Chapter 21: Saving face and saving life, which is more important? Yan Shu naturally...
The old minister who came to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Zhao Jing was Ning Guojun's most trusted confidant Jiang Yin. He now held the position of Imperial Censor in the court, and usually performed supervisory duties.
Even though Xiao Yu had already ascended the throne, Jiang Yin still felt a pang of resentment. He believed that if Empress Dowager Zhao Jing's youngest son, Prince Jin, had not died young, Xiao Yu would never have been crowned the crown prince.
What's more, Xiao Yu was not content with being the crown prince. He even dared to commit treason and kill his own uncle with his own hands to seize the throne of the country. With such a cruel heart, he was definitely not a good person.
Furthermore, forcing the previous king's beauties to serve him was even more despicable. Now, barely a month after ascending the throne, he was already embarking on a massive construction project, building the Luo Palace for his own pleasures. Jiang Yin was deeply dissatisfied with every detail of this.
So when Empress Dowager Zhaojing returned to the palace, Jiang Yin couldn't wait to come and complain.
At this moment, Jiang Yin was playing chess with Empress Dowager Zhao Jing in front of the table. While holding the chess pieces, he frowned and looked at the Empress Dowager with a look of deep sorrow.
"The king has just ascended the throne, and the people's hearts are not yet stable. It is a bit too extravagant to start a large-scale construction project to build the Luo Palace.
"Furthermore, those sycophantic officials at court have praised the king's actions, turning this wasteful and costly undertaking into a demonstration of divine authority and a permanent stabilization of the nation."
"Every one of them is quoting scriptures and speaking in grandiose and eloquent terms in the court. In my opinion, they are not thinking about the interests of the Xiao Kingdom at all. They are just fawning and flattering!"
After a pause, Jiang Yin made a move angrily, and then looked at Empress Dowager Zhao Jing in front of him with some earnestness.
"Now that the Queen Mother has returned to the palace, she is the King's closest elder. I beg you to speak more to the King and try to curb and dissuade him. If this extravagant lifestyle is allowed to continue, I'm afraid the people will complain before the Luo Palace is even completed. By then, the very foundation of the Xiao Kingdom will be shaken."
When Empress Dowager Zhao Jing heard what Jiang Yin said, her eyebrows slowly furrowed.
"There are quite a few empty palaces in the palace. Why would His Majesty suddenly want to build this Luo Palace?"
Jiang Yin sighed heavily upon hearing this: "Everyone in the court says that the treasury is full and that the Naluo Palace was built to demonstrate the majesty of the Daxiao Palace. But in my opinion, this is clearly just a pretense of self-indulgence.
Jiang Yin was furious, and the more he spoke, the more indignant he became. He could only sigh that no one in the court dared to oppose him, for they were all afraid of touching King Xiao's sore spot and ending up with a miserable death.
The empress dowager narrowed her eyes slightly and was about to say something when she saw the attendant come in and whisper something respectfully.
"Empress Dowager, Lady Yan has come to pay her respects. Please come and see her."
Empress Dowager Zhao Jing frowned slightly, with some surprise in her eyes.
It seemed that he was also wondering why Yan Shu came here suddenly.
Jiang Yin, who was standing nearby, heard this and his expression suddenly changed. He immediately left the chess table, stepped forward, bowed, and said in a deep voice, "Queen Dowager, please forgive me for saying something. I heard a few days ago that the king had specially made a jade couch out of the tribute of the Hu people and gave it to Lady Yan to escape the summer heat."
After saying this, his face was filled with dissatisfaction. "That cold jade is a rare treasure. According to ancestral rules, only the Queen Mother and the Queen in the harem are qualified to enjoy it. Ordinary concubines are not qualified to touch it. Now, the King has thrown even the ancestral etiquette and laws to the winds in order to favor a beautiful woman!"
As Jiang Yin spoke, a hint of resentment flashed in his eyes, as if he had thought of something, and the subject suddenly changed.
"I, this old minister, would venture to speculate that the king's recent urgency to renovate Naluo Palace is probably related to this Concubine Yan."
