Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Nian Family
In the first year of Yongzheng's reign, today is the Dragon Boat Festival. In the past, when she was in the Qiandi Palace, she could find excuses not to come to the Forbidden City for the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, but now she is the mistress of the Forbidden City and there is no way to avoid it.
At this time, Chu Xian was wearing three layers of the queen's wedding dress, and was fanning herself because she was so hot.
"Mammy, bring two more ice basins."
"The Imperial Palace will be packed with people soon. Can't you wear two fewer layers of clothes? I'll ask the embroiderer to sew a few layers of false hemmed sleeves."
Chu Xian was so hot that she put a silk fan under her clothes to fan herself.
"Your Majesty, the wife of Prince Lian comes to pay her respects."
"Let Wan Ning come in quickly."
"Your servant, wife of Prince Lian, Guo Luoluo, pays her respects to the Empress." Wan Ning was wearing the heavy and gorgeous wedding dress of the Prince's wife, and needed Nanny Gui's support when she walked.
"Everyone, please go down. I will have a private conversation with Prince Lian's wife."
After the servants left, Wan Ning rudely kicked off her high-heeled shoes that looked like stilts.
"Xian'er, if you weren't in the Forbidden City, I wouldn't have come here even if you killed me. It's such a pain to come here. I'm sweating profusely."
"That's right, my back is wet." Chu Xian pointed the silk fan towards Wan Ning and fanned her.
"Xian'er, that sickly Third Prince is dying, in just two days."
Chu Xian was shocked: "How could that be? I saw Hongshi and Tong Jia strolling in the Imperial Garden just two days ago."
"I thought it was you... Xian'er, you are now the Empress of the Central Palace, and so many eyes are watching you. If there is anything that is inconvenient for you to do, just tell me, and I will make sure it is done flawlessly."
"It really wasn't me. Why would I embarrass the child?" Chu Xian hurriedly defended herself.
Wan Ning actually thought that it was she who poisoned the Third Prince.
As he was speaking, a shrill cry was heard from the direction of Yonghe Palace.
"Oh, could the Third Prince be dead?" Wan Ning approached the palace door with a gloating look on her face.
"Empress, the Third Prince has passed away." Xianrong came trotting over to report.
"How could he die so peacefully? Now, only I and Concubine Qi have children in the harem. Who knows how the people in the Forbidden City will make up stories about me not being able to tolerate a bastard's son tomorrow."
Chu Xian frowned.
"The Tonggiya mother and son deserved their punishment, and the Empress need not blame herself." Liang Jiugong hesitated, "They are still alive today thanks to Empress Xiaoyiren's favor, but even kindness can wear thin."
Chu Xian remained silent. The reason why the Fourth Master did not take action against Tong Jia and her son was to repay Empress Xiaoyi Ren for raising him.
There is another most important reason. The Fourth Master needs to use the Tonggiya mother and son as bait to lure out the Tonggiya clan's hidden power in the court and the harem.
As the mother clan of the former emperor, the Tongjia clan must have secretly cultivated countless forces since the Qing Dynasty entered the Pass, so that they could stand firm in the court and enjoy the honor of the Tong half-dynasty.
If the Fourth Master gets what he wants, Tong Jia and her son will definitely not survive.
The Third Prince is dead, and it seems that the Fourth Prince has gotten what he wanted from Tonggiya mother and son.
"How is Concubine Qi?" Chu Xian sighed softly. The Third Prince was dead, so there was no point for Concubine Qi to live on.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Qi has fallen ill. I guess..." Liang Jiugong smiled.
"Is His Majesty still in the imperial study? Go and invite Him over quickly." Chu Xian didn't dare to act on her own, for fear of ruining the Fourth Master's plan.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has just gone to the clan residence and has not returned yet." Liang Jiugong suddenly spoke softly.
Nanny Chun and Wan Ning looked at Liang Jiugong at the same time.
Chu Xian keenly noticed that Wan Ning's eyes were extremely strange. When she was hiding something on her mind, her eyes would be evasive.
"What is His Majesty doing at the clan house?" A sense of unease arose spontaneously.
After the Fourth Master ascended the throne, he issued a general amnesty. The only prisoners in the clan house who could alarm the emperor to go there in person were the eldest prince and... the deposed crown prince Yinreng.
"I'll go to the clan house to take a look." Chu Xian felt uneasy.
"Xian'er, the clan residence is full of evil spirits, so you'd better not go there. The palace banquet will start soon, so you can ask me to invite His Majesty." Wan Ning flashed in front of the door.
"Wan Ning!" Chu Xian asked solemnly, "What happened?"
"Amu, what is the Emperor doing in the clan house?" Chu Xian walked quickly to Amu.
Liang Jiugong lowered his head and did not dare to speak out.
Now this His Majesty is even more violent than the late Emperor. It is no exaggeration to say that he is violent and ruthless.
