"Linglong, my Linglong has truly returned!"
The Empress Dowager descended from the imperial carriage, her excitement palpable.
She pushed away the palace maids and eunuchs who tried to assist her.
Chu Qianli hadn't noticed the Empress Dowager's entourage at first. When she heard the commotion and turned, she saw an old woman rushing towards her, embracing her tightly.
"Linglong!"
The Empress Dowager was genuinely thrilled.
Everyone had told her that her Linglong had died on the battlefield.
For so many years, the Empress Dowager had grown accustomed to having a young girl by her side. Upon hearing of her death, the Empress Dowager had been utterly devastated.
In the days that followed, she had been delirious with illness. Today, her spirits had slightly improved, and she had decided to take a stroll.
Unexpectedly, on the palace's main thoroughfare, she had spotted her Linglong at a glance!
Yu Linglong had returned!
"Empress Dowager?" Eunuch Qing was stunned and quickly moved to support her, along with the palace maids and eunuchs.
"Your Majesty, this… this is Her Majesty the Empress of Longteng, Chu Qianli."
Eunuch Qing lowered his voice when he spoke the last three words.
Firstly, addressing the Empress by her given name, even if she was the Empress of another nation, was disrespectful, and he was merely a chief eunuch.
Secondly, the Empress Dowager was familiar with Chu Qianli.
The Empress Dowager had never been fond of her.
Chu Qianli…
With tear-filled eyes, the Empress Dowager looked up at the young woman before her.
Her magnificent attire was precisely the style Linglong had favored, and from behind, she had indeed seemed like Linglong.
But this face…
"Impossible, you are Linglong, you are Linglong."
The Empress Dowager's voice was hoarse. She released Chu Qianli and reached out to touch her face.
Chu Qianli instinctively took two steps back, evading her.
The Empress Dowager was on the verge of tears. "You are Linglong, you are Linglong! Why don't you acknowledge me? You are Linglong!"
"Your Majesty, she is truly not Miss Yu. Please look clearly, she is Miss Chu, the Empress of Longteng, formerly the Princess Consort of Xuan."
Eunuch Qing knew the Empress Dowager was unwell and did not wish to agitate her, but Yu Linglong was truly dead.
The Empress Dowager's eyesight was indeed poor. In recent days, she had wept incessantly over Linglong's death, and her vision had become blurred.
However, she could still discern the general outline.
More importantly, the feeling was real, undeniably so!
"Impossible, when I held her just now, her body was clearly Linglong's!"
Chu Qianli's expression changed, and she said displeasedly, "Your Majesty, Yu Linglong is dead. I am Chu Qianli!"
"Listen, this voice, it's also Linglong imitating!"
Tears welled in the Empress Dowager's eyes, but also a glimmer of hope.
"Eunuch Qing, did you hear that? Linglong was very good at imitating others' voices, she used to do it to amuse me. I can hear it clearly!"
"Linglong, why are you disguised as someone else? Are you trying to amuse me again?"
Chu Qianli's heart constricted sharply. She was almost terrified to death by the Empress Dowager!
She had indeed imitated others' voices in front of the Empress Dowager to cheer her up.
While others were unaware of this, the Empress Dowager knew it very well!
She hadn't expected to be exposed by this old hag today!
Her heart was in a panic, but she maintained a calm facade.
She cast a glance at Eunuch Qing and said coldly, "Isn't the Emperor's condition very serious? Why haven't you brought me to examine him? Can you bear the responsibility if the Emperor's illness is delayed?"
As for this Empress Dowager…
This old hag knew Yu Linglong too well!
She could not be allowed to remain!
Keeping her would surely lead to disaster!