Chapter 1889: 1877: Audience with the Emperor

Chapter 1889: Chapter 1877: Audience with the Emperor

In the Imperial Study Room at the front, Fu Jian and Song Chongjin reported to the Emperor, in full detail, everything they had seen and heard on the grasslands.

Even their supper was delivered from the Imperial Kitchen to the Imperial Study Room; everyone merely filled their stomachs in haste and let it go at that.

They talked on until deep into the night. In the meantime, the Emperor also asked quite a few questions. There were many matters Fu Jian did not know, so he could only honestly admit he was unclear—for instance, how Wang Yongzhu and Bi Zhu had come to an agreement; he did not know, only that Wang Yongzhu and Bi Zhu had joined hands and that certain things needed to be done.

Fu Jian did not even know Bi Zhu’s real name, only that she was Prince Muhal’s Princess Consort, so when he reported, it all sounded somewhat vague.

The Emperor did have a conjecture, but it would not do to question Song Chongjin about it in front of Fu Jian, so he held it back.

Seeing that the second night‑watch drum had already sounded and it was indeed late, the Emperor signaled for a chamberlain to lead the two of them down to rest.

In the front‑court palace there was a small courtyard where Imperial Court officials on rotation duty took their rest; in ordinary times, it was used by officials who, for some reason, could not leave the palace and had to lodge there overnight while on duty.

Bedding and suchlike were all provided in full.

Song Chongjin hesitated to speak. When the Empress had summoned Wang Yongzhu, he had also heard it when Chief Steward Su came in to report to the Emperor.

Now that he was to go to the officials’ rotation quarters at the front, what was to become of Yongzhu?

Chief Steward Su was exceedingly shrewd; with one glance he understood. Taking advantage of the moment while seeing them out, he quietly reminded him: “Lord Song, pray be at ease. In each chief consort’s palace there is a place prepared for the lodging of female guests from outside the palace. Since Lady Dingguo is in Her Majesty the Empress’s palace, naturally all will be safe and in good order.”

Only then did Song Chongjin loosen his heart a little.

These palace protocols he did not know, having not grown up in the Duke Weiguo Residence in the Capital City, so he gave Chief Steward Su extra thanks before following the chamberlain off to rest.

As for Wang Yongzhu, she took her meal in Changchun Palace, then accompanied the Empress in a round of idle conversation. The Empress also hinted that, though she herself did not know why the Emperor was so anxious to summon them back, she had once heard the Emperor let slip a word or two about the dragon vein; it must be something of great importance.

Wang Yongzhu had a sense of it in her heart. The Emperor had likely learned of the collapse of the so‑called Dragon Palace Cave; hence he could not sit still and urgently summoned them back to the Capital.

Sure enough, early the next morning, after court, once the Emperor had dealt with a few pressing major affairs, he hurried straight to Changchun Palace.

The Empress was exceedingly tactful. Seeing the Emperor arrive, she pointed to the Ninth Prince as an excuse, then took the attendants and withdrew, leaving Wang Yongzhu and the Emperor alone in the study.

Those outside were all taken over by the Emperor’s own men; no one else dared draw near.

The Emperor’s expression did not show much agitation; adopting a tone of casual conversation, he first asked whether Wang Yongzhu had met Bi Zhu.

Only then did Wang Yongzhu relate, in full detail, Bi Zhu’s present situation. As the Emperor listened, his gaze flickered, and he was slightly distracted; he had never imagined that the frail little maid who had once needed to take shelter behind him had now become the Empress Dowager of the Grasslands.

Who under heaven could have foreseen that among women like Glazed Ji—treated as playthings and scorned by all—there would emerge such a personage.

But he quickly cast that sighing emotion aside; none of that was what mattered.

What mattered most now was Qi Le’s whereabouts: “I have heard that Qi Le has gone missing? That she disappeared in the secondary residence in the Grasslands Royal City, and that you and Minister Song were present at the time? Was there anything suspicious?”

Wang Yongzhu pushed it all away in one clean sweep: “It was indeed suspicious. At the time, both my husband and I were in the secondary residence. That night Qi Le even summoned us to dine together. The next day we heard Qi Le had vanished without a trace. We searched all around, but there was no sign of her. She must have met with some mischance.”

The Emperor found Wang Yongzhu’s oil‑and‑salt‑won’t‑enter manner truly headache‑inducing. But the matter was of great weight, so he did not beat around the bush and spoke directly: “I dislike going in circles, so I will ask plainly: early this year, you led a party into the mountain ranges within Yunzhong County and did not emerge for more than half a month. What were you doing there?”

Before Wang Yongzhu could answer, the Emperor added another line: “Those people who went into the mountains with you are all in my hands—”

The words that had almost reached her lips were swallowed back; Wang Yongzhu’s brows gave a twitch. After steadying herself, she said softly, “Since nothing can be hidden from Your Majesty, then I shall speak frankly.”

“Your Majesty should know that my mother‑in‑law is the granddaughter of Scholar Qi. When the Qi Family was confiscated and exiled, she was redeemed by Duke Weiguo and raised outside the Duke’s Mansion. It was still the people Qi Le had left behind in the Capital City who secretly informed her that Duke Weiguo was to take a wife, and even helped her escape from the Capital City.”