Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Impotence

"It's true!" Zhuang Yue felt a pang of pain in her heart when she saw her grandmother, who had once loved her so much, now had a different attitude. A fierce look flashed in her eyes.

"They are now in the bamboo forest in the backyard, making a big fuss and saying they want to chop off Lai'an's hands and feet!" When they heard the word "bamboo forest", the second master and the old lady both had strange looks in their eyes.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the hall started whispering, and all their words were about Fengyi.

Li Luohua slammed the table in front of him and said coldly, "How dare you speak nonsense here without knowing the facts? Come, drag this young lady away and make her reflect on her mistakes!"

Seeing her granddaughter being dragged out in a mess, the old lady couldn't bear it and pleaded, "Your Highness, Yue'er just spoke out of turn. I hope Your Highness will forgive her."

Li Luohua glanced at the people in the hall. Many people were already discussing things. He felt depressed and said in a cold voice, "Okay, let's do as the old lady says."

The clever thing about this little bitch Zhuang Yue is that she will cry out loudly first regardless of whether the matter is true or not. After this incident, no matter what the truth is, Fengyi's reputation in the entire Chang'an City will be damaged.

The historians would gather together to report that Fengyi acted recklessly and was unworthy of his position, putting pressure on the emperor. Even if the emperor ignored it, the fermentation of this incident would greatly reduce people's impression of Fengyi.

That's a good plan! Li Luohua snorted coldly. It seemed that the lake water she drank at the Hundred Flowers Banquet wasn't enough. If that was the case, she would add more fuel to the fire.

When Zhuang Yue mentioned the word "bamboo forest," the princess hadn't missed the sudden pallor of the Zhuang family's faces. She was certain something was fishy going on. Zhang Niang was a cautious person, and she wouldn't kill without thinking. So, why not take advantage of this and find out?

Princess Changping said calmly: "Miss Zhuang just said that something happened in the bamboo forest. In this case, everyone should come with me and find out what happened."

"Princess, no!" The old lady and the second master hurriedly tried to stop them, their faces full of nervousness. "That place is remote and full of snakes, insects and strange beasts. It might not be appropriate for you ladies to go there."

"I think it's perfectly appropriate." Seeing one or two people being so secretive, Li Luohua's determination became more resolute. "If I can go, why can't you all go? Or is it that the old lady looks down on you sisters?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the old lady immediately stopped talking and could only signal with her eyes that the second master should handle the matter properly.

The group headed towards the bamboo forest in a mighty procession, and no one noticed that Zhuang Yue, who was following behind, suddenly changed direction.

She walked towards the young master's wet nurse's room, and while everyone was running to the bamboo forest and had no time to pay attention to this place, she secretly put a handful of inconspicuous spices into the incense burner, and then turned around and left.

When the nurse returned to the bedroom, she found the incense burner still burning. She was puzzled for a moment, as she remembered that the incense burner had been extinguished before she left. Because the young master was too young to use incense, the incense burner was rarely used.

Unexpectedly, the incense suddenly burst into flames. The nurse was too lazy to care about it, guessing that one of the maids had forgotten to light the incense. Fortunately, the young master was not in her hands, otherwise the incense would have been extinguished.

Li Luohua arrived at the bamboo forest and found Liang Hanzhang and Nanny Sun in front of Xie. She felt like she had found her backbone. She quickly walked up to them and whispered, "Mrs. Zhang, what's going on?"

Liang Hanzhang wondered how this matter could alarm the princess. He thought that the steward was undecided and ran to tell the old lady, so he told the princess everything.

Li Luohua looked at Madam Gao sitting next to her, her face flushed with anger. Before her father ascended the throne, she had visited Marquis Boyi's mansion several times as a child because of their similar family backgrounds, and was quite familiar with Madam Gao.

I never expected that these beasts in the Zhuang family would treat Madam Gao like this!

She snorted coldly and explained loudly to everyone, "The Zhuang family abused the eldest lady and ordered their men to beat and insult her. The servant Feng Yi wanted to punish just now was the one who beat Madam Gao. Old Madam, Master Zhuang, please give me an explanation."

The sharp-eyed man saw Madam Gao's face and was a little surprised for a moment. He had only heard that Madam Gao lost her daughter and husband and was locked up in the mansion in a state of confusion, but he never thought that she would suffer such inhuman torture.

You know, the entire glory of the Zhuang family lies with the first wife. The second wife enjoys the favor of the first wife but abuses the first wife. Her heart is truly despicable.

Now there is no way to hide it even if you want to.

The Zhuang family members knelt on the ground with ashen faces. The second master suddenly turned around and slapped Yin, who was still in confinement, in the face: "Bitch, this is all your fault, and you still have the nerve to cry here!"

Yin was pushed forward by a force, and her body was already weak. The next moment, she fell to the ground, her face burning. She cried and dared not make a sound.

