Chapter 311 Qing'er's Grief

Time quietly passed to the eleventh year of Rongchun. Snow was still falling heavily outside the window, and there were still many people's footprints on the road outside.

The main cast of the eleventh year of Rongchun's life - age

However, no one paid any attention to the footprints outside.

Because the Empress Dowager who raised Qing'er was nearing the end of her life.

Qing'er had been serving the Empress Dowager since she fell ill, without ever stopping.

Everyone felt sorry for the person watching, but no one could stop them.

Yongqi and the others were currently staying in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, while the Empress Dowager was residing in the Changchun Xianguan.

At this moment, in the Empress Dowager's room, besides her close maid Qing'er, there were Emperor Qianlong, Yongyan, Kangwei, Xiao Jian, Xiao Yucheng, Xiao Yuting, Mianhua, Mianyao, and other close children.

The Empress Dowager touched Qing'er's hand and sighed, "Qing'er, this old woman wants to see you smile..."

"You look bad when you cry."

"I'm content to have lived to this age and seen your and Xiao Jian's child grow up."

"Yu Chen, Yu Ting, come here."

Tears had been welling up in both of their eyes for a long time. Xiao Yuting knelt by the bedside, holding her other hand, "Great-Grandma..."

"From now on, you and your brother must protect your mother, understand?"

Xiao Yuting replied while crying, "Yuting knows..."

"Great-Grandma, Yuting will miss you..."

The Empress Dowager smiled gently and said, "Your great-grandmother will continue to watch over you from heaven and protect you. So, as long as you remember your great-grandmother in your hearts, your great-grandmother will always be here..."

"Xiao Jian, you promised me, you haven't forgotten, have you?"

Xiao Jian stepped forward and said, "Xiao Jian will never forget!"

"That's good. As long as Qing'er and the two children are alright, I can go and see Qing'er's father and mother."

Then it was Emperor Qianlong, the filial son, who spoke, "Mother."

"You're an old man yourself, how can you bear to shed tears in front of the children?"

"..." Emperor Qianlong was also surprised that his mother would rebuke him so harshly.

"I know you're filial, and you've spent a lot of time with me over the years, that's enough..."

"From now on, live the life you want, and make the rest of your life happy..."

Afterwards, she talked with the younger generation, such as Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi, for a while before gradually losing her strength.

"Alright, you can all leave now. Just let Qing'er stay."

Although Emperor Qianlong wanted to stay, his mother clearly didn't need him, so he had no choice but to wait outside.

Yongyan, Kangwei, Xiaojian, and the children also dared not leave and stayed outside with Qianlong, waiting.

"Qing'er, don't cry. After I leave, you can go to Dali with Xiao Jian..."

"I know that you stayed in the capital with Xiao Jian because of me."

"Now that I'm leaving, you can leave with Xiao Jian without worry."

“I’ve raised you like my own granddaughter, and before I knew it, so many years have passed…”

"Thirty-three years, I've been by your side for almost thirty-three years..."

Even after she married Xiao Jian, she and the Empress Dowager were still often together.

"So, it's been so long..."

"Back then, when I brought you back, you were just a tiny little thing..."

"I never expected that you would find Xiao Jian so quickly. Although you went through many hardships, you finally got together with him..."

"I watched you get married, saw you off on your wedding day, watched you have children, helped you, and accompanied you in raising your two children. That little one from back then is now a mother herself, and soon she will be a grandmother..."

"My only regret is that I didn't get to see Yu Chen and Mian Hua get married..."

As Qing'er listened to the Empress Dowager's words, tears streamed down her face like pearls falling from a broken string. "I can't bear to part with you, I don't want you to leave..."

Even though Qing'er had become a mother, she still held the Empress Dowager with the same care and tenderness she had shown as a little girl, saying, "Qing'er can't live without you..."

The Empress Dowager gently touched Qing'er's cheek and wiped away her tears, "This is my fate, God has allowed me to live this long..."

"We have no way to resist, we can only accept it."

"Qing'er, I know you have a lot of reluctance in your heart, and so do I, but..."

Before she could finish speaking, she began to cough violently.

"Please stop talking..."

Qing'er was genuinely afraid that if she continued like this, she would really have to leave.

"I'm afraid if I don't speak now, I won't have the chance to continue."

"Over the years, I've also realized that Yongqi wanted to abdicate and leave early on, and his children have all followed suit. So the next emperor will be Yongyan's son..."

“Yongyan was practically raised under Yongqi’s care. If he were a good person, he wouldn’t have done anything he shouldn’t have. Otherwise, you guys could go wherever you want…”

"But if he goes astray, you should have ways to deal with it..."

"Don't worry, Xiao Yanzi and the others have already made preparations."

The Empress Dowager sighed, "I know you have made many preparations, but I have something to give you. It can save your lives in a critical moment!"

That was a blank imperial edict given to her by the Yongzheng Emperor. As long as it did not disrupt the country or harm the Qing Dynasty and its people, it could be effective.

At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), after handing the imperial edict to Qing'er, the Empress Dowager closed her eyes with satisfaction.

Her last words to Qing'er were, "Qing'er, seeing how loving you and Xiao Jian have been for so many years, I'm going to see my love too..."

Qing'er burst into tears. The people outside, hearing the commotion, rushed in one by one. "The Empress Dowager has passed away..."

Empress Dowager Niohuru, who was born during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, passed away on the 23rd day of the first month of the eleventh year of the Rongchun reign (1722).

Emperor Qianlong was deeply grieved, and Qing'er fell seriously ill. Those who cared about them were extremely worried.

The current Empress Dowager, Keliye, believes that the passing of the Grand Empress Dowager is already very saddening.

In this harem, there is one less person with whom she can chat and talk casually.

Unexpectedly, at the end of May, Consort Shu, of the Yehenara clan, also came to the end of her life.

"Sister Yu, I promised to stay with you forever, but now I'm afraid I have to break my promise..."

"No, it won't..."

Over the years, she had frequent interactions with Consort Shu and Consort Ling, and because of Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi, they became quite close.

However, the Imperial Noble Consort Ling passed away in the first month of the year before last, and now, the Imperial Noble Consort Shu is also leaving. The Empress Dowager will truly be all alone.

"Sister Yu, I have so many regrets in this life. In my next life, I don't want to enter the palace again. I just want to be an ordinary person..."

"I...I don't want to go into the imperial tomb...I want to go home...home..."

Consort Shu, of the Yehenara clan, who was originally to be buried in the imperial mausoleum, returned home as she wished.

The sorrow in the palace lasted for a very long time.

At the end of the eleventh year of Rongchun, Xiao Yuting was again urging her mother to eat, "Mother, please don't do this. If Great-Grandma finds out, she will definitely be sad..."

"Qing'er, you should eat something..."

Over the past year, they witnessed countless scenes of Qing'er doing things, suddenly bursting into tears, and then losing her appetite. But they did not blame Qing'er; they only cared for her and worried about her.

More than anyone else, they hoped that Qing'er could emerge from the shadows soon, so that those who had passed away could rest in peace.