Chapter 168 A Name to Be Remembered in History, a Long Tongue of Filial Piety! ...
When Prince Gong went to the Marquis's residence to inquire about his nephew's "life-long marriage," Princess Gong was entertaining guests at Princess Lekang's residence.
Since the Third Prince and his family were demoted and sent back to their hometown to look after the graves, several important positions at Min'en Temple have become vacant.
Princess Gong was eager to advance her career, after all, this represented the royal family in helping the poor and needy, which was a great honor. If she could do it well, she would have even more prestige in the upper echelons of the capital.
Princess Lekang is still young and a junior, so she can't handle the situation. Princess Gong is eager to garner votes for herself, so she has recently been actively participating in gatherings of the Min'en Temple management staff, trying to let everyone see her strengths.
As everyone was chatting amicably, a manager suddenly rushed over and whispered a few words in Zhao Lan's ear.
Zhao Lan's expression changed instantly, her brows furrowed, and she cast an unpleasant glance at Princess Gong.
Princess Gong's smile froze. Confused, she politely asked, "Madam Zhao, what happened?"
Zhao Lan snorted coldly and stood up abruptly: "Princess Gong, I would like to ask you, our Shen family and the Gong family have always kept to ourselves and have no grudges against each other, so how did we offend you? My daughter was doing well in the Pei family, so what does it mean that the Prince Gong suddenly came to our door and forced her to ask for a divorce?"
Princess Gong looked astonished. "What? What makes you say that? I have no idea about this."
"Aunt Zhao, what's wrong with A-Yue?" Zheng Chunyun leaned forward slightly and asked anxiously.
Princess Lekang, seated in the chairman's seat, and Fan Qingxi and others to her right, all showed concern and asked questions repeatedly.
Zhao Lan's face was frosty as she recounted the events of Prince Gong's visit to cause trouble in just a few words.
Princess Lekang's eyes widened: "Yan Yi and Prince Pei are doing just fine, and she's even pregnant now. How could Uncle Gong do such a thing?"
"Forcing the pregnant first wife to resign, driving away two wives from the Pei family, causing the two brothers to turn against each other and fight violently, resulting in the old lady foaming at the mouth and fainting unconscious..."
As Zheng Chunyun repeated the sentence, her expression grew increasingly grim. "What deep-seated grudge does Prince Gong have against the Pei family? Is it really necessary to escalate to this point?"
"Yes, I would also like to ask Princess Gong for some guidance."
Zhao Lan snorted coldly, took a deep breath, and bowed slightly to Princess Lekang, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive my daughter for being so overly concerned and momentarily losing my composure. Please allow me to leave the banquet early to go back and see my good-for-nothing daughter."
“Madam Zhao, you are too kind. I am close to my sisters Shen and Zhou. I can’t just stand by and watch them be kicked out of the house for no reason. I will go with you.”
With Princess Lekang leading the way, Zheng Chunyun, Fan Qingxi, and the women of the Zhao and Sang families all expressed their desire to go together.
In the blink of an eye, most of the women in the room had left, and those who remained quietly distanced themselves from Princess Gong, whispering among themselves and occasionally casting complicated glances at her.
We're all women, who doesn't know how difficult pregnancy is? Put yourself in the shoes of the Marquis's wife, is Prince Gong acting like a human being?
This made Princess Gong feel extremely uneasy, as if she were sitting on pins and needles. She was both angry and annoyed, and hurriedly left, covering her face.
She returned to Prince Gong's Mansion, seething with anger. Upon hearing from the gatekeeper that the prince had returned, she stormed into the study in the front courtyard.
"Has Your Highness lost your mind? Why would you go and urge Yunzhao to divorce his wife and marry someone else?"
Princess Gong burst into a tirade of complaints as soon as she entered: "What did Yan Yi do wrong? She's gentle, dignified, and well-mannered. She and Yun Zhao are a perfect match and love each other. Why did you go and cause trouble at the Pei family?"
Prince Gong clutched his aching lower back, groaning in pain, and said irritably, "All you do is scold me. Can't you see I'm injured too?"
Hiss... Those two brats from the Pei family, they definitely did it on purpose!
"You deserve it!"
Princess Gong cursed without hesitation. Thinking about how she had been isolated and scorned by so many women at the Princess's residence, she felt even more aggrieved and covered her face, sobbing.
"It's all over, you've ruined the reputation of Prince Gong's Mansion! How am I supposed to ever go out in public again?!"
...
Overnight, rumors spread throughout the capital that Prince Gong had caused a scene at the Changning Marquis's residence, forcing the two young mistresses to run away from home.
