Chapter 19 A handful of ashes in the secret prosperous era.

The Shen family fell, the imperial concubine passed away, and Prince Yu now has nothing.

No one knew what had afflicted him. He hadn't eaten or drunk anything for days, lying flat on his couch, his face reportedly gaunt and dry. When Emperor Yongchang heard about this, the old man finally rekindled some of his fatherly affection. He sent the best doctors, used the finest medicine, and even personally visited Prince Yu's residence, where he spent a whole day in private conversation with his third son. From then on, Prince Yu's residence was no longer sealed off, and Emperor Yongchang granted Prince Yu permission to see anyone he wished to see.

Zhou Xian was very surprised to learn that Prince Yu wanted to see her.

"If you don't want to see him, I will put this matter off for you." Zhang Jinwei said worriedly.

Zhou Xian, however, said unconcernedly, "My brother is seriously ill. How can I, as his sister, not go and see him? Besides, I have something to discuss with him."

When a person is about to die, languishing on his sickbed, barely hanging on to his last breath, he must be lonely. So those related by blood, those who shared his bed, those with whom he had connections, those with whom he had grudges, those who had received favors from him... all rush to see him one last time, as if a single confession of love and hatred by his deathbed would erase a lifetime of love, hate, and grudges.

However, Zhou Shan and Zhou Cong still had some unresolved grievances.

Zhou Xian thought for a moment, then turned to Yu Xi and said, "Aunt, go get the thirty-year-old ginseng from my dowry, put it in a box, and bring it to Prince Yu's mansion tomorrow. It's just a token of my appreciation."

Zhang Jinwei said calmly, "The princess is already doing him a favor by going to see him. He's beyond medical help now. He might be breathing today, but he might be dead tomorrow. Even a thousand-year-old ginseng wouldn't help. The princess herself isn't in good health either, so why not keep this old ginseng? I'll have Old Jiang stew it with a hen to nourish the princess."

Why does it sound like you want Prince Yu to die sooner than I do?

Zhou Xian was sipping his tea when he heard this and nearly choked. He raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Jinwei curiously, only to find that he still looked like a gentleman, with a smile on his face.

He couldn't help but sit a little further away.

Although Wang Xiang was there to inquire about the court's movements for him, he could only find out superficial information and could not get any more specific information. For example, it was actually a memorial that crushed Prince Yu, which listed eight major crimes of Prince Yu in such fierce language that Emperor Yongchang was silent. Later, the truth was revealed.

The person who submitted the memorial was named Liu Shizhong, a seventh-rank official. Coincidentally, he was Zhang Jinwei's senior brother and had received favors from Zhang Jinwei.

In a few words, Yu Xi had packed the ginseng and several other precious medicinal materials into a red lacquered wooden box and placed it on a small table.

Zhou Xian opened it and took a look. He was very satisfied and felt a little sleepy. It was time for a nap, so he stretched himself, slid onto the small couch, and gently closed his eyes.

The weather warmed up in the afternoon, and with charcoal burning in the house, it shouldn't be cold. Zhang Jinwei said nothing, staring at his wife for a long time with his eyes lowered. He smiled silently, brought a blanket from the side, and covered her with it.

He reached out and touched his wife's cheek. Unlike her small, oval face, it felt fleshy, soft, and delicate.

He inquired about the affair between Zhou Xian and Prince Yu, only to discover that ten years prior, the young Prince Yu had accidentally pushed Princess Jiayi into the water, causing her to become seriously ill and take six months to recover. The pond in the Imperial Garden wouldn't kill you, but a fall from a height would break bones. Since Zhou Xian was lucky enough to survive, the matter was left unresolved.

Afterwards, Concubine Shen said that Prince Yu was young and inevitably clumsy, so please be more understanding.

But if you do something wrong, you must be punished. Even if it's just a child, you shouldn't just brush it off so easily. If you don't correct your childhood mistakes, you'll become more complacent as you grow older, and eventually suffer the consequences of your own actions, being unkind and unjust.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jinwei couldn't help but sigh, closed his eyes, bent down and kissed his wife's face.

