Chapter 69 Triumph and Despondency: Hai Qing and Cheng Yexing entrusted...
The next morning, Hai Qing and Cheng Yexing saw Tuoheqi's family off out of the city and then rushed back to Xiyuan to report. Yinreng listened to their report and nodded silently. After a while, he said to Cheng Yexing, "Your master Cheng mentioned you a while ago. If you have nothing else to do, go and see your master Cheng in the back."
Cheng Yexing quickly responded and followed the eunuch from the front courtyard all the way to the back. Before he even stepped into the gate of Donglizhai, he saw a group of people under the shade of a tree not far away. Upon closer inspection, he saw that his sister, Cheng Qianyue, was leading the Third Prince, surrounded by a circle of serving maids and eunuchs.
Cheng Qianyue spotted Cheng Yexing immediately and asked him with a smile, "Why are you at the back?" She picked up the Third Prince from the ground and taught him to greet people. The Third Prince tilted his head, looked at him, and shouted loudly, "Uncle."
Cheng Yexing quickly walked over, bowed, and stood up, saying, "Look how fluently you greet people, young master." He continued, "I've been doing a favor for the Crown Prince lately. Perhaps the Crown Prince was worried that you might be thinking about things at the front, so he sent me to pay my respects to you and the young master."
The Third Prince was too heavy for Cheng Qianyue to carry, so she put him down and said to the nanny next to her, "Take the Third Prince for a walk around the neighborhood. If he gets tired or the weather is bad, bring him back." Then she asked Cheng Yexing to come back to Donglizhai with her for a while.
Upon arriving at the main room of Donglizhai, Cheng Qianyue asked him what business he was on outside, and then Cheng Yexing recounted in detail his visit to Tuoheqi.
This matter wasn't a huge deal, but it wasn't insignificant either. He didn't dare to talk to anyone else, but when he saw his younger sister, he opened up and told her what he had seen and heard in the past two days. He said in a deep voice, "They ransacked the house, leaving it an empty shell. If it weren't for the mud-brick bed, they might not even have a place to sleep. Luckily, it's not cold. If it were the dead of winter, they would have frozen to death or gotten frostbite all over their bodies."
After saying that, she sighed and continued, "When I first went in, I didn't dare to recognize anyone. I had heard that they were not as old as our father and mother, but when I saw them, they looked much older than our parents."
Cheng Yexing sighed deeply, "The former Commander of the Nine Gates, what a high-ranking official! I wasn't even worthy to carry his shoes back then, who would have thought he'd become like that overnight." It's truly a lamentable situation.
Cheng Qianyue was stunned for a moment, her lips twitching but she couldn't utter a single word.
When Cheng Yexing saw Cheng Qianyue's expression, he regretted it a little and said apologetically, "I shouldn't have told you all this. Did I scare you?"
Oh dear, thank goodness he didn't mention that Tuoheqi's son had been beaten so badly that his skin was torn and bleeding, otherwise she would have been in tears.
Cheng Qianyue slowly shook her head and said, "No, I'm not just thinking about the Tuoheqi family."
Yinreng sent someone to visit Tuoheqi, who was most likely a member of the Crown Prince's faction. Did the Emperor's confiscation of Tuoheqi's property mean that the Emperor was displeased with Yinreng again? She felt uneasy, but didn't know how to tell Cheng Yexing.
When Yinreng came over in the evening, Cheng Qianyue asked him, "How dare they go so far? That's the Twelfth Prince's maternal uncle, and he even has a concubine in the palace. They should at least give him some face."
Yinreng lowered his eyes and smiled, his eyes flashing with coldness, "That depends on who is the monk and who is the Buddha."
What did those words mean? Cheng Qianyue thought for a moment, then took a deep breath, her eyes wide open. Seeing that she had figured it out, Yinreng gently covered her mouth with his hand, telling her to swallow her words and not to tell anyone.
A prince? Ha, what's a prince? Even he, the crown prince, is nothing more than a matter of a few words from the emperor. Didn't you see that Twelve had to voluntarily guard the imperial tombs to avoid trouble? Therefore, as long as the emperor determines that Tuoheqi is a traitor, there will be plenty of people to kick him while he's down. After all, what official doesn't have a few flaws? Besides, the newly appointed Commander of the Nine Gates also wants to use this as a bargaining chip to show off his merits. How can he let the emperor see how loyal he is if he doesn't skin Tuoheqi's family alive?
In short, the Emperor was pleased to see Tuoheqi suffer such a tragic fate. However, perhaps it was precisely because Tuoheqi's family was in such dire straits that the Emperor spared their lives.
Cheng Qianyue leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered, "Will we be bullied as soon as we lose power?" She wondered if they would be bullied like this if Yinreng were deposed again. She murmured, "I don't want us to be bullied like this in the future."
