Chapter 20 (Revised)
The bright spring light shines through the window lattice, making the room bright.
A wisp of smoke curled up from the incense burner. Behind a single screen with a plain silk painting of flowers and birds, four or five girls gathered together to arrange flowers and admire them.
Although it was spring, the weather was still cold and the flowers had not yet bloomed. The fact that flowers were delivered to the Duke of England's mansion at this time was a testament to his wealth.
Several girls were trimming branches and leaves, gossiping about the strange things that had happened among the ladies in Beijing recently.
"Miao Miao, do you still remember those people who targeted you at the plum blossom viewing banquet at Prince Yu's Mansion?" Jiang Huan asked suddenly.
After that plum blossom viewing banquet, the girls who sat at the same table forged a wonderful bond. They exchanged letters and met up for small gatherings, and the sense of alienation gradually dissipated, and their relationship grew closer.
When asked this, Chu Miaomiao looked up at the sky and thought for a while, and found that the appearances and figures of those people were a little blurry: "I can't remember them very well. Anyway, they are not important people, so it doesn't matter whether I remember them or not. But why do you ask this?"
"Oh, they are so unlucky." Jiang Huan's expression was more of gloating than sympathy.
Xu Ling said, "It's Bai Xiaoyan, who you heard you visited Yiheju. I heard she caught a cold and her voice is hoarse and her speech is raspy. I haven't seen her at any banquets or gatherings lately. I guess she's afraid of being laughed at."
"God is truly merciful," Jiang Huan said. "It's a shame to have her gossiping about people behind their backs all day long. Without her mouth, so much trouble would be saved."
Liang Yu said, "And there's Cheng Si'an, who deliberately attacked you. She has a half-sister whom she's always suppressing and can't get ahead. I don't know what she fed her, but not only can she not make a sound, but her appearance has also been damaged. She's ruined, but her half-sister has escaped unscathed."
"Wow, you guys even know about this kind of behind-the-scenes stuff?"
Jiang Huan raised an eyebrow. "That's why they say there's no such thing as an impenetrable wall."
Chu Miaomiao, who almost fell into trouble over this matter, agreed very much.
"Anchang Marquis' Mansion is also unlucky," Shi Yuanyuan said. "Not only did Bai Xiaochen owe a large sum of money at the gambling house, but he also got into a fight with the Fourth Young Master of Zhenyuan General's Mansion over a girl named Hua, leaving him with a black eye and swollen face. I heard his physical injuries can be healed, but somehow he also injured his tongue, and he can't utter a complete sentence."
"Tsk tsk tsk," Chu Miaomiao bared her teeth, as if she was the one being beaten, "This is too miserable."
"After this incident, the Anchang Marquis' Mansion has completely lost its luck." Xu Ling said with emotion.
"They are not the only ones who are unlucky." Jiang Yingyue, who had been silent until now, raised her eyes and looked directly at Chu Miaomiao, "There is also my fourth sister."
Jiang Huan frowned and thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, it seems like I haven't run into Jiang Qiyue in a while. What happened to her?"
Chu Miaomiao was also puzzled: "Why are you looking at me and saying that?"
Jiang Yingyue smiled faintly: "You know, my second brother Jiang Weiqiu returned to Beijing the other day."
The girls nodded.
Chu Miaomiao was a bit surprised when she first learned that Jiang Weiqiu and Jiang Yingyue were siblings from the same mother. Jiang Yingyue looked very steady, while her brother had a more eccentric personality; the difference was quite significant.
"My second brother asked me a question shortly after returning home." Jiang Yingyue placed a magnolia branch in the vase. "He asked if Fourth Sister had offended anyone recently or gotten into any trouble. I told him what happened at the plum blossom viewing banquet that day. Afterwards, he went to see Second Uncle and said something to him. Then Second Uncle asked Fourth Sister to pack her bags and return home."
"There's nothing wrong with her going back home." Jiang Huan sneered, "She's been using your father's influence to act arrogantly and pretentiously. It's a good opportunity for her to go back and show off her style without having to worry about you."
Liang Yu also agreed: "Yes, why do you feel sorry for her?"
"I don't feel sorry for her," Jiang Yingyue shook her head. "What happened at the plum blossom viewing banquet was simply Cheng Si'an using her as a pawn. She can't figure out how to be used, so she's really not fit to stay here. I just think it's very interesting after thinking about it carefully."
After saying that, Jiang Yingyue looked at Chu Miaomiao again.
"So why do you keep looking at me?"
Chu Miaomiao was confused by Jiang Yingyue's meaningless gaze.
"Because the most important intersection between these people is you."
"Me?" Chu Miaomiao's eyes rolled. "Do you suspect that I'm taking revenge on them?"
Jiang Yingyue quickly denied: "Of course not."
Shi Yuanyuan stopped arranging the flowers, pondered for a moment, and said, "It might be the prince."
Jiang Yingyue smiled knowingly, revealing two small dimples: "I think it's the prince."
*
"Prince, look at what this is."
That afternoon, a memorial was handed to Wei Zhen, who was studying government affairs with the emperor. Wei Zhen took it and unfolded it, his lips tightly pursed and his brows furrowed.
"Since you were crowned Crown Prince, Ye County has become your fiefdom," the sage said solemnly. "Are you aware of what the Ye County Magistrate stated in his memorial?"
