After leaving the palace, the Shaofu Household Order went straight home.
He was filled with regret and covered in cold sweat.
"I'm getting more confused as I get older! How could I not control my mouth and tell this story out loud? What should I do?"
The Shaofu Household Official will regret this very much.
"I'm afraid I can't save my life anymore."
He thought of the worst case scenario, which was death!
He sighed.
Having lived to such an old age, he is not afraid of death.
I'm just worried that it will implicate my children, grandchildren and family.
After feeling upset, the Shaofu household official began to prepare for the funeral.
You may not die, but you must prepare for your afterlife.
He handed his son a letter and said, "If I am gone one day, please give this letter to Madam Zhao. I will no longer be able to take care of you, and your future will depend entirely on Madam Zhao."
His son was surprised. "Why did Dad suddenly bring up his affairs after his death? Did something unexpected happen?"
The Shaofu Housekeeper waved his hand and shook his head. "Nothing unexpected happened, don't overthink it. I've been feeling a little unwell lately. If I can't make it, please prepare in advance so that you won't be so flustered that you won't be able to do anything properly."
"Father is not feeling well, so please ask the imperial physician to come to the house."
"I have already seen the imperial physician. He said I am too old and have lived too long. Do you understand?"
After the Shaofu Household Director arranged the affairs of the household, he went to the yamen to work as usual every day, quietly waiting for the worst outcome to come.
However, he did not wait for death to come.
It was as if nothing had happened.
The Shaofu household steward was stunned!
Emperor Wende would actually let him go?
Then he laughed at himself.
He's not dead, that's a good thing! Why would he feel regretful?
Emperor Wende is different from the previous emperor after all.
If it were the late emperor, he would have been killed long ago without leaving any trouble.
The Shaofu Household Director felt relieved, perhaps he had thought too badly of Emperor Wende.
…
Lord Li is a man of great literary talent.
As soon as the manifesto was released, the public was excited.
It is our duty to defeat the rebels!
The traitor should be cut into pieces!
This is the charm of words.
Use the simplest words to incite people all over the world and arouse their hatred towards the traitors.
The murders committed by the traitors should be thoroughly punished.
All traitors deserve to die!
This is the voice of the people.
No one likes to live in troubled times, no one wants to live in fear, and no one wants to be enslaved by a group of traitors.
The manifesto reached the whole world and caused the strongest response in the disaster area.
Everyone was discussing the manifesto, discussing how to kill the traitors and seek justice for themselves and their families.
Natural disasters can cause people to go hungry, while man-made disasters can cause families to be broken up and people to die.
No one pays attention to the slogans of the rebels. What about the campaign under imperial order? It's all bullshit.
The little advantage that the traitors had gained by relying on previous public opinion is disappearing little by little.
Liu Zhao had already taken advantage of the situation to leave Jiangnan and headed to the war zone in disguise.
…
When public opinion turned to the court's favor, the censors brought up the old issue again, mentioning the girls' school and accusing Liu Zhao of having rebellious intentions.
"Shut up!"
Unexpectedly, Emperor Wende actually scolded the censor and rarely stood on Liu Zhao's side and spoke for him.
"The Crown Prince braved all hardships and journeyed south to the Yangtze River to gather food and fodder, alleviating the people's suffering and the court's crisis. He has relieved me of my worries and difficulties, and has truly made great contributions. But instead of appreciating his contributions, you, the ministers, have seized upon trivial matters and made a fuss, falsely accusing him of rebellion! In my opinion, you are the ones who fear chaos in the world and are eager for someone to rebel! You have ill intentions and will not rest until you have forced the loyal and patriotic Crown Prince into rebellion. Do you really think I can bully you at will?"
"His Majesty……"
"Stop talking! I'm tired of hearing the same old tune. What's so great about a mere girls' school? Has it ever taken away your fame? Has it ever taken away your official positions? It's nothing more than training a few useful servants for a wealthy family, and yet you've become so anxious. Unable to defeat Shanhe Academy, you resort to despicable tactics. I truly despise you!"
"Your Majesty, these words are truly heartbreaking!"
"I'm slaying your hearts. The Imperial College, backed by the imperial court and boasting the finest students in the land, can't even compete with a mere Shanhe Academy. I'm ashamed of you! Instead of focusing on catching up, you resort to petty tactics. Have I become a tool in your eyes to suppress the prince? Who gave you the courage to sow discord between the royal father and his son?"
All the ministers were shocked!
They all stood there in a daze.
What's going on?
Why did His Majesty suddenly change his attitude and speak up for His Majesty? And even endorse Shanhe Academy?
Why is this?
The court officials were all confused, with big question marks written on their faces.
Of course, Emperor Wende would not answer the questions of his courtiers, so he simply waved his sleeves and left the court!
There was a lot of discussion in the Golden Palace.
They all surrounded the Minister of the Central Secretariat, Lord Li, and several other officials, including Minister Lu, to inquire about the situation.
"Lord Li, what is His Majesty singing?"
"Lord Lu, could you please give me and the others a glimpse into the matter?"
"Master Housekeeper, can you tell me what His Majesty is thinking?"
