Before the flower-viewing banquet, while the Empress Dowager was getting ready, Mo Yun casually offered a couple of suggestions. Following her advice, the Empress Dowager changed her eyebrow shape and her clothes, looking several years younger and exuding a subtle air of authority. She was very satisfied with her appearance and naturally found Mo Yun, who had offered the suggestions, much more agreeable. She then took Mo Yun's hand and led her out to meet the other women.
The Empress Dowager made some polite remarks, focusing her questions on the families of several high-ranking officials. Then she had the young women showcase their talents. Since everyone present was a court official's family, there was no question of them being entertained in a vulgar way; it was purely a friendly exchange of skills and fun among the young women. Many of them even formed close friendships during this opportunity. It was also a good chance for the elders of the families to see what they were up to, and perhaps one of them could choose a daughter-in-law.
While the girls performed, the Empress Dowager watched and chatted with others. Most of the day passed, and her tea remained lukewarm. When she reached for snacks, her favorites were always there, and when she wanted to wipe her hands, a handkerchief was promptly offered. She glanced to the side and saw Mo Yun standing quietly not far from her, attentively attending to her needs, showing great thoughtfulness. This made her even more pleased.
The young women were all from noble families, highly talented, and possessed exceptional beauty and elegance. Watching their performances was a true pleasure. The Empress Dowager's original intention was for the Emperor to come and pay his respects to her while the young women were performing, so that he could sit down and enjoy the show. Although the Emperor was a man, his special status ensured that no one would object. This would allow the Emperor to choose a suitable woman as his consort or empress. Even if it was merely to consolidate power, he could use the excuse of having taken a liking to someone at the flower-viewing banquet.
However, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had argued several times before, and the day before, Xu Zifan had deliberately invited the Emperor to the flower-viewing banquet to listen to the Empress Dowager's words. The Emperor, being rebellious, did not come. The Empress Dowager had just come to her senses the night before, and now she didn't care whether the Emperor came or not. Instead, she completely changed her list of concubines, not focusing on those who would add to the Emperor's power, but rather those who could be won over to her side.
After the lively performance ended, the Empress Dowager selected the top three and ordered them to be rewarded with gemstone jewelry of varying value. The other girls were also rewarded with bracelets, hairpins, and other items. However, the Empress Dowager noticed that the girls did not seem very happy. The girl who was praised by her was especially nervous, as if she did not want to be valued by her.
The Empress Dowager, puzzled, invited everyone to move to the garden to admire the flowers. She even summoned the mothers of several girls she had chosen, intending to chat with them. However, to her surprise, three of the six girls she had her eye on were already engaged, two were not suited for early marriage, and one was subtly declining. The Empress Dowager's smile faltered. She suspected it was due to the Emperor's injury to Furong, but even if the incident was absurd, the fact that these officials dared to refuse her advances still displeased her. However, given that the selection of imperial consorts was still a long way off, she refrained from expressing her anger on the spot.
When she changed the subject, the ladies and young women present almost all breathed a sigh of relief. Before entering the palace, they had thoroughly investigated and found out that the emperor was deeply infatuated with Furong and had already fallen out with the empress dowager. The empress dowager was the one who caused the emperor's injury. Even if they were concubines, they couldn't side with the empress dowager; that would only make things difficult for themselves! At this time, the emperor and empress dowager hadn't settled Furong yet, and they didn't want to be trampled underfoot by a courtesan; that would make them a laughingstock.
Besides, upon seeing the Empress Dowager today, they immediately sensed something was different. Her makeup was much more sharp, and she looked very formidable, undoubtedly because of the Emperor. They certainly didn't want to enter the palace as cannon fodder. Fortunately, their intelligence network was quite good, otherwise they would have been caught up in the royal power struggles.
