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“Did Deng Bu Wen go to see Zheng An?”
Qing Wu was taken aback by this news and then smiled bitterly.
Huo Yun'ai thought that this Fellow held a grudge. Zheng An had treated him so coldly, and now at the last moment, he wanted to stab Zheng An's heart once more.
The Zheng Family had committed the grave crime of treason. It was a serious offense that warranted the extermination of nine clans, and the male members would certainly not be spared. Yet he wanted Zheng An to see Deng Bu Wen, to know that such a person was still alive. But that Deng Bu Wen had already become Eunuch Yu...
For someone as proud as Zheng An, this kind of mental torment was perhaps the hardest to bear.
Azalea looked around and waited until there were no others in the room before cautiously saying to Qing Wu, “I remember, Mr. Zheng seems to be... from the Zheng Family. Does Mr. Zheng have any relation?”
Her voice was very weak, clearly filled with fear.
In fact, if she didn't know that the lady was sensible and understood the long-standing teacher-student relationship between the lady and Mr. Zheng, Azalea wouldn't have dared to ask this question.
It was just that Mr. Zheng was too kind, and this matter had been a concern in Azalea's heart. She had also heard the lady mention that Mr. Zheng had been injured recently, which prompted her to ask.
After a long while, Qing Wu casually replied, “Perhaps it’s not a problem,” and said no more. However, after Azalea left, she sat in her chair, holding a scroll in her hand, but her gaze drifted outside the window.
Regarding Zheng Ning, Huo Yun'ai and Qing Wu had quietly brought it up before.
Huo Yun'ai appeared aloof but was actually very loyal at heart. He remembered everyone who had treated him well.
He had known Zheng Ning since childhood; their bond was extraordinary. It was he who sought out Zheng Ning to teach Qing Wu how to paint. Therefore, when the Zheng Family encountered trouble, he was the first to protect Zheng Ning.
On that day, with Rebels attempting to invade the Marquisate multiple times, men from the Wen Family and Liu Family joined forces with the Marquisate guards to defend their home. Since Zheng Ning was at home, he naturally rushed into battle as well. He received a cut on his leg but fortunately wasn't seriously injured and did not suffer any harm to his hands or arms. Otherwise, the "Ghost Hand Painter" might have perished in this turmoil.
From Huo Yun'ai's words, it seemed he intended to exaggerate Zheng Ning's actions of protecting the Queen's family members and spread it around so that Zheng Ning could gain a good reputation.
Zheng Ning had long been estranged from the Zheng Family, and in this matter, he was to be excluded.
However, Zheng Ning was still of the Zheng bloodline.
Even though Zheng Ning had distanced himself from the Zheng Family for many years, and despite everyone having witnessed his confrontations with the Imperial Teacher over the years, no one could forget that he bore the "Zheng" surname. No one would forget that he was the younger brother of Rebel Zheng An.
In the future, many would likely use this against him. Huo Yun'ai was also considering how to handle things moving forward, but with so much going on, he could only set this matter aside for now and think about it later.
No matter how much Qing Wu had planned, she did not expect that Zheng Ning's issue would be resolved by Master Wen.
By the time the news reached the palace, five days had already passed.
At this point, all cleaning in the palace had been completed, and there were no longer any bloodstains visible on the walls along the path. The areas that had been stained with dark red were among those that had been repaired first and were now finished. They were just waiting for the remaining areas to be restored before the palace could return to its previous tranquility.
Qing Wu was most concerned about the injured maids. She visited the Pharmaceutical Department daily to check on everyone's recovery.
Although she spent most of her time in the Monk Palace talking with the medical women, everyone noticed the Empress's concern for them. Their admiration and respect for the Empress deepened even further in their hearts.
When Qing Wu visited this time, the Pharmaceutical Department was noticeably more relaxed compared to that day. The additional help from various places had returned to their original duties.
In the courtyard, there were no longer maids lying around waiting for treatment. Some maids whose injuries were too severe had already "departed," while others rested on makeshift beds set up in the Pharmaceutical Department. Some of those whose wounds healed more quickly were even able to lend a hand in caring for the more seriously injured patients.
Compared to five days ago, everyone appeared much more spirited. In the courtyard, not only were there sounds of groaning and pain, but faintly, laughter could also be heard.
Seeing this, a heavy stone lifted from Qing Wu's heart.
The people in the Monk Palace were discussing how many more medicinal herbs they needed to purchase from outside when Deng Bu Wen hurried in. He had just received news from the Marquisate that needed to be reported to Her Highness as soon as possible.
After Deng Bu Wen returned that day, he briefly told Qing Wu about his meeting with Zheng An. At that time, his expression was quite calm; his hatred seemed to have faded, but his demeanor and tone revealed an extreme disappointment towards Zheng An.
It seems that after seeing him, Zheng An was as ruthless and ungrateful as ever.
Qing Wu did not ask much. Later, noticing the lack of manpower in Ningxin Pavilion, she appointed Deng Bu Wen as the steward under Eunuch Yu.
Huo Yun'ai strongly disagreed.
"After all, he is from the Zheng Family, and his relationship with the Zheng Family is unusual. If something happens to the Zheng Family, he..."
Although Huo Yun'ai did not elaborate, Qing Wu understood his concerns.
