Chapter 177 177 Awarded the title of Duke
Emperor Qingyuan displayed the tiger talisman, and the three camps of soldiers in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony attacked simultaneously.
"call out--"
The whistling arrows shot straight into the sky, making a sharp sound and echoing in all directions.
Outside the palace, the three camps of soldiers that Cao Yuan had brought into the city on the pretext of national mourning received the signal and began to take action.
The sudden change caught the rebels off guard, and it was too late to defend themselves.
The soldiers of the three camps were extremely brave, chopping them like melons and vegetables. Broken limbs and debris flew everywhere, and screams and pleas for mercy filled the air, echoing over the sky of Xiajing City for a long time.
The people in the city were horrified and hid in their homes, closing the doors and windows tightly, huddling together and trembling, with fear and anxiety in their eyes.
"Isn't today the coronation ceremony for the new emperor? Why are the soldiers suddenly fighting each other?"
"Did something unexpected happen at the coronation ceremony?"
"It must be the Qi bandits! They can't stand seeing Daxia doing well, so they've infiltrated the army, waiting for an opportunity to cause chaos!"
The shouts and cries of killing continue and are getting more intense.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, which seeped into every household through the cracks in doors and windows. When the people smelled the odor, their faces turned pale and they trembled like chaff.
"What should we do? Will they come and kill us?"
"No, the general will definitely protect us and kill all those thieves!"
The family huddled together, holding each other's hands tightly.
Despite the fear, there is a warmth spreading.
......
Inside the palace, soldiers from three camps were still fighting the rebels.
The clanging sounds of swords clashing were endless.
Du Qingtang was lurking on the Moon-Watching Platform not far from the Hall of Supreme Harmony, with a musket in front of him, aiming at the rebels through the lens.
"Bang!"
White smoke filled the air and bullets were fired from the gun.
One after another, the rebels were shot and fell to the ground, twitching twice before dying.
The princes and officials hid in the corners, some exclaiming, some cheering.
"Good job! The rebels deserve to be killed!"
"There's so much blood. I'm afraid I'm going to have a nightmare tonight."
"As long as Your Majesty is safe and sound, and the thief Cao fails in his attempt to steal our country, I, Fan, would rather have nightmares for a whole year."
"The same goes for Qu!"
"Headshot! Another headshot!"
"Who is lurking in the shadows? What a sharp aim!"
"They must be the elite of the Firearms Battalion."
When talking about firearms, people inevitably think of someone who invented firearms.
"If Your Majesty knew that Marquis Wen'an was colluding with Da Qi, he would be furious."
"What a shame, such a good hand was played so badly."
On the Moon-Watching Terrace, Marquis Wen'an, who had played a good hand of cards badly, shook his purse twice, shook out the last candied fruit, picked it up and put it in his mouth.
A sour and sweet taste exploded in his mouth. Du Qingtang narrowed his eyes slightly, changed the magazine skillfully, and pulled the trigger.
With the ultimate combination of cold weapons and hot weapons, thousands of rebels in the palace were quickly wiped out.
There were corpses scattered all over the ground in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and blood gathered into a stream that flowed endlessly.
The commanders of the three battalions, disguised as ordinary soldiers, knelt on the jade steps, covered in blood, and said in a voice as loud as a bell: "I have fulfilled my mission and have killed all the rebels!"
Princes and officials came out from their hiding places and knelt on the ground. They looked at the bright yellow figure on the jade steps, and tears of excitement flowed from their eyes.
Yes, Your Majesty!
It is the real Majesty!
It is your Majesty who is still alive and breathing!
Your Majesty is not dead!
Daxia has not changed its owner!
The Xia Dynasty lasted for thousands of years!
"Long live His Majesty!"
"Long live His Majesty!"
"Long live His Majesty!"
The princes and officials all knelt at the foot of the stairs, and their shouts resounded through heaven and earth, shaking people's hearts like piercing the clouds and splitting the rocks.
The soldiers of the three camps were moved by the emotions in the voices of the princes and officials, and could not help but burst into tears.
Great, Your Majesty wins!
They defended Daxia!
Du Qingtang picked up the empty magazines scattered on the ground and put them in front of him, put them in a cloth bag, and observed Emperor Qingyuan through the lens.
Emperor Qingyuan's round, elegant face was filled with emotion. He raised his hand and said, "My dear ministers, please stand up."
The old fox must be very proud.
Du Qingtang snorted meaningfully, got up from the ground, held the musket in one hand and the blanket under his body in the other, and walked down the stairs.
When Du Qingtang walked down from the Moon Viewing Platform, the soldiers from the three camps immediately spotted and recognized her. Alarm bells immediately rang in their heads, and they all raised their scimitars or spears.
"Why is Marquis Wen'an here?"
"Isn't she imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice?"
"She has a musket!"
"alert!"
"Don't move! If you dare take another step forward, don't blame us for being rude!"
Tens of thousands of scimitars and spears were pointed at Du Qingtang, ready to strike.
Du Qingtang: “…”
Du Qingtang looked at Emperor Qingyuan.
The distance was too far, she couldn't see his face clearly, let alone his expression.
But Du Qingtang was certain and certain that the old fox must be gloating and trying to sit back and watch her make a fool of herself.
Du Qingtang: “…”
At this time, the princes and officials also discovered Du Qingtang.
"Why is she here?"
"Who released her from the Ministry of Justice prison?"
