Chapter 301: Chapter 301
Cui Xiaojun found herself in a difficult predicament. On one side was her mother-in-law who had once shut her out, and on the other was her grandmother who wanted to protect the Cui clan’s interests. The two sides were locked in fierce opposition, yet both wanted to use her as a weapon in their struggle, pulling her back and forth endlessly. She didn’t want to completely side with either party, especially not wanting to see either one get hurt.
The old matriarch had guessed correctly – selecting concubines was not a mandatory court affair, especially with the Emperor absent. The Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs and the Ministry of Rites would need to probe back and forth several times to confirm this was truly the Empress’s intention before daring to proceed.
The next day, replies from both ministries reached the Cui residence. The palace ladies from her Autumn Faith Palace tried several times to present them to the Empress for review, but were scolded away by Elder Laojun each time. She was now not only feigning illness but also pretending to be mad and foolish. When no outsiders were present, she said, “I’ve completely sacrificed this old face of mine for your Cui family. Xiaojun, if you can’t defeat Consort Wang, the person you’ll have wronged most is me.”
The old matriarch sent people to contact Yang Feng, but the response was disappointing. Yang Feng was quite polite, but absolutely refused to acknowledge any conflict between the Empress and Consort Wang. Instead, through the intermediary, he advised the old matriarch to rest peacefully and recover, to send the Empress back to the palace soon, and not to interfere in palace affairs.
The old matriarch had originally held no expectations for Yang Feng, but now she was furious enough to curse loudly: “What an ungrateful eunuch! He’s thrown in his lot with Consort Wang. Fine, let’s wait and see. Once Xiaojun gives birth to the Crown Prince, we’ll see who the real mistress of the imperial palace is.”
The old matriarch grasped her granddaughter’s hand, tears welling in her eyes. “Even if I don’t live to see it, you must remember what Yang Feng has done. You absolutely cannot trust outsiders blindly again. If I really do pass away, who will protect you? Who will help you?”
Cui Xiaojun had wanted to explain on Yang Feng’s behalf earlier, but hearing these last few sentences, she could only wipe away tears alongside her grandmother.
The old matriarch’s skills weren’t limited to feigning illness, and the Cui clan wasn’t dependent on Yang Feng. Though they had suffered several setbacks, the Cui clan hadn’t fallen. Instead, through all the storms and trials, they had proven their stability: Cui Hong had been promoted to Grand General, his second daughter Xiaojun was the Empress who had shared hardships with the Emperor, and his second son Cui Teng was a trusted confidant the Emperor kept by his side. Compared to those ministers who sought to protect themselves, the Cui family had sacrificed much and gained even more.
Under multiple pressures, the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs and the Ministry of Rites quickly understood that selecting concubines was indeed not the Empress’s true intention. Of course, such matters couldn’t be exposed, so they could only solemnly carry out some insignificant preliminary preparations – organizing registers, searching for precedents in old documents – but refused to proceed with specific arrangements. They even recalled the replies they had sent to the Cui residence, claiming they needed to make minor revisions, and nothing more was heard of the matter.
Consort Wang’s side showed no obvious reaction. Though she was the Emperor’s birth mother and would inevitably become Empress Dowager sooner or later, she had never issued any commands in her own name. In Cishun Palace, it was still Empress Dowager Shang-guan who held authority.
On the fourth day after Cui Xiaojun left the palace, a Physician Wei arrived from the Imperial Medical Academy, specifically appointed by the Empress Dowager. He was quite elderly, swaying with each step he took, appearing even more frail than the old matriarch. He was deaf and nearly blind, requiring someone to guide him to the sickbed where he placed his fingers on the old matriarch’s pulse.
“Hmm, hmm…” Physician Wei’s pulse-taking posture was quite proper – his hands didn’t shake, his heart didn’t panic, and he appeared confident. The feigning the old matriarch, however, became somewhat anxious and groaned even more pitifully than usual.
“I’m going to die… Who is this old man? Xiaojun, is he your grandfather? Has he come from the underworld to fetch me?”
Unfortunately, the deaf Physician Wei couldn’t hear what she was saying. He took her pulse for a full fifteen minutes, and observers even thought he had fallen asleep. Finally, he removed his fingers and dictated a prescription to his apprentice – all precious medicinal ingredients that ordinary families rarely saw, though they posed no problem for the Cui residence.
