Chapter 45 Poisoning.
She wanted to summon Xie Yu to get to the bottom of things, but before she could find a suitable opportunity, Lin'er fell ill, couldn't sleep well, and was always crying.
Although the condition is not serious, the child is not even six months old. After using the medicine for half a month, there has been some improvement, but it is difficult to cure completely.
While Lingyi was extremely worried, Xie Yu invited a renowned physician, and Lingyi hurriedly asked him to bring the person over.
The divine physician, dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes, appeared to be in his forties. He entered from outside the hall, and upon seeing those eyes, Lingyi couldn't help but stand up.
Fifteenth Sister, she actually came.
After the acupuncture was administered, Lin'er fell into a deep sleep.
Lingyi dismissed the others and asked, "Sister, did you know that Lin'er was ill and came here specifically to treat him?"
The Fifteenth Princess said, "I specifically sought out Prime Minister Xie to come to the palace to see you, but not for medical treatment."
She became serious. "I've come because I have something to tell you."
The Fifteenth Princess told Lingyi about her experiences practicing medicine in various places after she left.
Over the past year, I have traveled almost all the way south of the Yangtze River.
From her, Lingyi learned about the situation outside.
I thought that once the Song family army recovered those prefectures and counties, the people would no longer be displaced. I never expected that the current situation would be even worse than before.
After the late emperor ascended the throne, his adopted sons were all granted the title of prince and their own fiefdoms. They may have been first-rate military commanders, but most of them were pleasure-seekers who levied exorbitant taxes on the prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction, rarely allowing the people to recuperate and develop. Among them were even those who were extremely tyrannical and exploitative.
Now that the two countries are at war, these people are resorting to all sorts of extreme measures. Even sixty-year-old men and ten-year-old children are forced to join the army as fighting forces, and women and children are also conscripted to transport food supplies.
Nowadays, apart from the people of Zhuozhou and its surrounding areas who are still relatively well-fed and clothed, the rest of the prefectures and counties are completely paralyzed, with no farming or commerce.
The Jiangnan region, once renowned for its wealth, is now plagued by widespread poverty and starvation.
After listening to her, Lingyi remained silent for a long time before asking, "What is the purpose of telling me all this, sister?"
The fifteenth princess sighed, "I don't know either, but I feel I should tell you. I'm telling you to calm my own unease. No one can interfere with what you want to do or don't want to do."
Lingyi turned and looked coldly at Xie Yu, "Prime Minister Xie, I wonder what benefits the Xian Dynasty has given you?"
The Fifteenth Princess acted out of public interest, but Xie Yu's act of bringing her here was treacherous!
Since entering the hall, Xie Yu, who had been silent, slowly said, "The Northern army has crossed the river several times, and each time they have been repelled by our army. However, each time their naval tactics have become more and more proficient. Recently, it seems as if they are using our army as a whetstone. The Northern army's crossing of the river is unstoppable. If we can shrink our battle lines and preserve our forces to defend only the Zhuozhou area, we can hold out for several years. The Xian Dynasty has just been established, and there are many local gentry in Jiangnan. They will surely cause conflict, and we can seize the opportunity to act. But His Majesty is ambitious and stubborn, disregarding the lives of thousands of soldiers, and refusing to retreat a single step!"
Lingyi closed her eyes briefly. "What are your plans?"
Xie Yu said, "Many people in the court have long intended to surrender. The Song family has fought against the Japanese pirates for generations, and the coastal people regard the Song family as gods. As long as the emperor is willing to surrender, the Xian Dynasty will still allow him to guard Zhuozhou. However, the emperor is proud by nature and will not bow down to the emperor even if he dies. Only..." He glanced at Ling Yi before continuing, "Only when the emperor dies can the war end as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, the fifteenth princess looked reluctant.
Lingyi said coldly, "Since you've planned this far, why don't you launch a palace coup?"
Xie Yu sighed softly: "With the Emperor around, the core elite of the Song family army only obeys his command."
Ling Yi demanded sharply, "So, there must be accomplices of yours in the Song family army, and of high rank, to ensure a smooth takeover after Song Pingkou's death... Is it Zhao Pengrui or Chang Da, or both of them?! With your silver tongue, you're trying to get me to kill the father of my own child. Aren't you afraid I'll reveal your entire plot to the Emperor?"
