Chapter 51: Two Choices part 1
The Empress Dowager hadn’t paid much attention at first. She had been confined in this palace for too long. Though His Majesty hadn’t mistreated her—whenever rare delicacies appeared on the Capital Star, they were sent to her—she had lost interest.
A while back, Ancient Blue Star cuisine had been in vogue. However, what was presented to her only possessed the appearance of food; the taste remained that of nutrient solutions.
Since then, she had severed such cravings, content to remain in this desolate palace and fulfill the mission of her lifetime.
She thought nothing in this life could ever stir her emotions again, yet in this moment, a brilliant light spilled from her eyes—eyes that had been as still as a dead well.
“Is this… the taste of the health soup?” The Empress Dowager instinctively took a deep breath. The rich aroma wafted over from a distance, possessing a fatal, gluttonous allure that made it impossible to look away.
If the Empress Dowager was affected, the palace servants who were in closer contact fared even worse. They were nearly dazed by the scent, standing frozen until the Empress Dowager’s voice broke the spell. Swallowing hard and using every ounce of their lifelong willpower to stop their hands from trembling, they ladled a bowl. With heads bowed, daring not to steal another glance, they respectfully presented it.
As the Empress Dowager took the bowl, that unique food aroma swirled even more intensely around her nose, seeming to instantly invade her internal organs, screaming at her: Taste it, taste it now.
Unable to wait or ask further questions, she took a sip with the spoon. The moment it entered her mouth, she nearly swallowed her own tongue.
She couldn’t find the vocabulary to describe a flavor she had never experienced in her life. Finding the spoon too troublesome, she simply lifted the bowl and drank directly.
At her age, and being merely a figurehead Empress Dowager, there was no need to care about so-called etiquette.
Speaking of etiquette—she was the Empress Dowager, yet His Majesty hadn’t even allowed her to attend the late Emperor’s memorial service. How ironic was that?
Ning Yunyi had anticipated this. When he packed the health soup into the thermal container, he had purposely let it cool slightly first. So, even when the Empress Dowager drank it like that, it wasn’t scalding—it was just right. Furthermore, the time spent soaking during the trip into the palace had allowed the flavors to deepen, making the aroma even more enduring.
The Empress Dowager drank three bowls in a row before stopping.
It wasn’t that the soup was finished, but that she physically couldn’t fit anymore. She usually cared little for food and had a small appetite; three bowls were her absolute limit.
But when Ning Yunyi had the servant open the other food box, revealing three plates of exquisitely beautiful, sweet-smelling pastries, the Empress Dowager fell silent.
She quietly glanced at Yuth and Ning Yunyi: Were they doing this on purpose?
Watching her drink three bowls without reminding her there was more?
Ning Yunyi touched his nose; he really hadn’t reminded her, as this was the best way to lead into the next topic.
Yuth had known Mr. White’s food was superb, but hadn’t expected the effect to be this good—it had nearly made his Great-Aunt lose her composure. He seized the opportunity instantly. “Look at me. It’s so rare to see Great-Aunt with such a good appetite that I forgot to mention the pastries. Mr. White thought the soup alone wouldn’t be enough, so these three plates were specially prepared for you and the palace staff. The portion is quite generous.”
The Empress Dowager saw through it but didn’t say it. Rare to see? If she remembered correctly, this was the first time she and Yuth had formally met.
Having just drunk their soup and being extremely satisfied, her temper was exceptionally mild, appearing kind and tolerant. “It is you, Yuth, who is thoughtful. It takes a child like you to truly think of your Great-Aunt.”
If he came to the palace often with this ginseng soup and pastries, she felt she could be even more benevolent.
Yuth saw the atmosphere was primed and went straight to the point. “Great-Aunt, we’ve been here so long, why haven’t we seen Mrs. Ning? I heard she is currently staying in your palace to keep you company. Since Mr. White brought plenty of pastries, why not call Mrs. Ning out to taste them too and give some feedback? When I have time later, I’ll send new products for you to try.”
