Chapter 288: Destiny
Yun Shu carefully recalled the report from his subordinates, "Yichun Palace has been very quiet recently, and there has been no movement."
Pei Tingyue's voice deepened. "Keep a close eye on them. Not just Xie Xiuyi, but also the Second Prince. If there's any disturbance, have someone report it immediately."
Everything is under her control, which makes people feel at ease.
Yun Shu responded in a clear voice.
After giving the instructions, Pei Tingyue went to the courtyard and sat down, continuing to appreciate the refreshing scenery.
After a while, a childish voice sounded, "Mother, Mother, your son is back!"
Pei Tingyue smiled softly: "Ah, our Zhou Zhou is back?"
Xiao Si threw himself into her arms and said softly, "Yes, yes."
"Our Zhou Zhou has been studying all day, must he be tired?" Pei Tingyue pulled her soft little face and said softly, "Mother asked someone to make your favorite tender fish soup. Mother heard that Zhou Zhou was praised by the lecturer today, so she rewarded Zhou Zhou with a portion of ice and snow cold yuanzi."
Xiao Si was overjoyed and clenched his fists, saying, "That's great! With my mother here, I'm so happy!"
Pei Tingyue touched his head and took his little hand into the main hall.
*
The days pass by in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, the hot summer is over and the beginning of autumn has arrived.
There were several consecutive autumn rains, and after this period of drizzling rain, it was already early August.
Because August 15th is the Mid-Autumn Festival, the memorial day for Concubine Duanshu is set on August 10th. In previous years, it was moved to this day.
On this day, Pei Tingyue was required to lead the concubines from the six palaces to the Zhongzheng Hall to pay homage, burn incense, kneel, and offer sacrifices.
In order to ensure a smooth worship and avoid mistakes in a hurry, Pei Tingyue would always have everything prepared in early August.
This year was no exception. In the afternoon of that day, she summoned people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to discuss matters related to the memorial anniversary of Concubine Duanshu.
After all the instructions were given and everyone from the Imperial Household Department left, it was already dark and evening.
Pei Tingyue glanced at the sky and asked someone to prepare the meal.
Before leaving today, the emperor told her that he would come over to accompany her as soon as he had dealt with state affairs as soon as possible.
In the past, people would usually come in the afternoon, and at the latest during dinner time.
It's a bit late today.
The meal was prepared and Xiao Si got out of school, but there was still no sign of the man.
Pei Tingyue was afraid that Xiao Si would be hungry, so she didn't wait too long before letting him start eating. As for herself, she was in no mood to eat at all.
This had never happened before. Even if he was late, he would ask Liang Yao to come over and tell him.
He's acting so abnormally today, could something have happened?
Thinking of this, Pei Tingyue could no longer sit still.
After Xiao Si finished his dinner and settled him down, Pei Tingyue got on the sedan chair and headed for Chengming Palace.
By the time we reached Chengming Hall, it was already completely dark. Dark clouds had obscured the moon, and it looked as if a storm was about to come.
Pei Tingyue got out of the sedan chair. Her baby was already quite big, making it quite inconvenient for her to move. She could only walk slowly with the support of others.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a crackling sound in the hall, and then Liang Yao walked out of the hall with a bitter face.
With the light from the palace lanterns in the corridor, he saw who was coming. He cried out "Ouch" and hurried down the stairs to help Pei Tingyue. "Your Highness, why are you here?"
He wanted to support Pei Tingyue's arm, but when he looked down, he saw blood on his hand. He didn't know when the blood came out. He quickly took a handkerchief to wipe it, "Look, this servant is so stupid that he didn't even notice that his hand was like this."
He was rarely so embarrassed.
Pei Tingyue's eyes darkened, and he looked up at the hall, saying calmly, "Something happened."
But it was not a question, but an affirmative tone.
Liang Yao wiped his hands clean, stuffed the handkerchief into his sleeve, and lowered his voice, "This is a long story."
This is not the place to talk.
Pei Tingyue went up the stairs. Since there were still court officials and ministers in the imperial study, the group went to the warm room.
As soon as I sat down, I heard the sound of cups breaking on the ground from the other side.
The emperor rarely gets so angry.
It must be a big deal.
And it's most likely about her.
Pei Tingyue concentrated his expression and said solemnly, "Tell me, what's going on?"
Liang Yao smiled bitterly and told the story.
This summer was much hotter than usual, and the provinces had been in a state of sweltering heat for months. The fields were dry, and crops were sluggish. The people had long awaited the next autumn rains to alleviate their water shortage.
It has been more than a month since the beginning of autumn. Beijing, as well as the south and north, have had several autumn rains, bringing life back to the area. Only the northwest is suffering from severe drought and no rain. I am afraid that this year's harvest will be a failure.
