Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Becoming the County Lady, Luo Shi Suffers a Stroke
"What couple?"
Qiao Yue only heard the housekeeper talk about it once last time, so she didn't know the details clearly.
Zhao Qingyi smiled and said, "You'll know when the time comes."
At this time in the previous life, a couple went to Beijing to sue the Luo family for abusing their power for personal gain, colluding with local gentry, persecuting tenant farmers and many other crimes.
Luo tried every means to shift the blame onto her younger brother Luo Gui. Zhao Qingyi believed it at the time and thought her mother-in-law was really wronged. She spent a lot of effort to suppress the matter and gave the couple a sum of money to save Luo from imprisonment.
Now that I think about it, I was foolish. Without the Luo family's instigation and connivance behind the scenes, how could Luo Gui have the ability to open a pawnshop and lend money at high interest? How could he have the qualifications to collude with the gentry and landlords?
To put it more deeply, it was not only Luo's fault, but also Li Che's tacit approval.
Thinking of the couple, thinking of Liu Dashan who died in vain, and thinking of how he had protected Luo in his previous life, Zhao Qingyi felt a pang of sorrow in his heart and felt very guilty towards them.
In this life, she must find this couple before Luo Shi does.
For a while afterwards, Zhao Qingyi wandered around the streets, hoping to try his luck.
Strange faces came to the capital one after another. They were dressed in rags, and associated with beggars, begging for a living in the capital. The troubles they brought also increased accordingly. People from the Five Cities Military Affairs Department often patrolled the streets to drive them away.
Zhao Qingyi had encountered them several times, and she rescued them every time. These were refugees from the disaster-stricken areas, but the news was kept secret too strictly and had not yet reached the top. No corresponding measures were taken, and the officials below could only act according to the old routine and arrest those who caused trouble.
The two maids were also anxious, "These are all refugees. The court didn't properly settle them, but instead drove them away like this. It's really wrong."
He also lamented the ruthlessness of natural disasters and prayed that the court would come up with a plan as soon as possible to provide relief to the victims.
The two maids were unaware of this, but Zhao Qingyi knew that the disaster relief plan had been submitted to His Majesty long ago and His Majesty had adopted it, but the disaster was not effectively controlled in the first place. This only shows that it was not only a natural disaster, but also a man-made disaster.
From the powerful officials in the court to the local officials, all of them have privileges. Natural disasters are a great opportunity for them to use their power to exploit the people. They usually take advantage of the disaster to coax the people to sell their ancestral property and land at a low price, and then these officials will implement disaster relief.
But in this case, even if the disaster is brought under control, the suffering of the people will still exist.
Having lost their land, becoming homeless and unable to feed themselves, once the people's resentment gathers, the world will be in turmoil, and who knows how bloody the storm will be.
Zhao Qingyi couldn't bear to see that scene. The most urgent task was to stabilize the situation.
She asked people to clean up the Li family's old house to accommodate the refugees and set up a porridge stall in front of the door, but the old house could not accommodate too many people. Seeing this, Meng Jiawen mobilized almost all the manpower of the Meng family to help, and also set up tents in the suburbs to clear out the extra farmland.
The actions of Zhao Qingyi and Meng Jiawen won a lot of reputation among the people. Many refugees flocked to the two families, and after being properly resettled, the security in the capital became much more stable.
One was a noble lady from a high-class family, and the other was an imperial merchant in the capital. With them as role models, many wealthy businessmen and officials who wanted to gain fame followed suit. As a result, the situation was temporarily stabilized.
But this is not enough. Disaster relief requires a large amount of money, and there will be more refugees later. If we want to solve the problem fundamentally, new policy reforms are imperative.
After careful consideration, Zhao Qingyi returned to her parents' home on the eighth day of the first lunar month. When she saw her father, she presented him with a 30,000 tael silver note. "This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope this money can help the court overcome this disaster."
Thirty thousand taels was exactly the amount of dowry that Li Susu needed. She had used this money to buy Li Susu's dowry in her previous life, and in this life, she used it to help the people, as a way of repaying the debt she had inadvertently owed in her previous life for sheltering Luo.
Zhao Qingyi could have taken the money himself, like Meng Jiawen, and used it to buy rice and grain to directly help the people, but that would be the only effect. The nobles and powerful families who were unwilling to pay could continue to turn a deaf ear and dumb.
But if her father came forward and announced in public in the court that she had donated 30,000 taels of silver to the court, the officials in the Golden Palace would probably be so ashamed that they would have to contribute money and effort.
