Chapter 162
Perhaps it was because Fan Changyu asked too directly and the question was too heavy.
The smile on Concubine An's lips gradually faded. She was stunned for a long time before shaking her head and saying, "I don't know."
This answer made Fan Changyu stunned for a moment, but he heard Concubine An continue: "In the early winter of the sixteenth year of Qishun, the war in Jinzhou was intense. Sixteen, who had always wanted to compete with the crown prince for the throne, got into trouble in Luocheng again. Although Concubine Jia Gui kept it a secret, there is no such thing as a wall that is impenetrable. I still heard some rumors."
She looked at Fan Changyu: "Do you know about the disaster of Shiliuqi?"
Fan Changyu nodded.
If the Sixteenth Prince had not been trapped in Luocheng because of his ambition, her grandfather would not have fallen into that dilemma.
Concubine An said quietly, "I don't know what the late emperor arranged in the previous dynasty, but I think he would not leave Sixteen alone. Concubine Jia Gui also became much quieter during that period. The late emperor seemed to want to ignore her and stopped visiting her in the palace. He often went to Rongyin's place."
"At that time, I also thought that after this incident, Concubine Jia Gui and Sixteenth Prince had both lost favor. When the Crown Prince returned victorious from Jinzhou, what would Sixteenth Prince have to compete with him for the throne?"
"But Rong Yin was suddenly diagnosed with a positive pulse." Concubine An paused as she said this. She didn't know whether it was because she felt that what happened back then was ridiculous, or because of other reasons. Her hand twisting the rosary beads slowed down a beat: "All the doctors in the Imperial Hospital were called to diagnose the pulse, but the month diagnosed still does not match the booklet in the Jingsi Room."
Fan Changyu raised his eyes suddenly.
Concubine An's eyes were filled with sorrow. "Rongyin was three months pregnant. If we count the dates, she must have been pregnant around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Something did happen at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet that year. Wei Yan got drunk at the palace banquet and had sex with a maid in the pavilion of Taiye Lake. Unfortunately, the late emperor and the court officials who went to admire the moon ran into them. It is said that the late emperor looked very unhappy at the time, but since she was just a maid, he could not lose his temper, so he gave the maid to Wei Yan."
Fan Changyu instantly thought of how Xie Zheng was framed by the little emperor on New Year's Eve.
She frowned and asked, "Has Wei Yan been tricked by someone?"
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that the late emperor happened to be there with his court officials?
The baby in Concubine Shu's belly was not in the right month, so the one who had sex with Wei Yan after drinking was not a palace maid, but most likely Concubine Shu.
Concubine An just sighed: "How could I know? But Rongyin has undoubtedly offended the emperor. The servants of the entire Qingyuan Palace were beaten to death, and nothing was obtained through torture. Rongyin was imprisoned in Qingyuan Palace, and every day a maid went to torture her... Who was she having an affair with? On the night of Laba, Qingyuan Palace suddenly caught fire. The patrolling Jinwu Guards went to put out the fire and found Wei Yan near Qingyuan Palace."
Fan Changyu was stunned and asked, "Did Wei Yan really set fire to Concubine Shu?"
Concubine An said, "That was the rumor in the palace at that time. I knew Rongyin very well. When I heard the news and rushed to Qingyuan Palace, the fire was so big that no one could enter."
Fan Changyu heard that Concubine An's voice had become hoarse, and when he looked up, he saw a drop of crystal tears falling from the corner of her eye.
Her voice trembled slightly. "Have you ever seen the flames lick higher when water is poured into the fire?"
She said, "I have seen it. The fire was filled with the smell of tung oil."
Fan Changyu frowned: "Was it the late emperor who burned Concubine Shu to death?"
Concubine An wiped her tears with a handkerchief, trying to maintain a calm voice: "I was not able to see Concubine Shu for the last time. I cannot give you an accurate answer as to how she died, but her Qingyuan Palace... was indeed filled with tung oil by the Jinwu Guards who came to put out the fire."
