Zhang Si
Huo Changqing and General Wei were both strict in their military discipline and never tolerated any mistakes. As Li Guang grew older and became more tolerant, he was no longer needed to charge into battle in some major battles. Therefore, many sons of officials in the court who wanted to gain fame and fortune sent people to his army to gain experience and get promoted.
Among them was Zhu Li, the nephew of Tian Fen, Queen Mother Wang's younger brother. He was young and worked in the same office with Huo Zhongru. Huo Zhongru acted like an elder, thinking he was General Huo's biological father, and often ordered him to serve him tea and water. Zhu Li looked down on Huo Zhongru, who was so old and still a small secretary like himself. During a verbal exchange, Huo Zhongru brought up Huo Changqing. Not to be outdone, Zhu Li reported the matter to his uncle Tian Fen, adding fuel to the fire, saying it was simply General Huo who looked down on General Tian. General Huo said his military achievements were all earned through hard work, while General Tian relied on nepotism to get in the way. Tian Fen, narrow-minded and vindictive, exaggerated the story and told it to Queen Mother Wang.
After several twists and turns, it became known that the Wang family were incompetent, the Wei family were the real deal, and the stability of the world was protected by the Wei family. The Queen Mother slammed the table and called them brats, and the war spread to Queen Wei.
This was the way things had been with Queen Dowager Wang and her mother-in-law, Grand Empress Dowager Dou. She was a grandson to the Grand Empress Dowager, and her brother was a grandson to the Grand Empress Dowager's brother. Now, after years of her mother-in-law's death, she finally managed to become a mother-in-law and flaunt her power as a queen dowager, but her daughter-in-law's family still outshined hers. Unable to control matters outside the court, she took her anger out on Queen Wei.
The two palaces are like water and fire, and a war is about to break out.
Often, big things start from such small rumors. Suspicion is a basic quality of an emperor. Once the staff serving him becomes fixed, it becomes difficult to distinguish between loyal ministers and villains, because there is no comparison and only trust. If the villains blindly cater to the emperor's wishes, and the emperor trusts them completely, thereby alienating the loyal ministers, then the emperor will not last long.
Therefore, minor rumors could develop into major events, and the hidden agenda behind these minor rumors was something the emperor needed to be vigilant and discerning. For example, when Prince Liang violated the rules of etiquette, with the remnants of the Seven Princes' Rebellion still lingering, it was possible that Prince Liang harbored ulterior motives to usurp the throne and plot treason. Naturally, Han Anguo's explanation dispelled the emperor's doubts, and the matter returned to its minor, irritating nature. Now, if Huo Changqing's claim that the peace of the world was entirely due to the protection of the Wei family were amplified, it could also become a charge of treason, a crime in which a minister, conceding his own achievements, harbors ulterior motives and harbors ulterior motives. Treason is punishable by the extermination of the entire family.
If the explanation is not clear and the emperor's doubts are not dispelled, this crime will be directly raised to the highest level and the entire Wei family will be implicated.
Now, Ah Jiao finally understood why Huo Zhongru wouldn't last. He could see the big picture from a single detail. He became arrogant when in power, fond of comparing himself with others and using the name of an elder to suppress the younger generation. Without a background that would allow him to be arrogant, it was naturally difficult for him to reach a high position. Huo Changqing's help this time had gotten him into a lot of trouble.
She felt quite happy to see him in such a state of panic. Since he didn't believe her, she knew that Huo Zhongru was not as honest as he said.
After Chang Qing finished reading the letter, he saw Ah Jiao looking at him with a gloating look. He frowned, "The disaster has come, and you are still gloating."
"There's no point in being anxious. This matter has been passed down one by one, and the different versions have caused trouble. You never said that. Go to the palace tomorrow and explain it to His Majesty in person. At worst, you can plead guilty to the Queen Mother or have a court debate with General Tian. Falsehood cannot become truth, and truth cannot become falsehood."
In fact, it was even more obvious that as long as the Xiongnu remained unconquered, the Wei family would remain in decline. Based on her understanding of the emperor, the rumors might sow seeds of doubt in his heart, but they would not bear fruit until now. Therefore, Huo Changqing was certain to survive the ordeal safely.
Although she knew it, she had to make him anxious.
"Don't worry, I will go to the palace with you tomorrow."
Gillian was in a good mood. She blew out the lights and went to bed, leaving Changqing speechless and choked up. If they really wanted to confiscate his family and exterminate his clan, except for him, then his wife's clan would be exterminated. Was it time for her to be happy now?
Gillian dressed up carefully and followed Changqing into the palace. When the car passed Yuntingfang, she ordered people to stop the car.
"What are you waiting for?" Chang Qing was anxious to see the emperor, but A Jiao was not in a hurry. After a while, the person who came up made him even angrier.
"Why did you bring him here? Can he enter and exit the Emperor's Forbidden Palace at will?"
"Didn't you also bring Wang Ling, the former singer, into the palace? Li Si is also an actor, so why not? Besides, you've caused such great trouble for the Queen, shouldn't you bring some gifts to show your nephew's kindness?"
"Are you crazy? My aunt and His Majesty are deeply in love. Are you going there to give her a gift or to cause trouble for her?"
