Chapter 384: You Need Not Speak, Just Listen

Volume One, Chapter 384  You need not speak, you only need to listen

Han Xinglan looked at Rong Luoge's resolute and earnest expression and instantly felt a bit hesitant.

He did not want to betray her sincere feelings, yet he was unwilling to continue tolerating the Su family.

He wanted to tell her that, in truth, he did not care much about the wise ruler's reputation, but he knew she cared deeply; she cared about everything concerning him and could not tolerate even the slightest flaw falling on him, so she spared no effort to help him, protect him, and do many things that most people could not accomplish.

"Luoge…" Han Xinglan held her tightly in his arms, how fortunate to have met you.

Rong Luoge smiled, leaned into his embrace, and wrapped her arms around his waist.

&&&

The next day, Rong Luoge went to see the Empress Dowager. This time she was not in elaborate dress, nor did she adopt the previously assertive attitude toward the Empress Dowager; she only brought Rong Xin and went to Funing Palace.

Funing Palace was quiet; the palace attendants, upon seeing the Empress, hurried forward to pay their respects.

Rong Luoge waved her hand for them to rise and asked, "Has the Empress Dowager awakened now?"

"In reply to Your Majesty the Empress, the Empress Dowager has just woken up, and the Virtuous Consort is inside keeping her company," the attendant replied respectfully.

Rong Luoge was not surprised at all; at a time like this, Su Ying would certainly be fawning before the Empress Dowager to win favor, after all the Empress Dowager was Su Ying's greatest backing in the inner palace, and if something happened to the Empress Dowager, Su Ying knew her prosperous days in the inner palace would be over.

After being shown the way in, Rong Luoge stood under the eave of the corridor, gazing at Funing Palace, and felt that the palace now exuded a sense of decay everywhere; although the courtyard's flowers, grasses, and trees appeared vigorous, the palace itself gave off a despondent aura.

Soon someone emerged, saluted Rong Luoge, "Empress, the Empress Dowager invites you inside."

Rong Luoge gave a slight nod, then stepped into the main hall.

The Empress Dowager was convalescing, so she was not in the main hall; she headed straight toward the sleeping chamber, and before arriving she saw Su Ying emerge from inside.

The Su Ying of today was vastly different from the one who first entered the palace; back then she was probably ambitious and self‑confident, even disregarding the Empress.

But now Su Ying no longer possessed that earlier arrogance; a trace of melancholy lingered in her brows, making her appear very gloomy, and even her beautiful face looked oddly strained.

"Your humble servant bows to the Empress," Su Ying thought that no matter how much resentment she held toward the Empress, she dared not show it in front of her.

Rong Luoge lowered her head slightly, "Virtuous Consort, please rise."

After speaking, Rong Luoge paid no further attention to Su Ying, and walked straight past her into the sleeping chamber.

The Empress Dowager was half‑seated on the bed, leaning against a soft pillow; her complexion was extremely pale, with a faint bluish hue, giving an unsettling impression.

Rong Luoge's expression was not pleasant; she stepped forward and performed the salute, "Your Majesty, I have seen the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager lifted her eyes to the Empress, "No need for formalities, sit down."

Su Ying followed closely, standing obediently beside them.

Rong Luoge was not particularly courteous to her, looking straight at her, "Virtuous Consort, I have some words to say to the Empress Dowager; please step aside for now."

Su Ying was startled, instinctively looking toward the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager—her aunt—did not look up at her.

Su Ying's heart leapt, but the Empress's blunt statement and the fact that the Empress now was not someone she could confront directly made her unable to openly defy; she forced a grim reply and turned to step back.

After Su Ying left, Rong Luoge dismissed the others in the hall and, in a calm, measured tone, began, "Empress Dowager, I know you have never liked me; there is no motherly kindness or filial devotion between us, and I need not pretend these useless things before you."

Empress Dowager: …

You could at least put on an act; it would be more pleasing to her.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's eyes flash with a hint of spirit after being provoked, Rong Luoge smiled and continued, "Empress Dowager, in your whole life, do you ever look back and feel regret? I think, if I were you, I certainly would. You have devoted yourself wholeheartedly to the Su family, even at the cost of sacrificing your own son's interests to protect the Su family, yet now look at how the Su family repays you."

"Empress, what exactly are you trying to say?" The Empress Dowager was already agitated by this matter, and now the Empress was adding fuel to the fire, mocking her?

