When the Empress saw Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess arrive, she set aside her teacup and asked with a smile, “Didn’t you say you were going shopping after visiting your Seventh Sister-in-law? Why are you back so soon?”
Princess Fuqing pursed her lips and said, “All the shops were still closed, so we had to come back early.”
She strongly suspected that her mother had known this all along, which was why she had agreed so readily.
The Empress glanced at the Fourteenth Princess and asked, “Did you see the Seventh Prince’s wife?”
Both princesses answered in unison, “We did.”
“Um, what did you talk about?”
Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess exchanged a glance.
The Empress raised an eyebrow, “What is it?”
Princess Fuqing pressed her lips together and said, “When we arrived, the Seventh Sister-in-law was praying in the small Buddha hall. She didn’t speak…”
The Empress’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure, “Why didn’t she speak? Did you leave without waiting for her to finish her prayers and sit with you for a while?”
Princess Fuqing, not sensing anything amiss, smiled and said, “Seventh Sister-in-law’s maid said she had a dream where someone told her that remaining silent would show more sincerity. This way, not only would Seventh Brother return sooner, but there might also be an unexpected joy. We didn’t want to disturb her prayers.”
The Empress felt something odd about this explanation. After dismissing the two princesses, she thought for a moment and quietly called the Fourteenth Princess back.
Standing before the Empress for the second time, the Fourteenth Princess realized that today’s outing wasn’t as simple as it seemed.
Being a person who understood propriety, she stood obediently without saying a word until the Empress spoke.
The Empress nodded inwardly and said, “Fourteenth, did you and Fuqing see the Seventh Prince’s wife?”
“We did.”
“Then describe the situation in detail.”
“After arriving, my Thirteenth Sister and I waited in the flower hall for a while. Then a nanny led us to a small Buddha hall. Two maids were waiting there, claiming to be Seventh Sister-in-law’s attendants—”
“Where was the Seventh Prince’s wife?”
“Seventh Sister-in-law was inside the small Buddha hall. We didn’t go in but greeted her from the doorway.”
“So you never actually spoke with the Seventh Prince’s wife?”
“No.”
The Empress pondered for a long while before asking, “Are you certain you didn’t mistake someone else for the Seventh Prince’s wife?”
The Empress’s increasingly strange questions made the Fourteenth Princess’s heart skip a beat.
Being cautious, she hesitated briefly before carefully answering, “I haven’t met Seventh Sister-in-law many times, but it did look like her…”
The Empress nodded, “You may go now. Remember not to mention today’s events to anyone.”
The Fourteenth Princess curtsied to the Empress, “Don’t worry, Mother. I understand.”
The Empress was very pleased with the Fourteenth Princess’s discretion and rewarded her with a pair of gold bracelets.
The Fourteenth Princess accepted them graciously and left quietly.
The Empress leaned against the screen, deep in thought.
As dinnertime approached, Emperor Jingming sent word that he would dine in Kunning Palace. The Empress quickly instructed the small kitchen to prepare.
Darkness fell early, and Kunning Palace was soon lit with strings of red lanterns, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere inside.
However, Emperor Jingming seemed impatient. After eating hastily, he dismissed the palace maids and, holding a cup of tea, asked the Empress, “Did Fuqing and the others return? Did they see Seventh Son’s wife?”
“When they arrived, the Seventh Prince’s wife was worshipping Buddha. They didn’t stay long and only saw her briefly at the door…”
Hearing the Empress’s explanation, Emperor Jingming relaxed slightly and smiled, “Seventh Son’s wife is truly dedicated. It’s not easy for young people to be so focused.”
If it were him praying, he would have fallen asleep long ago.
The Empress, having pondered for a long time but lacking concrete evidence, didn’t voice her strange feelings. She smiled and agreed, “With the Seventh Prince’s wife being so sincere, the Seventh Prince will surely return soon.”
Hearing the Empress mention their son, Emperor Jingming frowned, expressing his dissatisfaction, “He’s been gone for so long and still hasn’t returned. That boy is just stubborn, insisting on doing things he knows are futile.”
It was said that the body of the Dong Ping Earl’s son had fallen into the Ji River. The Ji River was vast and turbulent, not a small stream. Trying to find the body was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The Empress had a good impression of the Seventh Prince and his wife, so she chose her words carefully, “The Seventh Prince’s love for his wife is a good thing.”
Emperor Jingming snorted coldly, “Running so far away and leaving his wife to pray every day, isn’t he afraid she’ll truly turn to Buddhism—”
“Ahem, ahem.” The Empress coughed lightly as the Emperor’s words became increasingly inappropriate.
However, Emperor Jingming seemed to have unburdened himself and appeared more relaxed. He decided to spend the night in Kunning Palace.
In Yuquan Palace, Consort Xian heard that Emperor Jingming was staying in Kunning Palace and felt deeply resentful.
If the Emperor had chosen to stay with some young and beautiful concubine, that would have been understandable. But he was staying with the Empress again. What were the long-serving consorts like herself supposed to think?
Recently, Consort Xian felt that nothing was going her way.
Her scheme against the Seventh Prince’s wife had backfired, dragging the Fourth Prince’s wife into it. If the Fourth Prince’s wife had lost her life, that would have been one thing, but she had been rescued. Now she could only occupy the position of Qi Wang Fei without managing the Fourth Prince’s household affairs for the time being.
This meant the Fourth Prince would have to bear the burden. To say nothing else, the Fourth Prince had kept such a low profile during the New Year. Although it was appropriate to avoid attention, Consort Xian still felt distressed seeing him like this.
Now, despite the Fourth Prince being the most qualified, the Emperor showed no indication of favoring him. What could he be thinking?
Considering the Emperor’s regard for the Empress in recent years, Consort Xian felt inexplicably anxious. She thought of inviting her sister-in-law, Lady Wei, into the palace during the New Year to remind her of a few things.
The next day, Consort Xian invited Lady Wei, the wife of the Duke of Anguo, into the palace under the pretext of missing family during the New Year.
It had been some time since Consort Xian had seen Lady Wei. Upon meeting her in the bedchamber, she was surprised, “Sister-in-law, why do you look unwell?”
Her sister-in-law was someone who appeared sweet but harbored bitterness. Always maintaining a gentle demeanor, she hadn’t looked like someone with a son in his thirties just a couple of years ago.
But now, she clearly showed signs of aging. Gray hairs peeking out at her temples, drooping eye corners, and a poor complexion all revealed her advancing years.
Hearing Consort Xian’s question, Lady Wei sighed, “There’s no need to hide it from you, Your Highness. It’s all because of my third son and his wife!”
If it had been earlier, Lady Wei might have tried to put on a brave face. But with her third daughter-in-law having been married into the family for some time now, and seeing the third branch of the family becoming increasingly tumultuous, not to mention her once obedient and pure youngest son turning into a playboy on the Golden Water River, Lady Wei no longer had the energy to conceal her troubles.
“Wasn’t Yi previously devoted to Qiaoqiao? How did things become like this?”
Lady Wei snorted coldly, “People from humble backgrounds can never shed their petty nature. Not only can she not bear children, but she also constantly suspects Yi of having affairs with the maids. You know Yi; he would never mess around with the maids around him. But with her nagging and some ill-advised friends egging him on, of course, he started frequenting the Golden Water River. If he were to take in a few maids of good background, I wouldn’t be worried. But the women on the Golden Water River are all such unsavory characters…”