Chapter 266 Empress Dowager Fang
"Lord Su..." When Su Fengzhang passed by the garden, a graceful and crisp voice rang out.
Su Fengzhang looked up at the person coming and immediately bowed respectfully: "Your humble servant pays respects to the Queen Mother Fang."
The person who came was none other than Fang Linlang, who had been the empress dowager for many years and whose grace and elegance surpassed those of ordinary imperial concubines. She had relied on her beauty to rise to power. Her looks were already extraordinary, and now she had even more of the graceful sitting posture that only women have.
No matter who they are, most of them show respect when they see Empress Dowager Yun, but when they see Empress Dowager Fang, they can't help but sigh in admiration at her beauty.
Empress Dowager Fang was accompanied by only a palace maid. She looked at Su Fengzhang with a smile, her eyes full of affection. "Master Su, why are you so polite? We had a connection back then. Master Su was my savior."
After hearing this, Su Fengzhang was not only unhappy, but also got goosebumps all over his body.
His attitude became even more respectful, and he lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, your words are too kind."
In front of Queen Mother Yun, Su Fengzhang was eloquent and the two of them would often discuss for hours. Even Yun Qian said privately that he had never seen Queen Mother Yun so in agreement with anyone.
But when it came to Empress Dowager Fang, Su Fengzhang had many concerns. Of course, one of the reasons was that the two empresses were nearly twenty years apart in age, and Empress Dowager Fang always had some ambiguous feelings for him.
Su Fengzhang certainly didn't think that he was so popular that even the Empress Dowager had taken a fancy to him. To him, Empress Dowager Fang's favor was like a death warrant.
When Empress Dowager Fang heard him say this, she sighed and said, "Lord Su is always so reserved."
One of them is a minister and the other is the queen mother. How can they not be polite?
Su Fengzhang didn't want to beat around the bush with her, so he asked directly, "I wonder what the Queen Mother wants me to do. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I still have government affairs to attend to."
Empress Dowager Fang laughed, looked at him and said, "Master Su is really a very busy man."
"But I came to see you today because I have something in my heart that I want to talk to Master Su about."
Su Fengzhang simply said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."
Empress Dowager Fang sighed and said, "The Emperor is getting older, but he still has a childish temperament and is not very capable. He only thinks about playing all day long. I have tried to persuade him, but he just won't listen."
"However, the emperor has always listened to my sister and Lord Su since he was young, so I would like to ask you to persuade him more."
"This world, after all, belongs to the Qin family. If the emperor is incompetent, won't we let the same mistakes happen again? Sir Su, don't you agree?"
Su Fengzhang said, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother is absolutely right. It is my humble servant who has failed to fulfill his duty of admonishment."
Empress Dowager Fang continued, "Children are difficult to teach. I know this is putting Master Su in a difficult position, but as a woman, I can't think of any other solution besides this one."
"So many years have passed in a flash, and the emperor has grown up. I never thought that you, Lord Su, are handsome and hold a high position, but you have never been married."
"Master Su, could this be due to the late emperor's foolish words before his death? Why don't I come forward and implore the emperor to grant the marriage? That way, no one in the court can object. What do you think, Master Su?"
Su Fengzhang's response was a long sigh.
Empress Dowager Fang's expression changed slightly, and she sneered and asked, "Of the three unfilial acts, not having a successor is the worst. Lord Su, are you trying to tell me that I have been chaste all these years out of my own free will?"
Su Fengzhang nodded and said, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother is right. This is indeed my own choice. I did it willingly and there is nothing wrong with it."
Empress Dowager Fang's expression was odd for a moment. She looked at him and said, "Master Su, what you said is quite interesting. Is it true that there are men in this world who can be so deeply devoted to women that their love lasts until death?"
"It's hard to say." Su Fengzhang said lightly.
Empress Dowager Fang's eyes moved, and she smiled and said, "I was saying, how could a man be so loyal?"
Su Fengzhang's next sentence was: "I just think it's troublesome to get married and have children, and it's easier to get things done by being single."
These words caught Empress Dowager Fang off guard. She looked at Su Fengzhang in surprise, unable to believe her ears.
She couldn't help but ask, "Master Su, what are you doing? I was talking to you nicely, but you started talking nonsense. Are you looking down on me for being powerless?"
Su Fengzhang said, "Queen Dowager, you are one of the most noble women in the world. How dare I underestimate you?"
"Just now, when the Queen Mother mentioned the events of Qingzhou, it reminded me of many past events and filled me with emotion."
Empress Dowager Fang laughed and asked, "What did Lord Su remember?"
Su Fengzhang said, "Back then, we encountered pirates on that passenger ship. They were aggressive and ruthless. Most of the men on board were terrified. But you, Empress Dowager, handled it well and were much calmer than Brother Fang."
When the events of the past were mentioned, especially Fang Yu, a gloomy look flashed across Empress Dowager Fang's face. She simply said, "It happened many years ago. Why bring it up again?"
Su Fengzhang sighed and said, "I just suddenly remembered and realized that many years have passed. I'm afraid the Queen Mother has had a hard time in the deep palace all these years, and only then has she come to this day."
Empress Dowager Fang's eyes moved, revealing a bit of confusion: "Yes, this deep palace is a place where people are eaten. I have lost too much."
