Chapter 44 If someone doesn’t know, they would think you are guilty!
The three of them were chatting and laughing when Concubine Xian arrived with the second prince.
"Oh, my little baby, come quickly! Let the virtuous concubine hold you~" The virtuous concubine wanted to snatch the child away as soon as she came, and her eyes never left the little man.
When Xihe saw Consort Xian, his eyes lit up immediately and he struggled to throw himself onto her thick thighs, "Consort Xian! Xihe is here!"
When Concubine Xian received her beloved little baby, her heart was as sweet as honey, and she kept saying "My dear."
Concubine Chen glared at the little girl in anger, "People often say that girls cannot be kept when they grow up, but now she is only six years old and she is already turning her elbows outward! This palace is really sad~"
Xihe chuckled and whispered in Xianfei's ear, "Xian mother, let me tell you, mother bullied me!"
The virtuous concubine burst out laughing, "Oh my, how could you bully our little darling? Your mother is so mean."
The little girl rolled over with laughter, "Virgin Mother, Xihe likes you so much~"
As he said this, he gave Concubine Xian a kiss.
The virtuous concubine was very proud, and looked at the noble concubine Chen with her beautiful eyes, "That's right, it's still the virtuous mother who loves you the most! I will go back to Jingyuan Palace with the virtuous mother later."
Concubine Chen raised her beautiful eyes, looking hurt. "Oh, the daughter I raised was kidnapped like this. I am so heartbroken."
Xihe quickly crawled over, pretending to be pitiful with tears in her eyes, "Mother, don't be sad! Xihe is not gone!"
Unexpectedly, Concubine Chen knew her little daughter's ability to act coquettishly and didn't buy her trick at all. She turned her eyes away and acted heartbroken.
Xihe hurriedly asked Zhao Chengning for help.
"Brother~"
Unexpectedly, Zhao Chengning also covered his chest with his hands, looking helpless. "I can't help it. I'm sad too! Good luck to you."
Xihe's coquettishness skills failed, and she pouted. She was finally coaxed into submission by giving each person a kiss.
For a moment, the hall was filled with laughter and joy.
Xihe sat in Concubine Xian's arms, fiddling with the jewel necklace around her neck.
The next second, the necklace was hung around the little girl's neck by Concubine Xian.
The gems were perfectly round and extremely large. When worn on Xihe, it did not look like a person wearing jewelry. Instead, it was as if the jewelry was framing the person, almost breaking the small body.
The virtuous concubine also had someone bring a box of jewellery and put them on Xihe's hair one by one. Among them was a five-phoenix hairpin made of pure gold and inlaid with many rare gems, but it was extremely large and did not look suitable for Xihe's head.
The virtuous concubine raised her hand and threw the phoenix hairpin away, "This is not good-looking, let's change it!"
"This doesn't look good either, change it!"
After changing several hair accessories, Concubine Xian finally stopped with satisfaction.
The carpet under their feet was littered with gold jewelry, all of which the virtuous concubine disliked.
The ground is full of gold!
Xihe opened her mouth wide and blinked her grape-like eyes as she looked at the golden hairpins thrown on the ground.
I knew that the virtuous mother was generous, but I didn’t expect her to be so generous!
He threw away so many gold hairpins without blinking an eye.
Concubine Chen handed over a cup of tea and said, "You've just recovered. Why don't you take a rest? Why are you here so early?"
The Concubine thought of the news she heard this morning, and her face darkened slightly. "I get angry just talking about this. I was sleeping soundly, but I was woken up by this piece of news."
"What kind of news could make you so angry?" Concubine Chen was extremely curious.
Xian Fei took a sip of hot tea, her expression a little impatient, "Don't you know? The Queen Mother is coming back."
Concubine Chen paused, a thoughtful look on her face, "Why didn't you hear the news?"
Xian Fei snorted coldly, "Of course you didn't hear the rumors. The Empress Dowager is very smart and has been working on this in secret. If my brother hadn't happened to find out, the Empress Dowager would have already left by the time we heard the news."
"Your Majesty?" asked Concubine Chen.
The virtuous concubine nodded slightly. "Filial piety comes first. Even if His Majesty is unwilling, once the phoenix carriage arrives at the South Gate, can he still be ordered to return home?"
Concubine Chen said lightly, "Your Majesty has taken action against Marquis Yun and Marquis Xining's mansions one after another. The Queen Mother can no longer sit still."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Xian sneered, "It would be strange if she could sit still after such a commotion."
Then, something occurred to him, and a hint of disdain crossed his brows. "We're all juniors, so why is the Queen Mother so biased? The Yun family and the Xining Marquisate are her relatives, but does that mean His Majesty isn't her biological son? What kind of thing is this?"
Emperor Jingyuan dealt with the Yunhou Mansion and the wife of the Xining Marquis, and the Empress Dowager returned to the palace to plead for mercy. Isn't this a clear slap in the face of Emperor Jingyuan?
Concubine Chen gave Mu Yuan a look, then patted Concubine Xian's hand and said softly, "I know you're unhappy, but just say this to me, and don't say it outside."
