The days trickled by, and the new year drew ever closer.
The common folk were busy preparing for the new year festivities, and the markets were much livelier than usual.
As was tradition, court officials were also given a holiday for the new year, a chance to have a proper reunion with their families.
This year’s holiday, however, was destined to be anything but peaceful.
One after another, officials were found to have been privately discussing the Emperor’s illness, arousing suspicions of undermining public morale. The Night Owl Guard reported these matters to the Emperor, resulting in demotions for minor offenses and exile for serious ones.
Without anyone noticing, the Night Owl Guard’s spies had already spread throughout the entire imperial court and its administration.
They were like an invisible net, cast tightly over everyone’s hearts, suffocating them until they could barely breathe.
This left the court ministers terrified. Even when they returned home for the holiday, they dared not speak freely, fearing that a single misplaced word would be overheard by a Night Owl Guard hiding in the shadows.
Before the new year, Hua Manman returned to the Zhong’an Bo Mansion.
She asked her parents and two younger brothers to accompany her to her country estate to celebrate the new year.
Madam He was puzzled.
"Why this sudden idea to celebrate the new year at the estate?
Could it be that someone at the Prince Mansion is giving you trouble?
If that’s the case, you must tell me.
Even if Prince Zhao isn’t in the capital, you are still the Princess Consort Zhao. And you still have us, your family, to back you up.
How could we let anyone bully you?!"
Hua Manman quickly waved her hands. "It’s not what you think. No one is bullying me. I just want to celebrate the new year at the estate with all of you. Please, just say yes."
She took Madam He’s hand and started to plead charmingly.
Madam He said helplessly, "It’s not that I don’t want to go with you to the estate for the new year, but there’s simply too much to do at the mansion.
I can’t get away.
Besides, on the first day of the new year, your uncle’s family will be coming to visit. We can’t just have them show up to an empty house, can we?
On top of that, we also have to pay our respects at the home of your two brothers’ teacher.
These are all necessary social obligations that we can’t neglect."
Hua Manman pursed her lips.
’It seems the excuse of celebrating the new year isn’t enough to convince Mother to leave with me.’
She pressed her lips together and said in a low voice.
"Actually, celebrating the new year at the estate is just an excuse. I want you all to use this as a chance to leave Shangjing and avoid getting entangled in all the messy business at court."
Madam He was surprised. "What’s going to happen at court?"
Hua Manman leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"The Emperor is gravely ill and isn’t likely to recover, but the position of Crown Prince remains undecided.
There’s bound to be a struggle for power next.
The Prince isn’t in the capital right now, and we lack the power to protect ourselves. Our only choice is to lie low and avoid becoming collateral damage."
Madam He was utterly shocked.
She had only heard that the Emperor was ill, but she had assumed it was just a minor ailment, never imagining it was this serious.
She asked, half-believing and half-doubting.
"Is this really true?"
Hua Manman replied, "The Prince told me this himself before he left. It’s almost certainly true."
’Sorry, Li Ji,’ she silently apologized in her heart. ’I have to borrow your name again.’
Hearing that the news came from Prince Zhao himself, most of Madam He’s doubts vanished.
If the Emperor really was on his deathbed, the court was bound to fall into chaos.
The Zhong’an Bo Mansion was not particularly prominent among the many noble families, but everyone knew that Prince Zhao, Li Ji, was Elder Zhong’an’s son-in-law.
If anyone wanted to move against Prince Zhao, the Zhong’an Bo Mansion would undoubtedly be implicated.
The more Madam He thought about it, the more anxious she became. She shot to her feet.
"I’ll have people start packing at once. We need to leave immediately!"
Hua Manman quickly reminded her, "This matter is of grave importance. It absolutely must not be spread. It’s best not to even tell Father or my two brothers."
Madam He nodded. "I understand. The fewer people who know about this, the better."
Under Madam He’s direction, the entire Zhong’an Bo Mansion burst into activity.
Hua Dingzong was amusing himself with a new bird he had bought when he suddenly saw all his belongings being pulled out and unceremoniously stuffed into chests.
He immediately put down the birdcage and rushed over to demand an explanation.
"What do you think you’re doing? Why are you touching my things?"
The steward cupped his hands in a salute and said respectfully, "This is all on the Madam’s orders."
Hua Dingzong had no choice but to run off and confront Madam He.
"Why did you have people go through my things?"
Madam He was very busy and had no time to waste words on him. She gave a concise reply.
"We’re moving to Manman’s estate for the new year."
This sudden news infuriated Hua Dingzong. "When did I ever say I wanted to go to the estate for the new year? Whose idea was this?"
Madam He took a moment to glance at him and said calmly, "It was my idea."
Her glance sent a shiver down his spine, and his imposing manner faltered.
"We’re perfectly fine here at home. Why do we have to go to the estate for the new year? Why wouldn’t you tell me about something this important?"
Madam He retorted, "Am I not telling you right now?"
Hua Dingzong argued, "That’s different! You’re supposed to tell me in advance, not wait until I have to ask you!"
Madam He said, "Oh. Won’t happen again."
Her attitude couldn’t have been more dismissive.
It made Hua Dingzong fume.
"I don’t care what you’re thinking! In any case, I’m not going to the estate for the new year. If you want to go, go by yourself!"
Madam He sneered. "Fine. I’ll take Bowen and Borong with me, and you can stay here all by yourself. I hope you have a wonderful new year."
Hua Dingzong shouted angrily, "Bowen and Borong won’t go with you!"
Madam He said, "We’ll see about that."
With that, she had her two sons brought before her and asked if they wanted to go with her to the estate for the new year.
Hua Dingzong immediately interjected, "I’m not going to the estate, and you two aren’t allowed to go either!"
Hua Borong and Hua Bowen looked at each other, both completely bewildered.
Madam He said, "If you want to stay here with your father, then I’ll go to the estate for the new year by myself. You can manage the household affairs on your own. Don’t expect me to handle anything for you."
As soon as she said this, Hua Borong and Hua Bowen immediately recalled the chaos that had engulfed the household the last time their mother had stormed off back to her family’s home in a fit of pique.
They had no desire to experience that kind of chaos again and immediately said in unison,
"We’re going with Mother to the estate for the new year!"
A slight smile touched Madam He’s lips. "Then go pack your things. We’ll leave tomorrow morning."
Hua Dingzong was so furious he almost fainted.
He was supposed to be the master of the house, yet his sons would rather follow Madam He than stay in the Uncle’s Mansion with him.
How could he bear such humiliation?!
Madam He had many things to attend to and no time to deal with him.
「The next morning.」
Madam He finished checking the luggage and doing a headcount, ready to depart.
Seeing that they were really leaving, Hua Dingzong grew anxious.
"Wait, you’re actually serious?!"
Madam He shot him a glance. "What did you think? That we were joking?"
Hua Dingzong couldn’t understand. "Have you all got nothing better to do? Abandoning a perfectly good home to make a huge fuss about celebrating the new year somewhere else?!"