Chapter 47: Mending the Fold part 1
At the northern street intersection, a tall carriage painted with vermilion bird patterns rested under a scholar tree. Flanked by majestic ceremonial guards on both sides, it caused countless pedestrians to stop and stare, guessing in their hearts which prince or noble was traveling.
“Your Majesty.”
After a long while, an attendant approached, knocked on the carriage wall, and called out in a lowered voice.
Gu Zhen opened his eyes abruptly but did not open the carriage window. He simply asked indifferently, “Has the Empress come out?”
Cold sweat broke out on the attendant’s forehead. Bracing himself, he said, “She has come out, but Her Ladyship ordered the coachman to go towards the south side.”
After a long silence, Gu Zhen asked again, “Did you tell the Empress that Zhen was waiting for her here?”
“We sent someone to tell Her Ladyship,” the attendant replied.
The carriage suddenly fell silent. The attendant waited until his legs were numb before hearing a light chuckle from inside.
His whole body tensed instantly, sweat pouring down like rain. He lowered his eyes to stare at the spots of light through the gaps in the scholar tree leaves, terrified the Emperor would fly into a rage.
“Never mind.” Gu Zhen smiled, then said indifferently, “Never mind. Since that is the case, return directly to the palace.”
He had known long ago that this would be the result.
But he still wouldn’t give up; he wanted to try, just in case. Always thinking what if—what if she changed her mind? What if her anger suddenly dissipated?
She didn’t say a word, nor did she give any other indication. She didn’t even confront him tit-for-tat like she had some time ago.
Instead, she chose to simply ignore him.
Gu Zhen suddenly remembered this morning, when she said she would do as he wished and strictly abide by the duties of the Empress, giving him no cause for worry in the front court. The more she acted like this, the more terrible he felt, as if punching cotton.
In those days of argument, he only felt tired and wanted her to be obedient, to stop making a fuss.
But now that she really wasn’t making a fuss, now that she really started learning to be well-behaved, he would rather she made a fuss, rather she argued with him.
His eyes felt sour. Although there was no one else in the carriage, Gu Zhen still raised his hand to cover his brows and eyes, hiding the regret in his gaze.
It was he who had lost Yiyi.
He had lost the person whose heart and eyes were once filled only with him.
After returning to Zichen Hall, Gu Zhen summoned Wu Nan and asked, “For what matter did the Empress return to the Huai’an Marquis Manor today?”
Since the Emperor had dispatched him initially, Wu Nan knew the Emperor would ask this. Hearing the question, he hurriedly said, “Her Ladyship went for the matter of the Second Young Master of the Zhao family entering the Imperial College.”
“Hmm?” Gu Zhen stopped reviewing the official documents in his hand and raised an eyebrow.
Wu Nan continued, “That Second Young Master Zhao is fully fourteen and should have entered the Imperial College as requested by the Marquis of Huai’an, Zhao Weimin. However, the Marquis intended to give this spot to his third son, which infuriated Her Ladyship. That is why she went back, to back up her own younger brother.”
He thought about it again and again, but still decided to hide the fact that the Empress had a huge row with the Marquis and angered him to the point of vomiting blood.
Even as the Mother of the Nation, one should value filial piety. If this matter spread, it would be disadvantageous to the Empress. If His Majesty heard it, he might have some negative thoughts about the Empress.
“Is the Empress closer to that Zhao Er (Second son)?” He continued to lower his head to review the memorials, asking casually.
Wu Nan was stunned, then nodded, “Naturally. Her Ladyship and the Second Young Master are born of the same mother; their affection is extraordinary. That Third Young Master is born of Her Ladyship’s stepmother; they are separated by a layer.”
Gu Zhen looked dazed. He suddenly realized that, apart from the Second Miss Zhao who often entered the palace, he seemed to know nothing about the Empress’s natal family.
Because he had never put his heart into it, he had never cared.
Closing his eyes, Gu Zhen said in a deep voice, “Present the Zhao family genealogy to Zhen.”
Noble families all had genealogies; the various relationships were deeply intertwined, making titles and connections confusing. The palace naturally kept copies of the genealogies of various noble families for verification.
Wu Mao quickly brought the Zhao family genealogy. Gu Zhen flipped through a few pages and roughly understood the situation of the Zhao family.
Even if Zhao Weimin married a wife immediately after observing mourning for the Xiahou clan, he should have waited at least two years before having a child. Moreover, Lady Xiahou did not pass away immediately after her youngest son was born. Yet, the son born to the Xu woman was only half a year younger than Yiyi’s biological brother.
Once his original wife died, Zhao Weimin couldn’t wait to marry his outside mistress, and he willingly raised the mistress’s child.
Madam Xu had a son and a daughter, and with such a background, how could she treat Yiyi well?
“She is so delicate herself, yet she ran off to back someone else up.” Gu Zhen couldn’t help sighing and asked again, “Did the Empress suffer any grievances?”
Wu Nan shook his head: “Her Ladyship did not suffer any grievances. On the contrary, the Marquis of Huai’an couldn’t quite handle it. This servant observed that he dotes on his second wife strangely well, and extends his love to the daughter of Madam Xu and her former husband, trying several times to praise that stepdaughter in front of Her Ladyship.”
Gu Zhen suddenly remembered that he used to dislike Yiyi for being too weak, docile, and soft. Growing up in such a family, without the protection of elders—aside from wearing down her own edges and becoming obedient to win a speck of pity from her father, what else could she do?
If she had a bad temper, if not for the matter with her aunt, she would have been controlled by her stepmother and married off randomly when she came of age.
Thinking of these possibilities, his chest instantly felt stifled with pain. He smiled bitterly. In the past, he only disliked Yiyi’s temper for being too soft, but he never thought about how she grew up in that home and what grievances she had suffered.
Now, she was finally gradually becoming strong.
But the tenderness and obedience he once despised had become things he couldn’t beg for no matter how he tried.
That tenderness might still be there, but it no longer belonged to him.
Looking over the genealogy a few times, he sneered, “To get a bastard into the Imperial College, he didn’t hesitate to tell a colossal lie, even attempting to change the bastard’s age. How is he so capable?”
Wu Nan buried his head, daring not to answer.
“No rules were set regarding this before, giving these people an opportunity.” Gu Zhen threw the brush aside and said coldly, “Send a decree to the Imperial College: from now on, the admission of sons born of adultery is forbidden.”
As soon as he thought of Zhao Yiyi, he felt an unbearable headache again.
Every time this happened, he would fall into that desperate and inescapable contemplation, desperately recalling: If I had treated Yiyi better back then, if I had cared for her, would it be different?
But he hadn’t.
He had always treated her poorly. Even though they had done everything intimate, he never placed her in his heart.
Nor had he ever had a shred of pity for her.
His throat felt blocked for a moment. Gu Zhen stood up and walked outside.
Wu Mao followed behind and hurriedly asked, “Where is Your Majesty going?”
“Jiao Fang Palace.”
He dropped a few cold words.
After the Sericulture Rite, the Empress needed to host a banquet to reward the titled ladies who had participated in the sacrifice.
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