Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 119 I am willing to be the Empress Dowager's vanguard! (First update)
"The Empress Dowager is departing—"

With the eunuch's loud shout, before the sound had even faded, the bells jingled, and two phoenix palanquins sped out one after the other.

In a hurry, they all arrived at small chariots pulled by four horses, with golden phoenixes spreading their wings on the chariot tops and tassels hanging down, swaying in the autumn wind.

Empress Dowager Ciren Zhangsheng, seated in the first phoenix palanquin, watched as the vermilion palace gates opened one after another. Her gaze was fixed on the road ahead, her brows furrowed, and her eyes filled with worry.

Judging from her appearance, she was wearing a crimson robe with cloud and dragon patterns, and a black brocade shawl over it, which was already in the style of an empress dowager. However, she only wore the gold crown she usually wore, her black hair was slightly messy, and a few strands of hair fell down to her ears, which was not appropriate.

There was no way around it. Anyone who heard that their youngest daughter had suddenly fainted and was still unconscious would not care about their appearance. If it were still during the time of the Prince of Xing's residence, she would have rushed to her daughter's bedside and taken care of her every step of the way.

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

This is the capital of the Ming Dynasty, the Forbidden City.

The imperial court and the inner palace are filled with worries and troubles.

Empress Dowager Jiang knew that the more anxious she was, the less she should rush things.

The prince has been on the throne for ten years and has indeed secured his position and power. However, the lack of an heir is a major concern. Furthermore, in order to govern diligently and implement national policies, there are countless opponents in the court and in the prefectures and counties of the country.

At times like these, a single misstep could undo all your previous efforts.

So even though her heart was bleeding, she endured it.

However, there are some things that you can't just tolerate on your own; others have to interfere.

At this time, another imperial carriage was closely following behind Empress Dowager Jiang's imperial carriage.

Palace maids knelt on both sides, holding their breath and looking at each other with respect. Attendant ladies followed closely behind, carrying hand warmers and medicine boxes. Their embroidered shoes rustled as they stepped over the gold bricks.

This is the pomp and circumstance of Empress Dowager Zhang, the Empress Dowager of Zhaosheng Cishou.

Etiquette is etiquette, but the pomp and circumstance depend on the individual.

In terms of age, Empress Zhang is seven years older than Empress Jiang, and is already sixty-one years old this year. However, in terms of appearance, she looks seven or eight years younger than Empress Jiang.

This happened after Zhu Houcong ascended the throne. She was horrified to discover that the teenager she thought she had found was easy to control, but instead, she had a troublesome child who was fighting against her, and she was having a lot of trouble.

Empress Dowager Zhang was filled with hatred!
Throughout history, has there ever been an empress like her?
Even Dugu Jialuo, who was considered one of the two saints alongside Emperor Wen of Sui, only forbade Emperor Wen of Sui from favoring other concubines, not that Emperor Wen of Sui did not have other concubines.

She is the first in all of history.

Surprisingly, they were defeated by a mother and son whom they had previously looked down upon.

However, this top woman seems to have overlooked one thing: the premise of Dugu Jialuo's exclusive favor in the harem was that she gave birth to five sons and five daughters for Yang Jian.

She only gave birth to one son, Zhu Houzhao, for Emperor Xiaozong.

Precisely because Emperor Xiaozong had no concubines or other sons, and Zhu Houzhao died, Emperor Xiaozong was directly without an heir. He could only find someone from a foreign land to inherit the throne. Otherwise, even if a palace maid had given birth to a son, she could have supported him to ascend the throne. As the Empress Dowager and the legal mother of the princes, she could have remained as stable as Mount Tai. Even if the son was not her own, he would never dare to defy the world and oppose his legal mother.

Therefore, the things that made him most proud and glorious in the first half of his life became the root of his misfortune in the second half.

Empress Dowager Zhang would never think that way. She only regretted that she was blind to have chosen such an ungrateful foreign prince as emperor, and even brought in his lowly mother to fight against her.

Fortunately, God has taken care of things, and the other party's daughter has been in trouble.

Empress Dowager Zhang not only wanted to watch the spectacle from the palace, but upon hearing that the other party was concerned about the dignity of the Empress Dowager and dared not leave the palace to see her daughter, she simply dragged Empress Dowager Jiang out with her.

This put Empress Dowager Jiang in a dilemma.

The Empress Dowager's sudden departure from the palace was clearly against etiquette. However, Empress Dowager Zhang and Princess Yongchun were not even nominally mother and daughter, yet upon hearing the bad news, she immediately left the palace to visit her. Empress Dowager Jiang, as the biological mother, remained calmly seated in the palace, which was indeed in accordance with etiquette. However, the court and the public would criticize her for being cold-blooded.

Therefore, after only a slight hesitation, Empress Dowager Jiang was ultimately forced to leave the palace with Empress Dowager Zhang and go straight to the princess's residence.

She really missed her precious daughter too much, and since she couldn't bear it any longer, there was no need to endure it any longer.

The carriage traveled swiftly along the way, with Imperial Guards clearing the way ahead, and they arrived smoothly at Shihu Hutong.

With the mansion in sight in the distance, the imperial carriage suddenly stopped.

Empress Dowager Zhang had always wanted to ride alongside Empress Dowager Jiang's imperial carriage, but the carriage was simply too large, making it inconvenient to ride side by side. She could only follow behind, and was already holding back her anger. When she saw the procession stop, she immediately exploded: "What's going on up ahead?"

The personal maidservant went forward to check and soon returned to report: "Your Majesty, Princess Fanglian has appeared and blocked the carriage of Ciren Palace!"