It was true that she had instigated this, but didn't the master have the same intention? He had been looking down on the eldest wife for a long time. He had grown up in the shadow of his brother, and his brother's two sons were extremely outstanding.

What about him? He had mediocre talent, and had spent half his life in mediocrity, only now he could barely obtain a bloodline. How could he endure this humiliation?

"Bitch!" Seeing that the second master was about to beat Yin, Li Luohua stopped him in time: "Okay, Madam Yin is in a very weak condition, help her down first."

She raised her voice again and said, "I will report this matter truthfully to His Majesty. Ladies, you have witnessed with your own eyes the tragic abuse of Madam Gao today. What Zhuang Yue said just now was a false accusation. When you return home, you can report the truth to your masters at home and ask them to submit a memorial to His Majesty."

All the women knelt down and said, "We obey your command."

Seeing that Princess Changping enforced the law impartially and without favoritism, she was bound to make a big deal out of this matter. The old lady's eyes went dark and she fainted.

The princess ignored the pale faces of the Zhuang family members and continued, "To prevent the second branch of the Zhuang family from harming Madam Gao again, I will dispatch someone to take care of Madam Gao's daily life." She raised her head and ordered, "Qingxing, you will take care of this matter."

"I obey your order," Qingxing is the head maid beside the princess, and she acts very prudently.

Seeing that the princess had arranged everything in order, Liang Hanzhang felt relieved and said gratefully, "Princess, thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" Li Luohua was puzzled. "The old marquis died for his country, and Madam Gao's two sons are now defending the battlefield. It's bad enough that they enjoy the favor of the eldest wife without thinking of repaying her, but they dare to do such evil things. I will not forgive them!"

If this matter got out of hand, even if the emperor didn't issue an edict, the reputation of the second branch of the Zhuang family would have been ruined. As they were leaving, Madam Gao, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly stood up and waved in Liang Hanzhang's direction: "Yaoyao! Yaoyao!"

Liang Hanzhang looked at the tears in her eyes and waved at her as if possessed by a ghost.

"Who is Yaoyao?" Li Luohua asked.

Liang Hanzhang sighed and said, "It's the nickname of Madam Gao's daughter."

"Speaking of which, Mrs. Gao is also pitiful."

Princess Changping had visited the Zhuang Mansion several times as a child and learned that a little girl had gone missing from the manor. The girl, who must have been about her own age, had pigtails on her head and was unsteadily walking out with the help of Madam Gao. She wasn't afraid of anyone and smiled sweetly at everyone she met.

I heard that Mrs. Gao gave birth prematurely when she was pregnant. Because of this, the little girl started walking much later than other children.

After this incident, the Zhuang family's full moon banquet could no longer be held, and the princess and her companions left early. Returning to the carriage, Li Luohua let out a long sigh of frustration.

"The Zhuang family is really ruining our mood. Come on, I'll take you to Taoranju to pick out some jewelry!" The eldest princess hugged her and shouted excitedly.

Liang Hanzhang's eyes dimmed uncontrollably as she thought about her next plan. She asked sullenly, "Princess, do you need help with Taoranju?" Taoranju was the chosen location for contact, and it wouldn't be a good idea for her to keep going there without a legitimate reason.

"Why, you want to help?"

"I'm so bored in the Eastern Palace. I have nothing to do all day, and His Highness is busy too, so I wanted to find something for myself to do." She said with a bitter face.

When Li Luohua mentioned her brother, she thought of his illness again, and the smile on her lips gradually froze. She thought for a moment and said:

"I'm busy, but if you need any help, you can come to Taoranju if you want to do something. I'll have Qingxing arrange some easy work for you in a few days to pass the time. What do you think?"

"Thank you, Princess!" Liang Hanzhang smiled, "It doesn't matter whether it's easy or not, as long as there is work to do."

"This is different. How can you, the dignified Fengyi, do the work of a servant? If my royal brother knew, he would skin me alive!" Li Luohua made a face at her.

The carriage soon arrived at Taoran Residence. Liang Hanzhang's hair was much looser due to the debate in the bamboo forest, so she called in the hairpin lady who had been serving her before.

"Your Majesty, you called me here at this time because there is news," Zan Niang said in a low voice as she approached her.

Liang Hanzhang clutched the corner of his clothes tightly with his fingers, took a deep breath, and then raised his eyes and asked, "How is my brother?"

Zan Niang grinned, her skinny, twisted fingers climbing up her neck: "Don't worry, Madam. As long as you behave yourself, Liang Xian will be able to live well." Her voice suddenly became sharp, "But if Madam keeps trying to be clever, I can't guarantee whether your brother is dead or alive..."

"You have to do what you say."

"Look at what your Majesty said. We Liang people value trust and loyalty the most. We will never go back on our word for your Majesty." She straightened up, her expression returning to indifference: "Hurry up, your Majesty, and don't waste time."

Liang Hanzhang hesitated for a moment and spoke with difficulty: "The prince seems to be suspicious of General Zhu Xiaowen. I saw the letter written by the prince consort to the prince this morning."

