"Husband!"
The third wife, Mrs. Cai, called out to him affectionately, with a heart full of sorrow.
She held her chest, as if she had reached her limit. Even the slightest stimulation would cost her life.
The Cai family is guilty, but that was a case that happened twenty years ago after all.
Things have changed and people have changed. Do we have to pursue this matter further?
What will become of the Cai family? And what will become of her?
The Third Young Master frowned, seemingly unable to make a decision.
The eunuch Chang En stepped forward and said, "The prince should be able to return home this evening. If the Third Young Master is undecided, he might as well listen to the prince's opinion."
The Third Young Master seemed to have found a savior. "I listen to my father. If he says to investigate, then we will investigate. If he says not to investigate, then we will pretend nothing happened."
Xu's ignited hope was instantly shattered, and her face turned pale.
Liu Zhao waved his hand and said, "Take Xu away and keep her alive with medicine. Don't let anything happen to her."
Chang En said, "Don't worry, my lord. No one dares to do anything under our noses."
Chang En's words were clearly a warning to certain people not to reach out, or they would be beheaded if they did.
Xu was taken away.
The third wife, Mrs. Cai, felt weak and fell to the ground.
The third young master subconsciously reached out to help, but his hand hesitated mid-air and failed to support the third wife, Cai.
Fortunately, the maidservant next to her was quick-witted and supported the Third Madam Cai before she fell to the ground.
Pei said, "Now that the matter is clear, let's all go. The Cai family has done something wrong, and yet they're making us in the palace bear the consequences. This is truly absurd. Boss, we need to send someone to the Cai family."
Liu Zhao nodded and said, "I will arrange this matter."
Gu Jiu followed Liu Zhao out of Chunhe Hall.
She hesitated several times to speak.
Liu Zhao spoke to her, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. There's no need to be hesitant."
Gu Jiu shook his head and said, "Let's talk about it when we get back."
Outside is not the place to talk.
Back in the East Courtyard, sitting in the familiar little study, Gu Jiucai asked, "Do you really want to overturn the Xu family's case?"
"You think I have ulterior motives."
Gu Jiu frowned, "It's not just what I think, but others will definitely think so. Father has been appointed as the crown prince, and now is a sensitive time. You're holding on to the case from twenty years ago, and you keep saying that you want to overturn the verdict for the Xu family. If others see this, it will be seen as you harboring evil intentions.
You need to eliminate the Cai family, suppress the Third Young Master, and make him lose the support of his wife's family. Although the Third Young Master is not a concern, it is good to eliminate a competitor.
Liu Zhao frowned slightly, "You think we shouldn't overturn the Xu family's case."
Gu Jiu sighed softly, "If what Xu said is true, such evil deeds should naturally be investigated and justice should be done to the hundreds of villagers.
But you shouldn't be the one to intervene in this matter. You should report this directly to your father, and let him make the final decision. If you intervene today, you'll become the target of public criticism.
If someone with ulterior motives sees you, they'll think you're narrow-minded and intolerant. You haven't even become a prince yet, but you've already started suppressing your brothers. You're unworthy of being the eldest brother."
Liu Zhao laughed when he heard this, "I don't care what others think."
"However, other people's opinions will affect their perception of you, which in turn will affect your work, your life, and every aspect of your life. When you can manage to put on a show, you still need to do it."
Gu Jiu always adheres to the principle that if you are good, I am good, and everyone is good. As long as it does not reach the point of breaking up, he will give face to the other person even if he hates him in his heart.
To sum up, always leave a way out for everything so that you can meet again in the future.
Liu Zhao's actions blocked his retreat as soon as he opened his mouth.
She advised him, "A good man takes three helpers. You can't offend everyone."
Liu Zhao smiled and said, "If I hadn't proposed overturning the verdict today in Chunhe Hall, do you believe that Xu would have died suddenly? I don't want to arouse others' suspicion and fear, but with hundreds of lives at stake, I can bear this suspicion and fear."
Gu Jiu stared at him blankly.
"What's wrong?" Liu Zhao was a little worried when he saw that she didn't speak.
Gu Jiu shook his head. "I misunderstood you and underestimated you. You're right. When it comes to hundreds of lives, all other calculations can be put aside."
