Chapter 72 (1/2)
Ruan Zhu was dumbstruck and innumerable bewildered thoughts rolled around in her head. Her chopsticks fell out of her hands, and her expression was of one that was at a complete loss.
The Empress Dowager; the Emperor’s Mother; Xuanyuan Zong Zhi’s paternal grandmother!
Last night in the Prince of Qi’s residence, because of Nuan Chun, she had slapped Steward Chen and humiliated him. Then after Xuanyuan Zong Zhi returned, he had also commanded the imperial bodyguards to beat Steward Chen half to death. Reportedly, the steward had then been dragged to the woodshed and because he had extreme difficulty breathing, died not too long after.
Steward Chen was previously one of the Empress Dowagers’s people, and if one wanted to strike at a dog, one had to look at their master. She was finished; the Empress Dowager must be furious. However, how was it that the Empress Dowager knew of something that had just occurred yesterday, unless there was an informant among the imperial bodyguards? Otherwise, had the imperial family long taken note of her and assigned a spy by her side?
Xuanyuan Zong Zhi handed Zhi Xi over to Nuan Chun for them to return to the room. He then grasped his wife’s hand and gave her a faint smile, his eyes soothing. Ruan Zhu’s frazzled mind somewhat stabilized and she felt her other hand was also a little tight–Yun Shi Wei had gripped it.
“Spouse, don’t be scared. I will protect you.” If worst came to worst, he would discard this life in order to take his wife and the child to a faraway place.
“Eldest Sister, what should we do?” Ruan Yu was flustered.
“It’s all right. Stay behind Sister.” No matter how it was said, Xuanyuan Zong Zhi was also a prince; plus, there was imperial flesh and blood in her belly, so how could she be killed?
“En.” Ruan Yu did not know that her Eldest Sister had slapped one of the Empress Dowager’s previous people. The common people treated the nobility of the Nine Palaces that were above everyone else with respect and reverence. This disposition was innate and had nothing to do with other factors.
Xuanyuan Zong Zhi led everyone in walking towards the front courtyard.
The Empress Dowager had paid an unsolicited visit and had already strode into the main building and into the main hall, where she was currently sitting with an air of strength and discipline in the main seat that Ruan Zi Xu would rest in when he was home.
The currently sixty-some years old Empress Dowager Zheng sat perfectly straight with a dragon-headed cane underneath one hand. Her mind bright, her eyes were strict as she studied the group of people stepping inside.
Xuanyuan Zong Zhi took the lead in kowtowing before the Elder, and Ruan Zhu soon followed him. Beside her was Yun Shi Wei; behind her was Ruan Yu. The most intriguing thing was that Xuanyuan Min Zhi had received the news, popped up from who-kn0ws-where, and was also kneeling next to Xuanyuan Zong Zhi.
This era was not like the Ming or Qing dynasties that paid particular attention to etiquette with their three kneels and nine kowtows along with the shaking of their sleeves.
The biggest etiquette of this era was to kowtow flat on the ground, and if the one above called for you to rise, you would then rise. If they did not issue the command, you then had to continue to kneel, even if one would become a stone gargoyle by doing so.
Empress Dowager Zheng scanned everyone before her gaze fell on Xuanyuan Zong Zhi. She used the dragon-headed cane to point at him: “You may rise.” One’s own family was not a problem, and her own blood-related grandson was naturally different from the rest.
“Thanking Imperial Grandmother.” Xuanyuan Zong Zhi instructed an imperial bodyguard to refill the Empress Dowager’s tea while he looked at his wife out of the corner of his eye, mulling how he should plead leniency for her. Lifting his gaze, he saw that the Elder’s face was full of suspicion as she pointed her cane at Xuanyuan Min Zhi.
“This boy; this dowager thinks is very familiar. Whose family’s child is he?”
