The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 183 Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Argue and Suffer
The Empress probably didn't expect that Empress Dowager Cixi would reveal this matter at this time.

Tu Chengyu could clearly see the anxiety on her face, but since Empress Dowager Cixi had already said what happened, she couldn't make the Empress Dowager take it back.

She could only say, "Empress Dowager, you only mentioned this matter briefly. I haven't even told the Emperor yet. Why did you bring it up so rashly? Aren't you putting me in a difficult position?"

Judging from the current situation, Empress Dowager Cixi does seem to be making things difficult for the Empress.

Because she is here, in front of everyone, bringing up something that is not yet certain.

Moreover, their words clearly indicated that the Empress was aware of the matter.

This will make people in the palace think about the Empress in the future. Many people will probably think that the Empress secretly helped the Empress Dowager do such a thing.

Moreover, the Empress Dowager's actions were a blatant attempt to sow discord between the Empress and Empress Dowager Xiaoning.

As expected, after hearing the Empress's words, Empress Dowager Xiaoning ignored Empress Dowager Cixi, who had a smug look on her face.

Instead, he angrily said to the Empress, "You knew about this all along?"

Even though the Empress was extremely annoyed, she could only suppress her emotions and answer Empress Dowager Xiaoning's questions seriously.

She said, "Mother, the Empress Dowager did indeed mention this matter to me. I believe this is no small matter."
This is not a decision I can make on my own. I would like to report this matter to Your Majesty and let Your Majesty make the decision.

Therefore, I did not inform Your Majesty of this matter, and I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness.

Empress Dowager Xiaoning, after hearing the Empress's explanation, was not appeased and still said angrily:

"Tell me, when did she tell you about this?"

The Empress was somewhat speechless when faced with this question, but having come this far, she had nothing left to hide.

She said, "The Empress Dowager has spoken to me about this for over ten days, but recently, court affairs have been very busy..."

Your Majesty works tirelessly day and night to attend to state affairs, and I cannot bear to cause you further hardship, so I have not yet spoken to you about it.”

The Empress's words sounded like she was thinking of the Emperor's best interests, but judging from the current situation, it was probably a deliberate attempt to conceal something.

Empress Dowager Xiaoning was no fool; she naturally wouldn't let the Empress be so easily fooled.

Empress Dowager Xiaoning said sarcastically, "The Empress is probably not worried about the Emperor's fatigue, but rather wants to persuade Consort Hui first."

"Let's report to the Emperor after things are done."

Empress Dowager Xiaoning's words likely guessed the Empress's thoughts.

Therefore, upon hearing this, the Empress's expression remained unchanged, but she did not utter a word of argument, clearly indicating her tacit agreement.

Seeing the Empress's state, Empress Xiaoning asked loudly:
"What did Consort Hui say to you?"

The Empress, her expression blank, slowly turned around and said, "Consort Hui said that it is up to His Majesty to decide."

Hearing this, Tu Chengyu breathed a sigh of relief, regardless of what others thought.

As long as Consort Hui, the mother of the eleventh prince, doesn't relent, and the emperor is still unaware of the matter, there is still a good chance to salvage the situation.

Then Empress Dowager Xiaoning continued, "Consort Hui isn't entirely senile, but you, the Empress, are utterly senile."
Helping others plot against the emperor's son is utterly disloyal.

Empress Dowager Xiaoning's words were undeniably hurtful to the Empress.

In the royal family, for the Empress Dowager to say such things to the Empress was a very serious reprimand.

Therefore, upon hearing this, the Empress could no longer maintain her composure and quickly explained:

"Your Majesty, I did not help anyone else. I only relayed a few words for the Empress Dowager."

Besides, I did this for the sake of harmony within the royal family and peace in the palace.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiaoning said with a sneer, "I'd like to hear how you manage to maintain harmony within the royal family and peace within the palace."

The Empress didn't mince words and said directly, "As you know, Mother, because of the matter of Prince Yixiao, the Empress Dowager harbors quite a bit of resentment."

