The girls from the Gu family formed a group to speak up for Princess Ruyang and won the approval of the Queen Mother.
She asked Ruyang to hold a banquet in the palace to entertain the girl from the Gu family alone as a thank you.
Ruyang readily agreed.
The girls of the Gu family were surprised and excited when they received the invitation.
Gu Rui's wife, Zhou, brought her children back to the capital from the northwest at the end of last year because their children were of marriageable age.
She was happy for the children when they received invitations to enter the palace.
At the same time, I was still a little worried.
She found Pei Man.
"I'm not familiar with the Empress, so I'd like to ask my sister-in-law what taboos the Empress has. I'm worried that the children might say or do the wrong things when they enter the palace, and that they might displease the Empress."
Pei Man told her, "If you want to know what the Queen has taboos, one of them is that she doesn't like crying little girls!"
"So, the Queen likes girls who are generous and cheerful."
"Exactly! The Queen once said that although girls are naturally fragile, it doesn't mean they have to cry all the time and in all situations. Crying too much will make you look miserable!"
Mrs. Zhou nodded. "It's inevitable for a little girl to cry when she encounters difficulties. But she shouldn't cry all the time. Crying too much is really annoying."
After receiving the advice, Zhou felt more confident.
She warned the girls in the Marquis' Mansion that when they entered the palace to meet the Empress, they must abide by the rules, not speak carelessly, and not act on their own.
All the palace maids are well-trained, and there is only the Empress in the harem, so there is no need to worry about the palace maids favoring or plotting against anyone.
Do everything according to the rules. Even if it may not be outstanding, you will definitely not make mistakes.
On the day of the banquet, the girls of the Gu family dressed up and took a carriage to the palace.
Ruyang came out to receive them.
The girls were relieved that the Queen was not there.
They are about the same size as Ruyang and they get along quite comfortably.
The Imperial Garden was filled with chirping and laughter of girls.
Gu Jiu didn't appear in the imperial garden until the banquet was halfway through.
"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen, may Her Majesty be blessed with good health and happiness."
"No need to be polite! Everyone, raise your heads so I can see you."
The Gu family is also a big family.
The Marquis's family, my uncle's family, the Gu family, and the Chengping Marquis's family...
There are so many girls from the mansion together, and if you count them, there are about twenty or thirty of them.
If all the girls under ten years old were present, there would probably be about forty or fifty people.
Some of the girls looked familiar, perhaps they had been to the palace with their family elders before.
Some of the girls looked obviously unfamiliar, and it was probably their first time entering the palace.
"I can't tell who's whose, so please introduce yourselves."
The process of self-introduction can generally show whether girls can behave gracefully and appropriately in front of others.
Such occasions naturally start with the girls from Chengping Mansion.
They are the closest to the Empress in terms of blood relationship.
The two girls from the Marquis of Chengping's mansion had entered the palace many times before.
He introduced himself very confidently and performed very well.
Gu Jiu approved with a smile.
Among the girls at the back, some performed outstandingly, while others performed mediocrely.
Some illegitimate girls were so nervous that they couldn't even speak complete sentences. Some even burst into tears due to their poor performance.
There are also some who are very competitive.
The little girl's little thoughts were almost written directly on her face, and were completely unconcealed in Gu Jiu's eyes.
The girls of the Gu family are generally well-mannered.
Some people with wild temperaments may need to restrain themselves and calm down.
The Gu family cannot have another Gu Yue.
After reading the girls' self-introductions, Gu Jiu said, "Everyone is fine! Eat and drink well today, and don't be restrained! You all feel uncomfortable when I'm here. I won't delay your eating, drinking and having fun."
After saying that, she stood up and left.
"Farewell, Her Majesty!"
…
At lunch time, Liu Zhao ran to Chang'an Palace to have his meal.
He was quite curious, "You summoned the girl from the Gu family to the palace, are you trying to be a matchmaker?"
Gu Jiu chuckled, "I have no interest in being a matchmaker. I've already said that this banquet is to thank them for speaking up for Ruyang. It's also a public statement that I'm the only one who can criticize my daughter. Anyone who dares to criticize Ruyang will be dealt with harshly."
"Protect my son!" Liu Zhao looked very happy!
Gu Jiu said: "I learned all this from you."
