61 Change
◎We have to prepare early◎
The next morning, the entire palace was covered in white silk, looking mournful and gloomy.
All the concubines, princes and maids gathered in front of the hall, wearing plain clothes, all with their heads bowed and sobbing. The sun was hot and especially warm today. People were chanting scriptures, praying, and coming and going in the hall, but most of them were silent and there were no extra sounds. The only thing that was not seen was the shadow of Concubine Liu Xian.
Bai Yi was so sad these days that she almost fainted. Rong Qianyu was also angry with Fu Hua, so there was no hostess in charge.
It was not until the palace maid knocked on Concubine Xian's door that they found out that she had already left. The young palace maid who entered the room was scared half to death. Liu Tongwu, wearing a gorgeous dress, with pearls and jade on her hair and heavy makeup, hanged herself facing the door.
The young palace maid pushed open the door and saw Liu hanging from the beam. Her face was purple and bloodless. She was so scared that she spilled her tea and fell down on the threshold, hugging the door and crying bitterly.
"Oh no, oh no, Empress Xian has passed away, Empress Xian has passed away!" A young eunuch shouted all the way to the main hall to report. This shocked everyone present. Bai Yiyuan was still immersed in the pain of losing her husband and did not react when she heard the news.
The day before yesterday, I saw Liu having a secret conversation with Prince Jin. And with her competitive nature, how could she be willing to die at this time? She has been competing with Bai Yi for a lifetime and has never refused to admit defeat. She has always protected her two children like an old hen. How could she commit suicide at this time?
"Liu died at this time? How did she die?!"
Bai Yi still couldn't believe it. She knew Liu's character very well. How could she, such a strong-willed person, let her daughter die before she even got married? Unless she had other motives, Bai Yi felt a little uneasy. If she committed suicide for this reason, it would be very reasonable.
She is willing to throw herself into the game and sacrifice her life to win half the battle. This is exactly like her temperament.
The young eunuch described, "Empress Xian hanged herself to death. When she was found this morning, she was already dead. The palace maid was frightened half to death this morning. What should the Empress do now?"
Bai Yi continued to fiddle with her Buddhist beads, her expression expressionless. It was hard to tell whether she was happy or sad that her mortal enemy had died in front of her. "Follow the rules and inform Prince Jin."
"yes."
"Has the Crown Princess not returned yet?" Bai Yi asked.
The young eunuch shook his head. "Not yet. The Crown Princess and the Crown Prince had a quarrel the day before yesterday, and the Crown Prince even threatened to depose her."
Bai Yi closed her eyes tightly and moved her Buddhist beads faster. "Let her go. None of them give me peace of mind. I'll tell her on the way that she doesn't need to come back. She doesn't want the position of the Mother of the World. There are plenty of people who want it."
"yes."
She is so ignorant of the rules at this time. She used to be so lovely, but now she has become more and more arrogant. Bai Yi has no time to care about Rong Qianyu. Right now, the priority is to appease Prince Jin. There must not be any mistakes.
At that time, Prince Jin's Mansion did not know about this matter. Fu Zhang had been depressed since he came back. He had rebellious thoughts in his heart, but he still had concerns.
"The palace urgently summons you, Your Highness, to come into the palace to discuss important matters!"
"What's the matter? His Highness fell ill yesterday due to worry and fell asleep."
The young eunuch spoke very cautiously, fearing that speaking too quickly would upset her. "Empress Xian... has passed away."
Liu Yuan didn't seem too surprised when she heard this. She was as calm as ever, even more so than usual. The servants around her didn't show any panic either. "I came to the palace for this matter. Is there anything else, my lord?"
The young eunuch was also somewhat puzzled. After all, the person who died was her aunt, her mother-in-law. Was it really that indifferent? Finally, he said suspiciously, "Gone."
She politely nodded in thanks and generously stuffed a handful of golden melon seeds into the young eunuch's mouth. "Please tell the Empress Dowager that I've been informed. However, I'm truly ill and deeply saddened by the passing of my parents. I hope Your Majesty will have mercy on me and take full responsibility for my mother's funeral arrangements. We won't be going."
"yes."
The young eunuch went to Prince Jin's mansion in a panic, was stuffed with a handful of golden melon seeds, and left the mansion in a panic again.
Liu Yuan's maid whispered, "What should the Queen do now?"
