Old Madam Xue struggled and shouted, "This is outrageous, utterly outrageous! This is a matter between our Xue Family and the Cao Family, what business is it of yours?"
Chu Ruoyan raised an eyebrow. A voice came from behind her: "Many thanks for your righteous intervention, County Mistress. However, this official shall avenge my wife personally and dare not trouble another. I beg your understanding."
Chu Ruoyan turned to look and saw it was Cao Yi supporting Cao Yang out.
Her uncle-by-marriage looked terribly pale, but he stood firm and steady, his voice deep, cold, and authoritative—truly befitting someone long seasoned in official circles.
Old Madam Xue was startled. "You... you were unconscious! How are you awake?"
Her earlier audacity to come and cause trouble had relied entirely on his absence. Now, seeing him awake, her legs trembled, and she hurriedly forced a smile. "It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! Lord Cao, this old woman apologizes to you..."
Cao Yang didn't even glance at her. "Whether it's a misunderstanding will be clear once we ask His Majesty."
A carriage was brought over, and Old Madam Xue was directly loaded inside.
Cao Yang then bowed to Chu Ruoyan. "For today's matter, many thanks, County Mistress! The entire Cao Family is deeply grateful!"
Chu Ruoyan quickly returned the courtesy. "Uncle, please, there's no need for such formality. To be frank, it was my father who invited Chief Physician Zhang. He clashed with Consort Xue while trying to fetch him and is currently detained in Yaoguang Palace..."
Cao Yang's expression changed, and he immediately boarded the carriage.
Chu Ruoyan followed. The carriage had just started moving when Qin Yiru chased out from behind. "Hey, hey! Young man of the Cao Family! This old man hasn't even taken your pulse yet, why are you running off?"
But there was no time for that now. Cao Yang just urged the coachman to go faster and asked her for more details.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "County Mistress, you... are married?"
Chu Ruoyan was taken aback, then realized he must have noticed her married woman's hairstyle. "Yes, during the time you were unconscious, Ruoyan has already married."
"Oh? Which fortunate gentleman is it?"
A slight blush touched Chu Ruoyan's cheeks. Nanny Zhou smiled and answered, "Replying to Lord Cao, our young lady had good fortune. She married the current Chief Grand Secretary."
"The Chief Grand Secretary?!!" Cao Yang was shocked, his face paling. "You married Chancellor Gu?!!"
Chu Ruoyan choked on a cough. Cao Yi hurriedly explained, "No, no, my lord, the current Chief Grand Secretary is not Chancellor Gu. It's the third son of the Yan Family, the former Marquis of Anning!"
"Yan Zheng?! He became Chief Grand Secretary?!"
Cao Yang's eyes widened in astonishment. Cao Yi quickly summarized the events that had occurred during his coma, including Princess Ansheng's attempted palace coup, Xue Gui's abduction of Madam Cao, and so on. Finally, Cao Yang slapped his thigh. "Utterly despicable! If the Xue Family doesn't fall today, I'll change my surname!"
The Imperial Palace, Yaoguang Palace.
When Cao Yang and the others arrived, the coquettish voice of Consort Xue was drifting out from inside.
"Your Majesty! You must uphold justice for your consort! My head still hurts terribly, yet Duke of Chu barged in, snatched Chief Physician Zhang away without a word of explanation. What is the meaning of this?"
Chu Ruoyan looked up and saw her sitting on the Emperor's lap. Despite her age, she had her arms around his neck, acting spoiled, enough to give anyone goosebumps.
Yet the Emperor seemed to eat it up, coaxing her repeatedly. "Alright, alright, I'll uphold justice for you, won't that do? Duke of Chu, you too. I agreed you could request the Chief Physician for your sister, but you cannot just charge into the inner palace and snatch someone away! How does that make my face look?"
Chu Huaishan knelt in the center of the hall, neither servile nor overbearing. "Replying to Your Majesty, my sister has been in difficult labor for two hours now, while Consort Xue's headache has also been treated for two hours. I feared that even if Chief Physician Zhang treated her for two more days, it would be the same. Therefore, I dared to ask him to first attend to my sister."
