Eagle-eyed and wolf-watching

Chapter 1782 You reap what you sow!

January 21st, Daqian Yijing
An Miaoyi slowly woke up from her sleep in the early morning. With the help of palace maids, she changed her clothes and washed up. This Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty, who was known for her virtue and gentleness in the court and among the common people, also began her new day.

The first thing An Miaoyi had to do each day was to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Ye Cui.

Before Ye Mingsheng went out to inspect, he, An Miaoyi, and Jingren's family of three would often go to pay their respects to Ye Cuishi every few days in the morning and have breakfast with the old lady.

Although Ye Mingsheng and Jingren are currently away on an inspection tour and have not yet returned, this rule cannot be changed, so as their daughter-in-law, she must spend some time with the elderly couple.

Soon, An Miaoyi arrived at Furen Palace, where Ye Cuishi lived. The palace servants had already prepared food, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law enjoyed breakfast.

To be honest, although An Miaoyi wasn't as fond of meat as Ye Mingsheng and his son Jingren, she still found Ye Cui's vegetarian lifestyle somewhat unbearable. Every meal with Ye Cui was a test for her. An Miaoyi had tried to persuade Ye Cui, especially when Ye Cui was experiencing gynecological problems due to malnutrition. However, Ye Cui was very determined to be vegetarian, and no matter how much An Miaoyi tried to persuade her, she insisted on continuing to be vegetarian.

An Miaoyi had no better solution than to find some chefs skilled in vegetarian cuisine from Shanheyuan, a well-known vegetarian restaurant in Jiangnan, and have them prepare as many different dishes as possible to supplement Ye Cuishi's nutrition.

As the saying goes, a great reputation is never undeserved. Looking at Ye Cui's face, now flushed again, An Miaoyi felt that her efforts had not been in vain, and that her arduous task of recruiting a cook from Jiangnan had not been in vain…
It is often said that mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are enemies, but An Miaoyi, the daughter-in-law, sincerely hopes that Ye Cuishi can live a long and healthy life. After all, there are not many people in this world who can have a significant impact on Ye Mingsheng, and Ye Cuishi is one of them.

With her relationship with Ye Mingsheng becoming increasingly delicate, Ye Cuishi served as both an insurance policy and a buffer in their relationship. Therefore, An Miaoyi naturally hoped that Ye Cuishi would stay healthy and live as long as possible.

Although Madam Ye Cui looked quite well at the moment, An Miaoyi could sense the worry in her eyes, and immediately took the initiative to speak:
"Dean Li from the medical school said that my uncle's condition is not serious and he will recover completely after a period of rest, so you don't need to worry!"

Hearing An Miaoyi speak her mind, Madam Ye sighed and said with a touch of melancholy:
"Your uncle was always in good health, but after Zibo's accident, his health deteriorated day by day!"

"Mother, don't worry. My uncle sent someone to say a couple of days ago that he'll come to the palace to pay his respects and wish you a Happy New Year once he's feeling better!"

Although An Miaoyi appeared relaxed, as if Cui Shaosheng's ailment was merely a minor one, Ye Cuishi's expression remained extremely grave, showing no sign of easing. As his younger sister, she knew very well that given her cousin's personality, he wouldn't stay home to recuperate for a whole month unless absolutely necessary…

Seeing that Ye Cui's face was still full of worry, An Miaoyi knew that it would be difficult to persuade Ye Cui to calm down, so she could only say:
"I have good news for you, Mother. News came last night that His Majesty and the others have arrived in Zhuo County. It will take at least ten days, and as little as five or six days, for His Majesty to return to Yijing!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Ye Cui's expression immediately softened, and she nodded slightly with satisfaction, saying:
"He's been gone for months, but now he's finally back!"

"Now that he's back, he can celebrate the New Year at home. I was worried he wouldn't be able to come back to Yijing for the New Year. I miss him and Jingren a bit!"

Hearing what Ye Cui said, An Miaoyi echoed, "..."

"To be honest, Mother, I also miss His Majesty and Jingren, especially Jingren. He hasn't been away from me for this long since he was born. To be honest, I sometimes feel a little empty inside!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Ye Cui offered words of comfort.

“Miaoyi, your thoughts are perfectly normal. When Mingsheng went to Luo'an, I was just like you, a mother worrying about her child traveling a thousand miles. I was worried about how Mingsheng was doing in Luo'an, whether he was eating well, sleeping well, or being bullied…”

"Although there are all sorts of worries, how can you see the sunshine and rainbow without going through wind and rain? If you want to be successful and stand out from the crowd, you have to go out and make your way in the world!"

"If I hadn't been so ruthless back then and sent Mingsheng to serve as a guard for Shangguan Hongyuan, would there be the Great Qian Dynasty we have today?"

At this point, a look of pride appeared on Ye Cui's aged face. Sending Ye Mingsheng to Luo'an was arguably the most successful move of her life. In her view, it was this action that helped Ye Mingsheng broaden his horizons, accumulate connections, and lay a solid foundation for the later establishment of the Great Qian Dynasty.