A love so deep… Gillian wanted to laugh when she heard this, but she was afraid that wasn't the case. Looking at Empress Wei's uncontrollable fatigue, she knew that the emperor's love was no longer the same as before. And without the empress, the emperor could still find another beauty, but the empress, deep in the palace, was all alone. The empress was also a human being, so how could she not yearn for the comfort of youth?
Devoted, gentle, and virtuous are merely the shackled compliments bestowed upon female elders by male juniors. Of course, she is not advocating promiscuity between men and women. If one maintains the name of marriage and commits infidelity under the guise of so-called human freedom, what difference is there between them and animals?
But if one party is unfaithful and the other party has no way to avoid or escape, like the emperor and his concubine, then there is another story.
"My aunt is lonely in the palace, unable to come out and enjoy the various entertainments of Chang'an. So I can only use Li Si's mouth to sing her popular folk songs and perform folk dances for her. What's wrong with that? Are you thinking of something dirty again?"
Chang Qing really thought she was going to send a handsome man to the Empress, just like Princess Pingyang had done. Ahem, a night of passion. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I just think Auntie wouldn't like to hear this vulgar tune."
Gillian didn't expose him again, but glanced at him. Behind him, Li Si understood that he was here to serve the Queen. This woman's husband's aunt was probably a woman in her late thirties. He thought he could win her favor again, but he didn't expect that it was just a gift from her.
"Your mission is to make the Queen happy and find opportunities to accompany her from time to time. That's all. As for everything else, that's up to you both."
"You... don't need me to report her to you?"
"I'm not trying to spy on my elders. I just really want her to not feel lonely in the palace."
Speaking of loneliness, Empress Wei actually had many things to worry about. She was a more competent empress than the deposed empress. She calmed down the emperor's anger brought back from the previous dynasty, and she comforted her daughter and her husband. She also worried about the prince's studies and the staffing arrangements for the Eastern Palace. Now, she also had to deal with the rift between Wei's maternal family and the empress dowager and the emperor...
In fact, only the Queen Mother had caused trouble for her. The Emperor seemed to be unaware of this matter and did not even ask about it. He continued to let her stay in his palace as usual, but not asking did not mean that he did not suspect anything.
Thinking of this, she was so worried that she couldn't sleep all night.
When Queen Wei saw Changqing and his group, she felt relieved. She was about to summon them when they came rushing over.
"Where is His Majesty now?"
"Your Majesty is in the Weiyang Palace listening to reports."
"Let's go and pay our respects to His Majesty first." Huo Changqing went straight to the point, and the Queen nodded. Ah Jiao winked at Zhang Si, ordering him to stay here and wait for a while.
Seeing Huo Changqing and his group coming over, the emperor unconsciously set his eyes on Gillian.
"It was just a rumor, and I didn't expect it to provoke such a scene. My uncle is old and enjoys quarreling. It was just a quarrel, but you all took it so seriously."
Gillian laughed in her heart. If he really didn't take it to heart, she wouldn't have thought of this rumor first. The emperor was suspicious and had to pretend to be magnanimous, but they couldn't expose him directly.
"Marquis Wu'an is the Empress Dowager's biological brother, and we have a deep bond. We're just worried that he's been wronged and that the Empress Dowager hasn't been able to sleep well, and that she's gotten sick from anger. That's why she refuses to see us, so we've come to explain." The Empress wanted to tell the Emperor about her recent grievances, but the Emperor smiled faintly and said, "The Empress Dowager is getting older, and she's becoming more and more like a child."
Wu'an Hou and Huo Changqing, the two major relatives of the emperor, are fighting each other. Neither of them is easy to deal with, and he is happy to see it happen.
Ah Jiao guessed his thoughts, "Your Majesty, please allow me to tell you that although the general is young, General Wei has defeated the Xiongnu in the north several times and has been commended by Your Majesty. However, the general only admires his ability to contribute to the Han court and has never shown off or been arrogant. The general also often warned us not to be arrogant and cause trouble for the Queen and Your Majesty.
The general had always been cautious in his words and actions, never boasting of his status, simply because his fame and honor were bestowed upon him by His Majesty. However, recently, the general stumbled upon his biological father, Huo Zhongru. Seeing his father's downfall, he placed him under General Li Guang as a clerk to support himself. However, the general had not seen him for years, and father and son were little more than strangers. Huo Zhongru, leveraging the general's status, manipulated the nephew of the Marquis of Wu'an, leading to a rivalry between the two, which led to his unbridled remarks. Huo Zhongru simply claimed that the general was favored by His Majesty, and if a quarrel arose, he would surely thwart the general's tirade. Later, the story was passed down through generations, with twisted and distorted accounts, until the Empress Dowager heard it as the general, arrogant and self-righteous, disregarding His Majesty...
The Queen Mother and Marquis Wu'an are furious, and the general is terrified and unable to sleep at night. After much deliberation, I have come to Your Majesty to apologize."
