Chapter 024

That afternoon, Hanzhu's blood completely dyed the floor of Chengqian Palace red. There were a total of 616 tiles at the entrance of Chengqian Palace, and every tile seemed to be splattered with scarlet blood.

When the guards were carrying out the execution, no one covered Hanzhu's mouth, and her screams were heard from the door to every corner of Chengqian Palace.

At first, Concubine Zhuang sent people to check, and when they learned that Hanzhu was being beaten to death, Concubine Zhuang was furious but dared not say anything. She smashed several porcelain vases before she managed to hold back her anger.

Concubine Zhuang also had two little princesses in her palace, one named Shuxian and the other named Hui'an.

Shuxian and Zhao Youcheng are a perfect match. Shuxian is only one year younger than Jiashan. She is fourteen this year and already very sensible. When she heard that Jiashan beat a servant in his palace to death and then went to the gate of their palace to make trouble, Shuxian wanted to go to her father to argue with him.

After a lot of persuasion, Nanny Dou finally pulled her back.

"Your Highness, please don't do that," Madam Dou said earnestly. "If this matter is disclosed, we will be in trouble. We can only endure it this time. And I don't know if the eldest princess has evidence of Shuqi and Hanzhu's message."

Shuxian had been suppressed by Jiashan since she was a child, and she had always been dissatisfied with her. When she heard Nanny Dou asking her to be patient, she became furious and said, "Be patient, be patient. How can I be patient?"

She pointed to the palace gate, signaling for Madam Dou to listen carefully to Hanzhu's wailing. She stamped her feet and said, "If we don't go out and explain everything, I wonder how the whole palace will frame us tomorrow!"

"I can't stand it anymore!" Shuxian lifted up her skirt and was about to rush out.

Concubine Zhuang said, "Stop."

Shuxian was still a little afraid of her mother. She bit her lip and turned to look at Concubine Zhuang.

At this time, Concubine Zhuang had regained her senses. She took a sip of tea and said, "Madame Dou is right. We must be patient."

"Mother!" Shuxian called out sadly.

"It won't be long," Concubine Zhuang's eyes turned slightly cold. She smiled and said softly, "As long as your brother can be made the crown prince. By then, you can pull out her tendons and bones if you want."

Shuxian's face flushed, perhaps because she was excited after hearing this. After a while, she pouted and said, "What if people in the palace talk about us behind our backs tomorrow?"

"Let them talk as they please." Concubine Zhuang interrupted Shuxian and looked at her daughter. "Who dares to say anything in front of you?"

Concubine Zhuang's eyes were proud and stern. She chuckled and said, "In the face of absolute power, those rumors are really not worth mentioning."

Shuxian thought about it and agreed, but she was still dissatisfied and said, "It's too good for her! She got the limelight again!"

"She may not feel any better than we do." Concubine Zhuang has been in the palace for many years and knows people's hearts well. Naturally, she also understands how sad it feels to be betrayed.

It was because she understood this that Concubine Zhuang was no longer so angry.

She turned to look at Shuxian: "You too. After Jiashan gets married, it will be your turn next. Although you have your brother to protect you, your status is not as noble as Jiashan's."

"Your Majesty gave you the title 'Shuxian' because he hopes you will be gentle and quiet. If you don't cultivate your temper, your father might give you a bad boy in the future." Concubine Zhuang threatened her, "I asked you to read more, but did you listen? Jiashan is favored by His Majesty not only because of her status, but also because she is good at music, chess, calligraphy and painting..."

Shuxian said impatiently: "I know!"

In her life, Shuxian hated being compared with Jiashan the most.

Jiashan was the eldest princess, but she was born out of wedlock. Jiashan lived alone in a palace, while she could only squeeze in with her sister and mother. Her father had chosen a husband for Jiashan, and he had searched all the famous families in the capital, but he still couldn't find a good one. Now it was her turn, and she was afraid that she would not even be qualified to choose.

Shuxian's eyes flashed with resentment. She smiled instead of getting angry and said, "Just wait, mother. I will definitely not marry anyone worse than her!"

Concubine Zhuang nodded and said with satisfaction: "This looks like my child."

As the sun was setting, Emperor Zhanghe had finished reviewing the memorials. As Jiashan had guessed, she came to Fengyang Pavilion. Hearing that she had caught a cold, Emperor Zhanghe wanted to summon a doctor.

Madam Zheng then repeated what Jiashan had said, saying, "Your Majesty, don't worry. The princess may just need to rest for a day. If the doctor comes, she might disturb the princess. It is better to let her rest well. She has specifically told me to pay my respects and apologize to you tomorrow."

Emperor Zhang He thought about it and went in to take a look at Jiashan. He saw that she looked peaceful in her sleep, but one of her hands was still hanging outside unwillingly.

Emperor Zhang He helped her, tucked the hand into the quilt, and instructed Nanny Zheng to "take good care of it."

Nanny Zheng quickly responded with “yes”.

Emperor Zhanghe went to Chengqian Palace again.

The bloodstains at the entrance of Chengqian Palace had not yet dried, so Concubine Zhuang sent people out to clean the tiles, and these people happened to run into Emperor Zhanghe.

