Chapter 199 - The Undercurrent in Earl Yiping’s Mansion

Song Yixiao had promised to offer help on the marriage of Wei Chan before. As she heard the servant, she nodded and said, “Where is the scholar from? How is he in terms of appearance and talent?”

“He is from Jiannan, called as Cheng Chongjun, courtesy name Muwei,” Qiaoqin told in detail, “Yet, I didn’t see him in person. According to Madam Mu, he looks decent and fair-skinned, who is the only son of his family with his parents both dead. It is said that before passing away, his parents were sick and had medicine for years, so his family is not so well-off.”

“His family financial situation is not a problem!” Song Yixiao pondered, “If he can pass the imperial examination, he will never be poor forever, which is rather possible; moreover, the Wei Family will surely offer dowry for Wei Chan and I can also offer some bridal trousseaus for her! I will not let her and her future husband suffer from poverty!”

She was worried about Wei Chan’s previous experience. Currently, she only learnt that the Wei Family chose Cheng Chongjun with no idea about how they got along. Hence, she just put aside her various speculations and asked, “What does my aunt want me to do?”

Qiaoqin said, “The Wei Family meant to let Miss Wei’s brother ask Mr. Cheng out for a drink so that you and the womenfolk of the Wei Family can hide somewhere to observe him. However, it is said that His Majesty is not feeling well recently, so they suppose that perhaps, His Highness and Your Highness need to go into the imperial palace to inquire some important people so Your Highness may not be available at the moment. Besides, the outcome of the Academy Examination will be disclosed in a few days, so this matter will be discussed after the top-level national examination.”

Now February didn’t arrive yet. As it would be postponed until more than half a month later, Song Yixiao felt that she would be free by then so she nodded and said, “Pick a box of pearl hair ornaments and send them to the Wei Family for my grandmother, aunties and cousins to share!”

Having sent Qiaoqin to choose pearl hair ornaments, Song Yixiao fetched the tea bowl from Jinxun and took a sip. The servant who went to Earl Yiping’s mansion also returned to report, saying that the Xu Family specially sent a servant to serve their own young master so as not to cause trouble for Duke of Yan.

The Xu Family did so on suspicion of despising Song Yixiao. After all, in the duke’s mansion, there were not the old and young at home, thus leaving too many things to be attended to. If the heir of an earl couldn’t be taken care of, it clearly demonstrated the mistress’s incapability.

However, Song Yixiao didn’t refute on the surface despite her disgruntlement. She just said, “Conduct him to Cousin Xishi’s yard and ask the servants to serve him well!”

Then she went to the kitchen to order the chefs, “Prepare the congee, hot water and chicken soup for the whole night in case that Xubai or Cousin Xishi wakes up at the midnight and feels hungry!”

After dealing with the trifles, Song Yixiao grabbed a bite herself, freshened herself up and went to bed.

The next morning, when she heard some noise, she saw Jian Xubai dressing himself by the bed. Then she glanced at the candle outside the bed-net and realized that it was still early. She asked in surprise, “His Majesty has just got better. Are you going to court now?”

Even if Emperor Xianjia was industrious, wouldn’t the Empress Dowager and the harem stop him?

“No.” Jian Xubai heard her voice and turned around. His long eyelashes had long shadows in the light and his eyes glistened like stars. He explained, “I’ve been used to getting up early and I slept early last night.”

While talking, he fastened his belt and intended to kiss her but Song Yixiao turned around disdainfully, “I haven’t freshened up!”

They spent a joyful moment together and Jian Xubai still managed to give a few kisses on her cheeks. Amidst combing her hair, Song Yixiao asked him about why Emperor Xianjia fainted, “Yesterday Jiayue came and informed that your mother’s birthday feast was cancelled. I asked her about His Majesty but she gave no definite reply. What on earth is going on?”

“It was a relapse.” Jian Xubai slightly frowned, “According to Grandmother, Uncle was defamed by Noble Consort Shentu when he was young. In order to meet the late Emperor and defend himself, in the cold days, he knelt on the ground outside the resting palace in the heavy rain for almost ten hours. Afterwards, as Noble Consort Shentu interfered, no imperial doctors dared to cure him. It was Aunt Daiguo, unmarried at that time, who begged her current husband to take him out of the imperial palace with an excuse and find a folk doctor to treat him.”

