The next morning, Yuwen Chu notified Mingzhu to take the children and head to the manor in the Great Temple for some relaxation. In the carriage, she heard news: Su Lan had been threatened, Third Master Cui had survived two assassination attempts—one by poison, one by arrow. Meanwhile, Longsheng Great Eldest Princess caused a scene in the imperial prison, and the Great Empress Dowager fell ill, requiring the Emperor and Empress, along with their children, to attend to her.
The first few events were expected, but the Great Empress Dowager’s illness worried Mingzhu a bit. “Is it okay for us to leave like this?”
Thinking she was still concerned about the Great Empress Dowager, Yuwen Chu handed their daughter to the wet nurse and said softly, “If you’re worried, we can have someone check on her condition.”
Mingzhu shook her head, “If she can demand everyone’s presence, she’s not in serious trouble. I’m worried we’ll be accused of being unfilial if we leave now. If necessary, I can stay and handle things while you attend to your duties.”
Filial piety was paramount, and children couldn’t retaliate against parents, no matter the treatment. Yuwen Chu, especially given his status, was held to higher standards.
Yuwen Chu smiled slightly, “Don’t you want to go to the Great Temple?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then let’s go. We know nothing, just follow the plan. If she sends someone to inform us, I’ll fall ill from the stress. As for future records, I’ll decide what goes into history.” Yuwen Chu tapped the carriage wall, “Let’s go.”
Mingzhu smiled and said, “Regent, you’re showing off your dominance.”
Yuwen Chu remained expressionless. “Isn’t it for the sake of getting a little more satisfaction?”
Zhuangzhuang echoed beside them, “Dominance, dominance.” His pronunciation wasn’t very clear, sounding quite amusing. Both Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu couldn’t help but laugh, which only made him find it more fun, laughing even louder.
The manor in the Great Temple was still the same, but there were more tenants now. Additionally, there were many widows and orphans from the charity hall, making it particularly lively. When they saw the carriage arrive, a group of people surrounded them to pay their respects, all looking joyful and admiring, even the blacksmith received a warm welcome.
Yuwen Chu could clearly feel that compared to before, the people in the village now showed more awe towards him and less closeness. However, they were affectionate and trusting towards Mingzhu. She could even casually call out the names of the villagers and their children, remembering who had just given birth, or who had recently built a new house, or who had a sick family member.
She even joked with the Guan Jiapo who brought the widows from the charity hall to farm the land, “I heard you’re engaged now. Bring the girl over another day, and I’ll give you a good gift.”
Jiapo had matured a lot in these two years and had risen to the position of a middle-level steward. He worked efficiently and effectively, especially skilled in mental arithmetic. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, murmuring in response, eliciting a round of friendly laughter.
Having a good memory wasn’t anything special, but having such meticulous care was. Yuwen Chu looked at the lively scene and couldn’t help but feel extremely gratified. Mingzhu leaned over and whispered to him, “Aside from mental arithmetic, Jiapo also has another remarkable skill. Whenever there’s something to be done, he can estimate it with minimal error. He also knows which area has the best grains and fabrics, their characteristics, which season is the most favorable, and the best quality. I’ve thought about it. In the future, if Your Highness wants to go to war personally, you can bring him along and let him manage your logistics.”
“Okay.” Yuwen Chu hadn’t been to this area near the Great Temple for quite some time. Everything seemed especially interesting to him now. Seeing Mingzhu talking to the head of the village, he decided to take the children to the hot springs at the back to play in the water, truly displaying the demeanor of taking a vacation.
Seeing them leave, Mingzhu also felt eager. After hastily dealing with the village head and the steward, she changed her clothes and followed along. Together with Yuwen Chu, they each carried one of the children, enjoying themselves to the fullest.
Both adults and children had a great time. The two children ate a lot for dinner and fell asleep soon after. Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu sat on the veranda, drinking tea and watching the sunset. The warm breeze blew in from afar, bringing a dry scent.
Mingzhu was worried, “Didn’t you say it’s going to rain? Why hasn’t it started yet? I heard the village head say that if it doesn’t rain soon, the situation here in the Great Temple will become very severe.”
Yuwen Chu glanced at the sky, responding indirectly, “At this moment, the messenger sent by the Changxin Palace to inform us of the serious illness of the Great Empress Dowager should be on his way.”
Mingzhu didn’t understand how this was related to the timing of the rain, but she knew the purpose of leaving at this time: “Leaving before the city gates close, so that when it’s exactly midnight, you and I will rise to receive the imperial edict, the entire village will be in chaos, and no one will be able to sleep.”
“Yeah.” Yuwen Chu poured her a cup of tea, smiling, “But it will rain heavily soon, and it will be a torrential rain. There’s a section of road on our way here that’s not good. Villagers dug a deep trench in the middle of the road to divert water. Normally, they support it with two planks. I think it’s unsafe, so I had them removed, planning to send someone to repair it on another day.”
“Um…” Mingzhu looked at Yuwen Chu, who mischievously winked at her, implying that he had planned it all out. Wanting to help the Great Empress Dowager but causing trouble for him, one must have a spirit of dedication.
Another gust of wind blew, and Yuwen Chu half-closed his eyes, gently flaring his nostrils. “Can you smell it? The scent of rain. The air is humid.”
Mingzhu took a few deep breaths but despairingly said, “I don’t smell it.” She really was a coarse person.
Yuwen Chu asked her to look at the sky. Sure enough, the clouds were gradually gathering, obscuring the sky’s colorful hues, leaving only a bright spot of sunlight glaring from the horizon, as if gilding the heavy clouds with gold edges.
Mingzhu and Yuwen Chu quietly enjoyed the breeze, watching the sky, drinking tea. They felt that this evening was the most relaxed and comfortable one they had spent in these years. This is probably what mutual support and companionship feels like, right? Mingzhu whispered to Yuwen Chu, “Years later, I still want to drink tea like this with Your Highness here.”
“I want that too.”
Another gust of wind blew. This time, Mingzhu truly and distinctly smelled the scent of rain. She joyfully exclaimed, “I smell it! I smell it!”
Yuwen Chu looked at her affectionately, dismissing the maid who came forward to advise them to return to the house. He held Mingzhu’s hand. “Tonight, you and I will stay here to watch the rain and listen to the wind.”
