Chapter 73: Grand Finale

Chapter 73 The Grand Finale

When She Niang informed Li Ju of this, he was startled. "She Niang, you truly are my guardian angel. Without your connection, Noble Consort Zhao Yi would never have helped me. Otherwise, I might have fallen under suspicion."

"It seems that before Emperor Yin died, he felt betrayed by the Prince of Qing. Knowing his end was near, he issued that decree, intending for He Biyun to deliver it to the new emperor, thereby sowing doubt about you," She Niang said, a wave of retroactive fear washing over her.

She Niang hadn't realized that by being reborn and saving the true Yi Niang's life, she would ultimately be saved in return.

Li Ju shook his head. "Emperor Yin brought this upon himself. By the way, for your third sister's birthday, let's send a lavish gift to the palace."

"That goes without saying; my gifts are always generous. But even though He Biyun is dead, what about her people? You should find a way to secure them," She Niang urged.

Getting people out of the palace was, of course, incredibly difficult, but to her surprise, Li Ju agreed without a second thought. She Niang wondered if Li Ju had truly gained such immense influence.

She had thought Li Ju was merely seeking safety, but in reality, he harbored greater ambitions.

When the Marquis of Xinan's funeral procession passed, the Prince of Qing's residence also set up a roadside memorial, and even the emperor sent someone to offer condolences. However, Xiao Tang's eldest son, Mao Ge'er, fell seriously ill after returning home. She Niang sent Mama Xia to deliver medicine and check on him.

Upon her return, Mama Xia reported, "I heard the child was being playful and insisted on riding a horse. No one could stop him, and he caught a chill, which led to this. The Marquis of Xinan was furious. And I don't know what's gotten into the Sixth Lady—she was very blunt, just saying it was his own fault for running around."

"She was just speaking out of frustration. As a stepmother, how can she complain like that? And for you all to hear it—if it reaches the marquis's ears, it might cause another incident," She Niang shook her head.

Mama Xia smiled. "I think the Sixth Lady has been holding back for a long time. Now that she's the Marquise, she doesn't want to tolerate it anymore."

"Being a Marquise is nothing—it's still early. She should manage what needs managing, but she must do so reasonably. Well, it's not my business anyway. As for Dowager Consort and Dowager Consort Wang, between the two, Dowager Consort is fine—she just enjoys listening to operas and lively gatherings. But Dowager Consort Wang is always anxious; we should send her some liver-cooling and fire-reducing medicine." She Niang had to attend to matters both inside and outside the household.

Mama Xia added, "Dowager Consort Wang is too preoccupied for other matters. Although the old prince is in a Taoist temple, he hasn't truly taken vows—he still comes back occasionally. You and the prince are doing well, and the eldest and second sons are being raised wonderfully. The only worry is the Princess."

Hearing this, She Niang sighed softly.

Wu Ting's concubine had become pregnant, giving birth to a daughter the first year and a son the following year. Over the past two or three years, She Niang hadn't conceived again.

This was partly because Li Ju cherished her health and didn't want her to suffer the hardships of childbirth, and partly because She Niang herself wanted to focus on raising the first two children well.

A-Heng was now seven years old. Li Ju had already petitioned for him to be named heir apparent, but Emperor Jianchang issued a decree stating it must wait until he was ten. So, they could only wait.

Today was the Princess's birthday. She Niang had people prepare gifts early and went to the Duke of Ying's residence.

The Princess was overjoyed to see her family. "Sister-in-law, why didn't you bring A-Heng and A-Lu?"

"They're both in school, so I came alone," She Niang said. After several years of marriage, not only had Li Niang changed, but even the Princess had changed greatly. Marriage had smoothed out their rough edges.

The Princess no longer cared about Wu Ting. She was building her reputation everywhere, portraying herself as virtuous, and even bought three beautiful women from the Jiangnan region for Wu Ting, each stunning and charming.

Since Wu Ting couldn't change the inheritance laws, her son would still become the heir and inherit the Duke of Ying's residence. Once she lost hope in her husband, she acted without hesitation.

But the Princess still complained: "My mother-in-law says I'm only pretending to be virtuous. I ignore her."