However, “On the one hand, the treatment was delayed; on the other hand, the doctor was not as skillful as the imperial doctor. Therefore, his sickness hasn’t been completely cured. This is why Uncle often sees the imperial doctor after ascending the throne!”

His face was a bit gloomy, “Seven years ago, Uncle passed out in the imperial garden. The relevant information was suppressed for that reason!”

“You told me that His Majesty had got better when you came back yesterday.” Song Yixiao heard from her mother-in-law that Emperor Xianjia had gone through hardships for some time before ascending the throne, but at that time, the Grand Princess just gave it short shrift so it didn’t leave a deep impression on Song Yixiao. Now that Jian Xubai talked of specific examples, she realized that Emperor Xianjia killed all his half-siblings but Prince of Yi for a reason after he took the throne.

It also made sense that the emperor indulged Daiguo Grand Princess.

She frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, “Is he really feeling better?”

That he fainted seven years ago was a direct catalyst for Empress Su’s collusion with Duke of Ji to stall the war so that they could seize the throne with their army after the emperor perished!

Although the information was well concealed, without Jian Xubai, Song Yixiao, a local born in the imperial capital, wouldn’t know about it. However, since the Empress and Duke of Ji decided to take the risk, obviously Emperor Xianjia must be in a desperate situation at that time!

Now that the emperor relapsed, it had been only a day and a night. She was not sure whether the emperor was fine or not.

“The imperial doctor and Grandmother told me that he is fine, I suppose that it should be true,” Jian Xubai said so but he didn’t look relaxed, “But he needs to rest quietly to recuperate for some time. Supposedly, Grandmother will persuade Uncle to manage the court temporarily. Aunt Daiguo will also take the opportunity to recommend Prince of Wei to go to court so as to ‘share Uncle’s burdens’!”

Song Yixiao understood what he was worried about, “The Crown Prince is still too young to possibly oppress Jin Suke and other old officials! Unexpectedly, Qiu Shuxia keeps stressing on the Crown Prince now. Without His Majesty oppressing him in court, the Crown Prince can’t act as he wishes even if he acts as the regent!”

“There is one more problem,” Jian Xubai said sternly, “The night when the Lantern Festival feast was held, Noble Consort Cui beat Beautiful Lady Nuan. Hence, she irritated Uncle and as a result, she has been grounded. It is actually not a big deal but given the current situation, it is big trouble!”

Emperor Xianjia was always industrious, who spent at least half a day on the affairs of state unless during festivals. And during the rest of the day, he had to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, check the homework of his children and grandchildren, and meet the officials and people of the imperial clan… The last thing that he attended to was his harem.

However, he had to rest quietly to recuperate now but it was a good time for his harem to please him. Especially since Empress Su just roped in Beautiful Lady Nuan who was very pretty, it was a Heaven-sent chance for her then. Daiguo Grand Princess could also enter the imperial palace under the guise of caring her brother. However, the birth mother of the Crown Prince, Noble Consort Cui was still being grounded!

Certainly, the Empress Dowager was in favor of the Crown Prince, but she was rather old now and she was the birth mother of Emperor Xianjia. As Emperor Xianjia fainted, it was reasonable that the Empress Dowager rushed to the Palace of Xuanming out of concern.

Now that the Emperor had awoken, the Empress Dowager couldn’t stay in the emperor’s resting palace all the time as the harem did. Neither could she go to the Palace of Xuanming every two or three days, just like Daiguo Grand Princess who was still in the prime of her life.

In this case, Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao both had their own people to put in a good word for them while the Crown Prince had none!

“Since His Majesty showed partiality for the Crown Prince in court, now is it possible that Noble Consort Cui’s punishment will be cancelled?” Song Yixiao reminded Jian Xubai, “It is inconvenient for the Empress Dowager to look after His Majesty in the Palace of Xuanming on her own, but she will also send others to pay a visit day and night. By then maybe she can suggest it to His Majesty?”

Jian Xubai shook his head and said, “Before we got out of the imperial palace, it happened that Aunt was arranging the harem to look after His Majesty. The Crown Princess mentioned the Noble Consort, and as a result, Aunt shouted at her snappishly, ‘The Noble Consort is grounded for pissing off your father-in-law. Now he finally gets better and the imperial doctor urges not to keep him worried. If he hears of the Noble Consort and recalls the unpleasant things again, what to do then?’ The Crown Princess was speechless on the spot!”

