How to Deal with Having the Villainous Tyrant’s Child Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Zhong Yao also stepped forward to inspect the white porcelain Guanyin. After examining it, he nodded and said to Lu Hanzhi, “Young master, the firing was a great success.”

Lu Hanzhi hummed in response and said, “All workers involved in the firing will be rewarded, and Zhong Yao shall receive ten times the amount.”

Zai Yu, standing behind him, immediately responded, “Yes, young master.”

Lu Hanzhi, looking proud, turned to see Yuwen Jue standing beside him, dumbfounded. He asked, “Second Sister-in-law, if this were presented to the Empress Dowager as a birthday tribute, wouldn’t it outshine everything else?”

Yuwen Jue exclaimed, “Not only would it outshine everything else, but I believe it could be praised for generations to come. This is… a work of unparalleled virtue! Hanzhi, this porcelain of yours is destined to be remembered throughout history.”

It wasn’t surprising that Yuwen Jue thought this way. After all, even centuries or millennia later, porcelain remained a symbol of culture.

An official kiln’s blue and white porcelain could fetch millions at auction.

Seeing Yuwen Jue’s reaction, Lu Hanzhi felt reassured, now simply waiting for the Empress Dowager’s birthday to present this masterpiece.

Meanwhile, another person was equally satisfied with the birthday gift she had prepared.

That person was Su Wan’ning.

During these past days, she had meticulously copied Buddhist scriptures, pouring all her concentration into every character.

The Empress Dowager was a devoted Buddhist and an extremely pious believer.

The Ten Thousand Word Sutra encompassed over a dozen scriptures. It wasn’t a single book but a collection of many.

Copying the Ten Thousand Word Sutra was considered the highest form of reverence a Buddhist devotee could offer to the Buddha.

Su Wan’ning looked at the final character she had written and nodded in satisfaction.

This time, there would be no mistakes. Even if Lu Hanzhi had some secret plan she wasn’t aware of, nothing he prepared could surpass her Ten Thousand Word Blood Sutra.

That’s right—this sutra was written using ink mixed with her own blood.

Blood was the ultimate sacrifice, making the curse she embedded in it the strongest in existence.

Even if someone managed to break the curse, the one who had been marked would lose their lifespan upon its removal.

The blood curse coiled around the life force of the one who bore it, rendering them completely under her control.

However, writing this Ten Thousand Word Sutra had drained her immensely.

After finishing, Su Wan’ning had exhausted all her strength and had noticeably lost weight.

That morning, the Crown Prince’s residence had already prepared carriages to head to the palace for the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration.

Ever since Zhaoyun moved into the Crown Prince’s residence, aside from occasional visits to her maternal home, this was the first time she was going out with the Crown Prince.

The leading carriage was luxurious and spacious. At this point, County Princess Zhaoyun was about three months pregnant, her belly just beginning to show.

Beside her, Wet Nurse Liu held a brocade box containing a meticulously embroidered Hundred Longevity Characters.

Two young maidservants also each held a brocade box, inside which were pure gold ornaments crafted by skilled artisans.

Today was also the first time County Princess Zhaoyun was wearing the formal attire of the Crown Princess. The lavish and dignified robe gave her an air of newfound maturity.

Su Wan’ning, accompanied by the Crown Prince, arrived at the carriage. Zhaoyun turned to glance at her, and Su Wan’ning immediately bowed in greeting. “Sister.”

Zhaoyun’s face remained neutral as she simply asked, “What? Does His Highness still wish for the three of us to ride together?”

Her meaning was clear—she was the wife, while this woman was merely a concubine.

The wife was the mistress of the household, while a concubine was but a servant.

This woman had a lowly background, and Zhaoyun had no interest in sharing a carriage with her.

The Crown Prince had originally intended for them all to ride together, but seeing Zhaoyun’s reluctance, he couldn’t insist on it.

The Crown Prince had no choice but to say, “Endure it for now, Wan’er. Today is the Empress Dowager’s birthday, and everything must be done according to proper etiquette.”

Su Wan’ning nodded obediently and said, “I’m not feeling wronged. This is how it should be.”

