Chapter 69 The Empress Dowager's Wise Judgment
Everything Yao Qingling did was to wait for this moment.
Zhan Xingzhuo disagreed with the divorce; he wanted to divorce her.
The Duke's Mansion also disagreed with the divorce, feeling that it would dishonor their reputation and prestige.
No one will stand up for her; they will even suppress her.
Princess Deyang is the emperor's aunt, and even the empress has to give her face and won't easily offend her; that's why Qingling thought of the Empress Dowager.
She is the Grand Princess's sister-in-law, and only she can keep her in check.
Yao Qingling had heard before that Empress Dowager Jiang had a friendship with Master Yuanci and often invited the master to the palace to worship Buddha and practice Zen. The Empress Dowager must have been saddened by Master Yuanci's tragic death. If she heard that Yongning Temple was holding a grand Buddhist ceremony, she would have sent someone to inquire about it.
At this moment, Qingling's heart was surging with emotion. She lowered her head, her expression one of extreme anguish, yet she remained silent.
Granny Song looked down at the woman kneeling on the ground.
The inner palace was not a closed space. So many things happened outside the palace, and some of these things would reach the Empress Dowager's ears like cracked melon seeds, becoming topics of conversation when she was admiring flowers and watching fish.
The Empress Dowager naturally knew about the affair between the second son of the Grand Princess of Deyang and the eldest daughter of the Zhou family.
The Empress Dowager also said: Deyang spoils this youngest son too much, what a waste of a good family's daughter; the Empress Dowager also said that Yao has a good reputation but no means to control the second son.
Looking back now, it's astonishing how audacious Yao was to kneel and beg the Empress Dowager for justice in front of so many people after the religious ceremony.
There are monks, officials and their families, wealthy merchants and ordinary people here.
People from all walks of life, from top to bottom, are watching. If the Empress Dowager ignores this, it would be seen as disregarding the people's voice, showing no concern for the nation, being too aloof, and damaging the Empress Dowager's reputation.
Granny Song spoke sternly: "Madam Yao, how dare you! You actually use the religious ceremony to conduct your own private business!"
When Zhan Xingzhuo saw Yao Qingling kneel down and openly propose a divorce, he was shocked.
He thought she was holding such a grand religious ceremony to enhance her prestige and give her the power to oppose him.
Little did they know, Yao Qingling's plan was to file a complaint with the Empress Dowager!
This vile woman actually asked the Empress Dowager to intervene on her behalf!
Ha, who does she think she is?
The inner palace alone has hundreds of concubines, and hundreds more prominent wives outside the palace. Why would the Empress Dowager bother to manage the wife of a fifth-rank official?
Nonsense.
Zhan Xingzhuo stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Granny Song, it is my fault for not disciplining my wife properly, which has disturbed you. Yao Shi is out of line, thinking that holding a religious ceremony is a great achievement, and she is talking nonsense in front of you. I will discipline her strictly when we get back."
The meaning behind his words was clear: this is a family matter, and he is in charge of managing his woman.
As he spoke, the man reached out to grab Yao Qingling and take her back to lock her up.
We can't let her run wild like this and cause trouble anymore!
Zhan Xingzhuo was furious. If they were in the manor, he might have already slapped him. But in front of so many people, he couldn't retaliate, so he could only channel his inner energy into his fingers.
He gripped Yao Qingling's arm so tightly he almost crushed her wrist bones.
Yao Qingling felt that pain that seemed to emanate from her very bones once more. Her face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She cried out, "Please, Empress Dowager, make the decision!"
She bit Zhan Xingzhuo's hand hard, abandoning her composure and showing a disheveled appearance to make people believe that she was eager to leave Zhan Xingzhuo, rather than that it was a quarrel between husband and wife.
She doesn't care if people see her in an unflattering state.
“Granny, from the imperial court to the common people, everyone is talking about the incident of the refugees burning down Yongning Temple; everyone knows that the root of this turmoil lies in the disaster of the Yellow River bursting its banks. Zhan Xingzhuo, without distinguishing right from wrong, insists on protecting the remnants of the criminals. I can no longer tolerate this!”
"I am also a victim of the Yongning Temple turmoil. Zhan Xingzhuo believed I was dead without seeking the truth and took the remaining criminals into his household; they even tried to embezzle the silver donated by everyone, and when they failed, they made me take the blame..."