His old friend Li Dequan was not as lucky as him. Li Dequan had defected to the Eighth Prince in his early years. After the new emperor ascended the throne, Li Dequan naturally did not have a good ending.
Li Dequan's torn body was collected by him personally. When Liang Jiugong thought of that night in Changchun Garden, with the incomplete body of Li Dequan scattered all over the ground, he was instantly horrified.
"Since you guys are silent, I'll go check it out myself. Xianrong, watch over them. No one is allowed to leave the inner hall until I come back."
Chu Xian changed into a palace maid's uniform, stumbled, and ran frantically towards the clan house.
Wan Ning looked nervously at Liang Jiugong who was standing at the door with his hands in his pockets.
"Tell me why you are bringing up such a matter. If this affects the relationship between the Emperor and Empress, Xian'er will definitely be heartbroken."
Liang Jiugong remained silent, shaking his head and sighing, "Fujin, you should know that His Majesty is ill. If the Empress doesn't take action, His Majesty will be infamous for eternity."
Wan Ning remained silent and slumped down in the armchair.
Chu Xian disguised herself as a palace maid and arrived at the clan residence with almost no obstacles.
The deposed prince and his family were confined to the west of the clan residence.
Although it is called imprisonment, even if the prince and grandson of the emperor are imprisoned, their imprisonment environment is better than that of ordinary prisoners.
Although the place where the prince was imprisoned was not magnificent, it was quiet and elegant. It was a self-contained three-courtyard house with a side courtyard where the servants lived.
But as we got closer to the courtyard, a foul odor wafted through the air, like the stench of an old toilet that hadn't been cleaned for decades.
Chu Xian felt dizzy and swollen from the fumes. She raised her hands to cover her mouth and nose with her sleeves, but the stench was pervasive.
"Sir, please be kind. The manure hasn't been removed for half a month. The whole yard is filled with the smell of feces and urine, and the adults are also uncomfortable with the smell."
"Go back. I have to carry manure once a month, and there's still thirteen days left. I'm so unlucky. I have to accompany you to smell the stench every day. I'll be pickled by the smell when I go back next time."
The guards guarding the deposed prince's prison were cursing and were about to whip the smelly eunuch back into the door when suddenly a palace maid carrying a tray came towards them.
"Which palace are you from?" The guard raised his hand to block the palace maid's way.
Chu Xian raised her head, revealing her true face, and everyone prostrated themselves on the ground.
"Your servant Ling Pu pays his respects to the Empress." Ling Pu, the once powerful chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, was now covered in dust and reeked of stench. He prostrated himself at the feet of the Empress with a look of despair on his face.
The victor makes the king, the loser makes the bandit. Now his master has become a prisoner. Ever since he was imprisoned in the clan house, his master has been living a life worse than death.
"Empress!" Ling Pu mustered up the courage to crawl to the feet of the Queen.
"Empress, please give Second Prince a quick death. Please, he's in this state now, it would be better for him to die quickly."
Chu Xian frowned, walked past Ling Pu, and hurried to the inner courtyard.
Suddenly, she heard the crisp sound of a board, but she could not hear anyone screaming or crying out. Chu Xian followed the sound and saw Su Peisheng standing in the corridor with his head bent in the distance.
Su Peisheng was sharp-eyed. When he saw the queen coming, he immediately turned around and stuck his head into the window to inform her.
Chu Xian took two steps at a time and came to the closed door. Without waiting to push it open, the door opened directly.
A strong smell of blood hit me in the face.
The Fourth Master's body and face were splattered with blood, and the five-clawed golden dragon on his dragon robe was stained with blood. His hideous face scared Chu Xian so much that her eyebrows twitched.
"The clan house is filthy, who allowed you to come here?"
The Fourth Master put his bloody hands behind his back, and Chu Xian withdrew her gaze from the pair of skinny hands exposed behind the screen.
At this time, Su Peisheng brought a copper basin to help the Emperor wipe his hands.
Chu Xian took the handkerchief and wiped the blood off the Fourth Master's cheek.
"Your Majesty, the Grand Councilor Zhang Tingyu and Ortai have a memorial to report." Enpu came trotting over to report.
"Go back first. I will go to the Huangji Palace with you for a banquet later."
"Okay." Chu Xian took off the blood-stained dragon robe on the Fourth Master and left with him.
After sending her back to the Yangxin Palace, the Fourth Master went to the Imperial Study to discuss state affairs.
Chu Xian stopped and returned to the clan residence until she heard the news that the imperial emperor had arrived in the corridor.
The Crown Princess Guwaljia led a group of concubines to prostrate themselves at her feet.
"Empress, please be magnanimous and save the Third Princess and these children. They are innocent."
Chu Xian looked at the group of half-grown children behind the Crown Princess. The third princess in the Crown Princess's arms was only three years old.
