The Empress Dowager, fearful that Yan Qing might turn and leave at the sight of her crying, had no choice but to suppress her urge to cry desperately within her heart, only then managing to quell the tears.
Even so, her eyes remained red. Pulling Ling Hua aside to talk, she inquired about her health. Upon learning that Ling Hua still needed a few more days of rest, the Empress Dowager hurriedly advised her to return early to rest. Knowing that the Emperor was waiting for her, she said she wouldn't hold them back for lunch in the palace. She suggested that Ling Hua visit the Emperor early and then return home to rest instead of tiring herself running back and forth to have lunch at Changning Palace after seeing the Emperor.
Ling Hua gracefully accepted the consideration from her elder. After sitting and chatting with the Empress Dowager for half an hour, she got up to say goodbye, taking Yan Qing with her to see the Emperor.
