Chapter 186
Chapter 186: The Empress Dowager and the Powerful Minister
The Marquis of Jian Ning and his brother Wang Tang Yao got into a conflict.
“At this critical moment, can you use this Miss Bai to prove that Prince Yong’s intended consort killed Qiu Shi Dong?” the Marquis of Jian Ning asked him.
Wang Tang Yao said: “No.”
“Will the rumors you spread definitely attack Prince Yong and the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s residence the way you want?” the Marquis of Jian Ning asked again.
Wang Tang Yao said: “No.”
“Her background does not even need to be investigated. She is the daughter born from an affair between Qiu Shi Dong and the Madam of the Marquis of Zhen Nan. Bai Yu Lin also knows the inside story.
The Marquis of Zhen Nan’s residence naturally wanted to kill Qiu Shi Dong. He was bound to become a disaster sooner or later. Now that Qiu Shi Dong is dead, who hates the Luo family the most?” the Marquis of Jian Ning asked again.
Wang Tang Yao’s brows tightened slightly.
“It is not you, but this young lady Bai Ci Rong. Do not touch her for now,” said the Marquis of Jian Ning.
Wang Tang Yao was silent for a moment before he said: “Qiu Shi Dong died in the Zheng family household. That harms the reputation of the Duke of the Realm and Her Majesty the Empress.”
“When things go too far, they swing back the other way. Maybe one day they will turn their luck around. The Zheng family has indeed been unlucky lately, but it was not caused by others.
Are the dirty things Zheng Xiao did just slander? That Fourth Miss Zheng, so arrogant and domineering, is that also a false charge against her?
If they do not restrain themselves, Madam Zheng’s bitter days are still ahead. If the Duke of the Realm’s residence offends the Emperor, that would truly bring disaster onto Her Majesty the Empress.
Right now, we should just let the Censorate and public opinion spit curses at the Duke of the Realm’s residence for a while to teach them a lesson,” the Marquis of Jian Ning said.
He went on: “It is a pity about Her Majesty the Empress, who has worked so hard to raise the Eldest Prince. When the Eldest Prince fell ill, she personally went to the temple to pray for blessings.
Less than a month has passed, and who still remembers that she went to pray? She has indeed been dragged down by her natal family. And she did not even grow up in the Duke of the Realm’s residence, so this disaster is truly undeserved.”
Wang Tang Yao’s gaze darkened. His lips were bright red, and when his eyes turned cold, he seemed as if he had drunk human blood, especially dark and eerie.
“You are a smart man, but you get confused when you care too much,” the Marquis of Jian Ning said again. Then he lowered his voice: “Just do your job well. When the ‘Empress Dowager’ rules as regent in the future, she will surely make heavy use of you.”
The Marquis of Jian Ning stressed the words “Empress Dowager” and “heavy use” especially hard.
He even hinted to Wang Tang Yao that, by then, he would not only hold overwhelming power, but the romantic dreams of his youth would also come true.
The Emperor would die sooner or later. Everyone knew his health was poor; he had at most three to five years left.
The Marquis of Jian Ning planned to mobilize the power of the Wang family and make sure Wang Tang Yao rose to the position of Chief Justice of the Dali Court within five years.
“Brother, you should still rein yourself in a little,” Wang Tang Yao said. As soon as he spoke, the seductive air beneath his stern manner faded by more than half. “If you always want more, you will end up with nothing. I have no ambition to rule over others.”
“And what about Zheng Yu Heng, then? No ambition there either?”
“Brother, that is great disrespect. You must not call the Empress by her given name in private,” Wang Tang Yao said. “I admire her in an open and upright way, not like a sneak. A refined, romantic feeling sounds filthy when it comes from your mouth.”
The Marquis of Jian Ning: “…”
His younger brother was proud and aloof, yet also sharp and clever, more promising than any of the Marquis of Jian Ning’s sons. The Marquis had long been used to spoiling him and was especially tolerant of him.
Wang Tang Yao did not continue to dig into Qiu Shi Dong’s death.
Bai Ci Rong soon heard about it.
She was the adopted daughter of the Marquis of Jian Ning’s residence, not a prisoner, so news from outside was not kept from her.
After she found out, she cried bitterly, and even in her sleep she trembled.
The nights in the tenth month were cold, but she woke drenched in sweat as if she had been soaked, even the strands of her hair wet through.
“When can I enter the palace? When will I receive the sacred favor?”
She did not dare go ask the Marquis of Jian Ning, only muttered to herself.
The maidservant who cared for her thought she had gone mad and hurried to tell the Marchioness.
Madam Wang sent someone to call a physician.
