ebookland Chapter 965 Leaving the Capital
Chapter 965 Leaving the Capital
Suppressing her guilt, the Empress Dowager ate a piece of candied fruit, which finally made her feel a little better.
"That young lady from the Fang family really spent the entire afternoon at the East Palace?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, His Highness spent half a day playing with ice with her, and they were very affectionate," the palace maid replied truthfully, her head bowed.
Ah, how dear.
That little monster actually has close friends and family?
Didn't they used to disregard even their father, the emperor?
The Empress Dowager's eyes were full of coldness, but she quickly composed herself.
"What does the Fang family's young lady look like?"
"Although she is young, you can tell that she is quite good-looking, probably because she takes after her mother."
The palace maid had seen Fang Nanzhi "inadvertently" at the Imperial Hospital, but the latter hadn't noticed.
Every time she entered the palace, she encountered so many palace servants, and no one else greeted her specifically, so of course she didn't recognize them.
"So, she'll also be stunningly beautiful? Stunning beauty is great, what man doesn't like someone who's good-looking?"
The Empress Dowager curled her lips into a smile, but it was tinged with sarcasm.
When the late emperor was alive, he was devoted to Consort Gui, wasn't it because she was beautiful?
Later, she made Consort Rong accompany the late emperor to be buried alive with him.
The current emperor cares most about the empress, who is also the most beautiful woman among all the beauties.
She showed kindness and didn't harm the Empress, but in the end, she was still murdered.
Women, your success or failure can both stem from your appearance.
That little girl from the Fang family, she might just be the next one.
"Your Majesty, would you like to..." The palace maid made a face-scratching motion.
The Empress Dowager arranged for women to be married to His Highness several times, but His Highness refused, probably because of Fang Nanzhi.
Then we might as well destroy her.
The Empress Dowager glanced at her, her gaze light yet imposing.
What's the rush?
"If a person is sensible enough, it's not impossible to keep them."
The palace maid realized that the Empress Dowager wanted to win over Fang Nanzhi.
This……
It seems that Prince Ning and General Fang don't get along.
In the Empress Dowager's eyes, these were not important matters. Women's affairs were closely related to how the men in the family were treated, but they should not be confused.
Fang Nanzhi's status is merely that of the daughter of a minor official; it will likely be difficult for her to enter the Eastern Palace in the future.
If she lends a hand, people will naturally submit to her.
Doesn't she want to have a higher status among the women in the Eastern Palace after her death?
This palace is almost like a man-eating beast; if a woman enters and doesn't fight for it or can't win, she won't have a good ending.
Only the winners of the struggle will stand in the end.
Most importantly, Qingyan, that monster, is even more difficult to get close to than the emperor.
Directly placing people in positions of authority will only backfire.
Since she finally had a ready-made weakness, she might as well seize it.
However, there's no rush. We should wait until Fang Nanzhi truly enters the Eastern Palace and encounters setbacks before the Empress Dowager can step in.
The Empress Dowager, having thought things through, felt her mood improve. She glanced around with her phoenix eyes and asked, "How is Prince Ning's health?"
Before the palace maid could answer, a sound came from outside.
Immediately afterwards, another palace maid with an oval face hurried in.
"Your Majesty, the patrolling guards arrested two restless palace servants. Upon interrogation, they were found to be from Cining Palace."
"Two palace servants, one secretly spying on the East Palace, and the other attempting to leave the palace without a token. Your Majesty, what do you think should be done?"
Although the palace maid with the oval face spoke in a respectful tone, her expression remained quite calm.
The Empress Dowager's eyes instantly sharpened, as if she were about to devour someone.
“Naturally, it will be handled in accordance with palace regulations.”
Fu Dong, a palace maid with an oval face, was the head palace maid sent by the emperor.
She also had another identity: the youngest daughter of the late emperor's wet nurse.
The late emperor valued his wet nurse highly and gave her a grand funeral.
Even the Empress Dowager had to show her leniency.
The wet nurse gave birth to a son and a daughter; the son died saving the late emperor.
The family only had one little girl left, and the late emperor took great care of her.
The Emperor's sending Fu Dong here truly shows he has the Empress Dowager in his grasp. If he were strict with people, it would inevitably lead to gossip that the Empress Dowager is ungrateful for past favors...
She couldn't be kind to people... Fu Dong was the emperor's man.
During this period, the Empress Dowager could only send her to do some trivial tasks outside the palace; the personal care was still handled by trusted palace maids.
However, Fu Dong caused her no shortage of trouble. The palace maids under her command dared not show their faces, and she could quickly discover any rash moves the Empress Dowager made.
Like this time, if Fu Dong hadn't gone to investigate, how could the patrolling guards have so easily noticed something was wrong?
"Yes," Fu Dong replied and went out.
As soon as she left, the Empress Dowager coughed again in anger.
The palace maid hurriedly knelt down.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It was my fault. The person I hired was not careful enough."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand, knowing full well what was going on; she couldn't be blamed.