The next day at court, all the officials looked at Pei Xian, whose face was sallow and whose expression was haggard, and his two sons, whose faces were bruised and who ignored each other, and they understood what was going on.
A colleague who was on good terms with Pei Xian stepped forward to inquire, "Lord Pei, how is the Dowager's health?"
“Sigh…” Pei Xian said nothing, only sighed repeatedly, his expression growing increasingly distressed, “What a misfortune for our family, what a misfortune for our family.”
His colleagues could only pat him on the shoulder and comfort him: "Your mother's brother is powerful, and he's related to the emperor... Sigh, just bear with it."
Standing in the group of imperial relatives, Prince Gong felt the disapproving glances cast his way and finally understood what it felt like for Princess Gong to be isolated yesterday.
...It was clearly those two girls who started making a fuss and wanted to leave, and he hadn't even said anything yet!
Prince Gong felt wronged. He had no idea things would turn out this way. He had even taken several punches from the Pei family boy. Why was no one showing him any sympathy?
He thought that being isolated by everyone would just mean a few private chats. But not long after the court assembly began, a strong and resonant voice came from behind him.
"Your Majesty, I must impeach Prince Gong for overstepping his bounds, disregarding royal etiquette, questioning Your Majesty's divine judgment, sowing discord among the imperial family, and harboring rebellious intentions!"
One after another, these accusations were hurled at Prince Gong, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He angrily turned around to find the source of the voice.
...It's over, it's Zhao Bingsong, the head of the Censorate, a tough old man who even dared to scold Emperor Qingxi!
Prince Gong's vision went black, and he nearly fell. His knees buckled, and he immediately knelt down to plead his case.
"Your Majesty, I have no such intentions. Please see the truth!"
Emperor Qingxi ignored him, but looked at Zhao Bingsong with interest: "Why do you say that, sir?"
Zhao Bingsong spoke with righteous indignation: "Prince Gong, relying on his status as a member of the imperial family, has been interfering in other people's affairs and even trying to break up a marriage personally arranged by His Majesty. What is this if not overstepping his bounds? He complains that His Majesty's matchmaking was inadequate and insists on changing the marriage to one he himself arranges. What is this if not questioning His Majesty's judgment? The heir of the Marquis of Changning is young and promising, deeply favored by His Majesty, and gets along well with His Majesty as his uncle and nephew. Yet Prince Gong wants to force him to divorce his wife and marry another. What is this if not sowing discord among the imperial family? Such a disloyal, unjust, and arrogant person must be thoroughly investigated!"
Prince Gong's head was buzzing. In a flash, he suddenly realized what was happening and turned around angrily, pointing at Zhao Bingsong: "You're taking revenge on me! I remember now, your granddaughter is that young daughter-in-law of the Pei family, isn't she? I didn't force her to divorce Pei Er. She insisted on leaving. How can you blame me?"
"As the Left Censor-in-Chief, I have always been responsible for supervising all officials and reporting any rumors I hear. Tell me, did you cause trouble at the Pei family yesterday? Did you anger the Dowager Lady of the Marquis's residence to the point of fainting?"
Zhao Bingsong grabbed Pei Jinghuai, pointed to the bruises on his face, and said to his colleagues with great indignation, "My granddaughter and grandson-in-law, such a well-matched and loving couple, were torn apart by Prince Gong. It's a tragedy! My poor granddaughter has been crying all day since she got home. Isn't this all the work of you, Prince Gong???"
Pei Jinghuai secretly pinched his thigh, successfully making his eyes red and his face full of grief and indignation: "Prince Gong came to my door without distinguishing right from wrong and forced my elder brother to remarry, which angered my sister-in-law and my wife. Now the old and young in the family are all sick, and my father even stayed with my grandmother all night... Your Majesty, I beg you to do justice for me!"
"This is slander, a frame-up!"
Prince Gong was speechless. He was not good at speaking, and he was no match for Zhao Bingsong, an old censor who was famous for his verbal battles.
If he retorted, Zhao Bingsong could hurl a hundred different insults at him, citing classical texts and elevating the argument to a higher level, even digging up his dark history from over a decade ago when he allowed the prince's retainers to encroach on land and run horses.
Enraged, Prince Gong blurted out without thinking, "You old bastard..."
Bang!
Zhao Bingsong suddenly jumped up, grabbed his scepter, and slammed it hard on his head. "Then you are a disgrace to the royal family and a traitor to the country!"
A large bump instantly swelled up on Prince Gong's head, and he shouted incredulously, "You dare hit me?!"
In a moment of impulsiveness, I rushed forward.
