Husbands Seeking Love

Chapter 72

Ruan Zhu was dumbstruck and innumerable bewildered thoughts rolled around in her head. Her chopsticks fell out of her hands, and her expression was of one that was at a complete loss.

The Empress Dowager; the Emperor’s Mother; Xuanyuan Zong Zhi’s paternal grandmother!

Last night in the Prince of Qi’s residence, because of Nuan Chun, she had slapped Steward Chen and humiliated him. Then after Xuanyuan Zong Zhi returned, he had also commanded the imperial bodyguards to beat Steward Chen half to death. Reportedly, the steward had then been dragged to the woodshed and because he had extreme difficulty breathing, died not too long after.

Steward Chen was previously one of the Empress Dowagers’s people, and if one wanted to strike at a dog, one had to look at their master. She was finished; the Empress Dowager must be furious. However, how was it that the Empress Dowager knew of something that had just occurred yesterday, unless there was an informant among the imperial bodyguards? Otherwise, had the imperial family long taken note of her and assigned a spy by her side?

Xuanyuan Zong Zhi handed Zhi Xi over to Nuan Chun for them to return to the room. He then grasped his wife’s hand and gave her a faint smile, his eyes soothing. Ruan Zhu’s frazzled mind somewhat stabilized and she felt her other hand was also a little tight–Yun Shi Wei had gripped it.

“Spouse, don’t be scared. I will protect you.” If worst came to worst, he would discard this life in order to take his wife and the child to a faraway place.

“Eldest Sister, what should we do?” Ruan Yu was flustered.

“It’s all right. Stay behind Sister.” No matter how it was said, Xuanyuan Zong Zhi was also a prince; plus, there was imperial flesh and blood in her belly, so how could she be killed?

“En.” Ruan Yu did not know that her Eldest Sister had slapped one of the Empress Dowager’s previous people. The common people treated the nobility of the Nine Palaces that were above everyone else with respect and reverence. This disposition was innate and had nothing to do with other factors.

Xuanyuan Zong Zhi led everyone in walking towards the front courtyard.

The Empress Dowager had paid an unsolicited visit and had already strode into the main building and into the main hall, where she was currently sitting with an air of strength and discipline in the main seat that Ruan Zi Xu would rest in when he was home.

The currently sixty-some years old Empress Dowager Zheng sat perfectly straight with a dragon-headed cane underneath one hand. Her mind bright, her eyes were strict as she studied the group of people stepping inside.

Xuanyuan Zong Zhi took the lead in kowtowing before the Elder, and Ruan Zhu soon followed him. Beside her was Yun Shi Wei; behind her was Ruan Yu. The most intriguing thing was that Xuanyuan Min Zhi had received the news, popped up from who-kn0ws-where, and was also kneeling next to Xuanyuan Zong Zhi.

This era was not like the Ming or Qing dynasties that paid particular attention to etiquette with their three kneels and nine kowtows along with the shaking of their sleeves.

The biggest etiquette of this era was to kowtow flat on the ground, and if the one above called for you to rise, you would then rise. If they did not issue the command, you then had to continue to kneel, even if one would become a stone gargoyle by doing so.

Empress Dowager Zheng scanned everyone before her gaze fell on Xuanyuan Zong Zhi. She used the dragon-headed cane to point at him: “You may rise.” One’s own family was not a problem, and her own blood-related grandson was naturally different from the rest.

“Thanking Imperial Grandmother.” Xuanyuan Zong Zhi instructed an imperial bodyguard to refill the Empress Dowager’s tea while he looked at his wife out of the corner of his eye, mulling how he should plead leniency for her. Lifting his gaze, he saw that the Elder’s face was full of suspicion as she pointed her cane at Xuanyuan Min Zhi.