Chapter 52 Awe-inspiring, merciful and compassionate Emperor!
Seeing that Empress Wang was angry, A-Zhu looked completely innocent.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
Ah Zhu swayed her temples slightly, widened her eyes, and put on an act.
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness in always remembering and caring for me. As soon as I felt a little better, I rushed to Kunning Palace to pay my respects."
"Even if Consort Jing... oh, His Majesty has already decreed the stripping of her title, and even if Consort Zhao is of questionable character, that is her own fault. What does it have to do with Your Majesty the Empress?"
"Your Majesty, why are you so angry?"
Who in the entire palace doesn't know that Consort Jieyu of Changli Palace is Empress Wang's loyal henchman?
She did all of this at the behest of the Empress, and even her son, the Prince of Ying, was the Crown Prince's "follower."
Therefore, it was no surprise that A-Zhu also blamed Empress Wang for the humiliation Zhao Jieyu had caused.
"Bang—!"
Empress Wang slammed her hand on the armrest and scolded, "Insolence!"
"How dare you, Lady Jiang, use such clever words and unreasonable arguments in front of me?"
Empress Wang stared hatefully at the gold hairpins adorning A-Zhu's temples, wishing she could pluck them off herself.
"You have overstepped your bounds and committed treason; what is your punishment?"
Regardless of whether Lady Jiang had suddenly gone mad, Empress Wang felt that if she didn't take this opportunity to deal with her, she would be letting herself down.
"Guards! Take Lady Jiang away!"
"Once I inform the Empress Dowager, she will be punished for overstepping her bounds and committing treason!"
Following Empress Wang's words, all the concubines in the hall noticed the golden hairpin adorning A-Zhu's temple.
Consort Xian and Consort Sheng sat one in front of the other. They exchanged a glance, and Consort Tang held back what she wanted to say.
Consort Zhang was slightly taken aback, but then looked at the scene of "a dog biting its former master" with a playful expression.
Seeing the palace servants surging forward, and Huiyue, who was leading the group, reaching out to grab her with a gloomy expression, Azhu straightened her back, touched the gold hairpin at her temple, and sneered.
"presumptuous!"
"You think you can touch something bestowed by His Majesty?!"
"How dare you be so disrespectful to me! Are you going to be flogged in court?"
The bloodlust in Shou Kang Palace has probably only just dissipated.
The scene of the palace servants being dealt with in the front courtyard that day was still vivid in their minds; even Granny Jin was beaten to death... Therefore, the palace servants in Kunning Palace hesitated and didn't dare to touch Azhu, who kept claiming that she was holding onto the imperial gift.
Amidst the tense standoff, Ah Zhu looked up at Empress Wang and chuckled.
"Your Majesty, why are you still in such a hurry?"
Ah Zhu said in a serious tone, "When I was a tea-serving maid in Kunning Palace, I was afraid that you would burn your mouth if you were in a hurry to drink the tea, and I was also afraid that you would not like to listen to my advice."
"Your Majesty, honest advice is hard to swallow."
"When I served you in Kunning Palace, I was truly loyal to you. Heaven and earth can bear witness to this. How could I dare to be disrespectful to you now?"
Now that A-Zhu herself can openly talk about her being a palace maid, she is naturally even less afraid of others bringing it up or mocking her about it.
As she spoke, Ah Zhu blushed again, touching the gold hairpin at her temple like a young girl in the throes of first love.
"This is a birthday gift bestowed upon me by His Majesty."
"I do indeed find it too extravagant."
"His Majesty said it looked good on me, and after he put it on me himself, I wasn't allowed to take it off..."
"Since His Majesty has said so, I have been thinking of showing it to Your Majesty the Empress."
As she spoke, A-Zhu looked at Empress Wang with anticipation, then shook her head slightly, the pearls and rubies hanging down sparkling.
"Your Majesty, what do you think?"
Before Empress Wang could speak, Consort Zhang burst out laughing. Seeing that all the concubines in the hall were looking at her, Consort Zhang quickly picked up her teacup to cover her smile and said repeatedly, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
With Consort Zhang's interruption, the atmosphere eased somewhat.
Empress Wang gave A-Zhu, who was standing below her, a deep look.
The fact that a concubine gained the emperor's favor was the most disgusting thing for her in the palace, especially a petty person like A-Zhu who was short-sighted and arrogant once she gained power.
Although they knew that such a despicable and vile creature, deserving of divine retribution, would not be able to remain arrogant and smug for long, as long as the emperor still favored her, the people in the palace truly could not touch her.
