"Your Majesty, you must not compare me to goddesses and divine ladies.
As I am now, I can only be considered to have gained some ability, to have a slight mastery of the five elemental spells, to cast minor, not very powerful, common sorceries, and to live a few more years.
Ah, I do have a technique, called the Spring Revival Art.
It can extend one's life and restore youth.
I wonder if Your Majesty would like to try it?"
Ding Yun said a few humble words, then decided to offer Grand Empress Dowager Zhang a taste of something sweet, specifically bringing up the Spring Revival Art.
Upon hearing such good news, how could Grand Empress Dowager Zhang refuse? Of course, she nodded repeatedly and happily said:
"Willingly, willingly, this empress dowager will absolutely cooperate!"
As the Grand Empress Dowager agreed, Ding Yun immediately mobilized the vitality of all wood, transformed from sunlight, that resided within her. Outwardly, she chanted a revival incantation; in reality, she channeled the life-force energy contained within her into Grand Empress Dowager Zhang's body.
Making it cycle through her body a few times.
To help her heal old injuries within.
And focusing on nourishing and altering her appearance.
It is said that old injuries only appear after being hurt. The process of human growth is actually a process of constant injury, constant oxidation, and constant reduction of lifespan. Thus, no matter how well someone maintains themselves, there are always injuries within. These injuries can be considered old injuries, growth injuries, lifespan injuries, or oxidation injuries.
A little recovery can invigorate a person.
Complete recovery means extending lifespan.
However, to achieve rapid results, Ding Yun did not repair many of Grand Empress Dowager Zhang's internal old injuries. The life-force energy only circulated twice within her body before she began to alter her appearance, which is commonly known as beauty and rejuvenation.
This way, the process was much faster.
And the effects were much more apparent.
In just a few minutes, Grand Empress Dowager Zhang's entire body's skin began to tighten, her skin became delicate, and the age spots, melasma, and wrinkles on her face all disappeared. Her collagen and other elements became full again.
Concurrently, her hair began to darken and become soft and smooth.
Her entire person, who had previously, despite good maintenance, clearly looked over fifty years old, now appeared to be no more than twenty years old. In this state, her makeup actually made her look older at this moment; if she removed it, she would likely look even younger.
Although Grand Empress Dowager Zhang had not looked in a mirror, she could clearly see her own hands. She could see her hands transform from a state of being somewhat wrinkled and dry.
To becoming youthful and plump, with hands like soft sprouts.
Had she not been concerned that any movement might interrupt Ding Yun's spellcasting, she would have been so overjoyed that she would have screamed with delight and rushed to the back to get a mirror to examine herself.
"Your Majesty, it is done.
However, the makeup on your face now does not quite match your appearance. To prevent some from suspecting I am playing tricks like a 'tan mao huan tai zi' (swapping the crown prince with a wild cat), using someone resembling you in your youth to replace you, perhaps it would be best to send for the washing tools to be brought here.
You can personally remove your makeup.
And let the Empress and the others see your youthful appearance!"
At this moment, both the Empress, who had been silenced, and the several consorts who had come to pay their respects with the Empress were present and had witnessed the Grand Empress Dowager's transformation with their own eyes.
Some had even let out gasps of surprise.
But Ding Yun wanted them to be astonished.
So, naturally, she did not mind taking it a step further.
At this point, the Grand Empress Dowager did not even bother to consider Ding Yun's deeper intentions. She immediately complied and turned to instruct her personal attendant to quickly bring the tools.
Meanwhile, the consorts who could speak at the side.
Began to flatter Ding Yun and the Grand Empress Dowager.
However, the Grand Empress Dowager was too lazy to listen to their flattery. All she wanted now was to see her own appearance quickly.
She waited, and waited. Although it was only a few minutes, it felt like an eternity. As soon as a few palace maids brought the washing tools into the room, she hurried to meet them herself. Facing the glazed mirror, she carefully examined her current appearance.
Glazed mirrors were then an imported item.
And quite rare.
But as the Grand Empress Dowager of a dynasty, she could certainly afford one.
Through the glazed mirror, Grand Empress Dowager Zhang immediately saw her current appearance. How to describe it? It was somewhat strange. The makeup that had been used to fill in wrinkles and cover various spots now looked like an exaggerated mask on her face, appearing rather peculiar and amusing.
