Empress Dowager Lu seemed surprised. "Even if there are difficulties, can't you handle them?"
"..."
Grace didn't know what to say, but she felt like flipping the table. The behavior of the capitalist ruling class was always the same; as long as they could squeeze out a drop of oil, they would never allow any leftovers! She couldn't believe that her solution to this mess was to push it directly onto her.
Though Grace was deeply aware of her own situation and didn't want to be pushed around like this, she had no reason to endure it any longer. She said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say that I'm not sure if I should."
"Don't say it."
Empress Dowager Lu decisively continued eating her meat.
Grace choked, sitting up straight. "Since Your Majesty has entrusted such an important task to me, shouldn't you provide me with some guarantees? You know that I'm unfamiliar with the people and places here, and what we're doing can't afford any leaks. If something goes wrong with me, not only will it be unfortunate for me, but it will also affect Your Majesty's grand plans."
"What do you want?"
"At the very least, Your Majesty should ensure my safety under any circumstances. And if the emperor targets the Zhao family, you can't just stand by. After this matter is resolved, you can't come looking for me again, especially for yesterday's incident with the torn painting. You must let it go!"
Empress Dowager Lu didn't hesitate at all. "What you said is not a problem."
Grace continued, "Then please grant me a written decree! And stamp it with the phoenix seal!"
She had made up her mind. Since Empress Dowager Lu was so determined, there must be room for negotiation. Today, she had to secure a way out for herself!
Empress Dowager Lu didn't say much, simply glancing at the ink and paper on the table, then writing a few lines before handing it over. "Take this to the woman in charge of the seal. Go find Gao Shu and have him stamp it."
Grace carefully read the clear words on the decree, feeling a little relieved.
She was facing the Empress Dowager of a country, and Empress Dowager Lu had indeed contributed significantly to the founding of Da Liang. Saying she could manipulate the situation with a wave of her hand wasn't an exaggeration. Although she still seemed to have some value, once a greater threat emerged, she might become a sacrificial pawn in the ruling class's calculations. She couldn't afford to be careless.
Of course, such promises might not absolutely guarantee her safety, but in ninety-nine percent of cases, there shouldn't be a problem.
She immediately bowed to Empress Dowager Lu in gratitude. "Thank you so much, Your Majesty!"
"Don't thank me yet. You have one month. Within that time, you must deal with Zhao Ke. If you fail, there are over a dozen nunneries in the capital waiting for you."
"Understood!"
"Now leave."
...
Grace walked out of the hall with the decree, feeling as if she were holding a contract to sell herself!
Finding Gao Shu to stamp it, the woman in charge of the seal had a stern demeanor and an upright posture, looking quite familiar. After reading the decree, she coldly scanned Grace before devoutly stamping the phoenix seal.
Seeing her solemn demeanor, Grace suddenly remembered that she was the one who had urged her to speak yesterday in the Cining Palace...
Exiting the palace, the sun was already setting in the west. Compared to yesterday, the streets seemed to be filled with a slightly different atmosphere. Sitting in the carriage, Grace leaned against the wall, recalling her enthusiastic ambitions before entering the palace, now feeling disappointed in herself.
Originally, she had planned to humble Empress Dowager Lu a bit, but instead, she ended up being manipulated!
In fact, she had thought a lot about her situation since yesterday's day of being watched while eating, drinking, and using the toilet. Even if she didn't want to be served by others, being in her current position, resisting blindly would only bring more trouble. For now, going with the flow seemed to be the best option.
Little Lan, who was entrusted by Grace, stared at the hourglass anxiously, afraid of missing the time to let Marquis Qingyun into the palace to rescue her.
Seeing Grace enter the courtyard, she immediately jumped up from the ground. "Miss!"
Grace was startled.
Little Lan approached, sniffing a few times. "What's that smell?"
"...The smell of hot pot."
"Where did you eat hot pot?"
"At the Cining Palace. Today, not only did I cook for the Empress Dowager, but I also had dinner with her."
"..."
As expected, Little Lan was stunned.
Yesterday, there were too many things happening too quickly. After Marquis Qingyun briefly expressed his doubts about Grace being able to cook, everyone quickly forgot about it. Of course, most people still thought Grace was bragging.
In any case, Grace was able to come back safely, and no one wanted to investigate further. But today, when she said she had cooked for the Empress Dowager again and even smelled like hot pot...
Little Lan couldn't stay calm anymore. "Miss, you've changed!"
Although Grace's mind was currently a mess, she felt that this matter needed to be explained as soon as possible, or it could easily become a topic of conversation.
She sat down. "I had some feelings after yesterday's events. I realized that if I hadn't been so outrageous in the past, I wouldn't have attracted so much trouble. So, from now on, I want to change and try to cause less trouble for the family.
"During this period of time, I'm still adjusting, so things might be a bit awkward. But once I get used to it, everything will be fine. Please don't worry too much. Also, as members of the Yi Yu Garden, you should handle external matters for me and not cause me more trouble."
As
for the class system and so on, Grace had already figured it out after being watched all day yesterday. Even though she didn't want to be served by others, being in her current position, resisting blindly would only bring more trouble. For now, going with the flow seemed to be the best option.
Little Lan felt relieved, and after a moment, she took out a piece of paper from her sleeve. "By the way, you just returned, and Madam asked about you several times today. Also, Flower Guard has obtained the list of people Miss He entertained yesterday."
As Grace suspected that she was being set up on her way back yesterday, she regarded the guests entertained by Miss He as suspicious. Now that everything had come to light, the list was no longer needed.
However, Grace still took a look at it and went through the names.