Chapter 425 is about a stroke.
Jiang Yu knew perfectly well that the emperor's decision to have her maternal grandfather temporarily serve as Minister of Personnel was both a clear attempt to win her over and a gesture of appeasement. It was a blatant hint that once the Lingnan matter was resolved, she would be promoted, and might even be appointed Minister of Personnel herself.
She appreciated the favor. In officialdom, who wouldn't hope for promotion and to realize their ambitions? The emperor recognized her efforts and abilities; she should be grateful. If she had encountered a foolish ruler, achieving her aspirations would never have been so smooth.
The emperor was already satisfied with Jiang Yu's attitude, and smiled as he waved for her to dispense with the formalities. Just as he was about to dismiss her, a eunuch stumbled in and knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager has suddenly fainted!"
The emperor suddenly stood up, his tone urgent: "What happened?"
The eunuch, prostrate on the ground, replied rapidly, "Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager has been complaining of dizziness these past few days, and sometimes her temples feel tight and painful. Yesterday, during her meal, her right hand fingers were numb, and she couldn't even hold the silver chopsticks properly, dropping them to the ground."
She was just talking to me a moment ago, but then her voice became slurred, and she said her vision was blurry… Her Highness always said, 'It's just her old ailment acting up, it's nothing serious,' and didn't want us to alarm the Emperor, but who knew that she would suddenly go limp and faint just as she was sitting in the warm pavilion!”
"You insolent fools!" the emperor roared at the eunuchs. "How precious is the Empress Dowager's health? Even if she forbade me to be informed, you should have reported it immediately!"
He strode out with a stern face, and only when he reached the door of the Imperial Study did he turn back to Jiang Yu and say, "Minister Jiang, you may go back now."
"Yes." Jiang Yu knew that the emperor was extremely anxious at the moment, so she did not dare to say anything more. She watched the emperor leave in a big stride before turning around and leaving the palace.
On her way out of the palace, she was also worried about the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was over seventy years old, which was rare in ancient times. It seemed normal for her to have some health problems, but the symptoms described by the eunuch earlier sounded somewhat like a stroke. However, she had never studied medicine in either her past or present life and could not help in any way. She could only pray in her heart that the Empress Dowager could pull through this ordeal.
Lost in thought, she arrived at the palace gate. The moment she stepped out, Prince Rui galloped towards her on horseback. Upon reaching her, Prince Rui, his face filled with anxiety, dismounted and ran quickly towards the palace gate.
Jiang Yu knew he must be going to visit the Empress Dowager. When he ran up to her, she quickly said, "I just heard in the Imperial Study that the Empress Dowager fainted. His Majesty has already gone to Cining Palace. Your Highness, don't be too anxious. Go into the palace first and see what's going on."
Prince Rui was preoccupied with the Empress Dowager's safety. He simply nodded and strode inside. Jiang Yu watched his hurried figure, her heart pounding with anxiety. She silently prayed that the Empress Dowager would be out of danger.
Once seated in the sedan chair, she instructed the bearers to go to the Marquis of Anyuan's residence. She needed to inform him that the Emperor had appointed her maternal grandfather as the acting Minister of Personnel, so that he could prepare accordingly.
A little over fifteen minutes later, the sedan chair arrived at the gate of the Marquis of Anyuan's residence. As soon as the gatekeeper saw that it was her sedan chair, he immediately opened the left gate and let the sedan chair in directly.
Upon arriving at Marquis Anyuan's study, he was playing chess with his cousin, Lu Shaocheng. Seeing Jiang Yu enter, Marquis Anyuan chuckled and teased, "Yu'er, you're here? Your cousin is a terrible chess player, perfect for practicing with you."
Lu Shaocheng blushed at the words, quickly stood up to give Jiang Yu a seat, and poured her a cup of tea himself, saying with a smile, "That's perfect, let my cousin give me some pointers on my chess skills."
Jiang Yu sat down, carefully examined the chessboard, picked up a chess piece and placed it in a corner of the board before speaking slowly: "I just came from the palace. Pu Tonghe's crime was just decided in the Imperial Study. His collusion with the Prince of Lingnan and his secret dealings with vassal states have been thoroughly investigated. The Emperor was furious and immediately issued an edict to execute his entire family."