Fu Dong kept people under tight control, like an iron barrel. It was difficult to pry open a crack, but the person they found had never done this before, so it was inevitable that they would be exposed.
In truth, this was all the emperor's scheme. Did the emperor want to sideline her?
The Empress Dowager clenched her hands, her wrinkles accentuated by anger.
Some skincare products simply won't work in the face of age.
"Help me to the Buddhist hall."
The palace maid hurriedly got up and carefully helped the Empress Dowager.
The Buddhist hall in Cining Palace has existed for a long time, and it seems that several empress dowagers on the throne were fond of worshipping Buddha.
In fact, she was not truly respecting Buddhism; rather, being in the position of Empress Dowager meant she was no different from a "lonely ruler."
Unlike ordinary families, where children and grandchildren surround them and they live in the palace, the emperor and empress are considered filial if they come to pay their respects on the first and fifteenth of each month.
Even when paying respects, one would only sit for a short while.
Trapped in this deep palace, with no one to confide in, people always need something to rely on.
Besides this reason, even as an empress dowager, despite her noble status, there are always things she wants but cannot do.
When human effort fails, people often turn to gods and Buddhas, hoping for their help.
The Buddhist hall is not large. In the center is a Buddha statue, and in front of it are neatly arranged offerings and incense burners.
The Empress Dowager entered the Buddhist hall alone. A palace maid closed the door from the outside and stood guard at the entrance, her gaze cold and aloof.
The Empress Dowager offered incense but did not kneel in worship. She raised her head and stared intently at the Buddha statue, as if scrutinizing, examining, and weighing it...
In the eyes of the Buddha statue, half of the Empress Dowager's face is in the sunlight, fair but sinister, while the other half is hidden in darkness, making it difficult to see clearly.
The Empress Dowager stayed in the Buddhist hall for about half an hour before leaving.
The night is getting darker.
Fu Dong methodically arranged for the palace servants to busy themselves; some carried fresh flowers, some brought hot water, and some held cloths...
These are all for serving the Empress Dowager during her bath.
Once everything was ready, as expected, Fu Dong was sent away.
She didn't complain and quietly waited outside the door. However, after a while, she clutched her stomach, her face turned pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
She suppressed her discomfort and waved to someone not far away.
A young palace maid hurried over.
"You stay here and keep watch for me, I'll be gone for a while."
The young palace maid nodded in understanding when she saw Sister Fudong, assuming that she was going to relieve herself.
Fu Dong walked away, his face pale and his steps hurried, clearly indicating that he was in great pain.
She walked through the garden, made a few more turns, and arrived near the Buddhist temple.
Fu Dong hid behind a tree. The old woman who guarded the Buddhist hall lived in the west room, and the oil lamp was still burning, so she was obviously inside.
"Clap!"
A pebble precisely extinguished the oil lamp.
An old woman's puzzled voice came from inside the house: "Did you forget to close the window? Is it windy outside today?"
Then came a creaking sound from the yard.
The old woman forgot about the oil lamp and hurried out, heading towards the Buddhist hall.
But then they saw that the door to the Buddhist hall was ajar, and the old woman tentatively approached.
"Who dares to trespass into the Cining Palace?"
When she went inside, she saw a small, entirely black cat climb onto the offering table.
The old nanny immediately flew into a rage, rolled up her sleeves, and charged forward.
"So you're a little beast! Daring to steal offerings, I'll tear you apart!"
She lunged forward with her muscular body. The black cat, startled, meowed and nimbly dodged her hand, jumping to the ground and running around the old woman before slipping out through the crack in the door.
The old woman was furious when she found no one there. She muttered a few curses, then remembered that she was in the Buddhist hall.
She quickly put her hands together in prayer: "Oh dear, Buddha, please forgive me, Buddha, please forgive me."
The old woman left the Buddhist hall and returned to the west room, not even wondering why the oil lamp had gone out.
Before long, Fu Dong returned to the Empress Dowager's palace without any change in expression.
The Empress Dowager had just finished bathing when she went in to help her wring out her hair.
She's not in a hurry.
His Majesty said that as long as she does what is required within the rules when she enters Cining Palace, everything else can be dealt with gradually.
Tonight's visit to the Buddhist temple is merely a test.
The sky is bright.
Fang Nanzhi turned over, clutching the blanket, her little nose twitching twice, before continuing to sleep soundly.
Yu Huan tiptoed in, took a basin, went out, and returned a short while later with hot water.
She moved as quietly as possible, opened the chest, selected a set of clothes for her master, and once everything was ready, Yu Huan gently called for her master to get up.
"Miss, it's time to get up. We're heading back to our hometown today."
"The gentlemen and young masters in the front yard have all gotten up, as has Uncle Cheng. They've already had the goods loaded onto the truck."
Fang Nanzhi covered her head with the blanket, spread her arms and legs, and continued to sleep.