"What does she want to do?"
Shi Zishan and Yan Tiande exchanged a glance, their suspicions from last night confirmed. A mixture of emotions filled their hearts: "Is it possible that His Majesty let her out?"
"What?"
Everyone's expression was dull, as if a precision instrument had crashed.
Du Qingtang ignored the weapons in the hands of the soldiers from the three camps, put down his muskets and blanket, raised his hand to signal, and then stepped forward.
Even so, the soldiers never relaxed their vigilance or laid down their weapons.
Du Qingtang arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony without any obstruction and bowed, "Your Majesty, I am honored to have fulfilled your command."
Emperor Qingyuan suppressed the smile that seemed to be watching the fun, coughed lightly, and said seriously, "Lord Du, please stand up quickly. You did a great job just now."
The officials' pupils trembled and their faces were filled with astonishment.
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"
"Is it true, as Lord Shi said, that everything that has happened recently was a setup by His Majesty and Marquis Wen'an?"
The sound of inhaling came one after another.
"I've always said that Marquis Wen'an is innocent. She is loyal and dedicated to benefiting the people. How could she possibly be collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, the Great Xia that gave birth to her and raised her, for the sake of the Qi thieves?"
"So I blamed her wrongly?"
"It's obvious, otherwise His Majesty wouldn't be so kind to Marquis Wen'an."
"This is truly... a false alarm!"
Everyone was silent. One impatient official couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask you, what exactly is going on here?"
Didn't you die of poisoning?
Didn’t Marquis Wen’an commit treason by collaborating with the enemy?
Why did you appear safely at the coronation ceremony of Cao thief?
Why did Marquis Wen'an suddenly appear here and receive your approval?
These questions touched the hearts of the princes and officials.
They were full of questions and looked at Emperor Qingyuan eagerly, waiting for him to answer them.
Emperor Qingyuan twirled his beard and spoke slowly, "Earlier, Prince Shen and Prince Ning were murdered one after another. I sent people to investigate the matter and traced the clues to Duke Cheng'en."
"Not only did Duke Cheng'en participate in the assassination of the prince, he also had frequent contact with the Cining Palace."
"Just as the fifth brother was attacked, the sixth brother became the biggest suspect. I took advantage of the situation and imprisoned the sixth brother. I named the fifth brother the King of Wisdom and pretended to be poisoned and unconscious, waiting to see what would happen."
Shi Zishan asked respectfully, "Since Your Majesty was not poisoned, then who is in the coffin?"
Emperor Qingyuan replied, "He is a death row prisoner."
Everyone suddenly realized, that's what it was!
A death row prisoner will eventually die. If he is lucky enough to wear the dragon robe and lie in the coffin of the emperor after death, it can be considered a glory to his family.
"During this period, I have been staying at Lord Du's residence." Emperor Qingyuan looked at Du Qingtang with a kind smile, as if he was not the one who shamelessly dug up the secret passage without permission. "In order to eliminate the old ministers, the Fifth Elder first framed the Lord of Deyang for murdering Princess Rui, and then fabricated evidence to accuse Lord Du of collaborating with the enemy."
"I was right. Marquis Wen'an and Lord Deyang are both innocent. They are completely innocent!"
Emperor Qingyuan nodded. "Indeed, they have suffered an undeserved disaster. After dealing with the matter of Cao Yuan's usurpation of the throne, I will announce to the world that the two Du nobles are innocent."
Yan Tiande breathed a sigh of relief. This was perfect. He then asked, "Your Majesty, how was that thief Cao able to mobilize the three camps? Could it be that he got the tiger talismans of the three camps? But you also took out the tiger talismans before..."
In fact, he had a vague guess in his heart, but he was not willing to say it out loud.
With the traitor eliminated, Emperor Qingyuan had no further concerns, so he confessed, "Before Princess Rui passed away, she sent someone to give Minister Du a letter, which mentioned that Cao Yuan poisoned the late emperor and intended to steal the throne."
"Lord Du informed me of this matter, and then took the initiative to propose that we use the imperial seal and tiger talisman as tokens of our allegiance, pretending to surrender to Cao Yuan."
Shi Zishan and Yan Tiande looked at each other, their eyes unable to hide their excitement.
It’s true!
"If you want to destroy them, you must first make them mad." Emperor Qingyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his voice cold, "Cao Yuan assassinated Prince Shen and Prince Ning under the pretext of supporting Prince Five to ascend to the throne, and then diverted the blame to Prince Six by deposing him."
"In this way, I only have the fifth son left. There is no need to even read out the imperial edict hidden behind the "Zhengda Guangming" plaque to appoint the crown prince. My dear ministers will naturally support the fifth son to ascend the throne."
"When Lao Wu became the new emperor, Cao Yuan seized the opportunity to kill Lao Wu and had someone impersonate him. He used the imperial seal to forge an imperial edict of abdication, and then used the tiger talisman to lure the three battalions into the city and the palace. He captured the imperial guards and replaced all the palace guards with the three battalions and his private soldiers in Hanzhong Prefecture."
Just like that, everyone suddenly understood.
"So the jade seal is fake, and the tiger talisman is also fake."
"Cao the thief thought his plan was flawless, but he didn't realize it was all a trap set by Your Majesty to lure him into it."
"High! Really high!"
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Compared to the excitement and emotion of the Emperor Party and the Neutral Party, the Rui Wang Party and the Cao Party felt like they were struck by lightning, and their minds were blank.
