The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 141

“What you just said, is it true?” He Lian Zhang, who was always steady and cold, was so excited that he lost his composure.

“Daughter dares not lie to father. The Great Master Head Monk personally prophesied, and His Sixth Highness was also present.”

“How could you keep such an important matter hidden until now?” Since she turned ten years old, He Lian Zhang rarely spoke to He Lian Wei Rui with such a harsh tone.

“His Sixth Highness deliberately warned Wei Rui, and Wei Rui did not speak of it because the time was not yet ripe.”

“Do you think that the right moment has come now?” He Lian Zhang looked at the dazzling maiden in front of him with a serious expression.

He Lian Wei Rui shook her head and sighed helplessly. “If it wasn’t for the Eighth Prince’s Selection, this matter could have been postponed.”

Regarding the matter of the Phoenix stick, it was not the best time for her to expose it now. A few days ago, He Lian Min Min successfully obtained a special decree from the Sixth Highness. Seven scions of He Lian House had entered the Military Bureau of the capital region. With this matter settled the attitude of the He Lian House towards He Lian Min Min immediately softened, and even their grandfather had a favorable attitude towards Sir He Lian’s principal wife.

On this occasion of Zong Zheng Han’s Selection, if she remained silent, once she was listed in the Imperial Noble Consort’s register, she would have to participate in the Hundred Flower Feast held in the palace a month later. Given her status, it would not be difficult for her to be selected. Unfortunately, the good fortune that the noblewomen in the capital sought was not a blessing for her.

To say that He Lian Wei Rui looked down on Zong Zheng Han was not entirely true. The Eighth Prince has been gaining influence in the court for the past six months. He was truly a man of exceptional talent. It was a pity that there was the Sixth Prince, Zong Zheng Lin, who was more pleasing to He Lian Wei Rui’s eyes. Otherwise, the Eighth Prince’s Cefei would also be a decent position.

More importantly, Mu Xi Yao’s stick interpretation of the Emperor’s Swallow stick was exactly the same as hers. Since wealth and power were within reach, why should she settle for less? The stick interpretation indicated that the Sixth Highness was capable of inheriting the throne, and since she had obtained the Emperor’s Swallow, she should naturally return to her rightful place.

The only problem was whether He Lian House was willing to send both daughters to the Sixth Prince’s household, especially since He Lian Min Lian had made a contribution to the clan. She was not a useless pawn.

Currently, the only thing that could shake the confidence of the He Lian House was the Phoenix stick in Mu Xi Yao’s hand. Only by making the He Lian House believe that He Lian Min Min was incapable of handling such a heavy responsibility and that her position of Empress was likely to be taken by Mu’shi, can she smoothly enter the Sixth Prince’s household and compete with Mu’shi to see who was superior.

“This matter is of great importance, and you must not mention it to anyone else. Wei Rui, wait quietly for the arrangements of the clan.” He Lian Zhang waved his hand, dismissing her. The spot between his brows creased deeply.

“Yes, lord father.” He Lian Wei Rui had achieved her goal and without any delay, she opened the door and left by herself.

After walking a dozen steps with her maidservant, He Lian Wei Rui’s expression became solemn. “Go to see Yiniang¹ later and ask her to secretly monitor and investigate father’s recent whereabouts and activities. This matter is extremely important, don’t be negligent.” If Sir He Lian personally goes to Anguo Temple to verify the matter, then the clan’s attitude would be clear.

A few days later, after returning from Anguo Temple, He Lian Zhang summoned He Lian Wei Rui alone in his study. No one knew about the conversation between the father and daughter except for He Lian Zhang’s retainer.

—

“Mistress, this subordinate has the news on the matter you asked this subordinate to closely follow.”

“Oh? He Lian House acts quite fast.” Ever since Mu Xi Yao learnt about the Selection for Zong Zheng Han, she had guessed that the most favored daughter of He Lian House probably harbored lofty goals. She was not a simple-minded person, to begin with, and after receiving the obscure stick interpretation from the old monk, it would be strange if she would be content to enter the Eighth Prince’s household!

“How are things going?”

Although Wei Zhen did not fully understand the situation, he guessed that something big would happen. Otherwise, his Mistress would not have deliberately asked him to take people and guard the gate of Anguo Temple for two full days. “As Mistress expected, Sir He Lian’s carriage arrived at Anguo Temple. Afterward, he sought the audience with Great Master the Head Monk. The two of them only talked for a brief moment.”

“I see.” Mu Xi Yao nodded, told him that he has worked hard, and then let Wei Zhen go rest.

