In the palace of Prince Chen.
Concubine Yuande had returned to Prince Chen's mansion and was now lying on the couch to rest.
Concubine Yuande was indifferent to everything that happened in the capital during that day and night. She did not feel any sympathy for the suffering of the people outside. She just closed her eyes and lay on the couch to rest quietly.
Nanny Jiang was guarding the outer room, carefully preparing tea and snacks for Concubine Yuande. The Concubine Yuande had suffered a lot in the imperial mausoleum these days.
Although it was in line with the prince's plan, the people in the imperial mausoleum could only eat vegetables and radishes all day long. Not to mention the concubine, even ordinary people would probably not be able to bear it.
Nanny Jiang carefully scooped the bird's nest porridge from the porcelain cup into a bowl, intending to let it cool before serving it to Concubine Yuande.
"Someone come here." After taking a light nap, Concubine Yuande called out to Nanny Jiang softly. She had already sat up from the couch and looked at everything in the inner room with a cold expression.
"Your Highness, I'm here." Matron Jiang quickly put down what she was doing and walked quickly into the inner room. She helped Dowager Yuande to the round table and waited for her instructions.
"Is there any news from the palace? Has the prince captured Emperor Yugan?" Leng Ran's eyes were full of pride. Concubine Yuande was in a very happy mood at this moment. She had been depressed for so many years, and finally she got her revenge last night. How could she not be happy both physically and mentally?
However, he did not want Emperor Yugan to escape at this critical moment, otherwise Chen'er would have ascended to the throne by now. Why go to so much trouble?
Pouring a cup of hot tea and handing it to Concubine Yuande, Nanny Jiang replied in a low voice, "Replying to Concubine Dowager, Emperor Yugan has not been apprehended yet. The prince is still in the palace and has personally led the search."
Empress Dowager Yuande took the teacup and swept a cold glance over the steaming tea. A hint of hatred flashed across her eyes, and she asked, "Where is the Empress Dowager?"
While the Yugan Emperor was Prince Chen's business, Concubine Yuande's biggest concern was obviously the Empress Dowager. The two had been fighting for most of their lives, first with the Empress Dowager suppressing her for eighteen years, and now she couldn't wait to see how miserable the Empress Dowager was.
How could Nanny Jiang not understand what was going on in Concubine Yuande's mind? After years of groveling before the Empress Dowager, Concubine Yuande was already filled with anger. Now that she had the chance to turn the tables, she naturally couldn't wait to see her kneel before her.
"The Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Emperor Yugan disappeared together, along with the ministers who were in the palace last night. Don't worry, Concubine Yuande. The imperial palace in the capital is now in the hands of the prince. I believe that the prince will find them." Nanny Jiang walked behind Concubine Yuande and gently massaged her shoulders to relieve her fatigue.
But after hearing this, a trace of regret flashed through Concubine Yuande's heart.
Originally, it was a perfect opportunity for Chen'er to take advantage of the chaos to force the emperor to abdicate. As long as he could get the abdication edict from Emperor Yugan, Chen'er's ascension to the throne would become a legitimate thing.
I didn't expect so many complications to arise. So many people disappeared in the palace out of thin air. Could it be that Emperor Yugan ordered people to rebuild the secret passage in the underground palace in order to guard against Chen'er?
What's more, the ascension to the throne should be done as soon as possible. Outside the city, the people of the King of the Sea are eyeing it covetously, and the King of Chu's 200,000 troops are trying to break in. If Chen'er is not allowed to ascend the throne as soon as possible, I'm afraid there will be more trouble than good.
Concubine Yuande's eyes turned slightly, she lowered her head and took a sip of tea, then asked, "Are all the entrances and exits in the city under Chen'er's control?"
"Yes, the prince has already ordered the city defense forces to control all entrances and exits. Not even a mosquito can fly out. Please rest assured, Concubine Yuande. And just now, news came from the palace that the prince is about to announce to the world that Emperor Yugan died suddenly and left an imperial decree for Prince Chen to succeed him. The prince has changed the reign to Dexi and issued an order to arrest the two traitors, Prince Hai and Prince Chu, in order to uphold the law." Nanny Jiang was a little confused about Concubine Yuande's thoughts, but answered truthfully.
But after listening to Nanny Jiang's report, Concubine Yuande's elegant eyebrows suddenly frowned, and a murderous look gradually appeared in her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, a voice of greeting came from outside.
"Your servant pays his respects to Her Majesty the Dowager." At this time, a low and steady voice sounded outside the Dowager's courtyard.
Both Concubine Yuande and Nanny Jiang recognized that the voice was that of the steward of Prince Chen's mansion. Nanny Jiang looked outside the curtain with some confusion, as if wondering why the steward came to the Concubine's courtyard at this time. Could it be that there was new news from the palace?
There was also a hint of doubt in Concubine Yuande's eyes. She hid what she had just thought of in her mind, glanced at Nanny Jiang with a cold gaze, and signaled her to go out and see what was going on.
