Chapter 216: Last Night’s Rain and Wind - Trouble Within the Walls (2)

Chapter 216: Last Night's Rain and Wind - Trouble Within the Walls (Part Two)

Minglan counted on her fingers, and based on the timeline of the messages, it seemed that Shen Congxing was ambushed shortly after his major victory. Around the same time, Old Marshal Bo fell from his horse and was severely injured. As for the exact news about her dear husband, it remained as vague as ever.

When the news reached the capital, the emperor was enraged—both shocked and deeply worried. According to Old Father Sheng's report, compared to the reaction when news of Zhang Gu's defeat arrived, this time the emperor seemed genuinely anxious. The empress and Madam Shen both cried so hard they fainted, while Madam Zhang, slightly slower to react, fell "ill with worry" later in the day, likely for the sake of appearances.

Old Lady Bo, on the other hand, expressed overwhelming grief. To prevent herself from passing away out of sorrow, she decided to move to her estate in the suburbs of the capital to recover. At this point, Minglan couldn't help but sarcastically comment: "Come on, you've been a military wife for over fifty years. Haven't you already grown numb? What's there to be heartbroken about?"

Years ago, when Old Marshal Bo suffered a severe case of influenza so dangerous that the imperial physicians deemed it life-threatening, Old Lady Bo had remained remarkably calm, patting her husband's quilt as she said: "You go on ahead, don't wait for me—I'll find my way to you."

Old Marshal Bo was furious, roaring, "You heartless old hag! I refuse to die just to spite you!" After venting his temper, his illness miraculously improved.

— When Gu Tingye recounted this story, he actually looked admiring.

Meanwhile, the military officials all scrambled to petition for reinforcements, eager to be the first to step forward, while civil officials flooded the court with memorials. Some accused the generals of negligence and demanded severe punishment from the emperor, while others suggested recalling the severely injured Bo and Shen to the capital for further deliberation. In teahouses and taverns, discussions ran wild—some cursed Shen, Zhang, and Gu for their incompetence, while others quietly criticized the emperor's poor judgment in choosing people and his hasty use of troops. The capital quickly descended into a peculiar kind of chaos.

Minglan stayed silent.

In the following days, she felt unusually fatigued, so much so that she couldn't even summon the energy to play with her son. She could only sit and watch Sister Xian patiently and gently teach the little chubby boy to speak, while Sister Rong sat quietly by the side, her eyes filled with a mix of longing and disappointment.

That morning, when Minglan woke up, Xiaotao helped her sit up slowly. Cuiwei came in carrying a steaming copper basin and, wetting a towel with a smile, said, "I went to check on Ruomei this morning. She's looking much better. The little boy is chubby and sturdy—two wet nurses aren't even enough to feed him!"

Minglan struggled to support herself on the edge of the bed and stood up. She draped a lightly padded ink-colored jacket embroidered with flowers over her shoulders and slowly walked to the window. Opening it just a crack, she reached her hand out. Fine raindrops fell on the back of her hand, carried by the chill of an early spring breeze, cool and refreshing.

"It's a bit chilly outside today, Madam. You should wear more layers," Cuiwei said as she wrung out the towel.

Minglan muttered, "I hate rainy days." Her eyes darted around, and thick-skinned, she added, "Might as well go back to sleep for a bit." Saying this, she moved her plump body like a waddling penguin with out-turned feet back toward the bed.

Cuiwei, both amused and exasperated, placed the warm, damp towel on her hand. "Madam, if you want to sleep more, that's fine. But at least wash your face and hands first, and have some porridge before you sleep again. You might not feel hungry, but the little one in your belly needs to eat."

Minglan slowly wiped her hands, returned the towel, and was just about to say, "I feel like eating some milk-scented buns today," when Lüzhi suddenly rushed in from outside, flustered and anxious.

"Madam, Madam! Someone from the palace is here—they've come to summon you to the palace!"

With a soft plop, the towel in Cuiwei's hand fell into the basin, splashing a few tiny droplets onto the crimson velvet carpet. The water spots darkened it like ominous ink stains.

It was Xiaotao who remained the calmest, likely because she hadn't grasped what was amiss. Minglan spoke in a low voice, "Help me change my clothes."