Liu Zhao hugged her and said, "It doesn't matter if people misunderstand me. As long as you can understand me, I will have no regrets."
…
Even in the middle of winter, the second and fourth young masters did not mind the cold and ran to the garden pavilion to talk.
The view here is wide and there is nowhere to hide.
If someone comes, they can see it from a distance.
The fourth young master, Liu Yi, was a little impatient, "Why did my second brother ask me to come?"
The second young master's face was serious. "Father has only been appointed as the crown prince and has not yet ascended the throne. We sons have not yet become princes, but my eldest brother can't wait to take action against his own brothers. He dug up the case from twenty years ago, simply to cut off the power of my third brother's wife's family. His intentions are despicable."
He hasn't even become a prince yet, but he's already disregarding brotherly love and attacking his own people. When he becomes a prince, and the eldest, will you and I have a chance to survive?"
The fourth young master, Liu Yi, lowered his head and smiled, his eyes scornful. "How do you know that Big Brother isn't really investigating the case?"
"Sincerity? What is sincerity? Only what you hold in your hands is sincerity."
"This is the first time I've seen my second brother so excited, but I'm not surprised. Perhaps in my heart, my second brother is just supposed to be like this."
Second Young Master Liu Ping frowned, "Fourth Brother, what do you mean by that? Do you think I'm too concerned about personal gain and deliberately trying to sow discord?"
Liu Yi smiled and said, "If my eldest brother wants to overturn the verdict, the Cai family may be confiscated and exterminated, but so what? Could it be that my second brother wants to stand up for the Cai family?"
Besides, even if the Cai family is gone, there are still Zhao, Qian, Sun and Wu. It’s not necessary to have the Cai family.
At worst, my third brother could ask my father to issue an imperial decree to divorce my third sister-in-law. If my third brother felt sorry for her and couldn't bear to see her driven out of the palace and left helpless, he could also demote her to a concubine.
It was because of the third sister-in-law that Xu had the opportunity to poison the third brother. It was not too much to demote the third sister-in-law to a concubine.
In a year or so, when the storm has passed, Third Brother can marry a noble lady as a prince. So, why do I feel that not only did my eldest brother not harm Third Brother, but he actually helped him?
Second Young Master Liu Ping's expression was grave, "Does Fourth Brother really think so?"
Liu Yi smiled. "Could it be that the status of a prince is not as good as that of a prince? If Third Brother loses Cai, he can turn around and marry Li, Wang, or Zhang. It's a great opportunity that many people can't wait for, but Third Brother has encountered it. I don't see what's wrong with it."
The Second Young Master chuckled, "Fourth Brother, you should know that this isn't what I'm referring to. Big Brother's actions are truly overbearing. Once he becomes the eldest prince, will there be any hope for us brothers to survive?"
Liu Yi laughed heartily. "You earn your living, not someone else's. Second brother, instead of worrying about all sorts of things, it would be better for you to quickly give birth to a legitimate son."
"you?"
"Am I wrong? My eldest brother and I both have legitimate sons, but you, second brother, only have a legitimate daughter. By the way, I heard that your concubine is pregnant. If she gives birth to a illegitimate son, there will be a quarrel between the legitimate and illegitimate sons, and the inner court will be unstable. This is not a good sign. That's all I have to say. Farewell!"
Liu Yi left in a leisurely manner, leaving the second young master alone in the pavilion to feel the cold wind.
The cold wind howled, taking away the little warmth in my body.
But it was nothing compared to the chill in the Second Young Master's heart.
The second young master felt a chill in his heart.
It was really unexpected that the fourth brother faced Liu Zhao so calmly.
It seems that the fourth child has made a lot of progress this year.
The cold wind made people shiver. The second young master snorted coldly and left with a flick of his sleeves.
Liu Yi returned to the west courtyard.
Xiao Qin'er asked him curiously, "What did the Second Young Master say to you?"
Liu Yi lay crookedly on the Arhat couch, "It was just a few casual chats."
Xiao Qin'er is not a fool. As long as she is willing to think deeply, she can guess some of the truth.
"Is it because the eldest son wants to overturn the case of the Xu family and implicate the Cai family that the second son wants to talk to you?"
