Chapter 74: Living up to your Majesty
Mrs. Fu knew in her heart that the old lady had been dissatisfied with her for a long time, but she didn't expect that such a big matter would not be discussed with her at all, and she didn't take her as his wife seriously. She was so angry that her hands couldn't stop shaking.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Xiu Gu wanted to say it but didn't dare.
After much hesitation, he said: "The old lady said, let the eldest lady take good care of her health. This trivial matter can be handled by the third lady. There is no need to inform the eldest lady again... Look, Yinu, the old lady wants to take away the eldest lady's housekeeping power." .”
Mrs. Fu's eyes instantly widened. She sat blankly for a while, then pulled over the corner of the quilt and slowly lay down on her side, with her face pressed against the pillow and silent tears streaming down her face.
"My son...you lost your life in vain."
She recalled the night she gave birth many years ago, and the child's cry seemed to still be in her ears.
Both Wenpo and the girl said they had never heard the child cry.
But she clearly heard it clearly.
The child is crying.
His father, who was crying, was out having fun and having fun with Xue Ji...
The son has gone, but he happily welcomes the bride into the house...
"My son, my son, it hurts my mother to death!"
Grandma Liu was so distressed that she stepped forward and stroked her back soothingly, shedding tears as well.
"Miss, don't be sad. The master and the other masters in the mansion will support you. You can't just let them get away with it..."
Mrs. Fu knew in her heart that these were just words of comfort.
Although her mother's family can help her a little, how can they protect her for the rest of her life?
There are many things that parents and brothers cannot interfere with.
She raised her eyes full of tears and asked Xiu Gu: "Has anyone sent someone to ask my eldest brother, Lingxu...Liu Shijuan, how is he doing now?"
Xiu Gu lowered her head.
It took a long time before I squeezed out two words through my teeth.
"Dead."
Fu's head buzzed.
"Dead? How did you die?"
Xiu Gu said: "He died in the prison cell of the Criminal Department. He told others that he committed suicide out of fear of crime. But from what I heard, I guess it was our eldest brother who did it..."
Fu's body went limp and collapsed on the bed.
"Xue Qingzhi, you are so cruel."
She and Liu Shijuan did not have an intimate relationship, but they had the intention of making love.
If it weren't for this friendship, she wouldn't have dared to take such a big risk to help Liu Shijuan escape the crime, and even financed his escape. And there was no need for Liu Shijuan to make a special trip to the Shangshu Mansion and do such outrageous things.
Xue Qingzhi must have found out all these inside stories.
He didn't have much true feelings for Mrs. Fu, but he would definitely protect the dignity of himself and the Xue family. If he wanted to completely silence those gossips, Lingxu would definitely not survive in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment.
In fact, she had already thought of this outcome, but she was unable to save him...
"That's all, that's all, it's all injustice. It's all injustice!"
-
As soon as the wedding banquet was over, Xue Qingzhi was on pins and needles.
Today, Xue Ji officially carried her aunt, and the old lady allocated a new courtyard to be their wedding room. He should stay here...
But he really couldn't stand Xue Ji's face.
She is not old yet, her complexion is as yellow as old paper, her eyes and forehead still have the marks from the Fu's pattern, and her once beautiful appearance has completely disappeared, just like an old woman...
Guilt and avoidance were intertwined in his mind, and it was difficult for him to sort it out, and he didn't want to...
Just at this time, the warden from the Ministry of Punishment came to report.
"Master, Miss Xue Si is not feeling well. Please tell me, the jailer, what should I do?"
Since Miss Xue Si was taken away by officials from the Ministry of Punishments, she has sent letters three times on the grounds of being unwell.
The first two times, Xue Qingzhi ignored her. He just used the excuse of "being pregnant" and "taking care of pregnant women" to place her alone in a subordinate staff room far away from the prison. It was better to say it was a prison sentence than house arrest. Other prisoners had it much better.
However, the fourth girl has married into the Marquis Jingyuan's house. Marquis Jingyuan doesn't care about his grandson and keeps silent. He has done his best as a father, but he can't be the first bird to get involved in this shocking case. .
Tonight's news about Xue Yueying made him suddenly feel relieved.
"I'll go see her."
He went back to his room, changed into light clothes, and prepared to leave the house.
Who would have thought that as soon as he walked out of the hanging flower door, he saw Xue Sui standing there, smiling but not smiling.
"Where are you going, father?"
Xue Qingzhi was stunned.
Are these six girls actually taking care of him?
