Chapter 174 Beating the Doghead
Lan Yuanshou rushed over and saw that Emperor Qingyuan's face was as pale as gold paper, his breath was weak, his legs went soft, and he almost fell to the ground.
"W-What's going on?"
Officials said they wanted to know, too.
Didn’t Your Majesty go to the Cining Palace to visit the Empress Dowager who had recovered from a stroke? Why was he carried back covered in blood?
Fu Rui wiped his tears and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty drank the tea from the Cining Palace and vomited blood a short time later. He only fainted after the arrival of the gentlemen."
Everyone's expression changed slightly.
Cining Palace?
Queen Mother!
Fu Rui's plump face was stern, and murderous intent surged in his eyes. "Lord Lan, please make sure to heal His Majesty, otherwise..."
Headmaster Lan was sweating profusely. He knelt before the dragon bed, medicine box in hand, and said, "I will do my best to heal Your Majesty."
Fu Rui corrected him coldly, "It's not about doing everything we can, but about ensuring His Majesty recovers from the crisis in the shortest possible time, completely recovering, and leaving no future problems!"
Dean Lan had a bitter taste in his mouth and beads of sweat the size of beans on his forehead. He wiped them hastily and answered repeatedly while checking the pulse of Emperor Qingyuan.
Fu Rui stood in front of the dragon bed, staring at Lan Yuanshou with his dark eyes, as if he would chop off his head on the spot if he dared to do anything against His Majesty.
Dean Lan felt the pressure, swallowed his saliva, forced himself to calm down, and focused on taking the pulse with his eyes half closed.
Twenty or thirty eyes fell on Dean Lan. They saw him frown first, take a deep breath, and then check the tongue coating of Emperor Qingyuan. His expression became more and more solemn. They felt a pang in their hearts and thought to themselves that something was wrong.
Fu Rui clenched his whisk and pursed his lips: "How is your Majesty?"
Lan Yuanshou's voice was weak: "Your Majesty is... poisoned."
Everyone's hearts sank to the bottom, and Fury's legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.
Fu Rui's face turned pale and blue, his breathing became heavy, and his chest rose and fell rapidly. He grabbed Lan Yuanshou's arm and gritted his teeth, "I want you to detoxify His Majesty immediately! Right now! Right now!"
Dean Lan's arm was pinched, and he gasped in pain, but he didn't dare to delay and nodded repeatedly: "Lan has some clues. This will help Your Majesty detoxify."
Fu Rui closed his eyes, propped himself up and stood up, then told his godson Yu Jue, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and invite the vice-chiefs."
Yu Jue responded and trotted away.
Fu Rui looked at the important officials in the court again, and the coldness in his tone did not diminish in the slightest: "The Qianqing Palace is guarded by servants. I hope that everyone will remember His Majesty's instructions and assist Prince Rui in stabilizing the government."
"Your Majesty has ordered us, how dare we disobey?" Shi Zishan said solemnly, "But the news that Your Majesty has been poisoned and is in a coma will sooner or later spread, causing panic among the people and destabilizing their morale. I'm afraid there will be endless troubles."
Fu Rui held his whisk, his back straight, as if he was still the most popular person in the imperial court and the emperor's confidant: "Master Shi, you are worrying too much. The emperor will recover soon and return to the former court to take charge of the political situation."
Having said this, Shi Zishan said no more, but the heaviness in his heart did not lessen in the slightest.
"In that case, I will take my leave first."
Fu Rui stood in front of the dragon bed, staring straight at Emperor Qingyuan: "My lords, please take care. I'm sorry I can't see you off."
When the officials walked out of the Qianqing Palace, the cold wind blew in their faces, making them shiver uncontrollably.
"The Queen Mother is really..."
"Although it's offensive, I still have something to say. The Queen Mother is really confused and muddle-headed. She came from a peasant family and has no ambition to make progress. She only knows how to act recklessly and help the tyrant to commit atrocities. She is truly unfit to be the mother of the Son of Heaven!"
"I hope Your Majesty can survive this and escape danger."
"Looking at your Majesty's appearance, he must be a very domineering poison. Your Majesty is also very old, I'm afraid..."
Du Qingtang stroked the waistband with his fingertips and said slowly, "Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor. Good people will be blessed by heaven. You will definitely be able to turn danger into safety."
With the cunning Emperor Qingyuan, facing his biological mother who had colluded with Prince Jin, no matter how much he lacked love, he would never let down his guard and allow the Queen Mother to poison him.
Not to mention, how could he bear to die without seeing Princess Zhaoyang ascend the throne and rule the country?
It’s a pity that no one knows the candidate for the crown prince in Emperor Qingyuan’s mind, nor do they see through Emperor Qingyuan’s cunning and cunning tactics, who will do anything to achieve his goals.
In order to secure his throne and eliminate evil, he even gave up his own sons and watched them die without any help or intervention.
They only knew that Emperor Qingyuan was poisoned and was in critical condition.
They only knew that Prince Rui would soon become regent and would ascend the throne to rule the country in the near future.
They only knew that Daxia's future was dark and the road ahead was extremely bleak.
Du Qingtang had no intention of reminding them, not even giving a hint.
When everything is settled, the true and false crown prince will be revealed.
The most important thing she should do now, besides purifying the tungsten powder, is to be extremely alert and take advantage of this opportunity to kill that bastard Xia Qixuan in one fell swoop.
......
