Everyone had gathered. Nanny Li had long since ordered the servants to prepare breakfast, and as soon as the meal was finished, they set off immediately.
Logically speaking, at Old Madam Cui's age, she should not have had to make the exhausting trip to the palace.
However, neither the Cui nor the Tang families had a matriarch, and the three girls were still young. Old Madam Cui could not set her mind at ease, so she had no choice but to accompany them personally.
Along the way, Old Madam Cui conversed with Tang Qingwan, teaching her how to deal with the Empress.
"I believe in your intelligence, Qingwan. You will certainly be able to handle it."
Tang Qingwan, however, fell silent and said nothing.
Old Madam Cui frowned. "What is it? Are you feeling unwell? Qingwan, if something is weighing on your mind, you must tell your grandmother."
"Mm," Tang Qingwan replied softly. After a long while, she raised her eyes to look at Old Madam Cui. "Grandmother, this time, I don't want to play games with the Empress."
Old Madam Cui remained silent, simply looking at her steadily.
"The Crown Prince... promised me that he would dissuade the Empress from her arrangements," Tang Qingwan lowered her head. "I want to trust him this once."
After all, they were childhood sweethearts. For the sake of their lifelong affection, Tang Qingwan wanted to leave some leeway for the two of them, to guard their last shred of feeling within the high tiled walls of the Eastern Palace.
No matter where the situation led in the future, they could still retain a bit of sincerity.
As long as he was willing to fight for her and say no to the Empress.
Her heart aching, Old Madam Cui pulled Tang Qingwan into her arms, her eyes growing slightly moist. "Qingwan, you and the Crown Prince grew up together. You should understand his temperament better than anyone."
Tang Qingwan naturally knew. Xiao Chen had some political acumen and could be considered diligent and intelligent, but when it came to the Empress and the Emperor, he was exceptionally obedient.
He was highly susceptible to others' influence, yet he had also mastered eighty or ninety percent of the royal family's art of weighing pros and cons.
He treated Tang Qingwan extremely well, naturally, and there was genuine affection there, but it fell far short of his empire and his position as the Crown Prince.
Tang Qingwan nodded slightly.
She knew very well that if the Emperor and Empress took even a slightly firmer stance, Xiao Chen would probably compromise immediately.
But the more this was true, the more she felt that her own efforts to fight for them were like a joke, entirely meaningless.
"Qingwan, you must know that if the Crown Prince does not speak up for you, this matter will become a foregone conclusion with no room for reversal. When you marry into the Eastern Palace in the future, you might even be looked down upon," Old Madam Cui added.
"I know that too."
"But by marrying Liu Wanting, he has already broken his promise to me once," Tang Qingwan smiled faintly. "This time, I refuse to believe he will treat me the same way again."
Old Madam Cui looked at Tang Qingwan's stubborn expression and sighed again. "Since you have already made up your mind, then let it be so."
Cui Yunfeng's mood was also affected by this, and she seemed a bit dispirited.
Cui Yunchu's gaze, however, fell upon Tang Qingwan. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and she did not look away for a long time.
With the sharp voice of a young eunuch ringing out, the carriage stopped near the palace gates.
The Dragon Boat Festival banquet was held in the main hall, which was some distance from the palace gates, requiring the attendees to walk in.
Tang Qingwan and Cui Yunchu supported Old Madam Cui as they stepped down from the carriage.
Many carriages were already parked at the palace gates. Family members of officials approached the Cui family's carriage one after another to pay their respects to Old Madam Cui, showing the utmost reverence.
Whether in the past or present, Old Madam Cui's prestige was extremely high.
Many people surrounded the Cui family carriage. Ladies from various households brought their daughters forward to exchange pleasantries, fully demonstrating the flourishing power of the Cui family.
However, for the Cui family, this was not necessarily a good thing.
Old Madam Cui responded to them one by one with a peaceful demeanor, putting on no airs whatsoever.
A young eunuch hurried forward to report, "Old Madam, Prime Minister Cui and Grand Tutor Tang are discussing matters with His Majesty in the Imperial Study. They asked this old servant to inform you that they will come to accompany you a little later."
"Thank you for the trouble," Old Madam Cui nodded slightly.
Amidst the surging crowd, Cui Yunchu suddenly felt a sharp gaze fall upon her. It was very familiar—that feeling of being scrutinized from head to toe, like thorns in her back, making her extremely uncomfortable.
She turned around abruptly, looking back in the direction of the feeling. Through the bustling crowd, a familiar figure caught her eye.
Looking up, she saw a familiar face. The man bowed to her from a distance.
It was Shen Zilan.
That kind of look shouldn't belong to Shen Zilan, but beside him, there was only an old lady chatting with others; there was no one else.
Cui Yunchu nodded in response and withdrew her gaze, frowning.
Could it be that she was too sensitive and had perceived it wrong?
Old Madam Cui led the three sisters toward the palace when an aged voice suddenly rang out behind them, "Old Madam Cui."
Old Madam Cui paused and turned around. Her taut expression seemed to relax for a brief moment before immediately returning to normal.
"Dowager Shen, your health is as robust as ever."
This person was precisely the old lady Shen Zilan had been accompanying just now.
She appeared to be slightly younger than Old Madam Cui, but she walked with a brisk, energetic stride.
Her narrow, elongated eyes were filled with gentleness and tranquility, lending a touch of grace to her wrinkled face.
It was an indescribable feeling; at a single glance, one would think she must be a very gentle and quiet person.
"You as well," Dowager Shen smiled. "Good health is capital; only with it can one live longer."
"These three beautiful girls must be your granddaughters, right?"
Old Madam Cui nodded. Dowager Shen looked at them with a smile on her lips, offering several praises in succession.
Watching from the side, Cui Yunchu furrowed her brows deeply.
Weren't the Cui and Shen families enemies?
Dowager Shen's attitude was truly strange.
The two elders exchanged pleasantries, and none of the younger generation interjected.
However, Shen Zilan, standing beside Dowager Shen, kept his gaze fixed on Cui Yunchu, making her very uncomfortable.
This unconsciously reminded her of Shen Xiabai's warning from that day.
The displeasure in her heart grew wildly, and then she raised her eyes and glared fiercely at Shen Zilan.
What are you looking at? What's there to look at? Does your young uncle know you're out here staring at people?
Both uncle and nephew had something wrong with their heads.
She temporarily tossed the matter of Shen Zilan speaking up for her that day to the back of her mind.
Favors do not cancel out faults. No matter how good Shen Zilan was, it couldn't make up for having an idiotic young uncle in his family.
.
Glared at by Cui Yunchu like that, Shen Zilan's smile instantly froze on his lips.
How had he offended her?
"Zilan, let's go," Dowager Shen called out, taking the lead to walk into the palace.
Shen Zilan could only sluggishly follow, though he occasionally turned his head to glance at Cui Yunchu.
Cui Yunchu supported Old Madam Cui as they walked slowly behind. Whenever she saw Shen Zilan turn his head to peek, she would glare back fiercely.
After three or five times, Shen Zilan no longer dared to steal glances.
When no one was around, Tang Qingwan softly voiced the question hidden in Cui Yunchu's heart, "Grandmother, don't we have a feud with the Shen family? Why do Dowager Shen and you seem to be so amicable?"
Under normal circumstances, when enemies met, their eyes should be exceptionally red with anger. Even if they weren't at each other's throats, they absolutely shouldn't be this harmonious.
It even felt like a sudden reunion of friends who had known each other for years.
