Chapter 37 The Willow Tree in the Breeze (Part 5) "May our ancestors bless our great nation..."
Lan Huaien's style of doing things has always been different from ordinary people, making him difficult to fathom. Even though she often served in front of the emperor, she dared not be entirely confident that she could completely guess his thoughts.
"Since the Bai family case, I haven't held much hope for Cao Fu's case; I've only been taking a gamble," he paused, looking up as he suddenly felt a numbness creeping through his body. "But to be honest, although I haven't had many opportunities to meet Your Highness, I've occasionally been able to discern some of His Majesty's thoughts. At that time, His Majesty was determined to clean up the bureaucracy, and anyone associated with Bai Cunzhang's crimes was severely punished. Since Lan Huai'en knew this, and there were many rumors circulating privately that he had persecuted Cao Hong, it was a good opportunity for him to comply with His Majesty's wishes and clear his name."
"As for Cao Hong's death, I did intend to use him to draw Your Majesty's attention to the Cao family, but everything took a turn from that point on. Later, Lan Huai'en learned that I had schemed against him and came to take revenge..."
Yan Chao understood and said, "That was the time when they falsely accused you of being involved in the Bai family's case and wanted to punish you with a beating in court?"
"yes."
So that's how it is. She later found out that Shen Wei had only attended a banquet. Lan Huaien wouldn't be so bold as to beat a mere official of the Eastern Palace to death for that. It turns out there was such a hidden story behind it.
Yan Chao paused for a moment, then frowned and asked, "You've said so much, but you still haven't answered the question I asked you."
Shen Wei's fingertips trembled slightly: "Your Highness, when I was thinking about Cao Hong's life and death, I was only concerned about whether His Majesty would keep an eye on the Cao family. I never expected that His Majesty would investigate Han Yu, who was implicated by Cao Hong, and thus implicate Mr. Meng."
His mistake was unintentional, yet he knew it was inextricably linked to his own miscalculation. Meng Huai was also his mentor; he was still considering how to plead for leniency when he was suddenly struck by the devastating news. His heart heavy, he finally kowtowed and said, "Your subject has indeed concealed something; I am willing to accept my punishment."
"You're apologizing to me? Do you think I won't do anything to you now, or do you think you have a clear conscience except for concealing the truth?" Yan Chao's face was full of anger. He sneered and tightened his grip on the cup.
That was a bit harsh. It was the first time she had clearly shown him a distance.
She knew perfectly well that she was somewhat resentful towards him, and at first, she didn't find anything unreasonable about his words, but her feelings became increasingly complicated. But it was that last sentence that made her completely lose her temper.
However, Shen Wei only said, "I feel ashamed."
Yan Chao was speechless with anger: "You..."
"Your Highness, there is one more thing." Shen Wei hesitated for a moment, but still did not hide it from him.
"you say."
"Last autumn, at Princess Yongjia's birthday banquet, Your Highness got drunk. When you left the banquet to sober up, you were not accompanied by your personal palace attendant. Fearing something might happen, I secretly followed you out and saw Cao Fu with you, not knowing where you were going. I chased after them, but was knocked unconscious halfway. Later, I vaguely saw Lan Huaien also following, and I don't know what happened after that."
"When I came to my senses, I had already returned home. But because I was hit on the head hard, I couldn't remember what happened that night, so I didn't have time to report to Your Highness."
"Later, when I decided to kill Cao Fu, I suddenly remembered what happened that night, but I felt that so much time had passed and nothing had happened, so there should be no major problems. However, I was also afraid that something might have gone wrong in secret, so Cao Fu absolutely could not be allowed to live..."
Yan Chao's expression turned serious: "Why didn't you tell me when you were going to make a move against him?"
With such arbitrary actions, how many things haven't been investigated? What's the point of just one person dying in confusion?
"I...I was afraid you would worry, so I acted impulsively..."
Seeing his dejected appearance, she felt a lump in her throat and finally sighed. She rubbed her temples and said softly, "Get up."
Shen Wei thanked him for his kindness. When he stood up, his knees were sore and numb. He took a breath and looked up. Yan Chao was already in front of him, reaching out his hand.
He paused, lowered his eyes, and didn't dare to take it. His expression remained unchanged as he struggled to his feet. Yan Chao withdrew his hand, his gaze indifferent.
He sat down and remained silent for a long while before saying, "Your Majesty, I will never deceive you again."
Yan Chao nodded: "Okay."
