Chapter 228: Rain

Chapter 228: Rain

"How can you lock up Yier, who is a prince, in the Imperial Clan Office?"

Emperor Xingyuan guessed that it was Consort Shu who had complained and, suppressing his anger, explained calmly, "He committed a grave mistake during the disaster relief mission in Dingbei."

"Relief missions are hard work, but what mistake could he have made? Didn't Yier bring back the umbrella of the people?"

Emperor Xingyuan didn't want to tell the Empress Dowager these details, but seeing that she had no intention of letting it go, he had no choice but to say, "This ungrateful boy embezzled disaster relief funds and is suspected of slaughtering innocent civilians."

The Empress Dowager was taken aback.

Seizing the opportunity, Emperor Xingyuan advised, "It's getting late, Mother. You should return to your palace and rest."

The Empress Dowager didn't take the bait. "There's something I don't understand."

"What is it that you don't understand, Mother?"

"This Great Xia is our family's empire, right? Yier worked hard on that trip and received some money. Isn't that our family's money?"

How could it be called embezzlement if it's our own family's money?

The Empress Dowager's matter-of-fact tone made Emperor Xingyuan feel a block in his chest. If anyone else had said this, he would have had them executed on the spot without hesitation. But it was his nearly seventy-year-old illiterate mother.

Emperor Xingyuan had no choice but to explain using the simplest analogy, "For example, if you were managing the household and one of our farms burned down, you would allocate funds from the official treasury to rebuild it. But if the person sent to handle it embezzled the money, and the farm wasn't rebuilt, causing the farmers to freeze or starve to death, and the land to be left to waste, should that person be punished even if they are from our family? If we don't punish them, others will follow suit, and our family will fall."

The Empress Dowager seemed somewhat convinced but hesitated, "But locking him up in the Imperial Clan Office seems too harsh?"

"No torture will be used. It's just a temporary loss of freedom; how is that harsh?"

"Alright then." Before leaving, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but remind, "Don't be too angry. There are no grudges between father and son that last past midnight."

"I understand, Mother."

After seeing off the Empress Dowager, Emperor Xingyuan's expression darkened, and he ordered a eunuch to go to Handan Palace to deliver a message.

In Handan Palace, Consort Shu paced uneasily.

Could the Empress Dowager persuade the Emperor to change his mind?

"Your Highness, someone from the Hall of Heavenly Purity is here."

Consort Shu hurried out.

The eunuch who came to deliver the message was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

"By order of the Emperor, Consort Shu, due to your failure in educating your son, you are to reflect on your actions in Handan Palace," the eunuch quickly delivered the imperial edict and left as if Handan Palace was a dangerous place.

Consort Shu stood frozen for a moment before snatching a teacup from the table and hurling it to the ground.

The palace maids stood in silence, terrified. Only an elderly nursemaid dared to come forward and advise, "At times like this, Your Highness must remain calm."

"I never expected the Emperor to be so cold-hearted."

Consort Shu didn't finish her sentence, instead, she grabbed the old nursemaid's hand and murmured, "The quick response from the Hall of Heavenly Purity means the Empress Dowager must have left shortly after. Did she persuade the Emperor?"

The old nanny gently comforted her, "The Emperor is most filial to the Empress Dowager. The fact that she returned so quickly means that the Emperor listened to her. Please don't worry, once the Emperor's anger subsides, Prince Qing will be fine."

"I hope so," thought Consort Shu, feeling it wasn’t that simple, yet unable to help but hold some hope for the Empress Dowager.

As the sky darkened completely, a slender new moon hung quietly in the sky, and the once glorious Handan Palace sank into the silence of the night.

The next day, a drizzle fell. Xin You folded her umbrella and walked into a teahouse nearby.

The letter from Liu Zhou mentioned what happened after Miss Kou intercepted the sedan to lodge her complaint, and also noted that He Qingxiao would depart for Dingbei today.

With the situation growing tense, it was not appropriate for her and Lord He to meet for a detailed discussion, but they couldn't help taking a walk on the street to see if there were any changes.

The street was bustling as usual, with people coming and going. The capital always seemed so busy and vibrant.

Xin You had entered what was actually a teahouse near the Shun Tian Prefecture yamen. As she sat drinking tea, she overheard some patrons discussing the events of the previous day.

"That young girl was sent to prison, right?"

"Do you think it's true? Those imperial inspectors not only embezzled but also committed murder?"

"It must be false. I have a relative in Ping City who wrote to me a few days ago, saying that the officials had distributed a lot of grain."

When they heard someone had a relative in Ping City, they pressed for more details.

"So, the girl was just making things up! What did she hope to gain? Wasn’t she afraid of losing her head?"

"Maybe she's mentally unstable."

Xin You had no patience for this and paid her bill before leaving.

The drizzle was endless and boundless, and the discussions of the teahouse patrons behind her became less distinct.

"Miss, don't listen to those people. They don't use their brains," Xiaolian kindly advised.

Xin You smiled, "Indeed."

Even those living in the capital were relatively well-informed. Some remote mountain folk didn’t even know the current era's reign title or who the emperor was. This was exactly what Prince Qing and his ilk exploited, allowing them to commit all kinds of atrocities while deceiving the public.

Ahead, a convoy of carriages and horses headed north.

"Miss, it's Lord He!" Xiaolian hurriedly tugged at Xin You's sleeve.

Xin You immediately spotted the tall figure on the horse.

At that moment, He Qingxiao happened to turn back.

On the street, many people were hurrying with their sleeves raised to shield themselves from the rain, while those with umbrellas were much more composed, with umbrella flowers gently blooming in the drizzle.

Sitting on the horse, He Qingxiao also saw the girl with the umbrella.

One of his subordinates followed his gaze, recognized Xin You, and quietly asked for instructions, "Lord, it's Miss Kou. Should I go and relay a message?"

"No, that won’t be necessary," He Qingxiao quickly replied.

The convoy gradually disappeared from view.

"Miss, it looks like Lord He noticed you."

"Hmm. Let's return to Shaoqing Mansion."

The two had gone out on foot, and on the way back, Xiaolian hailed a carriage by the roadside.

At that moment, Shaoqing Mansion was receiving a rather troublesome guest.

"I want to see Miss Kou," Dai Ze said, leaving the elderly lady, who had been bracing herself for all sorts of scenarios, stunned.

Count Gu Chang hadn't been buried yet, and King Qing had been imprisoned in the Clan Court. What could the son of Count Gu Chang possibly want here while still in mourning?

Visiting others during the mourning period was considered inappropriate, but the elderly lady also knew that the son of Count Gu Chang was a reckless man. If he caused a scene outside, it would be problematic for Shaoqing Mansion, which was trying to avoid recent complications.

"Who are you looking for?" the elderly lady asked again for confirmation.

"I'm looking for Miss Kou," Dai Ze replied expressionlessly, but his eyes lit up at the mention of Miss Kou.

The elderly lady's expression darkened.

She had assumed the most likely reason for this reckless young man's visit was that he feared Shaoqing Mansion might break off the engagement. But instead, he was here as a future grandson-in-law to see his fiancée's cousin?

"Young master, please return. Our girl cannot meet with an unrelated man."

While Dai Ze seemed more composed after his father's death, a lifetime of recklessness wasn't something he could shake off easily.

When told he couldn't see her, Dai Ze immediately protested, "Madam, that's not fair. I'm not just any outsider. I'm her cousin’s husband-to-be!"

As Xin You stepped into Ruyitang, she caught the tail end of Dai Ze's outburst.