Chapter 219 - Look into the Case Carefully

Sitting in the seat of honor, the Empress Dowager looked down at her granddaughter-in-law who was kneeling demurely on the stair.

In order not to let Empress Su seize the initiative, Song Yixiao didn’t have time to return to the mansion and change into her official dress. Now she was still wearing the same clothes as she did when she was going to meet Elder Lady Duanmu—a narrow-sleeve blouse with the background of a primrose pattern decorated with the hidden embroidery pattern of branches and mandala, and an apricot pink pleated skirt. Now it was late February, but it was still a bit cold in the imperial capital. Therefore, she had a pea green half-arm shawl outside the blouse.

Her outfit was pretty and beautiful, which set off the brightness of the dark blue bricks in the hall under her.

In order to show respect for Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, this young lady slightly lowered her head. On the exquisite braided cross-shaped bun, the golden dangling ornaments shook slightly as she spoke, “Xubai once told me that Grandaunt and her whole family used to receive the kindness of Her Majesty the Empress and Duke of Ji. This time, it is you who kindly allowed Grandaunt to come back to the imperial capital for treatment!”

“Her Highness Princess Changxing is the birth daughter of Her Majesty the Empress, the legitimate niece of Duke of Ji, and Your Majesty’s legitimate granddaughter!”

“Even if Grandaunt wants to let Shen Qimo play up to the people of power, how can she choose Yiyou? If so, isn’t it an act of requiting the kindness of Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress and the Su Family with enmity?”

She addressed Shen Qimo by full name at the moment, which clearly showed her intention of keeping a distance. Yet, it was a reluctant act. Since it was impossible to keep Shen Qimo now, Song Yixiao could only try her best to absolve Elder Lady Duanmu!

“If she really does so, she will severely offend Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress and the Su Family. Such a consequence is unbearable for Grandaunt.”

“Leaving that aside, what benefit can she gain by doing so?”

Speaking of that, Song Yixiao screwed up her courage to look at the seat of honor and happened to meet the Empress Dowager’s expressionless eyes. She was taken aback and hastened to lower her head again, “After all, although the prince consort is not forbidden to have concubines as per the rules and regulations of our dynasty, Yiyou and his wife get along well. Even if Yiyou is softhearted for the moment, he can never make Changxing suffer wrong! Hence, even if Shen Qimo has an affair with Yiyou, she may not expect to gain a legitimate title! Without a legitimate title, what else can Shen Qimo get besides the ruined reputation? What benefits can Grandaunt get from it?”

She said so surely to save face for the imperial family. In fact, what she really wanted to say was—“Given her insolence and cunningness, how is it possible that Princess Changxing allows Jian Yiyou to have a concubine?”

By far, this princess hadn’t brought anyone to beat Shen Qimo to death and smashed the residence of Elder Lady Duanmu. Actually, it was because Princess Yushan made a fuss in the Qingxi Hall, complaining about the unfairness of the seniors and meanwhile Pei Yourui arrived at the imperial palace that she had to put up with it at the moment.

No matter how muddle-headed Elder Lady Duanmu was, she could never believe that her granddaughter could have a bright future by being with Jian Yiyou.

Even if Elder Lady Duanmu greatly overestimated the kindness and tolerance of Princess Changxing, “No offence to Yiyou. Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, please forgive me for being blunt. Even if Yiyou is the beloved son of the Grand Princess, your legitimate grandson and the legitimate nephew of His Majesty, he doesn’t inherit any dukedom or have any official position!”

“In terms of the future career, he is not as promising as my husband, at least now!”

“Therefore, by reason, if it is Grandaunt’s idea to make Shen Qimo have an affair with Yiyou, she shouldn’t choose Yiyou anyway!”

Since it was not Elder Lady Duanmu’s idea, “It must be Shen Qimo’s own behavior behind Grandaunt’s back!”

What she said was not simply a guess. After all, “Grandaunt is old now. She is not as energetic as she was in her prime. It has been some days since she was diagnosed with wandering arthritis. Now even thanks to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager’s kindness, she has been attentively treated by the imperial doctor but she still has difficulty in moving!”

Under the circumstance, “It is understandable that she ignores her granddaughter’s conduct!”

While talking, Song Yixiao kept kowtowing, “Your Majesty, please look into the case carefully and treat her leniently!”

The Empress Dowager stared at the pendants on her dangling ornaments flipping across her ears. After a while, she sneered, “The Jiangnan Hall has collapsed and become no more influential. Your reputation as an influential family is no longer in existence, and neither is your ambition! How can you know what the six big families could do back then? No matter how old or sick Elder Lady Duanmu is, if she cannot even handle the three grandchildren raised by herself, she won’t deserve to be a descendent of the Jinxiu Hall!”

Song Yixiao was slightly stunned. After pondering for a while, she directly gave a kowtow, “I’m young and shadow. Please enlighten me!”

She didn’t know much about Elder Lady Duanmu indeed. At the moment, she would rather speak for this grandaunt as planned than listen to the Empress Dowager’s opinion of Elder Lady Duanmu first so that she could respond with the utmost propriety then.

“There are not so many people like Jinguo who can treat those not related to her by blood as her own children!” The Empress Dowager slightly sneered, “After all, blood kinship is one’s nature. Elder Lady Duanmu is not an evil legitimate mistress, but I can tell you one thing. She is not mean to the children born by the concubines but she treats her only daughter, Commandery Princess Yishui, who has reached an adult age, so much better!”

Song Yixiao didn’t respond because she failed to understand why the Empress Dowager said so.

Then the Empress Dowager continued, “Hence, since she had the opportunity of bringing several juniors to the imperial capital, do you think she would bring disobedient and insensible ones?”

