Chapter 1083 - 1085: When I Catch You (5)
"They say men are like teapots, and women like cups; how can a single teapot have only one cup? That’s utterly absurd..."
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Nangong Yi and Caiwei left the Jade Palace and headed for the Empress Dowager’s residence in Shouning Palace.
The Empress Dowager had not involved herself in the matters of the Imperial Harem for many years, only occasionally inquiring into the affairs of her parental home—beyond that, she devoted all her energy to a vegetarian diet and the recitation of Buddhist scriptures.
When Caiwei and Nangong Yi arrived at Shouning Palace, the managing old palace maid welcomed them inside.
The Empress Dowager’s living quarters in the Warm Pavilion consisted of three interconnected rooms, probably designed that way for ease of heating. The east side was partitioned by a flower bird screen consisting of twenty-four panels, and the west by the Duobao Pavilion.
Upon entering the central room of the Warm Pavilion, they saw a white jade Guanyin statue, over a foot tall, enshrined within a Buddhist shrine carved from aloeswood. Under the candlelight, the kindly and benevolent Guanyin watched over all beings within the hall.
Before the shrine was a long table, adorned with a coral tower, the Diamond Sutra, and a wooden fish among other things. A three-legged incense burner contained a stick of incense that was still burning, and a chiseled floral pattern silver tray beside it held some fresh fruit.
The Empress Dowager sat on a babu bed, appeared thin and frail, her Hair showing signs of aging with streaks of gray, looking to be in her sixties or seventies. She wore a brocade beizi in blue with flowerless adornment and had no ornate hairpins, just a simple forehead cover, giving her a plain but refined appearance. Yet, her spirit and vitality seemed quite good.