Emperor Zhang He frowned and asked them, "What are you doing?"

The palace maids were silent. Emperor Zhanghe lifted up his dragon robe and went straight into Chengqian Palace to question Concubine Zhuang.

Emperor Zhanghe was a gentle emperor, which can be seen from his temple title in the future. After his death, he was posthumously named Emperor Jingtian Qinwu Xiaozhao and his temple title Renzong.

He was always merciful to court officials and palace ladies, and rarely used harsh punishments. When he saw the bloodstains at the entrance of Chengqian Palace, he subconsciously thought that Concubine Zhuang had tortured someone.

Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Jing jointly manage the six palaces, and this atmosphere cannot be ruined by them!

After hearing Emperor Zhang He's questioning, Concubine Zhuang felt very aggrieved. She said softly, "It was the eldest princess's handwriting."

Emperor Zhanghe was surprised: "Jiashan?"

"I heard from Concubine Jing that it seems that someone in the Grand Princess's palace was dishonest and touched the things left by the late emperor, which is why the Grand Princess was furious." Concubine Zhuang smiled and said, "It's just a small matter. Your Majesty, please don't get angry with the Grand Princess for this."

"Since it is a matter within her palace, why would she start a war right at your doorstep?" Emperor Zhang He was not so fooled. He stared at Concubine Zhuang.

Concubine Zhuang had already thought of an excuse, and said with a smile: "Perhaps it is because the geographical location of my Chengqian Palace is too advantageous. It is at the entrance of my palace so that everyone in the six palaces can learn a lesson."

Emperor Zhang He frowned, and although he didn't ask any more questions, he still had a doubt in his heart.

The next day, after he finished his court session, he went straight to Fengyang Pavilion again.

This time, he deliberately didn't let anyone know.

As soon as he entered the inner room, Emperor Zhanghe saw Jiashan and Zhao Youze, brother and sister, sitting on a throne. Jiashan held Zhao Youze's hand, and Zhao Youze held a pen, and the two of them were writing big characters together.

After all, they are siblings, and when their faces are put together, they look so similar.

One looks like himself, and the other looks like the queen back then.

Emperor Zhanghe looked at them quietly for a while, and for a moment, he couldn't even bear to disturb them. It was only when Dancui, who came in to serve tea, saw him and called out "Your Majesty" in panic that Jiashan raised his head.

Zhao Youze also stopped writing.

They both seemed to have just realized that Emperor Zhanghe had arrived. Jiashan smiled brightly and said, "How come no one told me that my father was coming? I almost scared you."

Emperor Zhang He looked up at her, his eyes full of fatherly love: "Why, are you doing something shameful?"

Jiashan said: "That's not the case."

Emperor Zhang He turned to look at Zhao Youze again.

Compared to Jiashan, Emperor Zhanghe and Zhao Youze do not look very similar. Zhao Youze has a feminine appearance and a more delicate face.

He asked, "Knowing that the emperor was coming, Yuan Kang didn't show any reaction at all?"

Zhao Youze politely bowed to Emperor Zhanghe and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you, Father."

Emperor Zhang He nodded, seeming satisfied.

He walked over slowly and said, "What are you writing? Show it to me."

Jiashan hesitated for a moment and reluctantly handed the paper over.

Emperor Zhang He took it and looked at it carefully, and found that on the white paper, the word "Shou" was written in four different ways: running script, cursive script, regular script, and each of them was written once.

Emperor Zhang He raised his eyebrows and looked at Jiashan, as if asking for an explanation.

Jiashan had no choice but to say, "Your Majesty will celebrate his birthday next month. I am teaching Yuankang how to write. When Yuankang has mastered these four characters, I will embroider these characters into a picture of longevity and give it to your Majesty as a gift."

"I didn't expect that my father would come and not allow anyone to greet him." Jiashan lowered his head and sighed quietly, "Now when my father receives the gift next time, he won't be surprised at all."

Emperor Zhanghe laughed and stared at Jiashan: "You sound like you are blaming me."

Jiashan did not comment, but nodded and said, "I am just blaming my father."

Emperor Zhanghe sat on the armchair. He glanced at Jiashan with a smile and said, "You are the only one in the palace who dares to be so lawless."

His tone was friendly, and Jiashan couldn't help but smile.

"Yuankang," Emperor Zhanghe said, "don't let your sister take you. Write the word 'Shou' once for me."

Zhao Youze nodded obediently: "Okay."

He stood on tiptoe, held the brush in his hand, and wrote stroke by stroke.

He wrote slower than others, and it took him a cup of tea to finish.

Chen Gong knew that Zhao Youze had difficulty moving due to his eye problems, so he took the paper from the desk and handed it to Emperor Zhang He.

Emperor Zhang He carefully examined it and commented: "It's OK. But the running and cursive scripts are still a little lacking in quality."

"Even if it's from Jiashan, it's not grand enough." Emperor Zhang He glanced at the piece of paper that Jiashan had originally handed over.

He raised his eyebrows and asked Chen Gong, "Is Zhan Yanqing on duty today?"

Chen Gong replied with a "yes", and said, "It is Master Zhan's turn."

