Chapter 109 Now, Your Majesty? : Taking medicine ( )
Once the imperial edict was issued, the process of exonerating Fang Hou began at an extraordinary speed.
Within half a month, the matter was clarified to about 70-80%, and the truth will soon be revealed to the world.
The topic of the Qin Prince's Mansion, which had been kept secret for a long time, was gradually brought up again. The young and wise prince received much sympathy and mourning from scholars, and many more articles about him were circulated.
There was even a rumor that if the prince hadn't died back then, the position of crown prince wouldn't have fallen into the hands of a commoner princess. What a pity for the Prince of Qin.
These rumors spread like wildfire, causing Lady Yang to feel apprehensive. She frequently brought Zhong Shen to pay her respects.
She was worried that Xi Congshuang would become dissatisfied with them because of these remarks, thinking that she had become disloyal.
Xi Congshuang listened to the little girl reciting her text, and seeing her stuttering and patching things up, she became very serious.
The palace attendants knew that Her Highness the Crown Princess had strict requirements, and no one in the palace dared to disobey. Such a level of skill would only be disliked by the Crown Princess.
I just can't understand what the child is saying, and I don't know if the princess will dislike me.
As expected, Xi Congshuang said, "Call her teacher over."
There were at least seven or eight teachers assigned to Zhong Shen. In addition to fulfilling their own duties, the others were also responsible for Zhong Shen's studies and took turns going to Zhaohua Palace to teach him.
His primary tutor was a Hanlin Academy scholar, who also visited Zhaohua Palace most frequently. A palace servant would respond and then order someone to go to the Hanlin Academy to summon him to the East Palace.
This scholar-in-waiting was a former top scholar in the imperial examinations. He was very knowledgeable and more than capable of teaching Zhong Shen. However, when he finally met the Crown Princess, he was met with such a poor performance.
No one would think that the top scholar taught poorly, but they would think that the child was mediocre and unfit for great responsibilities.
Lady Yang's heart clenched, and the palace servants were also worried about the two of them.
But then Xi Congshuang said, "No, there's no need to call the Imperial Reader over. He's so good at showing off his talent, and he's all talk and no action. He's like a three-year-old trying to learn from the Zizhi Tongjian. He should go to the government-run school to show off his talent."
With a flourish of his pen, he wrote a transfer order, blew the ink to dry it, and stamped it with his seal. "Go and deliver it to the Imperial Academician, instructing him to take up his post immediately and not disappoint my expectations."
"Yes." The attendant took the transfer order and left, covered in cold sweat.
When it comes to being sarcastic and eccentric, the Crown Princess is not to be outdone.
With just a few lines of text, a promising scholar was expelled from Yongdu, with no return date set.
Only then did everyone realize that what Zhong Shen was saying, which was so halting and incomprehensible, was actually the content of the Zizhi Tongjian.
How did she figure it out? Even her own mother couldn't understand what her child was saying.
He called Zhong Shen, who looked bewildered, over, picked up some untouched pastries from the table, and shoved them into her hands: "Here, have some. You did a good job today."
Looking up, she said to Madam Yang, "She is still too young. Too much of a good thing is bad. Let's start her education with the Analects. Madam Yang, you can sit in on Shen'er's lessons when you have time. If anyone has any objections, tell them to come and find me."
Hearing that it didn't sound like a blame, Madam Yang felt much relieved.
On the way back, Madam Yang suddenly remembered: "Shouldn't we start their education with the Three Character Classic and the Expanded Collection of Wise Sayings?"
She started learning the Analects when she was seven or eight years old, five or six years old would have been fine, but it was still too difficult for a three-year-old to understand.
The problem was quickly solved, because the new tutor personally appointed by Xi Congshuang was holding the Three Character Classic and dared not ask that there be no one else present when he taught.
With past examples to learn from, who would dare to flatter the powerful and belittle the weak, or be perfunctory in their work? Even the children they are supposed to teach wouldn't dare.
The reason for temporarily changing it to the "Three Character Classic" is because someone else asked Xi Congshuang the same question.
"Shouldn't the Three Character Classic be used when teaching children?" Xun Suihuang asked.