"I'll go inform His Highness, and you call my father over," he then pulled the man back. "Don't make a fuss yet. It would be too much of a fuss to have my father come at this time. Quickly take the prince and the princess to my grandmother's house. I'll go find His Highness."
"yes."
She gave another order, glancing towards the room, "Keep a close eye on the Crown Princess!"
Liu Yuan calmed down and knocked gently on Fu Zhang's door, "Your Highness..."
Fu Zhang did not respond. Liu Yuan knocked on the door again to ask, but there was no sound from inside. She slowly pushed the door open and saw Fu Zhang lying lazily on the bed with the window closed. The room was full of the smell of alcohol.
Her face was filled with worry, completely different from how she looked outside just now. "My mother is gone," she whispered, her voice choked with sobs, as if she had sorted out her emotions as soon as she pushed the door open, and completely released them in front of Fu Zhang.
He sighed, climbed out of bed, and said woodenly, "People outside have started crying. I guess they've figured it out too."
"What should we do now?" Liu Yuan asked.
Fu Zhang hesitated, unable to find the right words. His gaze shifted, avoiding Liu Yuan's. After a moment's flicker, his gloomy gaze gradually brightened. "My mother has been trapped in the palace her entire life. Even if I wanted to rescue her, I couldn't. Since she's so determined, as a son, I should fulfill her wish."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
"These are turbulent times, Ah-yan. We need to prepare early." The two of them had a natural tacit understanding, and he could understand it with just a glance. "Where are Xiao'er and Yan'er?"
Liu Yuan understood what he meant and smiled comfortingly, "I've already sent them to their grandmother's house."
In many things, it was Liu Yuan who pushed him forward from behind. Liu Yuan knew Fu Zhang's character very well, and she knew even more clearly her aunt's love for her son. Fu Zhang's only concern was his aunt, so when he had concerns, he would look before his eyes. Once he had no concerns, he could concentrate on his immediate interests.
For the sake of his children and sister, there is nothing he would not risk.
You can also fight for the dragon throne.
Rong Qianyu overheard what she had heard and guessed what she had guessed. As she was about to leave with her basket, she was stopped by several eunuchs. "Your Majesty, you cannot leave."
She pointed at several people and cursed, "You guys in the Prince Jin's Mansion are going to kidnap someone, so I can't leave?"
Guard A Jiang explained it to her many times, but she just wouldn't listen.
"I'm going out to visit an old friend and bring her some food. Do you want to interfere? Or does the Prince of Jin want to interfere? Is that his right?"
Rong Qianyu was making such a fuss that the side door was soon crowded with people. "Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for us servants."
"I won't make things difficult for you, but you better stop taking chicken feathers as your order. Get out of my way!" It can be said that she learned this arrogant behavior from Xue Ji.
"Ajiang, what's wrong?" Liu Yuan asked.
"Princess, the Crown Princess wants to leave!"
Rong Qianyu straightened her messed-up clothes and angrily yelled at Liu Yuan, "Princess Jin, your servant is so arrogant! He even dares to stop the Crown Princess in the name of his master. If you can't discipline him, hand him over to me. I will discipline him for you and prevent him from being disrespectful and breaking the rules."
"Yes, yes, it's us who didn't teach her well," Liu Yuan apologized with a smile. She had to keep her for now, otherwise she would have wanted to shut her up right now. So she said with embarrassment, "A Jiang, let the Crown Princess out."
She had never shown much respect for Rong Qianyu. She was from a prominent family, her mother's clan was powerful, and she was the princess consort; she certainly wouldn't take an unloved princess seriously. She had always been forced to act kind and respectful out of pride, but in reality, she was the more ambitious of the couple.
She was good at disguising herself. Seeing that it was unsafe for her to go out alone, she found two maids for her. "My Lady, I will find two more capable servants to go with you. Pei'er, Ya'er, go with the Crown Princess."
Rong Qianyu already knew their evil intentions and disdained them. She looked at the two seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls in front of her and said meaningfully, "Ya'er, your name violates the new emperor's name. You should be called Hua'er."
The little girl was startled. She glanced at the princess and saw that she had no reaction, so she could only accept it reluctantly.
Although Rong Qianyu said this to the little girl, she was actually warning Liu Yuan. She politely said, "Princess Jin, I hope you won't mind."
