The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity

Chapter 905 - 860: Liberation (First Update)

After a night’s rest, Wen Wan finally felt a bit rejuvenated after a bone-jarring journey. The audience with the Emperor was scheduled for tomorrow, and seeing the weather looking good, Wen Wan made an excuse to go out shopping after breakfast, taking Song Wei with her.

Minister Xue and others were long accustomed to the personal conduct of this Commandery Princess, and they directly ignored her, continuing to discuss the strategies for the audience with the Emperor.

Outside Huitong Hall, Song Wei asked Wen Wan, "Where to?"

Wen Wan didn’t hide from him, "Before departure, my eldest uncle gave me a token and told me to seek out the workshop master of Jiuyin Square if I encounter problems. She can help me out, so I need to first confirm its location."

As the leading singing and dancing hall in Yanjing, the location of Jiuyin Square was not difficult to find out. Wen Wan spent dozens of coins to hire a carriage, and before long, she arrived.

A place like the Music Bureau, to be blunt, is nothing more than an official brothel.

Whenever an official visits a regular brothel, and is caught by the Imperial Censor, he’s sure to be in serious trouble. But visiting the Music Bureau is different; this is a government brothel. Most of the girls inside were implicated by their families and sent here. Nobles and officials come ostensibly to enjoy music and dance, but who knows what happens behind closed doors.

Song Wei had never been to any brothel, let alone the Music Bureau, but he knew what kind of place it was. Once they reached the entrance, he stopped Wen Wan from going inside.

Wen Wan had specially changed into men’s clothing for visiting Jiuyin Square. Now that she was stopped, she smiled and looked at Song Wei’s stern face, "Are you jealous?"

Song Wei frowned, "Since it’s only to confirm the location, now that you know where it is, let’s go back."

His attitude was very firm, making it clear he didn’t want her to be tainted by even a trace of the gaudy atmosphere inside.

Wen Wan turned to look around and saw a teahouse. She uttered an "Hmm," "Fine, if not going to Jiuyin Square, let’s have tea over there!"

Seeing that Wen Wan was pointing to a teahouse, Song Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded coolly.

The two of them entered the teahouse one after the other, choosing a private room with a window facing Jiuyin Square, and ordered a pot of tea and two plates of snacks.

With no outsiders around, Wen Wan directly asked Song Wei to sit down, then raised her hand to pour him a cup, smiling warmly.

Song Wei glanced at her indifferently, "What trick are you trying this time?"

"Nothing, just want to invite you for tea alone."

Wen Wan knew, although the marriage alliance didn’t succeed, on the journey to Yanjing, facing Fu Zichuan every day, the man she nearly ended up marrying, Song Wei felt somewhat uncomfortable, especially since Fu Zichuan obviously still had feelings for her.

Seeing she wasn’t lying from the look in her eyes, Song Wei picked up the teacup and took a shallow sip.

At this moment, the voice of a storyteller came from outside, recounting the tale of the heroic rescue by Princess Xiyue, now the Bei Yan Imperial Concubine, who saved Emperor Yan.

He recounted that when the rebel army was already at the gates of the Imperial City, it was Princess Xiyue, dressed in military attire and wielding a silver spear with her hair tied high, who appeared just in time to clear out the rebels, ensuring Yanjing was preserved, and marking the Imperial Concubine as the savior of all Bei Yan.

Someone in the neighboring private room snorted, "No wonder she’s pampered like nothing else these days, as if they want to pluck stars from the sky for her. Turns out, she can gain today’s status thanks to a woman!"

"Indeed, it is said that the Central Palace has been overshadowed, with all the power of the harem in her hands, and even she is allowed to partake in state affairs."

"Is that so, no wonder indeed, eating humble pie for twenty years, an ordinary person couldn’t manage that."

This was followed by a burst of mocking laughter, full of disdain for the growing power of the Imperial Concubine and scorn for Emperor Yan’s weakness and indulgence in beauty.

Wen Wan and Song Wei listened quietly, exchanging glances, both understanding that the "one" they mentioned was Emperor Yan.

After the people settled the bill and left, Wen Wan looked at Song Wei, "Those words, people in Yanjing surely say them often. Husband, do you think a normal man, especially an emperor, would really enjoy hearing such gossip?"

Certainly not!

At this moment in Jianzhang Palace, Emperor Yan looked coldly at Crown Prince Fu Changming, who was kneeling on the ground.

Fu Changming had been kneeling for almost the time of an incense stick. He had heard vulgar remarks questioning the Imperial Family’s incompetence, and calling out for concubines disturbing the government, just after returning from an outside hunting trip.