He Lian Min Min, being born to such a clan, have you ever felt sorrowful? Your maternal family has decided to send your shu sister to compete for the elusive ‘position of Empress’, yet its legitimate mistress was still alive and well, and what’s more she came from the same clan. 

She wondered how He Lian Principal Consort would reject the person this time…

Mu Xi Yao was not in a hurry to reveal the news. If He Lian Min Min couldn’t even detect this, how could she have any chance of winning in the more intense confrontation later?

—

One day later, in Chanruo Courtyard.

He Lian Min Min clenched her fists tightly. The silk handkerchief in her hand was almost torn apart by her.

“Did mother really say that?” This news was too shocking. The matter was so big that it was difficult for her to understand the clan’s motive.

Liu Qing nodded and replied more carefully, “Madam said that Sir has visited Anguo Temple, and after discussion with the Old Master, they made this decision.”

Did grandfather also agree? He Lian Min Min’s heart was twisted like a knife. This was the outstanding and distinguished lineage she was so proud of? She was probably the first among the princess consorts to be completely used and then discarded by her own family!

“Why did this sudden change happen? Have you found out the reason?” She didn’t believe that He Lian House would just cast her aside after she had accomplished her task out of blue. Unless there was a bigger benefit involved.

“Madam has been investigating from various sources and only knows that this matter is related to Miss Wei Rui. A few days ago, Miss Wei Rui visited the study to request an audience with Sir.”

“It’s her!” He Lian Min Min was enraged. “That venomous woman is up to no good again! How dare she have the face to beg to enter the household?” How could she do such a shameless thing?

She was already having a difficult time at the prince’s residence. After finally gaining His Highness’s trust and seeing some improvement, and while her body was also in the process of recuperation, this happened. Were they trying to force her to return to her maternal home and demand an explanation?

“Feng Momo, we’ll be returning to the residence early tomorrow morning. Arrange for the carriage.”

—-

“Mistress, He Lian Principal Consort hastily returned to her maternal house with her people.” Zhu Jin looked at the exquisite patterns drawn by her Mistress’s brush and couldn’t help but admire her extraordinary patience. Mistress put in a great deal of effort to concentrate and focus on painting each peony. Stroke by stroke, she meticulously drew gold edges on every single petal of peonies. Each flower had a different color. Although they were all red, they were unique in their own way.

Wan Jing Wen calmly finished the last stroke. She carefully observed the scroll painting several times before she was satisfied and handed the hu brush² to Yin Shuang for cleaning.

Why would He Lian Min Min go back to her maternal home at this time? Something doesn’t seem right. What could cause her to disregard the rules and keep going back?

“Order people to keep a close eye on her. Spend the money if you have to, but make sure to gather any available information.”

She paid attention to every move He Lian Min Min made and would not allow that woman to play any tricks right under her nose.

—

Shu Zhong, at the foot of Tianmen Mountain.

“Your Highness, the rebels have all retreated into the mountain stream. There are many mechanisms and traps inside.”

“Use captives to explore the path ahead.” Zong Zheng Lin waved his right hand, and the few hundred people at the back of the troop, all in ragged clothes and with messy hair, were escorted by soldiers in full-body armor to clear the path at the front.

Zong Zheng Ming and Zong Zheng Lin sat upright on horseback, side by side, protected by the crowd as they slowly advanced.

“Sixth Brother doesn’t wait for specialized experts from Shu Zhong to come and dismantle the mechanisms but uses captives to explore the path. Aren’t you afraid of leaving a reputation for cruelty?”

“The opportunity to win the battle cannot be spoilt. Does Fifth Brother disagree?” Zong Zheng Lin looked steadily forward, not caring whether the person next to him agreed or not.

“Certainly not.” Zong Zheng Ming smiled gently. “I share the same opinion. The rebels of Shu Zhong are acting against the proper order and should be punished.”

The two looked at each other, their gaze piercing.

“Naturally.” Zong Zheng Lin nodded. The group moved forward cautiously. Half an hour later, more than half of the captives were killed or injured, but there was still no trace of the rebel leader. Zong Zheng Lin looked at the sky. He then pulled the reins with force and the troop came to a halt.

“Set up camp.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Yan Cheng Zhou led the people to convey the orders. The eight thousand soldiers quickly dispersed and moved in different directions, everyone acting in an orderly and organized manner.

“Your Highness, the prince’s residence has sent official documents.” Ye Kai entered the imperial prince’s tent with a stack of correspondence, with two letters particularly eye-catching.

Zong Zheng Ming caught a glimpse of the familiar handwriting of Mu Xi Yao from the corner of his eyes. He lowered his head and continued to study tomorrow’s expedition on the military map.