"You may ignore her, but one child isn't enough. I advise you not to be too stubborn," She Niang said, patting her hand.

The Princess replied, "He does whatever he wants but restricts me, expecting me to always be submissive. Dream on."

There were men like that. Li Ju had been a bit like that at first, but he wasn't that type of person at heart. He could be stubborn in some ways, but he was mostly sincere and treated others with honesty.

The sisters-in-law had a meal together. When She Niang left, she saw Wu Ting. Wu Ting naturally disliked the Princess even more now and, by extension, had a poor impression of the Prince of Qing's household. She Niang thought to herself, it was a good thing Wu Ting wasn't her husband. Otherwise, if he dared to disrespect her, she would make him regret it sooner or later.

Thankfully, Li Ju appeared masculine on the outside but was very obedient to her on the inside.

After the Princess's birthday, She Niang went to the palace again. Over the past year or two, there had been many petitions to appoint a crown prince. Noble Consort Liu, once highly favored, now found herself in a delicate position.

The new empress was too young to suppress her for now, but Emperor Jianchang visited the empress frequently, yet she still hadn't conceived.

These matters couldn't be discussed in the palace. She Niang only asked Yi Niang how she was doing. Yi Niang said, "When the empress was enthroned, I was also promoted to the rank of pin. With you often visiting the palace, everyone knows our Pei family is not weak. I'm doing quite well."

Actually, there were eunuchs who didn't obey, and people in the palace complained that her place was like a cold palace, but she didn't need to tell her cousin about that.

Even in ordinary households, many wives were neglected by their husbands.

Yi Niang was open-minded but not idle. She developed a love for gardening, and whenever She Niang visited, she would bring flowers. She also treated and performed acupuncture on the young palace maids, keeping herself busy.

With She Niang visiting her every now and then to chat, she was very content.

However, She Niang said, "I heard the Tatars are about to invade again. After this, I might not be able to visit the palace as often. If you need anything, send a eunuch to me—no need to go to the Pei family, just come to the prince's residence directly."

Yi Niang thanked her repeatedly.

As expected, for this campaign against the Tatars, Emperor Jianchang sent the Chu family and Li Ju's old friend Old Yuan to lead the expedition. Wu Ting, as Emperor Jianchang's trusted follower, also went to war soon after. Only Li Ju was left behind.

Not even any royal clansmen were selected for this war, likely because Emperor Jianchang, having usurped the throne himself, was wary of other royals gaining power.

Li Ju didn't mind. He said to She Niang, "The emperor still suspects me, but don’t worry. Let’s endure it for now."

Since learning about Emperor Yin's decree, Li Ju had felt uneasy, but he also learned something else that set his mind at ease. He remained calm and confident, waiting patiently.

She Niang didn’t know the details, but she could guess some of it. Emperor Jianchang had been stabbed in a vital spot before, yet he continued to cling to power without rest. His health was likely failing, which might explain why there had been no heirs in the palace these past few years.

Meanwhile, Old Madam Pei felt that ever since she changed her granddaughter Shun Niang's fate, many things seemed to have veered off course but eventually returned to the original path.

Just as Prince of Jin had ultimately ascended the throne, there was also the prediction that the Pei family would produce another empress in twenty years. Whether that was true or not remained to be seen.

If it were true, wouldn’t the sixth branch prosper again?

But the things written in that book were something she couldn’t easily share, as others might not believe her. Besides, there was She Niang. Although Old Madam Pei could see some patterns—like the Prince of Qing daring to help Prince of Jin rebel—in the end, it would likely be a case of "hunting dogs being killed once the hares are caught."

If she could bring down the Prince of Qing's household in one stroke, that would be one thing, but she was just an old woman. Harming a prince was beyond her, and even leaving her home was difficult.

Moreover, her eldest son’s health was not good, while the sixth branch was thriving. First, Pei Ji took a military post. Though not exceptionally outstanding, he was appointed a company commander for the campaign against the Tatars. Then, Pang Ge'er, at twelve or thirteen, passed the imperial examination at the county level. Yu Shi, who originally had poor health, was treated by famous doctors sent by She Niang and provided with expensive medicines, ensuring she was well cared for.

