Chapter 42 Chapter 42 You really are worthy of being the Kaifeng Prefecture Magistrate...
Her voice gradually faded. Fang Ying tightened her grip and interrupted, "Yes, why didn't I think of this before? Crown Prince Zhaoyi passed away several months after your Dowager. Why are people saying that Crown Prince Zhaoyi's illness was caused by your Dowager's death?"
Zhou Congshan was initially feeling a bit saddened by the memory of her cousin's sudden death, but her friend's question distracted her. She sneered, "That's because that's what the palace said."
"..." Who was the palace referring to? Fang Ying hesitated for a moment, then asked, "The Crown Prince fell seriously ill and passed away in less than two days. Didn't the emperor have any suspicions?"
"I don't know. I was completely stunned at the time. I didn't care about anything..." Zhou Congshan sighed softly, "I couldn't even cry."
Fang Ying shook her hand and consoled her, "It's human nature."
When a relative who had always been frail and sick passed away, it was difficult for anyone to think that he was harmed by someone, not to mention that he was the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace with countless eyes watching him, so of course he was just sad.
“So this is all something you only thought of later? Any other concerns?” she asked.
"Well, it was later, while I was quietly residing in Xiangguo Temple, that I slowly began to come to terms with it. It all started when I heard that the Imperial Physician, Song, who had originally treated my grandmother and cousin, had retired due to illness. I thought of asking my father why, considering Song's exceptional medical skills, Yang Sheng had been appointed to treat my cousin. My father explained that it was Song himself who recommended Yang Sheng to the government, saying he excelled in dietary therapy and that the root of my cousin's illness lay in his frail constitution. If he could heal his condition with medicinal food, he wouldn't be so easily stricken by the changing weather anymore."
"When did this happen? Before or after the Madam's death?" Fang Ying asked.
"When Imperial Physician Song recommended Yang Sheng, he also mentioned that my grandmother was also ill, and he had to travel back and forth between the palace and outside. He was old and lacked energy, so he might miss something. The emperor immediately ordered him to focus on treating my grandmother, and let Yang Sheng take care of my cousin instead."
Fang Ying couldn't help but mutter, "This reason is so convincing that no one can refute it."
Zhou Congshan nodded in agreement. "There's nothing suspicious about this matter so far, but my grandmother passed away, and my cousin fell ill, but Imperial Physician Song didn't go back to see my cousin. That's very strange."
"Is there no summons from the palace, or does he have other duties?"
"The palace certainly didn't summon Imperial Physician Song at the time, nor did they ask him to visit the Eastern Palace afterwards. This could be attributed to my cousin's improvement, but he suddenly became seriously ill and passed away. Within two days, almost all the imperial physicians were summoned for consultation, but Imperial Physician Song was the only one not called. This is extremely puzzling."
This was indeed illogical. When the prince was seriously ill, they called in the imperial physicians for a consultation, but they didn't include the imperial physician Song, who had been treating the prince the longest. Fang Ying asked, "Have you investigated the cause?"
"The reason was discovered later, and it's even more puzzling—Imperial Physician Song had taken leave for some business and was out of the city. By the time he returned, the Eastern Palace had already been buried."
This matter is very intriguing. The fact that Imperial Physician Song asked for leave is no secret at least among the other imperial physicians. If anyone wants to harm the prince, this is the best opportunity. But the problem is, it is impossible for all other imperial physicians to be bribed. Could it be that no one of them noticed anything unusual?
Fang Ying expressed her doubts, and Zhou Congshan said, "They won't all be bribed, but they may all be misled by someone with ulterior motives."
"Are you talking about Yang Sheng?"
"If my cousin was truly murdered, Yang Sheng must be implicated. Otherwise, why would he commit suicide the moment my cousin passed away? Even his apprentice, who was responsible for pounding and boiling herbs, didn't survive more than three years?"
That's right. Fang Ying nodded in agreement and asked, "How old was Yang Sheng when he died? Are his family members also in Beijing?"
"He was just over 40. His family was originally there, but after Yang Sheng died, they carried the coffin back to his hometown." Zhou Congshan finished speaking, thought for a moment, and added, "Yang Sheng was from Weinan."
"Where's Mo Hongzhao? How old is he? Does he have any family?"
"He..." Zhou Congshan said a word, then suddenly realized what was happening and threw Fang Ying's hand away. "I let you get in here."
Fang Ying still played dumb: "Huh?"
"What?" Zhou Congshan glared at her. "You really are worthy of being the daughter of the Kaifeng Prefecture Magistrate. You're so knowledgeable when you ask questions. Have you seen your father try a case?"
Fang Ying laughed: "That's not true, I just wanted to help you sort out some doubts."
Zhou Congshan ignored the suggestion, picked up his tea, drank half a cup, and said, "Since your wife has spoken, let's have a good dinner and a few drinks. You like meat, don't you? We've known each other for over two years, and we haven't had a good meal together yet."
