Chapter 293: Private Affairs
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Mingzhu immediately wanted to put on her shoes and go to the bed, but Yuwen Chu pulled her back and whispered, “Stay here and listen, I’ll go out.”
Mingzhu struggled with the urge to follow but then thought that perhaps Yuwen Chu didn’t want her to know who the visitor from the palace was, so she forced herself to sit back quietly.
Yuwen Chu soon walked out. His deep and pleasing voice easily penetrated the door. “What’s the situation in the palace?”
“It’s unclear how Huiru died. Earlier, the Great Empress Dowager was furious, suspecting that someone deliberately harmed the palace maids around her, so she ordered the Ministry of Punishments to investigate rigorously. They took away several palace maids from Changxin Palace, but the outcome was somewhat unexpected. Chief Steward Rong hurried to the Ministry of Punishments in the evening, and the case is about to be closed.” Although the speaker deliberately lowered his voice, Mingzhu still recognized the familiar tone—it was an eunuch. The voices of eunuchs were always a bit rougher than women’s and slightly sharper than men’s, with a bit of a drawl.
“What do you mean by ‘unclear’?” Yuwen Chu’s voice remained unchanged.
The eunuch was silent for a moment, looking very embarrassed. “It seems to involve some private matters of the Great Empress Dowager, so it’s not easy to investigate further.”
Mingzhu’s heart tightened as she listened. From the sound of it, it seemed that even the Great Empress Dowager hadn’t anticipated Huiru’s death, which was why there was a strict investigation. Yet, the investigation ended up implicating her. But what private matters could the Empress Dowager have that couldn’t be investigated?
“What private matters？” Yuwen Chu pursued the question persistently, though calmly.
The eunuch seemed anxious, “Your Highness, these are all sensitive matters that cannot be spoken of lightly. Revealing them could cost one’s life. I am taking a great risk coming here to relay this information to you. If caught, it would be a crime punishable by death for nine generations.”
Yuwen Chu was direct, “What do you want? If it’s money you seek, take what’s in front of you. If it’s something else, just ask.”
The eunuch remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly, “I need a guarantee from Your Highness.”
“I promise.”
“It’s said that Huiru witnessed intimate interactions between the Great Empress Dowager and Eunuch Rong, and that’s why she died.”
Nonsense! Absolute nonsense! Mingzhu’s fists clenched tightly, feeling her blood rush to her face. It was utterly malicious! The esteemed and dignified Great Empress Dowager being rumored to have an affair with a eunuch—what could be more shameful and humiliating? If such gossip spread, the Great Empress Dowager might never be able to sit gracefully on the Phoenix Throne again or express any opinions on state affairs. Without honor, where was dignity? Without dignity, how could one dictate and govern others?
Mingzhu stood up abruptly, intending to rush out and confront the eunuch, to find out who allowed him to spread such rumors.
But before she could move, Yuwen Chu was already by the door, his arm extended to stop her, his gaze filled with pity and disapproval. Tears welled up in Mingzhu’s eyes as she tried to push his arm away, but he remained unmoved, silent.
Left with no choice, Mingzhu watched helplessly as the eunuch, concealed in a dark hooded cloak, calmly took the jewels and treasures in front of him, then turned his back and swiftly left.
“How dare they?” Dong Hui gently closed the door from outside. Trembling, Mingzhu looked up at Yuwen Chu, tears rolling down her cheeks. “They’re spreading baseless rumors! My aunt is not like that!”
Yuwen Chu embraced her, wiping away her tears. “Shh… I know, I know.”
Mingzhu pushed him away, refusing his touch. “You don’t know! You deliberately let me hear this! You’ve known all along! You had me wait here just so I could hear it for myself. You believe it’s true, and you didn’t want to tell me, so you made me hear it myself.”
Her intuition was startlingly accurate. Yuwen Chu felt a twinge of embarrassment at being exposed, but the truth was the truth. If he didn’t tell her, someone else would. Rather than catching her off guard, it was better to tell her indirectly yet clearly.
After hesitating for a moment, Yuwen Chu decisively lifted Mingzhu, despite her protests, and placed her on the bed. He closed the door and stood by the bed, blocking her path. “I don’t deny that part of what you said is true, but I still believe that letting you hear about this matter here was the most appropriate course of action. This is the safest and most private place. Only the person who spoke and the two of us heard it today. No one else heard it, including Dong Hui and the others attending to us. It might not be the same in the main hall. Do you want Su Lan and the others to hear about it?”
Mingzhu couldn’t argue with him. Although she knew he had a point, it still didn’t sit right with her, knowing he couldn’t unconditionally trust the Great Empress Dowager’s innocence. Just as the Great Empress Dowager never liked him, he probably didn’t have much affection for her either. But with her in between them, both were restrained. Understanding this, Mingzhu suddenly felt sad.
Hugging her knees, her back to him, she looked at the crystal bell hanging in the corner, her voice choked with emotion. “You don’t believe in the Great Empress Dowager.”
Yuwen Chu sighed. “It’s not that I don’t believe in the Great Empress Dowager. It’s that the person who spoke to me today, the same words could have been spoken to others. Even if I believe in the Great Empress Dowager, do you think others will?”
Mingzhu didn’t want to argue with him. “Others are others, you are you. Don’t mix them up.”
Yuwen Chu smiled bitterly. “You’re unreasonable. I don’t want to argue with you.”
Mingzhu bluntly stated, “I don’t want to be reasonable right now. I just want to pick a fight with someone. Your Highness, just tell me, if someone wants to harm the Great Empress Dowager, whose side are you on?” Her eyes were wide, filled with tears, looking at him expectantly, her brows furrowed, as if she would burst into tears if he said no.
“Of course, I’m on your side. I’m Fu’s son-in-law, and in the future, my children will have half of Fu’s blood. The virtuous and dignified Great Empress Dowager will be their pride.” Yuwen Chu reached out to hug Mingzhu again, and this time, she didn’t resist. She leaned quietly against his chest, her voice choked with emotion as she said softly, “Yes, the Great Empress Dowager is my aunt and our children’s grandmother. Your Highness, not for anything else, but for the sake of our children, you must consider this.”
After the impulsive anger passed, she understood the importance of grasping the key points to persuade him. Appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him. However, Yuwen Chu felt that some things had to be clarified to her. He couldn’t let her continue to be in the dark, thinking everything was peaceful.
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