Chapter 72 The Su and Song Families
"Father, that was just a ploy! Your Majesty will get tired of my greed."
"I'm telling you, stop thinking about love affairs. Let me ask you, it sounds nice that His Majesty wrote poems for you and stopped outside your palace, but what did you actually gain? Only the position is real. You're really putting the cart before the horse!" Su Wenyue said angrily.
Su Qingrong felt very aggrieved.
Sure enough, no one could understand her.
My father is only interested in power and has long been obsessed with interests. He doesn't understand the value of true love.
But even thinking this way, Su Qingrong did not dare to refute it. After all, they couldn't follow her every day, and when they returned, who would be able to control her?
Qin Shi looked at her daughter's distressed face and couldn't bear it. She consoled her, "Well, you've only been in the palace for less than half a year. There's no need to rush. Besides, gaining the emperor's affection is not a bad idea."
Su Wenyue sighed deeply, her expression barely softened a bit, and she asked the accompanying maid to give a box to Su Qingrong.
Su Qingrong took it in her hand, it felt heavy, and quickly handed it to Lan Xiang.
"It's been a bad year. One of the Su family's private vaults was washed out by a mudslide after a rainstorm. But the Su family still gave you money to help you with your connections. You have to spend it wisely. Do you understand?"
Su Qingrong thought of the private vault and nodded guiltily.
His Majesty said that no one would suspect her, but unexpectedly he blamed it on natural disasters, and indeed no one suspected her.
But that money can't be returned.
However, the Su family is rich, so this is nothing.
Su Qingrong quickly changed the subject. Thinking of the two things she had already prepared to tell her family, her expression became much more serious.
"Father, is there any unusual movement from the Xue family in the court?" Su Qingrong asked.
Su Wenyue frowned immediately.
"Why are you suddenly interfering in the affairs of the imperial court? The Xue and Su families have been allies for many years, what could possibly happen?"
Su Qingrong shook her head and said anxiously, "Father, you don't know. When I was under house arrest, His Majesty wrote me a poem expressing his longing for me. In order to quickly gain favor, I asked the Empress Dowager to intercede for me and have my house arrest lifted as soon as possible, but the Empress Dowager did not agree."
Su Wenyue remained unmoved. "So what? The Queen Mother must be considering not letting you be too aggressive and potentially causing harm."
"But father, didn't the court urge His Majesty to appoint a queen a few days ago? His Majesty originally wanted me, but in the end, it was Song Wanyan who got the power of the palace."
"The voices of the Song Party and the Qingliu in the court are quite loud, so it's not surprising that the daughter of the Song family has obtained the power of the palace. However, this is not something to worry about. Once she makes a mistake, not to mention the power of the palace, the Song family will suffer a heavy loss." Su Wenyue said fiercely.
Su Qingrong lowered her voice further and further: "Father, I have established connections in front of the emperor, and Eunuch Fu told me that His Majesty made the final decision because the Empress Dowager suggested to His Majesty that the palace power be handed over to Song Wanyan."
Su Wenyue and Qin looked at each other, and their expressions changed.
Su Qingrong took advantage of the situation and said, "Father, the Queen Mother is from the Xue family. How could she sincerely help someone from our Su family to ascend to the throne? The Queen Mother has been doing these things repeatedly, which means she has other intentions. There are many women of the right age in the Xue family. She must be..."
"Shut up! Stop slandering the Empress Dowager." Su Wenyue shouted, interrupting Su Qingrong. "Do you have any evidence to support your claims? Is all the information the Emperor gave you true?"
Su Qingrong was stunned for a moment.
It's not that she hadn't thought that Eunuch Fu had told her false news, but the news he had told her the first two times were consistent with the facts.
"My Su family can be what it is today because of the mutual support of the seven great families. You are not allowed to have such thoughts again! You must promise me that you will no longer make random speculations and slander the Queen Mother, and discuss major plans with her properly." Su Wenyue said sternly.
Su Qingrong felt aggrieved, but could only nod, "Daughter understands. Daughter will respect and love the Queen Mother well."
Su Wenyue flung her sleeves, angrily saying, "How could you be so useless? You haven't done anything decent. We should have let your sister enter the palace. If you hadn't cried and screamed for this opportunity, and your sister loved you so much, why would we have let you in?"
Su Qingrong's eyes immediately turned red. "What's wrong with me? How am I worse than my sister?"
Su Wenyue rubbed her forehead with a headache and didn't want to answer.
Originally, it was said that there was Empress Dowager Xue in the palace, the emperor's foundation was weak, and the aristocratic families had a lot of say, so the Su family could let a dog into the palace and it could become the empress.
As a result, Su Qingrong was allowed into the palace, but she couldn't even keep her initially granted position of Empress Dowager, let alone her position as Empress Dowager!
If her sister had entered the palace, either Song or Jiang would have been dead by now.
Su Qingrong thought of something else and said, as if to take credit for it: "Who said I haven't done anything good? I turned a disaster into a blessing and discovered a shocking secret. I was just about to ask my father to investigate."
Su Wenyue asked suspiciously, "What secret?"
Su Qingrong asked Lan Xiang to bring the box in. She opened it herself and took out a painting and a copied life information.
Qin hesitantly took out the painting and examined it. "This is a young man. How do you have his portrait?"