Lüzhi stepped closer, hesitating. "Madam, but outside…"

Minglan steadied herself and asked, "Is it an imperial edict or just a verbal message?"

Lüzhi was a bit confused but quickly recalled, replying, "It should be a verbal message since Sister Liao didn't prepare an incense table." Having handled imperial decrees and rewards many times before, the senior maids in the household were well-versed in the procedures.

Minglan, now completely alert and sharp, gave clear instructions: "Tell Steward Hao to entertain the envoys in the front hall with tea and have them wait. Explain that I've been unwell lately and haven't risen yet, but I'm currently washing and dressing."

Lüzhi nodded and was about to leave but was called back by Minglan. She added, "You and Xiahe, both of you with sharp eyes, go to the front and take a look. See if the ones delivering the message are the female officials and palace maids from the Empress's entourage, or if it's Xiao Xia Gonggong and his people."

Lüzhi, sharp and quick-witted, sensed the urgency of the matter and hurriedly dashed out after responding.

Minglan took a deep breath, steadied herself, and stood upright, extending her arms so the others could help her dress and fix her hair. Xiaotao struggled to slip shoes onto Minglan's feet, while Cuiwei, tying the sash of the inner garment, trembled as she said, "Madam, you're already this far along in your pregnancy—who knows if you might give birth at any moment. Why would the palace summon you now? What if something bad happens…?" Her voice trailed off as an ominous thought struck her—would the child end up being born in the palace?

Sweat began to bead on her forehead as another possibility came to her. "Could it be that the Marquis…" She stopped short, swallowing hard, thinking of the worst-case scenario—defeat in battle leading to confiscation of the family property?

Minglan slowly shook her head. "Don't scare yourself before we know anything."

The Empress, though unreliable in many ways, was fundamentally kind and gentle-hearted. Last time, when Minglan was pregnant with Fatty Tuan, the Empress had taken the initiative to excuse her from the New Year's Day palace greetings. If there wasn't something urgent, the Empress would never summon her at this moment.

But if it was something important, shouldn't Madam Shen have given her some advance notice?

Unless… it was to hold her accountable.

But for such matters of state and military affairs, why would the Empress get involved? If it were about defeat in battle and confiscating property, a single decree would suffice—why bother sending palace officials to deliver a verbal message? Moreover, there hadn't been the slightest word from Liu Zhengjie's side. So, unless… it was the Emperor himself.

Once she was fully dressed in her formal court attire, Xiaotao helped Minglan turn around in front of the mirror. Cuiwei cautiously brought out the pearl crown and was about to place it on Minglan's head when Minglan gently waved her hand. "This thing is so heavy. Just hold onto it for now."

At that moment, hurried footsteps, like drumming, echoed from outside. Lüzhi and Xiahe rushed in, gasping for breath. "Steward Hao has managed to calm the envoys down. Xiahe and I peeked through the screen and got a good look. Leading them was a eunuch and a female official, and they said they came on the Empress's orders. But we don't recognize them—or anyone with them!"

Minglan frowned deeply. Something about this felt off. She was familiar with most of the prominent female officials and eunuchs in the Empress's entourage, yet none of these people rang a bell.

Just then, Mama Cui entered quietly and said, "The soft sedan chair is ready, Madam. Shall we…?"

Seeing the older woman's face filled with worry, Minglan reassured her with a calm smile. "Don't worry, Mama. In all my years, when have you ever seen me suffer a loss?"

Mama Cui sighed in relief and helped Minglan slowly walk out of Jiayi Residence. They sat in the soft sedan chair, facing the cool, fine rain, and made their way toward the outer courtyard's front hall. They quietly passed the main hall's front door, and Minglan got off the sedan chair, taking the side path. She was supported by Lüzhi and Xiaotao as they quietly entered the main hall through the back, where, through the sixteen red lattice doors, they could vaguely see Steward Hao flattering the envoys, offering them tea and snacks.

According to Lüzhi, Steward Hao had previously bribed them with quite a bit of silver, which was why everything seemed so calm.

