Chapter 488: Chapter 487: Grandmother
In the garden, Zhuang Ke still stood under the white plum tree.
Brother Yan was a bit sleepy, clinging to Du Yunluo’s neck and acting coquettishly.
Du Yunluo gently coaxed him, and upon hearing a series of hurried footsteps, she instinctively looked in that direction.
In the inner courtyard of the deep palace, it was rare for palace maids to be in such a rush.
Leading them was Aunt Ming from Cining Palace, whom Du Yunluo recognized.
Aunt Ming saluted Du Yunluo and called out, "Heir’s Wife," then glanced at Zhuang Ke under the white plum tree.
Zhuang Ke turned around; their eyes met, and Zhuang Ke smiled gently.
Aunt Ming was taken aback.
She had entered the palace only ten years ago and had never had the fortune to see the late Emperor’s Consort Zhuang’s grace. But the slight smile of the woman in front of her made her feel like a breath of spring.
Aunt Ming asked Du Yunluo in a low voice, "Is that lady your sister-in-law? What is the noble surname of your sister-in-law’s family?"
Du Yunluo replied, "My sister-in-law’s family name is Zhuang."
Aunt Ming was startled upon hearing this; if she really was related to Prince Shun, her last name should be Li; if she came from Consort Zhuang’s family, it should be Su...
Why is it Zhuang...
The thought had just crossed her mind when Aunt Ming figured it out.
"Zhuang" is the title of the Noble Consort; adopting the title as a surname is not impossible.
She restrained her thoughts and saluted Zhuang Ke, saying, "The Empress Dowager knows that you and the lady have arrived and has sent me to invite both of you in."
Du Yunluo responded with a smile, "Please trouble Aunt Ming to lead the way."
They followed Aunt Ming’s steps from the garden back to Cining Palace.
Du Yunluo vaguely sensed that Aunt Ming’s steps today were a bit faster than when she had led the way before, appearing somewhat eager.
Passing through the veranda, they reached outside the main hall, where Aunt Ming went inside to announce their arrival.
The Empress Dowager, upon seeing her return, asked, "Where are they?"
Aunt Ming reported, "Your Highness, they are outside. I asked, and the lady said her sister-in-law’s family surname is Zhuang. You see..."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand repeatedly, urging them to be brought in. As for the family surname, it didn’t matter as long as she could see whether there was a resemblance.
The curtain lifted, and Du Yunluo entered with Brother Yan in her arms, along with Zhuang Ke.
In preparation for their visit, the consorts who had been speaking with the Empress Dowager had already left, leaving only the Imperial Consort by her side.
Zhuang Ke was entering the palace for the first time, mindful of the etiquette, and followed Du Yunluo in saluting the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Consort.
Before they could perform the full courtesy, the Empress Dowager called out and hurriedly said, "Come closer, let me have a good look."
Du Yunluo initially thought she was calling for Brother Yan, but then she noticed the Empress Dowager was staring at Zhuang Ke, who had her eyes half-lowered. She gently nudged Zhuang Ke.
Zhuang Ke had no choice but to step forward.
Not only was the Empress Dowager watching, but even the Imperial Consort was fixedly staring at Zhuang Ke.
Zhuang Ke kept her eyes lowered, hiding her distinctive gaze, which in the eyes of the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Consort, made her even more similar.
"She’s a spitting image!" the Imperial Consort said with a trembling voice. "Nanny Han was right, exactly like a replica."
The Empress Dowager clasped Zhuang Ke’s hand, taking a deep breath. "This figure, this appearance, reminds me of forty years ago when Zhuang Meimei came to pay her respects."
As soon as she spoke, the Imperial Consort nodded in agreement, while Du Yunluo and Zhuang Ke were both stunned.
The mention of Zhuang Meimei referred to Zhuang Ke’s elder, right?
Being of the same surname, could it be a grand-aunt?
