Chapter 69. Making things difficult.
With no important duties, Chu Heng only spent half a day at the Imperial Clan Court each day. Afterward, he would return to his residence to play the zither, read books, play chess, and appreciate calligraphy with Daiyu. Or the two of them would simply sit together and do nothing, enjoying themselves immensely.
However, some people couldn't stand their good life. One day at the end of June, Chu Heng and Daiyu went to the palace to pay their respects. He was summoned by the emperor, while Daiyu stayed in Renshou Palace.
At first, the Empress Dowager and Daiyu were just chatting about everyday things, and she appeared very kind and approachable.
Just as she was telling Chu Heng that he should have arrived at Haiyan Palace, the Empress Dowager suddenly changed the subject: "I don't mean to find fault with you, but Heng'er has only been diligent for a few days and has recently stopped making progress. You are his princess consort, so you should advise him."
Given Chu Heng's status, it's best for him not to be diligent. The Empress Dowager isn't an ignorant woman in the harem; she should understand this principle.
But is she now pretending not to understand, deliberately finding fault with herself, or is she truly blinded by her maternal instincts and unable to see the situation clearly?
Daiyu only thought for a moment before she determined it was the former.
The Empress Dowager had been in a bad mood lately, and it was clearly not enough for others to make things difficult for Daiyu; she had to take matters into her own hands to relieve her inner turmoil.
As for why she was upset, it was because the Empress Dowager wanted to marry the eldest prince to a girl from the Fang family so that the Fang family could produce another empress in the future. However, the emperor saw through her intentions and firmly disagreed.
The emperor wanted to marry his second son to a girl from a prestigious family who could be empress, but the empress dowager refused to agree, and the mother and son were once again at an impasse over the marriage.
Daiyu glanced at the Empress Dowager, whose expression remained kind and amiable, but the criticism and malice in her eyes could no longer be concealed.
Daiyu lowered her eyes and said, "Empress Dowager, the Prince's official duties are all imperial orders. Your daughter-in-law dares not inquire about them, nor does she know why the Prince is busy, nor does she know why the Prince is not busy."
The Empress Dowager said in an unfriendly tone, "Wen'an has already come to you for help, and you still don't know anything?"
Daiyu remained respectful and said, "What the Empress Dowager said is true. Some time ago, Eighth Sister did come to visit once. I remember that it involved the previous traitor Qi's plot to rebel. As a woman, I was terrified when I heard about such a heinous crime as treason. How could I dare to say anything? I just relayed Eighth Sister's words to the Prince. After that... I dared not say anything more."
The Empress Dowager looked at her and thought to herself, "This couple is truly alike in their sharp tongues!"
The Empress Dowager sneered: "I only said one sentence, and you have so much to say. It's clear you're very dissatisfied with me."
Daiyu replied succinctly, "Your daughter-in-law wouldn't dare."
Such a bowing of the head did not please the Empress Dowager. She said sarcastically, "You've given such a long and reasonable speech, what else wouldn't you dare to do?"
Before Daiyu could speak, a woman's voice came from outside the window: "nitpicking, making trouble out of nothing."
The Empress Dowager's face immediately turned cold, and she shouted, "Yongkang!"
It rained last night, and there was a cool breeze today. The Empress Dowager was sitting by the window. Yongkang, avoiding the servants of Renshou Palace, was squatting under the windowsill. When she heard the Empress Dowager's shout, she stood up and stood by the window, looking at the Empress Dowager inside and curtsied: "Greetings, Mother."
Daiyu's eyes widened, clearly not expecting Yongkang to suddenly appear.
"Sneaking around like that, where did you learn such manners!" the Empress Dowager roared. "Get inside here now!"
Yongkang blinked his big eyes: "Mother, do I really have to leave?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "get out," as if the Empress Dowager had given her a nod and she would immediately put that word into practice.
The Empress Dowager was both annoyed and furious: "You..."
Seeing that things were not going well, Shuangyun quickly said, "Princess, please come in." As she spoke, she gestured to several female officials to invite the princess in.
Daiyu quickly gestured to Yongkang, indicating that she was ready to stop.
Yongkang slowly followed the female official in, and asked as if nothing had happened, "Mother, what are your orders for me?"
"How dare I give you orders? Now you can come and go as you please in Renshou Palace. Do you still have any respect for me?" the Empress Dowager sneered.
“How could I not have my mother in my eyes? I have already bowed to you.” Yongkang said innocently, “Didn’t you see that? Fine, then I will do it again.”
With that, she curtsied again: "Greetings, Mother."
The Empress Dowager looked at her coldly: "I can't interfere in your affairs. Go find the Emperor."
Daiyu couldn't help but look at Yongkang. Although she knew that the relationship between the Empress Dowager and Yongkang had deteriorated to the point where they only had a facade of affection, she never expected that the Empress Dowager would say something that showed no regard for Yongkang's feelings in front of her, an "outsider".
Yongkang's smile vanished instantly: "How can Mother not control it? Mother has to control her daughter's secret engagement with someone."
Upon hearing this, Daiyu's heart leaped into her throat. She cautiously glanced at the Empress Dowager's expression, which was indeed extremely unpleasant, with a fierce rage brewing in her eyes.
"Outrageous!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table. "Yongkang, do you know what you're saying?"
Yongkang said, "Empress Dowager, do you not allow others to criticize what you yourself have done?"
Daiyu quickly advised, "Princess, please don't argue with the Empress Dowager. Speak politely."
