Chapter 119 – Being Punished at the Ancestral Hall

Cui Xingzhou understands what Miantang means. Yesterday, Imperial Concubine Yun’s trip clearly violated the usual process of going out of the palace, as if she had received the news that Miantang was about to leave the residence and deliberately went out to cause trouble.

 

Perhaps afraid of being implicated and resented by the Huaiyang Prince’s Residence, one or two of the noblewomen who accompanied Imperial Concubine Yun on the trip yesterday sent someone to inquire about Cui Fu’s body and politely explained that they also happened to be in the palace to accompany Imperial Concubine Yun. Thus, when Imperial Concubine Yun took a temporary initiative to the temple, they were also invited to go together.

 

Upon hearing this, Miantang raised her eyebrows and asked Cui Xingzhou, “Can the concubines in the palace also summon wives of a vassal at any time?”

 

Cui Xingzhou untied the golden crown on his head and said calmly, “Of course not, but recently Empress Shi’s body has gradually become heavy, and the affairs in the palace have been entrusted to Imperial Concubine Yun.”

 

Upon hearing this, Miantang felt a bit interested. Empress Shi had a big heart. It was bold for her to entrust power to people like Sun Yunniang.

 

However, now that Imperial Concubine Yun was in the palace, she may also extend her hand out of the palace. It was not surprising that Sun Yunniang must have put an informer in her house.

 

Without pulling out these hidden nails, Miantang found it difficult to sleep peacefully.

 

Cui Xingzhou looked at her and said faintly, “Not only our family, but every mansion in the capital has its own informer. During the reign of the late emperor, there was the Imperial Counselor, who was inserted in every corner of the capital’s official residence, to serve as the eyes and ears of the late emperor, so that he could listen to the four fields and stabilize the imperial power. Now, although the Emperor has changed several times, the Imperial Counselor is still there, they will report to the palace every day and state our daily schedule. The father of Imperial Concubine Yun is now also the supervisor of Imperial Counselor. It is simple for Imperial Concubine Yun to know when you will get out of the residence.”

 

Miantang took a deep breath. If it were the personnel planted by the Imperial Counselor Department, even if she knew about it, she could not remove it, otherwise, it would become a malicious and scheming plan.

 

“… A screwed place of the capital where laborers work…” Unable to resist for a moment, Miantang cursed softly.

 

Cui Xingzhou chuckled and hugged her shoulder, saying, “Do you think we were so relaxed when we were in the state of Zhen? The local and central officials have their own difficulties, and now we can deal with them when something happens. However, the Imperial Counselor was used by the emperor to monitor the evils of his officials but was used by someone with a motive to embarrass two pregnant women. It’s a pity that this rare opportunity will not be used to clear the house. At least, those informers can only move around in the outer courtyard.”

 

Not to mention anything else, at least Prince Huaiyang did not want the love words between their husband and wife to flow into Liu Yu’s ears through the hidden piles of the imperial counselor department. If he guessed correctly, Liu Yu should have been inquiring about Miantang’s daily life every day.

 

He doesn’t know what this person thinks. If he couldn’t bear to part with her, why did he let Miantang go down the mountain in the first place? Unfortunately, if he missed it, he would have missed it. Even though he was now the emperor, he was destined not to have the one he wanted.

 

The incident of Imperial Concubine Yun colliding with the people caused a great uproar, and in the end, some upright officials in the imperial court could no longer resist and wrote a memorial to the Court.

 

Liu Yu had already known about the trouble Miantang was facing at the foot of the Wangfeng Temple Mountain, so he asked Imperial Concubine Yun about it.

 

Because Liu Yu’s tone of voice was not good, Imperial Concubine Yun also shed tears of grievance. She just said, “If Your Majesty believes that it is my fault, I will admit it. However, there were many ladies present at the time. You can ask around, was it me who was causing trouble to the Princess Consort of Huaiyang, or was it the Old Lady of the Duke of Qingguo who was causing trouble to her daughter-in-law? I tried hard to persuade her at that time, but the Old lady of Duke of Qingguo and her daughter-in-law had deep grievances and could not listen to persuasion at all. Is it because… Because I’m so unbearable in your heart that you blame it on my account where the daughter-in-law of the Duke of Qingguo was troubled by her mother-in-law and caused a miscarriage?”