Empress Dowager Shu has been claiming illness and has not left her residence, while their emperor has shown no regard for his reputation for benevolence and filial piety, and has not even mentioned going to Shou Kang Palace to attend to her illness.
After what happened at Shou Kang Palace, Empress Wang was even afraid that no sooner had she suppressed Lady Jiang than the Emperor himself came to demand her back, and in that case, it would be her dignity as Empress that would be damaged.
It is said that setbacks make one grow. Ever since Emperor Xuanpei refused to set foot in Kunning Palace again, Empress Wang, who had always had a smooth life... unexpectedly became somewhat more tolerant.
"Since it is a gift from His Majesty, Consort Jiang, then you should wear it properly."
Empress Wang found her own words strangely unfamiliar. She even waved her hand and ordered the palace servants, "You may all leave."
A-Zhu stopped laughing and looked at Empress Wang with considerable surprise.
Empress Wang looked at Lü Fu, who was standing next to A Zhu.
"Your Consort Jiang has just finished her postpartum confinement period, why aren't you helping her sit down?"
Green Lotus lowered her head and only replied verbally, "Yes."
A-Zhu smiled and nodded to Empress Wang, saying, "Your Majesty, your kindness, compassion, and benevolence are truly a blessing to us concubines. We thank Your Majesty."
After saying that, A-Zhu took Green Lotus's hand and sat down.
The seat behind Consort Tang should have been that of Consort Jing, but A-Zhu was sitting there casually, and no one said a word.
The fact that a certain concubine in the palace underwent a drastic change in personality after a miscarriage is a very reasonable and well-founded reason.
Seeing that Consort Jiang was so presumptuous, not only did she bewitch the Emperor into ordering the stripping of Consort Jing's title, but she also began to confine her to the palace again.
Furthermore, relying on the emperor's favor, she caused Empress Wang to lose face on the spot... At this moment, no one was angry with A-Zhu. Even if some ignored A-Zhu, most of them nodded and smiled.
Empress Wang, who was seated at the head of the table, quickly got down to business—attending to Empress Dowager Shu during her illness and copying scriptures to pray for her well-being.
This kind of top-level "royal face-saving project" is a "required course" for every concubine in the palace. If your status is too low, you don't even have the qualification to serve the Empress Dowager when she is ill or to deliver scriptures.
As for why Empress Dowager Shu fell ill... Empress Wang's meaningful gaze remained fixed on Azhu.
Ah Zhu felt nothing but annoyance.
Nonsense, she's not really sick. Why would she like a mean old woman who has a dark face, forces her to kneel down, and shouts for punishment at the slightest provocation?
Nowadays, among the various "consorts" in the palace, both good and bad, A-Zhu doesn't like any of them. Only fine clothes, sumptuous food, wealth, and glory can fill the emptiness in her body and allow her to endure everything.
Empress Wang used the excuse that an auspicious day was approaching and that she urgently needed the scriptures.
The other concubines had already started copying scriptures, which was fine, but A-Zhu was not. Empress Wang wished she could point at A-Zhu's head and make her finish copying the scriptures.
Not copying?
It's fine if he doesn't copy it, anyway, the people in the palace would love to slap more accusations of disloyalty and unfilial piety on A-Zhu's head.
This title is enough to give the Jiang family a strong hand at a crucial moment.
Today, Ah Zhu came to pay his respects with great fanfare and high spirits, but left dejected and unhappy.
Seeing that Ah Zhu's complexion was not good, Lü Fu quickly asked, "Your Highness, have you caught a cold and are you feeling unwell?"
A-Zhu shook her head and muttered to herself, "If I had known, I would have come to pay my respects a few days later..." At least she would have waited until Empress Dowager Shu "recovered" so that she wouldn't have to copy the scriptures.
Few of the palace maids in the inner palace were literate.
After all, things like palace rules would be repeated to them day after day by the nannies.
As for palace maids, all they need to do is behave properly and be quick and efficient in serving the noble people. Why bother learning those literary arts?
A-Zhu harbored ambitions to become a sixth-rank steward in the Imperial Household Department. She would fawn over the maids and nannies to get her to learn some characters, which is how she managed to avoid being completely illiterate.
But can you say how well she writes?
Haha, this joke isn't funny at all for Azhu.
Back at Guanju Palace, Azhu gritted her teeth and began—
Whether you do it well or not is one thing; whether you have the right attitude is another.
