Chapter 215 Consort Rong banished to the Cold Palace
The Empress Dowager had just finished a bowl of duck and bird's nest porridge this morning and was savoring its flavor when she heard the news that her beloved grand-nephew had entered the palace.
"What trouble has that monkey gotten into this time?" She leaned slightly to the side, looking annoyed at the head palace maid who had served her for most of her life, and said with disdain, "Do you believe me? It's not a holiday, he must have come to the palace to ask me for help! If I'm right, you're not allowed to back out today when we're playing dominoes!"
The head maid in the Empress Dowager's palace was already respectfully addressed as "Needle Flower Auntie." Upon hearing this, she simply smiled and said, "Your Majesty is always incredibly insightful; this servant will not gamble!"
"Fine, I see you're still trying to cheat on the dominoes!"
After exchanging a few jokes, the young man, having already been informed, strode over from a distance.
Despite the Empress Dowager's earlier disdain, there was no hint of reproach in her tone; instead, her face was filled with a loving smile: "Tell me, what's the fuss about now?"
The Empress Dowager usually did not participate in any court affairs, nor did she like to dabble in palace power. She only helped manage things for a few years because the Emperor was willing to let her. She treated her grandchildren impartially, only daring to show kindness to her eldest grandson, but never daring to be overly affectionate. Because of this fair and reasonable way of handling things, she never had any conflicts with her son, the Emperor.
Even so, what's wrong with her doting on her maternal grandnephew?
This is my only hobby!
The emperor knew her well and bestowed official positions upon her father, brothers, and sons—the kind of leisurely and lucrative posts where one could eat one's fill of oil. As long as Hui'er didn't cause any major trouble, the emperor would turn a blind eye and ignore it. He would consider the child as someone who was fulfilling filial duties on her behalf.
As soon as Li Banhui entered the palace, he knelt down with perfect ease, then knelt and crawled over to the Empress Dowager, hugging her knees and acting like a spoiled child: "Grandma, someone bullied Hui'er, and Hui'er couldn't stand it and hit him! You must stand up for Hui'er!"
In ancient times, people of this age would already be married and have families, but Li Banhui, without any inhibitions, acted coquettishly and charmingly, entertaining his parents. The Empress Dowager chuckled at his antics, having always been susceptible to this kind of behavior since childhood: "Oh? Nonsense, you hit someone, and now you want me to settle things?" "Hmm... who was that person?"
Li Banhui said pitifully, "Yes...Third Prince."
The Empress Dowager and Aunt Zhenhua's eyes widened in surprise, and even the other palace maids and eunuchs guarding the gate almost couldn't control their gazes.
The Empress Dowager realized what she meant and almost laughed in anger: "You mean—Chengzhao, who is locked up in the Imperial Clan Court and can't leave, bullied you? And you even went and beat him up?? How badly did you beat him up? If it goes too far, I can't protect you."
Li Banhui nodded weakly and blurted out the whole story: "He broke both of his hands... My dear, you don't know, it was the Third Prince who bullied people! He's been bullying Prince Rui since he was a child, and now he's trying to cause trouble again during the imperial examinations..."
The Empress Dowager listened with one ear and the other for a long time, but it all sounded like the story of Prince Rui being tormented in the past and now seeking revenge. But how did this foolish grandson get involved? So righteous and open-hearted, yet he even went and broke both of the Third Prince's arms… Was she using the Second Grandson as leverage?
The Empress Dowager remained silent and hesitant for a moment.
She herself doesn't take sides, but she can't stop her family from showing favoritism. Not to mention Hui'er, Cheng Yan has been coming to pay his respects to her lately, and he keeps mentioning how good his second brother is.
The Empress Dowager has only ever favored these two grandsons; she doesn't even want to compete for the throne anymore, even for the legitimate prince Chengyan, her heart is completely devoted to her second brother. Hui'er is also making it clear she wants to stand with them…
That's enough.
Is there any way to stop them?
The Empress Dowager came to her senses and looked at Li Banhui, whose face was full of worry and affection. She reached out and patted the child's thin back, coaxing him, "Alright, leave this matter to me. Go back to Ansheng and stay for a few days. Don't let your parents worry anymore... Once things have calmed down, you can go out and play again."
"Sigh!" Li Banhui readily agreed, his eyes beginning to sting as he looked at the kind old man in front of him.
In this lifetime, he must secure his position with the Crown Prince early on, and every few years, arrange for the Crown Prince's renowned physician to treat the Empress Dowager. He cannot allow the Empress Dowager's illness to worsen due to negligence, lest she pass away suddenly in a few years. He must also uphold the family's honor! He must lead his entire family to serve the Crown Prince as soon as possible, so that their fortunes do not plummet and they do not end up in a miserable state…
Li Banhui sniffed, straightened his chest, and held back his tears.