 

Speaking of this, Yunniang raised her tearful eyes and said, “Since I entered the palace, I have been almost alone in my empty boudoir every day, but I dare not disturb Your Majesty at all. I just hope to have my own child soon, which can be considered living comfort in the palace. Today, I heard other ladies talk about the Bodhisattva’s spiritual experience at the Wangfeng Temple, and this is why I took the initiative to worship. I also hope to make a wish early and fulfill it early… But I never thought of such a mistake…”

 

Liu Yu took a deep breath. Since Yunniang entered the palace, he has indeed had a lot of coldness towards her. Ultimately, he has always felt that Miantang’s departure was due to a misunderstanding with Yunniang, so he has always had a grudge against her.

 

Now, seeing Yunniang crying so bitterly, he felt that he had treated a weak girl too harshly. And the matter was true as Yunniang said. It was indeed the Old Lady of Qingguo who was scolding Cui Fu at that time.

 

And the orders that collided with the people were not given by Yunniang. Although she was unintentional, the impact was too great, and it was ultimately damaging the reputation of the royal family.

 

So Liu Yu calmly paced his face and asked Empress Shi sitting next to him, “This is a matter of the harem. What do you think should be done?”

 

Empress Shi also frowned in embarrassment and said, “Imperial Concubine Yun has indeed been implicated. Both Your Majesty and I know that you are good, but now that the court has been plagued by numerous memorials, Your Majesty is also in a difficult position. If you do not take punishment, it is really difficult to appease the grievances of the public… It is indeed wrong for you to go out of the palace at will and not seal the mountain according to the regulations, and collide with the citizens… Just go to the ancestral temple and kneel for three days. The palace maids and eunuchs around you will also be punished for floggings, and handed over to the officer of imperial palace services.”

 

Imperial Concubine Yun suddenly raised her head and stared at Empress Shi in surprise. She spoke so leniently in the first half of the paragraph, thinking she had handled it lightly, but she didn’t expect that Empress Shi would punish her so severely for what she said so well!

 

But she couldn’t ask for mercy, otherwise, she would be ignorant and unwilling to share the pressure of the courtiers’ petitions of the court on behalf of the emperor.

 

Yunniang clenched her fists in hatred, but when she looked up again, her face was full of obedience. She only thanked the empress and got up on her own to kneel at the ancestral temple to receive punishment.

 

After Liu Yu got up and left, Nanny Shen, who was next to Empress Shi, whispered in a low voice, “How can Imperial Concubine Yun be calm with such heavy punishment?”

 

The round and chubby face of Empress Shi no longer had a broad smile. With cold brows and eyes, she said, Do you think if I don’t punish her, she will thank me? I thought she was as close to a biological sister to me as before, and I really thought she was good. It wasn’t until later that I realized the depth of this woman’s intentions. She repeatedly trapped me, and she thinks that I really didn’t know? When I gave birth to my first child, if I wasn’t clever enough, I almost fell for her. So I gave her the power to make her proud. Whenever people are proud, they will be careless. Look, she’s not showing off her intelligence and making mistakes now. These days, it’s almost time for the due date of my birth, and it’s hard to guarantee that this woman won’t do anything. Now her father is also in charge of the imperial counselor department, and this palace is also easy to hide with an open gun and difficult to defend with a hidden arrow. Now that she and her confidants have been heavily punished, we can also prevent them from colluding inside and outside and doing some pickled activities. As for the imperial counselor department…”

 

Nanny Shen whispered, “I have already asked the eunuch manager next to the emperor to inform him. The imperial counselor department has copied the notes of the carriage trip of the Huaiyang Residence and sent them to Imperial Concubine Yun’s side.”