Despite his age, Zhao Bingsong was surprisingly agile. He nimbly slipped behind Chen Hang like an eel and gave him a powerful push forward.
"Useless thing, your daughter has been bullied to the point of being humiliated, and now you're just going to watch your old man get beaten up?"
Before Shen Hang could react, he was met squarely by Prince Gong's slap, his body lurching forward uncontrollably and knocking Prince Gong to the ground.
He awkwardly raised his head, forced a smile, and tried to smooth things over: "Your Highness, please calm down and talk things out..."
"Bullshit! Who do you think you are!"
Prince Gong was already furious. He grabbed Chen Hang and they rolled around on the ground, fighting fiercely.
A large area in the middle of the hall was quickly cleared, and all the officials kept their distance to avoid being accidentally injured.
Anyway, this isn't the first time this has happened, so let them fight it out. They can take a break and watch the show.
"Even Minister Shen is no good. He was beaten down by Prince Gong and had no chance to fight back. He doesn't even look as strong as Elder Zhao."
"Sigh, all you civil servants are like this, all flabby and out of breath after walking just a few steps, and you don't exercise at all..."
"Hey General Chen, why are you attacking indiscriminately? It's clearly Minister Shen's own weakness that's the problem, don't drag our colleagues from the Six Ministries into it."
"That's right, I practice Baduanjin every morning and I also pay close attention to my diet by taking supplements according to the seasons."
"Speaking of nourishing the body, the weather has been getting hotter and hotter lately, and people are getting irritable. It's time to have a bowl of loofah soup to cool down."
"Have the kitchen make another pot of black bean, walnut, and pork bone soup to nourish the kidneys and strengthen the essence, hehehe..."
"Have you all seen enough? Hurry up and pull them apart!"
The more Emperor Qingxi listened, the more absurd it became. This was a court assembly, a place to discuss important national affairs, how could they be sharing health tips?
"Father-in-law, let me help you!"
Pei Jinghuai seized the opportunity to quickly join the battle, and incidentally gave Prince Gong a few more blows, then pretended to help Shen Hang out of the battle.
Prince Gong was also pulled away by his familiar relatives from the imperial clan. He was like a bull with bloodshot eyes, his nostrils flared, panting heavily.
"Alright, you're old enough to be grandfathers, yet you're acting like street brawlers. What kind of behavior is this?"
Emperor Qingxi gave Prince Gong a few words of reprimand, then asked, "What were you doing at the Pei family's house? Why are you dissatisfied with my bestowed marriage? Which girl do you want Yunzhao to marry?"
Prince Gong spoke vaguely, avoiding the main point, saying, "It was a childhood betrothal arranged between Qinghe and her close friend when Qinghe was alive..."
He dared not mention the Xie family, otherwise it would confirm his reputation as a sycophant.
Furthermore, it is common knowledge that His Majesty dislikes aristocratic families, so he has even less grounds to argue.
Emperor Qingxi rolled his eyes without any attempt to hide it.
"How could you take a joke that's completely unfounded seriously? You're worrying about things that aren't your business. Did you even ask Yunzhao's opinion?"
Pei Jingyi stepped forward, his voice low but firm.
"Your Majesty is wise and discerning. My wife and I have a deep and abiding love for each other, and I have absolutely no intention of marrying another."
"Did you hear that?" Emperor Qingxi waved his hand, as if he was very disappointed in Prince Gong. "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. We elders should not meddle in the private affairs of young couples. If people don't know better, they might think you have ulterior motives."
What seemed like an unintentional remark sent a chill down the spine of the Empress Dowager, who quickly lowered her head and respectfully agreed.
After dealing with the brawl, Emperor Qingxi discussed several political matters and then adjourned the court.
After all the ministers had left, he turned to Princess Tong'an, who was standing quietly to the side, and asked with a hint of scrutiny, "Did you figure anything out about what happened today?"
"I can tell."
Princess Tong'an calmly said, "Uncle Gong came for my daughter."
Or rather, besides Prince Gong, there were also the members of the imperial family standing behind him, testing the emperor's heart.
It was obvious to anyone with discerning eyes that Emperor Qingxi was increasingly relying on Princess Tong'an. He not only allowed her to attend court and discuss politics every day, but also frequently brought her along when he held small meetings with officials from the Six Ministries to listen to her opinions.
This is clearly the way they train successors.
There is no precedent in this dynasty for establishing a crown princess. If Princess Tong'an were to set this precedent, the competition for the throne would involve not only princes but also princesses in the future. Wouldn't that be absurd?
