Yixiu is reborn, fights against her elder sister, and becomes the queen mother

An Lingrong sobbed, "Now that my father has been thrown into prison, I'm really worried!"

An Lingrong's eyes were filled with helplessness. Although she was deeply favored by the Emperor, she was not allowed to interfere in the harem. Concubine Hua had deliberately frightened her before, making her believe that An Bikui had committed an unforgivable crime. Now her heart was filled with fear and anxiety.

Yixiu chuckled and brought An Lingrong into the inner room.

Jianqiu gave Baojuan a wink, indicating that Baojuan should come and tidy up An Lingrong's appearance.

Baojuan reacted and quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe An Lingrong's tears, and comforted her: "My lady, don't worry. Since the Empress is here, I think Lord An can be saved."

Yixiu raised her eyelids, and her eyes were full of calmness when she looked at An Lingrong.

Yixiu said softly, "An Changzai, this time, it will not be difficult for me to rescue your father. But after making such a mistake, I'm afraid your father will no longer be able to serve as an official."

Yixiu's eyes were dark as she glanced at An Lingrong. She said calmly, "In this harem, everything depends on your own ability. Regardless of whether your father is an official or not, the Emperor's favor towards you will not change."

An Lingrong lowered her head. She actually knew very well that her father was not suitable to be an official.

My mother worked so hard until she went blind that she donated a small official position to my father. However, after my father became rich, he did not treat my mother well. Instead, he married concubines one after another. My mother, the legitimate wife, lived a worse life than a respectable servant in the mansion.

She cautiously probed, "I know my father has made a grave mistake and can no longer serve as an official, but my mother is in poor health and I am truly worried about her. If she could move to the capital, although I cannot leave the palace to visit her, I would be able to rest assured."

Yixiu's expression didn't soften at all. She smiled and said, "That's not difficult at all. Although my mother's family, the Ulanara family, has lost the glory it had when my father was alive, we can still go to Suzhou to pick someone up. Don't worry, An Changzai. I will have the Ulanara family find a house for your mother in the capital, and let your mother live out her old age in peace there."

A shrewd look flashed across Yixiu's eyes. With An Lingrong's mother in her hands, she was not afraid that An Lingrong would betray her.

An Lingrong thought for a moment. She knew that if she agreed to the Queen now, she would have to depend on her for the rest of her life, but for her mother, she was willing.

An Lingrong clenched her fists, a hint of determination flashed across her eyes. She stood up and knelt on the ground, bowing deeply to Yi Xing.

"I thank the Empress for her concern. If the Empress can take care of my mother, I will follow her lead for the rest of my life and will never have second thoughts. Otherwise, I will not die a peaceful death!"

Yixiu stood up and helped An Lingrong down, deliberately scolding her, "What kind of words are you talking about, An Changzai? Why did you swear such a cruel oath for no reason? Don't worry, I will go to the emperor to plead for mercy and to have your father sent home. As for your mother, once this storm has passed, I will immediately have your mother brought to the capital."

.........

In the court

Prince Dun stood up and said, "Your Majesty, regarding the loss of grain and fodder in the northwest, I believe that severe punishment will be meted out. Food and fodder are the very foundation of military operations. I believe that all officials involved in this incident must be executed as a warning to others."

Nian Gengyao's faction, led by Prince Dun, also stood up and echoed after hearing this, saying, "We second this motion!"

The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at the people below, and said in a low voice, "What are your opinions, my dear ministers?"

Su Chou contradicted Prince Dun, "Your Majesty, I believe what Prince Dun said is inappropriate. The loss of military rations in the northwest was caused by bandits. The rations were completely looted. Such a heavy punishment is truly too harsh."

Prince Dun snorted and loudly retorted, "Lord Su is in charge of the Ministry of Justice and has always been ruthless. Why is he so indecisive today? Can we abandon the food supplies just because of bandits? Wouldn't that give everyone a reason to make mistakes in the future?"

Su Chou smiled slightly and said calmly, "I haven't finished what I'm saying yet, Prince Dun, please don't rush to refute me."

Prince Dun rolled his eyes and said, "Today I want to see what you can come up with."

"Your Majesty, this case of missing military rations is of grave importance. While bandits were responsible, they do deserve severe punishment. However, as a scholar of history since childhood, I've observed that wise rulers often punish their subjects by punishing the first offender and leniently punishing the others. Combining kindness and severity in this way earns their subjects' respect and gratitude for the great grace of Heaven. Your Majesty has always admired the spirit of the Tang and Song emperors, both wise and virtuous rulers. Therefore, Prince Dun's actions are undoubtedly inappropriate."

Prince Dun blinked his eyes after hearing this. Where did Su Chou get so many profound truths?

Although he didn't understand a word he said, he felt that what he said was very reasonable and he had no way to refute it.

The Emperor laughed heartily, looked at Prince Dun jokingly, and said, "What do you think, Prince Dun?"

Prince Dun scratched his head and opened his mouth again, but no words came out.

Other officials found other reasons to refute Su Chou, but he retorted them all.

The emperor originally felt that Prince Dun and Nian Gengyao's faction were too arrogant.

Now, taking this opportunity to suppress them, the case of An Bihuai and others was re-examined.

Under Su Chou's investigation, the case of An Bikui was soon concluded.

An Bihuai could be spared the death penalty, but he could not escape the punishment of life imprisonment. However, considering his old age and frailty, and his good attitude in admitting his mistakes, he was only dismissed from his official position, allowed to return home to retire, and fined the silver money for the lost food and fodder.

Although An Bihuai was heartbroken, compared to losing his life, this was already the best outcome.

He was extremely grateful to Su Chou, and even hinted in words and deeds that when Su Chou arrived in Jiangnan, he could come to him and he would give him a beautiful concubine.

After hearing this, Su Chou sneered, "Lord An, you're just a county magistrate. With your salary, how can you afford to support so many concubines? As the Minister of Justice, perhaps I should investigate where all this money comes from?"

An Bihuai immediately became obedient. Even when the Ulanara family took An Lingrong's mother away, he didn't dare to say a word, for fear that he would accidentally offend these people and be punished.

Hua Fei was furious when she heard the news, but she could do nothing about it.

After An Lingrong's mother was brought to the capital, she was properly arranged. The lady of the Ulanara family specially found a house for her in the capital and transferred two servants from the Ulanara family to serve Mrs. An.

Mrs. An's eyesight was damaged by the fatigue of staying up late to embroider. Now she is in Beijing and is well taken care of every day. Mrs. Ulanara has also found many famous doctors to see her. Although Mrs. An's eyes can no longer be fully recovered, they are not much different from those of ordinary people if they are in sufficient light.

After receiving her mother's reply, An Lingrong became even more grateful to the Queen.

Seeing that the queen was so good to her, she wanted to do something for the queen.