Chapter 110 Phoenix's Grace and Virtue
These days, Lu Zhaoxue goes to Wanhua Hall every morning to chant scriptures and pray for blessings.
Beside the ancient Buddha statue and the dim lamp, her figure, dressed in plain clothes and with clean hands, copying Buddhist scriptures and praying for blessings, has become a fixed scene in the Wanhua Hall.
The monks in the hall saw that the Empress had been working tirelessly every day, and her brows were full of compassion.
The palace servants often saw the Empress going to the Wanhua Hall to pray for blessings.
Sometimes, when she happens to encounter a young eunuch or palace maid being punished by the head eunuch or nanny for making a mistake, Lu Zhaoxue will step forward to stop them and gently comfort them.
Earlier, due to the rampant drought, floods, and plagues, the palace maids and eunuchs privately spread rumors that it was because the Empress was unlucky. When the rumors reached Lu Zhaoxue's ears, she did not punish them, but simply let it go.
Later, the Liu family was sentenced to heavy punishment because of Liu's crime. It was the Empress who upheld morality and spoke frankly to the Emperor, pleading for leniency on the grounds that "the crime should not extend to women and children, and leniency is the way to show the Emperor's grace." In the end, the Liu family was pardoned and their crimes were reduced.
The praise for the "virtuous empress" in the palace gradually spread.
Lu Zhaoxue's benevolence was like a gentle spring breeze, which stood in stark contrast to Chu Huaiyu's ruthlessness at this time.
The emperor's ruthless methods intimidated the court, but the empress possessed a gentle and benevolent heart, comforting everyone.
Over time, the palace servants and court officials all secretly sighed, "Having such a queen mother is truly a blessing for the country," and they grew to respect the empress even more.
This praise for virtue and benevolence quietly spread beyond the palace walls.
Just as the drought and floods were receding and the plague was gradually subsiding, the people began to spread the word that it was the Empress's benevolence that moved Heaven and brought an end to the disaster!
It happened to be dusk, and the setting sun poured like molten gold onto the clouds, dyeing the clouds on the horizon a riot of red and orange.
Layer upon layer of rosy light broke free from the constraints of the clouds, unfolding into the shape of outstretched wings, with tail feathers trailing thousands of golden rays, just like a phoenix spreading its wings and about to take flight!
This rare celestial phenomenon instantly astonished the people of the world. Those who witnessed it, including palace servants and commoners, stopped to look up in amazement.
Chu Siheng's subordinates, having seized this opportunity, immediately took advantage of the situation to push things along.
First, the palace maids in the palace corridors pretended to be amazed and discussed among themselves:
"The glow of the sunset that day resembled a phoenix, which must have been an auspicious sign from heaven. And isn't the phoenix the Empress herself?"
Some princes and ministers even spoke out frankly outside the court:
"The phoenix is the mother of a nation, the symbol of the empress! Now that the rosy clouds have appeared in the world, it is a sign of 'the phoenix's majesty shines and the heavens bless the Great Zhou'!"
In no time, the saying "The phoenix shines with virtue, and auspicious omens appear in the world" spread like wildfire throughout the capital, and everyone knew about it.
Chu Siheng was greatly shocked when he first saw this celestial phenomenon, and then immediately associated this rare celestial phenomenon with Lu Zhaoxue.
This not only subtly implies that the empress's status is ordained by Heaven, but also uses the will of Heaven to enhance her reputation for virtue.
Those who initially had reservations about Lu Zhaoxue were also awestruck by this "divine will," gradually suppressing their criticisms for fear of displeasing Heaven.
The scattered rumors of the "femme fatale who brought ruin to the country" vanished under this layer of hype, and the people began to praise her, saying that "the Empress is a goddess descended from the heavens to protect the common people."
Behind all of this, the hidden agendas laid out by Chu Siheng were quietly driving the process.
At this time, Chu Siheng, who was far away from the capital, was never truly far from the center of power.
He was fully aware of all of Lu Zhaoxue's actions.
When the celestial event occurred, he immediately and secretly ordered his trusted confidants to act:
First, they contacted storytellers in major teahouses and taverns in the capital and compiled stories of "the empress's magnanimity in forgiving palace women," "her outspoken advice to the emperor in saving the families of guilty officials," and "copying Buddhist scriptures to pray for peace and prosperity" into storybooks.
Furthermore, the storyteller added the plot point of "a bodhisattva's heart eventually moved Heaven," which he then repeated repeatedly in front of the audience.
As word spread among the audience, Lu Zhaoxue's reputation grew ever more vivid.
Chu Siheng also sent people disguised as wandering monks, carrying Buddhist scripture fragments copied in imitation of Lu Zhaoxue's handwriting, to various prefectures and counties where the disaster had just begun to improve, to tell the people that "Her Majesty the Empress has been reciting Buddhist scriptures and copying them day and night to relieve the suffering of the people, without ever stopping for a single day."
She also secretly funded the construction of Xiande Temple in the disaster-stricken villages, encouraging the people to go there to burn incense and worship. At the same time, she instructed everyone to spread the words that "the Empress's benevolence moved Heaven."
When the news reached Chu Huaiyu, he was in the imperial study reviewing memorials.
These days, Chu Huaiyu has been dealing with the rumors day and night, staying in the Imperial Study for days on end, and hasn't even had time to go to Lu Zhaoxue's palace during the day.
His fingertips traced the words in the memorial, "The Empress's prayers moved Heaven, and a phoenix descended from the heavens as an auspicious omen," and his eyes flickered slightly.
Chu Huaiyu immediately ordered the Censorate to write an article praising the Empress's virtues and instructed the Shunde Tianfu to post notices widely among the people to publicize Lu Zhaoxue's good deeds.
At this moment, the Wanhua Hall was so quiet that one could hear the flickering of the candlelight. The Buddhist scriptures on the table were mostly spread out, their ink marks elegant, all written by Lu Zhaoxue herself.
For the past few days, she has been here dressed in plain clothes and eating plain food, spending all her time copying scriptures and praying for blessings.
Upon hearing the rumors circulating in the palace, Lu Zhaoxue's lips curled into a slight smile. It seemed that her actions had ultimately been worthwhile.
——
A few days later, the secret guard in charge of overseeing the Empress's affairs presented Chu Huaiyu with a confidential report:
"Your Majesty, there have long been rumors among the people praising the Empress. This did not originate from our propaganda. It seems that someone planned ahead and secretly fueled the flames."
Investigations revealed that the storytellers' scripts and the donations for the Xiande Temple all originated from people in the suburbs of Beijing. Furthermore, eyewitnesses claimed that those secretly contacting various parties all wore jade pendants with phoenix motifs on their waists.
Chu Huaiyu gripped the secret report presented by the guards, his fingers suddenly tightening until his knuckles turned white.
He looked out the window and saw the sycamore leaves outside the hall being swept away by the cold wind, the chill penetrating to his bones.
"Chu Siheng..." Chu Huaiyu murmured the name that made him grit his teeth, his tone as cold as a deep winter pool, sending chills down one's spine.
"You really are a persistent ghost."
The undercurrent in Chu Huaiyu's eyes contained not only anger at Chu Siheng's actions, but also an unspeakable wariness.
Chu Siheng went to such lengths to promote Lu Zhaoxue because he still harbored feelings for her and wanted to give Lu Zhaoxue the protective shield of a "virtuous reputation".
Or does he have ulterior motives and want to seize greater benefits for himself?
Did Lu Zhaoxue, who prayed and copied scriptures at Wanhua Hall every day, know about everything Chu Siheng was doing?
Chu Huaiyu's eyes darkened, and his unease grew stronger...
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