Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 74: Not Letting You Down

Fu knew clearly that the old lady had been dissatisfied with her for a long time, but she never expected that such a big matter would not be discussed with her at all, and she did not take her, the legal wife, seriously at all. She was so angry that her hands could not stop shaking.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Xiu Gu wanted to say something but didn't dare to.

After hesitating for a long time, she said, "The old lady said that the first lady should take good care of her illness. This is just a small matter, and the third lady can handle it. There is no need to inform the first lady... In my opinion, the old lady wants to take away the first lady's housekeeper rights."

Fu's eyes suddenly widened and she sat there blankly for a long while before she pulled the corner of the quilt over and slowly lay down on her side, her face against the pillow, crying silently.

"My son...you have lost your life in vain."

She recalled the night of her birth many years ago, and the baby's crying seemed still to her ears.

Both the midwife and the maid said that they had never heard the child cry.

But she heard it clearly.

The child is crying.

He cried that his father was out there drinking and having fun with Xue Ji...

The son is gone, but he happily welcomes his new bride into the family…

"My son, my son, it hurts so much!"

Aunt Liu was so distressed that she went forward and stroked her back to comfort her, and she also started crying.

"Miss, don't be sad. The master and the masters in the mansion will support you. You can't let them get away with it so easily..."

Fu knew in her heart that these were just words of comfort.

Although her parents can help a little, how can they protect her for her whole life?

There are many things that parents and brothers cannot interfere with.

She raised her tearful eyes and asked Xiu Gu, "Has anyone sent someone to ask my eldest brother, Lingxu... Liu Shijuan, how he is doing now?"

Xiu Gu lowered her head.

After a long time, he finally squeezed out two words from between his teeth.

"died."

There was a buzzing sound in Fu's head.

"Dead? How did you die?"

Xiu Gu said: "He died in the prison cell of the Ministry of Justice. They said he committed suicide out of fear of punishment. But from what the master said, it was probably our master who did it..."

Fu's body went limp and she collapsed on the bed.

"Xue Qingzhi, you are so cruel."

She and Liu Shijuan did not have an affair, but they were childhood friends.

If it weren't for this friendship, she wouldn't have dared to take such a big risk to help Liu Shijuan escape punishment, and even provided him with money to escape. And Liu Shijuan didn't have to trick him into the Shangshu Mansion and do such a heinous thing.

I believe Xue Qingzhi has found out all the inside information.

He did not have much genuine affection for the Fu family, but he would definitely protect his own and the Xue family's reputation. If he wanted to completely shut up those gossiping people, Lingxu would definitely not survive if he was sent to the Ministry of Justice's jail.

In fact, she had already thought of this result, but she was powerless to save him...

"Forget it, forget it, it's all injustice. It's all injustice!"
-
As soon as the wedding banquet was over, Xue Qingzhi felt like sitting on pins and needles.

Today, Xue Ji officially became her concubine, and the old lady allocated a new courtyard for their wedding room. He should stay here...

But he really couldn't bear to look at Xue Ji's face.

She was not old, but she was already weak. Her face was as yellow as old paper, and there were marks on her forehead from the Fu family tattoos. Her former beauty had disappeared, and she looked like an old woman...

Guilt and escape were intertwined in his heart. He couldn't sort it out, and he didn't want to sort it out...

Just at this time, the prison guard from the Ministry of Justice came to report.

"Master, the fourth Miss Xue is not feeling well. The warden asked the master to tell us what to do."

Since Fourth Miss Xue was taken away by the officials from the Ministry of Justice, she has sent messages three times claiming to be feeling unwell.

The first two times, Xue Qingzhi ignored her and just arranged her alone in a clerk's cell far away from the prison on the grounds that she was "pregnant" and "taking care of a pregnant woman". It was more like house arrest than imprisonment, and her life was much better than that of other prisoners.

However, the fourth girl has married into the mansion of Marquis Jingyuan, and Marquis Jingyuan doesn't care about his grandson and hasn't said a word. He has fulfilled his duties as a father, and it is not appropriate for him to be the first to step out and get involved in this shocking case.

The news about Xue Yueying tonight suddenly made him feel relieved.

"I'll go and see her."

He went back to his room, changed into some light clothes, and prepared to leave the house.

Who knew that as soon as he walked out of the Chuihua Gate, he saw Xue Sui standing there, with a smile on his face.

"Where are you going, father?"

