Chapter 54: One of the Uses of an Ex-husband

After Xu He was scolded and driven out, the courtyard where Yuetang and the others resided remained very quiet for several days; even the two maidservants who had originally been sent under the guise of serving were withdrawn.

Only when Lanqin was cutting fabric beneath the window would she occasionally see people from the Fu clan peeking their heads in through the courtyard gate.

Yuetang noticed this as well. She set down her brush and paper and picked up the cut fabric: "It's so small; is it for A-Li?"

Lanqin nodded with a smile. "When the young Heir was born, he wore small undergarments that I made with my own hands. From now on, I shall hand-make several sets of small clothes for him every season."

Yuetang leaned in closer, picking up a few scraps of fabric to examine. "He will surely love them. It is such a pity, though, that his mother knows how to do nothing."

Lanqin's smile gradually faded. "The Princess's embroidery skills were once second to none.

"Even Her Majesty the Empress praised it, saying that intelligent people can do anything well.

"All the evil lies with the Du family. Even if you can no longer perform delicate tasks like needlework, you need not feel guilty."

After her severe injury, Yuetang had damaged her bones and sinews. She could only wield a blade or a sword; while she could still write, delicate work like needlework was no longer possible.

Yuetang helped her smooth out the silk threads and said softly, "Indeed. After the Empress passed away, I never went to Fengning Palace again. The last time was when she was on her deathbed. She held my hand for a long time, but she only repeated one sentence: Do not be afraid.

"Perhaps she thought I was afraid of death, so she sought to comfort me.

"Or perhaps she worried I would still be bullied by the First Prince, so she was trying to bolster my courage."

She gave Lanqin a smile. "But Her Majesty could never have imagined that I would later roll through a circle of hell myself, and ultimately, fear nothing at all."

The Princess Consort of Prince Duan had passed away when Yuetang was six.

Empress Mu had passed away when Yuetang was twelve.

After losing her biological mother, all the "maternal love" Yuetang received in the following years came from Empress Mu.

Therefore, when the Empress was gravely ill, Yuetang had also stayed at Fengning Palace to attend to her for three months.

At that time, the First Prince had not yet married. Perhaps due to the loneliness of the deep palace, he would sometimes come to talk to Yuetang, occasionally bringing her street snacks or treats.

As Consort An and Consort Shen vied for favor, the Empress acted as an impartial mediator rather than siding with kin, and she had even reprimanded Consort An for her excessive behavior, leading to much secret resentment toward the Empress.

The First Prince felt awkward, so whenever he visited, he tried his best not to show his face.

However, Fengning Palace was filled with the Empress's eyes and ears; she would always know.

But the Empress treated him just as she did Consort An—she only reprimanded him when he crossed the line.

Once, when the First Prince happened to be climbing over the wall, the Empress, who was only about twenty feet away, merely cleared her throat and walked past as if she had seen nothing.

"This subordinate also misses Her Majesty somewhat."

Wei Zhang's voice came from outside the window.

Yuetang turned her head and watched him walk in. "When did you return?"

"Just now." Wei Zhang cupped his hands in salute and then said, "Regarding the names the Princess provided, I have spent the last two days conducting discreet investigations and have checked them all. This group of twelve people are either officials promoted by Grand Empress Dowager Shen or close relatives of the Shen family."

"The Shen family?" Yuetang pondered for a moment. "As expected, the Du family's actions are targeted.

"Since they are solely members of the Shen family, the person behind the Du family is very likely either the Mu family or the Chu family."

Wei Zhang nodded silently and placed a bundle from his hand onto the desk. "These are the general resumes of these officials. It can be seen that they are all deeply involved with the Shen family."

Yuetang found two volumes and flipped through them, frowning. "Are there no clearer clues?"

Based on this, one could only rule out the Shen family.

Wei Zhang shook his head. "No. I even tried searching for clues in reverse by looking at the guest list from the Du family's longevity banquet, but I found no members of those three families.

