Chapter 75 Thunderstorm
Zhu Yuhuan said she was writing a letter home to Zhu Zhanji, but in fact she didn't have much to say. Zhu Yuhuan tossed and turned for two or three days, and only managed to squeeze out a few dry greetings and briefly wrote a few words about the situation at home, such as how everyone was doing well, Tongtong and Hanjia had grown a little taller and fatter. In addition, Zhu Yuhuan also gave a brief report on her schoolwork. She pondered for a long time but couldn't think of a content to enrich her letter home, so she had to carry it with her and think about how to polish it.
In comparison, the content of the letter to Wu Miaosu was very rich. It contained information about the Wu family's recent situation, including the safety lock that Wu An had worn since he was a child. This thing was more reliable than any document. Fortunately, Wu An had already given notice and there were reliable people watching over it, so there was no need to worry about leaks.
Although the letters Zhu Yuhuan prepared for Zhu Zhanji and Wu Miaosu respectively were written at the same time, the secret letter from Wu Miaosu went through Saihazhi's route, so the speed should not be too slow, and may even be faster than that of Zhu Zhanji. After all, the speed of family letters and the speed of transmitting messages by the Jinyiwei are completely different concepts.
It's not that Zhu Yuhuan intended to use public resources for personal gain, but Wu Miaosu's matter must not be made public. She didn't know whether Empress Zhang knew about it, but Zhu Zhanji had to keep it secret, otherwise Zhu Yuhuan was worried that he would not be able to save Wu Miaosu's life.
As summer was approaching, the weather was always changing, making it inconvenient for the craftsmen to enter the palace. Zhu Yuhuan changed it to coming every other day. If it rained, he would come for a few days in a row after the weather cleared up. In this way, he only spent half of the month in the greenhouse studying the equipment, but his wages were paid as usual, so he could be considered to have some free time.
Zhu Zhanji was quite interested in Zhu Yuhuan's bizarre drawings and semi-finished products, and would occasionally come over to play around. Seeing the unfolded family letter on Zhu Yuhuan's desk, he glanced at it briefly and then said with a smile, "Huanhuan, why do the contents of your family letter sound like official reports?"
Zhu Yuhuan smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm grown up now. I can't always act like a spoiled child to my father like I did in the past... Besides, I can't act like a spoiled child in a letter."
Of course, she couldn't say that her impression of her biological father was deteriorating day by day. She really had nothing to say, right?
Seeing her embarrassment, Zhu Zhanji sneered, "I never thought there was anything our Princess Shunde couldn't do?" He put Zhu Yuhuan's letter back and said, "I don't think you mentioned anything important, so there's no need to waste the post station's horsepower to help you deliver the letter."
Zhu Yuhuan curled his lips and said with his hands on his hips, "Don't you want to send a letter home too? Sending two letters together is a waste of horsepower. What's the matter, Uncle Wu, you even have the right to control Grandma?"
Zhu Zhanji quickly waved his hands and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I can't control my mother. I'm lucky I can control myself." He picked up the tea served by the palace servant and said, "But my mother's letter has been sent out a long time ago. You little girl can only wait until the next time the letter is delivered to join us."
Zhu Yuhuan was slightly stunned when he heard this, and asked in confusion, "Has it been sent out? But my mother just told me a few days ago that she wanted to send a letter home to my father."
"I happened to be there and saw with my own eyes the maidservant beside my mother taking a letter home." Zhu Zhanji said with a grin, "You spend every day here brooding over your little things, so how could you have the time to write a letter home? I guess my mother knew that my sister-in-law and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had nothing to say to each other, so she sent the letter herself."
This was the truth. After all, Hu Shanxiang and Zhu Zhanji had nothing to say to each other in real life, let alone in letters. Their conversations were probably even more dry and boring than Zhu Yuhuan's "official family letters." By the time this dry letter was finished, Empress Zhang would have probably written more than a dozen letters.
Zhu Yuhuan was choked by his words and didn't know how to refute for a moment. He could only mumble, "That makes sense..."
She still felt that something was subtly wrong, but Empress Zhang knew more information than Zhu Yuhuan, and it was not easy for Zhu Yuhuan to guess Empress Zhang's movements.
Seeing Zhu Yuhuan distracted, Zhu Zhanji waved his hand in front of her and said, "Why are you daydreaming in broad daylight? Your hair isn't long, but you have a lot on your mind."
Zhu Yuhuan came back to his senses and asked, "Is Grandpa Huang in good health these days?"
