A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 136 Begonia
Fog and clouds shrouded the area, and a light drizzle fell.

The colors of the world gradually darkened.

Even the magnificent Weiyang Palace has lost its former glory.

Outside the Xuan Shi Hall, one eunuch lifted another eunuch's legs to light a lantern. The eunuch being lifted struck a tinder stick, lit the lantern, and covered it with a red veil.

At the same time, lanterns under the eaves of various palaces were lit one after another, gradually merging into patches of red.

From afar, the patches of red contrasted against the boundless gray sky, making the eaves of the enormous palaces appear to float in mid-air between the red below and the gray above.

Inside the main hall, Jiang Bo moved around and lit up the gilded palace lanterns all around. With each lantern lit, the light became three times brighter. Once all the lanterns were lit, the hall returned to its magnificent appearance.

Pingyang Houfu.

He began his career with Cao Can, serving in the Qin Dynasty as a prison clerk in Pei County. In the first year of Qin Er Shi's reign, he joined the uprising in Pei County, fought in numerous battles, rebelled against Qin and destroyed Chu, repeatedly achieving military merits and conquering two states and 122 counties.

After Emperor Gaozu established his capital in Chang'an, he rewarded those who had made meritorious contributions. He ranked second in merit and was granted the title of Marquis of Pingyang.

He served as the Chancellor of Qi and assisted King Liu Fei of Qi. When Emperor Xiaohui ascended the throne, he succeeded Xiao He as Chancellor. He followed the principle of "Xiao's rules and Cao's approach, focusing on recuperation and development." He helped the country to prosper and strengthen its people. In the early days of the Han Dynasty, he played an indispensable role in eliminating the Lü clan.

They have been related to the royal family through marriage for generations.

The fourth-generation Marquis of Pingyang, Cao Shou, married Princess Yangxin, the eldest princess of Emperor Xiaojing. The fifth-generation Marquis of Pingyang, Cao Xiang, married Princess Wei, the eldest princess of His Majesty.

She is also the eldest sister of the Lord, born of the same mother.

Even Zhang Tang, the Imperial Censor, dared not act rashly when it came to such a marquis's mansion, and was extremely cautious.

The Pingyang Marquis's residence is both the residence of Princess Yangxin and the residence of Princess Wei, and the three residences are one entity. A formal imperial edict is required for the investigation to continue.

Prime Minister Gongsun Hong looked at Zhang Tang, his heart filled with shock at the embroidered-robed official's ability to directly point out the censor's abilities. How did he find out this?
"What's going on?" Liu Ju sat up straight.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, recently, when the Prefect of the Capital was investigating the matter of servants leaving the Marquis of Pingyang's residence in the capital, he was shocked to find that a maid had fallen into the water. By the time the person was pulled out, she was already dead. The Prefect of the Capital did not investigate further and left the Marquis's residence. Then, he presented the matter to the Imperial Archives, and the Imperial Censor directly accused the Censor of having... a ...

Zhang Tang looked at Gongsun Hong without continuing, but after hearing Shang Yin's order, he said: "The Imperial Censor has a spy in the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion. After receiving my order, he secretly investigated the maid's drowning and soon learned the maid's identity."

'Begonia'.

Liu Ju and Gongsun Hong looked puzzled.

Crabapple is the name of a flower.

It can promote tissue regeneration and reduce swelling; it can be pounded and applied to sores, carbuncles, and ulcers.

She is described as "the fairy among flowers," "the beauty of the nation," "the noble concubine of flowers," and "the most esteemed among flowers."

In royal gardens, it is often planted alongside magnolias, peonies, and osmanthus, creating an atmosphere of "wealth and honor."

What does it mean to connect people with crabapple blossoms?
“Your Majesty, Princess Pingyang often presents beautiful women to Your Majesty, or exchanges beauties with princes. These women all come from the Haitang family of the Marquis, and their beauty is like that of the Haitang flower, symbolizing wealth and prosperity,” Zhang Tang said respectfully.

Are the crabapple blossoms in bloom?

Liu Ju suddenly felt a strong sense of unease.

