novelden Chapter 184 Reward from the Queen Mother
Chapter 184 Reward from the Queen Mother
Chu Muyao silently shut her mouth. She wouldn't say that she hadn't thought of that either, and subconsciously felt that it must have been stolen by a thief.
Fortunately, her fifth brother stood in front of her, allowing her to escape a disaster.
Chu Junting strode forward and opened the top cabinet, where a beautiful little box was prominently displayed.
The moment the Empress Dowager saw the small box, her gaze sharpened. "This box... belongs to the late Emperor."
Upon hearing this, Chu Junting did not open the box, but instead handed it to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager slowly opened the small box, and inside, besides a pearl, there was another brand-new hairpin and a letter.
"This is……"
The Empress Dowager placed the small box aside, opened the letter, and immediately recognized the late Emperor's handwriting.
It turns out that the beads on the hairpin were not lost in Shaohua Palace, but were lost when the emperor came to the Imperial Study that day, and were picked up by the late emperor.
Knowing that this was a hairpin he had made for the Empress Dowager many years ago and that she still wore it after all these years, the late emperor simply made a new one.
I originally planned to send it out on the Empress Dowager's birthday, but I never expected...
The Empress Dowager looked at the letter in her hand, then slowly picked up the new hairpin. Her eyes reddened slightly; it was the style she liked.
Seeing that Chu Junting seemed to have known the location of the beads all along, taking them out as soon as he opened the cabinet, the Emperor couldn't help but wonder, "How did you know the beads were hidden here?"
He had been in the Imperial Study for so many years without noticing that there was something else placed on top of it.
This cabinet was left by the late emperor. After he ascended the throne, many things in the imperial study were replaced, but this cabinet was the only one that remained unchanged.
Chu Junting looked at Song Ruozhen; her abilities were truly remarkable.
"You're really something, girl. Not only did you find this bead for me, but you also found my gift."
The Empress Dowager's eyes were filled with joy. She had been searching for this bead for years and always felt a void in her heart, as if something was missing.
She was overjoyed to find not only the pearl but also another birthday gift prepared for her by the late emperor.
As the Emperor listened to the Empress Dowager's words, his gaze also turned to Song Ruozhen. He had found it strange when this girl came before.
When did such an unfamiliar maid appear by the Empress's side?
"Who is this girl?"
"This is General Song's youngest daughter, and the younger sister of the Eastern General," the Empress Dowager said with a light laugh.
Song Ruozhen bowed respectfully, "Your subject, Song Ruozhen, greets Your Majesty."
The emperor suddenly realized, and his gaze swept between Song Ruozhen and Song Yanzhou, noticing that the siblings had a slight resemblance in their eyes and brows.
"General Song's children are truly outstanding; each one is excellent."
Speaking of Song Lin, the emperor's eyes were filled with complex emotions. As a general, Song Lin had been loyal to his duties and guarded the border to ensure that there were no enemy raids. It was just a pity that his fate was now uncertain.
Everyone knows that he hasn't come back for so long, and it's likely he'll never return.
However, General Song's position will be temporarily retained. He will not be dismissed until he is found alive or dead. This is to avoid discouraging the generals.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Song Yanzhou said, bowing.
"It just so happens that General Dongzhong has come to resume his post today. I didn't expect that Miss Song would also enter the palace. I had heard of her before, as she is skilled in metaphysics."
"Is this skill of finding the beads something you deduced?" the Emperor asked with great interest.
“Exactly,” Song Ruozhen replied.
This skill had already spread like wildfire among the common people, but the imperial palace had obviously only heard of it briefly, though she had no intention of hiding it.
It couldn't be hidden anyway, and revealing their strength at certain times would actually make things easier for the Song family.
"Your Majesty, this girl is kind. I only offered her two pieces of fruit, and she helped me find the pearl."
I heard that the second son of the Song family topped the list in the imperial examination. Indeed, all of General Song's descendants are outstanding. You mustn't mistreat the Song family."
The Empress did not hold back in praising the Song family. The Song family had always been loyal to the court, and General Song was a pillar of the state in his time. It was a pity that General Song was gone, and Song Lin was now nowhere to be found.
The Song family only has a few children left, but each one of them is outstanding.
The emperor rarely saw the empress dowager praise a junior official like this. Over the years, the empress dowager had met many juniors, but he knew her temperament better than anyone else; very few people could catch her eye.
Clearly, Song Ruozhen caught the Empress Dowager's eye.
"Since you have helped the Empress Dowager find her beloved item, you have done a great service. Since we have just presented some fine silks and satins as tribute, I will reward you."
The emperor waved his hand and issued the order.
"Your Majesty, I thank you." Song Ruozhen bowed in thanks.
Looking at everything that was happening in the Imperial Study, Song Yanzhou couldn't help but secretly praise her. The thing her mother had worried about hadn't happened at all. Not only was her younger sister not punished, but she had also made a contribution and received a reward from the Emperor.
Although he didn't understand how his fifth sister, who was supposed to be seeing the Empress, suddenly ended up in the Imperial Study with the Empress Dowager, without the Empress accompanying her.
However, just by looking at the scene before him, he knew that with the Empress Dowager's favor, there was no need to worry about his fifth sister.
"Indeed, he deserves a reward."
The Empress Dowager smiled and took off the jade bracelet from her hand, handing it to Song Ruozhen.
"Girl, I will reward you with this bracelet."
Looking at the emerald green table, Song Ruozhen immediately recognized it as the finest imperial green, priceless. She quickly said, "Your Majesty, this is far too precious, Your Majesty..."
"Keep it."
The Empress Dowager did not give Song Ruozhen a chance to refuse; she held the hairpin in her hand with great satisfaction.
"You have found the most precious jewelry for me. This bracelet is a token of my appreciation."
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager glanced at Chu Junting. She would never give such a bracelet to an ordinary person, but it would be different for her granddaughter-in-law, who was the wife of the Prince of Chu.
She likes this girl; the King of Chu should really put in more effort.
Chu Muyao's mouth dropped open. Others might not know, but she was all too aware of the bracelet's value.
This was one of the Empress Dowager's favorite pieces of jewelry, which she often wore. She had only taken a look at it because she liked it so much, and only then did she learn from Granny Kong, who was by the Empress Dowager's side, that this bracelet was part of the Empress Dowager's dowry.
Extremely precious.
Such a precious bracelet, just given away so easily?
"Since it was bestowed by the Empress Dowager, you may accept it. It is rare that the Empress Dowager likes a girl so much. In the future, when you have time, come to the palace to keep the Empress Dowager company more often."
The emperor, who was always filial, saw that the empress dowager rarely took a liking to a junior and even gave away such an expensive bracelet, so he spoke up.
"Thank you, Empress Dowager. Thank you, Your Majesty."
Song Ruozhen accepted the bracelet, and a thought involuntarily surfaced in her mind—she really was living the life of a rich person after transmigrating into the book!
How precious is this top-grade imperial green?