Chapter 289 Doubts
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Imperial Consort Min was so worried that her brows were knitted together. After thinking it over, she decided to wait until the imperial physician had treated Mingzhu before bringing up the matter of those beauties in the Wangfu. How could one see one and hit one, see a pair and hit a pair? It was really too much jealousy. One teapot even had six cups, not to mention an esteemed prince?
Mingzhu had a broad-minded personality. After lying down on the bed, she really relaxed and fell asleep. It wasn’t until Imperial Consort Min came in and called her, “Mingzhu, wake up, the imperial physician is here to check your pulse.”
Accompanying the imperial physician was Mu Gugu, who had been ordered to visit Mingzhu. Mingzhu was clear about her own physical condition and didn’t care much about what the imperial physician said, she just kept asking Mu Gugu, “Is the Great Empress Dowager still busy? Should I go and pay my respects to her?”
In fact, she didn’t want to stay here anymore, to avoid giving Imperial Consort Min the chance to lecture her and disgust her. But unexpectedly, Mu Gugu shook her head, “The Great Empress Dowager is busy right now. Just rest here, Ying Wang will come to pick you up soon.”
The Great Empress Dowager didn’t want to see her? Mingzhu couldn’t help but feel doubtful.
When she entered the palace before, no matter how busy the Great Empress Dowager was, she would always find time to see her, chat with her, give her some good food, and reward her with some rare and interesting things. Like this time, knowing that she had been wronged, she only sent Mu Gugu to see her, didn’t allow her to come over to take a rest, didn’t even allow her to go to Changxin Palace to pay her respects… What did this mean?
Mingzhu suddenly felt very aggrieved, puffing up her cheeks with red eyes, she said, “Mu Gugu, is the Great Empress Dowager very, very busy?”
Mu Gugu’s brows were slightly tired, but her expression remained calm and relaxed. She smiled as she tidied up Mingzhu’s messy hair and gently said, “Yes, there’s a long line of people waiting for matters to be addressed in the Great Empress Dowager’s palace right now. The Princess of Wusun is about to marry Linan Wang, followed by Princess Changqing marrying into the Wusun, and then there’s also Princess Changhua, which is a matter for the next year. Each one is a major event related to the country’s status, and there are many preparations to be made.”
Even if she was busy, she wouldn’t completely ignore her. She could wait; she wasn’t unreasonable. Mingzhu didn’t quite believe Mu Gugu’s words. Could it be that the Great Empress Dowager felt that her handling of Jiang Shanshan’s matter had caused trouble? Otherwise, it might be that the Great Empress Dowager encountered some issue. In the last life, what happened to the Great Empress Dowager at this time? Nothing noteworthy.
Mingzhu racked her brains but couldn’t come up with anything because in her memory, there wasn’t any significant event worth mentioning happening this year.
The court physician was familiar, quietly examining Mingzhu’s pulse for a long time before pretending to say a few words about qi and blood deficiency, prescribing a tonic, and then leaving.
Mu Gugu also got up to take her leave, saying she had to reply to the Great Empress Dowager. Mingzhu wanted to leave with her but couldn’t, so she could only watch Mu Gugu leave with a downcast expression and then timidly ask Imperial Consort Min, “Is His Highness coming to pick me up?”
“Ah Lang is on his way.” Imperial Consort Min glanced at her, had fresh and soft snacks and excellent tea prepared, and gently said, “Come over, let’s have some food and talk, just the two of us.”
Mingzhu didn’t want to hear her say things she didn’t like, so she avoided the topic, “What about Funing?” Suddenly, she remembered Empress Dowager Min’s previous outburst, “Funing’s marriage is decided by the Great Empress Dowager,” and felt she might have said the wrong thing. Although Yuwen Chu didn’t tell her about Funing, she could judge from experience that Funing might have caused some trouble again, but she didn’t know if Funing would still be married to Liao Guang in this life.
Imperial Consort Min looked somewhat embarrassed, “She hasn’t been feeling well lately, so she’s recuperating.” In fact, Funing’s matter made her feel very embarrassed, so she just locked Funing up. But no matter how bad her daughter was, she was still her daughter. She couldn’t say such things in front of her estranged daughter-in-law, or she would lose face.
Since she didn’t mention it, Mingzhu didn’t inquire further. Both of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts, playing with their teacups and pastries. Imperial Consort Min couldn’t eat a bite, while Mingzhu ate several pieces of plum blossom cake.
Seeing her enjoying the food, Imperial Consort Min tentatively said, “There have been some unpleasant rumors lately.”
Mingzhu replied expressionlessly, “Letting Royal Mother be worried. They’re talking about Jiang Shanshan, aren’t they? Actually, I’ve been thinking about it in Zhaoyang Palace. I haven’t offended the Empress Dowager recently, and there’s only this one thing that could make her angry. Jiang Shanshan is quite skilled; she actually managed to get the Empress Dowager to speak up for her.” Then she looked up at Imperial Consort Min with a radiant smile, “I don’t quite understand why whenever something happens to her, they connect it to me?”
Her meaning was clear: Jiang Shanshan was in cahoots with Empress Dowager Min. If Imperial Consort Min wanted to speak up for Jiang Shanshan, it meant she was helping an outsider to trouble her. The latter sentence completely denied any connection. Regardless of what Jiang Shanshan did, it had nothing to do with her. So no matter what Imperial Consort Min wanted to plead for, it was best not to bring this up.
Imperial Consort Min understood her meaning and felt somewhat annoyed but restrained herself, forcing a smile, “I wasn’t talking about her. I was referring to the matter of Zhou Nushi and Ping Nushi.”
It was all the same rotten business. Mingzhu, being in the right, wasn’t afraid of Imperial Consort Min speaking up. She pretended to be surprised and asked, “What happened to them?”
Imperial Consort Min replied, “I heard you had them confined.”
Mingzhu smiled faintly, “Not confined, but restricted. They made mistakes, and His Highness said they must be severely punished, so I had to punish them. Otherwise, if others in the mansion follow suit, things will get out of hand.”
Imperial Consort Min knew about Qiuwen’s matter but didn’t think it was all Zhou Nushi’s and Ping Nushi’s fault. In her eyes, it was because Mingzhu was too domineering and jealous, always clinging to Yuwen Chu and finding excuses to punish concubines to death, which made the concubines restless. If it were someone else, she would have reprimanded them mercilessly, but she couldn’t do that to Mingzhu, so she advised with emphasis, “People are not afraid of scarcity but of inequality. If you want harmony in the mansion, you have to treat everyone equally. The Great Empress Dowager back then, she was truly virtuous…”
Of course, she was virtuous, so virtuous that she almost got killed by Emperor Wen and Consort Zhou. Since Yuwen Chu was willing, why should she make herself uncomfortable? Mingzhu felt annoyed when she heard Imperial Consort Min mention this and let it go in one ear and out the other, pretending that Imperial Consort Min was just talking to herself. But the blame was put on Yuwen Chu, look how patient she was for his sake!
Imperial Consort Min was parched from speaking but didn’t see any reaction from Mingzhu. Knowing she couldn’t persuade her no matter what, she sighed helplessly. Just then, a palace maid reported, “Ying Wang has arrived.”
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