Chapter 127 Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly.
Emperor Xianping was so angry at Wei Heng's reason for refusing to come to the capital that he laughed.
Regardless of his true thoughts, the emperor, under the guise of respecting the virtuous and valuing talent, invited Wei Heng to the capital to discuss poetry—an honor coveted by scholars throughout the land. How could Wei Heng so casually refuse? Is an upset stomach from eating the wrong thing a serious illness? If Wei Heng truly valued the emperor, he should have accepted with great joy, dragging his ailing body or going to the capital immediately after recovering.
Wei Heng's absence could be due to either his arrogance or his guilty conscience.
What's even more ridiculous is that Wei Heng actually thought he could decide whether or not to come to the capital.
For the past two months, Wei Heng had been like a fishbone stuck in Emperor Xianping's throat, impossible to remove or swallow. Before confirming his suspicions, Emperor Xianping didn't want to wrong Empress Xie in the slightest, so he acted as if he had no fishbone stuck in his throat at all. Not to mention his eleven years as emperor, even when he was a prince, he had never wronged himself like this. If Wei Heng could simply not come, what did all his frustration and resentment of the past two months mean?
After Wei Ling left, Emperor Xianping summoned Zhao Yi and ordered him to select eight Imperial Guards to go to Yongjia County to invite the great poet Wei Heng.
"Besides you and those eight guards, I don't want anyone else to know about this."
Meeting Emperor Xianping's warning gaze, Zhao Yi's expression hardened, and he respectfully responded.
No one else in the entire capital knew about this news, including Wei Heng's nephew Wei Ling, and Empress Xie, who shared a bed with Emperor Xianping at least six nights a month.
Luo Fu returned to the capital with the Emperor in early August. Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, when her sister came to visit, she secretly mentioned to her that her brother-in-law suspected that Yan Zhuang's repeated mentions of Wei Heng in front of the Emperor seemed to have ulterior motives, especially since he brought up the fact that Wei Heng had once been Empress Xie's tutor. Clearly, if Yan Zhuang really harbored evil intentions, it would most likely be related to Empress Xie.
At that moment, Luo Fu felt as if Yan Zhuang was about to harm her, and broke out in a cold sweat. Yan Zhuang was quite talented in literature, but he had become a favorite of the emperor entirely through his skill in flattery. Emperor Xianping appreciated him, but Empress Xie's disdain for Yan Zhuang had already spread throughout the official circles in the capital. Therefore, Yan Zhuang had a motive to target Empress Xie.
Roland: "Your brother-in-law also said that Yan Zhuang had some contact with Chen Ruliang, although not frequently, but it might have been a deliberate act of estrangement."
Those involved are often blinded by their own interests. Perhaps Chen Ruliang was a virtuous minister to Emperor Xianping, but to the Luo sisters, Xiao Yu, and Pei Xingshu, Chen Ruliang was a treacherous minister. He and Yan Zhuang were a perfect match, one wicked and the other sycophantic, and they certainly had reason to sow discord between the emperor and empress.
"Since my brother-in-law found out in mid-June, why didn't he tell Xiao Yu? I could have reminded the Empress earlier," Luo Fu said anxiously.
Roland didn't go to the imperial palace, but she knew it was a small place with spies from the emperor and others everywhere. So she took her sister's hand and slowly guided her, "If there's really something going on here, do you think that just because Old Master Wei was Empress Xie's tutor, it's worth the emperor distancing himself from Her Majesty?"
The warmth of her sister's hands and her calm gaze quickly calmed Luo Fu, who had just learned of the matter. Yes, what old grievances could an old gentleman possibly bring up? Even if the Wei family was using Empress Xie's name to prey on the people of Jingzhou, that was the Wei family's fault, and had nothing to do with Empress Xie, who was kept in the dark. Moreover, Yan Zhuang had always been praising Wei Heng, the uncle of the third-ranked scholar Wei Ling...
Wei Heng was skilled in poetry, Empress Xie was also fond of poetry, and given Wei Heng's connection to the old man, it's highly likely that Empress Xie knew Wei Heng before she went to the capital...