 

Empress Shi smiled and said, “The affairs of the harem are in the hands of me. The affairs outside the palace are naturally in the hands of the emperor. I’m afraid that Imperial Concubine Yun has stirred up the emperor’s precious lady this time and will implicate his father, making it difficult for him to bear it.”

 

Nanny Shen smiled slightly and said, “This is the best way. You can also give birth with peace of mind, and there is no need to worry about the Sun family doing anything again.”

 

Empress Shi sighed slightly and said, “The palace is so big, and if the hearts of the people are hidden in the dark pool of monsters, I am always standing by the abyss and dare not slack off.”

 

Nanny Shen understood the meaning of Empress Shi. She watched how her lady gradually transformed from a daughter of a concubine in the Shi Residence to the Empress. Her master is not easy, not only to be wary of the Sun family’s father and daughter but also to be wary of the side of the Empress Dowager. Therefore, she can only constantly pretend to be foolish and treat the Empress Dowager and the other concubines who have been stuffed in with kindness.

 

In the days when Empress Shi delegated power, Sun Yunniang regulated many concubines and won over many more. This time Imperial Concubine Yun was punished, she believes the secret battles in the palace will be even more exciting.

 

“Empress, you are a wise and intelligent person. Otherwise, why would the emperor respect you so much? You and the emperor will get through this period and the situation will improve.” Nanny Shen looked at Empress Shi’s fatigue expression privately and spoke out in pain to comfort her.

 

Empress Shi shook her head and sighed, “Those who are truly intelligent will never marry into the high walls of this deep palace. That Huaiyang Princess Consort is a truly intelligent and knowledgeable woman.”

 

Nanny Shen also agreed and whispered, “The incident of the imperial counselor secretly passing notes to Imperial Concubine Yun was discovered by the people under the control of Prince Huaiyang. I heard that his family had been interrogating and tying many people out a few days ago. Why did he have to borrow your hand to deliver the message to the emperor?”

 

Empress Shi smiled slightly, “Prince Huaiyang was invited by the emperor to balance and stabilize the palace family for him. However, there has been chaos in the inner courtyard, which has affected his sister’s miscarriage. This is also a dirty act done by the people of the imperial counselor department colluding with Imperial Concubine Yun. According to the nature of Prince Huaiyang, how can he tolerate this? He took my hand and hinted that it would not be an exception, whether it is the harem or the emperor, there should be no hidden trouble in his courtyard. And the emperor also had to rectify the Sun family to give him an explanation… This action indeed deliberately acts as a warning to the opponent. Liu Miantang didn’t marry the wrong man.”

 

She had also fallen in love with Young Master Ziyu at first sight before willingly marrying him. How could she know that if she took a step wrong, every other step will be wrong? Her husband harbors a person in his heart, unable to accommodate a second one.

 

So, she took second place and did not seek harmony between the felicity of husband and wife, but she must raise her status to the same level. Therefore, she provided advice for the emperor and shared the worries of His Majesty, serving as his virtuous inner helper.

 

The difference between Empress Shi and Yunniang was that she did not hate Liu Miantang.

 

She was a very intelligent girl. Looking at her resolute departure from the Mountain of Yang at the beginning, she knew that she was someone who could take or give. Moreover, Prince Huaiyang doted on her, she knew that their relationship could not accommodate a third person.

 

Even if the emperor was in love with Liu Miantang, his life will also be destined to be without fate.

 

Thinking of this, Empress Shi suddenly felt a bit tired. She just wanted to lie down and rest for a while. She closed her eyes and lazily ordered, “The ancestral temple is an important place, be careful of fire. There is no need to deliberately add charcoal pots at night, be careful of candles.”

 

In recent days, as soon as night falls, the weather was cold and cool, especially in the Royal Ancestral Hall, where the coldness was heavy. She was thinking that the Imperial Concubine Yun may be seriously ill after kneeling these days.