In history, the third princess, the legitimate daughter of the deposed crown prince, was granted the title of Heshuo Gege in the 59th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign. She married into the grassland and died at the age of 39.
Chu Xian was filled with mixed emotions. If the Fourth Master had not fought his way out of the battle for the throne in the Nine Dragons, she would be the one kneeling on the ground begging for mercy.
"Guarjia, I have yet to settle the score with you. Back then, you instigated Tongjia to use a sick wet nurse, causing my child to nearly contract smallpox. This score, I will definitely settle with interest!"
After Chu Xian finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the small room where the bloody and pungent smell had just come from.
He kicked the tightly closed door open and Ling Pu rolled and crawled in front of the door.
"Empress, please spare my life. The Second Prince was stripped and caned 80 times today, and lashed 50 times. Could you please come back tomorrow to question him? Otherwise, the Second Prince will die on the spot today."
"Ling Pu, please invite the Queen in."
The weak and hoarse voice of the deposed prince came from behind the curtain.
Chu Xian took out a dagger from her sleeve, raised her hand and cut open the curtain, revealing the pale and sickly face of the deposed prince.
"Everyone, go down." Yinreng raised his hand weakly, but it fell down halfway.
Ling Pu was worried and looked back every few steps as he left.
In the dim inner room, only Chu Xian and the deposed prince were left.
"You are not Chu Xian." Yinreng stared at the woman in gorgeous clothes in front of him with a tender look.
Even though this person was Xian'er's skin, he knew very well that the person in front of him was not his Xian'er.
"Queen, you only need to answer me one question. I am willing to die today and hand over all my hidden forces, so that Yinzhen can rest assured."
"Where is Xian'er? Is she okay?"
Chu Xian hadn't expected the deposed crown prince to go to such lengths to ask about this very thing. She was stunned for a moment and shook her head, "I don't know."
"When I arrived, she was already dead."
"Queen, you really don't want to know who harmed you back then? No, who harmed Xian'er?"
The prince suddenly smiled sinisterly.
Chu Xian was instantly horrified, and a desperate guess came to her mind.
"You are very smart, smarter than Xian'er. I believe you have guessed the culprit."
Her wrist was suddenly gripped tightly, and before she could come to her senses, she heard the dull sound of a weapon entering her flesh.
The deposed prince resolutely grabbed the dagger and stabbed it straight into his heart.
"Xian'er, I'm waiting for you. If you don't come, I won't be willing to die."
"In the end, Lan Yin Xu Guo, I can't wait for you anymore." The prince closed his eyes with tears in his eyes.
"Xian'er, wait for me..."
A cold hand covered her cheek. Chu Xian was so scared that she pulled out a dagger and hid by the door.
The deposed crown prince didn't even cry out in surprise, but simply greeted death calmly and silently.
The ground under her feet was stained with blood. Chu Xian stood in the sea of blood in silence for a long time until Ling Pu pushed open the door.
"Queen, this is the list you and His Majesty asked for." Ling Pu knelt down in the sea of blood and handed over the last list.
Without this list, there is no hope for the prince's lineage to completely restore the throne, and the monkeys scatter when the tree falls.
"Empress, the Second Prince's wife, Guaerjia, has just committed suicide. Please, for the sake of the child's innocence, can you please save the Second Prince's offspring?"
"The children of the deposed prince will be taken care of by His Majesty himself. I have no right to interfere." Chu Xian flatly refused. Unless the prince's lineage was eradicated, neither she nor the Fourth Master would feel at ease.
"Empress, your childhood sweetheart is the Crown Prince. Have you forgotten everything?"
"The Crown Prince is the only one in the world who is open and sincere to you, yet you are so ruthless and ungrateful to him. The current emperor is treacherous and cunning, stubborn and self-willed, and has no sense of duty towards his subjects. Can't you see who is the true love?"
"If the new emperor hadn't sent someone to impersonate you as bait, the Crown Prince wouldn't have been a prisoner. He would have fled to the grasslands and raised an army long ago."
"Queen, you have let the Crown Prince down! Why have you forgotten the love between you and the Crown Prince, your childhood sweetheart?"
Ling Pu suddenly let out a howl, stood up and hit his head against a pillar, and died.
Chu Xian gripped the dagger tightly, feeling mixed emotions.
Wan Ning paced anxiously in the Yangxin Palace until she saw Xian'er coming in with blood on her hands and looking distraught. She immediately rushed forward.
"Xian'er, did you kill the deposed prince? Xian'er, what's wrong with you?" Wan Ning noticed Xian'er's depressed expression, and immediately looked at Liang Jiugong with concern.
Liang Jiugong hesitated for a moment, then turned pale with fear: "Queen..."
It's over. The last layer of window paper must have been broken by the deposed crown prince.
