Chapter 87
An old adversary makes a move.
This chapter has been brought to you by me, ororomunreo90, vivie and leecherleechleech.
Chapter Eighty Seven Stupidity
The master and mistress of Duan Wang Fu might have already entered the palace but there were still guards at this place. The people passing by knew that this compound was the home of the new emperor before he ascended the throne and was extra careful as they passed by.
By now, even the paternal families of the qieshi of Duan Wang Fu's status were elevated in status. Even though not many went to deliberately fawn over them but they were now much more courteous.
For the qieshi of Duan Wang Fu, the fact that wang ye succeeded the throne, it was a great and joyful surprise. How could the shiqie of a wang fu be compared to being a niangniang in the palace? Even more so, they had served before the Emperor ascended the throne so their ranks wouldn't be very low. By that time when the Emperor wouldn't favor them, their ranks would still be passable enough that they would be written into the history books. If they were just shiqie of a wang fu, who would remember them after their death?
But very quickly, their exhilaration disappeared. Wang fei had been sent for to enter the palace the night the Emperor entered. After that, no Imperial Decree came. Even though xiandi's body was sent to the tomb and the Emperor held the Ascension Ceremony, still no one came to receive them to enter the palace.
Feng Zi Jin and Han Qing He were frantic inside. They discussed it before going together to find Jiang Yong Yu. At this time, Jiang Yong Yu held the highest position among them. But when the two went into Jiang Yong Yu's resident, they stilled. The two of them had been burning with anxiety but this one was sitting under the willow reading a book. A cup of cold tea was placed in front of her, a yahuan fanning her from behind. She looked very idle.
Feng Zi Jin, who had always looked down at her calm attitude, moved forward to comment: "Jiang ce fei is really restrained. At this time, you still aren't anxious."
Jiang Yong Yu closed the book. She looked at the two, "Meimei, please sit. Such a hot day, why have you come to my place?"
The yahuan brought over two stools to place behind the two of them. Han Qing He was also impatient but knew that Feng Zi Jin's words were inappropriate. She gave her thanks, smiled and sat down: "These days, Emperor and niangniang both aren't in the fu. I found it boring and thought to come to jiejie's place to chat."
Jiang Yong Yu knew Han shi was impatient about entering the palace. Even though her words were prettier than Feng shi, her thoughts weren't any less than Feng shi. She raised a teacup and responded: "These are the tea leaves that niangniang especially had someone deliver a few days before. With one sip, it keeps the heat away. Meimei should have a taste."
Raising the teacup in front of her to take a sip, Han Qing He felt that the tea was slightly bitter but after swallowing, she really did feel the heat inside slightly dissipate. She put down the teacup, smiling and complimenting: "The things that niangniang has bestowed, it's really great. We can see how niangniang cares for jiejie." Of the four shiqie in the wang fu, Qu Qing Ju wasn't close to anyone but she treated Jiang Yong Yu slightly better. Thinking about it, Han Qing He was slightly regretful. If she had copied Jiang Yong Yu in the beginning and sided with Qu Qing Ju, then even if the Emperor didn't favor her in the future, with the Empress at her back, her days would be much better.
Hearing the meaning in Han shi's words that tried to flatter her, Jiang Yong Yu gave a slight smile: "Niangniang treats us all the same. Meimei must be joking." Finishing, she looked at Feng Zi Jin, "Did meimei also come here to chat with me?"
"I'm not going to beat around the bush with you. I'll just ask, do you know when we are entering the palace?" Feng Zi Jin didn't look at the tea on the table and impatiently waved the fan in her hand, "Don't say anything false, are we going to be ignored by niangniang like this?"
"The time we enter the palace, that's to be decided by Emperor and niangniang. How could I know?" Jiang Yong Yu looked at the fan in Feng Zi Jin's hand. Painted on the fan were large blooms of red peonies. She curled her lips, remarking, "By now, there must be many matters in the houyong. It hasn't been a month since the passing of xiandi. Both Emperor and niangniang must be grieving. Should we try to add even more trouble for Emperor and niangniang?"
Feng Zi Jin glanced at the smile on Jiang Yong Yu's face, snorting: "Jiang ce fei has great composure. Since that's the case, I'm leaving." She stood, sneering, "If you're able, then don't enter the palace." Finishing, she rushed furiously out of the ce yuan.
Han Qing He gave a dry laugh as she held a teacup. She looked at Ping Ji Zin's shadow, "Feng yianiang's personality is still the same."
"Entering the palace with such a personality, there's more waiting for her," Jiang Yong Yu was used to Feng Zi Jin's conduct and calmly turned to say: "We are experienced people that have served at the Emperor's side. Sooner or later someone will come receive us to enter the palace. There's nothing to be impatient about. Everything in the palace is changing. The mistresses of each palace have to move. We aren't the wife, do we have the qualifications like niangniang to enter the palace early?"
"Jiejie is a rare clear-headed person, meimei has learned," Han Qing He smiled as she responded, "Niangniang is virtuous and will certainly arrange everything." She might have been the first woman to serve wang ye, but in front of Jiang Yong Yu, she could only call her jiejie. Thinking about how she would soon be entering the palace, she was apprehensive. She didn't know what rank the Emperor would give her. She held the lowest position of the four at the moment and her future position would be the lowest as well.
Thinking about it that way, her excitement instantly halved. She remarked to Jiang Yong Yu: "Between the four of us, my birth is the lowest. Even Luo meimei had a jiujiu that died at his post. I don't have anyone." She thought of her father's eighth-grade position. It was an official position but in reality, it couldn't even compare to the gatekeeper of the wang fu.
