After the Songhe Academy incident was over, Ning Fei's mother Cui and Ning Fei's aunt Zhao found an opportunity to visit her in the palace.
In this incident, apart from the academy's principal Bi Jinghuai and a group of corrupt officials who had been beheaded, the Zhao family was the most affected.
Concubine Ning was also worried about her cousin Jiang Mingzhi who was beaten with sixty boards. When she saw her aunt, she immediately asked, "How is Mingzhi now?"
Before she could say that, her aunt Zhao wiped away her tears and said, "Ming'er is still unable to get out of bed. Your uncle and I asked the princess to invite a doctor to see him, but the doctor said that he might become lame in
the future... My healthy Ming'er hasn't even married yet!" Zhao felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke. However, the beating was ordered by the emperor and this happened in the palace. She could only sob quietly, fearing that others would hear her and cause trouble.
Concubine Ning said angrily, "Your Majesty knew that at most he had torn up the book of the boy from the Li family, and he also got beaten by him, but you still punished him like this. It's really too much."
As soon as she said this, her mother Cui also nodded, "Isn't that right? Ming'er was wrong at first, but it was not a big mistake. Besides, boys of this age are all naughty. Wouldn't it be enough to apologize to them? Now that he has been beaten like this, what can we do!"
After she finished speaking, her aunt Zhao cried even louder.
Concubine Ning also became more and more angry, snorting, "If it wasn't Li Yanshu's family, why would it be like this? She must have fanned the flames in His Majesty's ears, causing Mingzhi to become like this! Oh, her brother is a man of ten thousand gold, and he can't be touched, and other people's children deserve to become disabled?"
Hearing this, Cui sighed deeply, and Zhao could only wipe away tears.
At this time, they saw the palace servants outside the door reporting, "Your Majesty, there is a decree from the Queen Mother."
When Cui and Zhao heard this, they immediately shut their mouths and dared not speak.
Concubine Ning also frowned and asked, "What's the matter?"
But she heard the palace servant outside the door say, "The day after tomorrow is the Shangsi Festival. The Queen Mother asked the masters to make preparations and follow the emperor to the Tangquan Palace in Diecui Mountain to bathe and go for an outing."
Diecui Mountain is a royal mountain forest located in the suburbs of Beijing. Because there is a hot spring flowing out of the mountain, Emperor Gaozu built a Tangquan Palace here.
During the Shangsi Festival, the people would go to the waterside to bathe and go for an outing, and the emperor's family would go to the Tangquan Palace to bathe and pray.
Concubine Ning heard this and said, "I know."
But when she turned around and was about to talk to her mother and aunt again, she suddenly paused.
Bathing?
She raised her eyebrows and suddenly came up with an idea.
~~
At the same time, Yan Shu also received the news of going to the Tangquan Palace.
Tsk, this hot spring is not available everywhere, and she had a low status in the past, so she had no chance to go to the hot spring every time she left the palace. Therefore, this is the first time in her life that she goes back to soak in the hot spring.
Especially when she heard that the hot spring in the palace can also beautify the skin, she was even more excited and immediately asked people to prepare things.
But at this moment, she heard the system say, [Don’t be silly and happy, someone is preparing to take revenge on you while you are taking a hot spring bath. ]
Yan Shu, "???"
Revenge her?
Thinking of what the system mentioned to her about the Jiang family a few days ago, she immediately guessed who it was.
Oh, good, she has been waiting for it, and the sooner she comes, the more at ease she will be.
~~
In a blink of an eye, it was the Shangsi Festival.
On this day, the people went out to the suburbs for an outing, and the empress dowager and the emperor's concubines also got on the carriage and left the palace early.
But the Diecui Mountain was not close at all. It took a whole morning to get to the Tangquan Palace.
After riding in the car for half a day, it was already noon, so of course they had to fill their stomachs first.
The lunch was all specialties from the mountain, including freshly stewed pheasants, which were tender but not dry; freshly roasted whole lamb, which was sizzling and dripping with oil, fragrant and not smelly.