…
The Empress and Huo Changqing were both somewhat surprised that this Hu woman could be so outspoken. The Emperor looked at her deeply and suddenly laughed. "Changqing has truly married a good wife. You don't need to apologize. I will explain to the Empress Dowager. It's not just about misjudging people. Even seemingly minor matters can lead to great disasters. You must learn this lesson and distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous around you."
Chang Qing agreed. After the matter was exposed, the emperor invited everyone to have a meal together. It happened that longan was tributed from Lingnan. It was the first time for Chang Qing to eat this kind of thing. Just when he didn't know how to start, A Jiao peeled off the skin, revealing the white and smooth flesh inside, and put it into her mouth.
"Have you ever eaten this?"
"My father brought it back to me when he traveled to Lingnan."
The emperor was watching their every move from the upper seat. Gillian's rosy lips were wrapped around the tender white flesh, and her lipstick faded and stained, gradually leaving only a light pink.
"Your Majesty..." The Queen peeled a longan and handed it to the Emperor, but found that his eyes fell on Gillian and he frowned.
The emperor withdrew his gaze and smiled at the empress, but the empress returned his smile with an unpleasant smile. All the dragon eyes that had been presented as tribute to the palace had been sent to Changxin Hall. The emperor's preferences were quite similar to this one's. The emperor was fond of beautiful women and had paid attention to her several times. It seemed that there were some things he had to remind her of...
After the banquet, the emperor did not stay any longer. The queen asked A Jiao to go with her to the side hall to wait for a while under the pretext of changing clothes. A Jiao watched the palace maid dressing her from behind the screen. Although she was only thirty years old, the queen had white hair on her temples and her beauty was no longer the same. The palace maid secretly hid the white hair among her black hair. The queen saw it and smiled faintly.
"My beauty has faded, and my love has waned. I'm afraid that in a few years, Your Majesty will be even less willing to see me."
She was obviously speaking to Ah Jiao. She stepped out from behind the screen and said soothingly, "Aunt and Your Majesty have been married since their youth and have been together for many years. Your mother's family also has a powerful man like the General at Your Majesty's command. You're worrying too much."
"Young couple?" The Queen rarely revealed her emotions in front of her. She seemed to sneer, "The one who truly occupied your Majesty's entire youth was the one in Changmen Palace."
"Changmen Palace?" Gillian murmured.
"I don't know her maiden name, but I've heard His Majesty call her Ah Jiao, even in anger and anxiety, with His Majesty's almost unconditional indulgence. She's the daughter of the Grand Princess and the Grand Empress Dowager's only niece. It was only because she married His Majesty that he was able to ascend to the throne. She truly is the most noble woman in the world."
"Since she was so noble, why was she later banished to the cold palace?"
"That's not the cold palace; it's the garden the eldest princess lovingly built as a gift to Your Majesty. She should have lived a smooth life like this, but the Queen was childless and cursed Your Majesty with witchcraft, angering His Majesty and sending her to another palace. But her treatment remains the same. Even with such a heinous crime of treason, she still lives a peaceful and honorable life.
If she hadn't been unable to let go of her worries and died of depression, it's possible that Your Majesty would have changed his mind after thinking about the past."
The Queen's smile was filled with sarcasm. She looked at Gillian and suddenly said, "You are somewhat similar to her."
Ah Jiao looked up at her, and the Queen continued, "Your name also carries her name. His Majesty has noticed you for a long time. At today's banquet, His Majesty's eyes were also on you. If you don't want to cause trouble for yourself and Chang Qing, and cause dissension between the monarch and his subjects, you should be more vigilant in the future and be careful of His Majesty."
Gillian nodded blankly, as if she was shocked by the sudden news, and she didn't speak for a long time. After the queen finished speaking, she waved her hand and let her go out, "I'm tired too, you guys go back."
The words had been made clear enough, and even carried some malicious speculation, disregarding the emperor's face. But it was better than actually causing trouble. By then, it would probably not only be the emperor who would be scolded, but how could she, the empress, be any better? Her nephew's wife was favored by her husband, and she had been recommended by Princess Pingyang before. There was no guarantee that there would not be bad words about her, such as being a traitor and selling her nephew for fame.
Yet, all this was simply due to the emperor's greed. His old love was gone, yet his old feelings rekindled. He desired the beauty and purity of Chen Ajiao, but without the constraints of her, her arrogance, and her intolerance. So, he poured his love into a puppet that resembled her...
He was greedy, but he hadn't considered her situation. Wei still had her younger brother. If anything happened to her younger brother, her palace would probably become a cold palace where no one cared about it.
She returned to her Changqiu Palace, took off her shoes and fell drowsily on it. Suddenly, a pair of warm hands touched her forehead and massaged it gently. Her fatigue gradually eased. She opened her eyes, but saw a strange face in front of her.
"Where are you from? I have never seen you before."
"I was sent by General Huo to serve the Queen. General Huo said the Queen was constrained in the palace all day, so he sent me to learn some folk songs from my hometown and play them for the Queen to enjoy. I hope you enjoy it."
Looking at the young and handsome face in front of her, he looked at her steadily while speaking, his eyes were as gentle as water, and full of admiration. How long had it been since she saw the emperor look at her with such eyes...
She closed her eyes again. "What's your name?"
"I am a lowly person, Zhang Si."
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