Fuca Langhua knew perfectly well that this explanation was not only far-fetched but could also create problems down the line.
After all, the imperial clanswomen and noble ladies were not fools. Who would truly believe that the late emperor had appeared in a dream just because she said so?
And if someone later cited today’s events as justification for holding banquets and musical performances during a mourning period, what would the emperor do then? Punish them—or not?
But she simply couldn’t think of a better solution.
Surely they couldn’t do nothing and merely pray that everyone present would keep their mouths shut and never mention the matter again.
Ruyi stood stiffly to one side. After hearing the empress’s explanation, she only felt that the empress was putting on an act.
She had realized by now that the emperor was still in mourning, but she believed the empress was merely seizing the opportunity to win favor for her own son, making everyone think that Yonglian had been the late emperor’s favorite grandson—that even in his dreams, the late emperor would seek him out.
Pouting unhappily, she wondered why the empress hadn’t quietly informed her and Brother Hongli instead of taking the chance to steal the spotlight.
If Zhen Huan knew what Ruyi was thinking, she would surely sneer and ask:
Even if someone had reminded you, what exactly would you have done?
Declared that you and the emperor had been unintentionally unfilial?
Hongli, meanwhile, looked at Fuca Langhua with satisfaction.
In his excitement, he had forgotten that he was still in mourning. Fortunately, the empress had found a convenient excuse for him.
The imperial relatives might not believe it in their hearts, but they would hardly dare question whether the late emperor had truly sent a dream.
Stepping forward, he took Fuca Langhua’s hand.
“As long as Father is pleased, that’s enough. Yonglian is a good child as well.”
Then he quickly ordered everyone to disperse and left first with the empress.
Watching the two of them depart together, Ruyi’s pout deepened.
See? The empress had stolen the emperor away from her again.
Turning to A’ruo beside her, she silently hoped her maid would say something she wanted to hear.
As expected, A’ruo did not disappoint.
Lowering her voice, she complained, “Her Majesty the Empress is really too much. These past few days, when His Majesty visited Noble Consort Hui or Noble Lady Jia, she never seemed unhappy.
“But today, just when Your Ladyship finally reconciled with His Majesty, the empress whisked him away halfway through. Even if he had to leave, he should have left with Your Ladyship.”
As for the trouble Ruyi and the emperor had caused, A’ruo paid it no mind at all.
After all, neither the emperor, the empress, nor the noble ladies had openly criticized them.
Ruyi’s lips curved upward in satisfaction, though she still said aloud, “The empress isn’t that kind of person. She must have something important to discuss with His Majesty.”
A’ruo continued muttering, “Then why did it have to happen while Your Ladyship was with His Majesty?”
Ruyi called A’ruo’s name in mock reproach, but secretly she thought A’ruo was absolutely right.
Elsewhere, after discussing how to handle the aftermath, Fuca Langhua told Hongli that it had been the Empress Dowager who had sent someone to warn her.
She felt obligated to visit the Empress Dowager to offer both thanks and an apology.
Hongli immediately said he would accompany her.
Thus, husband and wife made their way to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility.
When Hongli saw Zhen Huan, he couldn’t help feeling guilty.
After all, this wasn’t the first time the Empress Dowager had caught such a problem.
After hearing the empress’s solution, Zhen Huan nodded.
“I can’t think of a better approach either.”
Then she changed the subject and looked directly at Hongli.
“But, Emperor—if you and Concubine Xian wanted to watch an opera, then watch an opera. Why invite all the imperial relatives and noble ladies?
“Was being alone together no longer enough? Did you have to make everyone else witness your affection as well?”
To her, this was no different from modern couples openly making out in public.
The sort of thing that made bystanders want to shout, My eyes!
Hongli lowered his head under her criticism.
“Mother, your son was wrong.”
Zhen Huan snorted.
“Since you’ve told everyone this performance was held in honor of the late emperor, then the two of you should spend the coming days showing proper filial piety at the Hall of Ancestral Worship. If you’re going to put on a show, at least see it through.
“For the next few days, you are not to summon any consorts. You should spend no less than one hour each day at the Hall of Ancestral Worship.
“Only then will others believe your devotion.”
She continued coldly,
“As for Concubine Xian, have Fuga send her several Buddhist scriptures. She is to copy them by hand every day as offerings to the late emperor.”
If this matter hadn’t been too sensitive to publicize, she would have happily exposed the whole affair and let everyone ridicule the two of them.
Since she couldn’t do that, the next best thing was to force Hongli to calm down for a while.
Hopefully, next time he would think with his brain before acting.
As for Ruyi?
She could copy scriptures.
Zhen Huan had come to a realization:
When two lunatics found each other, their destructive power doubled.
She truly wanted to send one of them to the South Pole and the other to the North Pole.
Hongli was still feeling guilty and naturally did not object.
Closing her eyes, Zhen Huan announced that she was tired.
Hongli and Fuca Langhua tactfully took their leave.
After they departed, Fuga finally spoke.
“This servant will assign someone clever to watch over Concubine Xian. Aside from eating and sleeping, she’ll spend every waking moment copying scriptures. That way, she won’t have time to stir up trouble.”
At Yanxi Palace, A’ruo stared in disbelief at the maid sent by the Empress Dowager.
“The Empress Dowager truly said all that?”
“Indeed,” the maid replied.
“The Empress Dowager said that since Concubine Xian served the late emperor with such sincerity and was willing to disregard her own reputation to help His Majesty arrange today’s performance, the late emperor will surely be touched by her filial devotion and delighted to receive the scriptures she copies by hand.”
A’ruo dared not challenge the Empress Dowager’s words.
Glancing at Ruyi, who sat calmly to one side, she asked hesitantly, “Did the Empress Dowager say how many scriptures my mistress must copy each day?”
The maid smiled politely.
“To copy scriptures for the late emperor, the more one writes, the more sincere one’s devotion.
“But the Empress Dowager has no intention of making things difficult for Concubine Xian.
“How much she copies is entirely up to her. It all depends on the depth of Concubine Xian’s filial piety.”
Ruyi widened her eyes and adopted a resolute expression.
“I understand the Empress Dowager’s meaning. I will copy scriptures from dawn until dusk.”
The maid bowed.
“The Empress Dowager will surely be pleased to know how filial Concubine Xian is.”
She deliberately emphasized the word filial, reminding Ruyi exactly why she had been assigned this task and hoping she would not make the same mistake again.
But Ruyi completely missed the implication.
Instead, she assumed that the Empress Dowager disliked her because of her aunt and was taking this opportunity to make things difficult for her despite the fact that, in her mind, nothing serious had happened.
Over the following days, Hongli visited the Hall of Ancestral Worship each morning and spent the rest of his time handling state affairs.
Meanwhile, Ruyi remained shut inside her chambers, endlessly copying scriptures.
For quite some time, the two of them didn’t see each other even once.
Determined to maintain her dignity, Ruyi insisted on wearing her long nail guards while writing.
With several fingers held awkwardly aloft, she could grip the brush with only her remaining fingers, making the task far more exhausting than it needed to be.
After several days, her fingers ached every night, and her arms throbbed with fatigue.
Yet neither she nor anyone around her dared suggest taking even a single day off from copying.
Each night, after the lamps were extinguished, she could only hide beneath the covers while A’ruo and Ruixin massaged her sore hands in secret.
During this period, Hongli and Ruyi were occupied with their own affairs.
The harem was peaceful and quiet.
Zhen Huan couldn’t help thinking:
A world without these two lunatics is truly wonderful.
What she didn’t expect, however, was that the empress would soon lose her mind as well.