She glanced at his expression, silently stood up, and went to fetch the teapot. Just as she was about to pour him a cup, Shen Wei hurriedly took it, saying, "I dare not trouble Your Highness..."
But she deftly deflected his hand, glanced at him quietly, and then insisted on pouring him tea after withdrawing her hand. Shen Wei had no choice but to thank her softly.
Yan Chao chuckled softly: "You're the one who's acting all reserved, like a girl."
The atmosphere in the hall eased slightly. Chen Wei picked up a cup of tea and moistened his parched lips. The heavy weight that had been pressing on his heart for days suddenly lifted, bringing him even greater relief than when he learned of Cao Fu's death. He nodded almost imperceptibly, a little embarrassed, and said nothing more.
"I'm going to the Wenhua Hall later. Shall we go together, Tanze, or do we have somewhere else to go?"
Shen Wei put down his teacup and said softly, "If Your Highness has no further instructions, I will return to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."
He paused, then asked, "Your Highness and I have been estranged for so long. If we reconcile now, won't all our previous efforts be in vain?"
Yan Chao slammed her hand on the table and said gently, "A month of estrangement was for them to see. If you don't change your mind now, won't you become a pawn? Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
She silently stood up, about to walk out, but then turned back: "...Furthermore, judging from Tan Ze's current dejected look and forced smile, it makes one feel that I am forcing you to do something."
He lowered his eyes slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed: "I have lost my composure."
Yan Chao shook his head: "It's fine as it is now, but it's tough on you. You'll have a lot to deal with next, so be careful."
Stepping outside, I stood under the veranda and looked to the side. The setting sun, already half-submerged in the sprawling palaces, still retained a soft, pale golden light. A few clusters of clouds crowded and bustling in the sky were also gradually darkening.
She suddenly felt a sense of loss, and for a moment she felt as if her whole body had become light, and she suddenly had an urge to sink into it.
"Your Highness."
Shen Wei called to her from behind. Yan Chao responded softly, and the emptiness in her eyes vanished instantly.
She looked tired. Thinking of the emperor, Prince Xin, the court, and Lan Huaien, she was overwhelmed by everything around her and felt extremely exhausted from time to time.
She sighed and instructed Duan Shou to investigate what happened that night. Even though so much time had passed, she still dared not let her guard down.
.
As expected, the silkworm-raising ceremony was abandoned without any further developments.
However, the emperor suddenly relented at the end of March. The reason was that the silkworm farmers at the First Silkworm Altar reported that nearly 30% of the silkworms in the silkworm rearing room had died or been injured. In fact, it was not a big deal, but some recent events in the previous court had been making a lot of noise, and there was also some discussion in the Western Garden that the silkworm disease was related to the fact that the empress was without a ruler and that the emperor had not visited for many years, resulting in the decline of mulberry and silkworm production.
The emperor initially remained silent, but then suddenly remembered that Consort Ning in the harem came from a poor family in Jiangnan, and some people said that she had worked with her family in sericulture and was quite skilled in it. So he summoned Consort Ning and ordered her to go to the Altar of the Silkworm Goddess to inspect it.
Although there was no longer an empress dowager, and her actions were not considered presumptuous, her status was clearly different from before.
Consort Ning was still uneasy, so she went to the Altar of the First Silkworm to inspect the silkworm room and questioned the silkworm farmers in detail. Finally, she discovered the loopholes in the system.
She changed her clothes, and with a sling bag over her shoulder, she was so quick and cheerful that she was nothing like the favored concubine who had been in the palace for several years, all bluster and no substance. She truly looked like a woman from the common people, picking mulberry leaves and weaving hemp. The palace maid beside her looked at the bright light in her eyes and was momentarily incredulous.
“According to you, the silkworms were protected from the cold and heat without any damage. The charcoal under the basket was not too strong, and the mulberry leaves were continuous. Furthermore, the steps of checking the fire, the initial molting, and the removal from the fire were all fine, and the silkworm room was cared for day and night…” Consort Ning frowned, staring at the sick silkworm for a long time, and suddenly said, “Is the charcoal under the basket too weak? I think this disease is not an acute illness that occurred in one or two days, but rather seems to have accumulated gradually, spreading unevenly… The cause is not hard to find.”
The silkworm farmers looked at each other in surprise, not expecting that there were concubines in the palace who were skilled in silkworm raising.
One of them boldly spoke up: "Your Majesty's analysis is thorough, and we are completely convinced. If the source of the illness lies here, it can only be the work of a newcomer who is not very familiar with the silkworm rearing process..."