Having received multilingual education from a young age, and having to memorize texts even if she couldn't write them, Xi Congshuang thought, "...Is that so?"
Xun Suihuang nodded: "That's right, when my mother was a child, she had someone teach me the Three Character Classic."
Behind the desk, Xi Congshuang picked up a brush and quickly wrote, changing the Four Books and Five Classics into the Three Character Classic.
Xun Suihuang continued, "But I wasn't focused on my studies. I couldn't even finish a whole chapter of the Three Character Classic between the ages of three and six. When I was six, my handwriting was only slightly better than chicken claws. My mother and my first teacher almost thought I had a mental illness, so they didn't dare to ask too much of me. They were just satisfied as long as I could run home when it rained when I grew up."
"After I was taken in as a disciple by Grand Tutor Fang, my mother was relieved and believed that I was not mentally ill and that my handwriting was not bad."
Compared to Gu Daifang, it's roughly the distance from Fuzhou to Yongdu at the hundredth time.
Xi Congshuang looked up: "When you were little, wouldn't you run home if it really rained?"
Xun Suihuang: "..."
Realizing she had inadvertently revealed something, she coughed lightly, her fist pressed to her lips: "Don't you think it's refreshing to feel cool rain on your body when it's hot?"
Xi Congshuang shook her head: "I don't think so."
She raised her hand and handed over the document. The Chief Secretary of the Eastern Palace, who was standing to the side, took it with both hands, bowed, and left the Eastern Palace. He carried the freshly issued document out and passed by a Reader who was weeping and begging to see the Crown Princess.
The scholar noticed the Crown Prince's Chief Secretary, who was standing tall and proud, and was about to rush over to speak when a guard grabbed him without a word and dragged him away, leaving the Crown Prince's Chief Secretary to leave with his entourage.
The commotion outside had no effect on the Eastern Palace. The Imperial Reader was taken away by the guards, and he had no choice but to either resign or obediently take up his post.
She was definitely too naughty when she was little.
Feeling that continuing this topic would make him seem like a fool who wouldn't run home on a rainy day in Xi Congshuang's eyes, Xun Suihuang changed the subject and said, "Speaking of which, I haven't even met Shen'er yet. Why did you leave so soon?"
If Xi Congshuang hadn't managed to get the person out of the Qin Prince's mansion, no one would have known of her existence.
Xi Congshuang replied, "I'm going back to study the Three Character Classic."
She had just sent the document out to prevent Zhong Shen from staring blankly at the Analects.
Xun Suihuang: "...Can the Three Character Classic even be reused?"
Xi Congshuang chuckled, got up and sat down on the chair next to her: "I'm not kidding you, she really did go back to study the Three Character Classic. Recently there have been some rumors going around, and Madam Yang was a little worried, so she brought the child over to see her."
Xun Suihuang lowered his head and drank his tea in silence.
Showing through actions, "So that's how it is, but I don't want to talk to you for now," this tea is truly something else.
After finishing her tea, she spoke: "Oh, that's good. When she grows up, I'll be her martial arts instructor and teach her to ride horses and shoot arrows."
This made Xi Congshuang understand Xun Suihuang's reason for suddenly coming. She said knowingly, "You came to see me because of the rumors outside?"
Since taking over the Eastern Palace, Xun Suihuang has rarely visited it openly. He usually stays at home tending to the plum trees, so his sudden visit today is quite unusual.
Xi Congshuang considered it unnecessary to compete for fame with the dead; she had other ways to generate buzz.
Besides, a dead person whose fate has been sealed can't just jump out of their coffin and fight her for something, and she wouldn't be so petty as to be afraid of a child who can't even speak properly.
Xun Suihuang vehemently denied it: "No, I came to see the children."
I was worried that Xi Congshuang would be upset by the rumors, but seeing that she's doing well now, I'm much relieved.
Xi Congshuang stared at her for a while, then suddenly leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Before the palace servants noticed, she got up and returned to her desk to continue processing official documents.
"...!"
Xun Suihuang, who had been attacked countless times, was already used to it. She pressed the spot where she had been kissed, helplessly trying to calm her racing heart.