No wonder, no wonder Jiang Weiqiu said that he had noticed that Prince Su had some dealings with Ye County, and he actually wanted to make a fuss about his family!
The prefect of Ye County, in his memorial, described the crimes of the prince's family, who exploited their power and tyranny in Ye County. His biological parents had illegally seized the people's fertile land. They demanded not only that the prefect pay taxes to the Crown Prince but also that local civilians be conscripted to build a luxurious estate for them. When the prefect refused, he threatened to communicate with the Crown Prince, repeatedly threatening to lose his position.
"Have you ever corresponded with Yejun?"
Wei Zhen took a deep breath to calm himself down, then bowed to the Saint:
"Your Majesty, as you see clearly, I have almost completely cut off all contact with Ye County since entering the palace as heir. Ye County has been a lifelong benefactor to me, and I believe Your Majesty, mindful of my inability to relinquish this debt, has included Ye County within my fiefdom, implicitly allowing me to constantly care for it. I am grateful for Your Majesty's kindness, and as long as I know that Ye County is safe, I have never sought to understand their lives."
"I was foolish and committed the crime of negligence and dereliction of duty. I beg the saint to punish me!"
While saying these words, Wei Zhen kept his head down and did not look up to see the saint's expression.
He knew that the actions of the Ye County family had violated the taboos of the saints. He was still only the crown prince, and the Ye County dared to take advantage of him to oppress the people. If he really inherited the throne in the future, what would happen to Ye County? What would happen to the people of Ye County?
What the saint cares most about is whether he is involved in this matter.
In his previous words, Wei Zhen felt that he had done his best to explain himself. And these words were not just flattery or sophistry, but he really didn't know what those people had done behind his back!
Despite all these things happening, the county magistrate never mentioned a word about him, not even a single test. He simply listed all his crimes and sent them to the saint's desk just to catch him off guard and to make the saint suspicious of him.
Wei Zhen thought it was a bad idea. He only sent people to keep an eye on Prince Su and Prince Huai, but how could he forget about his family in Ye County?
The sage at the imperial desk looked at Wei Zhen expressionlessly, without saying a word. He clasped his hands together, his bent fingers rhythmically tapping the backs of his hands.
The sage's silence made Wei Zhen feel a little uneasy. Although he had lived in the palace for many years, it was sometimes difficult for him to accurately guess the sage's thoughts.
What's more, the current situation is very unfavorable for him.
If the saint believed that the affairs of Ye County were related to him, then neither he nor Ye County could escape. The victory he had painstakingly won in this war of succession would be destroyed, and the humiliation he had endured in this deep palace for many years would be a sad joke.
If the Sage believed his defense, he might escape punishment temporarily, but what about his biological parents? Their crimes are unacceptable to the Sage, and they will be brought to justice. At that point, how would he choose between the grace of giving birth and the grace of raising them? Would the Sage become suspicious of him, believing that he would harbor resentment and distance himself from him because of this incident?
No matter which one it was, the trust between him and the Saint would be fractured. Those with ulterior motives would use every possible means to widen the rift until it shattered into pieces.
Prince Su is really scheming.
Time seems to pass extremely slowly in the quiet silence, and it is easy to feel despair during this lengthy period.
Wei Zhen clenched his teeth, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
No, the more silence there is, the more crucial it is. Silence can breed despair, and naturally it can also breed hope. He must remain calm. Only in this way can there be a way out.
After a long while, the Saint slowly spoke: "This matter must be investigated, whether it is true or not. Since it involves your biological parents, you should recuse yourself from this case."
"Your son obeys your order."
Wei Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe for the time being. As long as he was safe, there was still a chance to find a way to save his family's lives.
"Besides, I have another matter for you, Your Highness."
Wei Zhen bowed even lower: "Your son dare not."
"The Bai siblings from the Anchang Marquis's mansion, and the legitimate daughter of the Imperial College's chief academic officer, are their experiences related to you?"
Wei Zhen paused and said, "Yes."
*
After Chu Miaomiao returned to the palace with a lot on her mind, her eyes would from time to time look over the high vermilion walls and towards the eaves of the East Palace Pavilion.
Chu He couldn't bear to watch any longer and said, "Princess, if you are really curious, why not go and ask the prince yourself."
"Why would I ask that?" Chu Miaomiao rolled her eyes. "Maybe what happened to those people has nothing to do with me or the Crown Prince. If I rush over to ask, it would seem like I'm being sentimental."
"Then Princess, are you planning to stand under this wall all night?" Chu He said helplessly, "You've already been strolling here for an hour."
"Has it been that long?"
"Yes, dinner has been served for half an hour!" Chu He touched her stomach and pouted, "Princess, why don't we eat first? I'll take you for a walk after dinner, okay?"
Chu Miaomiao waved her hand: "Let's go and eat."
After the master and servant had finished their dinner, when Chu Miaomiao strolled under the wall again, Chu He strongly suggested going to the East Palace to greet the prince.
As they walked along the road, Chu Miaomiao repeatedly emphasized, "You forced me to go. I didn't want to go on my own. I had to go because of you."
"Yes, yes, yes, Princess, you are kind-hearted. You went to the East Palace for a little servant like me." Chu He said perfunctorily without any sincerity.
But when they arrived in front of the East Palace, what was waiting for Chu Miaomiao and her servant was a tightly closed palace gate.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
