Chapter 32 032 "From now on, invite his wife to the palace more often; I like to hear it..."
Practice makes perfect. The second time Luo Fu entered the palace, she was not so nervous. After all, she had a husband who could get away with criticizing the emperor. What trouble could a law-abiding wife like her cause in the palace?
It was as if Xiao Yu had committed a crime, which emboldened her considerably.
For convenience, the three sisters-in-law rode in one carriage, with Yang Yanzhen in the main seat and Luo Fu and Li Huaiyun on either side. Neither of the sisters-in-law liked to gossip, so on the way to the capital, Luo Fu took the initiative to start a conversation: "I've long heard that the peonies of Luoyang are the best in the world, but unfortunately, the family has been tied up with Third Master's affairs recently, and we unknowingly missed this year's peony blooming season."
Since Xiao Yu received an official position, the servants in his household gradually changed their way of addressing him, starting to call him "Third Master".
Yang Yanzhen: "There are also some late-blooming varieties. If my third sister-in-law wants to see them, we can go to the garden together tomorrow."
In Los Angeles, there are several gardens that specialize in selling peonies. The more elegant the garden is and the more famous the peony varieties it has, the higher the ticket price will be.
Luo Fu was more than happy to agree. She would first learn the name of this peony from her sister-in-law, and then take her sister with her later.
"Did Your Majesty often summon the female relatives of officials to the palace to admire the flowers in previous years?"
"Yes, Her Majesty loves flowers and holds flower banquets all year round. However, they are usually small banquets, and only five or six people are invited each time. She said that if there are too many people, she can only have a few words with each person and it is difficult to get to know them."
Officials in the capital considered it an honor to be summoned by the emperor to accompany him, while the wives of officials were proud to enter the palace to admire flowers with the empress.
Luo Fu felt increasingly at ease about her trip to the palace today, while secretly wondering if Empress Gao was too bored living in seclusion in the palace, which was why she liked to hold flower banquets.
Upon arriving at the capital, the eunuch sent by Empress Gao led the three sisters-in-law directly to the central palace.
Empress Gao already has two female guests: Crown Princess Li Lan, who is Li Huaiyun's aunt and the eldest daughter-in-law of the royal family, and also lives in the palace; and the other is Empress Gao's only daughter, Princess Kangping.
As the three sisters-in-law prepared to kneel, Empress Gao laughed and said, "No need, no need. I called you into the palace today to keep me company and relieve my boredom, not to make you kneel back and forth. You are all as beautiful as flowers, I can't bear to do that. Come, have a seat."
Immediately, palace maids brought over three exquisitely carved crescent-shaped stools.
Luo Fu was the youngest and sat at the very end, far away. However, Empress Gao, the Crown Princess, and Princess Kangping paid more attention to her. Yang Yanzhen and Li Huaiyun frequently visited the palace and were already familiar with the three royal nobles.
Noticing the gazes of the dignitaries, Luo Fu mustered her courage, raised her head, and smiled as she carefully examined each of them.
Empress Gao found it intriguing: "You're quite bold, child. I remember you were trembling slightly with nervousness at the New Year's Eve palace banquet."
Luo Fu stood up, curtsied, and replied softly, "On New Year's Eve, it was my first time entering the palace, and I was afraid that I might accidentally break the rules. Today, Your Majesty's side is less crowded, and I am the only unfamiliar face here. I dare to guess that Your Majesty and the two princes want to see my face clearly. How could I possibly shy away from this good fortune?"
The Crown Princess and Princess Kangping both smiled, while Empress Gao beckoned to Luo Fu with affection: "You're beautiful and have a lovely voice. Come closer so I can take another look."
Luo Fu accepted the order, and still somewhat apprehensively approached Empress Gao.
Empress Gao took the young woman's hand, looked at it, and nodded, saying, "Her face and hands are both auspicious; no wonder she was able to find a top scholar as her husband."
Luo Fu was still laughing when she heard the first sentence, but when she heard the second sentence, the smile on her face immediately froze.
Empress Gao, seeing this, deliberately teased, "What, do you perhaps think Xiao Yu isn't good enough?"
