Chapter 1084 - Chapter 1084 The Empress Dowager’s Doubts
Chapter 1084 The Empress Dowager’s Doubts
Shao Wanru’s face clouded, and there was a severe look in her penetrating eyes. She fully understood what the chief supervisor meant.
Others might not understand the painting presented to the Empress Dowager before many others on her birthday, but how could the Empress Dowager not understand it? When the painting displayed by her brother dredged up a distant memory, the Empress Dowager might not bear the scene and faint. After that, she would be seriously ill.
The Emperor could also get the hidden meaning of this painting. Even if he was not on the spot, he must have asked about it later, so he also knew the truth. When he saw that the Empress Dowager could only remain in bed due to an emotional breakdown, he would fly into a towering rage. To his dismay, the Emperor had nowhere to vent his anger because this painting was from Duke Cheng’en, his mother’s brother.
The Emperor could not punish Duke Cheng’en when the Empress Dowager was still sick, so he didn’t do anything to Duke Cheng’en, who presented the painting in public. This matter seemed to have quieted down quickly as though nothing had happened.
But later, there should be some rumors in the imperial harem saying that the Empress Dowager murdered the deceased emperor. Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she had been sick and depressed in her bed until she died of grief.
All of this implied that the mastermind behind this scheme was the Empress.
Few people in the Palace knew what had happened back then, and the Empress would be the most suspicious. The Empress was the one most likely to target the Empress Dowager because she would become the most powerful one in the imperial harem as long as the Empress Dowager died.
As a result, the Emperor broke into a furious rage and locked the Empress up. What was more, he was even considering deposing the Empress. Later on, Prince Zhou rebelled. It could be said that Prince Zhou wouldn’t get any benefit from the whole thing.
So it was not done by the Empress and Prince Zhou but by someone else. Could it be Chu Liuyue’s mother, Consort of Virtue, or Prince Cheng outside the Palace?
Shao Wanru’s brain worked fast. At present, she suspected these two people the most.
In her previous life, Chu Liuyue failed in the end. Shao Wanru didn’t know why he failed. As for what happened to Prince Cheng, she had no memories of that.
Shao Wanru reached out to rub her temples to relax. In her previous life, she was far from the center of power, so she didn’t know many things. Besides, some of her memories were missing. Thus, she didn’t know the specific details.
“Your Highness, you should be careful!” The chief supervisor reminded her when he saw that she was silent. Since Princess Chen saw the painting, she would be involved.
When his master was not in the mansion, he must not let anything wrong happen to Princess Chen. This was also what Prince Chen had repeatedly told him before he left.
“Your Highness, before Prince Chen left, he said that if people in the Palace became suspicious of you, you should wear the delicate natural jade he had given you.”
The chief supervisor reminded again.
Shao Wanru certainly remembered the tip-top jade pendant. Back then, the Empress Dowager saw it and agreed to her marriage with Chu Liuchen for the time being. Then she exchanged it with another jade pendant and gave it back to Chu Liuchen, who had been wearing it all the time.
Before he left the capital city, Chu Liuchen deliberately left this jade pendant to her and said she would think of him when seeing it. That pendant turned out to be a s.h.i.+eld that he had prepared for her early. In her heart, Shao Wanru felt deeply touched. Biting her lips in determination, she nodded in agreement.
As she had expected, someone from the Palace came soon to tell her the Empress Dowager summoned her to the Palace.
Shao Wanru dressed up a little, put on the jade pendant from Chu Liuchen, and followed the messenger to the Empress Dowager’s Palace.
There was no one else in the hall, and the Empress Dowager was sitting magisterially on the princ.i.p.al chair.
Shao Wanru, sharp-eyed, saw a wet patch on the ground. Although it had been cleaned up, she could still tell that this place must have been dripping wet. In the far corner, there was a piece of porcelain that had not been taken away in time.
Shao Wanru guessed that Duke Cheng’en had been here and presented the painting to the Empress Dowager. Fortunately, no one else was there, so the gift from Duke Cheng’en didn’t bring shame on the Empress Dowager and humiliate her in public. At this time, she could still remain calm.
Many things got tangled up, so Shao Wanru had no choice but to make Duke Cheng’en present the painting before the birthday banquet. If he showed the painting on her birthday before the Emperor and his officials, it would cause quite a stir.
But the Empress Dowager had an aversion to her because of Nanny Wei. At this time, the Empress Dowager had a bias against her, so it was challenging to tide over the upcoming crisis.
Subconsciously, Shao Wanru pressed the jade pendant near the hem of her skirt and calmed down.
She was in difficulty but felt relieved when touching the item Chu Liuchen had prepared to protect her.
She took two steps forward and knelt respectfully before the Empress Dowager. “Greetings, Imperial Grandmother!”
The Empress Dowager’s stern and unsmiling eyes fell on her. She didn’t let Shao Wanru get up and began to survey her instead. In the end, her eyes moved down and fell on the jade pendant hanging on her waist. Only then did she look less serious.
She gave this jade pendant to Chu Liuchen, so how could she not recognize it? She was depressed when learning that her dear grandson gave it back to Shao Wanru again and again.
However, no matter how unhappy she was, it reminded her that Shao Wanru was the only woman Chu Liuchen had fallen in love with over so many years. Though very displeased, the Empress Dowager suppressed her anger toward Shao Wanru.