In fact, for them, there is no difference between King Rui ascending the throne and Cao Yuan ascending the throne. They can both gain many benefits from it.
The prerequisite is that King Rui or Cao Yuan successfully ascends the throne.
If you succeed, you will be a king; if you fail, you will be a bandit.
Cao Yuan was hit by several bullets and lay in front of the dragon throne, his life or death unknown.
As supporters of King Rui and Cao Yuan, what good ending could they have?
Especially Minister Zhang.
I originally thought that even if I couldn't become the emperor's father-in-law, I could at least be a follower of the emperor and get a promotion.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Qingyuan was not dead at all. It was all a conspiracy set up by Emperor Qingyuan and Du Qingtang from beginning to end.
If we trace back to the source, if Princess Rui had not reminded him, Emperor Qingyuan would have had no idea of Cao Yuan's evil ambitions.
Emperor Qingyuan would be poisoned to death under Cao Yuan's scheme, and Cao Yuan would be able to ascend the throne smoothly.
They are all his good daughters!
It was his good daughter who ruined his success in following the emperor and destroyed the Zhang family's glorious future!
Minister Zhang’s vision went dark and dark, and he was so angry that he almost vomited blood.
Evil girl!
Evil girl!
Minister Zhang wanted to eat Princess Rui alive.
He even decided that even if he was executed by His Majesty and went to the underworld after his death, he would never let that evil girl go!
Just as everyone was having their own thoughts, Emperor Qingyuan waved his hand and said, "Come here, arrest Lu Shicheng, Zhang Tonghai... and throw them into the Ministry of Justice's prison. They will be executed on a certain day!"
"Also, their mansions will be searched and confiscated, and all their property will be exiled three thousand miles away, never to return to the capital!"
If we count the names of these people carefully, we will find that they are all from Cao's party and Rui Wang's party.
The faces of the officials who were named changed drastically. They fell to their knees and kowtowed like crazy.
"Your Majesty, please spare my life! I was completely unaware of the thief Cao's plan to steal our country!"
"I know full well that I have committed a crime of stealing the state, but my voice is insignificant and I dare not take any action. Your Majesty, please spare my life for the sake of my loyalty!"
Emperor Qingyuan waved his hand, and the soldiers from the three camps rushed over, covered his mouth, clamped his hands, and dragged him away roughly.
Silence fell in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The remaining princes and officials were very fortunate, because they could not stand Cao Yuan's act of stealing the country, so they did not surrender to him and even scolded him.
Otherwise, they will suffer the same fate as Lu Shicheng and others, and their families and descendants will also be affected.
While feeling fortunate, the officials could not help but set their sights on those vacancies, from the first-rank Dongge Grand Secretary to the fifth-rank Langzhong.
Maybe His Majesty will give them promotions because of their good performance?
Just as he was secretly anticipating this, he heard Emperor Qingyuan's voice declare, "Lord Du, for your meritorious service in rescuing me, is promoted to Duke Wen. In addition, he is granted ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand acres of fertile land to show his noble status."
Everyone: “…”
My elated heart suddenly slammed to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Du Qingtang bowed and saluted: "I thank you for your grace!"
Looking at the slim figure wearing a narrow-sleeved round-necked robe and looking very heroic, everyone felt that it was as they expected.
In terms of official position, Du Qingtang is already a first-rank official and there is no room for promotion.
They could be promoted to the position of chief minister or deputy chief minister, but Shi Zishan and Yan Tiande had only been in office for a short time and were not yet of retirement age, so they were obviously not suitable.
Then the only option is to confer a title on him.
If a super marquis is promoted to the next level, he will become a super duke.
A twenty-five-year-old super-class duke.
Tsk.
Although Du Qingtang has made great contributions this time, Your Majesty is too partial.
Throughout the entire Great Xia, no one's official position and title have ever been promoted so quickly.
Only Du Qingtang.
She was alone.
Everyone seemed to have drunk a hundred jars of aged vinegar, and even the air was filled with a faint sour smell.
Shi Zishan didn't feel anything. Du Qingtang had made great contributions in saving the emperor, and his promotion to Duke was well deserved.
Compared to Du Qingtang becoming Duke Wen, Shi Zishan was more concerned about another matter: "Your Majesty, how do you plan to deal with the traitor Cao Yuan?"
Emperor Qingyuan seemed to remember Cao Yuan at this moment and turned his head to look into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Cao Yuan lay beside the dragon throne, blood gushing out, and a large patch of glaring red spread across the spotless jade steps.
"Yang Zhen, go and see if he is still alive."
Commander Yang of the Tiger Guards Battalion gave the order and rushed into the Hall of Supreme Harmony like a gust of wind. He felt Cao Yuan's pulse and after a moment he shouted back, "He's still alive, but his pulse is very weak."
Emperor Qingyuan felt relieved. As long as he was alive, he would not be able to report to Sister Rong.
"Have the imperial physician treat him. Just keep him alive. Then interrogate him thoroughly and wait for him to reveal all his plans before making any decisions."
"If you send someone to search and confiscate Duke Cheng'en's mansion again, all nine members of the Cao family will be imprisoned."
Emperor Qingyuan paused, then said righteously, "My dear ministers, rest assured. I will give an explanation to the people of the world."
Cao Yuan must die, but he must not die so hastily.
