Chapter 927 - 927: Roping in
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Could it be that the Empress Dowager’s illness was already so serious…
Eunuch Zhu was shocked. He knew that the Empress Dowager’s condition was serious, but that group of imperial physicians tended to only speak halfway.
He didn’t know that her condition had already reached this stage.
The Empress Dowager was still muttering softly, “…Please take care of the people in my palace. If they’re willing to leave the palace, arrange for them to be sent to Liaodong.”
Even her voice was barely audible. Eunuch Zhu quickly leaned over and heard the Empress Dowager say in a weak voice, “I’ve asked around. Princess Shaoyi treats people kindly and takes good care of the servants who used to serve my Mother and my Grandmother. My people have also followed and served me for decades. They’ve done their best to serve me. After all, I’ve been paying respects to Buddha for half my life. I can’t let them follow me…” As she spoke, there was no more sound in the room.
Eunuch Zhu’s heart skipped a beat. He carefully checked the Empress Dowager’s breathing. Seeing that she had only fallen asleep, Eunuch Zhu suddenly heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off his forehead. The nobles in the palace had passed away. If there were no prior arrangements, without exception, they would all die with them.
The Empress Dowager had put in a lot of effort.
Eunuch Zhu held the box in his hand and quietly left the house,
When he returned to the Hall of Diligent Governance, an eunuch came over to report that Auntie Dan Hong, who followed the Empress, was here. Eunuch Zhu was not surprised. “Please come in!”
Not long after, the eunuch led Auntie Dan Hong into the house.
Eunuch Zhu’s face was filled with smiles as he asked politely, “Does the
Empress have any instructions?”
“Eunuch Zhu, you’re being too serious.” Dan Hong took a step forward and bowed to Eunuch Zhu, explaining the reason for her visit. “The Empress has something that she wants to trouble you with.”
Eunuch Zhu hurriedly said, “What do you mean by troubling me? You’re really flattering me. As servants, aren’t we sharing the burden of the nobles? Auntie Dan Hong, feel free to speak if you have anything to say. I’ll naturally serve the Empress.”
When Auntie Dan Hong heard this, her smile deepened, but she also understood in her heart that a popular person like Eunuch Zhu was talking nonsense.
Even if the Empress came over personally, she had to be polite.
These words were just for show.
How could any commotion in the palace hide from Eunuch Zhu’s eyes? He knew why she was here this time, and it was nothing much. It was something casual, so it was naturally easy for her to say.
If it were any other difficult matter, it would be a different story.
Auntie Dan Hong smiled and said, “It was also a few days ago that the Empress heard about Princess Shaoyi’s actions in Liaodong. She praised her for her kindness.’
Eunuch Zhu was not in a hurry to talk, but he thought to himself, “No wonder the Empress, who had been staying in the Longevity Palace to attend to her illness recently, was not in the Longevity Palace today.”
It turned out that she had returned to Yi Kun Palace to plan to rope in Princess Shaoyi.
Indeed!
Auntie Dan Hong changed the topic. “The Empress is the mother of the country and an example for all the women in the world. Princess Shaoyi is filial and pure. Her character is kind and respectful, and she can be considered a good woman. She deserves a reward. I heard that the Empress Dowager has issued an imperial decree on behalf of the Imperial Court to reward Princess Shaoyi generously. The Empress has also specially ordered me to come forward and ask Eunuch to send the Empress’s kind intentions to Princess Shaoyi along with the rewards from the Imperial Court.”
In other words, Princess Shaoyi’s kindness was also because the Empress was a mother to the world. It also showed the Empress’s virtue.
She was right.
Eunuch Zhu smiled and said, “Of course.’
Upon hearing this, Auntie Dan Hong quickly thanked him. With a gentle clap of her hand, an eunuch palace maid carried the items into the house like a fish through its ears.
Eunuch Zhu took a look and couldn’t help but gasp.
This was really a huge sum of money.
There was one box of white, pink, yellow, and black eastern pearls respectively. Each box had more than 30 pearls, and each of them was the size of a peanut. Not only were they of equal size, but their color was also extremely smooth.
White pearls were easier to obtain, but pink, yellow, and black pearls were extremely rare.
Just these alone were priceless.
In addition, there were all kinds of gems, cloth, jewelry, jade artifacts, incense materials, medicinal herbs, and so on. They were all carefully selected and were expensive.
However, Eunuch Zhu knew that the Ning Residence was like the Zhenguo
Marquis Residence. They were all noble families that had followed Emperor Gaozu and contributed greatly. The foundation that they had accumulated for generations was naturally extraordinary.
Back then, after the Ning Residence was convicted, although the family businesses were confiscated, the wealth was not placed in the treasury. Instead, it belonged to the Empress.
The Empress controlled all the assets of the entire Ning Clan.
All these years, the Empress had not spent much in the Yi Kun Palace. Instead, the precious tributes from all over the world were also sent to the Yi Kun Palace.
Due to the crime of Duke Ning, the eldest legitimate son of the emperor had died young. The Empress Dowager pitied the Empress very much. When she returned to the palace to pay tribute, she gave an additional portion to the Yi Kun Palace.
Perhaps only the Empress could reward Princess Shaoyi with rare treasures.
Even if others had the financial resources, no one dared to hide their tributes and items that represented etiquette.
If one had to ask Eunuch Zhu, could Princess Shaoyi accept it?
Naturally, she could accept it.
Princess Shao Yi had suffered on behalf of the Empress Dowager and the
Empress. If it weren’t for the fact that Princess Shaoyi was vigilant, the Empress Dowager was a respected elder, and Empress Dowager was sick in the Longevity Palace, other than not being able to step in to deal with government affairs openly in the future, her reputation wouldn’t be too damaged.
However, the Empress had to lose her reputation.
Princess Shaoyi could accept all kinds of gifts.
However, giving her some “heartfelt gifts” was only on the surface. It was more important to give her a “thank you” and rope her in.
Madam Han’s case spread like wildfire. Even the nobles of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and other places couldn’t sit still anymore. They all imitated the Xie and Bai families and donated money, medicine, and supplies.
Due to the decline in the price of medicinal herbs in Liaodong, no one dared to raise the price anymore, and the price of medicinal herbs in the entire North gradually decreased.
At the same time, due to the price of the medicine, the nobles did not dare to control the supplies in the North like before. Even the prices of other goods were showing signs of declining one after another.
The price of goods had fallen, and all the commoners in the North benefited.
At the same time, with the support of sufficient supplies, the resettlement of the refugees was also unfolding like fire. The sweet potatoes gradually appeared. They took root in the bitter cold land of Liaodong and germinated. Green vines gradually filled the fields.
At the end of April, it suddenly rained lightly.
The commoners took advantage of this light rain to hurriedly cut the sweet potato vines.
The sky cleared after the rain. It was rare for Yu Youyao to leave Xiangping City. As far as she could see, patches of sweet potato vines were already planted on the reclaimed sand..
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