Chapter 316 Next Stop, Liangdi (Finale)
The retired emperor wanted to be a deadbeat, but Zhao Shiqing didn't want to indulge him. She came to pay her respects to him on time every day. If he didn't want to see her, she would invite a few princesses to play cards with her. The retired emperor would make the elixir inside, and they would play cards outside. Unfortunately, these princesses were not good at playing cards and shouted loudly. Princess Jia'an was a sentimental person. Not only did she come alone, she also brought her lover with her.
The noisy sounds outside were audible, and the retired emperor could not concentrate on his cultivation. He thought that this could not go on. His grandson did not care about him, and his grandson was not in the capital. The retired emperor had nowhere to turn to for help. Finally, in desperation, he covered his heart and took out 350,000 taels.
After getting the 350,000 taels of silver, Zhao Shiqing and the eldest princesses moved to another place to continue playing cards. Zhao Shiqing only kept half of the silver and used the other half to set up a girls' school.
The wedding day of Yan Xia and Zhao Yunnuan is getting closer and closer, Yan Xia has not returned yet, and the news of Xiao Zhen's triumphant return has spread back to the capital.
With Shan Ye's confession, Xiao Zhen's trip went very smoothly. Back then, he and Zhao Shiqing took great pains to destroy a small stronghold in Shanmen, and this time, he led his troops directly to Shanmen's headquarters.
The mountain gate was completely destroyed, and the last descendants of Emperor Ai of the previous dynasty were all killed.
In addition, Xiao Zhen also found the treasure at the mountain gate!
Among this treasure trove is a relic of Emperor Ai, the legendary imperial seal.
When Taizu attacked the capital, Emperor Ai climbed up the Fengyu Tower and burned himself to death. Taizu was unable to find the imperial seal. The imperial seal that had been passed down from generation to generation by the Emperor of Dayong was re-carved by Emperor Taizu using precious jade.
This jade seal had always been kept by the eldest son's family and hidden together with the treasures accumulated by the mountain gate over the years. Later, the other two houses killed all the members of the eldest son's family, but failed to find the treasure.
Yang Shengqiu's mother was the only survivor of the tragedy, but she was just a young girl at the time. Although the other two families wanted to wipe out the whole family, they did not think that she would know where the treasure was.
But to everyone's surprise, not only did Yang's mother know about it, but she also gave the treasure map to Yang's father when she left.
After Yang's mother died, Yang's father committed suicide. Before committing suicide, he entrusted Yang Shengqiu and the treasure map to his father.
Before going to Beijing, although Old Doctor Yang did not anticipate the danger of this journey, he was old and did not know what would happen tomorrow, so he hid the treasure map in the letter.
The picture was very simple. Zhao Shiqing and Xiao Zhen studied it for a long time and conducted field investigations, but they could not come to a conclusion.
But when Xiao Zhen showed this picture to Shan Ye, Shan Ye saw it clearly.
It turns out that the map contains a secret code for the mountain gate. Not only can Zhao Shiqing and Xiao Zhen not understand it, even Old Doctor Yang and Yang Shengqiu don’t understand it either!
Now that Shan Ye has deciphered the code, Xiao Zhen easily found the place and took out the treasures.
When Xiao Zhen returned to Beijing, he also brought back a knife. The owner of the knife had died in the last breakout at the mountain gate.
He handed the knife to Zhao Shiqing. "The original owner of this knife was the fourth-ranked killer in the mountain gate. Everyone called him Ah Si. I've checked. He participated in and caused the massacre of the Shi family in Zhuxitang. He was responsible for the aftermath and was the last to leave. The suspicious peddler the villagers saw was him."
Zhao Shiqing took the knife. There were patterns carved on the scabbard. Although it was old, one could still see its former splendor.
Zhao Shiqing slowly closed her eyes, her slender fingers brushed across the scabbard, groping inch by inch along the winding lines. She remembered the bloodiness of that night, the wind and rain of that night.
This was no longer a dream, she really remembered it.
When Zhao Shiqing opened her eyes again, they were clear, without tears or sadness. She returned the knife to Xiao Zhen and said, "Destroy it."
The knife is broken, the resentment disappears, the storm passes, and the sun paves the way.
Xiao Zhen brought the treasures into the palace. The new emperor only kept the jade seal and gave all the others to Xiao Zhen.
Xiao Zhen took out a portion of it and exchanged it for silver, which he distributed as a reward to the officers and soldiers who followed him to suppress the bandits. He also picked out a few items to present to the emperor, and gave the rest to Zhao Shiqing as a betrothal gift.
In a blink of an eye, it was the time agreed with Yan Xia, but Yan Xia had not returned yet and there was no news from Bei Yan.
In the Liang Palace, Nie was chanting sutras when the new Madam Ge came in joyfully: "Congratulations, old princess, congratulations, old princess, the young master's fever has subsided!"
The corners of Nie's mouth twitched. This evil woman, is this a happy event?
