Thinking of Lady Hu being alone at the Marquis manor, Qin Wan didn’t stay long at Prince Rui’s manor. When she returned to the marquis manor, Qin Shu and his sons had not yet returned. Lady Hu was on the verge of collapse. Hearing of Qin Wan’s return, she immediately summoned her.
When Qin Wan arrived at the warm pavilion, Lady Hu grabbed her hand and asked, “Wan’er, how is it?”
Qin Wan led Lady Hu to sit down. Seeing her deathly pale complexion, she felt somewhat reluctant but after a brief pause, still said, “The situation is quite serious. I’ll tell you, Aunt, but please remain calm.” After speaking, Qin Wan glanced at the maids standing by the door.
Hearing things were serious, Lady Hu’s heart skipped a beat. Seeing Qin Wan’s meaningful look, she understood her intent.
Lady Hu immediately ordered, “All of you, withdraw…”
Seeing this, Madam Yu personally dismissed everyone, closed the doors, and stood guard outside.
Qin Wan steadied herself and said, “Last night… Kunning Palace and the Eastern Palace caught fire in succession…”
Lady Hu’s eyelid twitched. “What?! Is Yu’er alright?!”
Qin Wan gave a bitter smile. “Aunt, the fire isn’t the main issue. The key is… after the fire, the Empress, the Crown Prince, and Eighth Sister all disappeared.”
Lady Hu’s eyes widened. “Disappeared?”
Qin Wan nodded. “Yes, meaning they left the palace.”
Lady Hu’s eyes grew even wider, clearly not expecting things to develop this way. Coming from a noble family, she quickly understood why Qin Shu and his sons had been taken into the palace, and why the entire city was under martial law. Lady Hu sat rigid, speechless for a long while. At one point, her eyes suddenly rolled back and she collapsed.
Qin Wan’s expression changed as she hurried to support Lady Hu, quickly pressing her philtrum. “Aunt?!”
Lady Hu’s body trembled as she caught her breath and slowly opened her eyes, filled with tears and fear. “Why did the Empress… and Crown Prince… leave the palace?”
Qin Wan’s lips pressed tightly together, not voicing the speculation everyone tacitly understood. Seeing her reaction, the last hope in Lady Hu’s eyes extinguished, and she closed them in pain. “My Yu’er… my Yu’er…”
Lady Hu murmured while clutching her chest, looking utterly grief-stricken. Qin Wan sighed inwardly and said, “Aunt, few people know about this. Uncle wasn’t involved so he should be safe for now. You must stay strong.”
Lady Hu felt as if her last bit of strength had been drained away.
The Empress and Crown Prince’s actions suggested rebellion. With Qin Chaoyu leaving with the Crown Prince, the Marquis Manor couldn’t avoid being implicated.
When the imperial court would move against the marquis manor depended solely on the Emperor’s mood. If Qin Chaoyu and the Empress’s group were caught by the Emperor, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Lady Hu couldn’t help but sob. The Empress and Crown Prince had taken an irreversible step—there could be no good outcome.
“The Empress and the others, where are they now?”
Lady Hu asked tremblingly. Qin Wan shook her head. “No one knows now.”
Lady Hu wiped her eyes. “What… what are we to do? How did the Empress and Crown Prince come to this… Though there were rumors about deposing the Crown Prince, His Majesty hadn’t made any statement. Everything could still have been salvaged. Why did the Empress have to do this?!”
Anyone with eyes could see this must have been the Empress’s idea—the Crown Prince didn’t have such resolve.
Lady Hu didn’t know whether to be afraid or resentful. “Even if the Crown Prince were truly to be deposed, how is that worse than this? Secretly fleeing the palace is bad enough, but if the Empress truly intends to… then there’s no room left for salvation…”
If not for that secret, the Empress likely wouldn’t have taken this step, but Qin Wan couldn’t explain this to Lady Hu. She could only stay by her side, offering brief words of comfort.
Night fell, but there was still no news of Qin Shu and his sons. Madam Yu brought dinner, but Lady Hu had no appetite. Qin Wan accompanied her in eating a few bites, and after staying in the warm pavilion for another half hour, just as Qin Wan was planning to return to Songfeng Court, news came from the gate!
“My Lady! The Marquis and others have returned…”
Lady Hu’s face lit up with joy as she hurriedly pulled Qin Wan out. Soon, Qin Shu arrived with Qin Yan and Qin Ye.
Seeing Qin Shu, Lady Hu’s eyes reddened. “My Lord…”
After being in the palace for two days and a night, Qin Shu seemed to have aged ten years. He looked utterly exhausted and weathered. Seeing Lady Hu, he just shook his head without speaking. Behind him, Qin Ye and Qin Yan both had dark circles under their eyes. Lady Hu had been worried sick, but at least the three had returned alive. She hurriedly instructed Madam Yu to prepare hot water for the three to wash up and ordered food to be prepared. Qin Shu said little, his bloodshot eyes looking particularly dejected. Even when seated at the table to eat, Qin Shu still hadn’t spoken. Seeing him like this, tears welled in Lady Hu’s eyes.
