Granny Qin draped a shawl over Song Yaozhu's shoulders, straightened her sleeves, and waited for her to lift her foot.
Song Yaozhu was still in a state of panic, wondering if she was pregnant, and couldn't quite come to her senses.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Song Yaozhu quickly shook her head and said, "I'm going out. If Your Highness returns early tonight..."
Halfway through her sentence, Song Yaozhu didn't know what to say. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to talk about it later that night.
The carriage drove smoothly to the entrance of the Prince of Yan's mansion. Song Yaozhu had been mentally preparing herself the whole way.
She thought that since she hadn't vomited or felt any discomfort, it meant that she was just experiencing menstrual irregularities.
After repeatedly convincing herself of this, Song Yaozhu's anxious heart gradually relaxed.
She wasn't afraid of getting pregnant, it's just that now wasn't the right time.
At the Prince of Yan's residence, the Dowager Consort had just finished practicing a set of Eight Pieces of Brocade. When she saw Song Yaozhu arrive, she finished the exercise and wiped the sweat off her face with a handkerchief.
"You've come at the right time. The Imperial Household Department sent me some new tea yesterday. Let's enjoy it together."
The nanny helped the Dowager Princess put on her outer robe, and the group went inside. After the maids served tea, the nanny led them away, leaving only the Dowager Princess and Song Yaozhu to talk.
"The letter has been sent to Dao'er, but the Ministry of War is probably not so easy to deal with."
Previously, Song Yaozhu had suggested to her that they plan carefully before acting. They should start with the Six Ministries and gradually replace their people with their own. After exchanging letters with the Prince of Yan, she agreed to this plan. However, this plan was very slow and dangerous. Every time they moved a ministry, the slightest mistake would arouse Yuwen Wuji's suspicion.
"Such a serious matter as the loss of military equipment by the Ministry of War has been investigated to no avail. There is no record of missing military equipment in the treasury's accounts. How did that batch of crossbows suddenly appear out of nowhere? The Ministry of War has a lot of problems. As long as we follow the clues, we can make it disintegrate from within."
Although the Empress Dowager didn't understand court affairs, she wasn't stupid either. The crossbow case had been going on for so long, and it still hadn't been thoroughly investigated, which showed that this "melon" was not easy to grasp.
"This matter still depends on you and Prince Xiaoyao," the Dowager said cheerfully. "I, an old woman, really can't handle it."
Song Yaozhu's smile remained unchanged, but she cursed inwardly: "Are they trying to get something for nothing? Making them provide both manpower and effort."
“If you can’t do it, isn’t there still the Prince of Yan? You can ask the Prince of Yan to send someone to Jianzhou to take a good look. As you know, the Prince and I cannot leave the capital at will. Even if we just go out of the city to visit the estate, the city gate guards will question us repeatedly.”
The Dowager Princess stroked her prayer beads, understanding that it was unreasonable to expect a horse to work without feeding it. She didn't insist, lest the horse harbor resentment and hold back when doing things.
"In that case, I will write a letter of divorce to Dao'er later."
The two talked about other things, and the Dowager Consort mentioned this year's Qionglin Banquet.
"The Consort Xian sent someone to discuss with me, saying that she wanted to combine this year's Qionglin Banquet and Spring Banquet. This would not only reduce expenses, but also help unmarried students find good matches. It would kill two birds with one stone."
Song Yaozhu's lips twitched. What kind of "killing two birds with one stone" was this? Besides, it was already the beginning of summer.
Come to think of it, there were so many things to do at the beginning of the year that many things were delayed. The Spring Festival banquet was one of them, and there simply wasn't time to hold it.
The main problem was that Tong Qian was in prison at the time, and Liu Jiaci couldn't afford to pay.
Things are different now. Tong Qian has confessed to his crimes, and the embezzled funds have all gone into the national treasury. Liu Jiaci now has the money to make use of her abilities.
"Then the name of this banquet will have to be changed?"
"It needs to be changed."
"Oh, right, the full-month celebration for Consort Zhen's child is also going to be held. I'm still racking my brains trying to figure out what to give as a gift. Have you thought about it yet?"
Although Song Yaozhu had fallen out with the Song family, on the surface, she was still her younger sister.
"I've made up my mind." Song Yaozhu smiled, thinking that since she couldn't give the message to Gao Ping last time, she would give it to Song Wenyue as a congratulatory gift instead.
A little fright can make you healthier!
The Dowager Princess thought for a long time and finally decided to give a longevity lock. Nothing is better than a child living a healthy life.
After Consort Zhen, Song Wenyue, finished her postpartum confinement, the Imperial Household Department hung up her green plaque. However, Yuwen Wuji now preferred the new concubines in the harem, and his visits to Song Wenyue were mainly to see the baby.
Song Wenyue didn't care if he stayed with her. She was someone who could have precognitive dreams. In her dreams, she and the Third Prince, while not exactly deeply in love, were still "in perfect harmony." Therefore, she felt that Yuwen Wuji was really useless at his age and should just find a eunuch instead.
"Your Majesty, there have been many matters in the palace lately. Now that I'm feeling better, I'd like to help Consort Xian and ease her burdens. But I'm afraid I'll be clumsy and cause her to dislike me..."
Yuwen Wuji played with his youngest son. He had thought he would never have another child in his life, so he especially loved this child. This child meant a great deal to him!
Listening to Song Wenyue's words, he understood that she wanted the power to manage the harem. But he wasn't angry about it, because he had given away this power, and it was only a matter of time before he wanted to take it back.
A woman can only become powerful by depending on him; without him, she is worthless. He also enjoys the women in his harem fighting for power for him, just like in the imperial court, where the struggle for power creates a system of checks and balances.
Suddenly, Yuwen Wuji stopped playing with his son, and Song Wenyue also stiffened, afraid that she might displease Yuwen Wuji.
Yuwen Wuji suddenly realized why he always felt restricted by the court officials: because the officials in the court had not formed a system of checks and balances!
He feared that his ministers' power would become too great and threaten his imperial authority, so he centralized power in his own hands. This created a situation where he was in opposition to all his ministers!
He's really something... he only realized it now!
However, to delegate power, he needed a trusted confidant. But would someone like him trust others?
Yuwen Wuji realized this crucial point, and he felt somewhat discouraged. He was truly reluctant to relinquish power; he had finally managed to consolidate it in his hands!
"Your Majesty...?" Song Wenyue tentatively asked, "If Your Majesty thinks I am not up to the task, then I will obediently stay in the palace and teach the children properly."
Yuwen Wuji waved his hand dismissively, "You should help Consort Xian, after all, there are so many things to do in the palace."
With Yuwen Wuji's words, Song Wenyue was overjoyed and served him even more diligently.
After returning home, Yuwen Wuji pondered whether he could cultivate someone to counterbalance the other officials.
The Crown Prince?
The Crown Prince is indeed a good choice; after his death, the Crown Prince will also be the one to inherit the throne.
However, he was still worried that the crown prince might have his own selfish motives and want to ascend the throne as soon as possible.
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