"So, Lord Su, I can't lose again, do you understand?"
"The Yun family, Queen Mother Yun, they can help you temporarily, but will they help you forever? Ultimately, Queen Mother Yun is still concerned about the Wen family, so why would she care about what happens to the Su family in the end?"
"But I am different. Lord Su, you know that my family has been without anyone in the court for a long time. Orphans and widows are in need of support at this time. If anyone can help me in this difficult time, I will definitely reward you handsomely in the future."
Su Fengzhang didn't believe these verbal promises at all. He simply asked, "Empress Dowager, after all these years in the palace, have you forgotten your days outside the palace?"
Empress Dowager Fang didn't expect him to ask this. She was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "How could I have forgotten? To be honest with you, Lord Su, I think about the days in Hushan County day and night. When I was young, I thought it was hard, but now I think it's all sweet."
"At that time, my brother was still alive, Xiao Yi was still alive, and the three of us were a family."
After saying this, Empress Dowager Fang's eyes became sharp: "Now, I have helped them avenge their hatred and pay them back."
"Then what?" Su Fengzhang asked.
Queen Mother Fang was confused: "What then?"
Su Fengzhang said, "Now that they know you've avenged their grievances, will they be able to rest in peace in the underworld?"
Empress Dowager Fang's face changed, obviously thinking of Fang Yu's death. If Xiao Yi's death was due to their powerlessness, then Fang Yu's death should generally be blamed on her. If she hadn't said those many heartless words that day, Fang Yu would not have committed suicide.
Because of this, Fang Yu has now become a wound in Empress Dowager Fang's heart. No one can touch or mention him.
Even after so many years, Empress Dowager Fang still could not accept the fact that she had killed her own brother. She could only blame the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, and Concubine Xu.
Su Fengzhang did not mention the previous incident, but simply said, "Brother Fang, whom I have met, was always unhappy and had many things hidden in his heart, but his love for the Empress was genuine."
"He is a good brother. Even though he didn't help the Empress in any way along the way, he was always thinking about her wholeheartedly."
These words struck a chord with Empress Dowager Fang. The tears she had pretended to keep welled up in her eyes, and her throat choked up several times. Finally, she said, "You're right. He's just like that. When we were little, whenever there was something delicious at home, he would always remember to save it for me, but he wouldn't let it go himself. In his heart, loving my sister is more important than himself."
"So, Lord Su, what exactly do you want to say? Are you going to condemn me? You are too late."
Su Fengzhang said, "I have some friendship with Brother Fang. If that's the case, how could I blame his beloved sister? Ultimately, this matter isn't your fault, Queen Mother."
"It's just... when I think of Brother Fang, I always feel a little sad."
Empress Dowager Fang sneered, "Hypocritical."
Su Fengzhang continued, "The Queen Mother may think I am hypocritical or that I am just talking after the fact, but I feel very sorry for you."
"I'm not only sorry that Brother Fang died young, and that he couldn't see today, but I'm also sorry that the Empress Dowager has already forgotten her past after so many years in the palace. Your Majesty, do you really intend to spend the rest of your days in this deep palace?"
"Or you could lurk behind Queen Mother Yun. Even if you win, you'll just become another puppet of the Qin Dynasty. What you're going to do today, is it what you truly want?"
Empress Dowager Fang was surprised by his words and asked, "Master Su, what do you mean?"
Su Fengzhang smiled and said, "I just wonder, Your Majesty, don't you think that being a concubine in the harem is a waste of your talent?"
Empress Dowager Fang angrily asked, "Are you mocking me?"
Su Fengzhang said, "I dare not. What I say is from the bottom of my heart."
Empress Dowager Fang sneered, "I am the Emperor's biological mother. How can I possibly remarry? Even if I could, I wouldn't humiliate myself."
"Empress Dowager, you misunderstood." Su Fengzhang said again.
"It's just that these years of living in the deep palace have made Her Majesty forget one thing: women are also human beings, citizens of the Great Zhou. They may seem weaker, but they are often able to do things that others cannot."
"My Lady, if you ask yourself honestly, do you think you are inferior to men?"
Empress Dowager Fang's eyes looked even stranger.
Su Fengzhang said nothing more than this, "In a few days, Your Majesty will understand the meaning of my words."
"Your Majesty, you might as well think about it again when the time comes. Is there any other way to go besides the one at hand? Empress Dowager Yun is a tolerant and generous person, and I believe she will not deliberately block your way."
After Su Fengzhang walked away, Empress Dowager Fang frowned more and more. She did not deny that she used the beauty trap at the beginning, but now it seems that Lord Su is really devoted to Prince Cheng and is not moved at all.
Although she didn't believe in the existence of such a man, she had no choice. After Fang Zhiwen retired, Empress Dowager Fang was like a person without ears and eyes in the deep palace. She could only get all the news from Empress Dowager Yun, and she was always one step late.
It's not that she hasn't wanted to compete with Empress Dowager Yun over the years, which is why she thought of using this method to win over Su Fengzhang. But now Su Fengzhang hinted to her that there was a third way.
What other options did she have? In her life, she had no other choice but to stay in this deep palace. Empress Dowager Fang was puzzled.
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