Liu Yi glanced at her and said nothing.
Xiao Qin'er snorted, "He wants you to take the lead, while he hides in the background and reaps the benefits. How shameless."
"You see things clearly." Liu Yi teased.
Xiao Qin'er glared at him, "I'm not stupid, how could I not see through such an obvious thing? But you, what are you thinking?"
Liu Yi smiled and said, "Don't worry about the Second House. Father hasn't even ascended the throne yet, and they're already losing their temper."
Xiao Qin'er was next to him, their breathing close to each other. "I think my fifth and sixth brothers are also restless. And those women in father's backyard are all ready to make a move."
"Don't worry about those people. What we need to do now is to recruit talents and increase revenue and reduce costs."
"I know. I've already started looking for a shop. I'm planning to open another jewelry store."
"Make up your own mind about this matter, don't ask me."
Xiao Qin'er bit her lip and said, "My stomach is still not moving. Are you disappointed?"
Liu Yi smiled and said, "Come a few more times and there will be movement."
Xiao Qin'er giggled, and then she asked, "Do you think father will agree with the eldest son's proposal to overturn the Xu family's case?"
"I definitely will."
"How can you be so sure?"
Liu Yi chuckled softly and said, "Because if I were my father, I wouldn't miss this opportunity either. There's nothing more appropriate than using our in-laws, the Cai family, as an example to others. Establishing the crown prince's authority and showing everyone how he works is the key to this. The Cai family is the one to blame."
Xiao Qin'er sighed, "Poor Third Sister-in-law, the Cai family has collapsed, what will she do?"
Liu Yi sneered, "To show the palace's mercy, Third Sister-in-law will not be expelled from the palace. At most, she will be given a new identity and continue to stay with Third Brother."
"You mean, Third Sister-in-law will be demoted to a concubine?"
"It's just a small matter of an imperial decree. Father will take care of it for Third Brother."
Xiao Qin'er felt a little sympathetic towards the Third Madam, Cai. "From wife to concubine, she's old now, and has no children. How will Third Madam live in the future?"
"You're still worried about her? Don't you hate her the most?"
Xiao Qin'er snorted, "Although I hate her, I don't want her to be demoted to a concubine. As a fellow wife of the prince, I can empathize with her and feel sorry for her."
Liu Yi shook his head and said, "She is already much luckier than her sisters. If she hadn't married into the royal palace, she would have died. Only the royal palace can allow her to continue living."
The rules of the palace are definitely not as strict as those of families that claim to be centuries-old or scholarly.
In private, the aristocratic families often criticized the royal family.
Firstly, the royal family often does things that push the boundaries of humanity, and there are countless shameless things they do.
Second, the royal family, although seemingly noble, are actually the least disciplined group in the aristocratic circle.
It is impossible for someone like Princess Huyang to appear in an aristocratic family. If there is any sign of her like that, she will be drowned in a pond.
Even the girls from wealthy families had never heard of such a thing.
The girls from aristocratic families strictly abide by the rules and never imagined that women could keep lovers and sleep with monks.
The existence of this thing refreshes one's worldview. How could parents let their daughters be polluted by such filthy things?
Of course, we have to guard it strictly and not reveal a single word.
Although Princess Huyang's keeping of a lover seems to have caused a big stir, as if everyone in the capital knew about it.
In fact, that little bit of news was only known to those in the circle. The royal family also had to maintain their reputation and would not let the news spread freely.
As for the incident of the sleeping monk in Huyang, even fewer people knew about it.
In the palace, many people still don't know that Huyang slept with a young monk.
Let’s get back to the topic.
It was precisely because the rules of the palace were not so strict and did not emphasize those empty things that the palace allowed Cai to continue to stay with the third young master when something happened to the Cai family.
If it were any other mansion, one would either be killed or divorced. In the best case scenario, one would be sent to a Buddhist temple or locked up on a farm, and would live like that for the rest of his life.
Xiao Qin'er said, "After my father comes back today, if he really wants to overturn the verdict, I will go visit my third sister-in-law tomorrow and show my support."
"Go ahead. Wait until the case is over, and even if you try your best, it won't be appropriate."
indeed.
How can the wife and concubines be together?
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