…

Several maids emerged from the room, supporting a noblewoman as they cautiously emerged from Prince Yu's chambers. The noblewoman, elegant in appearance, was heavily pregnant and looked haggard. Upon seeing Zhou Shan, she softly said, "I'm not feeling well. I'm afraid I can't pay my respects to the princess."

Zhou Xian said, "The princess is pregnant, so naturally her health is the most important thing. Why should she worry about these empty formalities?"

Princess Yu forced a smile at him and said, "Princess, please go in and take a look. The master is quite energetic today. He just ate some porridge and was thinking about the princess."

Are you thinking about me?

Zhou Xian sneered inwardly as he walked slowly into the bedroom, but couldn't help but turn back and glance at Princess Yu a few more times. She had been married to Zhou Cong for seven years, never having been favored. She had only become pregnant the previous year, but she had never expected the child to lose its father before it was even born.

There was no time to express any emotion, as the eunuch inside urged her on. Zhou Xian withdrew her gaze, and with light steps, she drifted towards the depths of the palace.

The room was dimly lit, heavily draped, and filled with the strong smell of medicine, sandalwood, and a subtle, unpleasant stench of decay.

The stench was very faint, but Zhou Xian had a keen nose and knew what it was the moment he sniffed it—

It's the breath of death.

Three years ago, when Fu Ningxiang was struggling on the hospital bed before her death, the room was filled with this atmosphere.

Zhou Xian's heart suddenly felt empty.

"You...are here."

A hoarse voice came from the couch not far away. The skinny Zhou Cong waved to him tremblingly, then pointed to the armchair beside the couch and said with a weak breath, "Come, sit here."

Zhou Xian didn't say anything. He looked at Zhou Cong, from the man's thin face to his bony chest. He seemed to see Fu Ningxiang's appearance back then, and he couldn't help but feel dazed for a moment.

What disease did Zhou Cong have?

What disease did Fu Ningxiang have?

"You're still afraid of me." Zhou Cong saw him standing there in a daze, chuckling. As he laughed, he started coughing. He coughed so hard that it seemed as if he was coughing out his internal organs. After a pause, he said, "I'm terminally ill. There's no way I'm going to push you into this again. Zhou Shan, what are you afraid of?"

There's really nothing to be afraid of.

It's just that people are born afraid of death.

Zhou Xian's back was covered in cold sweat. Zhou Cong's words brought him back to his senses. He didn't sit down on the chair, but stood, not too far from the bed, just enough to see Zhou Cong clearly. He said, "Why should I be afraid of you?"

Zhou Cong coughed and laughed twice: "Yes, I should be afraid of you. I don't understand why you, a liar pretending to be a woman, are so good at blowing pillow talk. You are also responsible for my current situation!"

Zhou Xian raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with me? You couldn't resist the temptation and insisted on colluding with Shen Wen. You pocketed the money, but you almost lost your life. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. What does this have to do with others?"

Unexpectedly, Zhou Cong reacted violently as soon as he said this. He looked frail and suddenly sat up from the couch, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets as he looked at Zhou Shan in horror.

It was as if Zhou Xian was a ghost.

Zhou Xian felt bewildered. He raised his hand to touch his hair, then looked back. There was no one behind him, only a dark red carpet and dark curtains. There was not a single eunuch or maidservant, and a cold spring breeze blew through the hall.

"A few days ago... he was standing behind you..." Zhou Cong muttered, trembling all over. "He also said, Cong'er, you're asking for trouble... No, no! I was clearly deceived into thinking that the Jiangzhe incident was his intention... I, I... cough cough..."

Zhou Shan was startled. He turned around in panic and heard a "bang". Zhou Cong fell straight to the ground and struggled non-stop on the ground. Like a wriggling skeleton, he was covered with a brocade quilt embroidered with a five-clawed python. He crawled towards Zhou Shan desperately, muttering something in his mouth. The sound was so unclear that Zhou Shan could not make it out.

He was so frightened that he quickly took a few steps back, wanting to scream and call for someone to come in. But Zhou Cong grabbed his ankle, tilted his head back, tears streaming down his face, and laughed crazily, "Zhou Xian... my dear sister, my dear brother, let me tell you a secret, okay?"

