Chapter 116: On the Art of Measured Restraint

Song Ci was getting old, she admitted it, but every time someone pointed it out, she still felt a twinge of frustration and stifled annoyance. She longed to shout at them, "I am only twenty-eight years old this year!"

However, she could not.

Just like right now, not only could she not say it, but she also had to humor this noble personage.

"Your Majesty, illness drains the vitality of youth. I was simply tossed about by that ailment for quite a while recently," Song Ci sighed softly. "But then again, old is old. At my age, as long as these old bones can still eat, drink, and walk well enough to come and pay my respects to you, that is more than enough."

Empress Dowager Wang felt even more heartbroken at these words. "You say that, yet you never come to see me. From the beginning of the year until now, tell me, how many times have you submitted a request to enter the palace?"

Song Ci fell silent.

She actually felt a measure of admiration for the original old lady; the woman knew her place.

Logically speaking, for others to be able to call the supreme Empress Dowager "sister" would be an immense honor. Most would surely cling to such a powerful connection to protect themselves and ensure their family’s prosperity and safety.

But the original woman did not. She did not frequently enter the palace to see Empress Dowager Wang, yet she never drifted away either. Beyond sending gifts during festivals, she would occasionally busy herself during her spare time to craft a pair of shoes for the Empress Dowager, signaling to her, "I have you in my heart, and I am thinking of you."

Song Ci felt that the original old lady was truly composed. She hadn't let her connection to the Empress Dowager go to her head. She maintained a perfect sense of propriety, and it was precisely this restraint that made Empress Dowager Wang cherish her all the more.

See? That is what it means to be truly sensible. And as for her so-called maternal relatives?

Human nature is such that if one is more noble and powerful than the other, one might accept their kindness, but if that person keeps clinging to you with overwhelming, inescapable enthusiasm, it eventually becomes tiresome.

It was far better to be as they were now: genuine, without needing to constantly harp on the past, yet with a bond that could never be broken.

Collecting her thoughts, Song Ci said, "Your Majesty, you know what kind of disposition I have. I don't enjoy wearing a fake smile for those people, and the rules of the palace exhaust me."

"Pah! I think you're just worried about embarrassing Chancellor Song," Empress Dowager Wang interrupted, chiding her playfully. "You, you are different now. Yunzhi is the Chancellor, and you are a first-rank noble dowager. Even if you were to break every rule, who would dare give you a cold look?"

"I know that, of course. If anyone dared to give me a cold look, wouldn't I have you to back me up?" Song Ci lied with a smile. "In truth, I have simply become lazy. The older I get, the harder it is to bother with the hustle and bustle of the outside world."

*Nonsense,* she thought. *My heart is still yearning for the vibrant, vast world beyond.*

"I cannot out-talk you. But looking at you now, your complexion has improved significantly. I heard you hired a female physician to attend to you personally? Her medical skills seem quite impressive," Empress Dowager Wang remarked, observing her face.

Song Ci nodded. "You have no idea. When I fell ill, the whole household was in a panic, and I was terrified myself. When I lay in bed, sinking into a stupor unable to open my eyes, the panic was truly frightening. That is why I am now diligently nursing my health—eating medicinal meals, undergoing acupuncture, and practicing shadowboxing. Oh, by the way, this shadowboxing is excellent for longevity. Would you like to learn it with me?"

Song Ci wanted to teach Tai Chi to this ultimate protector of hers. If she thrived, Song Ci thrived, and the Song family would be secure. After all, they were people who had once shared a bowl of rice together.

If she could manage this, the Empress Dowager might live a long life, and even if Song Ci were to pass on first, there would still be someone to look after the Song family.

The more Song Ci thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She had to drag her into her "square dancing" troupe.