The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 4

Wu Zhen felt that it was indeed a good idea, but… She asked Concubine Mei curiously, “Excuse me, Concubine Sister, how did he offend you?”

 Imperial Concubine Mei asked, “Why do you say that?”

Wu Zhen spread her hands innocently and replied, “If there’s no ill will, how could the Imperial Concubine bear to push the young master into this pit of fire?”

 Wu Zhen was driven out of the palace by Empress Wu, her words still echoing in her ears, “Go back and wait to get married.”

She shrugged, picked up her whip, and strolled out, lost in thought as she walked. Passing through a long corridor, she encountered the Emperor. He held papers, muttering to himself, deeply engrossed. A dozen eunuchs and palace maids followed him quietly, heads bowed.Wu Zhen stopped, bowed, and called out, “Your Majesty.”

The Emperor glanced up from his music sheet upon hearing her voice. Amused by her “masculine and feminine” attire, he said nothing, only asking kindly, “Are you here to see the Empress?”

Wu Zhen replied, “Yes, I just came out from Her Majesty the Empress’s place.”

The Emperor shook the stack of papers in his hand towards her and asked mysteriously, “Second Lady, do you know what this is?”

Wu Zhen understood, “Your Majesty’s new song?”

The Emperor chuckled proudly, “Correct! The Imperial Concubine praised the new song, and I’m quite satisfied with it. I’ll have the musicians at Xingyuan learn it and arrange a dance. You must come and enjoy it!”

The Emperor’s fondness for Wu Zhen stemmed from her being Empress Wu’s biological sister and their shared love for music and dance. He also valued her keen appreciation for the arts, often summoning her to the palace for musical events.

After exchanging a few words, the Emperor hurriedly departed. Wu Zhen watched him head towards Xingyuan, where dancers and musicians performed.

Continuing along the corridor, instead of leaving through Xufeng Gate back to Duke Yu’s Mansion, she proceeded straight to Jianxing Gate. Passing through the wide square paved with white marble, she made her way to the Taiji Palace.

After the Emperor and Empress moved to the Daming Palace, the offices of ministers were also relocated there one after another, though not all were transferred. Some government offices held too much information to move, and since the Emperor seldom used them on regular days, they remained at the Taiji Palace. For instance, the Ministry of Justice retained several departments at the Taiji Palace, with officials naturally stationed there as well.

The second son of the Mei family served as a Minister in the Ministry of Justice. Should she wish to see him, she had to visit the Ministry of Justice.

Wu Zhen, known for her idleness, often roamed between Taiji Palace and Daming Palace. She was thoroughly acquainted with the main pathways and soon found herself near the Ministry of Justice. However, it wouldn’t do for her, an idler, to enter so openly. Furthermore, her father and sister had sternly warned her against alarming Mr. Mei.

Considering her options, Wu Zhen scanned her surroundings and noticed an unused courtyard nearby. Without hesitation, she darted inside. After a short while, the vermilion door creaked open a crack. It was not Wu Zhen who emerged, but a gray-black tabby cat with orange eyes and immaculately groomed fluffy fur. The cat squinted against the glaring sunlight, delicately threaded along the palace eaves, and swiftly headed towards the Ministry of Justice.

The place from which the tabby cat emerged stood deserted, devoid of any occupants. The only sign of recent activity was Wu Zhen’s crimson round-necked robe and her horse whip lying on a beam.

A couple of low-ranking clerks from the Ministry of Justice were taking a break in the corridor, engrossed in lively chatter about the ladies of the Pingkang house. They spotted the tabby cat leisurely strolling along the eaves, casting a calm, appraising glance around. However, no one paid her any mind.

Undisturbed, the tabby cat continued her steady stride along the eaves. As Wu Zhen had only visited the government office twice before and now transformed into a cat, she could not inquire about his whereabouts. She resigned herself to searching for him on her own.

Finding someone was proving to be quite challenging, especially since Wu Zhen didn’t know what he looked like. She wandered aimlessly around the office for a considerable time but couldn’t spot anyone who matched her target. Exhausted, she leaned against a wall to rest when suddenly she overheard a conversation between two clerks.

“What about these?”

“Send it to Minister Mei. Once he makes a copy and signs it, it will be stored in the warehouse and you’ll be done with it.”

Upon hearing the name “Minister Mei”, Wu Zhen immediately perked up and stood to follow them. One of the clerks, carrying a stack of documents, was walking along when he noticed a tabby cat following him along the wall. His eyes lit up with amusement and he reached out his hand, calling, “Come here, kitty, come here~”

Wu Zhen’s whiskers twitched slightly. Whenever she ventured out like this, there were always people who adored cats, waving and teasing her. It seemed this clerk was one of them.

However, this gentleman had small specks on his face, resembling someone who had dipped his face into a jar of sesame seeds, leaving many stuck to his skin…

The clerk called out playfully, but in a surprising turn, the lazy tabby cat extended her claws and flicked a tiny piece of gravel from the wall. The gravel shot straight into the clerk’s forehead, causing him to cry out in pain.

The young man with the speckled face could only sigh, rubbing his forehead as he continued walking forward. He glanced back several times and noticed the tabby cat leisurely trailing behind him. Yet, when he finally reached Minister Mei’s location and glanced up again, the tabby cat that had followed him all the way had mysteriously vanished.

The clerk delivered the document and departed, but Wu Zhen remained, squatting on a rooftop with her gaze fixed on an open window across from her. Inside, bent over a desk, was the man she sought—the eldest son of the Mei family.

He wore a light crimson official robe and a black gauze hat, appearing tall and impeccably straight from the back. Unfortunately for Wu Zhen, his back was turned towards the window, concealing his face completely.

The eaves where she sat were still quite distant from the opposite side. Wu Zhen surveyed the tall tung tree planted in front of the window, then leaped off the eaves and skillfully ascended the tree until she was near the window.

The tung tree was in full bloom, its flowers radiant in late spring. The ground beneath was blanketed in a carpet of white petals. As Wu Zhen hopped onto a branch, the pile of tung flowers trembled and cascaded down like a gentle breeze had swept through.

She cautiously advanced along the branch until its weight, combined with that of the tabby cat, caused it to bend closer to the window. There, she balanced herself amid the tung flowers, calmly observing the eldest son of the Mei family.