Nanny Jiang understood and bowed respectfully to Concubine Yuande. She placed the porcelain bowl in her hand on the small table, then turned around, lifted the curtain and walked out.
Nanny Jiang walked out of the main house and saw the housekeeper standing respectfully at the gate. She immediately stepped forward and said in a low voice, "The concubine is resting. Tell me if you have anything to say."
"Now I want to see the Concubine Dowager, but I didn't expect it to be harder than climbing to the sky!" Unexpectedly, an old but authoritative figure slowly walked into Nanny Jiang's sight.
"Your servant greets the old lady!" Nanny Jiang was slightly startled. She didn't expect that the old lady Lin would come to her house just after the concubine did return to Prince Chen's Mansion. Especially seeing the old lady Lin's stern look at this time, she must have something important to discuss with the concubine.
Now is the most important moment for Emperor Dexi to seize the world. We must not let any unpleasantness happen between the emperor and the Yuan family, lest the Yuan family withdraw from the matter.
Thinking of this, Nanny Jiang immediately lowered her posture and bowed respectfully to Old Lady Lin. However, the calmness and composure in Nanny Jiang's expression remained unshaken, and she did not show off her status because of Old Lady Lin's arrogance.
Seeing Nanny Jiang's understanding, the coldness on Old Lady Lin's face eased a little, but her tone was still filled with anger. Her shrewd eyes swept towards the main room, and then she asked Nanny Jiang in a deep voice, "I heard that the Concubine Dowager was seriously injured in the Imperial Mausoleum. As a mother, I naturally want to come and visit. I wonder how the Concubine Dowager's injuries are?"
After she finished speaking, she saw Old Lady Lin leading a middle-aged beautiful woman who still had some charm, passing Nanny Jiang beside her and walking straight into the courtyard.
Nanny Jiang naturally couldn't stop Concubine Yuande's mother, so she could only quickly walk to the side of Old Lady Lin, lead the two of them into the main house, and then quickly go into the inner room to report.
"Dowager Concubine, the old lady is here, and..." Nanny Jiang walked into the inner room, only to see that Dowager Concubine Yuande had already stood up, but she had not yet changed into her palace dress. A faint bloodstain could be seen on her chest.
Seeing that Concubine Yuande's face had turned slightly pale, Nanny Jiang immediately stepped forward, carefully supported her body, and asked with concern: "Is Concubine Yuande feeling unwell?"
Concubine Yuande shook her head, and her eyes shot towards the outer room through the door curtain with a hint of coldness. At the same time, she raised her hand to signal Madam Jiang to speak, and then ordered: "Since mother is here, please ask her to come in."
As she spoke, Concubine Yuande sat down at the round table in a dignified manner, picked up the porcelain bowl on the table with one hand, gently stirred the bird's nest porridge inside, and waited for Old Lady Lin to come in.
The rhythmic tapping of a cane echoed from the quiet inner room. As the door curtain was lifted, Old Lady Lin stepped into the inner room in a graceful and elegant manner. Seeing Concubine Yuande sitting in the inner room with an indifferent expression, Old Lady Lin suppressed her anger, bowed slightly and said in a clear voice, "I greet the Concubine."
The beautiful middle-aged woman who followed closely beside Old Lady Lin also bowed and said, "Greetings, Grand Concubine."
Seeing that her mother had brought the eldest lady of the Yuan Mansion with her, Concubine Yuande put down the porcelain bowl in her hand and said with a faint smile, "Why are mother and sister-in-law here? Please sit down."
As she spoke, Concubine Yuande pointed to the two round stools in front of her, motioning for Old Lady Lin and Madam Yuan to sit down. Without waiting for them to speak, she continued, "I just returned to the Prince's Palace and haven't had time to visit Mother at the Yuan Residence yet. So many changes have taken place in the capital in the past couple of days. I wonder if Mother has been frightened?"
"Thank you for your concern, Concubine Dowager. Everything is fine in the mansion! Now that the prince is about to ascend the throne in accordance with the late emperor's will, our Yuan family can be said to have finally reaped the rewards of our hardships. Your Majesty should also take care of your health and serve as a model for the country in the future to assist the emperor." Old Lady Lin observed Concubine Yuande's expression indifferently. Seeing that she seemed a little dull today, Old Lady Lin had another thought and did not immediately tell her purpose.
However, Madam Yuan, who was sitting next to Old Lady Lin, could no longer sit still. Her face and eyes were filled with deep worry. However, there was no place for her to speak at this moment, so she could only worry in her heart.
Concubine Yuande did not immediately respond to Old Lady Lin's compliment. She simply signaled with her eyes that Nanny Jiang should pour tea for the two of them. Then she slowly said, "I will remember your teachings, mother. And please rest assured, mother, as long as the emperor's throne is secure, the Yuan family will naturally remain strong."