Fang Ying smiled and nodded: "It really is."
"You sit down first. I'll ask them to ask the kitchen what kind of meat is available. We'll discuss what to eat when they come back." Zhou Congshan said and went to the outer room.
Fang Ying finished her cup of tea before Zhou Congshan came back in and continued chatting with her: "How is everything going at your parents' home this time?"
"That's it, there's nothing good or bad about it." Fang Ying became a little depressed when she mentioned her mother's home.
"What? Who made you unhappy? If you go back now, they should respect you and not dare to mess with you."
Fang Ying shook her head: "I didn't mess with me..." She said that her stepmother still didn't take her daughter seriously, "I've never seen a mother like this. Her own daughter is already eight years old, but she still doesn't care about her, doesn't teach her, and only thinks about her son."
"Some people are just like that. They grow older but never gain experience. They remain foolish. Don't be angry. It's not worth getting angry at fools." Zhou Congshan took up the hot water on the stove, made a new cup of tea, and handed it to Fang Ying. "I remember your sister used to live with you?"
"Yes," Fang Ying replied, holding a cup of tea. "I'm not angry with her. I'm angry at my father. He only cares about his career and doesn't care about family matters. How many years can a girl stay in her parents' home? If he doesn't teach Second Mother well now, what kind of in-laws can he expect to find in the future? Will he let my uncle cheat him?"
Zhou Congshan said, "Maybe they're counting on you. But you're right. If you want a good marriage, your sister must at least be literate. I don't think your family has any literate servants. Can I lend you one?"
Fang Ying was stunned: "Lend me what?"
"A literate servant," Zhou Congshan said with a smile. "Your father is very busy with official duties. Even if he agreed to check your sister's homework, I'm sure he wouldn't pay as much attention to her as he does to his son. Besides, reading and writing require someone to patiently teach her to learn well. If you just let her learn to write and practice calligraphy on her own, I'm afraid your father will be very careless when he has time to check her homework."
"Do you have someone suitable here?" Fang Ying thought this was a good idea, but then she realized, "You probably can't leave such a capable servant by your side, so forget it."
"Don't tell me, I actually have someone like that by my side. She can write, do math, and understand etiquette. I don't need her for the time being, so I'll lend her to you to teach your sister for a few years. I guarantee you'll be able to raise her into a capable mistress of the house."
Fang Ying was curious: "Who is it? Could it be someone from the palace?"
Zhou Congshan smiled and shook his head: "No."
No? Then there's... Fang Ying raised her eyes and asked, "Did he serve the Madam?"
Zhou Congshan nodded. "That's right. This sister has served in my grandmother's courtyard since she was a child. When she reached her prime, she vowed to remain single forever. Seeing her sincerity, my grandmother didn't force her and entrusted her to me before she died."
"That's inappropriate, isn't it? A sister who once served the Madam is now teaching an eight-year-old girl in our humble family. It's too unfair..."
"Whether she is wronged or not, it's not up to you or me to decide. Let me ask her and then I'll give you an answer."
At this point, Fang Ying could only express her gratitude. Zhou Congshan smiled and said, "No need to rush to thank me. It won't be too late to thank me once it's really decided."
"Okay, I will definitely reward you handsomely then." Fang Ying also joked.
At this time, the maid who had gone to the kitchen came in and replied, "The kitchen said that the butcher has half a sheep, two pheasants, a few fat rabbits, a few live fish, and a number of chickens and ducks."
"Then let's braise a rabbit in sauce," Zhou Congshan said to Fang Ying, "The rabbit they braised in sauce last time was pretty good. The meat was tender and the sauce was fragrant and flavorful."
"Okay." Fang Ying would enjoy her meal as long as there was meat.
"How would you like your lamb? Broiled or grilled?"
"I'm fine with either. Which one do you like?" Fang Ying felt that her friend's taste was lighter than hers, and she was worried that she might not like grilled food.
Zhou Congshan said, "You are the guest. Today you are the host. You choose one."
Fang Ying said directly: "I still prefer the roasted ones with more spices."
"Okay, have you taken note?" Zhou Congshan confirmed that the maid had taken note and continued to instruct, "Make a soup with the pheasant and some mushrooms, and a crystal minced meat dish. For the other side dishes, let them choose their specialties."
The maidservant responded and withdrew, going to the kitchen to give instructions. After a while, Mrs. Zhou received a message and sent someone to deliver two small jars of wine, saying that one jar was peach blossom wine buried in the spring, and the other was wine from the Western Regions.
After the wine delivery man left, Zhou Congshan said to Fang Ying with a smile, "I specially picked out two kinds of wine that won't make you drunk."
"As it should be. We were both really drunk, so we made a fool of ourselves."
Zhou Congshan smiled and said nothing more - the relationship between her and her stepmother was relatively simple, unlike Fang Ying's family, which had an additional aunt-nephew relationship, which was awkward. Normally, the two sides were polite to each other and no one interfered with each other. It was rare for them to use wine as an excuse to give each other advice.
