Chapter 75
The closer it gets to Lunar New Year's Eve, the stronger the festive atmosphere becomes.
Ordinary people are preparing for the upcoming New Year, while officials are also putting in their best efforts to prepare for the upcoming inspection in Beijing.
Thus, the demonic book, which had been shelved for several months, was brought up again.
On the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Jinwen, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Justice, submitted a memorial to the emperor requesting a retrial of Han Yu, arguing that the law should be impartial and no mistakes should be tolerated. This coincided with the national review of officials in the capital, a major event held every six years. Only by retrying Han Yu and clarifying the truth could the innocent be proven innocent and the guilty proven guilty.
To cooperate with Li Jinwen, on the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin also submitted a memorial: "If weeds are not removed, good crops will not grow. The reason why treacherous officials keep barking is because the facts are unclear and the evidence is not clear. I only hope that Your Majesty will re-examine this case, clear the names of the officials involved, and exempt me from the fault of disturbing you. Your subject Liu Zhengxin bows his head in respect."
The Grand Secretary's faction actively participated in the anti-seditious book case, submitting memorials to advise the authorities. This was because the anti-seditious book involved them personally, and they were especially afraid that the Second Grand Secretary's faction would take the opportunity to attack them during the capital inspection. Therefore, they wanted to completely resolve the anti-seditious book case before the end of the year.
*
Inside the cabinet office, Grand Secretary Liu Zhengxin was working diligently at his desk.
Suddenly the wooden door creaked open, and Du Bangguo, the Minister of Personnel, stepped in.
The Minister of Personnel was one of the officials in charge of the capital inspection, and according to faction, he was actually the Grand Secretary's personal confidant.
At that moment, Liu Zhengxin stood up to greet him with a smile, saying, "Minister Du, what a rare guest! Come, please sit down."
"Prime Minister," Du Bangguo replied, bowing in return.
The two greeted each other.
After they were seated and exchanged pleasantries, Du Bangguo asked first, "Does His Majesty have any news regarding the reopening of the case of the 'seditious book'?"
Liu Zhengxin shook his head, his face showing deep concern. "The memorial was submitted yesterday, and together with Li Jinwen's letter the day before yesterday, there is still no news."
He stroked his white beard and sighed, "I'm afraid His Majesty will stay in the capital again!"
Remaining in China is truly a characteristic of His Majesty today.
Du Bangguo clicked his tongue and added, "This matter involves the imperial family, especially the Imperial Concubine and the Crown Prince. His Majesty takes it very seriously and will not ignore it. You know His Majesty's temper; he hates it most when others speak ill of the inner palace or fabricate rumors."
"So what if they value him? The Imperial Guard has been investigating for a month or two, and apart from Han Yu who was arrested at the beginning, there are no other suspects. But I get angry just thinking about it. Han Yu had already confessed, but he changed his mind at the last minute and made a complete fool of himself. Now, he's like a fly that smells fishy stench and won't give up easily."
Liu Zhengxin was filled with worries.
Du Bangguo, seeing this, patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Prime Minister, don't be impatient. What I mean is, since Han Yu is still in the imperial prison, there must be a way to make him grit his teeth and confess. No matter how tough he is, can he withstand torture?"
In short, if the suspect in the demonic book cannot be caught, Han Yu is the best scapegoat.
The two sighed, and Du Bangguo said again, "Prime Minister, what you should be worried about is not Han Yu, but the Crown Prince."
Liu Zhengxin was taken aback, his gaze darkening.
Second Grand Secretary Liu Shen, through the help of Guo Zheng, the Vice Minister of Rites, cultivated a good relationship with the Crown Prince; however, due to his conflict with Liu Shen, his relationship with the Crown Prince became strained.
But Liu Zhengxin felt wronged. He was the one who initially proposed establishing an heir apparent, and he was the one who mediated the conflict between the emperor and the ministers, acting as a peacemaker.
Without him, who knows when the Crown Prince would have been appointed!
Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, he became part of the faction of the Third Prince and the Imperial Concubine, which is simply absurd.
Of course, this is not the most terrible thing. The most terrible thing is the attitude of the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince believes it to be true and then settles scores after ascending the throne, he will be more wronged than Dou E.
