Chapter 307: What Is Its Purpose?

In front of the Tranquil Heart Hermitage's main gate.

The ceremonial guards sounded grand and imposing.

Wan Tang's face showed worry, her voice gentle yet clear to those nearby: "Senior nun, is Bu Hui truly unwilling to follow me back to the palace for quiet recuperation?"

The senior nun clasped her hands, bowed and replied: "The Empress is merciful."

"It is only that Bu Hui is devoted to the Buddha; after repeatedly stating she must cultivate here, this poor nun truly cannot persuade her."

Wan Tang let out a light sigh, seeming very helpless: "If that's the case, we'll go with her."

She stepped forward, grasped the senior nun's hand, and said earnestly, "If the hermitage runs short of silver, you must go to the palace to fetch it; do not wrong her."

The senior nun repeatedly assured: "Empress, rest assured; this poor nun will certainly do her utmost."

The Phoenix carriage set off, with Wan Tang seated upright, her expression calm and untroubled.

Yangxin Hall.

Chu Yunzheng held the imperial brush, yet appeared unsettled.

He glanced at the hall doors again, his tone slightly impatient: "Has the Empress returned?"

Standing nearby, Xiao Dongzi bowed and replied: "Returning to the Emperor, the Empress's phoenix carriage has already returned to Kunning Palace."

Before the words finished, Ouyang Qing hurried in.

Xiao Dongzi, seeing this, quietly stepped back and carefully closed the hall doors.

Chu Yunzheng immediately rose, his gaze fixed on Ouyang Qing: "How?"

Ouyang Qing was so breathless that they immediately knelt on the ground.

"I, the subject, have seen the Emperor."

"Speak quickly!" Chu Yunzheng's tone was full of urgency.

Ouyang Qing recounted everything heard today, in detail.

At the end, hesitating, he said, "Fortunately the Empress intervened in time; this matter cannot be taken out of the Tranquil Heart Hermitage."

"What does the Empress say?" Chu Yunzheng's face turned rather grim.

Ouyang Qing shook his head: "The Empress has not expressed an opinion."

"It's just that later, she still repeatedly invited Yan…" Ouyang Qing hurriedly corrected: "Miss Bai Li entered the palace."

Chu Yunzheng's eyes filled with expectation: "What did she say?"

"Miss Bai Li ultimately refused."

Ouyang Qing's expression was a bit odd; he truly did not understand why, with the Empress so kind, the Emperor's thoughts were on Bai Li.

"The Empress has repeatedly pleaded, even up to the hermitage's doorway, still striving…"

Chu Yunzheng's eyes were full of disappointment.

He sank weakly onto the chair, murmuring, "In the end, she blames me."

Ouyang Qing was puzzled.

After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth: "Your Majesty, the Empress has risked everything for you, shedding blood for the Fengqi Kingdom, the Mo Family throughout…"

"Out!" Chu Yunzheng's voice fell like ice striking the ground.

All words could only turn into a sigh; Ouyang Qing left helplessly.

Kunning Palace.

When Wan Tang returned, Hui Guifei was also there.

She sat in the Side Hall, Minghui pressed his face against her swollen belly, a smile spreading across his lips.

Excitedly she said, "Hui Niangniang will surely give Minghui a younger brother."

"The brother must be strong."

"From now on, I'll have a brother to beat."

Hui Guifei stroked Minghui's head, smiling indulgently: "Yes, while you can still beat him, hit him hard; as long as you leave some breath, that's enough."

Wan Tang was left speechless.

Hui Guifei's line of thought proved she was too quick for flattery.

"Mother…" Hearing the commotion, Minghui rushed over.

He threw himself into Wan Tang's arms, cooing, "Mother, did you hear? From now on I'll have a brother to beat."

Wan Tang patted Minghui's hair: "Silly child, the brother is a Prince; how could you beat him?"

"What can't be beaten?" Hui Guifei raised an eyebrow: "My child is Minghui's own sibling; they should be raised in their own way."

"I don't want those delicate princes and princesses."

"Whether you want it or not, it's not up to you." Wan Tang smiled lightly, sitting on the cool chair.

Hui Guifei stretched a leg, moving the jar of ice blocks closer to Wan Tang.

She said discontentedly, "If you say that, then Minghui…"

She called out, "From now on you must not call me Mother."

"Then what should I call?" Minghui asked, puzzled.

Hui Guifei's expression grew solemn, and she said gravely, "You must call me the Empress Mother."

"No." Minghui turned his little face aside: "It sounds unpleasant."

Hui Guifei, with a stern face, scolded Minghui: "Always shouting like this, be careful not to attract impure things!"

Minghui waved his tiny fists without fear: "I am a disciple of the female general; evil spirits cannot harm me!"

Wan Tang sat nearby, smiling gently as she watched, her gaze soft.

When Hui Guifei had finished scolding enough, Wan Tang softly asked: "Sister, you came today—do you have business?"

Hui Guifei's expression darkened, signaling Ning Daying to take Minghui downstairs to play.

Only two remained; she solemnly looked at Wan Tang: "Have you met Bai Li?"

"I have," Wan Tang nodded.

"How does she feel?"

"Nothing special."

Hui Guifei furrowed her brows: "You still underestimate her."

She said slowly: "Do you know why, even though she is clearly from the Ning family, she bears the surname Bai?"

Wan Tang looked slightly embarrassed, glanced at Hui Guifei, and said: "Back then, her mother was already not entirely upright…"

"That's just a minor matter," Hui Guifei snorted coldly, adding: "Even if my mother had some part in it, after my mother died, didn't that woman still enter the Ning family?"