But in some areas where the makeup had fallen off.
The youthfulness of the skin beneath was clearly visible.
"Your Majesty, please remove your makeup quickly.
Only by removing the makeup can you see your true appearance now."
Ding Yun knew that the Grand Empress Dowager's current appearance was not aesthetically pleasing.
So she urged her on.
The Grand Empress Dowager paused for a moment, then immediately had someone put down the washing tools and began to wash her face on the spot. After she had removed all the makeup from her face, she was like a lotus emerging from clear water, naturally unadorned. A beautiful woman thus appeared in the glazed mirror.
How could someone who was a Grand Empress Dowager be ugly?
Even the palace maids in the imperial palace were not ugly.
Let alone consorts and Grand Empress Dowagers.
At this, not only did the consorts behind her have their eyes shining with surprise, wishing they could bind Ding Yun and take her back, but the Grand Empress Dowager herself was so delighted that she lost her voice. She stood there blankly before the glazed mirror, touching her face and smiling. After a long while, she finally said, "It is truly wonderful."
Which woman does not love beauty?
As a widow, she still had her pursuit of beauty.
After about a quarter of an hour, Grand Empress Dowager Zhang finally came back to her senses. Happily, she waved her hand to signal the palace maids and eunuchs to leave, and then, with slightly buoyant steps, she quickly walked to Ding Yun's side, took Ding Yun's hand, and began to express her gratitude while inquiring:
"Jing Ci, thank you so much.
I never imagined I would live to see a day of returning to youth. It is truly a miracle! Compared to you, those heavenly masters and true immortals who came to offer blessings in previous years were simply impostors. I saw no real skill from them at all.
The title of 'Immortal Master' is truly too low for you."
"Also, please do not be so humble, thinking you cannot compare to those goddesses and divine ladies. This empress dowager actually feels you are far more formidable than those goddesses and divine ladies.
No matter how much is said about those goddesses and divine ladies in legends.
I have seen little truth and much falsehood.
Your ability, however, I can confirm with one hundred percent certainty is real. Anyone who claims it is fake, I will argue with them!"
"And, I must apologize on behalf of my son. He is truly a scoundrel. However, you have, in a way, benefited from misfortune. If not for the matter of deposing the Empress earlier, you would likely still be busy with palace affairs every day, with no time to cultivate and achieve enlightenment. I will beat him up for you later to vent your anger, what do you say!"
"Look at me, Jing Ci, please sit, please sit.
And all of you, you may leave if you have nothing to do.
The Empress is emotionally unstable, are those by her side not hurrying to take her back? And quickly send someone to inform my son, telling him I have something of immense importance to discuss with him, and that he must not delay."
Good heavens, Ding Yun's single Spring Revival Art had completely stunned Grand Empress Dowager Zhang. Her attitude and emotions underwent a drastic change in an instant. Perhaps she herself did not notice that her words now carried a hint of flattery.
It was truly a mixture of gratitude, an attempt to cover for her son, and a hurried dismissal of the consorts who were watching, along with sending for her son.
If she did not call her son back now to maintain their relationship.
It would be too late.
As for why her attitude changed so rapidly, it was obvious, wasn't it? This was returning to youth! Let alone in ancient times, even in a few hundred years, as long as humanity had not developed the technology for rejuvenation, Ding Yun's Spring Revival operation would cause a sensation.
Even centuries later, there would still be billionaires waving large checks to curry favor with her.
Therefore, the Grand Empress Dowager's reaction was entirely normal.
As Grand Empress Dowager Zhang chatted with Ding Yun, fostering their relationship, the female official she had dispatched to summon Emperor Xuande immediately upon entering the Hall of Heavenly Purity received dire news: Emperor Xuande had fallen unconscious a quarter of an hour ago, and the imperial physicians were currently treating him.
However, because it was late in the twelfth lunar month and everyone was busy preparing for the New Year, the response was somewhat slow.
Furthermore, the exact situation was not yet clear.
Thus, they had not yet sent someone to inform the Grand Empress Dowager in a timely manner.
Upon receiving this news, the female official naturally hastened back to Cí'ān Palace without delay to inform the Grand Empress Dowager of the situation.