framing
The news of the emperor's cruel killing of prisoners for amusement eventually reached the outer court and the common people. These prisoners were not ordinary people, but the family members of Lord Shen of Shenlu Mountain, a prominent figure in the Great Wei Dynasty.
Shen Lushan was the Left Chancellor. Although he and the Right Chancellor Qin Zun were both members of the upright officials of the Great Wei, the constant factional struggles in the court ultimately led to his offending Yang Fujin by repeatedly advising the emperor to eliminate the eunuchs and take back power.
Why would Yang Changshi do it himself? He secretly sent his henchmen to fabricate evidence of Shen Lushan's corruption and bribery. As a result, a powerful clan was completely destroyed overnight.
After the entire Shen family was imprisoned, Shen Lushan hanged himself in Dali Temple. The remaining men of the family were enslaved for life, and the women were forced into prostitution. They were all exiled to the border, and their descendants were forbidden from returning to the capital.
Shen Lushan had presided over many imperial examinations and treated scholars with great respect. Therefore, the scholars of the Great Wei Dynasty did not call him Prime Minister Shen, but rather Teacher. He was an upright official and one of the few people in the court who worked for the people. He was highly regarded by the people.
Even at the beginning of his imprisonment, thousands of people knelt at the Dali Temple, writing petitions in blood to plead for his innocence. Guards rushed over and arrested many people, but the number of people kneeling at the Dali Temple only increased.
When news of the massacre of the entire Shen family spread outside the palace, public resentment boiled over. Several scholars who had a deep bond with Shen Lushan shouted, "Treacherous officials are in power, and the emperor is cruel!" and then committed suicide by crashing into the palace gate. When the guards came to arrest them again, the people kneeling on the ground could no longer bear it. Everyone was burning with anger and seemed ready to fight to the death. They even grabbed the guards' swords and vowed to break down the palace gate.
In the end, the Shence Army was dispatched to suppress the peasant uprising at the palace gate.
It took three days to wash away the blood in front of Dade Gate.
The commotion outside the palace was known even to the emperor. He never imagined that what frightened him was not his distant aunt Li Muyun, but the millions of people living right under the walls of the capital.
"Father, what should we do?" The emperor looked at Yang Fujin with some panic.
The old eunuch looked at the young emperor with a kind and gentle expression, as if he were a father dealing with the little troubles his mischievous son had caused.
The emperor was extremely pleased with the way Yang Fujin cared for him; the old eunuch had made up for the love that his own father had never given him.
"Your Majesty has forgotten that it was clearly the Consort who acted willfully and wanted to kill for her own amusement, and Your Majesty could not stop her and could only let her do evil. Weren't all the Shen family members killed by the Consort?"
The emperor was puzzled and asked in confusion, "But I killed those people!"
Yang Fujin chuckled and beckoned a palace maid standing in the inner hall to come forward: "Tell me, who killed the Shen family members at the horse farm that day?"
The palace maid was so frightened that she knelt down with a thud, not daring to look up at the two of them, and said in a trembling voice, "It is...it is the Imperial Concubine."
Yang Fujin then looked at the emperor: "Does Your Majesty understand?"
The emperor sat on the dragon throne in astonishment, speechless. After a long while, he looked at Yang Fujin nervously and pleaded for Dong Qingying: "At least spare my sister's life. If she dies, who will play with me in the future?"
Yang Fujin replied, "Of course. The people around His Majesty cannot be killed by a few commoners."
In order to quell public anger, the emperor issued an edict ordering Consort Dong to be flogged twenty times.
The guards showed no mercy; after ten strokes, the imperial concubine had already fainted, and after twenty strokes, she was completely unconscious.
Her back was covered in blood. The woman, who was usually stunningly beautiful, was now like a flower trampled in the mud. The emperor dared not look at her and waved for the palace maids to carry her to Qingyun Palace.
This beating certainly couldn't quell public anger, but Yang Fujin didn't care. All he wanted was to pin these dirty deeds on Dong Qingying.
Sure enough, the infamy of "femme fatale" and "femme fatale who brought ruin to the country" once again fell on Dong Qingying's head. After the name of the Yuying Pavilion shop, which the imperial concubine had once handwritten, was splashed with dog blood, the shop owner took down the signboard and closed the shop for many days.
As for the Dong family, those who threw rotten vegetable leaves and splashed dog blood were considered to have shown some mercy. Some people even threw feces and urine at night, making it unbearably smelly, forcing the Dong family to send people to guard their door day and night.
The eldest brother of the Dong family changed into a new set of clothes, but when he smelled them, he could still smell the stench of feces and urine on his body. He was so disgusted that he wished he could soak in the bucket again and wash himself thoroughly with an iron brush.
"This Dong Qingying does nothing but disgraceful and despicable things. I think the Dong family will be dragged down by her sooner or later!"
The Dong family was once a prominent family, having produced two empresses. However, the family members were not ambitious and only knew how to enjoy life without working hard, leading to the decline of the family. They ended up having to pawn their family property to make a living. It was not until the Dong family sent another empress and a concubine to the palace that things gradually improved. However, the men in the family were not as capable as their ancestors and were all extravagant and idle.
The first to be sent to the palace was Dong Qingying's elder sister, but she died suddenly in the palace less than a year after entering. After her sister's death, Dong Qingying, the younger sister, was also sent in.
This girl, with her exotic blue eyes and a background that was the subject of much speculation, failed to become empress, but instead became the most favored concubine in the palace. It was rumored that the emperor adored her and wanted her by his side day and night.