Consort Ning sighed, her brows furrowing slightly after careful consideration. Only after leaving the silkworm rearing room did she summon all the stewards, her expression growing cold.
"Investigate however you want. His Majesty and I only care about the results. Although the West Garden is remote, it is not a place for you to gossip in private. And you are still discussing matters of the previous dynasty. Don't you even value your lives?"
Everyone immediately knelt down in fear.
Consort Ning tossed her armband to the maid beside her, turned around and continued, "The matter of establishing an empress is not your concern. His Majesty sent me here merely to inspect the silkworm rearing room; there is no other deeper meaning. If I find anyone using this as an excuse to speak out of turn, I will not let them off lightly!"
Everyone prostrated themselves in agreement. She watched from above, noticing that several of the stewards were trembling violently, clearly harboring something to hide. The anomaly she suspected sank in her heart.
Consort Ning did not linger in the West Garden, and was preoccupied the entire way back to the palace in her sedan chair.
She was almost certain that someone was deliberately using this incident to push her back into the spotlight. The aftermath of the silkworm-raising ceremony had barely subsided, and the talk of establishing an empress in the inner palace lingered. The emperor had no intention of making her empress; she was simply afraid of implicating the crown prince.
Just as the sedan chair entered the long street of the Western Six Palaces, a eunuch suddenly rushed up and nearly bumped into the palace servants carrying the sedan chair in his haste.
"Your Majesty, Consort Lin is in trouble!"
When Yan Chao heard the news and was about to go to Yongning Palace, news came that Consort Lin had accidentally eaten something cold, but fortunately the imperial physician arrived in time and she was fine.
However, whether it was truly an accident or something deliberately done, Consort Ning has already reported to the Emperor and is awaiting a thorough investigation.
This spring was far from peaceful, with one problem after another arising from the very beginning of the year. The Eastern Palace of the Yan Dynasty was relatively peaceful, but she never dared to relax her vigilance.
Then came Qingming Festival, and this year's palace sacrifices were slightly different from previous years.
Last autumn, Yang Ren, the Minister of Rites, suggested that according to custom, sacrifices should be offered at the Fengxian Hall and the Shangling Mausoleum during the three festivals of Qingming, Zhongyuan and Winter Solstice every year. The inner hall and the outer mausoleum were quite complicated. Therefore, the sacrifices at the Shangling Mausoleum during the Winter Solstice were later abolished, and the Zhongyuan sacrifice was moved to Shuangjiang. The Qingming sacrifices remained the same.
This sacrificial ceremony was held more solemnly than the last one, as it was held longer in the past. As Yan Chao became familiar with the relevant matters with Yang Ren, she still needed to carefully review all the rituals, even though there were precedents and she had been familiar with them in previous years, to prevent any mistakes.
After the sacrificial ceremony at Fengxian Hall was completed on Qingming Festival, everyone left the hall, but Yan Chao stayed a while longer after the emperor left.
The main hall was brightly lit by candles, and rows of shrines to the emperor and empress were clearly visible, with their tablets placed on the gilded thrones. She knelt on the prayer mat, closed her eyes for a long time, but her mind remained completely blank.
After a while, my thoughts began to wander.
She couldn't help but think that if her ancestors were truly watching from heaven, they would surely have recognized that she was a woman.
Since everything has been peaceful until today, and now he is kneeling here as the crown prince, he can be considered fortunate.
He then kowtowed very devoutly, closed his eyes, and silently prayed in his heart, "May our ancestors bless our Great Qi with peace and prosperity."
When she opened her eyes again, she could see the memorial tablet of Empress Wenshu at the very end, and below that was the memorial tablet of Empress Wenhui. She silently got up, but dared not go too close. She stood there for a long time, feeling a warmth in her heart. She blinked, forcibly suppressing the bitterness in her eyes.
What pulled him back to reality was the sound of footsteps suddenly entering from outside the hall.
Yan Chao turned around and looked back.
"Your Highness." Lan Huaien did not approach, but bowed from a distance.
As Yan Chao walked out, he asked, "Did His Majesty summon me?"
Lan Huaien shook his head: "No."
Author's Note:
① For information on silkworm farming, please refer to the Ming Dynasty historical record, "The Deeds of Stepmother Zhu Ruren".
②For information on the reform of sacrificial rites, please refer to "History of Ming Dynasty, Funeral Rites, Visiting Imperial Tombs and Temples".
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