Chapter 7 The Uninvited Guest... But he was ultimately not that person's bone...
A light drizzle pattered on the eaves, and the bronze wind chimes swayed back and forth in the wind, striking the inner wall of the chimes and making a "ding-dong" sound that echoed throughout the spacious hall.
This was Pei Muwei's first time stepping into the inner hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
His gaze fell on a painting of a tiger being captured by drawing a bow and shooting an arrow, and in an instant, he let out a cold laugh.
The man in the painting is dressed in a bright yellow military uniform embroidered with cloud and dragon patterns, wearing a fox fur felt hat, riding a chestnut horse, with his arm outstretched and bow drawn, aiming at a tiger in the forest. His distinct features become even clearer in the flickering candlelight.
The man's face was so bland in my memory, but once I touched those familiar eyes and brows, the darkness that I had deliberately sealed in my memory was like vines struggling to break through the soil after the rain, binding him tightly.
"The Ninth Prince is a bastard, born to Consort Pei and a man from outside the palace."
"No wonder he doesn't have the surname Xiao, and Father never even gave that bastard Ninth Prince a second glance."
"You fatherless bastard, how dare you teach with us at Zishan Hall? Get out!"
"Tsk, do you know that this bastard's biological father was killed by his heartless mother long ago!"
On the layered niches, each memorial tablet is preceded by a tall, ever-burning lamp, the flickering light casting ever-changing shadows on the golden tablets.
The candle flame flickered inside the cup, and the scattered sparks gradually intertwined in his vision to form a blinding sea of fire.
Pei Muwei's eyes turned cold, and he unconsciously clenched his fists, his long fingers digging deep into his palms.
Everything here was incredibly hypocritical and filthy, so filthy that he wanted to set it on fire and turn these gilded and painted memorial tablets, which were meant to enjoy the incense offerings of the world, into ashes.
Just as Pei Muwei was barely able to control the violent emotions surging within him, suddenly, the woman's fragrant and delicate body fell into his arms, like a spring rain carrying the sweet scent of flowers, unknowingly extinguishing the increasingly fierce fire in his heart.
Pei Muwei lowered his eyes and gazed at the little empress dowager's beautiful face.
The woman tilted her head slightly, her skin was fair and delicate, and she looked as pretty as a porcelain doll. A blush of rosy red spread across the corners of her long eyes, making her look delicate and beautiful, yet also fragile and helpless.
Ripples spread across her eyes, and her red lips resembled flower petals wet with rain, making her look pitiful.
Almost as if he had been bewitched, he reached out and grabbed her slender waist.
The young empress dowager's waist was slender and supple; he squeezed the crimson brocade fabric until it wrinkled, and the taut fabric outlined the woman's full hips.
Pei Muwei's eyes suddenly darkened.
The retired Emperor Wu disregarded ethics and forcibly took the wives of his ministers.
If he truly inherited that man's bloodline, he should, in front of his elder brother's memorial tablet, fiercely take away his first wife.
Pei Muwei looked up at the portrait swaying in the wind and rain, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain.
But... he was not that person's flesh and blood after all.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, the boiling heat in his chest dissipated instantly, and he released his grip on the woman's waist.
Pei Muwei's expression remained unchanged, his voice clear and cold: "The ceremony is now complete. If Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is afraid of the thunder, I will immediately send someone to escort Your Majesty back to Fengqi Palace."
Chu Yueyuan felt a loosening around her waist, and the tightness in her chest eased up a bit.
However, in the blink of an eye, the lust in the man's eyes vanished, as if that moment had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination.
But the heat in her cheeks hadn't subsided, and a burning pain still lingered in her waist.
Chu Yueyuan quietly took a step back, creating distance between herself and the unpredictable Regent, and coughed lightly:
"I have heard that there is a lot of government affairs piling up in the court recently. I imagine that Minister Pei still has many memorials to deal with. I will just ride back in the phoenix carriage myself."
Regent, Minister Pei, Minister Pei...
The young empress dowager's tone remained unchanged, but the way she addressed people became increasingly distant with each word.
Pei Muwei chuckled inwardly, but slightly raised the corner of her lips: "Then Your Majesty, please rest early."
Chu Yueyuan quickly replied, "Pei Qingyi, please take care of yourself."
After exchanging perfunctory pleasantries, the emperor and his minister finally brought the dramatic investiture ceremony to a close.
———
Chu Yueyuan dragged her tired and heavy body back to Fengqi Palace. Jin Tong helped her remove the pearl hairpins from her hair one by one, and then took off her soaked robes.
After a quick wash, Chu Yueyuan changed into a comfortable plain-colored silk undershirt.
The woman's black hair was loosely tied up, secured only by a white jade hairpin. She leaned lazily against a low, rosewood couch, teasing Xiao Yun with a small, exquisite bamboo ball in her hand.