The more Liu Zhengxin thought about it, the more frustrated and angry he felt, and he couldn't sit still for a while.
He asked Du Bangguo, "Some time ago, Liu Shen submitted another memorial saying that there was a shortage of officials in the Eastern Palace and asked His Majesty to fill some positions as appropriate, but the memorial was rejected. I think we should also submit a memorial and try?"
Regardless of whether the memorial was meaningful or not, it was simply to leave a good impression on the Crown Prince.
Du Bangguo narrowed his eyes and said in surprise, "Prime Minister, are you confused? Liu Shen's letter was kept in the palace by His Majesty, but His Majesty approved Guo Zheng's memorial requesting Xu Xuan to be the Crown Prince's study companion."
"...Study companion?"
Liu Zhengxin almost jumped up. "Xu Xuan, no way! How come I didn't hear a thing about something this big?"
"Absolutely true."
Du Bangguo's illusions were completely shattered. He looked out the door and muttered to himself, "The Crown Prince is trying to undermine us from the ground."
*
Like Liu Zhengxin, Xu Xuan was also incredulous to learn that he had become the Crown Prince's study companion.
Putting aside the fact that he has now been granted an official position in the Ministry of Justice, there are a bunch of compilers and editors in the Hanlin Academy, each of whom is a learned scholar. How come such a good thing happened to him?
Moreover, this matter is not necessarily a good thing for him.
I'm completely baffled.
So he decided to become a study companion, but no one from the Eastern Palace came to inform him, causing him to spend the entire day in anxiety.
As they were about to leave the office, Deng Yan came up mysteriously and insisted on having a drink with him.
Xu Xuan refused, saying, "I'm staying at my father-in-law's house now, and I don't want to go back smelling of alcohol."
After tidying up all the documents, the two walked out of the government office. Deng Yan patted his arm and continued to persuade him: "Drinking and having fun are the most important things in life, Ziwei, what you said is too vulgar."
Xu Xuan shook his head again, "Brother Deng, you go with them. I have some things to take care of lately and can't get away. When I have time, I will definitely prepare a feast to apologize to you."
Xu Xuan was determined to go back.
Seeing this, Deng Yan had no choice but to give up. "Ziwei, I heard you're going to the Crown Prince's Palace to be a study companion. Will you still be working as a clerk in the Ministry of Justice?"
When this matter was brought up, Xu Xuan was also confused. He sighed and said, "I don't know. I know even less than you do now."
"Alright." Deng Yan touched the tip of his nose, sighed and laughed, "Everyone was worried about you before, but now they all have to rely on you."
Xu Xuan smiled helplessly.
After the Imperial Guards checked the black tokens for leaving the palace, the two parted ways, and Xu Xuan went straight back to the Shen family.
Since Mr. Shen had not yet returned home, he went to the backyard to look for Shen Yao. He found her squatting in front of a pot of fiery red flowers, gesturing with a pair of scissors.
It really is a flower.
Xu Xuan didn't go forward; she just leaned against the corner of the wall and watched from afar.
But it was really cold, and he was bitten to the bone by the cold wind after only a short while, so he went over and called out "A-Yao".
Shen Yao turned to look at him and asked with a smile, "Why are you here?"
"Wander around."
After saying that, he lowered his gaze to the potted plants on the ground and asked uncertainly, "Is this a camellia?"
"Yes. It was just transported from the south, and it looks very nice."
Xu Xuan then squatted down and began to examine and admire the objects.
Seeing his interest, Shen Yao pointed and said, "This is Songyang Red, with petals arranged in a hexagonal pattern; that pot of white with red stripes is the Eighteen Scholars, a precious variety of camellia."
"There are still a few pots that haven't bloomed yet. They won't bloom until February or March next year. But it's much colder in the capital than in the south. I don't know if they'll freeze to death."
Although camellias are cold-resistant, they can easily get frostbite if they stay in low temperatures for a long time.
Moreover, judging from the Shen family, apart from her, no one else likes these flowers and plants.
Shen Yao couldn't help but feel worried.