While the ladies-in-waiting were relatively well-informed, the Qianqing Palace was not a place they could easily enter. Zhu Yuhuan could only rely on the Shangfu and Shangshi staff to tell him whether the emperor had changed his clothes and what dishes he had eaten. However, Zhu Gaochi was already overweight, so his frequent changes of clothes didn't reveal much. Only his meals could reveal anything, and for Zhu Gaochi, the difference between four and five bowls of rice wouldn't be that big of a deal. Therefore, Zhu Yuhuan hoped to take this opportunity to inquire about the situation. After all, the convenient cover of Zhu Zhanji would make it easier to gather information.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanji's face changed and he quickly said, "Nonsense! Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor, how could he be in poor health?" He subconsciously looked around and confirmed that Huai'en, whom Zhu Yuhuan always brought with him, was the only one around, then he breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Zhu Yuhuan didn't know what Zhu Gaochi's health was like, he immediately understood when he saw Zhu Zhanji like this.
It seems that he is seriously ill...
Zhu Zhanji's tone was full of warning as he said, "Huanhuan, you're a smart kid. There are some things you can't just say casually. Do you understand?"
Zhu Yuhuan knew that this was Zhu Zhanji's indirect explanation to her. This time, she didn't make any jokes. She nodded seriously and said, "Huanhuan thanks Fifth Uncle for the reminder."
It seems that Empress Zhang also knew that Zhu Gaochi was in poor health, so she sent a letter home in advance to remind Zhu Zhanji.
Now Zhu Yuhuan could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She picked up a piece of dessert and took a small bite.
Zhu Zhanji was so smart that he must have made preparations after receiving the letter. Considering that Empress Zhang was the mistress of the six palaces, she must have known about Zhu Gaochi's health condition. It was normal for her to hint to her son Zhu Zhanji in advance that he should return to Beijing through various means...
The lack of power to govern the six palaces does not mean that there are no useful people in the six palaces. Empress Zhang has been taking care of the affairs of the harem since the death of Concubine Zhaoxian. It is unknown how many people she has placed behind the scenes.
Zhu Yuhuan was stunned when he thought of this, and the scene of Empress Zhang repeatedly refusing the glass of wine inexplicably flashed in his mind.
Concubine Guo frequently advised Zhu Gaochi to take care of his health, and Empress Zhang sent a letter to her son in advance... Is this world really as crazy as she imagined?
Seeing Zhu Yuhuan sitting there chewing snacks without saying a word, Zhu Zhanji said quietly, "Huanhuan, don't think too much. Just do your own thing."
Zhu Zhanji was not her age, and had seen more palace struggles than her. It was inevitable that he was more eager to protect himself. Zhu Yuhuan understood this and did not expect to convince Zhu Zhanji, so he just looked at him and said with a smile, "I understand what is more important, don't worry, Fifth Uncle."
Perhaps because of the conversation between the two today, not long after Zhu Zhanji left and Zhu Yuhuan had not yet returned to the Eastern Palace to rest, Empress Zhang sent someone around to pick up Zhu Yuhuan and take him to Kunning Palace for a short stay, saying that Empress Zhang missed her granddaughter.
It was probably Zhu Zhanji who relayed Zhu Yuhuan's problem to Empress Zhang. She was worried about her young granddaughter and feared that she might accidentally leak secrets to people around her. She decided to control her first to prevent any news from leaking out accidentally.
Zhu Yuhuan had anticipated this, so he simply sent someone to inform Hu Shanxiang and then obediently took a car to Kunning Palace.
By the time they arrived at Kunning Palace, it was already dusk and the weather was gloomy. The entire palace was shrouded in shadow, making people feel uneasy for no reason. Zhu Yuhuan jumped from the carriage and looked at the plaque on the palace gate that read "Kunning Palace" without saying a word.
Huai'en knew that Zhu Yuhuan was temporarily brought into the palace probably because of Zhu Zhanji's "informing", and he couldn't help but worry that Zhu Yuhuan would anger Empress Zhang.
Zhu Yuhuan noticed his worried look, turned around and smiled, saying, "I was just worried that grandma would feel lonely in the palace without anyone to accompany her. I didn't expect that grandma would send someone to pick me up to visit Kunning Palace so soon."
Seeing that she was as confident as ever, Huai En subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pinched his palm.
The princess can relax her guard, but he cannot. Only by guarding every line of defense for the princess can he protect her safety.
Zhu Yuhuan entered the main hall. Empress Zhang was still holding the playbook without her name on it, but this time there was no smile on her face, as if she was examining something.
After hearing the palace maid's announcement, Empress Zhang looked up at Zhu Yuhuan, a smile spreading across her face as she said, "Huanhuan is here."
Zhu Yuhuan bowed to his grandmother and said, "Huanhuan was missing grandma, so grandma summoned Huanhuan to the palace. This shows that grandma and Huanhuan are very close."
Empress Zhang couldn't help but smile when she heard this. She waved her hand to signal the palace maids to leave. Seeing Huai En's pause as he retreated, she couldn't help but smile at Zhu Yuhuan and said, "He is loyal to you."