Liang Jiugong regretted it deeply. If he had known earlier, he should have used a gentle method to slowly break the window paper. He didn't know whether Xian'er could withstand this drastic measure today.
This matter must be exposed sooner or later. Otherwise, if someone with ulterior motives chooses an inappropriate time to expose it, it will definitely cause the emperor and empress to become completely alienated.
Therefore, Liang Jiugong did not stop what happened today.
"Do you all...know it's him?" Chu Xian fell down on the embroidered cushion.
Wan Ning was confused: "Xian'er, what are you talking about?"
"Yes," Liang Jiugong said bluntly, "Xian'er, so what? Over the years, you and he have been in love and hate each other, and you have harmed him many times. Isn't it fair?"
Chu Xian was speechless. It was even, how could it be even? If the Fourth Master hadn't killed her back then, she wouldn't have had the misfortune to come into this world.
If she had not colluded with the Eighth Master and set up a murder trap for the Fourth Master in Jiangnan, she and the Fourth Master would not have known each other and fallen in love as Chi Zheng and Lin Shu.
She and he were destined to be entangled in this life and owe each other.
The Crown Prince was able to reveal the ugly events of the past to her, and he would certainly sow discord between them in front of the Fourth Master. How much does the Fourth Master know?
"Empress, the palace banquet is about to begin. I will help you change your clothes." Liang Jiugong personally brought the phoenix crown and auspicious clothes.
"Amu, does he also know that I killed him?" Chu Xian was worried.
"Xian'er, what does it matter if you know? What does it matter if you don't? You are the queen he personally appointed, and all his children are legitimate children of the empress. If you are cruel enough, what will happen if you bring the young master to court?"
"Xian'er, you are the queen, and you can also be the queen mother. It's just a matter of your decision."
Liang Jiugong placed the heavy phoenix crown on Xian'er's head.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor is waiting outside the Palace of Tranquil Longevity." Sui Qing carefully put the long armor on the Queen's fingertips.
Chu Xian stepped on the bottom of the flower pot and walked towards the red gate of the Yangxin Palace with the support of Nanny Chun and Xian Rong.
When she arrived at the door, she did not see the Queen's phoenix sedan chair. Chu Xian looked around and looked at Nanny Chun in confusion.
"Queen, ride in the chariot with me."
The Fourth Master smiled and extended his palm towards her.
"Let's send the phoenix chariot." Chu Xian glanced nervously at the attendant who was following closely behind the Fourth Master. The attendant recorded every word and action of the emperor.
If anyone saw the emperor's diary record of the emperor and empress riding in the same sedan chair in an unbecoming manner, the Fourth Master would surely be laughed at by future generations.
"Hey..." Caught off guard, the Fourth Master grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the imperial carriage.
"Su Peisheng, ask the attendant to delete this part and not record it." Chu Xian snuggled in the Fourth Master's arms and called out to Su Peisheng anxiously.
"Empress, there is no need to hide the love between the Emperor and the Empress. This is the grace bestowed upon you by His Majesty." Liang Jiugong reminded her with his hands in his pockets.
Chu Xian said nervously, sitting in the Fourth Master's arms and not daring to move.
"Xian'er, if you feel uncomfortable in the imperial sedan chair, I will accompany you on foot to the Imperial Palace."
The Fourth Master whispered in her ear.
"I killed someone today." Chu Xian lowered her head, not daring to look the Fourth Master in the eye. "The deposed Crown Prince is dead. I killed him."
"Did he say anything to His Majesty before he died?" Chu Xian's heart was in her throat, afraid that the Fourth Master would not say anything. If he did not say anything, it meant that he had taken to heart what the Crown Prince said to the Fourth Master.
"Queen, what do you think Yinreng will say to me?"
Chu Xian froze: "How would I know?"
The two of them were silent along the way. At the Huangji Palace banquet, the emperor and empress sat together on the high platform, and Chu Xian's eyes met Wan Ning's from time to time.
The banquet was filled with the wives of powerful and influential people. Chu Xian's gaze fell on a stunningly beautiful girl, about thirteen or fourteen years old. "Whose wife is that?" Chu Xian asked curiously. The girl was so beautiful that it was hard to ignore her. None of the other women in the entire Imperial Palace could match her beauty.
"Her Majesty, that is Nian, the third sister of the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Nian Gengyao. She is thirteen years old and will enter the palace for selection as a concubine in the spring of next year."
Nanny Chun's eyes wandered over Nian's young and beautiful face, and she frowned subconsciously.
With a slight clang, Chu Xian straightened the wine cup and hurriedly turned her eyes away from Nian.
"Oh." Chu Xian couldn't help but glance at the Fourth Master. Seeing that he looked indifferent, unlike other princes who frequently glanced at Nian, she reluctantly felt relieved.
The weather was hot and humid, and the servant brought a cup of cool and refreshing milk tea. Before Chu Xian could scoop a spoonful with a golden spoon to quench her thirst, the Fourth Master suddenly snorted coldly and snatched the milk tea from her.
