Chapter 785: Tacit Approval
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The Great Empress Dowager, satisfied, said, “After you return, claim to be ill and rest for a while. When the time is right, I’ll have someone bring you out again.”
Fu Zifei silently withdrew.
Sang Shen entered, worried, “Your Majesty, will the Empress hold a grudge?”
The Great Empress Dowager scoffed, “Do you think she didn’t already hold a grudge? Her resentment has always been there and won’t lessen just because I’m nicer to her. Unless I give her everything she wants, which is impossible. Her hatred is useful; it gives her strength to act and makes her more willing to listen to me.”
Sang Shen handed her medicine, “You should take your medicine now.”
“Leave it here, I’ll drink it later,” the Great Empress Dowager instructed Sang Shen, “Go tell the Emperor that I know what happened today. I’ve already punished the Empress, so he and the Regent can focus on their duties. As for that eunuch Wei Tiande…”
Sang Shen tensed, “Do you want him dead?”
The Great Empress Dowager smiled, “No, keep him alive. His loyalty to the Regent Wangfei is commendable. He dared to offend the Empress on her command, so he must be kept around.”
Sang Shen didn’t fully understand what the Great Empress Dowager intended but went to relay the message as instructed, feeling confused.
The Great Empress Dowager stared at the dark medicinal decoction, drank about a third of it, and then poured the rest into a nearby flowerpot. Jiang Zhouzi’s pain-relieving and calming medicine was effective but too taxing on the mind, so she couldn’t consume it all. She could endure, and a third was usually enough for her, taking the full dose only when Mingzhu visited.
Peng Liang entered from outside, bowing low, “Your Majesty.”
The Great Empress Dowager frowned, “Have Gu Ruliang’s family been taken care of? Have you dealt with those who knew about this matter?”
Peng Liang whispered, “Yes, Gu Ruliang’s family will receive generous rewards for their loyalty. Few knew of this matter, and those who did are dead. We will find Fu Mingzhao before Fu Mingzheng arrives and bring him to the capital.”
The Great Empress Dowager asked, “No one suspects Gu Ruliang was our man, right?”
Peng Liang quietly replied, “Your Majesty has done so much for Daxia, benefiting countless people. A young upstart like Ying Wang cannot compare. He’s been arrogant for over a year, and it’s time to wake him up.”
The Great Empress Dowager sighed, “So many people died; my heart feels uneasy. May all the sins fall upon me alone and spare the others.”
Peng Liang said, “To maintain orthodoxy and thwart traitors, some sacrifices are necessary. Like Ying Wang, who once ordered the abandonment of Dingjia Town to save Bingzhou. Who should the ghosts of Dingjia Town blame? We must consider the greater good. Lost cities can be reclaimed. Don’t dwell on it.”
The Great Empress Dowager sighed deeply, “I still feel uneasy. You may leave.”
Peng Liang quietly withdrew.
That night, in the Regent’s residence, Mingzhu had calmed her two children and went to Yuwen Chu’s small study in Yinghui Hall to read. On the wall hung a smaller version of a topographic map, with the major towns of the northern region, Eeling, and the Weishui defense line highlighted in red by Yuwen Chu.
Mingzhu traced the red lines with her hand, imagining Yuwen Chu meticulously drawing them, and a flood of emotions overwhelmed her.
Zheng Momo, who was watching nearby, felt distressed, “Wangfei, it’s getting late. You should rest.”
Mingzhu shook her head, took several county and state gazetteers of the northern region from the bookshelf, and prepared to take them to her bedroom. She had never felt such a strong desire to be well-informed and knowledgeable about Daxia’s landscapes, customs, and traditions. She wasn’t as clever as others but aimed to know everything.
Zheng Momo came over to help carry the books, “Let me handle it.”
Zheng Momo often did such tasks, so Mingzhu handed the books to her, “Place them by my pillow.”
After Zheng Momo left, Mingzhu sat at Yuwen Chu’s desk in a daze, determining what she needed to do in the future. Su Mei peeked in, called Donghui out, and whispered a few words. Donghui returned, looking uneasy, “Wei Tiande has been sent back.”
Mingzhu felt anxious, “What happened to him?”
Donghui replied, “He was beaten with twenty strokes of the cane. His Highness said he should stay by your side to serve you from now on, no longer following him.”
Mingzhu sighed deeply, “I’ll go see him.”
Though Wei Tiande had been sent back, since the person who brought him didn’t say he should be punished further, and he was delivered to Mingzhu, Li Quanxin still had him taken back to his original room to rest, and asked Tang Chunlai for some good ointment.
Wei Tiande, usually amiable and inoffensive, was visited by many who laughed at his recount of Fu Zifei’s embarrassment. Hearing the laughter outside, Mingzhu felt relieved, realizing things weren’t as severe as she feared, and Yuwen Chu must have shown mercy.
When Mingzhu entered, everyone greeted her politely before stepping out. Wei Tiande struggled to rise and bow to Mingzhu, “How can a slave like me trouble the Wangfei to personally visit? I deserve to die.” He smiled broadly, proud that the madam personally visited him, making the beating worth it.
Mingzhu also smiled, “I heard you were caned twenty times and worried about you. Seeing you so lively reassures me.”
Wei Tiande, beaming, said, “His Highness knows what he’s doing. The Empress claimed to be ill, so there had to be an explanation. I don’t mind and am willing.”
Mingzhu sighed, “You really went all out, not afraid His Highness might be furious and take your life for dirtying the memorials.” She knew Yuwen Chu valued such documents highly.
Wei Tiande excitedly replied, “Madam, I know His Highness well. The important ones were put away, and those were trivial matters he’d rather burn. Don’t feel bad for me; His Highness sent me back to avoid trouble.”
Mingzhu felt something was off, “You mean…”
Wei Tiande hesitated, “When I received Sister Donghui’s message, I resolved to avenge you. But His Highness is perceptive; he asked if you had anything important when I returned. I dared not lie and told him. He didn’t object, so I went ahead. Without his tacit approval, I wouldn’t have dared.”
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