At this time, the members of the imperial family united. They dared not make a move against Princess Tong'an, who was enjoying the emperor's favor, so they set their sights on Yan Yi and Shen Lingyue, who were trusted by her and had participated in several large-scale ceremonies such as sacrifices and rituals, to make an example of them.
"Now you understand how difficult the road ahead is, right?" Emperor Qingxi smiled faintly. "My support alone is far from enough. You are going to challenge an entire set of ancestral laws and traditions."
The throne passed from father to son, from brother to brother; power flowed from generation to generation, never falling into the hands of a woman.
Even members of the collateral branches of the imperial family, like Prince Gong, who had long lost their right to succession, would spontaneously unite to uphold the "rules" that had been passed down for hundreds or thousands of years.
“The more they forbid me from doing something, the more I’ll do it,” Princess Tong’an said coldly. “No matter how much a flock of lambs huddle together for warmth, they’ll only end up being eaten by wolves.”
"Very well! I hope you won't make me regret my decision back then."
Emperor Qingxi looked on with admiration. He was a monarch who could ascend the throne smoothly without divine assistance. As long as he could select a truly capable successor for Daye, what did it matter if he violated the ancestral rites and laws?
A thousand years from now, future generations will judge his merits and demerits; he doesn't care.
"The Xie family of Chenliu... So many years have passed, yet they still haven't given up." Emperor Qingxi snorted coldly, his face displeased. "If only they could all learn from our ancestor Xie Wuyai's understanding and tact, they could still leave behind some ancestral connections."
"Father, rest assured, I know in my heart who can be used and who cannot."
...
Prince Gong had an incredibly unlucky day. He was impeached, beaten, and even received a lecture from Emperor Qingxi. In the end, he got nothing.
He had intended to stay home for a while to recover from his injuries and avoid the limelight, so he wouldn't be chased and bitten by that old dog Zhao Bingsong. But before things had even calmed down for a few days, Princess Gong came over with a booklet and angrily threw it at him.
"Now look what's happened! I think you're really going to become the laughing stock of the entire capital!"
Prince Gong, unaware of the situation, opened the book titled "Langhuan Monthly" and turned to the page where Princess Gong had folded it. As he looked at it, his expression changed.
This is a strange tale about a man surnamed Gong who idled away his days, gossiping everywhere. He would often incite a young couple in the neighborhood to suspect each other and fight, or spread rumors about which daughter-in-law was disobedient to her mother-in-law, or which brothers were scheming over inheritance. He spread rumors, ruined other people's reputations, and made the neighborhood exhausted. People nicknamed him "Long-tongued Gong".
A deity who had descended to the mortal realm for training couldn't bear to see this, so he used his magic to transform the man into a turtle the size of a face. Every day, the turtle could only stretch its neck and lie on the rocks by the pond, futilely sticking out its tongue, and could no longer utter any malicious words of sowing discord.
Isn't "Changshe Gong" a homophone for "Changshe Gong"?
Prince Gong was so angry that his face turned red, and he could barely speak. "Who wrote this? I'm going to arrest him and put him in jail!"
He flipped back a few more pages; the author was—anonymous?
Who is anonymous?!
"It's too late for you to arrest people and shut down shops now," Princess Gong said irritably. "These days, storytellers in teahouses and restaurants are telling the story of Long-Tongued Gong everywhere. Congratulations, Your Highness, you're about to go down in history!"
Princess Gong came back to pack her bags. It was too embarrassing. She wanted to go back to her parents' home to hide, otherwise everyone would say that she was a gossipy old woman!
Prince Gong couldn't stop her, and after chasing Princess Gong to the gate, he could only watch her get into the carriage. He angrily said, "May the heavens strike down any bad marriage! What kind of mess is this!"
Late at night, a carriage silently drove into the back alley of Prince Gong's Mansion. Several people dressed in black cloaks, wrapped up tightly, got off the carriage and were led into the study by servants.
Several wine jugs were scattered on the ground. Prince Gong was drunk and slammed his fist on the table in protest against the visitors.
"I really lost out this time. I didn't get anything and got myself into trouble! If something like this happens again, don't come to me for help. You can deal with it yourselves."
“We underestimated them this time.” The newcomers removed their hoods one after another, revealing themselves to be the troublemakers from the royal family who were not convinced by Princess Tong’an.
Previously, when Princess Tong'an petitioned for a thorough investigation into the illegal activities of members of the imperial family, they were criticized and either fined to atone for their crimes or had their trusted confidants dealt with harshly, barely escaping punishment.
Now that Emperor Qingxi is showing interest in supporting Princess Tong'an to the throne, if she were to actually sit in that position, would they have a good life in the future?
