Chapter 77 Xiao Zhuo: The Empress is domineering, willful, ...
Yuan Chaolu asked, "So what am I like now?"
“Domineering, willful…” He squinted and thought for a moment, “and occasionally very arrogant and domineering, needing to be coaxed.”
Yuan Chaolu asked, "Are these good words?"
Xiao Zhuo said, "It doesn't count for others, but for me... of course it counts."
Yuan Chaolu's breath hitched slightly. He was unwilling to reveal too much about his past, but since he had said this, he spoke softly: "When I was a child, I often went to the Buddhist grottoes and temples near my home. There I met a craftsman who, seeing my interest, told me a lot about carving Buddha statues, which is why I know so much about it. This drawing is quite good, isn't it?"
She presented the plain silk to the emperor again, as if seeking praise.
Xiao Zhuo nodded and asked, "And then?"
“After that… I never saw him again.” Yuan Chaolu smiled as she looked at Su Juan. “That craftsman was exceptionally skilled, but unfortunately he passed away from illness later, and I haven’t seen him for many years.”
Thinking of her father, her vision blurred and her eyes stung. Realizing her loss of composure, she closed her eyes, forcing back her tears. She then saw the emperor gazing at her intently, smiling, "In the Longxi region, there are numerous Buddhist caves, filled with magnificent images of gods and Buddhas. Being closer to the west, it is inhabited by non-Han people, hence the painting techniques in these caves combine the strengths of the non-Han styles with the influence of the Central Plains—something Your Majesty has never seen before. They are no less impressive than those in Luoyang."
"really?"
"Of course. I have visited many temples in Longxi. Sometimes, in inconspicuous, desolate mountains and remote places, there are Buddhist temples left over from previous dynasties. At that time, there are craftsmen who cannot bear to waste such treasures and will spontaneously repair them."
Before she entered the Helan family as a slave, she had been by Aye's side. She had also repaired those Buddhist temples.
Of course, the man beside her will never know any of this.
Xiao Zhuo wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and said, "Then I'll trouble Aju to draw it for me."
When he said the word "Aju," the last syllable rose in a soft, lingering tone, and his breath brushed against Yuan Chaolu's ear, making her go weak from her shoulder to her earlobe.
She had never been called by this nickname by any man other than Aye.
"Write down all the Buddhist temples you remember, so I can visit them properly when I go to Longxi in the future."
Under his gaze, Yuan Chaolu lowered her head to hide her burning cheeks, her voice trembling, "It's been too long, my memory isn't good, I can only try."
"Okay," he replied with a smile.
The candlelight flickered, casting a warm yellow glow on the paper as she drew a map. He, however, never once glanced at her; he was always watching her.
The imperial carriage returned to the palace close to midnight.
Yuan Chaolu fell into a drowsy sleep in his arms. He woke her up and stayed in his arms for a while before waking up and getting off the carriage.
As Yuan Chaolu entered Changqiu Palace, a palace maid came up to her, seemingly wanting to say something. Yuan Chaolu glanced at the emperor behind her, signaling her not to say anything. Only after they reached the inner hall behind the screen did she allow the maid to speak.
The palace maid whispered, "When you were away this afternoon, Young Master Lu came by and left a letter, asking Your Highness to read it upon your return."
Yuan Chaolu opened the letter and quickly scanned it, reading ten lines at a glance.
As she expected, this was Lu Chun'an's letter of appeal for Lu's second son.
The letter stated that the Lu family head and Madam Lu had a very deep affection for each other. Unfortunately, Madam Lu gave birth to their youngest son after ten months of pregnancy, but passed away due to complications during childbirth. Therefore, everyone in the Lu family, especially the head of the family, cherished this young child as their own life. If Her Majesty the Empress were to stand idly by this time, the second young master of the Lu family, whose injuries from a fight were too severe and who would not receive medical treatment in prison, would be in grave danger. The Lu family head would also be devastated and might not be able to survive.
Although the Lu family was not a prominent clan in the Northwest, they were a scholarly family that passed down the tradition of farming and reading. Now, after only a few months in the capital, they have fallen to such a state, all because of the Empress's background.
The Lu family respects the Empress and knows that she must have a way to rescue the Third Young Master Lu... They hope that the Empress will definitely take action.
As the approaching footsteps grew louder outside the screen, Yuan Chaolu concealed the coldness in her eyes and tucked the letter into her sleeve.
As she walked, she instructed the palace maids, "Tomorrow morning, go and invite Physician Qingheng to examine my pregnancy."
She looked up and saw the emperor, who had entered the inner hall a step later. Upon hearing her words, a faint smile appeared on his lips as he looked at her.
