The palace gates have been locked for a long time! Why did the eunuch leave the palace? "Chu Feiyang asked knowingly, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Jiang Muchen on horseback!
Jiang Muchen knew that Chu Feiyang was watching his show, so he resisted the urge to glare at Chu Feiyang and just stared at the eunuch, waiting for his next words!
"The Emperor heard that something big happened in Kyoto, and immediately summoned the prince and Prime Minister Chu to the palace! Right now, the Emperor is waiting for you two in the Yangxin Palace!" The eunuch took a deep breath, calmed down the uneven emotions caused by running, and then spoke immediately!
"Got it! You go back and report first. I will return to the palace immediately!" Jiang Muchen looked at Yun Qianmeng again and instructed the guard, "Go back and report to the Concubine Dowager. Tell her to rest early and not to worry too much!"
Upon seeing this, the eunuch immediately mounted his horse, apologized to Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen, and then returned to the palace to report!
Chu Feiyang felt relieved when he saw that Yun Ganmeng was able to deal with Hai Tian. He signaled Jiao Da who was guarding not far away. Seeing that he understood and nodded, he jumped on the horse and went to the palace with King Chen!
"Prime Minister Chu still has the mind to care about a woman at this moment! I'm afraid that when he appears in front of the emperor, Prime Minister Chu will not be able to explain why the tenth prince of Northern Qi is being raised in Prince Chu's mansion!" Prince Chen couldn't stand the scene where Chu Feiyang insisted on being happy with Yun Ganmeng, and his mouth was full of sour sarcasm and gloating!
The words used by Prince Chen at this time were also very vicious. The tenth prince was being raised in the Prince Chu's Mansion, not imprisoned!
This word "raise" makes people think a lot. I am afraid that those suspicious ministers will think that the King of Chu is colluding with foreign races!
Chu Feiyang whipped his horse, his smile gone. Now, like Prince Chen, his expression was icy. Facing his opponent's deliberate provocation, he was not at all out of step. "Your Highness has been delaying the dispatch of the City Guards to rescue people. I'm afraid he has his own little ulterior motives! So many young ladies and gentlemen have died today, and Your Highness has only just arrived. I'm afraid he is reminding these aristocratic families in Kyoto that their lives are not in the hands of the Emperor, but in the hands of you, Prince Chen! I'm afraid Your Highness already knew that the Tenth Prince was in the Chu Palace, but you rushed to the village after me, probably to lure me out of the Chu Palace first! Your Highness's shrewdness really makes me admire you! I'm afraid it will be difficult for Your Highness to justify yourself in front of the Emperor! Perhaps the Emperor will get angry and take away the City Guards from Your Highness. By then, will Your Highness still have the capital to be arrogant?"
Seeing that Chu Feiyang's horse was about to overtake him, Prince Chen immediately whipped his whip to speed up, and also surpassed Chu Feiyang by a head. Then he sneered and said, "Does Prime Minister Chu have any basis for what he said? I am ordered to protect the safety of this capital, and naturally I have no selfish motives! But Prime Minister Chu is spreading rumors and causing trouble like this. I wonder what his intention is? Are you trying to frame me and achieve your secret?"
When Chu Feiyang's horse saw that other horses had surpassed it, it immediately kicked off and ran forward desperately without Chu Feiyang's encouragement. In just a blink of an eye, it surpassed King Chen by half a horse's length!
Chu Feiyang sat leisurely on the horse's back. Seeing his warhorse doing so well, a faint smile appeared in his eyes. He then responded to the sullen Prince Chen beside him, "Even if Your Highness plans everything, there will always be a loophole! I believe Your Highness did not expect that under such a tight defense, the Crown Prince of Northern Qi not only rescued the Tenth Prince, but also escaped from Kyoto with his own people! Your Highness must be very upset now! Otherwise, with the Crown Prince of Northern Qi in your hands, Your Highness would definitely have an extra assistant and a better chance of winning in the future! But today, Your Highness offended the Crown Prince of Northern Qi. I believe that the two sides have already had a grudge. I'm afraid it will be difficult for them to cooperate in the future!"
Chu Feiyang's words made Prince Chen glare at him furiously. He gritted his teeth and said, "Chu Feiyang, you plotted against me! You deliberately captured the tenth prince, calculated the timing of my appearance, and knew that I would not let them go. You used this to your advantage, hoping to turn me against the Crown Prince of Northern Qi!"
