strictlysupreme Chapter 73 The Su family has quite the ambition.
Chapter 73 The Su family has quite the ambition.
"That's a really good idea, Jinse! I'll leave this matter to you. As for Li Quan, you should go to the Imperial Household Department and make sure he's taken good care of." Su Nuannuan nodded slightly, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction, and gave the instructions softly.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jinse and Li Quan replied in unison.
According to palace rules, items from outside the palace are generally strictly prohibited from being sent into the palace, since no one can guarantee that there are no problems with these items.
However, this rule might be effective for others, but it didn't apply to Su Nuannuan. Firstly, she possessed a special privilege granted by the Empress; secondly, as a concubine, she naturally wielded some power. Therefore, as long as the quantity of gifts sent was not excessive, there was absolutely no problem.
"Oh, right! Remember to tell my third brother not to buy too many, four or five will be enough." Just as Jinse and Li Quan were about to step out of the palace, Su Nuannuan suddenly remembered something and hurriedly called out.
She knew her third brother's personality very well. If she didn't set a clear limit for him, he would probably buy her a whole truckload of stuff without hesitation.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jinse stopped upon hearing this, turned around, bowed respectfully to Su Nuannuan, and replied. Then, she hurriedly left to begin preparations for leaving the palace.
Anning Palace
"Your Majesty, I overheard some news outside that Zhenguo Gong is planning to request to leave his clan." Chen Honghai, the chief steward of Anning Palace, hurriedly entered the hall, bowed to the Empress sitting on the couch, and quickly reported this startling news to his master.
Upon hearing this, the Empress was slightly startled, but quickly regained her composure. She gently put down the embroidery frame she was meticulously working on, raised her head, and looked at Chen Honghai. In her usual calm tone, she asked, "Oh? Is this true? Do you know the reason behind it?"
Chen Honghai quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I have only just learned of this matter. I heard that the Su family intends to send another woman into the palace to serve the Emperor, but the Duke of Zhenguo firmly opposes this. The two sides are deadlocked, and in the end, the Duke of Zhenguo actually decided to request to leave the clan himself to show his determination."
The Empress sneered, a barely perceptible hint of contempt flashing in her eyes. She said mockingly, "Hmph, it seems the Su family's ambitions are truly considerable! They actually dare to try and consolidate their position and gain more benefits by relying on the women in their family. Unfortunately for them, they've miscalculated. This imperial palace is not a place they can so easily manipulate!"
Chen Honghai stood to the side, head bowed, not daring to interrupt, and simply listened quietly to the Empress's words.
After a brief pause, the Empress seemed to remember something important and then asked, "By the way, what is Consort Zhuang's reaction to this matter?"
Chen Honghai hesitated for a moment, then cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, as far as I know, Consort Zhuang has not made any unusual moves regarding this matter. Apart from drying the gourd strips in the courtyard, everything else seems perfectly normal."
Upon hearing this, the Empress sighed softly and said slowly, "I almost forgot. Yingchun mentioned it when she came over earlier; Consort Zhuang is busy drying those gourd strips. It seems she doesn't care at all about the Su family's actions or the Duke of Zhenguo's request to leave the clan!" After saying this, the Empress shook her head thoughtfully.
"We must keep a close eye on the every move of the woman the Su family is preparing to send to the palace, investigate thoroughly, and find out what kind of person she really is," the Empress instructed solemnly as she sat on the couch.
"Yes, Your Majesty! I will immediately arrange for people to investigate this matter." Chen Honghai bowed respectfully, then turned and hurriedly left the palace to begin arranging the relevant matters.
At this moment, Yingqiu, a palace maid beside the Empress, was skillfully sorting through various embroidery threads. After hearing the conversation between the Empress and Chen Honghai, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Your Majesty, do you think Consort Zhuang is genuinely indifferent to this matter, or is she just pretending not to care?"
The Empress slightly raised her head, glanced at Ying Qiu, and then turned her gaze back to the embroidery frame in her hands. As she continued to sew, she replied softly, "In my opinion, Consort Zhuang is probably not very concerned about this matter."
"Her character is indeed difficult to describe in simple terms. You might say she doesn't compete, but she will show her sharpness on certain occasions; however, just when everyone thinks she's going to fight with all her might, she suddenly backs down and restrains herself. It's really baffling." The Empress shook her head slightly, a helpless smile on her face.
"Your Highness, what you've said has confused even me. I really don't understand what Consort Zhuang is thinking." Yingqiu shook her head in distress.
Zhenguogongfu
"The Duke is back." As soon as she heard the familiar footsteps and the respectful greetings from the servants outside the door, the Duchess of Zhenguo immediately put down her embroidery and hurriedly got up to greet him. She saw the Duke of Zhenguo, dressed in court robes, calmly stepping into the gate of the mansion.
Today, the Duke of Zhenguo received an urgent summons from the Emperor and hurriedly entered the palace for an audience. His wife remained at home, her heart pounding with anxiety—like fifteen buckets of water being drawn up and down—she was restless and uneasy. She knew all too well the treacherous nature of the palace, the countless schemes and plots that were impossible to guard against, and she feared the Emperor might believe the baseless slander fabricated by those with ulterior motives, thus bringing punishment upon the Duke of Zhenguo's family.
Even when I'm doing needlework, I can't calm my mind.
"Don't worry, Madam, everything is fine, nothing serious." The Duke of Zhenguo walked quickly to his wife, extended his broad and warm hand, held her soft hand tightly, and patted it gently to comfort her.
"Why has Your Majesty summoned my husband to the palace so urgently? I am truly worried to death," the Duchess of Zhenguo asked with a worried expression.
The Duke of Zhenguo frowned slightly and said slowly, "His Majesty summoned me to the palace to inquire about the matter of the Duke's family requesting to leave the clan."
"Ah? What will His Majesty's reaction be?" The Duchess of Zhenguo's heart jumped into her throat, and she stared nervously at her husband.
The Duke of Zhenguo raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile, and said in a low voice, "This is, after all, merely a subject's family matter, and the Emperor will naturally not easily interfere. He summoned me to the palace this time simply to satisfy his own curiosity." As he said this, the Duke of Zhenguo deliberately lowered his voice to an extremely low level, as if afraid of being overheard by others.
"That's wonderful, thank goodness, it finally puts my mind at ease a little." The Duchess of Zhenguo gently patted her chest, still feeling lingering fear.
"By the way, Madam, quickly send someone to summon Heng'er to the study. Neither my son nor I have seen the things Nuannuan sent." The Duke of Zhenguo said as he walked towards the study.