Chapter 20: Stab him in the ribs with a knife!
Coincidentally, Zhao Chengning once mentioned this incident in a letter to Zhao Jinyuan. For some reason, Xihe would vomit upon smelling the odor of Gongxuan paper, her face pale and frightening. However, other Xuan paper wouldn't cause her to vomit. From then on, Fuhua Palace used ordinary Xuan paper instead of Gongxuan paper. The little princess vomited so much that she couldn't stand the smell of it.
Emperor Jingyuan loved Gong Xuan very much, and was disliked by the little princess because of this. He was depressed for a long time and even used Yuanyang Palace less often.
"Royal brother, I remember that the rice paper seems to be managed by some external department. If we check, we will find out who took it."
Gongxuan is limited and can only be used by those in high positions. This person inadvertently brought out the mud by pulling out the radish by the roots and sold out his master.
Zhao Jinyuan nodded, and when the man spoke, he sent someone to ask the head of the Outer Court Department to come.
Soon someone arrived with archived files. After comparing the two, the evidence was conclusive. There was no record of anyone in the Fuhua Palace, from the imperial concubine to the palace maids and eunuchs, receiving the tribute, and there was no record of it being lost in other palaces. The numbers of use and recycling matched.
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked at the man in the audience with strange eyes.
The Fuhua Palace does not need a tribute announcement, and the Outer Court has no record of it, so it must not have been given by Concubine Chen. This person is trying to take advantage of the Xu family.
The moment he came from the Outer Court, the man was on the verge of collapse, with a look of defeat on his face, but he was still vaguely unwilling to accept it.
"Even if it wasn't the portrait sent by Concubine Chen, how do we explain this jade order? It was handed to me personally by the Xu family. Could it be fake?"
Everyone looked at the jade token in the second prince's hand with unclear expressions.
This is a symbol of the Xu family's status and it cannot be faked.
"Brother, can you show me?"
Zhao Jinyuan handed over the jade order without thinking.
The little girl looked at the thing left and right, and after a long time she looked up and said, "But this is fake, it doesn't have a name."
"What?" Zhao Jinyuan came over curiously.
Xihe pulled out an identical jade token from her bosom and said, "Look, my royal brother, mother told me that every member of the Xu family has a jade token with the owner's name engraved somewhere on it, but this one doesn't have anything on it."
Each person was given a jade order, which was recorded in a book, and no more were given.
Zhao Jinyuan's fingers stroked Xihe's jade order. Sure enough, there was a word "Xi" engraved in the hidden place in the upper right corner, but there was nothing on the other piece.
"Brother Xu should have it too, right?" Xihe asked.
Xu Chengyuan was stunned for a moment, "Yes, yes, I have one too."
Xu Chengyuan is the eldest son of the eldest son's family. There is a word "Yuan" engraved on the knot of his jade pendant. When three jade pendants are placed together, the authenticity is immediately apparent.
Zhao Jinyuan threw the fake one in front of the man and said coldly, "What else is there to say?"
The words were full of mistakes and omissions. Some people with smart minds had already tasted the meaning and looked at the man with a strange look in their eyes.
Under the pretext of the Xu family's order, he ostensibly intended to murder Princess Zhaoyuan, but in reality he was targeting the eldest prince.
The man collapsed to the ground with a deathly pale face. Knowing that he was exposed, he didn't say anything for a long time, just holding the jade token tightly, as if he wanted to crush it.
"Royal brother, I'm so bored. Let's go find big brother, okay?"
After clarifying the matter and driving away the bad guys, Xihe felt bored.
Zhao Jinyuan looked at Xihe with a softer look and ruffled her hair. "Let Chengyuan take you there, okay? My brother needs to see father first."
Zhao Jinyuan looked at the booklet in his hand thoughtfully.
Today's matter involves a lot of things, and he will never let the person behind it go.
Xihe turned her head to meet Xu Chengyuan's gaze, hesitated for a moment, and nodded reluctantly.
"Then my royal brother, please remember to bring me peach blossom cake from father." Xihe pursed her lips, her greedy look clearly visible on her face.
"Okay, I'll remember that."
Before leaving, Xihe leaned over to Zhao Jinyuan's ear and whispered a few words.
Zhao Jinyuan comforted the little girl, then took the man and the Outer Court Office away.
Xu Chengyuan came up to her with tears in his eyes, his eyes filled with emotion. "Sister, from today on, if anyone dares to bully you, just tell me and I'll beat him to a pulp!"
After this incident, even without the jade token that symbolized his identity, Xu Chengyuan still considered Xihe one of his own.
If it weren't for Xihe, the treacherous villain would have killed the Xu family.
Xihe forced a smile and stroked Xu Chengyuan's hair like a little adult, saying in a rather condescending tone, "Don't worry, I'm smart. I know who treats me well."
Ever since that person started to accuse the Xu family and Concubine Chen, Xihe never believed a word of it.