Xue Qingzhi was stunned.

This Sixth Girl actually has something to do with him?
Seeing that he looked unhappy, Xue Sui smiled even more.

"On the wedding night, the newlyweds will never be left out. Father, don't you agree with this?"

Xue Qingzhi's face darkened.

"I have official business to attend to! Go and keep your aunt company."

Xue Sui looked at him with a smile on his face, but his eyes were icy cold. "My mother has been in the mansion for eighteen years, and has endured hardships for eighteen years. She has also waited for this day for eighteen years. Shouldn't father fulfill his responsibilities as a husband?"

Xue Qingzhi almost couldn't catch his breath.

There are many absurd things in this world, but he has never heard of any daughter controlling where her father sleeps at night...

"Xue Liu, stop being unreasonable!"

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, will you?"

Xue Qingzhi met her gaze with those same clear and beautiful eyes.

But for some reason, he felt uncomfortable. It was as if the moisture in his chest had been squeezed out, as if a wild beast was staring at him. If he dared to move, she would bite through his throat.

That inexplicable panic took him by surprise.

After a long while, Xue Qingzhi finally let out a breath.

That's it!

Don't make it too ugly.

He threw the sleeves of his robe behind him.

"Since you are filial, I will stay and talk to your aunt."

He turned and went back.

Xue Sui looked at the dazed servant beside him and smiled slightly.

"Go tell the fourth young lady that the master is going to spend the wedding night with Aunt Xue tonight and cannot spare the time to visit her."

"The old lady has gone to bed now, so it's not a good idea to disturb her. I'll go and tell her tomorrow morning and ask her to find a doctor to take good care of the fourth young lady..."

The boy nodded hesitantly and looked around.

Xue Sui smiled and said, "If the fourth young lady is really anxious, maybe it would be faster to go to the Marquis's Mansion to report the news. After all, she is pregnant with the Marquis's grandson..."

The servant bowed and left.

Xue Sulong's smile slowly faded away in the night.

Instead, there was a face that was extremely cold.

It is faint and subtle, like solid ice in the cold winter, emitting a bone-chilling chill.

For Xue Qingzhi, facing Xue Ji was very difficult, not only because of her disfigurement, but also because of the torment and vague guilt in his heart...

I remember that back then, the courtesan in Liuxiang Pavilion was so beautiful that her dance could captivate the whole city.

How many princes and nobles were fascinated by her, spending huge sums of money and competing to pursue her, but Xue Ji gave herself to him just because of his promise of "I will not let you down".

"Xue Ji, I have been sorry for you over the years."

Under the window sill, Xue Sui listened to these words without any ripple in his heart.

But she knew that her mother would like to hear it.

She is happy, that's enough.
-
In the Qinglan Courtyard.

When Fu got the news that Xue Qingzhi stayed in Xue Ji's room, she became like a withered night-blooming cereus, staring blankly at the window, sometimes dazed, sometimes grinning foolishly.

"After taking all kinds of precautions and making all kinds of calculations, we still end up at this point."

"What did I do wrong?"

She hates.

I hate it so much.

She regrets.

There is no way to regret.

Her heart and eyes were filled with complaints about the injustice of the world.

"If I had known this would happen, I would have strangled her to death before she was born..."

"I was too kind and spared her life. Good deeds are rewarded with evil."

The next morning, someone in the mansion spread the word privately that the eldest lady had gone crazy.

Yesterday at midnight, a man was sitting by the window singing. If it was someone else, this might not be a big deal, but the eldest lady has always been dignified, and her every move is well-behaved and she strictly abides by the etiquette. How could she learn from those actors and actresses and sing those vulgar songs?

This time, Mrs. Cui was kind enough to send someone to invite a famous doctor from Beijing to come and see the patient.

The doctor said that the eldest lady had "emotional disorder" and needed to rest well and not work too hard.

Therefore, in order to relieve the first lady from the heavy work, Old Lady Cui handed over the power of managing the Xue Mansion to the third lady, Qian.

The Qian family may not be as good as the Fu family in other aspects, but as they come from a merchant family, they are good at money transactions.

She had been married to the Xue family for ten years and became familiar with the household affairs in just a few days. With the guidance of the old lady, she managed everything in perfect order.

Especially since she was rich, not stingy, and generous, willing to give to each courtyard. She was definitely wealthy and powerful. The old lady had new things in her room every day, and she was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling, and kept praising her third daughter-in-law for being filial.