Everyone had no objection, but no one could guarantee whether Cao Yuan had any backup plan. It would be best to cut the grass at its roots and prevent future troubles.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Commander Yang stripped Cao Yuan of his bright yellow dragon robe, dragged him out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, handed him over to the Huben Army, and sent him to the Ministry of Justice's prison.
Emperor Qingyuan habitually stroked the jade ring, feeling the rise and fall of the dragon pattern. "My dear ministers, I am sorry to have frightened you. Please return today. I have specially granted you two days' rest. You will return to work in the day ahead."
Everyone bowed to express their gratitude, and with heavy and tired steps, they walked out of the palace through the corpses scattered all over the ground.
Yesterday, King Rui, an imposter impersonated by Cao Yuan's men, announced his abdication to Cao Yuan. This was like a bomb dropped on their hearts, blowing them apart and leaving them awake all night.
He hadn't slept for nearly twenty hours, and only managed to hold on by a breath of air. In fact, he was already exhausted and had a splitting headache.
Now that His Majesty has "resurrected from the dead" and the thieves who stole the country have been brought to justice, everything has settled. Their tense nerves can finally relax, and they can't wait to lie down on the ground, with the sky as their roof and the ground as their bed, and have a good sleep.
The princes and officials walked on the long and quiet palace road, with a gentle breeze blowing on their faces, the clouds parted and the sun came out, and the warm sunshine shone on their bodies.
"The sky is clearing up."
"very nice."
-
Du Qingtang walked out of the palace. Outside the palace gate, Du Yi was driving a carriage and had been waiting for a long time.
As soon as Du Yi saw someone, he jumped down from the carriage, put down the horse stool, and lifted the curtain: "Master."
Du Qingtang leaned over and entered the carriage. There was a pot of hot tea on the small table and a charcoal basin at his feet.
The light green tea flows into the teacup, hot steam lingers, and the tea fragrance is refreshing.
Du Qingtang took a sip and felt a warm current flowing through his chest. He leaned against the carriage with the teacup in his hand. After a long while, after being frozen in the cold wind for nearly two hours, his cold and stiff fingers finally relaxed a little.
The carriage rumbled as it drove towards the Marquis Wen'an's mansion.
——It won’t be too late to change the statement after the plaque of “Duke Wen’s Mansion” is replaced.
The city of Xiajing had just experienced a fierce battle, and the yamen runners and soldiers from the three camps were dealing with the corpses and blood all over the streets.
Every house in the streets and alleys had its doors and windows closed. Apart from the whispers of yamen runners and soldiers, it was as quiet as a dead city.
The wind lifted the curtains, and the smell of blood filled the carriage and rushed into the nostrils.
Du Qingtang freed his hand and pressed the curtain, then released it after a moment. Finally, the child calmed down and stopped struggling.
Half an incense stick of time later, the carriage stopped at the gate of Wen'an Marquis's Mansion.
Meng Fang, as always, stood respectfully beside the stone lion on the left, his hands lowered. A submissive, faint smile graced his face as he bowed, "Master."
Du Qingtang strode into the Marquis's residence. Meng Fang followed behind her, whispering softly, "I have asked the kitchen to prepare lunch and am waiting for you to return home to eat. The Ministry of Justice just delivered your books, letters, and calligraphy and paintings. Some of them are slightly damaged. I have arranged for someone to invite a doctor..."
Meng Fang rambled on and on about the trivial matters of the mansion until he stopped at the main courtyard. "Master, do you want to eat?"
Du Qingtang responded, and after Meng Fang sent the maid to the kitchen to pass on the message, he waved his hand and said, "Come with me."
Meng Fang followed his instructions and went forward. He found that his master was going to the main house. He was stunned for a moment, but did not stop. He followed his master in a few steps and came to the inner room, stopping in front of the landscape painting on the west wall.
Meng Fang's eyelids twitched.
Du Qingtang tapped the landscape painting with his fingers and said in a tone that brooked no argument: "Seal this door for me."
Meng Fang: “…”
Du Qingtang saw this moment of silence as a silent resistance. His eyes were slightly cold. "I don't care about the past, but I cannot tolerate someone opening another door in the wall of my bedroom."
"Immediately, arrange for someone to seal the door!"
Meng Fang sighed inwardly and lowered his head: "Yes, I will go down and arrange it right away."
Du Qingtang hummed indifferently and went to the side room to take a shower and change clothes.
No one had been to the Moon-Watching Tower for a long time, and no one had cleaned it. A thick layer of dust had accumulated there, and it kept falling down on my body. My hair was also covered in gray, and I felt very uncomfortable.
After taking a bath, Du Qingtang dried his hair until it was 90% dry and had lunch in the side room.
During this time, tinkling sounds were heard from the main house from time to time. Du Qingtang did not go to check after finishing her meal. She casually tied her hair into a bun and rode out of the city on horseback.
Passing by the Cheng'en Mansion, hundreds of the master's servants were tied up and kneeling on both sides of the vermilion gate, with curses, cries and pleas for mercy filling the air.
There were many half-person-high vermilion wooden boxes piled at the door, filled with gold, silver, jewelry, silks, satins, porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, exuding a strong smell of money.
The imperial guards were constantly coming in and out, carrying wooden boxes out and going in empty-handed.
The wooden box took up almost half of the street. Du Qingtang tightened the reins and walked from the other side.
Only then did Du Qingtang discover that there was a person standing next to the stone lion.