Xu Xuan comforted her, "Since it blooms in winter, how can it be afraid of the cold?"
He stood up, wiped the dirt off his hands with a handkerchief, looked down at Shen Yao who was still looking worried, and pulled her up, saying as they walked, "Dinner's ready."
"Hey, I'm not done yet."
"Let's do it after we finish eating."
The two walked toward the restaurant.
Madam Shen was chatting and laughing with Shen Fan when she saw the two of them arrive. Madam Shen then asked, "Is the flower trimming finished?"
Shen Yao nodded. "Alright."
Madam Shen smiled and said to Shen Fan, "Tomorrow, pick out a few good ones and send them to Miss Zhao San. You two can also meet and get to know each other better."
Shen Fan was taken aback. He glanced at his mother and saw that she was adamant. He couldn't think of any reason to refuse, so he just nodded reluctantly and said, "Yes."
He then asked, "Is Mother coming along?"
Madam Shen hummed in agreement: "It's the New Year, so it's natural to visit relatives."
This is what is meant by aristocratic circles and social interactions among ladies.
After a moment, Madam Shen suddenly exclaimed "Eh?" and asked Xu Xuan, "Is your mother-in-law's sister a concubine in the Duke's mansion? Why don't we see her around?"
It refers to Aunt Liu.
Shen Yao also knew this person.
Xu Xuan replied, "She is my aunt, but my mother seems to have a grudge against her, so they haven't had much contact over the years."
There used to be communication when Liu Ru was around, but now we've completely lost touch.
Madam Shen sighed, rubbing her forehead. "What a pity."
Seeing their confusion, Madam Shen explained, "The Duchess has always been in poor health, and it is said that her condition has worsened recently due to the snow and cold. I don't know if she can make it through the winter."
If she cannot survive, Miss Zhao will have to observe mourning for her stepmother.
However, Madam Shen's words at this time, besides expressing concern for the Duchess's health, also seemed to have another meaning: that Aunt Liu, as the de facto housekeeper of the Duke's mansion, held an extraordinary position and was very likely to replace her in the future.
With this added layer of relationship, the political alliance between the Zhao and Shen families can be further deepened.
So Madam Shen began to advise Xu Xuan, "We're all family, what can't we talk about? The capital is a dangerous place, it's much better to have more help than more enemies. You should try to persuade your mother more."
If it were anything else, Xu Xuan could barely give it a try, but this was the only thing he was completely helpless about. So, under Madam Shen's eager gaze, he could only nod slightly twice to brush it off.
However, Shen Yao had a flash of inspiration and a bold idea suddenly came to her mind.
After finishing her meal, Shen Yao couldn't wait to share it with Xu Xuan.
She asked, "Do you have any other relatives in the capital?"
“Well… of course there are.” Xu Xuan tilted his head and thought for a long time before finally saying, “A few years ago there was a clan uncle, but he was transferred to Shanxi last year, and it seems that there are no other people left.”
Startled by the unexpected question, Xu Xuan couldn't help but ask, "Why are you asking this?"
Shen Yao blinked and said very solemnly, "Do you think it's possible that Aunt Liu from the Duke's mansion is your biological mother?"
Xu Xuan was shocked and immediately shook his head in denial, "Impossible, she could never be. How could a noble family like the Duke's Mansion give their son away to someone else?"
It's impossible just thinking about it.
"But what if your father wasn't the Duke of Xin—"
"That's even more impossible. The Duke's mansion is governed by strict etiquette and laws. They would never allow a woman who has lost her virginity to enter their home."
Wouldn't that be true? If the legal wife can't, surely the rules for concubines aren't that strict?
Shen Yao's eyes showed suspicion.
“It can’t be Aunt Liu,” Xu Xuan said bluntly. “Don’t make wild guesses. You should think carefully about how to get useful information from my mother.”
"Alright then." Shen Yao couldn't help but feel discouraged, and looked at Xu Xuan, saying, "I'll think about it some more."
"Hmm, I'll think about it slowly."
He looked at her and smiled, his smile gentle and warm.
As night deepened, after their discussion, Shen Yao didn't linger and went straight back to her room to sleep.
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