**
Many things have happened in the court recently. First, the case of Miss Lu accidentally killing her husband has been unresolved for a long time. Then, the storm suddenly turned to the Empress's maternal family. As the Second Young Master Lu was accused of abusing his power, many of the evil deeds he committed in the short two months since he came to the capital were exposed one by one, and the Lu family was pushed to the forefront of the storm.
The next day, the eldest son of the Lu family went to Changqiu Palace again.
This was the third time in just a few days that the Lu family had paid their respects to the Empress.
Countless eyes in the palace were secretly watching every move of Changqiu Palace. Later, the news naturally reached the Empress Dowager's Penglai Palace.
"What is the name of the eldest son of the Lu family?"
Inside the sandalwood tent of Penglai Palace, Empress Dowager Lu leaned against a jade pillow, lightly touching her forehead with her fingertips, "I can't remember for the moment."
The female official said, "Lu Chun'an."
Empress Dowager Lu said, "He is an outsider, and he is not the Empress's blood-related brother or sister. It is really not in accordance with etiquette for him to visit so frequently."
The female official discerned the Empress Dowager's thoughts and said, "Does Your Majesty believe that the relationship between Young Master Lu and Her Majesty the Empress is unusual?"
Empress Dowager Lu shook her head. "It's not just him. I want to investigate the Empress's relationship with the entire Lu family thoroughly."
Before the wedding, Empress Dowager Lu had mentioned this matter to His Majesty. At that time, the Emperor replied that he had already sent people to investigate thoroughly.
Since it was the Emperor's word, Empress Dowager Lu no longer had any doubts. However, a few days ago, the second son of the Lu family got into trouble after drinking, and even revealed a secret, claiming that the Empress was not someone they had taken in and raised...
“If the Empress truly had something going on, the Emperor would have found out long ago and certainly wouldn’t have tolerated such deception. Yet yesterday, the Emperor even took her out of the palace to inspect potential sites for Buddhist grottoes. I simply don’t understand…”
A trace of worry crept onto Empress Dowager Lu's face. As she clutched her Buddhist prayer beads and leaned against the pillows, pondering the matter, she heard footsteps coming from outside the palace.
Zhang Su, the Imperial Physician, was led into Penglai Palace. Upon entering, he immediately knelt on the ground, his forehead slamming heavily against the gold bricks. "Your Majesty, have mercy! I beg you to spare my life, considering my years of devoted service..."
Empress Dowager Lu said, "What is Physician Zhang doing? Speak properly."
"I am truly at my wit's end!" Zhang Su cried, tears streaming down his face. "That night, I was urgently summoned to Changqiu Palace. In a moment of carelessness, I... I didn't examine Your Majesty's pulse. Instead, I signed and sealed the medical record for Your Majesty's pregnancy. Now that His Majesty has investigated, I am guilty of dereliction of duty. I fear I will not escape punishment. I beg Your Majesty the Empress Dowager to have mercy and spare me!"
Empress Dowager Lu's prayer beads stopped with a "snap." "The Empress is pregnant?"
Zhang Su trembled all over: "Yes, both ladies-in-waiting took my pulse at the time, and I thought there was nothing wrong. I was urged to sign the document, so I signed it..."
"Such a momentous matter, how could the Emperor not have informed me?"
Zhang Su said, "I'm afraid the pulse is not yet stable, which is why it hasn't been announced to the outside world."
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Lu beckoned, signaling the female official who was serving her to come forward, and gave her a few words of advice.
The female official nodded slightly and then walked out of the hall.
Zhang Su asked, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager?"
"Since the Empress is pregnant, I naturally must send someone skilled in medicine to examine her. As for you—"
"You have done a good job by coming to report to me, so please get up now."
These words were like heavenly music to Zhang Su's ears, and she kowtowed several times, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
**
Changqiu Palace.
The Empress was sitting behind a table, looking at the eldest son of the Lu family with a slight smile.
The rest of the people in the hall were dismissed, leaving only a female physician named Qingheng to accompany the Empress.
Lu Chun'an knelt on the floor tiles, his robes hanging down at his sides. "Before we entered Longxi, my family never dared to dream of immense wealth. We only wished for harmony and well-being for the whole family. After entering Luoyang, so many things have happened. Now even the lives of our closest relatives are in danger. What use are those empty fame and fleeting fortunes?"
Lu Chun'an said, "I still haven't heard any news about my younger brother's release from prison after the court session today. Does Your Majesty really want me to present your affairs to the Emperor?"
The moment has finally come when the true colors are revealed.
Yuan Chaolu smiled nonchalantly: "What's wrong? Does Lord Lu perhaps want to tell His Majesty that I coerced you into deceiving the emperor, and that you had no choice but to do so?"