This provoked a sharp retort from Consort Xue. "What do you mean? Are you saying this consort pretended to have a headache on purpose to keep Chief Physician Zhang detained?"
Chu Huaishan said calmly, "I said no such thing. Your Ladyship said it yourself."
"You!!" Consort Xue angrily clutched her chest, then turned and buried her face in the Emperor's embrace. "Your Majesty, your consort only has you. You cannot abandon me!"
The Emperor's heart ached for her. He turned, about to reprimand Chu Huaishan.
Just then, Yin Shun approached and whispered a few words in his ear. His expression turned ecstatic, and he even forgot the consort in his arms. "What did you say? My beloved official Cao is awake? And is outside the hall right now? Then what are we waiting for? Have him enter immediately!"
Yin Shun assented. A flash of panic crossed Consort Xue's eyes.
What? Cao Yang is awake?
Cao Yang and Chu Ruoyan entered the hall, followed by Old Madam Xue, Second Branch's Madam Wei, and the Auntie Yang sent by Consort Xue.
The group knelt and paid their respects. The Emperor hurriedly said, "Rise, rise quickly! My beloved Cao, I have hoped and waited for so long, and finally you have awakened!"
But Cao Yang did not rise. In a grave voice, he said, "Your Majesty, I have come to resign from my post."
"Resign? What nonsense! I have kept the position of Assistant Grand Secretary in the Grand Secretariat for you. If you are not satisfied, you may choose any among the Six Ministries. Why resign?"
Cao Yang said, "Your Majesty, having served as an official for many years, I now realize I have failed my family greatly. My wife just gave birth to my child, yet I nearly failed to protect the lives of both mother and son. I am truly ashamed as a husband and a father! Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to grant my retirement, so I may spend my remaining years caring for my family."
The Emperor was stunned. He looked at the silently kneeling Chu Huaishan, then at Cao Yang's resolute expression, and finally understood something was amiss.
He said coldly, "What exactly is going on?"
Silence fell in the hall. The palace servants shrank back, not daring to make a sound.
Seeing her daughter still highly favored, Old Madam Xue gathered her courage. "Your Majesty, it's the Cao Family who is being unreasonable! This old woman's second daughter-in-law went to visit, but who knew they would detain her..."
"Is that so? Madam Wei, did you go to visit my aunt?" Chu Ruoyan asked with a faint, knowing smile. Madam Wei, meeting her all-seeing gaze, trembled in fear and kowtowed with a thud. "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! This commoner woman was forced by my mother-in-law to push Madam Cao!"
It was like a thunderclap from a clear sky.
The Xue Family members' faces changed dramatically. The Emperor pushed Consort Xue away and stood up abruptly. "Outrageous! I decreed that the child in her womb would be granted a title, be it a boy or a girl! You dared to harm her? Do you take me seriously at all?!"
Consort Xue immediately knelt. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. It was my mother who was confused..."
"She was confused, but what about you?" The Emperor's face showed barely suppressed fury.
He was no fool. Her mother first sent someone to push Chu Jing, and then she immediately suffered a headache. What a coincidence in all the world!
A significant reason for Consort Xue's enduring favor was her ability to read the situation.
She lowered her head and admitted her fault. "Yes... I admit, I truly did not want Chief Physician Zhang to go save her. But I truly did not know Mother would send Second Sister-in-law to do such a thing. Your Majesty, you must believe me, I... I was also distraught over my brother's foolish actions!"
Tears fell as she finished speaking. The Emperor's heart softened. He sighed, "You... what am I to do with you?"
Chu Ruoyan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Knowing this foolish ruler was about to let them off lightly again, she raised her voice. "Since Your Majesty now knows the truth, you will surely deal with the Xue Family impartially. As for this Auntie Yang, who repeatedly obstructed my aunt during her childbirth, please also punish her accordingly!"
Auntie Yang panicked upon hearing this and dropped to her knees with a thud. "No! Your Majesty! This servant went on Consort's orders! I bore no grudge against the Cao Family's Madam Wei, why would I harm her? I beg Your Majesty to see the truth!"
