Chapter 133 Your granddaughter is much sweeter-talking than you...
The Imperial Medical Academy was not among Prince Heng's targets. Apart from a few unlucky individuals who happened to be sent to the inner palace to treat the concubines and were unfortunately besieged for several hours, by the time the other imperial physicians heard about the palace coup, the Wenhua Hall had already been mostly cleared up.
The chief physician rushed over with his medicine chest, thinking that Emperor Qingxi had been injured in the palace coup. He had already repeatedly recited dozens of life-saving prescriptions in his mind, and what to do if the injury was too serious... how to save the lives of his entire family.
Upon entering the hall, they found Emperor Qingxi sitting comfortably, being "admonished" by the notoriously stern-faced and iron-tongued Imperial Censor Zhao, who dared not utter a word in response, the Xuan paper beside him nearly torn to shreds.
Upon seeing the chief physician, Emperor Qingxi stood up as if granted a pardon, and pulled him toward the side hall, saying, "Quickly go and check on the imperial son-in-law; he just vomited blood."
"Your Majesty, I haven't finished speaking yet!" Zhao Bingsong called out from behind him.
Emperor Qingxi ran even faster, as if a ghost was chasing him.
Inside the side hall, Princess Tong'an stood by the bedside, holding Wei Shao's hand tightly, her eyes slightly red, her face full of concern and worry.
Wei Shao lay there pale-faced, raising his other hand to touch Princess Tong'an's face, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said gently, "A-Ying, don't cry, I'm much better now."
"You lied to me again. The imperial physician already said that your body can no longer withstand strenuous activity. Why did you have to be so impulsive?"
Wei Shao wasn't angry when he was scolded. He explained gently, "Something happened in the palace. I know you're worried about Father Emperor's safety, but I'm also your husband. I can't let a weak woman like you take the lead."
"Nonsense, where am I weak?"
"In my heart."
The young couple started arguing and then began to flirt, as if a barrier had formed between them, preventing anyone from getting in.
Emperor Qingxi cleared his throat, as if embarrassed to disturb him, and said, "Tong'an, the imperial physician has arrived. Let him take the prince consort's pulse."
Princess Tong'an quickly stood up and gave up her seat.
The chief physician carefully took Wei Shao's pulse and examined several bruises on his body caused by the fight. They were bluish-purple and quite alarming.
In Emperor Qingxi's eyes, each of these was proof that the young couple cared for him, their sovereign, and bravely rescued him.
What do you mean by "a son-in-law is half a son"? This is his own son, his own flesh and blood!
"Give the prince consort the best medicine and treat him carefully, or else you'll lose your head."
After threatening the imperial physicians and showing concern for his eldest son-in-law, Emperor Qingxi went to comfort his younger son-in-law.
Jiang Yunlin naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to show his face, and pulled Qi Xiuyuan aside to express his loyalty.
Emperor Qingxi looked Qi Xiuyuan up and down, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar. "What year were you a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)?"
"Your Majesty and I were born in the same year, and I ranked tenth in the second class."
Jiang Yunlin added from the side: "Just now, I was surrounded by a traitor. Fortunately, Editor Qi came to my rescue and knocked him unconscious. Only then did I have the opportunity to meet up with my brother-in-law and come to rescue Your Majesty together."
She scratched her head sheepishly, then looked at Emperor Qingxi with a sincere expression: "It turns out that Father Emperor had already seen through everything and planned everything in advance. It is truly a blessing for our Great Ye that you are safe and sound."
"It's good that you have this intention." Emperor Qingxi's eyes showed approval. "Not everyone dares to go against the current and venture into dangerous situations at the critical moment of life and death."
Not to mention that these two were civil officials who were powerless to even kill a chicken. If they encountered any ignorant rebels along the way, the rebels would not care whether their handwriting was beautiful or whether they could write eloquent articles.
Emperor Qingxi silently comforted himself: Although his son was useless, he still had a good eye for choosing a son-in-law.
A son-in-law is the son you choose!
Jiang Yunlin goes without saying, but Qi Xiuyuan has now officially made his name known to Emperor Qingxi.
To avoid being dragged back by Zhao Bingsong for a lecture, Emperor Qingxi was unusually kind and patient today. "How old are you this year, my dear minister? Are you married yet?"
Qi Xiuyuan blushed and lowered his head, saying, "Your Majesty, I haven't considered these things yet. I just want to focus my energy on official duties and make something of myself while I'm still young."