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "It's not convenient for me to intervene with these little girls. You are the Queen, so it's appropriate for you to step forward and express your opinion. Ruyang has only been away from the capital for a few years, and these little girls with their chatterboxes have already forgotten Ruyang's achievements in the past. If you anger Ruyang, be careful that she will whip you again in anger."
Speaking of the past, Ruyang was also well-known.
He whipped people more than once, and even whipped his elder, Princess Anyang, causing an uproar in the court.
Ruyang left Beijing, and these little girls didn't learn their lesson and actually made up gossips about her at the banquet.
Ruyang just asked them to get out, which was considered polite.
Liu Zhao asked again, "You summoned these young ladies to the palace. Do you really not intend to arrange a matchmaking?"
"Which eye of yours sees that I intend to act as a matchmaker?"
"This is not your usual style! Even if you want to thank these girls for speaking up for Ruyang, you can just let Ruyang hold a banquet at the princess's residence. There's no need to summon them to the palace."
Gu Jiu coughed lightly, "Third Brother, it seems that he has taken a fancy to the girl from the Gu family?"
"Really? How come I haven't heard anything? Which girl did he take a fancy to?"
"I'm not sure which one he's interested in."
Gu Jiu was very worried.
Liu Zhao was suspicious, "You don't seem to want the third son to marry a girl from the Gu family?"
What can Gu Jiu say?
You can't just tell Liu Zhao directly that children born from close relatives have a high chance of becoming mentally retarded.
Once she speaks, there will be a hundred or ten thousand whys and whys.
Gu Jiu didn't want to answer so many whys.
If Liu Xun was interested in a girl from the Marquis's Mansion, there would not be any problem in terms of blood relationship.
I am most afraid that he will take a fancy to my eldest brother Gu Ting’s child.
The blood relationship is too close, absolutely not possible!
I will oppose it no matter what.
Gu Jiu shook his head and said to Liu Zhao, "It's not that I don't agree with him marrying a girl from the Gu family, but the premise is that it depends on whose child he is interested in."
"My eldest brother-in-law's daughter is a good match for the third brother in terms of age."
Gu Jiu shook his head, "Big brother's children are not good enough."
Anyone is fine, except eldest brother Gu Ting’s child.
"You really don't want to be relatives with your uncle?"
"Yes, I don't want to at all." Gu Jiu said firmly.
Liu Zhao nodded, his expression clear, "I understand."
What do you understand?
"My eldest brother-in-law is already a relative by marriage and has made great military achievements, but there are still people who say that everything he has today is due to his relatives by marriage. If the third brother marries his daughter, it would be like allowing rumors of his benefit to spread. This may not be a good thing for my eldest brother-in-law or his children's future."
Liu Zhao analyzed the situation logically and logically, as if he had really grasped the truth.
Gu Jiu smiled but said nothing.
She didn't explain either.
This is a reasonable misunderstanding.
Liu Zhao continued, "Since it's inconvenient for you to come out and talk to the Third Brother, I'll go talk to him. You little brat, you've already fallen for someone else's girl without even telling me."
He is a man of action and does what he says.
He immediately ordered someone to summon Liu Xun into the palace to have a deep conversation between father and son.
Gu Jiu didn't stop him. He was willing to worry about it, so he let him go.
…
The palace banquet ended without causing any stir, and everyone soon forgot about it.
Princess Ruyang was anxious to go out to sea and wanted to hold her wedding as soon as possible.
Someone wrote an article in the newspaper mockingly saying that even the emperor's daughter has trouble finding a husband.
It overshadowed everything in an instant.
The person who wrote the article came from a remote area and had just settled in Beijing. He was instigated by someone with ulterior motives to write a signed article, which was actually published.
It was obvious that he was being used.
But he himself did not understand the situation, and he rashly criticized the royal family members. He is a hot-blooded person who is easily instigated, has no firm stance, and is eager for fame and fortune.
The article in the newspaper was seen by Emperor Liu Zhao.
Very angry!
The girls were commenting on Ruyang, but he was not in a position to express his opinion.
But a scholar, haha, actually dared to comment on my daughter, saying that the emperor's daughter also has trouble getting married, and even published it in newspapers, making Ruyang a laughing stock. This matter cannot be tolerated.
