Concubine Xi struggled for a while, turned around with difficulty, and showed her most charming smile, "Your Majesty, I was just joking..."
Uh? No one?
"Mu Wanqing, you are playing tricks on me!" She was almost mad with anger. In Mu Wanqing's eyes, was there still any distinction between superiors and inferiors? No matter what, she was still the imperial concubine, the sovereign, and they were all subjects.
"How dare you snatch someone from the emperor when you are so timid?" Mu Wanqing smiled sweetly. What loyalty? She was loyal to herself. It was enough for the emperor and his subjects to coax themselves.
"How about we go talk to the emperor right now. If he agrees, I'll promise you. Let's go."
She walked forward and took Concubine Xi's arm and led her towards the Yangxin Palace. This frightened Concubine Xi and she struggled hard.
She would never dare let the emperor know these little plans, because she knew these ideas could not be made public.
"Let me go, let me go, Mu Wanqing, I order you to let me go."
She was still acting like a favored concubine, but unfortunately, Mu Wanqing pulled her harder and refused to let go. "Come on, teach the emperor a lesson and let him know that the person next to him can stab him in the back at any time."
Concubine Xi felt really bad. What a psychopath! How could he talk like that?
Having offended her so much, aren't you afraid that she will retaliate against you when she becomes the Queen Mother?
Mu Wanqing is not blindly loyal, so what's wrong with the Queen Mother? If you dare to harm her, you can still be killed.
As for the emperor, if he is good, then cooperate; if he is not good, then say goodbye. No matter when, she can get away with it safely.
Concubine Xi's men wanted to come over to help, but Du Shaoxuan blocked them with a branch and threatened to hit anyone who crossed the line.
Concubine Xi's eyes turned red with anxiety. "I didn't do anything. Don't talk nonsense. The emperor won't believe you."
Du Shaoxuan turned around and said, "I am a witness."
Concubine Xi was so angry that she forgot to be wary of him. "Everyone knows that you only have Mu Wanqing in your heart and eyes. Your words are not trustworthy."
As soon as these words came out, Du Shaoxuan blushed and subconsciously looked at Mu Wanqing.
Mu Wanqing seemed not to hear and kicked Concubine Xi on the instep intentionally or unintentionally. Concubine Xi felt a sharp pain and fell forward, "Ahhh."
Mu Wanqing seemed startled, let go of her hand and jumped back, letting Concubine Xi fall heavily to the ground.
She covered her mouth in surprise, hesitated for a moment, and stepped forward to help the man, "Why did you fall while walking? Look at the road more carefully."
Concubine Xi felt pain all over her body and lost all her face. She was so angry that she pushed Mu Wanqing away viciously, "Who asked you to pretend to be kind? You did it on purpose. Ah, ah, ah, I'm going to kill you."
Du Shaoxuan was furious and stared at her coldly, "Wanqing, ignore her, she is not a good person, let's go."
Mu Wanqing brushed her sleeves, looked disgusted, then slowly turned and left.
Concubine Xi looked at the two people walking away and was so angry that she pounded the ground. She was determined to fight them!
There are no secrets in the palace, and the news spread throughout the palace in no time.
The emperor was teaching the eldest prince how to write, his brows slightly furrowed, "What is Concubine Xi doing?"
Wei Shaohui, standing with his hands down, said respectfully, "Empress Xi wants to steal your power, but Princess Qingping is determined not to allow it, and only wants to be a lone minister..."
He told the whole story truthfully, without concealing anything or adding any embellishment, and recounted the entire process.
The emperor raised his lips slightly, "Pass on my oral order and ask Concubine Xi to copy ten volumes of scriptures and offer them to the Buddha on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."
Wei Shaohui's eyes drooped slightly. Ten volumes? Concubine Xi had to copy the scriptures until her arm was broken. With such a tight schedule, it was like an invisible house arrest.
"Yes." The chief eunuch responded, and in his heart he respected Princess Qingping even more.
Princess Qingping won this dispute and made the emperor very happy. It is rare to have such a loyal minister.
The eldest prince blinked and said with some worry, "Did mother get into trouble?"
The emperor had brought him up by his side since he was three years old, intentionally isolating him from the influence of the concubines. However, he also allowed Concubine Xi to have contact with the eldest prince occasionally, as the child also needed maternal love.
If forced isolation is simply carried out, it will not be good for the child's growth.
Of course, it is impossible to be alone together, as there are countless eyes watching us.
The emperor did not hide him just because he was young. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the successor emperor and must be trained well for the sake of the country.
"Would you be happy if the servants around you listened to you in public but listened to others behind your back?"
"Unhappy." The eldest prince's eyes widened and his face puffed up, "Who is that other person?"
The emperor spent very little time with his concubines. As a king, it was his responsibility to have children. Unfortunately, his health was not good and he did not have many children.
The emperor is high and mighty, and destined to be ruthless.
"It's just an analogy. Your mother is not a smart person. I'm not dead yet, but she's in a hurry to recruit people. What is she in such a hurry for?"
This was too harsh, and the eldest prince's face turned pale. "Father, you will live a long life."
In his heart, the father he lived with day and night was the most important. Although his mother always said that she loved him the most, the sensitive nature of a child made him feel that this might not be the case.
The emperor touched his little head and said that being a prince was destined to bear too much responsibility.
"My son, you must remember that everyone has selfish desires and will think for themselves, but too much is as bad as too little."
The eldest prince thought seriously for a while, and suddenly asked, "What is Sister Qingping's selfish motive?"
For fame, profit and power?
The emperor showed a trace of surprise on his face, then smiled and said, "She wants everyone to listen to her and fulfill her dream with her."
The eldest prince was stunned, a little puzzled, "What is her dream?"
