Chapter 355: Mingzhu’s Question
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Mingzhu shook her head, “No, it’s from Changhua.” Then she asked about Funing, “Does Funing know?”
Yuwen Chu frowned slightly, “I’ve already told her. She’s very unhappy.”
Actually, this is for the best, to prevent Funing from making embarrassing mistakes in the future. If that happens, not only will she be rejected by the Liao Guang family, but she might also make enemies. Mingzhu didn’t want to tell Yuwen Chu about this, so she discreetly tore open a corner of the parcel and showed him, “What do you see here?”
Yuwen Chu couldn’t see clearly, so he took it and was about to tear open the package. Mingzhu was afraid that the small clothes and shoes inside would be exposed, so she pulled hard to stop him, “Just look at it like this, just like this.”
“What’s the big secret?” Yuwen Chu became more curious as he saw her being so cautious and secretive. The more she hid it, the more he wanted to see. After a tug-of-war, Yuwen Chu pulled out a pair of tiger-head shoes from inside and stopped talking, staring at the delicate little shoes for a while before looking up at Mingzhu with a gentle smile.
Mingzhu blushed, then a faint sorrow floated up in her heart. She had tried so hard, but she still hadn’t gotten pregnant. She didn’t know if it was really her problem. Anyway, her past life experience proved that Yuwen Chu had children, but she didn’t. Maybe she really needed to see a doctor.
The two of them left the palace with their own thoughts. Yuwen Chu bid farewell to Mingzhu, “You go home by yourself. I have to go to the yamen to handle some affairs. I haven’t been there for a few days, so there should be a lot of piled-up matters.” He was currently in charge of the Court of the Imperial Clan’s affairs. With the Emperor selecting a Empress, Wangyes selecting their primary and secondary consorts, and princesses getting married, it was not an easy task. It was trivial and complicated.
Mingzhu helped him adjust his ceremonial robes, “Go ahead and handle your affairs. I’ll wait for you at home for dinner tonight. I’ll make lotus root with osmanthus honey for you.”
“Okay.” Yuwen Chu smiled and sent her off in the carriage. After watching the carriage go far away, he instructed Wei Tiande, “Go and see what tasks Xia Yan Gugu has been handling recently, who she has been in contact with, and if there’s anything unusual happening with her or her family, such as suddenly becoming rich, acquiring rare jewelry, or gaining any benefits.”
Wei Tiande’s scalp tingled. He had said it before, don’t mess with Wangfei. Even if Wangfei didn’t seek revenge, Ying Wang would secretly deal with people behind the scenes. However, out of a sense of responsibility, he still dutifully reported what he knew to Yuwen Chu as soon as possible, “This servant knows that Xia Yan Gugu’s younger brother and sister-in-law have become wealthy. They boss people around, wear gold and silver, and even ride in carriages. Xia Yan Gugu said they asked her for money. This servant also advised her not to be too gullible and be deceived by others.”
Yuwen Chu praised him, “You’re doing well. This is exactly what we need, to be attentive to both major and minor matters, and to be well-informed.”
Wei Tiande was elated with the praise, feeling so happy he could hardly contain himself. Just as he was pondering whether to seize the opportunity to express his determination, Yuwen Chu spoke again: “Make sure they’re all on alert lately, find some tasks for Xia Yan Gugu to do, don’t let her idle. As long as it doesn’t cause major trouble.”
In other words, Xia Yan Gugu won’t have an easy time with her duties lately. The Imperial Consort trusts Xia Yan Gugu, and if she were officially told that Xia Yan Gugu had issues, she might not believe it. She might even think it was instigated by Wangye, which would not only affect the relationship between mother and daughter-in-law but also between mother and son. So, it’s best not to mention these matters to the Imperial Consort directly, but rather, bypass her and deal with Xia Yan Gugu directly.
The people in the palace are experts at discreetly dealing with others. In the past, life in Guangming Hall wasn’t the best, but it was the most peaceful. That was because His Highness Ying Wang didn’t make a fuss and was generous with his spending, so everyone didn’t make things difficult for the residents of Guangming Hall. But now, the situation is different. Zhaoyang Palace has set its sights, and there’s resentment in Changxin Palace. Stirring up trouble is easy, and there are readily available people to deal with Xia Yan Gugu.
Wei Tiande considered for a moment. Now that His Highness Ying Wang wants to avoid the hostility from Changxin Palace, it’s not a good idea for the people from Changxin Palace to trouble Xia Yan Gugu. So, it’s better to focus on Zhaoyang Palace, which could also divert some of the Imperial Consort’s resentment. If the Wangfei is in a good mood and lends a hand, the Imperial Consort would still have to acknowledge her. Otherwise, if the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law keep clashing like this, it’s His Highness who will suffer. He lowered his voice and asked Yuwen Chu softly, “I heard the Empress Dowager of Zhaoyang Palace hasn’t been in a good mood lately.”
Yuwen Chu nodded, “That works.” Then he glanced at him, “If it’s done well, go to Li Quanxin to receive your reward.”
Wei Tiande suddenly saw a bright future before him, as if he saw himself becoming the Grand Steward of the future Chongzheng Hall. Everyone would nod and bow to him, addressing him respectfully as “Wei Gonggong.”
Lost in reverie, Yuwen Chu kicked him and scolded, “What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and have someone bring the horse over!”
Meanwhile, Mingzhu returned to the mansion, handed over the two packages of clothes made by Princess Changhua to the maids for safekeeping, and changed into a simple and light ordinary dress. She ordered someone to bring an ordinary carriage and called for Zheng Momo to come over, saying, “Zheng Momo, accompany me for a trip.”
Zheng Momo asked, “Where is the Wangfei going?”
Mingzhu replied, “To visit Kouchun Hall.”
Zheng Momo was surprised. The Kouchun Hall was one of the best clinics in the capital, rumored to be run by the elusive Jiang Zhouzi, whose name it was named after. Although no one had ever seen Jiang Zhouzi, the doctors at Kouchun Hall were still very impressive. They might not be any worse than the doctors in the Imperial Hospital. The doctors in the Imperial Hospital were not easily available to anyone, so the most popular ones in the capital were still the doctors at Kouchun Hall.
But the mansion still had the extraordinary Doctor Tang Chunlai. Why did Wangfei want to go to Kouchun Hall instead of letting the doctors from the Imperial Hospital or Tang Chunlai see her? Zheng Momo couldn’t help but ask, “Is Wangfei feeling unwell?”
“Just a check-up.” Mingzhu was someone who took action. If she had doubts, she immediately wanted to find answers. It’s not that she thought the doctors and Doctor Tang Chunlai were not good at medicine, but the situation was too complicated and she didn’t dare to trust anyone easily. She needed someone else to corroborate or answer her suspicions. Moreover, some illnesses might be better treated with folk remedies. She wanted to have a son as soon as possible.
Seeing that she was unwilling to say more, Zheng Momo stopped asking and quietly went out to arrange it. Mingzhu only brought a few trusted maids and guards, quietly leaving the mansion in a carriage, heading towards Kouchun Hall.
A few idly dressed men were sitting in a small tea house near the mansion of Ying Wang, chatting and drinking tea. Suddenly, they saw a carriage passing by the door, and immediately sprang up, “Quick, report back, there’s some activity!”
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