Zhurou

Chapter 264 Prayer
Not long after the Autumn Examination, the auspicious time for the princess' wedding specially selected by the Imperial Observatory was approaching. Not only was the Taichang Temple in a state of chaos, but even the few remaining embroiderers and craftsmen in the palace were working day and night.

Others thought it was natural, but Concubine Dowager Li was very dissatisfied, especially when she thought about how the imperial court was frugal in everything after she returned to Beijing, and how she didn't even have a spacious palace. Her food and accommodation were even worse than when she was in Caizhou. If she complained a few more times, people in the palace would keep singing about poverty. But when it came to the princess's marriage, it was actually held in a grand manner. Who would dare to mention the word "poor"?

If I am not restrained, I don’t know how much I will spend - all this should be spent on my elders first!
She really couldn't stand it, so she had to complain to the nuns and Taoist priests she was familiar with.

To flatter her, everyone started to curse her. One of them even offered a suggestion quietly: "The princess has always had a very good reputation. If she lets slip a word in front of others, even if she doesn't want to, she won't make a big deal about it for the sake of her reputation."

Concubine Li was unwilling to take the initiative, so she said hurriedly, "She doesn't like me in the first place, and no one else cares about it, so why should I get into trouble?"

"Other people don't ask for anything that's none of their business, and they don't use their own money, but the queen is completely different. If you don't take the initiative, it would be fine if she only spent a little more today, but it's not the case. It seems that the storehouse is about to be emptied. When the lady comes back in the future..."

When her own daughter was mentioned, Concubine Li frowned and said nothing that might bring bad luck. She hesitated for a moment and then quietly discussed countermeasures with the Taoist woman.

The Taoist said, "The princess is not easy to deal with, and the queen cannot eat vegetarian food. We can't go against her, so we should just go along with her. Just praise her frugality in front of others, and she will know what to do."

Concubine Li said worriedly: "I made a scene last time, and now it's hard to get close to the ministers when they are in front..."

The Taoist thought for a moment and said, "It's not easy for the empress to see other people, but it must be easy for the emperor to see him, right? You just need to mention it in front of the emperor. According to what the empress said before, the emperor only thinks of this sister in everything. By then, the two siblings will definitely tell each other about it. Why should we worry that she doesn't know? She has always been very proud in front of her brother, and she can't say that she wants to have a grand wedding. How can she dare to ask for more dowry? She must say some polite words and do some polite things! When she brings it up herself, the empress will have both face and substance!"

This Taoist woman has been traveling for decades and is good at guessing people's minds. At this moment, she came up to Concubine Li and taught her in detail, which really impressed her.

The next day, Concubine Li did not go to find Zhao Mingzhi, but went to find Zhao Hong early.

Knowing that the emperor only had his eldest sister in his heart, and that he didn't care about the princesses, princes, or even the emperor emeritus in the north, she didn't mention frugality, but instead said the opposite.

She had been taught by the Taoist woman and had practiced countless times. She spoke fluently at this moment. She only advised: "The princess' wedding date is just around the corner, but I heard people say these two days that her wedding dress is just some simple embroidery patterns, and the furnishings and furniture are only ordinary materials. How can such a big thing be handled so carelessly? Isn't it making people look down on the princess!"

He continued, "Your Highness has worked hard these past few years, especially when she was defending the city. She supported everything by herself. Everyone has seen it. How can she marry so poorly today? There are many auspicious times, and Your Highness is still young, so there is no rush to hold a wedding. It would be better to wait a while and ask the Imperial Observatory to calculate a time so that we can make preparations."

After she finished her nagging advice, she did not forget to add: "If the princess knew about this, she would definitely say don't make a big deal about it. A girl can only get married once in her life, so why not want to be glorious? If you ask her, you will definitely not get the truth. Don't be so stupid, it's better to make your own decision."

Because the Taoist woman said that the emperor and her, as a concubine, were already estranged, if she said the right thing, it would only do harm, it would be better to say the wrong thing, so she gritted her teeth and added: "Your Majesty will definitely not trust me, so why not send someone you trust to keep an eye on it, at least make this marriage a success, so that you can show your deep love for each other!"

Zhao Hong was young and did not understand the intricacies of the matter, but he had always had a prejudice against Concubine Li. Although he felt that what this person said made sense, he was unwilling to believe it completely. After hesitating for a long time, he still went to find the Minister of Rites to question him.

The Minister of Rites then said that the princess had instructed that everything should be kept simple this time, and that many ceremonials and preparations should not be overly extravagant.

The more Zhao Hong listened, the sadder he felt.

It is said that children from poor families grow up early. He was not born in poverty, so his life was definitely not hard. But since he became the emperor, he had to count the accounts every day. After getting a reply from the Minister of Rites, he went back to check the accounts with the booklet. Sure enough, although the national treasury was not so poor that it could not move a single cent, if he moved this, he would have less that.