Unlike others, Cao Xingcan was not tied up and could move freely. His blue round-necked robe made him look elegant and gentle like jade.
Some people cursed him and some spat at him.
The words were unbearable to hear and the attitude was very bad.
Cao Xingcan had an expressionless face and stood like a straight and lonely tree.
Du Qingtang's gaze fell on him, and he looked over as if he had noticed something, his cold expression softening a little.
But only a little.
Du Qingtang nodded imperceptibly, shook the reins, and rode away.
After leaving the city, the smell of blood in my nose faded a little, but it still existed.
However, the smell did not come from the city, but from the rebel camp in the west.
Since they are rebels, they must be eradicated.
When Du Qingtang left the palace, Emperor Qingyuan sent 3,000 troops to hunt down the rebels, and it was estimated that a fierce battle was going on ahead.
However, Du Qingtang had no intention of going forward. Just before stepping onto the official road, he turned his horse around and galloped south.
After a stick of incense, a magnificent villa came into view.
Du Qingtang dismounted and gently stroked Zhuifeng's mane: "Don't run around. I'll be back soon."
“Wheeze~”
Zhuifeng kicked his front hooves and rubbed Du Qingtang's chin.
Du Qingtang walked into the villa, and everywhere he looked were pavilions, curved railings and corridors, which were magnificent and showed the royal style.
This was originally a royal villa. Last year, Du Qingtang was awarded a title of nobility for developing and manufacturing trains, and Emperor Qingyuan awarded her this villa.
Recently, Prince Rui has gone mad, Cao Yuan has usurped the throne, and the city of Xiajing is in turmoil. Du Qingtang is imprisoned himself and is inevitably too busy to take care of the girls of the Du family, so he simply sends them here for refuge.
That bastard Prince Rui's target was her, and he had the government issue a city-wide warrant for Du Qingju in order to force her to surrender. When this plan failed, he no longer cared about what happened to the government and put Du Qingtang into the Ministry of Justice jail.
Unfortunately, he still made one wrong move and lost to her.
"Offering jade ah ah ah!"
Du Qingtang came back to her senses and saw Du Qingzhu screaming and rushing towards her while saying her courtesy name.
Du Qingtang: “…”
She simply stood there and let Du Qingzhu hold her in his arms.
"What's going on? What's the situation in the city now?"
"That bastard Prince Rui wouldn't really ascend the throne, would he?"
"The Queen Mother is truly wicked. She actually poisoned His Majesty and killed him. We can all hear the tolling of the funeral bell from here. It's clanging a full 108 times, and it's making my heart tremble."
"Xianyu, did that bastard bully you?"
"Ahhh, I'm so angry! He actually dared to slander Xiao Ba for murder and even had the government put him on a wanted list. The reputation Xiao Ba had worked so hard to build up over many years of practicing medicine was completely ruined by this bastard!"
Du Qingzhu's chattering and cursing made Du Qingtang's ears hurt. She began to miss the days when she was the only one in the huge mansion.
"stop."
"Quiet."
"Stop talking, let me talk."
Du Qingzhu puffed up his cheeks, let go of his hands, looked up at the people, put his hands on his hips and looked at them with an expression that said, "I want to see what you want to say."
Du Qingqin and others who rushed over after hearing the news also stared at Du Qingtang without blinking, listening to her talk about the situation outside.
Du Qingtang coughed lightly and spoke slowly.
She used the same rhetoric that Emperor Qingyuan used to deal with his officials. Everyone listened to it without any doubt and breathed a sigh of relief. Their hearts, which had been hanging in the air for several days, finally settled down.
"I'm glad your Majesty is alright."
"Prince Rui is dead? That's great!"
"Duke Wen? Oh, this is such great news!"
"Can we go home now? I'll cook for you tonight, let's celebrate and get drunk!"
Du Qingzhu's eyes sparkled, and she rubbed her hands impatiently with a bright smile.
Du Qingtang nodded: "I'll take you home."
"Great! Time to go home!"
"Although this villa is more prosperous than the Marquis's Mansion, no, it's more prosperous than the Duke's Mansion, it's not our home after all. Xianyu, we are worried about you staying in the city alone. You eat all the delicacies from land and sea, but they are just like chewing wax, so tasteless."
"Let's go, let's go back to the house and pack our bags!"
The huge group of people went to their respective residences. Du Qingtang walked slowly at the end, his eyes fixed on Du Qingmei for a moment.
Du Qingmei looked over as if she had noticed something. She was startled at first, then she pursed her lips and smiled softly. Her eyes were curved, and there seemed to be a light flowing in her pupils.
Du Qingtang withdrew his gaze and turned to Liyun Courtyard.
It was afternoon, the sun was shining, and the weather was warm and pleasant.
The beautiful woman had her hair tied up in a loose bun, her cloud-like black hair was pinned with only a simple silver hairpin. She wore an apricot-colored short shirt and long skirt, and was sitting behind the window doing needlework.
"Aa ...
A childish whisper was heard, the woman let go of the embroidery needle and gently rocked the cradle beside her.
A small hand stretched out from the cradle, the wrist was as slender as a branch, and the skin was almost transparent in the sunlight.
The woman gently held the little hand, her eyebrows were gentle, and her eyes were filled with deep love.
Du Qingtang looked out the window for a while, then walked around to the door and knocked: "Mrs. Zhang."
