Empress Dowager Jiang smiled as she looked at her.
She still held a sutra in her hand, obviously what she had been reading while waiting just now. At this moment she slipped it back into its original place, then turned to face Shang Ruyi directly. Her smile was full of delight and joy as she said, "I thought we might not have much chance to see each other again, and I didn't expect we'd meet so soon."
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager…"
"Princess Qin, please sit."
Empress Dowager Jiang pointed to the side, and only then did Shang Ruyi notice that in the middle of this level of the pavilion, two bookshelves had clearly been deliberately removed, leaving a fairly spacious open area. A round carpet was spread on the floor, but whether it was because the carpet was too thick or for some other reason, it was built up higher than the surrounding floor.
On the carpet stood a low table, with some simple cups and refreshments laid out upon it.