After drinking several doses of calming medicine, Bai Ci Rong could barely fall asleep and no longer woke drenched in cold sweat.
Besides fear, she felt even more anger.
“It was Luo Ning. Father was so sharp, there is no way he could have been killed so easily. Only Luo Ning wanted to kill him. I have to pull myself together and avenge Father.”
Her brother and father were dead; her mother was locked up in the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s residence, her life or death unknown.
She had only herself.
Her beauty was the only weapon she had to defeat Luo Ning.
In these few days, Bai Yu Lin had been asking around everywhere.
Almost no one in the streets talked about Qiu Shi Dong’s death. Everyone was talking about the Duke of the Realm.
The Duke of the Realm had tried to forcefully buy Prince Jiang’s hot spring villa to use as a dowry for his daughter, so Prince Jiang had his advisor write several memorials to the throne to complain.
The Duke of the Realm sent a go-between to plead his case. After that failed, the go-between was frightened to death by the Duke of the Realm.
It was all the fault of the great clans.
Along with him, even the Empress drew some voices of dissatisfaction.
The people in the city did not dare curse the Emperor or the Empress Dowager, and did not dare openly scold the Empress either, but used all kinds of hints to belittle her.
The good reputation she had built up last time vanished overnight.
Bai Yu Lin was trembling with fear: “Should I go back to Yuhang?”
After Qiu Shi Dong died, Bai Yu Lin lost his backbone. He no longer knew what he was still doing in the Inner Capital.
While he was running around in panic, Luo Ning came to his door.
Luo Ning wore a golden brown cloak.
That piece of clothing somehow added to her air of authority and nobility. She looked like a true highborn lady, proud and confident, yet keen and sharp.
Bai Yu Lin’s plump body shrank back, trying to hide.
“Uncle, are you not going to invite me to sit?” Luo Ning asked.
Bai Yu Lin said: “…A’Ning, I did not do anything to hurt you. Please do not kill me.”
Luo Ning laughed.
When she smiled, the seriousness on her faded. Her brows and eyes curved, looking very familiar.
She looked like Madam Bai, her mother.
“Uncle, I have not killed anyone. If you kill, you must pay with your life,” Luo Ning said.
Bai Yu Lin: “…”
“Serve me tea.” Luo Ning sat herself down in a chair in the Ming Hall. Seeing Bai Yu Lin try to rush for the door, she spoke again.
Bai Yu Lin shuffled back, unwillingly sat down beside her, and called to the serving maidservant: “Serve tea.”
A short while later, hot tea was brought in.
Luo Ning held the lid of the cup between her fingers and brushed aside the floating tea leaves. Her fingers were slender and pale, and there was a string of Buddhist prayer beads around her wrist. She took a light sip of hot tea, and the rising steam made her lips look bright and vivid.
Bai Yu Lin shivered, suspecting that one moment she might be chanting Buddha’s name and the next she would chop off his head.
“Uncle, drink your tea,” Luo Ning said.
Bai Yu Lin: “…” [So who exactly is the guest here?]
The hot tea did calm him a little. Maybe his cold sweat met the chill of the Ming Hall, because his head grew much clearer.
“Uncle, when do you plan to return to Yuhang?” Luo Ning asked.
“Tomorrow!”
He added: “If you are still worried, I will leave tonight.”
Luo Ning smiled: “There is no hurry. Since you are in the Inner Capital, drink my wedding wine before you go. When you leave, take my mother back to Yuhang to recover. Her health has not been good these days.”
Bai Yu Lin was stunned.
“Really?”
“Of course,” Luo Ning said. “Whether it is my grandmother or my father, they both hope she can live. Returning to her homeland may be good for her illness.”
For a moment, Bai Yu Lin felt very mixed emotions.
“She is still your mother, A’Ning. She gave birth to you,” he said, trying to gain some leverage over Luo Ning.
“Uncle, you helped quite a lot with Qiu Shi Dong’s matter. I remember all those debts,” Luo Ning said again.
Bai Yu Lin’s back stiffened again.
“I do not need you to do anything. Just shut your doors and stop jumping around,” Luo Ning said. “I have already sent people to keep watch nearby.
Uncle, do not pay lip service and then go against me. Bai Ci Rong is not dead. She is a daughter recorded in the Bai family clan genealogy. If I make a fuss, Prince Yong will wipe out Madam Bai’s whole clan.”
Bai Yu Lin: “…”
Right, even though Qiu Shi Dong was dead, Bai Ci Rong and Luo You were still living evidence. Especially Bai Ci Rong; on paper she was Bai Yu Lin’s daughter.
“I will not, I will listen to everything you say!” Bai Yu Lin promised again and again. “A’Ning, I will follow your orders.”