The Tong family has recently become the center of public opinion in the capital. First, one of Longkodo's concubines actually challenged the Fourth Prince in the street and almost injured Prince Honghui.
This Prince Honghui may be cursed by the Grand Duke Jupiter, otherwise why would he have had one accident after another recently?
Fortunately, Tong Guowei handled the matter well. Longkodo apologized with a bundle of thorns on his back during the morning court session, giving the Fourth Prince enough face.
After all, that was the Tong family, Kangxi's maternal clan. People wouldn't think that the Fourth Prince had lost face; on the contrary, they would think that the Fourth Prince had actually won a confrontation with the Tong family, which showed how much the emperor favored him.
Little did they know that the scales were unbalanced from the very beginning. If it weren't for Honghui's involvement, this matter might have simply faded away without causing a ripple.
Regardless of what he thought in his heart, Yinzhen still put on a good show and shook hands with the Tong family to make peace.
Just when everyone thought the matter was over, a woman covered in blood stood alone in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture gate, beating a drum to appeal for justice.
It was during the peak of the crowd that day, and it is said that the crowd of onlookers formed three or four layers deep, but no one dared to step forward.
When the servants of the Tong family heard the news, they first tried to persuade the lady to go home and rest, but when she refused, they rudely dragged her, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.
Fortunately, Princess Yu witnessed it, which saved the lady's life.
Princess Yu sympathized with the woman's plight and admired her fortitude. Her eyes were stung by the bloodstains covering her body, and she kindly took her to the Jingzhao Prefecture. Only then did the prefect realize that someone had beaten the drum to appeal for justice, and he had no choice but to hastily open the court.
The lady stunned everyone when she revealed her name.
What was initially thought to be a simple case of domestic violence has been shrouded in an ominous shadow by a surname.
She was Longkodo's principal wife, Hesheli.
The Heseri clan was a prominent Manchu family. Although they did not have any high-ranking officials from the previous dynasty, they shared the same clan as the deceased empress. Out of respect for the current crown prince, the Heseri clan still maintained its former prestige.
Princess Yu knew immediately that something was wrong; she had probably done something bad with good intentions. She immediately sent her confidante to Prince Yu to ask him for advice.
The Hesheli clan and the Tong family were Kangxi's wife's family and maternal family, respectively. When these two families fought, no one could be the judge, not even Prince Yu, Fuquan.
Hesheli knelt on the ground, trying her best to keep her back straight, but the wounds on her body made it painful to move even slightly.
"My lord, I want to accuse Longkodo of favoring his concubine over his wife, Li Si'er, and allowing her to be arrogant and domineering. Not only did he sell off all the concubines in the mansion, but I was also locked up in the courtyard to fend for myself."
"If it weren't for my connections, I probably would have starved to death in that courtyard long ago."
The Prefect of Jingzhao felt sympathy for the woman's plight: "Madam, now that Li Si'er has been executed, the whole world knows. Go home by yourself."
"Execute her?" Hesheli sneered, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "If she really dies, where will my injuries come from?"
The Prefect of the Capital City then realized the gravity of the matter and immediately ordered his constables to disperse the crowd. Princess Yu also tried to slip away, but was stopped by the Prefect of the Capital City.
"Please wait, Madam. This is a family matter of the Emperor, and the Imperial Clan Court is obligated to handle it. Since you are an eyewitness, why don't you listen to her testimony? After all, this involves the crime of deceiving the Emperor, and I dare not act on my own authority." With a glance from the Prefect of the Capital, the servants immediately closed the door.
Princess Yu made a quick decision, closed her eyes, fell backward, and fainted.
Her attendant was very quick-witted and immediately shouted, "Madam, what's wrong? Quick! There's a royal physician in the manor, let's go back to the manor first."
"My lord, are you plotting something sinister? If anything were to happen to my wife, could you bear the consequences?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao had no choice but to release her. He looked at Hesheli, who had only said one sentence and then fell silent, and sighed: "You will stay in the prison for now. I need to see the Emperor. Be prepared to plead your case before the Emperor."
Prince Yu, Fuquan, rushed over after receiving the message from his wife, and the two carriages collided.
Princess Yu, who was inside the carriage, was naturally sober. After listening to her, Prince Yu pondered for a long time and suddenly asked an unrelated question: "Why did you end up going to the Prefectural Governor's office today?"
Princess Yu looked bewildered when asked: "I heard that a new jewelry shop has opened on this street. The styles are very novel, and our daughter likes them very much. So I thought I'd come and take a look myself."
"Then how was today chosen?"
"This shop is very good at business. They launch new products on the first day of each month. I think that if I come on that day, I will have a wider range of choices."
"You've never been here, yet you speak eloquently about the merchants' tactics. Who told you all this?"
"It's Weiyu. Her mother is seriously ill today, so she took leave and went home."
"Ah!" Princess Yu suddenly realized what was happening, her face turning deathly pale. "Your Highness, I..."
Prince Yu shook his head: "It's alright. The person behind this is just trying to make sure you can be there today. Otherwise, if Hesheli were taken away by the Tong family, there wouldn't be any good show to watch today!"
Princess Yu panicked even more: "How did the person behind this know that I would definitely step in to save them?"
Prince Yu smiled wryly: "Who doesn't know that the Princess Consort is a great philanthropist?"
Yes, Princess Yu was a philanthropist in the capital. She regularly distributed porridge to the poor and beggars and sponsored impoverished scholars. In short, her reputation for charity spread throughout the capital.
"It's nothing, but the Tong family is likely to suffer a major blow this time."
Princess Yu's eyes suddenly lit up: "Could it be that this person has made a move?"
She gestured the number four with her hand and asked tentatively.
“Not necessarily. Being too obvious might make you a scapegoat,” Prince Yu said. “When you go back, you should claim to be ill and not leave the palace. I need to go to the palace.”
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