Chapter 563: A series of memorials
Upon hearing this, Madam Hua nodded with a worried look on her face.
"Yes, our Hua family is already tied to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Let's save His Royal Highness first."
Upon hearing this, Hua Yuanzhou looked at the queen.
"Does Your Majesty want the ministers to submit a joint memorial?"
The queen nodded.
"We can only give it a try. Brother, please contact the ministers who support the Crown Prince. After so many years of ties, many people's interests have long been inseparable from the Crown Prince's Mansion. It's time to ask them to contribute."
After hearing this, Hua Yuanzhou nodded solemnly, then stood up, put his hands behind his back, paced around the room for a few steps, and said after careful consideration.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. While a joint petition isn't a foolproof solution, the arrow is on the string and must be launched. I will depart immediately and personally visit several important officials to gauge their sentiments and see if I can gain their support."
Upon hearing this, the queen's eyes flashed with gratitude and determination.
"Brother, the fate of the Hua family and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince are inextricably linked. We must overcome this crisis together. You can go with peace of mind. I will go to the Dali Temple later to see father. I will make sure that he is safe there."
Hua Yuanzhou nodded when he heard this, and then spoke worriedly.
"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best to fight for His Royal Highness. However, the Emperor has always valued His Royal Highness. Now that he has imposed such a severe punishment, I'm afraid the evidence is indeed... Our Hua family has stood for many years, and it has taken generations of hard work to get to where we are today. Your Majesty, I'm afraid you still have to make some plans for the Hua family."
The queen nodded when she heard this.
"I thought about this all night last night. Concubine Shu and the Third Prince have been relying on us for years. Plus, the Hua family is related to her family by marriage. If the situation really comes to an end, I will beg the Emperor to spare the Crown Prince's life and then adopt him as the Third Prince."
In the palace.
Jing'an Palace.
At this time, the eunuch was reading the imperial edict aloud.
"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: The talented Liang, virtuous and respectful, now bears the Emperor's heir. I hereby confer the title of Noble Lady An. I hope she will cultivate virtue and maintain harmony within the harem, diligently serve the Emperor, and continue to produce descendants. This is my decree."
Liang Cairen spoke respectfully.
"I thank the emperor for his grace."
The eunuch handed the imperial edict to Liang Cairen.
"I congratulate Noble Lady An on her great happiness. She's only just pregnant, yet the Emperor is treating her with such respect. Once she gives birth to a little prince, I'm afraid wealth and glory will be waiting for you."
Concubine De quickly glanced at Nanny He.
Nanny He stepped forward and stuffed the silver into the eunuch's hand.
"Eunuch, our queen invites you to have tea. Thank you for your hard work, sir."
The father-in-law then hurriedly took the purse and spoke.
"Your Highness, I, your servant, would also like to congratulate you on your great wedding."
Then he took out another imperial edict and read it out.
"Her Majesty the Virtuous Consort receives the order."
Concubine De hurriedly knelt down with the palace maids.
"I accept your order."
The eunuch immediately read it aloud.
"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Consort De is intelligent and virtuous, dignified and graceful, outstanding in appearance, gentle and considerate, and virtuous and quiet. She has rendered meritorious service in caring for the Crown Prince. I hereby grant her the authority to assist in the management of the six palaces. I hope she will govern the harem with all her heart and soul. This is my decree."
Defei did not expect that Liang Ruxia's pregnancy would bring such a great benefit to her, so she immediately expressed her gratitude.
"I thank you for your grace."
The eunuch handed the imperial edict to Concubine De.
"Empress Defei, the Emperor has instructed that the Empress Dowager be very busy lately, so the care of Concubine An's baby will be left to Empress Defei."
Concubine De took the imperial edict and stood up.
"Please tell His Majesty that I will do my utmost to take good care of the baby in Noble Lady An's belly and will definitely not let His Majesty down."
Then he exchanged a look with Madam He, and the eunuch received the reward again and left happily.
After the eunuch left, Liang Ruxia took Defei's arm and spoke.
"Congratulations, aunt."
Defei took her into the bedroom.
"So, did you ask the Emperor for this position of assistant to the six palaces?"
Liang Ruxia spoke after hearing this.
"I just want to tell the emperor that I'm worried about my pregnancy. The Empress is busy now, so I don't dare to bother her."
De Fei glanced at her when he heard that.
"You've taken this step too hastily. I know you have good intentions, but the Emperor is the Supreme Ruler. How could he not see through the tricks of the harem when he ascended the throne so smoothly? From now on, don't say anything good about me in front of the Emperor. Just focus on yourself and the child in your belly."
Liang Ruxia spoke with a somewhat uneasy look on her face when she heard this.
"So, aunt, Ruxia did something wrong again, right?"
Seeing her uneasy look, Concubine De took her hand and patted the back of her hand.
"You did nothing wrong, Ruxia, just be self-centered now and don't worry about me. There are too many twists and turns in this palace, and sometimes the emperor just turns a blind eye. The power of assisting the six palaces is not a big deal now. I can keep a low profile from now on, but you need to be more cautious in your words and actions in the future."
Upon hearing this, Liang Ruxia hurriedly saluted.
"Yes, Ruxia will follow my aunt's instructions."
Dali Temple.
In the prison.
Duke Hua sat in a dark, damp cell, his face devoid of fear, revealing instead a resolute and unyielding spirit. He closed his eyes, as if the clamor of the outside world had nothing to do with him.
However, when the cell door was pushed open heavily and a beam of light penetrated the darkness and shone on his old but majestic face, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Father." The queen's voice sounded outside the door, with a bit of anxiety and worry.
She walked quickly into the cell and knelt in front of General Hua.
"I'm sorry I'm late, and I've caused you so much trouble."
General Hua opened his eyes, his gaze was as sharp as a torch. He hurried forward and put his hands through the iron gate, trying to help the queen up.
"Your Majesty, please get up quickly. You are the mother of the country, how can you..."
The Queen grabbed Duke Hua's hand, her tone full of guilt.
"It is because of my unfilial behavior that my father has to suffer such a great hardship at such an advanced age."
Duke Hua pulled the queen up with force.
"Get up first, get up quickly, be obedient."
The Queen stood up, looked at the white hair by Duke Hua's ear with red eyes, and spoke in a firm tone.
"Don't worry, father. I've already had my brother contact several important officials to speak up for His Royal Highness. However, this incident involving the Crown Prince has gone too far. I'm afraid it won't be resolved easily. We need to proceed cautiously."
Duke Hua nodded and said after pondering for a moment.
"When the evidence appeared in court, I knew it would be difficult to end this matter."
He looked at the queen and spoke with a pointed look in his eyes.
"It's a pity. I'm afraid this matter will also implicate your second uncle's family in the southern border. Lingyi, do you remember when you were a child and loved playing on your second uncle's shoulders? When your second uncle left home, he buried twenty jars of daughter's red wine for you under the peach tree on his farm in the suburbs."
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