Chapter 33 Secret Chat
"Go and summon Consort Xiang."
Not long after Hongli left, Nian Shilan became increasingly uneasy and quickly instructed Songzhi.
"Didn't you break up with Consort Xiang?" Songzhi was somewhat surprised, so her movements were a little slow.
Nian Shilan, who noticed this, glanced at her and sneered, "If the Fourth Prince hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. Back then, Cao Qinmo's rank wasn't high enough, so Wenyi was registered under my name. I'm kind-hearted, so I allowed her to raise the child. As time went by, she probably forgot about it."
Songzhi suddenly realized and smiled, "This servant understands. Consort Xiang forgot, this servant will remind her."
"Go."
Nian Shilan waved goodbye, watching Songzhi's departing figure, and smiled slightly. Cao Qinmo, Cao Qinmo. Unless you are willing to give up Wenyi, you should suppress all your little thoughts and obediently be at my beck and call.
Sure enough, Songzhi arrived soon with a frightened Cao Qinmo.
As soon as Cao Qinmo arrived, she knelt down in front of Nian Shilan and said, "This concubine greets Consort Hua."
As she kowtowed, Cao Qin pondered many things. Previously, because of Huanbi's betrayal, her schemes not only failed to exploit Zhen Huan's mistakes, but also resulted in Consort Hua not only failing to regain palace power but also losing Wenyi.
To be honest, she did have some ulterior motives at the time, and in the end, she did manage to bring Wenyi home as she had planned.
Although it's unclear how Consort Hua learned of her schemes, leading to their falling out, Cao Qinmo thought that since she was already a concubine, it wouldn't matter if she quietly cared for Wenyi and didn't try to curry favor with Consort Hua.
Although General Nian returned to the court, allowing Consort Hua to regain power in the palace, Cao Qinmo was somewhat worried about Consort Hua's retaliation, but she had never felt as uneasy and fearful as she did today.
If Songzhi hadn't mentioned it, she would have truly forgotten that Wenyi was still registered under Consort Hua's name, and according to etiquette, Consort Hua was Wenyi's mother.
"It's been a long time since I've seen Consort Xiang. How has Wenyi been lately?"
Nian Shilan leaned against the soft couch, looking at Cao Qinmo with a half-smile.
Cao Qinmo wept inwardly, but dared not show it. "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Wenyi is doing well, but she inevitably misses you. Your Majesty has been very kind to my daughter and me. I have been impolite these past few days. Whatever Your Majesty commands, I will gladly die for you."
Seeing Cao Qinmo bowing deeply again to pledge her loyalty, Nian Shilan sneered. After all, she still needed her. She didn't say much, "In this palace, offspring and rank are important, but sometimes they're not so important. It's good that you understand."
“Your Majesty is right. I was blinded by greed before,” Cao Qinmo kowtowed heavily again, her forehead instantly turning red. “I will obey Your Majesty’s orders.”
Seeing this, Nian Shilan said, "Alright, alright, get up. I didn't mean to torture you, but I hope you really remember this lesson."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Cao Qinmo staggered to her feet and sat on the embroidered stool below Nian Shilan, her face filled with gratitude. She asked softly, "I wonder what Your Highness has summoned me here for today?"
Consort Hua tapped her hand on the table, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Do you know Bai Qi from the Warring States period?"
Although Cao Qinmo came from a humble background, she was still the daughter of a civil official and had received some education due to the influence of her elders. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to offer so many suggestions to Consort Hua.
Hearing Nian Shilan's question, Cao Qinmo was puzzled, but obediently explained, "I heard about it from my elders when I was young. Although I don't know much about it, I can still give Your Majesty a brief explanation."
He spoke carefully, after all, Consort Hua was not well-educated, and he was afraid of displeasing her.
"Then tell me."
Seeing that Consort Hua's expression remained unchanged, Cao Qinmo said gently, "Bai Qi was one of the four great generals of the Warring States period. He fought for the Qin state in all directions and never lost a battle in his life. Unfortunately, he was eventually given death by King Zhaoxiang of Qin."
Consort Hua sat up abruptly and asked, "Why were you sentenced to death?"
"I am not familiar with history, but I vaguely know that Bai Qi had a disagreement with King Zhaoxiang of Qin, his achievements overshadowed the king, and he was also framed by villains, so he inevitably met this end."
At this moment, Hongli's words, "There's no one left to bestow titles upon the Grand General," suddenly came to Nian Shilan's mind. She was momentarily alarmed and continued to ask, "What about the 'releasing military power over a cup of wine'?"
Cao Qinmo was stunned. A thunderbolt flashed through her mind. This was... using the past to comment on the present. Was someone behind Consort Hua giving her a warning?
"Speak quickly!"
Seeing Cao Qinmo in a daze, Nian Shilan urged her on.
“Yes,” Cao Qinmo tried her best to control her expression so that Consort Hua wouldn’t notice anything amiss, “I also know a little about the story of Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, releasing his military power over a cup of wine…”
Thinking that because of Wen Yi, she was now completely tied to Consort Hua, and looking at Consort Hua's youthful appearance, Cao Qinmo boldly probed: "It's quite a coincidence that Your Majesty just finished talking about Bai Qi and then mentioned the 'releasing military power over a cup of wine.' Although the generals during the reign of Emperor Taizu of Song could not compare to Bai Qi, at least they retired gracefully and had a peaceful end."
“A peaceful death, a peaceful death…” Nian Shilan was somewhat flustered. Even if she was ignorant, after Hongli and Cao Qinmo's explanation, she should have understood, but she was unwilling to believe it. “No, the Emperor wouldn’t do that…”
Pretending not to hear Consort Hua's words, Cao Qinmo continued, "Bai Qi's great achievements are one aspect, but another is that someone was slandering him to King Zhaoxiang of Qin; it's hard to guard against a villain. And the reason why Emperor Taizu of Song treated the generals who helped him conquer the world and seize the throne in this way is because he had unease in his heart..."
Cao Qinmo emphasized the words "petty people and those who usurp the throne" to make sure Consort Hua heard the key point, and concluded: "The monarch may be willing to treat the general well, but the general is away fighting battles all year round. How can he guard against the slanderous words of the monarch? How can he guard against the monarch's suspicions?"
Nian Shilan was in a state of confusion and didn't know what to do. Looking at Cao Qinmo, who was bowing respectfully below, she coldly said, "You should go back first. As for today's matter..."
"Your Majesty's concern for Wenyi is merely a summons to inquire about Wenyi's recent situation."
Cao Qinmo had already found a reason for her. Nian Shilan looked at her quietly for a while and nodded: "That's right. I'm just concerned about Wenyi. Songzhi, go to the storeroom and get some of the new medicinal herbs and furs that my brother sent in for Wenyi."
"yes."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
After seeing Cao Qinmo off, Nian Shilan stood alone in the empty hall, smelling the Huan Yi incense sent by the Emperor, her mind filled with doubts and speculations.
Recalling the past, she thought of her brother's disrespect towards the Emperor at the banquet. She thought of the Emperor's favor towards Consort Wan, his indulgence of her, and how her favor always increased only after her brother had performed great deeds…
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, how much sincerity do you truly have for Shilan?"
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