Chapter 153: Volume One, Chapter 153 – Defeated Subordinate

Volume One, Chapter 153 Defeated Subordinate

Yan Yin listened to Rong Good Lady's words and felt somewhat troubled; if the Empress Dowager were to relocate the palace first, it would amount to the Empress Dowager bowing before His Majesty, and given the Empress Dowager's temperament, how could she consent?

But now Rong Good Lady is no longer the little Good Lady of the Dong Gong; although she still holds the title of Good Lady, she has been brought into the Hou Gong by His Majesty as a noble consort, meaning that after the Late Emperor's coffin is placed in the imperial tomb and after His Majesty formally establishes the Hou Gong, she will be a firmly established noble consort.

Thus, Yan Yin's attitude toward Rong Good Lady can only become more respectful than before; given the Prince's fondness for Rong Good Lady, it seems unlikely that she will be made Empress in the coming years, and even if she is, she will not easily fall out of favor.

Yan Yin was quite distressed, fell silent for a moment, then looked at Rong Good Lady and said, "I, your humble servant, will advise the Empress Dowager, but I also ask Good Lady to speak on behalf of the Empress Dowager before His Majesty. The Empress Dowager has been at odds with Ming Taifei all her life, and naturally cannot let Ming Taifei make a mockery of her."

Rong Luoge, with a look of full understanding, laughed, "Aunt Yan, that's what you said; I will also advise His Majesty, but I can't guarantee I can persuade him. Please be understanding then, Aunt."

Rong Good Lady finished speaking, and Yan Yin could say nothing else but smile and say, "Then I shall trouble you, Rong Good Lady."

Rong Luoge smiled, then turned and left; on the way back, her expression grew somber, for the Empress Dowager's actions were not merely a contest of pride with Ming Taifei.

Now Ming Taifei and her son have become defeated subordinates, so there is no longer any point in wrestling with her; the Empress Dowager's target is His Majesty, that is, herself.

Rong Luoge recalled that His Majesty had tasked her with overseeing the overall affairs of the Hou Gong, and it seemed this brushed against the Empress Dowager's vulnerable spot.

Although the Empress Dowager has fought Ming Taifei all her life, the supreme authority of the Hou Gong has always been in her hands; now that His Majesty ascends the throne and expects the Empress Dowager to relinquish power, the Empress Dowager certainly will not agree.

Han Xinglan's suggestion that the Empress Dowager cede power gave Rong Luoge some insight into the reasons.

First, the Empress Dowager is very domineering; if she continues to control palace authority, that would be far from beneficial for her—it would be like being meat on a chopping board, where the Empress Dowager could strike a blow at any time, and she cannot always wait for the emperor to rescue her.

Without palace authority in her hands, how can she confront the Empress Dowager?

She fundamentally lacks the confidence to balance with the Empress Dowager, so Han Xinglan's point is certainly more about looking out for herself; after all, making her the later Empress now is extremely difficult.

Moreover, Han Xinglan's relationship with the Empress Dowager and her son has always been rather distant; their views differ, and they often become displeased over certain matters. In such a situation, letting the Empress Dowager head the Hou Gong is not a pleasant prospect for Han Xinglan.

Rong Luoge let out a gentle sigh; this matter still required careful consideration.

When she returned to Yuzhao Gong, Han Xinglan was still handling court affairs in the Zichen Hall; she sent Yuan Bao on an errand to ask His Majesty whether he wished to come over for dinner.

Yuan Bao went to Zichen Hall to find his master and returned swiftly; Rong Luoge was unsurprised—Han Xinglan had no time to come, and the evening might not be busy for long, so she told him not to wait.

Rong Luoge ate the first meal in the Hou Gong herself; the Xiaoqi dishes were all vegetarian, and she had little appetite, putting down her chopsticks after being about eighty percent full, still pondering the Empress Dowager's affairs.

If the Empress Dowager truly persisted and refused to step back, what should she do?

At such times, she must not let bad news spread through the Hou Gong. How can she ensure a smooth transition of this matter?

Rong Luoge's head ached terribly; after falling asleep at night, even in her dreams she saw the shadows of the Hou Gong's people.

When she woke up the next day, she thought that the Empress Dowager was now clinging to a pretext of not showing weakness to Ming Taifei; what if Ming Taifei moved first?

Rong Luoge cheered up at this thought, washed up, and had breakfast; Han Xinglan had returned last night but left early this morning, and Rong Luoge hadn't even seen her silhouette—truly a hectic schedule where even the dragon's head and tail were nowhere to be seen.

After breakfast, Rong Luoge called Zhao Grandma over and asked, "Grandma Zhao, how did the matter you were asked to investigate turn out?"

Grandma Zhao immediately replied, "We've almost finished the investigation; we've obtained part of the evidence, but some still need Grandfather Yuan Bao to verify, which will take a few more days."

"Then give me the evidence you have in hand," Rong Luoge said at once.

Grandma Zhao responded, hurried back for the items, and quickly returned, holding several booklets, and said to Good Lady, "These contain the original records of the fire‑starter girl and her sister before and after entering the palace."

Rong Luoge took them, skimmed a few pages, then nodded, "Grandma, come with me to Guanju Palace for a visit."

Guanju Palace?

Grandma Zhao was stunned for a moment, then snapped back, "Good Lady, are you going to Guanju Palace to have Ming Taifei relocate the palace?"

Taking Grandma Zhao with her, Rong Luoge first sent someone to Guanju Palace to give a formal notice, so she wouldn't barge in unannounced and would give Ming Taifei a chance to be questioned.

When she arrived at Guanju Palace, Bai Zhuo was already waiting outside; thinking back to when she first came to Guanju Palace, she never had such a standing there—truly a turn of fate.

Bai Zhuo felt extremely uneasy upon seeing Rong Good Lady; when she was still Princess Consort Qi, Bai Zhuo's gaze toward her was disdainful, but now the person she once looked down upon is someone she must treat cautiously.

Bai Zhuo suppressed her discomfort; now they were showing weakness, and she dared not give Rong Good Lady a chance to act against her.

"Servant bows to Good Lady," Bai Zhuo said, stepping forward to pay respects.

"Rise," Rong Luoge said lightly; she no longer troubled Bai Zhuo as before, for she was now a winner and had no need to leave a harsh reputation. "How has Ming Taifei been lately? I, a concubine, come at His Majesty's command to pay a visit."

Bai Zhuo's heart leapt at the words, and she immediately said, "Since His Majesty passed away, the Taifei has been bedridden, unable to get up for two days, constantly taking medicine."

Rong Luoge, hearing this, asked with concern, "Has the Imperial Physician already examined her?"

Bai Zhuo pursed her lips before replying, "Yes, the Imperial Physician has been called; he said the Taifei should rest and recuperate."

Oh, so she's using the illness to block her words.

Rong Luoge sighed lightly, "Since we're here, we must pay a visit; after all, I'm quite familiar with Ming Taifei."

Bai Zhuo: ………

She tried to stop her but couldn't, so she watched Rong Luoge enter, then stamped her foot and hurried after her.

Rong Luoge entered the main hall expressionlessly; as expected, no one was there, so she turned to a slightly nervous palace maid beside her and asked, "Is the Taifei in the sleeping chamber?"

"Yes, she... is," the maid, perhaps frightened, turned pale and even her speech trembled.

Rong Luoge stepped into the sleeping chamber, passed four floor‑to‑ceiling scenic screens, and saw the canopy on the bed lowered, fully covering the person inside.