Chapter 173: Concubine and Imperial Tutor
Zhao Huailang frowned when he heard this.
It was just a personal matter, and it happened long ago, which was not enough to shake the imperial teacher.
Cui Daoyuan noticed the disappointment in Zhao Huailang's eyes, and raised his lips meaningfully, saying in a low voice:
"Lin Wanting was a native of Yangzhou. He was born into a family of minor officials and scholars. He was very intelligent since childhood. Later, he passed the imperial examinations and was outstanding in the provincial, metropolitan and palace examinations. He was able to become an official and his reputation was well-known in the court."
"It is said that he had discussed marriage in the past. The girl he married was the daughter of Lin's father's boss. However, Lin Wanting was obsessed with poetry and books at the time, so he declined the marriage proposal and it ended in nothing."
"Everyone knows that Yangzhou is famous for its beauties. When the late emperor was expanding his harem, Yangzhou sent many beautiful ladies, but only one was kept. She was named a talented person by the emperor and taken into the harem."
When Zhao Huailang heard this, his eyes widened slightly.
Since grandpa mentioned it, it must be for no reason. Could it be that this beautiful girl who was left behind is the one that Mr. Lin had arranged to marry back then, and now - she is still in the harem! ?
Seeing Zhao Huailang's reaction, Cui Daoyuan chuckled: "At that time, the man and the woman were unmarried, and they had not yet participated in the selection, so it was normal to discuss marriage."
"But...if one of them becomes a concubine and the other a minister, what if they still have entanglements?"
Hearing this, Zhao Huailang felt his breathing become a little rapid.
The Emperor favored Concubine Chen, who was the mother of the honorable Prince, so there were not many concubines in the harem.
When he was seriously ill, the emperor even issued an edict that concubines did not have to be buried alive with him.
Therefore, after the emperor passed away, the concubines without children either went to guard the tomb or became nuns. Only a few concubines who gave birth to children remained in the harem and were honored as concubines dowagers.
Who could it be?
Cui Daoyuan no longer kept the secret, straightened his wrinkled sleeves, and said calmly: "This matter is extremely secretive, but after all, the goose leaves its message behind, especially this time...the eldest princess who married the Yue Kingdom has returned to the capital."
When these words were spoken, Zhao Huailang and Cui Mingjue stood up in surprise.
"Concubine Rong?"
Zhao Huailang even let out a low cry in an inappropriate manner.
At this moment, everything that had happened since the eldest princess came to Beijing flashed through Zhao Huailang's mind like a revolving lantern.
He was stunned at first, then suddenly realized, and finally murmured softly: "So that's it... So that's it..."
Seeing that Zhao Huailang reacted so quickly, Cui Daoyuan nodded in satisfaction.
"Grandpa checked and found out that Concubine Rong is indeed from Yangzhou. She was the one who discussed marriage with Lin Wanting back then. This also made Grandpa recall an event from the past."
"Twenty years ago, in order to defend against the Mo Kingdom, the court officials proposed the marriage with the Yue Kingdom. At that time, the three princesses were all unmarried, but the mother of the three princesses, Rong Guiren, was of the lowest birth and the lowest position."
"Compared to our dynasty, Yue is a wild and barbaric land. The first two princesses are naturally unwilling, but there is an order of seniority. It is unreasonable to skip the first two and push the third princess out."
"But, in the end, everything depends on human effort..."
"Although Grandfather doesn't know what happened back then, I think it must have been extremely difficult for Rong Guiren, who had no foundation and was not favored by the emperor."
"It happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the palace held a palace banquet. Two days after the palace banquet, the third princess stood up and offered to take the initiative to marry the Kingdom of Yue."
"This matter caused a lot of uproar at the time, and soon everyone knew about the Third Princess's righteousness. Rong Guiren was directly promoted to Rong Fei because of this."
"At that time, Grandpa felt that under unfavorable circumstances, the actions of Concubine Rong and the Third Princess were already wise."
"Since the marriage is inevitable, why not go with honor and leave a good name behind?"