As usual, Zong Zheng Lin stopped his official business, raised his head, and picked Mu Xi Yao’s home letter, reading it carefully.

Traditionally, the little woman put on a cute act, first praising herself vigorously for a while before mentioning Cheng Qing, boasting about their son’s amazing reading speed, her tone full of pride. She then expressed concern about his clothing, food, and travel arrangements. As expected, the most detailed part was again about the rumors circulating in Shengjing. Various pieces of news were recounted in a vivid and engaging way, much more exciting than the intelligence brought by the secret guards.

After carefully analyzing Mu Xi Yao’s seemingly chaotic ‘hearsay’, Zong Zheng Lin discovered that she had indeed put a lot of thought and effort into it.

This woman had carefully combed through the news she had heard, picking out the ones she deemed valuable, without making any comments or showing any emotions, sticking to facts only, presenting them for him to read in their most authentic and unadulterated form. These seemingly exaggerated pieces of gossip often had a deeper meaning behind them. When combined with the systematical intelligence of the secret guards, where one served as the leading support while the other as complementary, they allowed him to have a clearer train of thought, making it easier for him to handle government affairs, often accomplishing twice as much with half the effort.

“Your Highness, He Lian Principal Consort has specially sent an urgent letter.” Ye Kai carefully put away Mu Xi Yao’s letters. Later, he will have to keep them in a separate place and take extra care to make sure they were well-maintained. His Highness specifically instructed him to take on this task. He handed over He Lian Principal Consort’s home letter and obediently waited on the side.

Zong Zheng Ming took a quick glance at Zong Zheng Lin’s expression. Seeing that there was nothing unusual and that he was somewhat relaxed, Zong Zheng Ming knew that Mu Xi Yao’s situation was not too bad.

Today, Zong Zheng Lin used captives to scout the way. However, his biggest concern was probably catching up with his eldest son’s Draw Lots Ceremony³, as he was unwilling to wrong the mother and son. Although it was important to seize opportunities in war, the situation was not so critical that it justified sacrificing hundreds of lives to achieve it.

Upon returning, there would certainly be people in the court who would make a big fuss and use this as a chance to criticize them, condemning their cruel methods and lack of benevolence and righteousness. However, Zong Zheng Lin completely disregarded it. What did he have to fear? If it was to fulfill that woman’s wish, it wasn’t only Zong Zheng Lin who could do it.

“Hmph!” While Zong Zheng Ming had his attention divided, Zong Zheng Lin across from him suddenly let out a cold snort and casually placed the family letter aside.

What Mu Xi Yao didn’t bring up, He Lian Min Min provided a detailed explanation. Zong Zheng Lin was surprised that this time the little woman looked at the big picture, and didn’t act spoilt and complain about her grievances.

The Sixth Highness raised his brows. He paid no attention to Zong Zheng Ying. Instead, he was very interested in Mu Xi Yao’s unusual behavior. Unfortunately, the timing was wrong, and he missed the opportunity to witness her excellent acting skills. However, Zong Zheng Lin didn’t appreciate the part where she paid obeisance.

“Is there something wrong?” Zong Zheng Ming’s gaze shifted from the military map and fell on Zong Zheng Lin’s face.

“It’s just a small matter that can provide some entertainment for the woman at home.” Zong Zheng Lin answered nonchalantly. He wasn’t worried about how Mu Xi Yao would handle this matter in the end. The people he secretly left behind for her were enough to protect her well. As for the temporary ups and downs, since the little woman didn’t care about them, he would accompany her and enjoy the process with her. For the sake of a woman, letting the Sixth Highness’s reputation suffer some temporary ‘grievance’ was a novelty experience for Zong Zheng Lin, but he didn’t mind it. On the contrary, he was looking forward to seeing how Mu Xi Yao would perform this ‘Dark willows, bright blossoms⁴‘.

Translation notes:

[1] Yiniang refers to a father’s concubine. It is a term used to address a father’s concubine or their own mothers if they were children of a concubine.

[2] Hu brush refers to Huzhou ink brush (source).

[3] Draw lots ceremony refers to a ceremony that is celebrated when a baby is one year old where the parents put various objects before the child (source).

[4] Dark willow, bright blossoms is a Chinese idiom that means “out of the bad comes good” or “when things seem hopeless, a turning point comes. It comes from a poem by the famous Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu. In the poem, he describes a scene where he is walking along a path lined with willow trees that cast shadows and obscure his view. Suddenly, he reaches a point where the willow trees part and reveal a field of blooming flowers, which represents a sudden, positive change after a period of darkness or difficulty (poem).

Relationship Diagram  (by Sith Kazar)

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