Although this sleep was not good, morning court still had to be attended. After court the next day, Meng Fu again invited Lord Wei to the Zichen Hall to listen to him speak of the preliminary arrangements regarding the matter of performance evaluation. If there was anything vague in what Wei Jun’an said, Meng Fu would definitely ask clearly and thoroughly.
She listened earnestly to every measure Wei Jun’an proposed. She had just begun to come into contact with court affairs. What the officials said, she could understand, but could not fully grasp the deeper meanings within. So it was necessary to convey Wei Jun’an’s intentions word for word to that Majesty.
During this time, Meng Fu did not display any unnecessary emotion. However, the calmer her expression was, the more frightened Wei Jun’an felt. Beads of sweat densely seeped from his forehead. Meng Fu thought he was hot, so specially had Gao Xi bring a bowl of chilled sour plum soup and deliver it in front of him.
Wei Jun’an had been an official for so many years—when had he ever enjoyed such treatment in front of this Majesty? His heart was moved, his hands trembled. He felt that his later years were looking more and more hopeful. After all, until now, no other colleague had enjoyed sour plum soup before the Majesty.
He thought of that day when the Majesty expressed trust and praise toward him in court, and a wave of boundless guilt surged in his heart. He no longer held onto those little selfish thoughts, and honestly followed the guiding principles given previously in court to finalize the general outline of the performance evaluation.
Wei Jun’an kept speaking until noon. Meng Fu thought, this lord is already of such senior age, and likely didn’t eat much this morning for court. She had Gao Xi bring another plate of pastries over.
Wei Jun’an was overjoyed!
When he left Zichen Hall, his whole person exuded a slightly tipsy expression, and he walked with a floating gait.
After Wei Jun’an left, Meng Fu learned of the situation inside the Xuanping Marquis Manor last night from the mouths of the secret guards. She was silent for a long time.
The secret guards were unsure of the Majesty’s thoughts and simply knelt there honestly, waiting for the Majesty’s instructions.
At this moment, Meng Fu was beginning to doubt her own identity. She thought that as the main wife managing the Xuanping Marquis Manor, although she hadn’t done everything to perfection, overall she should count as qualified. But after hearing the secret guards’ report, she felt there were still many areas in which she fell short.
Or rather, Majesty truly was worthy of being called Majesty—no matter how tricky the problem, it could be easily resolved.
When she was outside the palace, she often heard people say that some lord was planning to remonstrate unto death before the Majesty. Yet these officials, once in court, were all extremely obedient. Majesty’s skill in managing people was truly formidable.
“Continue speaking,” Meng Fu said.
The secret guard relayed what happened afterward in full detail to Meng Fu. Last night, Qu Hanyan was made to play the zither in the Jixue Courtyard for half the night. Later, her fingers were bleeding before Li Yue finally loosened his mouth and let her go back. It was thought that for a long time to come, Qu Hanyan probably wouldn’t want to touch the qin again.
Early this morning, before Qu Hanyan had the chance to complain to Xie Wenzhao, she was summoned by the Old Madam to the Luoyu Hall and given a scolding. The Old Madam directly said, if she was dissatisfied with her and Meng Fu’s arrangements, then she need not have these nine days. They’d rather be given to Hua Xiaoling and Sun Yulian. Those two would surely be happy and wouldn’t be like her, causing a fuss even in the middle of the night.
Qu Hanyan’s face was pulled long and longer. Even if she had more grievance in her heart, she dared not go against the Old Madam’s words. With her identity, if she wanted to establish herself in the Marquis Manor, she could only rely on Xie Wenzhao’s favor. If she couldn’t even see Xie Wenzhao’s face, how could she speak of being favored?
She didn’t expect that Xie Wenzhao—a proper marquis—would be so useless, being led by the nose by a woman like Meng Fu. Seeing how Xie Wenzhao had shown no movement up to now, Qu Hanyan cursed him as trash in her heart, then resentfully admitted fault, saying she would not repeat the same mistake.
The Old Madam, seeing her like this, did not feel the slightest bit comforted—instead, she felt somewhat disappointed. She truly hoped Qu Hanyan could have shown some backbone at this moment. Just thinking that her first grandson might be born from the belly of a courtesan, the Old Madam felt sick to her stomach. She had disliked Qu Hanyan from the beginning, thought everything about her was unpleasant to look at. Back then, her attitude should have been even firmer, not letting Xie Wenzhao take her into the manor.
Actually, at the time, the Old Madam was relying on Meng Fu to block this matter. Who would have thought Meng Fu didn’t interfere at all? Thinking back on this, the Old Madam felt the matter of the shops should be suppressed again and discussed another time.
Meng Fu finished listening, and nodded. It looked like, at least for the time being, no one would die in the Xuanping Marquis Manor. She wrote down everything that happened in today’s court session, sealed it into an envelope, and told the secret guard to quickly deliver it to the Xuanping Marquis Manor. She also instructed: “Take good care of Madam Meng.”
As for Xie Wenzhao… let him fend for himself.
The secret guards complained inwardly—what need was there for them to take care of that Madam? Judging by the current state of the Xuanping Marquis Manor, it would make more sense for them to go look after Xie Wenzhao instead. If things continued like this, that marquis might really go mad one day.
And just what exactly was the relationship between their Majesty and that Madam? Not only had personal secret guards been dispatched, but there was also a letter sent to the Xuanping Marquis Manor every single day. If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they truly wouldn’t believe this was something their Majesty would do.
Majesty didn’t even want to refer to that Madam as “Madam Xie.”
Tsk tsk.
