Chapter 14 Ready to Depart! Part Two...
The verdict has been announced.
The fact that eunuchs and palace maids were having affairs in the palace is a dereliction of duty on the part of the Empress. The seal of the Empress has been split in two, and the power of the palace will be handed over to Consort Xian and Consort Shun to manage together. The Empress should then focus on her Buddhist practice.
As for the witchcraft incident... the culprit has also emerged: Consort Ye, who gave birth to the prematurely deceased Second Princess in her early years. She resented the Second Prince's healthy growth but dared not target the Third Prince, so she resorted to this heinous act. It is said that she was dragged away while still laughing maniacally and uttering insolent words, and was demoted to commoner status and banished to the Cold Palace.
"This isn't the real culprit." Qi Chengming came to this conclusion almost without thinking.
Putting aside the supervisory power Emperor Hongren granted him, did Consort Ye, who wasn't yet a concubine back then, have the opportunity and means to harm Consort Hua, who was at the height of her power at the time? She was just cannon fodder thrown out to quell the situation. To put it cruelly, Emperor Hongren needed to lull the real culprit into a false sense of security in order to find loopholes, so he needed a scapegoat to make everyone think that the matter was now over.
Perhaps in a few days, Consort Ye will "die of illness".
Qi Chengming remained silent for a long time, though he also wanted to find out the truth. But Emperor Hongren's way of doing things was indeed...
It disgusted him.
"Xiao Chengzi, how's your work with the kitchen going?" he asked softly.
Even though he had only been in the novel for less than a month, Qi Chengming was already thoroughly fed up with this cruel and hypocritical palace, and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Get to Liuzhou as soon as possible... to leave this disgusting place.
The young man lowered his eyes, absentmindedly playing with the gilded orchid-patterned flat pot, looking listless. Seeing this, Xiao Chengzi dared not relax and cautiously reported, "We have made contact quietly, and they are all willing to leave with Your Highness."
"Very good." Qi Chengming sighed, still looking rather listless.
Fortunately, it's already the end of the month, and Steward Song has almost finished the preparations. If he can just hold on for a few more days and go to the Marquis of Weiyong's residence to pick up Master Huang, then he'll be set for life!
No, he has to cherish these last few days.
Qi Chengming took a deep breath and tried to convince himself.
Although the capital was disgusting, it was his only chance to build up his foundation. Once he went to Liuzhou, his base would be solidified. Qi Chengming made another desperate trip to the imperial library, this time specifically selecting a batch of truly useful books from the royal collection, regardless of whether they were on water conservancy or disaster management, and devoured them all.
The good news is that the infrastructure system can scan blueprints or plans for backup... Qi Chengming had a sudden inspiration and decided to stop studying for now and instead focus on scanning the books he found useful.
This knowledge is truly priceless!
...
At the same time, other palaces reacted differently to the Emperor's latest decree.
"How's the investigation going?"
The eldest prince's birth mother, Consort Shu, became so interested that she leaned forward, pinched a segment of orange, and asked a palace servant.
The palace lockdown these past two days has been a hot topic not only for her, but for countless others in the harem who are eagerly seeking the reason. They are delighted to hear about the Empress's sudden misfortune, but as for Consort Ye's fate? Everyone's attention is focused on the "witchcraft accusation," wanting to hear the most sensational details.
Her head maid, still somewhat pale, quickly explained the situation:
"The servants were all summoned to witness the execution, and Eunuch Fuman did not forbid anyone from asking questions..." Rather, the chief eunuch ordered all the prominent palace maids and eunuchs to witness the execution so that they would understand the reasons and never repeat the offense.
...The two people who were finally dragged out, looking like tattered sacks, were covered in blood; it was a nightmare.
The head palace maid dared not think too much, swallowed hard, and continued, "I heard that it was the Third Prince's maid who stumbled upon it, and the Third Prince went back and confined himself to the palace to reflect on his actions."
Who could have imagined that such a shocking event would suddenly occur?
The eunuch in the Empress's palace couldn't resist temptation and not only formed a relationship with a young palace maid, but they were also caught openly displaying their affections in the palace. Nominally, the palace maids were all intended to be the Emperor's women.
This is a grave crime of defiling the harem.