Lu Chun'an: "Your Majesty?"
“If the Lu family does not want wealth and honor, I can send you back to Longxi after the marriage. But when His Majesty bestowed honors upon the Lu family, did you not refuse?”
Lu Chun'an's Adam's apple bobbed violently a few times, as if he was trying his best to suppress something.
"Does Your Majesty really intend to stand by and watch your brother die? Saving my brother would not harm the Lu family or you in the slightest. It is obvious that someone is secretly framing Your Majesty. Your Majesty should lend a helping hand."
Lu Chun'an gritted his teeth: "If Your Majesty insists on this, I will have no choice but to ask His Majesty to explain the matter."
Yuan Chaolu's hands, which were hanging at her sides, clenched slightly. "Lu Chun'an!"
Lu Chun'an stopped in his tracks, his eyes bloodshot: "Should I go and beg the Empress Dowager, or the Prime Minister?"
"Her Majesty the Empress has been orphaned since childhood and has no experience of family. I do not wish to use this to pressure her, but I cannot be so heartless as to watch my loved ones die before my eyes!"
"How dare you!" a rebuke rang out. Qingheng, standing beside the Empress, said, "Who gave you permission to speak to the Empress like that!"
In the silent hall, one could even hear the echoes of two sentences overlapping.
After Qingheng finished her reprimand, she looked at Yuan Chaolu with concern. Seeing that Yuan Chaolu was indeed stung by her words, a slight blush rose to her cheeks. Only after the hall quieted down did Yuan Chaolu softly speak: "You are not the only one with close relatives."
As soon as he finished speaking, a report came from outside the courtyard: Lord Lu and a female official from the Empress Dowager's side requested an audience.
Lu Chun'an looked at Yuan Chaolu and said, "Since Lord Lu is here, then I will go and pay my respects first."
Yuan Chaolu knew what he was going to do in an instant. She chuckled and said before he could speak, "Go and summon Lu Changli."
Soon, the two were led to the Changqiu Palace.
The female official who served the Empress Dowager stepped forward carrying a food box.
"Your Majesty, as autumn approaches and the weather gets cooler, this is a sweet osmanthus soup sent by the Empress Dowager. It is good for warming the spleen and she specially ordered me to deliver it to Your Majesty."
The female official took out a soup bowl and presented it to the Empress Dowager, saying with a smile, "I just returned from Xuande Hall and brought some soup for Your Majesty. Please enjoy it, Your Majesty."
Yuan Chaolu lowered her eyes and looked at the few osmanthus flowers floating in the soup. She took a few sips and said with a smile, "Thank you, Mother."
The lady-in-waiting continued, "Besides bringing Your Highness soup, there's another matter. The Empress Dowager has recently acquired some fine snow fox fur and has specially ordered me to measure Your Highness's wrist circumference. We'll make you some warm sleeves after winter arrives. Please extend your hand, Your Highness."
Yuan Chaolu nodded, extended her left wrist for her to measure, and then looked at Lu Changli, "Lord Lu has finally agreed to come to my Changqiu Palace. These days, I don't know what has bothered you, I thought you disdained to take me seriously."
Lu Changli laughed and said, "How dare I? I have kept Your Majesty waiting for so long. I am truly ashamed. Last night, I was busy with the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration and neglected this matter. Now that Jingming Temple is completed, I came to see Your Majesty first."
He handed over the booklet: "All the figures have been calculated with the ladies-in-waiting on the Empress's side, and the Ministry of Finance will allocate the funds in a few days."
Just as Yuan Chaolu picked up the phoenix seal to stamp it, she heard Lu Changli say, "But I suggest that Your Majesty inform the Empress Dowager about this matter. Although there was a slight oversight in the procedure, Jingming Temple's collection of palace treasures was also to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday. Your Majesty, remember that the phoenix seal in your hand was also given to you by the Empress Dowager, wasn't it?"
Yuan Chaolu lowered her hand, which was about to put down her pen and sign the document. "I thought the matter had been explained long ago. Why do I need to ask the Empress Dowager for permission from Lord Lu?"
Before he could speak, Yuan Chaolu looked at Lu Chun'an and said, "By the way, elder brother, you just said you had something to say to Lord Lu. Lord Lu is here."
Lu Chun'an was clearly surprised that Yuan Chaolu would bring up this matter on her own initiative. "Your Majesty?"
Yuan Chaolu withdrew her hand from the female official's grasp, stood up, and said, "Brother, if you won't tell me, I'll ask for you. Lord Lu—"
"My second brother got into a fight with someone at the restaurant, but was that something you orchestrated?"
Lu Changli took a step back and asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, why do you say such a thing? I am truly terrified."