Probably provoked by Empress Dowager Xiaoning's words, the Empress, at this moment, disregarded everything and revealed the matter of Prince Yixiao, even saying that Empress Dowager Cixi harbored resentment.

It seems she was very unhappy with Empress Dowager Cixi's sudden betrayal, directly reopening the wound that Empress Dowager Cixi was most unwilling to mention.

Sure enough, when Empress Dowager Cixi heard these words, the smug look on her face vanished, replaced by resentment, and she glared fiercely at Tu Chengyu.

But no matter how unwilling she was to listen, what the Empress said was the truth, and she couldn't stop her.

He could only listen to the Empress's explanation: "Your Majesty, I have been thinking about how to resolve this estrangement."

Therefore, when the Empress Dowager mentioned wanting to adopt the eleventh child to Crown Prince Yixiao so that she could enjoy family happiness in her later years, I did not immediately refuse her request.

If we disregard human emotions when considering this issue, the Empress's handling of the situation seems to make some sense.

Because the hatred between Empress Dowager Cixi and the Emperor's family, especially with Tu Chengyu, is an objective fact.

It will not disappear with the passage of time; on the contrary, it will become more and more serious, and in short, it will always be a factor affecting the stability of the palace.

The best way to resolve this destabilizing factor is, of course, to eliminate Empress Dowager Cixi's resentment.

By adopting a grandson for Empress Dowager Cixi, the former crown prince could continue the family line, and the Empress Dowager would have something to care about in the palace, which would also eliminate her resentment.

From an outsider's perspective, this method is indeed very good, but from the perspective of Empress Dowager Xiaoning and Tu Chengyu, it is not good.

It's hard to accept that Xiao Shiyi was adopted.

Therefore, Empress Dowager Xiaoning said angrily, "You are good at being a good person, but why don't you give your son to someone else to adopt?"

To be honest, both the eleventh and twelfth sons were Empress Dowager Xiaoning's own grandsons, and the twelfth son was her legitimate grandson.

Empress Dowager Xiaoning shouldn't have said such a thing, but it's likely that this incident provoked her and made her very dissatisfied with the Empress, which is why she said it without much thought.

As soon as she finished speaking, Tu Chengyu caught a glimpse of Little Twelve standing next to the Empress, whose body trembled and whose little face scrunched up.

Compared to the eleventh child, the twelfth child, who is one year younger, is more clever and quick-witted.

Therefore, unlike the eleventh child, the twelfth child did not cry immediately. Instead, the twelfth child went up to the empress and looked up at her with her little face.

While Xiao Shier was making these little movements, Tu Chengyu also observed another person's expression.

That was Empress Dowager Ci'an. After hearing Empress Dowager Xiaoning's words, a clear look of joy appeared on her face.

Although the look of joy was fleeting, it was still noticed by the observant Tu Chengyu.

Tu Chengyu could tell from this expression that Empress Dowager Cixi preferred the twelfth child.

The reason is obvious even if you don't think about it.

Because the 12th grade has many advantages over the 11th grade.

First of all, as mentioned earlier, the twelfth child is much smarter and more charming than the eleventh child, and is also more likely to win people's favor.

Secondly, there is the difference in their status. The twelfth son is the legitimate son, so his status is naturally higher than that of the eleventh son, which is more in line with the status of the former crown prince's legitimate son.

Third, considering future developments, since the twelfth prince's birth mother is the Empress, if the twelfth prince could be adopted, it would be more beneficial for Empress Dowager Cixi.

Therefore, this is probably the reason why Empress Dowager Cixi was happy.

However, although she showed a hint of pleasure, she did not speak rashly again, but stared at the Empress, wanting to see what the Empress would say.

The Empress was so taken aback by Empress Dowager Xiaoning's merciless words that she could hardly contain herself. Now that the Twelfth Prince was involved, she was even more uneasy.

She slowly said, "Mother, the Empress Dowager prefers the eleventh son, and besides, the twelfth son is the legitimate son, so how can he be adopted?"

Empress Dowager Xiaoning continued to mock, "Other people's sons can be adopted, but your son cannot. It's simply outrageous."

