The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 58

After breakfast.

Bai Zhi shared the agreement she had made with Bai Hongmo: “Wanwan, for these days, let’s call her ‘Mother’.”

Wei Ziwan looked up: “Has my husband thought it through?”

It had only been a morning, and already he had changed his mind?

Bai Zhi nodded: “I want to contribute to her efforts, not because she is my mother, but because I am also a woman. As Elder Li said, whether one is a man or a woman, they should be equal. There is too much injustice and inequality in this world, but at least… at least there should be no distinction of high or low based on gender.”

She thought of the princesses destined to die young and the countless female officials who had been implicated, feeling a sense of shared sorrow. Everyone should have been equal…

Wei Ziwan reached out and held Bai Zhi’s hand: “You’re right. Since we have the opportunity, we should contribute.”

In poverty, one should care for oneself; in prosperity, one should care for the world. She agreed with and admired Bai Zhi’s kindness and sense of responsibility.

Thus, they were willing to stand together, through thick and thin.

By noon, many imperial guards had arrived at Qingshi Mountain, securing the area inside and outside the Qingshi Temple.

Tomorrow was the hundredth day since the death of Prince Ping. As the birth mother of Prince Ping, the current Empress would come to Qingshi Temple to fast for two days.

It was said that it was originally scheduled to be at the Great Xiangguo Temple, but the Empress changed her mind at the last minute, claiming that Prince Ping had appeared in her dream and wished to be closer to the capital.

If one were to speak of the nearest temple to the capital, there really wasn’t one, but there was a Taoist temple.

Named: Qingshi Temple.

The next morning.

Dressed in women’s clothing and in the attire of a maid, Bai Zhi tightly hugged Wei Ziwan: “Don’t worry, Mother has arranged everything.”

Wei Ziwan held her tightly, not speaking, and only let go after a long while.

Bai Hongmo stood to the side, showing no intention of hurrying them.

In the depths of winter, with the vegetation withered, the mother and daughter walked quietly along the mountain path under the watchful eyes of the imperial guards.

At the foot of the mountain, the Empress’s phoenix carriage had just come to a halt.

Judging by the time, she must have left the city as soon as the gates opened.

The mountain path was narrow, so the phoenix carriage had to stop at the foot of the mountain. The Empress waved her hand, indicating that everyone should stay at the foot, as she intended to walk up the mountain alone.

“All of you stay here. Since this is for my son’s fasting, it must be done with sincerity. There is no need to serve me these two days.”

Despite this, there were still many imperial guards along the path up the mountain, and the Qingshi Temple was surrounded both inside and out.

The Empress arrived outside the temple gate, rested for a moment, and carefully adjusted her attire before pushing the door open and entering.

The Qingshi Temple was very quiet. In the courtyard, only a young Taoist nun was sweeping the fallen leaves, seemingly unaware of the arrival of such an important guest.

At that moment, an older Taoist nun approached: “Please come this way, benefactor.”

The imperial guards did not enter the temple, remaining stationed outside the main gate. However, the gate had to remain open at all times, allowing a clear view inside.

The reason they all stayed outside was, firstly, that there were very few people inside, all women and children.

Secondly, the Empress had repeatedly ordered that the nuns practicing in the temple should not be disturbed.

Seeing this, the Empress felt slightly reassured. It was good that they had not disturbed her.

The room was an ordinary meditation chamber, clean and tidy, but the door faced the main gate. Anyone entering or exiting would inevitably be seen by the imperial guards stationed at the gate.

The Empress closed the door, feeling uneasy again.

Suddenly, there was a strange noise from the wardrobe in the room. The Empress stood firmly in front of the bed, her eyes fixed on the wardrobe.

At the moment the wardrobe was opened from the inside, she could no longer hold back the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

“Hongmo… is it really you?”

Bai Hongmo closed the secret passage inside the wardrobe and looked at the Empress.

She tried to smile, but couldn’t, as tears had already begun to fall from her eyes.

For two days, the Empress did not step out of the room. Only a young Taoist nun delivered meals on time. When the door was opened, the imperial guards could see the Empress sitting at the table, ready to eat.

Two days later, the imperial guards left Qingshi Mountain with the Empress’s phoenix carriage.

Bai Hongmo looked at Bai Zhi and said calmly: “The third prince has been blinded and is no longer in the running for the throne, though the news has been temporarily suppressed. The first prince is also injured and is currently recuperating in the palace. The only person who has the opportunity to act now is the Empress.”

Bai Zhi looked worried: “The Empress…” Could she be in danger?

Bai Hongmo gazed in the direction of the foot of the mountain: “I trust her, just as she trusts me.”

If anything were to happen to her, I would follow immediately, running fast on the road to the underworld to catch up with her.

Bai Zhi remained silent, as things that were not very clear before began to make some sense.

The current Emperor has few heirs, with only three princes. The second prince, born to the Empress, was the former crown prince. Not long after being demoted to Prince Ping, he died.

Now that the third prince has been blinded, the only heir to the throne is the first prince.

As long as there are no mishaps with the Empress, eliminating the first prince as an option would leave the Emperor with no choice.

About ten days later, news spread that the third prince had been blinded, and even the first prince was severely injured. For a time, the court was in an uproar, and privately, the common people of the capital were also abuzz with discussion.

When the current Emperor ascended the throne, all his brothers had died, and in the past twenty years, he had only three princes. Now, with the princes either dead or disabled.