The coldness in King Chen's eyes was no longer there, but was replaced by blazing anger. He wished he could immediately draw out the sword from his waist and have a decisive battle with Chu Feiyang!
Chu Feiyang, however, smiled noncommittally, and spoke for a moment. "How could I have predicted this? It was all just a coincidence! Your Highness, don't you think your luck is a bit bad? You've suffered several setbacks in one night. Your Highness should think carefully about how to explain this to the Emperor! Think carefully about what you and I have said to the Emperor. Who will he believe?"
In response to Chu Feiyang, Prince Chen whipped his horse and rushed to the front with a chill. Chu Feiyang's horse immediately wanted to overtake his opponent, but Chu Feiyang stroked its shiny fur and whispered, "Why rush? Take your time. You're not in a hurry to reincarnate!"
The horse actually slowed down its pace obediently and trotted towards the palace gate!
By the Ludai River, Jiao Da received a hint from Chu Feiyang and stayed not far from Yun Qianmeng!
Yun Qianmeng bowed to Hai Tian, then took Mu Chun's hand and prepared to get on her own carriage. However, Hai Tian held her departing hand tightly. Her sharp nails dug deeply into Yun Qianmeng's delicate palm, causing a burst of pain and leaving a deep nail mark. Presumably, if Hai Tian didn't hate Yun Qianmeng so much, she probably wouldn't even want to look at such a servant!
"Yun Qianmeng, do you really have to snatch it from me?" Hai Tian stepped forward and spoke in a low voice!
Yun Qianmeng felt pain in her hand and was furious. She immediately made a counterattack with her right hand hidden under her sleeve, and got rid of Hai Tian's hold in front of her astonished and surprised eyes. When their fingers separated, she used the end of the golden hairpin she had just pulled out to poke Hai Tian's palm with force, and then pushed Hai Tian's hand as if she had touched her accidentally!
Hai Tian stumbled and retreated straight back, almost falling to the ground. Yun Qianmeng approached her, her eyes full of frost as she said, "Your servant, I'm leaving!"
After saying that, he led the maids behind him onto the carriage. Jiao Ziran had seen through Hai Tian's previous tricks, but seeing Yun Qianmeng was so bold at this time, he couldn't help but nodded with a smile in his eyes, then rode on his horse and followed Ma Mou from the Prime Minister's Mansion, until he escorted Yun Qianmeng to the door of Yun Prime Minister's Mansion, watched her walk into the gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and then rode away!
Chu Feiyang and Prince Chen rushed to the Yangxin Palace. After being informed by the eunuch, the two stepped into the inner hall. They saw that Yun Xuanzhi and other important officials of the court had already arrived, while Emperor Yugan was sitting on the dragon throne with a gloomy face and did not say a word. The atmosphere in the palace was depressing and uncomfortable, making everyone dare not speak. The eunuchs who were accompanying the emperor did not dare to make a sound and just stood aside like wooden stakes!
Upon seeing this, the two men immediately bowed and saluted, "Your humble servants pay their respects to the Emperor. Long live the Emperor!"
"How else can I live forever?" But what he got was Emperor Yugan's roar that resounded throughout the hall!
【90】
"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Everyone immediately bent down, bowed their heads and clasped their hands in apology!
But Emperor Yugan was so angry at the moment that he couldn't listen to their apologies. He immediately grabbed the memorial on the table and threw it at the crowd below. Then his angry voice was heard again, "Look carefully at what's written on the mud!"
Everyone lowered their heads and looked at each other, only Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen raised their heads. However, King Chen would never bend down and lower himself to pick up the memorial. Chu Feiyang, however, had a smile on his face. He bent down and picked up the memorial as if he didn't care. He read carefully what was said on it before passing it to others to circulate!
"Prime Minister Chu, you have led troops in battle, what are your opinions?" Emperor Yugan asked Chu Feiyang first when he saw him finish reading!
Chu Feiyang put away the smile on his face, his expression slightly restrained, a cautious light flashed in his eyes, and he bowed and replied, "In reply to the emperor, victory and defeat are common in the military! Moreover, Prince Rui and Prince Hai have no actual combat experience, so it is reasonable for them to lose the city! Moreover, the Crown Prince of Northern Qi is a master of military tactics. The fact that the two of them were able to recapture a few cities from Qi Jingyuan is not bad for them who still have some experience!"
