PART 2
After a moment of contemplation, Gu Zhen said, “I remember the Shanggong Bureau of the Jiangzuo Supervisor had new jewelry made at the beginning of the year. Go to the storeroom and pick some out to send to the Empress.”
Wu Mao secretly thought that this was His Majesty taking the initiative to show goodwill and hurriedly agreed, personally taking the key to the emperor’s storeroom.
A golden sun rose, illuminating the entire Luoyang City, and it was only when the attendant outside reported that Jiang, the departmental officer, had come to see him that Gu Zhen slowly swallowed the last mouthful of breakfast and said indifferently, “Announce him.”
Jiang Jiayan, the departmental officer in charge of finance at the Ministry of Revenue, wearing a crimson robe, entered and bowed in the center of the side hall, “Your Majesty, I greet you.”
The court had been discussing the drought in Henan for the past few days. Henan is adjacent to Jingzhao County, where Luoyang is located, and it is not a small matter. Gu Zhen intended for Jiang Jiayan to go to Henan to investigate the disaster. Many people thought that Jiang Jiayan was too young for the task and advised Gu Zhen to choose someone else.
However, the people they recommended were not to Gu Zhen’s liking.
Jiang Jiayan was Gu Zhen’s companion reader. Gu Zhen knew exactly how capable he was. The disaster relief funds had already been allocated, and the news indicated that corruption was involved, so he had to send a trusted person to go there before he could feel relieved. Against the many dissenting voices, Gu Zhen refuted several of the most vocal opponents in the court and appointed Jiang Jiayan against all odds.
Gu Zhen raised his hand to let him get up, threw a memorial at him, and smiled, “Look, how many impeachments you’ve received these days.”
Jiang Jiayan caught it with both hands, roughly scanned it, and bowed, “Minister Zhao is right, I am indeed too young to gain the trust of everyone.”
Gu Zhen glanced at him and snorted, “Since you know, then achieve something to shut others up. Don’t embarrass me!”
When Wu Mao brought out the jewelry, Gu Zhen just happened to get up and go to the side hall; the breakfast on the table hadn’t been cleared yet.
Wu Mao stretched his neck to take a look, and saw that the other dishes were intact, only the bowl of plum blossom soup cakes was completely empty.
He arranged for someone to clean up. A young eunuch said, “Your Majesty ate much less today.”
Wu Mao couldn’t help but sigh, “Your Majesty’s appetite isn’t good; only the Empress’s cooking can make him eat a few mouthfuls.”
Even now, it was less. When they were in the East Palace, the food sent was much more frequent. At that time, the Empress was even injured by hot oil on her arm. After she recovered, she still sent snacks to His Majesty.
Following Gu Zhen’s instructions, Wu Mao picked out a box of jewelry and sent it to Jiao Fang Palace, along with some flattering words, “Your Majesty doesn’t know, Your Majesty didn’t touch several breakfast dishes today, only finishing the soup cakes sent by Your Majesty. It’s really fortunate that Your Majesty made them and sent them over.”
Hearing that he had eaten everything, even if Zhao Yiyi wanted to maintain her composure, a hint of a smile still appeared in her eyes.
After Wu Mao left, Zhao Yiyi opened the small box; it contained many jeweled ornaments, dazzling her eyes for a moment.
“I knew His Majesty must have missed Your Majesty,” Yunzhu poured a cup of longan tea for her and chuckled softly, “Look, Your Majesty personally made a bowl of soup cakes and sent them, and His Majesty immediately sent back so many ornaments.”
A smile played on Zhao Yiyi’s lips. She took out a gold and jade hairpin and held it to her temples, asking, “Does it look good?”
The beauty’s skin was as delicate as fresh snow, her hair as black as lacquer and as cascading as a waterfall. When she looked back, there was a sparkling light in her eyes.
She was already naturally somewhat charming; the luxurious golden hairpin at her temples made her look as if she had stepped out of a painting.
Yunzhu nodded vigorously, saying warmly, “It looks good.”
Besides the hairpin, there was also a gold bracelet inlaid with many chicken blood stones and pearls, which suited Zhao Yiyi perfectly.
Seeing that she liked it, Yunzhu said, “I’ll put it on for Your Majesty.”
