Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 926: Chapter 837: Unwilling to Be a Slave

Especially after learning that the Emperor had decreed to promote Jing Jieyu to Lady Jing even before she herself had rewarded Jing Jieyu, the Empress Dowager knew that the Emperor’s attack had begun. She didn’t need to leave the palace to know that the good reputation she had painstakingly maintained had now inevitably suffered a blemish.

Anxious at heart, the Empress Dowager tossed and turned the whole night, unable to sleep well. She regretted and hated her previous loss of composure, and was utterly resentful towards Lady Jing. But what could hate achieve? Now, the reputation of Lady Jing as a filial person who sacrificed for the Empress Dowager, who had lost her child, was firmly established and known to all.

In the future, the Empress Dowager, indebted to Jing Jieyu for saving her life, was destined to not act against Jing Jieyu. Even if Jing Jieyu made mistakes, she could not grasp them to punish Jing Jieyu. Otherwise, she would be deemed ungrateful and unkind, which left the Empress Dowager feeling particularly aggrieved.

The Empress Dowager’s health had not yet recovered, and as her son, the Emperor had to frequently visit Furong Palace to see her. This illness had taken a toll on the Empress Dowager, and in just a few days, she had grown much thinner. The Empress Dowager, originally a beautiful woman, now appeared both haggard and pitiable.

Unfortunately, the Emperor felt no pity for the Empress Dowager and only greeted her blandly, ”Mother, how do you feel today? Are you feeling any better? Are the Imperial Physicians treating you diligently?”

The Empress Dowager smiled affectionately and gently, ”I am fine now. The Imperial Physicians are treating me very well. It is you, Emperor, who handles so many affairs daily and yet still takes the time to see me every day. It’s really too tiring for you.”

”It is a son’s duty to greet and care for his mother. There is no hardship in it.” The Emperor sat on a chair to the side, smiling warmly at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager smiled again, then with a hint of guilt on her face, said, ”I must admit, Mother is truly getting old and cannot withstand any suffering. Once in pain, my mind becomes unclear and I start speaking nonsense. When Mother was in such pain I unthinkingly accused Lady Jing of trying to harm me.

Emperor, please do not mind Mother’s nonsensical words. Fortunately, you investigated thoroughly and helped compensate Lady Jing, preventing it from truly harming the child who saved Mother.

Now that Mother is clear-headed again, I am truly ashamed. I heard from the attending Imperial Physician that in saving Mother, that child lost her Dragon Embryo. My heart aches for this, so I thought there should be some compensation for that child.”

This was the plan the Empress Dowager came up with after much thought upon awakening—to show weakness and feign ignorance. People naturally speak nonsense when in pain, but what matters most is one’s attitude once awake. The Empress Dowager thought timely expressing compensation for Lady Jing was crucial.

Though the Empress Dowager knew full well in her heart that her current plight was the result of Lady Jing, a mere concubine, seeking retaliation, she harbored such hatred that she wished to tear Lady Jing into pieces to vent her anger. However, outwardly, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to appear grateful to Jing Jieyu.

While this couldn’t fully restore her reputation, it could at least recover most of it. The most important aspect was that by doing so, the Empress Dowager was showing weakness to the Emperor. She knew that she had always had the upper hand over the Emperor, which had always displeased him greatly.

Now, her show of weakness would certainly please the Emperor. If the Emperor felt he had subdued her, a strong Empress Dowager, perhaps he would not continue to press on.

Though this display of weakness was her choice, the Empress Dowager’s heart was aching. She never wanted to bow before anyone in her life, not even to the late Emperor. But the Empress Dowager had no choice: she feared the Emperor, now venting slight grievances, might continue against her, and even target the Ding Family.

The Empress Dowager had to stop this trend, preventing the Emperor from having any inclination to entertain such thoughts and decisions. To achieve this, she didn’t hesitate to show weakness to the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager’s display of weakness indeed greatly pleased the Emperor. The Empress Dowager had carefully planned, but had forgotten to inform those around her. Because the Emperor had come too hastily, she had just thought of the countermeasures and had no time to instruct those around her.

With no prior instruction, her confidant, Nanny Tang, couldn’t bear to see her proud mistress, humbled and aggrieved, looking so miserable.

So before the delighted Emperor could speak, Nanny Tang knelt down with a thud, ”Emperor, you cannot blame Her Majesty for previously misunderstanding Lady Jing.

Emperor, the maid who caused the Empress Dowager to fall from the pavilion was Yun Nanny, who serves by Lady Jing’s side. In such a situation, it was normal for the Empress Dowager to suspect Lady Jing. Emperor, please investigate clearly.”

Nanny Tang’s sudden action caused a jolt in the Empress Dowager’s heart, realizing things were about to go awry. Although Yun Nanny served Lady Jing, her true master was not Lady Jing. The actual master of Yun Nanny, who served the Dragon Embryo, was the Emperor.

Sure enough, the Emperor, who had initially carried a faintly smug expression, became stiff, then expressionless, as he looked at Nanny Tang kneeling before him, letting out two inscrutable cold laughs. He then looked at the Empress Dowager, whose face had turned rigid and ugly, his tone calm, ”Is this also what Mother thought before?”

The Empress Dowager immediately shook her head, urgently explaining, ”Emperor, I absolutely didn’t think so. At that time, the pavilion was chaotic, and the bees’ attack led everyone to focus solely on dodging, not knowing who actually caused me to fall. How could I assume it was Lady Jing intending to have her people harm me?

During the confusion, I was simply held by Lady Jing’s hand when I fell, which was how my arm was broken. I was speaking out of pain-maddened frustration, not due to ill intent against Lady Jing.”

Mother was confused before, but Mother is not a heartless person. Once sober, I knew Lady Jing had saved me. How could I possibly continue to think that way? I’m not that kind of person, Emperor, you must believe your Mother.

The Empress Dowager was hastily explaining while inwardly cursing Nanny Tang for being more hindrance than help, undoing all her careful plans for the day.

If the Emperor were truly her biological son, there would be no problem with Nanny Tang’s words. But the Emperor was always searching for her weaknesses, making Nanny Tang’s actions akin to handing another flaw directly to the Emperor.

Effectively, the Emperor did not heed the Empress Dowager’s explanation, but looked icily at Nanny Tang, ”You assert that Yun Nanny by Lady Jing’s side caused the Empress Dowager to fall from the pavilion, thus suspecting Lady Jing of harming the Empress Dowager because Yun Nanny serves Lady Jing?”