Chapter 579: Have Mercy on Me
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The carriage arrived at the palace gate. Because the carriage was ordinary and they did not show their token in advance, the guards at the first palace gate immediately stopped them.
“Stop right there! How dare you stop the Empress’s carriage!” Hui Xiang immediately rebuked angrily.
Only then did the people guarding the palace gates recognize that the person dressed as a maid in front of them was the head palace maid Hui Xiang that was always by the Empress’s side. They were all so frightened that they immediately knelt down and kept kowtowing, “Your Majesty, please spare me!
Your Majesty, please spare my life!”
“Open the door,” In the carriage, the Empress sat upright with her eyes closed as she spoke in a faint voice.
“Yes, immediately!” The guards at the palace gate got busy, made way for the Empress, and opened the palace gate.
The Empress wasn’t in the palace before, so someone naturally reported her sudden return to the Emperor.
Emperor Hao had just finished court and was extremely surprised when he heard that his mother had returned. He hurriedly came down from the imperial table and left the imperial study to welcome his mother.
His mother’s carriage had already arrived at the bottom of the steps outside the imperial study.
Emperor Hao quickly walked down the steps and personally helped his mother down from the carriage with both hands.
The Empress looked at him in disdain. “Am I that old?”
Emperor Hao laughed. “Of course not. You’re forever young, Mother. It’s just that as your son, I naturally want to help you as much as I can. Why should I just watch my dearest mother come down the steps on her own?”
The Empress left with her son. She was held all the way into the imperial study room.
The Empress sat beside a small table by the window. Emperor Hao sat on the other side of the small table. There were already palace maids bowing, not daring to look directly at them as they served hot tea and fruits. There were also many eunuchs serving at the side. The Empress found it annoying, so Emperor Hao asked them to leave. This left only him and his mother in the imperial study.
Emperor Hao then said, “Mother, you’ve returned to the palace earlier than expected. This must mean that something big happened.”
The Empress was sitting cross-legged and holding the Buddha beads in her hand. Hearing this, she gave her son a hollow glance, then looked at the small brocade box on the table and said, “Open that and take a look.”
This small brocade box was respectfully presented by Hui Xiang just now.
Only then did Emperor Hao open the small brocade box. There was a letter inside, and when he saw the words on the envelope, he was a little surprised. “Isn’t this Grandfather’s handwriting? Who was so capable to write the exact same thing?”
It was even addressed to benefactor Yunzi of Heavenly Spirit Temple.
The Empress closed her eyes, her hand holding the prayer beads without stopping. She said, “Read the letter inside.”
“As you wish.” Emperor Hao acknowledged again before opening the envelope and taking out the letter to read. The moment he saw the contents of the letter, he immediately looked at his mother, “Mother, What is the meaning of this?” “I received it this morning.” The Empress’s eyes were still closed.
“I don’t know who wrote it, and it’s not signed. The person who sent the letter was interrogated, and they don’t know who it was from either. There’s a wealthy merchant in Xinyuan County with the surname Qin. He has a few large ships, and the large ship comes to the imperial capital every two months.
“It’s been a few years since they’ve started this service, and the commoners love to go to his place. They spend money on his ship to help deliver the letter.
“The servant who delivered the letter to Heavenly Spirit Temple was the servant on the ship. The letter that was given to me just happened to be in his hands, so he was asked to deliver it.
“However, they brought the letter along without any written proof. On the way to the imperial capital, the ship would stop and the letters would be poured into a large wooden box. Therefore, no one knows exactly where the letter had come from.
“The paper, ink, and letters were identified by Hui Xiang. They are all produced in Jingke, where Gao Fang Zhai is located. Although Gao Fang Zhai is located in the North, the things it makes can be bought in many places in the North, South, East, and West of Da Ling..”
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