Zhang Mingde, the Empress’s trusted aide, stated bluntly that the Emperor was currently meeting with the Empress and Noble Consort. Did Mingxi dare force her way in?
While Chen Fu and Zhang Mingde exchanged barbs, Duan Mingxi silently observed her surroundings. The guards in front of Chongzheng Hall stood tall and imposing, their gleaming armor and sheathed swords radiating an air of intimidation.
She neither saw Consort Shu nor any of her attendants.
Her thoughts turned quickly, and she glanced at Chen Fu.
Chen Fu, pausing his verbal sparring with Zhang Mingde, turned to Mingxi and bowed slightly. “Young Miss?”
Without sparing Zhang Mingde a glance, Mingxi spoke softly to Chen Fu. “Steward Chen, His Majesty is deeply concerned about the safety of the Crown Prince and Jin Wang, as any loving father would be. How could I disturb him at such a time?”
Chen Fu caught on immediately, his eyes flickering with understanding. He bent even lower and said quietly, “The Young Miss is absolutely correct.”
“I’ll first go pay my respects to Consort Shu,” Duan Mingxi said decisively.
After all, it was Consort Shu who had summoned her to the palace. Why had Chen Fu brought her to Chongzheng Hall instead?
Chen Fu glanced at her in mild surprise. If he had continued to argue with Zhang Mingde, he would eventually have taken Mingxi to Cuiwei Palace. He hadn’t expected the Young Miss to figure it out herself.
Suppressing his astonishment, he put on a resigned expression. “The Young Miss is right.” Turning to Zhang Mingde, he said with a faint, amused smile, “Chief Steward Zhang, I’ll take the Young Miss to see Consort Shu now.”
Zhang Mingde didn’t take it seriously and replied sarcastically, “It’s not that I’m deliberately stopping her, but without an imperial summons, the Young Miss cannot casually request an audience.”
At this moment, Duan Mingxi finally looked at Zhang Mingde. She knew a bit about this man—just a sycophant who relied on the power of others.
“Chief Steward Zhang follows palace regulations; how could I dare to break the rules?” Duan Mingxi bowed slightly in the direction of Chongzheng Hall before turning to leave.
Chen Fu smiled at Zhang Mingde and immediately followed her.
Zhang Mingde: …
Something felt off, but he couldn’t quite figure out what.
Chen Fu quickened his pace to lead the way, lowering his voice as he spoke. “It was Niang Niang who instructed me to bring the Young Miss to Chongzheng Hall first.”
Duan Mingxi understood instantly. So that’s how it was. She nodded slightly. “Niang Niang must have her reasons for this arrangement. However, this subject is unclear about her intentions. I’d be grateful if Chief Steward Chen could enlighten me.”
Chen Fu couldn’t help but think that this young lady, Miss Duan, truly had a good temperament. On top of that, she was intelligent, sparing him much effort in handling the situation and simplifying his task significantly.
“Guidance is not my place to give; I’m merely following orders,” Chen Fu said with a smile. “When Niang Niang learned of the situation, she anticipated that the Empress and Noble Consort might make a move. Niang Niang summoned you to the palace ahead of time to avoid the possibility of the Empress sending someone to the Marquis’s manor, which could lead to unnecessary conflicts or embarrassment for you.”
Duan Mingxi paused slightly in her stride. She hadn’t expected Consort Shu to think so far ahead on her behalf.
Seeing her look of surprise, Chen Fu felt a sense of satisfaction. It was important that Miss Duan knew how considerate Consort Shu was towards her.
“After the previous incident, the people from Kunde Palace are quite displeased with you. If they were to come to the Marquis’s manor, under the pretext of a summons from the Emperor, it would likely put you in an awkward position. Niang Niang had me bring you to Chongzheng Hall first, merely as a formality, to prevent the Empress and Noble Consort from seizing the wrong opportunity. There’s no need for you to worry.”
Duan Mingxi sincerely said, “For Niang Niang to go to such lengths for me, I am deeply grateful.”
“Miss, Niang Niang is waiting for you. Let us proceed quickly.”
“Understood.”
Upon reaching Cuiwei Palace, they met Consort Shu. She had just put down a letter sent by her son when she looked up and examined Mingxi.
Mingxi stepped forward to pay her respects. “This subject greets Niang Niang. May Niang Niang be well.”
Consort Shu personally stepped forward to help Mingxi up, shocking all the palace attendants.
Holding Mingxi’s hand, Consort Shu’s eyes reddened slightly. “Good child, if not for you tonight, my son might not have escaped so easily. You truly are blessed to have helped him avert this disaster.”
Consort Shu’s words surprised Mingxi. She had heard many people say that her fate was tough, her temper harsher, her tactics shrewd, and that she was cursed with bad fortune and ill luck. Because of this, she was abducted as a child, and after being reunited with her family, her mother disliked her, and her father showed no affection.
After marriage, her husband despised her, and after ten years, she had not borne a single child. This was seen as further evidence of her unlucky destiny.
But this was the first time someone had said she was fortunate.
Consort Shu’s hands were warm, her fingers gripping Mingxi’s palm firmly. The warmth spread to her own hands, bringing a sense of comfort.
“Niang Niang overpraises me. Wangye is talented in both literature and martial arts. How could Mingxi possibly be of any help?” Mingxi instinctively softened her tone.
Consort Shu pulled Mingxi to sit beside her. “Muchen has already written to me; I know everything. Thankfully, both of you are safe and sound. Otherwise, what would I have done?”
Consort Shu’s emotions were rich and overflowing. Mingxi listened as the consort praised her endlessly, with not a single repeated compliment. Mingxi found herself unable to get a word in, her face flushing red.
At a time like this, Xiao Muchen had actually found the time to write to Consort Shu. Could it be that he had anticipated the Empress and the Noble Consort’s moves?
Finally, after enough compliments, Consort Shu got to the main point. “The specifics are unclear, but I heard that both the Crown Prince and Jin Wang were injured. That’s why the Empress and the Noble Consort are so furious.”
“However, in my opinion, this matter isn’t simple. Are their guards all useless drunkards? How could they fail to protect their masters?”
“Niang Niang is right,” Duan Mingxi agreed. Considering the Crown Prince’s cunning, it wasn’t impossible that he might stage an injury to frame someone else.
“When the Emperor summons you for questioning, just tell the truth. I will support you. Don’t be afraid,” Consort Shu said, her expression tinged with anger.
Mingxi nodded. “Understood.”
“It’s a pity we didn’t have enough time to gather evidence. Otherwise, we could’ve counterattacked,” Consort Shu said regretfully.
Mingxi was surprised and looked at Consort Shu. “Didn’t His Highness inform you that they captured someone alive?”
Consort Shu: …
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Consort Shu silently gritted her teeth. Good, good, good! She had truly raised a fine son. He wrote a letter to the palace that was mostly about praising Mingxi’s bravery in saving him.
Yet, he hadn’t mentioned such a critical piece of information!
The daughter-in-law wasn’t even married yet, and the mother was already being outmaneuvered by her own son!
Not wanting to alarm Mingxi, Consort Shu suppressed her complicated emotions and said, “If that’s the case, even better. If we can extract useful information during interrogation, perhaps the Empress and the Noble Consort will suffer a severe humiliation.”
Hearing this, Mingxi looked at Consort Shu and asked, “Niang Niang, there’s something I don’t quite understand. If the Crown Prince and Jin Wang were injured, why are the Empress and the Noble Consort targeting Wangye?”
For matters of this magnitude, accusations couldn’t be made lightly; they must be backed by evidence.