The news that the Empress Dowager poisoned Emperor Qingyuan, causing him to vomit blood and fall into a coma, and then hit his head against a pillar and died, spread, causing an uproar in the court.
King Rui's party rushed to tell each other and celebrated.
"Your Majesty's ordering of Prince Rui as regent is an acknowledgement that he is the next emperor."
"If Your Majesty agrees on this... Prince Rui will soon ascend the throne, and our status will rise accordingly. How wonderful! How wonderful!"
The princes' party, except for Prince Rui's party, felt as if they had lost their parents.
In the past few years, they had often fought against the Fourth Prince's party. Later, the Fourth Prince died suddenly, and Prince Rui took over his political resources. They took advantage of the decline of the Cao family and Prince Rui's inability to handle the heavy responsibility, and acted more unscrupulously, forcing many of Prince Rui's party to have no place to stand in the court.
Unexpectedly, the situation changed and Prince Rui became the definite heir to the throne.
When His Majesty passes away and Prince Rui ascends the throne, will they still be able to live a good life?
"Why not try to seek refuge with King Rui?"
"If all else fails, I'll resign and return home to buy a few acres of land. I'll live comfortably as a wealthy man and at least have a good ending."
There were also officials in the cabinet who complained bitterly, and were caught by the Grand Secretary of the Dongke Academy. He pointed at their noses and scolded them on the spot, and then drove them out of the cabinet and sent them to serve as officials in remote places.
Finally, the Grand Secretary of the Dongge Academy did not forget to protest to Shi Shoufu: "Those people have offended the dignity of the imperial family and should have been thrown into prison and severely punished. Considering Your Majesty was poisoned and unconscious, I will only expel them from Xiajing. This can be considered as accumulating blessings for Your Majesty. What do you think, Prime Minister?"
Shi Zishan is loyal to Emperor Qingyuan, and he is upright and incorruptible, and cannot tolerate any injustice.
No matter how Cao Yuan and the Fourth Prince tried to win him over or how they promised him huge benefits, Shi Zishan ignored them all and didn't even bother to look at them.
When Prince Rui ascends the throne, what qualifications does Shi Zishan have to continue to serve as the Prime Minister?
As the head of the civil servants, it is time for him to sit in the top chair in the cabinet!
Shi Zishan has always looked down upon the petty behavior of the Grand Secretary of the Dongge. Even when Prince Rui was the regent and the Cao family made a comeback, he was too disdainful to flatter the Grand Secretary of the Dongge. He just glanced at the Grand Secretary of the Dongge lightly and walked away with the documents.
The Grand Secretary of the Dongge hit the cotton with his fist, fell backward in anger, and said through gritted teeth: "I'll let you be proud for a few more days!"
For the entire morning, everyone was paying attention to the movements in the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Fu Rui summoned the imperial guards and surrounded the Qianqing Palace like an iron barrel. Anyone entering or leaving the Qianqing Palace had to be searched to ensure that they were not carrying any dangerous items before being allowed to pass.
The imperial physicians came in and out, all with solemn expressions on their faces. One could guess without asking that Emperor Qingyuan must be in a bad condition.
In mild cases, the remaining poison is difficult to clear, and in severe cases, the patient's life is hanging by a thread.
Either way, it is not a good sign for officials outside the Rui Wang Party.
During lunch, Grand Secretary Qi couldn't help but grumble to Du Qingtang, "He's like a crab in the river, wanting to run around the cabinet like a tyrant. He's really annoying!"
No names were mentioned, but every word was clear.
Du Qingtang took a chopstick of hot and sour potato shreds, chewed them slowly and said, "He's just a dog relying on the power of others."
Academician Qi was so shocked by these six words that he choked. He quickly turned his head away, covered his face with his sleeves, and coughed hard, gasping for breath.
Although Qi Daxueshi also thought so, it was a fact that Prince Rui was in power, so he really didn't dare to "speak nonsense."
Grand Secretary Qi coughed for a long time before finally stopping. His face flushed red as he muttered softly, "It would be great if Your Majesty had a prince who was living abroad."
Du Qingtang: “…”
There is no prince living abroad, but there is a future empress.
"Hurry up and eat. There's still a lot of official business waiting for you." Du Qingtang lowered his head to eat and said lightly, "Unless, Master Qi, you want to work late into the night."
Academician Qi was startled, and his chopsticks left a trail of shadows as he quickly filled his stomach. He said hello and went straight to the duty room.
Du Qingtang finally had some peace and quiet. He finished his meal leisurely, went back to the duty room to finish the remaining paperwork, and then went to the research institute.
"Sir!" As soon as I walked through the gate, Researcher Zhu came to greet me. It looked like he had been waiting for a long time. "I have improved the handlebars of the two-wheeled vehicle as you requested."
Du Qingtang met the man's expectant gaze, and finally did not refuse, and followed him to the laboratory.
The improved handlebars can indeed control the direction freely. Du Qingtang tried it out and said, "No problem. I have already sent people to find the raw materials for making wheels. However, it may take until next year to get any news."
Researcher Zhu waved his hands repeatedly. "It's okay, it's okay. Good things never come late. It's only a few months. I can still wait."
Du Qingtang stopped talking and went to his own laboratory to continue his battle of wits and courage with tungsten ore.
After all this busy work, it was already evening when I looked up again.
Du Qingtang cleaned up the mess on the table and floor, took it to the garbage station outside, locked the door and left the institute.