Life went on, and the rampant rumors did not affect Xi Congshuang in the slightest. She even gained a reputation for being kind and tolerant because of her good treatment of the King of Qin's wife and daughters.
The truth will eventually come to light, and the body of the King of Qin, which had been abandoned in the wilderness, will be recovered, along with the descendants of the Fang clan.
Upon being told that she was the granddaughter of a great Confucian scholar, Gu Daifang was troubled for a long time, but still couldn't remember anything from the past, and stayed in her room for a long time.
Having finally come to accept that she was a descendant of a great Confucian scholar, she went up the mountain overnight to pay homage to Grand Tutor Fang.
After much painful reflection, he secluded himself in his room to practice calligraphy after leaving the mountain, not daring to disgrace the name of his ancestors.
Gu Daifang picked out a few that she thought were acceptable from a pile of discarded drafts and went to the Pingding Marquis's residence to ask for comments and see where she could make some revisions.
Xun Suihuang didn't recognize what was written at first glance and asked her, "Have you been raising chickens at home lately? Don't let them fly onto your desk."
She leaned closer to observe carefully and exclaimed earnestly, "But your chickens are quite intelligent."
Gu Daifang: "..."
If you drink ink directly, will it make your handwriting look better?
During this period, Emperor Jianxing fell ill several times under various pretexts, but this still could not stop Xi Congshuang from coming to him with the imperial edict.
Despite her busy schedule, the Crown Princess still managed to prescribe medicine for the Emperor, each prescription more effective than the last. After drinking it a few times, Emperor Jianxing felt a lump in his throat and resolutely refused to take it anymore.
This puzzled everyone. In the past, His Majesty had exhausted all the resources in the world to find the way to immortality. Why would he personally throw away a soup that could truly prolong life?
No one knew what Emperor Jianxing was thinking. Seeing that the weather was getting hotter recently, he asked to go to Wanzhuangyuan to escape the summer heat, with the Crown Princess supervising the court.
Wanzhuang Garden was a summer retreat for emperors throughout history. The garden was comparable in size to the imperial palace and included gardens and a zoo. It was refreshing and pleasant, much more comfortable than the palace in the summer.
This seemed like a sign of backing down; everyone thought Xi Congshuang would agree, but she refused.
She kept the person in the palace on the grounds that the crown prince's reign was short and that state affairs could not be separated from the king.
Sure enough, soon someone submitted a memorial to restore the title of the deceased King of Qin and to bury him with the rites due to a King of Qin. Prior to this, an imperial edict had been issued to posthumously confer the title of Empress on Fang, and to bury her clothes and personal effects in the imperial mausoleum, so that she would still enjoy the honors of an Empress.
Xi Congshuang waved her hand and said that moving the mausoleum of the Empress Fang would be a waste of manpower and resources, and it would be better to build it on the original site and expand it to the standard of an empress immediately.
Thus, the first empress of the Yong Dynasty to be buried separately from the emperor, without sharing a tomb with him, had her own empress tomb.
Everything is still unresolved. Most of the matters concerning the dead have been dealt with, and now it is the matters concerning the living that remain.
As a result, some people began to petition for the descendants of the King of Qin to be granted titles, to include the King of Qin's daughter in the imperial genealogy, and to bestow upon her the title of princess.
The so-called "someone" actually refers to a minister of the Crown Prince submitting a memorial, all of which represent the will of the Crown Prince.
Now that things have come to this, Xi Congshuang's actions are hard to understand. If she wanted to build momentum for herself and seize power, she has already done a good job in exonerating Fang Hou.
What is the purpose of bestowing the title of princess upon the daughter of the King of Qin now?
Xi Congshuang's reasoning was simple. She told Lady Yang, "She will be my future crown prince. The first step to becoming the crown prince is to restore her status as a princess."
“Princess? But Shen’er is the daughter of a former prince, she should be a county princess.” said Lady Yang, who was about to regain her status as the Princess Consort of Qin.
She did not mention Zhong Heng's status as the heir apparent. It was a stroke of luck that he was able to grow up safely and live out his misfortune. Those riches and honors were no longer in her expectations.
