The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Adopting a goddaughter is a folk custom, also known as becoming a godparent or worshipping a godparent. The godparent has similar status and obligations to a biological daughter, and has certain etiquette and rituals.

First, the consent and approval of both families are required, and secondly, a formal ceremony is required.

What’s more, she is the Queen’s adopted daughter!

After learning of Lin Ruhai's reply, the Ministry of Clan Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory began preparations without informing the palace.

This news soon spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital, making countless people envious.

However, the queen was not in a very good mood at this time.

Li Yuanzheng, the chief physician of the Imperial Hospital, and several other doctors had arrived. They were standing outside the warm room in silence, waiting for the Queen to review Shufei's medical records.

After reading the medical records, the queen slowly raised her head and looked at the pearl curtain: "You must take the pulse carefully and take good care of the concubine. If you can cure Concubine Shu's illness, the emperor will reward you greatly!"

The doctors said: "Yes."

The queen closed the medical records and asked, "How is Prince Kang's illness?"

Li Yuanzheng: "In reply to the Queen, His Royal Highness Prince Kang is blessed by heaven. As long as he takes good care of himself and rests well, his illness will improve. Please rest assured, Queen."

The Queen nodded and said, "If there are any changes in the condition of Concubine Shu and Prince Kang, you must report it to the Emperor immediately. Do you understand?"

The doctors said: "Yes."

The Queen said: "Go and get busy." Then she handed Concubine Shu's medical record to the eunuch in charge.

The warm room soon fell into silence.

The queen picked up the rosary beads on the table and rubbed them one by one. The illness of Concubine Shu was really strange and the symptoms were also strange, just like Concubine Xian's at the beginning. But Concubine Xian was the one who replaced a medicine in the imperial pharmacy.
Thinking of this, the Queen tightened her grip on the rosary. Could it be that there were fake medicines in the Imperial Pharmacy? Impossible. Any movement in the Imperial Pharmacy would be hidden from her eyes.

There was nothing wrong with Li Yuanzheng's prescription and the medicine, so could it be that the problem was with Concubine Shu's palace? Or Concubine Shu.
The queen stood up suddenly and shouted, "Someone come!"

The eunuch in charge came in in response.

The Queen: "Get ready, I'm going to go see Concubine Shu."

Before he could finish his words, a female official came in holding a tray. On the tray, there was a large piece of red paper on the golden satin.

Female official: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites has drafted three titles for the daughter of the Lin family." Then she presented them.

"Oh? So fast?" The queen smiled again and picked up the piece of paper to read it.

The female official smiled and said, "Jia Yucun, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was once hired by Governor Lin as a guest to teach the daughter of the Lin family."

The Queen nodded with a satisfied smile. Jia Yucun was capable, but he was too active, too shrewd, and fickle, so he should not be reused. Well, he was also greedy for money. I heard that he made a lot of money from the Jurchen Tartar Heshen.

At this moment, the sound of hurried running was heard outside the warm room.

The eunuch in charge's face changed and he was about to walk out and scold.

A young eunuch rushed in and almost tripped over the doorstep. He knelt on the ground, panting: "Anhui, six hundred miles away, urgent. The Duke of Lu sent people to kill the Anhui governor's family."

The Queen frowned and asked, "What did the Anhui Provincial Governor do wrong?"

"I don't know." The young eunuch took a breath and continued, "There was also an urgent message from Luoyang. The Duke of Lu killed more than 10,000 people overnight. He killed all the gentry in Luoyang and destroyed more than 10 temples."

The queen's face changed and she asked anxiously, "What's going on?!"

Young eunuch: "The express was sent to the cabinet. The three old men of the cabinet and the officials of the six ministries and nine officials have already gone to the study."

The queen was silent for a moment: "Go, ask Chief Officer Dai what's going on!"

The young eunuch responded and retreated.

The nanmu rosary in the queen's hand was spinning slowly, and then faster and faster. The eunuchs and ladies-in-waiting glanced at the rosary in the queen's hand, holding their breath.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of hurried running was heard again outside the warm room.

The young eunuch ran in, sweating all over his brow, holding an official document in his hand.

