Ah Hao stared at the jujube tree in the courtyard, recalling the scene of Xu Shi clamoring for jujubes, and said, "At that time, I had almost no one to help me. Ordinary doctors couldn't cure me, and I couldn't beg for famous doctors. Later, I came to the Empress Dowager's side, and as I grew up, I had a good opportunity to beg for treatment, but I didn't know whether I should get treatment or not."
Without treatment, she felt both heartache and pity for her mother's daily madness. But if she did receive treatment, her mother would be forced to confront the reality of her beloved's death and be reminded of those painful experiences. Sometimes, thinking of the cruel truth, she would cruelly contemplate that perhaps her mother's condition wasn't so bad after all.
She was too young and naive when she entered the palace, and many things weren't arranged well. Now, the people in the mansion include both old servants from back then and newly bought ones. She knew that if she wasn't there to watch over her, her mother might be bullied if things went wrong, but she couldn't think of a better way.
Her old relatives were no longer willing to come to the mansion, and she had no one to ask for help, so she was very grateful to her aunt and cousin Zheng. Even if they only came to visit occasionally, the servants below would take much better care of her mother.
In the past, several instances of neglecting their mothers had been discovered, leading to the sale of many servants, but this proved insufficient. After several such incidents, even with a higher monthly allowance than other households, it was still difficult to acquire suitable servants. Having exhausted all other options, they sought help from Prince Ning to resolve the issue.
Suppressing one's anger is not an option, but being tough doesn't guarantee a good outcome either. People in their situation certainly wouldn't dare to bully someone on a large scale, but it's all too easy for them to be careless or sabotage others in small matters. Perhaps some people think, if they don't bully this kind, who else should they bully?
After a long silence, Ah Hao finally said to Zhang Yu, "I am already incredibly fortunate to have met His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and Prince Ning."
She lost her home, the love of her parents, and her happy and peaceful life—this was her misfortune. But to find refuge after such misfortune was her good fortune. Complaining and blaming others is utterly useless.
Zhang Yu suppressed a smile, thinking to himself, "When did he become a good person?"
·
Zhao Jian returned to the inn late at night and was immediately summoned by his father's men. Zhao Liang sat in the main hall, his face serious, waiting for his return, as if he had something important to tell him. Zhao Liang spoke, and it was exactly as Zhao Jian had expected.
"Lanyan said you've taken a liking to a woman who's not important, and I didn't believe it at first, but who knew you'd actually done something so foolish. You sent that woman's mother back, do you think she'd be grateful to you?" Zhao Liang's sarcastic remarks were, in the end, still somewhat polite.
Zhao Jian remained expressionless and only said to Zhao Liang, "This is my son's own business."
Zhao Liang chuckled, his tone growing increasingly sarcastic. "I know that person, her name is... Song Shuhao, isn't it? A lowly lady-in-waiting by Empress Dowager Feng's side, she's really nothing special. Originally, I wouldn't care what kind of woman you liked, just play around and that's it. But if she interferes with important matters, I won't need anyone else to say a word; I'll be the first to not keep her around. Today you sent her back, so I'll take that as telling me you care about her a lot, which makes things easier."
“Xie Lanyan is being reckless, and Father just lets her do as she pleases. The Emperor is already wary of the Zhao family. Showing him a weakness will make him think he can really control me, and it won't be that difficult. Besides, hasn't the Empress Dowager always wanted to arrange a marriage for me?” Zhao Jian said calmly.
"Is that so?" Zhao Liang drawled, looking at Zhao Jian with a half-smile. He narrowed his eyes, but spoke casually about something else, "It's best that you understand clearly. There's something that I had forgotten about after so long, but I've remembered it now."
"If you still remember when you were injured and fled to Jingyun Nunnery, you probably also remember that a young girl helped you once. Later, you escaped a disaster but were unconscious for three days, and I was the one who cleaned up the mess for you. I heard you've been investigating this again recently? There's nothing to investigate. Are you perhaps looking for someone to thank?"
Zhao Liang chuckled without hesitation, delivering a heavy blow to Zhao Jian, determined to extinguish all his inappropriate thoughts.
"She just doesn't know what happened back then, so she doesn't hate you. If she knew that her mother's rape and her father's murder were related to you, what do you think she would do? Considering that she was only nine years old at the time and didn't understand anything, it's already a kindness of mine to spare her life."
Chapter 38 Discussion
Upon their safe return to Lin'an, the emperor granted them three days' grace to provide an explanation for the assassination attempt during the winter hunt. The ministers in charge of the trip were filled with anxiety and unease, eager to find the murderer immediately.
By the third day, the implicated ministers were merely pleading for mercy, hoping the emperor would grant them more time. The emperor then summoned Xia Mingzhe, who recounted in detail a list of officials deemed seriously negligent and their respective misconduct.
The ministers who weren't called upon secretly rejoiced, while those who were called upon cried out and begged for mercy in the palace, but the emperor remained unmoved. As a result, these officials were either executed, exiled, or demoted, and the details are too numerous to recount.
At the time, many officials who were not implicated thought the matter had been temporarily dropped, but the emperor insisted on a further investigation. This time, the emperor gave a fifteen-day deadline and appointed Prince Ning to be in charge, with Xia Mingzhe assisting him. No one dared to object.
The morning court session ended, and the many ministers leaving the main hall all wore the same solemn expression. By this point, almost everyone understood that this was far more than just making an example of someone; although they had escaped punishment for now, what would happen next…
Things that might have been overlooked in the past could suddenly be brought up and made a big deal out of. Everyone was on edge, because very few could withstand close scrutiny, and the emperor was a man who had no fear and was ruthless enough to take action. Panic and fear gripped the court and the country.