While Old Madam Pei was worrying, her eldest son passed away a month later. The death of the family head left Old Madam Pei, who had to bury her own child, weeping bitterly.

She Niang wondered why Old Madam Pei, who was so concerned about her son, hadn’t accompanied him with Meng Shi when he took up his official post. With family around, he would have had support. Instead, her uncle served alone in Yun-Gui, where he was said to have contracted miasma.

She remembered that when her father was sent to faraway Fujian, her mother had gone with him.

After her uncle was promoted to the Transmission Commissioner, his health declined, and he repeatedly asked to resign, but the old lady wouldn’t allow it. In the end, he lost his life.

Old Madam Pei, grieving the loss of her son, wept bitterly. After the fourth uncle helped with the funeral, he also fell ill. Dowager Consort Hua specifically sent medicine to the fourth uncle’s family, and Huo Shi hurried to express her gratitude. In terms of social skills, Huo Shi was even better than Yu Shi, but Dowager Consort Hua preferred Yu Shi’s honesty.

Although these events occurred in her natal family, She Niang was also reforming the prince’s residence. First, there was the issue of the medical expenses. The medical bureau’s spending on ginseng alone was a major expenditure every year. After discussing with Li Ju, they decided to eliminate this expense, setting set quantities for usual prescriptions.

Then there were the servants in the prince’s residence, with their complex factions. She had to slowly clean them up.

All of this required strong determination and without interference. When she previously assisted Princess of Qing, she had turned a blind eye to these matters. Now that she was in charge, she was streamlining matters one by one.

She was patient, energetic, and clear-minded. Over the past few years, the Prince of Qing's residence had undergone a great transformation.

Even when the Princess returned, she felt the household rules were very strict. Nanny Gong complained to her, "Now, not only is gambling forbidden, but even casually passing things around is not allowed. Young maids aren’t permitted to play around freely. When arranging marriages, both parties' opinions are asked, and no one is forced. Some praise her for this, while others say she is too strict."

Upon hearing this, the Princess said, "It's truly thanks to her managing everything both inside and outside the household."

Nanny Gong thought to herself privately that the Princess, who had previously refused to speak a single good word about her sister-in-law and often complained, was now praising her. Little did she know that in recent years, as the Princess had taken on more household responsibilities, she had relied heavily on her sister-in-law for advice whenever she was unsure, becoming deeply dependent on her.

Recently, Wu Ting’s favored concubine had been giving birth to children one after another, and the staff in the small kitchen went out of their way to please her. One day she craved fish fried with cherries, the next day some country-style wild vegetable dumplings. The Princess was infuriated by her improper behavior and wished her sister-in-law would step in to discipline her.

At the end of the year, when it was bitterly cold outside, Li Ju brought the old prince back. She Niang told the kitchen to prepare vegetarian meals for him, and Li Ju kept his father company while he ate and drank. Seeing that Li Ju was in good spirits, the old prince patted his hand and said, "Just hold on a bit longer."

"Father, even if something happens to him, there are still the princes, aren't there?" Li Ju said truthfully.

The old prince laughed. "What’s that got to do with it? Those who achieve great things shouldn’t be too concerned with legitimacy. He killed his own brother to seize the throne. Besides, isn’t there Emperor Yin’s decree? Although his intentions were malicious, it will surely be useful at a critical moment."

Even if it had been burned, the words on it had been told to She Niang by Consort Pei, and She Niang had relayed them to Li Ju almost verbatim. Forging a copy would be as easy as turning over one’s hand.

This was what they called turning a disadvantage into an advantage.

That Emperor Jianchang had managed to live this long was already a lucky break from heaven, Li Ju understood.

By March of the following year, after suffering two defeats, news had spread from the palace that the emperor was coughing up blood. The First Prince and others were growing restless. Li Ju contacted his father-in-law and had people recommend the First Prince as the heir apparent, which led Emperor Jianchang to scold the First Prince harshly and even kick him a few times. The First Prince died a few months later.

Emperor Jianchang hadn’t truly intended for his son to die, but even though they won a battle at the front, his health continued to decline.

Even Yi Niang seemed to sense it.