The Empress Dowager was unaware that Xu Zifan had secretly fabricated so many half-truths to mislead the public, nor did she know that Mo Yun's makeup had strengthened their resolve to observe. In her eyes, these people were simply ungrateful. Xu Zifan had employed a major psychological tactic, creating an information asymmetry among the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, the ministers, and the women. Now, the benefits were becoming apparent. All their clashes and misunderstandings were advantageous to Xu Zifan, and were entirely the result of his deliberate misleading.
While caring for the Empress Dowager, Mo Yun observed the crowd and noticed their tension. She immediately guessed what Xu Zifan had done, just like how she and Xiao Shunzi had joined forces to sow discord between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. She was very familiar with this kind of thing, and couldn't help but feel that her task had become much easier. After all, she didn't have to put in too much effort. Xiao Shunzi and Xu Zifan were both working outside the palace, and the three of them always complemented each other to achieve the best results. For some reason, she even felt like she was fighting side by side.
Mo Yun followed beside the Empress Dowager, supporting her hand. Because the Empress Dowager talked as she walked, Mo Yun subtly guided her along several routes, and before they knew it, they had reached the water's edge. She glanced at the ground, then silently stopped when the Empress Dowager smiled, and looked again at a pot of red peonies a dozen steps ahead.
As soon as Fu Qiuwen saw the Empress Dowager stop, she took the initiative to go up to her and flatter her, "Aunt, the flowers here are blooming so beautifully. I have never seen so many beautiful flowers before. They are like a painting."
The Empress Dowager wanted her to be the Empress, so she gave her face and took her hand, saying, "The flowers are beautiful, but I never thought they were anything special. But now that you've come to the palace, I understand. It's because people are more beautiful than flowers. Aren't you just like a flower bud?"
Fu Qiuwen laughed and said coquettishly, "Aunt, you're making fun of me! Who here can compare to you? You are like the peony among flowers, standing proudly above the world."
The Empress Dowager was pleased to hear this. She tapped Fu Qiuwen's forehead and said with a smile, "You have such a sweet tongue. I can't wait for you to stay in the palace with me forever."
This was practically an open secret; everyone could tell that the Empress Dowager intended to make Fu Qiuwen Empress. This also matched the reports the ministers had given upon returning home. It seemed Xu Zifan had indeed proposed making a daughter of the Fu family Empress.
"Empress Dowager" means "Empress Dowager". The Empress Dowager really had this in mind. They must not interfere.
Fu Qiuwen was overjoyed. The matter of establishing an empress had been delayed for a long time, and the Empress Dowager's attitude was unclear, which had been troubling her. Now, after hearing the Empress Dowager's words, she was so happy that her face turned slightly red. Fu Qiuwen quickly put on a shy expression, afraid that others would notice that she was too excited. She looked up and saw the peony, walked over and picked one. "Aunt, this one is the best blooming, don't you think?"
Fu Qiuwen presented the peony to the Empress Dowager. Mo Yun lowered her eyes and shifted her position. Although it was slightly different from what she had expected, the result was the same, so it went smoothly. She had watered the flower with some medicine, and she had scented the Empress Dowager's clothes with a special fragrance. When the two met, the gases they emitted would combine to create a scent that irritated cats.
The Empress Dowager had arranged for several beautiful cats to be brought in from the cat and dog kennel so the young ladies could feel more comfortable and play with them. Just as she took the peony and hadn't even said a few words, two nearby cats suddenly rushed over!
"Your Majesty, be careful!" Mo Yun stepped forward to shield the Empress Dowager behind him, swatting away the two cats and calling back, "Shiqi, quickly help the Empress Dowager away!"
The two cats pounced again, but Mo Yun waved them toward Fu Qiuwen, and the cats were right there. She immediately pounced on Fu Qiuwen, shouting, "Miss Fu, be careful!" At the same time, she flicked a small pebble at Shiqi's knee.
"Ah—" Shiqi's legs went weak, and the hand that was supporting the Empress Dowager turned into pulling on her.
The Empress Dowager stumbled, her foot landing on a slippery patch of ground. She lost her balance completely, screamed, and fell into the pond!
"Empress Dowager!"