The image of Wei Ling's handsome face flashed in her mind. If Wei Heng had a similar appearance, even if Empress Xie and Wei Heng were completely innocent, people would easily assume that they were a perfect match, childhood sweethearts.
Roland: "That's exactly it. Think about it, how could the Emperor not mind? If your brother-in-law rushes to tell Xiao Yu, and after Xiao Yu tells you, you rush to remind the Empress, in the Emperor's eyes, the three of you will all become part of the Empress's faction. It's possible that the Empress, who was originally innocent, will be made to look bad because of your good intentions."
Luo Fu: "...I'm not that stupid. I'll definitely pretend nothing happened and then subtly remind Your Highness after some time."
Roland: "Your brother-in-law isn't sure you can stay calm. Besides, if he goes to Xiao Yu, it will be seen by the Emperor that your brother-in-law is spreading rumors about the Emperor and Empress's private affairs. Yan Zhuang just mentioned it casually after hearing Wei Ling's words, but if your brother-in-law goes to Xiao Yu to discuss it, it will be seen as making a mountain out of a molehill, making wild guesses, and being arrogant and conceited."
When Emperor Xianping is in a bad mood, his ministers should be more careful with their words and actions. Therefore, it is right for Pei Xingshu to pretend to be confused. After returning to the capital, he can remind his sister during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Luo Fu recalled her interactions with Empress Xie at the imperial palace from late June until her return to the capital. She was calm when she needed to be and smile when she needed to be, and there was nothing unusual about her compared to usual. So, did Emperor Xianping not suspect Empress Xie, or had Empress Xie already proven her innocence, and did this not cause any rift between the emperor and empress?
Luo Fu definitely had to tell Xiao Yu about such a big matter.
Xiao Yu was somewhat worried, but there was nothing he could do to help.
Chen Ruliang had his own methods of governance, and there was nothing he did that warranted impeachment by the Censorate. Yan Zhuang openly admired Wei Heng's poetic talent, and his mention of Wei Heng instructing Empress Xie was merely casual conversation between the emperor and his subject. Emperor Xianping had not yet expressed his opinion, perhaps because he hadn't given it much thought, or perhaps he was secretly calculating in his heart. It wouldn't be good if Xiao Yu went to persuade Emperor Xianping not to fall for Yan Zhuang's divisive tactics before he had said anything.
Without any evidence, on what grounds did Xiao Yu speak ill of Yan Zhuang? How is that any different from false accusation?
“The innocent will be innocent, Madam, there’s no need to worry too much,” Xiao Yu could only advise.
Luo Fu: "If someone falsely accuses Your Highness of murder, arson, and other heinous crimes, the saying 'the innocent are innocent' would certainly reassure me. But romantic love is not so simple. Let me put it this way: if I had a childhood sweetheart back in my hometown who was more handsome and more talented than you, and one day someone came up to you and said that he had liked him but only chose you, the young master of a marquis's family, because his family was too poor, would you believe him? Would you be jealous of me?"
Xiao Yu: "I don't believe it, because when my wife married me, she was all smiles and showed no sign of resentment."
Luo Fu: "First, I don't actually have a childhood sweetheart like that. Second, I'm naturally cheerful. If I were to change my personality, I would usually be indifferent to everything and not gentle or considerate towards you. Would you suspect that my indifference is because I have someone else in my heart?"
Xiao Yu couldn't imagine such a lady, but he knew that Empress Xie had this kind of temperament, and he also knew that Emperor Xianping liked to hear nice things.
"No, I still have to tell Her Majesty. In case she is still in the dark, at least she will be prepared if the Emperor really wants to do something in the future."
No matter what Emperor Xianping thought or did, Luo Fu, as an official's wife, couldn't interfere, but she wanted to have a clear conscience with Empress Xie.
Late August passed uneventfully under Luo Fu's careful watchfulness; nothing major happened inside or outside the palace.
In late September, Empress Xie, as usual, invited Luo Fu, Kang Ping, and Princess Shun to the palace for their monthly card game.
