suspicion
When the news reached the Bo's house, Chu Fanghua had just finished applying medicine for bruises and was resting in bed.
But upon hearing the Empress Dowager's summons, Chu Fanghua leaped from her bed, her eyes etched with visible panic. She wondered why her right eye had been twitching all day, and it turned out she was waiting here. Then, realizing it belatedly, she hissed, and inwardly exclaimed, "This is bad news."
Cui Bin happened to come in from outside and saw Chu Fanghua standing on the ground. He said in a cryptic tone, "Hey, you had a huge fall in front of the Ministry of Rites yesterday and couldn't get up. You were howling like you were about to pass out. And today you're able to get up? Chu Fanghua, sometimes I really don't know what's true and what's false about you."
Cui Bin laughed at her, but Chu Fanghua didn't take it to heart. She just kept muttering, "It's over, it's all over."
He hopped on one foot and walked out the door.
Perhaps in her haste to leave, Chu Fanghua tripped over the threshold and fell to the ground. Cui Bin's first reaction upon seeing her fall wasn't to step forward to offer any concern. Instead, he stood indifferently inside the doorway, sneering, "Serves you right."
If a husband and wife become estranged, can this house still be called a home?
Chu Fanghua clenched her fists, not bothering to argue. She angrily cursed the man behind her, "Cui Bin, you bastard, don't laugh at me. Help me up! I want to go to the palace—otherwise, you'll be buried with me."
-
Behind Baoci Hall stood an apricot garden, planted by the late emperor before his death. It was early spring, and the apricot blossoms were in full bloom. A gentle breeze from the east swept across the courtyard, blanketing it in white. Occasionally, a few petals fell on the shoulders of those in the courtyard, adding a touch of elegance to the scene.
Chu Qiyu was bored and leaned on the stone table.
Her willow-shaped eyes were fixed on the dazzling phoenix on the corner of the robe of the person under the tree. Chu Qiyu thought that if she wore this dress, she would be more beautiful than her. She felt that everything her aunt had obtained today was just a temporary stroke of luck. If she could get it, why couldn't she?
She can definitely do it.
Chu Qiyu raised her lips. Her delicate exterior, adorned with gold and jade, was now rotten beneath. Perhaps because the Chu family's wealth came so easily, she had long forgotten where she came from. Chu Qiyu fancied herself a natural-born phoenix. Of her father's fourteen daughters, she was the only one standing here.
Even the Queen Mother was just a stepping stone for her to reach that position.
But the struggle for royal power is no joke.
During the three days that Si Kou Jue had her in charge, she had caused unbearable misery in the inner court. Yet, she had pushed all the blame onto Si Kou Jue.
If virtue does not match the position, disaster will surely come. It is all just that the time has not come yet.
There was a commotion outside the garden. Empress Dowager Chu turned to look and said, "What's going on outside? It's shaking the earth and mountains. How disgraceful!"
The palace maid's hands, pressed against her abdomen, were filled with apricot blossoms, yet she dared not move an inch. Upon hearing this, she lowered her eyes, bowed, and retreated outside the garden to investigate. Then, she returned to report, "Your Majesty, the Second Lady of the Pingkang Marquis's Mansion has arrived."
"Tell her to come in." Empress Dowager Chu's demeanor could not last more than three seconds.
Chu Qiyu picked up the pearl pendant, glanced at the courtyard gate where someone was passing through, and sneered.
Her smile was filled with disdain.
Chu Qiyu joked, "Eh? Second Madam, what's wrong with your legs? One leg is longer than the other. Could it be that you were in such a hurry to see our Queen Mother that you tripped on your way out? Or—did you do something wrong and you're getting your comeuppance?"
Chu Qiyu's smile was arrogant and crude.
Even with such a mean temper, how could Qi Liyuan be willing to get close to her? In Qi Liyuan's opinion, she was not even as good as a finger of Si Kou Jue.
Chu Fanghua stood before the two nobles, her brows lowered and her eyes submissive, her usual dignified demeanor gone. She dragged her injured ankle, a look of embarrassment on her face, yet she forced a forced smile, "Madam Zhaoyuan, that's not right. I came to see the Empress Dowager at a brisk pace, but I have to say this about my leg..."
"It was because I fell down yesterday when I was trying to find a son-in-law outside the Ministry of Rites."
Chu Fanghua had a preconceived notion and, before the person in front of her could bring it up, she threw out the reason. Chu Qiyu turned her gaze towards the Queen Mother upon hearing this and deliberately repeated her words to her, curious about her aunt's reaction. "Oh? She fell when they were trying to find a son-in-law—no wonder she lost him."
Empress Dowager Chu casually plucked a few apricot blossoms and placed them on a tray held steadily by a palace maid beside her. She pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Fell? Was it serious? If so, why didn't you report it and just rest at home? Why did you come all the way here? Look at you, you've walked all the way here. If you ask someone else to see you, won't they think I'm being too harsh? With such injuries, do you need me to find an imperial physician to see Second Madam? Let me think..."
"Why not just call your Dalang?"
The broken apricot blossoms lose nutrients and are no longer as fresh as those on the branches.
