell in love with her, and Concubine Wan would never want such a woman to marry her son. If she doesn’t want it, how can she give it to the Prince of Xuan?”

Wanxia squeezed out a voice from between her teeth: “But…but when has the Empress Dowager ever seen His Royal Highness treat any woman specially? Your Royal Highness…if you really like her…”

The Empress Dowager examined her coldly for a moment.

Just when Wanxia couldn’t bear it anymore, the Queen Mother suddenly said, “In that case, you can test her for me first.”

Wanxia let out a breath quietly and said, “How to test?”

The Queen Mother stroked the jade ring on her hand and said, “The wife of King Xuan must be a smart person, who can deal with the hidden crisis in this imperial city with ease.”

Wanxia was dumb.

In the side hall.

Xue Qinghe was getting more and more restless. She bit her lip: “Sister…”

At this time, footsteps approached outside the door.

The footsteps were steady and powerful, not fast or slow.

Xue Qinghe looked up.

… His Royal Highness King Xuan?

King Xuan didn’t expect there would be one more person. He glanced at Xue Qinghe coldly.

Xue Qinghe’s body trembled uncontrollably.

“Follow me.” King Xuan said to Xue Qingyin.

Xue Qingyin was puzzled: “What? Eloping?”