Chapter 297 Interference in politics by the empress dowager is a grave taboo!
With the help of the ladies-in-waiting, Narcissus was able to spend more time with the children in the affairs of the inner palace.
That afternoon, sunlight streamed through the carved windows, casting dappled shadows on the warm carpet of the side hall of the Qianqing Palace.
The place has now been decorated more and more like a warm home, with less of the coldness of an imperial residence and more of the fun of children and traces of daily life.
Shuixian was sitting on a soft couch by the window, holding Yongning's little hand, teaching her to recognize characters stroke by stroke.
“Yongning, look, this character is pronounced…min.”
Narcissus pointed to the unfolded "Thousand Character Classic," her voice as gentle as ever, filled with maternal warmth, as she spoke to her daughter.
Yongning tilted her little head and repeated in a childish voice, "Min~~"
"right."
Narcissus smiled and explained, “The people are the common people, like the farmers, craftsmen, and merchants outside the palace… The ruler and the ruler should always be benevolent and compassionate towards the people.”
Yongning seemed to understand, but seeing his mother's gentle and solemn expression, he nodded his little head vigorously.
"Yongning~ I'll remember this!"
Just as Shui Xian was about to teach Yong Ning the next word, Ting Lu walked in with light but hurried steps.
She first bowed to Shui Xian and Yong Ning, then leaned close to Shui Xian's ear and whispered a few words quickly.
The gentle smile on Narcissus's face gradually faded, and her brows furrowed slightly.
She waved her hand, signaling the wet nurse to take Yongning, who was in the mood for play, downstairs to have some snacks.
With only the master and servant remaining in the hall, Narcissus asked in a deep voice, "Explain in more detail."
Tinglu lowered her voice: "Your Majesty, there's a girl named Qiao'er outside the palace gates. She's the daughter of Zhao Shi, a craftsman from the glass workshop under the Imperial Household Department. She's kneeling outside the palace gates, crying, saying that her father was ordered to repair a glass cup that was a tribute from the previous dynasty, but he accidentally damaged it..."
"Now that he has been jointly tried by the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Justice, he has been found to have neglected his duties and damaged the tribute. According to the law, not only will he have to pay compensation, but his entire family will also be confiscated and reduced to the status of a lowly person!"
“But Zhao Shi insisted that the glass lamp had a hidden crack inside when he took it over, and it shattered when he touched it lightly. He must have been tricked by the person who handled it before and framed him!”
"I'm not a humble person..."
Narcissus murmured those four words over and over again, as if something had struck her heart hard.
Whether in her past life or this one, she was born into a family.
That feeling of helplessness, of being unable to control one's own destiny, instantly welled up in my heart.
Shui Xian took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions, and did not give orders casually just because she understood Qiao'er.
She whispered to Tinglu, "Under the law, how can such injustice be tolerated? Tinglu, you go yourself and investigate the ins and outs of this matter in detail. You must find Zhao Shi and find out the details."
"Send someone to comfort Qiao'er and tell her that I am aware of this matter. Tell her to calm down and that if there is any injustice, her family will be exonerated."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Hearing Lu accept the order, he immediately turned around and went to carry it out.
Narcissus sat alone on the couch, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the character "民" (people) on the page of the book.
She taught Yongning to be kind and compassionate. If she, as the empress, could not even turn a blind eye to the injustices right under her nose, how could she be a model of virtue for the world?
As Narcissus had predicted, the subsequent investigation encountered unseen resistance.
When Tinglu reported back again, her face was filled with indignation.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Household Department insists that the glass cup was intact when it was handed over to Zhao Shi, and there are handover documents to prove it."
"The people in the Ministry of Justice handling this case are also very certain, saying that there are both witnesses and physical evidence, and Zhao Shi has no way to deny it. I secretly inquired and it seems... it seems that the person who handled the purchase of the glass cup is related to a chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department. And the glass cup that was damaged this time is quite valuable. If we investigate further, it may lead to problems with the accounts in the purchase process..."
Tinglu felt a mixture of helplessness and anger towards these people.
"That's why they're in such a hurry to find a scapegoat to cover things up!"
Narcissus has tried her best to control the situation, but for some reason, this kind of thing is still hard to stop.
Tinglu once heard the Empress say that this is human nature.
But she really didn't understand why these people could harm others so naturally without feeling any remorse!
Upon hearing this, Narcissus's lips curled into a cold smile.
She could see clearly that this was no longer just a simple case of wrongful imprisonment of artisans; it involved the deeply entrenched vested interest groups hidden within the palace, and their oppression of ordinary craftsmen.
"Shui Xiu is now a female official in charge of records and has the right to access some of the old files of the Imperial Household Department."
After a moment of contemplation, Shui Xian ordered, "Have her assist you in carefully examining the purchase records and warehousing inspection procedures for glassware in the palace in recent years, under the guise of organizing documents, especially the changes in the personnel involved."
Narcissus's voice grew colder, "Focus on investigating everyone involved in the process of that glass lamp, from its entry into the warehouse to its distribution to Zhao Shi! I don't believe that not a single clue can be found!"