"Really? If things are as simple as you said, then I will feel relieved! However, tonight, the Northern Qi prince appeared in our capital, and the time when Prince Hai and others lost the city was exactly the time when the Northern Qi prince appeared in the capital! Without the command of a military master, Northern Qi unexpectedly captured two cities in a row. I can't help but doubt whether Hai Chenxi is really leading the troops to fight! Hmm?" The voice stopped here. When everyone heard the heavy voice of Emperor Yugan, they were all frightened, and no one came out to speak for Prince Hai Chenxi Rui!
After all, if Emperor Yugan believes that Hai Chenxi is not serious in leading the troops, or even has ulterior motives, he will not listen to anything they say, and it will affect his own future and life!
Therefore, at this time, the silence just now returned to the hall. The summer frog and cicada sounds were faintly heard from outside the hall, making the hall seem even more empty and silent, and shrouded in a strange and dangerous atmosphere!
"Prince Chen, let me ask you! How do you manage your subordinates? Why did you let the Crown Prince and the Eldest and Tenth Princes of Northern Qi sneak into Kyoto tonight, causing so many casualties? Can you bear the responsibility for this crime? Take a look at the memorials that the censors just submitted!" As he said this, Emperor Yugan threw several other memorials to the chief eunuch beside him, and sat on the dragon throne with a gloomy face, but the look he gave Prince Chen was full of blame!
Prince Chen also took the memorial handed over by the eunuch with a sinister look on his face. He only read one and had no intention of reading it again. He handed the memorial back to the eunuch and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the censors are just civil officials. How could they know the complexity of mobilizing troops? Especially the city guards, they are the top priority. If the other party uses a trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain, I am afraid the entire palace will be in danger! Since it is so difficult to choose, I can only be loyal! If Your Majesty does not believe what I said just now, you can ask the commander of the city guard who was on duty at the time and others." Chu Feiyang listened to Prince Chen's words, and a very faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, which only he knew, and then he opened his mouth. "Your Majesty, the Northern Qi Crown Prince and his men acted so quickly, catching everyone off guard. No one could have imagined that, while the two nations were at war, the Northern Qi Crown Prince would have the audacity to infiltrate the enemy's capital! Your Highness had set up a trap, fully prepared to capture the Northern Qi Crown Prince alive, but unfortunately, the Crown Prince was extremely cunning, and he ultimately escaped!"
Chu Feiyang suddenly spoke up to intercede for Prince Chen, leaving the other ministers puzzled. They couldn't help but wonder if Prince Chen and Prime Minister Chu had already formed an alliance. Otherwise, why would Prime Minister Chu, who never spoke up for others, side with Prince Chen today?
But only King Chen understood the meaning of Chu Feiyang's words!
On the surface, Chu Feiyang was speaking for himself, but in fact, the four words "caught off guard" that Chu Feiyang mentioned casually were pointing out that the city defense army had been too slow to respond to emergencies under the rule of Prince Chen for so many years; and as for the matter of capturing the Northern Qi prince alive, if it was true as Chu Feiyang said that Prince Chen had set up a trap but still let the other party escape, then it could only be said that not only did Prince Chen have problems in leading the army, but it was more likely that he himself was limited in ability and could not even catch the turtle in the jar!
Emperor Yugan naturally heard such a blatant accusation, and Yun Xuanzhi also heard the hidden meaning of Chu Feiyang. The ministers also reacted quickly from the expressions of the people in front of them. Everyone tried to keep a low profile to avoid Emperor Yugan asking them questions!
Prince Chen and Prime Minister Chu were evenly matched in power, and both were people who could not be offended. Naturally, they did not want to be cannon fodder. "Prince Chu, if that's what I said, not only can I not punish Prince Chen, but I should praise him instead?" Emperor Yu Gan pondered for a moment before speaking, his voice filled with the royal majesty that was intimidating without anger, which made the atmosphere on the scene even more depressing!
Seeing that Chu Feiyang had framed him in this way, King Chen naturally couldn't let himself be left behind, so he snorted coldly and left.
"Prime Minister Chu seems to have forgotten who abducted Northern Qi's Tenth Prince. Since they captured him, why didn't they immediately hand him over to the city defense forces? Instead, they brought him before the Crown Prince of Qi, giving him the opportunity to take advantage!"