The smile on Marquis Anyuan's face vanished instantly, replaced by a serious expression. He tossed the chess piece into the chess basket, waved his hand, and Lu Shaocheng immediately stepped forward to tidy up the chessboard.
Just then, Jiang Yu said, "His Majesty also said that he intends to have you temporarily serve as Minister of Personnel to fill the vacancy left by Pu Tonghe. However, just now in the Imperial Study, news suddenly came that the Empress Dowager had fainted. His Majesty is in a hurry to visit her at Cining Palace, so the relevant decree will probably be issued later."
Marquis Anyuan paused for a moment, stroked his beard, and asked, "Does His Majesty intend to appoint you as Minister of Personnel after this matter is over?"
Jiang Yu shook her head: "I don't know, but this arrangement is at least reassuring for us."
Marquis Anyuan gave a soft "hmm," his tone tinged with worry: "I just don't know how the Empress Dowager's condition is."
The Empress Dowager always remembered the kindness Jiang Yu's grandmother had shown her in the past, and also cherished their old friendship. Over the years, both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had shown considerable favor to the Duke of Chu's mansion. If something were to happen to the Empress Dowager, the Duke of Chu's mansion would lose a crucial support.
Thinking of Jiang Yu's abilities and considering the current situation of the Duke of Chu's mansion, Marquis Anyuan comforted him, "There's no need to worry too much. Your Duke of Chu's mansion has already passed the most difficult time."
Jiang Yu understood his meaning. Although she was still concerned about the Empress Dowager's health, she nodded and changed the subject, saying, "The Prince of Lingnan may come to the capital soon. His Majesty's idea is to take action while he is in the capital."
Marquis Anyuan frowned, lowered his eyelids, and pondered for a moment: "Although it is a good opportunity, this matter is not easy!"
Jiang Yu nodded silently, and after a while said, "Fortunately, the imperial court now has firearms. As long as the plan is made properly, the chances of success are not low."
Marquis Anyuan looked up at her: "You already have a plan?"
Jiang Yu nodded, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice to explain her thoughts in detail...
...
Jiang Yu had dinner at the Marquis of Anyuan's residence before returning to the Duke of Chu's mansion. Upon entering her study, she instructed the steward to keep an eye on the Empress Dowager's whereabouts. After the steward acknowledged and left, she spent a long time strategizing in the study before taking a bath and resting.
The next day at breakfast, the steward rushed back to report: "Your Excellency, news has come from the palace that the Empress Dowager woke up in the middle of the night but could not recognize anyone. The imperial physician diagnosed her with a stroke. Yesterday, the Emperor and Prince Rui stayed at Cining Palace all night and were still there with her when it was dawn."
Jiang Yu was already worried about the Empress Dowager and Prince Rui, and after hearing this, he lost his appetite even more. He ate a few bites and went to the government office. At 9:00 AM, Xia He came in to report that the Emperor had issued an edict appointing Marquis Anyuan as the acting Minister of Personnel.
Jiang Yu nodded upon hearing this, and then instructed Xia He: "Keep an eye on news from Prince Rui's side, and let me know immediately if there are any developments."
...
The Cining Palace was eerily quiet; even the sound of the wind blowing through the courtyard seemed exceptionally gentle. Under the corridor outside the Empress Dowager's sleeping quarters, the concubines and several princes stood respectfully, some with their heads bowed and hands at their sides, others whispering, all with worried expressions on their faces. No one dared to make a loud noise.
A short while later, the vermilion doors of the sleeping quarters were gently pushed open, and Zhao Fuquan emerged, bowing low. Upon seeing the crowd, he first gestured for them to quiet down before clearing his throat and softly conveying the imperial decree:
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has instructed that the Empress Dowager has just awakened and is still weak. She needs to rest quietly, and there is a risk that the crowd outside the palace will disturb her. He has instructed you to return to the palace and wait. We will send you daily updates on the Empress Dowager's condition. There is no need to linger here."
Everyone hurriedly responded in unison, "As you command," and then respectfully bowed towards the sleeping quarters before withdrawing in order of rank.
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