Today, for this inquiry, the Empress had dismissed all attendants. Even Zhang Baohuan, the ever-present Zhang Hejian who usually shadowed the Empress, was notably absent.
“Hehe!” A woman’s voice rang out as the gauze curtain parted, revealing a woman in first-rank female official attire. It was Xu Wan, the Xu Zhaoron most trusted by the Empress.
Xu Wan, in her early forties, was still in her prime. Wearing palace attire with lightly painted eyebrows, she exuded an air of nobility. Seeing Zhu Yan’s bewildered state, she approached and took a piece of jade-green cake, taking a small bite before saying,
“These jade-green cakes are extremely rare, made with rouge rice powder from the Western Regions and lotus leaf powder. The filling is incredibly complex. Her Majesty rarely rewards people with these. Try it and see how it differs from those made outside the palace.”
Zhu Yan nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. She took a small bite as well, tasting the fresh aroma, and then…
“It’s salty?” Zhu Yan was surprised.
Xu Wan nodded. Zhu Yan was taken aback, having assumed the cake would be sweet.
“Be it this cake or people, appearances can be deceiving. There are times when we misjudge based on surface impressions.”
Zhu Yan frowned, sensing a deeper meaning in Xu Wan’s words.
The Empress lightly chided from the side, “You talk too much. Since that’s the case, you explain the details to Zhu Yan for me.”
With that, the Empress truly lay back down. Xu Wan rose and led Zhu Yan to close all the windows of Lanwu Pavilion tightly, then adjusted the charcoal fire. The Empress seemed a bit displeased, but before she could react, Xu Wan said:
“Your Majesty, it’s already the start of winter. You mustn’t indulge in the cold.”
“Hmph, in your eyes, am I so useless now?”
Hearing this, Zhu Yan knelt. Xu Wan stepped forward, “Your Majesty is the heaven to the people of Great Zhou. This world can lose anyone, but it cannot lose Your Majesty.”
The Empress ultimately didn’t lash out. Zhu Yan marveled at Xu Wan’s close relationship with the Empress.
Xu Wan got to the point, holding Zhu Yan’s hand with great familiarity:
“This time, Her Majesty has summoned you to clarify three questions.”
Zhu Yan listened attentively, afraid to miss anything.
“First, we’ve heard that the former governor of Yingzhou, Mo Qianzhi, is an old acquaintance of Lord Shen?”
Zhu Yan was puzzled. The Shen family’s old case was so significant; surely the Empress already knew about their relationship. Could this be a test?
“Yes,” Zhu Yan nodded, “Lord Mo, Mo Qianzhi was a student of Lord Shen’s father.” Better to say less and be concise.
Xu Wan approved of Zhu Yan’s honesty and glanced at the Empress, clearly wanting to know more. “Someone overheard Mo Qianzhi mention that the Shen family’s old case was orchestrated by Her Majesty, and he was trying to persuade Lord Shen to overthrow Her Majesty together.”
Zhu Yan immediately kowtowed, “Lord Shen is unwaveringly loyal to Your Majesty, as am I.”
“Rise!” Xu Wan said, “Please explain in detail.”
Zhu Yan stood up anxiously, not daring to sit, “That Mo… Mo Qianzhi did say such things, but Lord Shen has served Her Majesty for many years. How could he be deceived by a few words? Moreover, moreover…”
Zhu Yan bit her lip, almost tripping over her words,
“Moreover, Mo Qianzhi was also deceived by Chen Huoe, the leader of the Fire Moth Party. He only believed those words because of that. When he was arrested and questioned, we learned that he had always been obsessed with uncovering the truth about the Shen family’s case. That’s why he was misled and became a pawn of the Fire Moth Party, committing unforgivable mistakes.”
Zhu Yan concisely explained the general situation to them, her expression open and without concealment.
Xu Wan glanced at the Empress again and sighed,
“Who would have thought those half-faced ghosts were bred by the Fire Moth Party? This Fire Moth Party has been lurking in Yingzhou for years without a whisper of news until Mo Qianzhi’s memorial revealed the matter.”
But Mo Qianzhi’s revelation had other motives.
As Xu Wan was about to ask more, the Empress interjected, “Does the Fire Moth Party have influence elsewhere?”