Back at Marquis Wen'an's Mansion, the golden crow was setting in the west and the jade rabbit was rising in the east.
As usual, Meng Fang stood beside the stone lion with a lantern, welcoming the return of the owner of the Marquis' Mansion.
After Du Qingtang dismounted and threw the reins to the doorman, Meng Fang asked with a smile, "Where do you plan to have dinner, Master?"
"Main courtyard." Du Qingtang said.
Meng Fangbian sent someone to the kitchen to pass on the message, and took Du Qingtang back to the main courtyard with a lantern. He watched his master walk in, stood there for a moment, and then left quietly.
Du Qingtang doesn't like extravagance and usually doesn't light candles when no one is in the room, and this is no exception to the case tonight.
When the maidservant serving in the main courtyard saw her master coming back, she just bowed from a distance and did not come forward.
——The master does not like servants to follow him or be overly attentive to him. They just need to be available whenever they are called and do their job well.
The main room was pitch dark, with no sight of one's hand in front of one's face.
Du Qingtang lifted the door curtain and walked in. Just as he was about to touch the tinderbox on the antique shelf beside the door, he suddenly saw a figure looming in the inner room, as if it was there and not there.
Du Qingtang's eyes darkened slightly, and he turned his hand that was reaching for the fire starter, grabbed the big-bellied vase, and smashed it over with lightning speed.
"Bang!"
The shadow dodged calmly, and the vase hit nothing, sending fragments flying everywhere. The crisp sound broke the silence of the night.
"Lord Du has a terrible temper." The shadow's voice was low, revealing a barely perceptible smile. "This vase has no eyes. What if it hurts someone?"
The deep voice sounded particularly familiar. Du Qingtang's hand that was reaching for the sword on the wall suddenly stopped, and his eyes became increasingly unfriendly.
At this moment, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the house. It was the maid who heard the noise and ran over to find out what was going on: "Master, what's going on?"
The sound was getting closer and closer. Du Qingtang said calmly through the door curtain, "It's okay. I accidentally knocked over the vase."
The maid's hand fell on the edge of the door curtain, and she was about to walk in: "Master, please don't move. Be careful not to cut your feet with the splinters. I will light a candle and clean up the splinters..."
"No need." Du Qingtang interrupted her, his tone brooking no argument, "I need to change my clothes, come back later."
The maidservant didn't suspect anything and withdrew her hand that had already grasped the edge of the door curtain: "Yes, I will take my leave."
Du Qingtang used muscle memory to find the tinder and lit the candle.
The flickering candlelight dispels the darkness in the room.
Du Qingtang stared at the uninvited guest in the inner room through the green bead curtain, his face expressionless.
The uninvited guest spread his hands, looking like a scoundrel: "Please forgive me, Lord Du, I really have nowhere else to go, so I'm bothering you so much."
Du Qingtang: "...breaking into a woman's bedroom without permission is ungentlemanly."
The uninvited guest knew he was in the wrong, so he bowed and said something particularly shameless: "Master Du, please be magnanimous. Don't bother with an old man like me."
Du Qingtang snorted coldly and stepped forward.
Just as she was about to lift the bead curtain, her eyes shifted and fell on the west wall.
A secret door suddenly appeared at the place where the landscape painting was hung.
The secret door is connected to a secret passage, leading to an unknown place in the distance.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Du Qingtang stared at the smiling face of the uninvited guest, gritted his teeth and endured, took a deep breath and endured, closed his eyes and endured.
After failing to endure, Du Qingtang could no longer bear it and threw the fire starter in his hand away.
-
The next day, the morning light was dim.
After Du Qingtang finished his morning exercise, he called together the maids, servants and nannies in the main courtyard.
"I've been catching a cold lately, with a terrible headache. I can't stand any noise. Please pack two sets of clothes and move out for a while. Come back and take care of me when I'm well again."
Nanny Fang, who was in charge of all matters in the main courtyard, immediately changed her expression, her eyes filled with worry. "Master, have you seen the imperial physician? Even if it's just a cold, it shouldn't be taken lightly."
Du Qingtang said nonsense seriously, "The imperial physician at the mansion prepared some pills the day before yesterday, and he's taking them right now."
Nanny Fang, nearly fifty years old but still fair-skinned, flushed red. She slapped her head and said, "Look at my memory. Isn't the Eighth Miss the imperial physician? Why bother looking for someone so far away?"
Du Qingtang glanced at Meng Fang, who leaned forward slightly, displaying a respectful attitude: "Master, rest assured, I will make sure they are properly accommodated."
Du Qingtang withdrew his gaze expressionlessly and went to the side room to wash up.
Meng Fang smiled bitterly in his heart, thinking that his master was holding a grudge against him.
But it’s no wonder that the master was angry, this was indeed not a very fair thing to do.
Even a clay figure has a clay temperament, let alone its master.
Meng Fang was extremely helpless, but his face showed no sign of it. He stood straight in the yard, his half-smile on his face making everyone's hair stand on end. "Everyone, pack up quickly and follow me."
Everyone responded in unison and trotted away as if there were vicious dogs chasing them.
......
At the hour of Mao, Prince Rui appeared in the Golden Throne Hall on time, wearing the royal royal robes.
Fu Rui ordered someone to place a chair at the lower left of the dragon throne. Prince Rui climbed up the stairs, shook the corner of his robe, and sat down leisurely.
All officials knelt and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the emperor" three times.
