Misconception (Part 5)

It was early morning, before even the sparrows had opened their eyes. There wasn't a trace of white in the sky; all that could be seen was a deep blue expanse.

White breath escaped from Chen Zhuangmu's mouth. She rubbed her hands together, still unable to adapt to the chilly autumn morning temperature despite being dressed in thick clothes.

Originally, she had planned to go to the palace and eat something casually in the dining hall like everyone else, but Li Chu begged her not to. So she told the cook to prepare the meal at this time, and it was served on the table just as Shen Zhuangmu was dressed.

After the two had finished eating, they boarded the carriage and traveled leisurely through the silence. Before long, they arrived at the Louyuan Courtyard.

Chen Zhuangmu waited with a group of officials for the palace gates to open. Many people around her were watching her and whispering, but she pretended not to hear them.

At the end of the Yin hour, the door creaked open, and Chen Zhuangmu was swallowed up by the crowd that entered with her. Looking through the crowd at this familiar road, she realized that it was so deep and indistinct.

She joined the ranks of the civil officials, and waited a while longer in front of the Daqing Hall before the majestic and magnificent gate gradually opened. With the eunuch's loud announcement of "Opening of court," the officials entered the Daqing Hall one after another.

This grand celebration must have been repaired. Chen Zhuangmu remembers that when she was a child, she cut the leftmost dragon pillar, but now there is no trace of it.

After everyone had finished saying what they were supposed to say at the morning court session, quite a while had passed. Chen Zhuangmu was still trying hard to suppress her yawns, thinking to herself that she had miscalculated last night. She had gone to bed an hour early, but she still couldn't open her eyes.

Then she noticed that many people had tears in their eyes and looked exhausted, and she was instantly relieved.

Just then, her gaze swept over the person at the front, who was tall but still thin, with some gray hair.

To stand in this position, ranking first among civil officials, is to become the Left Minister.

Who would have thought that the current head of all officials, who is currently enjoying great prestige, is actually such an old man? His back view looks lonely and aloof, but only those who have met him know how calming his eyes are.

According to her investigation, Xiao Zhong was about the same age as her uncle, but although the emperor was slightly overweight, his hair was jet black and he looked radiant. She couldn't help but marvel at how amazing this age group was.

She then regained her composure and stopped daydreaming. Because then, the accusations against her began.

After all the officials had submitted their memorials, two civil servants stepped forward.

"I humbly request Your Majesty to strip my daughter of her official position!"

Many more people stood up to agree.

"I humbly request Your Majesty to strip my daughter of her official position!"

Shen Zhuangmu heard it clearly, but what she heard even more clearly was the rage of the emperor in the upper seat.

"Insolence! Do you think I've failed as a teacher, and doubt my character?"

Chen Zhuangmu suddenly looked up at the emperor above. He was indeed very angry, his face was red, and the anger in his eyes was so intense it seemed to pierce through the person kneeling on the ground.

Her uncle, the emperor, always went to great lengths to protect her.

Suddenly, those people said again, "Your Majesty, I dare not. I believe that there has never been a precedent of a woman serving as an official in any dynasty. Doing so would violate ancestral rules!"

Is that so? But Chen Zhuangmu's mother was the First General, personally appointed by the founding emperor of Da Qun.

The emperor indeed said, "This law has been in effect for countless years. Without me saying it, you people could go back twenty years and see for yourselves—you've all gone blind!"

Upon hearing this, the courtiers fell silent. There was no need to rummage through their minds; it was something that no one could forget.

When all was silent, another person stepped forward.

"The previous outcome is still fresh in my mind, Your Majesty is wise. I beg Your Majesty to strip my daughter of her official position!"

The emperor repeated, "You are questioning me!"

Yet another group of people said, "Your Majesty dares not."

"Then let's not mention it again, let's let this matter pass."

These accusations echoed in Shen Zhuangmu's ears. The emperor had protected her very well, and it had been more than three months since she returned to Huijing. This was the first time she had heard such insults. Her heart ached and she felt very uncomfortable.

I can't even imagine how my uncle, the emperor, endured three years of hearing such sounds and struggled in such an environment for so long.