The elderly Empress Dowager had ten sons and daughters, several dozen grandchildren, and her memory had declined with old age. She only remembered the children that she cared about and often mistook the ones she did not pay attention to with each. other. The reason why she thought Xuanyuan Min Zhi seemed familiar was because his appearance closely resembled those of the other Xuanyuan clan members.
“Imperial Grandmother, this is Third Brother, Xuanyuan Min Zhi.” Xuanyuan Zong Zhi responded on behalf of the other.
“Min Zi?” The Empress Dowager’s face was full of doubt as she sized up the young man kneeling on the ground: “Why does this name seem so familiar? Where has this dowager heard it before?”
“Imperial Grandmother, Grandson is Emperor-Father’s third son that was given to Nan Ling for adoption in childhood.” Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s expression was deferential but the eyes that he had slightly cast down were completely indifferent. He had been driven to a barbarian land, solitary and impoverished, and had experienced all kinds of supercilious looks. Things like relatives and bloodlines–he simply didn’t take them to heart.
“Oh, I understand with you saying it like that.” The Elder suddenly realized it and struck the ground with her cane twice: “So you are precisely that absolutely disgraceful child that let our family’s Fifth suffer so terribly. I heard that at the time, you had sedated him with drugs then tied him up and sold him to human traffickers. Worried that your Emperor-Father would discover your ploy, you then used a palace eunuch’s corpse to pass as our Fifth and set a room on fire.”
Embarrassment was on Xuanyuan Min Zhi’s face: “Imperial Grandmother, those are all old debts from a long time ago and Grandson has long not been able to remember them.”
Empress Dowager Zheng nodded her head: “Understandable. You are one without a conscience and forgetting it is correct. Not forgetting would be against reason.”
When those words were said, the group of palace eunuchs behind the Elder could not hold back their tittering.
Yet Ruan Zhu recalled the story that had been told to her when Xuanyuan Zong Zhi was still Lu Piao Xiang. He had an older brother that was extremely jealous of him, and the year he turned seven, the brother had thrown him to human traffickers and sold him to a brothel in Lan Zhou. That time she had given Xuanyuan Min Zhi, that bastard, to Aunt Sun could be considered a punishment since he had been subjected to much suffering then.
Although Ruan Zhu’s head was lowered, her eyes were filled with disdain. This Xuanyuan Min Zhi was too evil and it served him right to currently be so wretched.
“Why did you run to Tian Chu and not obediently stay in Nan Ling as the heir?”
“Responding to Imperial Grandmother, last year the old Duke became seriously ill and a rebellion took place in Nan Ling. The Duchess’s bastard son, Wang Kun, bestowed the title of heir on himself and assembled a personal army, creating a situation of ‘hold the feudal overlord and you control his vassals.’” With great difficulty, Xuanyuan Min Zhi finally had obtained an opportunity where he could meet with the imperial family of Tian Chu. How could he easily let this chance slip away? His emotions were especially stirred and he spoke openly: “Originally, Grandson was the heir of Nan Ling, but what can one do when the Duchess dotes on the bastard Wang Kun? They persecuted Grandson, and Grandson was only able to narrowly escape to Tian Chu. Fortunately, with the assistance of the Ruan clan, there was the opportunity to meet with Imperial Grandmother.”
Ruan Zhu was greatly astonished that Xuanyuan Min Zhi had helped say good words on her behalf. She had always thought him not pouring cold water over her was already not bad.
Xuanyuan Zong Zhi took advantage of the situation to say some good words for his wife: “The Ruan clan is faithfully devoted to the imperial dynasty, and Ruan Zhi Xu spares no effort for the sake of the country. Originally, he could have spent his life quietly enjoying his days with his family with the enormous amount of wealth he has, but he prioritizes the country, and amidst the disasters currently upon us, cannot help but to busily rush about. Three months prior, he lead a group of merchants north towards Mongolia to purchase horses, without caring the slightest about how difficult or life-threatening the task may be.”
Empress Dowager Zheng snorted: “I did not ask you.”