Tinglu: "Yes!"
——
In the evening, Emperor Zhaoheng returned to the Qianqing Palace.
After the palace maids had set out the dishes, he waved them away.
He noticed a faint melancholy in Narcissus's eyes, unlike her usual relaxed demeanor.
He took her hand and pulled her to sit in his lap, his large hand stroking her back.
"Xian'er seems preoccupied today? Is she troubled by palace affairs?"
Narcissus leaned against him, not immediately mentioning the Zhao Shi case, but instead raised her eyes and asked indirectly, "Your Majesty, there is something I do not understand."
"If a law was originally established to protect the country and its people and maintain order, but in practice it becomes a tool for the powerful and wealthy to oppress the good, then how should this law be dealt with?"
Emperor Zhaoheng was extremely perceptive and immediately grasped the key point from her unusual question.
After a moment's thought, he realized and said, "I heard Feng Shunxiang mention it... Could it be about the craftsman outside the palace gate today?"
Narcissus wasn't surprised that he knew, and nodded.
Emperor Zhaoheng sighed softly and held her even tighter.
"Xian'er, have you thought about this? The law concerns the foundation of the country; a single move can affect the whole situation."
"The relationship between the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Justice is very complex. Since this case has already been tried and the conviction determined by the two ministries, if I or you rashly use your power to overturn it, it may cause controversy in the court and shake the dignity of the law."
"I am more worried that they will turn their anger on you, who are trying to change all of this."
Narcissus looked up and gazed into his deep eyes, where she saw concern and weighing of options, but no opposition.
She understood his position, but the deep empathy and compassion in her heart made it impossible for her to back down.
"I understand Your Majesty's concerns."
She leaned down into his arms and gently touched Emperor Zhaoheng's chin with her hand.
"But... I am the Empress, in charge of the six palaces, and a model for the nation. If I witness injustices occurring within the palace, and yet stand idly by out of fear of criticism, pretending not to know, then wouldn't the title of 'model for the nation' become empty words?"
As Shui Xian finished speaking, she sat up straighter and looked into Emperor Zhaoheng's deep eyes.
She didn't argue heatedly; she simply stated her views calmly.
Emperor Zhaoheng gazed at her, looking at the unwavering determination in her eyes, and remained silent for a long time.
He knew perfectly well that she was right.
However, being on the throne, he had too many concerns.
Finally, he sighed helplessly yet affectionately, and gently stroked the tip of her nose:
"I knew it. My Xian'er may look calm, but she is actually very soft-hearted. She can't bear to see the people suffer or to see such injustices."
He pulled her back into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, and whispered in a tone of resignation, "Fine, if you want to investigate, then go ahead. Just be extremely careful and thorough. All evidence must be irrefutable and beyond reproach. As for the political turmoil in the court..."
He paused, his voice calm yet protective of her.
"I'm here. I... will protect you."
This last sentence doesn't sound like an emperor's promise; it sounds more like a husband protecting his wife.
Narcissus felt a warmth in her heart, as if a warm current had washed away all the pent-up frustration from before.
She hugged him back and whispered, "Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you."
Just then, the sound of Yongning running in came from outside the hall.
The little guy had obviously heard that Emperor Zhaoheng had left court and couldn't wait to come find his father and mother.
She rushed in excitedly and threw herself precisely into Emperor Zhaoheng's open arms.
"Father!"
Yongning hugged Emperor Zhaoheng's neck, tilted her little face up, and repeated the new lessons she had learned that afternoon in a childish voice.
"My mother said we must be good people...for the sake of...the people!"
Despite her limited vocabulary, she tried her best to express goodwill.
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at his daughter's innocent face, then at the gentle-looking Shui Xian beside him, and the subtle tension that had arisen in his heart when he mentioned politics to Shui Xian dissipated.
When her daughter entered, Shui Xian had already stood up from Emperor Zhaoheng's lap.
Emperor Zhaoheng bent down and picked up Yongning, letting her sit in his arms, and laughed loudly, "Good, our Yongning is right!"
He looked at Shuixian with a soft gaze, which showed his approval of Shuixian's approach to raising her daughter.
"Look how clever Yongning is!"
The family of three laughed and played together, and the warm atmosphere dispelled the serious atmosphere that had permeated the previous discussion of court politics and laws, leaving only the tender affection that filled the air under the warm light of the palace lanterns.
However, when the night was deep and quiet, and Shui Xian had already fallen asleep due to the day's exertions, Emperor Zhaoheng was still reviewing memorials in his study.
A memorial had been sitting on his desk for several days.
When he first received it, Emperor Zhaoheng threw it into the pile of memorials without thinking.
However... he pondered for a moment, put down his pen, and took the memorial out from inside.
Emperor Zhaoheng opened it.
It was a memorial submitted by a censor from the Censorate. Although it did not name names directly, it implied that the empress should not interfere in politics and suggested that she might be involved in politics recently.
Interference in politics by the empress dowager is a major taboo.
The candlelight flickered, illuminating his sharply defined profile, yet unable to dispel the deep, dark glint in his eyes...
......
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com