Chapter 387: Chapter 382: Imperial Concubine
Despite the guidance from their father and daughter/niece, Ye Xiuting and Ye Xiuming were prepared to be questioned by the Emperor and the civil servants when they entered the capital. Little did they know that the Emperor didn’t mention it at all, and even Old Qiao was scolded when he tried to say something. What exactly happened in the capital?
The brothers returned home with full hearts of confusion, only to be met with the astonished and incredulous expressions of their wives.
"What’s wrong? Why do you look like this?" Ye Xiuqing asked his wife.
What should Madam Ye say, that she just found out that their daughter was planning a rebellion? Her daughter’s courage was even greater than hers; when she was young, she only wanted to dominate a mountain and be a bandit, and now her daughter wants to become the Emperor?
Second Madam Ye was also shocked by her elder niece’s audacity. Incredible, incredible, even bolder than the women from the border. She recalled how her niece insisted on marrying the current Emperor back then—turns out it was all in preparation for seizing the throne!
Looking at their composed father-in-law, both Madam Ye and Second Madam Ye unanimously believed that Ye Qiu took after her grandfather.
Madam Ye was self-aware; she was just a bandit who could charge into battle but lacked cunning strategies. Her daughter’s father was the same, only somewhat talented in warfare. If involved in underhanded plots, he would have been long defeated by others. It was only the intermittent battles on the border in recent years that spared him from being schemed against.
But her daughter was formidable. What did her father-in-law just say? That the imperial decree asking them to return to the capital was written by her daughter?
Now they no longer have to worry about being schemed against once they’re back in the capital.
"I am telling you this to prepare you, but you must absolutely not reveal it to anyone else, otherwise, our entire family might be doomed before things are accomplished."
"I understand, I will not speak carelessly," both Madam Ye and Second Madam Ye assured in unison.
However, they also had a question, both being straightforward, they asked directly: "Why then didn’t Qiu’er let us lead troops to march south?"
"What’s this about leading troops south?" The brothers, puzzled after listening for so long, scratched their heads.
Looking at the four of them clueless, Ye Xing suddenly felt that his past illness was caused by them. In earlier years, he knew his two sons were simple-minded. He originally wanted to find them clever wives, but ended up choosing just the opposite for both.
He wasn’t one to interfere with marriages; even though both daughters-in-law were of low status, he accepted them. What he never expected was that the sons from these two couples would be simple-minded as well. They were brave in battle, but barely competent in reading and writing.
Fortunately, his elder daughter-in-law later gave birth to Ye Qiu, who truly resembled his granddaughter Ye Xing, clever from childhood. But around the age of fifteen or sixteen, as if possessed, she insisted on marrying the current Emperor, which even made him worry about the Ye Family’s future.
However, in recent years, his granddaughter had regained her cleverness and rationality, almost making him believe that she truly approached the Emperor intentionally back then to achieve great things.
"It seems you’ve been in the border for too long and got confused. No matter how strong the Ye Family’s influence is at the border, the distance is vast. Marching south would undoubtedly draw attention, wouldn’t it? Daxin isn’t just comprised of the Ye Family’s army. Distant waters can’t quench immediate thirst. Here in the capital, there are the City Protection Army and the Imperial Army, and nearby provinces like Hebei, Henan, and Shandong can rapidly deploy troops. Are we really to fight our way in?"
"What about the common people? They are innocent. Qiu’er’s ambition to achieve great things is for the sake of the people of the World, not for temporary power."
"Daughter-in-law understands," Madam Ye and Second Madam Ye nodded in agreement.
However, Ye Xiuting and Ye Xiuming were still utterly confused. How had it come to involve the people of the World? Why was the Ye Family Army now preparing to march south?
Seeing the bewildered expressions on his sons’ faces made Ye Xing feel weary. Throughout the year, he had sent countless letters to the border and arranged many things; anyone else might have noticed something by now, but these two foolish sons naively just followed orders.
"You couples go back and explain it yourselves. Don’t bother me. If you have any more questions, go ask Ye Mu. Remember, if any news leaks, don’t blame me for being ruthless," Ye Xing said impatiently.
Ye Mu’s face was one of disbelief. What did it mean that they should come to him with questions? He was busy enough as it was! He did not want to face an endless barrage of questions from his father and uncle!
The information that Ye Mu knew was definitely more complete, so both couples turned to him. The questions kept coming as Ye Xiuting and Ye Xiuming went from shock to stupefaction to confusion, then excitement, and finally to deep admiration.
Although admiring one’s own daughter/niece might seem embarrassing, they really didn’t know any other way to express their emotions.
No wonder their father often sent messages advising them not to engage directly with the Liao People, yet also incited internal strife but not to the extent of causing actual warfare! No wonder their father had transferred two capable generals to the capital! It turned out all of this was preparation for their daughter/niece’s great undertaking.
Ye Xiuting and Ye Xiuming harbored no thoughts of rebellion; to them, family was most important. Their initial decision to go to the border was partly due to family influence and partly to protect the civilians.
Now, with the Emperor unable to distinguish right from wrong, why should they remain loyal to the Emperor and oppose their own daughter/niece? They believed in their daughter/niece, who was definitely not the kind of person to pursue power at all costs; if she had the capability to achieve what she had so far, she could govern the country even better.
Oh, wait, Ye Mu just mentioned that the petitions currently on the court table were actually approved by his daughter/niece, proving she already possesses the qualifications to be an Emperor.
Who says women are inferior to men? Let them, the Ye Family, make history!
Ye Mu was questioned by the two couples until he was parched and weary, only to start preparing for the celebration banquet in the palace that was about to begin.
The celebration banquet arranged by Ye Qiu was indeed grand, even Consort Hui, who rarely left Yijing Palace, attended. She was now six months pregnant. As the most innocent person in the struggles of the harem, Ye Qiu had consciously or unconsciously been protecting her, ensuring this pregnancy was stable.
Of course, even though she did not proclaim her actions, Consort Hui’s intelligence allowed her to guess some of it. Therefore, whether from Cining Palace or the ambitious concubines beneath, she did not oppose Ye Qiu’s decisions.
It proved her decision was right; peacefully nurturing her child without involving herself in the affairs of the harem women was what pleased Ye Qiu the most.
Sometimes Consort Hui felt that she could not understand the Imperial Concubine. She sensed that the Imperial Concubine did not like the Emperor as much as the rumors suggested, yet why did the Imperial Concubine’s monopoly of the Emperor cause dissent among the harem women of the previous dynasty?