“Get up!” The Empress Dowager said lightly.
Of course, if Shao Wanru were proven to harbor evil intent, she would not show mercy. But before that, the Empress Dowager had to stay calm and prevent herself from convicting Shao Wanru because of one-sided remarks. After all, what happened at that time had nothing to do with Shao Wanru. Even Rui’an Great Elder Princess knew nothing about it.
Everything seemed to have nothing to do with Shao Wanru.
Shao Wanru responded and stood up.
“I heard you visited the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion?” The Empress Dowager asked coldly.
“Yes. I saw a painting of Duke Cheng’en there. It was similar to what I had prepared but more meaningful and made me ashamed. So, I want to see the other artists’ works to improve my painting.” Shao Wanru lowered her head and answered softly without any hesitation.
She had been collecting paintings because she needed some famous paintings as references to perfect the painting she had prepared.
Shao Wanru did that only to cope with the Empress Dowager’s possible questions. Luckily and unexpectedly, it attracted the attention of Zhao Xiran and the people in Minister Zhao’s Mansion.
Seeing that she answered smoothly and with full composure, the Empress Dowager nodded in her heart. “She seems to have nothing to do with that matter.”
“How did you know there was such a painting in the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion? Why would you bring one of your paintings at that time?” The Empress Dowager asked again.
She suspected Shao Wanru because Shao Wanru quickly brought out her painting at that time.
“I took the painting with me even when I went to my grandmother’s place. Initially, I just wanted to ask Madam of Duke Cheng’en for some advice. She was the closest to you, so I supposed she must know your tastes. I hadn’t finished my painting so that I could modify it a little.”
Shao Wanru explained unhurriedly as if she didn’t notice the Empress Dowager was scrutinizing her face.
She had planned to go to the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion early. Also, the notification card about their visit had been sent there in advance. Thus, it sounded reasonable for her to come with the painting.
Madam of Duke Cheng’en was the Empress Dowager’s sister-in-law, so the Empress Dowager had been close to her in the past.
After this explanation, the Empress Dowager thought it was nothing sinister for Shao Wanru to take her painting to the Duke Cheng’en’s Mansion. Besides, Shao Wanru carried herself with ease and natural poise. If she was caught scheming something, she should appear guilty and nervous.
“How long have you prepared your painting?” The Empress Dowager looked a little relaxed. Although she was dissatisfied with her, evidence was needed to prove that Shao Wanru was plotting against her.
“Yes, I’ve been doing it for a long time. I began collecting maple leaves when I was in the Yuhui Nunnery.” Shao Wanru looked a little shy and lowered her head even more. “Prince Chen told me that you liked maple leaves.”
Some beautiful maple leaves were worthy of being appreciated and collected. Some people loved flowers, while others loved maple leaves.
Of course, the gift should be something the Empress Dowager liked.
“When I was in the Yuhui Nunnery, something happened between me and Secondary Consort Shao. At that time, there were a lot of maple leaves in the maple woods, so I picked up a lot of them. Later, I did it a few more times and finally got these good ones,” Shao Wanru added.
Something did happen in the maple forest of the Yuhui Nunnery — Shao Yanru had plotted against her.
Since the Empress Dowager intended to let Shao Wanru marry Chu Liuchen, she paid special attention to her and certainly heard about this incident. At that time, Nanny Wei had no malice against Shao Wanru and knew Prince Chen seemed to care much about her, so what she told the Empress Dowager was beneficial to Shao Wanru.
Thinking of Secondary Consort Shao, the Empress Dowager frowned and was very unhappy. That lady seemed to have linked with Commandery Prince Qing. She heard they even did some shady activities in the maple forest. At the thought of Secondary Consort Shao, who had married her son, the Empress Dowager felt sick, although that woman had been locked up in the Cold Palace.
Since Shao Wanru mentioned this, she did have evidence to prove that she had prepared for the painting early. It was not that she made this painting on purpose after she knew something confidential.
“Sit down!” The Empress Dowager pointed to the chair aside and motioned for Shao Wanru to sit there.
Shao Wanru answered softly, walked to the chair, and sat down. She looked natural and at ease, not overly relaxed after being nervous. Every movement she made was normal.
“It seemed that she knew nothing about it!”
In her heart, the Empress Dowager was sure that it had nothing to do with Shao Wanru and that she couldn’t be the person behind the plot.
Since it was not her, the Empress Dowager no longer asked her about the maple leaves. She changed the topic and said, “What happened to the b.u.t.terfly Clothing Shop you mentioned before? Did that female shopkeeper really want to give you the shop? How could she give it up and let you get all the profits?”
Shao Wanru knew she no longer suspected her because of the painting. Otherwise, the Empress Dowager would not have asked about such a trivial matter.
At this time, Shao Wanru felt truly relieved in her heart. Finally, she managed to dodge this disaster, but she didn’t show it on her face. In a leisurely manner, she raised her head and reported, “Imperial Grandmother, there is something behind this matter, and… it is related to Nanny Wei. I don’t know how to tell you the whole thing!”
It was a rare opportunity for Shao Wanru, though she didn’t know how Nanny Wei had slandered her before the Empress Dowager and how she and Wei Dahai had plotted against her.