Chapter 474: Epidemic (Part 2)
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The Great Empress Dowager was feeling restless and casually said, “You can set it down for now.”
Fu Zifei smiled faintly, courteously bowed, and retreated, saying, “Please remember to drink it while it’s still warm.”
In reality, even if she hadn’t eaten for two meals in a row, Fu Zifei would only pretend to be filial, and she wouldn’t really force herself to eat like Mingzhu did… Why did she think of Mingzhu again? The Great Empress Dowager furrowed her brows and sighed inwardly. Since Yuwen Chu was detained in the Zhaochuntai and had a dispute with her after Mingzhu entered the palace, she hadn’t seen Mingzhu again.
How long had it been? She counted silently; it had been about half a month. She knew that after Yuwen Chu left the palace, he fell seriously ill, and Mingzhu accompanied him to recover at the Great Temple Manor. The matters of the Court of the Imperial Clan were left behind by Yuwen Chu, and the person recently handling the vassal prince arrival in the capital was Anyang Wang. Although he worked diligently, he was still no match for the astute and meticulous Yuwen Chu. He demanded money fiercely and was not good at calculating expenses, which made her worry every day.
If only Yuwen Chu didn’t have such ambitions, how good would that be? Then she wouldn’t have to painfully split the family with her own hands, laboring and grieving day and night. Mingzhu would amuse her, coax her to eat, and bravely stand up for her when someone angered her…
She couldn’t think about it anymore. The Great Empress Dowager shook her head, still not picking up the bowl of ginseng soup brought by Fu Zifei. Instead, she asked Sang Mei, who was guarding the door, “It’s almost New Year, isn’t it?”
Sang Mei replied, “Yes, today is already the twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month, and tomorrow is the Little New Year.”
Would Mingzhu spend the New Year at the Great Temple Manor, or would she return to the capital? The Great Empress Dowager couldn’t help but have such a thought, but immediately suppressed it. “Is Linan Wang and the Wusun Princess doing well?” she asked.
“In response to Your Majesty, they are doing very well,” answered Liang Youyi, who had hurriedly arrived from outside, speaking softly. “Several palaces have found people infected with a disease similar to the epidemic. The princes and princesses are still okay, except Princess Funing in Guangming Palace is not doing too well.”
The Great Empress Dowager frowned and sneered, “Why her again? I thought her illness a few days ago was fake.”
Liang Youyi lowered his head and whispered, “I heard that Imperial Consort Min is seeking medicine everywhere. Unfortunately, the more we look at Princess Funing’s illness, the worse it seems. I wonder if it’s because she took medicine with adverse effects.”
His words, upon careful consideration, implied much more. Essentially, he was saying that Imperial Consort Min used means to make Princess Funing pretend to be sick, and this time’s illness must also be fake. So why feign illness? Of course, it was to take advantage of the opportunity to leave the palace.
Just then, Mu Gugu interjected upon returning from her errands. Hearing Liang Youyi’s words, she hastily added, “Not only is Princess Funing unwell, but Miss Min, who was summoned into the palace by Empress Dowager a few days ago, is also unwell. Additionally, several palace maids serving in the northern garden are also unwell. I’ve just had them separated, hoping it won’t spread to Your Highnesses.”
The Great Empress Dowager gave Liang Youyi a stern look, then glanced at Mu Gugu. Liang Youyi kept his head down and couldn’t see the expression on her face, while Mu Gugu’s face was full of pleading, with her urgency evident in her eyes.
The Great Empress Dowager knew what Mu Gugu meant. Mu Gugu was afraid that the conflict between her, Mingzhu, and Yuwen Chu would escalate irreversibly. However, she and Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu had already embarked on completely different paths, and there was nothing to salvage unless Yuwen Chu changed his mind at the last minute. So, stop harboring unrealistic hopes; otherwise, she would sooner or later take Yuwen Chu’s life.
She instructed Liang Youyi, “Go, have the imperial physician treat Princess Funing and Min Baoyun. If it’s really impossible, then move them together for easier care.” With Princess Funing and Min Baoyun’s temperaments, living together would surely result in endless quarrels. If Min Baoyun had no reason to feign illness, then there was nothing to say. If she did, then let her and Min Baoyun die of illness together.
Liang Youyi whispered, “In Your Majesty’s opinion, where would be the most suitable place to move them?”
The Great Empress Dowager pondered for a long time before saying, “Chunyi Pavilion.”
Chunyi Pavilion was not big. Even if these two lived together, they couldn’t avoid it. They would definitely quarrel even if they didn’t have an illness.
Liang Youyi bowed respectfully and said, “Yes.”
Mu Gugu stopped him, her gaze piercing. Liang Youyi took a step back, refusing to meet Mu Gugu’s eyes, and then turned and left in another direction.
Mu Gugu took a deep breath and softly advised the Great Empress Dowager, “Your Majesty, according to convention, those infected with the epidemic should be sent out of the palace for recuperation. It might not be good to keep them in the palace.”
“Why not? No one knows whether they have a common illness or are truly infected with the epidemic, right? It’s not too late to send them out after a diagnosis is made. Otherwise, these two girls are freezing cold, and it’s inconvenient to send them out.” The Great Empress Dowager glanced at Mu Gugu, speaking with great emphasis, “Ah Shang, you and Liang Youyi are my right-hand men. You two must get along well. Otherwise, if you delay my major affairs, I won’t easily forgive you.”
This was the first time the Great Empress Dowager had warned her. Mu Gugu lowered her head and whispered, “Yes.”
The Great Empress Dowager closed her eyes. “Fu Er’s condition hasn’t been very good recently, probably because his wet nurse died, and he’s not quite used to it. I have to find him a good companion. What do you think of Yueguo Gong’s youngest son?”
Mu Gugu’s heart tightened again. Yueguo Gong’s youngest son, wasn’t that An Xiaogu’s little brother? Who didn’t know that An Xiaogu and Mingzhu were close? In this way, it was equivalent to forcing Yue Guo Gong’s mansion to take a stand. The Great Empress Dowager was determined to start clipping the wings of Ying Wang couple.
Seeing that Mu Gugu didn’t respond for a long time, the Great Empress Dowager asked impatiently, “Ah Shang?”
Mu Gugu was helpless. “Young Master An’s horsemanship and literary talent are top-notch, and he’s about the same age as County Prince Suien. He should be a good companion.”
“Then draft the decree.” The Great Empress Dowager lowered her head again, continuing to correct the memorials.
“Today, His Majesty killed another palace servant,” Mu Gugu said, swallowing her saliva, speaking softly. “He made the palace servant stand there as a living target, with a radish on their head, not allowed to move. Then he shot arrows himself. The palace servant was scared and accidentally moved, causing the radish to fall to the ground. He… he ordered people to stuff the radish into the palace servant’s lower body.” Mu Gugu couldn’t say any more, “The palace servant was just a fourteen-year-old girl…”
The Great Empress Dowager didn’t even furrow her brows and calmly said, “Have this young girl buried properly, give some money to her family, and if anyone asks, there’s no need to conceal it too much.”
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