This comparison reveals the stinginess of the Fu family when they were in charge.

Everyone in the mansion felt that they were blessed by the Third Lady.

As long as you have milk, you are my mother. Everyone went to the bustling places, and Qinglanyuan became completely quiet...

The eldest lady is really sick.

Xue Yuechen got the news and made a special trip back home to visit.

Mrs. Fu was lying on the bed. She no longer looked as graceful as before and looked dazed. She was awake but not willing to talk to anyone.

He didn't say a word to his own daughter.

Xue Yuechen sat with her for half a day, sighed helplessly, and told the maids and servants to take good care of his mother. Then he went to Shou'an Court to say goodbye and was about to leave the house...

Nanny Liu refused to give up and went up to her to persuade her tactfully. Seeing that Xue Yuechen still had no intention of regretting, she went back to Qinglan Courtyard and burst into tears, sighing in front of Mrs. Fu.

"The princess is too stubborn. She won't listen to me."

"Bring that Xue Liu back. I'm afraid she will suffer in the future."

Fu closed her eyes tightly, her wrists slowly slipped down from the quilt, she said nothing, only two lines of tears slid into the pillow...
-
At noon the next day, Xue Yueying was taken back to the Jingyuan Marquis Mansion.

The reason was that the fetus was unstable. In order to prevent his daughter-in-law from having a miscarriage, Marquis Jingyuan sold his reputation and ran to the Xuanzheng Hall to beg the emperor. The emperor remembered his merits in the past and compensated most of the money he had embezzled. Only then did he pardon her and let her go home to recuperate.

The cases of embezzlement by Gu Jie of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Revenue are still under investigation by the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate. Recently, there are more and more petitions from the public, and the memorials are flying to the emperor's desk like snowflakes...

The situation was difficult to calm down and became more and more serious, and it even developed into a situation of "people petitioning" and "people suing the princess"...

Emperor Chongzhao was worried both internally and externally, and was extremely anxious, and his old illness flared up.

After returning to the inner hall after court session, the emperor started coughing non-stop as soon as he sat down.

Wang Chengxi quickly held up the spittoon and bowed his head to persuade:

"Your Majesty, please take care of your health..."

Emperor Chongzhao sighed and waved his hand.

"Tell me, are there a bunch of useless people in my imperial hospital? It's been so long, why is there still no explanation for the princess' strange illness?"

Wang Chengxi frowned, "This... I don't know anything about medicine, so I dare not say anything nonsense, but Doctor He from the Imperial Hospital has been serving your Majesty with all his heart and soul over the years. In my opinion, Doctor He and Doctor Hu are from the same school, and they have some medical skills..."

Emperor Chongzhao thought for a moment and said, "Go and call He Yuanzhi to me."

After a while, He Yuanzhi came to the outer hall, carrying a medical box and sweating profusely, waiting to be summoned.

Emperor Chongzhao had him summoned in and asked him directly without beating around the bush.

"What is the root cause of the princess's strange illness?"

He Yuanzhi has been in the palace for so many years and is a very cautious person. He cannot figure out the emperor's mind, so he dare not speak carelessly.

He said, "The princess's illness is very severe and strange. Judge Hu has been working hard to treat her. He not only convened colleagues from the Imperial Hospital for three rounds of consultations, but also privately consulted many folk experts to discuss medical principles. Judging from the past two days, the princess's condition has stabilized..."

Stabilize, not improve.

I have attacks from time to time, and I have to rely on medication to maintain my health...

He became thinner day by day, and his eyes became sunken...

Emperor Chongzhao stared at He Yuanzhi.

When walking in the inner gardens of the palace, one always has to be extra careful.

It is human nature to seek benefits and avoid harm.

The emperor's eyes were as sharp as a torch, and he could see through the seemingly submissive ministers in front of him.

"I want you to tell the truth. Stop being so ambiguous!"

He Yuanzhi was startled and quickly lifted his robe and knelt on the ground.

"Your humble servant...Your humble servant dare not."

Emperor Chongzhao said: "I pardon you from all guilt."

He Yuanzhi's heart was suddenly in turmoil.

Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. The imperial physicians serving in the Imperial Hospital are walking on the edge of a knife. If they are lucky, they can enjoy wealth and glory, but if they are unlucky, they may even lose their lives...

