The Choice Queen's
TCQ 62: The Unmarried Wife
The Queen Mother and the accompaniment of the servants who always followed her were strolling around the Back Palace while enjoying the view.
The peaking spring has also spread thousands of flowers planted in the palace. However, that does not seem to necessarily make the Queen Mother happy. He's in a bad mood.
“These flowers are beautiful when they bloom in spring. Too bad, they cannot live in a place that everyone can enjoy its beauty,” he said with a sigh. He then scissors one of the unwanted flower branches and drops it on the ground.
“When he cannot control himself and force to grow, then he will only be wasted,” he said again while looking at the flower branch that had just been cut.
The servants knew the Queen Mother was having heart problems. His words just now not only explain about flowers, but represent the meaning of women.
Women, of course palace women, should not rush and be able to understand the situation. Unfortunately, not all of the palace women who entered the harem understood his teaching.
Of all his son's wives, perhaps only Ling Sui showed no ambition of becoming a perfect Queen and wielding all the supreme power in the harem. He had just realized that Ling Sui was a good daughter-in-law.
The Queen Mother had all this time only looked at him one eye and did not think of him from a different point of view. Once he's gone and the replacement comes in, everything becomes very visible.
Shen Lihua, Su Min, and Fei Jia, the Queen Mother did not have a definite belief in the content of thoughts and ambitions that each of them had. The problem became more complicated when the news of last night's incident reached his ears this morning. Inevitably the matter became a new knot that shackled his heart.
“Did the King decide his sentence?” ask the Queen Mother to her servant.
“Answer, Queen Mother. I heard Her Majesty exiled Consort Su to the Cold Palace and her position as concubine was demoted to miss. His Majesty also closed off access to anyone and only gave him a servant.”
“Don't kill him already is a great form of forgiveness. My son is really generous. Has the punishment for Su Ren also been decided?”
“Already, Queen Mother. His Majesty has set the record straight by giving Mr. Su the death penalty and he will be executed by the end of spring. As for the owner of Bodril Xiaoqin House who became his accomplice, he was sentenced to exile and became a government slave, today will be sent to the border along with everyone involved.”
The Queen Mother looked at the flowers while listening. His mind told him that the punishment his son had given him was already worth it, but there was some sort of dissatisfaction in his heart. The Queen Mother always knew that her son would not let anyone escape punishment if convicted of a crime.
He only felt that his son as the King had now started to be generous. Usually, people who do evil and very much wrong will be sentenced to death. Even his entire family will be executed and anyone who offends him will die.
This time, he at least still gave way to life for some people. This great change is not realized, but very felt. The Queen Mother had no idea since when her son could consider a way of life for someone else when that person betrayed her.
“Suri's Mother, Her Majesty also treated the wound of the Sword Lord and only left Changsun Palace when it was late. He said, His Majesty also asked Eunuch Chief Wang to bring him warm water and painkillers,” the servant added according to what he heard.
The Queen Mother stopped her activity of cutting wild branches and leaves. “Really?”
“True, Queen Mother. Today His Majesty also called the Chief of the Bureau of Personnel to Qihua Palace and told him to change the rules to allow the sick female servant due to the coming month to take a holiday.”
His son, it turns out, also began to think about the situation of others who were far below him. The Queen Mother thought about it, and found hints that the change in her son's nature had actually started since the election of Queen Donghao's successor began.
Has her son ever had a good heart? Was it really because he had Li Fengran as his minister and companion?
“Some servants and eunuchs of the palace started gossiping about His Majesty. They say that the King gave special treatment to the Sword Stakeholder and his attitude has exceeded that of a superior to his subordinates. Queen Mother, do you think it's a good thing when the King treats his female minister instead of like to the minister?”
As King and minister, their relationship was indeed unnatural. Although Li Fengran was an everyday companion that must have been beside the King, but he received very different treatment from other ministers. As if, the King had purposely placed him by his side with another purpose.
It can be good and it can be bad. As a woman who had lived in the palace for decades and had faced various battles, the Queen Mother knew very well the impact of her son's attitude being judged differently to the Sword Stakeholder. If the boundaries are not clarified, then both can be in danger.
“I know. Ask the King to come see me today,” said the Queen Mother. His servant nodded and immediately carried out his word.
Not long after, Nangong Zirui arrived with Wang Bi and the servant earlier. After receiving her respects, the Queen Mother told Nangong Zirui to sit in the garden chair and asked the servants and Wang Bi to retreat. He wanted to talk to Nangong Zirui.
“The trial is over and I have some free time. I dare not delay the order of Mother who asked me to meet you,” replied Nangong Zirui. He wondered why his mother suddenly called him.
“Don't know what made Mom call me? Is there something you want to talk about?”
“Have you heard rumors lately? Some maids are in a frenzy talking about you and the Sword Bearer lately.”
“Mother, don't take heart. They just need entertainment because they are too tired to work. Let them gossip about us if it can reduce their fatigue,” Nangong Zirui responded casually. Apparently, her mother wanted to talk about her rumors with Li Fengran.
“My son, listen to me carefully. Your treatment of the Sword Stakeholder has been very different and far from just treatment to subordinates.”
“Is it wrong?”
“Can be wrong, also can not. You may be able to ignore it because you are used to it. But, what about the Sword Stake? How many people are against him right now? Would he be able to endure all the slurs if people who disliked him attacked him and insulted him?”
“How can it be called insulting? I won't let anyone hurt her!”
“My son, you are King and some things are common to you. But the Sword Stakeholder is not. He won't be able to endure it. What if the ministers protest again and force you to fire the Sword Master? They think about the situation of the country, and they are always worried that you are blinded by love.”
The Queen Mother explained carefully that not everything can be fulfilled. He made Nangong Zirui aware of his responsibilities and how hard a King is when he loves someone. Once one missteps, it will invite a very terrible jealousy.
Besides being dangerous to Li Fengran, it was also dangerous to Nangong Zirui. In the end, Nangong Zirui was faced with a choice that required him to choose to take one off.
“My son, he is the Sword Stakeholder, your office. Did you forget?”
“He is my office. But, she's also a wife I haven't married.”
Suri's mother turned her back. She was very surprised because her son was so forthright. “Rui’er, you plan on making her one of your wives?”
“Not one of the wives, but the only wife, Mother.”
The Queen Mother was surprised. Only wife? Which king has only one wife in history? There ain't! There is no monogamous king!
“My son, the King cannot have one wife. Did you forget that basic provision?”
“No. Precisely because it is the rule of the ancestors, certainly does not apply at all times. Mother, it's time to make a change.”
The Queen Mother was short of breath and almost made angry. In vain he explained that in the end his son could not be resuscitated.
Only one wife? No, a King wouldn't be able to do that! He can't be loyal to one woman!
“King seems to be confused,” said Ibu Suri while holding back anger.
“No, Mother, your son is very conscious. Don't try to do something that makes me angry. Mother just need to sit quietly and Mother must witness the day when I managed to unite all the regions and reform all the rules.”
Then, Nangong Zirui suddenly stood up and begged himself to leave. He left the palace garden without turning his head again, without caring how his mother became breathless and his clenched hands held in anger. Nangong Zirui only cared about his desires and grand ambitions.
Whether or not he achieves it, it only takes time to prove it.
