Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress
Chapter 1218 - 1224: Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Face Off (5)

Chapter 1218: Chapter 1224: Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Face Off (5)

Chen Shangxi saw Empress Dowager Mo’s emotions stirred up, her face reddening with fury as she shouted, and he quickly coughed repeatedly. Empress Dowager Mo had come here to ask the Empress to give Zhao Yue a break and release her from the Nun’s Convent, but to her dismay, before she could address the main issue, the two had already started to clash with her.

Empress Dowager Mo, hearing Chen Shangxi’s coughing, suddenly remembered the purpose of her visit. She took a deep breath, suppressing her towering rage, and said, "Because of you, not only has the Emperor become distant from me, but he has also sent his dearly loved younger sister, who he has cherished since her childhood, to the Nun’s Convent. He is so heartless as to demand she stay there for a full three years. Think about it, a girl’s family has only so many three-year periods in her life. If she spends three years there, she’ll become an old maid. How will she find a mother-in-law’s house? How will she get by?"

Cai Wei was just coldly smiling at Empress Dowager Mo’s impassioned speech and heard her shift the topic to Nangong Yu. She then understood the purpose of her visit. She was someone who clearly distinguished love from hate, never showing mercy to those she detested. This time, considering it was already the third time Nangong Yu had schemed against her, had it not been for Nangong Yi’s sake, Cai Wei would have long ago left her without a place to be buried. And now she had the audacity to expect Cai Wei to spare Nangong Yu? Truly delusional!

"Imperial Mother, it was the Emperor who decided to send Zhao Yue to the Nun’s Convent to cultivate the Buddhist way, not me. Why don’t you speak with the Emperor?" said Cai Wei.

Empress Dowager Mo let out a cold laugh and said, "Now, besides you, who else does the Emperor care for? If what I said was effective, would I have to come here to listen to your varied scolding? To punish my own legitimate younger sister for a minor mistake by sending her to a Nun’s Temple to suffer, yet Princess Zhao Gui, the adopted daughter of Jin Guifei and accomplice of the abolished prince, remains unscathed and is even honored and made a spectacle. Empress, are you not a bit confused in distinguishing friend from foe, right from wrong?"

Cai Wei replied, "Imperial Mother, I have always been fair and just. Zhao Yue was willful and repeatedly committed serious errors. The Emperor merely sending her to the Nun’s Convent to purify herself is already a lenient treatment. If it wasn’t for the fact that she’s the Emperor’s only blood sister, she would have died multiple times already. As for Zhao Gui, although she is the adopted daughter of Jin Guifei, Jin Guifei’s decision to keep her wasn’t hers alone to make. I have already investigated, Zhao Gui did not commit any heinous crimes while under Jin Guifei’s care. Therefore, I will not implicate her due to Jin Guifei’s actions. If she could shine at the Empress Dowager’s Birthday Feast, it’s due to the talents of her family. If someone clumsy and ignorant were to organize the feast, not only would they fail to impress, but they might even end up losing face!"

Cai Wei’s reference to "someone clumsy and ignorant" was clear to Empress Dowager Mo, especially when Cai Wei emphasized the words "losing face" and cast a meaningful glance at her. The Empress Dowager, being clever, instantly knew what that was about, and her face flushed red!

Nangong Yu’s folly in attempting to poison Cai Wei for Saknu’s sake, and being manipulated by Jin Guifei, indeed qualified as both clumsy and ignorant. And the scandal of her and Saknu’s public indiscretion, described as "losing face", was more than fitting. The incident was not just a stain on Nangong Yu’s reputation that she could never cleanse, but it also became Empress Dowager Mo’s Achilles’ heel and weakness. When Cai Wei spoke of "losing face," Empress Dowager Mo’s arrogance deflated, and her tone softened considerably.

"No matter how you put it, Zhao Yue is your younger sister. You can’t let her waste three years of her youth living like an ancient nun under a green lantern. I don’t care if you favor Zhao Gui, but it is wrong of you to misuse Zhao Yue!" said Empress Dowager Mo.

Cai Wei laughed softly and said, "You are mistaken, Imperial Mother. It’s often said that cultivating Buddha brings great wisdom, engenders a compassionate heart, can change one’s destiny, and ensures a long and peaceful life. There are many benefits indeed. The Emperor sent her to cultivate Buddha for her own good. How has it become mistreatment in your eyes?"