As soon as Jiang Muchen said this, all the ministers were shocked, and everyone looked at Chu Feiyang, as if waiting for his explanation!
Chu Feiyang smiled faintly. Facing the suspicion in everyone's eyes, he was not panicked at all. Instead, he slowly said, "Your Highness, what you said is self-contradictory! At that time, I did not find Your Highness, and I heard that the eldest prince had kidnapped Princess Hai Tian. For safety reasons, I naturally took the tenth prince with me to prevent the people below from being unable to guard him and letting Qi Jingyuan's people rescue him! But I didn't expect that after I brought everyone to Your Highness, Your Highness still let him escape, and even frightened Princess Hai Tian! At this moment, the Prince of Hai is leading his troops to fight outside. If he heard that his sister was kidnapped as a hostage, how do you think the Prince of Hai's Mansion would react? The Prince of Hai has 100,000 soldiers under his command. How do you think he can lead his troops to fight when his heart is chilled?
Chu Feiyang refused to speak about Yun Qianmeng being kidnapped, and only mentioned Hai Tian's name. On the one hand, this was to preserve Yun Qianmeng's reputation, and on the other hand, it was to analyze the pros and cons and let the court officials know that the Sea Palace was extremely important at the moment!
Not to mention how many troops the King of the Sea has, just the 100,000 troops in Hai Chenxi's hands, as long as he uses them well, will definitely make the people of Western Chu live in misery and give Emperor Yu Gan a headache!
And this time, Emperor Yugan personally appointed Hai Chenxi to lead the expedition. It was reasonable for Emperor Yugan to pretend that he didn't know about Hai Tian being kidnapped!
However, Hai Tian's reputation has been damaged. Even if Emperor Yugan wants to grant her the position of noble concubine, he is afraid that the empress dowager and the ministers in the harem will oppose a woman who was kidnapped by the enemy army to enter the palace as a concubine!
"The kidnapping of Hai Tian this time was directly related to your Highness. Just before I entered the palace, Concubine Yuande sent a carriage at night to take Princess Hai Tian to Prince Chen's Mansion for a rest! With such kindness, your Highness might as well obey Concubine Yuande, which will also create a story that people will praise! Besides, it has been said since ancient times that a real man should get married and start a career. I believe that after your Highness gets married, he will act more steadily and cautiously than he does today!" Seeing that Emperor Yugan lowered his brows to think about the solution to the Hai Tian issue, Chu Feiyang spoke with suggestions!
Seeing the calculation in Chu Feiyang's eyes, Jiang Muchen frowned suddenly and immediately retorted, "When it comes to Princess Haitian's thoughts, Prime Minister Chu must know it better than anyone else! If Prime Minister Chu hadn't rescued her today, Princess Haitian would have been killed by the sword! And then, Princess Haitian came to thank Prime Minister Chu in person. This kind of affection really makes this king very envious. Naturally, I will not take someone else's love away!"
The two of them were talking back and forth, seemingly chatting and bickering, completely forgetting that they were standing on the Golden Palace at the moment, and that the current emperor was sitting on the dragon throne!
As Emperor Yugan listened to the conversation, his frown gradually relaxed. He looked at them with a subtle hostility, his eyes gleaming with coldness. His thoughts had already multiplied countless times before he finally spoke. "If I don't give an explanation for what happened today, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it to the ministers, the nobles, and the common people! Prince Chen, although you are Lian's brother, the emperor is subject to the same punishment as the common people. You didn't even notice the enemy troops infiltrating the city today. What is your crime?"
When Jiang Muchen happened, he had already expected that Emperor Yugan would take advantage of this and force him to hand over the city defense army's Sparrow Talisman!
However, this Sparrow Talisman was not given to him by Emperor Yugan, but by Emperor Xijing on his deathbed. Therefore, Jiang Muchen could not hand over the Sparrow Talisman and fulfill the wishes of certain people!
His stern gaze shifted from Chu Feiyang to Emperor Yugan, and Jiang Muchen said coldly, "I am willing to be punished for six months! I only ask that Your Majesty allow me to atone for my sins with my merits, and use this as encouragement to better protect the safety of Kyoto!"
When Chu Feiyang saw that Jiang Muchen punished him without any pain, he couldn't help but sneer, but he didn't say anything!
