Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 134 Filial Piety

Chapter 134 Filial Piety
Wen Jia met Empress Xie in a side hall of the Pepper Palace.

The side hall is shaded by green trees, and sunlight shines through the carved window lattices, casting mottled light and shadows, making it cooler than the main hall.

Empress Xie placed an ice basin for cool drinks and laid out fruit tea and flowers, creating a cool and comfortable atmosphere.

"Fuyin pays respects to the Queen Mother."

"Save the formalities. Come, Wenjia, come and sit down."

Empress Xie raised her wrist and motioned in a gentle voice for her to sit down with her.

"The long, bitter heat outside the window has startled the summer cicadas into becoming even more noisy. This is the lychee flower dew I prepared especially for you, with some iced mint. Do you think it suits your taste?"

Wen Jia did not sit down, but stood with his head bowed, respectful.

"Fuyin is in mourning and complaining in public, causing the people to fight for Fuyin's rights. It is not appropriate for him to sit here and enjoy himself. Your Majesty has summoned Fuyin here, and I hope you will give her a clear warning."

Queen Xie laughed and spoke softly.

"Do you know that the sound of the drum for reporting angered His Majesty? I felt sorry for your recent loss of your husband and the fact that you have a child to take care of. I couldn't bear His Majesty's harsh criticism of you, so I called you here to give you some words of advice. Do you understand my painstaking efforts?"

Cold mist curled up in the ice basin, and a hint of coolness spread.

Wen Jia slowly knelt down.

The carpet with peony branches made her mourning clothes look like snow, showing her determination.

"Fuyin understands mother's intentions. But Fuyin is unwilling to accept it."

Queen Xie sighed softly, her tone full of pity.

"I have seen all the hardships you have endured over the years. But His Majesty has always been protective of his shortcomings. If you continue to be stubborn, I am afraid that good results will not come. It is better to admit your mistakes first and calm down this storm."

Wen Jia said firmly, "Mother, Fu Yin has done nothing wrong."

Queen Xie was slightly startled.

Wen Jia said: "My Queen Mother is very kind, and Fu Yin is deeply touched. But since Fu Yin has done such a shocking thing, he must have considered the consequences thoroughly..."

She knelt down and kowtowed solemnly again.

"I'm afraid Fuyin will let down the queen mother's kindness."

Queen Xie looked at her determined expression and smiled softly after a long time.

"You have more backbone than before."

Wen Jia has indeed changed a lot.

It's not her appearance that has changed, but the courage and resilience that emanates from her bones. She is completely different from the timid and cowardly Princess Wenjia in memory.

The Queen gently waved her peony round fan and asked with a faint smile.

"Noble Concubine Xiao said that when you were at Puji Temple, you went to see Madam Ping'an of Prince Duan's Mansion?"

"Mother's clear warning."

Wen Jia looked calm and said calmly, "That day, Fuyin accompanied the monks of Puji Temple to offer the 'Rebirth Mantra', and it happened that the princess was holding a ceremony for a maid who died unjustly. By chance, Fuyin also told Madam Ping'an a few stories from the 'Ksitigarbha Sutra', which made the imperial concubine take the trouble to inquire about it."

Empress Xie nodded slightly, and without further questioning, she turned to speak earnestly:

"I know your intentions. But you must understand that the dignity of the emperor cannot be challenged. Your actions this time were really too reckless. Your father is very kind to let me wake you up. Wen Jia, you should know how to judge the situation and act accordingly..."

"Fuyin understands."

Queen Xie was telling her that she should know when to stop.

If you violate the Holy Majesty, the consequences will be disastrous.

"Mother, Fuyin came here with the determination to make a desperate effort. You may as well tell father that Fuyin does not want to kill her own flesh and blood or put her to death. It's just that our ancestors' teachings clearly state that filial piety is the root of virtue and the cornerstone of goodness. For children, being filial is like following the will of heaven. If Fuyin turns a blind eye to the suffering of her biological mother in the cold palace, how is she different from an animal?"

Queen Xie was slightly moved.

"You want to take this opportunity to ask His Majesty to release Concubine Wan from the cold palace..."

Wen Jia said: "I want my father to declare her innocent. And..."

She paused, looking at the palace wall looming outside the window, her eyes full of expectation.

"The palace is cold and gloomy, which is not conducive to recuperation. I beg you to show me extra mercy and allow Concubine Wan to go to the West Mountain Palace for recuperation."

Empress Xie looked at her deeply and asked, "What if you can't get what you want?"

Wen Jia straightened his back and bowed once again.

"Fuyin will fight to the death to seek justice for her biological mother."

"What a good Princess Wenjia." Empress Xie clenched her handkerchief tightly, her eyes suddenly stern, "Beat the drum to appeal for justice, plead your case in public, are you going to perform the whole "Mulian Saves His Mother" for the whole world to see?"

Wen Jia bowed his head to the ground, with the wide sleeves of his mourning clothes spread out on the ground.

"Mother, calm down."

She met Empress Xie's sharp eyes.