Empress Dowager Zhao Jing lowered her eyes and listened to Jiang Yin's words. A hint of coldness flashed across her eyes, and her face returned to calm in an instant.
She raised her eyes to look at Jiang Yin, whose face was filled with worry and anger, and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too low, revealing her dignity: "I already know what Elder Jiang said."
"The king is young after all, and sometimes he acts with imprudence. I will give him some serious advice when I see him in the next few days."
With Empress Dowager Zhao Jing's words, Jiang Yin felt assured. After bowing and leaving Suning Palace, he met Yan Shu who was waiting outside the palace.
Seeing him in his official uniform, Yan Shu recognized him as the Imperial Censor Jiang Yin. She was about to nod in greeting, but Jiang Yin snorted coldly, casually bowed to her, and walked away without looking back.
Qing Tao, who was standing behind him, was immediately furious when she saw Jiang Yin like this. She whispered, "Princess, you saw that! That person just now actually dared to show you a bad face!"
Not to mention Qingtao, Yan Shu was naturally very angry because she was treated coldly for no reason.
This Jiang Yin, in her previous life, had written a letter to impeach Xiao Yu in all kinds of ways during the two years when Xiao Yu doted on her. Now that she has been reborn, she is still as annoying as ever.
Just when Yan Shu was feeling angry, she finally received a message from the empress dowager.
Yan Shu had no choice but to hold her breath and follow the eunuch leading the way into the hall.
As soon as he stepped into the inner room, he saw Empress Dowager Zhao Jing leaning on the couch. A Go set was placed on the small sandalwood table in front of her. She was twirling a white chess piece with her fingertips, as if thinking about where to place it.
"Your concubine Yan respectfully wishes the Empress Dowager well." Yan Shu stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the woman in front of her.
But Empress Zhao Jing sat back on the couch, her eyes fixed on the chessboard on the small table.
She held a white piece between her fingertips, suspended in mid-air, as if firmly attracted by the criss-crossing chessboard. She seemed to be oblivious to Yan Shu's greeting, and did not even lift her eyelids.
Yan Shu maintained her saluting posture, her neck slightly sore. But after a moment, the hall was so quiet that she could almost hear her breathing, but there was still no movement from Empress Dowager Zhao Jing.
Yan Shu sighed softly, then slowly bent forward again, her voice slightly higher than before: "Your concubine Yan, respectfully wishes the Empress Dowager well."
This time, Yan Shu was sure that her voice was much louder than before.
But Empress Dowager Zhao Jing still looked unmoved, the black spots had not fallen yet, and her profile appeared particularly indifferent in the candlelight, with a faint sense of invisible pressure.
Yan Shu's heart sank. Empress Dowager Zhao Jing's deliberate coldness was not just a sign of her not hearing anything, but a sign that she was unwilling to respond and just wanted to intimidate her.
If it were according to Yan Shu's temperament in her previous life, she would have been so angry that she would have left after being treated so coldly.
Back then, she believed she had Xiao Yu to lean on, and her behavior was quite arrogant. But now that she understood the situation, Yan Shu dared not offend Empress Dowager Zhao Jing again. Even though she felt a surge of humiliation in her heart, she endured it.
After all, Yan Shu knew very well that she had stepped into the Suining Palace today just to please Empress Dowager Zhao Jing. If she couldn't bear this little embarrassment, wouldn't all her previous plans be in vain?
Yan Shu naturally knew which was more important, face or life.
The incense in the hall had burned for half a circle, and just when Yan Shu's waist was about to feel numb, Empress Dowager Zhao Jing finally dropped the black piece between her fingers onto the chessboard.
Then she raised her eyes to look at Yan Shu, who was still maintaining the saluting posture. A hint of realization appeared on her well-maintained face, and her tone carried a hint of genuine and fake apology.
"Oh, look at my memory. I didn't even notice when Yan Ji came. Please don't be polite."
Yan Shu stood up as she was told. Her waist was still a little stiff, but she had a smile on her face and lowered her eyes meekly.
The palace maid came forward at the right time and brought a rush mat for Yan Shu. She thanked her before kneeling down and sitting down.