In fact, since that conversation, Empress Xie could sense the subtle changes in Emperor Xianping. For example, sometimes Emperor Xianping would stare at her for a long time, sometimes he would hold her and reminisce about the days of their honeymoon, and sometimes he would deliberately force her to say things she didn't want to say during intimate moments. But Emperor Xianping pretended that the couple was still the same as before, so Empress Xie could only cooperate and continue living the same life as before.
Luo Fu was the lowest-ranking of Empress Xie's three mahjong partners, so she always arrived first to avoid making the three noble ladies wait for her at the same time.
Taking advantage of the fact that Kangping and Princess Shun had not yet arrived, and while the two were admiring chrysanthemums side by side, Luo Fu looked at the aloof beauty so close to her and whispered, "Your Majesty, I recently heard someone outside the palace say that the grandfather of the newly appointed third-ranked scholar was actually your tutor. It seems that the news came from Lord Yan. Lord Yan even used this opportunity to present a poem by the Second Master of the Wei family to the Emperor. Has Your Majesty heard of this?"
Empress Xie raised her eyes and gazed at Luo Fu quietly for a moment. Seeing Luo Fu's worry, Empress Xie smiled and nodded slightly, saying, "I heard from His Majesty that Fu'er need not worry."
Now that Empress Xie was aware of the situation, and sensing her confidence and the fact that such a trivial matter was not worth worrying about, Luo Fu breathed a long sigh of relief. As for whether Empress Xie and Wei Heng had a past relationship, how foolish would Luo Fu be to ask the Empress about it?
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In early October, the weather in Beijing turned cold again, and this cold weather meant that some elderly people, children, and those with weak constitutions would have to suffer from the cold.
Emperor Xianping was the one who was physically weak and missed the morning court session on the third day of the lunar month due to a cold.
In the evening, Chen Ruliang casually mentioned this matter to his wife, Fang.
The second prince is still young, and Consort Li's faction is most afraid that something will happen to Emperor Xianping. Upon hearing this, Fang felt even more distressed than if she had caught a cold herself. After getting into bed at night, she couldn't help but become anxious: "You sent people to Jingzhou before, and after finding out the relationship between the Wei family and the Empress, you confidently said that the Empress was going to be in trouble. Now that the Emperor knows, why is there no movement at all?"
Consort Li was all looks and no substance. Her carefree behavior in the palace had already offended the Empress and the Crown Prince. The Duke of Dingguo's family was also stubborn and refused to get involved in the struggle for the crown prince position. If her husband didn't take advantage of Emperor Xianping's life to help Consort Li, what would happen to her after Emperor Xianping's death and the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne? Putting aside what would happen to Consort Li, just based on the fact that the Crown Prince valued Xiao Yu, he would never tolerate his own husband who had once framed Xiao Yu.
Chen Ruliang said calmly, "Haste makes waste. Just wait and see."
They dared not monitor Emperor Xianping's every move, but they sent people to keep a close eye on Wei Ling. They knew that he had sent a letter home to Jingzhou and had also received a letter home from Wei Heng. It was obvious that Emperor Xianping was secretly plotting something. As long as Emperor Xianping held a grudge against Wei Heng, this matter would definitely come to a conclusion.
Fang wasn't a mind reader, but she was anxious: "How about I talk to Consort Li and ask her to put in more effort around the Emperor? We can work together from the inside and outside, two-pronged approach?" When it comes to matters of love between men and women, a woman's instigation is more likely to ignite a man's anger at his wife's infidelity.
Chen Ruliang suddenly threw off the covers and sat up, coldly looking at his wife who was standing there dumbfounded: "If I could really rely on her, why would I need to scheme like this outside the palace? If you dare to leak secrets to her and ruin my plans, when the Emperor beheads me one day, you won't be able to keep your head either."
Chen Ruliang wanted his niece to be completely unaware of the situation, so that when Emperor Xianping neglected Empress Xie in the future, he wouldn't suspect him because of any unusual behavior from his niece.
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Author's Note: 100 small red envelopes will be given out. See you around 10 PM for the second update!
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