While talking, the Empress Dowager squinted at Song Yixiao, “It has been a few days only since Shen Qimo came to the imperial capital. Even if she is naturally rebellious, how can she act against her habit formed over the past more than ten years that she spent with Elder Lady Duanmu by overtly agreeing but covertly opposing? You asked me to look into the case carefully and treat Elder Lady Duanmu leniently, but you still fail to think through such a simple thing. As you are so stupid, how can you be of any help to Xubai in the future?”

What the Empress Dowager said just made Song Yixiao’s hair stand on end. She couldn’t help pondering, “The Empress Dowager was saying that Shen Qimo was incited by Grandaunt to seduce Jian Yiyou indeed! However, why did Grandaunt do that?”

If it was meant to frame Jian Yiyou, wasn’t it too stupid?

Or, Elder Lady Duanmu just disliked Shen Qimo and wanted to do away with her in this way?

Nevertheless, as a parentless girl, Shen Qimo literally depended on Elder Lady Duanmu entirely. It was too easy for Elder Lady Duanmu to kill her. Why would Elder Lady Duanmu risk offending the influential people including the empress just to deal with her through someone else?

“This thing just does no good but harm to Grandaunt!” Song Yixiao felt even more confused, “Actually, the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang are in a bad condition. This unforeseen thing will bring substantial shame on them. Wait! Shame?”

She suddenly thought through something and blurted out, “Is it for reputation?”

“Go on!” The Empress Dowager sitting on the seat of honor, with her eyes glistening, fetched the tea passed by Yuguo, took a sip of it and then asked noncommittally.

“Your Majesty, Xubai once told me that there was no male descendent of the Jinxiu Hall, so a lot of assets were handed over to Grandaunt.” It must be known by the Empress Dowager so Song Yixiao just cut to the chase, “As Grandaunt’s children have passed away, she plans to pass down the assets to one of her sister’s grandsons, aka, Yiyou or Xubai!”

However, “The clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang respect Grandaunt as legitimate mistress and they are having a hard time now! How can they not yearn for the assets?”

It was a matter of course that the assets of Jinxiu Hall were inherited by a legitimate descendent of the Jinxiu Hall.

However, when one became greedy, of course he could find a reason to gain what he wanted.

Particularly, Jian Yiyou and Jian Xubai were both dragged into a morass of fighting for the throne, which meant that they both had their political opponents. As such, even if the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang were made to guard the imperial mausoleum. In order to strike the opponent, either of Jian Yiyou and Jian Xubai would use them to attack the other one by exposing misdeeds!

Apparently, Elder Lady Duanmu didn’t want to see that happen. Hence, she brought Shen Qimo here. And Shen Qimo just seduced the husband of the legitimate princess as soon as she arrived at the imperial capital.

“Her Majesty the Empress and Duke of Ji have done a great favor to the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang!” When Song Yixiao talked of her speculation, her fingers hidden in the sleeves slightly trembled. She reluctantly composed herself and tried to keep her voice calm, “However, when the granddaughter of the late Prince of Chengyang just arrived at the imperial capital, she seduced the husband of Her Majesty the Empress’s only daughter. How snobbish they are! How ungrateful they are!”

After this matter was spread out, the reputation of the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang would be undoubtedly ruined!

In this case, when Elder Lady Duanmu passed down the assets of Jinxiu Hall to her sister’s grandson, the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang couldn’t stir up any trouble if they wanted to!

Due to the shameless granddaughter of the late Prince of Chengyang, the more they badgered, the more they would be regarded as snobbish, ungrateful, greedy and spineless people!

Thinking of that, Song Yixiao had mixed feelings. She was rather disappointed about her cousin, Shen Qimo these days. Was the girl really shameless and spineless? She was merely taken as a pawn by Grandaunt. She had no other choice at all!

And Grandaunt, who looked elegant and graceful, amidst amicability and gentleness, had driven the kid raised by her into a desperate situation!

Song Yixiao didn’t regard herself as a merciful person but she couldn’t treat a close person who she spent more than ten years with in this way, even a servant, let alone a junior.

“It is for the own good of the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang!” The Empress Dowager seemed to have seen through her mind. She gently put down the tea bowl, fetched the napkin from Yuguo and pressed the corner of her lips with it, saying with a faint smile, “Since she wants to dispel the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang’s attempt to gain the assets of Jinxiu Hall even at the cost of a granddaughter, it shows that they have already been working at that!”

Speaking of that, the Empress Dowager snorted, “Those greedy people! They just never learn! Why don’t they reflect on how they fell into the current situation? How dare they interfere in the throne fight? Elder Lady Duanmu disgraces them in this way, but they are guarding the imperial mausoleum anyway. Will everybody go to the late emperor’s mausoleum and laugh at them? She stops them from making any trouble in this way, which also saves their lives so that they don’t have to lose their lives after their dukedoms were deprived of!”

Song Yixiao took a tumble and felt guilty. She thought that Elder Lady Duanmu was a merciless woman, but after being reminded by the Empress Dowager, she finally realized that Grandaunt was actually trying her best to protect her people. Brutal as sacrificing Shen Qimo was, it was a reluctant choice!

Then the Empress Dowager concluded, “Therefore, rushing to the imperial palace to cure her wandering arthritis is merely a guise of Elder Lady Duanmu! Her real purpose is to pass the hot potato—the assets of Jinxiu Hall to someone lest that all the clansmen of the late Prince of Chengyang should be doomed!”

“Your Majesty! I have a question.” Song Yixiao pondered for a moment, but she was still not sure and then couldn’t help asking, “Who will Elder Lady Duanmu plan to pass down the assets to?”

If she still failed to realize that the Empress Dowager was reminding her deliberately, she must be a doofus!