However, after hearing Jiang Muchen's words, Emperor Yugan's face suddenly darkened, as if a frost storm had descended, chilling people's hearts. "Seventh brother, I just said that the emperor is guilty of the same crime as the common people! I couldn't bear to punish you out of brotherhood, so I let you decide the punishment yourself! I didn't expect that you were so unwilling to be punished that you said something so embarrassing! So many people have died in the capital now, how can you convince me with just a corporal punishment? If someone commits such a serious mistake again in the future, will corporal punishment be used as punishment?"
"Your Majesty, I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not!" At this time, Yun Xuanzhi stood up and spoke calmly!
Emperor Yugan suppressed his anger and said in a sonorous and powerful voice, "Speak!" "Yes!" Yun Xuanzhi immediately responded, and then slowly opened his mouth. "Your Majesty, the law is beyond the law, but it is human nature! This time, the prince was considering your comfort first, which is why he was late in saving people! It would be better to replace some of the generals of the city defense army. This will both warn others and avoid chilling everyone's hearts!"
As soon as Yun Xuanzhi finished speaking, Chu Feiyang's eyes, full of interest, instantly turned to him!
However, King Chen glanced at Yun Xuanzhi coldly. Although he had no expression, there was a hint of surprise in the flash of his eyes!
Emperor Yugan obviously did not expect that Yun Xuanzhi would find such a compromise. It was not that Emperor Yugan did not know that there was such a method, but today was a good opportunity to force King Chen to hand over the Sparrow Talisman. Naturally, he could not propose to use other methods on his own!
After all, the city defense army is the first checkpoint to enter Kyoto. Such an important position is firmly held by Prince Chen, which makes Emperor Yugan unable to eat or sleep at night!
However, Yun Xuanzhi’s analysis just now was also reasonable and hardly favored anyone!
In addition, King Chen had just been firm in his attitude. If he was really pushed into a corner, it was possible that Jiang Muchen would rebel. By then, Western Chu would be plagued by internal and external troubles, and other royal families would covet Western Chu. It would be too late to regret if the gains would not outweigh the losses!
Yun Xuanzhi's method was feasible. Replacing important generals in the city defense army would not only give an explanation to the emperor, but also treat the city defense army with both kindness and force. Prince Chen suffered a loss and had no way to express his grievances. Even if he rebelled, he would have no way to do so!
And if all the generals of the city defense army are Emperor Yugan's own men, what does it matter even if there is no Sparrow Talisman?
Emperor Yugan might be able to rest easy from now on!
"In that case, let's do as Prime Minister Yun says! King Chen, do you have any objections?" After Emperor Yu Gan made the decision, he added another sentence!
Jiang Muchen's face was expressionless, his hands clenched into fists under his sleeves. After a while, he spoke coldly. "Your Majesty, I obey your order." "Since that's the case, everyone may withdraw! The matters of compensation will be handed over to Prime Minister Yun!" Emperor Yugan stood up, and the others bowed to see him off!
On the second day, people who got up early and went out saw white lanterns hanging on most of the doors in Kyoto. Half of Kyoto was plunged into grief. Faintly, in the summer breeze, one could hear the faint cries of heartbroken people!
On this day, Emperor Yugan of Western Chu issued a decree imposing a strict ban across the country, dismissing all officials above the fourth rank in the Kyoto City Defense Army. Prince Chen was fined for half a year's salary, and the court provided financial support to the family of the deceased. All singing, dancing and banquets in Kyoto were suspended for a month as a moment of silence for the deceased!
As soon as the imperial edict came out, everyone applauded Emperor Yu Gan's decision, except Jiang Muchen, who had a gloomy and ugly expression on his face. He actually stayed in Prince Chen's Mansion for several days and closed the door to visitors!
On the second evening, at 10:00 am, Yun Xuanzhi, who had been busy all day, had just returned to the Prime Minister's residence when he saw Su Yuan riding towards him. The two had the most disagreements before, but today when Su Yuan saw Yun Xuanzhi, he was all smiles, and his respect was expressed in every word and gesture!
Yun Xuanzhi saw that he had something to say, so he led him to the study and dismissed everyone. Then he asked, "What brings you here today?"
Su Yuan picked up the teacup and took a quick sip, not even being able to tell what kind of tea it was. He immediately smiled shyly. "Thank you, Prime Minister Yun, for your kind words to His Majesty yesterday!"