Doesn't this mean that Princess Pingyang was bribing beautiful daughters from poor families to present to the emperor and princes in order to gain benefits?

If the woman offered to the emperor or princes gains their favor, she can rise to a high social status.

Was it a marquis's residence, a princess's residence, or a brothel?
What role does Princess Taiping play?
Brothel madam?

Gongsun Hong's lips moved slightly, he thought and thought, but didn't say it. Based on his understanding of the princesses of the Han Dynasty, almost all of them did the same thing, like Princess Pingyang comparing people to flowers. It wasn't hard to guess their purpose: to "sell" the beauties for a good price.

Jiang Bo's expression subtly changed, and even his subordinates slowed down their movements slightly. It was only through his years of experience as a servant that he was able to avoid making a mistake based on instinct.

"Therefore, the secret agent deduced that after the voluntary agreement, the begonias of the Pingyang Marquis's mansion may have wanted to leave their household registration, but were refused by the Marquis's mansion. When the Prefect of the Capital came to investigate, they jumped into the river to seek rescue, but unexpectedly, they drowned in the river."

Twenty thousand coins or ten acres of land cannot even buy a real-world, precious crabapple blossom, let alone the delicate flower cultivated in the Marquis's mansion.

"The secret agents intensified their investigation and came into contact with two crabapple blossoms, learning part of the truth about the crabapple blossoms in the Marquis's mansion and the dead crabapple blossoms."

Zhang Tang paused, giving the Emperor and the old Prime Minister time to prepare themselves, and slowly said, "The crabapple blossoms in the Marquis's residence are a way for the Marquis's residence to present gifts to the Emperor and the princes, but they are also a playground for Princess Pingyang and Marquis Pingyang."

"Are all crabapple blossoms associated with women?" Gongsun Hong couldn't help but ask.

"Everyone is attracted to women."

"That Duke Pingyang..."

Gongsun Hong did not continue speaking; the old man's outdated ideas were almost shattered.

Forbidden love. This was not uncommon among royalty, nobles, and even emperors.

Your Majesty has Han Yan, Emperor Xiaowen had Deng Tong, Emperor Xiaohui had Hong Ru, and even Emperor Gaozu had Ji Ru.

The old man had thought that homosexuality was only among royal men, but he didn't expect that royal women were just as fond of it.

If Princess Pingyang regarded the crabapple blossoms as her playground, then all those crabapple blossoms were Princess Pingyang's women, and Marquis Pingyang, Cao Xiang, was Princess Pingyang's son. The son played with the old... Gongsun Hong considered himself an enlightened prime minister. He had seen and tried his best to understand many things in the world, but this kind of thing was truly incomprehensible.

The old prime minister had dedicated his life to progress, and to this day, the new policies and reforms of the empire were all in his hands. He never expected that, on his deathbed, he would become a conservative!

He subconsciously glanced at the emperor on the throne. The young monarch's face had turned completely black, a blackness unlike any he had ever seen before, a blackness of many colors, very similar to the one he had heard about when he heard that the eldest grandson of the Wei family had an affair with Princess Yangshi.

"Go on."

Upon hearing the voice, Zhang Tang felt the pressure increase even more, and bowed more deeply, respectfully reporting: "The eccentricities of Princess Pingyang and Marquis Pingyang are often unbearable for the begonias in the Marquis's mansion, and the unknown fate makes them even more fearful and uneasy. When the new land policy was announced to the Marquis's mansion, many begonias had the idea of ​​leaving their place of residence."

Princess Pingyang's favorite concubine, also known as the Flower Maiden, asked the other begonias if they wanted to leave the manor. Upon learning that some of the begonias wanted to leave, the Flower Maiden severely punished them. After trying this twice more, none of the begonias in the manor dared to say they wanted to leave.

The dead crabapple blossom was one of the punished flowers. Orphaned and still harboring ill intentions, upon hearing that the Prefect of the Capital had entered the Marquis's residence, she wanted to file a complaint, but was stopped by the Flower Maiden and the Marquis's wicked servants. Forced into a corner, she jumped into the river and lost her life.