Unlike the ministers who harbored ulterior motives and were filled with anxiety, Zhang Yu emerged from the palace feeling refreshed and invigorated. He had dealt with a small group of people today, not as a warning. Although it was only the first step, it was undoubtedly crucial.
With someone stepping down, someone else will naturally take their place, making his subsequent plans much easier. He'd like to see carefully which arm Prince Anping intends to cut off to take the blame and protect himself.
As usual, after the morning court session, Zhang Yu went to Changning Palace to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Feng. Consort Feng Hui and Princess Zhang Xin happened to be there. Zhang Xin had learned to weave sword tassels from A Hao and was busy boasting to Empress Dowager Feng about her skills, talking animatedly and nonstop.
As he walked outside, he happened to hear Zhang Xin say, "Mother, how come Ahao knows everything the same? Can I borrow her to Yongle Palace for a while?" Empress Dowager Feng agreed without hesitation, and Zhang Xin was overjoyed.
Once inside, Zhang Yu easily spotted the little trinket Zhang Xin was holding. It wasn't particularly elaborate or finely crafted, but the black jade tied to it was of superior quality. He pursed his lips and casually asked, "Who are you planning to give this to?"
After bowing and standing up, Zhang Xin's eyes darted around slightly. She didn't tell Zhang Yu the truth, "It's just for fun, why do you have to give them away? Ahao also made up a few, but I don't know if she gave them away or not."
“It is only natural that Xia Mingzhe saved you, but you could also show your gratitude and let people know that you are grateful. If you hadn’t messed up again, you might not have encountered such difficulties.” Zhang Yu helped Empress Dowager Feng sit down again and said to Zhang Xin with a smile.
Zhang Xin sighed immediately, "Do you have to hit me so hard?" Then she smiled, "But since you've said so, how could I dare not listen? But I'm afraid that giving this as a gift might make people think I'm not sincere enough. It's such a small thing, easy to give away... What do you think?"
Her words made it seem as if she hadn't initially planned to give it to anyone; she was clearly there to gather information. Zhang Yu seemed to be seriously considering the matter, and after carefully examining the two newly woven sword tassels in her hand, he said indifferently, "They're ugly; it's indeed better not to give them to me, mainly because they would embarrass me."
Having just been praised by Empress Dowager Feng and Consort Shu, Zhang Xin was greatly discouraged by his words. She was angry and aggrieved, but dared not utter a single question. She turned to Empress Dowager Feng for help, but to no avail. She pouted and muttered, "Then I'll ask Ah Hao to help me weave it. Once she's finished, I'll just give it away! Humph!"
"You need help with such a small thing? What good are you?"
Hearing this muttered remark, Zhang Yu added insult to injury with a stab. Zhang Xin, who always felt "useless," was so angry that she jumped up and down, stomping her feet. She held the sword tassel in her hand in front of Zhang Yu and said angrily, "I'll give you this! I'll give you this! I'll embarrass you! If he dares to say he doesn't like it, let him try!"
Empress Dowager Feng quickly pulled Zhang Xin down to sit, looked at Zhang Yu, and advised her, "Can't you tell that His Majesty is just in a good mood and teasing you? I think both of these are quite good. Whether you give them away or keep them for yourself, they're fine."
Zhang Xin remained unpleasant, pouting and refusing to speak. Zhang Yu, however, raised an eyebrow and commented on her, "Like a firecracker, it explodes at the slightest touch." He remained noncommittal regarding Empress Dowager Feng's words.
·
After drinking two cups of tea, Zhang Yu left, and Zhang Xin followed him. Consort Shu, having nothing else to do, remained in Changning Palace to accompany Empress Dowager Feng. Xue Liangyue served Empress Dowager Feng and Feng Hui a fresh cup of tea, still standing beside Empress Dowager Feng.
There were times in the past when Zhang Xin was made to cry by Zhang Yu, but she would always be fine afterwards. Therefore, Empress Dowager Feng didn't take this small matter to heart, nor would it affect her mood. Occasionally, she would even find it amusing to see them bickering, even though it was always Zhang Xin who was bullied.
"His Majesty and the little princess have always had a good relationship. Such a deep sibling bond is truly heartwarming to see," Feng Hui said, seeing the smile on Empress Dowager Feng's face.
"Of course! Watching them bicker and argue actually makes me feel more at ease. Xin'er's temperament is really not steady enough. It's good for her that His Majesty occasionally keeps her in check." Empress Dowager Feng took a sip of tea, then thought of something else and said to Feng Hui, "I haven't had tea brewed by A-Hao for a while. She's still recuperating, and now Xin'er has taken her away. It'll be a long wait."
Feng Hui smiled and said, "If I hadn't heard the little princess say that Aunt Song taught her to make the sword tassel, I would have been a little worried that Aunt Song was in a bad mood lately. It's good that those nonsense words didn't have any effect on her."
"I haven't heard any nonsense. Has she been having some trouble these past few days?" Empress Dowager Feng turned to Xue Liangyue and asked, "Have you heard about it?"
Xue Liangyue approached Empress Dowager Feng, curtsied, and replied, "Your Majesty, I don't know how those words spread. I overheard the people below discussing it, but I felt..."
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have always known Ah Hao's character. Those words were indeed very offensive, and I was already angry when I heard them. I dare not offend Her Majesty the Empress Dowager with them."
Empress Dowager Feng frowned and said indifferently, "Then pick a couple of less offensive things to say to me."