Chapter Twenty-Seven: The High-Rise is in Danger
Consort Xie slowly woke up, her body still feeling like it was falling apart.
Hearing the commotion, Aunt Wan hurried over and whispered through the embroidered hibiscus curtain, "Has Her Majesty woken up?"
"Um."
Aunt Wan waved her hand, and the palace maids and eunuchs quietly busied themselves. Some lifted the curtains, some brought tea for rinsing the mouth, some ordered the kitchen to serve chicken soup, and others helped Consort Xie up and placed a large cushion behind her...
After drinking the soup, Consort Xie felt better and asked, "Where is the little princess?"
Aunt Wan picked up the little princess from the cradle next to her, brought her close to her face, and whispered, "Look how soundly the little princess is sleeping. I couldn't tell yesterday, but she's grown a bit more today. She looks just like the Empress, so delicate and beautiful. She's sure to be a great beauty in the future."
Consort Xie reached out and touched the little princess's face, her eyes instantly reddening.
Aunt Wan knew why she was sad, and carefully chose her words, saying, "Your Majesty, although she is a princess, she is still of royal blood. The Empress Dowager and His Majesty like her very much and have bestowed many gifts upon her."
"You don't need to comfort me, I know perfectly well," Consort Xie said sadly, lowering her eyes. Back when she gave birth to the eldest prince, the emperor skipped three days of morning court, staying by her bedside, personally serving her tea and soup. This time, however, he was nowhere to be seen. It seemed not only because of the birth of the princess, but also because his heart had strayed. "What has His Majesty been busy with these past few days?"
Aunt Wan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard from Eunuch Yu that His Majesty has been frequently going out these past few days..."
Where did they all go?
"The Northern Rong Embassy..."
Consort Xie frowned and asked in bewilderment, "What is he doing going to the Northern Rong embassy all the time?"
Aunt Wan was afraid of upsetting her, so she didn't dare to answer and remained silent.
Seeing the troubled look on her face, Consort Xie vaguely guessed what had happened. Enraged, she raised her eyebrows and said bitterly, "That treacherous Dunluye even schemed against me!"
"Your Majesty, you are currently in postpartum confinement. Please refrain from being hasty or angry. If there is anything, we can discuss it after your confinement period."
"How could I not be angry? If I hadn't helped him, how could he have gained His Majesty's favor?"
Aunt Wan was aware of this as well. Before Dunluye arrived in the capital, he first sent lavish gifts to Marquis Yanping, and then made contact with Consort Xie. Consort Xie had spoken highly of Dunluye to the Emperor, and Dunluye, having learned of the Emperor's tastes from her, catered to them in every way, which was why he had won his favor so quickly. Although he had used drugs to help Consort Xie frame the Fourth Miss, he had also schemed against Consort Xie at the same time, so it was no wonder she was angry.
"Aunt Wan, you should go to the Marquis of Yanping's residence as soon as possible and remind the Marquis not to associate with him anymore."
"Yes," Aunt Wan replied, and got up to leave.
"Wait a minute," Consort Xie called out to her. "That day I was in pain, and I think I heard that Dunluye was asking for Miss Ruan Wu's hand in marriage on behalf of their Khan?"
"Yes, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager had a quarrel over this matter and were deadlocked. Yesterday, His Majesty even dismissed the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards for disrespecting His Majesty."
Consort Xie was taken aback. The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards was the Empress Dowager's cousin. Replacing him would be a slap in the face to the Empress Dowager. "Disrespecting His Majesty?"
"Yes, His Majesty has been frequently going out these past few days. The Deputy Commander, on the Empress Dowager's instructions, stopped the Emperor at Xihua Gate to offer his remonstrance. His Majesty was furious to hear him repeatedly mention the Empress Dowager's words. He said that a mere Deputy Commander dared to obstruct His Majesty's journey, seeking the reputation of a loyal minister and hoping for lasting fame, thus implicating the monarch in injustice. His heart deserves to be punished. He should be dismissed from his post and investigated immediately."
The deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, relying on his status as the Empress Dowager's cousin, has been arrogant and domineering, showing no regard for the Emperor for quite some time. He had even remonstrated with Consort Xie when she traveled with the Emperor before, resulting in his dismissal, which pleased Consort Xie greatly.
As for Dunluye's request for Ji Nuli to marry Ruan Bi, if the Emperor grants it, Prince Jin will definitely harbor resentment towards him, causing estrangement between the brothers. Previously, Consort Xie had repeatedly requested that the eldest prince be made crown prince, but the Emperor said he would wait until he was a little older, actually fearing that his frail health would prevent him from shouldering the responsibilities of succession. Furthermore, the Emperor has always harbored the idea of making Prince Jin the Crown Prince's younger brother, so if the brothers become estranged, it would also benefit the eldest prince. Having considered this carefully, Consort Xie decided to ignore the matter, waving her hand to signal Aunt Wan to leave.
Aunt Wan left the palace and went straight to the Marquis of Yanping's residence. After explaining the situation, she politely declined the Marquis's wife's offer to stay for lunch and returned to the palace in her carriage. Just as she turned onto the main street, she heard mournful music coming from afar. Lifting the curtain, she saw white banners fluttering in the distance, and a long funeral procession slowly approaching, stretching as far as the eye could see.
I was wondering whose funeral it was, with such a grand affair. Then I heard someone next to me ask, "Wow, whose is this? Such a big entourage!"
Someone answered, "The Ruan Mansion in western Beijing."
It turned out to be the funeral procession of Madam Ruan. Aunt Wan signaled the coachman to stop the carriage by the roadside. The monks at the very front had already arrived; nearly a hundred of them were bald, their heads gleaming in the sunlight.
The man just now remarked, "As expected of a prestigious family, what a grand display."
Some people scoffed, "What a prestigious family! It's all just an empty shell, all that's left is its pomp and circumstance."
What do you mean by that?
"Look, along the way, every official's family or noble household has kept their doors tightly shut, let alone set up roadside sacrifices. It's clear that everyone is avoiding the Ruan family like the plague."
An elderly man sighed, "Yes, back when Duke Wenxiao was buried, seven or eight out of ten prominent families in the capital set up roadside memorial services, and even ordinary people set up incense sticks and wine along the way for passersby to pay their respects. Alas, in just over a decade, the Ruan family in western Beijing has fallen to such a state. It's truly pitiful and lamentable."
These words stirred a pang of sorrow in Aunt Wan, who reflected on her thirty years in the palace, during which so much glory had vanished in the blink of an eye. She herself had served as Emperor Xuanzong's attendant, Consort Rui's palace attendant, and Prince Jin's palace attendant, enjoying a period of great favor. Yet, she had become a scapegoat because of the Seventh Prince's madness, and had it not been for Consort Xie's rescue, she would have almost lost her life.
From the depths of the alley, the faint sound of string and wind instruments drifted out, followed by a woman's melodious singing: "I watched him build a tall building, I watched him entertain guests, I watched his building collapse, his glazed tiles and white walls crumbled, in the end all that remains are weeds and owls. Every morning the Cold Food Festival, every night the Lantern Festival, they cannot escape the birds flying back to the forest and the fading light of the setting sun. If you ask where the heroes and beauties of ancient and modern times have gone, they are only cold bones in the yellow earth..."
Hearing the song and seeing the paper money flying everywhere, everyone present was deeply moved.
Aunt Wan sat upright in the car, her eyes filled with tears.
After a while, someone else said, "The filial son and daughter have arrived."
Then someone asked, "Which one of you is Miss Ruan Wu?"
"It should be the one on the right. It's a pity she's wearing a veil, so I don't know what she looks like. I heard that even the Khan of the Northern Rong wants to marry her... She's truly a femme fatale."
Aunt Wan wiped away her tears and looked out the window again. First, three sons draped in burlap and carrying mourning sticks walked by, followed by two daughters being supported by their nannies. Both wore veils; the one on the left was the more senior, presumably the second daughter, and the one on the right was naturally Ruan Bi… However, Aunt Wan frowned. Although she hadn't met her often, she recognized her gait. The daughter in the procession walked with a brisk pace, clearly someone skilled in martial arts. How could she possibly be Ruan Bi?