Wan Tang dared not say more.

Since it concerns Ning family affairs, she could not speak further.

Hui Guifei inhaled deeply: "Back then that woman, though she entered the Duke of Ning's Residence, still had a family behind her that could not be presented publicly."

"The Bai Family."

Mentioning this, Hui Guifei's gaze at Wan Tang carried a hint of sympathy: "The Bai Family was originally an official family, so why did it decline so drastically?"

"It was precisely because the Mo Family collapsed that the Bai Family was implicated."

Wan Tang's eyes flickered slightly.

Before she could speak, Hui Guifei continued: "But it wasn't because of loyalty to the Mo Family."

"On the day the Mo Family fell, to prove they were unrelated, they actually disclosed all of Mo Family's private assets, cutting off every retreat for the Mo Family."

"Logically, if your mother could escape, taking the Mo Family's hidden assets, she could have thrived."

"Unfortunately…"

Wan Tang's face darkened; she understood completely.

It seems that because of this, although the Bai Family achieved immediate merit, it also became despised.

That is why it fell into obscurity in court affairs.

"My undisciplined father had long secretly conceived a child with Bai Li's mother. When the Mo Family collapsed, he felt guilty toward the Mo Family and refused to bring Bai Li's siblings back."

"He only left them to be fostered by the Bai Family."

"And they took the Bai surname."

Hui Guifei sneered: "Bai Li's brother, Bai Zijun, was a debaucher in Jingli, indulging in food, drink, prostitution, gambling, and every vice."

"Later she took him to Fengdu, and even Yan Wang found him disgraceful and sent him back outright."

She stepped closer, lowering her voice, "Do you really think she only came to eat vegetarian meals and chant sutras?"

Wan Tang's fingertips tightened slightly.

"Don't forget," Hui Guifei's tone grew sharper, "the Mo Family Army is now leaderless, and Huang Feihu is advanced in age."

"The Xu Family has yet to find a backbone."

"The great army you painstakingly raised, even in Su Yanci's hands, how long can you still hold it?"

Wan Tang stood there, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Hui Guifei's chest tightened with a sour feeling, and she said coldly: "So, why did you want to bring her into the palace?"

"Did you ever consider what will happen after she returns?"

A bitter smile tugged at Wan Tang's mouth.

She also knew that Hui Guifei's concern for her was genuine.

Wan Tang clasped Hui Guifei's hand, solemnly assuring word for word: "I will never let the Mo Family Army fall into those people's hands."

"Sister, rest assured."

"Seeing you like this, I truly can't put my mind at ease," Hui Guifei's eyes showed worry.

Wan Tang gave a bitter smile: "Does that mean if she stays there, the Emperor won't be concerned?"

"If not obtaining it is her entire bargaining chip, then I refuse to follow their wishes."

In Wan Tang's eyes, hatred surged.

She wanted to laugh, but the laugh would look so ugly.

She could only assure: "Sister, rest assured."

"Alas!"

Hui Guifei sighed deeply, a profound sense of helplessness: "This situation is becoming more incomprehensible to me."

"I always feel that the ones who should die haven't, while those who should live are already gone."

She gently placed both hands over her lower abdomen, sorrow welling in her eyes.

In a soft voice she said: "Never mind, just be careful in everything."

"If there is anything I can do, I will give my all."

Hui Guifei's two sentences weighed as heavily as a thousand pounds.

Hui Guifei brushed her sleeves and left.

Wan Tang gazed at Minghui chasing butterflies among the flowers, her eyes a little dazed.

A hurried footstep sounded, and Chu Yunzheng arrived in a rush.

"Father!"

Minghui bounded over joyfully.

It had been a while since they met; Minghui still missed Chu Yunzheng.

Usually he would give her a hug, but today he merely absent‑mindedly patted her head.

"Minghui, your dress looks lovely today; go play over there!"

Minghui today, to accompany Hui Guifei, specially wore a set of military attire.

Wan Tang's eyes darkened, and she concealed her emotions without a trace.

"Subject will now order the preparation of dinner," Wan Tang said softly.

"No need," Chu Yunzheng waved his hand, "I have pressing state affairs; I'll depart shortly."

His gaze fell on Wan Tang, and his tone, though seemingly casual, asked, "Going to the hermitage today for leisure—was it pleasant?"

Wan Tang's smile lingered briefly, then she lifted her skirt and knelt, "Please, Emperor, punish me."

"Subject was unable to complete the task the Emperor assigned."

Chu Yunzheng also did not allow Wan Tang to rise.

Even though he already knew what had happened at the hermitage, he still asked, "What occurred?"

"Subject went to ask, but she seemed unwilling to enter the palace."

"Subject also was helpless, and had to donate some silver so that she could receive the best care."

Chu Yunzheng sighed, "She is like that, always causing worry."

Saying that, he stared at Wan Tang again, "Tangtang, do you have anything else to say?"

Wan Tang slightly frowned.

Her tone now carried caution: "Subject does have an idea, but I dare not act on it unilaterally."

"Speak!"

"If possible, please have the Emperor dispatch some personnel to covertly protect her."

Chu Yunzheng's complexion changed sharply, and his gaze at Wan Tang grew far more fierce.

His voice was cold, "What is it? Are you guarding against something?"

"So, as if you were preventing me from seeing her?"

Wan Tang seemed completely unaware of the Emperor's anger, and simply held a Fragrance pouch in both hands.

She lifted it to Chu Yunzheng, speaking earnestly, "She fell into the water today, yet Subject found this."

"This kind of thing could never belong to a person as refined as she."

"Subject suspects someone is covertly acting against her!"