Chapter 48 048 The Empress is the Empress, that's the way it is.
The palace was quiet for only one day, and then relaxed on the second day. However, the tension between the two sides increased several times. The palace servants, who were always cautious, were all more careful than in the previous days.
On the winter solstice, Qingli got up early, dressed in a light blue, narrow-sleeved dress, and waited for Ling Shuyao and Ling Shupei at Yingcui Palace. Consort Mu called her to her side, touched her hand, and carefully instructed her, "Be careful."
Qingli nodded and asked, "Aren't you going out to take a look?"
"I can't stand the cold wind, so I'd better not join in the fun. I'll show up when the time comes."
Qingli understood. Just then, Ling Shuyao stepped into the room. Seeing how close Qingli and her mother were, she glanced at her in surprise, said goodbye to Consort Mu, and then pulled Qingli out of Yingcui Palace.
What are you talking about?
Qingli glanced at Ling Shuyao, whose passionate eyes seemed to be tinged with dew and mist, making her look slightly sad. She paused for a moment, then said in a seemingly natural tone, "Consort Mu is instructing the three of us to be careful today."
"Oh." The voice was low, the previous excitement gone.
Qingli saw it, but could only pretend not to know; now was not the time to explain.
When they met Ling Shupei, the three of them arrived at Yingzhou Pavilion. The area was already surrounded by thick felt, with banners waving and shouts rising and falling.
The three of them walked to the pavilion, where the eldest princess was already seated. She snorted when she saw them.
Ling Shuyao was about to retaliate when Qingli saw Emperor Mingkang ascend Yingzhou Pavilion. She tugged at her arm, and with a shout from the eunuch, all the civil and military officials knelt and paid their respects. Emperor Mingkang was very diligent.
Qingli suppressed the urge to look up at Emperor Mingkang, lowering her eyes and letting her mind wander.
With the crack of a whip, the Ice Skating Festival begins.
The surface of Yinghu Lake, frozen solid by several consecutive heavy snowfalls, was dazzlingly cold under the sunlight.
This was a rare opportunity to show their faces before the Emperor. The eight teams standing on the ice were eager to try. They were just waiting for the whistle to blow so that everyone could rush onto the figure-eight dragon-patterned slide. Arrows with arrowheads flew everywhere. Only by shooting down the celestial sphere hanging on the banner gate could they pass the test. Only by passing three tests could they win.
Ling Shuyao had always loved this competition. At this moment, she got up and leaned against the pillar, her eyes following the changes on the field. Sometimes she would pat the pillar, sometimes she would clap her hands in admiration. Finally, disregarding everyone else, she shouted loudly, "Lu Yunye, go, go!"
"Hurry...hurry...go for it, go and grab it!"
"Hey, what are you looking at? Look ahead, look ahead! There's such a big ball hanging over there, how come you can't see it?"
The voice was loud, and Lu Yunye, who was giving the order, didn't know what to do with his hands and feet. He was even pushed to the outside. Whether he was anxious or angry, he looked over with a flushed face. The bright light shone in his eyes, making Ling Shuyao speechless.
Ling Shuyao murmured twice, no longer raising her voice, but her eyes were still fixed intently on the scene.
After the Imperial Guards regained their footing, they overtook five other teams and secured third place.
Emperor Mingkang found it amusing and rewarded Lu Yunye handsomely. The officials were silent for a moment before echoing his sentiments.
Emperor Mingkang was in high spirits and said to Meng Qingshan behind him, "If you go up there, they won't have anything to do."
"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."
Meng Qingshan originally intended for the Imperial Guards to be ranked, but he didn't expect Lu Yunye to lose his composure.
Emperor Kang of Ming chuckled.
Seeing the Emperor's delight, Dexi quickly had the eunuchs prepare a feast.
Emperor Mingkang, taking advantage of Dexi's unauthorized arrangements, jokingly scolded, "They're all terrified, yet they're incredibly audacious in private."
The eunuch's hand trembled, and a sharp sound rang out.
Dexi immediately ordered his men to subdue the young eunuch, not even allowing him to utter a sound of begging for mercy.
Meng Qingshan ignored him, glancing around before spotting a hunched eunuch flashing past in the corner. Just as he was about to take a closer look, the man slipped out from under the felt.
His eyes flashed, and he seized the opportunity to follow them.
On the women's side, the old lady sat in the corner, dressed in fine clothes, with her three daughters-in-law busy serving her. Hearing her heavy groan, they all held their breath.
Old Madam Lu, with her head full of white hair, cold expression, and sharp eyes staring at the laughing woman, scolded, "Shouting and yelling, that's improper!"
"Mother!"
The three daughters-in-law pleaded in unison, but after being glanced at by Old Madam Lu, they all fell silent.
Having lived through two dynasties, Madam Lu held a noble position and was arrogant and domineering. She was strict and uncompromising in the Lu family and always had the final say. She only treated Lu Yunye with a little more gentleness, and everyone else was no different from a servant in her eyes.
Madam Lu waved her hand and said, "Summon Shuzhi here."
Shuzhi is Lu Yunye's courtesy name.
Two of the ladies ignored the conversation. They were the later daughters-in-law, and although their husbands were also born to their mothers-in-law, they were not as good as the previous master. When Lu Yunye was mentioned, they all looked at the eldest sister-in-law sitting to the side, thinking that she should be the one to call her son.
The Fang family was once the legitimate daughter of a prestigious family with a long history, but as the saying goes, "once upon a time," and with the changing dynasties, the Fang family fell into decline. It was only after she married into the Lu family that they were able to establish a name for themselves in the capital.
Her eyes were lined with wrinkles, and she looked listless. She responded listlessly and sent a maid to call over Lu Yunye, who was talking enthusiastically with the second princess.
