Part 2
Gu Zhen thought dazedly, then said, “In the past, Zhen did not understand my own heart, and thus, ignored you greatly. Can you… can you give Zhen a chance? Give Zhen a chance to make amends?”
He said it so lightly.
Zhao Yiyi pinched her palm hard, leaving marks. Her cheeks were tight as she changed the subject: “Didn’t Your Majesty say you came just to take a look at this consort? Since you have already looked, and the night is deep, Your Majesty should hurry back.”
She was driving him away.
But Gu Zhen couldn’t think of any way to make himself stay.
Nor did he have any ability to make her forgive him so easily.
He gazed at her for a long time. It wasn’t until the moon outside the window had changed direction and the light in the hall suddenly dimmed that he slowly stood up.
He lifted the curtains, bent down to tuck in the corner of her quilt, a trace of sorrow flashing across his tightly tensed cheeks.
Gu Zhen was considering whether to tell her about today’s events.
He thought for a long time, so long that even he didn’t know how much time had passed, but then he felt that doing so would seem like he was asking for credit from her—as if he couldn’t wait to tell her just after doing a tiny thing.
Ridiculous and pitiful.
Thinking of this, Gu Zhen smiled at her and said warmly, “The night is deep. Zhen didn’t expect you to sleep so early; it was Zhen who disturbed your rest.”
He reached out, wanting to touch her forehead, but subconsciously curled his fingertips and slowly withdrew his hand: “Go to sleep quickly. Zhen will leave first.”
Wu Mao stood on the stone steps blowing in the wind. Watching the Emperor’s stumbling steps as he came out, the dense bloodshot veins in his eyes enough to burn everything, his expression looking just like the Empress’s had. Wu Mao’s face changed abruptly, and he hurriedly went up to meet him, whispering, “Your Majesty.”
He reached out to support him but was avoided by the Emperor.
Gu Zhen turned his head to look at him and said indifferently, ” Zhen is fine. Is the matter settled?”
Wu Mao replied, “It has been settled properly. The Taifei, the Seventh Prince, and the Eldest Princess’s side… only the Eldest Princess’s side encountered a slight obstruction, but the rest was nothing. This slave intended to return to report as soon as it was done, but who knew Your Majesty wasn’t at Zichen Palace, so this slave came looking here.”
Gu Zhen nodded: ” Zhen knows.”
Yunzhu stood to the side, listening to the conversation between the two, a hint of doubt in her eyes. But she only stared at the moon in the sky, daring not speak casually.
“How were yesterday’s cherries?” Gu Zhen suddenly turned sideways to look at Yunzhu. His phoenix eyes held an expression different from before, and his voice carried a weary rasp.
Caught off guard by the Emperor’s question, Yunzhu panicked for a moment, then immediately replied respectfully, “Answering Your Majesty, Her Ladyship liked those cherries very much; she ate quite a few yesterday.”
Gu Zhen hooked the corners of his lips and said softly, “In that case, Zhen will send someone to deliver more tomorrow.”
The Empress Dowager was getting on in years and slept particularly early. Just as the sky turned dark, she began to wash up and prepare for bed.
However, elderly people are always light sleepers. Hearing the chaotic noise outside, the Empress Dowager suddenly woke from her dream with a start, sitting up blankly to ask: “What is it? What happened?”
Nanny Song was sleeping on the couch in the outer room. Hearing this, she led people hurriedly inside and served the Empress Dowager as she lay back down: “It’s just His Majesty sending people over for some matters. Your Ladyship should rest; it is so late. Blame these people for being improper in their work, disturbing Your Ladyship.”
The Empress Dowager was stunned and asked: “Nanny, what happened?”
“Mother!”
In a trance, the Empress Dowager heard Linchuan’s voice, but it was just this short, abrupt cry, followed by no other movement.
She panicked for a moment, forcing herself to get out of bed to put on her shoes, asking tremblingly: “Nanny, did you hear A-Yu’s voice just now?”
Linchuan originally had her own palace, but the Empress Dowager doted on her and couldn’t bear to let her go elsewhere, so she let her stay together in this Wanchun Palace.
“It is the Eldest Princess’s voice.” Nanny Song’s expression did not change as she took a teacup to feed the Empress Dowager a drink. “His Majesty explained today that he found a teacher for the Eldest Princess and wants to take the Princess for proper cultivation, to avoid tarnishing the Royal Family’s face. The Eldest Princess is, after all, His Majesty’s only full sister. In the future, the history books will record her heavily. If she leaves a bad reputation, wouldn’t that also affect His Majesty and the Late Emperor?”
The Empress Dowager was coaxed by her for a few sentences and gradually relaxed. Lying back on the soft pillow, she soon fell asleep again.
Outside, Linchuan called out mournfully a few times before her lips were covered by palace maids. One palace maid said warmly, “Eldest Princess, the Empress Dowager is old after all. The Princess wouldn’t want to disturb her elderly rest, right? Yufa Temple is a royal temple; the Eldest Princess has been there before. The scenery is quiet and peaceful, a good place for study.”
Linchuan’s eyes widened, and she struggled desperately, but she couldn’t break free from the hands of those strong palace maids.
It was at this moment that Nanny Song walked out.
Linchuan thought the Empress Dowager had sent her, so she gradually stopped resisting, a look of triumph appearing on her face as she glared fiercely at the palace maids.
Seeing her clothes were slightly messy from the struggle, Nanny Song frowned slightly and scolded lightly: “Presumptuous! His Majesty ordered you to take good care of the Eldest Princess; is this how you show your rudeness?”
