Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Empress Zheng and the others did not notice Emperor Yongxi’s arrival and departure.

Sensing a possible turning point, Xiao Yu said to Empress Zheng, “Your Majesty, for the sake of the Second Prince, and for yourself, don’t do anything foolish again.”

Eunuch Qian nodded in agreement.

Minghe advised, “Right, live well.”

The prince echoed, “Yeah! Live well!”

Empress Zheng expressed her true feelings, “I want to live, but that might not be possible—”

“The Emperor has always been lenient. We can try,” Xiao Yu said.

Hearing this, Empress Zheng turned to look at Xiao Yu, seeing hope in his eyes. She no longer wished to die. She wanted to experience what Xiao Yu and his nephews described: to see the tender green leaves, listen to the birds sing, watch Yuanping write, paint, meet a girl he likes, get married, have children… She nodded, “Yes.”

Xiao Yu smiled.

Eunuch Qian let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing their uncle smile, both the prince and Minghe also showed their smiles.

Xiao Yu glanced at Xiao Yuanping in Empress Zheng's arms, “Your Majesty, please comfort the Second Prince.”

Xiao Yuanping, though only three years old and unaware of the Zheng brothers' deeds, understood from the adults' conversations that Empress Zheng had attempted suicide. With his limited understanding of death, he clung tightly to Empress Zheng, fearing she might vanish.

“Yuanping,” called Empress Zheng.

“Mother Empress,” Xiao Yuanping replied, deeply distressed.

Empress Zheng gently patted Xiao Yuanping’s back, “Mother is fine now, everything is fine.”

Xiao Yuanping, still sobbing, said, “You're not, you almost died.”

“No, look, your mother is alive and well now,” Empress Zheng pulled Xiao Yuanping from her embrace, looking into his clean, beautiful eyes, “Didn’t you say that Heaven protects us?”

“Yes,” Xiao Yuanping nodded.

“This time, Heaven protected your mother, letting Xiao Ziqing and Eunuch Qian save me. So, I didn’t die. I will be with Yuanping as he grows up.” Empress Zheng, once swayed by her brothers' actions, had always been unwavering in her love for Xiao Yuanping. Each word she spoke was filled with love.

Xiao Yuanping understood and accepted this.

Soon, mother and son returned to normal.

Eunuch Qian reminded, “Your Majesty, it’s time for the Second Prince to return to Cihe Palace.”

Empress Zheng nodded and slowly got up.

Xiao Yu and the others also stood up.

“Thank you, Xiao Ziqing and Eunuch Qian,” Empress Zheng said.

Xiao Yu replied, “Your Majesty, rest assured, we will do our utmost.” He meant to do his utmost to protect Empress Zheng.

Empress Zheng bowed to Xiao Yu, “Thank you for your efforts, Xiao Ziqing.”

Xiao Yu returned a deeper bow, “Please be patient, Your Majesty.”

Empress Zheng nodded, “Yes.”

As they left Empress Zheng’s bedroom, the imperial physician arrived.

Xiao Yu said, “Thank you for coming, Doctor.”

The imperial physician went in to examine Empress Zheng.

Although knowing that Empress Zheng would not attempt suicide again, Xiao Yu still instructed the palace servants to take good care of her before he and Eunuch Qian returned to Cihe Palace, where Emperor Yongxi had already left.

Xiao Yu then informed the Empress Dowager about Empress Zheng’s suicide attempt.

The Empress Dowager was immensely shocked.

Xiao Yu said, “Fortunately, Eunuch Qian and I arrived in time to save her.”

“Those Zheng brothers truly did evil,” the Empress Dowager said with less prejudice towards Empress Zheng, looking at Xiao Yuanping with more affection, “Let Yuanping stay here and settle down for now.”

This was also what Empress Zheng had said, and Xiao Yuanping obediently nodded.

Xiao Yu did not mention Emperor Yongxi’s visit to Fufang Hall. After speaking with the Empress Dowager for a while, he took Minghe and the prince back to the Eastern Palace, where Pei Yanli and Lu Ming were waiting.

"Uncle Yan, Uncle Lu," the prince called out.

Pei Yanli and Lu Ming both bowed in greeting.

Xiao Yu asked, "Are you not busy anymore?"

"Took a break from the busyness to see you," Pei Yanli replied.

"How is the Zheng family case progressing?" Xiao Yu inquired further.

Lu Ming replied with a sense of resignation, "It’s still early days."

