Chapter 292
Chapter 292
While lining up, the villagers talked about the recent incident. But when the servants distributing food overheard them, they sighed instead.
"This is truly disappointing. A fire like this shouldn’t happen in the royal palace," she said while serving food. The villagers who heard this nodded in agreement.
"That’s right. I heard many people were injured, even the Noble Consort, who is favored by the Emperor."
"The royal physicians rushed off as soon as they heard. If anything happens to the Noble Consort..."
"What will happen? Their heads will roll! And how did the fire start? If it were at night with lamps, that would be one thing."
"Maybe it happened during cooking?"
"I don’t know, but with such a big incident, someone will have to take responsibility." Many villagers offered their thoughts, seeing it as a significant issue, especially since it involved the Noble Consort. However, the servants from Mu manor put on a sorrowful face.
"Because of this incident, everyone here won’t receive treatment. Who knows when the royal physicians will come back? If everyone’s condition remains severe, they might not return here at all." When she said this, the villagers waiting for treatment were immediately taken aback.
"Dear girl! How could that be? We heard the royal physicians promised to take care of us. Once they finish there, they have to come back, right?"
"Exactly. Once the Noble Consort is safe, they must return to us." The villagers refused to believe what they were hearing and argued back at the Mu manor’s servants instead.
"Let’s hope so. Actually, I’m puzzled. Are there only the royal physicians who came to the refugee camp? Why do they need to call away someone already treating people? Where are the other royal physicians? But, well... I understand. We are just the overlooked ones, not like the Noble Consort. Hearing she’s injured, they all rush over. Who treats whom is another matter, but they must show their faces first," the Mu manor servant feigned a downtrodden attitude. She used "we" to make the villagers feel included.
Of course, when the villagers heard this, they felt the comparison deeply. They were already from the lower class, not receiving the same attention as the nobles or the elite. Even among the villagers, they were the poorest, without honor or dignity. Hearing this only made them feel more hurt, and the frustration within them continued to build.
"Don’t say such things. If someone hears, it will become a big issue, and you might lose your head," another servant scolded, pretending they didn’t intend to belittle or ruin anyone’s reputation. Yet, their words had already incited the listeners.
"Moreover, you shouldn’t speak like that. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for having no luck. Born poor, you must live like the poor. How can you demand much?" Another servant sighed, seemingly talking amongst themselves but repeatedly slapping the villagers in the face.
"You must have gotten used to being with Furen Mu. She cares for everyone without class distinction. Maybe because she married Official Mu, who was once an ordinary villager, her heart never saw anyone as high or low. That’s why she treats us all so well. Seeing injustice now upsets you, though you’ve been living with injustice all along, right?" Another servant said with a laugh.
This caused the other servants to laugh as well. In the end, they understood this very well. How did Furen Mu take care of them? She even provided a monthly salary so they could buy whatever they liked. Every month, they received new cloth, even if it was inexpensive, which she called "benefits."
There was also free medical care. Whenever someone was sick, she called a doctor without charging. There were no punishments for being spoiled. If you weren’t really at fault, there was nothing to fear. Her investigations were always fair. She never took sides, and if someone was truly at fault, she dealt with them appropriately. She never acted rashly or took out her anger on others. Sometimes, if she wronged someone, she would even apologize.
While Mu manor servants were enjoying their conversation, the villagers gathered to talk after receiving their food.
"How many royal physicians are there really? I also wonder why only one royal physician was sent to take care of us and then called back."
"Also, I heard they were having a banquet when the fire accident happened, right? The consorts and the Noble Consort were enjoying themselves. While they were having a banquet, a fire broke out. After that, they called the royal physician who was treating my child."
"I’m in so much pain from my wound, but the royal physician isn’t here. What can be done now? Aren’t they leaving me to die?"
"How can it be like this? They were having a banquet while the people of Bai Region were suffering, which is bad enough, but they couldn’t even leave one royal physician to treat us?"
"I heard the Noble Consort was injured too. So, does that mean the Noble Consort attended the banquet and approved of it?"
"Wasn’t there news before that the Noble Consort and the Emperor agreed that the nobles should take care of us? When the nobles agreed, didn’t the Noble Consort throw a banquet to celebrate? Or does the Noble Consort just love throwing banquets, no matter what’s happening?"
"How can the Noble Consort do this? There were rumors before that the demoness was..."
"Stop! Don’t say that out loud, or you’ll lose your head. But I understand what you’re implying. Maybe it’s true that Official Mu is blessed, and Furen Mu is a divine being reborn. Otherwise, how could she get rid of the evil?"
"Now that she’s entered the palace, she’s causing such issues. In the future, won’t we all suffer?"
"We can’t accept this. We need to band together and demand the royal physicians return to care for us. Isn’t there more than one physician in the palace?" The villagers grew more agitated as they spoke.
