Seeing the empress dowager silently look over, Murong Wanru quivered and hurriedly knelt down. "Your Majesty, Wanru has embarrassed you. Wanru was too careless. Please punish me, Your Majesty!"
The empress dowager Coldly sized up Murong Wanru, her astute phoenix eyes full of dissatisfaction.
Not only did this matter not suppress the Han family, but it also allowed Han Yunxi to fiercely counterattack. Once such a ridiculous matter spread, not only would the Supreme Court be ridiculed, but she, who had ordered the case to be brought to trial, would also be ridiculed!
If it weren't for Murong Wanru's suggestion, she wouldn't have fallen into such a sullen situation.
How could the empress dowager not resent Murong Wanru?
Murong Wanru didn't dare to raise her head. Seeing that the empress dowager didn't speak, she was extremely flustered. The empress dowager was her last retreat, her last support. No matter what, she couldn't lose her again.
She was about to speak, but who knew that a trace of calculation would flash through the empress dowager's eyes, and she spoke first. "Get up and speak."
Murong Wanru was very surprised. She didn't expect the empress dowager to not vent her anger on her, but let her get up like this.
She timidly raised her head, her face delicate and pitiful. "Your Majesty, Wanru knows she was wrong. Wanru can't get up."
"Han Yunxi's ability isn't something that ordinary people can compare to. You being defeated by her, alas … is also considered normal." The empress dowager sighed lightly.
This sigh clearly flattered Han Yunxi while denying Murong Wanru.
Murong Wanru was really incredulous. Han Yunxi had just shown her power to the empress dowager, but the empress dowager was still so sure of her despite her anger.
What right did that woman have? Was she really that capable?
She didn't admit it, and she was even more unwilling!
Han Yunxi only knew how to use poison. She was just lucky. What else did she know besides poison? The Kuigen incident this time was just a coincidence. Why was the empress dowager so sure of her?
Murong Wanru's heart was blocked, and she was very unconvinced. She said seriously, "Your Majesty, please give Wanru another chance. Wanru will definitely find her weakness."
Wasn't Murong Wanru's fighting spirit exactly what the Empress Dowager wanted?
Rather than fighting with Han Yunxi herself, it was better to have Murong Wanru stir up trouble. Although Murong Wanru was Grand Concubine Yi's adopted daughter, she was still a treasure in her hands.
The empress dowager couldn't bear to see Han Yunxi and Grand Concubine Yi get along!
The most troublesome, subtle, and volatile relationships in the world were those between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. No matter how capable Han Yunxi was, what could she do to Grand Concubine Yi? No matter how good Han Yunxi was, Grand Concubine Yi would still hold a grudge if she made a mistake.
If she wanted to sow discord between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the key was Murong Wanru, her sister-in-law.
"A chance …"
The Empress Dowager muttered to herself thoughtfully, "Of course there is still a chance, but …"
As she spoke, she personally helped Murong Wanru up and had her sit on the side. Murong Wanru was very nervous. "Esteemed Empress Dowager, as long as I'm under the same roof as her, I definitely won't let her have an easy time."
While the empress dowager was calculating in her heart, Murong Wanru had her own plans as well.
Wasn't the most direct reason she'd come to rely on the empress dowager for marriage? Even if they were engaged, she didn't want to marry!
Not long after the New Year, Marquis Pingbei went to the Duke of Qin's estate to urge them to get married. If it wasn't for the empress dowager fanning the flames behind the scenes for a good show, how could Marquis Pingbei's estate have the guts to go so soon?
Under the same roof?
The shrewd empress dowager immediately understood Murong Wanru's meaning. She lightly took Murong Wanru's hand and patted it. "Yesterday, I told Marquis Pingbei that this marriage couldn't be rushed. After all, his son Zhangsun Che still doesn't have a single official position. He's always sloppy and idle about. If you marry him, you'll suffer grievances …"
Hearing this, Murong Wanru was extremely moved. She never expected the empress dowager to be so considerate of her. What the empress dowager was considering was exactly what she'd been worried about.