"My Lords, please stand."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
All officials stood still, and Yu Jue sang loudly: "If you have something to report, please report it. If not, please leave the court——"
As soon as he finished speaking, an official stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I have something to report."
Prince Rui raised his hand: "Yes."
The official bowed and spoke slowly.
The one-hour long grand court meeting ended, and Yu Jue flicked his whisk and said: "Dismiss the court——"
All officials saluted: "Farewell, Your Highness."
Prince Rui left surrounded by a group of officials from his party. The remaining officials had different expressions and were discussing the matter.
"I don't know how His Majesty is doing now."
"Prince Rui is a bit violent and unruly on a daily basis, but he is very serious about government affairs. Perhaps he can become a wise ruler in the future."
"It's easy to change the country, but it's hard to change one's nature. Today is my first day as regent, so I have to act accordingly."
"No matter what, I still hope that Your Majesty can overcome this danger, live a long life, and lead Daxia to further success."
"With the foundation laid by Your Majesty's Qingyuan Reign, even if... our Great Xia Dynasty can last for tens of millions of years."
Du Qingtang never participated in conversations that could easily be overheard, criticized or attacked. He bowed to several cabinet ministers and went to the cabinet alone.
After the routine roll call, Du Qingtang returned to the duty room, fetched a basin of clean water, and wiped the desk and bookshelf one by one with a rag.
Ever since the production of tungsten filaments reached a bottleneck, Du Qingtang was extremely busy every day. His mind was full of extraction equipment and tungsten powder, and he was too lazy to clean the duty room once a day.
The last cleaning was vaguely five days ago. There was a layer of dust everywhere in the duty room. Du Qingtang had to wipe it twice before it was clean. The clear water in the copper basin also became turbid.
Du Qingtang went out to get some water, and when he came back he found that there was one more person in the duty room.
He was wearing royal robes, gently waving a folding fan, his eyes were like peach blossoms, his nose was high, and there was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, giving him a romantic and dissolute look.
It turned out to be Prince Rui who had been sitting in a high position and regulating the country by imperial order not long ago.
Du Qingtang's eyes suddenly turned cold: "Get out."
Prince Rui sighed softly, "Lord Du is always so ruthless. I don't know what to do with you."
Du Qingtang gripped the rim of the basin, took a quick step forward, and pulled Prince Rui away from her chair.
Prince Rui was not angry. He retreated with Du Qingtang's force, leaning against the corner of the table like a boneless person, looking at her with a smile: "But no matter how coldly Lord Du treats me, I will not be willing to lift a finger against you."
Du Qingtang moved his fingertips slightly and pursed his lips.
Prince Rui stared at Du Qingtang, who was sitting across the table from him, his eyes unconsciously revealing a hint of aggression: "Lord Du, now that I am about to ascend to the throne, are you still going to keep me at a distance?"
He rested his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and spoke with a strong hint of temptation: "I can promise Lord Du that after I ascend the throne, I will definitely make you the queen, and I can also let you continue to serve in the court, or even..."
"Open the imperial examinations to women and allow women to serve as officials in the court."
Du Qingtang's eyes moved slightly.
Prince Rui seemed to be encouraged and said, "If Lord Du doesn't believe it, we can sign a contract as proof."
Du Qingtang smiled slowly, like melting ice and snow, and his superior facial features were like thick ink and heavy colors, outlining a bit of beauty.
Prince Rui was stunned, his eyes unable to hide his obsession.
Du Qingtang's smile remained unchanged as he hooked his finger and said, "Come here."
With such a beauty in front of him, all rationality and caution were thrown out of his mind. Prince Rui leaned forward and said, "Lord Du, you..."
"Bang——"
The copper basin hit Prince Rui's head fiercely. The crisp sound was like thunder in his ears, and Prince Rui's face suddenly turned as dark as water: "How dare you..."
"Bang!"
Du Qingtang slapped him again with his backhand, his eyes and eyebrows filled with chill, piercing his bones: "If you let me be your ancestor, I can still reluctantly consider it."
After saying this, he took a big step back, walked around the desk, and kicked King Rui's calf again.
This time, King Rui was on guard and dodged to the side.
Unexpectedly, Du Qingtang only feinted, and before King Rui could stand firm, she kicked him again.
As luck would have it, the kick hit him right between the legs.
Prince Rui's mind went blank for a moment. When he came to his senses, he had already fallen to the ground, holding his hands and growling in pain. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his whole face turned tomato red.
Du Qingtang kicked him again: "You bastard, I've been wanting to hit you for a long time."
Prince Rui sucked in a breath of cold air, his eyes no longer frivolous, but filled with coldness: "Du Qingtang, don't refuse a toast and drink a penalty!"
Du Qingtang stood tall and graceful, adjusting her wide sleeves lightly: "I don't like toasts or penalty drinks, I only like Qingluo wine."
King Rui: “???”
Prince Rui: “…”
Prince Rui reacted and laughed despite his anger: "Okay, okay, if that's the case, don't blame me for not honoring our past friendship!"
Du Qingtang raised his chin slightly and said, "Get lost."
Prince Rui got up, straightened his royal robes, looked at Du Qingtang deeply, and left.
As soon as I went out, I ran into several university scholars.
Everyone was stunned when they saw King Rui's clothes were covered with dust and his hair was wet, and he came out of the duty room of the Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace.
"Your humble servant greets His Majesty."
Prince Rui glanced at them coldly and strode away.