With that, she curtsied to County Princess Zhaoyun and stepped back toward the carriage at the rear.

The Crown Prince moved forward to assist Zhaoyun onto the carriage, and as he did, his gaze landed on her belly. His face softened with unexpected tenderness. “I never thought that so soon, our palace would welcome a little prince.”

Hearing these words, Su Wan’ning’s steps faltered slightly before she continued climbing into the carriage.

The Crown Prince’s remark had left her feeling uneasy.

The birth of County Princess Zhaoyun’s child wouldn’t pose a direct threat to her grand plans, but it would undoubtedly affect the Crown Prince’s heart.

No, she couldn’t allow that child to be born—at least, not if it meant jeopardizing her carefully laid-out schemes.

As the carriage rolled toward the palace, Su Wan’ning’s mind was filled with countless thoughts.

Meanwhile, at Prince An’s residence and Prince Chu’s residence on Zhu Que Street in the western part of the city, the royal carriages were also prepared, ready to head to the palace to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday.

The Empress Dowager’s sixty-sixth birthday was an excellent opportunity for the Emperor to mend his strained relationship with her.

The Emperor was well aware that his past actions had deeply hurt his mother.

Yet he was an extremely insecure ruler—if he didn’t grasp absolute power in his hands, he could never rest easy.

What he didn’t realize was that the Empress Dowager had, at one point, already drafted an imperial decree to return power to the Yuwen family.

But in the end, she never issued that decree.

Because when she was about to act, she found the Emperor’s Imperial Guards had surrounded Cining Palace.

She was utterly disappointed in her son.

Yet she couldn’t bear to watch him struggle so painfully, step by step.

She knew exactly what Yuwen Mingji had been scheming behind the scenes—framing the Eldest Prince, stirring up trouble at the borders, and more.

After all, she had deliberately kept the youngest Yuwen Mingji by her side when he was a child, only to realize that, despite his tender age, his mind was far from simple.

So, for years, she had been closely monitoring his actions.

When he framed the Eldest Prince, she had considered intervening, but to her surprise, the Fourth Prince had acted faster than she had.

But that suited her just fine. She had no intention of interfering unless absolutely necessary.

If not for this sixty-sixth birthday celebration, she probably wouldn’t have even returned to the capital this year.

She was old now. Whatever happened to the empire in the future—who ruled it, what became of it—was no longer her concern.

But her son still couldn’t put her mind at ease.

Yuwen Mingji’s rebellion was already unfolding, and yet the Emperor remained unaware, leaving her to secretly place the evidence right under his nose.

She knew very well that this son of hers could, at best, be a ruler who maintained the status quo. He lacked true ambition.

The only thing in his favor was his ability to endure.

At least after uncovering Yuwen Mingji’s plans, he hadn’t revealed his hand. Instead, he let things continue to play out.

Yuwen Mingji was bold—bold enough to ally with the four kingdoms of the Western Regions, amassing military strength for an outright rebellion.

The Empress Dowager was tired. She had already given the Emperor the evidence. Whether he could handle it or not was now up to him.

She slowly closed her eyes and asked the inconspicuous young eunuch beside her, “Bing’er, what time is it? It should be starting soon, shouldn’t it?”

The young eunuch replied, “Your Majesty, please be patient for another quarter of an hour. Why not let Xiao Bingzi apply some lip balm for you?”

The Empress Dowager chuckled. “I’m old now and have no desire for such things. Come, go ahead and apply it.”

After all, this was something unique in all of the capital—she alone had the privilege of flaunting it.

At that moment, Lu Hanzhi had already entered the palace, though it wasn’t yet time for the formal birthday tribute. The imperial princes had each returned to their respective palaces to visit their mothers, waiting for the eunuchs to summon them.

Today, the Emperor had also granted special permission to lift the Empress’s house arrest.

For the Empress Dowager’s birthday, the Empress had to be present.

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince was delighted and immediately brought both his wife and his concubine to the central palace.

The Empress hadn’t seen the Crown Prince in months. The moment she laid eyes on her son, she burst into tears, clutching him as she wept.