“This old lady’s condition requires rest above all,” Physician Wei left with these words before taking his leave.
Everyone else thought the physician had confirmed the old lady’s serious illness, but the old matriarch herself wasn’t so optimistic. “The physician will definitely tell the Empress Dowager that I’m feigning illness. Before the Emperor returns, we must think of other ways to keep Xiaojun outside.”
“Must it really be so? It’s just selecting a few concubines,” Cui Xiaojun was beginning to tire of this kind of life. “His Majesty… I have my own ways to make His Majesty focus his attentions on me.”
The old matriarch stared at her granddaughter. “What ways do you have?”
“I… this kind of thing is difficult to speak of, but I trust His Majesty.”
The old matriarch snorted, then said with tender affection: “Do you think that sharing hardships together can hold a man’s heart? Don’t be foolish. To men, a wife’s loyalty is a necessary virtue – doing it is expected, not doing it is a crime. For an emperor, this is especially true. I’ve already inquired about it. That little vixen from the Jin family has an unclear relationship with the Emperor. It’s because of this that her entire family was able to safely travel to the grasslands. It’s said that the Emperor’s willingness to negotiate peace with the Xiongnu is also because of her.”
“That must be what Second Brother and Prince Donghai said, right? Those two’s words… aren’t worth believing.”
“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter – having an extra layer of protection is always good.”
Marquess Ping’en entered the room. The old matriarch no longer pretended not to recognize her. She glanced at her and said coldly: “What? Come to see how close I am to death? Don’t rush – I can still hold on for a while.”
Marquess Ping’en said with a flushed face: “What words are these, Grandmother? I’ve come with important news.”
The old matriarch lay down, and Cui Xiaojun stood up, saying politely: “Please speak, elder sister.”
Marquess Ping’en looked toward the outer room, and after confirming there were no eavesdroppers, said: “The Cui clan has been deceived. While we’ve been guarding against the selection of consorts in the capital, the Emperor has already begun selecting beauties outside.”
Cui Xiaojun was startled, and the old matriarch immediately sat up. The movement was too sudden, and she truly felt dizzy for a moment. Unable to care about that, she said sternly: “What’s going on? Explain clearly.”
“I also heard this as hearsay. Han Chou, the Prefect of Henan, has been racking his brains trying to please the Emperor. He’s gathered quite a few peerless beauties and has probably already presented them.”
The old matriarch was dumbfounded. After a long while, she said to her granddaughter: “Look, this is the ideal husband you trust so much.”
Cui Xiaojun smiled gracefully. “It’s the Prefect of Henan who wants to please the Emperor, not something His Majesty wanted himself. Besides… what can be done about this? He’s the Emperor – establishing an empress and taking concubines is inevitable sooner or later.”
The old matriarch felt her granddaughter was confused. Ignoring her, she said to Marquess Ping’en: “Strange, such a major matter, yet Cui Hong didn’t write back about it. Instead, you’re the one telling me?”
Marquess Ping’en smiled: “My son also accompanied His Majesty on the campaign. I wrote him several letters, telling him to contact the wife of the Prefect of Henan first when he reached Luoyang. That’s why the news came early. Father’s letter should probably arrive in a day or two.”
“Several letters? More like several hundred, I’d say. You women’s wagging tongues have reached all the way to Guandong.” The old matriarch thought for a moment. “Still not as good as when I was young. Back then, when the Prefectof Liaodong unexpectedly died of illness, I knew the news several hours before the Emperor did. Sigh… how old is your son?”
“He just turned fourteen this year. Grandmother has seen him before…”
“Fourteen – not much use. Consort Wang is indeed formidable. No wonder she’s not anxious at all.”
“Fortunately, Father and Second Brother are right beside the Emperor. If they find a few seasoned civil officials to remonstrate, they can keep His Majesty away from beauties. Otherwise, if the Emperor returns to the Capital with a prince or a pregnant woman, that would be… hmph.” Marquess Ping’en knew the old matriarch’s temperament, so she never put on airs when speaking before her.
“What do you understand?” The old matriarch showed no courtesy to this eldest granddaughter-in-law. “Consort Wang would never let the Emperor casually bring back some woman and a prince. She can’t control such people. She clearly wants to let the Emperor get a taste of sweetness. Men, once they’ve had meat, find it very difficult to eat only vegetables.”