Du Qingtang placed the copper basin with two holes in it on the brazier rack and nodded to the adults outside the door.
Academician Qi turned his head to look at Prince Rui's seemingly angry back, then looked at Du Qingtang, opened his mouth, and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
The Grand Secretary of the Dongge narrowed his eyes and looked at Du Qingtang with an especially unfriendly look: "What does the prince want you to do?"
"Are you questioning me?" Du Qingtang said in a calm tone, explaining to the others, "Just now, the prince came to the cabinet to pick up a memorial. He saw me in the duty room, so he came in to say a few words. Who would have thought that I accidentally stepped into the water and fell."
Qi Daxueshi breathed a sigh of relief, although he didn't know why he was relieved. "I see, no wonder the prince looked unhappy."
The Grand Secretary of the Dongge snorted coldly: "It's better to be like this, otherwise..."
Others don't know that as a cabinet minister and Cao Yuan's right-hand man, how could he not know that King Rui intended to take Du Qingtang as a concubine.
The Grand Secretary of Dongge knew Du Qingtang's abilities better than anyone else. If she were to marry Prince Rui, his niece would not only not be favored, but would probably be killed by this vicious woman sooner or later.
Flies swarmed one after another, and Du Qingtang was annoyed. "If you can't speak, don't speak. If your throat is sick, go get treatment. Even I understand this principle. You are already old, so you still don't understand it, right?"
The Grand Secretary of the Dongge was so angry that his beard stood up: "Du Qingtang!"
Du Qingtang didn't want to pay attention to him, so he bowed to the others and slammed the door.
The Grand Secretary of the Dongge jumped up and down: "It's unreasonable! It's unreasonable!"
Everyone looked at each other, shook their heads, left the Dongke Grand Secretary, and dispersed.
......
On the second day after Emperor Qingyuan was poisoned, imperial doctors were still coming in and out of the Qianqing Palace.
At the same time, the news spread throughout the community.
The people were panicked and cried bitterly.
"Why do evils always linger for thousands of years, while good people always have a miserable fate?"
"Your Majesty is a wise ruler. What if something happens to him and the next emperor is not as good as Your Majesty?"
"Buddha bless you, may your majesty get better soon!"
On the way back to Prince Rui's mansion, Prince Rui sneered meaningfully while listening to the people's uneasy pleas. The walnut in his palm turned, and the clicking sound made people's scalps numb.
After bathing and changing his clothes, Prince Rui sat beside the charcoal basin in his underwear, allowing the court physician to apply medicine to the swelling on his head.
The two lumps were close to each other, and despite the court physician's caution, he still inevitably hurt Prince Rui.
Prince Rui hissed softly, and the court physician's legs softened, and he fell to his knees, his voice trembling with fear, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I didn't mean to..."
"Send it to feed Jinbao."
At a command from Prince Rui, a servant dragged the palace doctor away.
The court physician knew that Jinbao was the tiger raised by Prince Rui, and was terrified: "Your Highness, please spare me! Your Highness, please spare me... Ugh!"
King Rui T's ears quieted down, he frowned, closed his eyes, and tapped the table lightly with his fingers.
Thinking of Du Qingtang's disdain for him, Prince Rui curled his lips, stood up and walked towards the main courtyard where Princess Rui lived.
It is said that a forced melon is not sweet, but whether it is sweet or not can only be known by tasting it.
From the night he dreamed of Du Qingtang, she could only be his.
......
Princess Rui is already seven months pregnant and is currently walking slowly in the yard, supported by her maid Caiwei.
Prince Rui walked into the main courtyard and his eyes fell on Princess Rui's bulging belly. His eyes were full of scrutiny and thought, without a trace of tenderness.
As a mother, Princess Rui was very sensitive to malicious intent and subconsciously protected her belly.
After seeing who it was, Princess Rui clutched her handkerchief tightly and bowed, "Your Highness."
Prince Rui waved Caiwei away and personally supported Princess Rui: "It's freezing cold in the twelfth lunar month, Princess, it's better for you to stay out as little as possible.
Princess Rui was like a herbivore caught by the scruff of a beast. She sensed impending danger, and the color drained from her pretty face. She whispered softly, "I'm indeed a little tired and want to rest for a while. Sister Gao caught a cold a while ago and hasn't recovered yet. When she paid her respects this morning, she was thinking of Your Highness. Why don't You go and see Sister Gao?"
"No need." Prince Rui's tone was calm, but it made Princess Rui's heart sink. "The wind is strong in the yard, let's go in first."
Princess Rui's breathing trembled, and the hand on her belly slowly tightened. She didn't dare to say another word.
The two entered the main house. Caiwei wanted to follow in, but was dragged away by King Rui's servant.
Prince Rui's palm landed on Princess Rui's belly. The latter felt as if thousands of steel needles were piercing her flesh. Sweat oozed from her forehead and her breathing almost stopped.
Princess Rui spoke with difficulty: "Your Highness..."
"Hush." Prince Rui placed his finger on Princess Rui's lips, but his words were chilling. "I will ensure that the child in your womb grows up safe and healthy. When he comes of age, he will be crowned a prince, hereditary."
Princess Rui's heart sank again and again, and her whole body was trembling, as if she was angry, but also as if she was afraid: "Your Highness, he is your child, you can't..."
"I can do that." Prince Rui lowered his hand and placed it on Princess Rui's shoulder. "You know what I want, so be good and don't make me unhappy, okay?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Rui pushed Princess Rui to the ground.
