Kill That Transmigrator Woman - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Empress Dowager (2)

The Empress Dowager was not skilled at handling emotions or relationships with her children and grandchildren. Facing the dearly beloved Cui Wanwan, all she could do was smile, she truly didn’t know how to amuse the young girl.

Fortunately, Cui Wanwan didn’t need the old lady to amuse her. She was lively and spirited on her own, yet never lacking in manners, obedient, with a touch of charming sass.

The more the Empress Dowager looked at her, the more she liked her.

“The Empress Dowager seems to really like Wanwan,” Cui Wanwan leaned in beside the old matron and said.

Her voice was lowered just a little, her expression full of playful mischief, which made the old matron laugh. With her eyes narrowed into smiling slits, the matron replied, “The young lady is adorable, naturally, she’s loved by all.”

The Empress Dowager looked lovingly at the girl beside her, and then heard her say, “I like the Empress Dowager too. If only I could stay by Your Majesty’s side, how wonderful that would be.”

The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow. Upon hearing those words, her smile gradually faded. She liked clever children, but that didn’t mean she liked schemers.

A bit of personal thought was acceptable, but trying to calculate against her, the Empress Dowager herself, was absolutely not.

“And why is that?” the Empress Dowager asked, her gaze growing cold. Among the sons and daughters of court officials and noble families in the capital, if any had the chance to get close to the Empress Dowager, they would scramble for it even if it meant cracking their heads open.

Such a cute little girl, if she were approaching with a hidden agenda, then she would no longer be cute.

“Because Father and Mother like my elder sister better. So from now on, I don’t want to like them either. Since the Empress Dowager likes me, Wanwan will like the Empress Dowager.” Cui Wanwan said, half in earnest, half in jest.

“Childish.” The Empress Dowager was stunned for a moment, then affectionately tapped the girl’s nose with her finger.
“Aren’t you the only daughter in your family?” the Empress Dowager asked with some confusion. “Since when did you gain an elder sister?”

The old matron beside her explained, “Replying to the Empress Dowager, a few years ago, the Cui family adopted a girl. That young lady was originally chosen by Madam Cui after escaping from a refugee camp. She was brought back to the Cui Mansion as a servant, but later, somehow, the Cui couple officially adopted her. Her name is Wei Qingyu.”

“Which one is she?” the Empress Dowager asked in a low voice.

The matron leaned forward and looked around, then replied, “Replying to Your Majesty, it seems that young lady has not yet arrived at the banquet.”

The Empress Dowager frowned at this, clearly displeased.

“This is a palace banquet. The feast has already begun, the Emperor and Aijia are both seated, and she still hasn’t shown up. What boldness, does she expect me to send someone to fetch her?” The Empress Dowager set down her teacup with dissatisfaction.
“No sense of propriety at all.”

The Empress Dowager then turned to look at Cui Wanwan.
“You said just now that your father and mother don’t like you?”

“Well… not exactly,” Cui Wanwan forced a small smile and said, “Father and Mother just like Elder Sister more. Since she suffered a lot in the past, they hope that I, as her younger sister, will care for and support her more.”

The Empress Dowager, being an old fox herself, of course understood all the twists and turns hidden behind those words.

Seeing the expression on this girl’s face, it seemed that the Cui couple truly favored that adopted daughter in their household.

Cui Wanwan lowered her head, twisting her golden-threaded handkerchief with two fingers, pretending not to notice the Empress Dowager’s reaction.

As for scheming, well, it wasn’t that she didn’t understand it. She had simply chosen not to engage in it in the past, which was why she had always ended up trampled beneath Wei Qingyu’s feet.

This time, she wouldn’t lose again.

After all, what could she do?
She was just a vicious, black-hearted supporting female character. If she didn’t even have a few tricks up her sleeve, wouldn’t that just make a mockery of the “vicious supporting role” title Wei Qingyu had worked so hard to pin on her?

“Wanwan truly wants to stay by this old woman who’s almost in her grave?” the Empress Dowager returned to her earlier kind and gentle tone.

“Grandma isn’t an old woman at all! And besides, you’re not allowed to curse yourself like that.” Wanwan frowned, pouted, and looked completely disapproving.

That one word—Grandma—instantly melted the Empress Dowager’s heart.
Scheming? Clinging to power? She tossed all of that to the back of her mind.

She was getting old. Even if she never said it aloud, deep down she still longed to experience that so-called joy of family affection.

Of her two sons, one was stationed far away in his fief, the other was Emperor of the realm. They respected her, honored her, but had no real intimacy with her.