As a result, the woman gained the emperor's favor, and a constant stream of rewards from the palace were sent into her home. The men of the Dong family were also granted titles and official positions, though they had no real power, their titles were exceptionally impressive.
After Consort Dong entered the palace, rumors often circulated outside the palace that she was a reincarnation of Daji. She built Tiger Forest, harmed loyal officials, and arbitrarily humiliated and killed palace servants. She was cruel and tyrannical. The Dong family, along with the common people, cursed this woman in the family while enjoying the fame and fortune she brought.
After the caning, not a single member of the Dong family expressed any concern for her. Everyone felt that their family was unfortunate and ashamed to be from the same clan as this vixen.
Dong Qingying didn't wake up until the next day. Her once bright red lips were now pale and chapped. Her personal maid, Wutong, fed her water spoonful by spoonful.
As she gradually regained consciousness, her previously dazed gaze was able to focus. She looked at the little girl squatting by the bed watching her and forced a smile at her.
"They came to guard Her Majesty before dawn, and they wouldn't leave no matter how much we called them." Wutong brought a hot towel and wiped Dong Qingying's face. She couldn't move now, and everything depended on Wutong's care.
The imperial physician came last night to apply the medicine and instructed that the patient could only rest and that the dressing should be changed every two days. He warned that if not handled properly, it could leave a scar.
It hurts with every movement, so Dong Qingying could only lie on the bed, watching the little girl with her bright, darting eyes beside her.
The purity and innocence she saw were things Dong Qingying had once possessed. Feeling tenderness, she couldn't help but touch that little face.
The day she was brought back, she crawled under the bed, and Dong Qingying sat on the edge of the bed. Before she knew it, she had talked to her for a long time. When she looked down again, she found that the pastries on the handkerchief were gone.
She smiled and placed another piece on top, finally coaxing the little man out.
"What's your name?" Dong Qingying squatted down and asked her, but the child shook her head and didn't speak.
At first, I thought she was just timid and unwilling to speak, but after some time, I realized that she was unable to speak.
After the Shen family's affair became a big deal, Dong Qingying learned that the little girl in front of her was actually Shen Lushan's granddaughter. Wutong asked around and found out that the little girl's name was Shen Xun. She was born mute and was loved and cherished by her family.
Dong Qingying didn't dare to look into those eyes for a while.
Seeing her frowning and silent, Wutong thought for a moment and then comforted her, "His Majesty sent someone with an imperial edict. Your Highness, please rest assured and recover from your injuries. Just ask for anything you need. His Majesty will come to visit you again in a few days."
Qingying smiled wearily. She knew the emperor's temperament well. She was afraid that because she was injured, he could no longer accompany her to have fun and would have to find his own fun elsewhere!
She closed her eyes. This was good; finally, she could get some rest!
The pigeons in the open space outside were cooing. Qingying suddenly opened her eyes and asked Wutong, "Have you fed the pigeons?"
Wutong glanced at it and smiled, "Your Majesty, don't worry, they're all being fed!"
She then closed her eyes again to rest properly.
Being young, she was able to get out of bed and walk around after ten days. She would occasionally go out to feed the pigeons, and spend the rest of her time lying in bed reading.
Five-year-old Shen Xun was no longer as afraid of her as when they first met. Dong Qingying instructed Wutong to make her a palace dress that fit her well and let her follow her.
Although she was called a palace maid, she was actually treated like a little sister, and they would play with her. Whenever they had time, they would close the door and lie on the big bed together looking at picture books.
The bed was large enough for three adults to lie down in. Most of the blankets were on the floor, but no one paid any attention. Snacks were placed on the bed, and people would eat a snack while turning a page of a book.
I initially thought the child was illiterate, but to my surprise, he could accurately read the words in the picture book.
"Stone, fishing, city, oyster, house..."
Qingying touched her fluffy little head in surprise: "Wow, that's amazing!" She then pointed to the picture and asked her, "Do you know what this oyster house is?"
Shen Xun shook his head and said in a childish voice, "Your Majesty, I don't know."
Having the chance to show off, Qingying explained to Axun with a hint of pride, "This is a house of the Lingnan people. It's strange, though. After they finish eating oyster meat, they use the shells to build up the walls. It's said that this can prevent strong winds. Look, this ordinary house collapsed, but this one built with oyster shells is not easy to collapse."
Each vivid painting tells the story of the customs and culture of Lingnan to the reader, and even those who cannot read can understand it.
Qingying couldn't bear to finish reading it, so she only flipped through two pages before carefully putting it away, placing it in an exquisite box as usual.
The box was already filled with many picture books. After this one was added, it was full. She touched the picture books as if they were precious treasures, her eyes full of affection. She gently rested her cheek on the books, as if the person was caressing her.
When she was with Ah Xun, Dong Qingying talked more and more. No matter whether the child could understand or not, she would talk to her a lot. The two often hid under the covers and played around until the emperor sent an imperial edict summoning Qingying to an audience.
Having not worn makeup for a long time and grown accustomed to a plain, natural look, I now find it somewhat strange to see the glamorous woman in the bronze mirror.
She patted the face of little A-Xun, who had been watching over her, and said with a smile, "You're not allowed to leave Qingyun Palace. Stay in the palace and study and practice your writing properly."
Ah Xun nodded obediently.
Qingying turned and left, her smile never returning.
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