The Empress Dowager lifted her eyelids, looking down at Yuth from the dais. She had thought, how could the Herman family produce a good shoot from a batch of bad bamboo? Turns out, he was waiting right here.
Indeed, the Young Head of the Herman family never woke up early without a profit in sight.
The Empress Dowager didn’t speak immediately. Yuth, and Ning Yunyi—who stood with lowered eyes, remaining silent—didn’t dare speak either, fearing they might annoy her and get kicked out, which would defeat the purpose.
The Empress Dowager watched the two quietly, then suddenly changed the subject. She looked at a servant and pointed to the rose-petal-shaped pastries. “Bring me a piece to taste.”
The servant, frightened and keeping her head low, took a clean small plate, used tongs to pick up a piece, placed a small spoon beside it, and served it.
The Empress Dowager ate the entire piece slowly, took a handkerchief from the servant to wipe her mouth, and finally spoke. “You want Mrs. Ning to come see you? I’m afraid that’s impossible.”
Ning Yunyi’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but look up. Could it be… what he was thinking?
Yuth’s expression also shifted slightly. “Great-Aunt, don’t scare me. Has something happened to Mrs. Ning? But there hasn’t been any news released from the palace. I heard they even sent word allowing Professor Ning to enter the palace to see Mrs. Ning.”
The Empress Dowager replied, “Are you sure it was to see Mrs. Ning, and not just to enter the palace?”
When His Majesty had Mrs. Ning sent to her palace months ago, she was already in a coma. Since no news had leaked back then, how could the truth be revealed at this critical juncture?
How would they explain it? Mrs. Ning walked into the palace but was carried out lying down? That would be a PR nightmare.
The Empress Dowager knew few people visited her palace. The Emperor’s intention was obvious: he wanted her to take the blame. At the time, she didn’t care and accepted it. She didn’t want Mrs. Ning to die, but her power in the palace was limited; she had done her best.
However, the Empress Dowager was truly satisfied with today’s soup and pastries, and she was willing to humor Yuth’s little scheme.
She waved her hand. “Everyone, dismiss.”
The servants didn’t dare linger and immediately bowed and retreated.
As soon as only three people remained in the hall, the hand hanging at Ning Yunyi’s side instinctively clenched. A stifling pressure blocked his chest, slamming against his heart, making it hard to breathe.
The Empress Dowager finally spoke. “Yuth, I’ve guessed your purpose for entering the palace. Regardless of your connection to the Ning family or what price they paid to ask this of you, I am willing to give you this face, and I also want to give her a chance at life. Whether she survives depends on her own fate. But even if she doesn’t survive, these pastries and soup have fulfilled your filial duty, allowing her to see her family one last time.”
Ning Yunyi looked up, unsure for a moment if this was bad news or good news.
The only thing that allowed him to catch his breath was that his mother was still alive.
Yuth was nearly scared to death. “Great-Aunt, what exactly is Mrs. Ning’s condition? Wasn’t she fine when she entered the palace?”
The Empress Dowager sighed. “Believe it or not, when she was sent to my palace months ago, she was already unconscious, as if she had been heavily injured by something. I requested the palace’s special healers to treat her once a month. They could only preserve her life, not wake her. Since you are asking now, take her away.”
Yuth asked, “Great-Aunt, are you truly willing?”
The Empress Dowager looked at him with pity. “In this palace, my words only carry weight within these walls. Once outside this hall… whether Mrs. Ning can leave the palace grounds depends entirely on you.”
Yuth exchanged a glance with Ning Yunyi. The latter nodded at him. Yuth cupped his hands in gratitude. “Thank you, Great-Aunt. May we see Mrs. Ning?”
“You may. She is in the rear hall. Follow me. But once you take her, do not send her back.” She paused, then offered a kind reminder, “The palace does not know she is in a coma. If you want to take her away successfully, you might be able to use that to your advantage.”
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thank you for the chapter!