The emperor had a complicated expression. “Let the old have a place to live, the strong have a place to work, the young have a place to grow, and the widowed, lonely, disabled, and sick all have a place to live.” Note (1)
The eldest prince knew where this sentence came from. "This is from the Book of Rites. But this only exists in the ideal country in the book. How can it be accomplished?"
Although he was born into a life of luxury, the emperor disciplined him strictly and told him a lot about the outside world.
The last time he went out of the palace and saw beggars shivering from the cold on the roadside, he realized that there are still many people in this world who are hungry and cold.
"Others can't accomplish it, but she might be able to." This is also the real reason why the emperor thinks highly of her. "She built a school in Xiliang where both boys and girls can go to school. Renjitang specializes in accepting orphans, widows, lonely people, and the disabled. Children under three years old are given milk to drink and food to receive, ensuring that they can grow up healthily."
Mu Wanqing is a very contradictory person. She has great love and ability, but she is also strong-willed and refuses to listen to advice. She also likes to stir up trouble.
Human nature is complex, but that's what makes a living person.
The eldest prince was stunned. She was not only good at making money. "How did she do it?"
The emperor's eyes fell on the thick account book, "First of all, you need money, lots and lots of money."
The national treasury was full and his private treasury was also full, all thanks to Mu Wanqing.
“Secondly, we need a leader who has a far-sighted vision and a heart full of love.”
It would be impossible to formulate so many rules that are beneficial to the people without a benevolent heart. She took all aspects into consideration and built a complete welfare system.
He studied it over and over again and had to admit that she was quite good at it.
“Once again, we must work together as one.”
The unity of the Xiliang officials was beyond his expectations. Even though Mu Wanqing left, they still followed her way without making any changes, and Xiliang was thriving.
"My son, it is difficult to achieve these three points, but Princess Qingping did it. She also supported the Du family army with her own strength, blocked the attacks of the two countries of Beichu and Xiwu, and defended the northwest defense line for Daqi, giving the court a chance to breathe."
Every bit of her achievements was recorded and kept in his mind.
The eldest prince's eyes sparkled with admiration, "Sister Qingping is amazing."
The emperor had high hopes for him, "Yes, you should study hard, you can learn a lot from her."
"Understood, Father."
So, when Concubine Xi did not dare to go to the emperor, but went to the eldest prince to complain about Mu Wanqing's unreasonableness and disrespect to her, the eldest prince listened silently for a long time and said, "Mother, how can you, a concubine, contact officials from the previous dynasty? This is taboo."
Queen Xi: ...
"She is a woman."
The eldest prince sighed like a little adult, "He is also an important official in the court."
It was like a basin of cold water was poured over Concubine Xi's head, shocking her completely. "I am your mother." She should be helped unconditionally.
"But I'm still a baby." The eldest prince's eyes were full of innocence.
Is it appropriate to cry to a child? And expect a child to seek justice for you?
No, it's aiding and abetting evil.
Princess Qingping is my father's subject, not yours. It's not appropriate for a concubine like you to stretch your hands so far. My father will be angry.
Concubine Xi was both ashamed and angry. She blurted out in a fit of rage, "I really gave birth to you in vain. I went through so much hardship and effort to give birth to you for ten months, and this is how you repay me?"
There was a trace of hurt in the eldest prince's eyes, and he couldn't help but once again doubt whether his mother really loved him?
The old nanny on the side shouted coldly, "Empress Xi, it is your honor as a palace concubine to give birth to a dragon son. A dragon son is not something a concubine can discipline. You have crossed the line. Please leave immediately."
No matter how noble a palace concubine is, she cannot interfere in the upbringing of princes and princesses. This is the rule of the Great Qi Dynasty.
Concubine Xi regained her senses and regretted it deeply, "My son, mother..."
The eldest prince is her hope for wealth and glory in the second half of her life, and the relationship between mother and son must not be hurt.
Although, this bit of affection is as thin as paper.
The old maid of Cining Palace came in and said loudly, "The Queen Mother has ordered that Concubine Xi not abide by the palace rules and she will be confined to Yongfu Palace for half a year."
Concubine Xi's eyes went dark. She was extremely embarrassed this time.
The bet between the Minister of Revenue and Mu Wanqing was known to all officials in the court. They all stood on the side of the former and loudly criticized Mu Wanqing for her rebellion, lawlessness and questionable character.
Mu Wanqing went to court and worked as usual. If anyone dared to talk nonsense in front of her, she would immediately scold him so much that he wouldn't even recognize her mother.
All of a sudden, Mu Wanqing was flooded with negative comments.
Until the Wuyi Guard found a letter from the Prince of Jin in the Shangshu Mansion, in which he was asked to tell the route of the imperial envoy for flood relief in Hanzhou, the more detailed the better.
There was an uproar in the court.
Disaster relief work falls under the purview of the Ministry of Revenue, and the Minister of Revenue is the boss of the Ministry, so naturally he knows all of this clearly.
After the Hanzhou flood, the late emperor immediately ordered officials from the Ministry of Revenue to take one million taels of silver to provide disaster relief. However, halfway through the journey, the one million taels of silver were robbed and the imperial envoys were all killed.
At that time, people only said that it was the bandits who caused the rebellion, but it turned out that it was the Minister of Revenue who leaked the information.
Traitor! He betrayed his colleagues, sold out the secrets of the court, used the court's life-saving disaster relief money to support the enemy, causing the deaths of countless disaster victims. His crime is unforgivable.
The Minister of Revenue desperately protested his innocence and denied having received such a letter, but the letter was found in his study and the handwriting was indeed that of the Prince of Jin.
The Emperor personally ordered the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice and the Supervisory Council to jointly try the case, and they must get to the bottom of it.
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Note (1) From the Book of Rites, Li Yun.
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