The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune-Chapter 295 - 291 Interception

The procession had already entered the suburbs of the Capital City. The weather along the journey had been splendid, encountering only one flurry of snow, which was not significant. Tiny snowflakes drifted to the ground, quickly melting away.

The Xuanyuan family’s elder matriarch decided to rest at an inn for the night and enter the city early the next morning.

Although it was still early afternoon, and there was enough time to enter the city, she had not informed the Emperor about her return to the Capital. Showing up unexpectedly today would surely disturb the entire Imperial Harem. Why cause unnecessary disruption during mealtime?

If she was to cause a stir, she wanted to give everyone time to prepare.

Moreover, she was returning with Xiaojiu. How could she re-enter the Palace quietly? The entire Imperial Harem should undoubtedly come to welcome them!

Therefore, after consulting Xuanyuan Que, the Empress Dowager decided they would enter the city the next morning.

As soon as the innkeeper had settled the Empress Dowager and her entourage, he sent word to the Palace at once.

At that time, the Emperor had summoned the Crown Prince to join him for dinner at Qianqing Palace.

Upon learning that the Empress Dowager and Xuanyuan Que had arrived at the Capital and were spending the night at the inn on the Capital Suburb, the Crown Prince immediately said, "Father, your son wishes to leave the city to welcome the Imperial Grandmother and Ninth Brother back to the Palace."

The Emperor: "..."

He too had wanted to say that.

It had been a long time since he had left the Palace. No, that’s not right, had it been a long time since he had seen the Empress Dowager and Xiaojiu?

However, he had to attend the early morning court session tomorrow, so it was impossible for him to leave the city to welcome his mother. He could only wait until after the court session to greet her at the Palace gates with all the civil and military officials and the concubines of the Imperial Harem.

The Empress Dowager had reached the suburbs but had not immediately entered the city; instead, she chose to stay at the inn, giving him ample time to prepare for her return to the Palace.

Knowing that the Crown Prince was eager to see the Empress Dowager and Xiaojiu, the Emperor said, "Then you shall go to the inn on my behalf to greet the Empress Dowager and escort her safely back to the Palace."

"As Your Majesty commands!"

After that, the Crown Prince felt no desire to keep the Emperor company for dinner, but he patiently finished his meal as usual, without showing any sign of haste.

The Emperor was aware of his son’s eagerness to leave but was pleased to see that he did not show it. As an heir apparent and a future emperor, he needed to always maintain an inscrutable demeanor.

Of course, it was also necessary to show one’s emotions appropriately, just as he had done earlier.

After all, people are not statues; they inherently possess emotions and desires. Were someone to show no reaction upon the return of their closest kin, it would seem quite cold-hearted.

~

News of the Crown Prince leaving the Palace at dusk with a detachment of the Imperial Guards reached the Empress’s ears immediately.

As the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace residing within the Imperial Palace, his status was revered, and he was integral to the state’s stability; for safety reasons, it was not usual for him to leave the Palace casually. freewebnøvel.com

The Crown Prince’s leaving the Palace, especially with a troop of Imperial Guards, was definitely a matter of great significance.

After receiving this information, the Empress swiftly instructed her most trusted lady-in-waiting, "Have someone follow the Crown Prince to find out why he is leaving the Palace."

"Yes!" Madam Yan acknowledged and went to gather information personally.

Anxious thoughts swirled in the Empress’s mind, causing her brows to involuntarily furrow.

There had been a snow disaster in the Northern Border shortly after the onset of winter. The Emperor had ordered the Ministry of Revenue to allocate a batch of grain to be transported to the Northern Border to provide relief to the people.

Since the grain in the Northeast Granary had been stored for several years, the Emperor had decided to gradually replace it with new stocks; hence, it was to be transferred from the Northeast Granary.

However, during this allocation, it was discovered that all the grain in that granary had gone moldy.

And it was so moldy that it couldn’t be eaten anymore!