As for her many grandchildren, each and every one of them either feared her or behaved with such rigid formality that not one had ever called her “Grandma.”

This was the very first time in her entire life that she had heard a child from the younger generation call her that.

The Empress Dowager’s face was full of delight. She happily grasped Cui Wanwan’s hand and lightly pecked it at the fingertips.

That scene stunned all the civil and military officials seated below.

Out of the corner of her eye, Cui Wanwan glanced down and saw that her parents looked utterly dumbfounded as well.

“Then will Grandma be willing to take Wanwan in?” Cui Wanwan said with a charming smile, leaning on the Empress Dowager in a spoiled, playful manner.

“I couldn’t ask for more,” the Empress Dowager replied cheerfully.

The Emperor had not seen his mother this happy in quite some time. Though he couldn’t hear what the girl from the Cui family was saying to the Empress Dowager, seeing her coax his mother into such delight, well, that already marked her as someone special.

Thinking of this, the Emperor suddenly recalled the girl’s identity. He cleared his throat and raised his hand.

The surrounding guests all immediately quieted down.

Then the Emperor looked at Cui Wanwan with a gentle smile. “You’re the Cui family’s daughter, Cui Wanwan, yes?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, I am,” Cui Wanwan sat up straight at once and gave a proper, composed bow.

Not bad.
The Emperor observed her calm bearing. Though young, she showed no signs of panic or fear, responding with poise and manners, clearly the product of good upbringing. There was even a trace of royal demeanor in her brows and gaze.

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction.

“Wanwan, which of Our sons do you like best?”

As soon as these words left the Emperor’s mouth, the banquet hall stirred with a collective gasp, then fell utterly silent.

Cui Wanwan’s father was also extremely tense.

There were currently four princes born to the reigning Emperor, no, five, if the one in the Cold Palace was counted.

And among them, only one would eventually become the future Crown Prince.

No matter which prince His Majesty betrothed his Wanwan to today, from then on, the Cui family could no longer remain uninvolved.

Their rise would be shared, and so would their fall.

If she married an ordinary prince, perhaps they could still live a peaceful and quiet life.

But if she were married to a prince with real hopes of seizing the throne, then the Cui family would inevitably be dragged into the treacherous struggle for succession.

Since ancient times, battles over the throne had always been perilous, if successful, that was well and good; but if one failed, it would mean utter ruin and eternal damnation.

The Cui clan had produced several empresses in the past, as well as imperial concubines, some had been favored, but others had ended up as sacrifices to power, or as discarded women.

Marrying into the imperial family was far from the fairy tale others imagined.

Father Cui furrowed his brows. So, this day had finally come?

“Husband,” Madam Cui called softly beside him, clearly burdened with heavy thoughts.

Father Cui turned and caught a trace of sorrow on his wife’s face.

Their younger daughter was bright and innocent, cheerful, and headstrong, impulsive and willful. A girl like that was ill-suited to marry into the royal family; she would break easily.

Yu’er, on the other hand… was gentle and calm. Her temperament was much steadier than Wanwan’s, and she wasn’t one to get trapped in stubborn thoughts or spiral into obstinacy.

If possible, they would have preferred Yu’er to be the one to marry into royalty.

But unfortunately, Yu’er did not carry the bloodline of the Cui clan. The Emperor would likely never approve it.

Cui Wanwan gave the Emperor a sweet smile. “His Majesty’s sons must all be fine gentlemen. If Your Majesty lets this humble daughter choose freely, I fear I’d be drowned in a sea of jealousy from all the noble ladies of the capital.”

With this, she both sincerely praised the imperial family and subtly expressed her unwillingness to discuss marriage, at least for now.

The Emperor was in good spirits. Seeing how much his mother liked her, he naturally became more lenient toward the girl as well.

“Wanwan is still young,” the Empress Dowager said. “Your Majesty, why the rush? I feel such kinship with this girl, it would be better to raise her in the palace for now. When the time comes for marriage, we can decide then.”

Since the Empress Dowager had spoken and the Emperor wasn’t in a hurry, he naturally agreed.

However…

The Emperor was surprised. “This Cui girl is actually willing to remain by the Empress Dowager’s side to serve?”

“Your Majesty…” Cui Father grew anxious the moment he heard this and had just opened his mouth when his younger daughter spoke up:

“Replying to Your Majesty, this humble daughter is willing. To be allowed to stay by the Empress Dowager’s side is my great fortune.”