Chapter 16
Madam Wen wanted to see Wen Wan because they all knew that the Emperor truly had Wen Wan in his heart.
Although she was a woman of the inner courtyard, she had seen this matter clearly. Wen Yao and Qi Fan had indeed done something wrong – they were loose-lipped and got caught making public remarks about someone's private life – but they had also been beaten by Shen Nian.
The imperial physicians all said Shen Nian's strikes were exceptionally vicious. At a glance, there wasn't a single mark on them, but the blows hurt terribly where they landed.
From this, one could see just how ruthless Shen Nian was with his hands.
Yet in the Emperor's presence, he sided with Shen Nian and ordered Wen Yao and Qi Fan to be caned. On the surface, it was Shen Nian who oversaw the punishment and decided the number of strokes, but Madam Wen felt that this was actually the Emperor's stance – and the reason lay with Wen Wan.
The Emperor was venting his anger.
There were no secrets under heaven. She, as the mother, knew best what had happened between Wen Wan and the Emperor.
Before Wen Wan married Qi Junmu, she had fallen ill, and she was still feverish during the wedding ceremony. If not for Qi Junmu deliberately shielding Wen Wan, and the fact that an imperial marriage was not easily altered, their Wen family would likely have brought disaster upon themselves because of this.
Adding to that the other messy matters afterward, Madam Wen understood in her heart that Qi Junmu and Wen Wan had still not consummated their marriage to this day. The entire Wen family was hoping that Wen Wan would bear a legitimate eldest son, and given the Emperor's feelings for her, her appointment as Empress Dowager in the future was within reach – but Wen Wan herself was letting them down.
No man under heaven would be happy to have a beautiful wife he couldn't touch. So today's misfortune with Wen Yao – Madam Wen felt the root cause still lay with Wen Wan.
The Wen family had also heard rumors that Qi Junmu had recently reprimanded Wen Wan. Upon hearing this, Madam Wen was filled with frustration at her daughter for failing to meet expectations. She felt Wen Wan had picked up sesame seeds while losing watermelons. What use was it to flatter the Empress Dowager. As a wife, the one she should most focus on pleasing was her own husband.
In the future, how could the rear palace lack other fresh flowers? While she was still young, she should win over the Emperor's heart, bear the legitimate eldest son, and secure her position as Empress – that was the real priority.
She had originally been looking for an opportunity to enter the palace to speak with Wen Wan about this, and now an opportunity had presented itself.
That night, Madam Wen could not sleep at all due to Wen Yao's injuries. She mulled things over at length, and the next day she sent word to the palace requesting an audience with the Empress Dowager.
Normally, there were fixed times for noble ladies to request an audience with the Empress Dowager or Empress. However, the Wen family had contributed to Qi Junmu's ascension to the throne, and the Empress Dowager was inclined to give the Wen family face. Whenever Madam Wen wished to enter the palace, she would be granted an audience.
Madam Wen was also tactful in this regard. Ordinarily, without the Empress Dowager's summons, she would never take the initiative to enter the palace.
Now that she wanted to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager was naturally willing to see her.
Arriving at Renshou Palace, Madam Wen paid her respects to the Empress Dowager. After taking her seat, she looked around at the furnishings in the Empress Dowager's hall and felt deep envy. Their Wen family was now among the powerful nobility, and their household items were extremely luxurious as well.
But placed beside those in Renshou Palace, they were not even worth mentioning.
The gap between the Emperor's mother and the Empress's mother was more than just a little.
Ruyan brought Madam Wen a cup of hot tea. Madam Wen thanked her, then picked up the delicate little cup and took two sips.
The Empress Dowager felt the fragrance inside the hall was not strong enough, so she had someone place a piece of agarwood in the incense burner.
Agarwood was hard to come by, a thousand pieces of gold could hardly buy it, and the scent it gave off was exceptionally pleasant.
Smelling the fragrance, the Empress Dowager's face showed a hint of a smile. She looked at Madam Wen and said, "What is the matter? Why do you look so terrible?"
Madam Wen's complexion was indeed rather haggard, having not slept all night. Upon hearing this, she set down her teacup, rose to her feet, and with a restless expression and a bitter smile at the corner of her mouth, said, "Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager. It is all because this humble wife has failed to teach her children properly. I have been unable to sleep thinking about it."
That one line – "failed to teach her children properly" – was a rhetorical skill. The Empress Dowager clearly understood that Madam Wen was referring to the affairs of Wen Wan and Wen Yao.
