Yang Shi remained silent for a while, nodding slightly at the Chief Administrator. After waiting for him to leave, she had someone take calling cards to Prince Lu’s mansion and Prince Su’s mansion. Her wet nurse felt deeply distressed. Having finished managing affairs up and down, she came in to see Yang Shi still stitching shoe soles and couldn’t help becoming anxious: “My dear lady, there’s never been anyone as heartless as you! At a time like this, how can you still be so unhurried?”
Being told this by her, Yang Shi showed no anxiety. Methodically, she set down the handiwork in her hands and raised her hand to rub her eyes: “At this moment, would being anxious actually be useful?”
The wet nurse, hearing this statement, quieted down instead. What Yang Shi said was indeed correct. At this point, whether anxious or unhurried, what difference did it make? In any case, Prince Gong had already incurred Emperor Jianzhang’s displeasure. She sighed, helping Yang Shi put away her handiwork, then instructed people to bring warm water for Yang Shi to compress her eyes. Looking at her, she couldn’t help wanting to cry again: “What are we to do? Now that His Highness has become like this, I fear life will be difficult in the future. Our young prince…”
Yang Shi had already heard from Prince Gong that Zhou Weiyun absolutely could not return to Taiyuan. Emperor Jianzhang had hardened his heart to keep him in the capital. Hearing the wet nurse mention Zhou Weiyun, her expression, which usually remained unmoved by anything, finally showed some change. She glanced at the carefully stitched shoes and let out a deep breath: “There will always be a way. Heaven never seals off all exits.”
The wet nurse was just about to ask what way there could be when she heard Yang Shi instruct people to find formal robes, saying she would enter the palace tomorrow to pay respects to Empress Lu. She was scared out of her wits—she had heard that in the palace, Prince Gong had not only defied His Majesty but had also angered Empress Lu to the point of falling ill. It was precisely because he had offended both parents thoroughly that he was driven out of the capital in disgrace to the imperial mausoleum. When a son offends his mother, the mother might still forgive him, but she would inevitably take her anger out on the son. If Yang Shi delivered herself at this time, how could anything good come of it? She hurriedly blocked her: “You mustn’t act foolishly! Going now, there’ll be plenty of humiliation to swallow!”
But Yang Shi wouldn’t be dissuaded. She still had people take out the formal robes and hang them on the clothing rack. The next day, after carefully grooming and adorning herself, she brought Zhou Weiyun into the palace.
First, naturally, she went to pay respects to Emperor Jianzhang, but he had gone to Consort Song’s Fengzao Palace and couldn’t be seen for the moment, so she went directly to Qingning Palace.
Empress Lu’s illness still hadn’t recovered. After Prince Gong’s uproar yesterday, even by the second day her head was still foggy. She hadn’t even been able to personally attend the Crown Prince’s acupuncture session today. Hearing that Princess Consort Gong had come, she sat up, leaning against her pillow and thinking for a long while before opening her mouth: “Receive her.”
Originally, she hadn’t wanted to see her. At this time, with Princess Consort Gong coming to the palace, Emperor Jianzhang would probably be displeased if he knew. But thinking that if she didn’t see her, Princess Consort Gong and her child would probably have a hard time alone in the capital—if she washed her hands of them entirely, those imperial clansmen would probably treat them according to their status.
Secretary Xie stood in place looking at Empress Lu, wanting to advise her. Last night when Crown Princess Lu came, Empress Lu still hadn’t seen her. If today she turned around and immediately saw Princess Consort Gong, wouldn’t the meaning be too obvious?
Although Crown Princess Lu had caused Prince Gong to completely lose favor before Emperor Jianzhang, that was also because Prince Gong himself had been improper—perfectly fine, he wanted to harm her son, then expected her to plead for him. Even storytellers probably couldn’t tell such a convoluted tale. There was no such logic in doing things in this world. Crown Princess Lu being angry was human nature.
But while everyone understood the reasoning, when it fell on oneself it was always painful. After all, he was her own son. Empress Lu wasn’t truly angry at Crown Princess Lu—she was actually at odds with herself. If only she had withstood the Crown Prince’s persistent coaxing back then and arranged another good match for him, fulfilling her younger son’s wishes, things might not have become so terrible. At least she would still have one son who was satisfactory. But now, both sons hated her, one more than the other.
She coughed once, and in the end still saw Princess Consort Gong—mothers under heaven only spoke harsh words with their mouths. One had seen ungrateful wretches who didn’t support their mothers, but where had one seen a mother truly cruel enough to ignore her child? No matter how muddled Prince Gong was, he was still her son. Moreover, this root cause had originally been started by her.
Princess Consort Gong respectfully paid her respects, leading her son to greet Empress Lu. Seeing Empress Lu look at Zhou Weiyun, who closely resembled Prince Gong, and shed tears while clutching him and not letting go, she said: “In the future, he’ll often be in the capital. This daughter-in-law was thinking of bringing him more often to visit you. Later, with him alone, both His Highness and I can rest assured.”
These words left Empress Lu stunned. She collected her tears, sighed, and looked at her: “It’s rare that when you open your mouth, you’re not asking me for something.”
This daughter-in-law had also been carefully selected by her and Emperor Jianzhang—the biological granddaughter of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi back then. Her appearance, character, and family background were all impeccable. But the couple had gone to their fief right after marriage. Her impression of this daughter-in-law was just the exquisite yet appropriately generous gifts during festivals and celebrations. Seeing her now, she discovered she was actually extremely composed and clever.
Princess Consort Gong shook her head: “If you had any way, His Highness wouldn’t have been sent to guard the imperial mausoleum. Your heart toward him—this daughter-in-law knows it.”
They say daughters are caring cotton-padded jackets, but Empress Lu this time didn’t experience any of Princess Rongcheng’s goodness at all. Although Princess Rongcheng sighed once for Prince Gong, she wouldn’t say a single good word before Emperor Jianzhang, only saying that the current treatment of Prince Gong was already good, that Emperor Jianzhang had already done everything he could for Prince Gong with utmost benevolence and righteousness.
Now these words Yang Shi spoke truly reached Empress Lu’s heart. How true they were! Throughout her life, she had loved her two sons most. How could she not want them to fare well?
Unfortunately, even this outsider Yang Shi could see clearly, yet Prince Gong was like a fighting cock. Thinking of Prince Gong, her heart ached with spasms again.
For a moment she couldn’t speak. After a long while, she squeezed her hand: “Good child.”
Though Zhou Weiyun was young, he had also learned quite a few of his mother’s skills. He pulled out a handkerchief from his waist to wipe Empress Lu’s tears.
Empress Lu cried even more continuously. After a good while, she finally stopped and asked Princess Consort Gong: “Have matters at the mansion all been arranged?”
Princess Consort Gong nodded once: “The Internal Servants Department sent people. Everything has been managed very properly. This daughter-in-law entered the palace this time to ask you, Mother Empress—for Earl Changning’s joyous occasion, how should we send gifts?”
This question left Empress Lu stunned, frowning as she asked: “Send gifts?”
“After all, it’s the Grand Prince’s future in-laws’ family, and His Highness is now in this state…” Yang Shi lowered her head: “This daughter-in-law has no confidence in her heart and truly has no elder to consult with. I could only enter the palace to ask you, Mother Empress.”