Chapter 143 The True Face of Mount Lu When the Fucha family was mentioned, the Empress's first reaction was...
Speaking of the Fuca family, the Empress's first thought was of the Shaji Fuca clan, as this was the most illustrious branch of the Fuca clan. During the reign of the late Emperor, Ma Qi of the Fuca clan served as a Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, and several of his brothers also held important positions in the court. Unfortunately, because Ma Qi pleaded for the Eighth Prince regarding the matter of re-establishing the Crown Prince, the late Emperor was furious, dismissed him from his position as Grand Secretary, and transferred him to the frontier to manage diplomatic affairs. His brothers were also implicated and all were dismissed from their posts. As for other members of the Fuca clan, there were one or two good ones, but none of them were as outstanding as this Fuca clan.
"The Fucha family Your Majesty mentioned, is it...?" The Empress was unsure which Fucha clan it was, so she asked.
Yinreng said, "I plan to transfer Ma Qi back to the capital before the end of the year." Firstly, the late emperor had left a will before his death, and secondly, he also wanted to win over and divide his former political enemies. The Fucha family was one of the families he chose to show off his favor to others.
That was exactly what she had in mind. The Empress was momentarily unsure whether this marriage was a good thing or a bad thing. Although the Fucha family had produced many talented individuals, they were, after all, considered traitors by the late Emperor, and currently all commoners. However, seeing that Ma Qi had been transferred to the capital, it seemed the Emperor still intended to use him.
After much deliberation, the Empress concluded that marrying Wulinzhu to one of Ma Qi's descendants would be acceptable. However, did the Ma Qi family even have anyone of marriageable age? Could it be that the Emperor was considering Ma Qi's youngest son?
Seeing the Empress deep in thought with her head down, Yinreng assumed she was somewhat dissatisfied and asked, "What do you think?"
The Empress raised her head and replied, "The Fucha family is indeed excellent." She smiled, a smile she hadn't shown in a long time.
Yinreng smiled and sighed, "Although I have chosen Lady Fuca, I have not yet decided on a consort. I will bestow the marriage upon her after I have considered it."
The Empress nodded gently in agreement. After a while, she took the opportunity to bring up the imperial concubine selection, "There is something I need Your Majesty's instruction on. It has been three years since Your Majesty held a selection of concubines. Should we hold one next year?" This is a major event, and if we are to hold a selection, we should start preparing now.
It's been quite a while now. Yinreng thought to himself that he had never held a selection of concubines, and the imperial family members dared not marry. It was time to choose some women for them. After making up his mind, Yinreng said, "I will issue an edict to the Ministry of Rites in the next few days. As for the selection of concubines after the New Year, you and the Consort can discuss it."
After the Golden Festival, Fucha Maqi was indeed transferred back to the capital, not only reinstated to his original position but also granted the title of Second-Class Earl. The Empress was even more pleased upon hearing this news. Although his title was not as high as that of the Tong family's First-Class Duke, it was still quite good. She then said, "Summon the matrons who are selecting the concubines in a while, and also inquire with the Imperial Household Department about the progress of the renovations to the temporary residences for the Eight Banners' concubines." Since the Emperor remembered Wulinzhu, she would reciprocate by keeping the most beautiful women for the Emperor to choose from among his concubines.
After giving these instructions, she remembered something else and said to Granny Shuang, "The following days are all big occasions, so please move the position of the Countess of the Fucha family forward in Jingren Palace."
Granny Shuang replied cheerfully, "Don't worry, Master, this old servant understands."
This year's New Year went exceptionally smoothly; the Empress felt it was the most peaceful New Year she had ever experienced in the new dynasty. So, after the two major holidays of New Year's Day and the Lantern Festival, she busied herself with the selection of concubines. Although the Emperor had said that she and the Consort would be in charge of the selection, she didn't know if the Consort was happy about new women entering the harem, but she figured she probably wasn't. Therefore, the Empress didn't let the Consort handle the preliminary and final selections at all, only allowing her to check the items provided by the Imperial Household Department for the candidates. Although the Consort seemed unhappy, she didn't say anything and went to work.