Zhuang Ke bit her lip and asked, "Your Highness, the ’Zhuang Meimei’ you speak of, are you referring to my grand-aunt?"
The Empress Dowager shook her head, saying, "Lift your face, let me look more clearly."
Zhuang Ke obediently lifted her eyes.
Her blue eyes like the lake in the Imperial Garden, and due to the Empress Dowager’s words, Zhuang Ke’s mind wavered, and her eyes also carried a hint of ripples.
The Empress Dowager was stunned, turning her head to look at the Imperial Consort.
The Imperial Consort’s eyes widened as well, saying, "Is it possible your mother is a barbarian?"
This wasn’t something that could be hidden, so Zhuang Ke nodded and said, "My father is Han, and my mother is barbarian."
"What is your father’s name?" the Imperial Consort asked again.
Zhuang Ke’s heart raced.
Before entering the palace, she knew her lineage wasn’t simple, and there would be questions in Cining Palace.
But lineage couldn’t be changed, and Cining Palace wouldn’t nitpick at Dingyuan Marquis Mansion for this.
What Zhuang Ke hadn’t expected was that Cining Palace cared so deeply.
Yet this concern wasn’t criticism.
From the words of the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Consort, Zhuang Ke understood that they might recognize her relatives, her elders, and this visit to the palace might reveal who her father truly was and what kind of past he had.
If she could know all this, Zhuang Ke could find her roots just like Mu Liankang.
Zhuang Ke steadied herself and said, "My father’s name was Zhuang Xian."
Tears glistened in the Empress Dowager’s eyes, and the Imperial Consort clutched her Buddha beads tightly, saying, "Zhuang as in ’not boastful and dignified,’ Xian as in ’tall, distinguished,’ is that right?"
Zhuang Ke stiffened, recalling that her father had explained his name to her this way when she was young.
Meeting the Imperial Consort’s gaze, Zhuang Ke nodded heavily.
The Empress Dowager asked hoarsely, "Where is your father? What else did he tell you?"
"My father passed away five years ago," Zhuang Ke said, and the Empress Dowager and Imperial Consort’s eyes darkened with shared sorrow. She sniffled and continued, "I grew up with my parents outside the pass. My father taught me to read and write and would occasionally talk about matters inside the pass, but he rarely spoke of himself. The only time he mentioned it, he said my grandmother was a believer in The Three Pure Ones."
Consort Zhuang’s devotion to The Three Pure Ones was well-known in the late Emperor’s harem, as was her son Li Xian’s faith in The Three Pure Ones.
The Empress Dowager pulled Zhuang Ke into her embrace, saying in a deep voice, "Good child, from this day forth, remember that the grandmother you speak of was the late Emperor’s Consort Zhuang of the Su Family, and your father was the late Emperor’s Fifth Prince, Prince Shun Li Xian. You also bear the surname Li.
In the future, whether in Cining Palace or anywhere in the world, you don’t need to refer to yourself as ’I, a humble woman.’ The Holy Emperor is your royal uncle, I am your Grand Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince is your brother."
Zhuang Ke was utterly stunned.
Du Yunluo was also left speechless.
The sister-in-law, with a temperament from outside the pass, kind and gentle, yet possessing a stature and poise not inferior to the noble ladies of the capital, turned out to be of royal birth.
Zhuang Ke had become Li Ke; she was a genuine member of the royal family, the sole bloodline of Prince Shun, and a Commandery Princess.
Zhuang Ke’s long eyelashes trembled, her blue eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. She was a bit at a loss, not even knowing what troubled her.
The Empress Dowager, noticing this, assumed Zhuang Ke was concerned about her mother’s identity and comforted, "Your mother being from outside the pass doesn’t change the fact that your father was Li Xian. As for ancestral traditions, I will discuss with the Holy Emperor. You just need to know who you are."
Zhuang Ke pressed her lips tightly, her heart in turmoil, having suddenly discovered her origins yet unsure how to confront them at the moment.