Luo Fu knelt down subconsciously, her face full of sorrow, and said, "To be honest, Your Majesty, when Xiao Yu went to Yangzhou with the Marquis to visit my father, it was the first time I saw him. I really thought he was perfect in every way. He had handsome features, a tall and upright figure, and was very polite in his speech and actions. After I married into the capital, I did spend a few months of loving days with him. Who would have thought... Even if I am blessed, that blessing should be due to the fact that I met a magnanimous and wise ruler. Without the Emperor's grace, I am afraid I will never see Your Majesty again."
When it came to Emperor Yongcheng, even the Crown Princess dared not speak rashly, but the twenty-five-year-old Princess Kangping had no such reservations and snorted, "When Xiao Yu wrote such an article, Father Emperor did indeed bestow upon him a great favor."
Previously, two founding heroes and three ministers were punished for advising the emperor against a northern expedition.
Luo Fu immediately nodded repeatedly to Princess Kangping: "This is what I also told Xiao Yu, that he must not be so frivolous and presumptuous in the future."
Empress Gao took Luo Fu's hand again and told her to get up, and said with a smile, "You are only seventeen. You are making yourself sound old by calling yourself 'this humble woman.' I don't have so many rules here. You can just refer to yourself as 'this humble woman' like Yan Zhen and Huai Yun."
She's over sixty, and she treats these young wives like children, not liking to set too many rules.
"Let's go, the flowers are all displayed in the West Warm Pavilion, let's go take a look over there."
Perhaps because they were close by, Empress Gao simply handed her hand to Luo Fu, who then helped her out the door.
The West Warm Pavilion is a combination of three side halls. Even with a full circle of late-blooming peonies and peak-blooming peonies, it still feels very spacious. Spring breezes and warm sunshine flow in through the open carved windows, making it bright and warm, and the air is filled with the delicate fragrance of flowers.
Gradually, Empress Gao distanced herself from the others with Luo Fu. It was also because the Crown Princess and Princess Kangping were sensible that Empress Gao was going to get acquainted with the wife of the recently popular top scholar.
"During the days when Xiao Yu was imprisoned, did Fu'er have trouble eating and sleeping?" Empress Gao asked with pity.
Luo Fu dared not and need not hide it, and said softly, "Not only was I unable to eat or sleep, but on the first day, I was almost scared to death. I was afraid that Xiao Yu would lose his head, and I was also afraid that I would lose my head because of him."
Empress Gao: "Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. For several days, the emperor didn't even see me. I don't know what Xiao Yu wrote, and I couldn't help him even if I wanted to plead for him."
Luo Fu hurriedly said, "He brought it on himself. Your Majesty, please don't worry about him. He doesn't deserve it."
Empress Gao smiled and said, "I have read his top scholar's exam paper. I am also glad that the Emperor ultimately forgave him. The Emperor is indeed a wise ruler, but even the wisest can make a mistake. At this time, we need more upright officials like Xiao Yu who dare to point out the shortcomings for the Emperor."
There are some things that Empress Gao can say, but Luo Fu must be careful with her words. So she moved closer to Empress Gao and whispered, "I don't understand the affairs of the court. I only know that Xiao Yu is a fool and audacious. I'm not afraid that Your Majesty will laugh at me. When he was just released from prison, I even thought about divorcing him, so that if he offends the Emperor again, I won't be scared out of my wits."
Empress Gao looked over in surprise: "Really?"
Luo Fu nodded: "I told him everything, but he refused and kept promising to change, so I stopped arguing with him."
Empress Gao: "...You still argued with him?"
Luo Fu blushed and admitted with some embarrassment, "Well, my father-in-law scolded him and I wouldn't let him sleep in my place. I gave him the cold shoulder for two or three days. Later, when I saw how handsome he looked in his scholar's robe and how he was granted a special appointment to the Censorate by the Emperor, I finally gave him a good look."
Empress Gao was of noble status, and news of any great troubles that happened in the homes of officials outside would always reach her ears through various channels. But this was the first time that someone like Luo Fu had taken the initiative to tell her about the young couple's lawsuit, except for her daughter-in-law and daughter.
It may be strange, but Empress Gao loved to hear it!
