Chapter 323 (2/2)
”I see that you've been in good health since we last met.” Zhao Zhe was still smiling, but his eyes had turned chilly. ”Why do you have the free time to visit the dowager empress?”
Before Ning Yuxuan had time to reply, the dowager empress replied for him, ”I want to renovate my palace, but unfortunately, the emperor isn't willing to agree. Marquis Moyu came over here of his own imitative to discuss a budget and see what could be renovated with that amount.
Hearing these words, Zhao Zhe's expression became much better. ”Oh, I see.”
Ning Yuxuan cupped his hands and said, ”This subject won't stay around to bother Your Majesty and Your Highness's reunion. This subject will leave first.”
Zhao Zhe nodded, and Marquis Moyu left the hall without glancing sideways to look at Ji Man.
When all of the palace servants had withdrawn and only the advisors and the princess consort were allowed to stay, the dowager empress held her son's hand and sincerely said, ”Why did you put on that unpleasant expression in front of him? The new emperor isn't my son, and there isn't any affection between us. In this palace, I rely on Marquis Moyu to help me from time to time. Otherwise, even something like renovating my palace won't be possible.”
”Imperial mother, why haven't you told this to uncle?” Zhao Zhe furrowed his brow. ”You don't need to let yourself suffer.”
”It's not easy for someone in the imperial court to get involved with matters related to the harem. Moreover, the national treasury is going through a scarcity period. It really isn't easy to get money from it,” the dowager empress said. ”Are you doing well in Zhangjun?”
Shen Youqing took a step forward and helped her husband answer this question. ”This servant has always been attending to the prince, and Zhangjun has rich and fertile lands. It's easy to live well there.”
”You were right to retreat a step back then.” The dowager empress pursed her lips. ”Who could have expected that it would be old two that reversed the situation in the end...”
Zhao Zhe glanced at Ji Man. He wanted to change the topic to something else.
The dowager empress still said many other good words on Marquis Moyu's behalf. It seemed that he had been quite helpful towards her, but Zhao Zhe couldn't figure it out. Why was Ning Yuxuan treating the dowager empress so well?
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On the carriage ride back to the inn, Wu Yong said, ”This one thinks that Marquis Moyu is doing this to express goodwill towards you. Xiao Clan has maintained its power and holds much more power than Ning Clan. It's probably because the new emperor's behavior has caused many people to feel discontent with him, so Marquis Moyu once again wants to side with you.”
”That can't be it,” Ji Man interrupted Wu Yong.
Zhao Zhe looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
”Based on this one's understanding of Marquis Moyu, he's not the type of person that would make any overt moves when it's not clear how the situation will develop,” Ji Man said, ”Right now, the imperial court can be considered to be in stable position. There's no reason why he would risk the danger of offending the new emperor just to showing goodwill to Your Highness. On the contrary, this one thinks that Marquis Moyu is taking care of the dowager empress with sincere intentions.”
”Oh?” Zhao Zhe lightly harrumphed. ”How can you be sure?”
”At the time of the coup, this one wasn't in the capital and doesn't know the details of what happened back then, ”Ji Man seriously said, ”This one will dare to ask Your Highness. During your struggle with the third prince over the throne, were you the one that took the initiative to back down, or did Marquis Moyu help the third prince seize the throne?”
Zhao Zhe paused. With his brow furrowed, he said, ”Back then, old three had already gained control of the situation. If I wasn't willing to retreat, what else could I do? But, if Ning Yuxuan hadn't been helping him at the end, old three wouldn't have ascended the throne so easily.”
”Exactly!” Ji Man slapped her thigh. ”Your Highness, this means you misunderstood him!”