When she looked down at Zhaoyun’s growing belly, she couldn’t help but smile, repeatedly holding Zhaoyun’s hand and saying, “This is good, this is good. Now that you have a child, all will be well!”

Meanwhile, Su Wan’ning was left standing awkwardly to the side, her presence completely overlooked.

Finally, the Crown Prince pulled Su Wan’ning forward and said to the Empress, “Mother, it was all thanks to Wan’er that I was released from confinement.”

The Empress glanced at Su Wan’ning and smiled as she nodded. “I know, I know. Wan’er has done a great deed and should be rewarded. But don’t think you can slack off just because Zhaoyun is pregnant. The royal family has always thrived on having many children and grandchildren—there must be no negligence in this duty.”

Su Wan’ning blushed and nodded obediently, agreeing to everything.

Zhaoyun had no interest in watching their display of warmth. To her, it was all a farce.

She bowed to the Empress and excused herself, saying she would go visit the Empress Dowager.

Meanwhile, Lu Hanzhi had also entered the palace, but he was busy arranging the tribute for the Empress Dowager and had yet to make an appearance.

At the auspicious hour, the birthday celebration finally began.

The Emperor finally had an opportunity to openly speak with his mother. Stepping forward, he bowed deeply to the Empress Dowager and said, “Your son offers his greetings to Mother, wishing you endless blessings and boundless longevity.”

The Empress Dowager looked at her son and said, “Rise, my son. Come, take a seat.”

The Emperor straightened up and took his seat at the place of honor beside the Empress Dowager. Smiling, he said, “I have prepared a birthday gift for Mother—a sculpture of a pine tree carved from Mount Tai stone, symbolizing strength and longevity, just like the pines of Mount Tai.”

The Empress Dowager raised her hand, signaling for the gift to be brought forward, and said, “You have been thoughtful, my son. Thank you.”

Her polite but distant attitude left the Emperor feeling somewhat deflated.

But soon, the ministers began presenting their tributes.

Once again, the Lu family stole the show—they had gifted the Empress Dowager a set of jade-inlaid folding screens.

Not just a decorative piece, nor a single-panel screen, but a five-panel folding screen, each panel carved with the motif of Five Blessings Bringing Longevity, inlaid with gold and jade.

Even the emperor was stunned. Lu Siwei had made a grand impression, and the emperor praised his generosity in not keeping such a treasure to himself.

Lu Siwei happily and readily accepted the praise, adding with a smile, “All members of the Lu family belong to His Majesty. Naturally, we must do our utmost to find the most precious birthday tribute in the world for the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager was quite fond of the folding screen and even stepped down from her seat to admire it closely.

At that moment, the Lu family’s prestige in the capital was beginning to overshadow that of the Rong and Yin families.

It could be said that the court officials were growing envious to the point of resentment.

Next, it was time for the younger generation to present their tributes. The first to step forward was County Princess Zhaoyun, the daughter of the Grand Princess, presenting a piece called “Hundred Longevity Characters.”

She had embroidered a hundred different forms of the character for “longevity” onto gold-threaded silk using her own hair, displaying an extraordinary level of dedication.

Immediately, someone stepped forward to praise County Princess Zhaoyun: “One’s body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents. Using one’s own hair in embroidery as a tribute is the ultimate display of filial piety. County Princess Zhaoyun, you have truly put your heart into this.”

The Grand Princess was deeply gratified. She had not expected her daughter to come up with such an ingenious and thoughtful idea.

Zhaoyun, however, felt a little embarrassed, as the idea of using her own hair for the tribute had actually come from Wet Nurse Liu, who, in turn, had been guided by Lu Hanzhi.

Though she had been advised by others, seeing the admiration in the eyes of those around her made Zhaoyun feel a great sense of pride.

Next to present her tribute was Su Wan’ning, as she was the Crown Prince’s side consort.

With Zhaoyun’s impressive work setting the standard, most people had little expectation for Su Wan’ning’s tribute.

What could a mere side consort possibly offer?

But the moment Su Wan’ning unfurled the scrolls of scriptures, everyone’s expressions changed to astonishment.

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