"Let me go!" Zhou Xian was shocked and angry. He shook off the man's hand and took several steps back, almost falling to the ground. He stared at him, and a voice in his heart frantically stopped him, telling him to leave quickly, not to stay, and not to listen. But he refused to give up, and his steps hesitated for a moment.

Zhou Cong smiled, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. Seeing Zhou Xian panicked was a profound relief. It was just like the time over a decade ago when that little kitten, so frail, trembled in his palm. A surge of evil surged within him, a desire to strangle her with his own hands to undo the hurt he'd suffered at the hands of his father.

Zhou Cong laughed heartily, "Do you know why that bitch, the Queen, hates your mother?"

Zhou Xian stared at him fiercely.

Zhou Cong said, "Junfu, what Junfu? He's nothing but the biggest pest and the most rampant human trafficker in the world! How could there be a Second Miss of the Fu family? She's just a decent woman he fell in love with during his incognito visit! He went to such great lengths to get her into the palace, and to cover up the truth, he went to such great lengths to kill the Fu family... Why do you think the Queen hates Concubine Jing? A scandalous act of robbing a commoner woman, hahaha... actually happened in the royal family! It's a great shame!"

The noises from within the palace alarmed those outside, and countless eunuchs and maids rushed in, but the lifeless room remained utterly devoid of life. Zhou Cong practically went mad, laughing and coughing, his coughs leaving blood all over the floor.

Zhou Xian looked at him and tears fell unconsciously.

He thought, so that's how it is, it turns out Fu Ningxiang was murdered. She had been suffering from heart disease since she became the second daughter of the Fu family. She was sucked of her marrow by the supreme being and then thrown away. Her death was unclear. How many women like her were there in the palace?

Zhou Cong also has the same problem.

But this person was hateful. His father and king sucked his bone marrow, and he sucked the bone marrow of others, layer after layer, until he reached the bottom layer and sucked it dry, then he turned into a handful of ashes in the great prosperous era.

Fu Ningxiang is nothing more than an innocent speck of ash.

…

The street was bustling with activity, as if someone was making a commotion and blocking the road. A soldier cursed, "You lowly bastard! You're causing such a scene! The people living here are all wealthy and powerful. If you mess with them, they'll make sure you, an old man, die without a sound!"

Zhou Xian lifted the curtain and asked, "Who is causing trouble?"

"A deadbeat who came from nowhere. Princess, don't worry, I'll send someone to chase him away!" Yu Xi replied. Her eyes fixed on the princess as she suddenly saw her tears welling up. She couldn't help but say with distress, "Oh, my little ancestor, how could you go see that damn thing and end up crying again?"

Zhou Xian sniffed but didn't respond. He poked his head out and looked coldly toward the front of the sedan. He saw a drunken old man lying across the road, throwing a tantrum and wailing, "Go! Go! It would be best if he were beaten to death! Anyway, my son died in the army, and my daughter was kidnapped. They say this is a peaceful and prosperous time, so why am I suffering like this? Alone and all alone, so what if I die!"

This caused a lot of discussion among the people around. Some people couldn't bear it and stepped forward to help the old man. But the old man was as strong as an ox and almost threw the kind-hearted people away. He sat on the ground and cried loudly.

Zhou Xian frowned, wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, and whispered to Yu Xi, "Let's take another route."

Yu Xi understood and was about to ask the men to change the route when the old man jumped up from the ground and rushed straight towards Zhou Shan's sedan chair.

Yu Xi shouted, "How dare you! How dare you offend my princess!"

Following her shout, the soldiers who were watching the show rushed over and stopped the old man. The old man ignored the knife across his neck. He looked at the tearful Zhou Xian, smirking, and asked softly, "Why are you crying? Don't cry, don't cry."

When Zhou Xian and the old man got closer, he realized that this person looked very familiar. After a brief thought, he remembered who this person was -

That day, when Zhang Jin was taking him to Xuanbeifang, he was stopped by a crazy and stupid old man who said he wanted to sell Zhang Jin some aphrodisiac.

Zhou Xian tilted his head and stared at the old man carefully. Suddenly, he felt a subtle touch, as if they were supposed to know each other.