"At dawn, the palace was surrounded, and the sound of fighting was deafening. I was able to escape disaster only by closing the gate of Shouyang Palace. The water of the entire moat was dyed red that day, and the white marble steps in front of Taihe Gate could not wash away the bloody smell for a month. The people in the palace were replaced. The late emperor and Concubine Jia died one after another due to excessive grief. The fighting in the entire palace before dawn that day seems to be only in my memory. It was like a dream..."
The incense in the incense burner lingers above the Buddhist hall, and the white jade Guanyin enshrined on the Buddhist table seems to have more compassion.
Fan Changyu stood up with mixed feelings and clasped his fists towards Concubine An: "Thank you, Concubine, for telling me this story."
-
Walking out of the small Buddhist temple, Fan Changyu took a deep breath of the fresh and cold air in the snow and wind, and stared at the birds flying above the palace wall in a daze for a while.
The mystery surrounding Wei Yan is becoming more and more complicated.
He was originally ordered to mobilize troops, but he handed over this important task to her father halfway and turned back to the capital.
Was it because he had already colluded with Prince Changxin at that time and was ready for the fall of Jinzhou, and returned to the capital early in order to control the situation in the capital?
If that was true, with his shrewdness, he should not have lost his patience and visited Concubine Shu's Qingyuan Palace at night.
What is even more strange is that if he was afraid that Concubine Shu would betray him and went to kill her to silence her, why did the late emperor order the Jinwu Guards to sprinkle tung oil on Concubine Shu's palace?
Fan Changyu frowned deeply, thinking of what Concubine Shu said, that Wei Yan had drunk too much at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet and had sex with a palace maid after drinking, and was caught red-handed by the late emperor and his court officials. He felt more and more that the late emperor must have plotted against Wei Yan that time.
This time, Wei Yan was caught by the late emperor when he sneaked into Qingyuan Palace at night. Unfortunately, Wei Yan was so skilled in martial arts that he ran away. The late emperor was so angry that he burned Concubine Shu to death to vent his anger, and then pinned the entire crime on Wei Yan?
Did Wei Yan then launch a palace coup in order to protect himself?
Fan Changyu was on his way to Wenyuan Pavilion to look for Xie Zheng with a lot of doubts in his mind. Before he even left Shouyang Palace, he heard someone calling him from behind: "General Fan, please stay!"
Fan Changyu turned around and saw a gorgeously dressed beauty in palace dress walking towards him. Her intricate gold-embroidered palace gown was embroidered with flowers, and there were flowers pinned in her hair. She herself was as gorgeous as a peony. She walked very quickly, but the tassels on her head swayed in small arcs, which made her look elegant and noble.
Fan Changyu guessed that this should be the eldest princess, and said with a fist: "I have met the princess."
Qi Shu hurriedly said, "General, there is no need to be so polite."
She handed a brocade box to Fan Changyu and said, "I am sorry to call the general to pass this item to Mr. Gongsun."
Fan Changyu felt that it was a little light when he took it, and he didn't know what was inside. He thought that it was inconvenient to send messages and things between the palace and outside the palace, so the princess asked him to do it. He immediately said, "I will definitely pass it to Mr. Gongsun."
"Thank you, General." Qi Shu bowed slightly towards her, and when she turned around, she glanced at the box in her hand again, with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Fan Changyu felt something was a little strange, and took another look at the brocade box in his hand before putting it in his arms and heading towards Wenyuan Pavilion.
-
Xie Zheng postponed the morning court sessions for the past few days on the grounds that the young emperor was frightened by an illness, but after Gongsun Yin helped to screen some memorials submitted by court officials, the important ones still had to be decided by him.
Before Fan Changyu entered the palace, he heard Gongsun Yin's complaints: "Three provinces and six ministries are all urging us to close the Wei Yan case. Look at the confession of this old thief. Does he think this is a joke?"