Zan Niang's face lit up with joy, as if she couldn't believe it, and her eyes confirmed with suspicion: "My Lady, are you serious?"

"Of course it's true, but I don't know whether it was a setup by the prince." Let them judge the right and wrong.

Realizing that her expression did not seem to be false, Zan Niang finally said excitedly: "Your Majesty has done a good job in this matter. I will definitely pass this news to the master's ears. As for Your Majesty, if the information is accurate, I will definitely recommend you for credit."

"There's no need to ask for credit," Liang Hanzhang felt quite bored and waved his hand to refuse, "As long as you keep your promise and don't torture me, that's enough."

"Also, don't call me queen anymore."

"Yes, I obey your command." A sinister and vicious light flashed in Zanniang's eyes, and her twisted fingers folded across her chest looked extremely terrifying.

After that information was revealed, Liang Hanzhang's mood had noticeably sunk. She was like sand carried by a torrent, rumbling forward, but she had no idea where she was going, and she had no power to decide.

-

The next day, Princess Changping came to Changchun Palace early to discuss with the Queen.

"Luo Hua, why have you come so early?" Queen Wang looked at her daughter with a solemn expression, feeling quite puzzled.

The princess reported everything that had happened yesterday in detail, and at the end she asked, "Mother, do you think there is something wrong with my brother's health?"

The queen was horrified and stood up from her chair, shouting: "Nonsense!" How could her son have any problem? The reason why he had not been close to women for many years was that he was self-disciplined and strict with himself like his father. How could it be said that his daughter had "physical problems"?

Impossible, Queen Wang kept comforting herself.

"Mother," the princess said affectionately, hugging her arm and acting coquettishly, frowning, "I didn't mean to curse my brother. But think about it, if my brother had always been pure and unselfish before he met Fengyi, it would have been fine. Why does he still treat Fengyi like this now that he's by his side? Isn't it because he's afraid of being discovered?"

She lowered her voice, as if she felt it was inappropriate for the mother and daughter to discuss what happened in her brother's room in private.

After hearing this, the queen frowned and looked worried.

The emperor's son had always been independent, unlike Li Xuan and Li Luohua, who had been raised by her side and clung to her all day. After he was named the crown prince and moved to the crown prince's palace, she rarely took care of her eldest son.

Could it be that it is just as Luo Hua said?

"But if your royal brother is really ill, how can the Queen Mother ask for this? I gave him the blood-red wine the other day just to cheer them up, but yesterday your royal brother actually sent Li Fu to pass on a message, implicitly telling me not to interfere in his affairs. What should I do?"

Recalling that Li Fu came to Changchun Palace trembling with fear to deliver a message yesterday, Queen Wang felt a headache.

The eldest son was aloof and taciturn, unlike the two younger ones. Moreover, he had been raised in the Di Mansion for so many years, and their relationship was not close. Now that he had spoken, how could she, as a mother, intervene?

However, if what Luo Hua said was true, and he had health problems but had been hiding them from medical attention, what would be the solution? The crown prince was the foundation of the nation, and if he kept delaying the birth of a child with a woman, within a few years, the court officials would sooner or later start discussing the matter.

By then, people with ulterior motives will take the opportunity to muddy the waters and propose things like deposing the eldest son and enthroning the youngest. This will inevitably lead to turmoil in the country and instability among the people.

Although the emperor and empress loved their youngest son, they never considered changing the crown prince. This was because they knew that the eldest son's succession to the throne depended not only on his status as the eldest son, but also on his own ability.

As for the second prince, Li Xuan, he could be a general or a leisurely prince, but he was definitely not capable of holding the position of crown prince.

The Queen was thinking more about the King, and the thought that this might be true made her restless. It was all her fault. She had neglected her eldest son's care and concern for so many years, and had even ignored his serious health problems.

"Mother, isn't it because my brother is angry with you for giving him the blood-red wine that he is worried that his illness will be discovered? But if you have a physical problem, you have to treat it. There are countless doctors with superb medical skills in the imperial city, so there is no need to worry about not being able to cure my brother's illness." Besides, everything is just speculation now, and the truth is still unclear.

"Nayi Luohua's opinion" The queen was rarely able to decide when faced with this thorny issue.

"In my daughter's opinion, the fewer people who know about this, the better. Mother can arrange for a skilled and trustworthy imperial physician to come to Changchun Palace, and then invite my brother to come. In any case, let the imperial physician take my pulse first."

After all, they are a family, so even if this embarrassing disease is discovered by the Queen Mother, it is no big deal.

"Then... let's follow Luo Hua's advice." The queen was worried, afraid that she would displease her eldest son again. Over time, the love between mother and son would really be broken.

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The author has something to say: I feel very busy after the May Day holiday. I don’t understand why teachers like to flip the classroom so much and let students give PPT presentations. It is a disaster for me [melted][melted]