Lu Yunye's eyebrows were raised high as he passed by the ladies of noble families, praising their beautiful faces. Then he sighed. If the title of the former dynasty's princess could still have some effect in the capital when the new dynasty was first established, then after so many years, the decline of the dynasty was obvious. Anyone with a little sense would not associate with the Lu family.
So, who wouldn't sigh?
"Grandmother, even though you're wrapped in a felt cloth, it's still freezing cold. Can your legs handle it? Is your hand warmer warm enough, and is your cushion thick enough?"
Madam Lu's cold heart softened slightly. She didn't respond to his words, but instead ordered, "Your job is important. Don't chat with unimportant people. People's hearts are not what they used to be. Be careful."
Lu Yunye still had a smile on his lips, which to outsiders seemed as if he was talking about trivial matters. "Grandmother, I understand. I'll go now."
Lu Yunye turned in a different direction towards the Imperial Guards. Ling Shuyao called out twice, and seeing that he had already disappeared into the crowd, she pouted, somewhat displeased.
This person hadn't finished speaking yet.
Qingli's eyes flickered as she glanced at the people still looking this way. She stood up to block their view and changed the subject, saying, "You've been calling for a long time, sit down and have some water."
Ling Shuyao sat down sullenly. Qing Li glanced over casually and saw that they had already packed up and put everything away. She slowly breathed a sigh of relief and remarked that Madam Lu was not someone to be trifled with.
In the blink of an eye, Qingli saw the eldest princess slowly walk out, without even taking Chen Lihui with her. After a moment's thought, she found an excuse to follow her out.
Turning left and right, Qingli watched as the eldest princess entered the warm pavilion outside. She took small steps forward and hid outside. Through the gap, she saw that Consort De had a solemn expression and repeatedly instructed, "Find a time to go and visit the eldest prince."
Seeing that the eldest princess didn't move, Consort De said with exasperation, "Do you know?"
"knew!"
"It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. This time, when the Crown Prince was in trouble, we showed our loyalty, which was a hundred times more effective than usual."
Ling Shuyao couldn't bear to see her mother scheming like this, and shouted, "Mother!"
"What are you shouting for!"
Consort De's plans from a while ago were a blatant slap in the face to the Empress. If she didn't seize this opportunity, what would all her years of scheming have amounted to? Seeing her so stubborn, she said mercilessly, "You've reached the age where you have no marriage prospects. Whether it's good or bad, it's all up to you."
Ling Shuzhi suppressed her impatience. In the vast palace, even the poor Qingli had everything arranged by Meng Qingshan, yet she, the eldest princess of the Great Jin, was like that lowly concubine's daughter, someone who could be schemed against. How could she not be angry? But seeing her mother staring at her coldly, she replied, "I will go. But who is the eldest prince? He looks down on everything. How can I possibly impress him with just a few words?"
They might even end up being ridiculed.
“He disregards the laws and regulations of the court, which means he has something to rely on. Otherwise, what would we be doing there? Besides, if this crisis can be resolved, with my help, how could we not have a bright future?”
"You've never always been able to please everyone."
Consort De choked for a moment. That was in the past. In recent days, she had come to realize that the Noble Consort was unlikely to give her any benefits. It would be better for her to focus on currying favor with the Empress. Since that was the case, she had to make her stance clear. The first sword would definitely be aimed at the Noble Consort.
Consort De knew she had to explain things clearly to her, otherwise, if she acted impulsively and caused trouble, it would be even worse. She analyzed, "You must always remember that no prince can surpass the eldest prince. This time, the matter of the inflated military supplies in the camp outside the capital was exposed, and His Majesty was furious and reprimanded him, ordering the eldest prince to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. But that was a private matter, and no one knows about it publicly."
The eldest princess thought of the eldest prince's character and felt a little disdain. She asked in return, "The second prince is accomplished in both literature and martial arts. He is humble and has a high reputation among the officials. Even Ling Zizhan was commended for his horse-taming task. It's still uncertain who will win in the end."
Seeing her daughter's stubbornness, Consort De raised her finger and poked her forehead. Having spent many years in the palace, she understood one thing: it's not about who has a big name that's favored, but about who truly benefits. This matter is complicated and can't be explained in a few words. She said, "The Empress is the Empress, that's the way it is."
That's both domineering and baffling.
"So what do you want to do?"
"The amount of military funds being inflated can be a big or small matter. To put it mildly, it could be that the First Prince was not supervising properly and was suspected of misappropriating funds and embezzling them. However, this would only be considered greed, since the First Prince has many women in his harem and it is understandable that he spends a lot of money. To put it more seriously, it could be that he has ulterior motives and is raising a private army."
The eldest princess gasped in surprise, feeling that none of them were good, but compared to the others, greed and lust were better.
"But if someone is deceived, it's just a matter of oversight, and a few words of reprimand will suffice. But someone has to take the blame for the money and the person involved."
"Mother, but we are in the inner palace..."
"There's no need for us to go in person. These days, the matter of seeking a master and taking on disciples in the capital has become increasingly lively. Why is that? Isn't it because he's using his influence and looking at his potential? Your maternal grandfather has worked diligently at the Imperial Academy for many years, and his disciples are all over the world. Now is the time to put him to use."
Speaking of the Imperial Academy, Consort De was furious again. She had received a letter from her father that Huang Pu was on the verge of being promoted. If it weren't for the fact that the Fourth Prince had always been isolated in the court, this matter would have definitely fallen on his shoulders.
Qingli, who was listening outside, was both shocked and frightened. The eldest prince's position was more firmly established than she could have imagined. She just didn't know where Consort De's confidence came from. What did she mean by saying "the empress is the empress"? Was it because of her status as empress? Or was it because of something else?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