Madam Zhang, or rather the late Princess Rui, Zhang Yuanxiang, looked up at the voice and was quite surprised to see who it was. She placed her daughter's hand in the cradle, put down the unfinished underwear, and bowed, "Lord Du."
Du Qingtang walked forward and looked at the baby girl in the cradle who was obviously premature. "How is she doing now?"
Zhang Yuanxiang told the truth, "At first, things weren't going well. She had a fever almost every day and cried incessantly. Later, Doctor Du gave Sister Zhu a medicinal bath. Apart from being smaller than a full-term baby, she's now gradually stabilizing."
"That's good." Du Qingtang's eyes fell on Zhang Yuanxiang's face, "Prince Rui is dead."
At least in the eyes of most people, King Rui died at the hands of Cao Yuan.
Zhang Yuanxiang was stunned for a moment, then slowly uttered "Oh". She lowered her head to tuck the corner of the quilt for Zhu Jie'er and said calmly, "Princess Rui died a long time ago, didn't she?"
Du Qingtang hummed softly and fiddled with the jade pendant on his waist: "I'm just letting you know, so you can hear it and feel happy."
Zhang Yuanxiang's eyes widened, unable to hide his surprise. After coming to his senses, he couldn't help but laugh and nodded softly: "Thank you, Master Du, I am indeed very happy."
Du Qingtang smiled and asked, "What are Madam Zhang's plans for next? Going back to her parents' home? Or somewhere else?"
Zhang Yuanxiang thought of the news Caiwei had heard from the Zhang Mansion, and her eyes dimmed for a moment.
At the critical moment of life and death, her parents stood by and watched, and even planned to let her own sister marry her husband.
Instead, Doctor Du, who had only met her a few times, took the risk and went deep into the tiger's lair to save her.
Zhang Yuanxiang felt a mixture of emotions, but she felt there was nothing to be depressed about.
If her parents truly loved her, they would not have married her to the unpredictable King Rui, who fed human flesh to tigers.
She was just a tool for her father to curry favor with the Cao family.
Zhang Yuanxiang told herself not to think about those unpleasant things. Just as she was about to answer, she heard Du Qingtang say, "Look at my memory. Madam Zhang may not be able to return to her parents' home."
Zhang Yuanxiang was puzzled: "What do you mean, Master Du?"
Du Qingtang told him frankly, "Cao Yuan was arrested for stealing the throne, your father is in prison, and His Majesty has ordered a raid on the Zhang family."
Zhang Yuanxiang was stunned.
Du Qingtang continued, "Your father has done many things that violated the law for Cao Yuan, the Fourth Prince, and Prince Rui. He will undoubtedly die. However, I, Du, can rescue one or two of the others."
Zhang Yuanxiang shook her head without hesitation: "No need."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows.
Zhang Yuanxiang lowered her eyes and looked at her daughter gently. "The country has its laws, the family has its rules. The king's orders are hard to disobey, so please don't bother Lord Du to take such a risk for me."
Du Qingtang was not surprised by this. Zhang Yuanxiang had always been clear about her grudges: "Your two children..."
Zhang Yuanxiang's mind flashed to the tender faces of his children, and he blinked. "Your Majesty is a wise ruler. Prince Rui is dead. As the emperor's grandchildren, they are still young. I believe Your Majesty will not vent his anger on them. It would be nice to be a wealthy royal family member."
Call her cowardly or heartless, Princess Rui is dead, and she should make a clean break with the past.
"So you plan to leave Xiajing?" Du Qingtang asked with a firm tone.
Zhang Yuanxiang rocked the cradle gently and looked out the window at the bright sunlight. "Before I was fifteen, I was trapped in the backyard of the Zhang Mansion. After I was fifteen, I was trapped in the backyard of the Fifth Prince's Mansion."
"I want to go out for a walk and see the beautiful scenery of Daxia." Zhang Yuanxiang lowered her head, a smile on her lips, "with Sister Zhu."
Du Qingtang took out the banknotes from the hidden pocket of his wide sleeves and placed them on the small table: "When you are away from home, you need money for food, clothing, housing and transportation. Please accept this money, Madam Zhang."
Zhang Yuanxiang was startled and waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, Lord Du, you risked offending Prince Rui to rescue me and take me in. This kindness is already beyond repayment, how can I accept your money again?"
Du Qingtang said seriously, "Mrs. Zhang is a good person. Just consider it as a donation from me. When you have more money, it won't be too late to return it to me."
In her previous life, Prince Rui broke her finger and refused to allow the court doctor to treat her, so Zhang Yuanxiang secretly found a doctor from outside.
The grace of saving each other should be remembered for life.
"Good people?" Zhang Yuanxiang, hearing this kind of reason for the first time, couldn't help but laugh, but still accepted the banknote. "Then I will obey your orders. I will remember your kindness today. If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely repay Master Du and Doctor Du with a token of gratitude."
Du Qingtang hummed: "Have a good trip."
Zhang Yuanxiang smiled and said, "See you later."
When Du Qingtang left Hexiangyuan, the Du family had already packed up the boxes and moved them all onto the carriage.
Du Qingzhu poked his head out of the carriage and waved enthusiastically: "Xianyu, come here quickly, let's go home!"
Du Qingtang's eyebrows were filled with smiles: "Here I come."
-
Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.
Emperor Qingyuan was busy dealing with the recent government affairs, and his red pen almost left an afterimage.
