C162

After returning to the relay station, Gu Changfeng did not go to see Mu Qianxue. Instead, he packed his luggage and left Jinling City before the city gates closed. By the time the news reached King Rui's Mansion, it was already the second day.

"This Lord Gu, at least send me a message. How can he leave without saying a word?" Xia Yue complained for a bit before asking Mu Qianxue, who was still drawing, "Princess, should we send someone to chase after him?"

A peony formed under Mu Qianxue's hand and bloomed in this harsh winter. "Why are you chasing me?"

Xia Yue replied without hesitation: "Of course it's to ask Princess about the matter you had previously entrusted to him."

After drawing the last stroke, Mu Qianxue put down the brush in her hand and said with a smile, "Leaving without saying goodbye, isn't that the best answer?"

Xia Yue blankly looked at her, "What kind of answer is this?"

A butterfly that had flown into the room at some unknown time flapped its gorgeous wings and flew onto the lifelike peony, trying to suck the nectar that was scarce in the winter, only knowing that it was just a painting.

"Gu Changfeng was not someone who did not leave a message. He left without saying a word. There's only one reason, and that is that he has convinced the Zhou Emperor." Mu Qianxue took out a La Plum that she had picked this morning from the two-eared bottle and moved it to the side of the butterfly. When the latter smelled the fragrance of the flower, it immediately flapped its wings and flew to the plum flower, greedily sucking on its nectar.

"So that's how it is." Suddenly, Xia Yue happily said, "So you're saying that the princess doesn't have to worry about the empress dowager bestowing a marriage anymore?"

Mu Qianxue heaved a sigh of relief, "As long as I'm not exposed, it should be enough."

A cold wind blew in, causing the silver charcoal burning in the basin to flash a few times. Nineteen pushed open the door and said with lowered eyes, "Princess, they've arrived."

"You've come at the right time." The corner of Mu Qianxue's mouth lifted slightly as she spoke with indifferent eyes, "Tomorrow, we'll have them go to the Board of Justice together and cry their grievances, no matter how great the commotion is. After so many days of liveliness, they have suddenly calmed down, and I presume that they're still not used to it."

Nineteen said hesitantly, "We have only just reached peace, and we have started again and again. I am worried that this frequent rhythm will lead to suspicion from His Majesty. Why don't we talk about it a little later?"

"Do you think he doesn't suspect it now?" Mu Qianxue looked at the butterfly which had absorbed all of its nectar and was flapping its wings in the air within the room. She said coldly, "I'm afraid that he has probably already sent people to investigate this matter."

Nineteen frowned and said, "Since the princess knows, why are you rushing forward? Aren't you afraid that it will backfire?"

Mu Qianxue smiled slightly and said, "In the Wei Wenbin case, in order to lower the morale of the Wei clan, Prince Rong and King An both advocated for a severe punishment in the imperial court, and they even secretly tried to rope in ministers to seek their support. When these two cases were brought out tomorrow, who do you think Emperor Zhou would suspect first?"

Nineteen's eyelids twitched. "King Rong and King An?"

"That's right." Mu Qianxue picked up a plum branch that had lost its fragrance and placed it at the tip of her nose, sniffing it, "Also, people can easily make the wrong decision when they are in a hurry or in a temper. She has already missed the case with Wei Wenbin once. What do you think the people of Jinling will think of him? "

Nineteen lowered his head to ponder over her words. After a long while, she raised her eyes and said, "I understand. I will do as you say."

That night, the howling cold wind blew, and just as the sky began to brighten, the wailing drum sounded from outside the Ministry of Justice's yamen. Two families complained about their wrongdoings, but they did not know each other, and their complaints about the injustice were different as well. They all had one thing in common, and that was that the people they reported were all surnamed Wei, the empress dowager's distant relative.

These two cases were quickly spread to the public. Every time a trial began, there would be many commoners listening outside the hall. There were discussions everywhere in the teahouse and tavern.

Dongfang Chonglou, who had finally calmed down after two days of peace, was once again overwhelmed by anxiety over these two cases. With one circle occupying the land, and the other trying to rob a civilian girl and beat them to death, the evidence was clear. It was just that the local officials had colluded with the Wei clan members and purposely defeated them.

All the people involved in this case were sent by the Ministry of Justice to be interrogated on the spot, and it took almost a month for the trial to conclude. Both cases were convicted on the defendant's behalf, and according to the Great Zhou Law, they were sentenced to either conscription or death; however, the punishment that the Hall of Virtue had decided upon was exile and dismissal, both of which were a tier lower than the punishment of the law.

With Cheng De Palace protecting him like this, the people of Jin'ling City became even more dissatisfied with this emperor. Even though this discontent did not threaten Dong Fang at the moment, but in the long run, it would eventually turn into a prairie fire!

On the twentieth of November, the first snow of the year began to fall. White snowflakes drifted down from the cloudy sky, as light as goose feathers, densely covering the bluestone floor.

Within Ning Shou Palace, Yin Qiu placed a brazier filled with high-quality silver charcoal at Empress Dowager Wei's feet. There were four more braziers inside the hall, making the place as warm as spring.

Yin Qiu took a maroon velour blanket woven with a wishbone pattern and placed it on Empress Dowager Wei's knees. She asked softly, "Empress Dowager, is it still cold?"

"Much better." Empress Dowager Wei shook her head as she stroked the soft, thick blanket. "Truly, year after year. This Dowager remembers I wasn't so afraid of the cold last year. I'm old!"

Yin Qiu handed the tea to the empress dowager, who smiled. "The empress dowager is at her prime. It has nothing to do with the word 'old'."

"You, you will coax This Dowager to be happy." Empress Dowager Wei smiled as she took a sip of her tea. She caressed the slightly burning wall and asked slowly, "How are Wei Hu and the others?" When she mentioned Wei Hu and the others, they were the distant relatives of the Wei family who had been punished for stealing and raiding civilian girls.

"In reply to the empress dowager, the servants were to escort them out of Jinling yesterday." Seeing Empress Dowager Wei's furrowed brow, Yin Qiu consoled her, "Empress Dowager, don't worry. We've already made preparations. The bailiffs will take good care of them along the way. They won't be wronged." She paused before smiling, "That's right, this servant forgot to tell the empress dowager a joyous matter."

"What kind of joyous event?" Empress Dowager Wei was surprised.

"Yesterday, when Imperial Physician Li checked on Esteemed Empress Zheng's pulse, he discovered that she was already pregnant with a woman named Yuyue."

Empress Dowager Wei happily nodded her head. "Indeed, this is a joyous occasion. This Dowager remembers that the last time Imperial Concubine was pregnant was before the Emperor ascended the throne, right?"

Yin Qiu smiled. "The empress dowager has a good memory. The last time was three years ago, when Liu Zhaoyi gave birth to Huai Rou Di Ji."

"The emperor has already submitted to several princes, but there's only one prince. I hope that Consort Zheng can help the emperor add another prince this time around." As she spoke, she said, "In a while, go to the storehouse and deliver the five blessings to Zheng Fei for her pillow."