Zhou Residence, Zhulan was teaching her granddaughter how to paint, but when she heard the steward's words, she hurriedly put down her brush and rushed to the front courtyard.
Before she reached the front courtyard, Xue Han and the Empress Dowager had arrived at the back courtyard. Zhulan quickly performed the formalities, "This humble wife pays respect to the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager wore simple and elegant clothes. She wore no superfluous jewelry, but her demeanor, cultivated over nearly a lifetime, remained regal, even in her understated attire.
The Empress Dowager extended a hand to assist her, "I have left the palace, and there will be fewer formalities in the future. Today, I am merely visiting relatives casually."
Zhulan smiled; the Empress Dowager's self-reference had changed, showing her enjoyment of these simpler days, "This way, please."
