NCCnovel Chapter 267: Adjust to the wind
Chapter 267: Adjust to the wind
The next day, Yongzheng came to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager as usual.
The Queen Mother sat on the couch, seemingly nonchalantly fiddling with the Buddhist beads in her hand, but in fact she was thinking about how to start the conversation.
"Good luck to the Empress Dowager!"
After paying his respects respectfully, Yongzheng sat aside, quietly waiting for the Empress Dowager's reply.
The Queen Mother was silent for a moment, and finally broke the silence and said, "Emperor, the court has been busy these days, you must pay more attention to your health."
Yongzheng nodded slightly, "Thank you for your concern, mother. I will pay attention to it."
The Queen Mother sighed softly and asked, "Nian Gengyao is becoming more powerful. Emperor, do you have any plan to deal with him?"
Yongzheng's heart trembled. He knew that the empress dowager's intention was probably not just to remind him, but to point to something else. However, he remained calm and said, "Nian Gengyao has made great achievements in the war and has made great contributions to the court. Naturally, I trust him."
The Queen Mother smiled slightly and changed the subject, "I know that you value Nian Gengyao, but Longkodo is also an important official of the court and your 'uncle'. He is loyal to the court and may be able to restrain Nian Gengyao and prevent him from being the only one to stand out."
Yongzheng was silent for a while, then looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "I understand what your Majesty means. I will consider it carefully."
The Queen Mother nodded, knowing the right time to stop, and said, "Emperor, you are the ruler of a country. You must know how to weigh the pros and cons and must not be swayed by your subjects. In this regard, it is not convenient for an old woman like me to interfere..."
When Yongzheng heard this, he stood up and saluted.
"Your son will follow the Queen Mother's instructions."
After saying this, Yongzheng took his leave without waiting for the empress dowager to respond.
The Empress Dowager looked at Yongzheng's departing back and pondered in her heart.
It seemed that the emperor fully understood what he meant.
But the emperor was not happy...
Is this my fault for stretching my hands too far?
The Queen Mother sat on the warm couch in her bedroom, looking worried.
She knew very well how shrewd and perceptive Yongzheng was. The emperor just left without waiting for her to finish what she was going to say.
The Queen Mother was worried that he had noticed that she was interfering in state affairs. In addition, what made her even more uneasy was that the affair between her and Longkodo might also arouse her son's suspicion...
In order to ease the relationship with the emperor, the empress dowager made comprehensive considerations and decided to rely on Shen Meizhuang's power.
Shen Meizhuang is the emperor's favorite concubine. She is gentle and sensible, and now she is pregnant, which makes her deeply loved by the emperor.
The Queen Mother then turned to Sun Zhuxi and said, "Zhuxi, go and fetch Concubine Shen to Shoukang Palace tomorrow morning. I want to see her."
When Sun Zhuxi heard this, his eyes flashed, and he immediately understood what the empress dowager meant, so he nodded to show that he obeyed the order.
……
"Noble Lady Hui, you are the emperor's concubine and the child I cherish. Now... there are some misunderstandings between the emperor and me, so I hope you can mediate and ease the relationship between us mother and son."
The Queen Mother stopped pretending to be serious when talking to Shen Meizhuang and spoke directly and earnestly.
Shen Meizhuang responded obediently: "Don't worry, Queen Mother, I will do my best."
The Queen Mother nodded with satisfaction, and then reminded: "You should mention my good points more often in front of the Emperor, so that he can understand my painstaking efforts."
After giving her most important advice, the empress dowager took Shen Meizhuang aside to chat about some family matters, and told her to take care of herself. After keeping her for lunch, she sent someone to send her back.
After Shen Meizhuang left Shoukang Palace, she began to think secretly in her heart.
This time, the Queen Mother found her and actually asked her to help speak well of her in front of the Emperor. This was really beyond Shen Meizhuang's expectations.
At the same time, Shen Meizhuang also knew that this matter was of great importance and must be handled with caution.
After returning to Xianfu Palace, Shen Meizhuang sat in front of the window, but her thoughts were still immersed in the empress dowager's instructions.
The Queen Mother asked her to make suggestions, which seemed to be a sign of trust and respect for her, but she felt uneasy in her heart. She knew very well the complexity and cruelty of the palace struggle, and once involved, it would be difficult to get out of it unscathed...
Moreover, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are mother and son, so how could they need an outsider like me to speak for them? Isn't this too strange?
If we are talking about the right person, shouldn’t the queen be the most suitable one?
Shen Meizhuang was very worried that her advice would cause the emperor's dissatisfaction, or even be seen as the harem interfering in government affairs, thus bringing trouble to herself.
On the other hand, if she pretended to comply with the Queen Mother's request but actually disobeyed it, she would be regarded as disloyal and lose the Queen Mother's trust and support.
Once that time comes, my path will become very difficult.
Thinking of these consequences, she was in a dilemma and didn't know how to make a decision.
"Alas, it really is like a storm is brewing!"
Shen Meizhuang sighed softly and decided to observe the situation in the palace first, understand the emperor's thoughts and attitude, and then consider whether to make any suggestions.
At the same time, after much thought, Shen Meizhuang still felt that she should talk to An Lingrong to see what she thought about whether she should intervene between the Empress Dowager and Yongzheng and his mother.
She stood up, called Caiyue, and prepared to go to An Lingrong.
All the way to Yonghe Palace, Shen Meizhuang felt uneasy.
She didn't know how An Lingrong would view this matter, nor did she know how she should face her answer.
I just hope that An Lingrong can give me some useful advice and help.
After a lot of running around, the young eunuchs carried her to the Yonghe Palace.
"Sister Mei?"
When An Lingrong saw Shen Meizhuang coming, a surprised smile appeared on her face.
The two exchanged a few pleasantries and then got down to business.
Shen Meizhuang told An Lingrong her thoughts and concerns. After listening, An Lingrong pondered for a moment and said, "Sister, I think it's better for you not to get involved in this matter. The relationship between the Queen Mother and the Emperor is already complicated. If you get involved, it will only make things more complicated. Besides, this matter is not something you can solve, so you'd better not cause trouble for yourself."
Shen Meizhuang felt a little disappointed after hearing what An Lingrong said.
She originally thought that An Lingrong would support her idea, but she didn't expect that she would think the opposite.
However, thinking from a rational point of view, she also knew that what An Lingrong said made sense, and she was indeed not sure that she could resolve this matter.
So, Shen Meizhuang nodded and smiled bitterly: "Sister, you are right. It is better for me not to get involved in this matter... But I have already promised the Queen Mother. How should I deal with this?"
An Lingrong smiled, not showing any surprise in her tone, and said, "This is not a big deal. Sister is just a noble lady anyway, and the emperor is very busy right now. Even if sister wants to help, she can't do anything!"
After all, it all comes down to one word - delay!
An Lingrong's method was very simple, but it made Shen Meizhuang suddenly enlightened.
Shen Meizhuang looked at An Lingrong with gratitude, and the uneasiness in her heart gradually dissipated.