Though Qin Yan and Qin Ye weren’t as obviously affected as Qin Shu, they too were silent. The three ate a few hasty bites. After the servants cleared the dishes and served tea, Qin Shu finally heaved a long sigh. Lady Hu couldn’t help but step forward. “My Lord, the Empress and Crown Prince…”
Qin Shu closed his eyes. “This time, our marquis manor… I’m afraid we cannot escape this calamity.”
Lady Hu swayed, and Qin Yan quickly steadied her. He glanced at Qin Wan, who had been standing nearby, with grateful eyes. “Thank you for these past two days, Ninth Sister.”
In truth, Qin Wan hadn’t been able to help much. In the current situation, everyone was powerless.
Lady Hu looked at Qin Shu with tear-filled eyes. “My Lord, what should we do now?”
Qin Shu sighed. “From now on, the Marquis Manor will close its doors to visitors.”
Lady Hu’s lips moved, wanting to ask about Qin Chaoyu, but clearly, this wasn’t the time to ask such things. Even if she asked, Lady Hu could guess Qin Shu’s answer. She could only nod. Qin Shu then glanced at Qin Wan and said, “Wan’er’s wedding is approaching. These days, focuses on preparing for her wedding.”
Lady Hu had no mind for anything else at this moment, but since Qin Shu had instructed this, she had to agree.
Qin Shu didn’t wish to say more and ordered everyone to retire for rest.
Qin Shu and Lady Hu returned to the main courtyard’s main chamber, while Qin Wan and the brothers Qin Yan walked out.
Qin Yan’s expression was grave and he said nothing, but Qin Ye, walking behind, seemed much more composed. Qin Wan studied Qin Ye for a moment, and he smiled at her. “Ninth Sister is getting married. Focus on preparing for the wedding these days.”
Qin Wan had an indescribable feeling because Qin Ye appeared unusually calm.
Back at Songfeng Court, Qin Wan pondered the Marquis Manor’s way out. Yan Chi had said to wait until the wedding, but there were still over ten days until then—could they safely wait that long?
…
After Qin Wan performed acupuncture on the Empress Dowager, she felt somewhat better. The next day, just after noon, Madam Chen walked in with a grave expression. “Empress Dowager, there’s something a palace servant just reported that this servant feels you should know.”
The Empress Dowager looked questioningly at Madam Chen, who said, “The servants say something has happened with the Imperial Consort. Early this morning, the Prince of Cheng went to the Imperial Observatory to request Taoist priests to perform rituals at Changxin Palace, saying… the Imperial Consort seems to have been touched by something unclean.”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s brows immediately furrowed. “Touched by something unclean?”
At this crucial time, the Empress Dowager hadn’t expected Feng Lingsu to cause such trouble.
Madam Chen nodded. “Yes, they say the Imperial Consort has been behaving strangely these days, speaking incoherently, unable to sleep at night, and when she does sleep, she has constant nightmares. It’s all very strange. The Taoist priests from the Imperial Observatory have already gone to Changxin Palace.”
“How could there be any unclean things when the Imperial Observatory’s Taoist priests have been maintaining the palace all year?”
Though many had died in the palace, the Empress Dowager particularly disliked hearing servants discuss these supernatural matters—who saw which former master today, who was possessed tomorrow, which place was haunted, which former palace resident’s spirit lingered. Anyone caught spreading such talk in the palace would be beaten to death!
Madam Chen sighed, “This servant doesn’t know. The palace servants reported it here, and I didn’t dare make decisions on my own.”
The Empress Dowager frowned. Her health was poor, and she was already troubled by more important matters. How could she spare time for Feng Lingsu?!
She immediately said, “Have someone keep watch. Just ensure there’s no major disturbance. I have no time to deal with her now.”
Madam Chen quickly nodded. “Please don’t worry. This servant also doesn’t want you to be concerned…”
The Empress Dowager sighed, then suddenly asked, “What is the Emperor doing?”
Madam Chen’s expression changed slightly as she stepped forward and lowered her voice. “His Majesty has ordered Commander Lin to search the entire city.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes darkened further. She stared at the snow outside the window for a while, then suddenly asked, “What kind of person do you think Shu Hua is?”
Madam Chen looked outside, and seeing guards at the door, sighed. She moved a stool beside the Empress Dowager and began massaging her legs while saying, “Though Empress Shu Hua was chosen by former Imperial Consort Zhao, to be honest, she resembles you in some ways. You and the Empress have personalities most suited to being Mother of the Nation. Among the palace consorts, those who truly combine talent and virtue with firm resolve and broad-mindedness are too rare. Some might be outstanding outside, but once they enter the palace, their nature changes—either seeking favor or avoiding the world. One wrong move and they make mistakes. You and the Empress are both people of great vision, perhaps because you both come from military families.”