Minglan leaned closer to the lattice and carefully peered through the grids. From the eunuch with his large ears to the middle-aged, thin female official, and even the row of small palace maids standing behind—none of them were familiar to her. Could someone be impersonating the imperial decree?

As she pondered this without finding an answer, Mama Cui quietly approached and whispered in her ear, "I had a few seamstresses take a look. The clothes, accessories, and tools they're carrying are definitely from the palace."

Minglan furrowed her brows once more, thinking for a moment. She then called Xiaotao over and whispered a few instructions. She raised her head and said quietly, "Tell Steward Hao exactly this. He'll understand."

Xiaotao immediately rushed out, and not long after, Gu Quan swiftly entered the front hall. He leaned in and whispered to Steward Hao, "Madam is behind the lattice. These palace servants are fake. Test them by asking if Lady Han's cough has improved."

Steward Hao, ever so sharp, discreetly glanced behind him, then smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Eunuch Chen, Officer Huang, Her Majesty has sent many decrees and rewards to the manor in recent years, but I've never seen the two of you. I suppose, with so many high-ranking officials in the palace, it's understandable that we can't recognize everyone."

The eunuch's expression shifted for a moment, but he quickly recovered and laughed, "There are many servants in the palace, each sent on different errands. The Ningyuan Marquis Manor has always been generous, so it's a lucrative job to deliver an imperial decree here. Many people are eager for the chance."

Steward Hao repeatedly expressed humility and then turned to smile at the female official. "Officer Huang, I have a small request. While our Madam has yet to arrive, could I trouble you to pass a message to Lady Han's side through the Palace Steward? I've recently acquired some fine loquat syrup. I wonder when it could be delivered to Her Majesty. The weather's been so fickle, and if Lady Han's cough flares up again, it might be troublesome."

The female official's expression remained unchanged as she scanned him with a piercing gaze. "There are only two Palace Stewards in the Empress's service—one surnamed Liu and the other surnamed Wu. There is no Palace Steward named Han! Don't try to play tricks. Hurry up and get Madam Gu out here. If you delay any further, do you think your entire Gu family will escape unscathed?"

The words struck Minglan like a blow, and the tension in her body immediately relaxed as if a tight knot had been untied. Her legs wobbled, almost unable to support her. She leaned on Xiaotao and slowly stepped away from the lattice door. Once seated, she wiped away a cold sweat, letting out a long breath of relief.

There was indeed no Palace Steward named Han beside the Empress, but there was a trusted and influential figure, Steward Han, who had taken on increasing responsibilities. The current Steward Liu, however, was getting older and was about to retire, and the Empress had long favored the idea of promoting Steward Han. As a result, since the beginning of the year, the smaller palace maids and eunuchs had been calling him "Palace Steward Han" in preparation.

Of course, such matters were known among the lower ranks, but not necessarily by the higher-ups. The lower-ranked staff knew, but the masters above them might not be aware. How could the small, fifth-rank Officer Huang not know this? How could she dare to show disrespect?

Unless… she wasn't really from the Empress's palace at all! Minglan narrowed her eyes slightly.

Gu Quan rushed into the front hall again to pass on a message. Steward Hao, who had been continuously apologizing and flattering, perked up upon hearing the news. He immediately turned to face the two visitors, laughing loudly. "Ah, two esteemed officials, I am truly ignorant. They say that fabricating an imperial decree is tantamount to falsely issuing a decree—so what does it mean when the one issuing a false decree is the master themselves?"

The two visitors immediately paled, and the eunuch slammed the table with a loud bang, his voice sharp. "How dare you be so bold! To slander us like this!" The female official's eyes darkened. "It's said that Lord Gu is powerful and influential outside the capital, but now we see his true face. Now, he dares to disregard the imperial will—if he defies the decree today, will he be rebelling tomorrow?"

"There's no need to put such a big hat on us," Steward Hao smiled, his expression still calm. He was a man of some standing outside, not someone who would easily be intimidated. "Our household is not some small, unrefined family. Given the relationship between General Zheng's wife and our Madam, we are quite familiar with the high-ranking officials around the Empress."

The two individuals exchanged a glance, and the eunuch suddenly forced a smile. "Steward Hao has a good eye. We indeed aren't from the Empress's palace, but this decree was issued by Her Majesty herself. Recently, the palace has been busy, so the Empress sent us to handle the matter."