Compared with the relief for refugees, frontline salaries, food supplies, city wall repairs, etc., the princess's marriage obviously cannot be mentioned in the same breath.

Zhao Hong finally went to find Zhao Mingzhi and briefly reported to the Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He then said, "My sister is only getting married this once. Aren't the things you prepared too simple? Now the treasury is empty. Why not postpone it for a while and wait until after the autumn harvest..."

Zhao Mingzhi saw his apprehensive look and couldn't help laughing. He said, "The situation in the court right now, will it get much better after the autumn harvest?"

He then joked, "The wedding is just for show. As for whether it's rich or simple, I don't rely on that to make a living. If I need something in the future, I'll come to you again. Can you still not give it to me?"

Zhao Hong was stunned and said hurriedly, "All the things in the palace belong to my elder sister. All mine belong to my elder sister. There is no need to talk about giving or not giving between us, brother and sister!"

He was about to speak, but Zhao Mingzhi shook his head and continued, "Who can still spare the time to attend the wedding right now? I have already told the Imperial Observatory to keep everything simple. If the people outside saw this, they would think that you and I are only concerned about our own affairs during such a difficult time. What would they think?"

At this point, Zhao Mingzhi smiled slightly and said, "You don't live your life to be seen by others. Besides, don't you know what kind of person I am? If I really want something, why would I need others to suggest it to me?"

Because Zhao Mingzhi insisted, the wedding was finally prepared according to her plan.

However, she saw that her brother asked the question suddenly this time, so she asked someone to find out quietly. As expected, it was the incident that happened when Concubine Li and a few Taoist nuns got together. She felt quite annoyed and disliked this person for being restless. After thinking about it, she decided to go to Concubine Li's palace to meet him.

Besides, when Concubine Li received the notification from the eunuch that the princess had arrived in person, she was frightened for a moment.

Because she had a guilty conscience, seeing Zhao Mingzhi coming so suddenly, she was afraid that he was here to call her to task, so she hurriedly asked her maid to help her put powder on her face and mouth, and then looked for soot from the bottom of the pot, which she rubbed under her eyelids again and again, pretending to be weak, and then she asked someone to report that she was sick, fearing that she had infected the princess, and asked her to wait until she was well again before seeing her.

Zhao Mingzhi couldn't figure out the trick.

If it were in the past, she would have indulged the old concubine, but when she thought that she would be getting married soon, no matter how careful the others were, there would always be a time when they could not take care of her. And this person was so senior that he was bound to cause trouble again, so she did not want to give him the chance to cause trouble.

Once she made up her mind, she immediately sent someone to summon the imperial physician, and then sent someone to report that she would stay by the bedside to take care of the sick princess. Upon learning that the princess would take care of the sick princess, Concubine Li was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat, which made her face powder all smudged. She dared not make excuses anymore, and before she could think of any tricks to deal with it, she heard someone outside answering in a hurry. It turned out that Zhao Mingzhi had arrived at the door.

She quickly lay down on the bed, pulled the quilt over her, and repeatedly asked her personal maid Chunlu to go out and try to stop them.

Who would have thought that Zhao Mingzhi was so polite and refused to enter without getting a promise. When he saw Chunlu coming out, he simply called her over and asked her about Concubine Li's situation in detail.

Zhao Mingzhi came suddenly, and Concubine Li was so ill that she had an idea at random, leaving no time for the master and the servant to explain themselves. Chunlu did not dare to cover up anything.

She was afraid that as soon as she finished speaking, the princess would come into the room and ask Concubine Li. If the two sides disagreed, it naturally could not be the Concubine's fault. The crime of deception would fall on her own head. It would be more reliable to wait for the sun to rise from the west than to count on the Concubine to protect her.

Chunlu hesitated for a long time and could only respond vaguely, making excuses about food and sleep, while Zhao Mingzhi listened patiently, occasionally asking a few questions, which seemed like idle chat, but made Chunlu even more frightened.

The imperial physician on duty arrived and stepped forward to pay his respects. Zhao Mingzhi then pointed at Chunlu and asked her to come over to answer.

The latter gritted his teeth and repeated his previous words. Although the concubine had ordered the door to be closed, Zhao Mingzhi was sitting outside and the other servants could not care less. They had to crawl to open the door and rush in to report.

Concubine Li was so frightened that her hands and feet were shaking. Knowing that she could not escape, she had to allow everyone to come in. She still lay on the bed and sang: "It's all my fault. It's not a serious illness. I just feel a little uncomfortable and I'm too lazy to move. I didn't expect to trouble Your Highness! There is really no need for Your Highness to come and take care of me. If I stay here, "

Zhao Mingzhi ordered his attendants to come forward and support her, asking her to lean against the head of the bed. He asked her how she was and asked the imperial physician to take her pulse.

