Shortly after the Battle of Changjie ended, the six major clans in Shangjing all knew the detailed news.
This seems to be an accidental event, but it will bring about an inevitable result.
There is no consensus on this result. Yan Beixi believes that Fu Xiaoguan will win, while Old Master Fei believes that Fu Xiaoguan will die!
It’s because Fu Xiaoguan is a rootless duckweed. How can he resist the crazy revenge from Prince Hui’s Mansion?
Hearing that the life of the third prince of Prince Hui's mansion was saved, but he was disabled, and it was his vital organ that was disabled due to his many evil deeds, how could Prince Hui let it go?
But Old Master Xi of the Xi family gave Xi Xunmei some profound insights, which were completely different from those of Old Master Fei.
His Majesty was initially displeased with the Empress Dowager's decision to leave Prince Hui in the capital. The story between Fu Xiaoguan and the Ninth Princess was becoming increasingly clear. The Ninth Princess's mother was Consort Shang, no ordinary woman.
The Fifth Prince controls the Light Breeze and Drizzle Tower, yet it remains silent during the Battle of the Long Street. What does this indicate? It suggests that Concubine Shang hopes this matter will become a major event. As for the outcome, it will naturally be that Fu Xiaoguan survives, while Prince Hui will be expelled from Shangjing and sent to his fiefdom in Lingnan.
"Actually, last year, Master Qin mentioned Fu Xiaoguan to me. At that time, Fu Xiaoguan had just arrived in Shangjing. Master meant that Fu Xiaoguan had accepted 30,000 refugees from Yao County. This was originally a good deed, but because of his unintentional mistake, the interests of many people were damaged. He came to Shangjing to seek asylum. If possible, Master hoped that I could help him. From my point of view, even if it was for Yunqing's sake, I would help him."
"Don't mention Xu Yunqing anymore."
"Hmm..." Xi Xunmei nodded, then continued, "I didn't expect that he didn't come looking for me, but instead stood in the court through the emperor's court interview. I admire this kid very much, but... after all, he has no foundation. Prince Hui is deeply favored by the Queen Mother, and now that the Third Prince has been deposed, if Prince Hui makes a desperate move, Fu Xiaoguan will be unable to resist."
Old Master Xi smiled calmly and shook his head, "You, you still underestimated Concubine Shang!"
At that moment, after listening to Yu Wendao's story, Concubine Shang of Dieyi Palace gave him an order: "Send someone to find the woman named Jiang Yu, and remember to protect her. Have her go to the Jinling government office and beat the drum to protest her grievances. As for the petition, ask Shangguan Wenxiu to write one in person."
"Mother... her rest period hasn't ended yet."
"Nothing, Ning Yuchun will open the court for trial."
Yu Wendao stood up and left. Imperial Concubine Shang turned and said to Eunuch Nian in a very serious tone, "Protect all those who have been bullied by the Third Prince over the years. Starting tomorrow, arrange for one person to go to the Jinling government office every day to beat a drum and protest their grievances."
Eunuch Nian's heart trembled, and he took the order and left the palace.
His Majesty walked out of the inner chamber of Dieyi Palace and asked, "My beloved, aren't you worried about Yu Lin's counterattack?"
Imperial Concubine Shang smiled broadly and said, "So, at this time, I must ask Your Majesty to send a secret decree to the Imperial Guard Commander Huo Huaijin, imposing a curfew on Jinling City. That way, everything will be almost done."
"Yu Lin carried his son to the Cining Palace."
"It's okay. Wenyun is there, and the eldest princess is there too."
"Should I go take a look?"
"I think it would be best for Your Majesty not to go. After all, at this point... it's better not to meet."
…
In the imperial harem, the atmosphere in the Cining Palace where the empress dowager resides is solemn at this moment.
Yu Wenyun stayed beside the Queen Mother, and Prince Hui knelt in front of her.
The third prince was lying on a wooden bed covered in blood, right here, and he was groaning softly.
Beside him were three old doctors, kneeling solemnly behind him, with their heads bowed and silent.
"I, your Majesty, dote on you and stayed in Shangjing. I never left the palace, and never ventured outside unless summoned by you. This was to strictly follow your instructions and avoid suspicion from the other ministers. I lived a low-key life, but I never imagined that that little official, Fu, would have disregarded the law and beaten my son to a cripple in the street... My son's lineage is now extinct."
"My Queen Mother, I have no grudges against that Fu Xiaoguan. I have read his book A Dream of Red Mansions before and know of his talent. Such a young man should have been a pillar of the country, but I didn't expect him to be so cruel! I, my son, can no longer bear it. I think this is the face of the royal family. That Fu Xiaoguan cut off the roots of your grandson. I don't hate him, but he slapped the royal family in the face in front of so many people. This is something I absolutely cannot tolerate! So I sent out 400 knights, but I didn't expect that Fu Xiaoguan would collude with gangsters and kill 300 of my 400 knights. Ten miles of streets were covered with blood. Mother, you didn't see the scene with your own eyes. It was hell on earth!"
"I beg the Queen Mother to intervene for your grandson. I beg my brother to send the imperial guards to capture the thief, enforce the law, serve as a warning to others, and avenge my son's injustice!"