He became more and more angry as he spoke, and directly slapped a confession in front of Xie Zheng, fanning himself in anger in the cold weather: "He delayed the military plane and caused the fall of Jinzhou. He said he was afraid of being questioned, so he directly massacred the palace. After taking control of the power, he tampered with the imperial edict and put all the blame on General Meng. Tell me, who would believe this confession? He delayed the plane, and he must have been on his way to Jinzhou, so why did he go to the capital?"
Xie Zheng continued writing something at his desk, as still as a mountain.
Gongsun Yin took out the second one from his pocket and put it on the table. "Lao, this is what he confessed after I asked him why he returned to Beijing early. He changed his words this time and admitted that he was the one who planned the Jinzhou massacre. The reason was that he and the Prince of Chengde had different political views. In order to monopolize power and make a grand plan for hegemony, he deliberately gave Wei Qilin a fake Chongzhou tiger seal..."
Fan Changyu knew that this complaint was most likely another confession of guilt by Wei Yan, and the tiger talisman her father brought was real.
She stepped in and asked, "Does Wei Yan admit to the crime of causing chaos in the palace?"
"Is General Fan back?" Gongsun Yin glanced at the door, smiled and greeted Fan Changyu before answering, "He didn't recognize him, and he didn't even mention it..."
The man who had been working at his desk raised his head only after Fan Changyu entered the hall and pulled out a chair for her. Fan Changyu sat down next to him very naturally.
Gongsun Yinchun pretended not to see it and continued, "It's strange. He has committed so many great crimes, including those he has committed and those he has not committed, but he has always avoided the crime of adultery..."
The teacup rang softly, and Xie Zheng made another cup of tea and handed it over. "It's snowing hard outside, have a cup of tea to warm yourself up."
Fan Changyu was indeed thirsty, so he scooped up the bottle and started drinking.
Gongsun Yin's mouth twitched slightly. He had known this guy for many years, but he had never seen him take the initiative to serve tea or water to anyone.
He barely managed to hold it in, and continued to analyze: "Since the cold palace maid who fell into Qi Sheng's hands was also killed by Wei Yan, I think it is true that Wei Yan had an affair with Concubine Shu, but he has been covering it up..."
"It's still early for lunch. If you're hungry, you can have some snacks here first." The clear voice from the other side sounded again.
Gongsun Yin looked at the serious man with disdainful eyes. He finally couldn't help himself when he pulled out a food box from behind him, took out a plate of cakes from it and handed it to Fan Changyu.
As soon as Fan Changyu took it, he heard a loud noise.
Turning back, I saw Gongsun Yin standing up with his hands on the table, the veins on his forehead throbbing twice, "Xie Jiuheng, that's enough!"
Fan Changyu was stunned for a moment, took a piece of cake from the plate and gave it to himself, then pushed the whole plate towards Gongsun Yin with a pair of honest eyes.
The meaning is obvious: for you to eat.
Gongsun Yin almost fainted from anger.
Xie Zheng even said coldly at this time: "Don't worry about him."
Gongsun Yin could not help but roar: "Xie Jiuheng, there will be a time for you to beg me! I have been talking for a long time..."
Xie Zheng interrupted him: "Shufei is a descendant of the Qi family, and Wei Yan was once taught by General Qi."
Gongsun Yin's anger stagnated, and his disconnected thoughts instantly connected: "So Wei Yan covered up this matter because he was afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the Qi family?"
After all, General Qi and several of his sons had all died in battle, so the Qi family was worthy of the reputation of being a family of loyal and brave men. Prince Chengde also had the character of a Qi family member, so the people supported him very much.
For such a loyal and brave family to have a frivolous concubine like Yanghua, it would be a disgrace to the family.
Fan Changyu thought for a moment and said, "I think Wei Yan did it for the reputation of Concubine Shu. He had a relationship with Concubine Shu, and the crime he committed was a crime that would be infamous for thousands of years. If he admitted that he had an affair with Concubine Shu, it would only make Concubine Shu be cursed by future generations."