"Empress Dowager, there is no need for you to be angry; I have come this time to make peace with you."

"Make peace?" The Empress Dowager could hardly believe her ears, looking at the Empress with suspicion, "What are you planning now?"

"Empress Dowager, you think I would lower myself before anyone in front of you?" Rong Luoge's smile faded. "Throughout my life I have experienced many things and met many people; the only thing I am grateful for is meeting Han Xinglan. To others he is an emperor, a ruler of a nation, the master of the world, but to me he is my husband, the father of my son, a brave soul struggling within the vortex of a powerful clan, a wise ruler who wishes to benefit the people, protect the common folk, and create a flourishing age. Your own son is so great and wise; should you not be proud?"

The Empress Dowager stared at the Empress in astonishment, momentarily losing the ability to speak, unsure what to say.

Rong Luoge did not need her to speak; she only needed her to listen.

"Empress Dowager, you have actually known for a long time that His Majesty can continue to tolerate the Su family and you because he still harbors a final sliver of hope and expectation for you. In His Majesty's heart, although you have been an utterly unfit mother, committing many irreparable mistakes, you are nonetheless the one who gave him birth and raised him. Even though your selfishness is great, perhaps there remains a faint maternal instinct within you."

"His Majesty has wanted to act against the Su family for more than a day or two; he has not yet moved because he fears that if the Su family falls, the blow to you would be too great, so he continues to give the Su family opportunities. Yet, look at what the Su family has done. As His Majesty's external clan, they are no better than outsiders. Today, ten out of nine noble families bow to His Majesty, the realm is unified, and His Majesty's restoration of imperial authority is imminent. Under these circumstances, the Su family still attempts to resist; have you ever considered where their audacity comes from? It comes from you, Empress Dowager!"

The Empress Dowager's complexion tightened instantly, and she forced herself to press her lips together, remaining silent.

"Today, the common people and the noble families are all watching the Su family. If the Su family does not submit for even a day, these people will fix their gaze on His Majesty, threatening the stability of the realm and the prestige of the loyal families. Should the Su family continue to act obstinately, His Majesty's patience will run out. When that moment arrives, what will await the Su family? Empress Dowager, what do you intend to do then?"

"Empress Dowager, even a tiger's poison spares its cubs; His Majesty has been benevolent to you and the Su family for many years. Now, in His Majesty's most difficult time, you, as a mother, would truly go down a dark path, choosing to sink together with the Su family?"

"I know what you are thinking; you probably assume His Majesty will not eradicate the Su family for the sake of his reputation. In fact, you are wrong. Now His Majesty has no way back, because countless loyal families stand behind him. For those people, if the Su family does not bow, there is only one path."

"Empress Dowager, throughout your life you have never supported His Majesty at any of his critical junctures, yet he still has not forgotten that you are his mother, always leaving you a way out. Now His Majesty has nowhere to escape; the common people, the court ministers, countless noble families all keep their eyes on Him. At a time like this, as a mother, should you not make a statement?"

"Either perish together with the Su family, or uphold righteousness by eliminating your own kin to support your son. Empress Dowager, compared to the decades of His Majesty's affection toward you, what has the Su family ever done for you? Who is right, who is wrong, who is heavy, who is light, who is true and who is false—your heart knows better than anyone. His Majesty still holds a mother‑son bond with you. Empress Dowager, this is the final chance for redemption. If I were not afraid that His Majesty would be too heart‑broken, given our strained, even hostile mother‑in‑law relationship, I would not even utter these words today; perhaps adding insult to injury would be more satisfying. Do you agree?"

Empress Dowager: …

She felt as if the anger was choking her.

After finishing, Rong Luoge did not wait for the Empress Dowager's response; she rose and took her leave. Before departing, she looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "Your whole life—as the legitimate daughter of the Su family, the Late Emperor's Empress, the nurturer of the Crown Prince, the glory of the Empress Dowager—has been truly complete. A hundred years from now, I doubt you would want the histories to lack your name and deeds, would you? I believe you will also choose to end this final step in a perfectly complete manner."

Rong Luoge left; the Empress Dowager's tense body collapsed onto the soft pillow, her cloudy eyes fixed on the canopy's top, as the memories of her entire life flashed before her.

She had always been a proud person; Rong Luoge was right—her life had indeed been the most envied among women of the world.