“Well,” Zhu Yan felt as if sitting on pins and needles, “They do, but we don’t know under what guise they appear publicly. Lord Shen also said he needs to investigate thoroughly, but I don’t know the specifics.”
She didn’t deliberately inquire about cabinet secrets, nor did she discuss the cabinet’s operational details with Shen Du.
“That makes sense. The Fire Moth Party disguised themselves as Guangchun Hall’s healers in Yingzhou. We indeed need to investigate thoroughly what form they take elsewhere.”
This meant Zhu Yan didn’t need to concern herself with it anymore.
“What about you? Do you suspect that the Shen family’s old case was orchestrated by me?” The Empress’s piercing gaze locked onto Zhu Yan’s expression.
Cold sweat broke out on Zhu Yan’s back, her hair standing on end as she met the Empress’s gaze in silence.
For a moment, even Xu Wan dared not speak.
Soon, the Empress withdrew her intimidating gaze. “Enough. You were so young then, completely uninvolved in that case. I suppose I’m being unreasonable to you.”
With that, she dropped the subject. Zhu Yan expressed her thanks.
“Secondly, when I ascended the throne, I bore the brunt of criticism. But how many truly understand the helplessness behind it? Which woman doesn’t wish for some support to live peacefully? Instead, I’ve had to toil so much that my hair has turned gray prematurely.”
The Empress seemed a bit melancholic, her phoenix eyes lowering slightly, revealing a hint of tenderness. But it was quickly concealed, replaced by sharpness.
“As a female emperor, I knew the path ahead was uncertain, but I never gave up. How many men can truly accept a woman in charge? Yet I insisted on making them accept it. These years have been relatively stable, not failing the former emperor’s trust.”
Xu Wan was also moved by these words. The imperial family’s secrets were naturally beyond Zhu Yan’s knowledge or desire to know. However, it seemed the Empress had some unspoken difficulties when she chose to depose Crown Prince Li Zhong and ascend the throne herself.
“But maintaining power is not easy. The Yingzhou case is just one example. With Mo Qianzhi’s downfall, how many more Mo Qianzhis will emerge?”
Zhu Yan finally understood a bit of the underlying message. Although the Yingzhou half-faced ghost case had been resolved and Mo Qianzhi’s rebellion quelled, the fear was that more people would learn from this, rising one after another.
A ruler’s greatest fear is losing the people’s hearts and facing widespread rebellion.
Zhu Yan lowered her head, “The people’s eyes are discerning. Your Majesty has the people’s support; such things won’t happen.”
The Empress scoffed lightly, seemingly unconvinced, but didn’t argue. Today, the Empress seemed unusually approachable. Seeing Zhu Yan finish the last bite of jade-green cake, her eyes showed satisfaction:
“I know Lord Lai sometimes acts absurdly, but there are things I cannot intervene in directly. Someone needs to shield me. Lord Lai does this, as does Lord Shen. You should know, I too am sometimes compelled by circumstances.”
Zhu Yan lightly murmured, “I dare not presume,” not entirely understanding the Empress’s intent. Whether the Empress was testing her views on the affairs of the Lai family or Mo Qian, it was not her place to know. The only explanation was that the Empress wanted her to convey the imperial will to Shen Du.
“I will make sure this matter is reported to the department head,” Zhu Yan replied obediently.
To her surprise, the Empress shook her head. “What I want to ask is whether you believe I should reconsider the old case of the Shen family?”
The Empress’s phoenix eyes were sharp, appearing calm yet imposing. Zhu Yan began to sweat, realizing that the appropriate response was to advocate for the case’s review, which would bring justice to Shen Fu. However, she was unsure of the Empress’s underlying intent and how to recommend the review without suggesting Shen Du’s disloyalty.
Seeing Zhu Yan’s predicament, Xu Wan stepped in diplomatically, “This is a matter beyond Zhu Da-ren’s authority; it should be considered more thoroughly.”
The Empress’s eyes grew dark and profound. “Regarding General Kana Qiselo’s case, do you think I am neglecting benevolent officials and justice, allowing you to act as you please?”
Zhu Yan wondered why she was being faced with such challenging questions.