The Northeast Granary is Xuanyuan Country’s reserve granary, housing a substantial amount of food, and has been accumulating reserves since the founding of the country. The grain taxes paid by the three provincial government offices in the northeast over the years have all been stored in the reserve without being used.

These grains are not easily utilized, unless the country is in a time of crisis.

Now millions of bushels of grain have all gone moldy, and the official in charge of the Imperial Court’s granaries happens to be her nephew. At the very least, he will be charged with negligence and dismissed from his position!

But she feared the Emperor might have his head chopped off.

Her nephew was already handling the matter, yet it hadn’t been resolved.

If the Crown Prince had left the palace to investigate this matter, then things would become troublesome!

Empress Su was considering whether she should arrange an ’accident’ to ensure he never returned.

While the Empress knew of the Crown Prince’s departure, the other concubines quickly became informed. After the Noble Consort heard the news, she said to her subordinates, "Go find out why the Crown Prince has suddenly left the palace."

The mistresses of the various palaces all sent out their people to investigate the reason for the Crown Prince’s departure, and then news from the Emperor also reached the palaces: "Tomorrow, at the beginning of chen hour, all the palace concubines of consort rank and above are to leave the palace gates to welcome the Empress Dowager."

Then the whole harem erupted in chaos.

The Empress was the least hopeful for the Empress Dowager’s return, but no matter how reluctant, she had to personally lead the way in arranging Cining Palace and the Ninth Prince’s Xuanyang Palace to showcase her virtuous and gentle character.

However, she had always wanted to see the palaces where Xuanyuan Que resided, always feeling that Xuanyuan Que was too clever.

Clever to the point of not seeming like a child, but more like an old fox!

Ever since she became Empress and gained full control of the Imperial Harem, she had planted her people around Xuanyuan Que and the Crown Prince.

But as soon as her people came into contact with Xuanyuan Que, he would cry, a hundred times out of a hundred, and then her people would all be reassigned by the Emperor.

Not only her placements, but the concubines’ as well.

This led to the Eastern Palace of the Crown Prince and the Xuanyang Palace being as impregnable as a fortress to this day.

She, the Empress, was even ordered by the Emperor not to meddle with the servants of the two of them any more.

Today, she felt, was a good opportunity.

Xuanyuan Que’s palace had been off-limits to anyone he disliked since he was seven or eight months old and began to talk.

Apart from palace maids he personally chose, normally only the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Crown Prince could enter.

Moreover, there were no palace maids inside Xuanyang Palace, only two eunuchs.

At this moment, the Empress, leading a group of palace maids, arrived outside Xuanyang Palace. Taking advantage of the Ninth Prince’s imminent return, the Empress, as his mother, came to see whether the Ninth Prince’s palace had been properly cleaned.

Unfortunately, they were stopped by the eunuchs of Xuanyang Palace at the gate.

Angrily, a palace maid by the Empress’s side rebuked, "How dare you! The Empress is the Ninth Prince’s mother and has personally come to arrange his palace. Do you dare to obstruct?"

The eunuch knelt down: "I dare not, but the Emperor has decreed that no one is to enter the Ninth Prince’s palace! Please, do not make things difficult for your servant, Empress."

"Pah! That was the rule when the Ninth Prince was still in the palace. Now that the Empress has personally come to clean for the Ninth Prince, you still dare to obstruct? Is this not making the world think the Ninth Prince is disrespectful towards the Empress, disappointing her motherly heart? You are placing the Ninth Prince in an unrighteous position. Make way! If you continue to block the Empress’s path, don’t blame me for being unkind!"

"I dare not!" the eunuch remained firm in his refusal.

"How audacious! To show disrespect to the Empress, to defy the Empress’s orders?" the eunuch beside the Empress directly kicked the Xuanyang Palace eunuch aside!

The Emperor had personally gone to Cining Palace and, upon discovering that the Empress had arranged everything to the Empress Dowager’s liking, he then went to his son’s palace to see how the cleaning was going, as little Xiaojiu was a loner and disliked strangers entering his residence. Just then, he witnessed the entire scene.