The two chatted for a while, and Zhou Congshan brought up the palace. "I've been thinking for a while now, putting these two princes together is like a cricket fight. Sooner or later, there's bound to be a quarrel. And just as I expected, as soon as the emperor left the capital, the two concubines in the palace started to clash."
Fang Ying was curious: "What's going on? These two have been with the emperor for a long time, they should know everything about him and not act rashly."
"It's because they know each other so well that they'll be more ruthless when they're on the wrong side of the fence." Zhou Congshan smiled, looking like he was enjoying a good show. "Over the years, Concubine Zhang has relied on her doting status to bully Concubine Xu Hui and her son, both openly and covertly. You should have heard of their backgrounds, right?"
Fang Ying nodded: "I've heard a little bit about it."
She didn't say what she had heard. Zhou Congshan knew it was inconvenient for her to discuss the origins of the nobles in the palace, so he spoke for himself, "Back then, Emperor Yin of Jin was still young, and Emperor Liezu didn't want to appoint a crown prince so early. Emperor Yin's maternal grandfather's family saw that Emperor Liezu trusted the current emperor, and that Empress Liezu was willing to marry their niece to him. I don't know if they wanted to please the current emperor, or to alienate him from our Zhou family. Anyway, they took advantage of the emperor's absence as the governor of the Tianxiong Army and sent a few beauties over, including Concubine Zhang and Concubine Xu Hui."
Fang Ying had heard Li's brief account of this matter and knew that Empress Zhaomu and the Emperor had only been married for two years at that time. Moreover, when these beauties were sent into the palace, Empress Zhou had just become pregnant. She was a virtuous and generous woman like Li. Not only did she not stop her husband from taking concubines, she also persuaded her husband, who originally did not want to accept beauties, saying that it was just right that she was pregnant and could not serve her husband, and that these beauties were sent at the right time.
Thinking of this, Fang Ying couldn't help but hold Zhou Congshan's hand and said, "Don't be like Empress Zhaomu in the future. Be a virtuous and generous person who only benefits others and suffers losses herself."
"..." Zhou Congshan was both angry and amused. "You're still trying to persuade me. Who was it that said a few days ago that I should choose a concubine to bear my husband's children?"
"My situation is different from yours. In my family, a concubine is just a concubine. My child only recognizes me as his mother. But it's different in the royal family!"
"..." This remark hit the nail on the head for Zhou Congshan. She couldn't help but sneer, "You're right, the royal family is different in this way. Back then, no matter how favored these two were, they were just playthings. Neither Yuan Dun nor Yuan Ke dared to call them mother. But now, they've transformed into concubines and noble ladies."
Yuan Dun and Yuan Ke were the names of the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Qin, respectively. Hearing his friend so angry that he was calling them by their full names, Fang Ying felt a little regretful for bringing this up. He quickly changed the subject, "Speaking of which, since these two share the same origin, they should have some kinship. Why does the Imperial Concubine often bully Concubine Hui and her son?"
"Incense and family affection? What are you thinking? The ones who entered the mansion together were the ones who fought the most fiercely. Otherwise, why did everyone else turn into dry bones, but only these two gave birth to sons and grew up?"
Fang Ying felt a chill run down her spine. "Are you saying that the other beauties died fighting each other?"
Seeing that she was a little frightened, Zhou Congshan patted his friend's hand and said in a gentle tone, "Some were driven out, but now there are only two of them left." He snorted, "If these slaves hadn't been so troublesome, causing my aunt to have to distract herself from disciplining them during her pregnancy, perhaps she wouldn't have been born prematurely, and my cousin wouldn't have been born weak and sickly..."
Fang Ying couldn't help but sigh, and then she thought about it and asked, "So what are they using to cause trouble this time?"
"Servant. The Imperial Concubine is in charge of the inner palace affairs. She caught Liu Yaban, a eunuch beside Concubine Hui, smuggling forbidden palace 'treasures' out of the palace and wants to punish him. Liu Yaban is a very capable eunuch beside Concubine Hui. The Imperial Concubine's action is equivalent to cutting off Concubine Hui's arm."
"Did Concubine Hui return the favor?"
"Whether she has returned it or not is hard to say now. Anyway, someone went to Kaifeng Prefecture today to accuse Concubine Zhang's nephew of robbing a woman and beating someone to death. He should be the one your uncle recognized."
"Report to Kaifeng Prefecture?" Fang Ying's first reaction was to worry about his father.
Zhou Congshan smiled and said, "Don't worry. This major case involving the royal family has naturally been delivered to the desk of His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu, the regent, as quickly as possible."
The King of Chu was the most capable of the Guan family's brothers. Fang Ying felt relieved and said with a smile, "That will be quite exciting to watch."
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Note: Xiaolian refers to cleaning the body of the deceased and dressing him in funeral clothes (funerary clothes).
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