The old matriarch looked over her own granddaughter – in her eyes, she was “vegetables.” Cui Xiaojun blushed and didn’t want to speak. Though her grandmother had always been outspoken, these past few days every sentence involved matters between men and women, which was really going too far.
“When the Emperor returns, selecting consorts will be natural and logical, and the Cui clan’s position as empress won’t be so secure anymore. Heh, truly clever. Consort Wang came from a servant background – where did she get so many cunning schemes?”
“Perhaps it’s… Empress Dowager Shang-guan,” Marquess Ping’en reminded.
“A dead centipede continues to wriggle its legs. She’s already killed one of my daughters – what more does she want?” The old matriarch was filled with righteous indignation, holding her breath until her face turned red. She coughed a few times, and Cui Xiaojun hurriedly patted her grandmother’s back gently.
“I’m fine. You go rest. Sigh, too young and inexperienced. While I’m still alive, I must arrange everything properly for you.”
“Grandmother, don’t fight anymore. She is His Majesty’s birth mother. No matter the outcome, the Cui clan will lose. Tomorrow I’ll return to the palace and speak with Consort Wang… If she wants to select consorts, then let her select consorts.” Cui Xiaojun felt the situation was about to spiral out of control.
“If the Cui clan all thought like you, we would have been finished long ago.” The old matriarch waved her hand impatiently, shooing away her beloved granddaughter and leaving behind the less favored eldest granddaughter.
Marquess Ping’en stepped aside, her face expressionless. This was the Cui clan she knew.
Unable to persuade her grandmother, Cui Xiaojun had no choice but to return to her own bedroom, feeling melancholy. Several times she picked up her pen to write a letter to the Emperor, only to set it down again. The Emperor was leading a military campaign personally, risking life and death—she really shouldn’t disturb his peace of mind with these matters.
She summoned a lady official and asked, “Can I visit the Weary Marquis’s residence tomorrow?”
The lady official thought about past precedents and nodded. “The Weary Marquis’s residence is now the dragon’s former dwelling. The Empress should be able to take a look. I’ll arrange it right away, but Your Highness cannot spend the night there.”
“Very well, I’ll stay here tomorrow night and return to the palace the morning after.”
Cui Xiaojun was determined to free herself from this web.
The next afternoon, Cui Xiaojun finally returned to the Weary Marquis’s residence. He Yi, formerly the accountant, was now the estate’s steward and had everything organized perfectly. Chickens and ducks roamed in flocks, far more numerous than before, and there were indeed some newly hatched chicks.
Cui Xiaojun was overjoyed and temporarily forgot her troubles. Only after the lady official urged her several times did she reluctantly board the carriage.
The old matriarch had apparently given up on indoctrinating her granddaughter and said nothing more. When she heard that Cui Xiaojun would return to the palace the next day, she raised no objections either.
Cui Xiaojun was somewhat puzzled, but that night, she finally understood the reason.
The third Cui daughter, her younger sister, was only slightly younger than herself, born of the same father but different mothers, and was also much beloved. Her favor reached its peak when she married the Champion Marquis and had the chance to become Empress, then plummeted when she not only became a widow but also lost favor within the Cui clan. The old matriarch had always planned to remarry her, but it was difficult to find a suitable family.
That night, she came to bid farewell to the Empress. Her eyes were red and swollen, yet her face bore a smile. “Second Elder Sister, I’m going away—a long journey. I hope all goes well for you in the palace.”
“With all this warfare and chaos, you’re going on a long journey?” Cui Xiaojun was startled.
“It’s fine, someone will protect me. They say things seized from enemies are more precious. This time I’m going to put that to the test.”
“Sister, where exactly are you going?” Cui Xiaojun grew more confused the more she listened. Follow current novels on NovelHub(.)net
Her Third Sister offered no explanation. She said some strange words, then took her leave.
Cui Xiaojun slept poorly all night. Early the next morning, she sent someone to fetch Marquess Ping’en and inquire about what was really happening.
Marquess Ping’en knew everything and smiled. “Doesn’t Consort Wang want to select concubines for His Majesty? The Cui clan has decided to simply send His Majesty one directly.”
Cui Xiaojun was stunned. So Third Sister’s long journey was to “seduce” the Emperor, and her advantage was actually her status as the Champion Marquis’s widow.
She felt she had to do something to stop this farce by the Cui clan.
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