Chapter 59 Missing
As the New Year drew to a close, the palaces became bustling with activity. Although the Imperial Household Department had already determined the New Year's allotments for each palace according to the rules, they still had to be reviewed by Chan Zhen and stamped with the Phoenix Seal.
Chan Zhen glanced through it, closed the palace register, and said to the head of the internal affairs department, "This year is particularly cold. I'm afraid the charcoal fire below the talented people is not enough. Please add another 20%."
The housekeeper showed an awkward expression. "There are regulations on how much charcoal to use for different positions. Your servant..."
Chan Zhen smiled faintly and comforted him, "Don't worry, I have plenty of charcoal left over here, so you can go from Fengqi Palace."
Since the Queen Mother decided to take the extra charcoal from her own palace, the Head of Household Affairs naturally had no reason to refuse.
After the housekeeper took the order and left, Lu Zhu said, "Your Majesty, why bother worrying about those people? They might not appreciate it."
Last time, it was Concubine Xu and a few others who forced the Empress to persuade His Majesty to favor the harem more.
Chan Zhen smiled at her. "They were just a little rude in their words, but it doesn't bother me at all. Besides, it's really hard to endure the cold in this heavy snow. I'll just consider it a blessing for my unborn child."
She had known the cold before. After she was three, her father had stopped visiting her and her mother's little courtyard often, and the money he sent gradually dwindled. Her mother had no means of making a living, and in the winter she couldn't afford charcoal, so she and her mother had to wrap themselves in blankets to survive.
Although Jiangnan never experienced heavy snow, winters were bitterly damp. A thin blanket couldn't stop the chill that seeped right into her bones. Listening to the howling wind outside at night, she worried she wouldn't make it through the night. Fortunately, winter after winter passed, and she finally made it to the day her father took her home.
Her current life was like living in a beautiful countryside, but even in such a magnificent palace, there were still many people suffering from hunger and cold.
"I hope this winter will pass smoothly," she sighed as she looked out the window at the falling snow.
Although the white snow was beautiful and had delighted her the first time she saw it, it kept falling. His Majesty had heard that some houses in the capital had collapsed under the weight of the snow. The government had been busy these past few days providing relief to the affected areas, and with the urgent war at the border, His Majesty had been so busy that he hadn't slept a wink.
Lu Zhu also sighed, "I have never seen such heavy snow before."
"Yes," Chan Zhen thought of the border, further north than the Imperial City. If the Imperial City was freezing, the bitter cold at the border must be even worse. He wondered how the people, whose food and fodder had been taken away, would survive this winter. "There's been no news from the border for several days. I wonder if my brother and his men are making good progress."
"General Song is extremely brave and will surely defeat the Rong people and return in triumph," Lu Zhu comforted.
"I also believe in my brother." Zen Zhen said as he withdrew his gaze from the window.
At this moment, a ferocious figure brave the wind and snow suddenly appeared at the palace gate. Chan Zhen exclaimed in surprise and immediately went to meet him.
"Your Majesty, why did you leave court so early today?" She wanted to untie his snow-covered cloak, but he waved his hand and took a step back.
He untied his cloak and handed it to Lu Zhu, who was standing beside him. Then he said, "The news of victory just came from the border, and I immediately thought of telling you."
Chanzhen was afraid that he would be cold at the door, so he pulled her to sit next to the burning charcoal brazier.
"Do my brothers have good news?" she asked after sitting down.
Chen Dingyao said: "Three days ago, Song Ge and Yun Yi led their armies and recaptured Liangcheng from the Rong tribe."
"Great!" Zen Zhen cupped his hands excitedly. "That means my brother and the others will be able to return to the capital soon."
"Should be no problem." Chen Dingyao recalled that at this time in his previous life, the capital had never seen such heavy snow, nor had the Rong tribe invaded south. Song Ge only began to emerge three years later. It seemed that even though he had been reborn, some things had shifted.
"It's a pity that New Year's Eve is just a few days away, and my brother and the others definitely won't be able to make it back." She thought of Madam Wei, who was all alone in the Duke's Mansion. Her brother was away fighting, and her mother must be worried every day. "Your Majesty, I want my mother to come to the palace and stay with me for a while."
It was against the rules to summon a woman from outside the palace to stay for a long time. Although she loved to act coquettishly to His Majesty before, she had never made any unreasonable requests to him. This was the first time.
Chen Dingyao looked into her hesitant eyes and reached out to gently touch her forehead.
"It's just a small matter, how could I not agree with you?"
Zen Zhen touched the place he touched and a soft smile appeared on his face.
Two days later, when the wind and snow subsided a little, Chen Dingyao issued an imperial decree to summon Madam Wei to the palace and sent a phoenix carriage to pick her up.
After Madam Wei entered the room, Chan Zhen quickly asked Lu Zhu to bring her a cup of ginger soup to drive away the cold. "Madam Wei, drink some hot soup quickly, don't catch a cold."
