Hu Shanwei went to the Queen's bedroom. Queen Ma had already taken off her phoenix robe and heavy headdress and was lying on the sickbed, allowing Ru Siyao to remove the needles and wash off her makeup, revealing her pale and sick face. Hu Shanwei was shocked.
Only now did she understand why Shen Qionglian was so negative. With Empress Ma's truly sickly appearance, it was hard for her to live to be a hundred years old, and she would not even be able to make it to her 51st birthday in seven days.
After meeting She Xiang just now, Empress Ma had reached the limit of her physical strength. She lay on the sickbed with her eyes slightly closed, as if she didn't even have the strength to keep her eyelids open.
The queen was overworked and needed to rest. Hu Shanwei suppressed his sorrow and words and quietly lowered the bed curtains.
Empress Ma opened her eyes and said, "I am dizzy from sleeping. I hate lying there in a daze like this. Help me up."
Hu Shanwei stuffed several pumpkin pillows behind Empress Ma. Empress Ma asked her, "How is Xiaochun doing in Guizhou? He is only 19 years old and leads a 100,000-man garrison in Guizhou. I guess it must be very hard for him."
Hu Shanwei tried to say something positive: "Mu Chun has a captain named Chen Xuan under him. He is very capable. His father was once the co-governor of Chengdu Guard. He is familiar with all dialects in Yunnan and Guizhou, and can help Mu Chun sort out the complicated local power relations. Moreover, when Feng Cheng, the Duke of Ying, and Mu Ying, the Marquis of Xiping, heard the news that Mu Chun was taking over Guizhou Guard, they also sent capable staff to Guizhou to help him. Your Majesty, rest assured that Mu Chun is a man who can stand firm."
"That's good." Empress Ma looked relieved. "I hope that father and son can fight side by side in the Southern Expedition and put aside their past grudges. I don't have any legitimate sons. I raised both Mu Ying and Mu Chun. Mu Ying was adopted by me when he was seven years old, and Mu Chun was brought to the palace when he was one month old and raised until he was seven years old before being sent back to the Marquis of Xiping's mansion. I saw Mu Chun's childhood and Mu Ying's youth, but I didn't expect that the father and son were more like enemies. I... don't have much time left, and I don't think I'll see the day they reconcile."
Hu Shanwei tried hard to hold back his tears. "Don't worry too much, your Majesty. Take good care of yourself. You still have a long way to go. I have found some clues. The censor Liu Hai, who petitioned to erect a monument for Guo Huifei's father Guo Zixing, and Cheng Pengju, the aide who instigated Ma Ye, were both candidates who passed the Jiangxi examination in the third year of Hongwu. The silkworm mother who assassinated your Majesty was also from Jiangxi. These three things happened together. I believe this is definitely not a coincidence. There must be someone in the harem behind the scenes who is trying to get their hands on the position of queen."
"You can command these three people, and you can also direct the trouble to the King of Han and the Northern Yuan Dynasty. Your natal family must be quite powerful. Although there are many people in the harem, there are only a handful of people who are capable of doing this. Your Majesty, take care of your health, cheer up, and get rid of the trouble. Only then can the harem return to peace."
"You are a very talented person for being able to discover the clues so quickly, but..." Queen Ma paused for a moment and slowly shook her head:
"I have lived to be over fifty years old. I have experienced all kinds of ups and downs. I have suffered all kinds of hardships and enjoyed all kinds of wealth. I have been the queen for fifteen years. I am very satisfied. I cannot ask for too much."
"In the past fifteen years, I have believed that I have lived up to the honor of being the queen. I have done my best to be a good queen. I have not been partial, greedy for power, bullied the weak, or insulted or suppressed people I disliked. The emperor has a bad temper and holds great power. He has the absolute power of life and death. If there is anyone I can save, no matter if they are lowly eunuchs or ministers in the court, I will never back down and advise the emperor despite the emperor's wrath."
