Chapter 102, Chapter 102, and Jia.
On the Double Ninth Festival, Chu Heng and Daiyu went to the palace for a banquet.
The Empress Dowager was talking with the Empress when she saw the couple arrive. She smiled and said, "Why didn't you bring Yang'er with you? Come to think of it, I haven't even seen my little grandson yet."
Chu Heng bowed and smiled, "Yang'er is a very mischievous child. I'm afraid he might disturb your peace. When he's older and more sensible, I'll bring him to the palace to pay his respects to you."
"It's good for a child to be a little more sturdy," the Empress Dowager said with a smile. "Even when you were still in your swaddling clothes, you were a mischievous child. It's clear that you and your son are of the same ilk; Yang'er has taken after you."
Chu Heng laughed and said, "Was I ever this lively? It must have been hard on you, Mother. I don't remember these things. My earliest memory is from when I was six or seven years old."
When Chu Heng was six or seven years old...
The Empress Dowager immediately felt uncomfortable. Chu Heng looked no different from an ordinary person now, but she forgot that Chu Heng's childhood should not be mentioned, otherwise she would think of that bowl of poisoned soup from back then.
Just then, Yongkang entered, and the Empress Dowager took the opportunity to speak with her. Chuheng sat down next to Daiyu, and Hejia, who was opposite him, glanced at him and then lowered her eyes.
Cutting ties with the Second Prince was easy; He Jia had already confined Gu Xun to her home and, during a chance encounter with Consort Wu, hinted at her stance—it was merely He Jia's stance. Whether the Second Prince won or lost in the future, her children would still have a way out.
The difficult part is repaying Chu Heng's debt of gratitude.
Chu Heng not only covered up Gu Xun's affair in front of the Emperor, but also made the Second Prince believe that Chu Heng only knew about Gu Xun's bribery. Otherwise, the Second Prince would not have let Gu Xun off so easily.
Children are debts from past lives, what can He Jia do? Even though Chu Heng asked her to do something that would disgust the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, He Jia had no choice but to do it.
He Jia recalled how, many years ago, she and her brother watched their mother feed Chu Heng a bowl of soup laced with poison. At that time, they both believed it was a necessary sacrifice.
Now, with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor locked in a life-or-death struggle, Chu Heng has long since lost ties with them, and He Jia is no longer able to remain unscathed...
The imperial court is ruthless.
The imperial court is heartless.
After the banquet, the Empress Dowager did not keep anyone. She simply said that she was tired and told them to leave, promising to summon them to the palace another day.
He Jia couldn't help but look at Chu Heng, who was bowing his head to smooth Daiyu's sleeves. The Empress Dowager's words seemed to have no effect on him at all.
Taking advantage of the large number of people in the palace and the fact that no one was paying attention, He Jia came over and whispered, "Is today just going to pass by like this?"
Chu Heng chuckled softly, "Fifth Sister, don't be in a hurry. There are too many people. Just wait patiently, there will always be a chance."
He Jia said, "You seem to be in no hurry."
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Yes, I'm not in a hurry, so why is Fifth Sister in such a rush?"
He Jia flicked her sleeves. What was she in such a hurry for? She just wanted to pay off Qing Heng's debt as soon as possible, then go back to live a quiet life with her children, just like before. She no longer thought about her future. Her children would live off their family's wealth for the rest of their lives, which was fine enough.
Daiyu smiled and said, "Fifth Sister, please wait a moment. We need to go home and check on the children."
He Jia could only hum in agreement.
...
After the Double Ninth Festival, the autumn air was crisp and clear. Xiao Chuyang was not allowed to go out by his parents for the time being, but his parents did not want to be confined at home, so they went out for a few trips together.
Once, when Yongkang came to visit, Chuheng and Daiyu happened to be on their way to the estate outside the city, leaving only the young master who couldn't speak to greet them.
Yongkang stared in disbelief for a long time, then sat in the Prince Duan's mansion waiting for the parents who had left their son to go out and play to return.
"This is absolutely outrageous! When Yang'er grows up, I will definitely tell him about this!" Yongkang said indignantly.
Chu Heng smiled indifferently: "So what if you say it? He's all grown up now, so what if he cries? Besides, he can't go out by himself, so it's really too much for us to just stay at home with him. Your fifth sister-in-law hasn't been able to go out and have a proper trip for over a year because of this little rascal."
Upon hearing this, Yongkang nodded in agreement: "Indeed, Sister Lin has been kept under Yang'er's thumb. Last time I invited her out to play, she couldn't make it because of Yang'er."
Daiyu smiled and said, "Back then, your fifth brother wasn't home, and I was afraid Yang'er wouldn't be used to it. Now that he's back, if you invite me out to play again, I certainly won't refuse you."
Yongkang clapped his hands and said cheerfully, "Alright, I happen to have something to say right now..." She stopped abruptly, "Fifth Brother, don't you have anything to say?"
Chu Heng asked, puzzled, "What am I supposed to say?"
"I thought you didn't want Sister Lin to play with me." Yongkang tilted his head and looked at him inquisitively.
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Do you think I enjoy seeing your fifth sister-in-law brooding? I should thank you for keeping her company."
Yongkang smiled and waved his hand: "Oh, no need to be so polite, Fifth Brother, what are you going to give me?"
Daiyu couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Pick whatever you want, anything you want is fine."
So, Daiyu spent the entire autumn traveling around with Yongkang until the weather gradually turned cold and they became reluctant to go out due to the chill.