"Eating together?" Consort Shu immediately covered her mouth and nose in disgust. Hearing such a sordid matter ruined her mood. She casually threw down the orange segment, having lost her appetite. "Don't talk about such unpleasant things... tell me in detail about the witchcraft calamity!"
The Third Prince's birth mother, Consort Rong, was also talking about the events of the past two days in her palace.
"So what if your second brother gets a good title?"
Consort Rong calmly comforted her son, her gaze gentle and warm, yet revealing a strange, rational coldness. "That was only because the Emperor was constrained by circumstances and had to make some compensation. He still has to go to Liuzhou to take up his fiefdom. My son... you don't need to put your mind on such a person."
Even if the Second Prince outside is unwilling to give up and wants to seize the throne, he would still need power and money, or fame and support—he must have at least one of these things, right? Which one does the Second Prince have?
Therefore, Consort Rong didn't take it seriously at all.
"It was my son who lost his composure," the Third Prince said with shame, regaining his composure.
He had always been a man of both literary and martial talents, the most outstanding and proud one. Suddenly, his father coldly beat him down to a position similar to that of the useless second son, which made him panic, lose his mind, and become anxious and restless.
...
The once bustling Queen's Palace is now desolate and deathly quiet.
After the power in the palace was divided, the empress, knowing the situation, took the initiative to close the palace and pretend to devote herself to Buddhism. However, she knelt on the prayer mat for a long time without chanting a single sutra, and seemed quite flustered.
The practice of sharing meals had always existed, but everyone tacitly agreed without pointing it out. Unless it was brought to light, the Empress was too lazy to care. The Emperor was also aware of this, and for it, he severely punished the Empress by stripping her of her power in the palace—the Empress, who knew her husband well, knew that this punishment was too harsh.
The Empress was troubled by this; she worried that the Emperor might have overheard something during his interrogation of Consort Ye, which was why he had punished her so severely.
"What's all the noise outside?" she suddenly asked coldly, her face hardening.
Soon, a boy, not quite a child, burst in, his face filled with anger: "Mother, it's Third Brother and Consort Rong playing tricks again, isn't it?!"
This is the Empress's only legitimate son, the ten-year-old Sixth Prince. Upon hearing the news, he stubbornly insisted that it was Consort Rong's side targeting them again. But what was satisfying was that... his father hadn't handed over palace power to his eldest and third brothers' mothers, but rather to two other women. Instead, his third brother was reprimanded and confined to his room to reflect on his actions.
Ha, what a fool you were! You tried to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead!
"Why did you come here?" The Empress's face relaxed for a moment before tightening again. She casually corrected her, "You should call Consort Rong, not by her given name."
Upon hearing her son's angry words, the Empress's expression turned weary and troubled. She said earnestly, "You should focus on your studies and stop thinking about these things. I will handle it myself—His Majesty only wants to see your brotherly affection and respect."
"I know, I know," the sixth prince replied perfunctorily.
Why isn't he anxious?
The eldest and third brothers have been arguing more and more frequently this year, and friction outside the palace is gradually emerging. The atmosphere in the Imperial Study is tense all day long. They've both started to have designs on his future position (something he can only think about secretly). Can he still sit still? Can't he fight back?
He was already five years younger than his elder brother, and he watched helplessly as they received more and more attention from their father. How could he be allowed to participate in this atmosphere? He was their father's only legitimate son!
"..." The Empress looked at her son's defiant little face and felt utterly exhausted.
She's said it so many times, but she just doesn't have the patience.
Although his son was the legitimate heir, his talent was mediocre. He couldn't match his eldest brother's gentlemanly demeanor, nor his third brother's combined literary and martial prowess... He was still young, and apart from his status, he was at a disadvantage in every way. How could he rush things under such circumstances? The more he rushed, the more chaos would ensue! Instead of patiently lying low for a few years, watching his eldest and third sons fight to the death before naturally revealing his own excellence, why would he rush in now? Wouldn't that be the act of a fool?
The Empress made up her mind.
She had nothing else to do during this time, so she decided to keep her son under control and temper his temperament. It would also help those restless people in her family to calm down.
She thought to herself coldly.
...
A few days passed quickly, and the beginning of next month arrived quietly.