Pei Yanli nodded, "Their case is extensive and complex. It won’t be resolved quickly."

"How long do you think it will take?" Xiao Yu asked.

"At least three months, but it could take up to a year and a half to fully unravel," Pei Yanli estimated.

Indeed.

The case involved Xu Da, the Nanyue Kingdom, and implicated matters of life, commerce, and government affairs. It would certainly take a considerable amount of time, but Xiao Yu was particularly concerned about Empress Zheng’s fate.

Lu Ming stated bluntly, "According to our laws, she should be executed."

Xiao Yu, unsurprised by this outcome, asked, "Is there any possibility of leniency?"

Pei Yanli looked at Xiao Yu, "Do you want to save her?"

"She wasn’t involved in these matters," Xiao Yu shared the events at Fufang Hall earlier that day.

"It seems she knew her fate was sealed," Lu Ming remarked.

"Yes, in the end, she wanted to protect the Second Prince," Pei Yanli observed.

"I think she shouldn’t die," Xiao Yu expressed.

Lu Ming had met Empress Zheng a few times. She was a gentle and kind woman, nothing like her notorious brothers, the Zheng siblings. During his recent investigation with the Ministry of Justice, he found the Zheng brothers to be utterly reprehensible, while Empress Zheng, aside from some petty jealousy with Consort Shu, had committed no wrong. He could only say, “Our opinions don’t count in this matter; it's the Emperor who must decide.”

“The Emperor also quietly visited Fufang Hall,” Xiao Yu mentioned.

Pei Yanli seized on the key point, “Quietly?”

“Yes, I don’t know when the Emperor arrived, but when we were persuading Empress Zheng to abandon her suicidal thoughts, I saw him standing at the door. As soon as he caught my gaze, he turned and left,” Xiao Yu recounted.

“He said nothing at all?” Lu Ming inquired.

Xiao Yu nodded, “Nothing at all.”

Pei Yanli deduced, “Then the Emperor does not wish to execute Empress Zheng.”

“Is there a turning point?” Lu Ming asked.

Xiao Yu agreed, “That’s what I believe.”

Pei Yanli nodded in agreement.

Xiao Yu looked at Pei Yanli, “Can we use the Second Prince’s merit in saving the Emperor as leverage?” He was referring to the time when Xiao Yuanping suffered from the Araceae flower poison, inadvertently saving the Emperor from the same fate.

“We can,” Pei Yanli affirmed.

After a moment of thought, Lu Ming suggested, “We argue that Empress Zheng, a secluded woman in the palace, was unaware of her brothers’ treacherous intentions. She has always been devoted to the royal family, and besides, the Second Prince has merits in saving the Emperor. We request the Emperor to consider the Second Prince's merits and show leniency to Empress Zheng.”

“That could work, but we can’t be the ones to bring it up,” Pei Yanli said.

Xiao Yu suggested, “Let other court officials propose it.”

Lu Ming clapped his hands, “That’s good, let other officials propose it, and then everyone can plead for Empress Zheng and the Second Prince.”

“This is probably what the Emperor wants to see,” Xiao Yu added.

“Exactly, if the Emperor wanted Empress Zheng dead, he wouldn’t have allowed the Second Prince to see her again today, nor would he have silently stood at the door. So, when the officials plead, he will surely agree,” Pei Yanli concluded, then added thoughtfully, “But there’s one thing—”

Xiao Yu’s expression grew serious, “What is it?”

Pei Yanli said, “The only thing is, although she may be spared the death penalty, she cannot escape punishment. Empress Zheng will likely be demoted in rank.”

“And here I was thinking it was something more serious,” Xiao Yu sighed in relief and smiled, “Empress Zheng won’t mind that.”

Pei Yanli and Lu Ming nodded in agreement.

“Then may I entrust this matter to you two?” Xiao Yu asked. Being stationed in the Eastern Palace for a long time, he had limited contacts among officials and couldn’t accomplish this on his own. Pei Yanli and Lu Ming, experienced in court politics, could handle this subtly and effectively.

Pei Yanli and Lu Ming naturally agreed.

Xiao Yu smiled, “Thank you for your efforts,” and then turned his gaze towards Pei Yanli.

Pei Yanli also looked at Xiao Yu.

Lu Ming, about to say something more, turned his head and saw the two exchanging looks that were almost saccharine. He immediately decided not to speak, got up, and took Minghe and the prince out of the room.