The common people only wish for peace and stability. As long as the country is not ruined and the people are not harmed, it doesn’t matter who becomes the Emperor.

But now, with the candidates for Emperor dwindling, it means the court is unstable. Even ordinary people cannot help but feel anxious.

Bai Hongmo looked at the message on the letter, unable to feel at ease: “Investigate further, we must know what is happening in the palace.”

What she wanted to know was news of that person.

Soon, with the news of the Empress shaving her head, the reason for the first prince’s severe injury was also discovered.

It was said that when the Empress went to visit, the first prince somehow offended her, and the Empress immediately ordered him to be caned.

Consort Lin could not stop it, and by the time the Emperor arrived, the Empress’s people had already beaten the first prince. The man, who had been on the verge of recovery, was now unable to stand.

Bai Hongmo looked at the latest news, her face full of worry.

Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan sat to the side, across from Zhou □. The three of them exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

At this point, it was clear without saying that the Empress and Bai Hongmo were likely childhood lovers, as Bai Hongmo had not made any effort to hide it.

Now, the two of them were working together towards a common goal, but how many people were involved in this, they did not know.

The reason Bai Hongmo called them here was because of another piece of news.

“The Emperor’s daughter, who had been living outside the palace, has gone to the Lin residence, the family of Consort Lin. This girl is from Ninglin Prefecture and is named Zhou Luo’er.”

Ninglin Prefecture? Zhou Luo’er?

Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan exchanged glances, thinking of the same person, that Bai Luo from Lingjue Manor.

Bai Zhi hesitated for a moment before bringing up everything that had happened at Lingjue Manor. Now that they were all on the same boat, it was better to be honest.

Bai Hongmo was not surprised after hearing this and explained calmly: “Bai Shu is my elder brother, your uncle. It must be as you guessed. It seems that this Zhou Luo’er’s birth mother is Consort Lin.”

In the palace, Consort Lin looked at the unconscious first prince, kneeling on the ground and weeping: “Your Majesty, what will happen to my son? The Empress wants his life…”

The Emperor frowned, his heart filled with irritation.

The Empress is the eldest daughter of the Li family, a family that has been loyal for generations, with ancestors who served as imperial tutors. They could be said to have students everywhere.

Now, the Empress insists that the first prince was disrespectful. He wanted to punish the Empress, but that woman immediately took a dagger and shaved her own head, saying she had been offended by the first prince and had no face to stay in the palace, only wishing to become a nun.

The Li family members in the court also kept pressuring him, asking him to let the Empress leave the palace. No one was making things easy.

With three sons now out of the picture, how could the throne be passed on?

The Emperor’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. At forty, still in his prime, if he started over, there was still time.

He waved for Eunuch Bai to come closer: “Go to Physician Jiang and get that medicine.”

Eunuch Bai bowed in response and quietly went to the Imperial Hospital.

After hearing his request, Physician Jiang prepared three packets of medicine, cautioning: “You must use one packet every three days, and be sure not to overuse it.”

Eunuch Bai did not leave. He looked at Physician Jiang’s face and said: “Physician Jiang knows who this medicine is for, right? His Majesty is not as he used to be. Whether he can have an heir this time depends on you. Prepare ten more packets.”

Physician Jiang said uneasily: “Chief Eunuch Bai, you must know that while this medicine is a great tonic, it should not be overused. Given His Majesty’s current health, after using these three packets, he will need to rest for a while before using more. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?”

“Otherwise, it might have the opposite effect. By then, even if we had ten heads, we wouldn’t be able to bear the responsibility.” Physician Jiang looked troubled. The Emperor had been reckless in his youth, relying on this medicine to sustain himself, and his body had long been drained.

Now, although only in his forties, he was already weak inside. If he didn’t overexert himself, he might be fine, but once he started, he probably wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Eunuch Bai’s eyes flashed with a dark light, and he said impatiently: “There’s no need for all this talk of opposite effects. Go and prepare the medicine. His Majesty knows what he’s doing. If you delay this important matter, your head will be on the chopping block tomorrow.”

Two quarters of an hour later, Eunuch Bai walked out of the Imperial Hospital with a large packet of medicine. He looked at the medicine in his hand and sneered coldly.

That night, His Majesty flipped the royal plaques and consecutively favored two concubines.

Consort Lin looked at the still-unconscious first prince and, after hearing about the Emperor’s debauchery from the previous night, felt her vision darken. Her son was still alive, and yet his father was already making other plans. The royal family truly was heartless.

“Your Majesty, a letter has been delivered from outside.”

Consort Lin opened the secret letter and, after reading a few lines, her eyes lit up.

Heaven has not abandoned me, Heaven has not abandoned the Lin family.

So her daughter was not dead. How hateful that the Emperor could even harm his own daughter. But times have changed. As long as those concubines do not bear children, even if something happens to my son, there is still a daughter who can take his place.

As long as the Emperor is not a fool, he should know whether it is better to pass the throne to an outsider or to his own daughter. After all, one’s own flesh and bl00d is incomparable to an outsider.

Consort Lin quickly sent her trusted aide out of the palace, but before she could make any moves, the Emperor himself ran into trouble.

It was said that he had collapsed on the dragon bed, and the reason for his collapse was truly unspeakable…

———–

Author’s note:

A quiet explanation: Xiao Bai is not here to become the Emperor. Her mission is to farm. Don’t worry, stay steady, and keep reading~