Chapter 108: Post-event Comforting
They hadn’t waited long outside the National Academy when Duke Ding’an’s Wife came out with Yang Hui, Liu Chan, and Mo Zheng.
After this fright, Yang Hui wanted to sit together with Duke Ding’an’s Wife.
Liu Chan knew that after this incident, the master and servant had been quite frightened and had much to discuss, so she pretended to be afraid herself and squeezed onto Duke Ding’an’s Wife’s carriage with Yang Hui.
Duke Ding’an’s Wife had no energy to care who got on her carriage; she just wanted to hurry home.
Mo Zheng then used the excuse of thanking Yang Luo for her concern to send her home and got on Yang Luo’s carriage.
Upon learning that Ling Yu had been invited by Sister Tao Hua at Yang Luo’s request, Mo Zheng felt both surprised and not surprised.
She naturally knew that Miss Yang had asked her to take her place with the intention of letting her block open and covert attacks.
But Miss Yang was ultimately a kind child; merely because she had been hurt before and hardened her heart, when it really came down to it, she couldn’t bear to see others suffer…
She had already felt the Empress’s malice, no need to mention it again; Mo Zheng thought of others: “I hadn’t expected Imperial Consort Li to protect me, actually taking a staff blow for me.”
Imperial Consort Li was also someone from the Imperial Palace whom she had seen today at the side—someone she had never seen in her previous life; judging by her voice, she was a gentle and timid person, Yang Luo thought, but…
“The palace maid who gave you the paintbrush belongs to Princess Wuyang, and you are Princess Wuyang’s lady-in-waiting.” She said, “If you were convicted, she and Princess Wuyang would both be finished; she probably wanted to make you grateful so you wouldn’t randomly implicate Princess Wuyang to escape punishment.”
Mo Zheng raised her brows and smiled: “Impressive, Miss Yang isn’t deceived by superficial kindness.”
Yang Luo was amused by her and shook her head: “Where in this world is there baseless love or hate? Even my own family could watch me die; how could Imperial Consort Li, a stranger, possibly risk her life to protect me? She must want something.”
Speaking of protection from a stranger, Yang Luo thought of something and looked at Mo Zheng as she asked: “Dr. Ling didn’t say anything, right?”
Mo Zheng shook her head: “He didn’t say much; Dr. Ling praised me for doing well, adapting on the fly, bold and meticulous.”
Yang Luo breathed a sigh of relief: “Dr. Ling truly takes his duty to protect the National Academy’s disciples to heart; this is the demeanor of a scholar.”
Cough, actually this was also for a reason, Mo Zheng thought to herself, but she wouldn’t tell others about being old acquaintances with Ling Yu.
Especially Yang Luo, no way.
After all, Yang Luo was the current Emperor’s daughter; right now father and daughter hadn’t recognized each other and were even wary; once father and daughter resolved their enmity and became united, it was unknown how they would treat her, a remnant of the Previous Dynasty.
Better to implicate one fewer person.
Zhang Sheng You’s light cough sounded from outside the carriage.
“Miss.” He raised his voice, “We’re entering the city; which way? Send Miss Yang first?”
Using the question as cover, he lifted the carriage curtain and said in a low voice.
“The Emperor also came to the National Academy earlier.”
Both Mo Zheng and Yang Luo looked surprised.
The Emperor had come too?
“He was in plain clothes; when he was almost at the National Academy, he turned back.” Zhang Sheng You quickly said in a low voice.
Mo Zheng nodded and raised her voice: “Go to Miss Liu’s home first; once there, I’ll take another carriage back myself.”
Zhang Sheng You acknowledged and lowered the carriage curtain.
In the dim twilight inside the carriage, Yang Luo and Mo Zheng exchanged a glance.
“It’s not strange that the Emperor came.” Mo Zheng said in a low voice, “After all, the Princess had such a big incident.”
Yang Luo nodded: “Yes, once he heard she wasn’t injured, he went back; after all, the Emperor traveling is a major event.”
But she had almost seen the Emperor.
Yang Luo’s hands on her knees clenched tightly; suddenly she smiled.
“Good thing he didn’t come.” She looked at Mo Zheng and said softly, “Otherwise, even Dr. Ling couldn’t have stopped you from getting beaten.”
Mo Zheng said nothing and gently patted her arm to comfort her.
……
…….
The Empress’s Palace was brightly lit, but the Emperor still felt the light wasn’t good enough and personally held up a lamp to carefully examine Princess Pingcheng’s face.
“Father Emperor, I really wasn’t injured.” Princess Pingcheng said with a smile, snatching the lamp away, “If I were really injured, how could Mother Empress still eat?”
The Emperor glanced at the Empress sipping soup nearby.
“Your Mother Empress is steady…” He snorted, “Such a big matter and she didn’t tell me, went herself first.”