Steward Hao smiled and asked which palace they were from, but the two of them hesitated, unable to give a clear answer. They simply said they were ordinary servants of the palace. Steward Hao immediately dropped his friendly facade. "You two are underestimating me. Even if I'm as dull as a pig, I wouldn't believe that! The rules in the palace are stricter than those in our own homes. For a whole group to leave the palace, they must have a release token. With all due respect, even if the Empress is kind and generous, she wouldn't just give her palace's token to anyone."

The eunuch realized that Steward Hao was not so easily fooled, and secretly grew anxious. At this point, the female official spoke up. "We are from the Empress Dowager's palace. The Empress Dowager's rank is still above that of the Empress. Now, you can rest easy."

Steward Hao coldly responded, "How can I rest easy? You two can't even get your story straight. The Marquis is away at the moment, so we must be extra cautious in guarding the Madam. How could we entrust her to such vague and uncertain individuals?"

The eunuch, now frustrated, raised his voice sharply. "What are you going to do then?! Defy the decree?!"

"You two must at least clarify whether you're really from the palace," Steward Hao said leisurely.

The female official coldly observed him for a moment, then slowly pulled out a dark, gold-threaded token from her sleeve and slapped it on the table. Steward Hao leaned in for a closer look. It was indeed the palace's official entry and exit token. Unfortunately, the female official quickly took it back, and Steward Hao could not clearly see the numbers engraved beneath the token.

The female official said, "We are indeed from the palace. The palace officials have their orders. It would not be too much to ask Madam Gu to come with us."

Steward Hao stroked his beard and was about to speak when a flurry of noise came from outside. A young maid rushed in, stumbling, and shouted, "Madam is having severe abdominal pain and bleeding. She asked you to hurry and call the doctor!"

A flash of urgency struck Steward Hao's mind. He immediately put on an expression of "utter panic," raising his voice dramatically. "Ah—oh no! The doctor had said before that Madam's pregnancy was not going well. It seems there's trouble now!"

He then shouted at a nearby servant, "You fool, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and call the doctor!"

The servant scrambled and ran out, and Steward Hao turned back to the officials, smiling apologetically. "I beg your pardon, ladies, but our Madam is about to give birth in the coming days, and it seems there's an issue now… alas, it looks like we won't be able to go to the palace after all."

The female official and the eunuch's expressions were extremely ugly, and they were about to speak threateningly when Steward Hao turned back to the maid who had delivered the message. He said, "Hurry and go back to Madam, tell her that the doctor will be here shortly. Tell her to hang on and not to worry about going to the palace. Surely, the masters in the palace are kind and benevolent, they wouldn't deliberately harm Madam and her child!"

The little maid, seemingly frightened, wiped away her tears and quickly ran out. By the time she entered the inner room at Jiayi Courtyard, her face no longer showed any signs of crying or panic. Instead, she had a mischievous and proud look, saying, "Sister Xiaotao was going to rub onions on me, but I told her not to. I really did cry just now, and I scared everyone!"

"Little girl, you're showing off," Luzhi pulled her into the room, asking anxiously, "So, what happened?"

Cui Xiu, following Xiaotao's lead, wasn't foolish but wasn't quick-witted either, and said, "Nothing happened. After I finished, I came out. Oh, and Steward Hao said the doctor would be here soon."

Luzhi was beside herself, hopping around. "Who asked about the doctor?!"

Minglan chuckled, "Why are you yelling at her? I asked her to put on an act, and now she's back. That's all."

Luzhi shot a glance at Cui Xiu, sighed helplessly, and led her out to eat some fruit.

Cui Mama and Cuiwei helped Minglan out of her robe, loosened her hair, and took off her shoes and socks. After a lot of work, Minglan finally lay down on the bed, feeling all her muscles sore and her calves aching.

As Cuiwei folded the official robes and took them to the back to press and organize them, Cui Mama turned back, looking worried. "Madam, what… what do we do? It really is the Empress Dowager…"

Minglan rubbed her temples and said softly, "The Empress Dowager is indeed the Empress Dowager, but not the Saint An Empress Dowager, but the Saint De Empress Dowager." One is her biological mother, and the other… isn't even her stepmother.

