Chapter 84: Morning In The Imperial Palace
The sky had not yet brightened when the Empress rose.
The palace maids were already accustomed to it, filing in one after another to attend to her washing.
Wearing only casual home clothes, the Empress first went to the warm room to tend to the flowers and plants.
Her personal palace maid followed at her side, softly reporting in a low voice about what time Princess Pingcheng had gone to sleep last night and how the Prince of Donghai’s training had gone in the temporary palace yesterday.
“The Princess is determined to become the Libationer’s first female disciple, studying all the more diligently and arduously.”
“The Prince of Donghai said that this year’s winter hunt must take first place, to offer to His Majesty and Your Ladyship.”
Hearing this, a smile appeared on the Empress’s slightly tense face.
“Both the Prince of Donghai and the Princess spare Your Ladyship any worry.” The palace maid said with a smile.
The Empress carefully examined a plant’s leaves and said, “Having these two children is the fortune of my lifetime.”
It should be said that marrying His Majesty is the fortune of her lifetime.
The palace maid did not correct her, pretending not to have heard.
The Empress tended to the flowers and plants personally, and at this time there was no one else in the warm room.
“Last night His Majesty stayed at Consort Li’s place.” The palace maid said in a low voice, adding, “It wasn’t His Majesty who went of his own accord; Consort Li said she had made dishes His Majesty loves to eat and personally invited him, so that’s how he went.”
The Empress’s gaze remained fixed on the flower buds waiting to bloom, her mouth twitching: “What’s the difference between going of one’s own accord and being invited.”
The palace maid was about to say something when the Empress stopped her.
“Enough, no need to speak of these matters.” She said, “I am the Empress, he is the Emperor; we are not the couple who lived in the Chai Clan villa back then.”
The palace maid acknowledged, thought of something, and stepped forward, though there was no one in the warm room, she still looked around to either side…
What matter required more caution than inquiring about the Emperor’s news?
“Steward Qin went out once in the middle of the night.” She said in a low voice, adding apologetically, “My people didn’t dare follow him, afraid of being discovered by Steward Qin, so for now we still don’t know what he went to do.”
The Empress straightened up and looked outside the warm room: “The only one who could summon him in the middle of the night is someone from my family; it should be my father looking for him.”
“The Marquis also, whatever he has to say he could tell Your Ladyship directly.” The palace maid said with a smiling complaint.
The Empress’s expression was indifferent: “He has nothing to say to me; he only needs to arrange what I should do.”
At this point she glanced at the palace maid.
“In this palace of mine, only you few young ones have not been arranged by him.”
The palace maid did not dare respond.
A soft sound of request came from outside the warm room; the palace maid recognized the voice and knew it was her informant, hurriedly letting her in.
A little palace maid stepped forward to pay respects: “Something happened last night; His Majesty got up in the middle of the night at Consort Li’s place.”
Something happened? What happened? The palace maid was slightly surprised, yet she saw the Empress had already bent down again to focus on trimming the flower branches.
“What could it be.” She only said indifferently, “Unless the Imperial City has been breached, otherwise it doesn’t count as anything.”
……
…….
The sky was just slightly brightening when Colonel Che Ji of the Imperial Guard stood outside the Hall of Hanguang in the Gui Palace where Imperial Consort Li resided, slightly adjusting his robe.
Che Ji did not wait long before the chief eunuch soon came out to announce him in; entering the hall, he saw Imperial Consort Li, dressed in a light purple dress, helping the Emperor put on his outer robe, while someone was already standing in the hall, grinning and pointing here and there.
“…Imperial Consort Li, use that lotus pattern waist sash for His Majesty.”
Consort Li indeed had someone fetch it as instructed, smiling and praising, “A Jiao is better at dressing than I am.”
The Emperor smiled as he listened to their banter, allowing them to dress him.
Che Ji glanced at Wei Jiao.
“Colonel Che has arrived.” Wei Jiao said, “Your Majesty, you should ask him quickly.”
The Emperor looked at Che Ji: “How many died?”
Asking directly about the casualties showed the Emperor already knew something had happened last night.
Che Ji was not surprised; though the Emperor lived in the Imperial City, he did not rely solely on the Imperial Guard for news.
There were the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Imperial Guard, the eunuchs.
An incident in the middle of the night was neither major nor minor; naturally someone would report it to the Emperor.