There were also fat fish raised in the mountain springs, which had delicious meat and few fish bones. Whether they were sweet and sour or braised, they were all eye-catching.
All kinds of wild vegetables were fresh and delicious, and Yan Shu enjoyed them very much.
She felt that the things in the mountains were more natural and tasted better than those in the palace.
Well, it was worth the trip.
——There were not many people in the harem now. Apart from the emperor and the empress dowager, there were only three people, including her, Concubine Zhou and Concubine Ning.
For lunch, several people sat at the same table.
Seeing her eating happily, Concubine Ning sneered in her heart——
[Li Yanshu, Li Yanshu, I told you to eat enough today, or you will cry later! ]
Hearing this voice, Yuwen Lan paused quietly.
After lunch, while everyone was resting, he summoned a secret guard and said, "Keep an eye on Concubine Yi. If anyone wants to harm her, report immediately."
The secret guard agreed and went out to do his job.
About an hour later, he came back to report, "Your Majesty, someone put medicine powder in the water inlet of Qinglin Garden where Concubine Yi stayed."
- This Tangquan Palace was built on the hot springs. There is a water inlet in each garden, which is then gathered into a hot spring pool for the guests to bathe.
Putting medicine in the water inlet, you can understand what the intention is.
Yuwen Lan immediately ordered Fu Hai, "Tell Concubine Yi not to bathe first."
But before Fu Hai could leave, Xiao Shunzi reported, "Your Majesty, Concubine Yi wants to see you."
Huh?
She came by herself?
Yuwen Lan's heart tightened, thinking that she had been murdered, so he immediately said, "Come in."
Then, Yan Shu came to him intact, and after paying her respects, she said to him, "Your Majesty, I have an unwelcome request. The water in my hot spring is a little cold. Can I change it?"
Change it?
Yuwen Lan understood that she had already found something wrong.
It was okay.
But without the worry, he suddenly felt a little playful and said, "The temperature of my hot spring is just right, you can come here to soak."
What?
Yan Shu was stunned. She just wanted to soak in the hot spring quietly, not to invite favor.
There are many free people in this palace, why should she come to soak in his?
She declined politely, "I dare not. I just need to change to another place. I think the Magnolia Hall is good..."
Before she finished speaking, he smiled and said, "I have granted you permission to come here. Why not? This is the first pool where the hot spring flows out. It is hotter than the others."
"..."
Somehow, looking at his smile, Yan Shu suddenly had a bad premonition.
She then said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am afraid of getting burned. Let's go back..."
At worst, I won't take a bath. Staying here suddenly felt like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth. How could I be so fat ? Before she could
take a step, he grabbed her arm and smiled, "You were afraid of the cold just now, and now you are afraid of getting burned. What's wrong with you?"
Without giving her time to explain, he pulled her directly to the side of the hot spring pool.
At this time, Fu Hai, who accidentally watched the interaction between the emperor and his concubine, smiled -
Tsk, the flirting between these two is so interesting, they really only envy the couple and not the fairy.
Just as he finished sighing, he saw the king return by himself and ordered the secret guards in the hall, "Who just did something to Qinglinyuan? Let her taste it herself."
The secret guards agreed.
~~
Although Yan Shu was a little confused, she finally couldn't resist the temptation of the hot spring and went down to the emperor's hot spring.
Well, the man couldn't do anything anyway. Besides,
after bringing her here, he went out, it would be a waste if she didn't soak in it!
The hot spring was clear and warm. She tried to go in the water and immediately felt comfortable. She lay in the pool for a while and applied the water to her face.
Just when she was feeling comfortable, she saw the man coming back and standing by the pool, looking down at her.
"Your Majesty..."
She was startled and subconsciously covered her chest with both hands -
Tsk, although she was wearing pajamas specially for hot spring bathing, the material was thin and transparent, and it was soaked in water, which made it even worse.