In February, the shortlisted candidates all entered the palace, and it was time to choose a date for the second round of selections. The list of shortlisted candidates had already been sent to the Empress. The candidates were arranged according to their family background, with the first dozen or twenty on each list being the most outstanding in appearance. The Empress looked at these lists, nodded and smiled, and then took them to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"Your Majesty has worked hard." After looking at the list, Yinreng put it aside and waved his hand. Soon, the servants in the hall brought tea. He said, "The Guarjia clan also has young ladies to be selected this year. If you have any suitable young men, I can bestow marriages upon them."
The Empress suddenly realized that the Emperor had seen everything she had done, and said with satisfaction, "Guarjia clan will naturally listen to the Emperor."
Yinreng nodded, but for a moment he couldn't decide where to send the third young lady of the Guarjia clan, so he said, "Then I'll think about it."
The Empress smiled and said yes. After a while, she added, "There are quite a few outstanding beauties among the candidates this year; the Emperor might like them."
She had already thought it through. There were quite a few empty spaces in the Chuxiu Palace, Yikun Palace, and Qixiang Palace among the Western Six Palaces. Naturally, Yikun Palace was meant to assist the Empress Dowager, and it wouldn't be appropriate for a newcomer to stay there immediately upon entering the palace—it seemed to have a hidden meaning. However, if the Emperor wanted to take a noblewoman from a high-ranking family to live there, that would be fine too; ultimately, everything depended on the Emperor's wishes.
Unexpectedly, the Emperor's words disrupted the plans she had already made in her mind.
Yinreng said in a deep voice, "The Empress Dowager's one-year mourning period has not yet ended, and I have no intention of taking in a new concubine. However, it is the imperial family and relatives who can have some happy events."
The Empress was stunned by his words and blushed deeply. Even after returning from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the embarrassment on her face hadn't faded; it burned as if branded. So, upon arriving at Jingren Palace, she knelt before the Buddha statue, her face contorted with shame, and silently prayed: "Grand Empress Dowager, please forgive me."
Three months ago, the second round of the imperial concubine selection had concluded, awaiting only the Emperor's decree to decide the future of the selected women. However, before that, the Empress received devastating news at Jingren Palace: the Emperor had decreed a marriage for Wulinzhu. The chosen one was not a member of the Fucha Maqi family, but rather Fucha Fuqing, the second son of Fucha Maqi's fourth brother, Li Rongbao. At the same time, Fuqing was promoted to the position of second-class imperial guard in the palace.
The Empress was completely stunned. She had always believed that the Emperor favored the Fucha Maqi branch of the family!
Furthermore, the Emperor only bestowed the title of nobility upon Fucha Maqi before the new year and ordered him to resume his original post as a Grand Secretary, but no one else in the Fucha family ever took up an official position again. How could the Emperor allow Wulinzhu to marry elsewhere? The Emperor's daughter, a princess of the Qing Dynasty, was actually married to a minister's family who wasn't even allowed to come to the Forbidden City during festivals—how ironic, how shameful!
Why is the Emperor doing this?! Didn't we agree beforehand that we would choose a good consort for Wulinzhu?!
The Empress's hands trembled uncontrollably, and her lips soon turned pale. Seeing the Empress's complexion worsen, Granny Shuang hurriedly comforted her, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please don't worry." She was afraid that something might happen to the Empress, which would make it seem like the Empress was dissatisfied with the Emperor. She quickly reached out to pat the Empress's back, while a bitter feeling welled up inside her as she did so.
Their Jingren Palace has been declining year by year in recent years!
The Empress finally caught her breath after a long while. Her mind was blank, with only the face of Granny Shuang appearing particularly large in her eyes. This was someone bestowed upon her by the late Emperor, the nanny who had taught her since childhood. Now that her own mother had passed away, only Granny Shuang remained by her side.
The Empress looked over with sorrow, tears glistening in her eyes. She took Shuang Mama's hand, her words tumbling out helplessly, "Mama, what should I do? What should I do?" She had done her utmost as Empress, so why had things turned out this way? What had she done wrong?!
Seeing the Empress's state, Granny Shuang felt a surge of anger within her. She gently but playfully comforted her, "Your Majesty, don't worry. As the saying goes, 'Man proposes, God disposes,' and nothing in this world is absolute." She noticed the Empress's recent focus on the selection of concubines and thought the Empress might be trying to make the newcomers compete for the Emperor's favor. She said softly, "Your Majesty, you are far too hasty."
