Chapter 669: Invitation
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Through the carved door, Mingzhu watched Yuwen Chu stride down the long corridor, the cold wind lifting his coarse mourning clothes and billowing his sleeves like flowing clouds. He looked like a general about to go to war, or a romantic scholar. The combination of elegance and valor in him was truly remarkable.
Mingzhu covered her eyes, letting tears stream down her cheeks. From her rebirth to now, she had gone through so much, feeling a complex mix of emotions. She needed to be alone to gather her thoughts.
As darkness fell, Wei Tiande peeked in, asking softly, “Wangfei, would you like another brazier?”
Mingzhu realized her hands and feet were numb from the cold, and it was almost dark. She quickly stood up, rubbing her face, “No need for a brazier. I lost track of time. I need to fetch Zhuang Zhuang.”
Wei Tiande moved to assist her, “Let me serve you.”
“Go call Donghui for me,” Mingzhu said, declining his help. “Why didn’t you go with His Highness?”
Wei Tiande smiled, “His Highness was worried about you and left me here to serve you.” He thought, his Highness is truly the most considerate husband, and Wangfei is very fortunate.
Mingzhu urged him, “Go serve His Highness. It’s inconvenient for him to be without someone to bring tea and water.”
“Yes, I’ll go right away.” Wei Tiande responded and thought, though Wangfei was spoiled and capricious, she had a good heart. If he were his Highness, he would love and cherish her too. But no, he quickly dismissed the thought, knowing his Highness, he would skin him alive if he found out.
Mingzhu didn’t know about Wei Tiande’s complex thoughts. After meeting up with Donghui, who had been waiting outside, she urged Wei Tiande to hurry to Chongzheng Hall. She then took Donghui back to Guangming Hall.
Guangming Hall was quiet. Zhuangzhuang was already asleep, and Imperial Consort Min was afraid of disturbing him, so she strictly forbade the palace servants from making any noise. She herself sat idly in a chair. Seeing Mingzhu enter, she said softly, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Are you hungry? Shall I have a meal prepared?”
Mingzhu had been eager to return home, but then she thought about how rarely she got to have a meal with Imperial Consort Min, who lived alone in the palace, constantly worried and anxious. Feeling sympathetic, she agreed and smiled, “Has Funing eaten? Should we invite her to join us?”
Imperial Consort Min’s face darkened. “I didn’t allow her to have dinner, hoping she’d learn a lesson. She shouldn’t create trouble for her sixth brother just after recovering a bit.”
It seemed Yuwen Chu had already discussed Funing with Imperial Consort Min, so Mingzhu didn’t bring it up again. Instead, she quietly served Imperial Consort Min her meal. Imperial Consort Min had a poor appetite and only ate half a bowl of rice before putting down her chopsticks. She looked worried and asked, “Have you heard about the matter in Chongzheng Hall?”
Mingzhu looked up, noticing that despite Imperial Consort Min’s efforts to hide it, her disappointment was evident. Mingzhu realized that Imperial Consort Min had been misled. Others had praised Yuwen Chu as the empire’s future, saying that the palace, the capital, and even the world were under his control, and she had believed it. Now, with the Great Empress Dowager suddenly promoting Yuwen Guang, it felt like returning to the days when Yuwen Bai was in power, leading to her deep disappointment.
Mingzhu finally confirmed that Imperial Consort Min wasn’t as clever as she had thought. She was just fortunate to have a good son, a gentle nature, and knew when to yield. In the previous life, Imperial Consort Min’s unexpected kindness and consideration towards her were probably all directed by Yuwen Chu.
Appreciating the man’s thoughtfulness, Mingzhu gently reassured Imperial Consort Min, “I’ve heard. But this has long been anticipated by His Highness. Don’t be sad, Mother. The current situation is very different from the past. The Min clan’s power, built over many years, is much stronger than that of County Prince Yanping’s mother’s clan, the Xu family. So, the situation is much better now. As long as you avoid provoking the Great Empress Dowager, neither the Xu family nor anyone else will dare to harm you.”
Imperial Consort Min, though still regretful, sighed with relief, “That’s good.” Noticing Mingzhu set down her chopsticks and rinsed her mouth, she knew she was about to leave and reluctantly said, “You must be going to take care of Prime Minister Fu. Why don’t you leave Zhuangzhuang with me for a couple of days? He and I get along so well. The first time he saw me, he wanted me to hold him. We had a great time playing together. Let him keep me company.”
Mingzhu understood Imperial Consort Min’s feelings—after all, it was her first time seeing her grandchild, and it wasn’t easy. Yet, she didn’t dare to agree easily. Unwilling to be the bad person, she cleverly said, “Alright, but since I didn’t expect him to stay in the palace, his things are not prepared. How about I take him home tonight and bring his things tomorrow?”
Imperial Consort Min understood her meaning and reluctantly agreed, “That’s fine. It’s getting late. If you must leave, do so quickly. It’s cold, and the situation is unstable; the roads aren’t safe.”
The nurse brought out the well-wrapped Zhuangzhuang. Imperial Consort Min kissed him repeatedly before handing him to Mingzhu and watched them from the palace doors. Just then, Fu Zifei approached in a small sedan, smiling, “Aunt, the Great Empress Dowager heard that Zhuangzhuang entered the palace and wants you to bring him to her.”
Imperial Consort Min was panic-stricken, regretting allowing Zhuangzhuang into the palace. If the Great Empress Dowager detained him as leverage to coerce Yuwen Chu and Mingzhu, what could they do?
Mingzhu realized this too and calmly said to Fu Zifei, “It’s already late, and my father is bedridden. I need to hurry back. If I request the Great Empress Dowager’s permission to bring him tomorrow, would you accept that?”
Fu Zifei exaggeratedly waved her hands, “Forgive me, Aunt, but I dare not. The Great Empress Dowager is in a foul mood lately, and everyone gets scolded. She just said that Ying Wangfei should have brought the child to greet her. She likes to see little children, so Zifei, you must bring the child.”
Fu Zifei pointed to a nearby group of guards, “Look, the Great Empress Dowager even sent many people to ensure your safety on the way.”
A squad of Imperial Guards stood nearby.
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
