Chapter 1070 - 1072: Lovers Think of Each Other_1
In the afternoon, after estimating the time for the Empress Dowager’s midday rest, Bai Ruozhu entered the palace to check on Consort Yue’s pulse to ensure her peace and safety. Only once she confirmed that Consort Yue was well did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Because she had taken Consort Yue’s matters upon herself, she had been on tenterhooks recently. Fortunately, she saw that Consort Yue was about to pass the three-month mark of pregnancy, which meant the fetus would be more stable.
"Ruozhu, I’ll just call you that, to avoid any awkwardness," Consort Yue said, grabbing Bai Ruozhu’s hand, her face filled with gratitude.
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Your Highness is right."
"My maiden name is Ding Wen, and I am a few years older than you. You can just call me Sister Wen in private," Consort Yue said with a smiling expression, "I owe you a lot this time; otherwise, I would have lost the chance to have my child."
"Now that everything is fine, let’s not talk about such depressing things. Once the child is born, he must remember Ruozhu, his lifesaver," the Empress Dowager interrupted Consort Yue with a smile.
Consort Yue smiled at the Empress Dowager and said, "Auntie is right, I will stop speaking such disheartening words."
Seeing that Consort Yue was very gentle by nature and truly grateful, Bai Ruozhu also conversed more with her, and their relationship naturally grew closer.
After sitting for a while, Bai Ruozhu took out a letter from her bag and handed it to the Empress Dowager, saying, "This is a letter from Diao Yao, one of Princess Diao Bin’s ladies, for the princess. I’ll trouble the Empress Dowager to pass it on."
"I have heard of that girl from Diao Bin. In a few days, when a royal decree is issued, you can bring her into the palace to see Diao Bin who has been missing her," the Empress Dowager said carefully as she took the letter and stored it away.
Consort Yue asked with some concern, "Why didn’t Princess Diao Bin come today? Is she not feeling well again?"
The Empress Dowager first glanced at Bai Ruozhu, seeming a bit nervous. Bai Ruozhu’s expression was already calm, as she had guessed early on that Consort Yue was unaware of Princess Diao Bin’s condition, which both the Empress Dowager and Diao Bin were keeping from her.
Such matters were best kept to as few people as possible. With Consort Yue pregnant, there was no need to involve her and add to her worries.
And Bai Ruozhu thought that if she were in Princess Diao Bin’s place, she wouldn’t want an additional person to see herself with a head full of white hair.
"She caught a cold and is afraid of passing the illness to you. She’ll come to see you once she feels better," the Empress Dowager said. "You’ve also been sitting for quite a while. You should go back and rest now. You must be extra cautious during this period."
Hearing this, Consort Yue had the palace maid help her to rise, paid her respects to the Empress Dowager and Bai Ruozhu, and then withdrew.
"Ruozhu, do you have something to tell me?" The Empress Dowager, with her keen intuition, had deliberately sent Consort Yue away just now.
Bai Ruozhu glanced around and, seeing only the Empress Dowager’s trusted female officials, spoke softly, "Empress Dowager, before Achun and I entered the Capital, we had participated in the eradication of the bandits of Batianzhai, who were colluding with the Turkic Country and committing arson, murder, and looting against our Danliang Country’s citizens. Their crimes were truly abhorrent."
The Empress Dowager nodded, "I am aware of the matter. You did well. By eradicating the scourge that was Batianzhai, the Emperor also commended Officer Jiang plenty."
"However, on the day of the battle, Batianzhai’s second-in-command, Shi Feiming, escaped amidst the chaos. The Government Office has not been able to apprehend him, and yesterday while dining at Yingkelai, I unexpectedly caught a glimpse of a figure resembling Shi Feiming." Since she wasn’t completely sure, Bai Ruozhu only dared to say "somewhat."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager was greatly alarmed, "Did you get a clear look? Did you report it to the Capital’s governor?"