Yun Xuanzhi knew what he was talking about when he heard him say that, but he just snorted coldly and said angrily, "Don't be happy! I'm not doing this entirely for you!"
If Emperor Yu Gan had taken away King Chen's Sparrow Talisman yesterday, I'm afraid the next step would be to cut off King Chen's head, and the time interval between the two would not be too long!
Su Yuan had already taken refuge with Prince Chen before. If Prince Chen's big village collapsed, Su Yuan would definitely be implicated. At that time, his sister Su Qing would naturally not be able to escape the responsibility. I'm afraid that even the entire Yun Xiang Mansion would be devastated!
Therefore, rather than saying that Yun Xuanzhi was speaking for King Chen, it would be better to say that he was speaking for himself and leaving a way out!
Su Yuan naturally thought of this, but if Yun Xuanzhi had not asked for help yesterday, I'm afraid that everyone in the Su family would have been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice by now!
As the Minister of Punishment, how could he not know the various torturous punishments there? The last time he wanted to use the combing and washing on Qu Changqing, it was not the most severe one!
Therefore, after surviving this disaster, Su Yuan knew that he had to rely on King Chen, but he could not offend Yun Xuanzhi!
Therefore, when he heard the news that Yun Xuanzhi had left the palace and returned to the Prime Minister's Residence, he immediately rode over on horseback, hoping that the two of them would rekindle their previous friendship!
Hearing Yun Xuanzhi's true words, Su Yuan was overjoyed. He instantly understood what he meant and asked, "I wonder if my little sister is doing well now? The whole family is hoping that my little sister will give birth to a son for the Prime Minister!"
When this was mentioned, the expression on Yun Xuanzhi's face eased a little. He remembered that he had not been to Fenghe Garden for quite some time, and Su Qing had not stepped out of Fenghe Garden for a long time. It is said that pregnant women can only give birth to smart children if they are in a good mood during pregnancy. Su Yuan happened to be here today, so why not go and visit Su Qing together to make her happy!
Thinking this way, Yun Xuanzhi felt that this method was feasible, so he started. "Brother Su, it's been quite a while since you've seen Qing'er, right? Since everyone is here today, why don't we go visit her together?"
Su Yuan had this intention in mind. After all, as long as Su Qing was favored, the Su family would naturally be protected by Yun Xuanzhi, which would provide an extra layer of protection!
Hearing what Yun Xuan said, Su Yuan immediately stood up and said with a smile, "That's what I was thinking. Prime Minister, please."
Yun Xuanzhi nodded, and the two of them didn't even ask the servant to go to Fenghe Garden to inform them first, but went straight to Fenghe Garden under the cover of night!
"Miss, Lord Su just entered the Prime Minister's Residence with the master! Now he is heading to Aunt Su's Fenghe Garden!" Mi Jiji saw a little girl waving at her outside, so she took advantage of Yun Qianmeng's meal time to walk out of the inner room. After a while, she returned to the room and whispered in Yun Qianmeng's ear!
Yun Qianmeng held the porcelain bowl in one hand and stirred the sweet soup with a silver spoon in the other. A faint smile played on the corner of her mouth as she slowly said, "Don't make a fuss! He still relies on my father, so he naturally doesn't dare to let Su Qing stir up trouble in the mansion and harm me! At most, he just wants Su Qing to regain his spirit and take the lead among the many concubines in the mansion. Only in this way can their Su family have long-term protection!"
After hearing Yun Qianmeng's words, Mimumu's heart gradually calmed down. However, they had finally suppressed Su Qing and made her behave herself for a while. If Su Qing was favored again at this moment, and if she gave birth to another son, then the entire prime minister's mansion would probably be ruled by Su Qing!
"A son? So what? She hasn't even stepped out of the door these days, isn't it just to protect the baby in her belly? But even if she gives birth, what's the use? Will this concubine let her go? She can't just lock the child up in Fenghe Garden forever, right?" Yun Ganmeng said calmly, sipping the sweet soup in her hand. "Xia Caiji is recovering well. Let's go over there in a day or two to see how Yingqiu's antidote is prepared! This is our most important priority right now! Su Qing's still pregnant for at least three or four months. It's not time for us to worry about her! Besides, without us watching, do you think the Prime Minister's Mansion is as quiet as it seems?"