She can still tell whether it's fake or sincere.
Beautiful mother, be so nice to her.
Xu Chengyuan was even more moved, as if he was about to cry in the next second. He quickly patted his chest and promised: "From today on, my sister's affairs are my affairs. You can come to me if you need anything! I will help you at all costs."
"Stabbing a knife in the ribs?" Xihe's eyes suddenly lit up, and she was eager to try it. "Sister Yunhui, go get the knife quickly. I want to learn how to stab two people in the ribs."
The corners of Yun Hui's mouth twitched inexplicably, and when she met the dull eyes of the young master of the Xu family, she felt like crying but had no tears.
My princess, you really do whatever you want.
"Sister, you can't do that!" Xu Chengyuan didn't expect Xihe to really stab him in the ribs with a knife, and he jumped up immediately.
"Why not? Didn't you say it was possible?" Xihe looked at him with a look of "you lied to me".
"Against... I just can't!" Xu Chengyuan thought for a moment and said, "How about this? I become my sister's consort, okay?"
I will repay you with my life for saving my life.
Nothing wrong.
"Ah?" Xihe was stunned for a moment, then asked tentatively, "Does this mean I want to be your wife?"
Xu Chengyuan smiled and nodded.
Xihe looked distressed. "No, my elder brother said that if anyone wants to marry me, he will break their legs. Cousin, do you want to break your legs?"
The eldest prince was afraid that his sister would be deceived, so he began brainwashing the girl early on.
"Of course not!" Xu Chengyuan shuddered, and thinking of Zhao Chengning's love for his sister, he couldn't help but shrink his neck.
He was so pitiful. One moment someone stabbed him in the ribs with a knife, and the next moment someone attacked his legs.
The atmosphere in Yuanyang Hall was extremely depressing. No one dared to clean up the broken porcelain pieces on the ground. Sanping raised his head and quietly glanced at Emperor Jingyuan's expression, then immediately lowered his head.
"This group of people is becoming more and more rebellious." Emperor Jingyuan's cold voice came from above, with obvious murderous intent.
Zhao Jinyuan stood at the bottom without saying a word.
Concubine Chen's face was slightly distorted with anger. She tightly gripped the cup in her hand, and her hairpins swayed slightly. "How is Xihe? Are you frightened?"
When the Second Prince came to report, Concubine Chen almost fainted when she heard about the frightened horse, and she is still frightened.
Zhao Jinyuan said, "Don't worry, Mother Chen, Xihe is fine. Before I came here, I asked Chengyuan to take Xihe to find my eldest brother."
Concubine Chen was relieved, "That's good."
"The lower court has presented an old ginseng as a tribute. Your Majesty, please take it back later and use it to calm Xihe's mind." When Emperor Jingyuan thought about how his precious little daughter was almost killed right under his nose, he was instantly filled with rage, as if a prairie fire would spread like wildfire.
"As for this..."
Emperor Jingyuan looked at the jade order in his hand thoughtfully and did not speak for a long time.
Zhao Jinyuan took in the Emperor Jingyuan's expression, pondered for a moment, and then stepped forward and said, "Father, I have something else to report."
"explain."
Zhao Jinyuan repeated the words Xihe had used to deceive the man, "So I guess someone in the palace is passing information to the outside world, and it's not just once."
He then handed over the Outer Court Division's booklet.
At first, he only reported the matter of the startled horse and the jade order, and put the matter of the traitor and the portrait at the end.
The most taboo thing for Emperor Jingyuan was that the harem was involved with the previous dynasty. He did this just to throw a pot of oil on Emperor Jingyuan when he was furious.
Thinking of his sister's cunning look, Zhao Jinyuan's eyebrows softened a little.
This is not a little white rabbit, it is clearly a little fox, a little fox who has a clear distinction between love and hate and will take revenge.
"They are rebelling!" Emperor Jingyuan roared, raised his hand and threw the porcelain bowl beside him. The porcelain shattered with a sound, as if hitting everyone's heart, making people tremble.
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
"You're really good! How dare you extend your hands to the harem!" He was furious, but more frightened.
Emperor Jingyuan knew that dangers were hidden everywhere under the emperor's great favor, and the palace that he thought was impregnable was actually full of leaks.
First it was poisoning, then the horse was frightened, and what will happen next time, and the time after that?
Xihe is still so young, and being careful everywhere means there are dangers everywhere.
Emperor Jingyuan pinched his brows, feeling as if he had just survived a disaster, and said, "I'm glad you're here today."
Zhao Jinyuan quickly cupped his hands, "I dare not take credit for it. It is my duty to protect my sister."
Emperor Jingyuan smiled slightly, "Xihe is young and loves to make noises everywhere. The Imperial Concubine and I cannot always watch her. As her elder brothers, you should take better care of her."
"I understand, father, please rest assured."
