Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 425 Fulfilling Filial Piety on Behalf of the Emperor

The frequent upheavals in the imperial harem caused turmoil in the imperial court.

Consort Rong was given a death sentence, and the Li family was purged. Families in the court who were related to her by marriage all divorced Li's daughters, fearing that disaster would befall them.

While Consort Shen was confined to the palace, the war in the northern frontier was raging. General Shen and his son were still fighting bloody battles on the battlefield. Lady Shen in the capital was heartbroken and repeatedly went to the Marquis of Zhenbei's residence to plead for mercy and beg the Empress to intervene on her behalf.

The Qu family's behavior was particularly unusual. When Qu Baolin was exiled to the inner palace, Qu Renshao (Qu Baolin's father and Qu Meiren's uncle) submitted a letter of apology overnight, every word of which was filled with tears and blood. He claimed that he had "failed to educate his daughter properly and had failed the grace of Heaven," and his fear and anxiety were evident in his words.

"Is Lord Qu sacrificing a pawn to save the king, abandoning his own daughter?"

When Green Willow returned from the morning audience with Meng Shu at Renming Palace, she happened to run into Jingming heading to the Yeting Palace, and took the opportunity to inquire about some rumors.

Meng Shu casually tossed the pages of the book with her fingertips, and said sarcastically, "A 'clever' person like Lord Qu, who is so shrewd at protecting himself, has obviously given up on a lowly position like Lady Cai. Isn't there a shrewd niece in the palace? After all this time, he naturally knows whose bet to place his bet on."

Donggua brought in the freshly stewed soup and saw Meng Shu flipping through a book again. She immediately frowned and snatched the book away. "Why are you reading again? Physician Jian has said many times that pregnant women should not overexert themselves."

Green Willow was tidying up the books on the table when she heard this and gave a mischievous smile: "Since Steward Fang listens to Physician Jian so much, why is she refusing to take that Fat Child Weight Loss Pill? Could it be..." She deliberately dragged out her words, her eyes lingering on the winter melon, "...or perhaps she finds it too bitter?"

Donggua choked on her words, and his ears turned slightly red.

Meng Shu smiled and said, "Donggua is perfectly healthy, why does he have to take those pills?"

"Shushu is right, I'm not eating it anymore. It's bitter, astringent, and makes my throat choke."

Meng Shu had just put down her spoon when she saw Xia'er leading Consort Chun in gracefully.

Consort Chun was dressed in a pale yellow brocade palace gown today, with light makeup and a peach blossom hairpin in her hair, looking more vibrant than usual.

Lady Yun mentioned in her letter the day before yesterday that she had planned for Consort Chun to move to the imperial palace at the end of March.

Empress Dowager Zhou was overjoyed to hear the news of Consort Chun's pregnancy. Lady Yun, being meticulous and courteous, specially accompanied the Zhen family physician to Yichun Palace to pay her respects.

Although the Zhen family physician did not hold the title of imperial physician, his medical skills were superb, and his diagnosis and treatment of Empress Dowager Zhou were quite effective. After Consort Chun went to Yichun Palace, it would be natural for him to stay and take care of the pregnancy.

Seeing that Consort Chun still looked tired, Meng Shu knew that she had just returned from Consort Qi's place, so she asked gently, "Is Princess Lingyi well?"

After sitting down, Consort Chun sighed and said, "It's really amazing. The day the ritual ended, Afu's high fever subsided by a third. Now, only four or five days later, he has recovered completely. Doctor He said that after a few more days of recuperation, he will be fine."

Ruizhu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but chime in: "It really was a lucky break for Consort Shen. Both of them used witchcraft, but Consort Rong lost her life, while she only ended up being imprisoned in the palace."

"The Shen family father and son are serving in the northern frontier, which is exactly the time when the court needs them. If General Shen makes military achievements, who can say for sure that the Shen family will return to power?"

Consort Chun's lips curled into a sarcastic smile. She was intolerant of any imperfections and clearly harbored some prejudice against the Emperor's actions.

The war in the northern frontier is critical. It is said that they have already suffered a defeat. Although the battle report has not been officially released, Consort Chun and Meng Shu have already received the news.

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu said calmly, "On the surface, Yue Huan admitted to all the crimes, and the Emperor showed leniency, which also left room for the Shen family."

