Chapter 469

Chapter 469 Princess Duanmin said slowly, "Ziye may be lazy in his martial arts practice, but that doesn't mean he's unskilled. I've checked his scores from every major and minor examination—he's always placed in the top three in martial arts." Consort Shen, in front of her own daughter, was a woman entirely without opinions of her own. "His martial arts are passable... so he's not entirely useless." Princess Duanmin said, "He has a broad and easygoing temperament, and he's well-traveled and knowledgeable. It's just that his disposition is a bit untamed. I've spent time with him, and I believe I can handle him." "He's not an idle good-for-nothing who refuses to improve—it's just that his ambitions don't lie in scholarly pursuits." "His ambitions lie in the four corners of the world. I was thinking... once we establish our own household in the future, I could travel with him and see the vast rivers and mountains of our Great Yu Dynasty." Consort Shen listened in a daze, feeling confused yet also thinking it sounded quite impressive. She even felt a faint sense of pride deep inside. This was the daughter she had raised with her own hands! Princess Duanmin took Consort Shen's hand and lowered her voice, a hint of suppressed emotion in it: "I was thinking, once I have children of my own in the future, perhaps I could plead with Brother Crown Prince to have you released from the palace to enjoy your remaining years in comfort. Then, with grandchildren and great-grandchildren around your knees, wouldn't that be a joy?" Consort Shen was greatly startled. She had never imagined Princess Duanmin would have such thoughts, nor had she ever considered... Consort Shen's mouth fell open. "That's possible?!" She had never heard of a retired consort from the palace being allowed to leave and live with her children before! Princess Duanmin said seriously, "Although nothing like this has happened in recent years, I've looked through the historical records. When this dynasty was founded, Princess Yunnan, sister of the Ancestral Emperor, took her birth mother out of the palace to be honored and cared for. Later, Princess Zhenguo followed the same example." "It's happened in this dynasty, and it was even more common in the previous one. This matter isn't as difficult as one might think—it all depends on who sits on the throne." "If it were Imperial Father, I naturally wouldn't dare to ask. But if it were Brother Crown Prince... he is also a man of utmost filial piety. I believe Brother Crown Prince would be lenient." Consort Shen didn't quite understand Princess Duanmin's words, but she had absolute faith in her daughter. She embraced Princess Duanmin and said tearfully, "You have more insight and more conviction than your mother. I'll listen to whatever you say. I'll go right now and ask Empress for that He Ziye." Once Consort Shen got worked up, she truly brought her attendants and headed straight for Fengyi Palace. Just then, she caught a glimpse of the Tenth Prince emerging from Fengyi Palace, those phoenix eyes identical to the Emperor's glancing sidelong at her. Consort Shen's gaze was shifty; she didn't dare meet the Tenth Prince's eyes at all. It wasn't until she entered Fengyi Palace that she realized her legs had gone weak. The moment she brought up He Ziye, the Empress looked at her calmly and asked, "Do you know how old he is this year? What his temperament is like? What his strengths are?" "How many branches are there in the Anguo Duke's household? And what are the relationships between each branch?" Question after question came crashing down, leaving Consort Shen dizzy and disoriented until she finally calmed down. After a long pause: "...I don't know." The Empress helplessly pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed. "He Ziye—Duanmin chose him herself, didn't she?" Consort Shen said guiltily, "How does Your Majesty know?" "Duanmin has more conviction than you, and more foresight as well." The Empress smiled. "Little Ten told Ben Gong that ever since word spread through the palace that marriage negotiations were being arranged for her, Duanmin has been quietly investigating the backgrounds of those companion scholars." When Consort Shen heard this, her face flushed red—whether from anger or embarrassment, she didn't know. The Empress, being experienced and composed, said steadily, "After she chose He Ziye, she even had Little Eight and Little Ten go test He Ziye several times." After a pause, the Empress added, "You probably don't know this? Duanmin has also met He Ziye privately several times." Consort Shen: "She, she... that's far too bold!" "Bold?" The Empress smiled gently. "A child this clever and decisive deserves praise." "Little Ten also told Ben Gong. Duanmin has her own thoughts and plans, and she can handle He Ziye well. He Ziye is also willing to be a consort. Ben Gong is more than happy to grant this marriage." After another pause, the Empress reminded Consort Shen, "These matters must never reach the Emperor's ears—I fear he'll be furious." The Emperor doted on all his daughters and was extremely strict when choosing sons-in-law, yet he also had the typical mindset of an overprotective father. If he found out that He Ziye had been privately 'seducing' the princess, he'd probably break He Ziye's dog legs. As for Duanmin... she was just a young child who didn't know better, so the husband she chose naturally wouldn't count. Not to mention Xie Run—even Consort Shen could guess what the consequences would be. She felt a bit upset. "So Duanmin refused to reveal even a hint of information, not because of me, but because she was afraid the Emperor would interfere?" The Empress gave her a look of disdain. "Isn't it also because she was afraid you'd worry yourself sick that she went out of her way to handle everything herself?" "The blisters on your lips