The so-called taking from the people and using it for the people, this group of powerful people claim to be clean, and they usually squeeze the fat and blood of the people. Now that natural disasters and man-made disasters are happening, they deserve to spit out what they have taken in.
Zhao Huaiyi wanted to refuse at first. After all, it was not the turn of his daughter, a girl, to step in and deal with court affairs, let alone pay for them. He and Meng had already agreed to use 30% of their family wealth for disaster relief, which was enough.
But then she thought, her daughter is already married, and this move might be to win a good reputation for her husband.
Because of Zhao Manyi's matter, Zhao Huaiyi had some complaints about his son-in-law, but he couldn't say it directly in front of his daughter. He could only accept the banknote and sigh inwardly.
Zhao Qingyi knew her father had misunderstood. "Father, don't overthink it. This money is earned from my daughter's shop. It's clean and has nothing to do with the Li family. I just want to gain a good reputation for myself."
The divorce was imminent and had to be decided. Zhao Qingyi no longer had any need to hide anything and told him the reasons why she wanted to divorce.
These included misappropriation of dowry, childbearing in adultery, poisoning, and Luo's loan sharking and murder.
Zhao Huaiyi felt a chill down his spine after hearing this. He was terrified, and then flew into a rage. "How can this be! They...the Li family is going too far!"
He, as a father, is still alive, but he has not been in the capital for these years. His daughter has been trampled upon by her husband's family like this. If one day he is gone, or if the Zhao family collapses...
Zhao Huaiyi didn't dare to think about it anymore.
"Divorce! Divorce is necessary!"
The Li family had long been plotting to kill his daughter. How could he, as a father, not be anxious? How could he not be angry?
Zhao Qingyi rarely showed her emotions. When she heard her father's undisguised defense, her eyes reddened slightly. "Thank you, father, for understanding your daughter's situation. However, it's difficult for aristocratic families to tolerate divorced women..."
This is also the reason why she has never dared to confess to her parents and family. With her parents' love, they will definitely not watch her suffer injustice. But in this court dispute, if she divorces, it will inevitably affect her father and the family's reputation.
The world is like this, and she has no choice. The thirty thousand taels of silver are filled with her own selfish desires. She hopes that what she does today can win her some room for argument in the future.
"It's hard for aristocratic families to tolerate divorced women. Could it be that I, Zhao Huaiyi, can't tolerate a married daughter?"
Zhao Huaiyi signaled her not to say more, "Just be at ease and protect yourself. I will keep today's events a secret for you for now. If it really comes to that, you can go home without worry. Your mother and I are not pedantic people, and neither is your grandmother."
Zhao Huaiyi did not dare to delay and immediately handed the banknote to the Ministry of Revenue. The next morning at court, the Minister of Revenue reported to the emperor that Zhao Qingyi had voluntarily donated 30,000 taels of silver for disaster relief.
The young emperor still liked to retain a bit of mystery. Even during the morning court session in the Golden Palace, a fine pearl curtain was used to block the middle, and the ministers below bowed their heads, not daring to look the emperor in the face.
Naturally, no one could see the admiration flash across the young emperor's handsome and charming face.
She was indeed the woman he had his eyes on, scheming and resourceful, with a heart that cared about the world. She was a perfect match for him. He couldn't help but think of the drunken incident that night.
Come to think of it, I haven't seen her for a while.
Recently, in order to deal with natural disasters and refugee issues, he was stuck in the palace and couldn't leave, so he had to find an opportunity to see her.
The young emperor was lost in thought, and the ministers below who were trying to curry favor with Zhao Huaiyi praised him for his good parenting and Zhao Qingyi's benevolence and righteousness.
Some of them were entrusted by Zhao Huaiyi to deliberately mention Zhao Qingyi, hoping to win a good reputation for her in front of the emperor, but they did not dare to go too far. They could only make suggestions while carefully observing His Majesty the Emperor behind the pearl curtain.
Little did they know that the man on the dragon throne looked so proud when he heard their undisguised praise, as if the civil and military officials were praising him instead of Zhao Qingyi.
"Lord Zhao has indeed given birth to a good daughter. If all the people of Daliang were like her, knowing how to act and when to retreat, and able to share the burdens of the imperial court, I wouldn't have to worry about this disaster."
The young emperor's words had hidden meanings, which made all the civil and military officials in the court ashamed.
If a woman can share the emperor's worries, what about these officials who receive salaries from the court?
Zhao Huaiyi said calmly, "I have decided to donate 30% of my wealth to replenish the national treasury to help the people affected by the disaster overcome this difficult time."