Recently, many things happened one after another, especially the matter of the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion, which took up most of Yun Qianmeng's energy. Since Liu Hanyu was able to suppress Su Qing these days, she didn't need to worry too much. There were many people who were anxious anyway, and those people would always be ready to make a move, so there was no need for her to be the first to take action!
"Yes!" Seeing that Yun Qianmeng was almost done with the sweet soup in her hand, Mi Jiji hurriedly wanted to fill another bowl, but was stopped by Yun Qianmeng. Then she wiped the corner of her mouth and stood up and walked towards the yard."
In Fenghe Garden, Su Qing has not stepped out of her room for a long time since she was confined to her room. Now her belly is getting bigger, and with the hot weather, she is becoming more and more lazy and unwilling to move. She eats and sleeps in bed all day long, taking good care of the baby in her belly. Only in the evening when the weather is a little cooler, she will be supported by Wang Guitang to go for a walk in the yard, treating it as exercise to avoid difficult delivery in the future!
Today, Su Qing had an extra bowl of bird's nest porridge during the day and had dinner later. While he was eating, he saw the maids and servants kneeling on the ground outside. Su Qing's heart tightened and he clenched his hands holding the chopsticks. He thought to himself that he had not set foot out of Fenghe Garden today. Even so, could those bitches still make trouble out of nothing?
He put down his bowl and chopsticks heavily and was about to call Wang Jianmu to go out to see what was going on, but he saw Yun Xuanzhi and his eldest brother walk in!
Su Qing was immediately delighted and stood up with the help of Wang Huanji. Just as she was about to salute, Yun Xuanzhi personally supported her. A gentle and caring voice that Yun Xuanzhi had not heard for a long time rang out from above her head, "You are pregnant. These Xu Jingweis are unnecessary, so as not to hurt the baby in your belly!"
After hearing Yun Xuanzhi's words, Su Qing became even clearer in her mind that now, the child in her belly was her biggest bargaining chip. Even if Yun Xuanzhi really had no feelings for her because he loved the new and loved the old, as long as she had this child, Yun Xuanzhi would never treat her harshly!
Therefore, Su Qing carefully covered her bulging belly, stood up carefully, and said with a smile, "Why did the Prime Minister and Big Brother come together today? Have you two had dinner? If not, then just have a simple meal here!"
As she spoke, Su Qing's trimmed, round and smooth nails lightly struck Yun Xuanzhi's palm as if unintentionally, causing Yun Xuanzhi to immediately look down at her, with a hint of lust in his eyes that only Su Qing could understand!
Su Yuan had already heard from Pan Lan that Yun Xuanzhi had forbidden Su Qing's feet, and he had been dissatisfied for a long time. He thought that Yun Xuanzhi was fickle and was doting on those little fairies when he saw that his sister was getting old and ugly. Therefore, Su Yuan's determination to rely on King Chen became even more firm and strong!
Seeing his sister's overjoyed look when she saw Yun Xuan, Su Yuan was more certain of what he was thinking. He was even more worried that the housekeeper Liu Hanyu had treated his sister badly even when it came to food. He immediately looked at the dining table and saw all kinds of chicken, duck, fish, meat, fresh fruits, vegetables, shark fin, and bird's nest. The millet porridge that Su Qing was eating was a tribute from the Nanxun Kingdom, which was famous for its fragrant rice, to Xichu!
Seeing this, Su Yuan felt relieved, and the smile on his face became more genuine, and then he started.
He praised, "Your Excellency is truly thoughtful. I am relieved that my younger sister is marrying into the Prime Minister's residence!"
Seeing that her elder brother was trying to please Yun Xuanzhi, Su Qing smiled and said, "There's something you don't know, elder brother! The Prime Minister was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get used to the food in the big kitchen, so he specially picked out a few good cooks to take care of me in Fenghe Garden! Every now and then, all kinds of precious supplements are sent to my Fenghe Garden! The Prime Minister dotes on this servant so much, I will give birth to a child for him at the risk of my life, so that he can fulfill his dream of having a son!"
Seeing that Su Qing understood what he meant, Su Yuan hurriedly opened the door again. "Of course! I'm happy to have you at home, too!"