Deng Bu Wen was different from Zheng Ning.
Zheng Ning had long since given up on the Zheng Family and had no feelings left for them. However, Deng Bu Wen had previously been showered with affection by his family.
The relatives of Zheng An would face execution. Those were once Deng Bu Wen's kin. Once the matter was decided, only he would know what Deng Bu Wen truly thought.
Qing Wu was not as worried as Huo Yun'ai.
From her understanding of Deng Bu Wen, he was not foolish. In fact, he was quite clever.
"This matter was originally Zheng An's fault. Even if something happens to the Zheng Family, it is still a result of Zheng An's long-term plans. When Zheng An was scheming back then, how could he not have considered such consequences? Yet he still took risks and ended up in this situation."
Deng Bu Wen's nature was such that whoever treated him well, he would repay a hundredfold. Whoever treated him poorly, he would simply cut ties without a second thought.
Qing Wu had sensed this before but was not entirely sure. However, the events that unfolded on the day of the Grand Wedding gradually solidified her belief.
Despite her confidence, Huo Yun'ai remained worried.
Qing Wu smiled gently and said, "To take a step back, even if he hates someone, it would be you for executing the Zheng Family. What does that have to do with me? You may not dare to keep him, but I do."
After hearing her words, Huo Yun'ai was completely convinced.
The Young Emperor, both amused and exasperated, flicked her forehead and sighed helplessly.
Since Mu Hai had previously mentioned that Deng Bu Wen was a decent person, Huo Yun'ai didn't say much more.
Thus, Deng Bu Wen followed closely beside Qing Wu.
Upon hearing news about Deng Bu Wen from the Marquisate, Qing Wu realized it was not appropriate to speak here. After hastily exchanging a few words with the female doctors, she quickly left the courtyard.
Once they were alone, Qing Wu finally revealed an anxious expression and asked, "Has something happened with Grandpa and Brother?"
"Not exactly."
Deng Bu Wen bowed slightly, as if weighing his words carefully, and slowly said, "This matter is related to the Ghost Hand Painter."
The Ghost Hand Painter referred to Zheng Ning, who was also Deng Bu Wen's uncle, someone he was not very familiar with.
Deng Bu Wen did not wish to mention his name directly, so he used this title to report the situation to Qing Wu.
Qing Wu never expected that her grandfather would make such a move to protect Zheng Ning.
Master Wen had recognized Zheng Ning as his god-grandson. From then on, they would be considered Grandfather and Grandson.
Upon hearing this news, Qing Wu was truly taken aback.
Anyone would feel a mix of emotions upon learning that their teacher had suddenly become their god-brother; it was hard to articulate all the feelings that stirred within.
However, upon further reflection, although this approach seemed strange and bewildering at first glance, it was indeed a sensible solution.
Empress has come to support Zheng Ning, what can others say?
If Zheng Ning really causes trouble for the Zheng Family, it will be the Wen Family and Empress who bear the responsibility. Let him be. If something happens, they will look for the Wen Family. The Wen Family is not afraid of being implicated, so what do others have to worry about?
Qing Wu felt a mix of emotions.
She knew that the verbal engagement she had with Zheng Ning back then had always been a concern for her grandfather.
Her grandfather's actions were partly due to his admiration for Zheng Ning; he trusted him completely. Even if he came forward to support him, he was not worried that Zheng Ning would betray them.
Secondly... perhaps it was also a form of compensation for his perceived debt to Zheng Ning.
Dou Mama and Azalea were nearby. Qing Wu did not think to avoid them, and they overheard the conversation.
For a moment, the surroundings fell silent. After a long while, Dou Mama suddenly clapped her hands and exclaimed, "This is not good."
Everyone turned to look at her with blank expressions.
Dou Mama frowned and said, "In this case, doesn't that create a discrepancy in generations?"
Upon hearing her words, the three of them thought carefully and couldn't help but laugh. Even Deng Bu Wen had a slight smile on his lips, unable to hide his amusement.
Zheng Ning was originally a biological brother of Zheng An.
One was the husband of the current Your Majesty, and the other was the husband of the current Queen.
Now that Zheng Ning acknowledged Old Marquis as his grandfather, he and Qing Wu would be of the same generation...
It truly meant he had been demoted by a generation.
Dou Mama's interruption lightened the somber mood that everyone had just experienced. On the way back, they could even make Qing Wu laugh a few times.
Before reaching Ningxin Pavilion, they saw Uncle Yu directing people to move things outside the pavilion from a distance.
At first, no one paid much attention, but upon closer inspection, they realized that the items were not being moved inside but rather outside.
This left everyone shocked. Azalea hurried over to inquire about what was happening. Seeing that Qing Wu had not yet reached the courtyard entrance, she rushed back to report.
"Your Highness, His Majesty, the Queen's palace has suffered severe damage and it seems it won't be repaired anytime soon. Starting today, the Queen will need to move to Zhaoning Palace. Uncle Yu is acting according to the Emperor's wishes!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the accompanying Maid looked at each other in disbelief.
Qing Wu was also puzzled.
Throughout history, Queens have always lived in separate palaces from the Emperor.
Was it appropriate for Huo Yun'ai to have her move into his palace?
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