The common people were talking and speculating about this, attributing it to the gods and ghosts. To comply with public opinion, two northwestern prefectures set up altars to pray for rain, but failed several times.
Officials and people were frustrated and discouraged, but there was nothing they could do.
Who would have thought that in recent days, the northwest region has been hit by another disaster. Within a few nights, all the silkworms in people's homes died, and the cause of death is unknown.
If we had known this earlier, ordinary people would make a living by farming and weaving. Even if crops failed, they could still make a living by weaving. Now that the silkworms have died, what basis do they have for survival?
The people were in an uproar and in a panic.
Suddenly, someone said, "The emperor personally tilled the fields, the empress personally raised silkworms, and in previous years the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, without unusual incidents. Now, the drought has not yet subsided, and the silkworms have all died. Perhaps this is a warning from heaven, telling the people of the world that the imperial concubine is unworthy of her position and cannot be the empress."
The news reached Kyoto. Just last night, a student in the Imperial College wrote a ten-thousand-word long article to the palace, criticizing the emperor for not taking in new concubines and not having children. He implied that the imperial concubine was actually a witch, comparable to the previous emperor's beautiful concubine, who was disrupting the court order and endangering the people, and should be executed.
The student posted the manifesto on the vermilion gate of the Imperial College, and then jumped off the Kyoto city wall.
This incident caused a huge uproar. The students of the Imperial College were very emotional after reading the manifesto, and the people of Kyoto were also talking about it.
At the morning court today, several court officials made a petition, saying that Concubine Chen was not allowed to live by fate, and requested the emperor to revoke the imperial decree to make her empress.
Hearing this, Pei Tingyue couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
It turned out to be directed at her.
And it came with great force, using natural disasters and public sentiment as well as public opinion to compare her to a demon concubine who brought disaster to the country and the people.
Today, it’s just that she can’t sit on the throne of queen.
If she did as she was told, the real purpose would probably be to "kill him" later. What's more, in order to protect the peace and prosperity of the country, the prince born to this "evil concubine" would also have to be executed.
Pei Tingyue narrowed her eyes slightly, but the coldness in them could not be concealed.
If all this is just a coincidence, then she deserves to die of stupidity.
It was obvious that someone was trying to kill them, and their methods were extremely sophisticated. Unlike the false accusations and poisonings within the palace, the plot extended to the previous dynasty.
Use destiny and public opinion to force her to die, force her to die.
Pei Tingyue already understood who was the one who had such ability.
No one else could have done this except Xie Xiuyi and the royal family behind her.
interesting.
It was quiet in the harem. It turned out that someone was waiting for her here to give her such a big gift.
————————————
Pei Tingyue suppressed the coldness between his brows and asked Liang Yao, "How long has the emperor been discussing political affairs?"
Liang Yao bowed and replied, "Since the morning court was over, the Emperor has been furious. After breaking several sets of cups and plates, he summoned the court officials and cabinet ministers to discuss matters. The court officials and cabinet ministers have been arriving one after another, and all in all, they've been discussing state affairs for five hours, and they haven't had dinner yet."
When Pei Tingyue heard that he hadn't eaten, her eyebrows furrowed slightly: "How can this be possible? No matter how angry you are or how serious the matter is, you still have to eat."
Hearing this, Liang Yao smiled bitterly: "I tried to persuade him once, but I broke another set of cups and was scolded. So I didn't dare to persuade him again."
Pei Tingyue rubbed his brows and ordered, "Ask the imperial kitchen to prepare dinner again, and make a few dishes that the emperor likes."
"Yes." Liang Yao left the hall and hurried to do it.
Pei Tingyue sat silently in the warm room, listening to the movements in the imperial study.
After about a cup of tea, the door of the study opened, and the sound of hurried footsteps and murmurs of discussion were heard. After a while, these sounds disappeared, and it must be that the court officials had left.
After a while, an angry voice came from inside, "Liang Yao, come in!"
Liang Yao went to the imperial kitchen to do some work, so how could he hear these words?
Pei Tingyue was waiting for this moment. She stood up and slowly walked into the imperial study.
As she lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold, the azure cup shattered at her feet. The man behind the desk, without even looking up, lowered his head to read the memorial and said coldly, "My words are useless now, right? You're taking your time these few steps. Do you want to be punished?"
Seeing this, the palace maid nearby was afraid that she would be pricked, so she hurried to pick up the broken porcelain pieces on the ground.
Pei Tingyue stepped past the mess and raised her voice, "How does the emperor want to punish me?"
Hearing this sweet voice, Xie Chen's body stiffened. The next moment, he was beside her, carefully helping her sit down. "Let me take a look. Is your leg hurt?"
Pei Tingyue responded and continued to ask, "How do you punish me?"
Xie Chen's voice was filled with apology: "How could I bear to punish Tingyue? It's my fault. I didn't see Tingyue and lost my temper."