Seeing that he looked unhappy, Xue Sui smiled even more.
"On the wedding night, there is no way to neglect the newlyweds. Father, do you think this is true?"
Xue Qingzhi's face darkened.
"I have official business to attend to! You go and stay with your aunt."
Xue Sui looked at him with a smile on his face, but his eyes were bone-chilling, "My mother has been in the government for eighteen years and has worked hard for eighteen years. She has been waiting for this day for eighteen years. Shouldn't my father devote all his time to it?" Do you fulfill your responsibilities as a husband?”
Xue Qingzhi almost didn't mention it in one breath.
There are many absurd things in this world, but he has never heard of any family where the daughter takes care of where her father sleeps at night...
"Xue Liu, don't mess around!"
Xue Sui stared at him, his tone gentle but unquestionable.
"I don't want to make my mother sad. Father, you won't let me down, right?"
Xue Qingzhi met her gaze with the same clear and beautiful eyes.
But for some reason, it made him feel uncomfortable. It was as if the water in his chest had been squeezed out, and a wild beast was staring at him. If he dared to move, her throat would be bitten through.
The inexplicable panic surprised him.
After a while, Xue Qingzhi breathed out.
That’s it!
The inconvenience is too ugly.
He threw the sleeves of his robe behind him.
"I think of you as a filial piety, so as a father I will stay and talk to your aunt."
He turned back.
Xue Sui looked at the dumbfounded boy beside him and smiled slightly.
"Go and tell the fourth girl that the eldest man is going to have a wedding with Aunt Xue tonight and can't spare time to see her."
"The old lady has also gone to sleep at this time, so I don't want to disturb her. When it gets light tomorrow, I will go and report to the old lady and ask her to come forward and find a doctor to give the fourth girl a good treatment..."
The boy nodded and looked around.
Xue Sui smiled again and said: "If the fourth girl is really anxious, it might be faster to go to the Marquis' Mansion to report the news. At any rate, she is still pregnant with the Marquis's grandson..."
The boy nodded and bowed and left.
Xue Sui's smile in the night gradually faded away.
Instead, there was an extremely cold face.
It was faint and faint, like solid ice in the cold winter, exuding a bone-chilling chill.
For Xue Qingzhi, facing Xue Ji was very difficult, not only because her appearance was completely ruined, but also because of the torment and vague guilt in his heart...
I remember back then, the oiran lady from Liuxiang Pavilion captivated the city with her dance.
Many princes and grandsons were fascinated by her and spent a lot of money to pursue her. However, Xue Ji committed herself to him because of his promise to "live up to my love and your love".
"Xue Ji, I have been sorry for you all these years."
Under the window sill, Xue Sui listened to these words without any disturbance in his heart.
But she knew her mother would like to hear it.
She's happy, that's enough.
-
In Qinglan courtyard.
When Mrs. Fu got the news that Xue Qingzhi was staying in Xue Ji's room, she looked like a withered night-blooming night flower, staring blankly at the window, sometimes in a daze, and sometimes giggling.
"Every precaution was taken, and after all calculations, we finally got to this point."
"What did I do wrong?"
She hates it.
I hate it so much.
She regrets.
There is no way to regret it.
Her heart and eyes were full of complaints against the injustice of heaven.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have killed her by strangling her after she was born..."
"I was too kind and spared her life. Good deeds are rewarded with evil."
The next morning, someone in the mansion secretly spread the news that the eldest lady was crazy.
In the middle of the night last night, a man was sitting by the window singing. If it were anyone else, this might not be a big deal, but the eldest lady has always been dignified, behaved in every move, and strictly abided by etiquette. How could she imitate those actors and actresses and sing those vulgar songs?
This time, Mrs. Cui was kind-hearted and sent someone to invite a famous doctor from Beijing to come for consultation.
The doctor said that the lady was "emotionally disturbed" and needed to rest and not work any more.
Therefore, in order to save the eldest lady from having to worry about it, Mrs. Cui took advantage of the situation and handed over the control of the Xue Mansion to the third lady Qian.
The Qian family may not be as good as the Fu family in other aspects, but coming from a merchant family, she is a good hand in money trading.
It has been ten years since she was married to the Xue Mansion, and she became familiar with the general affairs in a few days. With the help of the old lady, she took care of everything in an orderly manner.
In particular, she is rich, not stingy, generous with her money, willing to contribute to various institutions, and very wealthy. There are new tricks in the old lady's house every day, and she is so happy that she can't help but praise her third daughter-in-law for her filial piety.