The palace maids all retreated to a place where they could not hear their conversation. Zhu Yuhuan then spoke: "It is because grandma knows how to control her subordinates that Huai En is so grateful to me."
The more Huai En expressed gratitude for her "life-saving grace", the more ashamed Zhu Yuhuan felt.
The smile on Empress Zhang's face gradually faded, and her tone was rarely filled with a hint of reprimand. She said, "Huanhuan, you can't always have such thoughts."
Zhu Yuhuan was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that his "flattery" would be met with such a response.
"I've heard that in your own courtyard, you always like to do everything yourself. As long as you can do it yourself, you rarely delegate." Empress Zhang said calmly, "You are a princess, a member of the royal family. How can you do even trivial things like washing your face, combing your hair, grinding ink, and washing your brush yourself? How can you be so rude? It will only make your subordinates look down on you."
Zhu Yuhuan usually stayed indoors, but Empress Zhang knew everything clearly, which showed that she did have her own spies in various places.
Zhu Yuhuan quickly bowed and said, "Huanhuan understands what grandma said, but..."
Empress Zhang casually threw the booklet in her hand onto the table and said, "Huanhuan, doing your best is one thing, but establishing your own authority is another. If you want others to respect you, you must also be afraid of you."
The memorial was unfolded on the ground, revealing several pages that described Zhu Yuhuan's daily behavior. Coupled with the words that sounded like reproaches, an ordinary person would have been trembling with fear.
Zhu Yuhuan, however, didn't look as panicked as the others. He said, "The Art of War often says, 'It's swift as the wind, slow as the forest, aggressive as fire, still as a mountain, unpredictable as the shadow, and moving like thunder.' If someone always has a stern face and gets angry easily, people around them won't be afraid of them. But if someone is always cheerful and cheerful, but suddenly gets angry, even their closest friends will be terrified and dare not act rashly. This is 'awe-inspiring without anger.' What do you think, Grandma?"
The person she was talking about was Empress Zhang. On normal days, Empress Zhang was a virtuous queen, managing everything diligently and looking amiable. But if she frowned, even Zhu Gaochi would be frightened.
Empress Zhang, who had been wearing a stern face, suddenly smiled and said, "It seems you have really made some progress now."
Zhu Yuhuan bowed and said, "Grandma taught me well."
Empress Zhang chuckled, stood up and walked to Zhu Yuhuan, saying, "You are the only one with a sharp tongue. Get up."
Zhu Yuhuan stood up straight, feeling a slight chill on her back. She didn't show it on her face, but just asked, "Did Huanhuan say something wrong today?"
Empress Zhang asked with a half-smile, "What do you think?"
Zhu Yuhuan spoke calmly, showing no sign of panic, as she said, "Grandpa Emperor conferred upon me the title of Princess, and the imperial edict praised Huanhuan as a pure and filial child. I only happened to mention it today because I'm worried about Grandpa Emperor's health."
Hearing Zhu Yuhuan's easy defense, Empress Zhang smiled and patted her head, saying, "Sit down and read with grandma."
Zhu Yuhuan knew that she had passed the test, so she followed Empress Zhang's footsteps.
The two of them sat together at the table. Zhu Yuhuan looked at the piles of books and couldn't help asking, "Grandma, what are you going to do with these books?"
"Burned it to make fertilizer for the flowers. Thanks to it, the flowers in Grandma's palace are in full bloom." Empress Zhang's eyes curved slightly, as if hiding a hint of a smile, and she said, "It's a pity that the flowers in Kunning Palace haven't had time to nourish them."
Zhu Yuhuan blinked, feeling a little horrified for a moment, and the bloody scenes often seen in novels flashed through his mind.
No matter how smart Empress Zhang was, she couldn't guess the chaotic thoughts in her head at this moment. She just pushed the booklet to her side and said, "Take a look at these."
Zhu Yuhuan picked up one of the folders at random and saw that it was full of words. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was a conversation between two people, which looked like a play at first glance.
It turned out to be a surveillance diary that recorded every detail...
Zhu Yuhuan now completely understood why his grandmother was so confident of victory.
Concubine Guo was just the shadow puppet in her hand, and her self-righteous dance was nothing but a puppet show manipulated by Empress Zhang.
"Huanhuan, the military tactics you're talking about aren't just about dealing with others, but also with yourself." Empress Zhang glanced at her, a light and carefree look. She said, "Men always think women are weak and patient, and can be manipulated like a knife in their hands at will. Little do they know that this is precisely women's strength. They are even more ruthless to themselves than to others. Given time, there's no telling where this knife will pierce."
Before Zhu Yuhuan could speak, a huge thunder suddenly came from the sky, covering up all other sounds. Even Zhu Yuhuan shuddered. She hurriedly got up and ran to the door, only to see smoke coming out of the roof of the Qianqing Palace not far away. It was obvious that there was a fire.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
