When Zhao Mingxi woke up, Empress Dowager Pu started to play with the child again.
Not long after, Liu Zhaohou also arrived.
He just greeted, "Sister Xu,"
Queen Mother Pu raised her head and smiled, "Monkey, she is your cousin's wife, don't call her the wrong name."
Liu Zhaohou pouted and said, "Grandmother, I like calling her sister and I also like listening to her talk."
Because Liu Zhaohou looked a bit like Liu Ying, Empress Dowager Pu loved him from childhood to adulthood. She smiled and said, "Okay, okay, if you want to call me sister, then call me sister. We are of the same generation anyway."
Xu Lanyin thought of Princess Nanyang and Prince Consort Chai and smiled, "Princess Nanyang and Prince Consort Chai are my grandmother and grandfather on my mother's side, and Chai Jun is my cousin. But from this side, they are the imperial aunt and uncle, and Chai Jun is still my nephew. Doesn't that mean I am of the same generation as my mother?"
Empress Dowager Pu was delighted. She said, "The generations in large families are always confusing, especially in the royal family. Some grandmothers here marry grandchildren there. Except for your parents, everyone else should be addressed according to their generation." She didn't want Nanyang to be addressed by the same generation as her.
As they chatted, the sun was setting outside. Crown Princess Zhang arrived with his grandson, Liu Yuanming, and his daughter, Liu Min. The Crown Prince had few children; by the time he was nearly thirty, he had only one son and one daughter. Liu Min, five years old, was born to the Crown Prince's concubine, Liang Yuanming.
Xu Lanyin stood up and bowed to the Crown Princess, and thanked the Crown Prince for his help.
The Crown Princess wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said, "The other day I heard His Royal Highness the Crown Prince tell me about the experiences of my aunt and cousin. Oh, I cried so hard, my heart ached. The Pu family is so cruel. How could they have the heart to force the little aunt to become a nun, and finally kill her..."
Empress Dowager Pu said angrily, "It was my mother's kindness that sent Ying'er to become a nun. Otherwise, Ying'er would have been killed at that time." She then said sadly, "I just felt better, and you come crying again."
The Crown Princess quickly wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said with a smile, "God damn it, grandson's wife. She has made the Imperial Grandmother sad again."
Liu Yuanming smiled at Xu Lanyin and said, "You were my cousin before, but now you are my aunt."
The twelve-year-old Liu Yuanming behaved maturely and it was rare for him to make such a joke, which made the empress dowager smile.
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Your royal grandfather only had one sister. The brothers Zhuo Feng and Zhuo An are the closest to your father by blood. You should get closer to them in the future."
Liu Yuanming responded, "Of course it is."
Not long after, the emperor and the prince came directly from the Huangji Palace and had dinner in the Cining Palace.
Xu Lanyin kowtowed to the emperor.
The emperor is nearly fifty years old, but he looks vigorous and rosy-cheeked. He is much more energetic than the prince who is as thin as a vine and has lost his left arm.
His attitude was very kind, and he smiled and said, "Get up. I've heard Zhuo An praise you many times, saying that you are smart, cheerful, generous, beautiful and virtuous..."
Xu Lanyin blushed and said modestly, "I don't deserve it."
Empress Dowager Pu chuckled and said, "Because the girl is a good child, Zhuo An is lucky to have found such a good wife among the common people. No matter how capable a man is, he still needs a virtuous wife. Look at the Pu family. My brother married a cruel and merciless disaster. Not only did he kill Ying'er, but he also ruined the Pu family."
The emperor nodded in agreement and said to Mother Qian, who was holding the child, "Bring Mingxi here so I can see her."
Mother Qian walked over and knelt down, and the emperor reached out and took the child in his arms.
Xu Lanyin didn't know what kind of favor his action meant, but the Queen Mother was very happy. The Emperor had only held three children in his arms: the Crown Prince when he was a child, Liu Yuanming when he was a child, and Liu Mingxi when he was a child.
