Chapter 940 - 934 It’s Time to Settle Down
"In the year of the princes’ rebellion, she was no fool, how could she be unaware of the trickery within? That Madam Ru who offered up the last will and testament to demonstrate her loyalty, how clean was she really? Or was she harboring a malicious heart, without a shred of cleanliness?"
"That year, it was rumored that the third Prince and his son had both disappeared; the fact that Madam Ru personally went to welcome them back meant it was surely one of those two."
"If she could know of such matters, how could the Emperor, intelligent as he is, not be aware?"
"Yet the imperial will is unfathomable, and she was no longer inclined to guess at his intentions."
"Now her greatest enemy had arrived."
...
"Family banquets in the Imperial Palace are rare occasions where everyone is able to sit together."
"They did not follow the common practice where men and women dine at separate tables; instead, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress sat at the head table, each at their own table, with the princes, princesses, and concubines seated below according to rank."
"With musical instruments and dancing to liven up the atmosphere, the banquet was much more festive and extravagant than those of ordinary households."
"It’s rare for our family to sit together like this; this time it feels like a true reunion." The Empress Dowager had aged, her legs not as steady, her eyesight not as clear, and she was particularly prone to being moved, her words soon accompanied by a stream of tears.
"The Emperor, seated beside her, consoled her, ’Mother, today is a day for happiness.’"