I agree that she’s a victim, but her son has been trying to win her affection all through his childhood and she never once reciprocated because she wanted to punish her son’s father? It wasn’t the son’s fault. Now her son is all grown up and she’s trying to send him meals and acts sad he doesn’t receive it well?! She’s a bitch who always sees herself as the pitiful victim. Boohoo my son doesn’t like me because I’ve been ignoring him for years.
I think both sides have their issues and it depends of both sides to accept if they want to keep on the super long drama o rjust go ahead with their lives together or taking different paths.
That's what happens after years and years of family dramas. People involved should solve their own shit.
I think here the female lead shouldnt have meddle in, and she said it herself, but at least this made the empress dowager to understand that she should do some efforts if she wanted a change... And btw I doubt that this type of character didn't know what to do by herself but the author wants to involve the FL everywhere soo...

I’m sorry but I really hate the empress dowager. I understand her situation of longing to go back home but what was she thinking treating her son like that? I hate people like her the most. As if years of her ignoring her son is not enough she acts like a victim and acts sad if her son ignores her? Bitch