He then changed the subject: "However, I have heard that after drinking, the Second Young Master Lu spoke the truth to his companions, saying that the Empress was not taken in by the Lu family from childhood."
Yuan Chaolu looked at the person in front of her and suddenly chuckled, "There's no need to say these things in front of me. Go and tell His Majesty."
Lu Changli shook his head and said, "There is no need for me to remind you. I think this matter must have already reached His Majesty's ears."
He walked up to Lu Chun'an, cupped his hands slightly, and said, "There was a misunderstanding between our two families before. Now that I have the honor of meeting the Imperial Brother-in-law, I wonder if I could have the pleasure of sharing a drink with you this evening? It would be good to turn hostility into friendship."
He glanced at the Empress out of the corner of his eye, "This will better dispel Your Majesty's doubts about me."
Lu Chun'an glanced at Yuan Chaolu subconsciously, and seeing her eyes as cold as a deep pool, he chuckled twice and still agreed: "Since it is Lord Lu's kind invitation, I cannot refuse."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty and I will take our leave first."
Yuan Chaolu neither agreed nor disagreed, turning her back to the two of them. Her gaze fell on the Empress Dowager's female official who had not yet left the hall, and on the bowl of steaming hot soup on the table. Her hand covered her lower abdomen.
The Lu family, the Lu clan, and Empress Dowager Lu...
Lu Changli and Lu Chun'an were walking outside when they suddenly heard a woman's soft moan: "It hurts—"
The two turned around abruptly and saw that the Empress's face was as pale as paper, her fingertips tightly gripping Qingheng's wrist, and a groan of pain escaped her lips: "It hurts so much..."
She staggered, her body went limp and she fell forward, but the female doctor caught her in a hurry and she fell into the doctor's arms.
“Your Majesty!” Qingheng said.
But then, a patch of scarlet blood spread from under the empress's skirt, instantly soaking half of the hem and blooming into a shocking crimson patch on the floor tiles.
This scene pierced Lu Changli's eyes like a needle. He frowned, his puzzled gaze falling on Yuan Chaolu.
The hall was in complete chaos.
Qingheng said, "Quickly! Summon Imperial Physician Qi immediately and tell him that Her Majesty is bleeding and the pregnancy is unstable!"
**
Palace servants came and went incessantly along the corridors of Changqiu Palace.
Amidst the chaos of war, a palace maid's figure darted through the long corridor, hurriedly leaving Changqiu Palace, only to be stopped by the guards in front of Xuande Hall.
Several officials were gathered inside the hall, discussing matters with the emperor. Because there wasn't much official business, the atmosphere inside was relatively harmonious.
Soon after, Zhong Changjun, filled with unease, entered the palace with a message that was enough to stir up a storm in the entire palace.
Upon reaching the emperor's desk, he bowed and whispered his report, but the emperor told him to speak frankly. After hesitating for a long time, Zhong Changjun finally whispered, "Your Majesty, news has come from Changqiu Palace that the Empress has miscarried."
Xiao Zhuo, who had been casually fiddling with the memorial, suddenly stopped and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
The entire Xuande Hall fell silent.
The palace servants standing in the hall all knelt down in unison, and the ministers on one side also stopped talking, their breathing becoming heavy.
It was a courtier who broke the silence: "Your Majesty, how is the Empress? Should we go see her...?"
Before he could finish speaking, the emperor had already put down the memorial and strode out.
**
A torrential rain swept across the land.
When the emperor arrived at Changqiu Palace, the palace servants knelt on the ground, shivering in the autumn rain.
The emperor walked quickly, and Zhong Changjun, who was holding an umbrella behind him, could not keep up even though he tried his best to walk fast, and his robes were mostly wet.
Standing before the palace were Lu Changli and the eldest son of the Lu family, both soaked to the bone. Upon seeing the emperor in the distance, they went forward to greet him.
The wind and rain roared, and the torrential rain raged.
Dark clouds surged on the horizon, with only a few faint beams of white light falling down, making the emperor's face even more somber than the dark clouds, his eyes swirling with turbulent emotions.
Just as Lu Chun'an was about to explain and stepped forward, he felt an immense force gripping his neck, almost suffocating him, and met a pair of dark eyes.
A cool breeze brushed aside his stray hairs, and cold rain slid down his cheeks. A fierce look rose in Xiao Zhuo's eyes, like a god of death about to strike.
Having navigated the officialdom for many years, Lu Changli was already adept at handling such matters, but seeing this scene, his back was soaked with cold sweat.
He had never seen an emperor so enraged.
-----------------------
Author's note: Happy National Day, everyone!
This book should be finished by mid-November.
I'm late, there's a red envelope dropping in this chapter!
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