Xi Congshuang was not afraid to tell the truth: "If it weren't for the fact that Shen'er is too young to be controlled, I would have directly asked for her to be granted the title of Prince of Qin, and the title of Prince of Qin should be inherited by her descendants."
Everyone knows that Zhong Heng is mentally challenged like a child. Putting him in power would be worse than supporting Liu Shan (A Dou), making him a natural puppet.
In Xi Congshuang's view, he was excluded from the list of successors from the very beginning. Even if he hadn't developed dementia from the fever, he would never have been on Xi Congshuang's shortlist.
In an era with a low life expectancy, eight years old is already quite old, and in a few years, one will have their own ideas.
Lady Yang hesitated, and the person behind the table picked up the pen and continued writing: "It seems that five years of confinement have worn down most of Lady Yang's spirit. She is already trembling with fear just to inherit a title. What will she do when she becomes the crown prince?"
"You should think about Shen'er and help him stand up as soon as possible."
Lady Yang: "...Your Highness is right. I should establish myself as soon as possible for Shen'er's sake."
In late summer, the imperial edict officially conferred the title of Princess Anguo upon Qin King's daughter, Zhong Shen. Due to her young age, she was not allowed to leave the palace and continued to reside in Zhaohua Palace.
Consort Qin also lived in Zhaohua Palace and personally took care of the princess's life.
This title initially sparked a lot of discussion, with many speculating about the reason why the Crown Princess chose this title. It was simply because it was very similar to her previous title, and she also resided in Zhaohua Palace.
At this time, the court and the public were unaware that history was about to change, and the tradition of Yongchao residing in Zhaohua Palace before being conferred the title of Crown Princess was established here.
Xi Congshuang, who was the first to reside in Zhaohua Palace and laid the foundation for this, finally agreed to Emperor Jianxing's request to go to the summer palace to escape the heat, even though it was already autumn at this time.
Emperor Jianxing hurriedly ordered people to pack their things and set off, as he really didn't want to stay in the palace any longer.
The grand imperial procession departed for the Wan Manor, where the Crown Princess, who had stayed behind to oversee the court, led the officials in seeing them off, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
After straightening up, Xi Congshuang led her people back to the East Palace, leaving Marquis Pingding behind to discuss important matters.
After being summoned down to discuss important matters, the Marquis of Pingding drank a large pot of fine tea from the Eastern Palace before asking, "Your Majesty's complexion is rosy and your voice is full of energy. Why are you still in such a hurry to go to the Wanzhuang Manor to recuperate?"
Xi Congshuang seemed to be deep in thought.
Xun Suihuang's mind was filled with wild imaginations. She asked, "What if His Majesty really falls ill not long after he leaves?"
Wanzhuang Manor is quite cool, with many lakes and ponds within its grounds. However, it is not suitable for people with poor health to live there for extended periods, as the dampness can easily cause them to fall ill.
“Yes, he will become seriously ill in less than ten days,” Xi Congshuang said.
Xun Suihuang asked in confusion, "Why ten days?"
The person behind the table stood up under Xun Suihuang's gaze and sat down beside her. With long, slender, fair fingers, she picked up a teacup, and Xun Suihuang couldn't help but look over. She came back to her senses when she heard her voice.
Xi Congshuang said, "His body has been damaged by years of consuming elixirs. The Golden Silk Gu is his only way to prolong his life. Without my nourishment for the Golden Silk Gu, the Gu worms will lie dormant in His Majesty's body."
Eight out of ten times, the prescriptions written by Xi Congshuang were secretly thrown away, but one or two times they would be taken to barely provide nutrients to the Golden Silk Gu in the body.
If the emperor leaves the palace and Xi Congshuang no longer provides the Golden Silk Gu with nutrients according to the pulse records of the imperial physicians, then the hungry Golden Silk Gu will sink into dormancy, no longer functioning, and no longer prolonging the emperor's life.
Only she knew the method of raising the Golden Silk Gu. Her claim of stealing the Gu from her master was a lie. Emperor Jianxing had no way to prolong his life.