But the man raised his eyebrows and smiled, saying, "What are you covering? It's not like I haven't seen it before."
Yan Shu, "..."
couldn't help but blush a little, muttering in her heart, [Rogue...]
Then, she saw him taking off his clothes and getting into the pool.
Yan Shu was stunned for a moment -
these chest muscles...
these arms...
these muscle lines...
Tsk tsk.
Although they had slept in the same bed many times, he always wore pajamas, but now he was only wearing a pair of shorts...
She was secretly salivating, but she saw him approaching her, grabbing her medicine god and kissing her on the lips before she came to her senses.
He could hear that the word "rogue" was almost the same as "lecher".
Still being called that, it would be unreasonable not to do something.
Yan Shu, "..."
Well, since he also showed it to her, she didn't care.
So the two of them took a bath together.
Yuwen Lan rarely gave himself a day off, and this time he had a rare chance to relax. He lay on the steps in the pool with his eyes closed and resting his mind.
Yan Shu also lay there for a while, and felt that the buoyancy of the water was not small, so she tried to paddle the water.
This pool is so big that it is not for bathing, it is clearly a swimming pool!
Hearing the noise, Yuwen Lan opened his eyes and looked at her, and asked, "Can you swim?"
Yan Shu smiled and said, "No."
Then she asked him, "Your Majesty, can you swim?"
Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows and
said, "Of course." Then he swam in the pool.
Not to mention, the movement was very light and graceful, and his strong arms were exposed on the water, which was quite pleasing to the eye.
After swimming for a while, he returned to her side and began to teach her to swim.
"Take a breath first, relax your body, and try to float on the water..."
Yan Shu did as he said, but she was still a little nervous, holding his arm tightly with one hand and not daring to let go.
Yuwen Lan smiled and said, "I will support you, don't worry."
Then he held her demon.
But he accidentally touched her itchy flesh.
Yan Shu couldn't help but giggled...
The two of them were half playing and half teaching, which was quite interesting.
After some time, she suddenly heard Fu Hai reporting from outside, "Your Majesty, something happened to Concubine Ning..."
Yan Shu paused, "What happened to Concubine Ning?"
Yuwen Lan put away his smile and said, "It's just that you have soaked enough, let's go and take a look."
Then he left the hot spring with her.
~~
When the two of them arrived at Xiangyun Garden where Concubine Ning was, they saw Concubine Ning lying on the bed crying.
Yuwen Lan didn't go forward, but Yan Shu bravely went to the front of the bed to take a look.
But she saw that Concubine Ning's exposed hands, feet and face were all red, and her eyes were tightly closed, as if she couldn't open them.
Yuwen Lan asked Doctor Yu who was accompanying him, "What happened to Concubine Ning?"
Doctor Yu said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Ning seems to have been burned by some poison."
"Poison?"
Yuwen Lan raised his eyebrows and looked around the room, but saw that the palace maids close to Concubine Ning were a little panicked.
He said meaningfully, "How could there be poison in this hot spring water?"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone echoed, "That is to say, everyone else was fine after taking a bath, but how come Concubine Ning was poisoned?"
It was Concubine Zhou who ran over to see the excitement.
At this time, the woman was thinking in her heart, [Could it be that Li Yanshu poisoned this bastard? Great! I hope Your Majesty can find her out, so that she and the bitch Concubine Ning will perish together, and I will reap the benefits.】
Yuwen Lan ignored her and just looked at Yan Shu.
But she could hear her saying in her heart, "This is a bit strange, who poisoned Concubine Ning?"
- Yan Shu knew that Concubine Ning was going to tamper with the hot spring water, so she ran to Yu Wenlan to change it.
As for the pool water, she had planned to wait until she finished soaking in the pool.
Who knew that Concubine Ning was poisoned before she even had time to soak?
What on earth was going on?
Yu Wenlan remained calm and only ordered the guards, "Go check and see where the poison came from."
The guards responded one after another and took action.