The concubines who have been passed between kings and ministers in every dynasty are still famous today. The descriptions of them in unofficial history books are even more disgusting, and they have even become the topic of conversation for the idiots after dinner.
If an ordinary woman had any contact with such a frivolous reputation, she would have no choice but to commit suicide by drowning herself in order to clear her name.
Gongsun Yin sat back down and said, "If that's the case, it's strange. How could a man as hard-hearted as Wei Yan do this for a woman?"
Fan Changyu told the two of them what he had heard from Concubine An.
Xie Zheng and Gongsun Yin were silent after hearing this.
Fan Changyu said: "If the late emperor had plotted against Wei Yan, then the death of Concubine Shu and the abdication would be strange. But there is one thing I still can't figure out. Wei Yan still cared about Concubine Shu's reputation even after her death. When he was discovered by the imperial guards when he went to Qingyuan Palace at night, why did he abandon Concubine Shu and escape alone?"
Xie Zheng said nothing.
Gongsun Yin rubbed his brows and said, "It can't be that the old villain Wei Yan knew that he couldn't save Concubine Shu, and he didn't want to die with Concubine Shu, so he ran away. He has tasted enough of power in recent years, and he feels guilty towards Concubine Shu, so he wants to make up for it?"
Fan Changyu didn't say anything else.
If this is really what Gongsun Yin said, then it is ridiculous that Wei Yan is unwilling to let Concubine Shu be tarnished in the slightest.
"In my opinion, we should just leave this case as it is," Gongsun Yin said suddenly.
Fan Changyu and Xie Zhengju remained silent.
Gongsun Yin knocked on the table with the handle of his fan: "The culprits of the Jinzhou bloodbath can't escape Wei Yan and Sui Tuo. The Sui family is dead, Wei Yan has been executed, and the stigma he gave to General Meng can be cleared. If he dies, the lives he owes will be paid. How can this not be an explanation to the soldiers who died in Jinzhou that year and the people of the world?"
Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng still didn't say anything, so Gongsun Yin said, "We can't just keep dragging it out like this. The new king... must also prepare to ascend the throne, right?"
After another period of silence, a slow and firm voice was heard: "The case cannot be closed."
Gongsun Yin looked up, and Xie Zheng also slightly tilted his head.
The daylight shone into the hall through the half-open windows, clear and bright. A young female general in soft armor sat upright on a cushion, her long eyelashes slightly drooping, her brows firm, and she looked very heroic.
Gongsun Yin asked, "Why?"
Fan Changyu raised his head, his eyes reflecting the morning light were as vast as a shining sea: "We have all sat in this position, we shouldn't close the case in such a muddled way. The court of the seventh-rank county magistrate's office still hangs a plaque with the words 'a bright mirror hanging high', which means justice and fairness. Wei Yan harmed my parents and ruined my grandfather's reputation. I hate him to the core. He has done many evil things and he deserves to die, but he shouldn't die in such a muddled way."
She looked determined: "The Jinzhou Massacre needs the truth, the real truth."
It's not confusing. Wei Yan is dead, and what happened back then can be considered a revenge.
It was only with Wei Yan's death that the truth of that year was buried forever.
The last trace of distraction in Gongsun Yin's eyes disappeared, and he looked at Fan Changyu with a serious gaze that he had seen before.
The girl in front of me is still as brave and sincere as before, but now there is another kind of heavy thing in her sincerity and courage. It is different from the towering mountains, but more broad, like the thick soil under my feet, endless.
Only in such thick soil can majestic peaks rising from the ground be nurtured.
This realization left Gongsun Yin stunned for a long time, until Xie Zheng spoke, and he came to his senses.
"Continue investigating the Jinzhou case. Start preparing for the new monarch's accession to the throne." The first sentence was said to Fan Changyu, and the second sentence was said to Gongsun Yin.
Gongsun Yin agreed, and when he stood up, he bowed solemnly to Fan Changyu and said, "Yin is ashamed of what I said before."