Below, Commander Wang, holding a stack of letters, reported respectfully, "The search of Duke Cheng'en's mansion has been completed. A total of 3.97 million taels of gold and silver were seized, along with a number of antiques, calligraphy, and paintings."
"Cao Xingcan, the second son of the eldest wife, sacrificed his own family for the sake of justice and reported Cao Yuan for treason. These are the letters Cao Yuan has exchanged with the people of Qi over the past ten years. Your Majesty, please review them."
Fu Rui took the letter and presented it to Emperor Qingyuan.
Emperor Qingyuan only read two letters and then threw them aside without reading them again.
Du Aiqing has always been conscientious in his work. This time, he forged a letter to accuse Cao Yuan of treason, which must have been flawless. Even the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple could not find any problems.
In exchange, Emperor Qingyuan would spare Cao Xingcan and promise him a bright future.
As I said, Du Aiqing has both talents and abilities, but unfortunately he is too sentimental.
The more such a person is, the easier it is to control him.
"Fu Rui, draft the imperial edict." Emperor Qingyuan tapped the imperial desk with his fingers and said in a deep voice, "Cao Xingcan has made meritorious reports and is promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."
"Cao Yuan colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, and his entire clan will be punished."
"Daughter Cao is lacking in virtue and is unfit to be the mother of a country. I depose her from her position as Empress and bestow upon her the title of White Silk."
Fu Rui nodded in agreement and went to Kunning Palace to announce the imperial edict after it was drafted.
Commander Wang withdrew, and soon another secret guard arrived: "News has come from Duke Wen's mansion. Duke Wen has had the secret door sealed."
Emperor Qingyuan: “???”
Emperor Qingyuan: “…”
The corner of Emperor Qingyuan's mouth twitched. Lord Du was still holding a grudge as always.
But he was in the wrong after all. Now that the rebel had been eliminated, there was no point in keeping the secret passage, so he might as well seal it off.
The secret guard said again: "The Queen Mother's body has been found."
Emperor Qingyuan paused his brush and did not ask where the empress dowager's body was found. He only said, "Send it back to Yueyang County for burial."
The secret guards retreated and retrieved the empress dowager's body, which had been eaten by wild beasts and was incomplete, from the mass grave on the outskirts of the city. They buried the body and sent it back to her hometown at full speed.
After the secret guard left, Emperor Qingyuan continued to review memorials.
Fu Rui quickly returned and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Cao wants to see you."
Emperor Qingyuan said without hesitation: "No."
Fury swallowed his saliva and said in a shrill voice: "It's related to that person."
Emperor Qingyuan's jaw tensed for a moment, hidden in his beard, and no one noticed his fluctuating emotions. He put down the red brush, stood up and walked out.
Fu Rui quickly followed: "Let's go to Kunning Palace!"
......
Emperor Qingyuan walked into Kunning Palace and saw the deposed Empress Cao Qingzi wearing a phoenix robe and a phoenix crown, sitting upright on a phoenix chair.
Seeing Emperor Qingyuan stride in, Cao Qingzi's lips curled up in a sarcastic arc: "Sure enough, as long as it's related to her, you are like a dog smelling meat, coming here headfirst."
Emperor Qingyuan said indifferently, "I didn't come here to listen to your nonsense."
Cao Qingzi raised her chin, dignified and proud: "I chopped up your only remaining son and buried him under the old locust tree in Kunning Palace."
Emperor Qingyuan looked at her coldly.
Cao Qingzi's smile widened, feeling incomparably pleased: "Xia Ming, do you know why no concubine in the harem became pregnant after the seventh child was born?"
"It's me! I drugged you!"
"That drug makes you infertile, and there's no cure."
"Xia Ming, you are going to be extinct! The Xia family will end in your generation. You are the sinner of the Xia family!"
When Cao Qingzi said this, her eyes were fixed on Emperor Qingyuan, not missing any change in his expression.
Unfortunately not.
Emperor Qingyuan still looked at her expressionlessly, as if she was just a tiny ant at his feet.
No!
Emperor Qingyuan was not completely unresponsive!
He took off the jade ring and put it back on, then took it off again after it reached the base of his finger.
The repetition of this was enough to show that he was uneasy.
However, Cao Qingzi's focus was not on Emperor Qingyuan's reaction. She stared at the jade ring and suddenly burst into laughter.
"I recognize it. It's the one Qingyu gave you back then, right?"
Emperor Qingyuan's eyes moved slightly.
"This is a piece of junk worth one ounce of silver. I had my men smash it and throw it away, yet you picked it up, put it back together, and even carved a dragon pattern on it!"
Cao Qingzi sneered: "Xia Ming, you don't think this makes you look affectionate, do you?"
Emperor Qingyuan put the jade ring back on, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at her coldly, as if he was looking at a crazy woman who was making unreasonable demands.
Cao Qingzi was irritated by his gaze and started talking without thinking.
"Xia Ming, you are a selfish and cowardly waste. I killed your beloved Qingyu in front of Xia Danrong, and yet you have been serving me like a dog for decades, letting me order you around."
"And Qingyu's two children."
"You knew full well what kind of life they were leading in the harem, yet you feigned ignorance, allowing me to mistreat them, beating and scolding them, and turning a blind eye to the countless wounds on their bodies."
"I killed your most beloved son right in front of Xia Danrong, and then used a little trick to make her fall in love with the eldest son of the Wenyuan Marquis's family like a lapdog, who was good for nothing except his looks. Finally, I sent her to the Great Qi as a marriage partner, where she suffered ten years of humiliation."