Recalling the words Rong Luoge had spoken, she realized that her son still held a final affection for her, but she had been so fixated on the Su family that she saw nothing else.

Thinking of Su Ying, then of the Su family, then looking at her own son, and at the Rong Luoge who despised her to the extreme yet was willing to set aside the past for her son's sake to persuade her, a tear fell from the corner of the Empress Dowager's eye.

She had never cried more than a few times in her life; being so proud, how could she allow herself to weep?

When she first gave birth to her son, she was filled with a mother's love, wanting to protect him as he grew, but when did that change?

Oh, it was her desire to suppress the Bright Consort, and the Su family constantly made her handle family affairs. She had so many duties: each morning she had to manage palace affairs, serve His Majesty, oversee the many concubines and servants of the harem. She wanted His Majesty to see her as a competent Empress; she could not be caught with any flaw…

Caught deeper in this vortex, she gradually felt her son drifting farther away from her life without realizing it…

At some point, the child's smile seemed to appear less and less; by the time she paid attention, he no longer liked to smile.

In the blink of an eye, that whole life passed.

She had lived up to the Late Emperor, lived up to the Su family; Rong Luoge was right—only the son she had continually neglected was the one she had failed.

…

Rong Luoge returned to Fengyi Palace and immediately got busy, and for a while she couldn't even think about what the Empress Dowager's answer was.

The workshop, with the benefits allocated to several noble families, has now become completely booming, and with the newly submitted families returning all their surplus lands and slaves to the court, craftsmen arriving in the capital are now coming in a continuous stream.

All the workshop's constructions have now been fully leased out, and as the workshops operate one after another, the entire commercial base shows a thriving scene.

The expansion is now urgent; today Han Xinglan took the Minister of Works to the workshop for a personal inspection and tour. Rong Luoge is drawing the plans for the third expansion; the second expansion has already begun. Although the workshop hasn't been built yet, to avoid delaying the major upcoming opening, she intends to start a pre‑sale system.

Thus, there are even more things to prepare; even though she is pregnant, she cannot stop moving, because only she can arrange the overall plan herself, with her subordinates polishing the details, leaving no room for error.

This counts as the first massive flagship project since Han Xinglan's ascension, and its success is extremely important.

Rong Luoge draws for an hour, then gets up to walk a few steps; sitting too long inevitably brings backache, and she also has to look after Kangkang, so her day is quite fulfilling.

While Rong Luoge is busy with workshop matters and has no time for the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager summons Madam Su to the palace.

For Madam Su to enter the palace, she must obtain the entry token from Rong Luoge, so the message must be conveyed to Fengyi Palace.

Rong Luoge does not block it; whatever the Empress Dowager's summons of Madam Su is for, she just waits for the Empress Dowager's answer.

She is not the only one waiting; Han Xinglan is also waiting.

The Empress Dowager's attitude is the final chance.

The next day, Madam Su entered the palace, first going to Fengyi Palace to pay respects to the Empress, but Rong Luoge did not meet her, so she was sent straight to Funing Palace.

It's not that she deliberately spared Madam Su's face; rather, she doesn't want the Empress Dowager to have any other thoughts. Whatever the Empress Dowager decides, it's a matter for the Su family alone, and she does not interfere.

In Funing Palace, Su Ying, knowing her mother is entering the palace today, arrived early to wait.

She doesn't know why, but feels very uneasy, as if something is about to happen.

She wants to say a few words to the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager appears with eyes closed, meditating, and her words get swallowed before she can speak.

She doesn't know what the Empress told her aunt, whose attitude is very strange, which makes Su Ying extremely anxious, and she can't help but feel even more disgust toward Fengyi Palace.

Moreover, now the concubines in the Hou Gong are flocking to the Empress like madmen; she feels completely isolated, especially Song Hui and that lunatic, who now even wish they could cradle the Empress's toes; she simply cannot comprehend.

While she is lost in wild thoughts, hearing a report from a palace attendant, she instinctively stands up; she hasn't seen her mother for a long time and has many things to tell her.

But she stands up too quickly, too abruptly; the sudden movement draws the Empress Dowager's attention, who opens her eyes and looks over.

Su Ying's heart jumps, meeting her aunt's indifferent expression, and she forces an explanation: "Aunt, I just haven't seen mother for a long time; I got a bit emotional."