Jiang Boyou’s memorial requesting an investigation into the Xiao family could truly be called daring to stroke the tiger’s whiskers. The Xiao clan from top to bottom was naturally extremely furious. Even more so, within the court and among the people, in the marketplace, quite a few were already speculating about when Jiang Boyou would meet misfortune.
The Xiao family was currently the ruling family’s maternal relatives, the Empress Dowager’s maternal clan!
As Emperor, Shen Lang’s attitude toward the Xiao family over the past several years had been seen by everyone and could already be called “indulgent.” Although a Vice Minister of Revenue wasn’t a small official in the court, what did he amount to before the Emperor?
“This Jiang Shilang usually doesn’t seem like someone who meddles in many affairs—how did he lose his head this time and actually run to challenge the Xiao family?”
“Probably for his own daughter, right?”
“That’s right. I heard that for selecting Prince Linzi’s consort, these prominent families in the capital are all secretly holding back their energy. Wasn’t the Jiang family young lady’s bad reputation originally spread by people from the Xiao family’s side?”
“An arm can’t twist a thigh—why bother for this one breath of anger?”
“Such a pity, such a pity.”
No one thought Jiang Boyou could gain any advantage from the Xiao family.
Sure enough, though there were discussions in court, truly few stood up to strongly support Jiang Boyou. Everyone feared being the bird that sticks out and gets shot, with misfortune falling on themselves. After the memorial was submitted, it received no response but was held back by Shen Lang, kept in the palace without being issued.
Xiao Yuan was thus smugly satisfied, threatening to make Jiang Boyou suffer.
But no one expected that after merely one day, the memorial that had originally been suppressed was directly sent to the Grand Secretariat, handed to several ministers and grand secretaries for discussion and voting on whether to approve the request.
Although it was just such a minor action, falling in the eyes of those with intentions it held great significance.
Each household couldn’t help but secretly calculate.
The various ministers and grand secretaries in the Grand Secretariat sat around that memorial properly placed in the center of the table, looking at each other in dismay, silent and speechless, fearing they might guess wrong the Emperor’s meaning.
That afternoon, Xiao Yuan panicked.
He was ultimately an outer minister, and if he entered the palace to meet the Empress Dowager at this time, it would inevitably be too revealing and he feared others would seize upon this weakness. So he had Xiao Shu, a junior, go pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Cining Palace in the evening was shrouded in a layer of twilight gloom.
The palace attendants serving the evening meal filed out one after another.
Dressed in magnificent clothing, Xiao Shu, set against the dim yellow glow of the desolate sky, displayed a kind of vigorous vitality completely incompatible with Cining Palace. She stood quietly for a moment waiting for the summons from inside before entering from outside the palace gate to pay her respects.
Seeing her, Empress Dowager Xiao smiled and said: “When I was as young as you, I also had such elegance. You’ve come surely because of the events of recent days, right? I’ve heard all about it.”
Xiao Shu’s heart suddenly turned cold.
She vaguely sensed something wrong. When had this noble aunt who once ruled the six palaces had such a heavy tone, and why was she beginning to reminisce about the past?
“Even Aunt’s current elegance is difficult for Ashu to match, let alone back then?” Xiao Shu bowed in greeting. Rising, she moved forward intimately as usual, “Aunt is also divinely perceptive. Recently Father’s heart has been unsettled. You know he’s always been someone who can’t make up his mind, and he’s also concerned that with spring just beginning, the temperature is hot and cold, the seasonal changes unpredictable, so he specially sent Ashu to pay respects to you and also to request your guidance.”
Xiao Shu always spoke flawlessly and was extremely pleasing. If it were normally hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiao would surely have already smiled by now and pulled her close to converse.
But at this moment she only stared at her.
After quite a long while, when the smile on Xiao Shu’s face could no longer be maintained, she slowly said: “How could this dowager match you back then? You also said that the one who needs this dowager to make decisions and give guidance is your father, my incompetent elder brother! When have you ever needed it?”
As soon as these words came out, Xiao Shu knelt before her, her voice sounding somewhat panicked: “Aunt, why such grave words?”
But Empress Dowager Xiao’s face couldn’t find a trace of smile, even showing several parts severity, saying through gritted teeth: “My confused brother truly raised a good daughter! This dowager only knew you were clever on ordinary days, avoiding harm and seeking benefit—the only person in this capital worthy of sitting in the position of mistress of these six palaces! You truly live up to it! Staying at home, you actually gave your father a good strategy!”
Xiao Shu raised her eyes to look at her in shock.
Empress Dowager Xiao then laughed coldly: “The marriage alliance discussion is clamorous, and the Xiao family is already a thorn in others’ eyes and flesh, a living target! Your father can’t see clearly, but you couldn’t possibly not know that the more such times are, the more one cannot act rashly. But what advice did you give your father? You actually borrowed the Tongzhou matter to throw dirty water on Jiang Boyou’s daughter!”
Xiao Shu seemed still not to understand the Empress Dowager’s words, saying: “Jiang Xuehui is Ashu’s greatest opponent. If she were gone, the position of Prince Linzi’s consort would be none other than mine. Did Ashu do wrong?”
“Foolish!”
Seeing she still didn’t understand at this time, Empress Dowager Xiao, with fury attacking her heart, slapped her across the face!
“Smack!”
Xiao Shu was struck and staggered, falling to sit on the ground.
