nucmednet Chapter 382 The Queen Mother Pleads for Mercy
Chapter 382 The Queen Mother Pleads for Mercy
The next day.
Shen Li developed and dried the photos she had taken for everyone with her camera, and arranged for someone to deliver them.
Those who received the photos were ecstatic and sent gifts of thanks.
Shen Li put all the gifts into the dormitory in the space.
She was preparing to leave.
Fang Yao entered the palace with the photos that Shen Li took of the emperor.
The emperor was scolding him, saying that he was a foul-mouthed person.
When the Queen Mother came back from outside the palace, she said that Fang Yao's words were very irritating and made Old Madam Chu feel ashamed, without giving her any face at all.
In order to appease the Empress Dowager, the Emperor even went over to say to her, "Your Majesty, you're worrying too much. If Fang Yao really didn't want to give us face, he would have attacked the Duke's Mansion directly. Since he didn't, that was the bottom line of his concession."
The Queen Mother thought for a moment and then smiled again, saying, "Your Majesty is right. Old Madam Chu said the same thing. I see that Old Madam Chu is not angry with him, but is rather furious with her own daughter-in-law and granddaughter."
The Emperor sighed and said, "Queen Chu is virtuous, all thanks to Old Madam Chu's good teaching. It's a pity that my own granddaughter was not taught well and has been spoiled beyond recognition."
"Yes," the Queen Mother also sighed, "If the granddaughter of the Chu family could be half as good as Chen'er's mother, the royal family would have given her the position of concubine. But now it seems that can't be given."
"It's true that we can't give it to you." The emperor nodded.
Just as he was about to scold Fang Yao a few more times, he heard Eunuch Chang say, "Your Majesty, the general has entered the palace."
The emperor was stunned. "Why is he coming in at this time? I didn't summon him."
Eunuch Chang said, "I heard that Lord Fu didn't want him to come in at first, but he took out a few small portraits of Lord Fu. The people in the portraits looked just like the real people. Lord Fu got so excited that he came in to pass on the message."
What miniature statue can look like a real person?
Who drew this?
Before the emperor could figure it out, the empress dowager had already heard it and immediately thought of the small black box that Shen Li had shown them.
"Call him in quickly and let him come to my house."
Fang Yao strode in, his signature wide grin spread from a distance as he bowed to the Queen Mother, saying, "Your Majesty, Li'er asked me to bring you a photo. Please take a look and see if it looks good."
He took big steps and had already reached the front while he was talking. He took out a photo from his arms. When the Queen Mother saw it, she was so happy that she was almost overjoyed.
The emperor was jealous of what he saw, and his attitude towards Fang Yao also softened a lot.
"Just now the Queen Mother and I were scolding you. You are so smart that you knew to bring this into the palace. Where is mine? Didn't Miss Shen ask you to bring it?"
"I brought it, of course I brought it," Fang Yao said proudly. "The emperor's photos are also good, much better than mine. After all, it is the royal majesty, and I can't learn it."
After saying that, he really took out the emperor's photo from his arms.
For a moment, the Empress Dowager's bedroom was peaceful and harmonious. Even Nanny Zheng received her own photo. She held it in her hands with great joy and expressed gratitude repeatedly.
Fang Yao then chuckled and approached the emperor, saying, "Why did you and the Queen Mother scold me just now? I was wondering why my ears were so hot today. It turns out it was the emperor who was scolding me."
The emperor was looking at his own photo and had no time to pay attention to him.
The Queen Mother raised her head and glanced at him, angrily saying, "You said that Old Madam Chu had personally gone to your house to apologize, but you didn't give her any face at all. Who else should I blame if not you? She is so old, and the younger generation in the family is ignorant. She has lost face because of this. How pitiful."
"On the way back, she kept praising your Fang family's good traditions, admiring them from the bottom of her heart. But then she turned her attention to her own family and seemed devastated. It was hard to bear to see. I was there when that incident happened yesterday. When Mrs. Chu heard about it, she immediately forced her granddaughter to bear the consequences, showing no favoritism at all. Even for this reason, you shouldn't be so harsh with her."
"What's more, you and the Emperor both trained under the command of Duke Chu, and are no strangers to Madam Chu. I believe you know better than anyone what kind of people they are. As for you, once you encountered the matter regarding Li Yatou, you turned your back on her, without even considering whether those words were appropriate for Madam Chu. According to formalities, you should even call her "Master's Wife." I ask you, is there anyone who treats a master like you?"
Fang Yao seemed to be touched by the Queen Mother's words. He lowered his head and looked like he was being taught.
"When I heard that the eldest daughter of the Chu family wanted to kill Li'er, I was so hot-blooded that I didn't care about anything else. After you and Old Madam Chu left, my father scolded me. I thought about it and realized that I really shouldn't have spoken to Old Madam Chu like that."
The emperor carefully put the photo away and looked up at him. "It's rare that you can be so honest and obedient."
Fang Yao scratched his head and chuckled.
Nanny Zheng put her own photo in her arms, then took the empress dowager's photo, wrapped it up and put it in a box beside her.
After finishing all this, he smiled and bowed to the other party from a distance, saying, "I have served the Queen Mother for so many years. Today I have the audacity to say a few more words. I wonder if the General would allow me to do so?"
"Mammy, please speak."
Matron Zheng glanced at the Queen Mother and said, "Since returning, the Queen Mother has always recalled her childhood friendship with Old Madam Chu. Seeing how dejected and disgraced she is now, burdened by her grandchildren, she feels deeply sad. She was just about to summon the general to the palace to see if she could help resolve the rift between the two families, when you came in."
"I have an idea. When the general hears it, it's up to him to decide whether to accept it or not. I'm a shallow-minded person, and I know I'm not thoughtful enough."
"Ma'am, you can talk as usual." Fang Yao said.
"I was thinking, 'The Chu family is returning to the capital from the northern border, and the Marquis of Guanyong's mansion is hosting a banquet to welcome them.' It's called a plum blossom viewing banquet, and since the Chu family are returning only with their female relatives, it's natural that the women will be the main guests on that day," Madam Zheng pondered for a moment before continuing slowly. "Originally, Madam Chu was planning to announce that her daughter-in-law was ill and that she would only bring her granddaughter to the banquet. But now her granddaughter's arm tendons have been broken, and she's offended Miss Shen, so she obviously can't attend. Madam Chu is worried. I heard she didn't sleep all night, and early this morning she had a sore throat and couldn't speak."
Fang Yao's expression was solemn, with a hint of regret. "The Empress Dowager's words just now reminded me of how Madam Chu took care of me when I was under the old Duke's command. I feel bad too. But now that it has come to this, what else can I do?"
Matron Zheng coughed and tentatively said, "Old Madam Chu is furious and embarrassed, and has fallen ill. Alas, for the sake of stability in the surrounding borders, she, a descendant of a prominent family, a precious woman, has stayed in the Northern Frontier for over a decade, living and eating with the soldiers, enduring the bitter cold and harsh weather. Such a noble cause makes the Empress Dowager sad just thinking about it. I, this old servant, would like to ask the General and Miss Shen on Madam Chu's behalf for a favor. Could the Chu family be allowed to reconnect Chu Qianxue's arm tendons so that she can attend the Plum Blossom Banquet? If she still feels unsatisfied, even if they break it after the banquet, it's fine. At most, she will suffer one more time. Do you think it's okay?"
Fang Yao blinked his eyes, looking embarrassed.
But I was secretly happy in my heart.