Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

Chapter 403 Paying Homage to the Empress Dowager

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, bringing a touch of warmth to the room. However, this warmth gradually raised the temperature inside, making Princess Wenxuan feel somewhat hot even in her sleep.

When she finally opened her eyes, she realized it was already late. She stretched lazily and was about to get up when she suddenly realized that Ouyang Lie didn't seem to be in the room.

Princess Wenxuan was slightly surprised. She couldn't help but wonder when Ouyang Lie had left. Had he already gone to court? Thinking this, her upbringing immediately made her feel somewhat impolite. After all, as a princess, she should have gotten up much earlier to demonstrate her dignity and politeness.

So she hurriedly summoned her dowry maids and asked them to help her wash up. These maids were all carefully selected; they were not only beautiful but also highly skilled in martial arts. Twenty of these maids were specially recruited for her by Ye Qingchen, who was then the Empress Dowager.

Ye Qingchen had once told Wenxuan that no matter where these children were, as long as they possessed certain martial arts skills and had some trusted guards, they could live in peace. Wenxuan deeply agreed with Ye Qingchen's words. She felt that having such a group of capable maids by her side in this unfamiliar environment truly made her feel much more at ease.

However, Wenxuan also felt that the environment here was relatively peaceful and that there should be no need to use force. However, she knew in her heart that even without resorting to violence, she still needed to possess absolute strength and absolute power in order not to let down the Great Xia and Southern Frontier behind her.

After washing up, Princess Wenxuan quickly dressed, carefully put on her exquisite ornaments, and then hurried to the Empress Dowager's palace to pay her respects. Having no idea about her mother-in-law's personality or preferences, Gu Wenxuan couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy.

Led by palace maids and eunuchs, Gu Wenxuan quickly arrived at the Empress Dowager's Shou Kang Palace. Upon entering the palace, she saw that the two imperial concubines she had met yesterday were already there, busily helping the Empress Dowager tend to the palace's flowers and plants.

Faced with the scene before her, Gu Wenxuan suddenly felt a little lost, unsure of what to do. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager first. So she took a deep breath, walked up to the Empress Dowager, knelt down gracefully, and said, "Your subject Gu Wenxuan pays respects to Your Majesty, wishing Your Majesty a long life."

Seeing this, the Empress Dowager quickly smiled and stood up, personally helping Gu Wenxuan to her feet. She said kindly, "I don't have so many formalities here, you don't need to be so reserved. I used to be an imperial concubine in this palace, and it was because of Lie'er's outstanding performance that I was fortunate enough to become the Empress Dowager. So, how could I mistreat my daughter-in-law? Look at the two of them, they get along so well with me. They must have met you yesterday, so let me introduce them to you today."

Then Nazai and Ayiguli quickly put down their work and bowed to Gu Wenxuan, saying, "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to the Empress." Gu Wenxuan could no longer maintain the proper etiquette of an empress and quickly said, "Please rise, my two sisters."

The Empress Dowager smiled and said slowly, "This is Consort De. Her name is Nazai, and she was originally a princess of our Loulan Kingdom. Many years ago, my husband led a large army to conquer their country. Nazai wanted to fight back, but fate arranged for her to meet and fall in love with Lie'er. Since then, she has always stayed by my side, just like my own daughter. When Lie'er inherits the throne, he will naturally make Nazai Consort De."

The Empress Dowager paused briefly, then pointed to another woman and continued, "This is Ayiguli. Many years ago, Lie'er rescued her by chance, and since then she has been inseparable from Nazai. Since Lie'er's harem does not have many concubines, they were both conferred the title of Consort Jing. Now, both of them have given birth to sons for Lie'er, so they have both been promoted to Imperial Consorts."

The Empress Dowager sighed with emotion, "I've always felt that Lie'er doesn't need too many women around him, and a few children are enough. Now that he has married you as Empress, I think it would be best if our family could live together in harmony and happiness. In the future, I hope you will help Lie'er and work together to manage the harem well."

While Yageli was speaking, Wenxuan had been scrutinizing her intently. Yageli was beautiful; though not as youthful and vibrant as Ye Qingchen's aunt, she was still undeniably a rare beauty. However, Wenxuan noticed that despite the recent death of her husband, her face didn't show much grief or sorrow. This stirred a pang of pity in Wenxuan, who thought that perhaps she too had endured hardship.

Thinking this through, Wenxuan decided to believe what Yageli said, since it was probably her true feeling. So, Wenxuan smiled and replied, "Yes, Wenxuan understands. In the future, Wenxuan will certainly be in perfect harmony with Your Majesty, supporting each other through thick and thin, and together we will protect the land of the Western Regions."

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out: "You don't need to work so hard. You just need to eat well, drink well, play well, and live well here." Wenxuan looked over and saw that it was Ouyang Lie. His words revealed his concern for Wenxuan, making Nazai and Ayiguli feel a little jealous. After all, this was the first time Ouyang Lie had spoken so gently to a girl; it seemed he had truly fallen for Princess Wenxuan.

The two gazed at Princess Wenxuan once more, scrutinizing her closely. Princess Wenxuan was dressed in magnificent robes and adorned with exquisite jewelry; every gesture exuded elegance. Her skin was as white as snow, her features exquisitely beautiful, and her smile was like spring flowers in full bloom, captivating all who beheld her.

Judging from her attire and demeanor, Princess Wenxuan must have lived an extremely affluent life. Whether it was clothing, food, housing, transportation, or various entertainment activities, she enjoyed the best treatment. This lifestyle not only endowed her with external beauty but also endowed her with inner confidence and a sense of happiness.

Compared to Princess Wenxuan, while both women were undeniably beautiful, they lacked the innate grace and confidence that Princess Wenxuan possessed. Her charisma seemed innate; regardless of the occasion, she exuded a unique charm that was impossible to ignore.

Moreover, Princess Wenxuan was a woman of exceptional talent, excelling in both literature and martial arts. She was not only proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but also skilled in martial arts, truly a woman of both beauty and talent. In contrast, while Nazai possessed superb dancing skills, her martial arts were somewhat inferior; and Ayiguli was highly skilled in martial arts, but relatively weaker in other areas. In this comparison, Princess Wenxuan was indeed not on the same level as them.

However, neither of them felt jealous or resentful. They were only slightly envious before quickly adjusting their mindset. After all, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and Princess Wenxuan's excellence did not mean they were worthless. Moreover, they believed in their own unique charm and value, and did not need to be overly concerned with comparisons to others.