Not to mention that she was a woman, yet she dared to covet the throne; it was like a hen crowing at dawn, defying the heavens.
"That Xie family is useless. I heard they even lost their own daughter, let alone arrange a marriage."
Someone shook their head: "In the end, it's because the Marquis of Changning's family is too stubborn. How can they let their two young wives cause trouble at home? These shrewish women should be divorced immediately and sent back to their parents' home. Let's see how they can still bully others in Tong'an."
Someone suggested ominously, "If the soft approach doesn't work, let's try the hard one. Let's teach Xiao Zhuoying a lesson and show her that we're not pushovers..."
The flickering candlelight in the study cast shadows on menacing faces. The interplay of light and shadow revealed their whispers, which sounded like the spitting of venomous snakes, full of malice.
Tonight, there are no stars or moon; thick, dark clouds cover the sky, and the air is heavy and oppressive, as if a long-brewing downpour is about to pour down.
...
"Did it rain last night?"
Shen Lingyue got up early and went to the courtyard. She stretched and took a long breath. She said to Qingchan, "It's much cooler on the estate. If we had known, we would have come here to escape the heat sooner."
She quickly washed up and went to the next room to find Yan Yi.
The two "ran away from home" and stayed at Shen Lingyue's dowry estate for several days. On the surface, they had broken ties with the Marquis's mansion, but in fact, Meng Wanyin arranged for people to secretly follow them over that very night to serve them, fearing that they might not be comfortable staying outside.
If Pei Jingyi and Pei Jinghuai hadn't had to go to the palace to perform at court the next day, they probably would have come along much earlier.
When Shen Lingyue entered the room, Yan Yi had already gotten up and was sitting on the headboard reading the latest issue of "Langhuan Monthly".
"My cousin is indeed quick-witted; she wrote such a sharp little story in just one night."
Shen Lingyue chuckled, "Prince Gong should thank us; now he'll have a few more lines in the history books."
Leaving behind the precious anecdote of "long-tongued Gong," how can it not be considered a great contribution to the literary world of Daye?
"We also want to thank Sister Zheng and Sister Fan for their help, which allowed this story to spread so quickly throughout the streets and alleys." Yan Yi reminded them, "Remember to write them a reply later and tell them that we are doing well here and there is no need to worry."
Shen Lingyue nodded in agreement.
When she and Yan Yi left the manor, they sent someone to deliver a message to Zhao Lan, intending to put her mind at ease and prevent her from worrying.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Lan, while socializing outside, was able to adapt flexibly and seize the opportunity to spread the news of Prince Gong's insane behavior on the spot. Somehow, she also persuaded her maternal grandfather, that old-fashioned man, to publicly impeach Prince Gong at the court meeting, completely embarrassing him.
Yan Yi couldn't help but chuckle after hearing this. He cleared his throat and said in a serious tone, "Lord Zhao is the head of the Censorate. He probably hasn't liked these members of the royal family for a long time."
As for censors, they would flick the strings whenever they felt like it, and the more important figures they brought down, the greater their chances of being remembered in history.
After breakfast, Shen Lingyue accompanied Yan Yi for a walk on the estate to digest their food. Just as they were discussing where to go for fun that day, they heard the sound of a line of horses galloping towards them from afar.
Pei Jingyi and Pei Jinghuai were competing with each other, vying to be the first to reach their wives on the narrow path in the fields. Neither of them would give way.
“Huaizhou, there’s a tiger behind you,” Pei Jingyi suddenly said.
Pei Jinghuai subconsciously turned his head. "Where?"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Pei Jingyi leaped off his horse, lightly touching the surface of the rice paddy with his toes, and like a wild goose skimming across the water, he cut along the shortcut and rushed straight into the manor.
When Pei Jinghuai realized what was happening, he shouted angrily, "Ahhh! You cheated!"
Yan Yi looked in the direction of the voice, and when she saw who it was, a gentle smile unconsciously appeared in her eyes.
Pei Jingyi rushed to her side as fast as he could, and before he could catch his breath, he grabbed her hand tightly, his expression more anxious than usual.
"Madam, I've come to take you home."
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Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers] One million words! I never thought I could write so much [Crying][Crying] Only I know the journey I've taken, from the fresh, spicy, and melt-in-your-mouth texture to the chewy and soft softness... [Covering face and peeking]
Thank you again for your support and company! [shy][shy] As usual, please leave a comment within 24 hours of this chapter! [sunglasses]
//Tomorrow we'll be getting the last big scoop before the main story ends (I'm self-proclaimed). I hope everything goes smoothly to wrap up this story [please] I'm praying to the gods and Buddhas online...
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