"I don't have a legitimate son. Many concubines in the six palaces in the east and west have helped the royal family grow. Some of them are pitiful people. Concubine Da Ding and Concubine Guo Hui are both victims of political struggles. I can't do anything but treat them well. I am a mortal, I also have seven emotions and six desires, I also have love and hate, I also have jealousy, and I am biased in my behavior. Therefore, I will distribute the power to six bureaus and one department, and you will take care of the affairs of the harem. On the one hand, you can share my pressure, and on the other hand, you can curb my selfish desires and let these concubines be treated fairly as much as possible."
"After the death of Concubine Chengmu Sun, I lost my only confidant and companion, and I feel lonely in the harem. I have been a virtuous queen for fifteen years, and I feel tired and want to take a break."
Empress Ma looked out the window with a distant gaze, as if her soul had floated to the sky, overlooking the entire Daming Palace. "I am not afraid of death at all, and I even look forward to it. As an empress, I must fulfill my responsibilities as an empress. If I want to rest, I can only say goodbye to this world forever."
"Your Majesty!" Hu Shanwei did not expect that Empress Ma was determined to die. He wanted to stimulate the Empress's desire to live, and regardless of his status as a minister, he shouted:
"If Your Majesty goes, wouldn't that be exactly what the mastermind behind the scenes wants? Your Majesty has worked hard to protect the palace for fifteen years, but they don't know how to appreciate their blessings. They give up the most prosperous life in the world and secretly use insidious tricks to harm others for their own selfish desires. Your Majesty must hold on. I swear that I will find the real culprit. I will deal with anyone who stirs up palace fighting and anyone who fights for the throne. No one is allowed to stir up trouble!"
Empress Ma smiled. "You are very similar to Consort Cao when she first entered the palace. In fact, the harem is the same as the previous dynasty. Everyone has selfish desires and wants to climb up. This is human nature. Therefore, you can never be killed or eliminated. Fortunately, I don't have a legitimate son, otherwise even I can't guarantee that I will do something bad to the concubines and illegitimate sons in order to ensure the succession of my legitimate son."
Hu Shanwei quickly said, "The Queen is tolerant and kind, don't belittle yourself."
Empress Ma waved her hand, "You are still too young. With your drive, courage and cleverness, you stood out among many female officials and won my appreciation. In two years, you were promoted three levels and rose to become a sixth-rank official. Since you started compiling the "Instructions/Admonitions of the Concubines of the Zhao and Song Dynasties", you have repeatedly offended people in the harem and the previous dynasty, even the King of Qin. But because you are a favorite of me and you have the protection of Palace Master Fan, no one in the harem dares to fight back against you. People like you, once the new queen comes to power, no matter if she is the mastermind behind the scenes or someone else, as the saying goes, a new emperor chooses new ministers, you will definitely be the first female official to be feared and alienated by the new queen, and you may even be killed."
Hearing this, Hu Shanwei was shocked: Empress Ma was like a skilled chess player, predicting the next three moves before making the first move. She herself was unaware of the major crisis in the future and only wanted to find the real culprit, but Empress Ma had thought about it for her.
Empress Ma looked at Hu Shanwei with a look full of pity, "I know your past, Prince Consort Wang Ning... Every time I listen to The Lute Story, I can't help but wonder how you feel and how much courage you need to recommend this southern opera that directly touches your scars to the emperor. I value your talent and admire your courage to face the past. I appreciate you more and more. Therefore, when Shang Gong Cao presented the list of six candidates for Si Yan, I knew you were not qualified enough, but I still ticked your name with a red pen."
Hu Shanwei was heartbroken. "The love and hatred between me and Wang Ning is like a book. Once the page is turned, it is over. I have no regrets. The Queen's kindness will never be forgotten. I swear to find the real murderer and make her get the punishment she deserves."
Queen Ma shook her head again, "I don't want you to repay me, nor do I want you to seek revenge. I just want you to live well. You have little experience, but you can gain a foothold in the harem and even thrive like a fish in water, all because of my trust and support. But this is also the source of your future disasters."
"The clues you have found now are all conjectures, not even evidence. No one will believe you. On the contrary, you will easily be bitten back and accused of slandering the concubines and selling your integrity for fame. Your best choice is to keep your mouth shut after my death, no matter who becomes the new queen. With the help of Fan Gongzheng and others, you will have a foothold in the six bureaus and one department. Don't dream of continuing to investigate the real culprit and find evidence in the harem. Without my protection, you will die miserably."