On the day the Second Prince was about to depart for his fiefdom, the weather was quite nice, as if it knew he was going to leave—it became partly overcast, without much hot sunshine, and it didn't look like it would rain during the day.
Early in the morning, the Second Prince's luggage was already loaded onto carts, forming a grand procession of about thirty donkey carts and mule carts outside the palace gates. A dense throng of fully equipped imperial guards were also present, along with a dozen or so horses distributed among the accompanying commanders and minor officers. The palace maids and eunuchs, who had no special privileges and had to walk, the cooks from the imperial kitchen, a young imperial physician, several artisans assigned to Qi Chengming's household, and Master Huang, who remained hidden in the carts throughout the journey…
All in all, there are nearly two hundred people involved.
To the naked eye, it was a huge procession, with the streets packed with curious onlookers.
"So, everyone even gave me gifts for leaving Beijing?"
Qi Chengming glanced at the gift list absentmindedly, his smile ambiguous.
The princes still treated each other as brothers, so even if they didn't care about the Second Prince's enfeoffment, they still had to send him a farewell gift in a warm and friendly manner. They couldn't really ignore him like he was invisible. Although Qi Chengming hadn't been to the study since he transmigrated, and no one or teacher had asked him anything, he was basically invisible.
Of course, no matter how friendly you act, it's hard to hide your indifference.
So all that was delivered were gifts; no one actually came to give them to him.
Even the well-regarded, gentle elder brother, praised for his 'kindness' and 'gentlemanly demeanor,' didn't come. His sister-in-law's reason was that he had been too busy lately to come.
“Ren, ah.” Qi Chengming savored the word with amusement, feeling as if he had inadvertently revealed something again.
Being ignored can be a good thing sometimes; for example, he can see things more clearly by observing them objectively.
"Never mind them... Let's leave the palace."
Qi Chengming quickly put all these thoughts to the back of his mind; he was very busy today. When he bid farewell, Emperor Hongren gave him a distant look, and the two parted peacefully. Qi Chengming then went to the Imperial Clan Court. He was very grateful to the Imperial Clan Court Commander, the kind old man who had helped him the first time he transmigrated, and formally said goodbye.
There are also relatives from the Marquis of Weiyong's family.
Qi Chengming took some time to go back a couple of days ago to see everyone one last time, since he won't have time to go again after leaving today.
Supplies and personnel are now all prepared. Grandpa left contact information for his men, who will go ahead first, with scouts coming to meet them at each city. The group that goes further afield has already gone to Liuzhou, helping him find out the route there in batches, and then letting him make the decision.
It is initially estimated that their main force will arrive in Liuzhou in three to four months, by land.
If they take a boat south, traveling half by land and half by water, and arrive in Liuzhou before the dry season, their journey can be shortened to one and a half to two months.
Qi Chengming naturally chose the second mode of transportation for this trip, but renting a boat was too expensive. Looking at the budget sheet that Manager Song brought him for approval, his heart was bleeding, as if he were cutting off a piece of his own flesh.
—Look, which other prince is so struggling to make a living?
Qi Chengming chuckled to himself, feeling that he was so poor he was starting to feel anxious.
I need to think about how to make money next.
He was thinking about it.
As if sensing his worries and predicament, the infrastructure system suddenly refreshed its daily tasks a week later—
A note from the author:
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The palace map is now complete. Let's take a look at the basic impressions of the characters in the palace:
Emperor Hongren (a cold-hearted yet rational high-quality scumbag)
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The eldest son of Consort Shu: fifteen years old (a gentle hypocrite).
The second prince born to Consort Hua (deceased): thirteen years old (original form).
The third prince born to Consort Rong: thirteen years old (talented in both literature and martial arts but lacking in emotional intelligence).
The fourth and fifth princes died young.
The sixth prince born to the Empress: ten years old (of average talent).
The seventh prince, raised by Consort Shun (foster mother): eight years old (original male protagonist of the novel about the struggle for the throne).
The eldest princess and the second princess died young.
The Empress's only legitimate daughter: the Third Princess, twelve years old (who is the sole recipient of the Empress's affection).
——————
The current four consorts in the palace are: Consort Xian (who holds power in the palace), Consort Shun (who holds power in the palace), Consort Shu (who is elegant but pretentious), and Consort Rong (who is beautiful but scheming).
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