Chen Fulin returned ho and shut himself in the study, remaining silent for a long ti. He took out a piece of blank paper and began to grind ink with a raised hand.
He dipped his brush in the ink, but the first character just wouldn’t co out right. After hesitating for a long ti, Chen Fulin finally put down his brush.
Mrs. Chen felt that he had been a little odd lately, and as he stayed in the study for the better part of the day without coming out, she couldn’t help but go find him, "What’s the matter, my lord?"
Chen Fulin lowered his eyes and moved the blank paper aside, shaking his head: "It’s nothing."
Mrs. Chen vaguely knew that he was angry about the promotion. He was almost certain he would be promoted; she had secretly prepared clothes and jewelry, just waiting to celebrate his advancent. But now...
She too felt an imnse regret sighing before coming forward, "Don’t think too much, my lord. If not this ti, we’ll wait for the next. You are in your pri; there are plenty of opportunities."
Chen Fulin kept a rigid face, rarely losing his temper he said: "I have already reached the age of Destiny Teller, how much longer must I wait?"
Mrs. Chen stopped in her tracks, unable to say a word.
Chen Fulin looked down and said, "What do you think about my submitting a letter of retirent?"
Startled, Mrs. Chen hurriedly dissuaded him, "You mustn’t, my lord. Is it just because of one missed promotion? There will be many more opportunities in the future. If you retire now, what about our son? He has just been assigned away; he will need your support to return to the capital."
Chen Fulin kept his stern face and was speechless for a while.
His gaze involuntarily glanced again at the blank paper beside him, continuously telling himself in his heart: She is right, indeed, if he really retires, it would affect their son’s future.
Hadn’t Zhuang Xun said that as long as he was not acting against him, he would not pursue the matter further?
At this mont, Chen Fulin found himself trusting in Zhuang Xun’s character again, believing that he would not be utterly ruthless.
But Manbao and the Bai brothers, Bai Shan and Bai Cheng, were unaware of his psychological shift, and from that evening on, they had started to count the days until Chen Fulin would leave the capital.
The next day, Manbao maintained her good mood as she went to the palace for dical treatnt.
The Empress had another comfortable nap and woke up to see Manbao and Mingda playing together.
Seeing her mother awake, Mingda promptly stood to show respect.
The Empress gestured with her hand, pulling her back to sit on the bed and dispensed with Manbao’s courtesy, smiling as she asked, "What are you two playing?"
Manbao replied, "Mingda is teaching chess, and she’s really good at it."
Mingda smiled modestly, "I learned my chess skills from the Empress Mother."
The Empress gently stroked her hair, saying to Manbao, "I feel that Mingda’s cheeks have gotten a bit chubbier these past few days. The royal physician said her spleen and stomach have indeed strengthened. Thank you for the dietary prescriptions you gave."
Manbao smiled and said no thanks were needed.
Yet, the Empress said, "One should be rewarded for their contributions. I see you are not soone in need of money; giving you jewelry and fabrics all the ti would not be appropriate. What reward would you like?"
Manbao: No, she felt that the jewelry and fabric were quite nice. Jewels aside, that fabric could be used like money. The Empress’s gifts of fabric were of particularly fine quality, worth a lot of money per roll.
Fifth Brother had already inquired about it, and she decided to save up a bit more. When the New Year ca and everyone wanted new clothes, she could sell them for a big profit.
But faced with the Empress’s sparkling gaze, Manbao felt too embarrassed to say this, so she simply said, "Whatever the Empress gives is fine."
The Empress then laughed and said, "Then I’ll give you so vouchers."
Manbao: "An invitation?"
The Empress nodded slightly, then turned her head towards Grandmother Shang.
Grandmother Shang went to the small study to fetch several invitations, and after the Empress had received them, she handed them to Manbao, saying with a smile, "Tomorrow is the Dowager Empress’s thousand-year birthday. His Majesty will host a banquet at Wude Hall to celebrate for the Dowager Empress. Didn’t you say you have two Junior Brothers? How about I give you a few invitations, and you can also co to the palace to join the festivities tomorrow?"
Manbao looked at the three invitations in her hand in surprise and, after a mont’s thought, asked, "Has His Majesty also agreed to let us enter the palace?"
The Empress said aningfully, "He has agreed, but I think the most important thing for the old lady’s birthday tomorrow is to be festive and joyful, don’t you agree?"
So tomorrow would not be the right ti for raising grievances after all.
Manbao nodded.
She glanced at the three invitations in her hand and looked up to ask, "Your Highness, does Yin Huo have an invitation?"
The Empress was puzzled, "Yin Huo?"
"The youngest son of the Yin Family of Jingzhao Prefecture."
On hearing this, the Empress understood, "Ah, you an Qilang from the Yin Family. If he wishes to enter the palace, he can do so with his grandmother. However, that child has always been frail and, as far as I know, has never entered the palace."
"His health has improved a lot."
Hearing her say this and recalling the Yin Family’s actions over the years and the recent rumors, the Empress turned to Grandmother Shang with a smile and said, "Fetch another invitation for her."
The Empress said with a smile, "There we go. If he wants to co, he can; if not, then he doesn’t have to."
Manbao’s smile turned joyous, "Thank you, Empress."
The Empress shook her head with a smile and said to her, "Your Junior Brothers are scholars, so let them prepare well. Many students from the Imperial College will also be participating this ti. The Dowager Empress loves listening to poetry and prose, so they will need to shine when they present their skills."
Manbao realized what was happening – the Emperor was paving a broad road for their grievances to be aired.
She nodded repeatedly with a smile.
Holding the four invitations, she happily left the palace. This ti, Mingda accompanied her along with Grandmother Shang for a while, chatting as they walked.
She took out a silver ingot from her purse to give to Manbao and said with a smile, "It was only after you ntioned it yesterday that I realized what silver looked like. This ingot is for you; please help buy those bamboo dragonflies you talked about."
Manbao, seeing the silver ingot, was speechless for a mont. She pushed it back and said, "Never mind, just keep it for yourself. They are just so toys; I’ll give them to you."
"It costs three wen for a bamboo dragonfly. You’re giving a ten-tael silver ingot; how could I make that change at the vendor?"
Mingda, puzzled, asked, "Why can’t they make the change?"
"Because ten taels of silver is too expensive."
Mingda had never been out of the palace in all her life. Unlike her elder sisters who had been out a few tis, she had never been out due to health reasons. She had only heard them talk about how fun it was outside.
Now that she had made a new friend from the outside, it seed even more fun, but there were still many things she did not understand.
Manbao did not know how to explain to her, so she just said with a smile, "You’ll know once you go out and see for yourself. When the ti cos, I’ll take you to tour the main streets of the capital, and then you’ll know how to use the money."
Mingda put away the silver ingot, "Then it’s settled. You’ll bring so for tomorrow."
Manbao patted her chest and said, "No problem."
After they finished talking, Grandmother Shang saw Manbao to the palace gate. She watched her board the carriage and depart before turning back to the palace.
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