The bamboo ball woven from rattan is filled with colorful threads, and several silver bells are tied to the threads, making a crisp tinkling sound as the bamboo ball turns.
Xiao Yun sat on the corner of the bed, stretching out his short, stubby arms to catch the bamboo ball that Chu Yueyuan threw. Once he caught the ball, he would grin and giggle. Sometimes he would lean back and fall flat on his back, but he was not discouraged. He would stick out his little bottom and crawl to reach the ball.
"Did Your Majesty get caught in the rain? Should we have the Imperial Kitchen prepare a pot of ginger water so you can soak your feet and dispel the chill?"
Xu Mama was very meticulous. When she put away the imperial robes that Chu Yueyuan wore at today's investiture ceremony, she found that the inner garments were soaked with sweat.
Chu Yueyuan caught the bamboo ball that Xiao Yun threw to her, and smiled calmly: "The inner hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple is lit with more than a hundred ever-burning lamps, and it is as hot as a steamer. I sweated a little when I offered incense, but it's nothing."
Without any suspicion, Granny Xu carefully put the exquisitely embroidered robe into the wardrobe.
Xiao Yun caught the bamboo ball thrown by Chu Yueyuan, and he laughed heartily, swinging his arms excitedly at the same time.
The silver bells hanging inside the bamboo ball jingled instantly.
The familiar sound of the bell reminded Chu Yueyuan of the wind chimes swinging rapidly under the eaves of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the man's eyes, which were shimmering with a hint of red.
Just recalling it makes her break out in a cold sweat.
She shook her head vigorously, trying to reassure herself that it was just her imagination. If the regent truly harbored ill intentions towards her, he should have imprisoned her in a secluded palace and humiliated her... He would never have openly supported her to become empress dowager.
Chu Yueyuan snapped out of her thoughts and continued playing games with Xiao Yun.
The bloodshed and turmoil of the previous dynasty were blocked by the Regent, a malevolent dragon who could control everything, and not a single drop of it could reach the peaceful Phoenix Palace.
Pei Muwei eliminated traitors and reformed abuses in the court, and carried out sweeping reforms, which aroused resentment among many veteran officials.
Although the reform measures harmed the interests of prominent families, they received strong support from many officials from humble backgrounds.
The current court is a complex and intertwined place, with officials roughly divided into three factions. One faction consists of newly rich officials who wholeheartedly support the Regent's reforms; another faction consists of old ministers who advocate sticking to the old ways; and the remaining faction consists of ministers led by Prime Minister Shen who are observing from a distance.
Life went on uneventfully. Although Chu Yueyuan didn't go through as many trials as the Regent, she still encountered a thorny problem that troubled her.
That's like a poor man emptying his pockets—he's out of money.
Xiao Yun's grandfather, Emperor Wu, was undoubtedly a monarch with both literary and military prowess, and an ambitious mind.
During the more than ten years that Emperor Wu personally led his army, he subdued the various states on the borders of the Great Qi Dynasty with his million-strong army.
However, a million-strong army requires real money to build.
Emperor Wu set an example by reducing the monthly allowances of all the concubines in the harem. At that time, Emperor Wu's birth mother, Empress Dowager Chaoyun, made a sacrifice for her son's grand ambitions, voluntarily reducing her monthly allowance as Empress Dowager by three-quarters.
This greatly distressed Chu Yueyuan, who was short of money.
It is known that when Empress Dowager Chaoyun celebrated her birthday, the gifts presented by civil and military officials alone were worth ten thousand taels of gold, enough to equal three to five years' worth of revenue for the Phoenix Palace.
After flipping through the calendar, Chu Yueyuan couldn't help but sigh deeply, regretting that her birthday had just passed.
In another month it will be the Flower Festival. In Daqi, the Flower Festival is the second most important festival after New Year's Eve.
On the day of the Flower Festival, palace gardeners would decorate the entire imperial city with fresh flowers, and the emperor would host a banquet in the Qionglin Hall to invite his ministers and relatives to celebrate the festival together.
As per tradition, Chu Yueyuan, the mistress of Fengqi Palace, would distribute reward silver to the hundred or so palace servants in the palace on the eve of the Flower Festival. Only when the silver arrived would the palace servants work diligently.
Not only the Phoenix Perch Palace, but even the young emperor's Purple Palace required favors from all levels.
This is indeed a considerable sum of money.
After Granny Xu found out the amount of silver Empress Dowager Chaoyun had given her in previous years, Chu Yueyuan listened to the news and then calculated the valuables she had brought into the palace. For several days in a row, she lost her appetite.
On this day, the sky was clear and the golden glazed tiles, layered and interwoven, were bathed in sunlight, reflecting a dazzling golden light. The lifelike beasts on the ridges were set against the blue sky, exuding nobility and majesty.