The Shen family is different from the Li family of Zhao County. Although the latter is a century-old prominent family with members scattered throughout the prefectures and counties, most of them hold idle civil service positions in local areas. Such a family, seemingly powerful and deeply rooted, is actually already fish on the chopping block of the imperial court—the day they become rich and powerful will be the day they are slaughtered.

The head of the Li clan was clearly also worried, which is why he followed the old path of the Marquis of Lin'an and thought of sending his daughter to the palace to consolidate his power. Unfortunately, the noblewoman was used to a life of luxury and was ultimately unaware of the dangers of the palace. She lost her sense of propriety and made a wrong step, which only hastened the downfall of her family.

In my humble opinion, if we're talking about deep thinking and foresight, then Marquis Lin'an and Lady Yun are the most insightful.

Their son, Tang Lin, passed the imperial examinations and became an official, while their son-in-law, Song Chengrui, was a military strategist. Even so, the couple still made preparations for Consort Chun's entry into the palace well in advance, putting in so much effort to ensure that their second daughter would be granted the rank of consort upon entering the palace.

As Meng Shu was deep in thought, she suddenly heard Consort Chun sigh softly.

"Yesterday, Aunt Rongxiu went to the palace to visit the Empress Dowager and also went to the Funing Palace to meet the Emperor. In a few days... I will go to the temporary palace under the pretext of copying scriptures for the Empress Dowager."

Meng Shu took her hand and comforted her gently, "This matter has already been discussed and agreed upon. Wan'er will be taken care of by the Zhen family physician, so Madam can rest assured."

Consort Chun tapped Meng Shu's forehead, her eyes full of concern, "I'm just worried about you being alone in the palace. You're about to give birth, so I'm leaving Mingyue here. You mustn't let her leave you even for a moment."

Mingyue immediately stepped forward and bowed to Meng Shu, saying, "Madam also instructed me to stay and protect Your Highness. Your Highness cannot send me away."

Mingyue was very skilled, and if she stayed, Lvliu would feel more at ease. She secretly observed Meng Shu's expression, afraid that Meng Shu would refuse.

The straightforward Donggua spoke first: "It would be good if Mingyue stayed, but could Madam arrange another maid who knows martial arts for Her Majesty? Although the palace is quiet, we still need to be careful."

Upon hearing this, Mengzhu said softly, "Madam has already made arrangements. Master Zhou specially selected someone skilled in martial arts to accompany the Zhen family physician to the imperial palace under the guise of a female physician."

Aunt Mei smiled with satisfaction and said, "Look, they all care about the two ladies. I have served the ladies since I was a child and have seen a lot of intrigue and deceit. It is truly rare to see such unity among us."

Meng Shu looked up and met Chunfei's eyes; both of them smiled.

The bright moon remained there.

Cining Palace.

Perhaps because of that doll, Empress Dowager Jiang fell ill for two days.

That day, the Emperor and Empress visited Empress Dowager Jiang at Cining Palace. Empress Dowager Jiang was reclining on a lacquered, phoenix-carved couch, her face showing little sign of illness. Consort Qing knelt before the couch, serving her medicine.

“Yesterday, Rongxiu was ordered to come and visit me. She said that Sister Zhou was worried about the soldiers in the northern frontier and was chanting sutras in front of the Buddha day and night. The Emperor should send people to inquire about her well-being more often, so as not to let the court officials gossip that the imperial family has lost its filial piety.”

Empress Dowager Jiang lightly stroked the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist, a dark and ambiguous emotion flashing in her eyes. Back when the late emperor was on the throne, she was merely a cautious and unfavored concubine, mostly relying on the care of Empress Zhou. Now that her own son had ascended the throne, with two empress dowagers sharing the same status, it seemed as if she had always been overshadowed.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured," the Emperor said, taking a seat on the rosewood armchair. "I have already instructed Jingming to pay my respects on my behalf the following day."

Upon hearing this, Consort Qing's heart stirred slightly. "I have heard that the Lady of Lin'an Marquis recommended a folk healer to treat Empress Dowager Zhou, and the treatment has been remarkably effective."

The Empress smiled and replied, "Speaking of filial piety, Consort Chun is the most thoughtful. Even the Lady of Lin'an Marquis often visits the Imperial Palace to be close to the Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Jiang looked slightly displeased. After pondering for a while, she said, "Previously, Consort Chun often went to Shou Kang Palace to copy scriptures. Now, why not let her go to the imperial palace? Firstly, to copy scriptures and pray for blessings, and secondly, to fulfill some filial piety on behalf of the emperor."