He's now working for His Highness the Crown Prince! In this life, Prince Rui hasn't been appointed Crown Prince yet, but in the future—he'll be a former subordinate of the Crown Prince! Who knew he'd waited so many years for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Waaah, His Highness has finally recognized his loyalty!
...
Qi Chengming is still unaware of what happened with the playboy.
After closing the examination hall, the examiners became completely oblivious to everything else. When the appointed time arrived, the officers and soldiers distributed the examination papers and paraded the candidates around the hall, carrying wooden plaques with the questions written on them. The vast examination hall was completely silent, and the students held their breath, so much so that you could hear the sound of pages turning if you listened carefully.
'It should be around these next two days, right?' Qi Chengming calculated the time, keeping a close eye on the palace surveillance cameras, which had not yet shown any unusual activity.
He waited to see how things would unfold.
Inside the examination hall... some familiar faces were writing furiously.
Qin Liusong wrote with a calm and composed expression, showing no sign of panic even after reading the question.
Zhang Ting wrote carefully on the scrap paper, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He quickly wiped them away with his sleeve, not daring to delay even a moment. Whether he could change his allegiance and avenge his uncle depended entirely on this day.
The two Huang brothers were unfortunately assigned to a stinking cell. One was sweating profusely as he wrote, while the other was pale-faced. Both of them gritted their teeth and persevered.
Despite being an illegitimate son from a prominent family, Zhang Ji adapted remarkably well to the harsh environment. Wrapped in thin clothes, shivering from the cold, his hand remained remarkably steady as he wrote. During a break, he looked up into the distance, his gaze momentarily detached: "..."
call.
In order to get married...
The thought that if his two brothers-in-law from the Huang family passed the imperial examinations while he failed meant the marriage would be completely off the table. Zhang Ji gritted his teeth, cleared his mind, and continued to bury himself in his work.
Several unfamiliar candidates, looking at the familiar exam questions, had expressions that seemed to be a mix of joy and sorrow. They suppressed their excitement and wrote down their own ideas and strategies from their previous lives in one go.
Although the exam was held earlier this time... it was set by the new emperor! They knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, their chances of making the list were practically guaranteed.
At this moment, countless people in the six ministries were eagerly anticipating what was to come.
Grand Secretary Mu's expression was far from pleasant; instead, he let out a long, worried sigh and carried his great-granddaughter around the courtyard.
"After this imperial examination, I wonder how many extraordinary people will be listed..."
The wind carried away his barely audible murmur.
The resurrected officials in the court are already difficult enough to manage. Although nothing has been found in the case of the eldest prince's death from smallpox, Grand Secretary Mu suspects that there were actually resurrected people instigating those who carried out the massacre of the family.
The more people there are, the harder they are to manage.
But the only thing that comforted Grand Scholar Mu was that as more and more of these special ministers came along, everyone kept their mouths shut and adhered to the tacit understanding that no one would reveal the details to the new emperor.
From the very beginning, things didn't unfold quite the same way as in the previous life. They reaped little benefit from the 'prophecy.' But what if they went to the new ruler to expose the truth in exchange for closer ties?
Those who earn their official positions through honest and hard work are all handpicked from across the country; none of them are fools. Is the new emperor the kind of person who believes everything he hears, whoever his ministers say? Aren't you afraid that if the new emperor finds out everything, he'll be asking who his most trusted and beloved ministers were in his past life?
The more people who are reborn, the more they can check and balance each other.
This matter is still being debated today. Perhaps only when the power structure under the new ruler is about to stabilize will someone be willing to expose this strange tacit understanding.
...
The imperial examinations passed in a flash, and the capital fell into an eerie calm.
In fact, on the very day Qi Shuren was beaten, he angrily demanded that the guards outside report it and even insisted on being treated by the imperial physician.
The guards dared not fail to report, but when they arrived before the emperor, Emperor Hongren was stunned: "Why would that brat from the Li family go and beat up a commoner for no reason?"
His eyes swept to the side, and the well-prepared Eunuch Fuman said with great effort, "Your Majesty, this morning the young master of the Li family also entered the palace and stayed for the time it takes to drink three cups of tea before leaving. The Empress Dowager's people then went to Consort Xue's palace, the Second Prince's residence, and Shan'en Hall to inquire about some old matters."
Emperor Hongren went over it in his mind twice. Before he could even feel angry at being offended, he felt even more puzzled and asked, "What's going on? Zhao Fuman, go and investigate."