Ever since Princess Meng Xiaotang of Liang gave birth to the young master, Nie has been very displeased with the child. A few days ago, the child had a high fever that wouldn't go away. Nie was so happy that she ate an extra bowl of rice. She hoped that the child would not be able to be kept alive and would rather die!
But now Aunt Ge came to tell her that the child's fever had actually subsided.
Seeing her face becoming increasingly grim, Madam Ge smiled and said, "The Second Young Master went to see her today and was very happy when he came back. He was so happy that he rewarded all the servants he met along the way from the door."
Sure enough, after these words were spoken, Nie could no longer sit still.
The Wei Yaer she had high hopes for turned out to be short-lived. She died before she even got married, and her death was unclear.
Nie originally wanted Concubine Qiao to find another noble lady for Zhao Tingxuan, but Concubine Qiao never gave any reply. Later, shocking news came!
The emperor was deposed, the third prince was tortured to death, and Concubine Qiao died in the cold palace!
After the eunuch had left, Princess Meng Xiaotang of Prince Liang smiled and said to her, "Mother, I heard that the Fan family was also involved. Miss Fan Qiujun was beaten to death by the Minister of Prudence. Master Fan heard the news and headed for the capital, but died on the way. Alas, the Nie and Fan families are relatives, and I don't know if they will be implicated. If you are worried, I will send someone to escort you back to Wu to visit your relatives."
Nie's face changed drastically!
Back then, the Nie family wanted Fan Qiujun to marry Zhao Tinghan. If it weren't for Zhao Yunnuan's help in getting Meng Xiaotang married into Prince Liang's Mansion, the position of Princess Liang would have gone to Fan Qiujun.
The Nie family and the Fan family are not only in-laws, but also have financial transactions. The two families prosper and suffer together.
Although Fan Qiuyun's death did not implicate the Fan family on the surface, the death of Master Fan was enough to explain everything.
Nie is now eager to draw a clear line with the Fan family, but Meng Xiaotang wants to send her back to Wu to visit her relatives.
That wasn't a visit to her parents at all, it was clearly a plan to pack her up and send her away.
"I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere. No one can drive me away!"
From that day on, Nie never left her bedroom again, fearing that if she left, she would never be able to come back.
She recited scriptures every day, praying that Zhao Tinghan would die early and that Zhao Tinghan's son would die young.
But it seemed as if God was against her. Although Zhao Tinghan was still not in good health, he was no different from an ordinary person. And the child, although he occasionally fell ill, it was just a common childhood disease. The Prince of Liang's Mansion employed many imperial physicians, so treating children's diseases was no problem.
On the contrary, Zhao Tingxuan, who had originally obeyed her orders, became more and more disobedient and occasionally even talked back to her.
For example, in this encounter, the girl's surname is Deng, and her name is Deng Xueying. Her grandfather was a retired military general. Deng Xueying followed her grandfather to learn martial arts since she was a child. She did not like music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but only liked to wield swords and sticks. Her brother served in the Royal Guard Camp. When she came to find her brother, she met Zhao Yunnuan.
This meeting was facilitated by Princess Meng Xiaotang of Liang.
When Nie learned that the girl from the Deng family came from a family of military generals, she was extremely dissatisfied, but Zhao Tingxuan did not listen to her and ran to see her.
Nie was very angry. When she saw Zhao Tingxuan and heard the word "satisfied" from his mouth, Nie was so angry that she fell ill.
Nie, who was lying on the hospital bed, still didn't forget the culprit Zhao Yunnuan. It was all Zhao Yunnuan's fault. If it weren't for her, Meng Xiaotang wouldn't have known about Deng Xueying, and wouldn't have let the second brother go to see her, and the second brother wouldn't have been angry with her!
"Are the people from the Duke of Wei's Mansion coming to pick up the bride soon?" Nie asked weakly.
A few days ago, she heard that Yan Xia had gone out on business and had not returned to Beijing yet, and the wedding date might be postponed. She hoped that Yan Xia would die outside. This was a marriage granted by the emperor. If Yan Xia died, Zhao Yunnuan would have to hold Yan Xia's spirit tablet and get married. If her husband died before the wedding, Zhao Yunnuan would have a reputation as a husband-killer.
She heard that Madam Yu of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion was famous for her fierce temper and would often start a fight. Zhao Yunnuan killed her son, so she must have wanted to kill Zhao Yunnuan.
Nie was so sick she was lost in her own fantasies when Madam Ge arrived with the good news: "Congratulations, old princess! Congratulations, old princess! The imperial edict has arrived, and our young master is now the Crown Prince! The edict also states that since the prince is frail and having a son was not easy, the young master is allowed to stay with the prince and fulfill his filial duties. When he turns five, the emperor will send a teacher to teach him. From now on, the young master will study and grow up in Liangdi, and there is no need to send him to the capital!"
Nie's eyes rolled back and she fainted.
She was ill for a few more days, and Madam Ge came over again. Nie was annoyed when she saw her now: "Shut up, there's no need to tell me the good news. I don't want to hear it!"
Aunt Ge closed her mouth and pointed towards the door.
