Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Who was destined to be the Mother of the Nation? (Thanks to Sui Feng for the additional monthly ticket)
While the young Emperor was contemplating, he heard the National Master’s voice asking a question.
"Your Majesty seems to be quite familiar with the young lady from earlier?"
At this moment, the young Emperor was preoccupied with how to tell the Empress Dowager about Xiaosuisui. He barely registered what the National Master was saying and just mumbled an "Mmm."
"During today’s Palace Banquet, where the young ladies showcased their talents, did Your Majesty happen to notice a girl named Xie Yingying?"
"Mmm!" The young Emperor responded just as vaguely. If the National Master had mentioned someone else, the young Emperor might have needed to think for a moment. But since it was Xie Yingying, he didn’t need to think at all and simply affirmed indistinctly.
"What are Your Majesty’s thoughts on the young lady from before and this Xie Yingying?"
The young Emperor now understood and had an inkling of what the National Master intended to ask.
He countered, "Why does the National Master ask this? Is there something amiss with them?"
After asking this, the young Emperor pricked up his ears; after all, this was the true reason he had secretly prompted the Empress Dowager to host the Palace Banquet.
The National Master didn’t conceal anything. "Your Majesty, both young women are from the household of Xie Zian, the Junior Minister of the Guanglu Temple. Xie Yingying is his eldest daughter. Your Majesty previously gave me her birth characters. My calculations revealed that her birth chart is one destined to be the mother of the nation."
"Ah, I do recall something like that!" The young Emperor feigned a lack of interest.
The Empress Dowager, however, was far from calm. She hurriedly asked, "National Master, is what you say true? I remember you once told me that His Majesty had already met the future mother of the nation. Could you be referring to this young lady from the Xie Family?"
As soon as the Empress Dowager spoke, the young Emperor abruptly turned to look at her and the National Master. He saw the National Master reply with a faint smile, "That’s correct. A few days ago, when we had just returned to the capital, His Majesty had Divine Hunter Ji deliver three sets of birth characters to me. Upon calculating them, I found one set belonged to the future mother of the nation."
Overjoyed, the Empress Dowager quickly asked, "National Master, is what you say true?" Then, her expression darkened. "But it seems the girl isn’t very well-bred!"
At this, the Empress Dowager suddenly recalled what Xiaosuisui had said.
The National Master quickly added, "Indeed, this young lady is somewhat lacking in refinement. A few days ago, she even offended the Princess and was sent to the Celestial Prison by Divine Hunter Ji. The Xie Family also experienced some incidents, and her mother is still imprisoned in the Celestial Prison."
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s expression became even more unsightly. A future mother of the nation who is herself ill-mannered, not to mention her mother is a convict—how could this be?
"Your Majesty! What are your thoughts on this matter?" The National Master then passed the buck to the young Emperor.
The young Emperor feigned ignorance and looked at her. "Why does the National Master ask me? You were the one who divined the birth chart of the future mother of the nation. Now, this girl has poor upbringing, and her mother is a convict. Am I supposed to make such a woman the Empress?"
The Empress Dowager agreed with the young Emperor. "Exactly. Her own upbringing is poor, and her mother is imprisoned in the Celestial Prison. Yet she still had the nerve to cheerfully attend my Palace Banquet and perform. If such a girl becomes the mother of the nation, it might not be a blessing for our Great Han!"
After saying this, the Empress Dowager added, "Since her mother was sent to the Celestial Prison, how did she enter the Palace? Did she come alone?"
"She probably came with her father’s principal wife or her maternal grandmother. Since her father is a Fifth Grade official in the capital, his principal wife should also hold an imperial title by virtue of his rank."