"But it's my fault that I asked you to be so polite just now." The Queen Mother had a half-smile on her face.
"The Empress Dowager is in a good mood, so I dare not disturb her," Yan Shu said softly, her eyes falling on the chessboard.
Empress Dowager Zhao Jing hummed lightly, then picked up another black dot and rubbed it gently with her fingertips. "When I have nothing to do, I like to play with these things to pass the time. But Yan Ji suddenly came here today. I'm afraid she didn't just come to pay her respects to me."
Yan Shu was slightly stunned when she heard this. Knowing that Empress Dowager Zhao Jing was a smart person, she stopped beating around the bush and turned around to take the wooden box brought by Qingtao behind her, holding it in both hands and presenting it.
"I recently acquired a pair of jade bracelets. They are of exceptional quality. I heard that the Empress Dowager enjoys playing with these jades, so I'm taking the liberty of sending them to you today. I hope you won't mind."
The sandalwood box was opened, revealing a pair of jade bracelets that glowed faintly and felt cool and warm to the touch.
Empress Dowager Zhao Jing glanced at her but didn't offer her hand. She only said, "Yan Ji is thoughtful, but I have no shortage of gold, silver, or jewelry in my palace. Your filial piety is truly precious."
Yan Shu lowered her head and lowered her voice: "I have only been your concubine for a short time, and I don't know how to behave in many things. I am afraid that I may have accidentally violated many rules recently. If I do anything inappropriate in the future, I hope that the Queen Mother will give me some advice for my humble consideration."
From her words, it was clear that Yan Shu was seeking asylum.
The moment Yan Shu finished speaking, Empress Dowager Zhao Jing paused holding her hand, and finally raised her eyes to look at her, a trace of genuine surprise flashing in her eyes: "Yan Ji is now favored by the king. I heard that a few days ago, the king even gave you a cold jade couch to cool off. Who in the harem doesn't envy your glory? With such honor and favor, why do you come to me for help?"
Yan Shu knew that Empress Dowager Zhao Jing would definitely be suspicious of her trying to curry favor with her when she was clearly in great favor, so she had already prepared an excuse.
"Your Majesty, I know that the King's favor is like morning dew; it may be at its peak today, but it can vanish tomorrow. If I rely solely on this temporary favor, I will be walking on thin ice. If I were to fall, I would be in a miserable situation."
"The Queen Mother has a strong foundation and a kind heart. I dare not ask the Queen Mother to protect me from the wind and rain. I only hope that if I encounter danger in the future, the Queen Mother can show me a clear way forward. That would be a great grace."
Yan Shu’s meaning was also very clear.
If she really has no chance to give birth to Xiao Yu's child to save her life, and if she really has to repeat the mistakes of her previous life, she should at least ask Empress Dowager Zhao Jing to protect her once.
These words were so frank and almost humble that the surprise in Empress Dowager Zhao Jing's eyes faded a little. She raised her eyes, and her gaze lingered on Yan Shu's face for a moment, and suddenly a strange smile spread across her face.
"It's a good thing that Yan Ji knows how to handle things properly. It just so happens that we're halfway through this game and need an opponent. If Yan Ji is interested, how about you finish the game with me?"
Yan Shu naturally agreed, then walked to the other side of the chess table and sat down.
The black and white pieces on the chessboard were arranged in a sparse and dense manner. Empress Dowager Zhao Jing held the black pieces and launched a fierce attack. The white pieces were almost left with no room to breathe. It was obviously a remnant of a game left by someone earlier.
Empress Dowager Zhao Jing also made her moves very quickly. A black piece fell lightly, instantly cutting off several escape routes for the white pieces. Then she raised her eyebrows and smiled at Yan Shu.
"Look at this chess game, it's like a palace filled with games. White has gained some small advantages in the corners, seemingly enjoying a magnificent view, but the interior is completely empty. If one is not careful, they will be defeated and completely routed."
The author has something to say:
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I recommend a good friend's article "Mixian Yin", a plump and scheming beauty x an old-fashioned and abstinent feudal dad, it really has a lot of x tension [dog head], it's definitely worth investing in [yellow heart]
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