Young eunuch: "A copy, a copy sent urgently from Luoyang"

The eunuch in charge snatched the document and handed it to the queen.

The queen took the document and quickly unfolded it to read. As she read, her expression gradually relaxed and she asked, "Where did you get the copy?"

The young eunuch said, "In reply to your Majesty, there is a disagreement among the cabinet and the six ministries and nine officials. Some believe that Duke Lu is guilty, some believe that Duke Lu has made great contributions, and some believe that Duke Lu should not have killed the elderly, the weak, women and children. The emperor has issued an order to send the urgent dispatch from Luoyang to all government offices in the capital for review, and to post copies at all city gates. A grand court meeting will be held in the Fengtian Hall tomorrow."

The queen understood that the emperor had actually stood on Li Hu's side. Unfortunately, Dashun was not the Manchu Tartars. The ministers were the slaves of the Tartar pseudo-emperor. The emperor of Dashun could not hold absolute power. Moreover, Li Hu had not only offended the gentry of the world, but also Buddhism. The forces involved behind this were a headache for the emperor.

Li Hu cannot get away with this unscathed!

Thinking of this, the queen sighed. Li Hu was too good at causing trouble.

After looking at the copy again, the queen nodded. Li Hu was still very smart. "One who has received favors from others will be grateful, and one who has received food from others will be soft-hearted." Just for the sake of these properties, the emperor had to protect Li Hu, not to mention that he had made great contributions and there was solid evidence.

As she was thinking, the queen suddenly caught sight of the big red paper and her heart skipped a beat. Could Li Hu have done this on purpose? !
No, according to the time of the express delivery, Li Hu went to Luoyang before the letter from the daughter of the Lin family arrived in Nanyang.

The queen was relieved, but then frowned again. After something like this happened, the ceremony could not be held, at least not now. But this would hurt the Li and Lin families, and the daughter of the Lin family was the apple of Li Hu's eye.
The queen sighed. It would be better if Li Hu didn't kill the elderly, the weak, women and children. Those upright people would definitely make a fuss about this matter. She had to consider the reputation of the royal family.

After thinking for a while, the queen pulled out a golden phoenix hairpin and said to the female official, "Send this golden phoenix hairpin to the daughter of the Lin family and tell her that I and the prince will speak for Li Hu and tell her not to worry."

The woman took the golden phoenix hairpin with both hands and said, "Yes." She bowed and walked out.

The queen walked to the couch and sat down.

The eunuch in charge hesitated for a moment and said softly, "Your Majesty, the Empress Shufei is there..."

The queen waved her hand: "No."

The eunuch in charge said, “Yes.”

After seeing off the three cabinet members, Dai Quan returned to the study and saw that Emperor Yongchang was still reviewing memorials, so he went to the compartment, brought back a copper kettle and made some tea.

Emperor Yongchang did not raise his head, but asked, "What do you think?"

Dai Quan answered as he did in the past: "Those who deserve rewards must be rewarded, and those who deserve punishment must be punished."

Emperor Yongchang continued to wave his hand and review the memorials: "Rewards should be given properly, and punishments should be given for a legitimate reason. He did nothing wrong."

Dai Quan smiled bitterly. Li Hu really posed a big problem for the emperor and the court. Zhou Rui and the spy from the Northern Pacification Division had received a secret report yesterday. He had been thinking about it all night and didn't know how to convict Li Hu.

In this matter, Li Hu handled it flawlessly, with irrefutable evidence, and there is no problem with it legally, except that he lacked moral character.

But he was a military general, so killing a few people was nothing, especially when they were thieves who were in collusion with bandits.

It’s difficult!
At this moment, the eunuch on duty came in holding a memorial and said softly, "Your Majesty, this is sent from Yuqing Palace."

"Oh?"

Emperor Yongchang then raised his head and put down his red brush. "Are you pleading for Li Hu?"

The eunuch on duty looked embarrassed.

Emperor Yongchang: "What's wrong?"

The chief eunuch on duty said: "This is not a memorial from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. It is a joint memorial from several masters in the Zhanshi Mansion, impeaching Duke Lu for his arrogance and embezzlement of military funds." (End of this chapter)