Even though Pei Tingyue repeatedly said that it was okay, Xie Chen still took off her shoes and socks and checked them carefully. Only when he found that there was indeed no problem did he feel completely relieved.
"If Tingyue is angry, just slap me."
These words made people feel distressed. Pei Tingyue pulled him to sit next to her and asked him softly, "Don't fight. I also feel sorry for the emperor. But the emperor is angry, but we can solve the problem one by one. How can you not eat?"
Xie Chen was startled and said, "You know about that."
"Well, Liang Yao has told me everything about the Northwest and the Imperial College."
Speaking of this, Xie Chen's whole body suddenly turned cold, and his dark eyes could not suppress the anger. "Someone has been planning this for a long time and did it deliberately. And the means are extremely cruel. They actually used such a major issue as people's livelihood to fight for power and profit to achieve their own goals. This is something I cannot tolerate."
Pei Tingyue looked into his eyes and asked directly, "Then, Your Majesty, who do you think is responsible for this?"
Xie Chen was silent for a moment, his voice heavy, "I'm afraid it has something to do with the royal family."
He held Pei Tingyue's hand tightly and said gently, "Don't worry, I will take care of this matter. Don't think about anything, don't worry, just wait quietly for the birth and the canonization."
Originally at this point, he wanted to accompany Tingyue well.
Who knew that group of people would seek death at this time.
He won't cry until he sees the coffin.
Xie Chen didn't show it on his face, but his anger had reached its peak.
Pei Tingyue pulled her hand away, interlocked her fingers with his, and said seriously, "But I don't want this. I don't want to be protected only by Your Majesty. Over the years, I have grown up. At least in the harem, I have made progress. I am no longer the Tingyue who knew nothing. Doesn't Your Majesty want to see it?"
Xie Chen disapproved slightly, his thin lips moving slightly, "I know Tingyue is very powerful now, but you are nearly nine months pregnant and your body is inconvenient. I don't want to trouble you anymore. Let me handle this matter, okay?"
Pei Tingyue said softly, "I know that the emperor loves me, but others have attacked me, and I don't want to do anything. I just hide behind the emperor."
Her face was firm and she persisted.
Xie Chen looked at her, thinking and struggling for a while, and finally relented: "Okay, then Tingyue is not allowed to get tired, and can only do it in the harem. Xie Xiuyi will be handed over to Tingyue."
"Yes." Pei Tingyue's eyes flickered, and she smiled, "I am not a kind-hearted person who would let go of those who harmed me."
She leaned over and whispered her plan.
At the end, she asked, "How about this trick of mine?"
Xie Chen's eyes were filled with relief as he sighed, "Yes, my Tingyue has indeed grown. Now that Tingyue is the one in power in the harem, she doesn't have to care about those twists and turns anymore."
Pei Tingyue smiled and said, "As for the former court and the Imperial College, I'll have to trouble the emperor."
Xie Chen stroked her delicate hand, "Don't worry about this, I will take care of it."
Pei Tingyue thought for a moment and said, "Let Xuan Qin Tianjian come over later."
"Um?"
Pei Tingyue moved closer and talked in a low voice.
After hearing this, Xie Chen frowned slightly: "No, you can't take it..."
Pei Tingyue interrupted him rashly: "Let Judge Xia and Judge Ning, as well as the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital who are proficient in this technique, come here. That way, the Emperor will be relieved, right?"
After much persuasion and repeated assurances of safety, Xie Chen agreed.
Pei Tingyue placed his palm on her face and asked softly, "Your Majesty, do you know what this is called?"
Xie Chen looked puzzled.
Pei Tingyue smiled brightly and said, "This is called a husband and wife being of one mind, their strength can cut through metal!"
Xie Chen laughed.
Pei Tingyue leaned over and said with a smile, "Your Majesty didn't come last night, and I didn't eat. Now I'm hungry. Your Majesty, will you have dinner with me later?"
Xie Chen stopped smiling and said solemnly, "No dinner?"
Pei Tingyue saw that he was about to scold her again, so she quickly changed the subject, "I wonder if Chief Steward Liang has instructed the Imperial Kitchen to make that Eight Treasure Duck. I like it recently..."
Before he could finish his words, Xie Chen pinched Pei Tingyue's chin and looked straight at him.
Before he could speak, Pei Tingyue took the lead in accusing: "It's all the emperor's fault!"
Xie Chen laughed angrily: "You won't eat properly? And you blame me?"
Pei Tingyue's watery black eyes were dazzling. "Who made the emperor so kind that I like him so much? If the emperor doesn't come, my appetite will be gone. How can I eat?"
After hearing what she said, coupled with her pitiful expression, Xie Chen was speechless and swallowed the words of instruction in his stomach.
"You... you really have me in such a state of utter dominance... I have no way to stop you..."
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