The Empress Dowager was partial and indifferent to Emperor Jingyuan's offspring. A few years ago, a conflict arose between the Second Prince, Zhao Jinyuan, and the eldest son of Marquis Yun. It was originally the eldest son's fault, but the Empress Dowager's partiality left the seven-year-old Zhao Jinyuan to bear the brunt of the blame. This incident had always irritated Concubine Xian.
"I know." Concubine Xian waved her hand, her expression slightly relaxed, "I'll just tell you."
Concubine Chen sat up straighter and asked, "Did they say when it would happen? We have to prepare in advance to avoid being caught off guard."
"No rush, probably after the New Year." The virtuous concubine carefully wiped the little girl's hands in her arms and said nonchalantly, "The Queen Mother originally planned to come back today, just in time for New Year's Eve to show off her majesty, but His Majesty ignored her and stopped her in a daze, so she changed her plan to after the New Year."
I guess Emperor Jingyuan himself doesn't want to see the empress dowager. Why make himself unhappy in such a good year?
Concubine Chen nodded in agreement, "Thank you for letting me know about this matter."
Xianfei waved her hand, then suddenly thought of something. With a smile on her face, she leaned closer and said, "Sister, if you really want to thank me, could you let me take care of Xihe for a few days?"
Concubine Chen glanced at the other person with a sidelong smile, "No, you wish!"
Xian Fei looked disappointed and sat back down, grumbling, "If you don't want to give it to me, then don't give it to me. You're so stingy!"
Xihe's little hands fiddled with the beads on her hair ornaments, having a great time. "Mother, is the Queen Mother coming back?"
Concubine Chen nodded with a smile, "Yes, the Queen Mother is back, Xihe must be well behaved and learn the rules."
The Queen Mother has always been partial, and coupled with the incident with Concubine Yun Shu, she must dislike Xihe.
As long as you behave politely and don't leave any room for gossip, why bother to get close to someone and curry favor with them?
Concubine Chen was reluctant to let her own baby suffer this.
"I know, Xihe will be very good and won't cause any trouble for mother!" The little girl immediately raised her hand and promised.
The virtuous concubine smiled and nodded at the little girl's temper, her eyebrows and eyes smiling, "Our little baby is so well-behaved, how could she possibly cause trouble? Even if something happens, it will definitely be that person's fault!"
The virtuous concubine was notoriously protective of her own people. If she was tripped by a stone, it was definitely the stone's fault!
Concubine Chen nodded, with an idea in mind.
If the Queen Mother insisted on causing trouble, she would not be afraid.
*
The main banquet was still held in the Qianyuan Hall, and as soon as Xihe arrived, he was held in the arms of Emperor Jingyuan.
Emperor Jingyuan felt relieved only when he felt the warmth in his little daughter's palm.
There was singing and dancing on the steps, and people were coming and going. No one noticed that there was a woman in the corner whose face could not be seen clearly. She was wearing a tattered dress and looked dusty, which seemed out of place.
Emperor Jingyuan said a few simple words to get the formalities over with, then ordered the banquet to begin.
Xihe opened her big grape-like eyes and looked around, looking for Xiao Mingxuan.
He touched an empty space at the right rear, and a trace of sadness appeared between his brows.
Why didn't the little brother come?
Seeing his little daughter looking around, Emperor Jingyuan asked softly, "What's wrong, Xihe? What are you looking at?"
The little girl's eyes fell on a woman in the corner and she exclaimed, "Huh?"
"Daddy, who is that?"
Emperor Jingyuan looked in the direction Xihe pointed and saw the woman in the corner, and couldn't help but frown.
It doesn't seem like anything at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it looks somewhat familiar.
Emperor Jingyuan was about to speak when someone suddenly came in and called the woman away. The woman looked frightened and soon disappeared.
Emperor Jingyuan was about to ask Sanping to call for help when Zhou Bing, the censor of the Censorate, suddenly stepped forward.
"Your Highness Zhou Bing, the Censor of the Censorate, has something to report!"
Lord Zhou was over forty years old, and perhaps because he had been talking so eloquently for many years, he had a strong voice, and the entire Qianyuan Hall could hear it.
Emperor Jingyuan glanced at Zhou Bing, who was kneeling below him, and said calmly, "Lord Zhou, what do you have to report? Stand up and answer."
Zhou Bing did not stand up, but instead bowed deeply, which seemed to imply that he was ready to die bravely.
Emperor Jingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression unclear.
Judging from Zhou Bing's appearance, it seems that what he is reporting is of great importance.
Censor Zhou finished his greeting and solemnly stated, "I dare not rise. I am willing to file a death lawsuit against the current Prime Minister Liu Ming for allowing his own son to cause trouble in the army. Not only did he secretly withhold military pay, he also used the soldiers as living targets for his archery practice, putting the lives of thousands of soldiers at risk. After being discovered by the commander stationed at the border, he brutally murdered the commander's entire family. His heart is despicable. I hope Your Majesty will investigate! In exchange for a clean and holy place at the border!"