The accusations are getting heavier and heavier. If these accusations were to reach outside the palace today, the Empress would be burdened with a terrible reputation.

Whether for the sake of Prince Xing and Xiao Twelfth, or for her own sake, the Empress cannot allow such accusations to fall upon her.

She quickly explained, "Your Majesty, you have misunderstood me. It's not that I want to give away Little Eleven. I was just relaying a few words on behalf of the Empress Dowager. Why are you saying such things about me, Your Majesty?"

The Empress's half-explanation and half-pleading did not soften Empress Dowager Xiaoning's attitude.

Empress Dowager Xiaoning spoke in the same tone as before, saying, "Since this is not your intention, you should no longer get involved in this matter. I also want to tell you that none of my grandsons will be adopted out."

These words stripped the ruler of the six palaces of his power.

However, given the current situation, the Empress dared not argue over such a small amount of power, so she wisely kept quiet.

Empress Dowager Xiaoning's second half of her sentence was clearly addressed to Empress Dowager Ci'an, telling her not to think about having a grandson. Empress Dowager Ci'an, however, remained quite calm in the face of this.

She said coldly, "Although you have become the Empress Dowager, when did it become your place to make decisions in this palace?"

"As long as the Emperor Emeritus agrees, he is still my grandson."

After saying this, Empress Dowager Cixi, disregarding Empress Dowager Xiaoning's potential reaction, directly addressed the eunuch Zhou beside her:

"Go back to the palace."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Zhou dared not delay. He quickly ordered his palanquin to be brought over, and then personally helped Empress Dowager Cixi to sit down.

When the palanquin was lifted up again and returned to the East Palace, Eunuch Zhou did not forget to wave to the eunuchs who had been beaten, so that they could follow.

During Empress Dowager Cixi's journey back to the palace, neither Empress Dowager Xiaoning nor the Empress spoke out to stop her.

After Empress Dowager Cixi's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Empress Dowager Xiaoning said to the Empress:

"You are the Empress and the head of the six palaces. Don't lower yourself to the level of an outsider all day long."

The Empress wanted to say that she was the Empress Dowager, the Emperor's legal mother, and therefore not an outsider.

However, she thought that enough things had already happened today, so why bother with such trivial matters?

The Empress bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I know what to do."

Empress Dowager Xiaoning didn't care.

Whether the Empress was sincere or not, it was merely a casual reply:
"As long as you understand."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and walked towards Tu Chengyu. When she got to Tu Chengyu, she walked towards him.

The Empress Dowager bent down, looked at the eleventh child hiding behind Tu Chengyu, and said softly:

"Little Eleven, don't be afraid. Your grandmother won't let anyone take you away."

Faced with Empress Dowager Xiaoning's reassurance, Xiao Shiyi seemed somewhat at a loss.

It wasn't that Xiao Shiyi was afraid of Empress Dowager Xiaoning, but simply that they weren't familiar with each other.

Because in Empress Dowager Xiaoning's heart, all her grandsons were not treated equally.

Like the crown prince, he was the apple of everyone's eye, a unique individual.

If Empress Dowager Xiaoning's affection was worth one bushel, the Crown Prince alone would receive eight bushels.

The three legitimate sons below the Crown Prince are Tu Chengyu, the Second Prince, and the Twelfth Prince.

The remaining princes, such as the eleventh prince, were not valued.

In addition, Xiao Shi is still young and has a rather dull personality.

This means that even though Xiao Shiyi was already quite old, the number of times he had met Empress Dowager Xiaoning was probably very few.

I estimate that she hasn't seen as many people as Empress Dowager Cixi during this period.

Therefore, it is not hard to understand why, when Xiao Shiyi suddenly felt the care of the Empress Dowager, he did not know how to respond.

Fortunately, Empress Dowager Xiaoning didn't care too much about Xiao Shiyi's attitude. After offering a couple of perfunctory words of comfort, she stopped paying attention to Xiao Shiyi.

Instead, he looked at Tu Chengyu and said:

"Xiao Wu, you are the eldest in the palace now. You must take good care of Xiao Shiyi and make sure he is not frightened again."