However, Concubine Ning was still wailing on the bed, and the sound became more and more terrible.
Yan Shu only heard the palace maid next to her admonishing her, "Your Majesty, please don't move. There are cracks
on your body. I'm afraid the more you move, the more cracks there will be..." Yan Shu was so angry. This was too cruel. You know, she almost got hurt. She
deserved it!
About two quarters of an hour later, a guard entered the palace and reported, "Your Majesty, we found several pieces of unburned straw paper in the teahouse of Xiangyun Garden, with white medicine powder on them." Then
he presented what he found.
Yuwen Lan said, "Ask Doctor Yu to take a look."
Doctor Yu came over as soon as he was told.
After some inspection, he said to him, "Your Majesty, this seems to be bone-melting powder. If dissolved in water, it can melt bones and flesh, enough to burn people's skin, which is consistent with the symptoms of Concubine Ning at the moment."
Yuwen Lan hummed and said, "Since it was found in this Xiangyun Garden, arrest all the people here and torture them severely to see who used such a vicious method to harm Concubine Ning."
The guards agreed.
However, the palace was immediately in a panic...
~~
The next day, as Yu drove back to the palace, he brought back a shocking news -
yesterday in the Tangquan Palace, the palace maids in Concubine Ning's palace actually poisoned the master, causing Concubine Ning not only to be blinded and disfigured, but also to have skin burns all over her body, and the injuries were very serious.
Everyone was surprised and guessing in their hearts, "Tsk tsk, how could such a thing happen in this palace?"
How was Concubine Ning usually vicious to the palace ladies, that she was poisoned by someone close to her?
Meanwhile, Yan Shu, who had returned to Ganlu Palace, was also wondering in her heart.
——How did the poison get to Concubine Ning?
Listen to the system, [The emperor did it.]
Emperor?
Yan Shu was surprised, [Why did he do that?]
System, [Because the emperor found out that Concubine Ning wanted to harm you, so he asked someone to exchange hers with the hot spring water in your garden.]
Yan Shu, […]
It was actually the emperor?
But why didn't he say a word!
Tsk, that's really a good acting skill, he was pretending yesterday, even she couldn't see it!
However, before the system could speak, Yan Shu saw Ren Dong running to her with a look of surprise, "Master, good news! Our son has been admitted to the Imperial College!"
——After graduating from Songhe Academy, Li Yuanrui went to another academy and studied for a while. It happened to be the second round of the Imperial College recruitment, so he tried to apply for the exam.
Unexpectedly, he passed the exam?
Hearing Ren Dong say this, Yan Shu stood up from her seat and said, "Really?"
Ren Dong nodded vigorously, "Of course it's true, the list was just released, and the master specially sent someone to send you a letter."
"This is good news!"
Yan Shu smiled so hard that she couldn't close her mouth.
She knew her brother was capable, and he really passed the exam.
But before she could be happy for long, she heard a system ding, [Who is that? The princess's husband Zhao Chengwen is now sending people to make a scene in front of the Imperial College list, saying that your brother cheated.]
What?
Yan Shu was stunned, [making a scene saying that Tianrui cheated? Why did this bastard do that?]
System, [Does it need to be said? Because of your brother, his nephew is disabled, and because of you, his niece is disabled. Do you think he hates you? He has been prepared since your brother applied for the Imperial College, and he planned to take this opportunity to slander you.]
Yan Shu, [Okay, it seems that he was written lightly in the previous storybook.]
Damn, we must not be soft on this kind of bastard.
I will add a few more words to him!
~~
Not long after, the situation before the Imperial College list reached the ears of the king.
After listening to the report of Yan Zhengping, the chief academician of the Imperial College, Yuwen Lan frowned and asked, "Who is stirring up trouble?"
Yan Zhengping said, "At first there were four or five people, and later it became more than ten people. Now many failed candidates have also joined in the commotion, almost dozens of people, and they are all asking the court to retake the exam."