The faces of the maids looked sheepish, and they loosened their grip slightly.
It was this loosening that allowed Linchuan to break free instantly, saying urgently: “Nanny Song, they…”
In the next instant, the palace maids were so frightened they hurriedly covered her mouth again: “Please forgive us, Eldest Princess.”
Nanny Song frowned and stepped forward to arrange Linchuan’s clothes. She had come out in a hurry and hadn’t even worn her inner garments properly, so Nanny Song patiently smoothed them out one by one.
When putting down the messy sleeves, Nanny Song’s gaze paused for a moment as it swept over Linchuan’s left arm, then she continued to tie the outer robe.
“Yufa Temple is not like the palace, and meat is forbidden in the temple. When the Princess goes, be well-behaved and do not make such a fuss anymore. Otherwise, how can His Majesty be satisfied?”
As Nanny Song spoke, she straightened the skirt ribbons for Linchuan, her gaze flashing past the butterfly on the left sleeve, her voice gentle.
Linchuan’s gaze suddenly turned to disbelief. After whimpering forcefully a few times, it gradually turned into despair.
She had thought this old woman was sent by her Mother to save her! But… but… Mother must have been deceived by this old woman, which was why she refused to come out!
After struggling for a long while, Linchuan gradually lost her strength and was dragged away by the palace servants.
Before leaving, she turned back and glared fiercely at Nanny Song.
Nanny Song’s expression remained unchanged. Although she had never served the Eldest Princess and had been retired from the palace for many years, she had watched her grow up and knew a thing or two about her temper.
She was acting on the Emperor’s orders, so naturally, she feared no retaliation.
Even so, she still sighed secretly.
Thinking about the matter just now, the light in her eyes was slightly grave. She slowly stepped up the stairs, intending to go into the room.
But she ran right into He Xunfang.
“Why is the Eldest Miss not asleep yet?” Nanny Song asked.
He Xunfang pursed her lips and whispered, “I heard some movement outside, so I thought I’d come out and take a look…”
“It’s fine now; go back to sleep quickly,” Nanny Song said softly.
He Xunfang nodded, stared at her face, and said, “Nanny Song, what happened to you just now?”
Nanny Song smiled: “In the dead of night, I am just tired; my old eyes are always a bit dim. This old slave is also sleepy, and the Empress Dowager is waiting urgently to be served, so I will go back first.”
He Xunfang felt somewhat uneasy in her heart.
In this palace, it was truly a turbulent autumn nowadays. She finally understood why her father had refused to follow her aunt’s wishes to let her enter the palace as a companion before.
Although Xunling had high aspirations and her heart wasn’t that good, she was still considered steady when at home.
But once she entered such a place, the people around her were different, and her own state of mind was also different, becoming extremely impetuous.
Thinking of He Taifei, her eyes darkened slightly.
Her father had always told her not to pay attention to He Taifei when at home, but she didn’t know why her aunt was so close to He Taifei. Not only her aunt, but even the Eldest Princess had a harmonious relationship with He Taifei. Her relationship with the Seventh Prince was actually better than her relationship with His Majesty.
After standing in the courtyard for a moment, He Xunfang also turned back to her bedroom and continued to read by the light of a single bean-sized lamp by the window.
Having been disturbed by the Emperor until late last night, Zhao Yiyi refused to get up until the sun was high in the sky.
Therefore, the major changes in the palace only reached Jiao Fang Palace at this moment.
The news that He Taifei was stripped of her title, given a Daoist name, and moved into Dajiao Temple; that the Seventh Prince accompanied her into the temple to pray for the late Emperor; and that the Eldest Princess Linchuan entered Yufa Temple to copy scriptures caused a huge uproar throughout the court and the public.
Some even guessed that since His Majesty had previously suppressed Buddhism and Daoism, and now ordered these few people to enter these two gates, could it be that he had suddenly become obsessed with them like the late Emperor?
But in a moment, this thought was dispelled.
If one were to be obsessed, one would believe in it oneself first; how could one make others believe in it first without making any move oneself?
This time, it was obviously because these few people had annoyed His Majesty that His Majesty sent them to places where he planned to settle accounts.
“Last night, His Majesty personally issued a decree for Eldest Princess Linchuan to go to Yufa Temple for cultivation. He stripped the Eldest Princess of all her tax income, and even recalled the cosmetic lands and several salt wells granted in the past.” Yunzhu plucked cherry stems on the side while chattering away.
Zhao Yiyi lowered her head and ate her noon meal, not answering, nor even raising her eyebrows a fraction.
It was Zhao Duanduan who, fearing she would be awkward, added a sentence: “What happened? Isn’t Eldest Princess Linchuan His Majesty’s full sister? Why punish her so heavily?”
Yunzhu peeked at the Empress and whispered, “His Majesty seems to have been angered by the matter of the Silkworm Ceremony that day.”
Zhao Yiyi’s expression remained unchanged. After putting down her chopsticks, she wiped the corners of her lips with a handkerchief, glanced at the basket of cherries, and said indifferently: “There are too many. You all share some, and use the rest to make a portion of honey-preserved cherries; Duanduan likes to eat them.”
Yunzhu responded affirmatively.
“By the way.” Zhao Yiyi looked at the petals falling rustlingly outside the window and added, “Bring out those demoted officials of the Six Bureaus. Give each person thirty strokes of the rod, and after the beating, send them to the Tiantai Mountain Traveling Palace. Remember to explain that it was His Majesty’s order.”
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