The trial of the Prince of Huainan for treason lasted for seven days.
Besides treason, there were also numerous other crimes, such as hoarding gunpowder, buying and selling official positions, embezzling military funds, and disregarding human life.
The Zhou emperor was furious and sentenced him to death by slow slicing.
His son Liu Xin and all adult male members of his family were beheaded, while the women were forced into prostitution.
The other generals and soldiers of the Southern Frontier Army were cursed by the Southern Barbarian sorcerer, and their actions were not of their own volition. However, because they had saved the emperor, their merits and demerits canceled each other out, and they were only punished with a year's salary.
The greatest contributor was Prince An, who always stood in front of Emperor Zhou.
Emperor Zhou couldn't think of a way to reward them.
Zhou Huaichuan had already been granted the title of Prince, given a fiefdom, and held military power in the Northwest Army. He had accumulated numerous military achievements and was not short of money.
After asking around among his trusted confidants, some said that Prince An was both a subject and a prince, and it was only right for him to protect the emperor; he should not be rewarded.
Some say that simply giving a small gift of gold, silver, or jade would suffice.
In the stillness of the night, Eunuch Su, seeing that Emperor Zhou was still troubled by this matter, boldly offered his advice: "Your Majesty, according to custom, after Prince An was granted the title of Prince and his fiefdom, he should have returned to his fiefdom. However, he has been delayed because he has not yet gotten married..."
Emperor Zhou paused, his hand rubbing his temples, then suddenly realized: "Yes, yes, yes, what didn't I think of!"
Eunuch Su quickly flattered him: "You didn't expect that, it's just that there are so many beautiful women in the capital that you're overwhelmed with choices."
Emperor Zhou had an idea in mind and immediately entrusted the matter to the Empress.
The Empress is the legal mother, has no sons, and is not close to anyone, so she is the most suitable person to take charge.
"This spring, countless banquets, large and small, have been held. It's time for all the princes to choose their sweethearts."
The Empress summoned all the princes separately.
Ultimately, the eldest prince Zhou Rui was betrothed to Zhang Wen, the granddaughter of Grand Secretary Zhang; the second prince Zhou Xian was betrothed to Zheng Ying, the daughter of Minister of Personnel Zheng; and the third prince was betrothed to Li Yun, the daughter of Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi Li.
As for the fourth prince, namely Prince An, Zhou Huaichuan, the empress asked him which girl he had taken a fancy to.
Zhou Huaichuan hesitated, unable to make a decision.
The Empress urged him on, and Zhou Huaichuan had no choice but to say, "In my situation... anyone will do, but it's up to Mother Empress to decide."
The Empress said coldly, "You are now a great hero, but I can't make decisions for you. Don't try to fool me. Just name anyone so I can report back to your father."
“Then let it be Princess Anyi,” Zhou Huaichuan continued casually. “Princess Anyi is deeply devoted to me, so I will grant her wish.”
After Zhou Huaichuan left, Emperor Zhou emerged from behind the screen, the "Chuan" character on his brow furrowing even deeper.
"Your Majesty, I have completed the task you entrusted to me. I am feeling a little tired, so I will take my leave now. Please make yourself at home."
The Empress showed no intention of having a detailed discussion with Emperor Zhou; she simply bowed and left.
Emperor Zhou wanted to call out to her, but the empress turned around too quickly. Emperor Zhou opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't call out.
They were originally a loving and devoted couple...
......
The news that Emperor Zhou was going to bestow a marriage between Prince An and Princess Anyi reached the Princess's residence.
"What!" The eldest princess slammed her hand on the table and stood up in astonishment. "What does His Majesty mean by bestowing An Yi upon that lowly..."
"Princess, please don't get angry." Chu Xinxin pressed the princess back into her chair. "If you get angry, it will be difficult for me to find the acupoints. If I can't find the acupoints, your wish will have to be postponed for some time."
The princess had no choice but to swallow her anger and sit back down.