Liu Yuan smiled brightly, "It's her blessing that Your Majesty can give her a name."
After saying that, Rong Qianyu took the two people out. She was already under surveillance, and she definitely couldn't go out before the matter was over. The only reason she was kept there was because the great cause had not been accomplished.
This time there was no Xue Ji, only myself.
It wasn't far from Prince Jin's Mansion to Aunt Pu's residence, but she insisted on riding in a sedan chair.
"How long have you been following Princess Jin?"
They both replied, “Almost ten years.”
"That means you've been serving her even before you got married. How does the princess treat you? When do you plan to get married?" The three of them were chatting about family matters.
Now the beggar spoke first, "We servants swear to take care of the Madam and the young prince and princess for the rest of our lives. We have no intention of getting married."
The two were arranged to monitor her. They were probably the people Liu Yuan trusted the most. They were determined to show that they would follow the princess's lead for the rest of their lives and would not tolerate any instigation from anyone.
However, Rong Qianyu asked this not to instigate, and people who instigate are useless.
She feigned regret, lamenting their suffering. "A lifetime is too vain. Who dares to say how long it lasts? One day you're on a high platform, the next you're a prisoner. Who wants to be a slave forever? Why would you rather be beaten and suffer than live a life of freedom, marry, and have children? Especially in an imperial household. If the truth comes out, even the servants will be implicated. If a good, innocent woman is reduced to slavery, even her brothers and sisters will have a hard time finding a way out. Why waste her youth?"
This was a common tactic she used. Women cared more about their families and were easily manipulated, and it seemed to be working. The two men had just been gloating over their loyalty to the emperor, but when it came to the implication of collective punishment and the impact on their families, their composure vanished.
The two of them looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.
The effect was achieved, and Rong Qianyu was unwilling to argue with them over these minor details. "I just spoke my mind. My aunt was my mother's dowry, and what happened? She was hunted down by the Queen Consort and her leg was broken. Now she is all alone and helpless. Fortunately, I found her and gave her a place to stay. Everyone has their own aspirations, and you can't force them. If she knew that this would be the outcome in twenty years, she would never marry into the royal family with my mother."
A living example was right before their eyes: an old woman who had stubbornly defended her master ended up in a miserable state. If it weren't for Rong Qianyu's help, she would have inevitably suffered a miserable end. Furthermore, their young masters wouldn't provide for them in their old age, much less allow them to survive. If anything happened, their entire family would be executed.
This forced them to replan their second half of life. Losing their lives for their master was loyalty, but becoming a government slave out of loyalty was stupidity.
"Aunt Pu!"
"Princess!" Aunt Pu put down the broom in her hand and came to greet her.
"I came to see you. I know you like beef and scallion buns, so I made some for you. But their clams and squash are also delicious. You should try them all. I also brought some cakes you like, chrysanthemum cakes, and rose cakes I made especially for you."
Rong Qianyu is particularly wary of outsiders. Although her tone hasn't changed much, she is like a little girl in front of Aunt Pu, acting coquettishly and being well-behaved.
"Why do you suddenly want to come and see me today?" asked Aunt Pu.
"I dreamed of my mother, just like that day. When I woke up, I wanted to come and see you."
"Who are these two?"
Rong Qianyu explained that these were two maids from Prince Jin's mansion who accompanied her.
Aunt Pu asked everyone to sit down and went to the kitchen to heat up the food. "I was just about to cook when the princess arrived. We'll have dinner in a little while."
Rong Qianyu pulled her to sit in the courtyard. The golden osmanthus was fragrant, the sky was clear and the air was refreshing. It was very pleasant to sit in the courtyard and enjoy the breeze. "I brought some buns. I'm sorry to bother you, Aunt Bu Lao today. Let's eat some buns."
Aunt Pu had no idea she could cook and was looking forward to seeing how she would cook noodles for the first time. Rong Qianyu opened the lunch box, put the ingredients on it, and was about to start eating when Pei'er called her back.
"etc!"
Pei'er tore open all the buns—she had brought over a dozen—leaving no one behind, spilling the meat filling and broth all over the table. These were made by Rong Qianyu herself for Aunt Pu. Though the craftsmanship wasn't great and the appearance was awful, it was still a gift from a younger generation, a token of filial piety. She hadn't expected these two to disrupt everything.
"How dare you! What are you doing!"
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