The Empress Dowager and Pei Yushi's Mother

The Empress Dowager had vanished, and the palace was in chaos.

A thousand miles away, in a small fishing village, the simple-minded A Man rescued a beautiful woman who had collapsed with a high fever. When she woke, she remembered only that she had a granddaughter, so A Man foolishly claimed to be her kin.

The villagers all laughed at A Man for being an idiot. This "grandmother" looked not a day over thirty, had never lifted a finger around the house, and spent all day ordering people about. It was obvious she was a fraud.

But A Man stood firmly by her, picking a fight with anyone who insulted her.

Life went on quietly. Little A Man was busy fishing and farming every day, and the two of them depended on each other.

Then one day, a widow surnamed Qiao moved into town. They said she was the old mother of an Imperial Censor and had returned to her hometown to retire.

The locals silently scoffed: retiring at thirty? At this rate, would she be ready for the grave by forty?

After arriving in town, Madam Qiao spent her days playing mahjong and card games with the other older women, enjoying the good life. Then one day, she met A Man's grandmother and nearly dropped to her knees.

One night, the Empress Dowager, who had been living among the common people, suddenly regained her memories. She grabbed her former political rival and cursed, "How dare you brazenly put horns on the late emperor! I'll make sure you don't survive the night!"

Madam Qiao gasped with laughter. "Your Majesty, spare me... We have plenty of time. Since my daughter is working so hard to help your granddaughter rule, why not let me live a little longer?"

The Empress Dowager didn't give in. That night, she and Madam Qiao fought three hundred rounds.

Neither could claim victory.

Note: 1. The Empress Dowager is 26. She entered the palace at ten, and her relationship with the late emperor was in name only. She became Empress Dowager by sheer luck.

2. The Imperial Censor's mother is 28 and is actually his stepmother.

Theme: True love above all