Moreover, she only needs to let the people who are meant to see this attitude see it.
......
After the court session ended, Emperor Xuanpei and several trusted ministers discussed matters for a long time in the Hanyuan Hall. Before they knew it, it was already late at night and the moonlight was hazy.
With the emperor's frequent visits, the announcements at the palace gates had long since ceased.
When Emperor Xuanpei entered, he did not see Azhu, so he asked Sancai, who was hurriedly bowing.
"Where is your empress?"
"Your Majesty, the Empress is still in her study. I will go and inform her immediately."
Emperor Xuanpei waved his hand, "Still in the small study? Could it be that she's been staying in the small study all day?"
San Cai nodded repeatedly.
"Your Majesty, this morning our Consort went to Kunning Palace to pay her respects to the Empress, and after returning, she copied scriptures in her small study."
"Her Majesty the Empress said that the auspicious day is approaching, and the matter of praying for the Empress Dowager must not be delayed. We really need these scriptures urgently."
San Cai kept his head down, looking very honest.
"Even during meals, our Empress only ate a few bites of food before continuing to copy scriptures."
Eunuch Chen, who followed Emperor Xuanpei in, slightly raised his eyes to look at San Cai kneeling there—hey, this kid is really a talent.
Thick-skinned, bold, and outspoken, his skill in finding every opportunity to sow discord is equally impressive.
As soon as San Cai said this, Emperor Xuanpei understood the situation.
His Ah Zhu is preparing a new trick again... What used to be the annoyance of watching a bunch of old foxes endlessly scheming against each other in the court has now become a slightly expectant relief.
Without further ado about San Cai, Emperor Xuanpei headed straight for his small study.
A lamp sits on the desk in the small study. A-Zhu, who is "devout and respectful," has removed all the elaborate gold hairpins and jade ornaments from her head. She has also changed the gorgeous apricot-yellow peony-sleeved robe she wore when she went to pay her respects into a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) in blue and light white.
Several sheets of Xuan paper and a few crumpled balls of paper were scattered around the table.
At this moment, A-Zhu looked serious, her eyes wide open and she seemed to be straining as she wrote something on the paper, stroke by stroke.
This "limited edition" Ah Zhu, so earnest, gentle, and sweet, made Emperor Xuanpei stand there and take a few more glances.
He walked over slowly with a smile in his eyes.
"What are you writing, so seriously?"
"Your Majesty?!"
A-Zhu turned her head and saw who was next to her. She immediately threw down her pen, turned around, and rushed into Emperor Xuanpei's arms with a mixture of joy and grievance.
"Your Majesty, you've finally arrived! Your Majesty..."
Like seeing a living bodhisattva who saves people from suffering, Ah Zhu snuggled and rubbed against Emperor Xuanpei's chest a few times, and then stretched out her hand with a pitiful expression.
"I have been copying scriptures all day. Please look at my hands."
Ah Zhu held up her hand pitifully and said, "Look, my hand is about to break from all that pulling."
"Is that so? Let me see."
Emperor Xuanpei, who had been holding Azhu, released her and then looked at her with a serious expression.
Ah Zhu, who hadn't slacked off at all that afternoon, had a dent in the part of her hand where she gripped the pen.
Ah Zhu was so tender and soft all over that, except when they were in bed, Emperor Xuanpei would never have let her get hurt.
"It really is." Emperor Xuanpei quickly rubbed Azhu's now red fingers. "How did you get them like this?"
"I just heard from San Cai that you didn't even eat properly today?"
"Your Majesty."
Ah Zhu was like a little cabbage suffering in the wind and rain. She used her other hand to pull on Emperor Xuanpei's sleeve and pitifully began to complain.
"Today is the first day that I went to Kunning Palace to pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress. However, Her Majesty the Empress insisted on reciting scriptures and kept saying that we must not miss the auspicious time."
"I have no choice but to copy it quickly."
"They've been copying each other ever since."
A-Zhu shook her head repeatedly, "Your Majesty, I really can't finish copying it all, I really can't finish copying it all."
As she spoke, A-Zhu withdrew her hand and, as if worshipping Guanyin, made a wish while repeatedly clasping her hands in prayer.
"Your Majesty, my compassionate and omnipotent Emperor, I beg you to save me."
Tell me, who could resist being happy to have such a wonderful person?
Emperor Xuanpei suppressed a laugh, only looking at Azhu with a stern face, "You never burn incense on ordinary days, but you only know how to pray to Buddha when it's time to do it."