Tu Chengyu readily agreed to the Empress Dowager's instructions.

Even if the Empress Dowager didn't say anything, Tu Chengyu would still take care of Xiao Shiyi.

Who told this little brat to go through so much trouble lately?

After giving these instructions, the Empress Dowager left without lingering, taking her people with her.

With the two empress dowagers gone, the atmosphere here immediately became much more relaxed.

Those who were cowering like quails just now are now standing up straight and even whispering among themselves.

The Empress ignored this, and at this moment she looked preoccupied, her face full of worry.

Tu Chengyu watched the Empress stand there in a daze for a long while before she came back to her senses and looked towards Tu Chengyu and the others.

"It's getting late, everyone should return to their respective palaces."

Now that the Empress has spoken, everyone is getting impatient.

So they bid farewell to the Empress, took their eunuch attendants, and headed towards their respective palaces.

Since Tu Chengyu and Xiao Liu, along with several other older children, had already moved out and were living alone in the West Palace, they gathered together to prepare to return to the West Palace.

However, just as Tu Chengyu was about to leave, he discovered that one of his followers was unwilling to let go.

It's unclear whether it was Tu Chengyu's assertiveness today that made Xiao Shiyi dependent on him, or if there were other reasons.

In short, Xiao Shiyi held onto Tu Chengyu's hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

Seeing this, Tu Chengyu could only let Xiao Liu and the others go back first, while he stayed behind to persuade Xiao Shiyi.

But after trying to persuade her for a long time, Xiao Shiyi still wouldn't let go.

Finally, having no other choice, Tu Chengyu asked, "What do you want to do by pulling this Fifth Brother?"

Only then did Little Eleven say, "Fifth Brother, can you take me home?"

Kids are such a hassle; they all know how to do things and that's all they do.

However, considering that Xiao Shiyi had been frightened today, Tu Chengyu didn't say anything.

But there is still a problem at this point, which is how Tu Chengyu will send Xiao Shiyi back to the palace.

Although both Tu Chengyu and Xiao Shiyi lived in the palace, Xiao Shiyi lived in the central palace.

This is where the emperor and his concubines lived.

People like Tu Chengyu, who are older and live separately, generally cannot enter the central palace without being summoned.

Therefore, Tu Chengyu needs a summons to send Xiao Shiyi back.

Thinking of this, Tu Chengyu turned his gaze to the Empress. As the head of the six palaces, the Empress naturally had the right to let Tu Chengyu in.

The Empress had naturally overheard Tu Chengyu and Xiao Shiyi's conversation.

Therefore, when Tu Chengyu turned to look at the Empress, the Empress immediately said:

"If Xiao Wu is alright, then take Xiao Shiyi back."

Having received the Empress's order, Tu Chengyu had Xiao Shiyi's personal eunuch pick him up, while he walked ahead, and the group hurried towards Consort Hui's palace.

Consort Hui lived deep within the central palace, and it took Tu Chengyu and the others quite a while to arrive.

After dropping off Xiao Shiyi at the entrance of Consort Hui's palace, Tu Chengyu turned and took his leave.

It wasn't that Tu Chengyu was being presumptuous and unwilling to see Consort Hui; rather, he was simply escorting Little Eleven back and had no need to request an audience or pay his respects.

Furthermore, Consort Hui is currently pregnant, and who knows if there will be other taboos, so it's best not to meet her.

When Tu Chengyu hurriedly returned to his courtyard from the central palace, it was already dinnertime. Xiao Xing'er had already had the food brought back, and they were just waiting for Tu Chengyu to come back so they could eat.

Before the meal, Tu Chengyu specifically asked if the Emperor had sent someone to summon him.

The answer was no, Tu Chengyu thought to himself.

Even now, the Emperor still hasn't sent anyone to summon me.

I wonder what exactly happened in the court today that made the Emperor spend the entire day in the front court.

Even his son, Tu Chengyu, who had returned from Jiangnan, couldn't find the time to see him.

(End of this chapter)