The broken porcelain on the ground had not yet been cleared, which became He Qing's best starting point. "This is the Empress's favorite set of porcelain. Could it have been accidentally dropped? That would be such a pity. This set was fired during the reign of Emperor Hui, and later generations could never produce such fine colors."
As she spoke, she squatted down, picked up a piece of broken porcelain, placed it in the palm of her hand, shook her head and sighed.
"Can't you see I'm angry? Instead of trying to comfort you, you're just looking at the porcelain." The Empress Dowager scolded her. But after being interrupted by He Qing, her mood calmed down a little.
He Qing then asked with a smile, "Who made the Empress Dowager so angry? She deserves to be punished!"
The Empress Dowager's voice sank. "The law doesn't punish everyone. He's got a good plan! I was just angry for a moment. If he really punishes me, I'm afraid I won't be tolerated in this court anymore!"
"What do you mean?" He Qing showed a little panic. "Your Majesty, are you worried about the affairs of the court?"
"It's about the Ruizhou incident," the Empress Dowager said. "It's a civil uprising. Since it has a cause, it just needs to be resolved. Wouldn't a real war be a waste of money and manpower? Yet, the ministers at court all seem to think war is necessary. They don't consider that the court is now somewhat stable, and if war breaks out, I'm afraid new trouble will arise."
"So it's about this." He Qing put down the broken porcelain pieces in his hand and said to the Grand Empress Dowager, "I don't understand what's going on outside, but if Your Majesty is not angry, I have something to say."
"What?"
"This battle really needs to be fought."
The Empress Dowager's face turned pale with anger. "Why, you're the one asking for help too?"
"I'm an outsider, and a woman at that. Who would ask me to be their lobbyist? Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation," He Qing said calmly. "Regardless of external affairs, it is precisely because the court is currently unstable that this battle must be fought."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Perhaps because He Qing was not a person with a vested interest, the Empress Dowager was more patient.
He Qing said, "During the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu was one of the Five Hegemons and a powerful nation. However, King Zhuang of Chu died young due to illness, and the ten-year-old King Gong of Chu ascended the throne, plunging Chu into crisis. To stabilize the situation, the Queen Mother, acting as the acting governor, consulted with the ministers and decided to ally with Qi to attack Lu. I've also heard that to alleviate internal divisions and conflicts, the grassland peoples often band together and launch military operations against the Central Plains. Grand Empress Dowager, please consider why this is the case."
The Empress Dowager had also read a great deal of history, so she naturally understood the meaning of the music. "Having a common enemy outside can smoothly divert conflicts, which is actually conducive to internal unity."
"That's right," He Qing nodded. "Ruizhou is certainly a minor problem, but if it can boost the prestige of the court and rally the ministers to work together, then even if we mobilize a large force, what's the harm? We need to mobilize a large force, so that everyone knows that the country remains stable."
He Qing did not immediately answer Empress Dowager Zhang's question. He slowly finished a painting, then rubbed his wrist, turned his neck, and said with his head tilted, "It's Emperor Taizu."
Empress Dowager Zhang stood beside her, holding the table. Upon hearing this, she opened her eyes wide and looked at her and then at the painting.
Although the Tianzhang Pavilion housed portraits and calligraphy of the ancestors of the Chu Dynasty, this confidential location was accessible only to the emperor and important ministers. Bringing ministers to the Tianzhang Pavilion to view calligraphy and pay homage to the ancestors was a way for the emperor to demonstrate his trust. This practice, passed down to this day, has become the highest form of courtesy for ministers.
Although He Qing was a princess of the Chu Dynasty royal family, she had never been to the Tianzhang Pavilion or even the ancestral temple. How could she know the appearance of Taizu and even draw it?
But Empress Dowager Zhang didn't ask.
Perhaps it was precisely because they had both once been unknown that she understood more clearly how much He Qing had changed. In Empress Dowager Zhang's view, there was something mysterious about He Qing. But since this mystery offered no harm to her, she naturally didn't question it. There are many things in this world that cannot be revealed to others.
She followed He Qing's lead and thought about it, then asked another question, "Are you going to pretend that Taizu has entered your dream?"
He Qing nodded and whispered, "You are pregnant with a prince, so it makes sense that your ancestors appeared in your dreams. And Emperor Taizu, who protected the Chu Kingdom, gave advance warning, so no one dared to neglect it. However, to make this happen, we need a prop. This painting is a self-portrait of Emperor Taizu, hidden in the Ganguang Palace and never shown to the public. Please write it down and take people to find it as evidence."
Empress Dowager Zhang nodded slightly, and did not ask how she knew about the portrait that had never been shown to anyone. She just memorized a few features of the portrait.
He Qing instructed Empress Dowager Zhang to memorize the entire painting, then opened the incense burner, lit the charcoal fire and burned it. The remaining ashes merged into the incense ash, leaving almost no trace.
The two discussed the details again, and He Qing said goodbye and left. Empress Dowager Zhang began to take a nap with the people around her waiting for her.
The day passed quietly, but Empress Dowager Zhang was awakened by a dream that night, and her sleep was not peaceful. Aunt Qiu asked about the dream, but she was given a random excuse, which made her feel a little confused.
Over the next few days, whenever Empress Dowager Zhang went to sleep, she would inevitably wake up with a start. Her facial expression changed from initial uncertainty to fear and trepidation, with her mind hesitating to speak.
Aunt Qiu privately reported the matter to the Empress Dowager and even asked He Qing to ask her to find out what was going on and appease the woman, but it was ineffective.
Seeing that the problem was getting worse, the Empress Dowager had to take time out to visit her. Since she was here, she had to ask her what she had dreamed about.
Only then did Empress Dowager Zhang dismiss everyone and say to the Grand Empress Dowager, "This is absurd. I didn't dare believe it at first, but I've had the same dream repeatedly lately. I remember every word clearly, and the signs mentioned have all come true. I have no choice but to believe it."
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