Since the imperial gift of ice sculptures, Sangyuxuan has been filled with coolness inside and outside, no longer bothered by the scorching heat.
The talented man wanted to bring his pillow and mat to eat and sleep with him, but he only regretted the long night. "Minmin, the emperor is a man of conscience. He knows that a pregnant woman's body is delicate, so he specially prepared these for you. Why don't you just allow me to sleep on the floor here?"
"You are a proper lady, how can you sleep on the floor of the inner hall like the night watch servants?" She refused repeatedly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "Why don't you pick a few you like and take them inside to cool off."
"No! That's better not to do! I'm a martial artist after all, I can handle it! If a few pieces of ice are missing and it affects my godson, it would be a huge sin!"
Liang Cairen valued the royal heir in her womb so much that he called himself "godmother" early on. Even if it meant suffering for himself, he would not reduce the number of ice sculptures in her house.
They were chatting and laughing as usual, but they heard the sound of a vase breaking!
The nanny in charge of this matter hurriedly knelt on the other side of the screen to apologize: "My lady, please forgive me! I didn't hold it firmly for a moment and dropped the vase in the outer room..."
This was the old maid sent by the Queen. She was usually quiet, but she was always eager to complete her duties. She came to give her a full body massage late at night several times, doing her job diligently and without a hint of impatience on her face.
In general, Wei Shuyi did not reject this person.
"It's just a vase. People can slip up easily. Don't panic, Mammy. Just pick up the pieces and throw them away."
"Yes! Thank you for your mercy, young master. I will go and clean it up right away!"
Liang Cairen looked at the person's back and said, "If you said it was some clumsy little girl, I would believe it. This nanny is a cautious person. She is only responsible for taking care of the fetus at Sangyuxuan. When did she go to clean the vase?"
"I heard... the Empress has locked herself up in Fengluan Palace and hasn't seen anyone. She's skipped her morning and evening visits for several days." Wei Shuyi peeled a lychee and analyzed the situation carefully. "Since she's an old maid in Fengluan Palace, she's probably related to the Empress. If something happens to her, the servants will naturally be worried."
Liang Cairen agreed deeply: "Yes, I wonder what the emperor went to quarrel with? Our Empress Dowager has a quick temper and a short memory. This is the first time she has held back her anger and fought a protracted war like this!"
That of course involves the assassination outside Beijing.
The Queen was not deliberately trying to be angry with the Emperor, but she was overwhelmed by household chores and was too busy to spend the whole morning with all the beautiful women in the room.
Wei Shuyi stood up, washed his hands with warm water, and offered, "Sister, are you free now? The Queen sent me a kind servant, and she's in trouble now, so I should go and visit her."
"It's useless, you'll definitely be turned away! But if you insist on going, I'll accompany you! If anyone disrespects you, I'll be there to protect you!"
Liang Cairen shook his fist, then took her arm, slowed down his pace, and went with her to Fengluan Palace.
The journey was exceptionally long, and the palace servants responsible for carrying the sedan chair were all flushed and sweating profusely. Wen Yu would occasionally hold up her silk fan, shielding her from the sun while gently fanning it to bring a bit of coolness.
"Give them a little reward."
After getting off the sedan chair, Wei Shuyi whispered an instruction and then they walked towards the Empress's bedroom.
Liang Cairen was quick-witted and suddenly pulled her behind the statue: "Wait! An old man is coming out!"
Outside Fengluan Palace, an elderly man in brocade robes, his brow furrowed, was discussing something with the head maid, Jin Han. After a brief exchange, he turned around, the crane pattern on his chest against the backdrop of the red sun, his demeanor evident.
He has a dignified look and flowing long beard.
Even though the worry between his brows had not diminished, it did not affect his ability to straighten his back and walk down the stairs with slightly heavy steps.
"Who is it?" "The Prime Minister."
Liang Cairen's eyes widened: "Minmin, do you know him?!"
"His court attire already indicates his status, and he can enter and leave Fengluan Palace. Who else but the Queen's father can do that?"
Wei Shuyi did not say it clearly and kicked the question back.
Of course she knew this face!
Back then, before he had even grown a full head of gray hair, he rode atop his dark-colored steed, brandishing his sword and issuing orders in a voice as resounding as a bell: "Destroy the rebel's residence! Those who disobey will be killed on the spot!"
Then, the Duke's Mansion was ablaze with flames, filled with smoke, women and children cried and screamed, blood flowed everywhere, and it turned into a living hell!
She once gazed at that complacent face in the collapsed ruins, depicting it in her heart stroke by stroke, and she would never forget it in her life!
When they met again, he was the first to stop——
"Who is this?"
The eunuch who followed him responded respectfully: "Master Meng, these two are Xi Changzai and Liang Cairen from the emperor's palace."
"Um."
The prime minister glanced at the talented person, then looked Wei Shuyi up and down. The inquiring look made her feel sick, but she had to stay where she was.
"The Emperor can't be blamed! She was able to conceive an heir before Concubine Jin, so she must be quite pretty! Especially those eyes, they are really..."
"The Emperor is certainly not to blame." She interrupted the other party's disrespectful words, "I heard that Concubine Jin's father was humble and polite, and he rose through the ranks in the officialdom. There must be some reason for this. The Empress may be very similar to the Prime Minister, especially in this temperament, which really makes the Emperor..."
To stop at the point is also an unfinished sentence.
He was furious: "It seems that this old man and this Xi Changzai are really incompatible. I felt dissatisfied the first time I met her. Especially those eyes, they are really disgusting!"
"Same here, Prime Minister, take care."
She is the biological mother of the future eldest prince. The prime minister, who is in a dilemma, dares not touch her. At most, it will be a verbal dispute.
Sure enough, he flicked his sleeves and chose to leave in silence.
Liang Cairen was sweating nervously at the side: "Minmin, what's wrong with you today? I've never seen you so stubborn before! Although the old man's words are indeed harsh, he is still a high-ranking official and the father of the Empress Dowager. You should at least consider his status! Be careful not to bring disaster upon yourself!"
"Maybe it's because I'm irritable during pregnancy?" Wei Shuyi looked at his back and sighed, "It seems I have to be careful in the future. Before I give birth to the child, I have to be careful that the Prime Minister doesn't harm me."
"Then...should we still try to see the Queen?"
"No need." Wei Shuyi took her hand, his face full of apology. "With Prime Minister Meng here to comfort her, I think the Queen is already much better. There's no need for us to go in and pretend to be kind. But I'd like to trouble you to accompany me. It's not good to get sunburned in the sun."
Liang Cairen was confused: "That's not the case! I'm bored staying in the palace anyway, so it's good to go out for a walk with you. It's just... Minmin, are you really not unhappy? I always feel that there is more resentment in your words now. Did I do something wrong?"
She quickly collected her thoughts and put on a gentle face: "No, it's you who are overthinking it, sister."
Ten years later, she met the enemy who had confiscated her property again. She wanted to remain as calm as she imagined, but she found that she was temporarily unable to do so.
At the corner, the palace maid with a sullen expression stopped them. "My queen has ordered that if you are turned away at Fengluan Palace, you can go to Yongshou Palace. She wants to discuss something with someone."
"Empress Zhaoyi...is there something you want to discuss?"
"Yes, it's related to the incident outside Beijing."
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