The Eastern Palace quieted down, and Huan Yue washed up and went to sleep.
As for the newcomers, they've probably gone through some ups and downs and need time to adjust before they start doing anything else.
Xie Zhou left the East Palace and went to the Zichen Palace to find his father, the Emperor.
The Zichen Palace is also busy.
There was an eerie stillness amidst the busyness.
Xie Zhou had nothing else to do, so he sat down to review memorials as usual. This was just like any other day; even during court breaks and the New Year, he couldn't stop.
However, on special occasions, memorials may contain special content, such as the atmosphere of a festival.
Xie Zhou read the memorial three times before handing it over to his father, the Emperor, for his perusal.
I washed my face today, feeling refreshed and not oily at all, and I'm getting ready for bed.
Having a son to do the work is great; I can finally get some beauty sleep.
Xie Zhou originally wanted to ask his father to take a look, but then he thought it wouldn't matter at all; it wouldn't make any difference whether he looked at it tomorrow or the day after.
Now, however, he became interested and picked up the memorial to read.
The eunuchs stood to one side; if the emperor didn't sleep, they wouldn't get any sleep either. They watched as the emperor, who sometimes kept his emotions hidden, now sneered uncontrollably.
The historian scratched his head, wondering what was written in the memorial.
When the memorial reached him, he read it and silently took notes.
Historians may not have much power, but they know a great deal. Even with many historians working in shifts, each person likely only knows a portion of the information. And no matter how much they know, they don't worry about being silenced, because that's their job.
However, if you go out and talk nonsense, that would be a death sentence.
After the historian finished recording, he would review the record again and have a better understanding.
Ru Zhen, who seemed to be shamelessly flattering the sage, was actually despicable in his intentions.
Discussing the Dao with sages, and then talking about immortal blessings, eternal life, and being equal to heaven, is just giving the Chan Sect a free pass.
The Chan Sect's reach has clearly gone too far.
Ru Zhen once passed the imperial examination by discussing Daoist principles, but so many years have passed, and he hasn't done a good job as an official; he's probably just been a mouthpiece for the Chan Sect. Even this article isn't as good as it used to be.
Many of those who passed the imperial examinations in both the provincial and municipal examinations would become jaded and slick after serving as officials for several years.
They also possess a mature demeanor honed through experience.
But such cases are rare.
Xie Zhou could not only understand the text in the memorials, but he was also very used to it.
I'm in a bad mood right now, so I'm going to sleep.
The lights in the Zichen Palace were still on, leaving Xie Zhou to work alone.
**
The Earl of Jianping's residence was still awake at this time.
The study lights were on, but a gust of wind blew them out, extinguishing two of them.
Fortunately, there were already many lights, so we only needed to light three or five more.
The study was packed with people.
We needed to open the window to let in some fresh air, but the wind was making the lights sway violently. The swaying shadows danced wildly across people's faces and the roof beams.
Chen Zuo sat in the main seat, dressed in casual clothes, his brows furrowed in a very serious manner.
Sitting next to him was not the eldest brother Chen Zhun, but the second brother Chen Kuang.
Chen Zhun was probably of the same generation as his son, while Chen Ke and Chen Yin held rather high positions.
Chen Zhun's lineage all wore mourning clothes, and Chen Ke and Chen Yin wore the finest mourning clothes for their stepmother.
Historically, there was a rule that "while the father is alive, the mother should wear mourning clothes for three years." This meant that if Chen Zhun was alive, the mother only needed to wear mourning clothes.
However, many people believe that the kindness of parents is equal, so even if Chen Zhun had not died, as a "stepmother, loving mother, adoptive mother, legal mother, and birth mother," she would still have to wear mourning clothes. Chen Zhun was the husband, and as the wife, she would wear mourning clothes for a year.
There is also the saying, "While the father is alive, the wife shall not be punished with caning." Chen Zuo was not dead, so Chen Zhun was exempt from caning during his mourning period.
Chen Zhen wore the full mourning clothes for his uncles, aunts, and parents without using a cane for the full duration.
So she really deserved a beating when she went to the palace.
She's had it fixed now, and no one can tell that her scalp hurts, but her face probably won't recover for at least three to five days.
So Chen Zhen stood to the side, both angry and ashamed, wishing she could hide away.
