He said softly, "Your Majesty's thoughts are too deep;I won't interfere.
Your mother's ambitions are also too great;it doesn't concern me...
This is a battle between the emperor and her.
All I need to do is play this role...
I can't make any guarantees, but I promise you that I won't personally intervene."Was this guarantee believable?"El Tío Emperador siempre me ha tratado bien..." Lin Wan'er, como un gato lastimado, se recostó en los brazos de Van Xian, hablando débilmente.
Sus ojos comenzaron a mostrar una pizca de humedad.
Si la Concubina Imperial realmente tuviera el coraje de hacer eso, incluso con el poder y posición de Van Xian, Lin Wan'er no sería implicada directamente...
pero su estatus en la familia imperial se pondría precario.Van Xian remained silent, knowing that Wan'er's sighs were genuine.
After their marriage, he realized how much his father, the emperor, loved Wan'er, and how higher her status was compared to ordinary princesses...This thought made him reflect on the compensation his father might have felt for marrying his most beloved niece to a bastard."It doesn't matter;let them deal with it," he smiled.
"Let them squabble."Though his words were light, their content was serious.
Over the next year, if the dragon throne in Great Victory still belonged to someone else, or if there would be bloodshed within the imperial family...
how would this young couple fare?In that moment, Van Xian suddenly felt that forcing Empress Consort to act sooner might not have been worth it, just to protect himself and those around him."Old lame will think the same way.
I hope he has a better plan."Van Xian gently patted Wan'er's back as he looked out the window at the tranquil lake, the distant mountains, the fishing boat, and the willow branches.
His thoughts drifted to the far-off capital city.— ——In the cool palace in the capital, palace ladies and eunuchs walked quietly, occasionally a few young girls would giggle, only to be sternly reprimanded by the elderly maids.
Early summer had arrived;while the trees were lush, the people within the palace still found no respite.The Palace of Wide Trust was once Empress Consort's quarters.
After her secret affair with Northern Qi and betrayal of the Imperial Inspectorate came to light, she retired to the cold palace in Xin County.Although she could still exert some influence from there, it wasn't as convenient as remaining in the capital.
Thus, in the sixth year of Emperor Renzhi, she convinced the empress dowager to move back into the capital.
The incident with the handwritten papers had long faded from people's memories.However, only a short time after returning to the capital, Jiashan's power in Jiangnan became an irritant for her brother, the emperor.
Thus, he ordered her to return to the palace as a pretense of family unity, but real intention was close monitoring.Nonetheless, Empress Consort had long operated within the palace and had the favor of the empress dowager, who also maintained close relations with the empress.
Therefore, she could still move freely in and out of the palace without anyone stopping her, and many of her covert operations remained undetected.To make Emperor Renzhi more comfortable, she didn't venture out too often to meet officials directly;instead, she mostly spent time chatting with the empress dowager or discussing embroidery designs for flowers, birds, and insects with the empress.She probably wasn't embroidering fabric at all...— ——The situation in Jiangnan was settled.
Regardless of whether Empress Consort Li Yunrui accepted it willingly, recognized it, or felt sorrowful...
her decades-long rule over Jiangnan had been fully taken over by her "accomplished" daughter-in-law!Grandmother Lady Ming's death, Master Shan's death, and the Ming family's silence...
with Van Xian and She Qing's joint suppression of the officials in Jiangnan, none could effectively challenge their authority.
The officials Empress Consort had placed within the Three Offices were also removed by Van Xian, leaving no chance for them to act.The momentum that had been building due to popular discontent faded away unnoticed, turning the petitions sent from all over the land into mere paper, holding no threat to the court."Pay fines?" Empress Consort Li Yunrui narrowed her eyes and smiled.
"You think my Van family would need such small change?"Beside her sat the dignified Empress, who said with a smile: "Your Majesty is fond of their family;remember how he handled the recent investigation of the Ministry of Revenue?It was quickly wrapped up."Empress Consort smiled, her long lashes blinking.
"Venerable Minister Van has done great service to the country, something women can't match."She sighed and continued, "In the end, it's not worth worrying over such matters.
I think come autumn, I should ask Mother to allow me to return to Xin County.The Empress's heart skipped a beat;she cursed this sly woman for trying to act innocent.
She could tell Empress Consort was using a defensive stance...
but even if Empress Consort truly left, it would be hard to counter Van Xian and the Third Prince together.
The Empress wasn't foolish;she knew Empress Consort wouldn't abandon her power.The Empress smiled with a hint of caution: "What nonsense are you talking?Though I'm an unworldly woman, I know you're a pillar of this nation, bringing countless benefits to Great Victory...
If you left for Xin County, Your Majesty would be the first to disagree."Their conversation revolved around that throne.
Although they didn't speak so directly, it was clear their actions were linked.Empress Consort paused before saying: "Mother grows old;she's more prone to being misled."The Empress nodded and said with a smile: "Take your time."Silence followed as they sipped their tea.
Suddenly, the Empress asked tentatively: "Haven't you heard that...?""The tiger's skin," Empress Consort finished for her.
She smiled coldly, "I am the tiger;she must support me.
Otherwise, if Third Prince truly seizes power, how will he avenge Ye Qianmei?Who will protect her then?"Closing her eyes slowly, she said: "For now, we set aside whether my grandson or Second Prince should be emperor...
because she knows that if it succeeds, she won't stand against me.
She just seeks survival.""Jiangnan?""No need to bother with Jiangnan anymore." Empress Consort sighed.
"My son-in-law prepared for his trip down south;those locals in Jiangnan can't compare."She shook her head, saying softly: "Thinking back now, I really made a big mistake...
If it weren't for the incident at Bullpen Alley, things between me and Van Xian wouldn't have escalated so much...""If he stood by my side, who could challenge us?" she laughed self-deprecatingly.The eunuch standing nearby couldn't even breathe."From the beginning, I was wrong," Empress Consort's face showed a cold resolve.
"No matter how powerful Van Xian is, he must be held by the strings in the palace.
Why should I care about this puppet?My focus should always be on the one holding the strings."— ——In the adjacent Contemplation Hall, Emperor Renzhi rested his eyes, feeling tired.
He was older now and less decisive than before."Stop," the elderly woman stopped the storyteller lady, looking at the book in her hands for a moment without speaking."Full of nonsense;no wonder people enjoy such tales," an old maid said sycophantically.The Empress shook her head and whispered: "Children often feel disgraced."The old maid didn't dare speak again.The Empress's eyes held a complex emotion.