Empress Dowager Xiao pointed at her nose, scolding her for failing to meet expectations: “This dowager taught you for so many years in vain. I didn’t expect that in the end you’re still born of my confused brother and that foolish woman outside. Your ordinary cleverness is all wasted—at critical moments your head is filled with wax! You borrowed Jiang Xuening’s matter to throw dirty water on Jiang Xuehui. Though Jiang Xuehui suffered damage, you didn’t anticipate they would also counterattack? Moreover, now the marketplace and court are all discussing you, wanting to push you to replace Leyang to make a marriage alliance with the Tartars. If Jie’er has any clarity about the current situation, how could he possibly select you as his consort?! With the world’s endless voices, one person’s spit would be enough to drown him! Even if he doesn’t select Jiang Xuehui, there are still Chen Shuyi and Zhao Shuyi! When would it be your turn?!”
The palace maids had long since retreated outside. The entire great hall was coldly austere.
Xiao Shu’s lowered eyelids trembled slightly. When she raised her head, it was as if she had only now thought of these crucial points, her whole person seeming to lose her composure.
After a moment she seemed panicked, kneeling forward to the Empress Dowager’s front, kowtowing: “It’s Ashu who was confused with anger and actually forgot about this layer. But now the great mistake has already been made. Aunt, Aunt, you’ve been in the palace for many years, His Majesty is your own flesh and blood—there must be a way, right? I’m so afraid they’ll truly send me to make the marriage alliance…”
Tears fell as she spoke.
Empress Dowager Xiao usually treated her as close family to teach, and because she wasn’t so playful and spoiled, sometimes she even treated Xiao Shu better than she treated her own daughter, Shen Zhiyi.
But at this moment, seeing her actually lose her composure, her heart felt somewhat annoyed and disappointed.
She said coldly: “If you hadn’t made this foolish move, perhaps this dowager could still protect you. After all, our Xiao family is powerful. If you were sent to make a marriage alliance, the Emperor’s heart would probably feel like a thorn was stuck in it, having to guard against the Xiao family colluding with the Tartars to plot treason and usurp the throne. But you were excellent—you forcibly handed the knife to the Emperor, giving him an excuse to first weaken the Xiao family!”
Empress Dowager Xiao closed her eyes. Looking at her as if at a discarded piece, even one more glance felt like a waste of time. She only said: “The terrible idea you came up with has, by strange coincidence, tested out the Emperor’s meaning. Now you’ve left behind a mess for this dowager to clean up. Even this dowager is powerless regarding the marriage alliance matter. Go back yourself. From now on, you need not frequently enter the palace to pay respects.”
Xiao Shu seemed not to believe she could be so heartless.
Looking at this aunt, she asked: “Will Aunt just watch helplessly as Ashu goes to make a marriage alliance with those dangerous Tartars?”
Empress Dowager Xiao’s face was expressionless, unmoved as she said: “Zhiyi is this dowager’s own flesh and blood—even she could go. What makes you unable to go?”
Xiao Shu lowered her head.
Empress Dowager Xiao rose and paid her no more attention, only leaving one sentence: “The imperial family has no father-son affection. You are too dull—don’t blame this dowager for being too heartless.”
Having finished this sentence, Empress Dowager Xiao’s figure had already disappeared behind the painted screen.
The thin twilight outside had also completely fallen. Inside the hall was pitch dark.
So neither the departing Empress Dowager nor the palace maids walking in saw that at the moment when Empress Dowager Xiao’s figure disappeared and darkness descended, on Xiao Shu’s originally bright and radiant beautiful face, the respect, panic, and sorrow all seemed like a layer of color on a painting washed by water and faded away, leaving only a pretty face embedded with delicate features.
Like a mannequin.
Even revealing a kind of eeriness.
She rose with unusual calm, her cheek still bearing the five-finger mark left by Empress Dowager Xiao’s slap earlier, and walked out from the great hall.
The palace maids held palace lanterns to escort her out of the palace.
Because they had vaguely heard the Empress Dowager’s great fury in the hall, they dared not examine her carefully at all. After one glance, they lowered their heads.
But after walking only halfway, Xiao Shu’s steps stopped.
The palace maid found it strange and looked back.
But she saw Xiao Shu standing beneath a palace wall, raising her head to stare at a certain spot above: on the vermilion wall ledge actually crouched a not-very-large gecko. Everywhere else was fine, only its tail was short by a section, appearing bare—it turned out there was a severed mark.
The palace maid was startled: “It must be the palace eunuchs not being careful—how can this thing still be here?”
She came forward to drive the gecko away.
The gecko, frightened, rapidly crawled along the wall ledge and immediately disappeared from sight.
Xiao Shu lowered her eyelids. Her expression vaguely darkened somewhat, and an inexplicable feeling of desolation surged in her heart: if previously someone had told her she would be forced step by step to this point of severing her tail to survive, she would probably have considered that person’s words nonsense and had them beaten out with clubs.
But now…
The harsh reality of her circumstances was placed before her just like this.
Just now in Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Xiao’s cold words still echoed in her mind, but they didn’t stir half a bit of disappointment or sorrow in her, nor half a bit of shame.
How could she not know the consequences of using the Tongzhou matter to smear Jiang Xuening?
Even less could she not know that in the current situation, let alone Prince Linzi Shen Jie, anyone in the capital with a bit of discernment wouldn’t marry her at this time and bring countless troubles to their own family.
Jiang Xuening!
Xiao Shu, without revealing her emotions, took the palace lantern from the palace maid’s hand, only saying: “Give it to me. I know all the palace roads. I want to be alone quietly. I’ll leave the palace myself.”
The palace maid, first not daring to say much and second happy to be relieved of the duty, hesitated briefly before not objecting.
But after the palace maid left, Xiao Shu’s footsteps turned, and the direction she walked was not at all the Shunzhen Gate at the northeast corner, but rather the Qianqing Palace located at the center of the entire imperial palace!