If it were any other day, he would probably have turned a blind eye and pretended to be ignorant, just like he had done countless times before...

But this time he had an opportunity...

Zhang Huaicheng from the Eastern Palace came to see him.

A wise minister in a prosperous era, a man whose reputation will last forever, which one of these is not a huge temptation?
He Yuanzhi took a deep breath, knowing that the only chance in his life was right in front of him.

Whether it is rapid success or eternal damnation depends on the following words.

He Yuanzhi gritted his teeth secretly and said slowly: "I think that the princess's drowsiness that day is very similar to the symptoms of a medicine developed by Hu Yuanpan to treat insomnia. Hu Yuanpan named this medicine 'Quiet Sleep Powder', and we privately call it 'Love Soup'..."

Emperor Chongzhao's reaction was much calmer than He Yuanzhi had imagined.

“Why didn’t anyone report it at that time?”

He Yuanzhi lowered his head and said, "I am guilty."

Emperor Chongzhao asked again: "You are fooling me like this, aren't you afraid that I will chop off your heads?"

He Yuanzhi hit his forehead against the ground twice, and when he raised his head, he had a wry smile on his face.

"My head has always been hanging on my waist. Your Majesty is a wise ruler. If I don't say anything, Your Majesty will not be angry and blame me, and I may be lucky enough to save my life. If I say something, or if I say something wrong, I will die without a burial place. I have more than 20 people in my family, old and young, so I dare not say anything rashly. Please forgive me, Your Majesty..."

He began to kowtow before he finished speaking.

One after another, they knocked their heads in the hall, making a loud bang.

Emperor Chongzhao's eyes were slightly cold.

"You mean, this matter is related to Pingle?"

He Yuanzhi bowed and knelt heavily on the ground.

"I am guilty of the death penalty."

He told the emperor all the rumors in the palace and his own speculations, speaking tremblingly. Emperor Chongzhao listened to the whole thing without any extra expression on his face, and did not punish him. He only sent him to Huayi Palace to take care of the sick and report back if there was any news.

He Yuanzhi left happily.

Emperor Chongzhao then summoned Wang Chengxi again.

"How is the prince these days?"

Wang Chengxi said: "The prince got up at 1:00 a.m. and went to the bedroom of His Majesty and the Queen Mother to pay their respects, and then returned to the palace. After breakfast, he prepared for morning lessons. He listened to the Taifu's discussion of history and learned how to govern the country. Then he listened to the prince's attendant explaining the classics... He had lunch at 1:00 p.m., and played chess and talked with the prince's guests in his spare time..."

Emperor Chongzhao's brows furrowed more and more tightly, "Nothing unusual?"

Wang Chengxi pondered and said, "Usually, the prince often went to the palace to train soldiers. He liked riding, shooting, and bows and crossbows. But he has not been there in the past few days. He has stayed in the palace all day."

The emperor blew gently on the tea surface and said, "Go on."

Wang Chengxi pondered the emperor's thoughts and hesitated to speak.

"I heard that the eunuch sent many beauties to the Eastern Palace quietly...but the people in the Eastern Palace kept their mouths shut and didn't let outsiders know what happened..."

There is only one master in the East Palace.

Where else could the beauty be sent except to Shaoyang Palace?
Emperor Chongzhao raised his eyelids and placed the teacup on the table.

"Never before?"

"No." Wang Chengxi said firmly.

Then he continued, "Grandmaster Lu intended to have his granddaughter marry into the Eastern Palace to form a royal marriage, and the Queen Mother agreed. Unexpectedly, after the Spring Flower Banquet, the Crown Prince rejected Grandmaster Lu in person, saying that he was still young and had to concentrate on studying state affairs, and had no plans to get married..."

In this dynasty, the crown prince's marriage is a symbol.

After the marriage, the emperor had to give the prince some symbolic powers and responsibilities.

He was required to attend court meetings, sacrificial ceremonies, and assist in government affairs in order to cultivate the prince's ability to govern the country and prepare for future succession.

If the prince doesn't get married, many things can be postponed.

Emperor Chongzhao nodded slightly, his eyes fixed for a moment.

"The Spring Flower Banquet, the prince has been wronged."

After a pause, his expression turned cold again.

"Pass on my oral instructions. Grant the Crown Prince a set of four imperial study treasures and a fine horse from the Western Regions as tribute. Urge the Crown Prince to study diligently and not indulge in play 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~