The Empress inquired with a hint of concern, "It has indeed been quite a while since I last saw the Old Madam. What has happened to her?"
Shen Zhiyuan replied, "My mother is advanced in age; she found sitting here exhausting, so she went to the side hall to rest. Mingshu insisted on accompanying her to provide care, completely disregarding the fact that she was about to take the stage herself."
The Empress spoke with feigned patience, "She has a filial heart, to be sure. But the Spring Banquet is a major event, a celebration presided over personally by me. When her turn comes and she is nowhere to be found, does she not hold me in any regard?"
Chapter 154