The Empress Dowager’s body stiffened at once.
As the Empress Dowager, it had been a very long time since anyone had dared to be so close to her.
No—
It seemed that no one had ever been this close to her.
The milky scent clinging to Duoduo made the Empress Dowager feel dazed.
That scent seemed to slowly awaken certain memories that had long been sealed away in her mind.
Gradually, the Empress Dowager relaxed. She raised a hand and gently patted Duoduo’s back.
“Don’t be afraid. Your great-grandmother is here.”
“I will never let anything happen to you.”
Hearing those familiar words, Duoduo’s tears immediately spilled over.
They were tears of happiness and gratitude.
Duoduo was deeply moved.
So many people were willing to protect her!
Feeling the dampness on her shoulder, the Empress Dowager’s heart, which had long been as still as water, rippled as though a small stone had been tossed into it.
“Do you miss home?”
“How about your great-grandmother staying here with you tonight?” the Empress Dowager suddenly asked.
Duoduo raised her head in surprise, tears still shimmering in her eyes.
The Empress Dowager lifted a hand and wiped Duoduo’s tears away with a handkerchief.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Duoduo raised her sleeve to wipe her face.
“That’s dirty.” The Empress Dowager pulled Duoduo’s hand down.
Using her silk handkerchief, she carefully wiped Duoduo’s cheeks clean.
“Great-Grandmother, you don’t need to stay with me. Lüdou and Nanny are here with me!”
“I was only moved when I heard what Great-Grandmother said just now!”
Duoduo lowered her head shyly, twisting the edge of her clothes as she explained.
Seeing her like this, the Empress Dowager smiled kindly and took Duoduo’s hand in hers.
The Empress Dowager’s hand was very warm.
“Great-Grandmother, when I go back, how about I paint a portrait for you?”
Duoduo wanted to thank the Empress Dowager for her kindness.
The Empress Dowager nodded with a smile.
“Of course.”
“However, may I choose what I want in the painting?”
Duoduo nodded vigorously. “Of course you can.”
Curious, Duoduo tilted her little head.
“Great-Grandmother, what sort of painting do you want?”
The Empress Dowager gazed steadily at Duoduo. Duoduo had the strange feeling that her great-grandmother seemed to be looking at someone else through her.
“Well, since your great-grandmother has nothing to do anyway…”
“Tomorrow, I’ll have someone prepare the materials. Then I’ll tell you what to paint.”
Duoduo’s eyes flickered.
“Great-Grandmother, the prison is damp and cold. It isn’t good for your health.”
“You don’t need to come here. Once I’m out, I’ll go to the Cining Palace, and you can teach Changle how to paint then.”
The Empress Dowager stroked Duoduo’s cheek, her smile full of warmth.
“Did you think your great-grandmother was using that as an excuse, when in fact I simply wanted to keep you company?”
Her intentions having been seen through, Duoduo felt rather embarrassed.
An indescribable look appeared in the Empress Dowager’s eyes.
“At first, that truly wasn’t what I had in mind.”
“But what you suggested just now gave me an idea.”
“That is why I’m so eager to make it happen.”
Seeing Duoduo’s curious expression, the Empress Dowager patted her head.
“It’s a secret. Will you remember to keep it for your great-grandmother?”
Duoduo became even more curious.
Still, she obediently nodded.
“All right! I’ll definitely keep the secret!”
The Empress Dowager rose to her feet.
“Then your great-grandmother will leave for now. I’ll come back tomorrow once everything has been prepared.”
Duoduo was reluctant to see her go. “All right. Changle will see Great-Grandmother out.”
The Empress Dowager held Duoduo’s hand as they walked outside.
The jailer, who had been watching the prison cell from some distance away, saw the Empress Dowager leading Duoduo out and immediately grew anxious.
When they reached the cell door, Duoduo stopped.
“Great-Grandmother, please take care on your way back.”
Duoduo curtsied to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager gave Duoduo a loving look. Without saying anything, she turned and left.
The palace maids waiting outside quickly followed after her—some carrying things, others supporting her arm—and before long, they had disappeared into the distance.
Only then did the jailer dare approach to lock the cell.
When he caught sight of the transformed cell, his mouth fell open in shock.
After securing the chains, he hurried away.
Lüdou and Nanny Li both wore troubled expressions.
Even though the Empress Dowager had personally come, they still could not leave?
They did not dare ask such questions, for fear of hurting Duoduo’s feelings.
Lüdou forced a smile.
“Princess, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager truly is remarkable. She actually transformed this place completely.”
“It almost makes this servant feel as though this is your bedchamber, Princess.”
Duoduo looked around the newly furnished cell and broke into a bright smile.
“I think so too!”
Lüdou suddenly spotted a bulging pouch lying on the bedding.
She picked it up.
“Princess, whose pouch is this? Someone seems to have left it here.”
Duoduo glanced at it thoughtfully.
“Nanny Li, do you think Great-Grandmother deliberately had it left here?”
Nanny Li quickly bowed.
“Princess, in this old servant’s opinion, that is most likely the case.”
After hearing their exchange, Lüdou cautiously opened the pouch to peek inside.
The gleam from within startled her.
Lüdou hurriedly closed the pouch and rushed over to Duoduo.
“Princess, look!”
Shielding the pouch with her body, Lüdou carefully opened it again.
Duoduo leaned forward curiously to look.
“Gold?” Duoduo was astonished.
The pouch was filled to the brim with little gold beans.
Nanny Li leaned in for a look and sighed.
“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is truly benevolent.”
“Princess, these gold beans bear no stamp from the Imperial Household Department.”
Gold, silver, and many other things in the palace bore official markings.
Such items could not be taken out of the palace.
Unless they had been bestowed as a reward.
Even then, they could not be used, but had to be kept at home as a display of imperial favor.
However, these unstamped gold beans were different.
Duoduo curiously took one out.
Sure enough, each bean was round and smooth, without any marking.
Duoduo placed the gold bean back in the pouch.
Lüdou put the pouch into Duoduo’s hand. “Princess, this servant does not dare hold it.”
Duoduo tilted her head. “Nanny Li, do you think I can accept this pouch?”
Nanny Li pondered for a moment.
“Princess, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager did not give you this pouch in person.”
“She must have been worried that you would refuse it, which is why she specifically had someone leave it here.”
Looking at the pouch in her hand, Duoduo suddenly had an idea.
“Nanny Li, do you think I could use these gold beans to buy pastries from the Imperial Kitchen?”
Nanny Li paused. “In reply to Princess, of course you can.”
Then she added, “These gold beans are even more useful than silver within the palace.”
Duoduo nodded, showing that she understood.
She picked up the pouch, intending to tuck it into her sleeve.
Then, a thought suddenly flashed through Duoduo’s mind.
“Nanny, could there be another possibility—that someone deliberately dropped this here?”
