He grinned and said, "What do you take me for? This little injury is like a tickle. I can do it myself. I don't need to feed you. I'm not a child."
While he was talking, Zhao Shu stuffed a spoonful of porridge into his mouth, saying, "If you keep showing off, I won't be responsible if you die."
Huo Baichuan's arrogance instantly crumbled. He put away his unruly smile and finished the porridge in his bowl, one bite at a time. The two remained silent.
Xiao Guo wondered to himself, did the princess prefer Marshal Wei or Lord Huo? Actually, he preferred Marshal Wei, whose martial arts were unparalleled. However, he knew that Green Luo and the others preferred Lord Huo, who was witty and handsome.
Although Marshal Wei was also very handsome, he was somewhat inferior to Lord Huo.
"Take your medicine in 15 minutes," Zhao Shu said.
After finishing the bowl of porridge, Huo Baichuan obediently lay down, closed his eyes, and said nothing more.
He suddenly became quiet. Xiao Guozi didn't think anything of it, but Zhao Shu was extremely suspicious. This wasn't like him. However, since he didn't want to talk, she didn't press him for details, after all, the injured party was the most important.
Two quarters of an hour later, Huo Baichuan opened his eyes and said to Xiao Guozi, "Bring the medicine."
So, he wasn't asleep?
Xiao Guozi quickly handed over the medicine. He took it and, without giving Zhao Shu a chance to snatch it back, drank it all in one gulp. After finishing it, as if he didn't know the bitterness, he lay down again.
The medicine had a sleep-inducing effect, and he couldn't resist it. Soon, his breathing became steady. Zhao Shu took his pulse and found that it was much normal. She breathed a sigh of relief; he was out of danger.
"Princess, when shall we leave here? Should I go and send a message to Duozhi and the others?"
Zhao Shu hesitated for a moment, then said, "No need to go, lest our whereabouts be revealed. We'll set off again in a few days when we're able to travel."
"Then things will definitely fall into chaos." Xiao Guozi's implication was that the imperial court was in turmoil.
Zhao Shu nodded but didn't reply. Things wouldn't get chaotic. Last night, Huo Baichuan mentioned so many of his confidants' names, which showed how grand his plans were. Even if he died, things wouldn't get chaotic for a while. If anything, things would get chaotic, and that would definitely happen in the capital.
However, the capital city has always been in chaos.
Indeed, just as Zhao Shu had imagined, the capital was in complete chaos.
Emperor Mingde was like a rebellious child. Others said that Yide was cheating on him, but he openly and honestly doted on Yide, sending her gifts to Weiyang Palace. At the same time, he bestowed upon Yide the title of Imperial Noble Consort, with the same rank as the Empress, to assist in managing the six palaces.
He openly supported Yide, but no one in the public gave him face. The rumors about Yide intensified and soon spread beyond the capital.
Even so, Emperor Mingde's affection for Yide remained unchanged. What happened in private was unknown to others, but in public, he showed Yide the utmost favor. First, he took her out of the palace to observe the people's conditions, and then he indulged in nightly revelry with her. In short, Yide received all the treatment that a favored concubine should receive, and even the treatment that a favored concubine did not receive.
Bi Qiao was getting impatient and ran up to Sun Yun, saying, "Miss Sun, what should we do?"
Sun Yun smiled at her, "It's alright, just have someone pass a message to Yi De."
This is a business saying.
When Yi De received these words, she hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing to pay the money to quell the rumors. It was Xiao Zhu Zi who personally ordered someone to do this. Bi Qiao, unaware of this, caught Xiao Zhu Zi and asked, "What did Miss Sun ask you to spread?"
"Miss Sun asked me to tell the Imperial Noble Consort that there is a way to resolve this matter, but it will require thirty million taels of silver."
Bi Qiao immediately objected, "Miss Sun, you're actually going to help that slut for money?"
"Hey, you don't understand. Now Miss Sun has split the Sun family's branch in two, claiming they are competitors, but in reality they are one family. The newly established branch works for Yide, while the old branch continues to promote itself with greater intensity. We can make money on one hand and suppress Weiyang Palace on the other. Isn't that better? You should know that this incident cost a lot of money. If this continues, our funds will run out sooner or later. What will we use to maintain our winning streak then?"
With Xiao Zhu's explanation, Bi Qiao understood. She didn't expect a rumor to bring down Yi De. The fact that Emperor Ming De went against public opinion showed that this woman was not simple. Emperor Ming De was also quite stubborn. However, it would be perfect if she could both strike at her and make money off her.
He grinned, "Aren't you going to get on with it?"
"Grandma, it was you who held me back and wouldn't let me leave." Little Zhu was in a great mood, so he complained and quickly left.
Thirty million taels of silver is nothing to a truly powerful family; it's not gold, but it's not a small amount either. Thirty million is enough for an ordinary person to squander for several lifetimes.
Yi De sent people to investigate Sun Yun's new branch and found that it came from a mysterious force that did not belong to any family in the capital and seemed to have a very powerful background, capable of contending with the Sun family's branch.
Once established, they were very aggressive, and within three days, they were evenly matched with the Sun family's gang.
So, Yi De reluctantly handed over 30 million taels of silver to Sun Yun. Once the silver was in hand, Sun Yun didn't hesitate, and public opinion began to turn in Yi De's favor.
First of all, the previous rumors were completely unfounded. Otherwise, why would the Emperor have bestowed upon Yide the title of Imperial Noble Consort, a rank equivalent to that of the Empress, and allowed her to manage the six palaces? The Emperor is not stupid.
Furthermore, the previous rumors lacked evidence and were merely hearsay. The public was being exploited by those with ulterior motives. We urge the public to treat rumors rationally, and remember that rumors stop with the wise.
Finally, it is said that Yide prayed for the people and lived in the Buddhist temple for more than ten years, which is why the country has had such favorable weather and abundant harvests in recent years.
The first two points were basically flawless, but the last one was different. By the time Yide realized there was a problem with the last one, it was too late. The people began to side with her, praising her for serving the country and the people, feeling sorry for her being wronged, and wanting to tear the rumor-monger to pieces...
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