"Miss, the Second Madam made scallion oil noodles, and I saw the General go to the kitchen..."
Yu Huan's eyes darted around.
Fang Nanzhi sat up abruptly.
Before even opening his eyes, he was thinking, "No way, my second uncle will definitely finish all the noodles."
Seeing her young master like this, Yu Huan couldn't help but smile.
They began to help their master get up.
Actually, there wasn't much work to do. Fang Nanzhi preferred to wash her face and dress herself, while Yu Huan would just help her comb her hair.
As soon as she finished tidying up, Fang Nanzhi ran outside, afraid that the scallion oil noodles would be gone.
Yu Huan called from behind, "Miss, the snow is slippery, please slow down. I'll help you carry your packed luggage to the carriage."
Fang Nanzhi simply nodded, her pace quick and efficient.
In the front hall, the whole family was already having breakfast, but Qian Fengping picked out a little of everything in advance to save for her daughter.
Especially the scallion oil noodles, which were more than half a bowlful.
"It tastes even better with some meat sauce."
Fang Nanzhi hugged her mother tightly.
"Mom, you are so kind."
Qian Fengping smiled, her eyes crinkling. She could feel the tenderness of raising a daughter at that moment.
My son is no good; the older he gets, the less fun he becomes.
He always has a serious face and never says anything warm or friendly.
Qin Yan noticed that his mother had glared at him, but although he was puzzled, he didn't ask any questions.
Because his mother often did this, especially when his younger sister was being affectionate, she would find him particularly displeasing.
Meng Lan watched with a smile and served her little niece a bowl of soup.
She thought to herself, "I want to have a daughter in the future."
After having breakfast, the family set off.
The team was quite large and impressive.
There were seven carriages in total. The first three were for the masters, and the fourth one was used for luggage and for the maids to ride in on a rotating basis. The last three were for the goods that Cheng Xiaohu was carrying.
The city gates have been opened.
Because they had many cars and a lot of stuff in them, they were naturally subject to questioning.
Both Fang Yin and Fang Tong had their identity documents delivered to them.
The soldiers guarding the gate immediately perked up upon seeing this.
"So it's General Fang and the lord returning to their hometown. Quickly, let them pass!"
So, the seven carriages set off from the city in a grand procession.
Sitting atop the carriage shaft, with documents tucked into his arms, Cheng Xiaohu awaited inspection: ...
Not right.
In the past, he had to pay taxes when taking goods out of the city or into a city, otherwise he wouldn't be allowed to pass.
This time, they didn't even ask me a question.
Honest Cheng Xiaohu was experiencing something like this for the first time, and he was a little uneasy. He even ran ahead and whispered a few words to Fang Tong, who was sitting on his horse.
The people inside the carriage overheard what they said.
Inside sat Qian Fengping, Meng Lan, and Fang Nanzhi.
"Don't worry, it's normal for officials to bring back local specialties for their relatives when they return to their hometowns."
Meng Lan spoke while touching the leaf cards.
She was used to this kind of thing and didn't think it was anything special.
Fang Nanzhi understood the implication: "So, the goods that Uncle Xiaohu brought were treated as local specialties? Does that mean we won't have to pay taxes when we enter the city after we return to our hometown?"
“Of course,” Meng Lan replied casually.
Fang Tong's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected such a good thing. Wasn't this batch of goods essentially tax-free? Did they make a profit from it all?
Sigh, if Xiaohu ever takes goods out of town again, if he goes out with us and then comes back to town on his own...
I don't know if it will work?
Cheng Xiaohu was also happy.
"Brother Tong, you really deserve your official position."
Only Fang Nanzhi felt something was wrong. If the caravan evaded taxes, wouldn't that mean the national treasury would suffer losses?
However, current commercial taxes are very heavy.
Uncle Xiaohu complained to him many times that they dared not easily enter the city when they went out.
Entering a city requires paying taxes, and the key issue is that each city has different tax categories.
Some were in accordance with the laws of the imperial court, but many more were taxes added privately by the various cities.
These tax increases are quite "flexible." If a caravan has powerful connections or backers, and they are not to be trifled with, there are only two or three types of tax increases, and not many.
If the caravan that comes is small and unknown, then we're doomed; they can impose seven or eight additional taxes.
That was a complete accident; I went out and sold goods but didn't make any money.
To save money, he tried his best to live in the wild.
But the wilderness is really unsafe; wild animals and bandits are potential threats.
He finally managed to find a way out after a lot of trouble.
Fang Nanzhi actually knew that the heavy taxes imposed by the imperial court on commerce were not conducive to the prosperity of trade.
However, since their economy is primarily based on agriculture, it would be very dangerous for them to focus solely on commerce without achieving success in agriculture.
In her view, if commercial taxes are to be adjusted, this loophole of tax evasion should also be plugged.
Otherwise, if this continues, the powerful and wealthy will be able to evade taxes and become increasingly rich, while heavy commercial taxes will only restrict small merchants.
this is not right.