As the daughter-in-law, An Miaoyi had heard Ye Cuishi say these things countless times; her ears were practically calloused. Although she felt that Ye Cuishi's actions were nothing more than a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, under Ye Cuishi's gaze, An Miaoyi could only force a look of admiration on her face and say:

"Mother's move was truly visionary and insightful!"

Although feeling much better after being praised, Madam Ye still pretended to be indifferent and lectured:
"Ming Sheng has always been compassionate towards the people and concerned about their suffering! He worries about the world's troubles before enjoying its pleasures!"

“In the summer, the Central Plains region suffered from both drought and floods at the same time. I remember Mingsheng telling me that he wanted to go and inspect the disaster situation, but he didn’t have the time and didn’t want the provincial governor, prefect, and magistrate to be distracted in receiving him, so he couldn’t go at that time!”

"Now that we finally have the time and opportunity to go out and inspect the people's conditions, Ming Sheng will surely visit the people carefully!" "Inspecting the people's conditions is a good thing. Only by implementing benevolent policies can our Great Qian Dynasty rule for a long time and remain stable. The Great Zhou Dynasty lost its rule because it did not care about the people and did not cherish their livelihood. Our Great Qian Dynasty must take this as a warning!"

Faced with Ye Cui's lecture, An Miaoyi nodded obediently and said:

"Your humble servant will heed your teachings, Mother..."

Seeing An Miaoyi's obedient and sensible demeanor, Madam Ye Cui was quite satisfied and then spoke again:
"Miaoyi, you've been managing not only the affairs of the harem but also the affairs of the court these past few days. You've really worked hard. Once Mingsheng returns, you can finally get some rest and won't have to work so hard anymore!"

Although she really wanted to tell Ye Cui that she wasn't tired and could continue to manage the affairs of the previous dynasty, An Miaoyi also knew that, given Ye Mingsheng's personality, he would absolutely not allow her to get involved in the affairs of the previous dynasty after his return!

Thinking of this, An Miaoyi felt somewhat helpless, but she could only accept it. Meeting Ye Cui's gaze, she pretended to be relaxed and said:
"Mother, I haven't really done anything. I just look at the memorials every day. Mingsheng has gone out on an inspection tour, so I have to help him look after this house!"

After discussing these topics, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted for a while. After having breakfast, An Miaoyi bid farewell and left Furen Palace, returning to her residence.

Upon returning to her residence, An Miaoyi saw many memorials laid out on her desk. Gently stroking these memorials with her jade-like hands, a complex expression flashed across the face of the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty. Although she only had the right to know during the time Ye Mingsheng was away on inspection, reading these important military and national affairs of the Great Qian Dynasty every day still satisfied An Miaoyi's lust for power.

Especially after Cui Shao fell ill, Gu Sansi and Liu Ning temporarily took charge of the cabinet, and they respected An Miaoyi's opinions even more.

However, with Ye Mingsheng's return, the current Q-force would immediately vanish. Thinking of this, An Miaoyi couldn't help but have a thought: how wonderful it would be if Ye Mingsheng never returned; perhaps she could truly become an empress...
Upon realizing this thought, An Miaoyi was startled and frightened by her own idea. She quickly shook her head, as if trying to shake the terrible thought out of her mind.

But this thought, like the whisper of a demon, kept echoing in An Miaoyi's mind, causing the Empress of the Great Qian Dynasty to constantly change her expression.

After a short while, reason prevailed over evil, and An Miaoyi regained her composure. She then summoned Granny Huang and gave her instructions:

"His Majesty will be back in a few days. Have someone inform the Yijing government to hold a welcoming ceremony for him. However, it doesn't need to cost too much money; the sentiment is enough. Otherwise, His Majesty will be unhappy if too much money is spent!"

'Furthermore, the Imperial Study should be thoroughly cleaned, but its layout should not be altered!'

"Yes!"

After An Miaoyi finished speaking, seeing that Granny Huang had not left, she immediately asked:

"Is there anything else?"

"This servant has something to report to Her Majesty the Empress!"

"Say!"

"It seems that Consort Rou has some reservations about practicing Buddhism at Tianci Nunnery. I've heard that she keeps saying she wants His Majesty to make a decision for her after he returns to the capital!"

Upon hearing this, An Miaoyi gave a cold snort and said disdainfully:

"What does this bitch think she is?"

"Let her go! Heaven's sins can be forgiven, but self-inflicted sins cannot be escaped!"

"However, during her time at Tianci Nunnery, she cannot neglect her daily duties; she must recite scriptures and pray for the Empress Dowager on time every day..."

"Yes! This servant will obey Her Majesty the Empress's decree!"

Hearing An Miaoyi's explanation, Granny Huang silently mourned for Chen Rou'er for a second. You little brat, you don't know your place. Of all people to oppose, you had to go against the Empress!