"Thank you." Madam Wei nodded to her, took the ginger soup and took a sip. She really felt that the coldness was driven away a little. The charcoal fire in Fengqi Palace was burning brightly, and her body warmed up not long after she sat down.
She asked Chan Zhen, "Why did Her Majesty think of summoning me to the palace?"
Chan Zhen sat across from her and said a little embarrassedly, "I thought you would feel lonely at home since my brother left, so I thought of coming to keep you company."
But she was pregnant, and His Majesty would definitely not allow her to leave the palace, so he had to summon Madam Wei into the palace.
Madam Wei looked at her and smiled: "It is indeed a bit lonely to be alone in the mansion. It can't compare to the lively and bustling life here."
Her husband died young, her son has yet to marry, and she is now the only one left in the mansion. These days, she goes to the Buddhist temple every day to chant sutras and pray for her son.
Although Song Ge had previously received military training, he had always served as a soldier. Now, he was the first to lead a large army, braving such freezing weather. Before he left, she had encouraged him and shown no reluctance to leave. But once he had left Beijing for the border, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"Mother doesn't know yet," Chan Zhen told her the news he had received from His Majesty, "Brother won a great victory at the border a few days ago. I believe he will be able to return to the capital safely soon."
Madam Wei, who was always calm and composed in front of others, showed excitement on her face: "Are you serious, Madam?"
"Yes," Zen Zhen nodded, "Your Majesty told me so himself."
Madam Wei closed her eyes and covered her chest: "May the Infinite Heavenly Lord bless you."
Chan Zhen patted her shoulder and said, "Brother probably won't be able to make it back before New Year's Eve. Mother, don't worry and stay in the palace to celebrate the festival. I have asked the palace servants to prepare a room for you."
"This..." Madam Wei frowned, "It's not quite in accordance with the rules."
"Your Majesty has agreed." Zen Zhen comforted her, "Who dares to say that your Majesty's words are not in accordance with the rules?"
Mrs. Wei was not a shy person. After thinking about it for a moment, she agreed readily.
"It just so happens that I see that the Empress is getting older and needs someone to take care of her." She looked at Chan Zhen's round belly with a loving look on her face.
Zen Zhen held her belly with both hands and said with a smile, "It was me who wanted to take care of my mother, but why did my mother have to take care of me instead?"
"I'm an old man, how can I compare to you." Mrs. Wei shook her head and smiled.
Looking at the well-behaved and considerate Queen in front of her, she felt sorry that she couldn't really give birth to such a good daughter.
Chan Zhen talked with Madam Wei for a long time, and when it was almost sunset, she asked Lu Zhu to help her go back to rest. Lu Zhu knew how much she valued Madam Wei, and before she left, she repeatedly warned the palace servants not to neglect her duties.
Madam Wei was known as the "Iron Lady" in the capital. Her methods were known from the fact that she single-handedly supported the huge marquisate after her husband's death. Therefore, after Madam Wei came, Chan Zhen also learned a lot from her.
One day, when the concubines came to pay their respects, Concubine Xu made some sarcastic remarks about Chan Zhen still doting on His Majesty even though she was pregnant. Chan Zhen already knew Concubine Xu's character, so she did not take her words to heart. Instead, Madam Wei beside her frowned and scolded her.
"The harmony between the Emperor and the Empress is a blessing for the country. Not only is Cairen not happy about it, but she is deliberately trying to sow discord between the Emperor and the Empress. Such behavior is really contrary to the etiquette of concubines." With just one sentence, she elevated Cairen Xu's jealous behavior to the level of sowing discord between the Emperor and the Empress, forcing Cairen Xu to be unable to refute.
Madam Wei was personally appointed by His Majesty as a first-rank lady of the state, and her imperial decree was even higher than that of a sixth-rank talent. She was also the nominal mother of the empress, and although it was inappropriate for her to reprimand the concubines on behalf of the empress, no one dared to blame her.
Chan Zhen saw that Concubine Xu, who had been acting so aggressively in front of him, was now as embarrassed as a quail in front of Madam Wei, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But she couldn't let the scene get too awkward, so she gave them a way out: "Okay, I'm a little tired, you guys can leave first."
After everyone left, Madam Wei looked at her and said, "It's a good thing that your Majesty is kind and gentle, but sometimes you still have to be a little firm."
She knew that given Chanzhen's background, few people must have taught her these things since she was a child. At the same time, she sighed in her heart that if Chanzhen was her biological daughter and grew up under her guidance, she would definitely teach her more ways to deal with people and things.
Zen Zhen knew that her love for him was so deep that she was so harsh in her criticism, so instead of being angry, he felt warm inside.
"Don't be angry, mother. Just tell me what you want to tell me and I will learn from you." Chan Zhen held her hand.
Mrs. Wei sighed to her worriedly.
The Queen is too gentle in nature. When she encounters something beyond her control, she either accepts it submissively or is pushed to the extreme and has an emotional breakdown, doing something self-destructive.
