"Your Highness is so virtuous!" a guest quickly praised with a smile. "His Majesty has the discerning eye to choose Your Highness as his consort; it is the most suitable choice."
“That’s right, Your Highness is both talented and virtuous, truly a blessing to the Heavenly Martial Kingdom.” Another person quickly echoed.
Lu Zong really didn't want to play along with them, so he actually went to change his clothes. When he came out, his attendant had also returned.
The master and servant found a secluded spot, and the servant said, "Young Master, the Earl and Mr. Wen both sent congratulatory gifts, but they did not attend."
"It is said that Uncle Li slept with the window open last night and was exposed to the wind, so he felt a little uncomfortable."
"Mr. Wen is an imperial censor. He never shows up, not only for the Cai family but also for other people's happy occasions."
"As for Lord Liu, he came once before the banquet started, but he had only been sitting for a short while when someone from his family came to report that the old master's condition had worsened and the imperial physician had been summoned, so he rushed back..."
Lu Zong frowned and remained silent for a long time.
There are reasons why these three people were absent, and there's nothing suspicious about it.
But he had a bad feeling, as if there was something he had overlooked, or something he was being kept in the dark about...
At that moment, a commotion suddenly broke out in the front yard.
It sounded like many people were shouting, very frightened and anxious.
Lu Zong quickly led his attendant back to the front courtyard.
Just a moment ago the room was full of guests, but now the tables and chairs are empty.
Everyone gathered at the entrance of the main house, craning their necks to look inside.
Lu Zong couldn't help but pull one of them aside and ask, "I was just out for a little while, why is there such a commotion? What happened here?"
"Oh dear, something terrible has happened!" The person being pulled away had a gloating glint in their eyes, yet they tried hard to feign sadness, which looked very strange.
"Grand Tutor Cai ate a meatball just now, and perhaps he swallowed it too quickly, because he choked and fainted."
Hearing this, others joined in the fun and added their own comment.
"Unfortunately, the imperial physician is drunk and hasn't woken up yet. Someone has already gone to the palace to fetch the imperial physician; hopefully, he can make it in time."
The two wanted to make room for Lu Zong, but Lu Zong waved his hand and even quietly took a step back.
He turned to look at the empty courtyard, and remembering that Li Lao Er and the others were not present, he suddenly felt that he understood something...
Two quarters of an hour later, the imperial physician finally arrived in a hurry.
Even the Emperor heard about this and was very concerned, so he sent Eunuch Feng to accompany the Imperial Physician so that he could return and report back at any time.
Unfortunately, Grand Tutor Cai was too unlucky, and too much time had been wasted. By the time the imperial physician took his pulse, he had already stopped breathing.
The old man, who originally had white hair and a youthful face, and a dignified air, was now turning pale and purplish-blue, his eyes wide open, his expression filled with fear and resentment.
Anyone who sees this would feel a chill and fear.
Death came so suddenly, and it was so unbelievable!
The old Grand Tutor, who had served two dynasties and enjoyed countless honors, has passed away!
The Cai family was filled with weeping, as if the sky had fallen. They had lost their pillar of support, and indeed, the sky had fallen.
You should know that the Emperor's preferential treatment of the Cai family was entirely due to his teacher-student relationship with the old master.
Moreover, there were some unknown reasons why the old man absolutely could not have any problems, but unfortunately he did...
Seeing Cai Taifu's children and grandchildren crying until they fainted, the crowd couldn't help but feel sympathy and began to comfort them...
Soon, no matter how grieving the Cai family was, they had to pull themselves together and start making arrangements for the funeral.
A joyous occasion turned into a tragedy in an instant!
As the guests left, the whole of Xindu knew the news.
Some were surprised, some sighed, some grieved, but many more couldn't help but gossip a bit.
"What's going on lately? So many tragic things have happened. Commander Chang just died a few days ago, and now Grand Tutor Cai has also had an accident, choking to death on a meatball!"
"Yes, I've never heard of this before, and now it's happened twice in a row."
"Who knows? It's really unsettling. If it doesn't rain, will people on the ground suddenly become plagued?"
"Don't talk nonsense. There are many plague patients, and there are only two of them. Besides, it's all an accident, just a coincidence."
"No matter what, I just feel uneasy. I'll definitely go to the temple to burn incense and pray for a peace charm another day."
"Let's go together, offer incense, and find peace of mind."
Such conversations could be heard everywhere on the streets and alleys, with ordinary women as the main characters.
The officials in the court were not exactly afraid, but they still felt uneasy no matter how they thought about it.
Especially for the elderly, it's true that if they take off their boots at night, they don't know if they'll be able to put them back on the next morning.
What bad luck! A fall could mean the end...
And among these people, there was one who was most afraid.
That's the Empress Dowager in Shou Kang Palace!
"What?! Grand Tutor Cai is dead?!" Upon hearing this news, the Empress Dowager smashed the teacup in her hand.
The old eunuch who had heard the news was also very alarmed and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, the news is definitely correct. This old servant heard a word from the guard at the gate, and this old servant slipped a jade thumb ring into his hand before I was able to get this information."
"Oh no, oh no!" The Empress Dowager's increasingly aged face turned pale as she frantically paced the floor. "Something must have happened! Commander Chang's death could be an accident. But Grand Tutor Cai's death means something serious has definitely happened! They've been discovered!"
The old eunuch quickly asked, "Your Majesty, would you like this old servant to go out for a bit?"
"No, the secret passage cannot be exposed. Wait a little longer." The Empress Dowager tried to calm herself down and instructed, "The Emperor has sealed off Shou Kang Palace for so long under the pretext of my recuperation, just to force me to activate the secret passage. I will absolutely not let him have his way."
"Tomorrow is the day the Imperial Concubine will come to pay her respects. I will have her deliver the message."
"Will the Imperial Concubine come? The court is currently recommending a Crown Prince, and it seems the Second Prince is about to rise to the top. I'm afraid the Imperial Concubine might..." The old eunuch was somewhat worried.
The Empress Dowager interrupted her with a cold laugh, "She wouldn't dare disobey me. She's done so much for me before; it's not something that can be easily cleared up. If the Emperor finds out, no matter how much he favors her, he'll still take her life!"
"Moreover, the Second Prince is frail and cannot manage state affairs alone. With my example as a warning, the Emperor will absolutely not allow the Consort to become another me and continue to interfere in state affairs. I fear that the day the Second Prince becomes the Crown Prince will be the day the Consort dies."
"If the Imperial Concubine wants to live, she has no choice but to join forces with me to put the Second Prince on the throne, or even... eliminate the Emperor!"
The old eunuch lowered his head deeply, not daring to respond.
The Empress Dowager also found it boring and waved her hand to dismiss them, saying, "Go down. We'll talk again when the Imperial Concubine comes to pay her respects tomorrow."
The old eunuch quickly retreated, and a sudden night breeze blew through the courtyard, making him shiver...
Will things really go as smoothly as the Empress Dowager predicted?
No one knew the answer, but the residence of Grand Tutor Cai outside the palace was even more bustling than during the day.
To be precise, the crying was louder.
The only direct grandson of the Cai family across four generations, due to the chaos of funeral arrangements and the lack of servants to look after him, secretly slipped away to catch fish in the small lake in the garden.
When he was found, he had already drowned and was floating on the surface of the lake...
My great-grandfather died this morning, and my great-grandson died this afternoon. He'll have someone to keep him company on his journey to the underworld!
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