"Ah, a real man should settle down and start a family before building a career. With a virtuous wife to manage the household affairs for you, you can focus more on your work without any distractions."
Emperor Qingxi asked him, "No fortune teller said your birth chart indicates you're destined to be widowed, right? Perhaps we could have the Imperial Concubine help you another day..."
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
In his haste, Qi Xiuyuan's voice rose slightly, and he quickly explained, "This humble subject... already has someone he loves, but my official rank is low and I dare not confess my feelings to her..."
"What's so difficult about that? Starting tomorrow, you will go to the Imperial Household Department and serve alongside the Imperial Son-in-Law."
Since Qi Xiuyuan and Jiang Yunlin were both Jinshi graduates from the same cohort and had been in the Hanlin Academy for almost three years, this was a good opportunity for them to make a move.
Emperor Qingxi was never stingy in promoting young people he admired.
Qi Xiuyuan was taken aback, then his face lit up with undisguised joy, and he quickly knelt down to express his gratitude.
Emperor Qingxi smiled and said to Jiang Yunlin, "Remember to take better care of Qi Qing in the future, after all, he is your savior."
Jiang Yunlin's feelings were complicated. "...Yes."
...
While tidying up the documents and official letters scattered on the ground, Shen Lingyue eavesdropped on Emperor Qingxi's words of comfort to the vanguard who came to his rescue.
Even Qi Xiuyuan, who was just a nobody, got promoted on the spot. We can't let her and Yan Yan be left behind, can we?
"Your Majesty, look at me, look at me..." she screamed inwardly.
Shen Lingyue, carrying a stack of memorials, lingered until she reached the imperial desk. Then, her attention was completely drawn to the pistol that Lu Sheng had placed beside it, and she stole a glance at it again and again.
"Never seen this before, have you?"
Emperor Qingxi had already noticed her sneaky little actions, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he waved his hand generously and said, "This is called a hand cannon. I allow you to pick it up and take a closer look."
Shen Lingyue's eyes lit up, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
He turned back and beckoned to Yan Yi twice, telling her to come and see.
This is a genuine ancient version of a firearm.
She and Yan Yi huddled together, fiddling with the pistol over and over.
Chief Steward Huang watched the two men's movements with great tension, as if facing a formidable enemy, fearing that another assassin might appear.
Emperor Qingxi glanced at him with amusement, "Lu Sheng has unloaded the ammunition and flint, so it's an empty chamber now. Look how scared you are."
Shen Lingyue was just watching the show, but Yan Yi seemed very interested and studied every detachable part of the pistol.
"Your Majesty, I...I have a question." Shen Lingyue cleared her throat and cautiously raised her hand. "If I ask, can you guarantee that you won't punish me?"
Just as Emperor Qingxi was wondering what she wanted to ask, Zhao Bingsong finally found an opportunity to interject, "Yue'er, you mustn't act recklessly in front of His Majesty. This is none of your business. Hurry up and go back to the back."
"Sigh, I haven't even had a chance to reward them yet, what's the big deal about saying a few words?"
Emperor Qingxi tapped the table. "Ask away."
Shen Lingyue blurted out, "Since there are such powerful weapons as muskets, why doesn't anyone use them...?"
Zhao Bingsong glared at her, wishing he could knock out his outspoken granddaughter and carry her away.
What kind of talk is that? Are you out of your mind?
Emperor Qingxi laughed and asked her in return, "Aren't you afraid I'll get angry?"
He realized that the two wives Yunzhao and Huaizhou had married were quite different from the women in other families.
Not to mention how they dared to run from the inner palace to the front court to deliver the news, they didn't seem to be as nervous and timid as others when they met the emperor.
Shen Lingyue glanced quickly at her grandfather, who was about to explode, and lowered her voice to Emperor Qingxi, saying, "Grandpa scolded you... no, he advised you! You were able to humbly accept it and tolerate him staying in the court, which is enough to show that Your Majesty is broad-minded. How could you hold a grudge against us juniors?"
Emperor Qingxi looked at Zhao Bingsong, then at Shen Lingyue. In a way, this could be considered a family tradition of learning.
Having been the supreme ruler for his entire life, many people feared him, and many hated him. Emperor Qingxi had long been tired of it all, and now he preferred to see those who dared to speak the truth in his presence.
This made him feel that he hadn't become a truly isolated person yet.
Emperor Qingxi smiled slightly and generously replied, "Do you think these muskets are like cabbages, something you can buy anywhere on the street?"
Shen Lingyue's imagined assassination: The assassin, armed with a musket, hid on the roof, aimed at Emperor Qingxi, struck successfully, and quickly escaped.
