Empress Wen asked curiously: “What exactly happened? Tell me about it.”

Qin Shuying recounted the events after Liang Yunshan barged into Songtao Residence, naturally omitting the verbal battles between her and Liang Yunshan’s group.

“So there was such a matter—Princess Qin’an was to be granted in marriage to Liang Yunshan. Well then, was this really done by Guard Liang?”

Qin Shuying considered carefully: “This subject’s wife does not know.”

Empress Wen suddenly laughed: “Your family’s old madam—this palace does know her. This palace suspects that Liang Yunshan was probably instigated by her to act this way.”

Qin Shuying was slightly startled.

Empress Wen continued: “Luo Yanyan? This palace hasn’t seen her for many years. Decades ago, she relied on her beauty, and though she was only a concubine-born daughter, she was extremely arrogant. When she came to the palace, she wouldn’t even look directly at someone like this palace…”

At this point, Qin Shuying heard Aunt Yao cough once, and Empress Wen immediately stopped speaking.

But Qin Shuying’s heart had already been stirred into tumultuous waves.

Old Madam Liang even looked down on Empress Wen?

Emperor Delong had made Empress Wen the empress immediately upon ascending the throne, yet Old Madam Liang looked down even on the empress?

This was too shocking!

Unless…

Unless Empress Wen…

Qin Shuying didn’t dare think further and only softly said “Oh,” as if not daring to speak ill of her elders.

Empress Wen laughed gently, as if chiding Aunt Yao: “You—it’s been thirty or forty years in a flash, what can’t you let go of?”

Aunt Yao showed a smile but didn’t speak.

Empress Wen smiled: “You’ve frightened this child.”

Qin Shuying declared: “Your Majesty, this subject’s wife is dull-witted.”

Empress Wen said again: “Setting aside all these irrelevant matters, let’s not speak of them. After your marriage, have you gone out?”

Qin Shuying assumed she was very bored in the palace and began speaking: “This subject’s wife has gone out four or five times—once to return to my maiden home, once to escort my cousin at her wedding, once to attend the wedding feast at Duke Chu’s mansion when his legitimate grandson married, once to visit Princess Imperial at Princess Yongjia’s mansion, and twice to go out and enjoy myself with Guard Liang.”

“Were there any interesting events?”

Qin Shuying considered and spoke about the grand occasion of Mo Yiting’s wedding day. Empress Wen remained silent throughout, and since Qin Shuying couldn’t see her face, she didn’t know if she was listening.

After finishing, Empress Wen asked: “Are there any other interesting matters?”

Qin Shuying perceived that Empress Wen wasn’t interested in Mo Yiting’s wedding, so she spoke about some things she had witnessed during her two outings with Liang Zhe in the streets.

After finishing, Empress Wen asked again: “Anything else?”

Qin Shuying perceived that Empress Wen wasn’t interested in street affairs either.

That left only matters concerning the Qin mansion and Princess Yongjia.

In a flash of inspiration, Qin Shuying remembered that she had spoken about Princess Yongjia with Empress Wen last time, so she brought it up: “This subject’s wife saw an interesting thing at Princess Imperial’s mansion.”

This time, she heard Empress Wen softly say “Oh.”

Qin Shuying’s heart skipped a beat, but she summoned all her energy: “Princess Yongjia’s mansion keeps two especially large birds. These birds weigh dozens of pounds, cannot fly, have very sparse feathers, and lay eggs as large as big bowls.”

“There are actually such birds?”

Qin Shuying’s heart sank, but she appeared enthusiastic: “Indeed there are. Your Majesty, this subject’s wife has always prided herself on having seen the world when I followed my father in the south, yet I had never heard of such birds. Your Majesty, these birds are really just curiosities to look at—they’re not very attractive, with sparse feathers. This subject’s wife finds them rather ugly.”

Empress Wen asked: “If they’re so ugly, why does Princess Yongjia keep such birds?”

“This subject’s wife also asked Princess Imperial. Her Highness said she found them interesting and brought them to see something novel. Your Majesty, the princess’s mansion also has some other curious things. This subject’s wife was blessed by Princess Imperial’s favor and saw quite a few rarities. There are boxes that can sing, little figures that can walk—exquisite and interesting, very peculiar.”

Empress Wen behind the screen seemed to pause slightly and laughed softly.

Empress Wen stopped asking questions, so Qin Shuying dropped this topic and spoke about some strange tales she’d heard around the capital.

After speaking for quite a while, Empress Wen made no sound.

Aunt Yao brought tea and pastries for Qin Shuying. Qin Shuying drank a few sips to moisten her throat and took the opportunity to eat some pastries—she hadn’t eaten lunch and was quite hungry.

At the same time, she had to rack her brains thinking of what else in the capital was worth mentioning.

After speaking for a while longer, Empress Wen still didn’t speak.

Aunt Yao smiled: “Lady Liang, Her Majesty is tired. You should rest as well.”

Qin Shuying smiled: “This subject’s wife is clumsy with words. So many interesting matters, when spoken by this subject’s wife, are not attractive. Your Majesty, this subject’s wife has been discourteous.”

Only then did Empress Wen speak: “No need to apologize. This palace will summon you to speak again in the future. Just remember to tell Luo Yanyan not to scheme against you.”

Qin Shuying smiled: “This subject’s wife thanks Your Majesty for supporting me.”

Empress Wen said nothing.

Seeing this, Aunt Yao said: “Lady Liang, come with me.”

Qin Shuying bowed toward Empress Wen’s silhouette and followed Aunt Yao out of Fenglai Palace.

This time, Aunt Yao led her to the palace city gate and instructed someone to escort Qin Shuying home.

Liang Zhe was still in the palace, and Qin Shuying didn’t know his situation, so she said: “Aunt, I’ll wait here for Guard Liang. Please trouble yourself to tell Eunuch Zhao.”

Aunt Yao smiled gently: “Guard Liang probably won’t be able to return for some time. Lady, please return home first. This is Lord Hu—he will personally escort you back.”

Qin Shuying saw a white-faced, beardless man in his forties wearing eunuch robes standing beside the small sedan chair. She nodded in acknowledgment: “Then I’ll trouble Lord Hu.”

For Aunt Yao to call an internal servant “Lord,” his rank among the eunuchs was not low, and he must be someone Aunt Yao trusted.

Eunuch Hu showed a polite smile: “It’s my duty—I dare not accept such courtesy.”

Qin Shuying got into the sedan chair. Four eunuchs lifted it, and together with Eunuch Hu, the six men headed toward the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion.

In the sedan chair, Qin Shuying closed her eyes to rest, but her heart was filled with tumultuous waves of extreme shock.

Empress Wen—she was clearly paying attention to Princess Yongjia in a roundabout way!

Why was she doing this?

Why?

Could it be that Empress Wen also had that… strange preference?

But even if she did, she was in the palace and couldn’t even see her—what could she do?

Qin Shuying felt that Empress Wen was simply a great mystery, her entire being filled with mysterious aura and written all over with secrets.

However, through two encounters, Qin Shuying felt absolutely no imperial majesty or lofty authority that an empress should possess.

Nor did she feel any awkwardness in their conversations.

She could very naturally respond to Empress Wen’s words—she only needed to avoid saying things she didn’t want to say, without need for scheming or beating around the bush.

Empress Wen was not at all the incompetent person that Consort De and the others imagined.

Far from it—on the contrary, Empress Wen was very formidable.

It was just that her formidability appeared like gentle rain nourishing things silently, like a gentle breeze and light rain.

If this was so, why had she been willing for over thirty years to be just that woman behind the screen?

What secrets did she harbor?

Why was she so concerned with Princess Yongjia?