Chapter 63 A Modern-Day Chen Shimei
Song Zhimian's eyes widened immediately.
I was right after all. Isn't this prince consort a modern-day Chen Shimei?
Oh, he's even a little worse than Chen Shimei.
Chen Shimei actually managed to marry a legitimate royal princess and become her husband!
This Tong Shiqing, he just managed to hook up with a princess from a prince's family...
"What? Did you already have a marriage agreement but then went back on your word, or did you divorce your wife and remarry?" Song Zhimian asked immediately.
When Xiao Huaijin and the other two thought of this, they all looked at each other with disdain.
Xiao Huaijin even let out two cold laughs at the carriage that had already driven away downstairs.
Princess Yongxin, however, took Song Zhimin's hand and spoke to her properly.
"You probably don't know this, even though your Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion also lives in the capital."
But when this happened, your father's family should have been in Tianjin before they even made it to the capital!
That happened twelve years ago.
I was only six years old then, but the three of them were already over ten. They told me a lot of things! Princess Yongxin said as she pulled Song Zhimin from the window to the other side.
Princess Yongxin explained in great detail, and Song Zhimian listened very carefully.
Back then, Tong Shiqing achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations and was named the top scholar by Emperor Xiao Xuan, enjoying unparalleled fame for a time.
In addition, Tong Shiqing was from the capital, his father was Tong Daxueshi of the Hanlin Academy, and he also had a handsome face.
Quite a few people have their eyes on Tong Shiqing.
However, many people know that Tong Shiqing has a childhood sweetheart.
Moreover, that Qingmei was also from the capital, and was a young lady from a noble family.
Just when everyone was congratulating the Tong family on their upcoming double celebration, something unexpected happened.
King Zhuang brought his daughter to the capital, where they happened to run into the top scholar riding a horse through the streets.
Princess Jia Hui took a liking to Tong Shiqing, who was dressed in the robes of a top scholar...
Later, after attending a palace banquet, some people saw Princess Jia Hui and Tong Shiqing getting involved...
Prince Zhuang later met with the Emperor and asked him to bestow a marriage upon Princess Jia Hui and Tong Shiqing.
At the same time, the family of the noblewoman who grew up with Tong Shiqing also spread rumors.
The two families were merely close friends; Tong Shiqing and that noblewoman were not engaged...
Then came Princess Jia Hui's marriage to Tong Shiqing...
That's all I know!
In short, the elderly people in Beijing all knew that the Tong family had done something dishonest.
However, although Tong Shiqing later married Princess Jia Hui, his life seemed to be full of misfortunes!
In the past, the rule in Da Yu was that if you became the top scholar in the imperial examination, you would definitely get a sixth-rank official position.
He will first stay at the Hanlin Academy for a while, and then most likely he will be directly transferred to a post outside the capital.
But that Tong Shiqing...
It seems that he used up all his luck after becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination.
He made a mistake only half a month after he went to the Hanlin Academy.
Then... he angered His Majesty, and the opportunity to be sent to a distant post was lost.
And then...
In one of his memorials to the Emperor, Grand Secretary Tong used a single word incorrectly, which enraged the Emperor, who immediately dismissed him from his post.
Tong Shiqing could only drift along in the Hanlin Academy.
It has been twelve years, and Tong Shiqing is now only a fifth-rank official.
Those who were his contemporaries... the second and third place winners were already officials of the fourth rank or above.
And what about Tong Shiqing...?
Besides being the husband of Princess Jia Hui, what else does he have?
"His whole life is ruined!" Princess Yongxin said with schadenfreude.
Song Zhimian responded with an "oh".
There must be someone standing up for that noble lady behind the scenes!
We're all in Beijing, so we all know each other's backgrounds!
If you suddenly break off an engagement, the noble lady's family won't say anything. But the other party is a princess, so what if he's just a man? I'll just give him to you.
This is to give Prince Zhuang face, but for Tong Shiqing...
Haha, they're definitely going to get revenge.
"Who is the childhood sweetheart of Princess Jia Hui's husband?" Song Zhimian asked curiously.
Princess Yongxin glanced at the curious Song Zhimian, then at Xiao Huaijin and the others whose expressions were still not good.
“You should have met that person before!” Princess Yongxin whispered.
"Who is it!" Song Zhimian asked, even more curious.
She doesn't know many people, and even fewer that Princess Yongxin would mention.
"It's Lord Ye Yunshu, the Inspector General who recommended you to be a lady-in-waiting in the Inner Palace!" Princess Yongxin whispered.
Song Zhimian...
That Lord Ye...
Song Zhimian was a little incredulous.
How could it be that Lady Ye! That Lady Ye is aloof and arrogant; everyone says she is a descendant of the former imperial clan, the Huangfu family.
However, he took the surname Ye from the first Inspector General.
He is also a descendant of that legendary Marquis of Anbang...
She... was actually the noblewoman who was jilted by that modern-day Chen Shimei (a notorious figure in Chinese folklore known for abandoning his fiancé)...
Song Zhimian was stunned for a long time.
After regaining her senses, Song Zhimian understood why everything had gone wrong for Tong Shiqing's family later on.
That Lord Ye must have an unusual relationship with the imperial palace.
Come to think of it, the King of Qi would often go to her to ask for tea.
Furthermore, she said that she could get Song Zhimian into the inner palace just like that.
They said they'd assign her to the Eastern Palace, and that's exactly what happened.
Furthermore, the embroidered silk satin that all the nobles in the palace desperately wanted was made into an undergarment by that Lord Ye and worn underneath it…
All signs indicate that Lady Ye's true identity is definitely not that of an ordinary noblewoman.
Perhaps it's a close relative in the palace who can't be spoken of publicly...
That Tong Shiqing... probably doesn't know Lord Ye's true identity.
Or rather, the reason Tong Shiqing was chosen as the top scholar was because the emperor on the throne did so for Lord Ye's future.
But Tong Shiqing deliberately ignored the real benefactor because of the prince's daughter.
No wonder they've been stuck in a rut ever since!
"Song Zhimin, tell me, isn't that Tong Shiqing getting his just desserts?" Princess Yongxin asked Song Zhimin.
Song Zhimian replied without hesitation.
"It's more than just retribution!"
He brought this upon himself. He's an ungrateful person who likes to climb the social ladder, and His Majesty was right not to give him an important position.
Who knows what he might do in the future—something that betrays his master and ancestors, something unfilial and disrespectful—for his own selfish gain!
“When Prince Zhuang comes to the capital, he will definitely bring up the matter of sending Tong Shiqing to a post outside the capital.”
"It all depends on whether His Majesty will give Prince Zhuang face," Wei Yanli said with a smile.
"Face... Uncle Wang used up all his remaining face when Princess Jia Hui asked for a marriage decree."
"Now... Father doesn't give people face easily." Xiao Huaijin sneered.
Song Zhimian could tell at a glance.
Lord Ye and Prince Qi have a close relationship, and Prince Qi will definitely stand up for Lord Ye.
“I’ve heard that King Zhuang has been getting quite close to King Zhao lately!” Shen Yunchuan interjected.
"Heh! What good is it!" Xiao Huaijin snorted.
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