But Grand Concubine Yi had never told her anything.
Leaving aside Zhangsun Che's dissolute nature, his current situation required him to rely on his family for food and clothing. He didn't even have a way to make a living. To put it bluntly, he was just an idle person!
A wife's status depended on her husband. If she married over, her status would drop, to say nothing of other things. If there was hope, it didn't matter if her status dropped temporarily. But the key point was that Marquis Pingbei's body was still very healthy. Who knew how many years it would take for Zhangsun Che to inherit the title of marquis?
Even if she thought things through and was willing to marry over, how was she supposed to endure her days after marriage?
The empress dowager looked at Murong Wanru with pity. Murong Wanru nodded her head repeatedly and pursed her lips in grievance. She looked like she was about to cry, but anyone who saw her would feel tender affection.
But the empress dowager had seen many women like her in the imperial harem. Although her face was full of pity, her heart was cold.
Very quickly, she changed the topic and said, "Aye, it's just that delaying the wedding isn't a solution. After all … your situation is too special. Marquis Pingbei is right. If we don't hurry up with the wedding, who knows what kind of gossip will spread? When the time comes, won't you feel even more wronged?"
At these words, Murong Wanru's hands stiffened. Seeing the empress dowager's kind, willowy eyes, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.
She herself wore a mask in front of others. How could she forget that this old empress dowager wasn't someone easy to deal with? No matter how kind her smile was, it couldn't be trusted!
The empress dowager's words had been so beautiful, but in reality, they were both a punishment and a warning to her!
If the Han Family clinic matter was settled this time, the old empress dowager would naturally help her delay the wedding. But now that things had gone wrong, the empress dowager was determined to have her marry!
Murong Wanru's palms gradually grew cold, but the empress dowager still gently pulled her. The smile on her lips was warm and amiable. "Wanru, you're a smart child. In the future, help me settle things well, and I naturally won't treat Marquis Pingbei's estate unfairly. A woman, no matter how powerful her maternal family is, if she doesn't make some contributions to her husband's family, she won't be able to stand firm in the end. Don't you think so? "
The empress dowager finally spoke clearly, and Murong Wanru's heart skipped a beat. It could be said that she had come to a realization in hindsight!
"Go back and prepare well. Don't refuse again. Marquis Pingbei picked a good date at the end of the month, and I think it's pretty good." As the empress dowager spoke, she finally let go of Murong Wanru's hands. At this time, her palms were covered in sweat.
The empress dowager had used both kindness and coercion on her. She couldn't escape …
However, after stepping into the Peace Palace, she had never thought of escaping. It was just that she couldn't accept it!
All the way back to the Duke of Qin's estate, Murong Wanru's hands were still tightly clenched. If it wasn't for Han Yunxi, she wouldn't have overreached herself, much less be punished by the empress dowager!
The empress dowager had already spoken. Even if mufei delayed, she had no choice but to agree to the marriage. She simply wanted to vomit to death!
All of this was caused by Han Yunxi!
From the start of the Plum Blossom Meet until now, all of her sufferings had been caused by Han Yunxi. It was Han Yunxi who ruined her future!
The more Murong Wanru thought, the angrier she got. Her docile little face gradually twisted into a savage expression. It was at this moment that she saw Han Yunxi and Grand Concubine Yi walking through a nearby corridor. The two of them were chatting and laughing. Anyone who didn't know better might think they were mother and daughter!
Murong Wanru's eyes shone with a terrifying hatred. "Han Yunxi, even if I get married, you can forget about having a day of peace at the Duke of Qin's estate!"
Han Yunxi was currently chatting with Grand Concubine Yi when she suddenly felt a chill at the back of her head. She unconsciously turned to look, only to see that the courtyard behind her was completely empty.
"What's wrong?" Grand Concubine Yi asked.