"The Marquis's family is of high social standing. Aren't you afraid he'll look down on you for not being gentle enough?"
"I'm not afraid. If he dares to dislike me, I can just break up with him and save myself the trouble of living in fear with him. The only problem is that even the emperor has praised him and given him a good reputation for speaking frankly. If I leave, others will definitely think I'm a coward."
The seventeen-year-old beauty's face was filled with grievance and helplessness. Her vivid appearance was more endearing than the motionless peonies and peonies in the pot. Empress Gao stared at her, her eyes wide, until Luo Fu looked over in confusion. Only then did Empress Gao come to her senses, patted Luo Fu's hand and laughed for a while, then advised her as an elder: "Young couples like you who have only started getting to know each other after marriage will have many things to work out in the future. When you encounter setbacks, think more about each other's good points and don't talk about divorce all the time. Especially Xiao Yu, he is a pillar of society and is worthy of your marriage."
Rosé nodded knowingly.
.
After the flower banquet ended, Luo Fu and her three sisters-in-law left the palace, and the Crown Princess also returned to the East Palace. Princess Kangping, who had been widowed for many years, preferred to stay in the palace to spend more time with her mother.
The mother and daughter were resting on the same bed when they chatted about Luo Fu before going to sleep.
Princess Kangping asked curiously, "I saw the Empress Dowager laughing the whole time. What were you all saying?"
Empress Gao understood her daughter's temperament. She had no blood sisters in the family, and she wouldn't discuss private matters between women with her four brothers. As for her four sisters-in-law, they weren't close enough, and she certainly wouldn't relay her words to other powerful women. So she told them about Luo Fu and Xiao Yu's little quarrel.
Princess Kangping had been ridiculed by Xiao Yu before, and now that she heard that Xiao Yu had married a wife who dared to give him attitude, Princess Kangping felt a kind of schadenfreude and even began to admire Luo Fu: "She's a wonderful person. I'll invite her to my residence to chat and play cards when I have time."
Empress Gao sighed and stroked her daughter's hair: "Stop thinking about eating, drinking and having fun all day long. While you're still young, pick a husband for your future husband?"
Princess Kangping immediately pulled up the covers and pretended to be asleep.
Queen Gao: "..."
As evening fell, Princess Kangping left the palace, and Emperor Yongcheng came to the Empress's palace. Upon learning that Empress Gao had met with the three sisters-in-law of the Xiao family that day, Emperor Yongcheng was somewhat displeased: "It would have been fine to summon Yanzhen and Huaiyun to accompany you, but why elevate Xiao Yu's wife?"
It's true that he spared Xiao Yu and was willing to let him enter the officialdom to display his talents, but after being ridiculed by Xiao Yu, Emperor Yongcheng couldn't possibly forgive this young man without holding any grudges.
Empress Gao saw it all clearly, but kept everyone in suspense, saying, "If I didn't elevate his wife, I wouldn't have been able to hear a good show."
She then recounted to her emperor husband the complaints and neglect Xiao Yu experienced while eating at Luo Fu's place.
Emperor Yongcheng was initially absent-minded, but he became more and more interested as he listened. In particular, when Empress Gao mentioned that Xiao Yu was released from prison but not only did he not receive any care and concern from his wife, he almost lost her, Emperor Yongcheng, who was over sixty years old, actually laughed out loud. After laughing, he regretted it: "If I had known, I would not have named him the top scholar. I would have let him take the exam again in three years and let him taste the bitterness of being separated from his wife and father."
Three years ago, Xiao Rong was able to send Xiao Yu to Songshan Academy. This year, Xiao Rong could send Xiao Yu to some academy thousands of miles away. No, Xiao Rong might send Xiao Yu directly to the military camp. He dares not let his youngest son take the exam again!
Empress Gao: "The Emperor is just venting his anger. You value talent and can't bear to bury Xiao Yu's potential."
Emperor Yongcheng snorted, stroked his beard, and casually said, "In the future, invite his wife to the palace more often. I love to hear Xiao Yu's embarrassing stories."
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Author's Note: Luo Fu: I thrive in the capital city by constantly complaining about my husband [eating melon emoji]
Haha, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
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