Minghe asked in confusion, “Why are we going out?”

“They're having a mushy conversation about love. It's too cheesy,” Lu Ming said, then noticed the disapproving looks from the two children and asked, “What’s that look for?”

“Uncle Lu, you're just jealous of my Uncle Xiao and Uncle Pei, aren’t you?” Minghe said.

The prince added, “No one is having a romantic conversation with you.”

“No man likes you, and no woman likes you either,” Minghe said.

“Nonsense, I am brave, valiant, and charmingly dashing—”

“Uncle Xiao says that even a pig, if it looks at itself in the mirror every day, over time, will start to find itself more and more pleasing to the eye, and then believe itself to be brave, valiant, and charmingly dashing,” Minghe said.

The prince chimed in, “Exactly!”

“Come on, brother, let's go find a book to read,” Minghe suggested.

“Let’s go.”

Then the two children happily walked away.

Lu Ming stood there, stunned, pointing at the children's retreating figures, “Wait for me, I will definitely find someone to have a romantic conversation with.”

“Then go ahead and find them,” Xiao Yu called out from near the window.

Pei Yanli, with his arm around Xiao Yu’s shoulder, smiled without saying a word.

Lu Ming muttered “Damned lovebirds,” and then walked away.

Xiao Yu and Pei Yanli laughed together, then sat quietly by the window, enjoying the spring scenery outside. Neither spoke, but they were far from bored. However, Pei Yanli, being extremely busy, soon left for the Ministry of Justice.

As he had said, the case involving the Zheng brothers was too complex to resolve in just a day or two.

Three months later, the weather became increasingly hot.

In the middle of a hot day, Minghe and the prince ran back from the study, drenched in sweat, exclaiming, “It’s so hot, so hot.”

Xiao Zhongzi hurriedly went to fan them.

Minghe, tugging at his clothes, exclaimed, “Uncle Xiao, I want to take off my clothes.”

“Alright, I’ll get you a thinner outfit,” Xiao Yu said.

“Uncle Xiao, I want to change too,” the prince added.

The two children followed Xiao Yu to the inner room.

When Xiao Yu turned around, the children were already down to their underpants. Minghe, who had previously lost weight, was now plump again. All the bruises and scars on his body had disappeared. Both he and the prince looked chubby, tender, and quite adorable.

“Royal Brother! Minghe!” Xiao Yuanping ran in at that moment, spotted Minghe and the prince, and exclaimed, “Wow, you guys are chubby!”

“You’re one to talk!” Minghe and the prince pointed at Xiao Yuanping’s belly together, “Look at yourself!”

Xiao Yuanping looked down at his round stomach, touched it, and defended himself, “I just ate watermelon, that’s why my belly is big. I’m not fat.”

“You're chubby!” Minghe and the prince said in unison.

“Not chubby!”

“Chubby!”

“Not chubby!”

“Chubby!”

“You guys!” Unable to win the argument, Xiao Yuanping, with a chubby finger, pointed at Minghe and the prince, “If you had said this to me before I ate the watermelon, I would have been really angry!”

“How are you different after eating watermelon?” Xiao Yu asked with a suppressed smile.

“After eating watermelon, I feel happy and don’t get angry,” Xiao Yuanping replied, walking over to Xiao Yu, unconcerned about being called “chubby.”

Xiao Yu, while dressing Minghe and the prince, explained with a smile, “Our kids are just the right kind of chubby now, well-nourished. When they turn six and start growing rapidly, they’ll naturally slim down.”

“Uncle Xiao, will I grow really tall?” the prince asked.

Minghe inquired, “Uncle Xiao, when I grow taller, will I be very handsome?”

“Of course,” Xiao Yu, aware that both the prince and Minghe would become exceptionally handsome, said, “Very handsome, unbeatably so.”

The two children laughed joyfully.

“What about me? What about me?” Xiao Yuanping asked eagerly.

“You too,” Xiao Yu assured.

Xiao Yuanping was satisfied.

After dressing the two children, they all walked out together.

A palace servant, unfamiliar to them, ran over in a hurry, panting, “Master Xiao, General Pei sent me to report something to you.”

“Wha-wha-what is it?” Xiao Yuanping playfully mimicked.

The prince glared at Xiao Yuanping.

Xiao Yuanping immediately straightened up.

Xiao Yu asked, “What is it?”

The palace servant said, “The punishment for Empress Zheng has been decided.”

Xiao Yu's heart tightened, “What punishment?”