Bai Ruozhu shook her head, "I just didn’t see clearly, I can’t be sure. I even had my guard investigate, but it turned out that there was a martial arts expert among those people that day. My guard was quickly discovered and it took a lot of effort to shake off that expert without exposing my presence. Although I can’t be certain if that person was Shi Feiming, his group all seemed suspicious, and no matter how I think about it, I just can’t feel at ease."
As she spoke, she sighed, "In the past, I would have told Achun about these things and asked him to be vigilant, but now he is not in the Capital City, and I fear those people may have malicious intentions. So, I thought of asking the Empress Dowager to speak to His Majesty."
The Empress Dowager nodded, "You did the right thing, being cautious is always a good idea. I will tell His Majesty later and have him send someone to investigate in secret. I’ll also arrange for some people to protect your residence, just in case they seek revenge on you."
Bai Ruozhu smiled gratefully at the Empress Dowager and said, "Ruozhu thanks the Empress Dowager."
"What’s there to thank, but in the future, don’t get involved in these dangerous affairs again. Just thinking about it scares me. Those bandits are extremely vicious; what if you get hurt?" The Empress Dowager said with a tinge of distress.
Bai Ruozhu felt warm inside, "Your Majesty shouldn’t underestimate my martial arts. Moreover, on that day at Batianzhai, there was a third boss who used Poisonous Insects. I know how to treat poisoning and ailments; I was able to help out a little."
The Empress Dowager glanced at her disapprovingly, "It’s hardly a small favor. I’m well aware that it was thanks to you that the one with the Poisonous Insects was contained, otherwise the suppression of the bandits wouldn’t have gone so smoothly."
Bai Ruozhu hadn’t realized that the Empress Dowager paid attention to these matters, but knowing her nature, it didn’t seem quite right. She quickly understood that the Empress Dowager had been keeping an eye on news about her. Her smile towards the Empress Dowager grew sweeter, realizing that the Empress Dowager considered her a member of the younger generation, and it was genuine concern for her.
Feeling that the conversation with the Empress Dowager was nearly concluded, she expressed her wish to take her leave, also to allow the Empress Dowager to pass the message on to His Majesty. Just as she was about to go, the Empress Dowager suddenly called out to her.
"Ruozhu!"
Bai Ruozhu looked towards the Empress Dowager, "Does Your Majesty have any further instructions?"
The Empress Dowager suddenly fell silent, appearing hesitant about how to speak.
Bai Ruozhu found this strange, but it was not her place to rush the Empress Dowager, so she quietly stood aside and waited.
After a long pause, the Empress Dowager finally spoke haltingly, "Is the man who came to the City with you all right? This time, when Prince Duan rebelled and issued his proclamation, he was inexplicably implicated."
Bai Ruozhu instantly understood that the Empress Dowager was referring to Yao Yuxuan!
Her heart suddenly leaped with excitement, as if she had stumbled upon some exclusive gossip about a major celebrity. Even her gaze toward the Empress Dowager grew incredibly intense, making the Empress Dowager shift her eyes away uneasily, her cheeks turning a pale pink.
"When I encountered him, he was about to seek vengeance on Prince Duan, but I took quite some time to persuade him to turn back. It just so happened that he urgently needed some medicinal materials, which I gave to him, asking him to promise to help me treat someone in the future. At the time, I was thinking of finding an opportunity for him to treat Princess Diao Bin, but I didn’t dare mention the Princess’s esteemed name," said Bai Ruozhu.
The Empress Dowager’s eyes widened slightly, asking with some urgency, "Why does he need medicine, has he suffered a serious injury?"
After asking, she immediately regretted it, feeling that she had seemed too eager. Her face grew even hotter.
Bai Ruozhu raised an eyebrow and suppressed the slight upward curve of her lips, discovering something quite interesting; Yao Yuxuan still held the Empress Dowager in his thoughts, and the Empress Dowager was also particularly concerned about Yao Yuxuan. It was a pity that the two had missed their chance in the past. But Bai Ruozhu wasn’t a conservative thinker from ancient times; the Empress Dowager was currently single, so why couldn’t she pursue happiness?