Yongkang raised the corners of his mouth and said, "Fifth Sister-in-law, don't worry. I grew up under the Empress Dowager's care since I was a child. Every word and action of mine was taught by the Empress Dowager. If she thinks I am not good, it is because she did not teach me well."
"What does the Empress Dowager think?" Yongkang asked with a cold smile.
Daiyu suddenly realized that because Yongkang was a girl, she looked more like the Empress Dowager than Chuheng.
The Empress Dowager flew into a rage: "Yongkang, you are truly lawless! And you..." She pointed at Daiyu, "Do you think I don't know that you all speak with one voice! Shuangyun, take the princess and Princess Duan away and discipline them properly!"
Shuangyun hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The princess and the princess are of noble status. It would be unseemly if this got out. It was just a quarrel between family members, but it has made the palace a laughing stock for outsiders."
This matter could be covered up no matter what if it didn't leave Renshou Palace, but once it left, it would inevitably spread outside the palace. The Empress Dowager's discord with her daughter and daughter-in-law would become a big scandal, and she would certainly lose face. She would also find fault with the servants around her. Shuangyun had no choice but to advise her.
The Empress Dowager was furious and wouldn't listen to anyone: "Am I afraid of losing face? Now even my own daughter and daughter-in-law don't respect me. What face do I have left?"
Daiyu lowered her head and said, "Your daughter-in-law wouldn't dare."
Yongkang replied indifferently, "Your daughter wouldn't dare."
Although the Empress Dowager was still furious at their behavior, she at least picked up on Shuangyun's words. She rubbed her forehead and said, "Take them away immediately! Make them kneel before the Buddha and reflect on their actions!"
There was a small Buddhist hall in Renshou Palace. Shuangyun breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the Empress Dowager's instructions. She hurriedly said, "Please invite the Princess and the Princess Consort to the Buddhist hall."
The Empress Dowager then said, "Make them kneel and copy the scriptures again!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Shuangyun bowed, but glanced at Yongkang out of the corner of her eye, fearing that she might say something that would enrage the Empress Dowager.
Fortunately, Yongkang remained silent until they left the palace, which relieved Shuangyun. She whispered, "Princess and Princess, please bear with this for now. The Empress Dowager is in a bad mood right now. Soon, the Prince will come and say a few kind words to the Empress Dowager, and this little thing will be nothing to worry about."
Daiyu nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Aunt."
Yongkang smiled and said, "There's no need for Aunt to see us off. You should go and persuade the Empress Dowager."
Shuangyun smiled and said, "The princess is still filial to the Empress Dowager."
Yongkang chuckled, and after Shuangyun left, she whispered to Daiyu, "I'm afraid I might really upset the Empress Dowager and cause her serious illness. The Emperor won't forgive me."
Daiyu shook her head: "Be careful, the walls may have ears."
Yongkang pursed his lips and said again, "I'm sorry, Fifth Sister-in-law, I've dragged you into this."
Daiyu shook her head again: "You're helping me."
However, she couldn't escape the Empress Dowager's harassment today, and Yongkang's actions in sharing some of the burden did relieve her immediate distress.
However... the Empress Dowager is not a magnanimous person, and she will make things even more difficult for us in the future. How should we deal with this?
Just then, a young eunuch entered from outside: "Princess, Princess, His Majesty requests your presence."
So fast...
Daiyu was surprised and turned to look at Yongkang, only to see her winking at her.
It turns out she had already gone to get help.
...
Inside the Haiyan Palace, Chu Heng bowed and sat down to listen to the emperor's complaints.
"They are all my grandsons, yet Mother's favoritism is so extreme; it truly breaks my heart." The Emperor shook his head. "I only wanted to find good wives for both Jie'er and Tuo'er, but Mother insists that Jie'er marry a girl from the Fang family. The Fang family's daughter is certainly good, and I'm willing to accept it. But Mother is not satisfied with the family I've chosen for Tuo'er's future in-laws, insisting that the girl from Fifth Sister's family is better. I've secretly told Fifth Sister that the girl and Tuo'er are clearly only siblings. Mother is in such a hurry to play matchmaker; Fifth Sister isn't an outsider. If the children don't behave well in the future, won't I be caught in the middle?"
Chu Heng said, "Mother is getting old and is a bit stubborn. Your Majesty should talk to her properly."
The Emperor said, "The marriage of Yongkang was such a mess last time, and now it's the younger generation's turn, and Mother wants to interfere again... Sigh, I'm really tired."
“The children are still young, so please don’t be anxious, Your Majesty. Just gently persuade Mother,” Chu Heng said.
The Emperor pinched the bridge of his nose: "Fortunately, there will be results from Yongkang soon. The other day, she told the Consort that the boy from Aunt Zhaoyang's family is quite good; she has seen him a few times at palace banquets."
Princess Zhaoyang, the late emperor's younger sister, passed away a few years ago. She only has one youngest son who is not yet married. He is two years younger than Chu Heng. His marriage was delayed because he was observing mourning for his father. He is still in mourning for his father and cannot get married within a year.
Princess Zhaoyang's husband's surname is Ming, and he holds the title of Duke. His eldest son has inherited the title, while his other brothers hold sinecure positions and have little influence in the court.
Although the Ming family is noble, they have no power or influence; they are indeed a good family.
"Oh..." Chu Heng smiled, "My cousin's status is worthy of the position. If Yongkang is pleased, that would be good."
The emperor smiled and was about to speak when a eunuch entered: "Your Majesty, Princess Yongkang requests Your Majesty's assistance to save her life!"
The emperor was startled: "What is it?"
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