Chapter 471 A Great Era
Yan Fengxi received the most elite education of her time from a young age. She learned not only needlework, music, calligraphy, and painting, but also household management and court politics. Therefore, noble ladies like her who came to the capital were generally not to be underestimated.
But once in "unusual" situations, such as getting stuck on a rut or developing a romantic mindset, the composure and rationality learned from childhood will be thrown to the winds.
At this moment, Yan Fengxi's mind was filled with the unacceptable thing that she could never accept: Prince Rui, whom she would rather be a concubine to be close to, was actually in love with Jiang Yu. She also thought that since Yan Fengju entered the Tiangong Division, her life had become more and more difficult, and Yan Fengju was able to enter the Tiangong Division because of Jiang Yu's recommendation.
Jiang Yu seems to be her nemesis from birth!
Her head was slightly lowered, her bangs obscuring most of her eyebrows and eyes, but her taut jaw and the almost shredded silk handkerchief betrayed her true nature. Her usual dignified noblewoman demeanor was gone, and her whole being exuded an unconcealable resentment and malice.
Seeing her like this, Zhu Junning's lips subtly curled up again, knowing that the time was almost here. She picked up the teacup and brought it to her lips for a light sip, but the taste of cold tea was astringent, and she couldn't help but frown and put it down.
Looking up at Yan Fengxi, she softened her tone: "I have a way to get you into the palace these next few days. If you can make the Emperor know that the Duke of Chu and Prince Rui are in love, he will definitely not allow them to be together. Then the Emperor will surely arrange a marriage for Prince Rui, and you'll have a chance, won't you?"
These words made Yan Fengxi's eyes suddenly light up. Zhu Junning then pressed on, "Sister's background, talent, and appearance are all top-notch in the entire capital. Even if Grand Tutor Yan doesn't help, sister's chances of winning are the greatest."
These words struck a chord with Yan Fengxi. Despite trying to suppress her emotions, she couldn't help but smile. At that moment, she bit her lip and finally made her decision: "Okay."
Zhu Junning's smile deepened as he reached out and took Yan Fengxi's hand, saying softly, "I knew you were so kind and intelligent, sister. Life is only a few decades long; the most important thing is to live the life you want."
Yan Fengxi nodded involuntarily, deeply agreeing. Everyone looks out for themselves. She was a woman; the prosperity of the family was the responsibility of the men, not her. She clenched her fist, gathering her courage, and looked up at Zhu Junning, asking, "What should I do?"
"After my sister entered the palace..."
.........
When the Empress Dowager fell seriously ill, the Empress, unlike Prince Rui, did not reside in the Cining Palace to attend to her, but she still went there every day to keep vigil for a while. Therefore, when the concubines from various palaces came to pay their respects each day, the Empress would always quickly resolve the matters to be discussed, so as to save time to go to the Cining Palace.
After all the concubines had arrived, the Empress spoke first about the most important matter: "The Empress Dowager is unwell, and the officials in the capital, remembering the Empress Dowager's kindness, have copied scriptures to pray for her well-being. This sentiment is truly precious."
A few days ago, I summoned several officials' wives to thank them in person for their filial piety. Tomorrow I plan to summon a few more; I have prepared a preliminary list. Please take a look, and if you think anyone should be added, please speak frankly. Let's finish this discussion as soon as possible so we can head to the Cining Palace sooner.”
After she finished speaking, the matron beside her distributed the list for the concubines to read. Actually, the Empress was discussing this matter with them to do them a favor. Each concubine had family members, and if anyone wanted to bring a family member to the palace for a visit, this was a good opportunity to bring it up.
The concubines were all clever; after the list was circulated, some began to mention their own relatives and thanked the Empress. Seeing that several people had spoken, Consort De, who was sitting below, also smiled and rose to her feet.
"When my mother last visited the palace, she said that she went to Chongguang Temple to pray for the Empress Dowager and met Madam Yan and Miss Yan from the Yan family. The scriptures they copied were more than a foot thick, and they were kneeling in front of the Buddha to pray for the Empress Dowager. They looked very devout. I thought that Your Majesty the Empress could also summon them."
The Empress looked calmly at Consort De, and after a moment of silence, said, "Then let's add Madam Yan and Miss Yan as well."
She glanced around at the concubines again: "Is there anything else you want to add? If not, that's enough for today. I still need to go to the Empress Dowager's place."
The concubines hurriedly rose and bowed, then withdrew one after another. Once everyone had left, the Empress gently stroked the delicate nail polish on her fingertips, pondered for a moment, and asked the nanny beside her, "Is there any kinship between Consort De's family and Grand Tutor Yan's household?"
The old woman frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I've never heard of it."
The Empress nodded thoughtfully, got up and walked out, saying, "After the Yan family mother and daughter enter the palace, have someone keep a close eye on them."
The old woman nodded in agreement, then leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Isn't Grand Tutor Yan now on the same side as the Duke of Chu?"
"That's what I'm also wondering about." The Empress stopped at the entrance of Kunning Palace and said leisurely, "Grand Tutor Yan has clearly given up on Miss Yan. This mother and daughter may have been used as pawns."
"This..." The old woman looked shocked, then asked in a low voice, "Should we..."
"No need." The Empress glanced at her, her tone indifferent: "It's better for things to be chaotic, as long as it doesn't involve us."
"Yes," the nanny replied, helping the Empress into the sedan chair and heading towards Cining Palace.
........
Inside the imperial study, Jiang Yu entered carrying a roll of moon-white silk. She lifted her robes and knelt to pay her respects to the emperor. Seeing the object in her hand, the emperor looked puzzled. After she rose, he asked, "What is that in your hand, Minister Jiang?"
Jiang Yu held up the plain silk with both hands and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, this is a memorial I wrote. To make it easier for Your Majesty to review it, I wrote it on silk."
The emperor found it even more intriguing. Seeing this, Zhao Fuquan, who was standing nearby, quickly bowed and walked to Jiang Yu, took the plain silk with both hands, and presented it to the emperor.
Just as the emperor was about to unfold it, Jiang Yu spoke up again: "Your Majesty, it will be clearer to read it if it is laid out on the table."
The emperor grunted in acknowledgment, and Zhao Fuquan quickly tidied the table. The emperor personally unfolded the plain silk, and its appearance was immediately striking. Instead of densely packed sentences, it presented several paragraphs of text, some large and some small, arranged in a pleasing, orderly fashion, linked together by neat lines. Though not in the style of an ordinary memorial, it possessed an indescribable neatness, and its clarity was immediately apparent upon a glance.
This sight intrigued the emperor even more. He lowered his head to examine it closely, growing increasingly startled and delighted with each look. He looked up at Jiang Yu, his voice filled with surprise and delight: "Minister Jiang, what is this?"
Jiang Yu stepped forward to the table, cupped his hands, and replied, "Your Majesty, this is the grand undertaking that will take place many years from now!"
She spent a whole night making this, just to tell the emperor that her reform of the money shops and trading companies was only the beginning, and that she could do much more in the future, much more that could bring the Great Han Dynasty to an unprecedented golden age.
She wanted to ensure that even if the emperor knew about her affair with Prince Rui, he wouldn't retaliate against them for the sake of a prosperous future.
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