The moment she landed, Princess Rui felt a sharp pain in her stomach, causing her to cry out in pain, and her face turned pale instantly.
Prince Rui glanced at the crimson on Princess Rui's skirt, his eyes unmoved. He turned and walked out: "The princess accidentally fell. Go to the female doctor's office and ask Doctor Du to come over."
The door curtain rose and fell, and Caiwei saw Princess Rui lying on the ground through the gap. Her eyes were bloodshot and she cried out, "Princess!"
Caiwei rushed in, only to see Princess Rui crawling towards the dressing table, leaving a trail of blood. She quickly helped her up and walked towards the bed.
Princess Rui was still looking at the dressing table, so Caiwei had no choice but to say, "Princess, what do you want? I'll get it for you."
Princess Rui was panting, sweat pouring down her face. "There's a piece of paper at the bottom of the dressing box. Give it to Marquis Wen'an."
Princess Rui paused for a moment and continued, "Go find Doctor Du first and tell her she can't come to the Rui Palace."
She grabbed Caiwei's hand and squeezed it tightly with all her strength: "Go! Go now!"
Caiwei burst into tears: "What about you? Princess, what will you do?"
Princess Rui's eyes flickered as she said softly, "I am his wife and the mother of his children. He won't do anything to me."
Caiwei recalled the cold expression on King Rui's face and couldn't help but shudder: "But, but what if I can't get out?"
She didn't understand why the prince did this, but she knew that the prince definitely didn't want this matter to spread.
Princess Rui protected her belly with both hands and spoke fluently: "Go to the west corner gate, walk north for a while, there is a dog hole, go out through there."
As the wife of Prince Rui, she knew this mansion much better than Prince Rui himself.
Apart from the servant working in the kennel, she was the only one who knew about the dog hole.
If Caiwei goes out from there, she can escape.
Caiwei took out the piece of paper at the bottom of the dressing table, hid it in her shoes, and left, looking back every few steps.
Not long after, a palace doctor came over and said through the curtain: "The prince asked me to stop your bleeding."
Princess Rui knew very well that Prince Rui asked the court physician to come, not because he regretted his previous actions, but because he wanted her to hold on until Doctor Du came and let her die at Doctor Du's hands.
Princess Rui closed her eyes and let the court doctor give her acupuncture.
If you ask why, it is naturally because they want to use this to force Marquis Wen'an.
......
Six years ago, many women with similar appearances suddenly appeared in King Rui's backyard.
Princess Rui didn't take it seriously at first. They were just a few women and would not threaten her position as the queen, let alone her children.
It was not until she met Marquis Wen'an at a palace banquet in the 17th year of Qingyuan that she realized that Prince Rui had such feelings for Marquis Wen'an.
Princess Rui had also worried that Prince Rui would take Marquis Wen'an, who was imprisoned after his identity was exposed, into his backyard.
But she soon realized that a brave and resourceful woman like Marquis Wen'an would never be attracted to a useless man like King Rui.
For many years thereafter, Princess Rui had been secretly paying attention to Marquis Wen'an.
Watch her survive from death, watch her repel the Qi army, watch her turn Shaoqing Prefecture into the pearl of the northwest, and watch her shine after returning to Beijing.
Princess Rui sincerely admired Marquis Wen'an and deeply yearned for her glorious life, which was completely different from that of ordinary women.
She also wanted to be as free and easy as Marquis Wen'an, but she couldn't.
For the sake of her family, she had no choice but to marry Prince Rui. She lived in fear every day, fearing that Prince Rui would strangle her to death or throw her to feed Jinbao.
For the sake of her children, she could only share a husband with countless other women, could only serve King Rui tenderly and attentively, pretending to love him deeply, but had to pretend to be magnanimous.
Invisible shackles bound her, making her life in this small backyard feel like a year.
Marquis Wen'an was the only comfort and the only light in her long and dark second half of life.
Seven months ago, Princess Rui became pregnant again.
Although she already has a pair of children, having another child would make her position more secure.
Therefore, when the imperial physician said that her fetus was unstable, and Princess Ning happened to give birth to twins, a boy and a girl, Princess Rui invited the Lord of Deyang Village.
Not long after, Prince Rui arrived at the main courtyard. His dark gaze locked onto her belly, which hadn't yet shown any signs of pregnancy. He added, "You've had a difficult pregnancy. Ask the Village Master of Deyang to come and take care of you every day."
As smart as Princess Rui, she saw through Prince Rui's intentions in an instant.
He wanted to use the child in her womb and the Lord of Deyang to force Marquis Wen'an to submit.
But Marquis Wen'an was a swan soaring in the sky, how could he become a bird locked in a cage?
In order to protect the child and prevent innocent people from being involved, Princess Rui sent people to secretly investigate Prince Rui and Duke Cheng'en's Mansion.
During the investigation, he learned a shocking secret from the housekeeper of Cheng'en Mansion.
Princess Rui originally wanted to use this secret to threaten Prince Rui and prevent him from harming the unborn child, but she didn't expect that Prince Rui's target was her.
Before asking Caiwei to hand over the secret to Marquis Wen'an, Princess Rui also hesitated.
Should he use this secret to protect himself, or let Marquis Wen'an use it to overthrow King Rui?
Once there is a first time, there will be a second time. This time, Prince Rui chose to sacrifice his first wife for his own selfish desires. There will definitely be a second, third, or even countless times in the future.