Zhao Pengrui and Chang Da are both Song Pingkou's brothers-in-law, and can be considered half of the Song family. Only they have the potential to take over the Song family army.
Xie Yu looked at her and slowly shook his head. "Princess, you wouldn't do that. I've watched you grow up, and I know that although you appear weak, you are actually resilient and compassionate. If I were only acting out of selfishness, I would never dare to come today. But although I have selfish motives, I am also acting out of a greater sense of duty, so I have no choice but to come!"
He said in a deep voice, "Three days ago, the court received a memorial that the Japanese pirates had gathered hundreds of warships and wanted to take advantage of our army's battle with the Northern Army to launch a pincer attack and occupy the coastal counties. I reported this to the Emperor and hoped that he would strengthen the border defenses, but he ordered me to suppress the news and insisted on transferring the warships and soldiers to the riverbank, wanting to fight Qin Lie to the death."
"The imperial edict is now in my hands. At most, it will be delayed until the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, if I don't issue it, someone else will."
He bowed respectfully, "The situation is urgent; please, Your Highness, make a decision as soon as possible!"
.
Xie Yu's plan was very simple: poison Song Pingkou's food.
This matter can only be handled by Lingyi, because only with her will Song Pingkou be completely unguarded.
Lingyi put the drug in the wine, and after only a few cups, the drug began to take effect.
Song Pingkou wasn't stupid. After being poisoned, he saw Lingyi's expression and understood what had happened. He was very strong, and he grabbed Lingyi and pulled her close, grabbing her neck and saying viciously, "You bitch! You're asking for death!"
Once he was restrained, Yi Fang realized that even if he was poisoned, he could still put her to death first.
She wanted to explain, but her throat was being constricted and she couldn't make a sound.
His anger was like that of a dying beast; his fingers tightened, and her struggles seemed futile and laughable.
Just before she was about to suffocate, he suddenly let go of her hand, his gaze filled with only sadness and reluctance. Slowly, she collapsed to the ground, unwilling to give up.
Hearing the commotion, the fifteenth princess rushed in and saw Lingyi bent over, coughing violently.
As she gradually calmed down, Lingyi comforted the fifteenth princess, whose eyes were filled with worry: "Sister, don't worry, I'm fine." She looked at Song Pingkou on the ground and smiled, "This fool, knowing that I harmed him, still couldn't bear to kill me."
She was laughing when tears suddenly streamed down her face. She wiped them away, but more tears soon welled up, surprising even herself.
Having used tears as a weapon for so long, she thought she had long since lost the ability to shed real tears.
It turns out that she also felt reluctant to do so.
But that was all she could do.
She spent the entire night making this decision.
That night, she thought about many things: the children who died from lack of medicine, the mothers who drowned themselves, and the numb, sorrowful faces she had encountered along the way. She thought about the peaceful life she shared with Sister Zhou and the others, the bare trees along the road to Jizhou, and the people in the iron pots.
But the final image freezes on the kneeling people as she leaves the capital in her imperial carriage.
They had never seen her before, nor even heard of her, and she had never cared about them.
But at that moment, because she was a princess, they all knelt down and called her "Your Majesty."
What they sincerely worshipped was her identity.
Despite not being favored by the people, she was still supported by the masses despite her status.
She had never done anything for them before.
This time, she tried her best to do something for her people.
Time was of the essence, and even tears were a luxury. She wiped away her tears, opened the small window, and gestured for Xie San Niang, disguised as a palace maid, to come in.
After Xie San Niang entered, she quickly disguised herself as Song Ping Kou and swaggered out. Not long after, the divine physician returned to the Prime Minister's residence with a large chest of gifts from the Imperial Concubine.
The following day, Song Pingkou suddenly fell ill and died in the imperial study.
Chang Da took over the elite Song family army, and Xie Yu suppressed the court officials.
These two sons-in-law of General Song, one a civil official and the other a military commander, after taking control of the situation, presented a letter of surrender to the Xian Dynasty in the name of General Song.
Several adopted princes who were fighting abroad held their own armies and refused to acknowledge the surrender document. Two of them even immediately declared themselves emperors, claiming to be the successors of General Song.