haven't even healed yet." "A filial child like that is a blessing to you." Consort Shen nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, Duanmin is a good child, not like that heartless Seventh Prince..." Before she could finish, the Empress shot her a glare, and she wisely shut her mouth. "If Consort Jingde heard those words, she'd tear your mouth apart!" Consort Shen cowered and lowered her head. When the imperial edict granting the marriage arrived, Consort Shen was overjoyed beyond measure, yet somehow a trace of melancholy lingered as well. The child she had raised, the child who had become almost a part of her very flesh and blood... was about to be married. She suddenly recalled the girl's early years. Duanmin had been a quiet, obedient child when she was little. There were many children in the palace, each with their own temperament, and when they played together, there was always one bullying another. Duanmin had a gentle nature, so she was easily bullied. The Sixth Prince appeared well-behaved on the surface, but was somewhat mischievous in private, and Noble Lady Xian dared not discipline him too strictly, only coaxing and doting on him. Once, when the Sixth Prince bullied Duanmin, Consort Shen could not bear it and chased after him with her attendants. She naturally would not dare to make things difficult for the Sixth Prince, but she could take out her anger on Noble Lady Xian. Who told her she couldn't teach her child properly? Consort Shen not only went herself, but also brought Duanmin along. She had Duanmin hide to the side and told her, "You must not come out. Mother Consort Shen will get even for you. You watch and learn from the side—if you're ever bullied again, you must learn to fight back!" Duanmin nodded with red-rimmed eyes, crouched down, and peeked from behind a small pillar. Consort Shen directly caused Noble Lady Xian to take a hard fall flat on her face. After that, she grabbed Princess Duanmin and ran off, leaving Noble Lady Xian so furious that tears streamed down her face, and she immediately went to report the matter to Her Majesty the Empress. When Xie Run heard Noble Lady Xian's complaint, her expression was quite subtle. Naturally, a great commotion followed. Consort Shen was punished, but she did not regret it in the slightest. Instead, she gleefully told Princess Duanmin, "Duanmin, we'd rather endure this punishment than be bullied!" "If anyone bullies you again in the future, you fight back just like today." "A woman's life is hard. Being a little more wicked is better than being a little more obedient." Later, Princess Duanmin surpassed her teacher in skill, tricking the Sixth Prince into falling into a mud pit, which made him avoid her like the plague whenever he saw her. In the cold winter days, the two of them would huddle together by the fire, and Consort Shen would tell Princess Duanmin stories about her days as a maidservant. Consort Shen never shied away from her humble origins, nor did she ever avoid mentioning Princess Duanmin's birth mother, Consort Hui. Not only that, during festivals and holidays, Consort Shen would personally take Princess Duanmin to secretly burn incense and paper offerings for Consort Hui. These were all things the Empress had advised her to do, and she had taken them to heart, giving only genuine love to Princess Duanmin. At some point, Duanmin had changed from calling her "Mother Consort Shen" to simply "Mother." To have such a little girl by her side in this life, Consort Shen felt only completeness—every day was a good day. A princess's marriage was, naturally, a major event both inside and outside the palace. The establishment of her household and the wedding preparations took an entire year. In the spring of the second year, Princess Duanmin was married, and the Emperor promoted Consort Shen to Consort Shen of the Fei rank. Standing on Zhanghe Terrace, Consort Shen watched Princess Duanmin depart, crying until she was a mess of tears. The Empress comforted her, saying, "The princess's residence is just outside the palace. If you miss her, she can come in to keep you company every day. Why are you crying like this?" "Your Majesty, this concubine understands what you say, but this concubine just feels... as if a piece of flesh from her heart has been quietly carved out—both sore and painful." After returning, she wept bitterly. Cuiniao teased her, "You're already a Fei of the second rank, yet you still cry so ungracefully. If someone saw you, they'd laugh." "Who says a second-rank Fei can't lie on the bed crying with tears and snot all over her face?!" She wiped her tears and bickered with Cuiniao. Suddenly, her gaze froze, and she said in a tearful voice, "Cuiniao, when did you get white hair?" Cuiniao rolled her eyes at her. "I'm nearly forty. Wouldn't it be strange if I didn't have white hair?" Consort Shen sighed. "Indeed... in the blink of an eye, we've all grown old." Cuiniao muttered, "It's people like us who've grown old in the blink of an eye. Someone of Her Majesty the Empress's character looks exactly as she did when she first entered the palace, as if it were only yesterday." Consort Shen: "...Would you die if you kept your mouth shut?!" Cuiniao: "If I kept my mouth shut, you'd be the one dying of boredom." Consort Shen: "..." On the third day, when the bride returned to her natal home, Consort Shen pulled Princess Duanmin close and looked her over from head to toe for a long while, afraid she had suffered any grievance. Seeing her daughter and son-in-law smiling as they called her "Mother," Consort Shen felt that the place where the flesh had been carved out was instantly filled. In this life of hers, she had eaten enough bitterness in the first half, and enjoyed enough blessings in the second half. Thankfully, she cherished her life and had never been willing to let it go. (The End)