His words made Fan Changyu feel a little unsure about what to do. He said, "Mr. Gongsun is also considering the current situation."
She handed the brocade box that Qi Shu had given him to Gongsun and said, "Oh, I almost forgot what the princess asked me to do. The princess asked me to give this box to you, sir."
When Gongsun Yin received the box, he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Princess, do you have anything else to tell General Fan?"
Fan Changyu said truthfully: "No more."
"Is that so? In that case, I would like to thank General Fan." Gongsun Yin smiled, but his smile seemed not as casual as before.
After Gongsun Yin left, Fan Changyu discussed with Xie Zheng: "Do you think Mr. Gongsun was acting strange after receiving the golden box?"
Xie Zheng hugged her from behind and said, "He has been hiding from the princess for so many years, but the princess is too old to wait any longer."
Before Fan Changyu understood his ambiguous words, she felt her shoulders sink. It was Xie Zheng resting his chin on the hollow of her shoulder.
"Thank you." He said in a hoarse voice.
Now that Wei Yan is dead, he will probably never know why his father died.
How could she not hate Wei Yan for the revenge of her parents and the injustice done to the Meng family? Once Wei Yan died, she would have truly avenged her great hatred.
But she rejected Gongsun Yin's proposal.
Fan Changyu turned his head and smiled at him: "The unjust deaths of General Xie and Prince Chengde need to be answered with the truth, as do the thousands of soldiers who died in Jinzhou."
She placed her palm on his hand that was clasped around her waist, her eyes as pure and sincere as ever: "Let's look for it together, we will find it eventually."
-
Things took a turn for the better after Yu Qianqian went to Beijing.
Fan Changyu had never mentioned anything about Qi Min to Yu Qianqian, but she and Xie Zheng went to great lengths to investigate Wei Yan and Sui's family, and Yu Qianqian eventually heard about it.
A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. When Xie Zheng and Tang Peiyi discussed the matter of recommending Yu Baoer to take the throne, they inevitably had to face a problem: Qi Min is still hanging on half his life.
How should this eldest grandson of the emperor die?
Although Yu Baoer is still young and has no father-son relationship with Qi Min, Tang Peiyi and others still disagree with Xie Zheng's decision to kill Qi Min directly, saying that it is the nature of father and son, and they are worried that Yu Baoer will be instigated by others in the future, leaving hidden dangers.
Fan Changyu was not afraid of this and said frankly: "I will kill him. That child is a reasonable person and knows that his biological father is not a good person. Even if he holds a grudge against me in the future, I was the one who saved him from the knife when Qi Min wanted to kill him. I am not afraid that the child will hate me."
Xie Zheng calmly grabbed her wrist, signaling her not to argue anymore.
"I'll go." He repeated it in a low voice, not asking for advice, just giving instructions.
Tang Peiyi wanted to persuade him again, but a voice suddenly came from the door: "My Lord, all the generals, I can leave now."
Everyone looked up and saw a graceful woman pushing the door open.
Fan Changyu was surprised: "Qianqian, why are you here?"
The other generals and staff were not familiar with Yu Qianqian, and most of them were respectful to the future empress dowager.
Yu Qianqian looked at Fan Changyu and said, "I know you are doing this for my own good. Bao'er and I already owe you and Lord Hou a lot. Kill Qi Min and let me go. Not only can we get rid of him, but we can also find out about the collusion between the Sui family and Wei Yan. It will only benefit us and not harm us."
No matter how much Fan Changyu tried to dissuade him, he was blocked by Yu Qianqian's words.
Finally, she just looked at Yu Qianqian and said, "Then I'll go with you."
The author has something to say:
Xie Zheng: Ah Yu is tired, so watch the seats. If she is thirsty, pour her some tea. If she is hungry, prepare some snacks.
Gongsun Yin: This sour smell of love is enough to kill a dog!
----------------
If nothing unexpected happens, the main text will be finished in the next chapter (廢咕卧平.jpg)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