"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"
"Oh no! Someone come quick! The Empress Dowager has fallen into the water!"
The already panicked crowd became even more chaotic, with many pushing towards the water's edge. Two more people nearly slipped and fell in, but were fortunately pulled back by those around them. They then saw the ground clearly; it was obviously smeared with oil, making it incredibly slippery!
The Empress Dowager was struggling in the water. More than a dozen palace maids and eunuchs jumped in to save her. Mo Yun also released the still-shaken Fu Qiuwen, rushed over and jumped into the water. She swam to the Empress Dowager's side as fast as she could and pulled her out of the water. "Your Majesty! It's alright. This servant will take you ashore."
The Empress Dowager clung tightly to Mo Yun, feeling as if she had escaped death. Even after reaching the shore, she refused to let go of Mo Yun.
Mo Yun ordered a palace maid to bring a cloak, which she quickly wrapped around the Empress Dowager to cover her soaked clothes, barely maintaining the Empress Dowager's dignity. She then ordered someone to fetch the imperial physician before saying to the Empress Dowager, "Your Majesty, this servant will escort you back to the palace. The ladies and young ladies have also been frightened. Perhaps we should end the flower-viewing banquet here today?"
The Empress Dowager quickly calmed down, nodded, stood up, and said in a deep voice, "It seems that no one is in the mood to appreciate the flowers today. You may all leave. I will host another banquet another day... cough cough..."
The Empress Dowager was unwell, and everyone hurriedly took their leave, leaving only Fu Qiuwen to inquire about her condition. The Empress Dowager had no time to pay attention to her and hurriedly returned to Anci Palace in her carriage.
After examining the Empress Dowager's pulse, the imperial physician said that she had been frightened, caught a chill, and had cold in her body. She had also fainted from anger a few days earlier, and her body was already weak. Falling into the water had turned her condition into a very serious illness. If she did not receive proper care for several months, she might develop chronic illnesses and become weaker than the average person. Moreover, she would be afraid of the cold and unable to tolerate it in winter.
The Empress Dowager was furious when she heard him talk about these ailments. She had already decided to stop worrying about the Emperor during the perfectly good flower-viewing banquet, but those clueless ladies wouldn't listen to her. She had just tried to save face for her niece and maintain appearances, but the cat had startled her, causing her to fall into the water and be seen in a terrible state by everyone. How could she save face?! Now they were saying her health wouldn't improve and she'd have chronic illnesses. What was the point of having these imperial physicians? If they couldn't even cure a minor fall into the water, what was the point of their existence?
When the Emperor rushed over upon hearing that the Empress Dowager had fallen into the water, he heard her berating all the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital. He stopped outside the door and chuckled softly, "She's so full of energy, she doesn't look like she's fallen into the water at all. Could it be a ruse to make me submit?"
Xiao Shunzi, who was standing nearby, lowered his head even further, pretending not to hear. The emperor, not expecting anyone to answer, strode inside again, but this time at a leisurely pace.
The Empress Dowager was heartbroken to see his completely unconcerned attitude, and she couldn't help but vent her anger on him, "Does the Emperor have time to come see me now? If I hadn't fallen into the water, I probably wouldn't even have been able to see the busy Emperor."
The emperor, who couldn't even see the memorials, looked grim after being stabbed. He said in a deep voice to the imperial physician, "You must take good care of the Empress Dowager's health. There must be no mistakes."
The imperial physician bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."
The emperor waved his hand, and all the imperial physicians and palace servants filed out. Only then did the emperor look at the empress dowager and say in a cold voice, "Imperial physicians always like to exaggerate. In my opinion, the empress dowager has always been in good health. This accidental fall into the water will not harm her body. She will be fine after a few days of recuperation. The empress dowager need not worry."
The Empress Dowager twitched her lips. "Is this the kind of thing a son should say? I raised you and asked for nothing in return, but I never expected that after you fell into the water, all I would get are these cold words."
"Compared to the injury on my shoulder, the Empress Dowager falling into the water is nothing, after all, it wasn't me who caused it."
