"???
Caught completely off guard, Lin Qingge felt a surge of panic, but maintained a steadfast expression. "Prime Minister, didn't we just meet at the city gate? What is this talk of estrangement?"
"But Brother Lin did not address me this way before."
"To put it mildly, Brother Feng, as Prime Minister, you are naturally in a different league now."
As if finding the pastry just sampled too sweet, Feng Qingchen picked up his tea bowl and took a sip, stating calmly, "I never thought someone capable of writing such bold words as 'Everyone is amiable, everyone is equal, all under heaven is for the public good, this is called the Great Harmony' would also drift apart from old friends due to the ups and downs of officialdom."
"Prime Minister, people do change. Times have passed, and you, Prime Minister, are now someone this subordinate cannot possibly reach."
"Brother Lin, you are too kind. If we only discuss speed of promotion, then I am truly left in the dust. In less than half a year, Brother Lin, you have been promoted from a ninth-rank county magistrate to a fourth-rank prefect. By this calculation, in another half a year, I might as well retire and yield my position."
Seeing the pleased curve of the Prime Minister's lips, Lin Qingge, who suspected the man merely wanted to shift blame, offered a perfunctory smile. "Not at all, not at all. My promotion to Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture was merely a stroke of luck."
"Luck is also a part of strength. Had I known Brother Lin was so capable, I should not have stamped that document for your external posting; I should have kept Brother Lin in the capital to assist His Majesty."
Meeting those eyes, which held seven parts regret and three parts pity, Lin Qingge shivered and immediately stood up, declaring righteously, "Prime Minister, you are mistaken. No matter where this subordinate is stationed, as long as I wear this official uniform, I am assisting His Majesty."
Feng Qingchen listened, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "Indeed, Brother Lin's person may not be in the capital, but he is a presence of great merit. With Brother Lin's strategies, not only did His Majesty ascend the throne smoothly, but it also successfully reduced my rest time from three hours a day to one."
...
Sensing that the newly appointed Prime Minister's words were laced with veiled sarcasm and a hint of gnashing teeth, Lin Qingge, fearing he might lunge at her, subtly moved closer to her wife. Fortunately, at this moment, the Empress Dowager, seated in the place of honor, finally spoke, "Oh yes, Minister Lin, isn't it? I haven't yet had the pleasure of asking your wife's name."
"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this subordinate's wife's surname is Leng, and her given name is Ningyue."
"Speaking of the Leng surname, when I was young, I had a close confidante named Leng Shuying. Shuying was a peerless beauty in the capital back then. It's a pity her eyesight wasn't good, as she fell for that scoundrel Shangguan Hong." The Empress Dowager then fell into reminiscence: "When I wasn't yet Empress, I, along with Leng Shuying, Duan Sainan, and Princess Xia Ying'an, were lauded as the 'Four Golden Flowers' of the capital. Among them, Leng Shuying, with her beautiful appearance and cold demeanor, was the narcissus. Duan Sainan, with her innate strength and exceptional martial arts, was the queen of the night. Princess Xia Ying'an, frail and sickly since childhood, was the dodder."
So, the Empress Dowager, with her fiery personality and unconventional ways, was the last of those Four Golden Flowers? And judging by the timeline, the Queen of the Night, Duan Sainan, should be Yan Hanhan's mother, right? As for the princess, could she be the former owner of her current residence?
As Lin Qingge's thoughts raced, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, "Alas, years have passed, and of the Four Golden Flowers, some are dead, and some have departed. Only I remain, like a bird with broken wings, rooted in this capital until the day my oil runs dry."
As if feeling the topic was too somber, the Empress Dowager sniffed loudly and a smile returned to her face, "When people get old, they tend to indulge in melancholy. It has been a long time since I've had such liveliness around. You should stay tonight and dine at Changshou Palace."
When the Empress Dowager spoke, Lin Qingge and the others could not, and would not, refuse. During their stay, the Emperor visited once, but before he could even step through the gates of Changshou Palace, he was personally chased away by the Empress Dowager with a broom. Sitting in the hall, Lin Qingge craned her neck to peer outside for a long time, but couldn't even catch a glimpse of his robes. However, the lavish dinner did leave Lin Qingge highly satisfied. But what was the meaning of the Prime Minister constantly serving her dishes while ignoring the Empress Dowager, his godmother?
"Brother Lin, this Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is made most authentically. You must try it. And this Crispy Roast Duck, Braised Deer Sinew is also excellent. The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix and Phoenix Embryo are delicacies you can't taste outside the palace."
Lin Qingge's mouth twitched as she looked at the food piled halfway across the table. The next moment, she heard the Prime Minister say with a hint of disdain, "Brother Lin, you are so slender. If you don't eat more, how can you have enough energy to serve His Majesty? You know, staying up late is very damaging to the body. Only by eating more can you have sufficient energy the next day."
...
Lin Qingge, who was being forcibly schooled in experience, had no proof but felt the person before her harbored ill intentions towards her. Unable to eat so much, she pushed the untouched dishes towards her wife. Even so, she ate until her belly was round. To prevent the youngest Prime Minister in the history of Great Xia from abdicating right before her eyes, thus becoming the shortest-serving Prime Minister in the history of Great Xia, Lin Qingge hastily led Lin Zimo, who had eaten until her face glowed, to bid farewell to the Empress Dowager after dinner. Politely declining the Prime Minister's offer to see them off personally, Lin Qingge's family of three, escorted by the managing嬷嬷 of Changshou Palace, encountered no further trouble from unruly individuals.
However, not encountering trouble did not mean it didn't exist. The moment Lin Qingge's family of three left the Imperial Garden, a beautiful woman, supported by her maid and嬷嬷, elegantly strolled over. "Cuier, who is that?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, the person leading the way ahead is the managing嬷嬷 from Changshou Palace. The unfamiliar faces behind her should be Minister Lin Jingxing and his wife and son, who were treated with courtesy by Prime Minister Feng upon their arrival in the capital, and then summoned to the palace by His Majesty to meet him. However, Minister Lin offended His Royal Highness the Fourth Prince and was thus made difficult by Consort Ruan. At a critical moment, the Empress Dowager suddenly appeared and protected their family."
Secrets cannot be kept in the palace, and Consort Ruan's commotion had already spread throughout the entire imperial palace within half a day.
"The Empress Dowager? Wasn't she always reciting scriptures at Putuo Temple and hadn't returned to the palace for a long time?"
"This, this slave does not know."
"Useless trash." Muttering softly, the woman frowned displeasedly. "Why didn't you inform this consort earlier about such a significant event as the Empress Dowager's return to the palace?"