Usually, those in high positions dislike being compared to others, but when Madam Chen said this, the Empress Dowager showed no displeasure. She deeply agreed in her heart. The Empress Dowager had admired Zhao Shu Hua and indeed felt they had many similarities, but she hadn’t expected Zhao Shu Hua to take this step.
“If back then, the late Emperor hadn’t chosen the current Emperor as Crown Prince, but instead chosen Yan Lin or Yan Xiang, what do you think I would have done?”
The Empress now faced only the possibility of the Crown Prince being deposed. The Empress Dowager put herself in this predicament to consider before asking this.
Hearing this, Madam Chen said, “This servant guesses that if Your Highness faced such a situation, you would likely use some tactics—either catch others’ mistakes or unite court factions to influence His Majesty’s thoughts. But this servant believes Your Highness wouldn’t take the step of secretly fleeing the palace.”
The Empress Dowager nodded. “Indeed. Whether Huai’er or Han’er, even if they didn’t become Emperor, they would still have their fiefs. And whoever the late Emperor chose wouldn’t be much worse than either of them. Even if we ultimately lost, as long as we tried our best, I wouldn’t regret it. But I wouldn’t have taken Shu Hua’s path. Her actions have placed the Crown Prince in an irredeemable position, and the entire Zhao clan will follow the former Fu clan’s fate.”
Though the two Zhao generals were in the background, many Zhao clan members remained in the capital. The Zhao clan had become significant by now, and its honor wasn’t sustained by the Grand General’s manor alone. Among the branch families were court officials and wealthy merchants. Everyone supported the Grand General’s manor as their facade, allowing the entire Zhao clan to pass down their prestige generation after generation.
But now the Empress’s actions had completely severed the Zhao clan’s honor.
The Empress Dowager continued shaking her head. “I don’t understand. Chen, do you think she has some hidden difficulty?”
Madam Chen smiled bitterly. “Though the Empress has been somewhat cold these years, she’s still very attentive to the Crown Prince and had been planning early on. This servant can’t see what hidden difficulty she might have… However… the Empress doesn’t seem like someone who would disregard the bigger picture for her ambition.”
The Empress Dowager’s brows furrowed slightly. The Empress indeed had ambition and could even be considered a politician well-versed in court politics. But she had the breadth of vision to be Mother of the Nation. Though she strictly controlled Yan Che, over the years she had appointed great Confucian scholars as his tutors, emphasizing “benevolence and virtue.” If she only cared about fame and profit, she wouldn’t have watched as the Crown Prince’s sharp edges dulled day by day. The Empress Dowager grew increasingly puzzled.
“It’s a pity I can’t see her. If I could, I want to ask her.”
Madam Chen sighed. “The Empress is still in the capital…”
If the Empress were caught, the Empress Dowager could ask her questions, but she said, “I hope she isn’t caught. However, if she’s truly determined to break with His Majesty, then I must blame her. Great Zhou has continued for over two hundred years. Now with strong enemies surrounding us, we cannot withstand internal warfare.”
The Northern Garrison Army was the Empress’s support. Coming from a military family herself, the Empress Dowager could naturally guess the Empress’s next moves, but she didn’t want the Empress to take that step at all.
The events from twenty years ago are still vivid in my memory. The Empress Dowager didn’t want history to repeat itself. Twenty years ago it was brothers fighting; this time it would be father against son.
How could the Empress?! How could she have such thoughts?!
Madam Chen added, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince’s consort left with them this time…”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes. “Chaoyu… truly cares for Che’er. The Empress spotted this early on when she chose Chaoyu for this very reason.”
Madam Chen looked surprised. “How did you see this?”
The Empress Dowager smiled bitterly. “I had such thoughts when I was young, how could I not see it? Back then, why did I let Imperial Consort Zhao choose Shu Hua? I saw that Shu Hua had some true feelings for Huai’er. Mothers are selfish—knowing that women who enter the palace with true hearts will suffer, yet still hoping for some people who truly care for their children. I chose Shu Hua this way, and Shu Hua chose Chaoyu the same way.”
Speaking of this, a strange feeling flickered through the Empress Dowager’s heart.
Yes, she remembered—initially, Zhao Shu Hua had quite admired Prince Luo Yan Huai, but later why did the Emperor stop visiting Kunning Palace? And why did Zhao Shu Hua grow cold toward the Emperor? Now things had become irreparable.
The Empress Dowager’s heart began racing. She felt Zhao Shu Hua must have some unknown difficulty.
And that potentially non-existent difficulty had already caused her great unease.