"The Du family appears to exist independently. If one must say they are connected to any faction, it would only be Prince Jingyang."

"He has basically been ruled out." Lanqin quickly glanced at him.

Yuetang sat down in her chair. "Tell me more about the current status of the Mu and Chu families."

Twenty years ago, the Mu family had held positions among the Three Excellencies. However, shortly after the Empress's grandfather, who held power, retired and passed away, the father of Empress Mu—who had then received heavy responsibilities—was stripped of his official posts for certain reasons.

Subsequently, the Mu family moved away from the capital to Jiangling.

Empress Mu was the eldest daughter of the Mu family and had been granted a marriage to the late Emperor while still young.

The couple had been together for nearly twenty years; the late Emperor's harem came and went like flowing water, yet the Empress remained the sole honored one.

Regarding the matter of the Imperial Father-in-law being stripped of his posts, the Empress not only did not use her affection for the late Emperor to pressure him, but she also repeatedly advised her father and brothers, ordering them to return to Jiangling to reflect on their actions.

Later, the Mu family rarely entered the capital.

Before the Empress gave birth to the Second Prince, Mu Chang had brought his wife to the capital once. After the Empress's one-month celebration following childbirth, they returned to Jiangling.

Five years later, when the Emperor and Empress decided to send the Second Prince to be raised by the Mu family, Mu Chang came to receive him personally, marking another such occasion.

After that, three years ago, he entered the capital to ascend the throne alongside the Second Prince.

Yuetang was already aware of these matters from her time in the capital.

What Wei Zhang was speaking of were the events after they entered the capital.

"Since His Majesty's ascension, Empress Shen has become the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Shen family has taken control of the Secretariat.

"Mu Chang holds the position of Grand Tutor, and shortly thereafter, he brought his family back. Now, the direct branch of the Mu family is entirely in the capital. His brother, Mu Yun, also serves as a third-rank Minister and Vice Minister. The three adult sons of the family are all serving in the imperial court.

"As for the Chu family, Chu Ying was originally a Vice Minister and is now the Censor-in-Chief. Chu Ying's younger brother has also been promoted and currently serves as a Secretariat Drafter."

Yuetang frowned. "What is the status of the blood feud between the Shen and Chu families?"

The Mu family had been successful due to their merit in raising the Emperor.

The Chu family was also powerful, a century-old clan in the capital.

In the previous generation, the fathers of the Chu and Shen families had fought to the death, resulting in several casualties; Chu Ying's biological mother had died at the hands of Grand Empress Dowager Shen's father.

Yuetang still remembered when her brother, Yue Rong, took her to visit the Chu family during her childhood. At that time, Chu Yan, who was only two years older than her, had once been angry because Yue Rong played with the children of the Shen family.

Chu Yan later married into the Prince's mansion and became Yuetang's sister-in-law; she had said more than once that the enmity between the Chu and Shen families could never be extinguished.

"The current political landscape has a strange balance because Prince Jingyang holds almost all military power," Wei Zhang said thoughtfully. "The Chu and Shen families are still at each other's throats, while the Mu family is aligned with the Emperor's faction, making them natural opponents of Grand Empress Dowager Shen and the Shen family.

"However, they have no dealings with the Chu family either.

"Whether it be weddings, funerals, or festive banquets, the three families do not interact.

"And Prince Jingyang takes no side and gives no face to anyone. Although he is assisting with the regency per the late Emperor's final command, he frequently rejects the proposals of both the Emperor and the Mu family."

Lanqin asked curiously, "Why do the Mu and Chu families not interact?"

Wei Zhang shook his head. "That is a matter of the imperial court; we currently lack the clues for that."

Lanqin looked silently at Yuetang.

Yuetang remained silent as well.

Regardless, so far, the suspicion surrounding Yan Bei had been mostly cleared, and the Shen family had been temporarily ruled out.

As for the entanglements between these families, the most appropriate way would be to seek information from Yan Bei, who was deep within the vortex.