"How dare you! Who allowed the Queen to eat the same imperial meal as me?"
The Fourth Master lowered his voice so low that the servants who brought in the dishes all prostrated themselves on the ground.
Chu Xian stood up awkwardly and was about to kneel down to apologize, but the Fourth Master helped her up.
"The Queen is not allowed to kneel. Except for kowtow to the ancestors in the Fengxian Temple, the Queen is not allowed to kneel to anyone, including me."
"Emperor, I am not dead yet. You are encouraging the Queen to be unfilial. Are you dissatisfied with the fact that I have lived too long?" The Empress Dowager Uya raised her voice deliberately in a sarcastic tone.
There was dead silence in the hall.
"Empress Dowager, you are drunk. Someone, please take the Empress Dowager back to Ningshou Palace." Chu Xian smiled and raised her hand. Two old maids asked the Empress Dowager to leave Huangji Palace.
At the end of the palace banquet, before Chu Xian left Huangji Palace, rumors were already spreading.
At this time, Chu Xian and Wan Ning were changing clothes in the side hall, listening to Wan Ning telling the unfounded rumors in a vivid manner.
"Xian'er, it's all spread outside. It's said that His Majesty publicly scolded the Empress for not being qualified to eat the same imperial meal as the Emperor. It's not decent."
"I want to eat it! What's there to be afraid of? The worst that can happen is that I'll be deposed. Not only do I want to eat the imperial meal, I'll also eat it with you to piss him off to death." Chu Xian angrily ordered someone to bring food that was exactly the same as the imperial meal immediately.
"Oh my, it's the imperial meal! Tonight, thanks to the Empress, we can enjoy the Emperor's imperial meal."
"Eat quickly, add more if it's not enough." Chu Xian turned her resentment into appetite and took a bite of the minced meat and radish that the Fourth Master liked to eat.
"Is there any way to cancel the selection of concubines next year, Wan Ning?"
"Xian'er, is it that Nian's daughter that made you feel uncomfortable tonight? I'm too lazy to tell you, but eight out of ten men in Huangji Palace tonight were secretly looking at Nian."
"The only two people who didn't see it were that damn eunuch Su Peisheng and your emperor. What are you still worried about? I'm not worried at all. Yinsi is still telling Old Nine that Nian's eyes are beautiful."
"Men are all bastards, always looking at the pot while having their cake and eating it too."
Wan Ning cursed with gritted teeth.
After he and Wan Ning quickly finished the imperial meal in the side hall, Su Peisheng rushed into the inner hall panting.
"Empress, how dare you steal the imperial meal? His Majesty is furious and demands you return to the Yangxin Palace immediately."
"Is it that serious?" Chu Xian wiped her mouth in grievance. She had eaten too fast just now and her stomach was aching.
"Xian'er, this lousy queen is so miserable. The emperor is so stingy. The imperial meals are not even as good as the cooking of my small kitchen chef. We don't care about his skills. Let's go to my courtyard and eat as much as we can."
Wan Ning was so angry that she raised her hand and knocked over the bright yellow imperial cup.
"I'll eat it! Su Peisheng, have someone send a table of imperial food to Yangxin Palace, and I'll eat it in front of him! You let him destroy me! Destroy me now, destroy me tonight!"
Chu Xian held back her tears and hurried back to the Yangxin Palace angrily.
The Yangxin Palace was packed with imperial physicians and their female doctors. Chu Xian was horrified. "Is His Majesty ill? How is His Majesty?"
"Your Majesty, I am here to check your pulse on your orders." Ye Tianshi, the judge of the Imperial Hospital, knelt at the feet of the empress.
"The Empress's body is in good condition. What kind of pulse check are you asking for?" Sui Qing put his hands on his hips, his eyes wide open with anger.
"Madam, please stop making trouble." Ye Tianshi was sweating profusely. His tigress didn't even know what she had done wrong.
"Empress, can you still bear the abdominal pain?" Ye Tianshi reminded in a low voice and looked at Sui Qing meaningfully.
Sui Qing was glared at by her husband Ye Tianshi with resentment, and immediately turned around in panic: "This servant deserves death, Queen, you will have your period tomorrow. If you eat too much cold food in the next two days, you will definitely have unbearable abdominal pain."
When reminded by Sui Qing and his wife, Chu Xian frowned in pain and bent over to cover her aching abdomen.
"Are they all dead? Hurry up and help the Queen drive away the cold! If you can't serve her well, you will all be executed!"
The Fourth Master's angry rebuke could be heard from behind the curtain.
Chu Xian's nose felt sore. It turned out that he didn't allow her to eat Bingsushan in Huangji Palace because he was worried that she would get a stomachache from consuming too much cold.