Little did they know that Concubine Yuande's assurance caused Old Lady Lin to frown, her face turned gloomy, and she sighed three times in succession, which was completely different from the momentum she had just shown in the courtyard.
"The Concubine is so kind, but I'm afraid the Yuan family is not fortunate enough to accept it!" After a long while, Old Lady Lin spoke with an embarrassed look on her face.
Concubine Yuande paused slightly as she scraped the edge of the bowl. A cold glint flashed in her half-closed eyes, but her tone was filled with sincerity. "Mother, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you think the Emperor and I are the kind of people who would destroy the bridge after crossing it? How could you possibly distrust me and my son?"
Old Madam Lin didn't want Concubine Yuande to pretend to be so clueless. She had already made her point so clear, yet she was still pretending to be clueless. For a moment, Old Madam Lin was slightly angry, but her face was still filled with deep worry. "Your Highness knows that the Sea King invited all the legitimate sons and daughters of the aristocratic families in the capital to the birthday banquet, but she didn't expect it to be a Hongmen Banquet. All the legitimate sons and daughters who went were detained in the Sea King's mansion. Even Qingzhou and Qinqin are now hostages! What's more, Qinqin is pregnant with the Yuan family's legitimate grandson. How can I not be worried?"
Seeing the worried expressions on her mother and Madam Yuan's faces, Concubine Yuande frowned slightly, then asked coldly, "Mother, do you mean that the Emperor should send troops to Yangming Mountain right now to rescue Qingzhou and Qinqin? Mother, do you know that Yangming Mountain is the Sea King's lair, surrounded by elite soldiers, and even Commander Wu of the Imperial Guard has disappeared. How can we take such a risk? What's more, Chu Feiyang's hundreds of thousands of troops are eyeing the city covetously. Do you think now is a good time to rescue Qingzhou?"
"Are you going to let me watch helplessly as the traitor Haiquan kills my legitimate grandson? In order to help the emperor ascend the throne, do I have to sacrifice the descendants of my Yuan family?" Old Lady Lin wiped away the sadness on her face and looked straight at Concubine Yuande with a stern look in her eyes, with extreme anger in her eyes.
Concubine Yuande also looked back at Old Lady Lin without showing any weakness. A ferocious and cold look gradually appeared on the two extremely similar faces, making the atmosphere in the inner room drop to freezing point for a while.
"With sacrifice, there will be fulfillment. My brother is in his prime and can have many more children! But there is only one throne in Western Chu, and Your Majesty has missed it once. This time, I will never allow anyone to stand in Your Majesty's way." After a while, a sneer appeared on Concubine Yuande's face, and then she spoke clearly and unambiguously what was in her heart, word by word.
The harsh tone and arrogant attitude made Old Lady Lin furious. She raised her voice slightly and asked, "So, you don't intend to care about the lives of Qingzhou and Qinqin?"
"Mother, why do you have to do this? I don't want to see my nephew suffer. But between the country and personal life and death, the former is naturally more important. Please make the distinction." Concubine Yuande did not give in at all.
The Yuan family is indeed Jiang Muchen's strong backing. When Jiang Muchen ascends the throne to become emperor in the future, the Yuan family will also be the ministers who assist the country.
However, with the status of a relative by marriage and such achievements, it can be foreseen that the Yuan family will become very powerful in the future. Although Concubine Yuande is the daughter of the Yuan family, she will never allow anyone to hinder her son's future, nor will she allow anyone to threaten her son.
Therefore, from now on, she must both rely on the power of the Yuan family and suppress the Yuan family. She cannot let them grow too powerful, lest she will be unable to deal with them in the future.
"The Concubine Dowager really cares about the Western Chu Kingdom! But the Concubine Dowager should not forget that there is a Princess of Chu in the capital. The Emperor's mind is very difficult to guess. Could it be that the Princess of Chu will ruin things? I believe that compared with the Princess of Chu, the matter of Qingzhou is probably not worth mentioning." Old Lady Lin's eyes are also vicious. She has already seen through everything Jiang Muchen did in the past year. If Concubine Dowager Yuande had not insisted on not helping today, how could she say such a thing?
"Mother is so clever that she actually threatens me!" Concubine Yuande narrowed her eyes with a hint of coldness in them. Madam Yuan, who was standing beside her, had already lowered her head under pressure. Only Old Lady Lin kept looking at Concubine Yuande.
"However, thank you for your reminder, mother. I will handle this matter myself. Come, send the old lady and Madam Yuan out of the house." Unexpectedly, Concubine Yuande did not buy it at all. She immediately ordered Nanny Jiang to ask the two to leave without giving them any chance to explain themselves.
However, as soon as Old Lady Lin and Madam Yuan left the Imperial Concubine Courtyard, Empress Dowager Yuande's expression turned cold. She immediately stood up and ordered, "Help me change my clothes and prepare the carriage to go to Prime Minister Chu's residence."
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