Inside the Phoenix Perch Hall, in the warm pavilion.
Chu Yueyuan was holding Xiao Yun while looking at a comic book when Granny Xu lifted the purple bamboo curtain, quickly walked to the two young mistresses' sides, and solemnly curtsied.
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Lady Du has come to pay her respects."
Chu Yueyuan's smiling eyes suddenly lost their warmth.
Lady Du, the noblewoman, was the birth mother of her elder sister, Chu Wanxi. She was also the noblewoman from a prominent family whom Chu Shuheng had forgotten about his wife back in his hometown and was determined to marry.
When Chu Wanxi gave birth to a prince and was promoted to the rank of concubine, the entire Chu family benefited from the honor. Chu Shuheng was promoted from a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Water Resources to a fourth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, and even Lady Du received a fourth-rank imperial decree.
Chu Yueyuan still remembers the day when Du received the imperial decree conferring her title. Chu Shuheng's eyes and brows were full of joy. He ordered the steward to set up a grand banquet in the mansion and invite relatives and colleagues to be guests.
The banquet was packed with guests, and the atmosphere was lively with toasts and laughter.
The spirited man had probably long forgotten that day was also the anniversary of the death of his first wife, Madam Hu.
"Mother, my maternal grandmother has come to see me."
Xiao Yun's round pupils shone brightly. He tilted his head back, grinned, and said innocently, "Every time my maternal grandmother came to the palace... she would bring food from outside the palace."
Xiao Yun's childish voice interrupted Chu Yueyuan's thoughts.
On the first or fifteenth of each month, the concubines in the palace were allowed to visit their relatives, but her relatives outside the palace had long since passed away.
Chu Yueyuan's eyes flickered, and after a moment's thought, she straightened the tilted dragon crown on Xiao Yun's forehead, lowered her brows, and said gently:
"Your Majesty is now the Emperor of Great Qi. You must remember the difference between superiors and inferiors. Your Majesty must not call Lady Du 'maternal grandmother' anymore. You must call her 'Madam Du'."
Seeing the confusion in Xiao Yun's eyes, she added, "Otherwise, the Regent will punish His Majesty by making him learn to read..."
When children misbehave, parents often use a blue-faced, fanged demon to scare the crying child.
In Xiao Yun's mind, the taciturn Pei Muwei had long been categorized as belonging to the Yaksha faction.
Upon hearing his mother's words, Xiao Yun nodded without hesitation.
A moment later, the sound of palace servants bowing and greeting came from outside the hall. Du Shi, dressed in a blue silk robe and wearing a flower crown, stepped into the Phoenix Perch Hall with her back straight.
The palace maids on either side lifted the bamboo curtain, and Lady Du entered the warm pavilion. As if she hadn't seen the woman seated on the phoenix throne, she strode directly towards Xiao Yun, her eyes smiling, and said in a gentle voice:
"Yoona, your grandmother brought your favorite white jade cake and hibiscus pastry with her when she visited the palace this time..."
Xiao Yun kept Chu Yueyuan's words in mind. He sat steadily on the rosewood armchair, his short legs dangling in the air, trying hard to look away from the ivory food box in Du's hands, and said in a serious tone:
"Granny Xu, please offer a seat to Madam Du."
The smile on Madam Du's face froze on her lips. She was about to speak again when Granny Xu strode over and swiftly took the food box from her hands.
"Madam Du, the Regent has decreed that all meals presented to His Majesty must be carefully inspected by the eunuchs serving the emperor before they can be consumed."
Madam Du's face darkened, and she raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at Granny Xu. Her tone was displeased: "Granny Xu, you've become quite arrogant since you entered the palace as a head lady-in-waiting. I am a fourth-rank noblewoman personally appointed by the late Emperor, and I am also the maternal grandmother of the current Emperor. How could I possibly plot against His Majesty!"
Granny Xu carried an ivory food box, her face serious, her tone neither humble nor arrogant:
"His Majesty is the reigning emperor, and the Empress Dowager is the head of the harem. As a fourth-rank noblewoman, Lady Du is a subject. When a subject meets the two monarchs, he must perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows to show his respect. If Lady Du forgets the palace rules, this old servant can demonstrate them for you."
Du was speechless. She turned her gaze to the woman calmly sipping tea in the sandalwood armchair with a phoenix and peony design.
The warm pavilion was brightly lit. The young empress dowager wore a brocade dress with gold-embroidered flowers in the shape of four seasons. The front and cuffs were embroidered with lifelike peonies in fine gold thread, and the bright colors made her fair and delicate skin appear even more flawless.
Du's expression changed drastically. She lowered her eyes, knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Lady Du, pays respects to Your Majesty and Your Highness the Empress Dowager."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Thank you to readers "", "Jinjiang You Be Human", and "Fairy Meimei" for their unnoticed and generous support. Sending you love!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com