I drank the cold-dispelling soup whole, and within half an hour, my period came unexpectedly.
Chu Xian frowned in pain, but didn't dare to say a word, for fear of being scolded, and even more afraid that the Fourth Master would worry.
He was so busy with government affairs that he only slept two hours a day. She couldn't bear it if he was distracted by her again.
After ordering people to extinguish the candles, Chu Xian crawled into the dragon bed in the dark night, bent her body and rubbed her belly quietly.
Feeling warm on her back, the Fourth Master pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, gently rubbing her cold and aching abdomen with his warm palms.
"Hmph, you can't even remember your own menstrual period, and yet you're accusing me of being stingy in the side hall."
"Yes, yes, I was wrong. Your Majesty, please calm down. I am just a bitch, but I don't know how to appreciate your kindness. I am so heartbroken... Woo..."
Her lips were held tightly by his lips stained with alcohol. He seemed really annoyed and bit her lips in anger. Chu Xian dodged in pain, covering her mouth and not daring to speak.
"Hmph, what nonsense! When your period is over, I will definitely deal with you!"
"Master, what did the deposed prince say to you?" Chu Xian asked cautiously while the Fourth Master seemed to be in a good mood.
"Xian'er, there's no need to dwell on the past. We both owe each other a great deal, and I will spend the rest of my life making amends."
Chu Xian froze, and subconsciously hugged the Fourth Master tightly: "So, you know everything..."
"Well, you know it too, don't you?" Yinzhen asked back.
"Yes..." Chu Xian said bluntly.
Neither of them revealed the truth, but they both knew what the other knew and gave each other enough face.
From this moment on, all the past will be completely turned over.
The second day was a day off. Chu Xian was too lazy to get up, dress up and eat, then went to the imperial study to deliver the imperial meal to the Fourth Master.
The little followers behind the Fourth Master stood in front of the door of the Imperial Study, and they wrote down everything the Emperor said.
Chu Xian was bored and went up to one of the white-bearded people and watched him write furiously.
Suddenly I saw a line of imperial comments and corrections in the record of yesterday's Dragon Boat Festival palace banquet.
"Yesterday's Emperor's daily record, what instructions does His Majesty have?" Chu Xian asked casually.
"Your Majesty has instructed me to be brief and concise, to highlight the Emperor's majesty."
Wan Ning, who was standing behind Chu Xian, suddenly burst out laughing.
"Empress, His Majesty is truly tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He only acts tough in the Imperial Diary. Please uphold the Emperor's majesty."
Although Wan Ning was joking, she was extremely envious in her heart. The emperor doted on Xian'er so much that he even remembered Xian'er's menstrual period.
Chu Xian pursed her lips to suppress her embarrassment: "What nonsense are you talking about? The Emperor is majestic in every way."
As he was speaking, Prince Lian Yinsi walked out of the imperial study with a deathly pale face.
"Queen, our prince has left the court. I'm taking my leave." Wan Ning saw that Yinsi looked unhappy and hurriedly took her leave.
After Wan Ning and her husband left, Chu Xian called Su Peisheng over: "Prince Lian..."
Su Peisheng knew what the Empress was thinking, and he hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Lian and the Ninth Prince have been reprimanded by His Majesty for forming a clique for personal gain. His Majesty has given them the names...Aqina and Saisihei, and has ordered them to be confined to the palace for three months as a warning to others."
"Also, Prince Lian's only son, Young Prince Hongwang, was given the name Bodhisattva Bao by His Majesty."
Chu Xian was shocked. She didn't expect that what was supposed to happen would finally happen.
The Fourth Master and the Eighth Master have a deep-seated grudge against each other. Now that the Crown Prince is dead, the Fourth Master's only political enemies are the Eldest Prince and the Eighth Master's faction. Given the Fourth Master's vengeful nature, he will definitely take ruthless action against the Eighth Master.
"Empress, His Majesty just issued an oral decree granting Prince Lian and Eighth Consort a divorce. Prince Lian refused, and His Majesty and Prince Lian had an argument in the Imperial Study. His Majesty then ordered Prince Lian to be placed under house arrest for twenty years."
"After three months of reflection, the Ninth Prince was exiled to the northwest."
"I'll take my leave." Su Peisheng bowed respectfully and left.
"Sui Qing, go to Prince Lian's mansion and tell the Eighth Concubine that I have the final say on whether she gets a divorce or not, so she doesn't have to worry."
Chu Xian was worried that Wan Ning would be so depressed that she would burn herself to death as recorded in history.
"Let Madam Gui and the others carefully serve the Eighth Lady."
As he was speaking, three figures came towards him.
"Your Majesty, those three are the top three in this spring's imperial examination: the first, second, and third place winners."
Liang Jiugong whispered a reminder behind him.
"The third place winner is really handsome." Xianrong muttered softly with a red face.