The Shaofu Household Officer snorted coldly, "What's going on? Your Majesty and the Crown Prince share a deep bond, and you're dissatisfied? Could it be that you're plotting to frame the Crown Prince and alienate the bond between His Majesty and the Crown Prince?"
"Master Jialing is being wronged! Even if we were given a hundred guts, we wouldn't dare to alienate the relationship between the father and son of the Heavenly Family."
"Please give me some information, Master. Thank you very much!"
"How could I possibly know what Your Majesty is thinking? Farewell!"
The Shaofu household official bowed and left.
Lord Li and Minister Lu followed suit and both ran away behind the Minister of the Imperial Household.
The ministers beat their chests and stamped their feet, thinking that this was going to force everyone to death.
I don't know what His Majesty is thinking. How should I act or speak from now on? I have no idea at all.
The princes under Liu Zhao were also confused.
The second prince Liu Ping returned to the palace angrily and smashed a set of tea sets as soon as he entered the door.
"Get out! All of you!"
With a roar, all the servants left the hall.
Ouyang Fu asked the nanny to take the child away and asked indifferently, "What is your Highness so angry about? Could it be that you got mad at me because of something you did at the government office? I've become your punching bag."
"Shut up! Do you think you can laugh at my joke? If I don't have a good ending, you won't have a good ending either. We are husband and wife, we prosper together and suffer together!"
The second prince Liu Ping pointed at Ouyang Fu and scolded her harshly.
Ouyang Fu raised her eyebrows and sneered, "I didn't have a good ending, but do you think your concubine will? Do your illegitimate sons and daughters have a good ending? I tell you, if we have to die, we will die together. Before I die, all the women and children in the yard must be buried with me."
"You vicious woman!"
"You know I'm a vicious woman, but you still come to me to vent your anger. Are you out of your mind?" Ouyang Fu was not afraid of the Second Prince at all and retorted directly.
The second prince Liu Ping was so angry that his chest heaved violently.
Bang!
He slammed his fist on the table like a wild beast that had lost its mind.
His eyes were red as he stared at Ouyang Fu. "Are you hoping for bad luck for me? Do you think that after I get into trouble, you can rely on your sister-in-law to turn things around? I tell you, you're dreaming! If I get into trouble, I will never let you go."
Ouyang Fu sneered, "When have you ever let me go? Did you let me go when you were pregnant last time? Did you let me go when I gave birth? Liu Ping, don't let me look down on you."
The heavy breathing and the violent heaving of his chest indicated that the Second Prince was on the verge of a rage.
He spoke slowly, word by word, "At court this morning, the Emperor rebuked the Censor, who spoke for the eldest son. He accused him of alienating the father-son relationship. It's clear that before, the Emperor had many complaints against the eldest son. There must be a reason for his sudden change of heart."
Ouyang Fu's face remained calm. "His Highness is currently providing disaster relief in the south. It is only natural for Your Majesty to protect him."
“You don’t understand!”
Second Prince Liu Ping roared at Ouyang Fu, "It wasn't like this before. Father was suspicious and dissatisfied with the eldest brother. How could he change his attitude in such a short time?"
"It's already happened. There's no point dwelling on it. I advise you to stay within your means and do your job honestly."
"Shut up! Before you try to persuade me to behave myself, examine yourself first. Are you doing what you want? What woman would dare to yell at her husband and threaten him with the lives of concubines and illegitimate children? In this courtyard, you are the most unruly one."
Ouyang Fu chuckled, "Since Your Highness is so dissatisfied with me, why are you still standing here? Do you expect me to give you advice? Or do you expect me to help you gather information?"
The Second Prince, Liu Ping, suddenly grabbed her hand and said, "You have a good relationship with my sister-in-law. Why don't you go visit her and take the opportunity to find out more?"
Ouyang Fu decisively rejected the Second Prince Liu Ping, "No! The reason for His Majesty's change of attitude will be discovered sooner or later. You will know the truth sooner or later, so why rush it now?"
"Why are you so stupid?"
The Second Prince, Liu Ping, was very dissatisfied. "We are husband and wife, and husband and wife are one. Why don't you think about me? By the time others dig up the truth, will it be too late? It's too late now."
“Good food is never too late!”
Ouyang Fu retorted rudely.
The Second Prince Liu Ping's face twisted, "You just won't help me, right?"
Ouyang Fu said seriously, "My abilities are limited, so I can't help you. You should find another way."
Bang!
The second prince Liu Ping kicked over the stool and turned over the table.
He pointed at Ouyang Fu and said, "Good, very good. I hope you won't regret it."
After saying that, he turned away.
Ouyang Fu's whole body went limp and she almost collapsed to the ground.
"Ma'am, are you okay?"
The maid rushed in, very worried.
Ouyang Fu trembled all over, "Help me up!"
The maid helped her up and saw that she was covered in cold sweat.
"Crazy, he's crazy!"
Ouyang Fu muttered to herself, then grabbed the maid's sleeve tightly, "Send someone to keep an eye on the third, fourth, and fifth rooms. If there is any movement, inform me immediately."
"Don't worry, Madam. I will arrange it right away."
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