Song Yixiao was speechless too, “The Empress was so impressive!”

As Empress Su said so, anyone who dared to mention Noble Consort Cui would be suspected of not letting Empress Xianjia rest well purposefully!

In this case, even if the Empress Dowager would like to beg mercy for the Noble Consort, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess must stop her, because they must demonstrate that they definitely didn’t hope to see Empress Dowager perish early so that the Crown Prince could ascend the throne promptly!

“Luckily, Uncle is not suggestible,” Jian Xubai pondered for a while and said, “Yet, in the following fight in court, we cannot expect Uncle to show partiality. We are on our own!”

While chatting, Song Yixiao also finished dressing herself up. The couple summoned the servants to serve them.

After freshening themselves up, they went to the drawing room for breakfast. When it came to Xu Xishi, they learnt that he had also got up. Then Jian Xubai ordered, “Today is my mother’s birthday. Although she is not in a mood to set the feast out of worry about Uncle, we still had better go and express our blessings. Ask Cousin Xishi whether he would like to go with us or return to Earl Yiping’s mansion first.”

The servant did as ordered and then came back to report, “Mr. Xu would like to go with you two but as he went into the imperial palace too hastily before, the birthday gift is still left in Earl Yiping’s mansion. Hence, he is wondering whether you can wait for him for a while.”

“My mother is his legitimate aunt, not an outsider,” Jian Xubai said, “We will go there together first and he can send people to pick up the gift from Earl Yiping’s mansion. After all, there is no feast for today. We are going to have a chat with my mother only!”

The message was delivered to Xu Xishi and he agreed too.

Then they three started off together. Jian Xubai naturally couldn’t take the carriage with his wife. Instead, he rode a horse as Xu Xishi did.

They two were chatting ahead while Song Yixiao was resting in the carriage. Unexpectedly, on the way Ji Su suddenly approached the window and asked secretly, “Your Highness, last night, around the curfew hours, did the servant who went to the Xu Family’s mansion to fetching the things of Mr. Xu come back with a servant of the Xu Family?”

“Yes, he did. Why ask?” Song Yixiao opened her eyes and asked in amazement.

Speaking of that, she still felt disgruntled now!

Then Ji Su replied, “Just now, Mr. Xu told His Highness that the backyard of the Earl’s mansion was managed by a concubine of the Earl. This concubine is of low origin who has no sense of courtesy. Please don’t be mad with her!”

Song Yixiao immediately sensed the implicit meaning and said in astonishment, “This concubine is too bold! Does she really think that Cousin Xishi is unloved just because Aunt Luguo is dead?”

She was not familiar with the situation in Earl Yiping’s mansion. All she knew was that Earl Yiping was one of the influential officials in court during the reign of the late Emperor, who married the elder sister of Emperor Xianjia, Luguo Grand Princess. Sadly, the couple didn’t get along and Luguo Grand Princess even died in depression. In the end, somehow, Earl Yiping was basically unemployed now.

After Luguo Grand Princess passed away, out of awe and respect for the imperial family, Earl Yiping didn’t have any new wives. However, he still had a few concubines.

Xie Yiren was not married to Xu Xishi yet, leaving no official mistress in Earl Yiping’s mansion. Hence, the backyard was managed by the Earl’s concubine, which was a makeshift measure though it was not aligned with the rules.

However, it was too resentful that this concubine deliberately tried to drive a wedge between Xu Xishi and Duke of Yan!

Ji Su sneered and said, “You don’t say! However, His Majesty is just recovered. Mr. Xu has no desire to trouble Her Majesty the Empress Dowager more, so he asked High Highness and Your Highness not to leak this out given the respect for him!”

“Cousin Xishi is such a filial man!” Song Yixiao agreed on the other side of the curtain with a nod, pondering, “Does Yiren know about this? If she doesn’t, I must tell her as soon as possible so that she can take precautions!”

It was thanks to Xie Yiren’s reminder that she learnt that Lu Kou’er had a crush on Jian Xubai; now that she knew that something was wrong with Earl Yiping’s mansion, how could Song Yixiao not return the favor?