Yinreng cupped her face and answered her firmly, "No one will bully you, and no one dares to bully us."
No matter how much the Emperor suppresses him, he is still the Crown Prince. No matter how many schemes and tricks others play, as long as he is the Crown Prince, he is not afraid that they will dare to confiscate his property like they did to Tuoheqi. Even if they wanted to, the Emperor would not allow it.
Yinreng paused, his heart filled with a mix of emotions. The Emperor wanted him to be well, yet also didn't want him to be so happy; and wasn't he feeling the same way about the Emperor?
September has passed, and the Imperial Conferment Ceremony is approaching. In previous years, the Emperor should have returned to the Forbidden City by this time, but he has yet to set off. So it seems that this year's Imperial Conferment Ceremony will be held in the garden, and it's possible that the Lunar New Year will be the same.
This year's festival was clearly dominated by the Eighth Prince and his family. Not only was Consort Liang from the Forbidden City brought to accompany the Emperor, but the Eighth Prince was also frequently summoned to the garden by the Emperor, making him incredibly popular for the time being.
During the Golden Festival, Cheng Qianyue met Consort Liang at the Empress Dowager's residence, Chunhui Hall. It must be said that even in her later years, a beauty could still be seen in her eyes and brows, and Cheng Qianyue believed that Consort Liang must have been the most beautiful of the six consorts in her youth. However, Consort Liang's health seemed to be poor; although her movements were as delicate as a willow swaying in the breeze, she had to stop and catch her breath after speaking for only a short while. Fortunately, the Eighth Prince's wife was there; she was adept at keeping the conversation going. Whenever Consort Liang seemed unwell, she would take over the conversation, her lighthearted and casual remarks always eliciting laughter from everyone.
The Eighth Prince's family became the new darlings of Changchun Garden, while Cheng Qianyue and her companions became virtually invisible. Cheng Qianyue herself didn't care, since she had always been invisible in front of these important figures, but she could see that the Crown Princess's situation was not good.
Cheng Qianyue watched helplessly as the Empress Dowager asked the Crown Princess a question. The Crown Princess had barely finished replying when the Eighth Prince's wife interrupted her, changing the subject. What was even more infuriating was that she kept raising her eyebrows and glancing in their direction between her words.
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but think to herself: Yes, the Emperor likes you now, and the Empress Dowager is also supporting you, but Eighth Prince Consort, you are too unscrupulous! She pursed her lips and looked at the Crown Princess with concern, only to see the Crown Princess pause, take a barely audible breath and slowly exhale, and then continue to show a proper smile.
To be honest, Cheng Qianyue felt a little sorry for the Crown Princess. However, she quickly broadened her thoughts and thought of Yinreng, who was attending the banquet earlier, wondering if he would also be neglected in the same way.
The Empress Dowager glanced down twice, asked someone to inquire about the time, and said with a smile, "I didn't expect it to be this late. Everyone, go out for a walk." Everyone got up and agreed, and gradually walked outside. Seeing that most people had left, the Empress Dowager also prepared to go to the couch in the inner room for a nap, but just as she lay down, she heard the nanny come to report that the Crown Princess wanted to serve the Empress Dowager a nap.
The Empress Dowager sighed and said in a deep voice, "No need. Let her go back to the West Garden to serve the Crown Prince properly." When the nanny returned, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but look out the window. She thought to herself that the Crown Princess was a good girl, but her situation this year was really bad, and she couldn't keep her.
Outside the palace, the Crown Princess paused for a moment upon hearing the nanny's message, but quickly bowed and took her leave towards the palace gate. Cheng Qianyue, who had been silently following behind the Crown Princess from the beginning, had even less to say now. Consorts like the Fourth and Eighth Princes had mothers who could visit the ladies-in-waiting's residences. But the Crown Princess and her consort had no one above them, so unless the Empress Dowager kept them, they could only return to the West Garden.
Cheng Qianyue slowly walked out of the garden. A chilly wind blew towards her, and she thought to herself, "It's really cold today."
At this moment, the Eighth Prince's wife also arrived at Yunsong Pavilion with Consort Liang. After Consort Liang sat down, she slowly breathed a sigh of relief, and the Eighth Prince's wife hurriedly arranged for someone to bring over hot tea.
Consort Liang smiled at her, but inwardly she hesitated. Although she was the mother-in-law, she still lacked confidence in front of her daughter-in-law, who came from a noble family. Nevertheless, she said softly, "The Empress Dowager is old and likes liveliness, but it shouldn't be too lively, as it may disturb people's peace of mind."