As soon as Zhou Bing finished speaking, the entire Qianyuan Hall fell silent.
Liu Ming, the head of the civil officials, was furious. He pointed at Zhou Bing's nose and cursed, "Zhou Bing, what do you mean? My son has guarded the border for the country for many years. How can you slander him like this? You are simply making up lies!"
Liu Ming's words were powerful and there was no panic in his eyes.
Everyone was suspicious. Could it be that Zhou Bing was really making a false accusation?
Xihe was close, staring at Liu Ming's hand curiously. "Uncle? What's wrong with your hand? Why is it shaking? Are you cold?"
Everyone's attention shifted again to Liu Ming's hand, which he had not yet withdrawn, and they saw that his palm was shaking violently.
Liu Ming laughed dryly and hid his palm under his sleeve. "Your Highness, did you see it wrong?"
Xihe tilted her head and said in a baby voice, "My eyes...are okay?"
Then he turned around and asked Emperor Jingyuan, "Dad, can you help Xihe check if there are any bugs in his eyes?"
Emperor Jingyuan couldn't help but curl his lips when he saw his little daughter's fox-like smile.
Liu Ming was Concubine Liu's father. Seeing this, he said, "Your Highness is still young. I'm afraid she may have seen it wrongly."
As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Jingyuan's face darkened.
"Shut up! Who do you think you are? How dare you criticize Xihe!"
Emperor Jingyuan scolded Concubine Liu in court, not giving her any face at all.
Concubine Liu's face suddenly turned pale. She murmured and wanted to argue, but was scared back by Prime Minister Liu's look. She then shrank into the corner and kept silent.
Liu Ming's hands hidden behind his back trembled slightly, his chest heaved violently, and his brain was working rapidly, thinking of a corresponding strategy.
He knew his son's character best. He had thought that there would be no problem at the border as the emperor was far away. Who could have expected that Zhou Bing would appear in the middle of the road and keep pestering him?
Liu Ming thought of the woman behind him and came up with a vicious plan. He secretly gestured to the people around him.
Zhou Bing, if you are unkind, don't blame me for being unjust.
"Your Majesty, my son has absolutely never done anything so unscrupulous. Please understand!"
Emperor Jingyuan said nothing, tapping slowly on the table with one hand, his eyes moving between Zhou Bing and Liu Ming.
Zhou Bing was one of the few loyal ministers in the Censorate. He was dedicated to supervising all officials and serving the country and the people. Although he occasionally made inappropriate remarks, they were not serious, so Emperor Jingyuan tolerated them.
What happened today is most likely true.
Emperor Jingyuan ignored Liu Ming's cry of injustice and turned to look at Zhou Bing. "Mr. Zhou, have you ever thought about the punishment for falsely accusing others?"
Liu Ming was overjoyed, thinking that Emperor Jingyuan believed his words, and he felt a little relieved.
Zhou Bing remained neither humble nor arrogant, his expression unchanged. "As a censor of the Metropolitan Censorate, I know that falsely accusing an official of the imperial court deserves the death penalty!"
Emperor Jingyuan changed his posture while holding Xihe, leaning lazily on the dragon throne, a barely perceptible smile on his face as he spoke, "Oh? You're not afraid?"
Zhou Bing pursed his lips tightly, his eyes full of determination. "I have received the emperor's grace and been appointed as the Imperial Censor. I shall fulfill my duties conscientiously and monitor all officials. Even if I die, I will not regret it!"
The words were sonorous and powerful.
There was a hint of smile between Emperor Jingyuan's brows.
"Since you are suing, where is the evidence?"
Emperor Jingyuan was used to his mood swings, so even though his attitude suddenly changed 180 degrees, everyone was used to it.
After all, the person above you can be laughing and joking with you one second, and then drag you down and chop you up the next second.
Liu Ming, who was kneeling below, felt his heart in his throat.
What does this mean, Your Majesty?
It seemed that Zhou Bing was about to be punished, but he started asking about his son again.
Zhou Bing bowed again, "Since I dare to do this, I must have evidence. The garrison commander's family was annihilated, but fortunately he sent his wife and children out in advance. They are now outside the palace. Your Majesty, please bring them before the court!"
Emperor Jingyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "Then call them in, let's all listen!"
Seeing this, Liu Ming tried to stop him, "Your Majesty..."
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jingyuan raised his hand and said, "Prime Minister Liu, why are you so anxious? If someone didn't know you, they would think you were guilty of something."
After these words were spoken, Liu Ming's words of defense got stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter a word.
He glanced at Zhou Bing, who was kneeling in the middle, with resentment, and there was complacency in his eyes.
The woman was brought in. Although her clothes were old and her cheeks were covered in dust, her demeanor remained unchanged.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty!"
Emperor Jingyuan stopped tapping on the table, his eyes darkening. "I remember now. You are Chen Shoufang's wife. When I went to the Northern Desert, you entertained me and Yuanyang."
For the holidays, I'll post an extra 2,000 words, so today I'll post 4,000! Happy holidays!
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