"You know everything, but you still sleep with me in the same bed, respect me as queen, and live as a loving couple with me?"
"Xia Ming, you only love yourself."
"If you really loved Qingyu, you should have killed me to avenge her when I killed her."
"Instead of being like you, wearing the jade ring she gave you, thinking of her every day, while letting her child suffer and die tragically at his hands."
"It's just self-admiration, disgusting!"
Emperor Qingyuan slowly tightened his hands hidden in his sleeves, but his expression was exceptionally calm.
"Yes, I am a coward."
He couldn't give up the throne and power, and even watched her children suffer and be bullied, but let it go.
He is such a despicable person.
"So I gave the best to her child."
Cao Qingzi chuckled, "It's a pity that the evil creature died a long time ago. I strangled him to death with my own hands and threw him into the pond on that winter night."
"Such a small child." Cao Qingzi gestured with her hands, her face twisted with excitement. "When they pulled him out, he was frozen solid. In the end, he was placed in the coffin along with the ice."
"Tsk tsk, how pitiful..." Cao Qingzi paused, her voice suddenly rising, "No! That's not right!"
Cao Qingzi's nails stained with nail polish dug into her palms, which were bloody and unaware. She pointed at Emperor Qingyuan in anger.
"Xia Ming, you beast, how dare you play tricks on me!"
"Not only me, but everyone has been deceived by you!"
Cao Qingzi's eyes widened in anger, their dark pupils nearly popping out of their sockets. She uttered each word through gritted teeth, "It's Xia Danrong, right? The imperial edict appointing the crown prince had Xia Danrong's name written on it, right?"
"The heir to the throne can only be my child. This has never changed."
Cao Qingzi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on. She clapped her hands and laughed, "So that's how it is! So that's how it is!"
"The bastard child born to Qingyu is your Xia Ming's child. The children born to me and other concubines are only the princes and princesses of Daxia."
"So you led the fourth child to kill the second child, and allowed my father and the fifth child to kill the eldest, sixth, and seventh children."
"Even my fourth and fifth sons have become stepping stones for you to push Xia Danrong to the top!"
"Xia Ming, you have such a cruel heart!"
"Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. You're worse than an animal!"
Cao Qingzi pointed at Emperor Qingyuan and laughed.
She laughed so hard that tears came out and streamed down her face.
"Is that all?" Emperor Qingyuan adjusted his sleeves and turned to leave. "Send Cao and Cao Yuan to the princess's residence and hand them over to Sister Rong for disposal."
Cao Qingzi looked at the ruthless back of Emperor Qingyuan as he left, slapped the phoenix chair, and cried and laughed.
"Qingyu only died a few decades earlier than me. If she were still alive, her fate would not be much better than mine."
"The imperial family is the most ruthless, and today I have finally witnessed it."
"The victors are the kings and the losers are the bandits. This palace has nothing to say. I only regret that the taste of power is too tempting. This palace and my father couldn't control themselves, and you, Xia Ming, took advantage of us."
"These days are finally over. I finally don't have to put on airs and sit in this golden cage all day long, being your virtuous queen, Xia Ming."
"Ha ha ha ha!!!"
Emperor Qingyuan walked as fast as the wind and never looked back.
......
Princess Mansion.
Princess Zhaoyang leaned on the chaise longue, with her golden hairpins hanging down, sparkling with dazzling brilliance.
Below, the commanders of the Three Thousand Battalion and the Five Army Battalion stood respectfully with their hands hanging down, reporting in a serious manner on the pursuit and suppression of the rebels.
Yu Jue came out of the secret passage, followed by two secret guards.
The secret guards each carried a sack on their shoulders, and judging from the outline, they looked vaguely like a person.
The two commanders had just finished their reports and bowed to take their leave.
Yu Jue bowed and said softly, "Your Highness, His Majesty has specially ordered me to bring these two men to you. You can do whatever you want with them."
"Send them to the cellar and turn them into human pigs." Princess Zhaoyang leaned her head on her hand, looking lazy and nonchalant. "You two will do it. Use the best medicinal herbs to keep them alive. They will die in half a year."
What's the point of being tortured by slicing or quartering? The pain is fleeting and death is the end of everything.
She wanted to keep them alive.
To linger on is to live a life worse than death.
Only in this way could she justify the pain and torture she had endured for twenty-five years, day after day, dreaming of her mother and brother dying in front of her.
The secret guard had no suspicion and carried the sack to the cellar.
Only Princess Zhaoyang and Yujue were left in the study, one lying and the other standing.
Princess Zhaoyang yawned with her hand covering her mouth and pointed at the desk.
Yu Jue understood and stepped forward to take the palm-sized oil-paper bag and put it into the hidden pocket of his wide sleeve: "I will take my leave."
After Yu Jue left and the secret door closed, Princess Zhaoyang stood up slowly, walked to the desk, and sat down leisurely.
His slender fingertips tapped the table, as if he was thinking about something.
After a while, Princess Zhaoyang opened the book in front of her and turned to a certain page.
On the paper, the names Cao Yuan and Cao Qingzi were circled in black.
Princess Zhaoyang took out a red pen and drew two red crosses on the two names.
Then his eyes moved upwards and landed on the word "Xia Ming".
Gently rotate the tip of the pen to draw a circle.
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