Thirty percent may not sound like a lot, but everyone knows that Zhao Huaiyi married a wife who is very good at business. Just thirty percent of the family wealth is probably hundreds of thousands of taels.
That's a huge sum of money.
The others could hardly conceal their shock, wondering if Zhao Huaiyi had gone mad. To curry favor with His Majesty, he actually dared to spend his own money.
The young emperor was delighted. "Lord Zhao, you are kind-hearted, but I will not let you waste your money in vain. How about I reward you with a promise? If you want anything in the future, please ask me."
The emperor's promise was a reward far beyond what could be compared with gold and silver. It was equivalent to having a golden medal of immunity from death, and giving one the confidence to negotiate with the emperor.
Some nobles have already regretted their decision. With the new policy imminent, their past will be exposed sooner or later. If they can get a promise from His Majesty, at least their families can be kept safe.
Thinking of this, the Earl of Loyalty and Bravery stepped forward first, holding his tablet and saying, "Although my family is far less wealthy than Lord Zhao's, I am also willing to donate ten thousand taels of silver."
Ten thousand taels of silver is not enough compared to 30% of Zhao Huaiyi's wealth, but this is the limit of the Earl's Mansion. I only hope that Your Majesty can reward him with a promise.
Unfortunately, things went against his wishes. The young emperor said in a faint voice, "Lord Zhongyong is thoughtful." He asked the eunuch Huang Nei Shi who was holding the pen beside him to write it down, and there was no further news.
Uncle Zhongyong was stunned for a moment and even looked up at the bead curtain.
"Lord Zhongyong, do you have something to report?"
Bo Zhongyong stammered that he had nothing and left. He felt a pang of pain in his heart. The ten thousand taels had been wasted.
Wang Ci Fu glanced at his brother-in-law and called him an idiot.
Your Majesty, how could you promote Zhao Huaiyi for money? It's clearly just a high-sounding excuse to reuse Zhao Huaiyi. The Loyal and Brave Earl is a member of the royal party. Even if he loses everything, he may not be able to win the attention of Your Majesty.
Thinking of the situation of the Bo Mansion, which was strong on the outside but weak on the inside, Wang Ci Fu took a deep breath.
Next, Prime Minister Zhang also stepped forward and volunteered to donate half of his family wealth. Now that the two elders in the cabinet had expressed their opinions, Wang Ci Fu could not continue to turn a deaf ear and dumb, so he also symbolically donated tens of thousands of taels.
This undoubtedly set a good example. All the officials who followed, regardless of their rank, donated more or less. In this way, the harvest in one morning court session was quite fruitful, and at least getting through this difficult time was not a problem.
The young emperor also had a general understanding of the family background of his ministers. Some of them were honest and their families were very poor, so the amount they donated was very small, but some of them pretended to be honest and did not dare to reveal their true family background.
Eunuch Huang wrote down everything and secretly observed the expressions of the civil and military officials.
As the meeting drew to a close, Wang Cifu stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have one more thing I find inappropriate. The daughter of Lord Zhao has made meritorious contributions, but she is already married and is now the wife of Li Che, the Imperial Academy editor. As the saying goes, husband and wife are one. If Your Majesty wishes to reward her, it should be her husband, not her father. As the saying goes, a woman should obey her husband..."
Wang Ci Fu originally didn't take a small character like Li Che seriously, but the other party's sister was about to join the Zhongyong Marquis's Mansion, which made them related to each other. Promoting Li Che was considered to be cultivating his own party members.
Moreover, Wang Ci Fu believed that there was nothing wrong with his remarks. After a woman got married, she had nothing to do with her parents' family. A woman's honor and disgrace all depended on her husband.
Rather than letting Zhao Huaiyi, the shameless old man, get an advantage, it is better to fight for Li Che's grace and reward. Li Che will have to be grateful to him in the future.
After Wang Ci Fu made his suggestion, his followers came forward to echo him.
The young emperor's face gradually darkened, but the officials below could not see through the pearl curtain.
Eunuch Huang was the closest and could see everything clearly through the gap in the beaded curtain, so he simply lowered his eyes and remained silent.
He and the young eunuch Fugui are both the closest eunuchs to His Majesty, but their duties are very different. Fugui is mainly responsible for accompanying the young emperor to grow up and play with him, while Eunuch Huang has to take care of the court as well, act as the emperor's eyes and ears, supervise all officials, and report news at any time.
Therefore, he is also the person who knows the emperor best. Wang Ci Fu formed a clique for personal gain and tried his best to obstruct the new policies, and had long lost the emperor's favor.