Princess Pingcheng said with a smile: “Father Emperor was holding morning court then; besides, Mother Empress investigated the matter clearly before telling you, knowing your temperament would make you rush in recklessly, which wouldn’t look good.”
“My daughter was harmed, what does We have to mind!” The Emperor said angrily, standing and pacing two steps before demanding, “How’s the Imperial Household Department’s investigation going? Taking this long?”
The Chief Eunuch in the hall hurriedly said he would go check and swiftly went out, only to return just as quickly with two eunuchs.
“Sun Nu Shi insists it was Wu Nu Shi who instructed her, but she confessed to one other thing besides that.”
“Wu Nu Shi actually has another surviving nephew; Wu Nu Shi set him up with a shop and he got married; when we went to arrest, the whole family was gone.”
“Neighbors said they left seven days ago, saying they were going back to the countryside to visit family.”
“Street neighbors didn’t even know he had an aunt working as a female official in the palace.”
Hearing this, the Emperor sneered: “What old grudge; sure enough, someone instructed her—either family threatened or family took benefits.”
He ordered.
“Go investigate Wu Nu Shi’s nephew; bring him back alive or dead!”
The Imperial Household Department’s eunuchs acknowledged and withdrew.
The Emperor was still pacing in the hall: “To secretly harm my daughter—who wants to secretly harm my daughter.” He demanded of the eunuch again, “Has Wei Jiao returned?”
The eunuch hurriedly said: “Message received the day before yesterday; he should arrive in the Capital City in about two days.”
The Emperor waved his hand: “Once back, have him come see Us immediately.”
The eunuch acknowledged; the Emperor paced again, this time stopped by Princess Pingcheng.
“Father Emperor.” She said sincerely, “Sit and rest; the villains failed this time, Father Emperor should be happy, not angry.”
The Emperor looked at his daughter’s fair face under the lamp.
“Pingcheng was also frightened, right.” He sighed, “All Father’s fault for not protecting you well…”
“His Majesty shouldn’t blame himself.” The Empress said nearby, “It was people this palace selected who harmed Pingcheng; also our Chai Clan’s accumulated enmities from before…”
The Emperor turned his head: “A Feng, don’t listen to that venomous woman’s nonsense; this is clearly her excuse to cover for the instigator behind.”
Princess Pingcheng helped the Emperor sit and knelt to offer him a bowl of soup.
“Father Emperor and Mother Empress need not blame yourselves.” She said, “Enjoying the Princess’s honor, I’m inevitably subject to others’ hidden hatred and framing.”
She smiled again.
“Compared to the dangers Father Emperor and Mother Empress faced in those chaotic times of war, mine really is nothing.”
The Emperor reached out and patted his daughter’s shoulder: “Good, good, worthy of being Deng Shan’s daughter! Right, no need to fear; these petty people only dare hide in the shadows—Father will drag them out one by one!”
Princess Pingcheng nodded with a smile: “With Father Emperor and Mother Empress here, I’m not afraid at all.”
Then she thought of something else.
“Father Emperor investigating the culprit should also reward Miss Yang of the Yang Family, Yang Luo.”
Reward Miss Yang of the Yang Family?
The Emperor’s figure paused slightly; the Empress, who had been looking down, also raised her eyes.
“Miss Yang was quick-witted and didn’t expose it on the spot, instead going along with the plan to draw out Wu Nu Shi; otherwise, this time I wouldn’t have escaped.” Princess Pingcheng said, “Wu Nu Shi could have stayed by my side and continued harming me.”
The Emperor nodded, feeling lingering fear again: “Yes, yes, this venomous woman is hard to guard against; good thing, good thing…”
He paused here.
“Miss Yang of the Yang Family was indeed quick-witted here; should she, shouldn’t she be rewarded?”
He looked toward the Empress nearby as he spoke.
Princess Pingcheng already knew Mother Empress disliked Miss Yang of the Yang Family; it seemed Father Emperor also knew Mother Empress disliked her, otherwise why ask the Empress about a reward…
Perceiving the Emperor’s gaze, the Empress’s expression was indifferent.
“Punish whom should be punished, reward whom should be rewarded; and…” She said, also looking at the Emperor, “Today the companion reader ladies were all frightened; His Majesty should console them.”
The Emperor nodded hurriedly: “The Empress considers thoroughly; just so.”
Princess Pingcheng said: “Father Emperor and Mother Empress, this is my matter; let me select the rewards for Miss Yang and the companion reader ladies.”
Mother Empress disliked Miss Yang; couldn’t let Mother Empress prepare rewards for Miss Yang because of her.
The Empress looked at her daughter, her gaze softening as she nodded: “Good.”
An eunuch entered, his expression hesitant, as if wanting to speak but stopping.
“What is it? Speak.” The Emperor said impatiently.
The eunuch lowered his head and said softly: “Imperial Consort Li fainted outside the hall.”