Cui Mama was shocked. "Ah, it's the Saint De Empress Dowager! We have no enmity with her, so why is she making things difficult for you?"

"Yes, yes, we all know she's trying to make things difficult for me," Minglan replied. "That old lady wants to amuse herself, and if she made me stand for two hours or kneel for half an hour, even if the Emperor and the Empress saved me, it would still be bad. Life is important, safety first. So, even if this decree is real, I cannot comply. If necessary, I will go to the Emperor to settle it. But for now, we cannot take this loss."

Minglan was muttering to herself when she suddenly saw Xiaotao rush in with a flushed face, followed by an anxious Luzhi who was twisting Xiaotao's arm and asking repeatedly, "You've been out there for so long, hurry up and tell us what happened!"

Xiaotao yanked her arm free from Luzhi's grip and glared, "It hurts! Let go, I'll tell you now!"

Once she caught her breath, she moved closer to Minglan and reported, "Right now, Steward Gao has sent those people away. Madam, you don't know, those two were throwing a huge tantrum earlier! They were slamming tables, shouting at people, and even saying that our house is planning to rebel, and that you had to go out! I was really scared, but to my surprise, Steward Gao wasn't afraid at all. He got bolder the more they spoke, and in the end, those two couldn't do anything, and since they couldn't barge in and hit anyone, they had no choice but to leave."

Minglan smiled, her lips curving upwards. She asked a few more questions about how the eunuch and the female official had thrown their tantrum and made threats. Xiaotao answered each question, and in the end, Minglan praised, "Steward Gao has good judgment. There was definitely something shady about that decree."

It was always the case that the palace officials sent to issue a decree at a noble family's home were proud and arrogant, looking down on everyone. Who would dare defy the decree? They wouldn't say much, just sneer a few times, and then report back to the Emperor and Empress, bringing up charges with a heavy hand.

Unlike today's two, who were so desperate, as if they had to take her away.

"They were so angry, before they left, they even said we'd have to wait and see," Xiaotao added the final piece.

Minglan snorted disdainfully, "Let them wait and see, then!"

Only the emperor had control over the Imperial Guards and the Forbidden Army to arrest criminals, seize property, and question suspects. If this decree were legitimate, the Holy Decreeing Empress Dowager would first need to report to the Emperor, and it would be the Emperor who would issue an order for arrests, because the harem itself had no military authority.

But if this decree were false, heh heh…

Wait—no, that's wrong!

A smile froze on Minglan's face as a loud alarm suddenly went off in her mind. She quickly sat up on the bed, pounding the pillow in frustration. She shouted, "This is bad! This is bad! Quickly, Xiaotao, Luzhi, go find Steward Gao! Tell him to send someone reliable to find Lord Liu Zhengjie and tell him about this, then go door to door and make sure no one goes to the palace!"

"Which families?" Xiao Tao was startled, and Lv Zhi was also stunned.

"General Duan's family, Duke Shen's family, the Duke Ying's residence, and also the Bo family, the Zhong family, the Geng family, the Fu family… these first few, I'll think of more later, hurry up, go quickly!" Minglan anxiously patted the bed.

The two girls quickly responded and went out.

Cui Mama, seeing Minglan's anxious expression, asked in a trembling voice, "Madam, what's going on?"

Minglan's expression grew serious as she slowly said, "Cui Mama, do you still remember the 'Shenchen Rebellion' from that year? It also deceived many noblewomen into the palace."

Cui Mama's eyes instantly widened, and she exclaimed in shock, "No way!"

"I hope I'm just overthinking," Minglan sighed.

She leaned wearily against the headboard, hugging her belly tightly with both arms. She placed her palm on her stomach, quietly feeling the rhythmic movements of the baby.

—This child inside was very well-behaved, unlike the chubby one who kicked around wildly. This one only moved a few times when uncomfortable, likely to grow into a quiet, well-behaved child.

She could only hope that when he or she is born, the world would already be at peace, with no more turmoil.

Chapter 216: Last Night's Rain and Wind - Trouble Within the Walls (Part Two)