Perhaps because of the earlier rumors that Eldest Young Miss Wei was the true villain, the villagers still held onto this image. Before, they didn’t dare speak or think about it, as Eldest Young Miss Wei had become the Noble Consort. But now, how could they stay silent? When Noble Consort Wei had become the Noble Consort, she continued to do things a demoness would.
The villagers didn’t care who organized the banquet. But since the Noble Consort was there, instead of stopping it, she joined in. So she was lumped in with those who ignored the people’s suffering!
What had been planned as an attempt to tarnish Yueqian’s reputation—that she did not consider the villagers more important than herself—was multifaceted. They obstructed her from buying rice, a staple ingredient, and forced sellers to sell her as much sweet potato as possible for distribution. They also pressured her by not notifying the Mu manor in advance about the arrival of refugees and expected her to take responsibility for their medical care.
It would have been easy to accuse her later. If she let even one or two villagers die, they could blame Furen Mu for treating them carelessly and neglecting the villagers’ lives, accusing her of merely putting on a show.
This entire scheme was set up so that any mistake by Yueqian could be used against her. But who would have thought that Yueqian wouldn’t follow their plan at all? Instead, she turned their malicious words against them!
No one expected that even getting herself injured wouldn’t damage her reputation. The honored furen, Yueqian, held onto her position tightly, unwilling to let it go or refuse to relinquish it easily.
As tensions in the refugee camp were about to erupt, Yueqian quickly arrived at the palace. When Mu Heng heard that his wife was entering the palace, he rushed from his official duties to meet her, full of concern.
“Qian’er, how are you?” As soon as he arrived, he took Xihao into his arms, worried that his wife would be too tired from holding him all day.
In truth, Yueqian could have left Xihao with the servant Wan Gui at home, but she didn’t want to do that. Her Xihao was understanding and intelligent, and she didn’t want to make this palace visit a big deal. Besides, she needed to leverage her child’s presence for assistance. Otherwise, how could she increase her sympathy?
“I’m fine, but there’s about to be trouble at the refugee camp.”
“Trouble?”
“Yes. Because the “only” royal physician sent to care for the refugees was called back to the palace to attend to the injured, there’s no one to look after the sick at the camp now. I came to assess the situation and foresee what might happen next. Additionally, I need to report this to the Emperor and Empress,”
Under normal circumstances, rushing to point out the faults of others, especially when they are currently injured, would be inappropriate. However, the situation was different now.
Yueqian didn’t have to fear being blamed by the faction supporting the Second Prince for tarnishing Noble Consort Wei’s reputation. If she didn’t seek help from the Emperor, the Second Prince’s faction would still be blamed for her actions. The success or failure of managing the refugees directly impacted the Second Prince’s position, which was a far more significant issue than any criticism Noble Consort Wei might face, especially since she was also injured. There would be some sympathy for her due to the unfortunate circumstances.
“...........” Mu Heng frowned upon hearing this.
The first feeling he had was that it was unfair. If the villagers thought the Emperor cared more about his beloved wives than the people of Bai Region, it would certainly lead to criticism. Therefore, this matter had to be resolved appropriately!
The couple, along with their little one who seemed excited about something, entered the palace. The situation there was quite chaotic. Although the fire had been extinguished, one of the concubines’ residences was completely burned down. Over 20 concubines and the Noble Consort were injured. Even though the Noble Consort’s injuries weren’t severe, her high status caused many people to gather and express their concern.
The Emperor was present, choosing to stay with the distressed the Noble Consort. The Wang was also there to assess the situation and investigate the cause of the fire. Therefore, the Noble Consort, being involved in the incident, was being questioned as well.
“Your Majesty, Official Mu and Furen request an audience.”
“Let them in,” the Emperor wasn’t surprised to hear they were requesting a meeting. It was known that Official Mu supported the Second Prince, just as Noble Consort Wei did. Therefore, their presence wasn’t unexpected.
Mu Heng and Yueqian appeared shortly after. The Wang was most surprised to see the little Xiao Mu. He even got up to greet the child himself and asked to hold him.
The father, who had just been holding his son, had to allow Xihao to go to the Wang. The Wang was of higher status and indicated his desire to be Xihao’s godfather, which Mu Heng couldn’t refuse. He could only watch as Xihao laughed, delighted to play with the Wang’s beard.
The couple paid their respects to the esteemed individuals present, including the Emperor, Empress, the Wang, and even the Noble Consort. After receiving permission from the highest authority to sit and talk, they exchanged glances. Mu Heng, having already heard the details from his wife, spoke up without even sitting next to her.
“Your Majesty, first and foremost, I have a matter for which I seek your assistance,” Mu Heng said. The Emperor, who assumed they were there to visit the Noble Consort, paused for a moment.He looked into Mu Heng’s eyes before straightening his posture. He had already heard that it was Official Mu who was responsible for managing the first group of refugees. Could there be an issue related to that matter?