"How handsome is he?" Chu Xian joked, looking up at the third place winner standing behind the second place winner. After seeing his handsome face clearly, she was stunned for a moment.
It turned out to be Chen Qingyan!
"Your Highness, Li Ai, pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen."
"Your Highness Deng Qiyuan pays homage to the Empress."
"Your Highness... Chen Yuanzhi, I pay my respects to the Empress."
"Keep bowing. You are all the pillars of the country. I hope you will do your best to assist His Majesty in the future."
Chu Xian's gaze would fall on Chen Qingyan from time to time, then quickly retract.
It is unbelievable that the Fourth Master actually chose Chen Qingyan as the third place winner. I wonder what the Fourth Master is planning.
Chu Xian returned to the Yangxin Palace with trepidation, feeling restless.
At this time, Liang Jiugong brought a cup of flower tea.
"Amu, does the emperor have any plans in Jiangnan?"
Liang Jiugong was surprised and lowered his head and said, "Yes, I'm afraid your uncle Cao and his entire family will be executed."
"Your Uncle Cao and I have been exchanging letters frequently these past few days. Don't you understand why His Majesty is supporting the Chen family of Haining at this critical juncture?"
"But is it because of the deficit of Jiangning Weaving Factory?" Chu Xian was extremely anxious. She remembered that in history, the Jiangning Cao family emptied the Jiangning Weaving Factory because they received Emperor Kangxi several times when he visited the south of the Yangtze River.
After the death of Emperor Kangxi, the Cao family was completely liquidated by Emperor Yongzheng.
"Just tell me how much Uncle Cao owes the national treasury." Chu Xian decided to use her own private treasury to fill the huge deficit of Jiangning Weaving.
"The total deficit is over 3.6 million taels, most of which are old debts left over from the previous emperor's several southern tours. But even if they are paid off, what good will it do? Your Majesty wants power in Jiangnan, not the money the Cao family has to pay back."
Liang Jiugong burst into tears: "Xian'er, the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. Even if the emperor dotes on you, you can't interfere in government affairs. Your uncle Cao and I have discussed this matter long ago. You can't be disturbed by this matter. Otherwise, if you fall out of favor, how will we, two old bones, explain to Fei Yanggu?"
Chu Xian held her forehead with her hand, a headache aching. "First, I'll use my private treasury to fill the deficit of the Jiangning Weaving Factory. As for His Majesty, I'll mediate."
"You two are my most respected elders. If I can't even protect you, I don't deserve to be the queen."
"Amu, please stop interfering in the princes' quarrels. I know you favor Fourth Prince Hongli as the crown prince, but His Majesty doesn't like anyone to be suspicious of the crown prince's selection. Please don't offend him."
These days, Liang Amu has been making small moves frequently in the prince's residence. Even she can see the clues, let alone the Fourth Master.
The reason why the Fourth Master endured it was just for her sake.
Today she simply took the opportunity to make things clear, so as to prevent Liang Amu from completely angering the Fourth Master.
"Xian'er...we are a burden to you, but the Fourth Prince is indeed the most outstanding of the three princes. He will definitely inherit the throne in the future. As his biological mother, you should support him in ascending the throne."
"Amu, you are right about one thing. Please remember this: no matter who becomes the new emperor, I will always be the one and only empress dowager."
"The young princes are all the flesh and blood of me and His Majesty. I will never allow them to kill each other. Anyone who instigates the young princes to kill each other is my enemy."
"Madame Chun, have Madame Zheng deliver the silver from my private treasury to the Jiangning Weaving House. After Cao Yin receives the silver, he will make up the shortfall. Just let me know how much is missing."
"This matter must be kept secret. If His Majesty learns of it, I will not forgive him."
"Liang Amu, you go to Jiangnan in person to handle this matter."
Liang Jiugong hesitated and wanted to continue to persuade her until Xian'er threw out the Queen's Phoenix Order. Liang Jiugong lowered his head, took the Phoenix Order, and left with a solemn expression.
In the imperial study, a secret report was quickly presented to the emperor.
Prince Yi Yunxiang saw that his fourth brother looked displeased after he unfolded the letter, so he took it and read it carefully.
"Fourth brother, it is an ancestral rule that the harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. Even if you dote on Fourth Sister-in-law, you cannot condone her interfering in the affairs of the Jiangning Weaving Factory. Her actions have disrupted your plans in Jiangnan."
Yinzhen sighed helplessly, "Thirteenth brother, you go to Jiangning in person and make sure to drive the Cao family out of Jiangnan. The Chen family of Haining can help you gain a foothold in Jiangnan."
"Jiangnan must be firmly under my control. I must never allow my eighth brother's forces to occupy Jiangnan again."
"Fourth brother, but fourth sister-in-law..."
"You handle it yourself. As for your fourth sister-in-law, I will calm her down. I will go there immediately and make a quick decision."