"Why does meimei think that way? We all serve Emperor, does the Emperor rank us according to our paternal families?" Jiang Yong Yu comforted, "You can't think that way."
Han Qing He instantly realized. Niangniang didn't even have a paternal family anymore. She couldn't say such things. Thinking quickly, she followed: "It was me that strayed off the road."
"That's right. As long as people can think, there is no challenge that can't be overcome," When Jiang Yong Yu finished speaking, she saw a steward of the wang fu run in, his full of joy. Seeing them, he came up and bowed, reporting, "Mistresses, the Emperor's Imperial Decree has come down. It's to receive all the zhuzi to enter the palace."
Jiang Yong Yu counted the days. Today was the thirty-second day since the passing of xian di. To enter the palace now, it was the perfect time.
She looked in the direction of the Imperial Palace and sighed. She had packed everything, and was just waiting for this Imperial Decree to come down.
Because of the death of xiandi and the succession of the new emperor as well as the good weather, no one tried to disgust He Heng with any matters. The only thing that made him unhappy was that at this time, there was an imperial censor at court who said that Qu Qing Ju's status wasn't fitting to be the Empress.
He sat with a grave expression while listening to the imperial censor's words. Then he smiled coldly and responded: "According to what you say, then all the men would abandon their wives if their wife's paternal family did something wrong. Then how is there "the chaff wife cannot be divorced?" Or is it that, in the heart of Imperial Censor Qin, your wife can be voluntarily abandoned." He slammed his hand down on the dragon chair, pointing angrily at the imperial censor, shouting, "Such a ruthless and unscrupulous person, how can you act as an imperial censor of my Da Long Dynasty? If the imperial censors of the world were like you, my Da Long Dynasty won't even have any virtues!"
"Emperor!" Imperial Censor Qin didn't think the Emperor would speak so severely. His legs softened and he knelt down, "Emperor, wang fei might be your wife, but she has such unprincipled elders, how can she mother the world?"
"Is Qin da ren accusing my Tian Family's daughter of being unprincipled?" Tian Jin Ke stepped out, tone wounded as he argued, "Emperor, this official's meimei might not have been a talented woman but she was of careful speech and good conduct, intelligent and virtuous. Even though she lost her life due to the unscrupulous actions of others, she was never unprincipled. Please, Emperor, give this official's meimei justice!"
Everyone knew that Imperial Censor had been focusing on the former Duke of Chang De and Liang shi. But Tian Jin Ke's sister was wang fei's birth mother. Imperial Censor Qin had exposed the hole in the argument into the other's hand.
"Emperor, this official thought that because wang fei's birth mother had been once praised by Xiao Ci Gong Empress, and had been taught from childhood by the Marquess of Xiang Qing, as a person she is extremely generous and virtuous. She is also Emperor's wife and the only choice for Empress. The crimes that the Qu Family committed, wang fei was a victim. Imperial Censor Qin has no sympathy but tries to slander wang fei's reputation, it is really outrageous. This official earnestly request Emperor to severely punish this person and give Tian da ren justice." Luo Chang Qing's face was also grave as he walked out. Xiao Ci Gong Empress had been xiandi's deceased muhou. Luo Chang Qing mentioned her to elevate the status of Qu Tian shi.
"This subject seconds!" Wei Wen Guang stood out.
"This subject-di agrees!" He Ming followed in stepping out.
"This subject agrees!"
All of the senior officials present could see the affection of the Emperor towards wang fei. Even more, Duan Wang Fei still had the Tian Family at her back. This Imperial Censor Qin was a member of the educated and literary family Qin Clan, but he had done such a stupid thing.
"Come, take away this person's post, he cannot be used in this lifetime" He Heng icily looked at Imperial Censor Qin whose complexion became terrible. In a deep voice, he announced, "Scholars should first learn their morals. Otherwise, no matter how many books they read, it's useless if they lose their emotions. The matter of the Empress is settled, zhen will only establish Qu shi as Empress, and no other!"
The words at the beginning were good, but everyone paused when they heard "no other". Following, they all knelt down: "Emperor is caring and benevolent, us subjects will follow the example."
Looking in satisfaction at the court officials kneeling under him, He Heng stood, announcing: "End of court!"
The people knelt as they watched the Emperor leave before slowly standing up. Many started to praise the virtues of the Emperor. After today, it was likely that in Da Long Dynasty, there would be less men that would favor a qie and neglect their wife. Men that would respect their wives would increase in number.
Even Tian Jin Ke didn't think that the Emperor would make such a promise such as this in front of all the officials. He didn't seem to be able to believe it, that the Emperor had decided to only have his niece as his only Empress this entire life.
"Virtuous son-in-law, shall we walk together?" Luo Chang Qing smiled as he walked in front of Tian Jin Ke, reaching out to pat his shoulder.
"Father-in-law first," Tian Qin Ke raised his hands and made a motion of request, dropping half a step behind Luo Chang Qing.
Luo Chang Qing didn't persist with him. The two slowly left the Great Hall. He remarked: "I heard long ago that niangniang and Rui Wang Fei's relationship wasn't good. From the looks of it today, it really isn't a rumor."
Tian Jin Ke jerked his lips, "Father-in-law is right."
But the Qin Family was too obvious and ham-fisted this time. He smiled happily. No matter what, the fact that the Emperor would care for his niece so, his deceased sister could rest in peace.
"Emperor," Qian Chang Xin looked at the terrible expression on the Emperor's face and cautiously held out a cup of tea.
"Qin shi!" He Heng pushed the teacup to throw the tea back, declaring, "It seems that there still isn't enough people serving in zhen's san di's fu."