A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 357: Chapter 357 Restless Hearts

The Empress felt somewhat disheartened. ”Sister,” she inquired, ”is this truly not normal?”

Sister Ji furrowed her brow. Whether it was normal or not, that was hardly the issue. But without sharing a room, how were children to be conceived?

”Your Majesty, you’re still young. Do you really not plan on having a prince of your own?”

After pondering for a moment, the Empress lowered her head and blushed. ”What do you mean by that, Sister? Of course, I wish to, but this...” It wasn’t as if she could just decide on her own.

Sister Ji thought for a while, then whispered, ”Perhaps... some wine or... some medicine?”

The Empress was shocked. ”Sister, that is unacceptable! You’ve been in the palace for a while now; how can you not understand this principle? Don’t you know why Honored Lady Shih was rejected by the Emperor?”

”One misstep leads to a cascade of errors! I cannot afford to be confused!” By this point, the Empress was growing angry.

Sister Ji used to be so astute in her youth; why had she become so muddled with age? This matter, from start to finish, was a strict taboo of the Emperor’s. Unless she didn’t want her position as the Empress, this path should never even be touched.

Sister Ji knelt down. ”Empress, forgive me!”

The Empress watched her for a moment before saying, ”Rise! Don’t speak carelessly about such matters again, Sister!”

Sister Ji nodded in agreement.

The Empress sighed. ”The matter of children cannot be forced. As long as the Emperor still cares for me, I will eventually have a child!”

Sister Ji thought for a moment, then responded, ”In the end, Your Majesty’s understanding is profound. It is this servant who thought poorly!”

「In early September, Lady Fan entered the Capital City.」

The Fan Family had an old residence in the Capital City, where several uncles and other relatives still lived. Lady Fan settled in at the Fan Residence on the same day, and the next day she sent a request to visit the palace.

The request reached Li Shengan. He hesitated. After considering it for a long time, he still submitted the request. ”Emperor, Lady Fan has sent a request, wishing to visit the Empress!”

Zhao Junyao was annoyed. Recently, the Fan Family’s actions in the court had been excessively bold. Murder demands a life in recompense, especially since the lives Second Young Master Fan had taken numbered not just one or two, but more than a dozen. With so many lives taken and the evidence irrefutable, it was inevitable that he must pay with his life. Yet the Fan Family kept clinging on, submitting petition after petition pleading for mercy.

Zhao Junyao had initially reviewed them. Later, he simply had them returned unopened, without even a glance. But the Fan Family did not let up. They planned to enact a drama of coercing the vassals to control the sovereign.

First, they incited the imperial court, spreading private rumors about the major prestigious families, which caused instability in the court and unrest among the people. Then, they pressured their closely allied Generals Families and the residences of nobles to collectively plead for the life of Second Young Master Fan.

All of these noble residences were prestigious families with a hundred years of history, having interacted with the Fan Family for generations. The Fan family had produced an Empress. General Fan, meanwhile, was renowned for his military achievements and highly regarded by the Late Emperor. Over the years, the other families had always looked to the Fan Family as their leader.

Now, the private secrets of these families were suddenly being leaked. Those families were angry yet did not dare to speak out. Having dirty secrets isn’t scary. Which hundred-year-old prestigious family doesn’t have them? Even the Royal Family keeps theirs tightly hidden, don’t they? What’s terrifying is that the entire world knows about these shameful affairs.

For example: Which family’s heir apparent is actually not born of the primary wife? Which family’s primary wife forced the death of a concubine who had just given birth, then took the baby as her own? Or, which family’s master maintained several mistresses? Which family’s young master had multiple favorites in the Brothel?

Such matters, though not permitted openly, had become common practice behind closed doors. Which family didn’t have them?

Zhao Junyao would naturally not deliberately investigate these matters, but once he knew, he could not ignore them. So, in the imperial court, Zhao Junyao had someone bring paper and a brush. He listed all these rotten affairs clearly, intending to settle accounts for every single one.

Maintaining a mistress? That warranted a half-year salary fine and a month of reflecting in solitude. Visiting a brothel? The same penalty: go reflect in solitude.

That day, nearly all the prestigious families received punishment. It wasn’t to say the punishment was severe, but everyone felt truly frustrated.

Upon leaving the palace, a group of old men—all about to begin their period of reflecting in solitude—found a teahouse to share their grievances.

One man said, ”I only went to a brothel once, and that was only because I was following others! How did word of it get out?”

Another unlucky fellow immediately joined in, ”Exactly! My tiger at home can’t have children, and she won’t even let me touch the concubines. I had no choice but to keep a mistress outside!”

”I just pity my mistress, who’d just given birth to a chubby son, and now I can’t even visit her!” he lamented, then sighed heavily. ”You tell me, at my age of forty or fifty, trying to secure an heir for my ancestors—has it been easy for me?!” As he finished, a tear squeezed from the corner of his eye, which he swiftly wiped away with his sleeve.

The other two offered a pretense of consolation. ”Don’t be sad; every family has its troubles!”

After speaking, the four of them exchanged glances, not even bothering to drink their tea. With a collective long sigh, they then went home to reflect on their misdeeds in solitude.

「Rumors in the Capital City were rampant, causing widespread anxiety.」

That aside, does the Fan Family still think they can enter the palace now? Zhao Junyao sneered. However, after thinking for a moment, he still issued a decree: ”Granted!”

Li Shengan couldn’t fathom what the Emperor had in mind, but he could only nod in agreement and silently retreat.

In the afternoon, Lady Fan entered Jiaofang Hall. As soon as she entered, she knelt properly and paid her respects. ”This servant pays homage to the Empress!”

The Empress had been waiting for a long time, but due to her status, she couldn’t go out to greet her. Now that her mother was finally before her, the Empress felt a surge of emotion. ”Mother, please rise quickly!”

”Thank you, Empress!”

Yu Lan stepped forward to help Lady Fan to her feet. Lady Fan held Yu Lan’s hand and looked at her intently.

Yu Lan curtsied with a smile. ”This servant pays respects to Madam!”

Tears welled up in Lady Fan’s eyes. ”Is this... Yu Lan? Where’s Yu Fu?”

No sooner had she asked than Yu Fu came in carrying a tea tray. ”Madam!” After curtsying, Yu Fu presented the tea.

Lady Fan smiled, taking both girls’ hands. ”Good! Good! Seeing that you’re both well reassures my heart!”

The Empress was also quite happy. No matter what, her mother had come all this way, and she had missed her. After all, this was her own mother!

The Empress dismissed all the palace attendants, leaving only Yu Lan and Yu Fu to serve them.

Once the inner chamber was empty of others, the Empress grabbed Lady Fan’s hand. ”Mother, you’ve finally brought yourself to come and see your daughter in the palace! You have no idea how your daughter has suffered here these years!” As she spoke, the Empress’s eyes reddened. It was seven parts performance, three parts genuine emotion.

Lady Fan felt a twinge of heartache. Her own flesh and blood, after all. How could she not have missed her after so many years?

But... Lady Fan felt great anxiety in her heart. Her visit to the palace was only permitted for one Shi Chen. She couldn’t even stay for dinner and had to leave the palace quickly. Thus, her time was running out. Her purpose in coming to the palace was not truly to see the Empress, but to plead for her younger son.

Seeing the Empress’s reddened eyes, Lady Fan had a stroke of inspiration and began to play the emotional card.