The grand celebration seemed to have come to a standstill, and the long, deep silence was suddenly broken by a series of steady footsteps.

It was none other than Xiao Zhong, the Left Minister of the Court.

He walked to the center and said, "Your Majesty, I request a post for my daughter, and I humbly request your permission!"

Upon hearing this, the courtiers rose in alarm. In their eyes, the Left Minister's daughter was naturally destined to marry the Crown Prince. The Emperor's expression also darkened; he was worried that Xiao Zhong might be planning another attack.

The emperor had just promoted his niece, so he couldn't refuse. No wonder Xiao Zhongfang had been silent all this time; he was waiting for this.

He cleared his throat and said, "Leave this matter to the Secretariat. You will know once I have reviewed it."

Having received a reply, Xiao Zhong did not insist. He said "Thank you, Your Majesty" and went back.

Finally, before the emperor left court, he had those people punished with twenty strokes of the cane each for disrespect and then carried them back.

Chen Zhuangmu still had matters to ask the emperor, and at this moment she was sitting in the imperial study with a sullen face.

Several more people arrived at the Imperial Study, the most conspicuous being Xiao Zhong and Zhao Yi. Upon seeing them, everyone consciously made way for them.

Only then did Chen Zhuangmu see what Xiao Zhong looked like.

He had a mustache, two wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, a long and well-proportioned face, and a pair of serious and piercing eyes.

His silhouette from behind bears no resemblance to his actual appearance.

This is my first impression of Chen Zhuangmu.

Chen Zhuangmu was watching him from a corner when a voice suddenly came from beside him.

“Princess.” It was Eunuch Fu. “If you have something to do, you can wait in the back. Your rank is the lowest here.”

Chen Zhuangmu nodded, then followed her father-in-law through a maze of turns to a room filled with stones, small animal figurines, and the like. Interestingly, the sounds from the Imperial Study were crystal clear here.

"I would like to find a job for my daughter. When will Your Majesty make the arrangements?"

Instead of hearing the emperor's reply, they heard Zhao Yi's sarcastic remark, "Prime Minister Xiao puts on a show of capturing women every day, why are you suddenly relieved today?"

Then Xiao Zhong shouted, "No need for the Vice Envoy to worry, just mind your own business at the Privy Council!"

The emperor then said, "Alright, I always have to let you two have your way with your arguments. What's going on this time?"

Zhao Yi interrupted, saying, "Your Majesty, an urgent report has arrived from the border. The Kingdom of Su is suspected of intending to attack our border. They have been patrolling for a long time and seem to have a new deployment plan." As he spoke, there was a rustling sound of clothes. "Your Majesty, this is an urgent report from General Pang to the Privy Council. We have already prepared a countermeasure. Please take a look."

"Ahem." Xiao Zhongqing cleared his throat and said, "Many of Lu Yao's family members were appointed to official positions. Since his incident, they have all been dismissed and investigated. What do you think should be done with these people so that your department can quickly fill the gaps in personnel?"

Lu Yao was the Grand Commandant who died not long after arriving at the capital. When His Majesty ascended the throne, he was still young, and the Grand Commandant had been in charge of the government. Xiao Zhong had also trained under him for a long time and was a very important figure.

Soon after, the emperor's voice rang out, "Alright, I understand. You may all return now."

After the footsteps disappeared, she suddenly heard the sound of a stone wall being moved. Chen Zhuangmu watched helplessly as the shelf in front of her caved in. The wall had turned around and brought the emperor back to her.

She couldn't hide her surprise; the first thing the emperor saw when he turned around was her wide-open eyes.

"Ignorant," the emperor said with a disdainful smile.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhuangmu got a little flustered and glared at the emperor, saying, "I never expected that there would be a secret room in the Imperial Study!"

"The Imperial Study is the place where a secret chamber should be kept." As the emperor spoke, he walked behind a table, bent down, and reached under the table to pull out a birdcage. Inside were two birds that looked exactly alike, but one was fluttering around erratically and wouldn't settle down, while the other stood on a small pole, watching its companion flutter around.

When Chen Zhuangmu arrived, she noticed that the house was very simply built, but it contained many things that the emperor was interested in. She just didn't expect that there was an entrance in the wall.