Qi Junmu genuinely liked Wen Wan, and he had always been somewhat lenient with Wen Yao.
When the Empress Dowager heard about Wen Yao's caning yesterday, she was genuinely taken aback.
She had thought Qi Junmu had not taken her words to heart, but when it came down to it, the Emperor had struck swiftly and ruthlessly.
Wen Yao and Qi Fan had suffered, and Shen Nian would likely be even more hated after this. At that moment, the Empress Dowager wondered whether the Emperor really meant to let this Marquis Zhenbei make enemies of everyone in the realm.
When this immensely powerful Marquis Zhenbei eventually fell from grace, she feared everyone would take a turn kicking him.
Thinking of the end that awaited a figure like Shen Nian, the Empress Dowager felt it was rather a pity.
Though the Empress Dowager's mind was full of such thoughts, not a trace of them showed on her face. She sighed and said, "I know full well that the Empress is filial toward me. She has caught a chill these past few days and is resting in her palace. When one is ill, one's mind tends to wander. With so many court affairs lately, and all the people and matters that trouble His Majesty, he has had little time for the rear palace. She has been missing her family terribly. Since you have entered the palace today, go keep her company, share a meal with her, and have a good talk."
The "court affairs" referred specifically to Shen Nian. Madam Wen understood that the Empress Dowager was speaking in defense of the Emperor having caned Wen Yao.
She did not dare complain about Qi Junmu, so she naturally directed all her resentment toward Shen Nian. She smiled and said, "This humble wife understands everything Your Majesty has said. The Empress's filial devotion to Your Majesty is her proper duty. That I am permitted to see the Empress is Your Majesty's gracious mercy. This humble wife expresses her gratitude to Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager excused Madam Wen from performing the formal rites of gratitude, then summoned Ruyan and instructed her to accompany Madam Wen to Weiyang Palace.
The Emperor had previously issued an oral decree ordering Wen Wan to reflect on her mistakes within the palace.
If Madam Wen went alone, she would likely be stopped at the palace gates. Everyone in the palace knew that Ruyan was the Empress Dowager's personal attendant, representing the Empress Dowager's authority. Even the Emperor could not say much if she accompanied her, and this would also give him a step to reconcile with the Empress.
Most importantly, although the Empress Dowager was somewhat displeased with Wen Wan, she still took that filial devotion to heart.
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While Madam Wen and Ruyan were on their way to Weiyang Palace, Qi Junmu was receiving Lin Xiao and Qi Junyou in the Imperial Study.
Upon hearing of this, Ruan Jiqing immediately dismissed the messenger, then whispered a few words into the Emperor's ear.
Qi Junmu lowered his gaze and said, "I am aware of this." His implication was – let them be. For now, he had not yet fully grasped the reins of power and sometimes still had to rely on the Lin family. He could not afford to chill the Empress Dowager's and the Lin family's hearts too much.
These small matters did not concern him anyway. As for Wen Wan, he no longer had any feelings for her.
The Empress Dowager still treated him as the old Qi Junmu – but he was no longer that man. Sooner or later, everyone would come to understand exactly what was on his mind.
Qi Junmu casually set the matter aside, then looked at Lin Xiao and said, "Left Chancellor, what do you think of the Qingzhou situation?"
Lin Xiao pondered for a moment, then said gravely, "Your Majesty, your subject believes that someone should be sent to investigate the actual situation. If a snow disaster is truly imminent, preparations can be made in advance to guard against the worst. If Prefect Zhang's reports prove false, then he should be held accountable."
Qi Junmu hummed in acknowledgment, then turned to Qi Junyou and said, "And what does Prince Ping think?"
Qi Junyou was a dashing and elegant figure, renowned as the great beauty of Da Qi – with phoenix-like eyes that swept upward, thin lips, a straight nose, and a jade-like bearing. He was steeped in poetry and learning, a man of great erudition.
During the reign of Emperor Jing, there had been loud calls to establish Qi Junyou as Crown Prince. At that time, Qi Junyou could be said to be in his prime, with beautiful concubines and charming maids adding fragrance to his sleeves at home.
Yet no one had expected that the crown would land on Qi Junmu's head instead.
After Qi Junmu became Emperor, Qi Junyou's faction had kept a low profile. As Prince Ping, he avoided appearing before others whenever possible, harboring no ambitions for the throne whatsoever, resigned to being a carefree idle prince.
Whether this resignation was genuine or feigned – only he himself knew.
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