After all, the Chen family faces considerable competition.
Besides Chen Yue, Chen Xi has also grown up.
Fourteen-year-old Chen Xi was raised exceptionally well by the You family, as if they wanted to take back everything that had been done to Chen Yue (Feng Nu).
Therefore, the You family couldn't attend this kind of family gathering, but Chen Xi did.
She has three good older brothers, no less than Chen Zhen.
Chen Kuang frowned deeply.
It was inappropriate for Chen Xi to say this, but only she could say it: "Third sister, I'm afraid you didn't talk to the Crown Princess properly, did you?"
Chen Zhen was furious!
Chen Xi, though seemingly delicate like a white flower, spoke clearly: "The Crown Princess is not stupid, nor is she unwilling to listen to others. If Third Sister speaks properly, the Crown Princess will probably be too grateful to the Chen family."
Although Huan Yue comes from the Pei family, the Pei family really has nothing to offer.
If the Chen family is willing to support them, they wouldn't refuse if they had any common sense.
The Dong family can't do without the Chen family, so why doesn't Huan Yue know how to build up his own power base?
Although the Chen family is not as powerful as the Song family, they are different.
Chen Xi lowered her head, unafraid of the second wife: "Now many people laugh at village girls."
Chen Xi and Chen Zhen were among those who mocked them.
But if Chen Zhen were to wear that on her sleeve when she went to see the village girl, that would be unwise!
The stark reality is that the village girl is actually the Crown Prince's consort.
The sages did not reject it, the King of Song did not reject it, and there was really not much else anyone could do.
Although everyone tried their best to overthrow the crown prince, you'll know how difficult the process was.
Going to one side will definitely lead to another.
If you can't even recognize the facts, then you might end up crushing yourself.
Chen Zhen shouted angrily, "If you're so capable, then go ahead and do it!"
Chen Xi, looking weak and innocent, said, "I'm born out of wedlock, I can't do it."
Chen Ke and Chen Yin felt sorry for their younger sister. Since their mother couldn't make her the legal wife, they would always be considered illegitimate children.
It doesn't matter for men; Chen Ke and Chen Yin are both capable of making a living, but women always seem to suffer some losses.
Before the matter could be resolved, a servant rushed over.
Chen Zuo frowned, glancing at the time; it was almost curfew.
The servant knelt in the middle and whispered, "The empress is going to be deposed."
A glint of light flashed in Chen Zuo's eyes. Actually, Dong Shi was definitely going to be deposed, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She hadn't even turned forty yet.
Everyone was busy preparing for their 40th birthday, and the Dong family was about to make a move. But did the Emperor swiftly and decisively resolve the situation?
The key is to be able to make that decisive move. Sometimes, an imperial edict is just a piece of waste paper.
Chen Zhen exclaimed urgently, "Impossible!"
Chen Ke asked more cautiously, "Really?"
The servant nodded: "The edict will be issued first thing tomorrow morning."
In other words, this imperial edict is valid, and there's no fear of the news leaking out.
If it weren't for Chen Ke's prestigious position at the Hanlin Academy, many people in Sheng'an would likely be sleepless tonight if a strong wind were to blow through the city!
Chen Zuo suddenly remembered: "And then?"
The servant doesn't know. So be it, the empress is deposed; who cares about Consort Cui?
The Chen family needs to think this through carefully!
Because they were too close to the Dong family in the past, although they are still close now and can still retain some of their connections; but look at those who are on good terms with the Fu family, they seem to have had a good time over the years, but in reality they are all in a predicament.
In particular, Chen Kuang, Chen Ke, and Chen Yin are all young and talented, and are fully capable of leading the Chen family to even greater heights.
If you displease the sage or don't give him a chance, then it's all for nothing.
No matter how capable Chen Kuang is, he's not indispensable; perhaps it's just a matter of time.
Therefore, we need to draw on the help of the Crown Prince, even if it means giving him ten years.
However, the Crown Prince has always looked down on the Chen family. Since the Emperor values the Crown Prince, he cares even less about the Chen family.
Chen Zhen cried in anger: "What is the Crown Prince?"
*Slap!* Chen Kuang suddenly slapped her. He'd better apologize to the Crown Princess.
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