The plump, white eunuch bowed slightly and said, "This servant will make a trip right away."
He loves gossip, and His Majesty's order this time hits the nail on the head.
Zhao Fuman retraced his steps, extracting a secret from Zhao Meiren, the new maidservant who had moved in with Consort Xue. His eyes lit up at the conversation. He then went to Shan'en Hall to personally see the witness, Aunt Anxiang, and went to the Shenxing Division to confirm that the two men sent by the Second Prince were dead. Finally, he went to the palace maid Gantang, who was under the Second Prince's command, before returning to the Emperor's presence, completely satisfied.
"...Your Majesty, everything I have said is true. Please, Your Majesty, do justice for our Prince!" Gan Tang knelt on the ground and recounted everything about Nanny Liu, including all the open and covert attacks over the past few years. Just thinking about it filled her with endless sorrow.
Emperor Hongren's face flushed red and then paled, his chest heaving violently, and he was so angry he felt dizzy: "..."
He knew there were some unspeakable sordid affairs in the palace, but he wouldn't interfere unless it was absolutely necessary. He never imagined that Consort Rong was so ruthless behind the scenes! The Third Prince, at such a young age, dared to plot to push his elder brother into an abandoned well, and Consort Rong was even more audacious enough to send people to hunt down the prince's wet nurse and so many palace maids and eunuchs!
What is she trying to do?!
If Chengming hadn't been lucky, would she have tried to harm him too?!
Upon thinking of this, Emperor Hongren suddenly forgot his anger and felt a chill in his heart.
The two sons were indeed poisoned. If they hadn't been discovered and treated in time, the poison would have penetrated deeply, leaving them not only crippled but also living a life worse than death!
That time, Emperor Hongren's investigation revealed that the person who committed the poisoning and the person who instigated it in the court were two separate groups, either the Seventh Prince or the Third Prince. The clues eventually led back to them. Emperor Hongren suppressed the results for the time being, intending to thoroughly purge them all when Chengming was made Crown Prince.
Now that I think about it... the person who dared to commit such a heinous act was probably Consort Rong!
Emperor Hongren was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. When he thought of Consort Rong's beautiful face, all he could think of was her viciousness.
So the meaning behind all this commotion these past few days is quite clear...
It was the second son who had reached his limit and was retaliating.
Emperor Hongren didn't see anything wrong with his second son having his brother's hands broken; that bastard was now a commoner! He was no longer his son! Even when Qi Chengming sent two palace maids and eunuchs to the Imperial Prison without warning and had them executed, Emperor Hongren felt gratified.
Now he finally looks like a prince.
But if he were the one suffering these things—ha, his revenge wouldn't just be breaking someone's hand.
That person can forget about living!
Emperor Hongren thought this way, but he was not dissatisfied with his two sons' actions at this time.
Ultimately, regarding the matter of Qi Shuren being beaten, Emperor Hongren showed no intention of punishing Li Banhui and Qi Chengming. Instead, he seemed to be supporting his two sons, saying, "Consort Rong is vicious, and I especially dislike her! Strip her of her title and demote her to commoner status. Send her to the Cold Palace."
He waved his hand irritably, as if shooing away a mosquito: "I don't want to see her again."
"Tell the Imperial Clan Court that that scoundrel is stripped of his name and is forbidden from claiming to be a member of the royal Qi clan! No more news of him should be released, and don't bring any more of his affairs to my attention." Emperor Hongren didn't want to hear about his troublesome son anymore. He could let his second son vent his anger however he wanted.
The Third Prince's lineage was reduced to a few scattered individuals, which infuriated Emperor Hongren. He killed some and demoted others, venting his anger before he felt better.
—It turns out that it was all these fools who were causing trouble, otherwise Erzi wouldn't have suffered so much hardship since childhood!
Emperor Hongren believed he had a reason.
"yes."
After finishing his melon, Fu Man Gonggong left satisfied, carrying several imperial edicts with him.
This is tantamount to His Majesty acknowledging that he no longer intends to protect the reputation of the 'Third Prince's birth mother,' and that he intends for Yu, a commoner, to suffer and die in the cold palace. It also signifies the complete downfall of the Third Prince's faction. Even the ashes of a dying flame have been extinguished; it's utterly over!
the next day.
When the imperial edict spread throughout the capital, Song Gu heard the gatekeeper report that he had dropped one of his tokens. He was stunned: "...!"
Wait, who?
The Third Prince's mother has been completely demoted and forgotten. Who will advise him? Who will recruit soldiers for him? What about the future palace coup?
The palace coup that Song Gu had been waiting for so long never happened!
...We haven't even done anything yet, how come you've already collapsed?
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