"The new residence is filthy... As a descendant of loyal martyrs, I should uphold the spirits of my deceased father and mother and not allow them to be dishonored. I cannot bear to see my parents' honor being defiled and humiliated like this..."
"Please, Your Majesty, do justice for me!"
Yao Qingling shouted again with all her might, the veins on her neck bulging; her eyes were filled with tears, her gaze filled with sorrow yet also with boundless courage that had not cooled her blood; she was disheveled, but admirable.
This is a flower that was forced to stand in the mud, yet stubbornly stretched out its branches and leaves.
If they hadn't been forced into a corner, how could they have gone to such lengths?
Everyone present frowned.
Someone started talking.
"...General Yao Rui fought bravely on the battlefield, protecting the people and sacrificing her life for the country. But her daughter suffered unfair treatment and was bullied by a criminal's remnant. Isn't this going against the natural order?"
"We who have been protected by the general support the young mistress's divorce, sever ties with those who cannot distinguish right from wrong, and protect the general's descendants!"
"Please, Your Majesty, do justice for the young mistress!"
Once one or two voices were heard, others chimed in.
One after another, people cried out, "Please, Your Majesty, make a wise judgment!"
Zhan Xingzhuo's eyes were bloodshot, his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly as he tried his best to control his reason.
Every word of support or separation pierced his eardrums.
Yao Qingling was about to succeed... and she would no longer be his wife...
Losing all reason, he roared at Yao Qingling, "Yao Qingling, are you possessed by a ghost?! What's wrong with you?!"
Furious, she stepped forward, about to pull Yao Qingling back again, when Granny Song glanced at her indifferently and said, "Second Young Master, in the face of such public opinion, please be cautious."
Zhan Xingzhuo regained consciousness and glanced at the old woman with bloodshot eyes.
Even with Princess Deyang as her mother, she still had to give face to the people around the Empress Dowager; she couldn't lose the dignity of the Duke's mansion.
He suppressed his anger and calmly retreated to the side.
Granny Song looked at Yao Qingling and said calmly, "This old servant will convey what the young mistress said to the Empress Dowager."
With the nanny's promise, Yao Qingling could finally relax a little.
She was very confident that she would succeed in getting a divorce this time.
Back at the new residence, the main courtyard was locked, and they awaited the Empress Dowager's decree.
...
Inside the Cining Palace, Granny Song reported to the Empress Dowager what had happened at Yongning Temple.
"...Madam Yao is determined to divorce. The affair between the second young master of the Zhan family and that Zhou woman is really outrageous."
Empress Dowager Jiang took a sip of tea and glanced at Granny Song: "Are you speaking up for her?"
Having served the Empress Dowager for most of her life, Granny Song was able to speak her mind.
She said, "When Yao asked the Empress Dowager to uphold justice for her, she was putting the Empress Dowager in a difficult position. The Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess of Deyang have always kept to themselves. It would be a bit of a waste for the Grand Princess to have a falling out over a mere woman like her."
That was exactly what Empress Dowager Jiang meant.
The disturbance at the Duke's mansion is actually beneficial to the emperor.
With domestic turmoil, there's no energy left to stir up trouble in the court; Zhan Xingzhuo's entanglement with Lady Zhou provides ammunition for attacks, damaging the prestige of the Duke's mansion. If the Duke and the Grand Princess want to attract more followers, others will have to hesitate and consider whether it's worthwhile.
In this way, the expansion of the Zhan family was curbed.
Granny Song continued, "But General Mingwei's marquisate was personally bestowed by the late emperor. The late Marquis Zhongyong served the late emperor and also served the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager ignores this, I fear the soldiers will lose heart."
The new emperor has only been on the throne for a few years. Although the power in the court has been somewhat consolidated, the power of the powerful clans and aristocratic families is enormous, even more so than during the reign of the previous emperor. The excessive power of these clans and aristocratic families poses a great threat.
In addition, although the Empress Dowager relied on the Emperor, she also needed to have her own power to protect herself.
Empress Dowager Jiang thought for a moment and said, "If I grant Yao's request for a divorce, she will simply return to the Marquis's residence; however, Zhan Xingzhuo's relationship with Zhou will not end. On the contrary, it will be less concealed, leading to even more criticism..."
Granny Song understood the Empress Dowager's meaning, bowed slightly, and nodded with a smile: "Your Majesty is wise."
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