"Mother, you wouldn't think he is a eunuch at first glance, right?" Su Qingrong said.
Qin nodded. "There's something of a nobleman's charm between his eyebrows, but he's actually a eunuch?"
Su Qingrong nodded, "Not only is he a eunuch, but he is also a eunuch in Song Wanyan's palace."
Su Qingrong told Su Wenyue and Qin what she saw and heard in front of Roufu Palace that day.
Both of them looked surprised and confused.
The eunuch's actions were definitely not innocent.
As long as some scandal can be exposed, Song Wanyan will have to take the blame regardless of whether she is innocent or not.
"There's nothing special about this eunuch's background. He's just a singer from an opera troupe outside. His theater closed down and he had no other choice but to enter the palace to seek a job. But I still feel like there's something fishy going on, so I want my parents to conduct a thorough investigation."
Su Wenyue picked up the portrait, and her eyes gradually became gloomy.
Judging from his perspective on people, this person is indeed not simple.
"Okay, I will have someone investigate this matter thoroughly."
Su Qingrong was very proud. "Father just said I was useless, but now he is convinced."
Su Wenyue glared at her, "Spoiled!"
Qin smiled and hugged Su Qingrong, "Alright, your father is angry, don't pay attention to what he says. You have the leverage over the Song family girl today, so the great credit belongs to you."
On the way back, Su Wenyue and Qin both looked solemn.
"Husband, do you think Qingrong's suspicion of the Empress Dowager is really groundless?" Qin asked.
Su Wenyue's eyes were filled with thoughts as she spoke in a deep voice, "The Xue family is insatiable, and this has been clear for a long time. Back then, the Emperor suddenly supported Madam Xue as the Empress Dowager, catching us off guard. Madam Xue changed her stance to support the Emperor in order to secure the position of Empress Dowager. Otherwise, the Sixth Prince would have been much easier to control than the Ninth Prince. If not for this, Qingrong's aunt would have been sitting in the Empress Dowager's position now."
Qin felt deeply regretful: "After all, I missed the mark by one move, and now I have to take so many detours."
Su Wenyue glanced around and whispered, "Although the emperor appears to be defending the aristocratic families and imperial power, after several confrontations, I always feel that he has ulterior motives. No matter how greedy the Xue family is, they are ultimately on the same side as us. As a lesson from the past, as long as the Xue family does not go too far, we should not create internal divisions, lest the gains outweigh the losses. Let's be patient with Qingrong's words for now. It won't be too late to settle the score after we help her become the empress."
There was peace in Roufu Palace.
Song Wanyan pushed the peeled crab in front of a little girl wearing a pink skirt, with two buns on her hair, and a round face with almond eyes.
"Jia Sui is the Empress's cousin and is not allowed to visit her in the palace. Your father knows that you like your fifth sister the most, so he asked for grace to allow her to enter the palace."
Song Wanyan's mother, Xu, sat on Song Wanyan's left, with her hair combed into a soft bun and a gentle and calm expression.
Song Zhang stood aside and did not sit down.
Song Wanyan heard this and said, "Thank you, father."
Song Zhang shook his head: "What's the word thank you for the whole family?"
Song Jiasui ate crabs seriously, while Song Wanyan turned her head and stared at Song Zhang closely.
"Then my daughter has another question for Dad."
Song Zhang's eyes flickered twice, "What?"
"Grandfather said that the Song family cannot produce a queen, let alone a crown prince. Which of you petitioned me to give me this power? Do you know how many days I haven't slept well because of this palace banquet? Now you know to bring Jiasui here to calm my anger?"
Xu quickly held Song Wanyan's arm and said, "My Lady, I scared your fifth sister."
Song Wanyan glanced at Xu and said, "Mother, just help Dad. I've been in the palace for less than half a year, and you're not on my side anymore."
Xu smiled and said, "How can I side with your father? Isn't this side with your fifth sister?"
Song Zhang cleared his throat twice and said, "This matter is the result of careful consideration by your uncles. It is not a decision made by me alone."
Song Wanyan put her hands on her hips and said, "Okay, I knew you guys were colluding to trick me again."
Song Zhang smiled and said earnestly, "Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the front court and the harem are in need of repair. We are really short of manpower, and we need to share His Majesty's worries. If you can handle the situation, then you should take over. But don't worry, your personality is not suitable for staying in this position for a long time. Sooner or later, you will step down, and you won't be burdened for too long. You just hold on for a while."
Song Wanyan rolled her eyes slightly: "Dad, are you scolding me or comforting me?"
"I'm telling the truth." Song Zhang said calmly.
Song Wanyan went crazy, "Father, did you speak to His Majesty like this in the court?"
"Yes." Song Zhang said.
Song Wanyan waved her hand, "Alright, I give in. His Majesty has really given the Song family face that there has been no news of you offending the Emperor."
"Your Majesty is good-tempered and doesn't mind."
Song Wanyan frowned, "Why are you finding an opportunity to criticize me for having a bad temper again?"
Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "Alright, you two should stop bickering and sit down and have a good talk. Jiasui has lost her appetite after hearing you bicker."
Song Wanyan turned her head to look at Song Jiasui, who was eating so happily that he didn't even have time to look up, and covered her forehead with her hands.
This family is really...
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