This comparison reveals Fu's stinginess in running the business.
Everyone in the house felt that they had been favored by the third lady.
If you have breasts, you are a mother. Everyone goes to the lively places, and Qinglan Courtyard becomes completely quiet...
Please...you...collect_6_9_书_吧 (六//九//书//吧)
The eldest lady is really sick.
Xue Yuechen got the news and made a special trip back to his hometown to visit.
Mrs. Fu was lying on the bed, her whole person was no longer the same as before, she looked in a trance, but she was awake, but not very willing to talk to others.
He also said nothing to his biological daughter.
Xue Yuechen sat with him for half a day, sighed helplessly, and told the girl and mother-in-law to take good care of her mother, and then went to Shouanyuan to say goodbye and leave the house...
Aunt Liu refused to give up and went up to her to persuade her a few words. Seeing that Xue Yuechen still had no regrets, she cried a lot when she returned to Qinglan Courtyard and sighed in front of Mrs. Fu.
"The princess is too stubborn. She refuses to listen to the old slave."
"Bring that Xue Liu back, I'm afraid she will suffer a loss in the future."
Mrs. Fu closed her eyes tightly, and slowly slipped her wrists from the brocade quilt. She didn't say a word, only two lines of clear tears slid into the pillow...
-
At noon the next day, Xue Yueying was taken back to Jingyuan Hou Mansion.
It was said that the fetus was unstable. In order to prevent his daughter-in-law from having a miscarriage, Marquis Jingyuan sold his old face and went to the Xuanzheng Hall to kneel down and beg the emperor. The emperor remembered his merits in the past and paid back the money he had earned. Only then did he pardon her and go home to recuperate.
The corruption cases involving Gu Jie and Hu Bu of the Jin Department are still being investigated by Dali Temple, the Punishment Department and Yushitai. Recently, there have been more and more petitions from the public, and petitions are also flying to the emperor's court...
The situation was difficult to calm down and intensified, developing into a situation where "all the people petitioned" and "all the people sued the princess"...
Emperor Chongzhao was worried both internally and externally. He was so worried that his old illness also broke out.
After returning to the inner hall, the emperor started coughing non-stop as soon as he sat down.
Wang Chengxi quickly held up the spittoon, lowered his head and persuaded:
"Your Majesty, you must take care of your dragon body..."
Emperor Chongzhao sighed and waved his hand.
"Tell me, are there a bunch of trash in our hospital? It's been so long, why is there still no explanation for the princess's strange illness?"
Wang Chengxi frowned, "This... I don't understand medicine, so I don't dare to talk nonsense. However, Dr. He from the Imperial Hospital has done his best to serve His Majesty these years. Dr. He and Dr. Hu are from the same hospital." , I have some attainments in medical skills..."
Emperor Chongzhao thought for a while and said: "Go and call me He Yuanzhi."
After a while, He Yuanzhi carried the medical box and arrived in the outer hall sweating profusely to wait for the call.
Emperor Chongzhao asked someone to announce his entry and asked him directly without making any detours.
"What is the root cause of the princess' strange illness?"
He Yuanzhi has been in the palace for so many years and is very cautious. He cannot figure out the emperor's thoughts and dare not say anything casually.
He said: "The princess's illness is violent and extremely strange. Hu Yuanjian has been working hard. He not only convened colleagues from Taiyuan Hospital for three rounds of consultations, but also privately consulted many folk experts to discuss medical principles. In the past two days, Look, Her Royal Highness’s condition has stabilized..."
To stabilize, not to get better.
I have attacks from time to time and have to take medicine to maintain...
People are getting thinner day by day, and their eyes are sunken...
Emperor Chongzhao stared at He Yuanzhi.
When walking in the inner gardens of the palace, always keep an eye out.
It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.
The emperor's eyes were as bright as a torch, and he saw through the seemingly submissive ministers in front of him.
"I want you to tell the truth. Stop trying to prevaricate me with ambiguity!"
He Yuanzhi was startled and quickly lifted up his robe and knelt down.
"Wei Chen...Wei Chen doesn't dare."
Emperor Chongzhao said: "I will pardon your innocence."
He Yuanzhi's heart suddenly turned upside down.
Accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger. The imperial doctors who serve in the imperial hospital are walking on the edge of a knife. If you are lucky, you can enjoy glory and wealth, but if you are not lucky, you may lose your life...
In the past, he would probably have turned a blind eye, closed his eyes, and just pretended to be confused, just like he had done countless times before...