Han Yunxi smoothed out her hair. "Nothing."
Grand Concubine Yi sat down on one side, gesturing for Han Yunxi to sit as well. She said mildly, "Yunxi, Marquis Pingbei's estate has already set a date for the wedding at the end of the month. They've even sent it to the palace for the empress dowager to look over. I'm afraid they'll send it over within the next two days … "
"Wanru … does she know?" Han Yunxi asked hastily. It was impossible for her not to rejoice in her misfortune.
It had long been an unwritten rule for the young men and women of the imperial clan to ask the empress dowager about their wedding dates. If the empress dowager took a liking to them, she'd prepare a grand gift for the newlyweds. If she didn't, she'd refuse them at the door.
When Marquis Pingbei had come to rush the wedding, she guessed that the empress dowager wouldn't miss a chance to disgust Grand Concubine Yi.
The languid and leisurely Grand Concubine Yi sighed again and again, extremely vexed. "She still doesn't know. Aye … that girl's got a stubborn temper. I don't know how to tell her."
"Mufei, she'll have to marry sooner or later. It's better to get married early to avoid all the gossip," Han Yunxi could only console her like this.
"That Zhangsun Che might be the son of the marquis's estate, but … he doesn't even have a single official position in the court. All he does is idle about and flirtatious by nature. I was thinking of delaying the wedding for a year or so and finding a decent job for Zhangsun Che first. That way, Wanru won't be wronged!"
Grand Concubine Yi had considered many things, but Murong Wanru had always resented Grand Concubine Yi for agreeing to the engagement in the first place. She'd kept her distance and didn't know what Grand Concubine Yi was thinking.
Seeing Grand Concubine Yi's worried face, Han Yunxi guessed that Grand Concubine Yi must have doted on Murong Wanru from the bottom of her heart and treated her as her own daughter.
Otherwise, why would someone as strong and prideful as her reveal such a helpless expression?
Unfortunately, Murong Wanru brought this upon herself.
As Grand Concubine Yi predicted, Marquis Pingbei ordered the wedding nanny to deliver the wedding date and auspicious hour within a few days. With the empress dowager's approval, Grand Concubine Yi couldn't delay it even if she wanted to.
Murong Wanru shut herself in her room and sulked, refusing to see anyone. Still, she didn't say that she wouldn't marry, so the wedding was set in stone.
Grand Concubine Yi busied herself with preparing Murong Wanru's dowry and finding an official position for Zhangsun Che. Unfortunately, things weren't so easy with the empress dowager pressuring her from above.
Today, Han Yunxi was about to leave the house when Grand Concubine Yi called her back. "Yunxi, when the Duke of Qin comes back, have him come to my rooms. Just say there's something I need to discuss with him."
Without a doubt, Zhangsun Che's future prospects would be handed over to His Highness Duke of Qin.
Han Yunxi only agreed without much explanation. She didn't even know when the Duke of Qin would come back. He seemed to have been busy for half a month. Actually, Han Yunxi was busy as well.
Today, she'd left the house for the justice courts. The compensation from the justice courts had already arrived, a total of 10,000 taels of gold.
She'd already found shops in the west, north, and east of the city. She was planning to use the money to open three more charity clinics under the Han Family's name. They'd provide free medical ingredients for the poor and needy.
The Han Family didn't have enough manpower, so the decorations of the shops, the selection of medicinal ingredients, the hiring of doctors and apprentices, as well as various publicity matters, were all waiting for her to take care of!
Of course, there was still the Li Family and Madam Chen's child. Han Yunxi never considered herself a good person. She even admitted that she was a petty person who always took revenge.
But she still had a heart of compassion. Madam Chen and Madam Li were both in the wrong and innocent. Their families were even more innocent. In the end, Han Yunxi still allocated some money to the Li Family and their child. She even said that as long as they wanted, they could come help out at the charity clinics.
… …
Words for the reader: The Duke of Qin is very busy. Mm, he'll be back soon.
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