No matter what others said, and no matter what Wei Jiao had said, Che Ji only reported what he knew after taking over: “Apart from the bandits, there were no deaths or injuries; only the young ladies from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion happened to pass by and were frightened.”
The Emperor slightly relaxed, frowning as he asked: “Have you found out who they are?”
Che Ji nodded: “We have; they are remnants of the Sun Clan from the previous rebellion in Yizhou.”
The Emperor frowned, seeming both surprised and not surprised, about to say something when Wei Jiao clapped his hands first with a “good.”
“My merit has come.” Wei Jiao said with a smile, “Your Majesty, I take leave first; I’ll go catch the rebels for you right now.”
With that, he got up and ran off.
Though it seemed inexplicable, it meant no objection to what Che Ji had said; the Emperor did not call Wei Jiao back, only grumbling ill-humoredly: “This kid…” Then he looked at Che Ji again, “The bandits have infiltrated the Capital City, and nearly reached outside the Imperial City; this is the Imperial Guard’s failing.”
Che Ji immediately dropped to one knee upon hearing this: “This minister deserves death ten thousand times over.”
Lowering his head, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
Wei Jiao indeed had not said much more.
Marquis Yichun had been spot on.
The Emperor’s voice continued from above, nothing more than orders for a strict investigation and capture of the Sun clan remnants; Che Ji solemnly acknowledged, and just as he was about to take leave, he heard Consort Li’s voice suddenly.
“Which young lady from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion encountered the bandits?”
Che Ji was stunned, instinctively lifting his head.
She would actually ask this?
This was not in Marquis Yichun’s instructions.
Marquis Yichun had said His Majesty would not ask much about Duke Ding’an’s young ladies, knowing there were no casualties would suffice.
The Sun clan remnants were the most important.
But Marquis Yichun did not know His Majesty had stayed at the Imperial Consort’s; the Imperial Consort might care more about such small matters.
……
…….
“Just now I heard you say the young ladies from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion encountered bandits and were frightened.”
Imperial Consort Li offered the Emperor a cup of hot tea, her expression worried.
“Princess Wuyang’s new lady-in-waiting is a young lady from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion; I don’t know which one, but she likes her so much; I was thinking whether to tell her.”
These ladies-in-waiting were all pushed over by Duke Ding’an to placate him, the Emperor thought; yet his daughter was so happy about it, making him as a father feel a bit ashamed.
Earlier he had heard mention of Duke Ding’an’s young ladies being frightened, but it was also said there were no casualties, so he had been too lazy to bother.
If there had really been something, Duke Ding’an’s fussing nature would surely have made a scene long ago.
But since Imperial Consort Li had asked, and both mother and daughter cared about this companion reader, he could not treat it lightly.
“What happened? So late at night, which young lady from their family was still wandering outside? So lacking in decorum!” The Emperor frowned and snapped.
This, Che Ji truly did not know.
He had not seen anyone from Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.
But now he could not say he did not know, or it would seem the investigation was too sloppy.
“This minister did not dare inquire too much.” Che Ji said with his head lowered, “Only know the young lady is unharmed; Duke Ding’an personally took her back.”
Afraid of losing face and not letting people ask? The Emperor exhaled: “You may go; investigate the case and ask what needs asking.”
Che Ji breathed a sigh of relief, acknowledged, and withdrew, hearing the Emperor summon someone inside.
“…Go to Duke Ding’an’s family and ask if the person is alright.”
…….
……
“Where is Father Emperor?”
Princess Wuyang stepped into the hall, happily looking everywhere, but saw only Imperial Consort Li eating breakfast alone.
Imperial Consort Li said: “Your father emperor has many matters; he woke in the middle of the night yesterday, started seeing people before dawn, and left long ago.”
Princess Wuyang looked disappointed: “He doesn’t even eat breakfast? I got up especially early to show Father Emperor the calligraphy practice sheet I wrote.”
With that, she sat down listlessly, tossing the calligraphy practice sheet in her hand onto the ground.
“Mother Consort, after all these years, you still can’t get Father Emperor to have a meal with you.”
“Not eating doesn’t affect my position as Imperial Consort.” Imperial Consort Li said, “Nor did it delay giving birth to you and the Prince of Linhuai.”
Princess Wuyang pouted: “Princess Pingcheng and the Prince of Donghai are the apples of his eye; we two are just extras.”
“That may not be so.” Imperial Consort Li said, lowering her head to stir a bowl of soup.