"My son! . . . "
Yu Lin burst into tears. Yu Wenjun widened her eyes in anger, staring at her sixth uncle intently, "You are slandering me!"
Yu Wenyun stood up suddenly, but the Princess next to her gently tugged at her sleeve, "Wenyun, don't be rude. The Queen Mother's mind is as clear as a mirror. She would never wrongly accuse Fu Xiaoguan. Don't be impatient. Sit down and treat it as a show."
The Empress Dowager was already furious. How dare this young official Fu have the audacity to cripple my grandson's penis in broad daylight?
She was originally going to ask her father-in-law to invite the emperor here, but after hearing what Yu Wenyun and the princess said, she began to have some doubts.
Prince Hui is her youngest son, and it was her idea to have him live in Shangjing. Yu Lin has been very well-behaved over the years, but some rumors about the actions of her third son have reached her ears.
But she didn't care. She was still young and her mind was not yet settled. She would naturally be able to distinguish things when she grew up.
So, what happened today was that Yu Jingfan caused trouble and was caught by Fu Xiaoguan, which led to the disaster at this moment?
But no matter what, Yu Jingfan is his grandson. Fu Xiaoguan actually did such a cruel thing. It is clear that he does not care about the reputation of the royal family.
This crude country bumpkin is truly lawless!
The Queen Mother became angrier and angrier the more she thought about it. In her eyes, how could Fu Xiaoguan's life be as valuable as her grandson's life?
In her opinion, even if Yu Jingfan really committed a serious crime, it is not something you, Fu Xiaoguan, can punish.
So, her face was filled with anger. She took a deep breath and was about to call for help when the eldest princess suddenly said, "Mother, in my opinion, this third nephew seems to be in great pain. Isn't it important to send the imperial physician to take him away for treatment? After all, your Majesty has already examined the situation, right?"
Oh, yes, this grandson’s life is important.
"You guys carry him down and take good care of him. Don't be lazy."
The imperial doctors kowtowed in agreement and carried Yu Jingfan out of the Cining Palace.
The eldest princess stood up and walked down, saying, "Sixth brother has been kneeling for a long time, and now he is exhausted. Seventh sister thinks there must be many details about the cause and effect of the battle on the long street, and I am afraid that Sixth brother has missed many. Why don't you go back and rest first, and come back to ask mother to make a decision for you tomorrow when you have thought it through?"
"No, no, no, my son is injured like that, and the murderer is still at large. How can I, Sixth Brother... rest in peace?"
"Oh, that's human nature, but..." The eldest princess turned to face the empress dowager and said, "Mother, you can't just listen to one side of the story when trying a case. I believe what Sixth Brother said, but if we want to bring Fu Xiaoguan to justice, we need to confront him on the spot. Otherwise, if there is injustice, it will ruin your reputation. Although Fu Xiaoguan is only a minor official of the fifth rank, he has a great influence on the hearts of scholars. If what Sixth Brother said is true, then killing Fu Xiaoguan will be nothing to the scholars all over the world. But if Sixth Brother is hiding something..."
"Sixth brother, are you hiding something? It's not too late to tell Mother now. Otherwise... you'll be putting her in an unkind and unjust position! How will the world's scholars judge her? When Mother passes away a hundred years from now, how will history judge her?"
The princess paused and suddenly smiled. "Of course, the royal family's reputation must be maintained, but the Queen Mother's reputation also needs to be maintained, don't you think? Sixth Brother!"
The eldest princess' words made Yu Lin break out in a cold sweat, and the empress dowager was also shocked. Yes, even if Fu Xiaoguan deserved to die, he must die clearly.
Otherwise my reputation will be ruined!
Especially those literati, if they made this matter into a story and passed it down, wouldn't I be infamous for eternity?
For people of this era, reputation is truly more precious than gold.
The so-called cherishing one's reputation means cherishing one's own reputation. The old empress dowager, who is about to reach seventy years old, especially values this reputation, because a hundred years later, her deeds will be recorded in the history books. That is the evaluation of her by future generations. If she is criticized for being blind, arbitrary and domineering, I am afraid that the King of Hell will not tolerate her.
"Get up now. Let's do what Miss Seven said. Tomorrow, call that young official, Fu, and I'll ask him about it and give you justice."
"Mother, Mother, you saw with your own eyes the injuries of your grandson. If you do not believe my words, I will, I will kill myself by banging my head against the wall in this palace to show my honesty."
Go ahead and bump into her! Yu Wenjun was as angry as a cow, even her beautiful eyes were red at this moment.
How could you frame Fu Xiaoguan so cruelly!
You actually want to ruin the good thing between me and Fu Xiaoguan!
You will die a horrible death!
The eldest princess remained calm and composed. She glanced at Yu Lin and said, "Sixth brother, I didn't say I didn't believe you. I just wanted Fu Xiaoguan to die with a clear conscience. This is my justice. Since you are so frank, why can't we wait until tomorrow to confront each other? Since you are favored by my mother, you should think about her. You shouldn't threaten to die. Do you understand where this will put my mother?"
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