Hu Shanwei was a little scared when he heard this, but then he encouraged himself and said, "I am not afraid. I have a good relationship with Mao Xiang, Ji Gang, and... Mu Chun. They will help me. I believe they also want to find the real culprit."
"Silly child, they are all foreign ministers." Queen Ma said, "The king is the king and the ministers are the ministers. Once the new queen is appointed, they must put aside their selfish desires and be loyal to the new queen and become ministers. They have no choice. You are just a female official, what can you do? If you are not careful, you will not only bring disaster to yourself, but also bring disaster to others."
"So, let go. The harem is the biggest arena of fame and fortune in the Ming Dynasty. After I die, the harem will become the biggest arena for the position of empress or even heir, and everyone will fight against each other until a new empress emerges. The Ming Dynasty court is about to face the biggest shock. To protect yourself, you must use all your wisdom and don't dream of anything else."
Empress Ma was well-informed about the world and every word she said made sense. She advised Hu Shanwei to give up, but how could Hu Shanwei be willing to do that
Hu Shanwei knelt down and said, "Empress, I am the female official in charge of speech. I will listen to whatever you say. But today, please forgive me for not being able to follow your orders. I understand what you mean. You think that the palace struggles will never end. You don't need to worry about the real culprit behind the scenes who has hurt you time and time again. In the future, without your protection, I will protect myself and just watch from the sidelines."
"But the assassination in the silkworm room and the exposure of Ma Ye were all aimed at the life and reputation of the queen. As the female official of the queen, it is my duty to give advice and protect the queen. Facing the provocation of the enemy, I have decided to fight to the end. Please respect my choice."
Hu Shanwei, who was only 23 years old and had worked as a court lady in the palace for three years, could not truly understand the choice made for her by Empress Ma, who was 50 years old and had been the Empress of the Ming Dynasty for 15 years.
She was angry, annoyed, and unwilling to give up. How could she let go when Queen Ma asked her to
Many years later, Hu Shanwei, who had served as the imperial concubine for five consecutive dynasties, understood why Empress Ma made such a seemingly indisputable choice before her death. She was deeply ashamed of herself at that time, because she was too young and naive.
But now, the 23-year-old Hu Shanwei was not convinced. She held her head high, expecting Queen Ma's approval.
Empress Ma smiled helplessly and was about to persuade her again when Shen Qionglian came to report, "Your Majesty, Ru Siyao is here to take your pulse."
Empress Ma was displeased: "I clearly did not summon her to take my pulse, what is she doing here? I want her to leave."
Shen Qionglian looked embarrassed, "Ru Siyao refused to leave, saying that she must prescribe medicine for the Madam, maybe there will be a chance of recovery."
Queen Ma was rarely angry, and threw the pumpkin pillow behind her, "Don't you all want to live? Get out! Get out!"
Due to long-term illness, Hu Shanwei and Shen Qionglian left. As expected, Ru Si's medicine was still outside. She put down the medicine box dejectedly.
Hu Shanwei had just returned and didn't know what had happened in the palace. He asked Ru Siyao, "When did the Empress become so afraid of illness and doctors?"
Ru Siyao's eyes were filled with tears. "Your Highness knows that she doesn't have much time left. Once she dies, the Emperor will definitely order the killing of the doctors who treat her and prescribe medicines, given his violent temper. In order to protect the female doctors and the imperial physicians, since she became seriously ill, Your Highness has refused to summon the imperial physicians and female doctors for treatment, except for today when she summoned Madam Shexiang. I would rather be executed by the Emperor than prolong Her Highness' life for one more day, but Your Highness refuses and always drives me away."
The author has something to say: You are so naive. Ah, I don’t want to beat the child on New Year’s Day, but the plot has reached this point, so I have to do so.
During the Chinese New Year, I will go back to my hometown to take my kids to visit relatives and pay New Year's greetings. The update time will be a bit irregular during the Chinese New Year period, but I will keep updating. Please rest assured that the quality of Zhou's game is still guaranteed.
We won’t take a holiday unless the earth explodes.