A-Zhu bit her lip. She first lowered her eyes and moved closer, then slowly looked up at Emperor Xuanpei.
In the flickering candlelight, A-Zhu's eyes sparkled, her gaze as clear and moist as spring water.
"Your Majesty, will you allow me to hug you?"
Emperor Xuanpei laughed.
He then nodded, seemingly mesmerized by the honey trap, and replied confidently, "Yes."
Ah Zhu cheered with a joyful expression.
"I knew His Majesty was the best."
Emperor Xuanpei nodded, and the troublesome mess was quickly transferred to Eunuch Chen's hands.
Eunuch Chen then went to the Secretariat, where a group of eunuchs were responsible for drafting imperial edicts. These people were tight-lipped and very good at imitating handwriting, so copying scriptures was naturally a piece of cake for them.
Ah Zhu, whose wish came true, now became a fawning "lackey."
She first surrounded Emperor Xuanpei, running back and forth to help him undress and change into loose nightgowns.
When Emperor Xuanpei finished washing up, Azhu was already waiting on the chaise longue.
"Your Majesty, come quickly."
Following A-Zhu's guidance, Emperor Xuanpei leaned against the chaise longue, with two soft satin cushions behind his back.
The room was filled with a faint scent of incense, and the light from the lamps cast an unusually dim and ambiguous glow.
Seeing that Ah Zhu was about to get up after stuffing the pillow in, Emperor Xuanpei grabbed her arm.
"Where are you going?"
A-Zhu smiled and leaned in to kiss Emperor Xuanpei's chin.
"Your Majesty is the best person in the world. You have shown your mercy and saved me from this sea of suffering. Am I not allowed to properly thank you?"
"I have nothing of value. Any good things I have are all gifts from you. After much thought, the only thing I can say that is a rough skill that is passable is that I have a skill that is passable."
A-Zhu gently rubbed Emperor Xuanpei's hand against it, and said softly with a smile, "How about you let me do my part for you?"
Sweet words like those from Ah Zhu are hard to resist. Emperor Xuanpei touched Ah Zhu's face and then gave in to her.
A-Zhu got up smoothly, ran to the back of the chaise lounge and stood there, then began to massage Emperor Xuanpei's shoulders.
Having honed her skills in the Imperial Medical Academy for nearly ten years, A-Zhu's technique was truly excellent, and her acupressure points were very accurate.
After the throbbing, aching pain, a tingling sensation spreads from the back of the head all the way to the fingertips.
Emperor Xuanpei, who originally just wanted to play around with Azhu, unknowingly closed his eyes and fell asleep.
After kneading for a while longer, A-Zhu stopped.
She gently placed Emperor Xuanpei's head on the side of the pillow, and then went to ask for a bowl of white fungus and pear soup to drink.
The person who came in to deliver the soup was Eunuch Chen. Originally, Eunuch Chen came to report back, but he saw Ah Zhu secretly making hand gestures to him.
Eunuch Chen quickly bowed and nodded, and then the two of them tiptoed to the outer hall.
When it came to those who served the emperor, A-Zhu was never stingy with kindness. Seeing Eunuch Chen gently place the soup in front of her, A-Zhu asked Eunuch Chen to sit down on a stool to the side.
With his bottom barely touching the bottom of the stool, Eunuch Chen said softly, "Your Majesty, it should take about two days to copy those scriptures. Does Your Majesty have any other instructions?"
Ah Zhu shook his head.
She first looked at the location of the small study, then at Eunuch Chen, her expression slightly worried.
"His Majesty is so burdened by paperwork and sits for long periods, which is harmful to his health, causing blocked acupoints and poor blood circulation... Chief Steward Chen, could you please find some physicians to help His Majesty improve his circulation?"
Seeing how concerned Ah Zhu was about Emperor Xuanpei's health, Chief Steward Chen's tone became even more intimate, though he wore a slightly bitter expression.
"It's so kind of Your Majesty to go to such lengths... Who can argue with that?"
"If His Majesty is unhappy, he will spend some time in the training ground practicing archery, stretching his muscles but only applying ointment."
"His Majesty dislikes being touched by others. It's fine if it's absolutely necessary, but if someone gets too close and wants to do something like massaging the shoulders or clearing the meridians... then forget about it."
A-Zhu: ......
All she wanted to do was to offer some words of concern, and then have the all-powerful Steward Chen find some people to massage Emperor Xuanpei's body, so that she could at least do him a favor.
