flstandardbreds Chapter 138 Your Majesty, Etiquette Must Not Be Disregarded
Chapter 138 Your Majesty, Etiquette Must Not Be Disregarded
She had been staying at the palace for ten days. On this day, Su Nuannuan respectfully approached the Empress Dowager and cautiously requested to visit her dowry estate. Furthermore, she explained the true purpose of her trip to the Empress Dowager.
After hearing Su Nuannuan's words, the Empress Dowager frowned slightly and said with a hint of reproach, "You, as a mother, are really heartless!"
Su Nuannuan quickly bowed and replied sincerely, "Your Majesty, I know that a sapling cannot grow straight and tall without pruning. If we do not discipline the child now, it will be too late to teach him when he causes a great disaster in the future. I really do not want to witness such a tragic scene, so I have no choice but to harden my heart now and discipline him strictly."
The Empress Dowager sighed softly, her face showing reluctance, and said slowly, "But he is only three years old after all, just an innocent and ignorant little child. What could he possibly understand?"
Su Nuannuan raised her head, looking firmly at the Empress Dowager, and continued, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, 'You can tell what a person will be like at three years old.' Although he is still young, many habits and character traits are often formed at this time. We cannot allow him to be unrestrained and do whatever he wants just because he is only three years old; nor can we let him live without any rules just because he is young and ignorant; and we cannot neglect his upbringing because we feel pity for him. Your Majesty, deep down, I am truly afraid that one day I will have to face the painful situation of a parent outliving their child."
"Sigh! What you say makes sense, so let's do as you say! However, you must return before the key is laid." The Empress Dowager finally gave her helpless instructions, her worried and concerned gaze fixed on Su Nuannuan.
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your grace." Su Nuannuan respectfully performed a full curtsy and expressed her gratitude earnestly.
The next morning, sunlight shone through the clouds, illuminating the earth in a clear, azure sky. A gentle breeze caressed their faces, bringing a touch of coolness. After carefully dressing herself, Su Nuannuan, accompanied by her two lively and adorable children and a group of palace servants, embarked on her journey to her estate.
Throughout the journey, the two little ones were exceptionally excited. They blinked their bright, sparkling eyes, curiously gazing at the ever-changing scenery outside the car window. Sometimes they would point at birds flying in the distance and cheer with joy, and other times they would marvel at the wildflowers blooming by the roadside.
Su Nuannuan looked at the two enthusiastic little ones with a smile, but couldn't help but mutter to herself, "I hope you can maintain this high spirits when we get to the manor."
Time flew by amidst laughter and chatter, and in less than an hour, the large entourage slowly drove into Su Nuannuan's private estate. Having been informed beforehand, the estate's inhabitants were already neatly waiting at the gate when they arrived.
As Su Nuannuan led everyone down from the carriage, she immediately spotted her mother, her sister-in-law, and the exquisitely beautiful baby in her sister-in-law's arms standing in front of the crowd.
"Mother, sister-in-law, what are you doing here?" Su Nuannuan couldn't hide her surprise and quickly stepped forward to ask anxiously.
"Your humble servant greets Consort Zhuang!" The Duchess of Zhenguo and the Lady of Ding'an Marquis bowed slightly in unison and called out in unison.
"Mother, sister-in-law, what are you doing? Get up quickly!" Su Nuannuan frowned slightly upon seeing this, her face showing displeasure. As she spoke, she stretched out her hands and forcefully grabbed the sleeves of the two women from both sides.
“Your Majesty, etiquette must not be disregarded.” The Duchess of Zhenguo gently shook her head, looking at Su Nuannuan with a firm yet respectful gaze, and said slowly. Then, she once again bowed solemnly and said, “This humble woman thanks Your Majesty Consort Zhuang.”
Looking at her mother and sister-in-law, who were being very careful and respectful, Su Nuannuan felt a sudden surge of indescribable sorrow. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears, which seemed about to spill over at any moment.
The Duchess of Zhenguo, with her sharp eyes, noticed her daughter's tearful expression and her heart tightened. She quickly smiled and said, "I heard you were coming to the estate today, so I thought I'd come and see you to ease my longing. Your sister-in-law insisted on coming with me after she found out about this."
"Sister-in-law, it's been a long time." Su Nuannuan opened her arms and hugged Lady Ding'an tightly, her voice slightly choked with emotion.
"Little sister, it's been a long time." Lady Ding'an was also very excited. She hugged Su Nuannuan and her face was full of joy.
At this moment, Su Nuannuan looked down and saw her well-behaved and adorable little nephew Su Cheng'an standing to the side. She couldn't help but bend down, gently hug him, and tease him with a smile, "Oh my, our An'er has grown so big already!"
"Auntie." After Su Nuannuan picked him up, Su An immediately hugged Su Nuannuan's neck and called out in a childish voice.
"Wow! Little An'er's 'Auntie' is so clear!" Su Nuannuan said, reaching out to rub Su An's chubby little face.
"Cheng'er (Yao'er) greets Grandmother and Aunt!" Accompanied by Granny Jin and Granny Ru, Jingcheng and Jingyao stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the two elders in front of them.
They felt no strangers to their maternal grandmother and aunt. These two elders visited them at the palace several times a year. Each time they came, they brought fun things and sometimes patiently played with them, so Jingcheng and Jingyao genuinely liked these two relatives.
The Duchess of Zhenguo looked at her grandson and granddaughter with loving eyes, her gaze filled with joy. She reached out and gently patted Jingcheng and Jingyao's heads, saying with a smile, "Look at our Cheng'er and Yao'er, they're getting more and more adorable! And you two seem to have grown quite a bit taller!" As she spoke, the Duchess of Zhenguo couldn't help but pull Jingcheng to her side for a closer look, muttering, "Hmm, not bad, not bad, his little face is getting more and more handsome..." Seeing this, her aunt, who was standing nearby, also chimed in, teasingly saying, "Indeed, our two children are simply a perfect match! I wonder how many people they'll charm when they grow up!"
Following behind them, Granny Jin and Granny Ru bowed slowly and gracefully to the Lady of the Duke of Zhenguo and the Lady of the Marquis of Ding'an.
At this moment, the Duchess of Zhenguo turned her gaze to the two old women in front of her, her eyes full of doubt, as if she were silently asking with her eyes what had happened.
Seeing this, Su Nuannuan quickly explained, "Mother, look, this is Granny Jin, and this is Granny Ru. Back then, they served the Empress Dowager diligently. Now, the Empress Dowager knows that I am short-handed, so she specially bestowed these two experienced and capable nannies upon me."
The two nannies were mainly responsible for taking care of Jingcheng and Jingyao's daily lives.
Upon hearing this, the Duchess of Zhenguo immediately understood that these two old women were actually servants of the Empress Dowager.
So she quickly put on a warm smile and said kindly to the two nannies, "In that case, I'll have to trouble you two to take good care of me in the future."
Faced with the Duke of Zhenguo's polite words, Granny Jin and Granny Ru dared not be negligent in the slightest. They both bowed respectfully to the Duke of Zhenguo again and replied in unison, "You flatter us, Madam. It is our honor to serve Your Highness."