tallest building

Chapter 276 Unanimous

Grand Tutor Dong finally returned to the capital, but he caught a cold on the way and needed to rest.

The Empress was very anxious when she heard about it, and hurriedly ordered Physician Wu to go to the Grand Tutor's residence to examine his pulse.

He also ordered Yu Lu to bring the palace's tonics and snacks over.

Yu Lu returned to the palace after dark and reported to the Empress: "Your Majesty, please do not worry. The Grand Tutor has only caught a slight cold and it is nothing serious. He just wanted to rest after traveling for so long."

The Grand Tutor already knows everything about the King of Zhao's affairs on the way. Tomorrow, he will send the Imperial Brother-in-law to the palace to discuss it with Your Majesty.

The Empress felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this.

The next day, the Empress's brother, Dong Sicheng, came to the palace.

The Empress first inquired about Grand Tutor Dong's illness, and then asked about the journey.

Only at the very end did they bring up the trouble Ying Tong had caused.

Dong Sicheng said, "Yesterday my younger sister came to our house and made a scene. My father scolded her, saying that she was willful and impatient and ruined a big deal."

"It was my carelessness. She had vaguely mentioned the King of Chu to my face before. Each time, I suppressed her with righteous words, thinking that nothing would happen. Who would have thought that they had become irreconcilable enemies behind my back?" the Empress sighed. "But no matter what, the matter has already happened, and we can only try to find a way to balance things out."

He then recounted the plan Wen Mingqian had told him and asked Dong Sicheng, "I wonder if this will work?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Sicheng said, "Your Majesty is wise. This is not much different from what Father thought. As long as the foundation is not destroyed, the King of Chu and others are nothing to fear."

The Empress breathed a sigh of relief and said, "In that case, we should also test the waters to see if the Prince of Fenye is still willing to marry Yingtong. However, Duanmin and I are irreconcilable enemies, and now she is trying to curry favor with Qisihe, so I can't ask her directly."

Dong Sicheng then said, "Why don't you ask the Princess Eldest to inquire on my behalf? She and Princess Duanmin can always speak to each other."

The Empress said, "But the eldest princess left the palace yesterday. Fine, I'll find someone else!"

After talking for a while, Dong Sicheng said, "Father said that once he recovers a little, Yingbai should move out of the palace, and he will personally visit him. No matter what, the Prince of Chu and the Princess of Chu will give him face, and they can compromise on the rest."

After Dong Sicheng left, the Empress called Yu Lu to her side and asked him, "Who do you think should go and sound out Princess Duanmin's opinion for me?"

Yu Lu scratched his head and said, "Such a big matter, this servant dares not speak carelessly."

The Empress gave him a disapproving look, and Yu Lu shrank back, saying, "This servant is useless; please, Your Majesty, calm your anger."

Yu Lu's master, Feng Jiang, was originally the chief eunuch in the Empress's palace, but unfortunately he died of illness two years ago.

Feng Jiang was excellent in every way, and the Empress never had to worry about anything, big or small. After his death, the Empress, remembering their past relationship, had his apprentice, Yu Lu, take his place.

While Yu Luzhao was certainly inferior to his master, he still possessed one thing in common: loyalty.

Yu Lu cautiously said to the Empress, "Your Majesty must be quite tired from talking with the Imperial Uncle all day. Why don't you take a nap before lunch?"

The Empress thought for a moment and said, "Go to the back and see what the Imperial Kitchen has prepared for His Majesty's lunch. Then call Mingqian in."

Wen Mingqian entered and first paid his respects. The Empress said, "Come and massage me. I feel a stiffness in the back of my neck."

The Empress is already in her forties, and now she worries all day and can't sleep well, so she is often tired. Wen Mingqian agreed, washed his hands, and lit incense.

The Empress said with her eyes closed, "What you said the other day actually coincides with the Grand Tutor's plan."

Wen Mingqian said, "Grand Tutor, you think so too? Then this servant has really stumbled upon the right answer by accident."

"Now that the Princess is not in the palace, who should probe Duanmin for information?" the Empress said quietly. "Tell me your thoughts."

Wen Mingqian was silent for a moment, then said, "Why don't we ask Consort Hui to inquire?"

The Empress shook her head upon hearing this: "Consort Hui won't do. Duanmin can't even exchange two words with her."

Wen Mingqian pondered for a moment and then said, "I have thought of someone, but I don't know if they are suitable."

The empress asked her who she was.

Wen Mingqian said, "Is Consort Yun alright? I often see her with Princess Duanmin, so I'm sure they can get along well."

The Empress pondered, "Consort Yun... she does have a good relationship with Duanmin."

Wen Mingqian further said, "This servant has also noticed that Princess Duanmin is stubborn and will not listen to anyone who is not on her side. If you invite Consort Yun over to speak with her in person, I think she will certainly not disagree with you."

This humble servant thought that if Your Highness offered some further benefits, she would be even more willing to serve Your Highness.

The Empress knew that Consort Yun was very afraid of her. For so many years, she had kept a low profile, precisely because she was afraid of displeasing her.

Duanmin took her out as soon as she returned to the palace, but Duanmin would eventually return to the grasslands, and then she would have to live like a cat-and-mouse again.

So he said, "This idea is feasible. I'll talk to her about it later."

She sighed, "Alas, I am now powerless to change my fate, my heart willing but my strength insufficient. Everyone has their troubles, and in the end, they all pile them up in front of me, forcing me to deal with them. Who truly cares about me?"

"Your Majesty is born with the destiny of a phoenix, so you naturally bear a lot of burdens." Wen Mingqian said while massaging the Empress. "This servant can see from the side that you are working very hard and wants to share your burdens, but unfortunately my abilities are limited."

"You've done very well. Since you entered the palace, you've relieved me of a lot of troubles," the Empress said. "Before, I always had a few people around me who could help me come up with ideas. But in recent years, the old ones have either died or passed away, and those left around me are just loyal but incompetent."

"The most important thing for a servant is loyalty; otherwise, what good is ability?" Wen Mingqian said, then hesitated.

The Empress noticed: "Just say what you have to say!"

Wen Mingqian said, "This servant has thought of something, but I am afraid of being presumptuous."

The Empress said, "You're being too cautious. Just say what you want. You know I get a headache whenever I think about things these days. You're trying to ease my burden, so even if you're wrong, I won't blame you."

Wen Mingqian then said, "I was thinking about those palace servants who died of illness in the Prince of Chu's palace. They were first treated by Physician Su from the Imperial Hospital. At that time, he didn't know the seriousness of the matter and said it was poisoning. Now that he's been imprisoned, it's hard to know what to do with him. It would be better to make him change his story to avoid any further trouble in the future."

"This Su Qingyun is really reckless. In my opinion, he should be dismissed from his post and exiled." The Empress was not a soft-hearted person.

“Your Majesty is right, but I think if we forgive him this time, he will surely be grateful and can atone for his sins.” Wen Mingqian lowered his voice slightly.