Chapter 371: Reminder
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Mingzhu wiped away her tears, pulled herself together, and tried to force a smile at Mu Gugu. “Gugu, I understand. I can’t afford to make her angry. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a case of ‘joy for the enemy and pain for the loved one’?”
Mu Gugu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “That’s right. I thought Wangfei might be stubborn and not listen to advice, but who knew she would be so reasonable. Rest assured, I’ll talk to the Great Empress Dowager.”
Mingzhu took the opportunity to inquire, “Speaking of which, I wasn’t even sure about my pregnancy before. How did the Great Empress Dowager find out?”
Mu Gugu felt a bit awkward, and Mingzhu didn’t force her. “Gugu has her difficulties, I won’t ask anymore. I just want to tell Gugu one thing, you know what’s going on.”
Mingzhu had just finished telling Mu Gugu about the incident at the Taotie Pavilion when Liang Youyi came out and stood at a distance, saying, “Mu Gugu, the Great Empress Dowager is summoning you.”
“I understand, Wangfei, you should go.” Mu Gugu quickly squeezed Mingzhu’s hand and hurried inside.
The Great Empress Dowager saw her and said lightly, “Where were you?”
Mu Gugu smiled. “Listening to Wangfei’s matters.” Regardless of whether the Great Empress Dowager wanted to hear it or not, she quickly recounted the incident of Mingzhu being attacked at the Taotie Pavilion.
The Great Empress Dowager remained noncommittal and asked, “Is Fu Er still uncomfortable?”
“He’s getting better, but after all, he grew up with his wet nurse since childhood. It will take some time to fully recover. How can’t he need some time to recover?” Mu Gugu was good at observing words and expressions. Although the Great Empress Dowager didn’t express any opinion on the incident involving Mingzhu, it was obvious that the Great Empress Dowager’s tightly furrowed brows had relaxed. So she breathed a sigh of relief. The Great Empress Dowager was so smart, she would surely realize that this was an inside job.
After a long while, the Great Empress Dowager spoke hoarsely, “It’s not that I dislike her having a child, it’s just that the child’s father…” She sighed, “Maybe it would be better to have a daughter.”
Yuwen Chu stood outside the Changxin Palace, waiting for Mingzhu. When she came out, he greeted her, not asking how her conversation with the Great Empress Dowager went, but simply holding her hand silently and asking, “If you’re not feeling well and don’t want to go to the Guangming Hall, forget it. I’ll have someone go and inform them to reschedule.”
Mingzhu shook her head. “No, I have to go. This is a joyous occasion, and Royal Mother will be happy.” Imperial Consort Min had always had opinions about her, thinking she was arrogant and ignorant. Now that she was pregnant, it was a joyous occasion. It was forgivable if she didn’t enter the palace, but if she arrived at the Changxin Palace and didn’t go to the Guangming Hall, it would be a clear indication that she didn’t care about Imperial Consort Min. Who could endure that? A good thing would turn into a heartache. Why bother?
Yuwen Chu smiled slightly, holding her hand tighter and praised her in a low voice, “You’re really a sensible girl. With such thoughtfulness and generosity, I must reward you. What do you want?”
“Really give me a reward?” Mingzhu felt much better after being praised by him and couldn’t help but smile with a hint of playfulness. “Then please act as a monk for ten months, Your Highness.”
Yuwen Chu chuckled helplessly, also half-jokingly, “That depends on whether you can make me happy or not.”
“Otherwise? Do you want something else? I’ll give away the beauties of the Northern Garden!” Mingzhu lightly pinched the soft flesh around his waist. Seeing him exaggeratedly grimace in pain, she laughed along.
As the two walked, Yuwen Chu whispered, “The Great Empress Dowager just arranged a marriage for Liao Guang. The woman is the legitimate daughter of the Left Deputy of the Ministry of Household, Peng Liang.”
“So soon?” Mingzhu remembered that Peng Liang, the Left Deputy of the Ministry of Household, was completely loyal to the Great Empress Dowager. Sometimes, even Peng Liang didn’t listen to his father’s words, so the Great Empress Dowager was trying to completely win over and use Liao Guang.
“Indeed, very fast. Moreover, the Great Empress Dowager has already decreed that Liao Guang will be a Seventh-rank Zhongshu Sheren.” There was a faint joy between Yuwen Chu’s brows. The position of Zhongshu Sheren was not high, but it was an important position, responsible for drafting imperial edicts, making decrees, silver documents, and iron vouchers, and dealing with the most confidential and critical matters. Although Liao Guang and Funing failed to achieve their goals, he had already persuaded Liao Guang before that opportunity. Liao Guang was a talented person. As long as he had the right opportunity and position, he could play a greater role.
Mingzhu saw it clearly and had to remind him, “Actually, I wanted to tell Your Highness earlier that the marriage between Liao Guang and Funing might not be a good match.”
Yuwen Chu raised his eyebrows. “Why do you say that? Is it because he can’t hold an important position due to being a son-in-law?”
He had considered this issue, but when he truly sat in that position, it would be just a matter of words to use whoever he wanted.
Mingzhu said seriously, “This reason is part of it, but it’s not the most important. Your Highness, what is the hardest thing to predict in this world?”
“The hardest thing to predict in this world is undoubtedly the human heart.” Yuwen Chu was interested. “What is Wangfei’s insight?”
Mingzhu said seriously, “The reason why the marriage between Funing and Liao Guang was proposed is because everyone thought they were a perfect match. But in reality, before this, did Liao Guang know that Funing was a princess? If he knew at that time, would he still be willing to get close to Funing? After receiving the news of the impending marriage, was he really happy? When Funing couldn’t marry him, was he regretful and disappointed? Did anyone see him upset? He has suffered so much, coming from a single-parent family, bearing the heavy responsibility of family revival. Is he really willing to live a lifetime like Princess Consort Cui, the consort of the Longsheng Great Eldest Princess? Would Your Highness be willing?”
Yuwen Chu fell silent. Because he found that he couldn’t refute any of Mingzhu’s words. He remembered the situation when the matter between Liao Guang and Funing came out, when he went to Liao Guang’s house, Liao Guang was calm and composed, but his Royal Mother was anxious and uneasy. When the Great Empress Dowager didn’t allow Funing to marry Liao Guang, he went to negotiate with Liao Guang about the matter, and Liao Guang remained calm throughout. At that time, he thought Liao Guang was as steady as him, but now it seemed that it might not be the case. Indeed, being in the midst of it, there were times when you couldn’t see clearly.
“Go on.” Yuwen Chu encouraged Mingzhu. Fu Mingzheng once said that she had a very strange and accurate intuition. Now he should encourage her to use this intuition.
“Your Highness may have promised him, but for someone who has been poor and hungry, it’s probably more reassuring to have something tangible in hand. No matter how good other people’s promises sound, they are just like flowers in a mirror and moon reflected in water, not to be counted on.” Mingzhu remembered the last struggle in her life and emphasized, “Human hearts are unpredictable, so Your Highness must be careful.”
“I’ll remember that.” Yuwen Chu didn’t expect that this paragraph from Mingzhu would help him a lot in the future. So much so that whenever he recalled this incident later on, he would be greatly impressed.
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