Prince Yi pondered for a moment, then scratched his head awkwardly. "Fourth Brother, just tell me straight. How long can you keep Fourth Sister-in-law steady? I have a good idea of what's going on."
The smart and capable fourth brother is like a scholar meeting a soldier in front of the fourth sister-in-law. He can never control the fourth sister-in-law. To be honest, the fourth brother is henpecked, and everyone close to him knows it.
"Cough cough cough... Just go ahead." Yinzhen cleared his cough a few times to hide his embarrassment.
"Your Majesty, Concubine Qi has hanged herself." Su Peisheng reminded softly with a calm expression.
"Oh, a grand funeral."
His Majesty arranged Concubine Qi's funeral with just three words.
Su Peisheng flicked his whisk, grabbed a young eunuch in the imperial court, and asked him to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and arrange the funeral of Concubine Qi.
"Fourth brother, it's against etiquette for Fourth Sister-in-law to live in the Yangxin Palace for a long time." Prince Yi said with a stiff upper lip, "The memorials from the Imperial Censors impeaching Fourth Sister-in-law are piling up. It's time for her to choose an auspicious day to move to another palace."
"The Changchun Palace where the Queen resides has not been fully renovated yet. We'll talk about it after it's finished."
"Fourth brother! The Changchun Palace where Fourth Sister-in-law lives has been under renovation since you ascended the throne. More than half a year has passed, and it's either on fire or collapsed. It will probably take decades to repair it." Prince Yi couldn't help but remind him.
Fourth brother cannot tolerate any sand in his eyes, and the renovation of Changchun Palace concerns Fourth sister-in-law. If Fourth brother really cares about it, how could he allow the renovation of Changchun Palace to take a long time?
"Thirteenth brother, you must rush to Jiangnan immediately. There is no time to lose. You must ensure that the political situation in Jiangnan is stable by the end of the year."
"Hey... Fourth brother, you..."
Prince Yi looked back every few steps and was driven out of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity by his fourth brother.
After seeing off his thirteenth brother, Yinzhen fixed his eyes on the secret report and remained silent for a long time.
Su Peisheng bowed and stepped into the imperial study: "Your Majesty, the Empress sent someone to ask if you would like to have lunch in the Yangxin Palace?"
"Hmph, no reply." Yinzhen threw the secret report to the ground.
Su Peisheng shrank his neck, knelt on the ground, picked up the secret report, glanced at it quietly, and was immediately dumbfounded.
The queen became more and more bold and presumptuous, and even interfered in the affairs of the previous dynasty.
He turned around in a hurry and before he could go to the Yangxin Palace to report to the Queen, he saw His Majesty leaving the Imperial Study in a hurry.
"Forget it, let's go back and have lunch." Although she was angry, if he didn't go back, she would just have a casual lunch.
She is his queen, how can he compromise?
Chu Xian sat at the table. There were five dishes and a soup on the square table. There was no extravagant meal prepared by the imperial kitchen, but she cooked it herself.
I haven't cooked for a long time, so my cooking skills are not very good.
"Empress Dowager, has Khan Ama arrived? I'm so hungry." The naughty Fifth Prince Hong Zhou peeked out of the palace door.
"Fifth brother, come here. Now you are the fifth prince. You must not be unruly or be laughed at by others." Hongli's stern face looked exactly like the Fourth Master's.
Chu Xian was stunned for a moment, then picked up a piece of braised pork with chopsticks and put it into Hong Zhou's bowl.
"Let's eat. Let's not wait for him. Your Khan Ama is very busy and probably won't have time to dine with us today."
Since the family moved into the Forbidden City, the number of times they get together for meals in a month can be counted on five fingers.
It was already the sixth day of the first lunar month, and the Fourth Master had eaten dinner with her and the children twice. Halfway through one of the meals, he was forced back to the imperial study by urgent military intelligence from eight hundred miles away.
"Mother, Zhu'er doesn't like the Forbidden City. After we came to the Forbidden City, my father won't accompany us anymore. Zhu'er wants my father, not Khan's father, and he doesn't want the Empress Mother either."
"I was told that when I grow up and marry a concubine, I will be banished from the Forbidden City. If I want to see my mother, I will have to submit a memorial to greet her. If my mother gets sick again, I will be worried if I can't see her."
Among the three children, little Hongzhou is the most mischievous and loves his mother the most. Chu Xian's nose felt sore and she hugged little Hongzhou in her arms.
"Mother doesn't like the Forbidden City either. Zhu'er, let's not wait any longer and eat." Chu Xian picked up some food for the children with tears in her eyes.
Being a queen is worse than being a prince's wife. At least the family can get together for dinner every day.
Outside the door, Su Peisheng was sweating profusely. Would the Empress teach the little prince a lesson? He actually said such outrageous words.
Nanny Chun also had cold sweat on her back and looked at Su Peisheng for help.
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