Emperor Jingyuan said nothing more. He flipped through the book in his hand, his fingers lightly stroking the words on it, his eyes dark. "You don't need to worry about this matter anymore. I will send someone to handle it. Also, the envoy from Nanli will be here soon. Please help Cheng Ning and get the matter done."
Zhao Jinyuan nodded in agreement. Some things were more appropriately handled by Emperor Jingyuan.
Although it was summer, there was a cool breeze in the evening. As soon as I left the palace, the wind blew and the cold sweat on my back penetrated into my bones. It was so dense and dense that it felt like needles piercing my body, and I couldn't stop.
Mu Yuan and Mu Hua bowed and quickly supported Concubine Chen. Although they hadn't entered the palace, they had heard everything, and both of them broke out in cold sweats.
Concubine Chen took several deep breaths before she gradually regained consciousness. She forced a smile towards Zhao Jinyuan and said, "Thank you for what you did today."
Zhao Jinyuan pursed his lips and said, "Actually, I didn't do anything. It was all Xihe's idea. She never doubted Concubine Chen from the beginning."
Concubine Chen's eyes were filled with tenderness, and her heart was extremely soothed. "This palace knows."
Xihe is a good child. If anyone treats her with care, she will repay them double.
She gave the child a jade token, and the child protected the Xu family.
From the moment she heard Gong Xuan, Concubine Chen thought of the divine light in the cold palace at that time.
Xihe couldn't stand Gong Xuan, so she ordered someone to replace him, and by accident she saved the Xu family.
"Xihe is truly my little lucky treasure."
Whether it was the last poisoning incident or the frightened horse this time, they had both been avoided. Concubine Chen, who had been materialistic for many years, suddenly began to believe in the gods.
Perhaps Xihe was really a blessing given to her by God.
The corners of Zhao Jinyuan's lips curled up slightly, he bowed and took his leave, heading towards the concubine's bedroom.
Although Yuanyang Palace was in chaos, the National Academy was still filled with laughter and joy.
Xihe sat on a stone bench nearby, acting as the atmosphere for the eldest prince. "Big brother is the best! Big brother is the most awesome!"
When the eldest prince heard his sister's cheers, his tail almost flew off, and the bow in his hand became more stable.
An arrow flew by and hit the bull's eye.
"Brother is so awesome!" Xihe helped Yunhui climb onto the table, twisting her hips and swaying her skirt.
As soon as the results came out, the eldest prince unloaded his bow and arrows, rushed over, hugged his sister in his arms, and pinched her soft little face, "Is brother the best?"
The eldest prince happily waited for his sister's praise, but the little girl thought for a while and said seriously: "No, the second prince is more powerful, and the eldest brother is second!"
She wanted to be an honest little baby.
Zhao Jinyuan's arrow chasing technique was so stunning that it made people stunned.
Zhao Chengning: “…” Okay, he admits defeat to Jin Yuan.
Xihe was bored, so he started to bully the flowers and plants around him, trying to weave a flower crown. However, his craftsmanship was too poor, so some flowers took the lead and became guinea pigs.
It was not until Xihe had plucked almost all the flowers in the bush that she was able to make a wreath.
"Brother, Dai~"
The eldest prince looked down and saw the wreath his sister handed him. Without thinking, he put it on and said, "My sister is so thoughtful."
This is the only wreath made by his sister. The eldest prince felt that he was the happiest brother in the world.
He hugged Xihe and kissed her again.
Xihe giggled, and when she turned her head, she met Xiao Mingxuan's slightly narrowed eyes. Xihe's smile froze instantly and she blinked.
What happened? She didn't mess with the Big Bad Wolf.
Xiao Mingxuan took a quick look and then looked away, going into the arena to get the arrow.
Xihe stayed in the eldest prince's arms, but her eyes swept across everyone on the field.
"Big Brother, why don't I see the Third and Fifth Brothers?"
Among Emperor Jingyuan's descendants, only these two have never appeared.
"The third brother should..." The eldest prince pondered for a moment, racking his brains to find a suitable word, "He should be listening to music in a certain guild hall."
The third prince's mother died young, and he had no one to supervise him. When he was just thirteen years old, he was already a frequent visitor to brothels.
Emperor Jingyuan didn't care. The eldest prince said it twice, but when he saw that the prince didn't stop, he gave up.
As long as you don't go out of the ordinary and just enjoy listening to music, it's not a big deal.
"What about the fifth brother?" Xihe asked.
The eldest prince paused while holding the teacup, a look of pain on his face. "Old Fifth is not in good health and has been ill, so he didn't come out."
The fifth prince, Zhao Zize, is seven years old this year. When Concubine Liu was pregnant with him, she was murdered by a villain. Concubine Liu died, and although the fifth prince survived, he had problems with his legs. Since then, he has been unable to walk, and he has become increasingly gloomy and unwilling to see people.
Xihe took note of it secretly and said nothing more.
(End of this chapter)
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