It took Qin Lie more than two months to break through the Yangtze River defense line. His adopted sons and local gentry joined forces to block him on the riverbank. Meanwhile, hundreds of Japanese pirate warships had reached the vicinity of the coast, covering the sky. The battle had lasted for nearly three months. Due to the large number of troops being taken away by the adopted prince, the Song family army's elite forces, despite their best efforts, were now only barely holding on with the combined efforts of the army and the people.
At the critical moment of life and death, Qin Lie led his army, which descended from the sea like divine soldiers, attacking from both sides and sinking hundreds of warships, while killing countless Japanese pirates.
Even days after the battle ended, the seawater was still covered in blood-red foam.
Japan, a small island nation, had already exhausted its entire national strength in this war. After this battle, it would be unable to launch a large-scale invasion for at least ten years.
The people cheered with joy, but Chang Da felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Although the battle was fruitful, the Song family army was exhausted and had less than 10,000 men left.
And when they ran out of ammunition and food, warships bearing the Qin flag emerged from the sea, a truly magnificent sight.
Nowadays, in the hearts of the people, the divine authority is probably no longer limited to the Song family.
Even in the minds of children, the Song family still needed the Qin family's help to win.
Thinking of this, Chang Da couldn't help but look at Qin Lie in the crowd.
His expression was stern and his demeanor composed. Even as the people surrounded him and knelt in worship, he showed no sign of pride.
Despite being an invincible general, his face was pale and gloomy, quite different from what Chang Da had imagined.
.
Chang Da led Qin Lie and the others back to the Zhuozhou prefecture, where Xie Yu and a group of ministers greeted them at the city gate.
The group returned together to the former palace.
This place was originally General Song's mansion. Although it has been renovated, it still cannot compare to the grandeur of the imperial city in the capital.
Xie Yu led Qin Lie on a tour of the palaces of the previous dynasty. Qin Lie did not call for a stop, so they had to head to the inner palace.
The ministers present were all terrified. They all remembered the imperial concubine in the harem who had been betrothed to Qin Lie, but later ran away on her own and was praised by General Song for "abandoning darkness and embracing light." Looking back now, it was somewhat ironic.
When she met this Prince Duan, she was so ashamed that she didn't know where to put her face.
She was already ashamed, but she was afraid of what would happen if Prince Duan got angry. After all, no man would consider being cuckolded a great disgrace.
They could only hope that the Imperial Concubine would be unable to bear it and hang herself or swallow gold to her death.
Otherwise, these people were already double agents. If they didn't plead for the women of their former master when they were humiliated, it would seem too unrighteous of them not to plead for them, but if they did plead for them, they would be afraid of angering the new master. They were in a real dilemma.
On the other hand, the ministers couldn't help but complain about Prince Duan, asking why he was looking at other people's harem for no reason.
Even if Cao Cao had a love for beauty, he should have come secretly and quietly, instead of swaggering in with a group of court officials like this.
Could it be something glorious or something?
If he takes a fancy to one of the concubines, should they be asked to stop him or not?
Although many thoughts were running through their minds, they did not stop walking and soon passed through the palace gate and entered the inner palace.
Not long after entering, thick smoke billowed out, and many eunuchs and palace maids were shouting and yelling. Some even ran to the various water vats to draw water.
The head eunuch, covered in sweat, came to report that the Imperial Concubine's palace was on fire, and the Concubine and the prince were inside; their chances of survival were slim.
Xie Yu said, "There are too many people and too much going on over there, so we don't want to offend the Prince. Why don't we go to the garden instead? Although it can't compare to the exquisite decorations in the capital, it has its own unique charm."
Qin Lie, however, said unhurriedly, "I am new here and there is such a good show. I should go and see what's going on."
Xie Yu had no choice but to order the chief eunuch to lead the way.
When the group arrived at the location, all that remained before them were charred and collapsed ruins.
Xie Yu then said, "Prince Duan, this place is really not convenient for us to pay our respects. Why don't we go somewhere else?"
Qin Lie remained silent, standing with his hands behind his back, watching the people busily working until they finally pulled out two charred corpses, one large and one small, from the ruins.
He stopped one of the palace maids who was crying the loudest, "The face of this corpse is not visible, how can you be sure it is your Imperial Concubine?"
