Chapter 65 I don't like her

On the day of the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, fires broke out in both the Sky Palace and the Moon Tower. It is said that the fire was so severe that the Buddha statue in the Sky Palace was burned to ashes, and the Moon Tower, where the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet was held and lanterns were viewed, was also burned to ruins.

The fire was so strange and bizarre that even before the imperial guards found out the cause, rumors began to arise quietly in the capital.

Some people say that it was because the Queen Mother was immoral that the Buddha was angry.

To support this view, the case of Hezhou's private taxation was also brought up.

"The Hezhou prefect's private tax collection caused quite a stir, but when the Empress Dowager fell ill, the matter was dropped, and for this, the Imperial Censorate's Gao Jinggao was also wasted."

"You all know Gao Jing, right? He was an upright official. He was dismissed from office just because he impeached the Empress Dowager..."

"But I heard that the people of Hezhou voluntarily paid taxes to honor the Empress Dowager."

"Tsk! You believe that? That's just a trick the Liang family used to make money. Think about it, who would want to give away the few dollars they earned from working hard on the land all year long? How could they even think of doing that when they can barely eat and wear warm clothes themselves?"

"That's right! The Queen Mother probably knew about it but turned a blind eye and didn't mention it. The Emperor, being a filial son, naturally didn't mention it either. Now, the Buddha is furious."

The rumor spread like steam from a pot, bit by bit, and within just two days, the entire capital was talking about it. Whenever the lid of the steamer was opened, the steam from the whole pot would rise like fog and mountains.

The first person to lift the lid was Fan Zhengyang, the Inspector of the Censorate.

On the third day, Fan Zhengyang presented a memorial to the morning court, impeaching the Liang family for their heinous crimes of interfering in Hezhou's tax revenues. This memorial cited several pieces of previous evidence and incorporated rumors from the people. Although it made no mention of the empress dowager, every sentence exposed her.

After all, the fire in the Sky Temple and the Buddha's wrath were the best proof. If this matter was not investigated, the wrath of heaven would be difficult to dispel, the people's hearts would be uneasy, and disaster would surely come to Dazhao.

Duke Xin angrily accused Fan Zhengyang of slandering him, and the party behind him also jumped out to accuse Fan Zhengyang of having impure motives and spreading false information as evidence, which was ridiculous.

However, Fan Zhengyang is a man who is fearless. Here I would like to talk about Fan Zhengyang's background.

Fan Zhengyang was a rising star in the Censorate, having previously served as an editor in the Hanlin Academy. He had been in the Censorate for only two years. Yet, why was he so stubborn and courageous?

This brings us to his mentor, Gao Jing, who had been a great mentor to Fan Zhengyang. Gao Jing was a veteran of two dynasties, admonishing the emperor and the officials, with a clear conscience and unyielding integrity. Fan Zhengyang had always considered his mentor a role model. At the time, due to the Empress Dowager's illness, the Emperor suppressed the matter, and Fan Zhengyang also held back.

Now, the Queen Mother's birthday has passed, and there happened to be incidents at the Sky Palace and the Mingyue Tower, as well as the support of the people. He suddenly felt that the time was ripe and time was of the essence, so he was the first to stand up and write this letter impeaching the Liang family.

Different from previous impeachment memorials, two months ago, people only dared to impeach the Ministry of Revenue and the prefect of Hezhou, but Fan Zhengyang's memorial was like a sharp knife, piercing the heart of the Liang family.

So, for the first time in the court, Duke Xin ignored his family's reputation and cursed Fan Zhengyang, and the empress dowager was so angry that she fell ill.

This time I'm really sick.

On one side was his own mother, and on the other was the anger of the common people. The emperor was torn between the two and decided to take a three-day leave of absence.

.

In the early morning, the sun fills the courtyard, casting brilliant shadows everywhere, on the eaves and in the water tank.

Because the emperor was on leave for three days, Pei Xingju also had the time to rest at home to "recuperate". At this moment, he stood in front of the steps with his hands behind his back, his eyes falling on the clusters of green plants planted in the flower bed.

Seeing him staring at the green plants, Guard Lu thought for a moment and explained, "Your Excellency said the roses were beautiful the other day, so I told Madam Xu about it, and she asked a gardener to plant some."

Pei Xingju nodded: "It's a good planting. We can enjoy the flowers next year."