But this time there is an opportunity in front of him...
Zhang Huaicheng from the East Palace came to see him.
Ming ministers in prosperous times, famous for generations, which one is not a huge temptation?
He Yuanzhi took a deep breath, knowing that the only chance in this life was right in front of him.
Whether it's a meteoric rise or a doomed one, that's all in the next words.
He Yuanzhi secretly gritted his teeth and said slowly: "Wei Chen believes that the symptoms of Her Royal Highness's lethargy that day were very similar to the symptoms of a medicine developed by Hu Yuanjing to treat insomnia. Hu Yuanjing named this medicine." Jingmian Powder', I and others privately nicknamed it 'Ecstasy Soup'..."
Emperor Chongzhao's reaction was much calmer than He Yuanzhi imagined.
"Why didn't anyone come to report it at that time?"
He Yuanzhi lowered his head, "I am guilty."
Emperor Chongzhao asked again: "You fool me like this, aren't you afraid that I will chop off your heads?"
He Yuanzhi touched his forehead to the ground and knocked twice. When he raised his head, he had a wry smile on his face.
"Wei Chen's head has always been hanging on the waist of his trousers. Your Majesty is a wise king. If Wei Chen doesn't say anything, Your Majesty will not blame him, and he may be lucky enough to survive. If he does, or if he says it wrong, a If you are not careful, you will die without a burial place. There are still more than 20 young and old in the Weichen family. I dare not talk too much. Please forgive me..."
Before his voice fell, he began to kowtow.
One after another, they knocked loudly in the hall.
Emperor Chongzhao's eyes were slightly cold.
"You mean, this matter has something to do with Pingle?"
He Yuanzhi knelt down and knocked heavily on the ground.
"It is a capital crime for a minor official."
He told the emperor all the rumors in the palace and his speculations, speaking with trepidation. Emperor Chongzhao listened from beginning to end without any unnecessary change of expression on his face, and he did not punish him. He only sent him to Huayi Palace to attend to his illness. If there is any news, he would report back.
He Yuanzhi left overjoyed.
Emperor Chongzhao called Wang Chengxi again.
"How are you these days, Prince?"
Wang Chengxi said: "The prince got up at Mao o'clock, went to the palace of His Majesty and the Queen to greet him, and then returned to the palace. After breakfast, he prepared for morning classes. He listened to the Taifu's discussion of history and learned how to govern the country, and then listened to the prince's attendants reading and explaining the scriptures. Yi... It's lunch time, and I'll play chess with the prince's guests in my free time..."
Emperor Chongzhao frowned more and more, "Nothing unusual?"
Wang Chengxi pondered and said: "Usually, the prince often goes to lead the palace to train troops. He likes to ride and shoot bows and crossbows, but he has never been there these days. He stays in the palace all day."
The emperor gently blew on the tea noodles and said, "Go on."
Wang Chengxi pondered the emperor's thoughts and hesitated to speak.
"I heard from my inquiry that Ye Tingling quietly sent many beauties to the East Palace...but the people in the East Palace kept their mouths shut and did not let outsiders know what happened..."
In the East Palace, there is only one master.
Besides sending the beauty to Shaoyang Palace, where else could she be?
Emperor Chongzhao raised his eyelids and placed the tea cup on the table.
"Not before?"
"No." Wang Chengxi said firmly.
Then he added: "Taifu Lu intended to let his granddaughter marry into the East Palace and form a royal marriage. The queen and the empress nodded in agreement. Unexpectedly, after the spring flower banquet, the prince actually rejected Taifu Lu in person, saying that he was still young. Qing, now I have to concentrate on studying state affairs and have no plans to get married yet..."
In this dynasty, the prince's marriage is a symbol.
After the marriage, the emperor had to give the prince some symbolic powers and responsibilities.
Observing court meetings, sacrificial ceremonies, and assisting in government affairs, in order to cultivate the prince's ability to govern the country and prepare for future succession.
If the prince is not married, many things can be postponed.
Emperor Chongzhao nodded slightly and focused his gaze for a moment.
"Spring Flower Banquet, the prince has been wronged."
After a pause, his expression became cold again.
"I have given you an oral instruction to give the prince a set of four treasures for his imperial study, and a good horse as a tribute from the Western Regions. I urge the prince to study diligently and not to indulge in fun and neglect his studies..."
Emperor: Son, don’t indulge in women.
Li Zhao: ...take care of your daughter.
Xue Sui: Peace, peace and safety.
Author: This is a big fat chapter! See you tomorrow~