*
Before winter arrived, Emperor Jianxing passed away, and Crown Princess Zhong Yan ascended the throne.
He had spent most of his life working for his Jianxing Emperor, who died at the age of fifty-two after reigning for eleven years. He was later given the posthumous title of Ling.
He died only one year later than the ailing Emperor Yonghui.
Emperor Yonghui reigned for fifteen years. Due to his naturally weak health, he relied on Emperor Shengzu to handle state affairs for ten of those years. When Emperor Shengzu passed away, he was deeply grieved and fainted five times from crying.
This seemed to be an omen, as he himself passed away five years later, passing the throne to his son, the Crown Prince, who later became Emperor Jianxing.
Emperor Jianxing spent the last part of his life at Wanzhuang Manor. After his death, there were rumors that he fell seriously ill ten days after arriving at Wanzhuang Manor, and kept saying that someone was poisoning him. He even had the Crown Princess summoned to treat him.
However, the court could not function without the Crown Princess, so she naturally did not go.
Moreover, when Emperor Jianxing was bedridden, he always said that Empress Fang was watching over him by his bedside, and the virtuous concubine, who was skilled in needlework, was always embroidering dolls.
He was plagued by nightmares all day long, and one day he was so frightened that he fell out of bed, and the other half of his body, which could still move freely, became paralyzed.
The soon-to-be-crowned emperor listened to the eulogy read by the master of ceremonies at the emperor's funeral. When he heard the words "Emperor Yonghui, Year 5," he inadvertently chuckled.
The official in charge of rites from the Ministry of Rites was an elderly man with failing eyesight who needed to wear a blindfold to read the words. He didn't notice the obvious smile on Xi Congshuang's face and continued reading in a long, slow tone.
All the civil and military officials stood behind her, and no one saw her smile.
The imperial scribe, who was recording the emperor's daily life, saw it. The two were startled at the same time and looked at each other.
How should we record that the new emperor, who rarely smiles and has never smiled in a long time, smiled at the late emperor's funeral?
After much deliberation, the two came up with a good idea and wrote down the scene truthfully: "The new emperor, moved by the late emperor's teachings, laughed amidst his grief..."
"Is this alright?" the court attendant asked his colleague.
Her colleague scratched his head for a long time, then closed his eyes and nodded: "I think it's okay!"
No, that's not allowed. You can't just write, "The new emperor was amused by the late emperor's eulogy and didn't understand why," can you?
The late emperor has passed away, but we must all live on.
The body lay in state for seven days before Emperor Ling was buried in the imperial mausoleum. Due to the national mourning, the entire city was draped in white mourning clothes.
A month or so later, things returned to normal, and weddings were held as usual. The new emperor set an example by vowing to observe three years of mourning and never break the vow.
The sudden decision caught the ministers off guard. Before his death, the late emperor had decreed that he did not want to disturb the people and that weddings should proceed as usual. Why was Her Majesty the Empress joining in the commotion?
Normally, one year of mourning is enough, but she's already planning to observe three years before even ascending the throne!
But the new ruler has made up her mind. She has sworn an oath before all the ancestors. What can we, as her subjects, do?
It's alright, the new emperor is still young, it's only three years.
For some reason, all the empresses of successive dynasties had a special fondness for Marquis Pingding and showed him particular favor.
The new emperor was no exception; even when she was still the crown princess, she would frequently bestow various rewards upon the Marquis of Pingding's residence.
After Emperor Jianxing passed away, while she was out scheming with her ministers, she still had time to issue decrees of reward, and even more frequently, so much so that palace servants had to line up to enter the Marquis's residence to deliver gifts.
The Marquis's residence is still under renovation, and the pace is much faster than before, but the time it takes is quite long. Over time, people have begun to believe what the Marquis of Pingding had said when he complained to Emperor Jianxing.
—Perhaps, the Marquis of Pingding was really poor.
It's perfectly normal that construction of a mansion is slow because of poverty.
Before Marquis Pingding left the capital, she was deeply disliked by the late emperor and still had to grit her teeth and ask the Ministry of Revenue for money to support the Thirteen Battalions of Northern Yan. After leaving the capital, she still tried every means to ask for money to support the Thirteen Battalions of Northern Yan.