I don’t know if it was Guard Lu’s illusion, but I always felt that these adults were more humane.

Pei Xing had lived in this courtyard for several years, but he had never cared about a single brick or tile of the house. Even when Aunt Xu suggested that it be renovated, he simply said, "Just leave it alone. Don't worry about it."

Therefore, the entire Pei Mansion had few flowers and plants, and the house was old and desolate. Because the owner of the house was quiet, the house was quiet too, and even the servants in the house did not dare to walk too heavily.

Once upon a time, this place looked like a deserted house.

But that was no longer the case. The house was bustling with activity. At least he felt that the servants in the backyard were living a happy life, especially in the kitchen. Almost every day, there were people gathered around to discuss food, and occasionally they would have private gatherings for drinks.

Although Guard Lu was a guard in the front yard, he was the most popular guard in the front yard. He was honored to be invited to the gatherings of the maids and old women in the back yard several times.

When did this situation change?

Guard Lu was thinking about it, and when he saw someone bringing breakfast not far away, he immediately smiled.

"Miss Zhuang is here?"

Pei Xingju turned around following the voice and saw Zhuang Wan arriving late with breakfast.

On this side, Zhuang Wan saw Pei Xingju and was about to say hello, but he immediately turned around and went into the house.

She walked up to Guard Lu and asked quietly, "What happened to your master? Who offended him so early in the morning?"

Guard Lu said, "My Lord is waiting for Miss Zhuang. Why is Miss Zhuang late today?"

After he finished speaking, the person inside the room coughed. Guard Lu suddenly explained with great tact: "Oh, the master is not waiting for Miss Zhuang, he is waiting for breakfast."

Pei Xingju in the room: "......"

Zhuang Wan felt guilty and hurriedly brought breakfast into the house.

"Yuzhi, are you hungry?" She put breakfast on the table with a wry smile and explained, "I accidentally got up late today."

"Why not be careful?"

"Uh...I didn't sleep well last night."

Pei Xingju took a book and read it without saying a word.

Zhuang Wan curled her lips secretly.

It’s just an hour late. You won’t lose any meat if you go hungry, right?

Indeed, ever since Pei Xingju was injured, the cook had entrusted his meals to Zhuang Wan. Zhuang Wan toiled in the kitchen day and night, often unwelcome. If she was slow, Master Pei would throw a tantrum.

This morning she simply got up a little late and was slow to prepare breakfast, so he turned around and walked in without even saying hello.

But who told Zhuang Wan to lack confidence?

She always felt that Pei Xingju was beginning to doubt her again, so in order to dispel his doubts, she picked up her "dog-licking" skills again. She was gentle and thoughtful in every detail, taking care of the three meals a day, changing the soup and medicine, and not daring to complain of being tired. She would always ask with a smile, "Are you satisfied?"

The main theme is a thoughtful, people-oriented, proactive, friendly and attentive service. The male protagonist abuses me a thousand times, but I still treat him like my first love.

At this moment, the little maid Zhuang dared not say anything although she was angry. She diligently served him the dishes and coaxed him to eat.

"Doctor Li said you can't eat spicy food, so you can only eat light food these days." Zhuang Wan poured a bowl of porridge and placed it in front of him. "Here, today's pumpkin and millet porridge. It's sweet. Try it."

Pei Xingju's eyes fell on the porridge.

The golden rice grains, the thick and shiny soup, and a few red dates floating on top look quite appetizing.

He took the spoon and asked, "Do you know what time it is?"

"I know," the young maidservant Zhuang quickly replied, "I won't be late again."

Then she added, "You've been waiting for me? Didn't you have something else to fill your stomach?"

"I'm not waiting for you."

"I see. You're waiting for breakfast."

“…”

Pei Xingju glanced at her slowly, and Zhuang Wan immediately shut up and gestured with a smile: Mr. Pei, please enjoy your meal!

While Pei Xingju was having his meal, Zhuang Wan was standing there in a daze.

Ever since Pei Xingju returned home from the palace that night, his attitude has become strange.

If he said he doubted her, he didn't seem angry. If he said he didn't doubt her, he treated her...how could I put it? If I had to describe it, it would be that Zhuang Wan owed him a lot of money, and he looked at her like a creditor who couldn't stand the sight of a deadbeat.

Just, inexplicable.