Double Rebirth: The Scumbag Heroine is Terrified of the Yandere Prince! - Chapter 24

“What’s wrong? Is Grand Imperial Grandmother unwell?” Shen Ruoli asked anxiously.

Nanny Liu let out a soft chuckle and shook her head. “Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager, is in good health.”

“Then what is it?”

“Last night, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince visited the Palace of Longevity and Health to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager,” Nanny Liu explained.

Shen Ruoli’s heart skipped a beat. “What did he say?”

Recalling her past life, Xie Xuanyin had never visited Empress Dowager Shen after returning from Tianzhao Temple…

That “dog of a man” had left with a dark expression last night and said such harsh words. Since he went to the Palace of Longevity and Health, he surely must have slandered her in front of Grand Imperial Grandmother, right? Besides, Xie Xuanyin and Empress Dowager Shen were never close to begin with—after all, she was not the Emperor’s biological mother!

Seeing Shen Ruoli’s extreme nervousness, Nanny Liu smiled to comfort her. “Do not be anxious, Crown Princess! The Crown Prince did not say anything unpleasant. It is just that the Empress Dowager felt a bit troubled in her heart and did not sleep all night. That is why, at first light, she ordered me to invite you over.”

Although Nanny Liu was comforting her, Shen Ruoli felt there was a hidden meaning in her words. Instead of easing, her tension grew heavier. Neglecting even her breakfast, she hurriedly washed up and rushed to the Palace of Longevity and Health.

As expected, upon entering, she heard a heavy sigh echoing from within the hall. Shen Ruoli’s eyes tightened as she quickened her pace.

“Grand Imperial Grandmother!”

“Lier is here.” Empress Dowager Shen leaned against her chaise longue and closed the book in her hand. She reached out toward Shen Ruoli.

Shen Ruoli stepped forward and nestled beside her. “After not seeing you for a few days, Grand Imperial Grandmother looks even younger! I’m afraid in a few more days, you’ll truly turn back into a young girl of seventeen or eighteen!”

The Empress Dowager was amused by her words. Her originally stern and melancholy expression softened significantly.

“You silly girl. You’ve married, yet you haven’t become more steady; instead, your tongue has grown even more glib.” The Empress Dowager tapped her forehead.

Shen Ruoli smiled and rolled into her embrace.

“How old are you now? Still acting like a child,” the Empress Dowager sighed helplessly. “You are the future Empress! If you remain this naive, how can I ever be at peace?”

Shen Ruoli looked up. “As long as Grand Imperial Grandmother is here, I will always be a child.”

Nanny Liu stood to the side smiling, but as she watched, her eyes grew moist. She turned away, quietly wiping her tears. Her movements were subtle, but Shen Ruoli caught them.

She sat up straight. “Grand Imperial Grandmother, did the Crown Prince come by last night? Did he lodge a complaint against me?”

“Certainly not!” The Empress Dowager shook her head. “In fact, Yin’er didn’t complain at all. He spoke quite highly of you! He even mentioned that you knelt for a long time at Tianzhao Temple to seek a peace talisman for me.”

Shen Ruoli quickly took out the talisman. “Yes! Let me tie it on for you.”

“You are thoughtful.” The Empress Dowager’s eyes held a smile, yet it looked somewhat desolate. “I am advanced in years; I wonder how long this talisman can protect me.”

Shen Ruoli’s movements faltered. She felt that Empress Dowager Shen was acting strange today—not just her, but Nanny Liu and the entire staff of the palace as well! Usually, the Palace of Longevity and Health was filled with warmth, but today it was permeated with a faint air of sorrow.

Could it be… that something had happened to the Empress Dowager, and she was intentionally hiding it?

Earlier, Nanny Liu only mentioned there was “bad news,” but no matter how much she pressed, the nanny remained vague and kept changing the subject. Suspicion took root in Shen Ruoli’s heart.

“Grand Imperial Grandmother, this talisman is very effective! It will surely protect you so you live to be two hundred years old!”

“Then I would become an old monster,” the Empress Dowager laughed. “By the way, the Crown Prince said you also sought talismans for the Emperor and the Empress?”

Shen Ruoli didn’t understand why Xie Xuanyin would tell the Empress Dowager these things. She frowned slightly but answered honestly, “Grand Imperial Grandmother, Mother’s birthday is coming up soon. You know she has never liked me, so no matter what I offer in filial piety, she likely won’t appreciate it. Besides, she lacks for nothing. I thought it better to seek a peace talisman from Tianzhao Temple.”

“Mhm.” The Empress Dowager nodded, not interrupting.

Shen Ruoli continued, “I’ve heard that the talismans from Tianzhao Temple are the most miraculous. I originally intended to come to the palace with the Prince last night, but he said it was late and that the journey had been exhausting. He insisted I rest and wouldn’t let me follow.”

She just hadn’t expected that even that late at night, Xie Xuanyin would still come to pay his respects. The Empress Dowager usually slept early; was she woken up by him? Seeing her slightly haggard face, Shen Ruoli felt a pang of pity.

“In the dead of winter, the days are short and the nights are long, dark, and cold. You must keep warm at night and not catch a cold.”

“I know. Just take care of yourself.” The Empress Dowager patted the back of her hand with a loving smile. This girl had been raised at her side and was dearer to her than her own biological granddaughters.

“I asked you to come today because I wanted to ask about you and the Crown Prince.” Speaking of serious matters, the Empress Dowager sighed again. “I watched him grow up too. That child has been cold-natured since he was small, indifferent to everything. Hearing that he personally went to the mountain to fetch you after the bandit encounter took me by surprise.”

Shen Ruoli’s face flushed. “Grand Imperial Grandmother, I didn’t expect it either.”

“It seems that child has finally taken you to heart.” The Empress Dowager’s gaze was relieved. Back when she decreed the marriage, Xie Xuanyin had opposed it in every way, and Empress Sun was even more set against it. As the Empress Dowager, she had to harden her heart to force the union!

She had thought Shen Ruoli’s life in the Crown Prince’s manor would be difficult—especially recently, when she heard that Xie Xuanyin had nearly let her fall from the city wall to her death! The Empress Dowager had been anxious to protect her but feared that interfering would only backfire, knowing his temperament all too well.

She could only worry in secret. She hadn’t expected that in just a few days, Xie Xuanyin’s attitude would change so drastically…

“Lier.” As someone who had seen it all, the Empress Dowager tucked away her smile. “Matters of the heart are never absolute. The Crown Prince is no ordinary man; you must be cautious and never be so stubborn as you were before.”

Shen Ruoli knew that when the Empress Dowager called her “stubborn,” she was referring to her past obsession with Xie Xuansong.

“And regarding the Empress…” Before she could finish, a soft laugh echoed from the doorway.

“The Crown Princess is here so early to pay her respects; it seems she truly is filial to the Empress Dowager!”

Hearing that voice, Shen Ruoli’s body instantly froze.

—It was Empress Sun!