The Eighth Prince's wife knew that Consort Liang was saying that her behavior at Chunhui Hall was too conspicuous. She smiled casually and replied, "Yes, I understand. It's just that before the Eighth Prince entered the garden, he told me to serve the Empress Dowager and the Lady well, so I was a bit flamboyant just now."
Mentioning the Eighth Prince, Consort Liang's expression completely relaxed. He was her only son, and naturally, she wholeheartedly hoped for his well-being. However, one thing still worried Consort Liang: the Eighth Prince's offspring. Consort Liang slowly inquired about the Eighth Prince's household affairs, praising his wife for her skillful management of the household, and finally casually asked, "How have you been lately?"
The Eighth Prince's wife was stunned for a moment, her hands in front of her unconsciously curled up, and the smile on her face stiffened considerably. She replied in a deep voice, "It's all good."
Consort Liang hummed in response, but couldn't help asking, "Is there any good news from your household?"
Eighth Prince's wife bit her lip, feeling a tightness in her chest and shortness of breath, and remained silent. Being questioned so directly by Consort Liang, she almost lost control of her anger. She wondered if Consort Liang also thought she was jealous, but the problem was, she wasn't. She couldn't have children herself, nor did she prevent others from having them. Besides, given Eighth Prince's previous promise, she desperately wanted someone in the household to conceive his child. Moreover, it wasn't just her who was anxious; Eighth Prince himself was also anxious. Although he didn't say it openly, he never refused anyone she summoned to serve him.
But outsiders wouldn't say anything about the Eighth Prince; as long as the household had no heirs, they'd all be quick to gossip and curse her behind her back, calling her jealous. Over the years, the Eighth Prince's wife had been driven nearly mad by these gossips!
Seeing that the Eighth Prince's wife looked unwell, Consort Liang ultimately spared her face, sighing and saying nothing more. But that sigh was like a sledgehammer, smashing the Eighth Prince's previous smugness to shreds.
As evening fell, news arrived that the Emperor had summoned Consort Liang to his bedchamber. Consort Liang nodded and ordered someone to fetch water to remove her makeup. In her younger days, when she was young, fair-skinned, and beautiful, the Emperor had brought her to Changchun Garden. However, after she became pregnant and gave birth to the Eighth Prince, she lost favor.
At that time, Consort Liang was still a concubine. After giving birth to a prince, she was promoted to the rank of concubine, but from then on, she was relegated to a lowly position in the harem. She wondered if the Emperor thought she was the daughter of a disgraced official who had been punished and sent to the Imperial Laundry, and that this was why he treated her so coldly. In particular, the fact that the Eighth Prince was sent to Consort Hui's care before he was even a month old only deepened her suspicions. Therefore, over the years, Consort Liang had always been cautious and careful, unwilling to make a single wrong move and hinder the Eighth Prince.
Consort Liang covered her face with a damp handkerchief, wiping away the powder to reveal a pale, ashen face, like autumn frost. Her health had been poor for years, perhaps due to her past service in the Imperial Laundry Department. She knew, however, that her ability to serve the Empress Dowager at Changchun Garden despite her illness was entirely due to the respectability that the Eighth Prince had earned for her.
She ordered someone to bring over the Huoluo Pills, which she had specially requested the imperial physician to prepare. After taking them, one's muscles and spirit would be soothed. She slowly poured two pills out of the bottle and swallowed them with warm water.
The palace maid serving beside her whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, the imperial physician said that this medicine is extremely potent and cannot be used in large quantities. The maximum dosage is two pills per day. You have already taken two pills this morning."
Consort Liang said, "I know what I'm doing." The months around the Golden Banquet Festival, Winter Solstice, New Year's Day, and Lantern Festival are all busy occasions with many people coming and going. Two pills a day won't be enough to sustain her. This morning, she almost couldn't hold on at the Empress Dowager's place.
Not long after she swallowed the pill, she indeed felt her body getting warm.
Consort Liang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she absolutely could not appear sickly and embarrass the Eighth Prince while she was out. She just wondered if her health would hold out until the day the Eighth Prince's child was born.
Eighth Prince's wife followed him back to the mansion. He went to the front courtyard first, while she went to the back. However, thinking of the interrogation she had received at Consort Liang's place that day, she felt wronged and, before Eighth Prince arrived, buried her face in her arms and cried. When she finished crying and Eighth Prince still hadn't returned, she wiped her face and asked, "Is Eighth Prince still in the front?"
The maidservant replied cautiously, "Reporting to Your Highness, the Eighth Prince just went to Consort Zhang's place."
For a moment, the Eighth Prince's wife bit her lip so hard it almost bled, but after a while, news came from outside that Zhang Gege was nearly two months pregnant. The Eighth Prince's wife felt a mix of emotions, but mostly she felt relieved. She thought she could finally give an account to the outside world.
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