The Empress didn't understand her implied meaning at all. "Wh...what?"
Granny Shuang sighed and slowly said, "Ever since the time of the Prince's birth, the Imperial Concubine has enjoyed unparalleled favor. At first, there were new concubines who could share some of it, but gradually, the Imperial Concubine somehow won over the Emperor's heart, and this has lasted for many years. However, I've come to understand that old clothes are worse than new ones, and old friends are worse than new ones. The Emperor values the Imperial Concubine precisely because of this. Therefore, it will be difficult for you to promote new concubines at this time."
The Empress stared at her in surprise, her eyes wide. "Is that what you're thinking?"
Granny Shuang looked intently at the Empress and lowered her voice, "Your Majesty, as long as you remain calm, no matter what happens, you will still be the Empress." Seeing that the Empress still couldn't grasp the situation, she wanted to elaborate further: "It's alright if we can't rely on the Emperor for the time being, but there's always the future! Consort Gui... Consort Ke... we're not afraid that they won't come to win us over."
Ha, the Empress is too soft and too upright right now, which is why the Consort and Consort Ke haven't started fighting. If the Empress were to show favoritism, well, for the sake of the title of legitimate son, they would go to great lengths to win her over. Of course, they still need to carefully consider which side to choose.
Even Granny Shuang herself hasn't figured it out yet!
The advantage of Consort Yi is that she's naive and easy to manipulate; the disadvantage is that she enjoys immense favor. For Jingren Palace, betting on her is merely adding to her glory, not something to claim credit for. As for Consort Ke, although she has the eldest son, she's out of favor. For them, her presence would be a lifeline. However, Consort Ke's character is questionable; she's full of schemes and manipulative schemes, and after years of being frustrated and unsuccessful, she's likely become shriveled up. What if, once she rises up, she only cares about herself and abandons them? Not to mention, when the late Emperor passed away, she dared to bypass the Empress to serve at Ning Shou Palace—her ambition was evident. They must be wary.
Granny Shuang explained these principles to the Empress in great detail, and finally concluded: "Your Majesty, it's okay to swallow your anger for a while, but what's terrible is to suffer injustice for a lifetime. Once you understand this, you can promote whomever you want, not only the Fucha family, but also your maternal family."
As she spoke, Granny Shuang revealed a confident smile. However, she was so engrossed in her conversation that she overlooked the Empress's increasingly terrified gaze. It was only after a long while that Granny Shuang noticed something was wrong with the Empress.
The Empress seemed to be seeing Shuang Mama for the first time in a long time; her face was even paler than before. Trembling all over, she asked in a hoarse, incredulous voice, "Is this what you think? Is this what you think of me?"
Granny Shuang rushed forward to help her, "Your Majesty!" But the Empress kept backing away, as if looking at a twisted monster. Granny Shuang was stunned by such a gaze and froze on the spot, not daring to move.
The Empress finally understood why she had ended up this way, and why she had implicated her daughter. If even Granny Shuang thought this way, if even Granny Shuang viewed her this way, then did the Emperor think the same way? In the Emperor's eyes, was she disloyal, unfilial, and unjust?
But she swore she wasn't like that! She had never thought that way; from beginning to end, she wanted to be a virtuous empress, and she harbored no evil intentions! She was even willing to be tortured to prove her innocence.
The Empress felt waves of despair wash over her.
Because no one will punish her, no one will believe her, they will only think she is hypocritical and despicable.
She clutched her chest, unwilling to look at Granny Shuang any longer, her body trembling as she said, "Get...out...you...get out."
Granny Shuang felt a surge of anxiety. She thought, "Even now, why can't you be more perceptive?" But seeing the Empress cowering in fear, she dared not speak. After a long while, Granny Shuang retreated, tears welling in her eyes. The palace maids, including Su Xin, who were guarding outside, had already sensed something was wrong and rushed in.
Before long, the sound of the Empress sobbing could be heard from inside the room.
Granny Shuang staggered out, thinking, "It's all over, it's all over now."
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