The Newspaper Bureau took action and first closed the newspaper office.
When will the lockdown be lifted?
It depends on the attitude of the palace.
Immediately afterwards, the Jinwu Guards were dispatched and arrested the scholar who was writing the article.
After the interrogation, a series of people were implicated, even high-ranking officials.
This is terrible!
Liu Zhao lost his temper in front of the court officials at the morning court session. "You think I'm a tyrant, and since you can't do anything to me in court, you're using my daughter to openly tarnish her reputation. Do you think I can't find out? I tell you, no matter who is implicated, I will not tolerate any of them. Anyone who dares to touch my daughter will be bleed."
This is not just about one article.
The person involved behind this was obviously using Ruyang as a test to test the attitude of the palace.
If Emperor Liu Zhao showed any weakness, this group of people would make trouble for the princes and provoke them to fight with each other.
The ultimate goal is to start a new battle for the throne.
Only with struggle can there be a chance to take advantage of the situation and redistribute benefits.
The royal family and the harmony among the three princes are obviously not in the interests of the powerful families or the interests of the court officials.
Only when the princes fight can their abilities be revealed.
They are all masters of plotting to seize the throne. As long as they find the weakness in the palace, a new battle will begin.
Ruyang is the appetizer of this battle.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Liu Zhao would react so strongly to a mere sarcastic article.
The dispatch of the Newspaper Bureau is nothing.
The Jinwu Guards actually went out and arrested people.
This is making a mountain out of a molehill.
"I'm just making a mountain out of a molehill! You call me a tyrant, but if I don't do a few things a tyrant would do, I won't be living up to the title of tyrant. I'm warning you, if anyone dares to touch my children, or even target the princes and princesses, I'll kill their entire family."
Everyone involved will be arrested by the Jinwu Guards.
Those who deserve it should be exiled, or taken outside the city to do hard labor digging ditches.
As the population of Beijing continues to grow, the pressure on drainage becomes increasingly severe.
The construction of underground flood drainage ditches and drainage ditches must keep up and be updated.
This is a huge project that requires a lot of hard labor.
Recently, the Jinwu Guard’s prisons have been empty.
All the people inside the prison were taken out to do hard labor.
No matter whether they were high-ranking officials, noble sons, or women and their families, as long as they entered the Jinwu Guard, they could not escape the fate of digging ditches.
Before the summer flood season arrives, more than a hundred miles of ditches must be dug and paved with stone bricks and slabs.
A huge project requires huge manpower.
If the project cannot be completed on time, the city inside and outside will be flooded by a foot of water during the summer flood season.
Fortunately, all the roads in the capital have been converted into cement roads.
I remember when the roads in the capital were paved with yellow mud, the whole city would be covered in mud during the flood season.
Don’t even mention that scene!
I had to buy three or five more pairs of straw sandals to have enough to replace them.
Whenever Emperor Liu Zhao got angry, the officialdom would tremble.
The person was arrested.
Some ambitious people hiding behind the scenes also calmed down for the time being.
"It seems that Your Majesty is determined to maintain the legitimacy of the King of Qi."
"But His Majesty did not appoint Prince Qi as the crown prince!"
"Whether or not a crown prince is appointed is not important. I recently received news that the late emperor issued an edict before his death. The edict stated that the eldest prince, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi, would be appointed as the crown prince?"
"Really? Where does this news come from? Is it reliable?"
"The news came from the palace."
"News from the palace? Could it be that His Majesty deliberately released this news just to confuse everyone?"
“It’s possible!”
"Then do you think this decree to establish the Crown Prince is true?"
"It doesn't matter if it's real or fake! The Imperial Seal has been passed down for so many years, but has anyone ever said it was fake? Regardless of whether it's real or fake, the Imperial Seal is still the Imperial Seal. Who dares to stand up and say it's fake? No one dares! No one openly questions it, so it's the real thing."
"You mean, regardless of whether the rumors about the Crown Prince are true or not, they represent His Majesty's attitude. He favors the Prince of Qi and will not allow anyone to fabricate attacks on His Highness the Prince of Qi."
"Exactly!"
"What should I do then?"
"It's time for His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi to return to the capital! As long as he returns to the capital, we won't have any trouble finding evidence against him. With so many people around him, there's bound to be someone with a weakness."
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