Fu Changming, born of the Empress, naturally clashed with the enchanting mistress of Fengyang Palace. He had been focusing on impeaching the Imperial Concubine for several years without a day of slacking. Today was no exception; as soon as he returned to the palace, he hurried to see Emperor Yan, saying how the common people were discussing the Imperial Concubine’s overwhelming power, influencing the front court from the harem, that her power had overshadowed the Empress’s, and she should stay within her harem responsibilities, not meddle in state affairs, nor hold thirty thousand troops, requesting Emperor Yan to take back the troop power from the Imperial Concubine to appease public dissatisfaction and stabilize the nation.

Emperor Yan slammed the long table, "Rude!"

Did he really not wish to reclaim those thirty thousand troops?

But twenty years ago, that woman, radiant like a blazing golden crow, rode forth in armor, rescuing him and the people of Yanjing from peril, becoming the savior of the entire Bei Yan Dynasty.

Back then, he also felt gratitude, believing she allowed him to relive his life.

The intense radiance from her made him see endless hope.

Thus he pampered her to the extreme, wishing he could bring the best of the world before her.

But later, bad rumors spread slowly among the people, and he found them very jarring.

As a ruler, he couldn’t bear his woman being more assertive and capable than him, couldn’t endure that everything he had was due to her, as if her mere existence was a constant reminder that his throne was all her doing, without her he’d amount to nothing.

The desire to get rid of her grew madly in his mind, yet he always cherished his reputation, couldn’t directly harm her, for she was the savior of Bei Yan. If she died by his hands, people would curse him as ungrateful and heartless.

So he pinned his hopes on the Crown Prince, hoping the Crown Prince would use his brain to concoct a scheme to eliminate Li Yuan.

But his hopes still came to naught; Crown Prince Fu Changming, like his mother, had a brain like a pig’s, lacking in strategy and wit. Years of impeachment against the Imperial Concubine yielded no effective action.

Recently, when the Imperial Concubine went to Chu Country and was ambushed in the Capital, Emperor Yan was pleased, hoping those assassins would strike more fiercely so that Li Yuan might die in Chu Country. Then he could step forward, under the guise of avenging the Imperial Concubine, to conquer Chu Country, not only unifying the realm but also creating a great tale of deep affection with Li Yuan.

But who would have thought, that treacherous woman had a strong lifeline, coming back alive. Seeing the almost fully recovered Li Yuan in Fengyang Palace yesterday, Emperor Yan felt stifled, almost losing control to strangle her on the bed.

He was fed up with the rumors outside, fed up with the shadow and humiliation that woman brought him, and was planning how to use Chu Country’s envoys to eliminate Li Yuan when the Crown Prince suddenly barged in. Yet again, the same old impeachment, and apart from this, not a single useful plan.

Emperor Yan was furious, of course he couldn’t openly command the Crown Prince to plot for reclaiming the troops from Li Yuan, otherwise with Crown Prince’s pig-like brain, the plan would surely fail and danger implicating himself.

"As a nation’s heir, not pondering state affairs for people’s welfare, running outside the palace three days out of five is tolerable, but listening to common gossip, can you impeach the savior of mine, the Imperial Concubine? Get out!"

Fu Changming felt very disgruntled, "During the recent hunt, Lady Yu Fei also saved Father by blocking an arrow, Father merely promoted her from Noble to concubine, nothing more. Why does the Imperial Concubine usurp the power of the Central Palace, even meddling in state affairs, and Father, don’t you think those thirty thousand troops pose a threat to Bei Yan..."

Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Yan had already grabbed the inkstone on the long table and flung it mercilessly.

Fortunate for Fu Changming to dodge quickly, or he’d surely have a head injury.

Seeing that Father was truly angered, Fu Changming dared not say more, retreating timidly.

After the Crown Prince left, Emperor Yan reclined in the dragon chair with his temple throbbing.

...

The commotion in Jianzhang Palace was promptly relayed to Fengyang Palace by informants.

"Lady, the Crown Prince again suggested to the Emperor to revoke your troop power." Thus reported the informant.

Li Yuan lazily leaned back against the beauty couch, hearing this, she smirked, "What’s the Emperor’s response?"

"The Emperor was furious and chased him out."

Li Yuan wore a look of inevitability; she recalled being attacked in Chu Country and immediately had Fu Zichuan send word back to Bei Yan, yet Emperor Yan showed no reaction.

That person probably wished she’d die in Chu Country.

The corner of her lips turned coldly mocking as she nodded, "I understand."

In another day, once she meets Amuer, once that child returns, she will finally be free.