Chapter 266 - The Empress Dowager

“But it is quite a coincidence.” Jian Xubai also thought that the Su Family wouldn’t be so cruel as to abandon the eldest legitimate grandson in the beginning. After all, Duke of Ji had only two sons, Su Shaoxin and Su Shaoge.

Su Shaoxin had merely one son, and Su Shaoge hadn’t got married yet. Although the two brothers seemed to be in good health, nobody was sure about the sons. The Jinxiu Hall was an example. That family was wealthy for generations and even got the heritage of the miracle-working doctor Ji Qubing, but they had no descendant in despair.

So the Su Family could make use of the virtuous Su Shaoling who was educated carefully and graceful to have a marriage alliance in order to fight for the throne, yet they could never bear to sacrifice Su Bofeng, at least before the second grandson was born.

After all, Su Bofeng was not a three-year-old child, and he was the only grandson of this generation. What did it mean? It meant that there was no grandson in the Su Family after him.

If Su Shaoxin and Su Shaoge had no son in the future, wouldn’t the Fufeng Hall end up with the same tragedy as the Jinxiu Hall?

Any normal family master wouldn’t bet on such an important thing.

However, Jian Xubai always thought, “Zhao Wu had no connection with us in the past. After his letter of surrender was sent, we would certainly doubt him. As a result, after only a few days, he gave us a reason that he must follow the crown prince. Anybody would definitely suspect.”

“We are not going to tell him a secret or let him join our plan for now.” Yuan Xuepei thought that Jian Xubai might worry too much. “Now he is anxious to gain the crown prince’s support, and then he can have a chance of survival. The impeachment of Duke of Ji is useless now because Su Bofeng is disabled. How can a merchant’s son who was beaten to death by the servants be put on a par with the empress’ legitimate grandnephew?”

So, “If Zhao Wu wants the crown prince to help him, he should show something that can convince His Highness. If he can take it out, we won’t believe him immediately, and we should investigate. It would be fine if it is useful. If not, how would we care about him? If he can’t take it out, what does the Zhao Family’s life or death have to do with us?”

He didn’t say something. Even if what Zhao Wu took out was useful to the crown prince, would the crown prince surely help him? As long as he could end it successfully and no evidence against him was left, what would happen even if he kicked down the ladder?

In a word, Zhao Wu was not a follower of the crown prince, so the latter could advance or retreat as he liked when it came to Zhao Wu’s grudge against the Su Family. How could Zhao Wu fool the Eastern Palace so easily?

After all, the pain had nothing to do with the crown prince. After learning the news that Su Bofeng was disabled, the crown prince confirmed the news as the first reaction and then analyzed if it was a trap. Later, he considered if he could gain some profits from this case… After the Su Family confirmed the news, they could do nothing but feel sad and furious.

With her last sanity, Empress Su restrained her urge to rush to the Palace of Xuanming and knelt down by the Empress Dowager’s feet regardless of her manner while crying loudly, “Mother, that’s the only grandson in my parents’ family. He is only thirteen years old.”

Because the Su Family supported Prince of Zhao in fighting for the throne, the Empress Dowager was much more distant to the empress this year, and the two women had several conflicts openly and secretly, but after all, they had shared sufferings. Moreover, the Empress Dowager was not a mean mother-in-law.

Seeing that the empress was extremely grieved, the Empress Dowager was also sad and told Yuguo to help her up. Then she personally gave a cup of hot tea to the empress. “Be calm and tell me slowly. The emperor and I watched the crown prince grow up, and you are his mother in name. Don’t you know him? Even if he wants to cope with you and Prince of Zhao, he wouldn’t plot against the only grandson in your family.”

Hearing that, Empress Su didn’t beat around the bush. She sniffled and said, with tears in her eyes, “I don’t dare to guess the plan of the heir to the throne, so I want you to agree to investigate this case and uphold justice for my poor grandnephew.”

She cried her heart out just now and her voice was hoarse obviously. She spoke with difficulty, but the coldness in her words was strong, making Yuguo feel terrified for no reason while listening.