"You! What do you mean by that?" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table. "When have I ever harmed you?"
"If it weren't for this injury, Furong would be dead. Does the Empress Dowager think that losing Furong would make me feel better?"
The Emperor was impatient to argue with her and turned to leave. "Since the Empress Dowager is alright, I still have to deal with state affairs, so I'll be leaving now."
The Empress Dowager swept the tea set off the table with a wave of her hand, her chest heaving with anger, and her vision blurred. "Mo Yun!"
Mo Yun?
Mo Yun led the palace servants into the room and hurriedly stepped forward to support her. "Your Majesty, I'm here. Are you feeling unwell? I'll have someone fetch the imperial physician!"
The Empress Dowager grasped her hand and waved it away, "No need, I'm just a little dizzy. Help me to lie down for a while. Also, I vaguely heard someone say that oil was smeared on the ground? What's going on?"
Mo Yun helped the Empress Dowager lie down on the bed and whispered, "This servant doesn't know what happened either. Someone did shout like that, and the cat... this servant also found it very strange. It seemed to be aimed only at Your Majesty and didn't harm anyone else. Sister Shihua has sent people to investigate; we should have results soon."
"Shihua?" The Empress Dowager frowned, as if something flashed through her mind. She pondered and asked, "Was Shihua in charge of those cats today? Was Shiqi in charge of the placement of the road and flower pots?"
"yes."
The Empress Dowager's face turned cold, and she said after a moment's thought, "Go and take charge of investigating this matter."
"Me?" Mo Yun's eyes widened in surprise, and she stammered, "Your Majesty, this servant... this servant has only been in Anci Palace for a short time, and I'm afraid I'm not qualified to command respect. How can I possibly be entrusted with such an important task?"
"If I say you're capable, then you are. I trust you even more now. Remember, no matter who it is, anyone involved in this matter must be investigated," the Empress Dowager said solemnly, pressing her hand down.
Mo Yun took a deep breath and bowed. "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager values this servant. This servant will do her utmost to investigate the matter thoroughly!"
"Alright, go ahead." The Empress Dowager instructed Mo Yun to investigate the matter, and also summoned another senior palace maid, Shi Shu, to investigate the matter secretly.
She asked Mo Yun to investigate because she had found Mo Yun to be very clever, quick-witted, and meticulous during this time, making him suitable for investigating this matter. Furthermore, Mo Yun had always been reliable and meticulous in his work, never making a mistake, and always doing things to her liking. Moreover, when faced with a crisis, Mo Yun would instinctively step forward to protect her, order others to protect her, and even rescue her before anyone else could. At this point, she instinctively trusted Mo Yun.
However, just to be on the safe side, she still arranged for Shishu to investigate in secret. If Moyun's performance this time satisfied her, she could rely on Moyun more in the future.
Upon receiving the Empress Dowager's order, Mo Yun immediately commanded everyone in Anci Palace to launch an investigation. She was usually very popular, and now that she was in charge, everyone cooperated readily, and things quickly calmed down, eliminating the recent disarray within Anci Palace. As Mo Yun issued her orders, everyone began to work methodically, earning the admiration of the maidservant who was secretly observing.
Later, when Mo Yun discovered the oil smeared on the ground and the residual drugs in the cat's body, she immediately ordered Shi Qi and Shi Hua to be imprisoned. She herself had orchestrated this, so of course she knew what was going on. The Empress Dowager's clothes were soaked through after falling into the water, the incense was long gone, and the peony flower with the drug had naturally fallen in with her—all the evidence was destroyed. However, evidence suggesting that Shi Qi and Shi Hua had some "unclear ties" with the Emperor was about to be uncovered.
These two women were in charge of the people who obeyed the Empress Dowager. After Granny Wen left, the Empress Dowager intended to groom them to replace Granny Wen. With them gone, it was as if the Empress Dowager had lost another arm. It seemed that the Empress Dowager's life would no longer be smooth sailing in the future.