Empress Dowager Chu was ruthless in her flower picking. She felt she was in control, imposing an air of authority and oppression. She relished the feeling of submission, and smiled. Chu Qiyu met her gaze and smiled too. These aunt and niece truly looked alike.
The woman in front of him was sweet-mouthed but had a sharp tongue. She was clearly smiling and speaking sweetly, but it made Chu Fanghua frightened.
Chu Fanghua fell to her knees with a thud. She was in a panic, knowing that she was doomed today. "Empress Dowager, I'm fine, I'm fine. There's no need to ask Dalang to come and see me. It's all my fault. How can I not have the face to refuse? Even if I break half a leg today, I will come to the Empress Dowager to apologize."
"Ineffective?" Empress Dowager Chu laughed when she heard it.
But as soon as she finished speaking, her expression instantly turned sinister. "You also know that you are not doing your job well. Even if I really broke half of your leg today, I can't excuse you. Chu Fanghua, are you deliberately using this fall to antagonize me? Don't you know what time it is now?"
Chu Fanghua was horrified.
She can't bear these false accusations.
Chu Qiyu was not surprised at all. She even raised her hand to pour herself a cup of tea and drank it happily.
“I…I…”
Chu Fanghua had no way to refute it. She didn't know why Heaven was always unwilling to stand with her. The inexplicable fall in front of the Ministry of Rites yesterday had indeed disrupted all her plans. But at that moment, between pain and the Empress Dowager, she instinctively chose the former.
"How can I go against the Empress? I wish I could die for her, even my bones and my brains would be shattered—"
If you hear too much falsehood, you will start to sneer at it.
Empress Dowager Chu pushed aside the apricot blossoms held by the palace maid, walked a few steps to Chu Fanghua, and looked down at her. "I don't need those things of yours. They are of no use to me. Chu Fanghua, I just need you to fulfill what you promised me. This request should be much simpler than cutting off one of your legs. If you can't even fulfill this, what use are you to me?"
Use each other and demand from each other.
This is what is necessary to establish a solid relationship between them.
Chu Fanghua dared to look up. How could she let this big fish go? She continued Empress Dowager Chu's words: "Your Majesty means... that I should find a new son-in-law? But yesterday has passed, where can I find a suitable candidate..."
When Empress Dowager Chu's eyes moved and she looked at Chu Qiyu, Chu Fanghua guessed that the two had already planned everything before she came.
"Of course there is."
Chu Qiyu took over the conversation, flipped through the roster that had been put aside for a long time, and fixed his eyes on Liu Yugeng, who was ranked first in the second class.
She stopped pretending to be a bystander and spoke frankly, "If we follow the original plan, my father would have defeated the Yi family and won the new top scholar, and your Cui family would have been fine even if they only managed to get the last place in the second class. But now that the Yi family has gotten there first, this matter is no longer simple. This year, according to the emperor's intention, the first place in the second class can be promoted to the sixth rank at the very least. That's why the empress dowager wants you to find this Liu family man."
"First place in the second class? But why did I hear that this person already has a wife? Could it be that the Queen Mother wants me to..."
"To divorce your wife and remarry is a violation of Yuanliang law!"
Chu Fanghua had doubts in her heart. It wasn't that she still had a conscience, but she was worried about herself. But now she was like a fish on the chopping board, how could she decide for herself?
Chu Qiyu arrogantly threw down the booklet and said in a domineering tone, "We've investigated Liu Jialang and his wife. He's just a country bumpkin, helpless. They're facing our Chu family, what kind of trouble can they cause? Are you afraid just because of this? Second Madam, didn't you just say you'd die for the Queen Mother? Those were all lies to deceive the Queen Mother. You think you're really brave."
Chu Qiyu's white face sang enthusiastically.
Chu Fanghua cried out that he was wronged, but did not dare to respond easily.
But the person before her offered her no escape. Combining kindness and force was a common tactic used by this aunt and niece. The empress dowager, who remained silent for a moment, reached out at a perfectly timed moment, gently pulling Chu Fanghua to her feet from her kneeling position. She patted the back of her hand, and amidst the swirling apricot blossoms, she spoke in a deep, decisive voice, "Everything in the world is determined by human effort. Walk slowly on your way back, and don't stumble again. This time—stand firm."
"Someone, prepare the sedan chair. Don't let the Second Madam go back like this."
Later, Chu Fanghua left the apricot garden. The aunt and nephew stood under the lush apricot trees. Chu Qiyu suddenly asked, "Aunt, why did you insist on her doing this? Being first in the second class is certainly good, but for us, it's just icing on the cake. It's a far cry from helping someone in need."
Empress Dowager Chu suddenly turned around and looked at the apricot blossom forest. She did not answer Chu Qiyu's words. Instead, she asked her, "Qiyu, do you know what the significance of the late emperor planting this apricot blossom forest was?"
Chu Qiyu was young, and he wanted the late emperor to plant this apricot tree, probably because of its beautiful meaning. He replied, "Is it young love?"
Empress Dowager Chu shook her head and smiled, "No, it's suspicion."
"And now, adding icing on the cake is as important to us as providing timely assistance. Don't underestimate the enemy."
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