"Concubine Wu harmed the heir to the throne, stripped him of his title, and banished him to the cold palace."
These fourteen short words determined the rest of Zhan Jiang's life.
Zhan Jiang was the legitimate daughter of the Zhan family, a military general of the Southern Wei Dynasty. At the age of 28, she was granted the title of concubine and became the most honored concubine in the harem.
After twenty years in the deep palace, he has only one daughter, named Changsheng. She is just sixteen this year, which is a good age for marriage.
The general's mansion was also verbally reprimanded for being burdened by its married daughter.
Various villains who were jealous of the military power of the General's Mansion took the opportunity to take action, hoping to get a share of the spoils.
As for why Empress Wu, who was nearly forty years old and had no children, would murder a person whose gender was unknown, no one mentioned it.
There are four adult princes in the palace, three young princes, and two in cradles.
These princes were all alive and well, but Concubine Wu had a strange way of thinking. She actually wanted to murder the son of a small talent when her family had made great military achievements?
No one cared about Concubine Wu's cry for justice and the Zhan family's appeal.
The current head of the Zhan family in the General's Mansion is Zhan Haoze, Concubine Wu's nephew, the only remaining male in the Zhan family, and he is nearly 20 years old.
He led his troops to repel the Northern Wei before the Lunar New Year and returned to the capital just before the Lunar New Year. Before the emperor's reward came down, he received the decree to depose his aunt.
The royal family relied on military generals, but was also wary of the military power in their hands.
Zhan Haoze himself is at the center of power and does not think there is anything wrong with the royal family's suspicion.
But using such low-level means to attack his aunt was really an insult to the General's Mansion.
It made them and their families' brains seem like they were fed to dogs.
The only bargaining chip in his hand is the military token, which he must hold tightly in his hand.
It is a death warrant and also a life-saving talisman.
"General, the princess is here to visit." Zhan San suddenly appeared and said to Zhan Haoze in the study.
There were many princesses of the Southern Wei Dynasty, but only one was worthy of the General's Mansion's proper reception.
Zhan Jiang and the emperor's daughter Zuo Changsheng, Zhan Haoze's cousin.
"Please come in, and be careful to avoid some people." Zhan Haoze stopped wiping the sword in his hand.
"Yes." Zhan San took the order and went to pick someone up.
At this critical moment, Changsheng actually risked leaving the palace? Perhaps there was something important that needed to be discussed. The General's Mansion wasn't entirely united, and various factions were trying to plant spies.
Although the General's Mansion is not a pushover, there are always a few people who have the power over them, and the General's Mansion has to bow its head and acquiesce.
"Cousin." Zuo Changsheng bowed.
"Your Highness, please take a seat." Zhan Haoze bowed.
"Your Highness, have you been doing well these days?" Although Zhan Haoze had people at his disposal, it was not easy for him to take care of them openly. He just found out that his aunt and cousin were having a hard time, but they were able to get by.
"Not good." Zuo Changsheng looked at Zhan Haoze with round eyes.
'Puff', Zhan Haoze put down the teacup in his hand, his image completely gone.
I had met my cousin before going to the war, so I'm not so upset.
"I wonder if I can help you in any way?" Zhan Haoze asked with a stiff upper lip. He couldn't ask what was wrong, as everyone in the world knew about it.
"Yes, it's absolutely possible." Zhan Haoze felt a little indigestion when he saw the starry eyes from his cousin.
"What help?" He asked cautiously, having a bad feeling.
"My father is a scoundrel and has framed my mother. When she was in favor, she was a moving target and attracted a lot of attention. Now that she is in trouble, she doesn't need anyone to hint at it. Many palace servants are rushing to vent their anger on her.
I'm a princess. Although I haven't been stripped of my status, my treatment is much worse than before. In this freezing weather, I can't even get a hot meal. You can imagine how my mother's life in the cold palace must be. It's even harder."
Zhan Haoze remained silent. He knew it was difficult, but since his aunt and cousin were not in danger for the time being, he could only hold back.
But in the deep palace, there are many ways to torture people. Take this horrible weather for example. If you deduct a little bit of hot soup, hot water, warm quilts and thick clothes, that person may be dead.
Who can I turn to for justice when the time comes? Countless people die of cold and freezing every year.
In this weather, even the old men and women from wealthy families may not be able to survive.
What's more, the deposed Concubine Wu was exhausted and became ill due to worry, and died in the cold palace. It seems reasonable.
"I'm really afraid that one day I won't be able to take care of my mother and she'll die from a cup of poisoned wine." And then if I report her as having died of illness or committing suicide out of fear of punishment, who will come to redress her grievances?
"The envoys sent by the Northern Wei to negotiate peace will arrive at the beginning of the spring. I heard that one of the items to be discussed is a marriage. I am one of the princesses of the royal family of marriageable age. I have half the blood of the Zhan family in me. If I go to the Northern Wei, I don't think I will have a good life."
Zuo Changsheng continued to throw bombs.
Zhan Haoze: ...
"Whatever cousin wants me to do, just tell me." Anyway, there are only three of them left in the Zhan family, so they can do whatever they want.
"My mother has lost three male babies in the palace over the years, and she is still worried about my father, thinking that she was unable to give him a son."
Changsheng lamented that the Zhan family had raised a love-brained person, "Since father is so afraid of the Zhan family, why don't we make good on this reputation."
If you hold military power and don't rebel, will it expire?
"Cousin, are you serious? Is your surname Zuo?" If it's not Zhan, you are sure to join forces with him to steal your Zuo family's great foundation.
"What's the impact of having the surname Zuo? The throne of the emperor is taken turns, and next year it will be the Zhan family's turn." Changsheng poured himself a cup of hot tea, the smoke curled up, he took a sip, and squinted his fox eyes in comfort.
"The Zhan family's ancestral motto is to be loyal to the emperor and the country." So even though he is the only one left in the Zhan family, he still sticks to the battlefield.
but……
"How about I lend a helping hand to my cousin and become an empress whose name will go down in history?" Zhan Haoze pondered for a moment, his beautiful fox eyes looking at his princess cousin who was known for her virtue.
Zuo Changsheng tilted his head and thought for a while, then muttered to Zhan Haoze, "I'm lazy." He couldn't bear the hardship of the emperor's work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., all year round.
Zhan Haoze: ...
There are still people who don’t covet power these days. It’s true that most of the products produced by the royal family are weird.
"This matter is of great importance, and I need to think carefully about it." If the person speaking in front of him was not indeed his own cousin, he almost thought that this was a spy sent by the emperor to spy on his ambitions.
Changsheng waved his hand to stop him, "Don't follow the growth, usually there is no result."
"But, building... such a big thing, we can't just start doing it. Our conditions are limited. We have to call together our confidants to make several plans." Alas, my little cousin still thinks things are too simple.
"Oh, let's plan for another five to ten years. If this generation fails, we can continue with the next generation?"
Zhan Haoze: ...
"I've never done this before, and no one in the Zhan family's ancestors has done it either. I really don't have any experience." Zhan Haoze looked back with a pair of fox eyes.
"It's true that lying down is not easy in any world." Changsheng muttered, not caring whether Zhan Haoze could understand him or not.
"Most of the Southern Wei's military forces are in your hands." Changsheng was determined to give his cousin confidence in victory.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com