Being too rigid can easily break, and being too soft is not a good thing either.
"I'll just tell you one thing: you don't have to care too much about what others think. Just do what's in your heart." She gently patted the back of Zen Zhen's hand. "Nothing is more important than yourself."
"Mother..." Zen Zhen looked at her with tears in his eyes.
The warmth that Madam Wei brought her was completely different from that of His Majesty, but she was equally moved.
"Having a daughter like you is a blessing I earned in my previous life." Madam Wei looked at her tenderly. "Although we are not truly blood relatives, in my heart you are no different from my own daughter."
Zen couldn't help but snuggle into her arms, "I treat you like my own mother, too."
Even her biological mother had never treated her with the same affection as Mrs. Wei.
"Why are you crying? Too much tears are harmful to your health." Madam Wei patted her back gently. "You are a double-brother, so you must not be careless."
Zenzhen smiled through his tears and raised his head from her arms.
…
The wind and snow finally stopped, and New Year's Eve was a rare day of good weather. The palace was decorated with lights and lanterns everywhere, and even the most humble palace servants had faces filled with New Year's joy on this day.
Chan Zhen distributed New Year's rewards to Fengqi Palace. Luzhu had served her the longest, so she received a particularly generous reward.
"Your Majesty, this..." Her fingers trembled as she looked at the emerald green hairpin in the box, and she didn't dare to take it.
Zen Zhen directly pushed it into her hand: "This is what I chose for a long time, you are not allowed to refuse."
Seeing her expression that said, "If you dare to refuse, I will be angry," Lu Zhu couldn't help laughing and said, "Don't worry, Madam. I will keep it well."
Zen Zhen was relieved to see that she finally accepted it, and smiled with narrowed eyes: "I hope we will all be well in the new year."
"The queen will be fine," Lu Zhu looked at her belly, "and our little prince."
It's good that Her Majesty is like this. She will definitely protect Her Majesty and the little prince and will not let them be bullied.
After Lu Zhu left, Madam Wei looked at the joyful palace maids in Fengqi Palace and said with a smile, "Your palace maids are very loyal to you."
The smile on his face was genuine and not deliberately flattering.
"They were all personally selected by His Majesty," Chan Zhen explained to her, "They work very hard to take care of me, and I want to give them something in return."
In the palace, apart from the ones in front of His Majesty, the rules here are probably the strictest. Although these palace servants sometimes play with her, in private, Manager Guo is very strict with them. The things she uses must go through layer after layer of inspection before they can be sent to her, and no part can be missed in the middle.
Madam Wei's eyes became softer. With a master like this, anyone would serve her wholeheartedly.
There was a palace banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the evening. After the snow stopped, the disaster in the capital had eased. His Majesty had stopped writing a few days ago and came to accompany her as often as before.
When His Majesty came to pick her up, Chanzhen had already changed into a new palace dress with a huge phoenix with its wings spread out outlined in gold thread. Now that she was the queen, it was legitimate for her to wear such clothes.
Chen Dingyao stood before her, examining her face to face for a long time, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement. No matter how many times he had seen her, Chan Zhen always managed to amaze him over and over again.
"Your Majesty," Zen Zhen walked over and took his arm, "How long will you watch?"
"I can never get enough of seeing her," he shifted his gaze from her to Madam Wei beside him, "Madam Wei, are you adapting well in the palace?"
He was too busy these days and couldn't spend much time with her, so it was thanks to Mrs. Wei who was often by her side and talked to her.
"Your Majesty, I am adapting to everything." Mrs. Wei was still a little reserved in front of him.
Chen Dingyao nodded slightly: "If there is anything you are not used to, you can report it to the palace servants at any time."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Madam Wei naturally knew that His Majesty treated her so politely because he loved the Empress. She always knew her limits and would not become frivolous just because of His Majesty's polite treatment.
When Chan Zhen and His Majesty arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, everyone was already there.
The New Year's Eve palace banquet was not as solemn as the last Tianshou Palace Banquet. Everyone's words and actions were more casual. After all, it was to welcome the new year, and Chen Dingyao didn't want to restrict everyone too much.
After the wine was served and the banquet began, Chan Zhen was pregnant and did not dare to drink any wine, so she just drank some hot water instead.
She was now experiencing morning sickness, and would vomit easily at the smell of meat or fish, so the dishes before her were mainly light, with a clear hot pot of soup. In such cold weather, the dishes would soon become cold after being served, and would need to be reheated in the pot.
While His Majesty was talking with his ministers, he kept adding hot dishes to her plate with great skill.
The banquet was just halfway through when suddenly a young eunuch ran hurriedly towards the upper seat.
Such panic must mean something important has happened.
Chan Zhen was close to His Majesty and heard the young eunuch say:
"Your Majesty, urgent news has arrived from the border. His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin personally led a team of soldiers deep into the heart of the grasslands in pursuit of the eldest prince of the Rong tribe. He has since disappeared, and there has been no news of him since."
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