When the first snow of winter fell, the Empress Dowager caught a cold. Everyone came to the palace to visit her and inquire about her health. However, the more people there were, the more her illness worsened. So the Emperor ordered everyone to disturb the Empress Dowager less.
Renshou Palace suddenly became quiet, with only the Empress Dowager's biological children frequently visiting.
The emperor knew that the empress dowager might not want to see them, but he was happy to use the guise of filial piety to annoy her, and in a way that even the empress dowager herself couldn't find fault with.
On this particular day, He Jia went to the palace to visit the Empress Dowager and happened to run into Yongkang, who was also there with Chu Heng and Daiyu. The Emperor also arrived after finishing reviewing the memorials, while the Empress was the last to arrive.
Chu Heng had been waiting for this opportunity for two months, and this room full of people was just the right amount of people for the effect he wanted.
He Jia received Chu Heng's hint and pondered his words, which he had already prepared, more than a dozen times before speaking: "Your Majesty, Xun'er has already realized his mistake. You decide when to let him return to the Imperial Clan Court."
The emperor had just finished dealing with the empress dowager when he heard this and immediately frowned: "He should stay home and study for a few more years. With his current abilities, he is not capable of handling official duties yet."
He Jia said with a smile, "I won't ask him to do any errands. He can just learn from Fifth Brother. This child is slow-witted and needs to be taught to be more shrewd so that he won't be easily fooled."
"Someone is deceiving him? I think he's very cunning and knows how to make others run wild." The emperor sneered.
Upon hearing this, He Jia's face turned pale, and he could say nothing more.
Seeing that their argument had escalated to an unpleasant state, the Empress Dowager, as was her habit, wanted to act as a peacemaker, so she said, "Brother and sister, can't you talk things out properly..."
He Jia grasped at a straw, and before the Empress Dowager could finish speaking, she wiped away her tears and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, you must consider our sibling bond."
The emperor said irritably, "How could I not have considered it? If I hadn't considered it, Gu Xun wouldn't have caused such a disaster!"
Gu Xun was using the emperor's nephew's name to amass wealth, which made the emperor feel uneasy.
He Jia covered her eyes and cried uncontrollably: "If a child does something wrong, it's fine to teach him. Why does Your Majesty have to abandon him and ignore him!"
The Empress pondered whether she should offer some advice, but fearing it might backfire, she remained silent for the time being.
Yongkang's eyes widened. She didn't know what had happened and was completely confused by their conversation. She subconsciously looked at Chu Heng.
Just then, Chu Heng spoke up to advise, "Fifth Sister, Gu Xun's mistake this time is quite serious. It can't be forgiven with just a few words of instruction. He needs to learn a lesson so that he will remember it and not make the same mistake again in the future."
"Aren't these lessons enough now?" He Jia asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
Chu Heng shook his head.
He Jia cried even harder: "You're his uncle, why don't you keep an eye on him!"
Before Chu Heng could speak, the emperor said, "Fifth brother was sent by me to handle important matters. Do you think he can wander around making money like Gu Xun?"
The words were even harsher, and Hejia clenched her handkerchief tightly: "In the end, it's still because the Emperor thinks I'm not as good as the Fifth Brother. Has the Fifth Brother never done anything wrong? It's just that the Emperor and Mother have always favored him! Yongkang is clearly the youngest, but have you ever shown her any affection?"
Yongkang blinked in confusion when she was suddenly mentioned. She had indeed been dissatisfied with this many times when she was young. Her mother and brother always only knew how to favor her fifth brother. However, now that she was living the life she wanted, she no longer cared.
but……
Yongkang had a feeling something was wrong. His fifth sister had brought it up specifically, so perhaps there was something more to it?
She looked at Chu Heng again.
Chu Heng seemed a little embarrassed. He lowered his head and said softly, "It's my fault, Fifth Sister. I didn't take good care of my nephew."
The emperor slammed his hand on the table and said, "Enough! What does this have to do with you? Is Gu Xun your son?"
The emperor didn't want to bring up Gu Xun's matter again, but seeing He Jia being so unreasonable, he casually defended Chu Heng. Unexpectedly, these words struck a nerve with He Jia.
She had thought to herself that since Chu Heng had brought Gu Xun along, he should keep a close eye on him. Or perhaps, since Chu Heng needed something from her, he had deliberately misled Gu Xun...
He Jia had bowed his head many times over the years, and all the resentment he had harbored was suddenly stirred up.
"Your Majesty was able to ascend to a high position, but is it only Fifth Brother who suffered because of it? Since I married into the Gu family, have I ever had a single good day? Just because you fed Fifth Brother poison and feel guilty towards him, wasn't I forced to marry into the Gu family? Mother, Your Majesty, why don't you feel any remorse towards me?"
The Empress Dowager looked at Hejia in disbelief, wondering if she was too old and hard of hearing, otherwise how could she have heard Hejia mention that thing that should not have been spoken of back then?
The emperor hadn't expected that He Jia would say such a thing. Unlike the empress dowager, he didn't dwell on that incident as much, which is why he reacted faster than the empress dowager.
"Hejia, you've lost your mind!" the emperor roared. "Take the princess away immediately and have the imperial physician examine her!"
Jia was stunned for a while. She didn't expect that she could say such a thing. Did she dare to say the grievances that had been buried deep in her heart for so many years?
Several female officials helped He Jia leave, and the people in the hall remained silent for a moment.
The emperor rubbed his temples, about to speak, when Chu Heng suddenly spoke up: "Mother, Fifth Sister just mentioned poison, what poison?"
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