In reality, putting aside how difficult it would be for an assassin to obtain a handgun, with current firearms technology, it's impossible to fire in rapid succession, and the range is short, only a little over a hundred feet.
Moreover, Emperor Qingxi was always surrounded by several guards, who were ready to shield him from bullets at any time.
Therefore, the assassin first needs to obtain the musket, then break through the layers of guards surrounding Emperor Qingxi, and finally load the ammunition and light the fuse in front of him...
Before this whole process was even finished, he had already been chopped into mincemeat by the guards.
Otherwise, why did Lu Sheng only fire one shot at that Imperial Guard general? Did he not want to fire a barrage of bullets?
If Emperor Qingxi were to one day find himself in a situation where no one was protecting him, let alone using a musket, he could be strangled with a rope at will.
Shen Lingyue suddenly remembered an old man who was almost strangled to death by a palace maid in his sleep. Despite having such a great advantage, he was only "almost" killed.
She muttered to herself, "Could it be that emperors are truly protected by dragon energy?"
Emperor Qingxi had no idea that her thought process had gone completely off track, but just hearing those words made him very happy, and he couldn't help but glance at Zhao Bingsong.
Listen to this, your granddaughter is much sweeter than you!
...
There was still a room full of noblewomen and their families being held in Consort Lin's palace, so Consort Gao took the two of them back to the inner palace to handle the aftermath.
Not long ago, Princess Heng was still dreaming of becoming empress when Lu Xilou led the Imperial Guards to secretly surround her and launch a surprise attack, capturing several traitors who were holding hostages.
To ensure that none of the women were accomplices of the Prince Heng's household, Lu Xilou did not let them leave, but remained outside the palace to keep the news under wraps.
Princess Heng and the Crown Prince's wife were gagged and imprisoned alone in a side hall.
It wasn't until Consort Gao returned and conveyed Emperor Qingxi's decree that Lu Xilou was allowed to release the people.
Lu Xilou breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the two people following behind the Imperial Concubine. His expression was somewhat mocking. "The Crown Princess said she let you escape to report the news. Fortunately, you are all safe."
Although Emperor Qingxi had anticipated this palace coup, in order to make the performance more realistic, even Lu Xilou only received the news this morning.
The chaos caused by the Imperial Guards storming the palace earlier was no joke. If Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi were to have any bad luck and something happened to them, he wouldn't know how to explain it to the Pei family.
"Madam Hou is inside. She's very worried about you. Please go in and check on her."
Upon hearing this, Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi didn't dare to delay and quickly pushed open the door to go inside.
Meng Wanyin was almost frantic. She had clearly seen the two of them enter the side hall with the Crown Princess, but when the Imperial Guards rushed in and searched, the two living people were nowhere to be found.
Then, upon hearing the Crown Princess tell Lu Xilou that it was she who had told Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi to escape through the back window to fetch reinforcements, and that they had disappeared without a trace...
Meng Wanyin was terrified when she thought about the chaotic shouts and screams outside.
Seeing the two return unharmed, she held one in each hand, tears streaming down her face.
"Amitabha Buddha, may the Three Pure Ones protect you, thankfully you are all alright..."
The women in the room learned from Consort Gao that the palace coup had been quelled and that the Prince Heng's family had been executed, and they all began chanting Buddhist prayers.
When the Princess Consort of Heng and the Crown Prince's wife were brought out of the side hall by the Imperial Guards, everyone glared at them angrily.
"Rebellious ministers and traitors!"
"Disloyal and unfilial!"
"The entire family should be executed!"
The Crown Princess seemed oblivious to the curses, anxiously searching for the two figures in the crowd.
It wasn't until Yan Yi came over, returned the token to her, and whispered in the Crown Princess's ear, "We saw His Majesty and told him that you specifically let us out to deliver the message."
As for how Emperor Qingxi will ultimately deal with Prince Heng's family, that's beyond their control.
The Crown Princess's eyes showed gratitude, her gaze dimmed for a moment, and then she nodded to Yan Yi.
She had a premonition that Prince Heng would not succeed, but she did not expect that this palace coup was in Emperor Qingxi's control from the very beginning.
That's it, she'll follow her husband wherever he goes, that's her fate.
...
"Father, Father! Your son is too late! Your son never imagined that his elder brother would be such a wolf in sheep's clothing, so disloyal and unfilial!"
