Chapter 351: Changes
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The Great Empress Dowager smiled, “They were alright. I had the palace chefs prepare them. One was given to the Emperor, one was sent to my palace, and Fu Er also tasted them. If you want to know what they taste like, you can ask Fu Er.”
Yuwen Fu was brought into the conversation. The two golden carp, considered auspicious by the servants, were given to the current Emperor Yuwen Bai and to Yuwen Fu. To avoid any gossip about whether Yuwen Fu deserved to eat them, they were sent to Changxin Palace for Yuwen Fu to taste. The Great Empress Dowager’s attitude was clear; she already equated Yuwen Fu with Yuwen Bai.
Mingzhu realized that she could probably never be as close to the Great Empress Dowager as she used to be. Because she was Yuwen Chu’s wife, they would have children together, the Great Empress Dowager still loved her and cared for her, but she would never trust her as openly as before. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been in the palace for so long, and the Great Empress Dowager still hadn’t inquired about Fu Lin’s condition.
From their departure from the capital to the Great Temple until now, in just over ten days, many things had quietly changed. Perhaps it should be said that after Eunuch Rong’s death, the Great Empress Dowager was no longer the same as before.
However, even so, Mingzhu could only continue to pretend to be ignorant. Only in this way could she maintain the best possible relationship with the Great Empress Dowager, navigate between the Great Empress Dowager and Yuwen Chu, and even between the Great Empress Dowager and her father.
Since the Great Empress Dowager said the carp were not auspicious but just ordinary large carp, then she would treat them as ordinary large carp. Since everyone had eaten them, there was nothing more to it. Mingzhu hugged the Great Empress Dowager’s arm and coquettishly said, “I wanted to eat those carp at the time! But His Highness didn’t let me! Why didn’t you leave some for me? I really wanted to taste them.” As she spoke, she felt genuinely hungry, even licking her lips.
The Great Empress Dowager finally smiled from the bottom of her heart, “You, this girl, can never change your gluttonous habits in your lifetime. I heard that Ying Wang has hired many famous chefs for you, but still hasn’t satisfied your appetite.”
“She’s always been this gluttonous. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a need for so many famous chefs to serve her.” Yuwen Chu also smiled in agreement, lightening the atmosphere.
However, the Great Empress Dowager suddenly frowned and turned to look at Mingzhu’s abdomen, which was still flat and showed no signs of anything. She then withdrew her gaze, smiled at Yuwen Chu, and said, “You’ve been away for so long. Your mother is also worried. Go and pay your respects to her and spend some time with her. Then talk to her. I’ll keep Mingzhu here for a while and let her come find you later.”
With no room for negotiation, Yuwen Chu respectfully bowed and withdrew.
Mingzhu felt so sad. They came together, but now they had to leave separately. She also worried that the Great Empress Dowager might have something serious to say to her since she was being kept behind. Feeling even sadder, she could only watch Yuwen Chu leave reluctantly. Yuwen Chu noticed her gaze, raised his head, and smiled reassuringly at her with gentle eyes, showing no signs of displeasure.
“Come and sit.” The Great Empress Dowager stood up and walked to the couch by the window, gesturing for Mingzhu to come and sit. She then instructed Mu Gugu to prepare Qingfeng marrow tea.
Mu Gugu smiled and personally brought the Qingfeng marrow tea over. “The Empress Dowager always remembers that Wangfei loves this tea, so she never drinks it, just leaving it for you.”
“Thank you, Aunt.” Mingzhu respectfully received the teacup from Mu Gugu’s hands and looked at the Great Empress Dowager with a sweet smile. “Niang Niang has always treated me well, making others jealous.”
The Great Empress Dowager affectionately touched her hair and finally asked about Fu Lin, “How is Ah Lin? I can’t leave the palace to see him.”
Mingzhu suppressed her smile. She felt for the first time how difficult it was to tell lies. The Great Empress Dowager was too kind to her! Even though she understood the reasoning behind it, she still found it hard to lie to the Great Empress Dowager so naturally. She chose her words carefully, “He’s been in a coma all along. Tang Chunlai said the dosage of his sedative potion was too high, which may affect his brain in the future, so it must be reduced. He also said his arm is probably disabled.”
The Great Empress Dowager remained silent for a while before sighing, “I’m sure your father and brothers blame me.”
Mingzhu quickly stood up and hurriedly explained, “No, they didn’t say that. They encourage Ah Lin to recover well and not to give up.”
The Great Empress Dowager smiled bitterly, “Ah Lin is the heir of the Fu family, bearing the expectations of your father and brothers. I also hope he can be as capable and responsible as your father and brothers. I regret and feel guilty for his injury, but there’s no free lunch in this world. To achieve family glory, you must exchange it with sweat and blood. Even though he’s my nephew, your father’s eldest grandson, if he remains powerless, even if he holds a high position, some people will not accept it, let alone shelter the Fu family.”
Mingzhu didn’t know how to respond to this. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing, so she just listened silently. “Ah Lin knows your expectations of him and has no complaints.”
The Great Empress Dowager smiled bitterly, “I hope so.”
Mingzhu thought the Great Empress Dowager might take the opportunity to talk to her about Yuwen Fu, but she refused to say anything more. After drinking half a cup of tea in silence, she asked, “It’s been a while since you got married. Do you have any news?”
Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu got married in early autumn, and now it was late autumn approaching winter, so it was normal to ask. Mingzhu felt a little disappointed, “Not yet.” She thought with all the effort they put in, there should have been some good news by now, but this morning, she saw spots of blood on her undergarments. It seems her period has come again, so all their efforts were in vain.
The Great Empress Dowager asked, “Have you seen the court physician?”
Mingzhu said embarrassedly, “There’s still no news. Looking at it is just a waste.” Lowering her voice, she added with great embarrassment, “The period has already come.”
The Great Empress Dowager nodded and asked her a few more questions about the events at Great Temple Manor and in the mansion before saying, “I’ll have someone take you to Guangming Hall. Be sweet and don’t always confront your mother-in-law. As for Funing, she’s just a fool. Don’t bother with her. I’ll take care of her.”
Mingzhu thought of Funing and Liao Guang’s engagement. She didn’t know if she should be happy for Liao Guang or feel sorry for them both. But it was foreseeable that if Funing’s engagement failed, she would surely blame her.
Mingzhu bowed and took her leave. Watching the Great Empress Dowager’s slender figure, she couldn’t help but say, “Now that I’m married, I can’t accompany you to the palace as often as before. Please take care of yourself. If you feel unwell, remember to call the court physician promptly and take good care of yourself.”
The Great Empress Dowager smiled lightly, “Don’t worry, my health is fine. Last time was just a coincidence that I didn’t rest well, so I worried you. Everything is fine now.”
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