"When the queen was reorganizing the harem and beating the evil servants with a stick, she said that the lowered eyebrows of the Bodhisattva are a sign of compassion, and the angry eyes of the Vajra are also a sign of compassion. Wen Jia is unable to kill the evildoers, but he is willing to risk his life to protect his relatives."

At this moment, a breeze suddenly blew across the Pepper Room, making the pearl curtains jingle, just like the lingering sound of the drum outside the Chengtian Gate, which lingered for a long time.

Queen Xie stood up slowly.

"It's rare that you have such a filial heart."
-
Dusk gradually fell, and candlelight flickered in the golden palace with jade eaves.

Empress Xie fluttered her wide sleeves and stepped forward to pay her respects.

"Your Majesty, Wen Jia has been appeased."

Emperor Chongzhao was not surprised by this.

The image of that daughter has long been deeply rooted in his mind.

He even felt that Queen Xie's move was unnecessary. In his opinion, Wen Jia would never dare to go against the royal family and the court.

"It's good that she doesn't cause trouble anymore. I will spare her for now. You can leave as well."

He said casually without even looking up.

Queen Xie didn't care about his indifference. She bowed slightly, her fingertips unconsciously stroking her sleeves before she spoke again.

"Wen Jia said that the cold palace is damp and cold, and Consort Wan suffers from coughing up blood. She is afraid that it is in conflict with the earth's energy in the imperial city. She wants to ask His Majesty to move Consort Wan to the West Mountain Palace for recuperation..."

Queen Xie looked calm and spoke in a gentle tone.

Emperor Chongzhao suddenly looked up, with an incredible look on his face, and rebuked angrily.

"Asshole! Is she threatening me?"

"Your Majesty, it is a request. Concubine Wan has been in the cold palace for eleven years, and she still can't get a pardon?"

Empress Xie thought of Wen Jia's thin figure kneeling in front of her, and from an angle that the emperor couldn't see, a hint of sarcasm appeared in her eyes.

"After all, she is Wen Jia's biological mother. It is only natural for me to ask Your Majesty for mercy."

"The queen is kind-hearted."

Queen Xie seemed not to understand his ridicule and continued to smile.

"Wen Jia is willing to use her life as a guarantee, and asks Your Majesty to preserve her filial piety."

"Filial piety?" Emperor Chongzhao sneered, "She is using the people's will to control the emperor! This is extremely unfilial!"

The emperor's attitude was firm and tough.

Obviously, if Concubine Wan was released, it would mean that the emperor had done something wrong, or that the emperor had shown weakness in the threat from Wen Jia.

How could an emperor bow his head so easily?

Empress Xie saw through him thoroughly and knew that he valued his dignity more than anything else, so she said slowly:

"Your Majesty, do you know that Fan Bing had a lot of evidence of corruption and abuse of power in Pingle before his death? All of this is in Wen Jia's hands. The Luo River burst its dike, cheated in the imperial examination, and misappropriated disaster relief funds..."

As she spoke, she raised a blood-stained silk book above her head.

"This is Wen Jia's petition. It says that Xiao Zhengyuan, the Minister of Works, knew that the dike was going to collapse, but he still allocated 100,000 taels of silver to Pingle to build a villa, and allowed the flood to wreak havoc, causing hundreds of thousands of people to be displaced..." Emperor Chongzhao's pupils suddenly shrank, and he motioned for Wang Chengxi to take it.

Xiao Zhengyuan is the nephew of Concubine Xiao.

This relationship is like a sharp sword hanging over the heads of the royal family. Any carelessness will cause turmoil in the court.

Seeing that the emperor frowned and remained silent for a long time, Empress Xie advised softly, "Why not move Consort Wan to the temporary palace for recuperation? This will also be an explanation to Wen Jia. This will not only demonstrate your majesty's kindness, but also calm the people's grievances and appease Xizi."

The ticking sound of the copper clock in the corner of the hall broke the brief silence.

Emperor Chongzhao gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly with both hands and spoke coldly.

"In my life, I hate being threatened the most..."

Just like he had to marry her back then?

Empress Xie's eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, do you still remember Concubine Wan?"

Senna was given the name "Wen" because she is gentle, graceful, quiet and peaceful.

She was also a woman who had been favored by Emperor Chongzhao.

"Your Majesty, you can't remember?"

Empress Xie smiled faintly, "What Wan Zhaoyi did back then was not a big mistake. Your Majesty must have punished her out of consideration for the current situation. Xizi is far away from the border, and I don't understand the affairs of the court. But now the border of Daliang is unstable, and Xizi and our dynasty have long been resentful. Your Majesty, if you move Wan Zhaoyi out of the cold palace now, it may ease the tension between the two countries and benefit Daliang."

Emperor Chongzhao looked at the empress with deep eyes.

Normally, she is careful in her words and actions, abides by her duties, and never easily expresses her opinions on state affairs.

She was afraid of being suspected of meddling in government affairs, which might give her some evidence against her or cause his displeasure.

But today, for Wen Jia, he contradicted him several times and told him the pros and cons.

Emperor Chongzhao asked: "Why do you speak for them?"

Empress Xie thought for a moment, "The lips and teeth are interdependent."

Emperor Chongzhao's expression suddenly turned ugly.

After a moment of silence, he asked again, "How is Concubine Wan?"