“How would you plan to investigate it?” However, the Empress Dowager was not surprised. The Su Family was more powerful than Zhao Wu, and Qingzhou was the foundation of the Su Family for generations, yet their eldest legitimate grandson was ruined by Zhao Wu’s son. It was not only grudge but also humiliation.

It was nothing that Empress Su vented her hatred.

The Empress Dowager wouldn’t be surprised even if the empress skinned all the members of the Zhao Family.

The Empress Dowager pondered for a while and then sighed. “I think that you won’t rest assured if somebody else goes to investigate such a great event in Qingzhou. If Duke of Ji goes there in person, how can he sustain the tiredness on a long journey of one thousand miles? After all, he is aged and can hardly restrain his sorrow after hearing the sad news.”

The Su Family lived in Qingzhou for generations. When the Six Warlords were at the peak, it was famous as Qingzhou Su in the world. However, the eldest legitimate grandson in the Fufeng Hall suffered such a great loss in the hometown. No matter how humble and polite as gentlemen the members of the Su Family were at ordinary times, this time they wouldn’t let it go at that.

The Empress Dowager didn’t care about the Zhao Family. After all, Zhao Wu was wrong indeed in this case.

Even if Su Bofeng ordered his servants to kill Lei Mo and he was not in a trap, there were laws in a country and rules in a family. Su Bofeng broke the “The Laws of Great Rui”, and he should be interrogated at the court openly and punished according to the law. Zhao Wu bore a grudge against the Su Family as they had refused to marry their daughter to his son, and he indulged his son in insulting Su Bofeng in prison, which was to avenge a personal wrong in the name of public interests.

His son even caused Su Bofeng’s disability by accident. In the Empress Dowager’s opinion, the father and son should be killed.

It was said that you might know the wholes sack by a handful. Zhao Wu had been an official in Qingzhou for a long period and must have known the influence of the Su Family there, but he dared to slight the eldest legitimate grandson of the family in this way. It could be seen that he was narrow-minded and reckless.

If he harmed a civilian instead of Su Bofeng this time, it would be fine when that person was not killed to cover up the crime, not to mention that the case was reported to the emperor.

How many such things had Zhao Wu and his son done?

So the Empress Dowager didn’t care about their life or death. The problem was that Duke of Ji couldn’t leave.

Emperor Xianjia personally declared that what Duke of Ji had done in Wuhuan should be forgotten and nobody could mention it again.

However, although the emperor let it pass, he didn’t trust Duke of Ji and wouldn’t keep him alive after the new emperor ascended the throne.

All people at the imperial court were clear that since Duke of Ji came back from Wuhuan, he was bound to die before Emperor Xianjia or be buried alive with him.

Under the condition, even though Duke of Ji still lived a well-off life, he couldn’t leave the capital city or its environs, let alone returning to Qingzhou.

So before Empress Su mentioned it, the Empress Dowager denied this possibility first.

In fact, the empress didn’t expect her brother to leave the capital. She wiped her tears after hearing that. “Mother, if you feel pity for me, can you send Shaoge there?”

She said that certainly because Su Shaoge ranked third in the imperial examination, but he was a new official and still a seventh-rank editor in Hanlin Academy to gain more experience. If he wasn’t an imperial envoy, how could he ask a third-rank governor for justice?

The Empress Dowager pondered for a long time and then looked at the empress’ red and swollen eyes, nodding at last.

However, after the Empress Dowager agreed and issued an edict, Gu Shao objected it. “I also feel sad for the eldest grandson of the Su Family, but there are rules in the country. The one who was disabled is the eldest grandson of the family, so how can another member of this family go to Qingzhou to investigate it? All the family members should avoid arousing suspicion.”

The Empress Dowager was clear about this. She did that not just to be partial to the Su Family with her identity. “A governor of a province dared to openly indulge his son in illegal punishment in the prison, which caused the disability of the eldest grandson of Duke of Ji. Who knows how many evil things he has done after he became an official? This time, we will send Su Shaoge to investigate in order to expose all the evil deeds Zhao Wu has done depending on the foundation of the Su Family in Qingzhou and redress the unjust, false and erroneous cases he has handled in the past few years, to uphold justice for the common people.”