"Retake the exam?"
Yuwen Lan sneered, "What reasons do they have for asking the court to retake the exam?"
Yan Zhengping frowned and said, "I don't know who said that the third candidate on the list, Li Tianrui, is the younger brother of Concubine Yi, and that the examiner leaked the test questions to this Mr. Li in advance in order to please Concubine Yi."
"Ridiculous!"
Yuwen Lan shouted angrily.
Everyone in the room was startled and immediately bowed their heads and said, "Your Majesty, calm down."
On the side, Hanlin scholar Zou Mozhong said, "Your Majesty, this may have been done intentionally by someone with ulterior motives. There are thousands of candidates taking the exam this time, and there are many with the same name. As far as I know, Master Li has only been in the capital for a short time, and I don't think he knows many candidates well. How could someone tell at a glance that he is the younger brother of Concubine Yi and make a big fuss about it?"
"Reexamination will waste manpower and material resources, and will make the majesty of the court a laughing stock! Therefore, I think that we must not reexamine it lightly. In my opinion, the person behind the scenes has evil intentions and may even be tempted to subvert the country. He must not be let off lightly."
Yuwen Lan nodded and said, "Zou Qing is right. The person who instigated the disturbance does have evil intentions. Pass the order down. All those who instigated the disturbance at the scene today will be arrested and their backgrounds will be strictly investigated."
After everyone agreed, he added, "Call Li Tianrui to see you."
Not long after, Li Tianrui came to Yuwen Lan.
The young man saluted the king and said, "I, Li Tianrui, pay my respects to His Majesty."
Unlike the last time he came with his father to see the emperor, this time he came alone.
However, at only fifteen years old, he was calm and composed, which made people look at him sideways.
Yuwen Lan got straight to the point and asked him directly, "Today, the results of the Imperial College are announced. Some people say that you cheated. What do you think?"
The young man's voice was very loud, and he immediately said, "I have a clear conscience and I am not afraid to take the exam again."
The king on the throne nodded, "Okay. I will test you again in front of the officials in the court. If you can answer, I will clear you of the slander."
Li Yuanrui kowtowed heavily, "I obey your command."
So, in front of the Qinzheng Hall of Qianming Palace, under the watchful eyes of several important officials in the court, Li Yuanrui took the exam again.
The entrance examination to the Imperial College was not based on the imperial examinations, but mainly on the Four Books and Five Classics, and the laws of nature and reason. Several officials in the court asked questions in court, and the young man answered them fluently, showing that his foundation was very solid .
Moreover, his behavior was very calm and he did not look like someone who had just come to the capital from a small place like Ande.
After about an hour of examination, the ministers all nodded to him to show their approval.
Yan Zhengping, the head of the Imperial College, also breathed a sigh of relief and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty and several adults have seen with their own eyes today that this Mr. Li is a gifted man with real talent and knowledge. It is impossible for him to be admitted by leaking the test questions. It can be seen that the words just now are completely slanderous."
Yuwen Lan nodded, "Yes, let the world know the result just now to dispel doubts. As for those who maliciously create trouble, they will be severely punished and will not be lenient."
Everyone agreed in unison.
~~
When the young man Li Tianrui returned home from the palace, his sister Yan Shu had just finished the revised "Double-faced Talent Died Under the Flowers".
Tsk, last time, in order to take care of the face of the royal family, she was very lenient in her writing, this time she simply let this bastard out.
She blew away the ink on the paper and looked out the window, but it was still early.
She thought the emperor would not come for a while, and she could not wait any longer, so she took the manuscript to the Qianming Palace.
At this time, the ministers had just left, and Yuwen Lan had some free time. Just as he was about to drink some tea, he saw Yan Shu coming.
At first, he thought she came because of her brother.
But after she bowed, she put the manuscript in front of him and said, "I just wrote a storybook, and I think it is very interesting. I want to share it with Your Majesty."
Storybook?