If she dies, King Rui will definitely remarry.
Her children lived under the care of the concubine, and at best they were abandoned and at worst they lost their lives.
Rather than facing endless troubles, it is better to go all out and overthrow King Rui to eliminate the troubles once and for all!
Let her die.
At least her children can save their lives and grow up safely.
I just hope Caiwei can inform the Deyang Township Master in time and tell her not to go too deep into the tiger's cave...
"Princess, I'm going to perform a cesarean section to deliver the baby. Don't be afraid. Just think of it as a good night's sleep. Everything will be fine when you wake up."
A familiar, gentle voice sounded, and Princess Rui was startled and suddenly opened her eyes.
Du Qingju took out the scalpel from the boiling water. The blade, as thin as a cicada's wing, flashed with a cold light, and her bright eyes contained the power to warm people's hearts.
Princess Rui's tears streamed down her face, and she said in a hoarse voice, "You shouldn't have come."
"Master and Uncle-Master once said that a doctor should be compassionate. I can't bear to see you get into trouble, or I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life." Du Qingju blinked. "Then again, why does the princess think I'll be caught?"
After learning about Princess Rui's current situation from Caiwei, Du Qingju almost immediately understood that Prince Rui wanted to use her to threaten the youngest brother.
Du Qingju had hesitated before, but after several attempts at hesitation, the balance in her heart gradually tilted towards Du Qingtang.
It was Jiaoyue who spoke up again, "If Miss Eighth is truly unable to make a decision, simply go ahead. I will definitely protect you."
So she came here.
Princess Rui was startled, then heard Du Qingju's instructions: "Jiaoyue, is the Ma Fei San ready?"
"Okay!" The petite girl walked forward with the bowl.
Princess Rui drank Ma Fei San and soon fell into a deep sleep.
"Crack—"
An old maid with three white eyes walked in and said, "I am the prince's wet nurse. I have come to help you on his orders."
Du Qingju responded indifferently, lowered her eyes, and slashed with a knife neatly.
On the contrary, Jiaoyue stared at the old lady for a long time, until the latter's hair stood on end, and then she looked away.
The old lady rubbed the goose bumps on her arms and rolled her eyes to the sky.
If it weren't for the prince's order, she really wanted to beat these two girls to death.
......
Du Qingju didn't take the old nanny seriously. She used the scalpel to cut open the uterus and took out the baby girl who was obviously premature.
After two pats, the baby girl let out a soft cry like a kitten.
Du Qingju confirmed that the baby girl had no other problems except that she was premature, and put her aside: "Needle and mulberry bark thread."
Jiaoyue did as she was told, but was stopped by the old nanny when she was about to hand it to Du Qingju.
The old lady drooped her lips and said with a fierce look: "You guys go out."
Jiaoyue tilted her head, put down the suture needle and mulberry thread, and made a lightning-fast move the moment the old nanny showed a look of satisfaction.
“Crack—”
The old lady's right hand dropped limply, and her screams like a pig being slaughtered were all stuck in her throat.
Jiaoyue covered her mouth, her dimples deep: "Be quiet, don't wake up the princess, and don't disturb the eighth lady from stitching."
The old lady's eyes rolled back and she fainted.
Jiaoyue pushed the old nanny into the corner and returned to the bed. Du Qingju had already started stitching.
After the suturing was completed, Du Qingju washed her hands, opened the door and walked out.
Outside the door, Prince Rui stood with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice, "The Lord of Deyang is plotting to murder the prince's wife and the emperor's grandson. Why don't you arrest him immediately?"
Immediately, a nanny came forward and pretended to arrest Du Qingju.
Du Qingju and Jiaoyue looked at each other, the former sprinkled the medicine powder hidden in her palm, and the latter kicked the nanny out directly.
“Ouch!”
Mammy screamed, and the others dodged to avoid the unknown powder.
When Prince Rui stood still, there was no trace of Du Qingju and Jiaoyue.
Prince Rui's face was so gloomy that water could drip from it: "Chase!"
The palace guards chased after them all the way. Jiaoyue's chubby little face was still tense. He held Du Qingju in one hand and held a soft sword in the other. He chopped them like cutting melons and vegetables, leaving corpses everywhere he passed.
Du Qingju took out a special medicine powder from her cloth bag and sprinkled it at the pursuers.
Ever since she knew that Prince Rui had evil intentions, in order to protect herself, Du Qingju developed a medicinal powder using poisonous herbs.
Anyone who accidentally gets the powder on their body will feel pain and itching all over their body. If they scratch it lightly, their skin will be torn and they will scream in pain.
In this way, the master and servant cooperated tacitly, killed everyone in Prince Rui's mansion and escaped successfully.
The captain of the guards knelt down and pleaded guilty: "Your Majesty, the man has escaped."
Prince Rui sneered and kicked the chief guard to the ground. "Pass on my order. The Lord of Deyang has attempted to murder the Emperor's grandson and the Prince's wife and has fled. From now on, the whole city is wanted!"
"yes!"
-
On the other side, Caiwei crawled out of the dog hole and headed straight for the road leading from the Female Medical Bureau to Prince Rui's Mansion.
Caiwei conveyed Princess Rui's words to Doctor Du. On the way, she passed by Princess Rui's parents' home and told Minister Zhang and Madam Zhang about Prince Rui pushing Princess Rui down. She didn't care about how the Zhang family would react and hurried to the palace.