As expected, after the royal party had finished their advice for a long time, the young emperor finally said in a cold voice, "Li Che's talent is mediocre. He has been exiled for three years and has achieved no political achievements. He is blessed to have such a virtuous wife. Why does he need a reward from the royal family? How can he deserve it?"
"Because he and your Wang Yangzhi will soon be related by marriage?"
These words were like a thunderclap. Wang Ci Fu fell to his knees, demonstrating his sincerity and selflessness.
The emperor only sneered, "But I do hear dissatisfaction from your voice. Do you think my reward is not enough? Well, I will issue an imperial decree to confer the title on the master."
In the eyes of all officials, the emperor's move once again promoted the Zhao family, but they did not know that the only person he wanted to promote from the beginning to the end was Zhao Qingyi.
Zhao Qingyi already has a reputation in the capital, what she lacks is an identity. With the current emperor to legitimize her, who would dare to say a word against her even if they divorce in the future?
After the court was dismissed, many officials gathered around Zhao Huaiyi to congratulate him. Being an official in the court was important for standing on one side. Now that Zhao Huaiyi was in such a good position, many people believed that he would be the most respected person by His Majesty after Prime Minister Zhang.
There were only a few people around Wang Ci Fu, who was scolded.
Wang Ci Fu had a grim expression on his face, snorted coldly at the person opposite him, and turned to go to Shoukang Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.
The retired emperor abdicated early, and both he and the empress dowager disappeared without a trace. The one living in Shoukang Palace now is your majesty's grandmother, who is also from the same clan as Wang Ci Fu. According to seniority, Wang Ci Fu has to call the Grand Empress Dowager his aunt.
This was also one of the reasons why he could dominate the court.
The Empress Dowager was over sixty years old. She came from the prestigious Wang family and had a noble status. When she heard the news of the Zhao family's daughter being canonized from Wang Ci Fu, she was still leisurely savoring the Nine-Bend Red Plum that was newly tributed this year.
"I have heard about what Zhao has done in the palace. She has truly done things that benefit the country and the people. It is understandable that the emperor values her. Why are you so upset?"
Wang Ci Fu felt that his aunt had lived in the deep palace for a long time and was used to the comfort, so she no longer had a sense of crisis.
"Aunt, please don't underestimate this matter. His Majesty clearly wants to gradually dismantle the power of the aristocratic families. If you are unwilling to step forward, where will the Wang family have a place in the court in the future?"
He spoke sincerely, but in the eyes of the Empress Dowager, he was still too nervous. "I will pay attention to it. You can leave now."
Only after Wang Ci Fu left did the Empress Dowager put down her teacup, her eyes narrow and long.
Chu Yuanhe grew up under her nose, and as his grandmother, she knew very well what kind of personality he had.
——He is not a tyrant, but he is definitely not a good person. There must be a deeper reason why he is interested in the Zhao family.
"Go check who this Zhao family is."
…
Three days later, the imperial edict drafted by the cabinet came down.
The reason for the three-day delay was the stuck on the title. The cabinet and the Imperial Household Department discussed together and wrote down several titles, but they were all rejected by the emperor. Finally, the emperor decided on one himself, and Eunuch Huang personally led the decree to the Li family.
In the past few days, Luo has regained consciousness, but she suffered a great shock and is no longer as strong as before. However, when she heard that an imperial edict had come from the palace and that the eunuch Sili personally read it, Luo forced herself to get up and asked her servants to dress her up.
In her opinion, the fact that the emperor's closest eunuch could come to announce the decree meant that the decree was extraordinary, and it might be to promote her son Che'er.
If this is true, then as his mother, she must come forward to receive the order and witness her son's glorious moment.
Luo swept away her previous melancholy and morbidity, changed into the most gorgeous silk clothes, put on the most precious gilded head ornaments in her jewelry box, and stained her harsh lips with bright lip balm. She looked a bit out of place, but Luo was very happy.
The whole Qionghua Hall was filled with a festive atmosphere, and everyone was celebrating in advance. Li Susu was also happy. In the joy, Zhao Manyi from next door also got the news. She came to pay her respects to Luo Shi, stroking her belly, and wanted to go to the front yard with Luo Shi to receive the imperial edict later.
Luo Shi disdainfully asked, "How dare a lowly concubine like you interfere in a wedding?"
After cursing a few words, he took Jun Ge'er and the grandson in her belly into consideration and reluctantly took her to the front yard to wait.
At noon, Eunuch Huang's procession finally arrived at the Li family's house. Standing in the front was Li Che, followed by Li Heng and Luo.
Zhao Qingyi was the last to arrive, covered in snow and wind, obviously having just returned from outside.
