Chapter 141: Leave some incense for the Xie family
"Wang Yu asked him to come to me, firstly to deliver a letter, and secondly, I think he also wants me to protect him."
Madam Ruan nodded, "It's not easy to leave the palace so late."
Ruan Weizhi: "It is said that he used the Xu family's connections."
"The Xu family?" Madam Ruan was slightly surprised. "Wasn't the Empress in Qingxi Palace injured?"
"Li Shaoqing said that the injury was not that serious, but she was frightened. He specially recruited someone to go and comfort the queen."
Madam Ruan said, "No wonder. It's really hard for them. The noble in the palace was frightened, and there was an imperial physician at his side. Why would they need someone from the Imperial Observatory to calm her down?"
Ruan Weizhi nodded, "I thought so at first. Perhaps there is some connection between Wang Yu and the Xu family."
"The Xu family has been in the spotlight these past two days. I heard that the old master of the Xu family is ill and can't even go to the palace." Madam Ruan recalled the rumors she had heard today and suddenly thought of something. "Oh, right, I heard that the young man from the Xu family was injured and returned from the Jingwei Mansion. He has always been close friends with the sixth son of the Xie family. Since he returned from Songjiang, do you think he has met the Xie family?"
Ruan Yuanzhi looked up at his wife.
"Hasn't the girl from the Xu family who married out been taken back to her parents' home? I have some connections with the lady of the Xu family. Tomorrow I will prepare some things and visit the Xu Mansion to inquire about Anan and the others' recent situation. What do you think, Master?" Mrs. Ruan's eyes lit up.
"This... isn't appropriate? One is injured, and the other is leaving her husband to return home." Ruan Weizhi just felt that it was inconvenient at this moment, but did not object outright.
Madam Ruan thought about it seriously. "Since Wang Yu asked the Xu family to let Master Li come to our house, I'm sure the Xu family must know about it. I'll go and talk to him tomorrow. Maybe it's not convenient for you men to talk to each other right now, but it's harmless for us women to talk to each other. If the palace is watching, I can think of a good excuse, make it look good, and act like it's real. Isn't that enough?"
Ruan Weizhi pondered for a moment and said, "Be very careful."
"I know how serious it is. It's really not easy for the eldest daughter of the Xu family. It's reasonable for me to go and see her and help the women of the Xu family to maintain their reputation, so that other noble families won't be reluctant to get close to them." Madam Ruan smiled when she heard the voice.
Ruan Weizhi nodded, "Madam is indeed very thoughtful."
"Alas, I am also a mother. I am just thinking about others. We all have daughters." Mrs. Ruan became extremely worried whenever she thought of her daughter who insisted on following the Xie family into exile in the north.
"I was wondering why I had this dream tonight. It made me feel uneasy and as if something big was going to happen." Mrs. Ruan murmured.
At this time, Ruan Yuanzhi also remembered that his wife was awakened by a nightmare in the middle of the night. After thinking about what happened in the second half of the night, the expression on his face darkened a little and he sighed.
"The storm is coming."
The fall of the Duke of Huguo's mansion overnight intensified the strife between factions within the court. It wasn't even the end of the year yet, and many in the court were already arguing about next year's treasury allocations. This was sheer nonsense!
The Ministry of Personnel, which was responsible for the appointment and dismissal of officials, could not avoid the turmoil. The Xie family fell into decline, and the vacancy in the northwest was like a piece of fat meat. There were too many wolves and too little meat, and everyone was scrambling for it.
These days, he has been watching the court, both inside and outside the government, and he has become increasingly disheartened.
When people leave, the tea gets cold. That's how the world is.
Among those people who were jumping around, there were many who had been cared for by the Xie family in the past. After the Xie family fell into trouble, it was only natural for them to turn to another master. Unfortunately...
How can a person who changes with the wind be a good person? A little bit of kindness is followed by a big bit of grudge. Lord Ruan watched helplessly as some people used the past of the Xie family, and even the future of people who were on good terms with the Xie family, as tokens of their allegiance, in order to get promoted and make money for themselves, without caring about other people's families.
If it weren't for Ruan Yanzhi and several colleagues in the court who still had some power and spoke out to protect the Xie family, countless people would have been implicated by the Xie family's loss of power.
For this reason, Ruan Yuanzhi worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the safety of some minor officials and soldiers, just to leave a little gratitude for the Xie family.
The emperor's actions are becoming more and more difficult to understand. Even if the Duke of Protector's Mansion is an eyesore, there is no need to kill all of the people involved. If he only keeps a group of sycophants around him, what will be the future of Daliang?
Although the Xie family had been in exile for many days, the aftereffects were still getting stronger.
Ruan Weizhi was exhausted from doing this job and felt very powerless.
"I wonder how long I, Ruan Weizhi, can hold on in this court." The Minister sighed heavily. "When you are in the court, you have no control over your own affairs."
Madam Ruan said gently, "If the master is tired, I am willing to retire and return home with him."
Ruan Yuanzhi chuckled when he heard this. Although he knew that his wife's words were just to comfort him, he still felt warm in his heart to see his wife say this.
"Let's take it one step at a time. Pei Ning is still in the court. If I, as his father, retire, who will protect him from the wind and rain? If he can't stand up in the next few years, how will he support Anan, Rui Ge'er and others in the future? Let's just stay in the court for now."
The couple talked late at night, and their words were full of worry for their children.
After all the hustle and bustle in the second half of the night, no one could sleep.
Outside the pitch-black window, I began to see the courtyard gradually. The dark sky began to brighten little by little, and occasionally I could hear the crowing of roosters around.
I stayed awake all night until the early hours of the next morning.
Mrs. Ruan stayed with her husband for the second day. She saw that the time was almost up. Although it was not yet dawn, it was time to go to the palace for court.
After changing into court clothes, Ruan Yanzhi took a carriage into the palace.
At the gate of Daliang Palace, a row of carriages from various mansions were lined up early in the morning, holding lanterns.
All the court officials dismounted from their horses and carriages, and lined up to enter the palace, holding hand warmers in the cold wind.
There was a fire in Gyeonghui Palace last night.
Within half an hour, the news had spread outside the palace.
Ruan Wei got off the carriage and came from the back. Before he reached the palace gate for inspection, he heard several adults in front of him discussing the fire in the palace.
Compared to the incident that almost happened to the Emperor in Qingxi Palace last night, the fact that the Emperor imprisoned Wang Yu, the Imperial Observatory, was not very significant.
Ruan Weizhi walked to the palace gate and allowed the official in charge to check and let him pass as usual. Then he heard two officials from the same court talking behind him.
"I heard that the Imperial Concubine of Qingxi Palace was injured on her face?"
"Where did you hear this news?"
"Here, I heard what those people over there were saying."
After the two men finished checking, they talked as they walked. Ruan Weizhi looked at the palace maid's expression, which was calm and wooden, and there was no intention of reminding or stopping her.
His heart sank, and he had a hunch that the fire in Qingxi Palace in the court today might cause trouble.
The palace maids and even the officials on duty silently indulged in rumors about Gyeonghui Palace.
Ruan Weizhi was a little puzzled and wondered why the Xu family had angered the emperor?
Officials from Daliang filed into the inner court.
Civil and military officials waited inside and outside the Golden Palace, looking up at the starry sky until the emperor's footsteps were heard.
"Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long, long live the emperor!"
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