She wasn't mistaken; the person in the funeral procession wasn't Ruan Bi, but Yun Xiang.
Ruan Bi was sitting in a carriage half a street away from her, also watching the funeral procession, lost in thought.
Liu Shizhi sat down next to her and said in a low voice, "...Miss, don't hesitate any longer. Opportunity knocks but once. The Prince said he will never let you be in danger." Seeing that she was still hesitant, he raised his voice anxiously, "Miss, if you don't think about yourself, you should think about the Prince."
Ruan Bi lowered her eyes, pressing the letter written by Prince Jin from Guangzhou in her arms. She didn't need to read it; she could recite it from memory.
"...Upon receiving Yu Qing's urgent message, I learned that you had insisted on returning to the capital. I was anxious and couldn't sleep at night, regretting that I had left you in Haozhou. I have already arranged for people to help you escape danger. Do not hesitate any longer; those who undertake great undertakings must sacrifice minor matters. After you are out of trouble, there is no need to return to Haozhou. Set sail south directly to Dingyuan. Do not linger any longer. All grudges will be settled for you when we return to the capital next year..."
Seeing her fluctuating expression, Liu Shizhi took it as her agreement, tapped the carriage wall and whispered to the driver, "Follow the funeral procession out of the city."
“No,” Ruan Bi said, raising her eyes. “Back to the Ruan residence.”
"girl"
"There's no need to say any more. I still have unfinished business and cannot leave the capital for the time being. Times have changed, and if I stay in the capital now, my life is not necessarily in danger."
Liu Shizhi sighed and had no choice but to go along with her.
Back at the Ruan residence, she first went to see the old lady. The old lady looked at her and stamped her feet repeatedly, saying, "Since you left, why did you come back? Do you really want to marry the Khan of the Northern Rong? That's absolutely unacceptable. Otherwise, if the Great Zhou and the Northern Rong ever go to war, our whole family will be the ones sacrificed."
Having already made up her mind, but not wanting to tell outsiders, Ruan Bi hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm going to the palace to see the Empress Dowager."
The old lady waved her hand helplessly: "Go, go."
Upon entering the palace this time, I noticed that the atmosphere was quite different from before. The palace maids and eunuchs were noticeably more cautious, which seemed to be influenced by the conflict between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
The Empress Dowager was quite surprised to see her and said, "You run away when you shouldn't, but you come back when you should."
Ruan Bi understood her meaning; if she ran away, the matter of Ji Nuli seeking marriage would naturally fall through. "Does Your Highness still remember the story of the coachman Bing Ji that I told you? When the enemy attacks, it is time for the coachman to make a name for himself."
"Oh," the Empress Dowager gave her a deep look. "I heard that at the mourning hall, you angrily rebuked Dunluye and said that you were irreconcilable in both public and private matters?"
Gu Xiaobai indeed relayed these words to her ears.
"That's right, Your Majesty. The Great Zhou Dynasty is in grave danger."
What danger is there?
"If I am not mistaken, Ji Nuli will soon lead his troops south."
The Empress Dowager shook her head dismissively: "That's alarmist talk. The three northern tribes are in rebellion, and Ji Nuli is currently gathering troops from the four southern tribes to prepare for a campaign. He's too busy to deal with his own problems, so how could he possibly offend our Great Zhou? If he had any intention of offending Great Zhou, why would he offer you 100,000 horses as a dowry?"
"Offering me 100,000 horses as a dowry is a scheme to sow discord, delay, and deceive us. It makes us believe he's about to launch a campaign against the three northern tribes and is eager to make peace with our Great Zhou," Ruan Bi said. "Your Majesty, think about it. Dunluye is one of Ji Nuli's generals, commanding a force. If Ji Nuli were to launch a campaign against the three northern tribes, he would have summoned him back long ago. Why would he be allowed to wander around the capital, hunting every day? Clearly, the mutiny in the three northern tribes is a trap. Ji Nuli's gathering of troops from the four southern tribes is probably not aimed at the three northern tribes, but at our Great Zhou."
The Empress Dowager was startled and slowly sat up straight.
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