In this traditional society, there aren't many things to do for fun, so people have to find ways to play with others.

Many fun things are created for people to play with.

The powerful and influential people of the Han Dynasty, especially the founding heroes, with the exception of a few like Xiao He and Zhang Liang, were mostly from Pei County. The ruffians and scoundrels who grew up in Pei County could not change their vicious and unruly nature even if they became princes and marquises.

By setting an example, their descendants, nurtured by wealth and power, became more vicious, unruly, arrogant, and tyrannical... This was exactly what the emperors of the Han Dynasty wanted to see.

Only when people commit numerous illegal acts and become arrogant and complacent can the court use this as an excuse to reclaim their power and wealth, while forgetting the ordinary people affected by their illegality and arrogance.

She was just pretty, a so-called "beauty in the making," and was spotted by the Second Marquis's Mansion, a founding hero of the Han Dynasty. After being forcibly bought and sold into the mansion, she was taught etiquette, singing and dancing. Once she was raised, she would either be sent to the vast imperial palace or the royal palace at an opportune time, or she would stay in the mansion to enjoy the pleasures of the female and male protagonists.

Gongsun Hong is a typical example of someone who achieves great things late in life. He often uses Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" to describe himself: "The greatest square has no corners, the greatest talent matures late, the greatest sound is silent, the greatest form is formless, and the Tao is hidden and nameless."

The most square thing has no sharp edges; the largest object is made last; the loudest sound is silent; the largest image has no visible form. The Way is hidden and cannot be spoken of.

He believed that all the hardships he endured, from jailers to pig farmers, were deliberate trials from heaven, and that one day he would see a million soldiers and a magnificent spectacle.

He felt this more and more deeply after becoming the first commoner prime minister of the Han Dynasty.

The crabapple blossoms of the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion perished in bitter water. What kind of trial was this from heaven?

Is the next life better?
This is such a ridiculous joke.

Liu Ju tried to calm himself down and looked at Zhang Tang, asking, "Have you obtained the evidence?"

"Your Majesty, we received it, but we didn't receive it either."

"Ok?"

"We only obtained the testimony of those two crabapple blossoms. When the spy wanted more, he was discovered by the steward and Hua Gu of the Pingyang Marquis's residence. The spy withdrew, and the two crabapple blossoms did not leave the Pingyang Marquis's residence," Zhang Tang answered truthfully.

In the vast Marquis's mansion, the new land policy and the death of Haitang occurred one after another. People are not stupid. They were also watching everything in the mansion. When they noticed something unusual, they immediately began to follow the embroidered clothes and the secret agents of the Imperial Censor. After realizing the problem, the secret agents left the Pingyang Marquis's mansion under the pretext of sending out the information and never returned.

Immediately, the Pingyang Marquis's residence strengthened its control over the Begonia Flowers, separating them from ordinary servants. As for the two Begonia Flowers who provided testimony, the Embroidered Robe pointed out that the Imperial Censor did not even know whether they were alive or dead.

If it were an ordinary powerful family, Zhang Tang would dare to search their residence and arrest people based solely on the evidence. However, with such limited evidence, he simply couldn't break into Princess Pingyang's residence.

The Empress Dowager, the Marquis of Gao, and the Princess Chang represent the three major powers of the imperial family, meritorious officials, and the Wei clan, which are also the three formidable obstacles facing Zhang Tang.

Just then, Jiang Bo reported, "Your Majesty, Bian Tong, the Minister of Justice, has come to see you."

"Xuan."

Bian Tong entered the main hall and noticed that the Prime Minister and the Imperial Censor were both present. He paused for a moment, then respectfully addressed the Emperor towards the throne, saying, "May Your Majesty live a thousand years and enjoy endless happiness."

"What brings you here?"

"Your Majesty, just now Princess Pingyang's residence reported to the Court of Justice that a maid in the residence committed suicide and drowned."

Zhang Tang became alert and looked towards Bian Tong.

Why did you commit suicide?

"Having lost both parents, she died of her passion. Princess Pingyang's household petitioned the court to confer upon her the title of 'Heroic Woman'."

(End of this chapter)