After the palace gates were reopened, Prince Yu was immediately carried in. He slapped his leg, which was bandaged, and wailed, "Your subject also wanted to bring men into the palace to defend the emperor, but your subject's leg is useless..."
Emperor Qingxi's head was buzzing from his crying, but with Prince Heng as a comparison, he didn't feel so bad for Prince Yu now. He waved his hand to stop his crying and his attitude was relatively gentle: "Alright, I'm fine. It's just that your brother-in-law thought I was in danger and rushed in with his men without thinking, almost aggravating his old injury."
As soon as Prince Yu entered, he saw Princess Tong'an accompanying Emperor Qingxi again. He was wondering how she was so well-informed when he heard that Wei Shao was injured while saving the emperor. He couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness in his heart.
He couldn't help but say sarcastically, "Brother-in-law has been recuperating at home for many years, yet he can still lead troops to fight the enemy. It seems his illness isn't too serious. Could it be that he was faking it all along?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Princess Tong'an grabbed a large pear from the fruit plate and threw it at him.
"Third Brother, try spouting another lie! The Prince Consort just fainted and vomited blood!"
Prince Yu couldn't dodge and was hit squarely. He clutched his forehead and yelled, "Father, look at her! She hit me!"
"I think you deserve a beating too," Emperor Qingxi sneered. "Your foul mouth needs to be shut up too."
Prince Yu dared not utter a word. If only he had known, he would have married a daughter of a military family as his princess. She could have saved her husband in a critical moment...
If I can't say Wei Shao, then I can say the eldest brother, right?
Prince Yu rubbed his hands together, looking as if he were standing up for Emperor Qingxi.
“My elder brother is truly unworthy of being a son! From childhood to adulthood, he has always been the eldest among us brothers. Father, you have treated him so well, how dare he do such a rebellious thing?”
Prince Yu began to reminisce about his childhood, even remembering clearly how Emperor Qingxi had given Prince Heng an extra bite of food at a New Year's banquet one year.
When she got emotional, she almost cried.
Emperor Qingxi: ...How come I never noticed before that the third prince has such a good memory?
However, Prince Yu's words did indeed evoke many memories for him. In his mind, Prince Heng's image had shifted from that arrogant and rebellious son to that of a round-headed, silly boy with a simple, honest smile from his childhood.
The throne, power, ambition—these terrible demons turned the father and son into completely different people.
Emperor Qingxi sighed, interrupting Prince Yu from bringing up old grievances, "In your opinion, how should I deal with the eldest son's family?"
Prince Yu was furious and said without thinking, "Naturally, the entire family should be executed to prevent future troubles."
He hadn't forgotten to compete with Princess Tong'an for attention, and after thinking for a moment, he added, "If Father Emperor is reluctant to part with his son, I am willing to share your burden and personally oversee the execution to uphold justice!"
Emperor Qingxi's expression darkened further. "I understand. If you have nothing else to do, go back now and take good care of your leg. Don't run around like that. I don't want a crippled son."
As soon as Prince Yu left, Emperor Qingxi asked Princess Tong'an, "Do you also think the eldest son deserves to die?"
Princess Tong'an thought for a moment and said, "I once heard the Prince Consort tell a story that tomb raiders usually work in pairs, one going down into the tomb and the other on the surface to provide cover. Also, because the skills of tomb raiding are mostly passed down from generation to generation, it is usually a father and son working together, and the father must be on the surface to provide cover while the son goes down into the tomb to explore for treasure."
"Because if the father is down below and the son is up above, if something unexpected happens down below, the son will often abandon his father and run away, leaving his father trapped and dying in the tomb. But if the situation is reversed, the father would never want his son to be trapped and die down below, and he would do whatever it takes to save his son."
These words struck a chord with Emperor Qingxi. He shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Yes, I can never bring myself to be ruthless to my sons, but what about the other way around? These sons wish their fathers would die sooner."
"My older brother has always been an honest person since he was a child, but honest people are also the most prone to getting stuck on trivial matters."
Princess Tong'an gently comforted him, saying, "No matter how Father Emperor decides to deal with it, he must have his reasons."
"Ah Ying, how come you've become like those old, cunning officials, playing games with me like this?" Emperor Qingxi smiled and tapped her. "You just know how to throw the problems back at me."
The next second, his face suddenly darkened, and his tone became somewhat serious.
"I just want to hear your definitive answer: should the eldest son's family be killed or spared?"
-----------------------
Author's note: orz It's a bit short today [crying emoji]
The old emperor's test has begun; everyone can now guess with no prize! [doge emoji]
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