The emperor's eyes softened and he smiled, "This boy is a bit like me."
The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Of course they do. The Emperor and Ying'er look alike. This child looks like Ying'er, and also like the Emperor."
The emperor chuckled a few more times, took out a jade pendant with a coiled dragon pattern from his waist, stuffed it into the lapel of Liu Mingxi's chest, and then handed the child to Mother Qian.
The Emperor and the Crown Prince discussed the Pu family's affairs. The evidence was irrefutable, and the family was guilty of deceiving the emperor, persecuting the royal bloodline, and disregarding human life. Huang (Old Lady Pu) was sentenced to death for multiple crimes. Her property was confiscated, and all members of her family were demoted to commoners, with their original loans returned. Because the Pu family was the Empress Dowager's family and the Emperor's maternal uncle, it was impossible for the entire family to be executed. As for the appropriate punishment for Old Uncle Pu and his descendants, the Emperor would consult the Empress Dowager.
Empress Dowager Pu gritted her teeth and said, "Mrs. Huang is vicious. She killed Ying'er and wants to kill her entire family. She must exterminate all descendants. Not a single one of her own sons or grandsons will be spared. My brother and his illegitimate sons who were not involved in this matter, please spare their lives. My mother's kindness saved Ying'er's life, and I cannot exterminate all her descendants."
Xu Lanyin was secretly pleased that Huang, Pu Yuanjie, and Pu Yuanqing, who had done all the evil, had received their due punishment. Although it was a pity that Pu Laoguojiu escaped death, this was also to be expected, after all, he was the Queen Mother's biological brother.
As for the Wen family, Wen Yan and his wife will surely face the death penalty. Old Madam Wen has the Wen brothers' plea for mercy, and the Emperor will handle the matter at his discretion. Duke Wen's title will be demoted for failing to oversee the family, and he will be ordered to pass the title directly to his eldest grandson, Wen Zhaofeng. If it weren't for the Wen Zhuofeng brothers, his title would have been completely stripped back to its original state.
Empress Dowager Pu added, "The cause of Ying'er's death has come to light, mainly thanks to Zhuo An..." She usually did not interfere in court affairs and stopped talking after making some reference to the topic.
The emperor smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. Zhuo An is not only the son of the emperor's younger sister, but also has great abilities. He made great contributions in eliminating those two rebellious sons. I still want to use him, so I will not let him down."
The prince also said, "Cousin Zhuo An is a man of both civil and military talents, a rare talent."
They are the most powerful people in the world, and they decide the fate of many people with just a few words.
At night, Xu Lanyin moved to a side hall, while Zhao Mingxi still stayed with the empress dowager in the warm room.
Xu Lanyin and Zhao Mingxi stayed in the Cining Palace for three days, and the matters between the Pu and Wen families were settled.
Huang was sentenced to death by slicing, and her two biological sons, Pu Yuanjie and Pu Yuanqing, their sons and grandsons, and the children and grandchildren of the Pu family who had participated in the persecution of Liu Ying and Wen Xing were all executed. Pu Hong (the emperor's uncle) and his concubine's sons who had no involvement in the incident were demoted to commoners and returned to their original homes.
Wen Xing and Liu were sentenced to immediate execution, and their legitimate son Wen Zhuohua was sentenced to exile. Old Mrs. Wen was sentenced to renounce all ties and return to her parents' home.
Duke Wen was demoted to Duke of Qing, and the title was reduced from hereditary to hereditary for three generations. Marquis Wen had already submitted a petition requesting that the title be passed on to his eldest grandson, Wen Zhuoan.
Liu Ying was posthumously named Princess Changhe, and her husband Wen Xing was named Marquis of Xiqing. He was also given a mansion, 20,000 taels of silver, 5,000 acres of fertile land, and some brocade, jewelry, and ornaments.
Prince Consort Wen had passed away, and the title was inherited by his second son, Wen Zhuoan, while the mansion and property were inherited by his second son.
This is the debt and compensation that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor owe to Liu Ying and their descendants.
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