But he never intended to take on all the work himself.
After Eunuch Chen finished speaking, A-Zhu nodded and coughed twice before speaking.
"The autumn air is hot and dry, Your Majesty, please take good care of your health."
Eunuch Chen looked at the soup bowl on the table and said, "This soup is getting cold. Your Highness, please drink it while it's hot."
"This servant will wait outside. Please feel free to give any instructions if you need anything."
A-Zhu nodded, and seeing Eunuch Chen leave, she began to drink the sweet soup.
Qingliu brought in the lamp and changed it.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty..."
"I will go in and keep watch."
Ah Zhu finished the soup in the bowl and put down the spoon.
"If His Majesty has no other instructions, I will stay in the small study with His Majesty tonight."
No one in Guanju Palace was nagging Azhu about any nonsense or rule violations. After Azhu finished washing up in the small study, Lüfu, who had been serving her, went to the inner chamber to bring over an embroidered quilt.
"It's cool at night, and the charcoal brazier is a bit too hot. I haven't dared to light it yet for fear that Your Highness might not feel well. Please be careful not to catch a cold."
A-Zhu quietly climbed onto the bed, but Emperor Xuanpei, with his eyes closed, habitually turned over and pulled A-Zhu into his arms.
Having already been held and pinched so many times, A-Zhu snuggled against Emperor Xuanpei's chest as if it were nothing new, then closed her eyes and fell asleep in the warm embrace.
......
Shou Kang Palace
Ever since she revealed the "meritorious service of the Marquis of Chengen" in front of Xuan Pei, Empress Dowager Shu has been able to rest and recuperate with peace of mind.
The fact that Azhu had miscarried was like a smear of "dirty blood" on Empress Dowager Shu's head.
The old lady was unwilling to get her hands dirty again, so she waited patiently for Emperor Xuanpei to deal with the dirty thing himself.
So, Empress Dowager Shu kept a close eye on the news in the palace while eagerly waiting, but she never received the good news that Emperor Xuanpei had dealt with the remnants of that "rebellious minister".
Not only did they not punish Lady Jiang, but they even confined the King of England's birth mother to her palace because of a few words.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Granny Li came in carrying a pile of things. "These are scriptures that the concubines in the palace have written to pray for your well-being."
Empress Dowager Shu didn't even bother to glance at it, and with an unhappy expression, she began to curse again: "Disloyal and unfilial wretch!"
"Even these things that don't exist know to covet my life, but he, on the other hand, only knows how to guard that remnant of the remnant."
"In my opinion, he is truly bewitched!"
Empress Dowager Shu, filled with resentment, seemed to remember something and looked at the pile of scriptures held in Li Mama's hands.
"They're all here?"
"Your Majesty, everything is here."
Knowing what Empress Dowager Shu meant, Granny Li carefully said, "...The one from Guanju Palace has also gone to Kunning Palace to pay her respects during her 'little month,' and she also performed the sutra this time."
As she spoke, Granny Li pulled out a stack of scriptures from inside.
"This is the 'Medicine Buddha Sutra' presented by Consort Jiang."
The people in the Imperial Secretariat copied A-Zhu's handwriting exactly, so naturally it lacked any strength or style. Empress Dowager Shu only glanced at it twice before snorting coldly and throwing it out.
"You heartless, wretched child, what are you trying to fool me with?!"
Seeing that A-Zhu had already left the palace, and since she was only pretending to be sick, Empress Dowager Shu, who was feeling stifled and confined in Shou Kang Palace, naturally couldn't stay in bed any longer.
Empress Dowager Shu threw off the covers and got up. Just as she was about to order the concubines in the palace to come and pay their respects to her the next day, she suddenly changed her mind.
Empress Dowager Shu lay back down.
"Granny Li, go to Kunning Palace and give the order that they come to Shou Kang Palace tomorrow to attend to my illness."
When Li Mama saw Empress Dowager Shu's expression, she knew that there was absolutely no way to persuade her otherwise.
But then he thought that Consort Jiang was not pregnant and her status was really low... Even if the emperor was angry, he should vent his anger now. Surely he wouldn't deny the Empress Dowager any dignity?
Thinking it over, Granny Li agreed to Empress Dowager Shu's instructions and turned to go to Kunning Palace.
......
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Author's Note: Ahhh, thank you so much for your support, my little darlings! So grateful! Hugs and kisses! [heart emojis]
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