“Your Majesty, you are wrong.” She couldn’t convince Gu Shao with this reason. “If the Su Family can expose Zhao Wu with their advantages in Qingzhou, how would Su Bofeng have been harmed by him and his son?”

He simply retorted the Empress Dowager and then continued, “Moreover, Su Shaoge is a new official. Even though he is learned, he is inexperienced. The Council of Censorate and the Ministry of Punishments are experts in investigating the crimes Zhao Wu has committed. What do you think, Your Majesty?”

“Then bring them to trial.” After a moment of silence, the Empress Dowager added indifferently, “Bring all the people involved to the capital and interrogate them.”

After she said that, she didn’t wait for Gu Shao to speak more. She picked up the teacup and took a sip, gesturing for the servants to see the guests off.

“The Empress Dowager is hesitant.” Gu Shao said goodbye and left the Qingxi Hall. When he walked out of the imperial palace, he sighed in secret. “She agreed to the empress’ request and planned to send Su Shaoge to Qingzhou as an imperial envoy. It seems that she feels sad for her daughter-in-law, but in fact, she changes her attitude toward the crown prince.”

When the Empress Dowager supported the crown prince firmly in the past, how would Gu Shao need to see her? She wouldn’t agree with the empress.

The reason was simple. The Su Family in Qingzhou was famous, and Su Shaoge was an outstanding member of the family and a talent that even Emperor Xianjia praised.

If he went back to his hometown as an imperial envoy to stand up for his nephew, obviously all people in the country would think that the emperor must not wholeheartedly support the crown prince and he favored the empress’ family.

Since Emperor Xianjia favored the empress, how would he be disappointed at her son, Prince of Zhao?

It would make the followers of Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao much more confident, so it was not a good thing to the crown prince.

The Empress Dowager who supported the crown prince wouldn’t give the Su Family such a chance.

After all, Su Bofeng whose foot was cut off at the age of thirteen was poor, but her child was more important.

However, now the Empress Dowager had agreed with the empress. Even when Gu Shao objected to her in person, she meant to speak for the empress, although she didn’t strongly support the Su Family and surrendered since he was firm.

Nevertheless, it showed a sign. On the eighth day of the lunar seventh month, Grand Princess Daiguo’s plan achieved a good result.

Between her daughter and her grandson, the Empress Dowager changed and chose the former.

“After all, that is her daughter. The Empress Dowager makes the choice according to the way of the world.” After a long while, Gu Shao saw the crown prince and frankly told him what had happened in the Qingxi Hall. He looked serious and continued, “So far, we don’t have a solution to make the Empress Dowager change her mind. So next we have to make a prompt decision, in case that she makes up her mind. Then we will take actions with more difficulties.”

After all, the Empress Dowager didn’t know about the state affairs, but she was experienced in fighting for the throne, the same as Emperor Xianjia.

And she was different from Grand Princess Daiguo, who was a meritorious statesman in name yet didn’t experience much pressure. Instead, the Empress Dowager was a thorn in the flesh of the late emperor’s two favored concubines those years.

If she decided to give up on the crown prince and protect Grand Princess Daiguo, the pressure on the crown prince would be no joking matter.

Even Gu Shao didn’t have the confidence to save the critical situation.

The crown prince heard that, and his expression was complicated for quite a while. Then he said, “I see.”

After pondering for a moment, he continued, “Since my grandma hasn’t decided if she would support Aunt Daiguo, let’s not talk about this matter now. What should we do about the case in Qingzhou?”

Gu Shao didn’t know the idea Consort Cui had told the crown prince, and he thought the Empress Dowager’s attitude was much more important than the case in Qingzhou. The crown prince and his followers could just watch the fun for now.

When he was about to remind the crown prince not to lose the sense of proportion, a young eunuch from the outer room rushed over and reported outside the door, “His Majesty told Prime Minister Gu to see him in the Palace of Xuanming now.”