Chapter 488 The Contest between Two Palaces (Part 2)
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“Is that so?” Mingzhu was very surprised. “We haven’t heard about this. Auntie usually stays in the mansion and rarely goes out, yet she knows about the situation at the Great Temple so clearly. As for the assassin…” She paused, jokingly, “Could it be someone from Auntie’s household? His Highness was wondering about it. He hasn’t offended anyone before. The only thing he did recently was break Auntie’s door.”
“Nonsense! Do you even know what you’re talking about?” Longsheng Great Eldest Princess was somewhat nervous. She knew very well about this incident. Yuwen Chu used this whole affair to clear out the people from her mansion, including Yuwen Cong and Teacher Zhu, from the Great Temple. It was very difficult to send people in again. As soon as they entered the Great Temple, the local people who wanted pastries would run to inform the people at the Ying Wang Mansion. Although they wouldn’t be immediately arrested, they would be watched everywhere they went and couldn’t do anything.
“Is Auntie going to lecture me on family education again? I’m all ears.” Mingzhu was least afraid of Longsheng Great Eldest Princess. The Great Empress Dowager had no reason to help Longsheng Great Eldest Princess. Empress Dowager Min sometimes actually disliked Longsheng Great Eldest Princess’s overbearing demeanor. Moreover, Longsheng Great Eldest Princess had just suffered a huge loss recently, ruining her reputation. She was ripe for bullying.
Longsheng Great Eldest Princess was so angry that she almost fell backward when Mingzhu stepped on her sore spot. She turned to look at the Great Empress Dowager, intending to say something tough, but found herself unable to open her mouth. All she could do was say angrily, “How dare you make up such nonsense! Do you think I would send someone to assassinate Old Six over a mere door? Am I insane?”
“I was just joking with my aunt earlier, don’t be angry.” Mingzhu smiled wickedly, speaking very gently, “Speaking so loudly and harshly might scare me.”
Longsheng Great Eldest Princess wanted to crush her on the spot but couldn’t, so she left angrily, out of sight and out of mind. Mingzhu felt quite pleased to have angered Longsheng Great Eldest Princess and smiled as she turned to Imperial Consort Min, “Mother, your daughter greets you.”
“Are you all well?” Imperial Consort Min had lost a lot of weight, and her new winter clothes looked a bit loose. Even thick makeup couldn’t conceal the dark circles under her eyes. Mingzhu knew that she was having a hard time, and she didn’t dislike her as much anymore. She sincerely said, “We’re all fine, Mother, don’t worry.”
“That’s good.” Imperial Consort Min only replied with this sentence before Empress Dowager Min said, “You haven’t come to the palace to accompany your mother during your free time. Funing has been very sick these days, and your mother is worried sick. You two are staying at the Great Temple and not coming back. Your mother wants someone to talk to and can’t even find that.”
Knowing that Empress Dowager Min was deliberately implying that she and Yuwen Chu were unfilial and unloving, Mingzhu pretended not to understand and said in surprise, “Is Mother having such a hard time? And Funing is sick too? The news we’ve received says that Her Majesty is taking good care of the palace, so there’s no need to worry.”
Imperial Consort Min also tried to help her out, “Her Majesty does take good care of us. Funing isn’t seriously ill. She should recover soon.” Even though she said that, Imperial Consort Min couldn’t help but tear up.
The Great Empress Dowager pretended not to hear the conversation and just talked to a few relatives, occasionally speaking indifferently to Madam Cui, and then instructed Fu Zifei to do some minor tasks like changing tea and massaging her feet, showing her affection and importance.
Seeing Fu Zifei being praised by everyone, Empress Dowager Min felt like she was holding a fire in her heart and said coldly, “The Imperial Consort is really biased! Even if she’s worried about her son, daughter-in-law, and unborn grandson, she can’t ignore her daughter’s life, right? Funing is seriously ill, and you say it’s not a big deal?”
Imperial Consort Min couldn’t help it and burst into tears.
Mingzhu quickly supported Imperial Consort Min and comforted her softly, then looked at Empress Dowager Min with dissatisfaction, “How can a mother not worry about her daughter? Empress Dowager, please don’t scare our Imperial Consort. She’s a simple person and timid. She’s not as bold and foolish as I am. Don’t scare her.”
Wasn’t it just because she was worried about Min Baoyun and envious of Fu Zifei’s lively appearance here, that she wanted to use Funing’s illness to argue, so she could rescue Min Baoyun from Chunyi Pavilion? She wanted to gain benefits without effort, just wanting to use others as tools. How could there be such a good thing? She and Yuwen Chu also wanted to use the power of the Min family to get Funing out of the palace.
Empress Dowager Min seized the opportunity to cause trouble: “I was just being kind-hearted. How could that scare you, Imperial Consort? Funing has been sick for so long, and you, as her sister-in-law, dare to say you know nothing?”
Mingzhu stared at her, “Did the Empress Dowager send someone from the palace to deliver a message to us?”
Of course, Empress Dowager Min couldn’t admit to that, so she replied stiffly, “Is it wrong to care about your Royal Mother and your sister? Just because I didn’t allow anyone to send a message, does that mean you can ignore everything?”
Mingzhu protested, “That’s unfair. Matters in the palace are managed by the two empress dowagers, and if necessary, His Majesty worries about them too. If the palace didn’t send any messages to us as servants, how could we know what was happening? Even if we wanted to know, we wouldn’t dare to pry! Moreover, both empress dowagers are kind-hearted. Would they let the imperial consort and Funing suffer? So we didn’t think about it at all.”
Seeing that Mingzhu had a valid point, Empress Dowager Min had no way to refute her and could only say sternly, “Funing’s illness is very serious. If you and Ying Wang don’t go to see her and think of a solution, I’m afraid she won’t make it.”
Mingzhu was taken aback, “It’s that serious?” She turned to look at Imperial Consort Min for confirmation.
Imperial Consort Min covered her mouth with a handkerchief, desperately trying not to cry, “You can’t go, Funing has caught the epidemic.”
“The epidemic?” Mingzhu exclaimed loudly, startling all the palace ladies and noblewomen present. Although they knew there was an epidemic in the capital, they didn’t expect such a thing to happen even in the safest palace. Consequently, everyone felt vulnerable and a bit frightened.
The Great Empress Dowager frowned unhappily. “What’s all this fuss about?!” She had intended to reprimand Mingzhu severely, but in the end, she had taught her herself, so she had to endure it.
Empress Dowager Min sighed deeply. “Indeed.” She glanced at the Great Empress Dowager respectfully and said, “Mother, please forgive me. Although it’s not appropriate to mention this matter during the New Year’s festivities, Funing has been someone I watched grow up. I can’t just stand by and watch her be left all alone like this. At the very least, let her see her mother, brother and sister-in-law.” She didn’t mention anything about her own niece Min Baoyun, solely intent on provoking Imperial Consort Min to cry and Mingzhu to cause trouble.
The Great Empress Dowager said calmly, “The palace’s old rule is that those infected with an epidemic must be isolated for treatment. If they can’t be cured, they’re not allowed to leave. How can they meet? Are we going to spread the disease everywhere?” She was determined to keep Funing and Ming Baoyun together until they succumbed.
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