Empress Dowager Zhang frowned: "That princess from the outer vassal state?"

The female official replied, "Yes." Empress Dowager Zhang's face immediately darkened, and she uttered a word utterly incongruous with her status: "You little slut!"

She looked down on the princesses of the outer vassal states. Annam, Jiaozhi, and Guangdong were all places of exile, places that the powerful and nobles avoided like the plague. But she never expected that they would look down on her as well.

When Li Yuying visited the two empress dowagers, her first stop was Ciren Palace. Empress Dowager Zhang had to tolerate it, but she had to admit that Empress Dowager Jiang was indeed in control. However, after visiting Ciren Palace, she should at least come to my Cishou Palace.

What's the result?

Li Yuying refused to leave Ciren Palace. Empress Dowager Zhang was furious and sent a female official to summon her, intending to teach her about proper etiquette and how to master the basics of four bows and two kowtows. However, that vile woman Jiang found fault with her and ordered the Palace Attendant to slap the female official she had sent and send her back to the palace.

Empress Dowager Zhang was furious. How dare they humiliate her in front of a woman from a foreign land! She also began to hate the princess.

The appearance of Li Yuying only fueled Empress Dowager Zhang's anger: "Go and ask her what happened. Rong Mama is well-versed in palace rules, so go and discipline her too!"

"This servant obeys the decree!"

An old woman with a stern face stepped forward.

After ten years of struggle, those who remained by Empress Dowager Zhang's side were the strongest members of the palace.

This Rong Mama was far more formidable than any ordinary female official. As soon as she approached, everyone in Ciren Palace became alert.

Rong Mama immediately saw that Li Yuying was indeed standing in front of Empress Dowager Jiang's phoenix carriage, reporting something. The curtain of the phoenix carriage was lifted slightly, and the person inside was also listening carefully to what the other person was saying.

'There must be something important happening at the Princess's residence. If Princess Fanglian is reporting this, it must be beneficial to Ciren Palace. We can't let her continue!'

Rong Mama immediately made the choice that best served the interests of Cishou Palace. She took a long stride and rushed to the front of the carriage before the two other mamas could surround her. She touched the ground with her left knee, supported her right knee with her right hand, and bowed her head, saying, "This old servant greets Consort Jiang. May Your Highness enjoy good health and longevity!"

Normally, her appearance would at least stop Li Yuying, but Li Yuying ignored her completely and said clearly, "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. Although I have no concrete evidence, I dare not be negligent in the slightest..."

"My mistress is deeply worried about the princess's safety, and upon hearing of the murder within the manor, she is extremely anxious and has ordered this old servant to go ahead..."

"Lord Lu has given the order for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to be on high alert. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to explain the next steps in detail..."

In an instant, Li Yuying and Granny Rong each spoke their own words, neither giving way to the other nor allowing the other to interfere.

This confrontation prompted a swift decision within the imperial carriage. A hand reached out and beckoned to Li Yuying: "Child, come up!"

A simple address, and the excuse that follows is already prepared.

The child is young and doesn't understand things, so it's okay if he does something that doesn't follow the rules.

Li Yuying sensed this protective intention and, without hesitation, took that hand and boarded the phoenix carriage.

She didn't look at Rong Mama once from beginning to end.

Watching the other person's figure disappear into the carriage, Rong Mama's eyes did not reveal any resentment. Instead, she bowed respectfully to the phoenix carriage again and performed a meticulous bow: "This old servant takes her leave!"

From inside the imperial carriage came Empress Dowager Jiang's slightly hoarse voice: "Go!"

When Rong Mama returned to Empress Dowager Zhang's carriage to report, she not only angered the other party again, but Li Yuying entered the warm carriage and was greeted by the Empress Dowager, whom she could only admire from afar before.

The birth mother of the Ming emperor, the most noble woman in the world, without exception.

Although the empress is the mother of the country, there are many examples of empresses being deposed throughout history. His Majesty's first empress was deposed, and now his second empress is also said to be out of favor and in a precarious position.

In comparison, the position of his birth mother, the Empress Dowager, was rock solid, and moreover, this Empress Dowager Jiang was Zhu Houcong's most reliable backer.

Chiang was not beautiful; her cheekbones were slightly high, her face was thin and well-defined, and she had a resolute air about her, while the wrinkles on her face revealed the vicissitudes of life.

What is most striking are her eyes, like a deep pool, containing both maternal tenderness and a sharp, authoritative presence. She looked at me like that and said, "Child, I believe in your good intentions, but this matter is of great importance. Now that I have left the palace, it is difficult for me to turn back halfway. Do you understand?"

Knowing that the other party was not a kind old lady, Li Yuying was still somewhat flattered: "It is already a great favor that Your Majesty has been able to listen to me patiently. To say such things now makes me feel ashamed!"

Empress Dowager Jiang chuckled: "You are a very sentimental person. Your life has been quite difficult, but fortunately you are talented and able to turn misfortune into good fortune and overcome difficulties. You deserve to have your wishes fulfilled in the future."

The two spoke without any veiled ambiguity or literary allusions; it was simply a casual, everyday conversation.

But as the imperial carriage started moving again, drawing ever closer to the gates of the princess's residence, Li Yuying gritted her teeth, trying to shake off the pleasant atmosphere, and once again volunteered with all her might: "I am willing to be Your Highness's vanguard and prove the truth!"

Empress Dowager Jiang gazed at her, and after a moment slowly nodded: "Good!"

(End of this chapter)