Empress Xie slowly straightened up, and the phoenix hairpin cast a tiny shadow on her forehead.

"I heard that her mind has gradually become confused over the years. She often sits on the doorstep holding an old cloak, stroking it repeatedly and muttering to herself. On the Dragon Boat Festival, I went to visit her. The cloak seemed to be a reward from the emperor when he went on the autumn hunt. It was already old... She could not recognize me, but gave me a glass hairpin..."

She gently took out the glass hairpin from her sleeve and presented it with both hands.

Emperor Chongzhao looked at her in confusion.

Empress Xie said, "Your Majesty, don't you remember? This colored glaze hairpin was given to you when your Majesty conferred the title of Consort Wan on you."

Emperor Chongzhao's hands on the table tightened slightly.

When the Sith woman was dragged into the cold palace, she screamed miserably in the Sith language, which he could not understand, and cried bitterly. Her smart eyes were full of despair and resentment.

At that time, a palace servant who was familiar with the Xizi language said that it was a curse from the Xizi country. Concubine Wan was cursing him to die a bad death and cursing the Daliang royal family to suffer endless disasters and the country to decline.

He was extremely angry.

He had been busy with court affairs for so many years and had never thought of her.

But he didn't know that she actually treasured the glass hairpin he gave her.

"Pass on my oral order to pardon Consort Wan Zhaoyi and send her to the Xishan Palace. Ask the imperial physician to examine her and prescribe medicine to treat her serious illness."

The emperor grabbed the red pen and was about to approve the memorial when he looked up again.

"The Queen should do it herself."

Letting Empress Xie do it means not letting Concubine Xiao interfere.

The emperor, with a mind as clear as a mirror, is actually not confused about major issues.

However, he would indulge Pingle and her daughter in every way, and would be biased towards them to the end even if the evidence was conclusive.

This is the difference between like and dislike.

Empress Xie nodded slightly, "I obey your order."
-
Early the next day.

Concubine Xiao in Ruijin Palace heard the news.

She was so angry that she threw the freshly brewed celadon teacup to the ground and broke it into pieces.

"The Queen is really calculating! She thought that by releasing that crazy woman and showing favor to Wen Jia, she could take the opportunity to overthrow me?"

Nanny Deng smiled apologetically and consoled her softly.

"Please calm down, Concubine. The Queen is just feeling proud for a moment. Why bother with her?"

Concubine Xiao snorted, stood up from her chair, and the hairpins on her head rang with anger.

"My daughter is the golden branch and jade leaf, and my son is the destined one. How can the love between me and Your Majesty be compared with others?"

Madam Deng responded, "Of course. Who in the entire harem doesn't know the affection between the Imperial Concubine and His Majesty? Which son of a noble family can compare to the dignity of Princess Pingle and His Majesty the Prince of Duan?"

Concubine Xiao suddenly sneered: "Xie Suxin wants to alienate the relationship between me and Your Majesty? Then I will let her have a taste of what it means to suffer the consequences of one's own actions."

Before she finished speaking, the jade bead on her wrist suddenly broke.

With a "bang", it fell all over the ground.

Seeing this, Concubine Xiao became even angrier.

"Come here, ask Madam Zhenguo to pass the sign into the palace and tell her... tell her that I have something to discuss with you."

Madam Zhenguo is the mother of Concubine Xiao. She is good at calculating and ruthless. She has a high prestige in the circle of noble ladies in Beijing. She is good at using various means to seek benefits for the Xiao family and has helped Concubine Xiao resolve crises in the palace many times...
-
"Xishan Palace is a good place to go."

Xue Sui interrupted Jinshu's words and Luo Zidai lightly raised her eyebrows.

"Wen Jia made a brilliant move. In this hot and humid season, the climate in Xishan is pleasant, quiet and cool. It is not far from Puji Temple. She can also take Niuniu to the temple to pray for blessings and avoid disputes."

Jinshu nodded slightly, a worried look on his face.

"Princess, I am worried that Concubine Xiao will not easily swallow this anger. Miss, do you think she will take any action?"

Xue Sui: "Of course."

She turned her head and blinked, a smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

"There are so many beauties in the Daliang harem, and new beauties are emerging one after another. However, no one has ever shaken Concubine Xiao's position in the emperor's heart. How could a person who is used to being spoiled give up?"

Jinshu asked quietly, "What is the girl's countermeasure?"

Xue Sui lightly used her fingertips to trace the word "Jing" on the bronze mirror on her dressing table with the help of black ink.

It is better to be still than to move.

"Use stillness to control movement, and sit firmly on the fishing platform."

Snap!
Xiao Zhao knocked something over under the eaves, startling Ling Yu so much that he flapped his wings.

Then, there were the sounds of light footsteps moving outside the window.

Xue Sui winked at Jinshu, then suddenly reached out and picked up the teacup on the wooden table and poured the tea towards the half-open window.

"How dare you be a thief in broad daylight!"

She thought it was Li Zhao.

The window remained silent for a long time.

After a moment, she was about to get up to check what was going on.

There was a knock on the door. I walked forward and opened it. When I looked up, I met Li Huan's deep eyes.