The palace maid had no idea who Qin Lie was, only that he was a noblewoman. She sobbed as she reported, "Before the fire started, I saw Her Highness embracing the prince in bed. Her Highness is always considerate of us; unless she has something to do, she doesn't need us to serve her during her afternoon nap—we can just wait outside. I only dozed off for a moment, and then the fire started… Her Highness… Her Highness…"
She was sobbing uncontrollably and could no longer speak.
Qin Lie said, "You seem so heartbroken; it must be because of her personal maid."
The palace maid said, "Since Your Highness came to Zhuozhou, I was assigned to the Princess's residence to take care of you personally. Later, I followed you into the palace, and it has been three years now."
“Three years.” Qin Lie’s eyebrows twitched slightly, and he asked again, “There are many glass artifacts in the ruins. Your empress must have been very favored.”
The glass lamps were only blackened by the fire and were not damaged. There were twelve colorful glass lamps in the ruins, not to mention the other ornaments. Each one of them was priceless. Even the Empress Dowager's room in the capital was not as luxurious as this.
Although Zhuozhou is near the sea, making it easier to obtain overseas glass, it is still a rare find.
The palace maid, disregarding her grief, glanced at him strangely. What kind of nobleman, whom she didn't know, would come up and inquire about the Empress's private affairs?
Not to mention her, even the ministers present were filled with mixed feelings, feeling that this Prince Duan was somewhat different from ordinary people!
Otherwise, why would he be here inquiring about whether his ex-wife and the late emperor were in a loving relationship?
The green hat has already been worn, so why would I care if it's worn correctly or not?
Receiving no answer, Qin Lie's face showed displeasure, and he said in a deep voice, "Speak!"
He was already imposing, and now his aura intensified. The palace maid, terrified, stammered incoherently, "The late Emperor...the Emperor loved our Consort dearly...Although Consort was not the Empress, the Emperor...he specially bestowed upon her the palace closest to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, showering her with gifts daily. Unless the Emperor was truly too busy to visit the inner palace, he would come to Consort's palace every day. Even when Consort was unable to attend to the Emperor in bed, he would still come to speak with her...Consort...the Emperor was also deeply devoted to him. Back in the General's Mansion, when the late Emperor didn't return home, she would wait for him no matter how late it was. Whenever the late Emperor came, she personally arranged all his food and clothing..."
"Enough!" Xie Yu interrupted her, cupping his hands to Qin Lie and saying, "Our old friend has passed away, why add to the trouble?"
Qin Lie looked at him leisurely: "If my old friend were alive, I would still be able to tear her apart by five horses and grind her bones to ashes. Now that she is dead, she can only be told as a joke. Why is there any trouble? Is it that Prime Minister Xie cannot listen, or is he unwilling to listen?"
Xie Yu looked up at him, and he was looking at Xie Yu as well.
One was refined and elegant, the other heroic and valiant; one had a somber expression, the other exuded an aura of authority without anger.
The ministers, unaware of the inside story, only felt that the atmosphere was strangely eerie and dangerous.
Everyone here was extremely shrewd and knew that this strange situation should not be allowed to continue. An old minister, who was over fifty years old, spoke up to plead, "Your Highness, it is not proper for the bodies to be exposed here. Why don't we collect their remains first, and then discuss other matters?"
Qin Lie said, "It is not appropriate for me to interfere in the Song family's affairs. Please do as you see fit."
The ministers present were all speechless. So you also know that this is a family matter of the Song family, and this is the inner palace of Song Pingkou!
With the death of the Imperial Concubine, a great weight was lifted from everyone's hearts.
Many of them had followed the Song family since their fathers' generation, and many more had been promoted by General Song himself. Now, General Song was bedridden and unable to move. Although Prince Duan had ordered him to be treated well, he probably wouldn't last more than a few years. Song Pingkou was dead, and even his only son had perished in the fire. Many people still felt a pang of sorrow.
Xie Yu regained his composure and instructed the palace servants to collect the body and bury it in the Song family ancestral tomb.
The Song family ancestral graves are located alongside those of Song Pingkou.
Upon hearing this, the chief eunuch secretly glanced at Qin Lie, and seeing that he was indifferent and didn't care, he lowered his head and accepted the order to carry it out.
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