The gold bracelet was exquisitely made. It didn’t need to be forcefully put on the wrist; it only needed to open a clasp on the side, and it could be easily worn.
Taking off her original mutton fat jade bracelet and putting on this gold bracelet made her skin look even whiter.
Her impromptu plum blossom soup cakes were not only liked by her husband, but he also suddenly sent her so many ornaments. Zhao Yiyi was happy, and the gloom of the past few days instantly dissipated.
Twirling the bracelet on her wrist, she said, “I’ll wear this bracelet for the next few days.”
She wasn’t short of jewelry, but because he had sent it, she cherished it especially.
Jiao Fang Palace was filled with joy, but Huai’an Hou’s Mansion on the east side of the city was filled with gloom.
Huai’an Hou Zhao Weimin sat in the main hall, his expression cold, occasionally sipping tea.
Yesterday, the emperor had rebuked several people in court, and he was one of those rebuked for opposing the emperor’s appointment of Jiang Jiayan along with his associates.
He had lost face and dignity.
What made Zhao Weimin even more flustered was that he was clearly the Left Minister of the Ministry of Rites, of the same rank as the Right Minister. He was of higher rank, and the other was of lower rank. Yet the emperor often ignored him and consulted the Right Minister alone.
Furthermore, since he had joined his associates in impeaching Jiang Jiayan, he had undoubtedly offended this favorite of the emperor.
His heart was filled with resentment, and he even had several sores in his mouth.
Xu Shi stroked his chest and gently comforted him, “What’s the big deal? My husband temporarily angered the emperor; he’ll apologize later. Don’t worry about it. Besides, don’t we still have the eldest daughter?”
At her reminder, Zhao Weimin also remembered his eldest daughter.
His eldest daughter, the empress.
After a moment of contemplation, he instructed, “Call the second daughter over.”
While Zhao Yiyi was still busy with palace affairs in the afternoon, she received an invitation from the Zhao family, saying that the second daughter missed her elder sister and wanted to visit the palace.
Zhao Yiyi had always doted on her sister, so on the day she entered the palace, she personally went to the palace gate to greet her early in the morning.
Zhao Duanduan, the second daughter of the Zhao family, was fifteen years old, just at the age of bright and lively youth. Upon seeing Zhao Yiyi, she bowed and then put her arm around her, asking about her recent situation.
She chattered all the way, and even the little palace maids behind them secretly thought that the second miss’s personality was very different from the Empress’s.
Zhao Duanduan said she wanted to see the weeping willows by the pond, so the group didn’t return to Jiao Fang Palace, but took a detour to Hai Pond.
The Emperor’s personal plowing ceremony was approaching, and Zhao Yiyi had been busy making preparations for the past few days, and hadn’t been out to appreciate the scenery properly. Thinking that she would go for a walk, she dismissed the palace maids and kept only a few close-attending maids.
As they walked, Zhao Duanduan kept talking, and Zhao Yiyi tapped her forehead, helplessly saying, “Why do you have so much to say?”
“I haven’t seen my sister for several months, of course I have a lot to say,” Zhao Duanduan looked up at her with a small face, saying with a cheerful smile.
On the way to Hai Pond, they passed a wall covered with wisteria. Through the ice-patterned windows, they could vaguely see people on the other side.
Soon, voices came from the other side of the wall. Suddenly, someone laughed, “If I were to say, the Empress Dowager used so many precious ingredients to make tonic soup for the Empress, it’s all useless.”
“Your Highness is right,” a soft voice flattered, “I heard that these days, His Majesty has been staying in Purple Palace and hasn’t set foot in the harem, wasting the Empress Dowager’s efforts.”
Lin Chuan snorted, pursing her lips, “Just wait, my mother and aunt have made arrangements to bring He’s cousin into the palace in a few days. When that time comes, what position does she have left?”
Unexpectedly hearing these things upon entering the palace, Zhao Duanduan’s face turned pale, and she tremblingly turned to look at Zhao Yiyi.
But Zhao Yiyi didn’t look at her. Instead, she looked at Lin Chuan through the cracks in the window, pondering what she had just said.
The more she thought, the heavier her heart sank.
Author’s Note:
Gu Zhen: Look! Yiyi made soup cakes for me! I ate them all!
Yiyi: …