As evening fell, the Crown Princess, dressed in casual attire, hurried into the Empress’s chambers to pay her respects.
At that time, the Empress had just finished her dinner and was reviewing the palace records.
Seeing the Crown Princess, she smiled and said, “Mingyuan, I was just about to send for you. I wanted to discuss Princess Dening’s coming-of-age ceremony with you. I didn’t expect you to come on your own.”
The Crown Princess smiled faintly and bowed to the Empress.
The Empress then invited her to sit, and the two women engaged in a warm conversation.
Speaking of Princess Dening’s coming-of-age ceremony, the Empress said,
“This is a significant day for Dening. His Majesty has specifically instructed that it be handled with great care. After this grand ceremony, we will need to select a suitable husband for her.”
Thus, preparations for Dening’s ceremony had begun a month in advance.
The Crown Princess listened attentively, and the two discussed the details of the ceremony and other upcoming major events that required careful planning.
The Empress smiled and said, “Last year, you were still a new bride, so it wasn’t appropriate for you to handle these matters. But this year is different. You must learn to assist me in managing these affairs. One day, all of this will be in your hands.”
Her words were warm and affectionate, and the Crown Princess could only respond with humility, “Your daughter-in-law is dull-witted and will follow Your Majesty’s instructions, hoping to share some of your burdens.”
As they spoke, the Empress seemed to notice that the Crown Princess’s eyelids were slightly swollen.
She asked with concern, “Mingyuan, I was so focused on Dening’s ceremony that I didn’t notice earlier. What’s wrong? It looks like you’ve been crying.”
At this mention, the Crown Princess’s eyes reddened.
The Empress asked, “What’s the matter? Has the Crown Prince been causing trouble again?”
Tears began to fall from the Crown Princess’s eyes as she sobbed, “Your Majesty, do you remember Lady Ning? Recently, news came that she had escaped from Yan Yang Temple and disappeared without a trace.”
The Empress replied, “Yes… The Crown Prince insisted on searching for her, but he hasn’t found her yet, has he?”
Shortly after their return to the capital, news spread that the nun Miaozhen had gone missing from Yan Yang Temple.
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince was frantic with worry, which displeased Emperor Jingxi, who summoned him and reprimanded him severely.
For reasons unknown, Emperor Jingxi was in a foul mood, and the Crown Prince, stubborn as ever, clashed with his father once again.
It was said that Emperor Jingxi nearly kicked the Crown Prince out of the palace.
After searching for two or three days without success, the Crown Prince finally gave up.
He continued to send people to search the area around Nanqiongzi while returning to the Crown Prince’s residence in a rage.
He first scolded the Crown Princess, then severely punished Lady Su and tied up the nanny, causing chaos throughout the residence.
Later, with the Empress’s consolation and the Emperor’s guidance, the Crown Prince reluctantly calmed down.
Recently, the Crown Prince’s residence had been peaceful.
The Crown Prince continued his daily studies and preparations for the military review, and everyone thought the matter was over.
The Crown Princess tearfully said, “These days, His Highness has been very critical of me, finding fault with everything. Yesterday, he was displeased with the birthday gift I prepared for Dening and scolded me, saying I was useless.”
Hearing this, the Empress sighed, “Mo Yao is truly too immature. You’ve suffered greatly because of him.”
At the moment, it was necessary to comfort the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess wiped her tears and said, “Now, your daughter-in-law has another dilemma and doesn’t know how to decide. I must ask for Your Majesty’s guidance.”
Hearing this, the Empress’s heart stirred, and she looked into the Crown Princess’s eyes, “What is it?”
The Crown Princess replied, “Today, Nan Qiongzi sent word that Yan Yang Temple has been searching for Lady Ning, and they have actually found some leads. Your daughter-in-law was shocked and terrified upon hearing this and doesn’t know how to handle it.”
The Empress asked, “They found her?”
The Crown Princess answered, “They haven’t found Lady Ning yet, but they have some clues.”
She then detailed how Lady Ning had entered the Daoist order but did not adhere to its rules and regulations, instead having an affair with a guard and eloping with him.
The Empress exclaimed, “Eloped?”
The Crown Princess bit her lip slightly, finding it difficult to speak, “That’s what the message from Yan Yang Temple said. In truth, your daughter-in-law feels guilty about this matter.”
“At that time, I received an oral decree from His Majesty to send Lady Ning away, accompanied by a guard from the palace, who happened to be my former dowry attendant. Lady Ning seduced him on the journey, convincing him to take her away.”
“The guard couldn’t resist and thus fled with her from Yan Yang Temple. Now, Nie San has been captured and has confessed everything.”