Luo was displeased and reprimanded with a sullen face, "You dare to neglect the imperial decree?"
"My daughter-in-law rushed back as soon as she got the news."
Luo was about to say a few more words when Eunuch Huang coughed lightly. She immediately put on a fawning smile and said, "Sir, we are all here. You may announce the decree."
She couldn't wait to hear the good news.
Li Che, as usual, pretended to be solemn and nodded to the eunuch Huang, then led the whole family to kneel down to receive the order.
Eunuch Huang didn't respond immediately. Instead, he smiled at Zhao Qingyi and said, "I believe the county lady has just returned from the refugees. Would you like to warm yourself up with a cup of hot tea and take a break before coming to receive the decree?"
Eunuch Huang was promoted by the retired emperor and had served Chu Yuanhe for nearly twenty years. He must have his own strengths, but no one mentioned them. However, he was the first to notice that His Majesty treated Zhao Qingyi differently, especially since His Majesty had been leaving the palace frequently in the past six months. This was probably related to Zhao Qingyi.
If others knew that the emperor coveted the minister's wife, they would definitely try their best to dissuade him, but Eunuch Huang would not do such a stupid thing.
His respectful attitude already treated Zhao Qingyi as half a master.
Zhao Qingyi was stunned, thinking she had heard wrongly, "County Lady?"
Li Che and others also looked up, their eyes full of doubt, and they all wanted to get an answer from Eunuch Huang.
Eunuch Huang just smiled, and the young eunuch behind him hurriedly brought a cup of hot tea. Zhao Qingyi thanked him, drank the tea, and then knelt down to receive the order.
"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Zhao Qingyi, daughter of Zhao Huaiyi, Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, is virtuous and wise, deeply understanding of justice, and compassionate to the times. She donated 30,000 taels of silver to aid the relief efforts, saving many lives. Her righteous deeds are commendable, and I hereby grant her the title of Princess of Chenhua County. This is my decree!"
Eunuch Huang's voice was treacherous, but loud enough to cover the entire front yard.
After finishing the reading, he presented the imperial edict with both hands and said with a smile, "Princess Chenhua, please accept the edict."
The most excited were the two maids. Seeing her grandmother still in a daze, the lively Qiao Yue hurriedly urged, "Grandma... Oh no, County Master, please accept the order!"
Zhao Qingyi finally woke up from his dream and kowtowed to express his gratitude.
However, she was full of doubts. She had only donated a mere 30,000 taels. How could she have deserved the title of a county lady?
And this title... Chen Hua... Chen...
The word "Chen" symbolizes the majesty of the emperor. Only the emperor, empress and relatives dare to use it. Even a noble person like the eldest princess does not have this honor. Now it is used to describe oneself, which is really beyond the rules.
This made Zhao Qingyi inexplicably uneasy.
All she wanted was prestige, a word of praise from the emperor and his ministers, and a way out for a future divorce. However, she never imagined that in return she would gain such immense wealth.
Not only Zhao Qingyi was surprised, but Li Che and the others from the Luo family behind him were all shocked.
But the most shocked person was Luo. Although she had not read many books and could not understand the praises in the imperial edict, she heard the words "donate 30,000 taels of silver" and "confer the title of county princess" clearly.
After she fainted, she was weak and rarely went out. She only knew that Zhao Qingyi had been busy with the refugees' affairs recently, and she didn't know much about it. Now she suddenly heard that the other party had concealed it from her and donated a full 30,000 taels of silver in exchange for the position of a county lord. Luo's world collapsed again.
Especially since she had just been cheated out of all her family fortune, and Li Susu was about to get married, and the amount she needed was exactly 30,000 taels.
She was so worried about the 30,000 taels that she couldn't sleep at night and had no appetite. But Zhao Qingyi waved his hand and donated the 30,000 taels of silver that she urgently needed!
Donated to a group of unrelated refugees!
The skin on Luo's cheeks trembled slightly, her hands and feet were stiff, veins bulged on her forehead, and the blood in her body became boiling hot, rushing through her internal organs, making her unable to control her expression and even her breathing.
"Mom...Mom! What's wrong with you?" Li Susu, who was closest to her, noticed something was wrong and shook Luo hard.
Luo really wanted to respond, but her limbs, cheeks, and tongue were instantly paralyzed. She began to twitch uncontrollably, and her unwilling roar was stuck deep in her throat, turning into a strange sound like a leak.
"mother!"
Everyone's eyes were focused on Luo.
Luo's hands and feet gradually twisted into strange arcs, his mouth was crooked, his eyes were slanted, saliva was flowing, and his whole body fell down with a bang.
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