"Call him here," Emperor Zhanghe clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Zhan Yanqing is good at writing cursive script. Call him here to teach the eldest princess and the fourth prince."

Chen Gong left immediately.

Zhan Yue arrived very quickly. As usual, he greeted Emperor Zhang He without looking away.

Jiashan and Zhao Youze were sitting on the left and right of Emperor Zhang He. Hearing Zhan Yue's clear voice, Jiashan paused, but couldn't help looking up, and Zhan Yue's eyes also casually swept towards her.

The two looked at each other calmly for a second, then pretended nothing had happened and looked away.

Emperor Zhanghe said with a smile, "I have always admired your cursive calligraphy. Today I have some free time. Show me your skills. Just write the word 'longevity'. If it is good, I will reward you."

Zhan Yue said: "Yes."

He bent over the desk, picked up the pen used by Jiashan and Zhao Youze, and in a short while, he had written several "Shou" characters in both regular and cursive scripts.

He handed it to Emperor Zhang He from the left, which was on the Jiashan side.

Zhan Yue stood above Jiashan and lowered his voice: "I am ugly."

Zhan Yue's voice was very close at hand, and there was a hint of fresh fragrance on his body, like the smell of green pine after snow, pure and gentle.

Jiashan felt a little uncomfortable. She tucked the hair behind her ears and changed her sitting position in an instant.

"Hmm." Zhang Hedi was indeed very satisfied. He passed the paper that Zhan Yue had taught him to Jiashan to read. "It is a piece of paper that is splashed with ink by hand. It is invisible but has spirit. It is more spiritual than yours."

Jiashan took it and put it aside. She did not respond to Zhang Hedi's words, but hummed softly, "Father likes Lord Zhan more than me. I worked hard to come up with ideas for your birthday gift, but you didn't praise me. Lord Zhan just wrote a few words, and you said you wanted to reward him."

Jiashan's little face pouted slightly, and she hummed: "My son is not convinced, I also want a reward."

Her tone was naive and playful, and Emperor Zhang He couldn't help but smile when he heard it. Even Zhan Yue couldn't help but smile a little dotingly.

Zhang Hedi said: "You are jealous."

"You prepared a birthday gift for me, isn't it your duty? How can you ask for a reward?" He turned sideways, facing Chen Gong and Zhan Yue, and smiled gently, "Listen, this girl is always eloquent, and in her mouth, it becomes my fault."

Although Zhang Hedi was complaining, anyone with eyes could see that they were father and daughter enjoying a happy family life. Chen Gong and Zhan Yue would naturally not interrupt without knowing what was going on.

Emperor Zhanghe was happy by himself for a while. After a moment, he glanced at Jiashan and said, "However, I do have something to give you."

Jiashan's eyes lit up: "What is it?"

"I'll reward you with a good marriage." Emperor Zhang He said loudly.

Jiashan was stunned.

Zhao Youze was also slightly stunned, and Zhan Yue's gaze quickly passed over Zhang Hedi and Jiashan. He was tall and slender, with dark pupils.

"The eldest son of the Qilehou family is about the same age as you." Emperor Zhang He put his hand on the teacup and said what he was thinking. He said, "I have checked and found that the boy has never had a concubine in his house. You can rest assured."

Qi Lehou's son...

Jiashan thought of the gossip he had heard from Pei Yuantang, and hurriedly replied in a serious tone, "But I heard that he seems to like to go to some romantic places and look for actors and young men."

Emperor Zhang He narrowed his eyes slightly: "The Prince of Changxing is also a good choice."

Jiashan nodded: "Well, he is not a man who is obsessed with romance, but he is illiterate. His handwriting is so bad that it may not be as good as that of your son."

After several conversations, Emperor Zhang He looked at Jiashan silently, with an indescribable expression on his face.

Jiashan licked her lips, and seemed to realize that she had said something wrong. These were all good intentions from her father, and she rejected them without caring about anything. Wasn't she a little too spoiled?

Jiashan pursed his lips and was about to say something to make amends when Emperor Zhang He slowly opened his mouth again: "According to what you said, there is not a single outstanding person in the court that satisfies you?"

He looked at Jiashan and asked calmly, "Tell me honestly, do you have someone in your heart?"

The tone of Emperor Zhang He was calm, and it was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry, but Jiashan was slightly startled. Not far away, there was a pair of very obvious eyes staring at her motionlessly.

Jiashan's throat tightened, and she smiled softly, "Father, you are worried too much. I am not."

Zhang Hedi looked at her in disbelief, and Jiashan bent her lower lip towards him in a flattering manner.

Emperor Zhang He did not speak again.

However, his gaze on Jiashan had not left. His eyes, unlike the coldness of the past, were filled with a lingering passion, like an eagle that would not let go until it caught its food.

Not surprisingly, the words "wait for good news" sounded in Jiashan's ears again, and she felt like a thorn in her back.

Jiashan lowered his head, drank a sip of tea with a guilty conscience, and did not look him in the eye.

Zhan Yue said nothing, he just lowered his eyes to look at Jiashan with an unfathomable expression, his handsome eyebrows slightly narrowed.