As the secret guards were about to withdraw, Meng Fu suddenly remembered one matter and said to them, “Right, if he asks about the affairs in the palace, you all can just speak truthfully.”
Are… are these things even allowed to be said?
The secret guards were extremely astonished in their hearts, but none dared to show it in front of the Majesty. One thing could be confirmed—this Madam’s status in His Majesty’s heart was definitely extraordinary. Only… however extraordinary, she was still someone’s Madam. What kind of situation is this?
After the secret guards left, Meng Fu had lunch, then went to the Central Hall to handle the memorials newly submitted today. She and that Majesty had agreed to go to Baima Temple tomorrow to offer incense. Meng Fu wasn’t sure whether the great master in Baima Temple Temple could switch the two of them back, but at least it was a sliver of hope.
There were truly quite a lot of memorials submitted below. Meng Fu felt that when she went to Baima Temple tomorrow, she ought to bring all these memorials with her—maybe some could be handled along the way, and once they arrived at the temple, the Majesty could also help process a few.
Meng Fu lifted her hand to press her temples. Then thinking again, she decided to forget it—reviewing memorials in a temple seemed somewhat disrespectful to the Buddha. At such a crucial time, it was better to let the Buddha feel her sincerity.
Eunuch Gao walked in with small steps from outside the hall and said to Meng Fu: “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager said that tonight the kitchen has made your favorite pastries. She wishes to invite you over to have a taste.”
Meng Fu gave a soft “Mm,” and said: “I know.”
Eunuch Gao couldn’t tell whether this “I know” meant he was going or not. These past few days, the Majesty had changed greatly—Gao Xi only felt that the Majesty had become even deeper and more unfathomable than before.
In the Xuanping Marquis Manor, Li Yue had spent most of last night dealing with Qu Hanyan. It wasn’t until nearly dawn that he lay down. Meng Fu’s body wasn’t in great shape, so in the morning, he simply stayed in and caught up on sleep.
After waking, Li Yue looked at the sunlight in the room and thought, “Being emperor really is comfortable. You can sleep however long you want, and no one dares to manage you.”
But then again, if he were still emperor, no one would have had the guts to disturb his peace in the middle of the night.
Luckily, the ones in the manor without eyes had basically all been dealt with. The servants now also looked much more disciplined. Once the day came when the two of them switched back, he’d have to have a proper talk with that Madam—going forward she must do things with more backbone. After all his hard work, she would become the boss of Xuanping Marquis Manor, and the boss should carry the demeanor of a boss.
Li Yue received Meng Fu’s letter from the secret guard. In it were notes not only on what had happened during the morning court, but also the general outline of the performance evaluation proposed by Wei Jun’an.
Li Yue stared at the last two pages of the letter for quite a while. Wei Jun’an, that old man, actually turned out to be decent too. Truly, when one lives long enough, one can see anything.
He put the letter down and said to the secret guard: “Speak clearly to me about what Wei Jun’an said and did in Zichen Hall, and even his expressions at the time.”
These matters originally weren’t meant to be spoken to a woman. However, before departing, His Majesty had specifically instructed them, so the secret guards also straightforwardly recounted everything to Li Yue. But the secret guards weren’t storytellers after all. Their main job each day was to protect His Majesty’s safety. In absolutely safe environments, they would sometimes space out, so there were still a few omissions in their telling.
Li Yue really couldn’t understand. Upon hearing the secret guard describe how Wei Jun’an left Zichen Hall looking cheerful like a little pig charging out of a mudpen, he understood even less.
After a long while, he spoke again, instructing the secret guard: “Send someone to investigate what kind of happy event Wei Jun’an has run into recently.”
If this happy event isn’t too hard to replicate, he planned to arrange one for all the other officials in court. Then, purging bureaucratic corruption would be just around the corner.
The secret guards had a lot to say in their hearts. The way this Madam orders us around—isn’t it the exact same style as His Majesty? Isn’t this taking herself too much as an insider?
However, considering His Majesty’s current attitude toward her—perhaps she really isn’t an outsider…
Sigh, the pitiful Xuanping Marquis. He still doesn’t know a thing.
In the palace on the other side, although she hadn’t received a definite reply from the emperor, the Empress Dowager personally entered the kitchen to cook. She hadn’t cooked in many years and wasn’t sure whether the things she made still tasted the way they used to.
Gugu Chen came over, made the surrounding palace maids withdraw, and said to the Empress Dowager: “Your Highness, this servant has found out who the young lady speaking with His Majesty in the Imperial Garden that day was.”
There had always been no one in the emperor’s palace. He didn’t have the slightest interest in women. The Empress Dowager had tried persuading him many times to no avail, and thought it was a shadow left behind by what had happened back then. Now, hearing that he had a private meeting with a girl in the Imperial Garden, the Empress Dowager felt at least somewhat relieved.
No matter whether that young lady was a minister’s daughter or a palace maid, the Empress Dowager was happy to see it happen.
The Empress Dowager hurriedly put down the dough in her hands, lifted her eyes to look at Gugu Chen, and asked her: “Whose family’s young lady is it?”
Gugu Chen, seeing the Empress Dowager’s gaze full of anticipation, spoke with a slightly heavy heart: “Your Highness, it is the Madam of the Xuanping Marquis.”
“Ah,” the Empress Dowager nodded, smiling as she said: “Xuanping Marquis is not bad—back then, the Old Marquis even saved the Late Emperor. But I recall that the Xuanping Marquis Manor doesn’t seem to have a daugh—”
The Empress Dowager’s voice abruptly came to a halt.
She turned her head, looking at Gugu Chen beside her with shock.
Xuanping Marquis what? What Madam? Madam what?!