Nie looked in the direction of her finger, and against the light, a nimble figure walked in.
Nie couldn't see her face clearly, but she knew who it was.
Zhao Yun is warm!
Zhao Yunnuan took a few steps forward and stood there, looking down at Nie who was lying on the bed.
"Mother, I have come to bid you farewell. The wedding procession has arrived, and the Duke of Wei's son is just outside the door. He is a man of noble character, young and handsome, and strong and powerful. I am very satisfied with him.
My daughter is grateful for the marriage you arranged for me, but it's a pity that the Prince of Weiguo is very outstanding and has disappointed you.
In addition, His Majesty has granted marriage to my younger sister and the Duke of Protectorate, and their wedding is scheduled for next autumn. It’s a pity that you can’t go to the capital to attend the wedding, but my elder brother and sister-in-law will help her with her dowry for you.
Mother, I am leaving Liangdu today. After this farewell, we will never see each other again in this life. If there is an afterlife, it is best that we never meet again."
Zhao Yunnuan knelt down and kowtowed three times respectfully. She stood up and without looking at Nie again, turned around and left without hesitation.
Only then did Nie finally wake up from her dream. Looking at Zhao Yunnuan's resolute figure, she gnashed her teeth and said, "Rebellious girl!"
When Zhao Yunnuan walked out of Nie's bedroom, she saw Yan Xia who was also kneeling outside and kowtowing towards the people inside.
"Prince? Why did you follow me?"
Yan Xia smiled innocently: "You came to say goodbye to your mother, I came to say goodbye to my mother-in-law."
Zhao Yunnuan looked at Yan Xia in front of her and couldn't help laughing. She originally thought that the wedding date would be postponed, but she didn't expect Yan Xia to arrive as scheduled.
It was not until they left Liangdi and were on their way to the capital that Zhao Yunnuan learned that after Yan Xia returned to the capital, he did not even go back to the Duke's Mansion. He went to the palace at night to report to the new emperor, and at dawn he took the betrothal gifts and rushed to Liangdi.
Yan Xia left after completing his mission, but the capital was in a state of panic.
Han Song, the third son of the King of Northern Yan, together with his uncle, the Prince of Hejin, secretly formed an alliance with the Daru.
King Daru agreed and sent Saker Falcon to assassinate Han Tai, the crown prince of Northern Yan, who was held hostage in the capital, and put the blame on the royal family of Dayong, helping Han Song become the new crown prince.
The King of Northern Yan never doubted Han Song. Even when Yan Xia put the evidence in front of the King of Northern Yan, he still refused to believe it.
It wasn't until his new beauty confessed that she was Han Song's man and had put a slow-acting poison in the spices used for the King of Northern Yan that the King of Northern Yan realized that he had been surrounded by wolves for a long time...
After Zhao Yunnuan left Liangdi, Nie's illness became even more serious.
When the Nie family learned that she was seriously ill, they sent several nephews to visit her. Because of the Fan family's affairs, the Nie family's reputation was also affected. The Nie family was in a difficult situation, and even those poetry and literary gatherings no longer invited the young masters of the Nie family.
There was no other way, so the Nie family took the opportunity to visit Nie and sent several men to Liangdi.
This is the territory of Prince Liang's Mansion, and the Nie family is Prince Liang's in-laws, so they have to give them some face.
However, unexpectedly, when Nie saw his nephews, his condition not only did not improve, but became worse. Half of his body lost sensation and his speech became slurred.
The nephews were frightened and worried that King Liang would blame them. They were also frightened by the people sent by Meng Xiaotang, so they left Liangdu and ran back to Wu overnight!
Nie's illness was incurable by any medicine, so Meng Xiaotang sought out all sorts of precious medicinal herbs and spent large sums of money on her treatment. Everyone in Liang praised the filial piety of the King and his wife.
Meng Xiaotang hoped that Nie would die sooner, but she couldn't die now. If she wanted to die, she had to wait until her elder sister, younger sister and second brother were all married. Her younger siblings were not young anymore, and they couldn't delay their lifelong events just for the sake of mourning.
As expected, Nie lived up to everyone's expectations and lived for another three years.
Three years later, Zhao Yunnuan had just finished her confinement when she received the news of Nie's death.
At this moment, Zhao Shiqing and Xiao Zhen, who had been married for two years, were taking Zhen Wuduo and Wan Ruyi to inspect the girls' schools that had been opened in various places. In the past three years, twelve girls' schools had been opened, led by her and jointly founded by the princesses with money.
There was also one in Liangdu, which was opened by Princess Meng Xiaotang of Liang and Second Lady Deng Xueying using their own private money.
It is the best season of the year, with bright spring sunshine, lush grass and singing birds.
Zhao Shiqing rode on his horse and looked towards Liangdi. He had been away for several years and it was time to go back and take a look.
At this time, Xiao Zhen urged his horse to catch up and asked, "Should we go back to the capital next?"
Zhao Shiqing raised his whip and pointed forward: "Next stop, Liangdi!"
(End of text)
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