Chapter 42 - Remission (2/2)

...Good, good...I think this is going well...I hope...

The empress dowager narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Lei Xing for a long while, then asked, ”What do you think?”

Lei Xing raised her head up and looked at the empress dowager wide-eyed with a confused expression, ”I'm sorry your majesty, I don't understand.”

...I think I have this innocent act down pat, I hope...just think I'm harmless please, actually I am fairly harmless...No, I am thoroughly harmless, like I couldn't harm a fly...actually, let's make it frog...unless it wanted to kill me, then I'd...BUT No, I am really harmless...I haven't harmed a frog...trust me!...

The empress dowager looked at her expression and sighed, ”What do you think of life in the palace?”

”It is indeed different, but I am adjusting very well.” Lei Xing answered bowing her head.

The empress dowager narrowed her eyes, ”Different? How?”

Lei Xing groaned on the inside, ”Well, on the surface, it may simply seem a matter of having more servants and bigger quarters, but new elevated position comes with expectations that we are expected to live up to, so it is very different in that aspect.”

”Ahh, that's true, I had forgotten life in the palace can seem very different to those who weren't raised in one.” The empress dowager quietly said as she stared off to the side and then there was a long silence after that.

The silence dragged on and Lei Xing covertly glanced up at the dowager who seemed to be staring blankly at something on the side. After a long while of silence, Song mama also glanced at the empress dowager and realized that she was no longer paying attention to the current scene and so she cleared her throat a few times and bent down and called, ”Your majesty, your majesty...”

The empress dowager lightly flinched and blinked as she turned to look at Song mama, who signaled to the front with her eyes where Lei Xing was standing, the empress dowager turned to look at Lei Xing and then sighed, ”It is good you're adjusting well, if you have any concerns you can always come to me. You can leave.”

Lei Xing deeply bowed, ”Thank you, your majesty, I will be eternally grateful for your majesty's kindness.”

...Um so are we friends now?... Is that code for ”we're good”?...Can I ask? No? Okay, I'm leaving...

Lei Xing gave a second bow and then turned and left. Once she was outside the room she let out a sigh of relief as she was led back to the reception hall by one of the maids outside the room.

After Lei Xing left, Song mama quietly asked, ”Your majesty, what do you think? She doesn't seem bad.”

The empress dowager pursed her lips and offhandedly replied, ”I guess.”

Song mama continued, ”She even drank the tea today, she doesn't seem to know anything. It really must have been her good luck before.”

The empress dowager did not say anything.

Song mama quietly advised, ”Your majesty, I know Minister Lei has been rude in the past, but given how things are wouldn't it better to have him on our side. You said it yourself before that the Lei family hold a lot of power, they are the best in restraining the Zhao family. If we lose their support now because of this one daughter, wouldn't the throne be in jeopardy later? and then won't all our hard work be lost? We may end up aiding our enemies instead.”

The empress dowager silently contemplated her words.

...That is true, I will be needing someone to restrain that Prime minister Zhao once I am done with his ”precious” daughter...

The empress dowager scoffed.

...How dare he trample on me and think he can simply go free...Does he take me for a fool? His sister may be gone but he is still here for me to deal with...

Song mama saw the empress dowager was contemplating her words and added, ”Also, the emperor seems to like this Noble consort Lei, she definitely seems more reliable than that Noble consort Chen...after you have a grandson, it won't be too late to get rid of her then, that way you can punish them while still retaining their support. Then it will be a perfect situation.” Song mama finished with a smile.

The empress dowager sat quietly in contemplation for a while with a frown and then got up and walked out of the room still frowning.

...If I really had to pick between the two...the Zhao family absolutely cannot be forgiven, they must pay!!...but still...