Now Her Majesty the Empress has taken over the money-guzzling Thirteen Camps of Northern Yan, but Marquis Pingding must have used a lot of his own money to make up for it before. Also, because of the stalemate with the late Emperor over military power, he certainly can't ask for the money he made up for back.
Perhaps the late emperor wasn't in a hurry because he was planning to wear down the Marquis of Pingding until he couldn't hold on any longer and had to ask the court for help.
If that's the case, then maybe we shouldn't arrange a marriage for the Marquis of Pingding. She's so poor she can't even afford to repair her house.
If they get married under these circumstances, won't it harm both of them?
Xun Suihuang, who had recently been inexplicably being looked at with pity and unspoken words by court officials: "..."
What's wrong with these people?
Why don't you see a doctor if you have an eye problem?
But the rumors spread far and wide, and even Gu Daifang came to her door asking if she should give the general some money, which made her understand what was going on with his recent gaze.
So it turns out they were just sympathizing with her!
Xun Suihuang's forehead veins bulged: "Go home and practice your chicken claw calligraphy!"
Gu Daifang hesitated, then muttered, "Why are you getting angry?" before scratching her head and walking away.
Xun Suihuang: "…………"
Not only were they stuffed with a bunch of craftsmen, but they were also given the additional task of building a tunnel. As a result, because of the tunnel's construction schedule, people thought they were dirt poor.
The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
That very night, Xun Suihuang went to the palace through the underground passage and confronted Xi Congshuang, accusing her of ruining her life!
After finishing his accusations, he watched as Her Majesty the Queen finished the bitter medicine.
This person had indeed lied earlier, telling Xun Suihuang that the poison in her body had been neutralized and that she was fine, and that her low body temperature was due to genetics.
As a result, the Valley Master of Medicine Valley waited in vain for his disciple to return home and admit his mistake. He went out of the valley to look for him and heard the news that Xi Congshuang was the new emperor.
Having traveled a long way to Yongdu, the Valley Master of Medicine Valley immediately saw through Xi Congshuang's lingering poison and exposed her true nature, leaving Xi Congshuang defenseless.
If Xi Congshuang hadn't reacted quickly, using the fact that the imperial pharmacy contained many rare medicinal herbs to pique the Valley Master's interest and lure her away, Xi Congshuang would have been riddled with glares from Xun Suihuang.
However, in the end, Xi Congshuang was one step behind. The Valley Master of Medicine Valley, who was so engrossed in the imperial medicine storehouse that he seemed oblivious to the world, still remembered to take some time to prescribe medicine for her and had it delivered.
This made everyone realize that it was a tradition of the sect to take time out of their busy schedules to prescribe medicine and persuade people to take it. The master did this, and so did the disciples he taught.
But the only person in the world who could watch Her Majesty the Empress drink all the medicine was Marquis Pingding.
Today was no different. Xi Congshuang, who was reviewing memorials, smelled the medicine before her maid even entered the room and wanted to find an excuse to slip away.
Xun Suihuang then adopted the words of an advisor: "Your Majesty, please do not conceal your illness and avoid seeking medical treatment. For the sake of the people, you must take care of your health!"
She studied very hard, as if she was ready to bang her head against a pillar if she didn't agree to something.
Xi Congshuang: "..."
She was both amused and exasperated, so she picked up the medicine bowl, stared at the soup for a moment, and then put it aside.
Xun Suihuang stared, then moved a grand master's chair over and sat down next to her desk.
Xi Congshuang said, "It's a bit hot, I'll drink it later."
Xun Suihuang took out an oil paper package from her sleeve: "Eat, Your Majesty. After you finish eating, I will offer you some candied fruit."
Xi Congshuang: "The candied fruit you brought was sent out of the palace by me. There's nothing special about it."
Xun Suihuang thought it made sense, picked up a piece of candied fruit and brought it close to Xi Congshuang's tongue under her gaze, pretending to put it on her tongue.
Her eyes sparkled as she asked, "And now?"
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Oh, orange juice, you've gone bad too!
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