"Granny Guo, go and deliver the token to the Empress Dowager immediately. I need to enter the palace right away."
"yes."
After Granny Guo left, the Princess kept muttering, "How could this be... He's always doted on An Yi since she was little..."
Chu Xinxin seemed not to hear, and only spoke after finishing the acupuncture treatment for the princess: "Princess, An Yi likes Prince An and the emperor has granted her a marriage, why do you look unhappy?"
"Prince An has a hidden illness and such a bloodline; if An Yi marries him, won't she be living a life of widowhood and becoming a laughingstock...?"
“I know, but if Prince An can’t touch An Yi, that means he can’t touch other women either. An Yi will have no concubines to upset her, she won’t have to serve her in-laws, and she won’t have to bear children, thus avoiding the pain of childbirth. Prince An is also handsome. This is a marriage that so many people would kill for…”
As she spoke the last sentence, Chu Xinxin's voice weakened.
"It is a woman's duty to marry, serve her husband, and bear children for him. What are you talking about?!"
Just as the eldest princess was about to get angry, she suddenly saw Chu Xinxin with her head down, looking very sad. She immediately remembered that Chu Xinxin seemed to like Zhou Huaichuan's face!
When she said "a marriage that so many people would beg for but can't have," she was probably referring to herself as "so many people."
"Xin Xin." The eldest princess suddenly took Chu Xin Xin's hand. "Tell me the truth, do you like Prince An?"
Chu Xinxin's face flushed instantly, and her voice was barely audible: "Your Highness, what... what are you saying..."
The princess was overjoyed. The more she looked at Chu Xinxin, the brighter her eyes became, and even the burns on her face didn't seem so terrible anymore.
"Xin Xin, you have done me a great favor, and I will certainly not treat you unfairly. Go home and wait, I will make sure you get what you want!"
The eldest princess changed into her court robes and hurriedly went to the palace.
Chu Xinxin slowly packed her things and left the Princess's courtyard.
Passing by the garden, she saw the prince consort holding two maids, admiring the flowers. Remembering what the princess had said earlier, she shook her head and could only say, "Understanding, respect, and blessings are all I can say."
Just as she lifted her foot to leave, An Yi came in from another door. Seeing her father with one woman on each side, she was furious and tried to rush over without any sense of propriety. Chu Xinxin grabbed her and led her out of the garden.
"What are you doing? Let me go! I'm going to go up there and kill those two vixens! They're trying to seduce my father while my mother's not around!"
As soon as Chu Xinxin let go of An Yi, An Yi wanted to rush back.
"Give me a break. This entire Princess's residence is her eyes and ears. Do you think she doesn't know that?"
An Yi paused in her steps.
Chu Xinxin continued, "The Eldest Princess is the Empress Dowager's own daughter and the Emperor's own sister. If it weren't for the Eldest Princess's tacit approval, would the Prince Consort have eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard?"
The eldest princess had been married to her husband for many years without having a child. The husband wanted a son, but dared not bring it up due to the princess's status. Seeing the couple growing increasingly estranged, the eldest princess had no choice but to tacitly allow her husband to have an affair with her personal maid...
An Yi's eyes reddened as she listened: "How could Father be like this? It's not like Mother didn't want to have children, sob sob..."
Halfway through her speech, An Yi started sobbing.
Chu Xinxin sighed and patted An Yi's shoulder reassuringly: "Don't worry, I'm here. I'll definitely make sure you have a younger brother."
An Yi cried as she looked up at him with disdain: "You? You can't even heal your own face, and you want to help my mother?"
Chu Xinxin's breath hitched. She glanced coldly at An Yi and said, "If I regain my appearance, your title as the second most beautiful woman in the capital will be in jeopardy."
"You're talking nonsense! I'm clearly number one!" An Yi immediately wiped away her tears. "How dare Chu Yun, who's all pretentious, compare herself to me!"
Chu Xinxin: "I never said Chu Yun was number one."
An Yi: ......
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