"Uncle, why did you build this room?" Chen Zhuangmu turned around and asked the emperor, who was playing with the birds.

The emperor didn't even glance at him, and said matter-of-factly, "Playing, huh?"

Watching the emperor intently feeding the birds, seemingly unaffected by court affairs, he put his finger into the cage. The bird, which had been fluttering about, unhesitatingly landed on his finger and rubbed its cheek against his fingertip.

Without a doubt, if his tail were any longer, it would be wagging by now.

The emperor smiled, withdrew his finger, placed the birdcage back in its original position, and asked, "How is it? Are you getting used to it?"

Today is her first day attending court, and she has come to understand what it means for language to be a deadly weapon. Recalling what the emperor once said about how he found attending court the most disgusting thing, she realized that today's court session was not the most intense one yet.

Since she couldn't change things for the time being, she tried her best to get used to it, strive not to disappoint the emperor's expectations, and also to find out about her mother's case as soon as possible.

So, Chen Zhuangmu nodded.

She carefully observed the emperor's expression, which was calm yet tinged with gentleness.

Therefore, she tentatively asked, "Uncle, how did you know that my mother's affairs were related to Xiao Zhong?"

The emperor's face darkened, and he said, "The Grand Commandant's power in the court back then was indescribable. Your mother was a minister on the border, so he could definitely get his hands on the messages she sent. He and Xiao Zhong were in cahoots, and Xiao Zhong must know all about it."

"Were there any clues when Lu Yao died?"

The emperor was silent for a moment, then said, "No, that's why I asked you to keep a close eye on Xiao Zhong."

This topic is always a serious and solemn one, but this time, the two of them were unusually calm.

"Uncle, was my mother very powerful back then?"

The emperor smiled, and faint wrinkles seemed to be imprinted on his face. "Your mother was exceptionally capable. She never lost a battle. She was restrained, calm, and decisive. Some qualities that women shouldn't have were more prominent in her than in men."

Chen Zhuangmu frowned and tried to refute the emperor's last sentence, but then she heard the emperor say, "It was your mother who opened the door for women to become officials... They also believed that women should never be involved in the court because of your mother."

The emperor raised his head and said, “You cannot be discouraged. You are Yu Xingyan’s daughter.”

Yu Xingyan.

This name is legendary in Qun Dynasty and even other countries. She was the daughter of the first emperor of Qun Kingdom. Even before the kingdom was established, she was already strategizing in the army. Her small figure seemed to possess boundless energy.

Later, when she was a teenager, Qun Chao was helpless in the face of provocations from enemy countries. Only that small figure stood out. Among a group of military officers, no one was as dazzling as her.

The name Yu Xingyan was present throughout the emperor's life.

This was the second time the emperor had said this to Shen Zhuangmu. Unlike the last time, when he mentioned this sentence, she felt a sudden surge of energy, as if her limbs were light and strong.

But now, she feels immense pressure, as if someone is constantly reminding her that she is the daughter of a hero and that she must keep running and never stop!

This voice resonated exceptionally strongly in her nineteen years of life, perhaps because she had handled numerous cases and encountered these events in the imperial court, making her realize that things were far more complex than they appeared on the surface, and that they were difficult and stressful to handle.

While she initially thought her uncle's sorrow was due to melancholy, she has come to deeply understand the origins of the deep wrinkles on the emperor's face at such a young age.

Chen Zhuangmu let out a soft breath and replied, "Mm."

She clasped her hands together and then let them open, her thumb constantly stroking her index fingernail, as if she had mentally prepared herself. She then asked, "Uncle, how was my mother's body discovered?"

"On the morning of your birthday, after waiting for a long time without seeing you, I went out of the city to look for you, and everyone there collapsed..."

Chen Zhuangmu suddenly froze, and squeezed out a question from between her teeth: "Then where is my mother's body?"

The emperor stared into her eyes: "Under the memorial tablet in your residence, there is a lock of your mother's hair."

"What did you say?" She stood up abruptly, her eagerness to know the answer prompting her to move closer to the emperor.

What did you say?

"There's a lock of your mother's hair down there."

"Bang!" The door was pushed open, and the last wisp of Chen Zhuangmu's dress had already flown out of the door frame.