When the concubines heard the message from Xiao Guozi and Xiao Zhuzi, they were terrified. If the princess really wanted to drive them out of the palace, they would only have one way out: death. The prince would not speak up for them.
Since they truly had no sons or daughters, the princess of the royal palace held absolute power. Not only in the royal palace, but even in the palace, the princess was a tyrant who could do whatever she wanted.
Those with clever minds wanted to start with a man and a woman, but found that the princess had already blocked the way. The prince was poisoned and could not have sex for two years, otherwise he would have no hope of having children. A few days ago, the princess had ten doctors take their pulses and made it clear in black and white that they were not pregnant. They even signed and sealed the pulse record themselves.
It turned out that the princess was waiting for them here.
"We have never openly offended the princess, so why is she targeting us at every turn?" Several close concubines gathered together, waving their handkerchiefs and complaining.
"Shh, are you out of your mind? Keep these words to yourself, don't say them out loud. Besides, what does the princess want to do? Does she think she can offend the princess? If she really wanted to offend her, she would be dead here already, spouting nonsense."
The speaker was an aunt who was usually very careful with her words and had been living in the house for seven or eight years.
"But what should we do?"
The concubines were completely at a loss, not knowing what to do. They were made to go for a run early in the morning, never getting enough sleep, and were not allowed to get close to the prince. In a few years, when they were old and faded, they would be finished.
Some people gathered together to complain, while others went to Zhao Shulai to play the victim.
However, Zhao Shu refused to see any of them.
She and Wei Tingsi were busy assessing the soldiers and selecting centurions. When people outside heard about it, they all shook their heads, saying that the princess was so unruly, truly like father, like daughter.
Prince Yong has recently enjoyed even greater favor from the emperor. Emperor Mingde even wants to eat and sleep with Prince Yong. Since the founding of Dayong, there has never been a prince who has received such honor.
The prince was the emperor's number one suspect, and everyone kept a low profile in front of the emperor. But this Prince Yong was different; he enjoyed the emperor's favor for many years. No matter how absurd he was, he was still the empress dowager's favorite and the emperor's good brother.
The ministers were very worried that Emperor Mingde would be corrupted by Prince Yong, so they submitted memorials to express their loyalty, advising the emperor not to neglect state affairs, and also impeaching Prince Yong for his absurd behavior.
After reading the memorial, Emperor Mingde said to the person who submitted it, "I have observed that my nineteenth brother has changed a lot recently. He no longer goes out to fight cocks and dogs with others, and spends his days in the mansion cultivating his character."
What does it mean to stay cooped up in your residence all day cultivating your character? You're clearly in the palace every single day.
It was blatant favoritism! The ministers were already used to it. One censor returned home, and his favored concubine whispered in his ear, changing the story of Zhao Shu's treatment of her concubines and embellishing it further. "That Princess Jun, so deliberately making things difficult for my sister, not even tolerating a weak woman, how is she any different from her father who bullies men and women? My lord, you can't just sit idly by! My sister has been in the palace for seven or eight years, serving the princess and the prince with utmost care and diligence. Even if she hasn't done anything meritorious, she has certainly worked hard. If that Princess Jun really kicks her out of the palace because of her willful and capricious ways, she'll probably lose her life on the spot! She's treating human life like dirt! The emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people! My lord..."
So, the next day, Zhao Shu's title of Princess Jun was brought to the court for the first time. The officials chatted animatedly, much like a marketplace.
"Your Majesty, raising an adopted daughter without proper guidance is like raising a pig!" A censor lamented, as if Emperor Mingde would be the one who raised an adopted daughter without proper guidance if he didn't punish Zhao Shu, completely ignoring the fact that Zhao Shu was just Emperor Mingde's niece. After all, the emperor was the true head of the royal family.
The ministers with a clear head stood aside and coldly watched those so-called "key ministers" jumping around, thinking how shameless they were to bring such a thing to court.
Emperor Mingde has recently become obsessed with chess, often playing with his brother Prince Yong until late at night. However, he considers himself a wise ruler and never takes back his moves, while Prince Yong still frequently does so, which greatly satisfies Emperor Mingde's vanity and makes him feel that his nineteenth brother is still a child.
At this moment, he sat high on the dragon throne, expressionless. "So you mean your concubine is more important than your wife? Should I issue an edict to depose your wife and elevate your concubine to the rank of wife?"
Emperor Mingde was born to the first wife and empress. The concubines of the previous emperor had caused them a lot of trouble. Before he ascended the throne, he suffered a lot. As a man, Emperor Mingde had three wives and four concubines. As an emperor, he had three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines. But that did not change the fact that he hated those concubines from the bottom of his heart.
An enemy.
The minister felt his dignity as an official had been insulted and was about to rise and ram his head against the throne in the imperial palace when those around him hurriedly stopped him. He cried out, "To ensure a tree grows tall, its roots must be firm; to ensure a river flows far, its source must be dredged; to ensure the peace of the nation, its people must cultivate virtue and righteousness..."
Emperor Mingde was furious, "Don't stop him, let him die!"
The ministers were caught in a dilemma: whether to stop them or not. The censors were hardly going to die for their cause. Unless the emperor was incompetent, 99% of the time when the censors were about to die for their cause, they would be stopped and even praised for their integrity.
Moreover, he was certain that Emperor Mingde would not dare to suffer the infamy of killing ministers who dared to speak out against him, but unfortunately, he had crossed Emperor Mingde's bottom line today.
Hearing Emperor Mingde's words, he felt some regret, but the die was cast, so he still rammed his head against a pillar and fainted.
He didn't die, and Emperor Mingde didn't even bother to call the imperial physician. He had him carried home. When his first wife found out, she was furious. She sold off all the concubines in the mansion and ordered a doctor to treat him. She didn't want to care about him anymore.
Zhao Shu learned of these messy things several days later. She didn't go out, and no one came to her door. She had to ask someone to inquire about the Marquis of Yiguang's residence and got the news along the way.
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