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Concubine Li was originally healthy. If she had any illness, it was just that she had been worried and anxious in recent days. She also had been moving less and less, and she had gained more weight and developed some asthma.

The imperial physician examined Taiping's pulse for a long while but could not find anything, so he had to ask about his symptoms again.

Concubine Li secretly watched Chunlu for a long time, and after half a day of winking and pointing, she half guessed and half guessed, and only said: "There is nothing else. I am just too lazy to move, can't eat, and have trouble swallowing water and rice. I have many dreams at night. Last night I dreamed that the emperor was sitting on the bed, shouting "Return to the court". I also dreamed of several princes and princesses, some of whom had lost their legs and feet and were crying in the imperial garden, and some were crying in their rooms..."

She was still making up stories at first, but as she was talking, especially when she mentioned the word "Emperor's daughter", she thought of her own daughter. Her emotions surged, and her nose felt sore and she started to cry, "Poor my precious pearl..."

He sobbed for a while and was unable to speak for a long time.

Zhao Mingzhi had been watching coldly, but seeing her appearance at this moment, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, but became more alert. After the imperial physician wrote a prescription, he saw that Concubine Li started to pretend to be dead again, so he left two personal palace maids here to take care of her, and did not stay any longer, and returned to the rear court.

After the meeting the next day, she told the ministers in the Council of State and the Privy Council about the nightmare that Concubine Li had at night, and sighed, "I also know that Concubine Li is concerned about the Emperor, but the delegation has already gone north, and we have already done everything, so the rest is up to fate..."

After that, he pretended to be ashamed and said, "I have actually wanted to go to Mount Wutai to pray for the emperor, but I am bound here and cannot do anything to help... The concubine thinks about it day and night and can't sleep well. If the emperor returns to the court soon and the concubine falls ill, Your Majesty and I will be ashamed to face him..."

She said this to others, but Zhang Yi was afraid that the princess would come to her senses and realize that the marriage with Pei Yong was inappropriate, and would try to escape. So he stepped forward and said, "There are so many things to do in the court, and the wedding is just around the corner. Your Highness can't leave easily, but you can't neglect your filial piety. There is Sanqing Temple in the capital, which has always been a royal Taoist temple. Why don't you go there to hold a ceremony and pray for the emperor and the relatives in the north, and hope that God will protect our Great Jin."

Zhao Mingzhi frowned and said, "It's so hasty, and this isn't a sacred mountain, so it's hard to show your sincerity."

Yang Ting suddenly asked, "I wonder what disease the Concubine Dowager has?"

Zhao Mingzhi had already arranged for the imperial physician and Na Chunlu to wait outside the door, and whenever someone asked a question, they would be summoned into the hall.

The imperial physician had thought about it countless times in his mind, and after another guess, he finally replied, "Your Majesty is in good health, but she is suffering from a mental illness... but a mental illness needs to be treated with a mental medicine. Otherwise, if you delay the treatment, it will develop into a real illness, which will be difficult to cure."

Chunlu also replied: "Your Majesty is thinking about the Emperor and Princess..."

While everyone was talking, they didn't realize that Concubine Li had already received the news. She could no longer lie down, fearing that Zhao Mingzhi would plot against her behind her back and put the blame on her, which would ruin her family's reputation and make her life difficult in the future. So she hurriedly got up and rushed to the door to ask for a meeting.

Zhao Mingzhi naturally wouldn't stop him.

As soon as Concubine Li entered the room, she saw the imperial physician and her personal maid were inside, and she was already extremely panicked.

She took a few quick steps forward, then realized that she was pretending to be sick, so she slowed down her pace, put a handkerchief to her mouth, and walked to the front coughing and panting, and asked, "I suddenly heard Chunlu being summoned, and I don't know what trouble she has caused..."

Zhao Mingzhi stood up and saluted, and asked someone to look for a seat. After Concubine Li sat down, he said, "I was just talking about the delegation going north. Because Concubine Li is not feeling well, I feel very sorry. I am afraid that I will not be able to explain to the emperor in the future. I am also afraid that the Northern Dynasty will shirk responsibility and cause trouble this time. Unfortunately, I am really incompetent..."

Then he said to Chunlu, "My lords, you heard that the queen was restless and worried, and you had just summoned someone to ask about her. But you didn't expect that the queen would come in person."

Concubine Li turned to look at Chunlu and saw that she looked fine. She then looked at the doctor and other officials and saw that they showed no sign of evasion. She heaved a sigh of relief and coughed, saying, "I'm thinking about the situation in the north and feel very uncomfortable. I'm also thinking about how difficult life is in the palace. We don't even have a spacious room. Unfortunately, I'm short of money right now. When the emperor returns, I'm afraid we won't even have a good place to live..."

She looked like she was sighing.