When Noble Princess Consort Rong arrived, the Empress Dowager only made a token effort at small talk with her before changing the subject.
It wasn't that Her Majesty disliked the Noble Consort.
No matter how long the Noble Consort had been acting high and mighty in the palace, she would never dare direct her pampered temper toward the Empress Dowager. She didn't even feign compliance. It was simply that the Empress Dowager preferred the dignified and proper Empress and rarely involved herself in harem affairs, which kept their relationship distant. The Noble Consort had no way to curry favor, and the Empress Dowager saw no need to engage with her. Thus, they had maintained a harmonious, if remote, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship for many years, a balance that had never been broken.
"I hear the Emperor has taken quite a liking to you lately. Lift your head and let me have another look."
The Empress Dowager said slowly.