She helplessly stood up, about to kneel, “If this matter is scrutinized, it is also due to your daughter-in-law’s incompetence. I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”
The Empress quickly supported her, “This originally has nothing to do with you. It is truly Lady Ning who is shameless, having entered the Daoist order yet still unable to behave properly!”
The Crown Princess shed tears in despair.
The Empress sighed repeatedly, “It’s good that she was found, but for her to do such a disgraceful thing! If the Crown Prince finds out, he will surely be furious again!”
The Crown Princess lowered her head, “Yes… Moreover, His Majesty has now entrusted the military review to His Highness, who will soon depart for the northern regions to inspect military affairs. If this matter causes a delay in important affairs… your daughter-in-law truly doesn’t know what to do.”
The Empress pondered for a moment, “This matter is of great importance and cannot be concealed. As the elder, I must take charge for you now. I will speak to your father, and everything will be decided by him.”
Hearing this, the Crown Princess finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted for a while longer about household matters.
At this time, several palace officials came to report, and the Crown Princess took the opportunity to excuse herself.
After leaving the Empress’s chambers, she boarded her phoenix carriage.
Just then, an autumn breeze blew past, bringing with it a fallen leaf.
A maid hurriedly wrapped her cloak around her and closed the carriage window.
The Crown Princess turned her head, looking through the hazy window curtains at the majestic palace buildings outside.
She slightly curled her lips, a cold laugh in her heart.
All this time, the Crown Prince had been pining for that seductress, unable to eat or sleep, even blaming himself and feeling guilty.
The once promising young heir had become despondent and gloomy.
Now, if he knew that the seductress had already hooked up with another man and was passionately involved with him, how would he react?
After seeing off the Crown Princess, the Empress pondered for a moment, then ordered her attendant to draft a memorial and send it to the Fengtian Hall.
At this hour, Emperor Jingxi should be in the Fengtian Hall.
The rules of the Great Hui inner court were strict; imperial concubines were not allowed to interfere in state affairs.
Even as the Emperor’s wife, the Empress could not see the Emperor at will.
The Queen, apart from the routine summons and favors from the Emperor, would occasionally have matters that required her to instruct her female officials to draft a Qin Zha.
This Qin Zha was different from those submitted by court officials; it was an internal Zha.
This internal Zha, wrapped in yellow velvet, was sent by the palace eunuchs to the Fengtian Hall where the Emperor resided, and then presented to the Emperor by the eunuchs of the Internal Qin Affairs Office.
The Emperor would then issue a response, and after receiving the reply, the Queen could proceed to the Fengtian Hall to meet with the Emperor to discuss the matter.
-Since she was a member of the imperial harem, this naturally had to be recorded in the official records: on such and such a date, the Emperor summoned the Queen to the Fengtian Hall, and so on.
This process was cumbersome and would take at least half an hour, and if the Emperor was particularly busy, it could easily take an hour or more.
Therefore, the Queen was in no hurry.
After sending the internal Zha to the Fengtian Hall, she attended to the affairs of the palace.
As the Queen, she bore heavy responsibilities.
She had to manage all the affairs of the imperial harem, receive noblewomen from both inside and outside the palace, and prepare for various festivals and ceremonies.
Although many tasks did not require her personal involvement, everything had to be reviewed by her.
She spent three hours each day on these matters.
In truth, she could have made her life easier by delegating more to her female officials, only needing to oversee their work.
But she preferred to handle things personally.
She was the Queen, a position she had earned through her own efforts and the full support of her family.
She liked to keep the authority of the Queen firmly in her own hands.
After carefully listening to the reports from several female officials, she issued her responses.
Once the female officials had withdrawn, she noticed her attendant, Xiangyin, standing nearby, clearly wanting to speak.
She took a sip of tea and said calmly, “Speak.”
Xiangyin’s voice was slightly low: “Just now, when the eunuch was delivering Your Majesty’s Zha to the Fengtian Hall, he happened to encounter Lord Lu. Lord Lu inquired and said he would like to come by to see Your Majesty and have a chat.”
The Queen paused in her tea-drinking, frowned slightly, and then said, “Let him in.”
According to the rules of the inner court, men from outside were not allowed to enter the chambers of the imperial concubines easily.
However, Lu Yunjian was the Queen’s younger brother, and since he was coming from the Fengtian Hall with the Emperor’s permission, there was no need for concern.
Lu Yunjian entered the hall and stepped forward to pay his respects.
The Queen bid him rise and offered him a seat, and only then did the siblings begin their conversation.