Although Emperor Jianchang usually treated his outer court officials well, when he fell seriously ill, he summoned members of the imperial clan to the palace. The Prince of Xiang was She Niang’s uncle, and Guo Xianzhu, the wife of the Prince of Zhao, was She Niang’s close friend since childhood. The Prince of Huai and the Prince of Linhai were indecisive. Although Li Ju did not reveal his thoughts, everyone followed his lead.

Though young, Li Ju never overstepped his bounds. Whatever the emperor ordered, he could explain with clarity and logic. Even Emperor Jianchang couldn’t help but view him with newfound respect.

Now, Emperor Jianchang had only the Third Prince left. Li Ju saw the worry etched on the prince’s brow and thought he didn’t seem fit to rule. When She Niang heard this, she said to him, "Nothing is certain until one’s eyes close for the last time. The emperor has assigned him to work with you all—don’t underestimate him. Even if he isn’t much, those around him are sharp-eyed and shrewd."

Li Ju laughed. "My good Princess, I’ll listen to you in everything."

The more he listened, the more he admired She Niang’s remarkable insight. He thought of her previous life, where she must have been deeply heartbroken and insecure, which led to her eventual fate. In this life, even while managing household affairs, she never tolerated the slightest corruption among her subordinates and maintained appropriate boundaries with her natal family. Since he was not Emperor Jianchang, She Niang was not that same She Niang anymore.

Sure enough, Li Ju treated the Third Prince with utmost respect. The Third Prince, who had always been overshadowed by his elder brother and controlled by the emperor, now found himself in a position where all the princes were listening to him. However, he quickly stirred up resentment and anger. Some even privately sent him beautiful women, which the Third Prince secretly accepted. Li Ju watched coldly from the sidelines, thinking to himself how power could change people so drastically.

Before Li Ju could even make a move, the Third Prince, still young, indulged daily in wine, entertainment, and multiple women, eventually suffering a sudden stroke during intercourse.

With the Third Prince gone, Noble Consort Liu went mad, and Emperor Jianchang vomited blood again, making it impossible to conceal his illness from the public any longer.

Rumors spread like wildfire, all saying that the Prince of Jin had killed his own brother and was now facing retribution. Li Ju pretended to reprimand those spreading the rumors and even said to Wu Ting, "These people really have nothing good to say."

Wu Ting observed that Li Ju’s emotions were unreadable. He had initially placed his hopes on Emperor Jianchang, never expecting his reign to be so short-lived. The old emperor had stolen the throne from his brother, and now his line had died out, while the Prince of Qing’s line was thriving.

By the time military reports arrived from the front, Emperor Jianchang was no longer able to handle affairs. He ordered several grand secretaries to discuss matters with the Prince of Qing and the Prince of Zhao.

Although Li Ju did not go out of his way to win over the grand secretaries, his energy was boundless. He could work tirelessly until late at night, remaining sharp and spirited. He treated scholars with respect and humility without being ostentatious about it. As the grand secretaries heard of the emperor’s declining health, some began leaning toward him, but Li Ju still did not reveal his intentions.

It wasn’t until after Emperor Jianchang’s death that a eunuch from Emperor Yin’s time came forward to announce that Emperor Yin had long ago issued an edict naming Li Ju as crown prince. The grand secretaries and the Ministry of Rites, already won over by Li Ju, all supported him.

Li Ju declined repeatedly but eventually ascended the throne. She Niang soon followed, taking her place as empress. This was the will of the people, but two individuals were displeased.

One was Old Madam Pei. She had never expected that a woman from the Pei family would indeed become empress, but it had happened nearly twenty years earlier than foreseen. She trembled all over, feeling as though she had wasted her entire life. The other was Wu Ting. Although the Princess had become an imperial princess, making him a prince consort, he would have to show her the deference of a subject and endure a lifetime of suppression. His brief period of authority had lasted only a few days before he was forced back into a subservient role.

She Niang, of course, knew nothing of this. As soon as Li Ju took the throne, he enfeoffed his wife, née Pei, as empress, named A Heng crown prince, and enfeoffed his second son, A Lu, as the Prince of Qing.

She Niang never imagined that after all her twists and turns, she would become empress again. But this time, she had no worries.

Late at night, the two held hands and gazed at each other, unable to hold back their smiles. The room was filled with warmth.

—The End