When Madam Zhang learned that Princess Rui was not well, her face turned pale and she rushed out desperately, but she heard Minister Zhang shouting, "Stop!"
Madam Zhang twisted her handkerchief and choked with sobs, "Master, the princess's pregnancy was already unstable, and now the prince has pushed it further. It might end in one death and two lives. I must hurry..."
Minister Zhang interrupted her: "You also know that it was the prince who pushed her."
Mrs. Zhang was stunned: "Master, what do you mean by this?"
Minister Zhang met Madam Zhang's incredulous gaze and said calmly, almost coldly, "I know you feel sorry for the princess, and as a father, I feel sorry for her too."
"But the prince is destined to become the most noble person in the world. I am only a third-rank minister. How can I go against the prince?"
"Don't worry, after the princess leaves, I will ask the prince for mercy and allow Sister Mei to enter the palace to take care of the prince and princess."
Mei Jie'er, the youngest daughter of Minister Zhang and Madam Zhang, will be coming of age next year.
But King Rui was already over thirty years old.
Madam Zhang looked at Minister Zhang as if he were a monster and shrieked, "Zhang Chunlai! The princess is your daughter too. How could you say such cruel and heartless words?"
Minister Zhang laughed in anger, "Do you want me to risk offending the prince and ruining the entire Zhang family to save the princess?"
"Madam, don't forget that besides the princess, you have two sons!"
Madam Zhang swayed for a moment, then held her forehead with her hand and spoke in a stammering voice, "I have a headache. I want to go back and rest for a while."
Minister Zhang showed satisfaction and continued, "When the prince ascends the throne, he will certainly vigorously promote the Zhang family. By then, it is not impossible for them to be ranked as dukes or marquises."
Mrs. Zhang smiled, bowed, and left with the help of her maid.
......
Caiwei went to the palace and asked the imperial guards guarding the palace gate to pass on a message. She soon met Du Qingtang, handed the paper to her, and explained the situation.
Du Qingtang's eyes suddenly turned cold. After reading the contents on the paper, he pondered for a moment, then returned to the cabinet to ask for leave and rode his horse straight to the Wen'an Marquis Mansion.
After staying in the main courtyard for an incense stick of time, he came out from the remote back door and headed straight for Duke Cheng'en's Mansion.
The doorman saw the man wearing a coarse cloth short shirt and a bamboo hat, with his chin raised and a look of arrogance on his face: "What do you do?"
Du Qingtang handed over the note: "Give this to Lord Cheng'en."
The doorman sneered: "My master is not someone who can be seen by just any cat or dog."
Du Qingtang said calmly, "The things on this paper are related to the survival of the Cao family."
The doorman's face changed slightly, and he quickly sent the note to the main courtyard.
Cao Yuan saw the contents of the note and so lost his composure that he knocked over his teacup on the spot. He didn't even care about his tea-stained robe and hurriedly said, "Let her in!"
Du Qingtang successfully entered the main courtyard of Duke Cheng'en's Mansion and walked into the study under the guidance of a servant.
Cao Yuan stared intently at the man in the bamboo hat and gripped the armrest of the imperial chair tightly. "Since you came to visit me on your own initiative, why do you have to hide your true identity?"
Du Qingtang took off his hat readily, revealing his cold eyes and brows like the moon.
The veins on Cao Yuan's forehead jumped fiercely, and he gritted his teeth, wishing he could bite the person in front of him into pieces: "Du Qingtang, it's you again!"
Du Qingtang smiled slightly and sat down without any hesitation: "Master Cao, how are you?"
Cao Yuan's chest rose and fell rapidly, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "How dare you come to Duke Cheng'en's mansion? Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"
Du Qingtang clasped his fingers together, his expression unchanged: "If I die, the news that Lord Cao poisoned the late emperor will spread throughout the country overnight."
"By then, forget about ascending the throne, the Cao family will be implicated along with all nine generations of their clan." Du Qingtang sighed softly. "A family that has been so glorious for a hundred years will be shattered overnight. Wouldn't Lord Cao become the culprit of the Cao family?"
Cao Yuan's breath hitched, veins popping out on the back of his hand. "What do you mean by ascending the throne and becoming emperor? Lord Du must have made a mistake. My surname is Cao, how can I ascend the throne and become emperor?"
Du Qingtang laughed, ignoring his pale sophistry: "Let's not mince words. Your Majesty's life is coming to an end. I know I have many enemies in the court, so I have come to make a deal with Lord Cao."
Cao Yuan's eyes moved slightly, but he remained silent.
Du Qingtang didn't care about his silence and continued, "Yu Jue is mine."
Cao Yuan raised his eyebrows: "Does Your Majesty know?"
"Of course he doesn't know." Du Qingtang said calmly, "As a woman, I have to leave myself a way out."
Cao Yuan clapped his hands and laughed.
If I was originally skeptical about Du Qingtang's surrender, I am now 70% convinced.
Xia Ming thought he was very smart, but he didn't know that the ministers he trusted were secretly trying to undermine him!
Cao Yuan laughed loudly, staring at Du Qingtang with his cloudy eyes: "What can you do?"
Du Qingtang said slowly, "Jade Seal, Tiger Talisman."
Cao Yuan's breathing became disordered for a moment, but his expression remained calm: "What do you want?"
"Xia Qixuan." Du Qingtang said word by word, "I want you to hand him over to me."
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