Yun Xuanzhi heard that the brother and sister were trying to please him, so he didn't bother to find out what it was about. Instead, he smiled and asked them to sit down. He picked up the silver chopsticks that Wang Tangtang had just placed and took a bite of the silver eggplant to taste it. Then he nodded with relief!
The three of them had dinner together. Su Qing tried to keep Yun Xuanzhi, but Yun Xuanzhi was really busy with the deceased's affairs today and felt a little tired both physically and mentally. So he asked Su Yuan to chat with Su Qing for a while, and he left Fenghe Garden first!
"How come you can't even keep one person!" As soon as Yun Xuan left, the smile on Su Yuan's face disappeared. He spoke with a sinister look, and there was a hint of blame in his eyes when he looked at Su Qing!
Su Qing was still feeling aggrieved. Hearing even her brother speak so harshly of her, her face darkened and she spoke in a bad mood. "Brother, why are you saying that? You've seen how I'm feeling now. Even if he stays, it's just for talk. If those sluts come to invite him, he'll still go anyway. Wouldn't that make him even more upset?"
Hearing this, Su Yuan glanced at Su Qing's belly and said, "Although I feel unwilling, I can only face the facts!
After all, if it were him, he wouldn't want a pregnant woman to serve him!
"When will the production begin? Are all the necessary materials ready?" Su Yuan asked this question because he was afraid that something might go wrong during the production process!
Su Qing frowned slightly, thinking of the expression and eyes of Yun Qianmeng when she confined herself to Fenghe Garden. Even now, Su Qing still felt a lingering fear when thinking about it. For some reason, he was afraid to look into Yun Qianmeng's clear eyes!
After a moment's thought, he opened his mouth. "I don't trust other midwives. If you have time, please find me a reliable one! Right now, the Prime Minister's heart is on those vixen. Although he's concerned about the piece of meat in my belly, if those vixen do something bad and take away this life-saving talisman, the Prime Minister won't be able to provide so much care for you and the Su family!"
Su Yuan listened carefully to Su Qing's instructions, nodded cautiously, and then said, "A few days before the birth, I will ask your sister-in-law to come and accompany you, so that you can feel more at ease!"
Su Qing heard this and asked, "Sister-in-law still has to help manage the affairs of the family. If she comes to me, who will manage the Su Mansion?"
Unexpectedly, when Su Yuan heard her say this, his expression instantly darkened, and he started talking in a slightly angry tone.
"Don't mention her! Look at what kind of good daughter she has taught me over the years, and she made me so embarrassed at the birthday banquet of the old lady of the Fuguo Mansion! If it weren't for my son Cheng Yan, I would have let her go back to her parents' home long ago! Besides, Pan Lan, the one you sent over, is virtuous and capable. She can handle anything at once, and she also manages her own small courtyard in perfect order! In the final analysis, it is still my sister who knows how to train people. Now there is no one in the Su Mansion who disobeys her!"
Seeing her brother praising Pan Lan so much, Su Qing's face lit up for a moment, and she smiled and said, "She followed you, brother, it was the good fortune she cultivated in her previous life! Otherwise, as a child from a poor family, how could she marry into a family like you, so she will be more cautious in everything she does! In this case, I will agree to your request and let my sister-in-law come and take care of me for a few days!"
Su Yuan was naturally happy when he saw Su Qing nod. After all, for Su Yuan, he could avoid seeing his old and ugly wife at home, and he could also improve his image in his sister's heart. Besides, he was not the one who had to go through so much trouble, so why not do it?
"But you have to be careful of the eldest lady in your mansion! Yue'er's affairs were most likely caused by Yun Qianmeng! This woman is deep-minded and vicious. If you have the chance, you must get rid of her, otherwise there will be endless troubles!" Whenever Su Yuan thought of Su Qianyue's affairs and Qu Changqing's affairs, he would be furious!
Everything was exposed at the critical moment. The day after rescuing Qu Changqing, Prime Minister Chu went to the palace to see the emperor, and he even produced more favorable witnesses and evidence, leaving me speechless in my defense. If Prince Chen had not spoken for me, I'm afraid that the Minister of Justice today would have been replaced long ago!
And each of these things is directly or indirectly related to Yun Qianmeng. In addition, Su Qing and Yun Qianmeng have been at odds with each other for a long time, so Su Yuan naturally lists her as his biggest enemy!
"Don't worry, brother, it's only three or four months before she can become arrogant and proud!