"The most precious thing is the ability of the Third Princess, which has made it possible for her to return to the capital in glory and for mother and daughter to be reunited."
When Zhao Huailang heard this, he understood instantly.
"Grandpa means that at the palace banquet that year, Concubine Rong most likely had a private meeting with Elder Lin, and Elder Lin gave Concubine Rong this plan?"
Cui Daoyuan nodded repeatedly, "That's right."
But Zhao Huailang quickly frowned, "But grandpa, this happened more than 20 years ago, and there is no evidence left..."
Cui Daoyuan was very calm when he heard this, and smiled: "Evidence? There are so many servants around Concubine Rong, isn't it easy to get 'witnesses'?"
"Of course, the most important thing is the return of the princess to the capital this time."
At this time, Zhao Huailang could not help but nod his head and said in a deep voice: "My father intended to detain Ning'er, so he arranged a marriage for Ning'er, but the day Ning'er returned to Beijing, she mentioned Jiang Xun."
"At the welcoming banquet, Ning Er did not even bother to hide her affection for Jiang Xun. Now it seems that this was most likely planned by Elder Lin."
Cui Daoyuan nodded, "The princess has great prestige. If she comes out to support the emperor's grandson, the people will naturally lean towards her."
"Whether Lin Wanting wanted to use Jiang Xun's marriage to Princess An Ning to tie the eldest princess firmly to the emperor's grandson's camp, or he was deliberately making things mysterious to test the attitudes of all parties and the emperor's heart, it is undeniable that he was involved in this."
"Your Majesty was very concerned about Princess An Ning's marriage some time ago. I'm sure you never expected that the Imperial Master would get involved, right?"
"Furthermore, if His Majesty knew that Lin Wanting was entangled with the late emperor's concubines, it would be an even greater crime."
Cui Daoyuan said calmly, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
When Zhou Shan went to pray for blessings, Lang Er had given out a trump card that could bring down General Dingguo's Mansion, so Jiang Xun naturally could not escape it this time.
But if Jiang Xun gets into trouble, Lin Wanting will definitely not sit idly by, as he holds great importance in the emperor's heart.
If Jiang Xun were allowed to escape unscathed, it would be a waste of Lang'er's good move.
Therefore, these days, he began to unravel the mystery and conduct another in-depth investigation into Lin Wanting.
It is true that God rewards those who work hard, and God also helped him. The eldest princess happened to return to the capital, which allowed him to find clues.
This time, Lin Wanting will be in trouble!
The beauty of this situation lies in that there is no need to go to great lengths to put Lin Wanting to death. As long as he has lost his status in the emperor's heart, an old man without real power is nothing to be afraid of.
As for His Majesty...
Cui Daoyuan's eyes were dark.
He knows this emperor... too well.
He is dedicated to governing the country, and is both a man of both civil and military skills, but he is too narrow-minded, suspicious, overthinking, and... cruel enough.
Therefore, this time they don't even need to produce any solid evidence. As long as the emperor listens and takes it to heart, it will be enough.
Zhao Huailang thought about the matter carefully in his mind and felt that he had a great chance of winning. He couldn't help but feel excited.
"Then, Grandpa, when do you think is the right time to start the attack?"
Cui Daoyuan pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "How are you doing?"
Zhao Huailang shook his head, "It will take some time."
When Cui Mingjue heard this, he suddenly tilted his head.
Grandfather and cousin playing charades? Is there something...that needs to be hidden from him?
Cui Mingjue frowned slightly, but suddenly he thought of something and his pupils shrank slightly.
He is a member of the Cui family, so his loyalty to his cousin and the Cui family is naturally unquestionable. He knows that his grandfather and cousin also believe in him.
If there was something that needed to be hidden from him, it must be because they were worried that he would act on impulse, and the matter was so serious that no accidents could be allowed.
If this is true, then it can only be that... Miss Shen is involved!
Thinking of this, Cui Mingjue clenched his hands slightly, and then he heard his grandfather's voice sounded solemnly:
"In this case, the sooner the better, let's do it in the next few days."
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