Yuwen Lan was a little surprised. He hummed and took the book in his hand, saying, "What kind of story is this time?"
But she said, "This story is called "The Two-Faced Talent Dies Under the Flowers". It tells the story of a man who looks honest but is actually lustful. He does many absurd things and finally dies from a romantic debt."
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Looks honest but lustful?
This is about... Is it Zhao Chengwen?
Well, let's see how she writes it.
He then said, "Tell me about it."
Yan Shu cleared her throat and began to tell the story, "It is said that there was a young man who was smart, studious and talented since childhood. At the age of 19, he made a name for himself in the imperial examination and was favored by a prominent family. They recruited him as a son-in-law and he has been very successful ever since."
"However, his wife was born into a wealthy family and was not like an ordinary wife and mother. His father-in-law was also very wealthy and did not need him to struggle. He had no use for his talent and could only live a life of luxury at home. Over time, he gradually became depressed. In order to seek excitement, he started to keep a mistress behind his wife's back."
"One is not enough, two is not enough, two is not enough, three is not enough, and later this man kept five or six women at once, but he was still not satisfied, so he bought a mansion in Jiangnan, which he used to keep young and beautiful women. After these women were trained, he would keep those who caught his eye, and sell those who did not to Qinlou and Chuguan for profit..."
Hearing this, Yuwen Lan was stunned.
He didn't even know that Zhao Chengwen had done this?
This is too outrageous!
He frowned and said, "Didn't his wife find out that this man did this? Buying a house must cost a lot of money, right?"
But Yan Shu snorted, "His family is rich enough to rival a country, and his wife has her own social engagements, so she doesn't care much about him financially. Besides, this man has saved up some private money, otherwise how could he support so many mistresses?"
That's true.
Yuwen Lan then asked, "What happened later?"
Yan Shu said, "This man has a mistress that he values the most. In fact, she was a concubine before his marriage. She gave birth to several children for him over the years. As the children grew older, the mistress wanted the children to recognize their ancestors in the future, so she came to ask him. This man couldn't resist the mistress's pleading, but his wife would never agree to let him have another woman. Under such circumstances, this man planned to get rid of his wife."
This is a bit too much.
Yuwen Lan frowned again, "Is there such a thing?"
But she nodded affirmatively, "Of course, Your Majesty, think about it, this man has been accustomed to so many young and beautiful women, and his heart is no longer at home. Moreover, his wife only gave birth to a daughter for him, but his concubine has two sons. He weighed the pros and cons and decided to keep the concubine and the sons." "
However, before he could make a plan, the other concubines also knew about this, and they all clamored to enter the mansion to become regular wives. This man could only try his best to appease them, but after all, his energy is limited."
Yuwen Lan, "..."
Limited energy???
This is the first time I found that this word is so appropriate...
After all, there are so many, it is indeed limited, cough.
He tried to keep a serious expression and asked, "Then what?"
Yan Shu said, "Then, those young women must have been dissatisfied, and some began to coax him to take medicine. This man found that after taking the medicine, his power did increase greatly, so he became addicted. But in the long run, his body couldn't bear it, and one day he didn't control the dosage well, and he fainted on the bed."
Yuwen Lan, "???" Take medicine
???
Power increased greatly???
Yuwen Lan thought to himself, this girl knows too much!
But before he could say anything, she continued, "The concubine was very scared and hurried to find a doctor. Unexpectedly, the doctor she found happened to know this man's wife, so he secretly informed his wife. When his wife knew about it, she immediately rushed over, and when she saw that it was indeed him, she was furious and directly swung the sword to cut off his treasure."
"This man was already weak, and after suffering such a severe injury, he died of excessive blood loss."
The story ended here.
Yuwen Lan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's a good thing he died. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to his father-in-law."
But Yan Shu came up and said, "Your Majesty, do you think this story can be published?"
Unexpectedly, he said directly, "Yes, and it must be published quickly."
Otherwise, if it was a little slower, the princess might have been killed by him.