Emperor Jianzhang was seriously ill and unable to attend to state affairs. Many people in the cabinet requested to see the emperor. They even hoped that the emperor would decide on a crown prince, so that the country would be stable.
Of course, the inner cabinet favors the eldest son more. Without a queen, the eldest son is the legitimate heir.
When Concubine Hong came over, Emperor Jianzhang was already unable to speak, and just pointed at her, meaning that he wanted Concubine Hong to serve him. After Emperor Jianzhang came to power, he gave important positions to almost all the eunuchs around him. The most favored one among them was the eunuch Feng Jinzhong, who was in his fifties and wore a bright red dragon robe, which made him look more majestic.
"Your Majesty." Concubine Hong's face was filled with sorrow.
There is no doubt that Emperor Jianzhang was a gentle monarch and a husband who valued love and loyalty. That year, Lin was chosen as the principal wife. She hid in her room and dared not go out. It was this gentle young man who said to her: "Ayun, I will never let you down."
Life in the deep palace was really hard. Even she felt that her future was in danger. It was he who made promises to her again and again.
In fact, he is just an average-looking man, but he is really good to himself.
"Prime Minister Feng, I have already blocked the news in the palace to prevent them from panicking. His Majesty will definitely be fine, but it would be bad if the news gets out and is used by someone with ulterior motives." Concubine Hong said calmly to Feng Jinzhong.
Feng Jinzhong knew that Concubine Hong was deeply trusted by Emperor Jianzhang, but now that the emperor had fallen, he didn't know who would be in charge in the future. But at this moment, it was right to block the news, otherwise, the whole world would be in an uproar. Now the court was at war and the throne was vacant, and there was a fear of a disaster that would destroy the emperor.
"Your Majesty, I understand. Don't worry, the Imperial Hospital is taking turns to treat Your Majesty." Feng Jinzhong comforted Your Majesty Hong.
From then on, Concubine Hong took care of the emperor here. She never mentioned the matter of appointing a crown prince, nor did she complain about anything. She just took care of the emperor.
The eldest prince saw that Concubine Lin did not move, so he could not help but asked her: "Mother, since father is ill, why don't you go to take care of him? You can't let Concubine Hong take all the credit."
Now that they already knew about their father's illness, they should rush to the front to prevent their father from establishing Chen as the Prince.
Concubine Lin smiled and said, "My dear child, your father is already speechless. Even if he chooses someone, the ministers in the inner chamber will not agree. My mother and I are naturally superior to others in terms of clan law, and the people of the world will not agree."
Victory is assured, so why bother doing anything more? There is no news in the palace that the emperor is in poor health, so they should just pretend they don't know.
Furthermore, Concubine Lin instructed: "Hong Xiuyun is used to compete for favors. I think she is trying to persuade the emperor to depose the eldest son and enthronize the youngest son. The more she does this, the more the emperor will see that she has ulterior motives. The ministers in the inner cabinet and the eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department will never give in. The emperor's succession is not decided by one person."
Even Yao Niang was surprised at Concubine Lin's composure. She thought to herself that it was no wonder that Emperor Tianlu was able to ascend the throne smoothly in his previous life. The emperor's favorite Concubine Hong and Prince Chen had died one after another. Their opponent was a very patient and powerful person.
At this time, Yao Niang also crouched. She had already said what she should tell Concubine Hong. If she was too impulsive, Yao Niang would be helpless. She was just a prince's consort, and there were palace rules in this palace.
The little Chengyun in her arms was babbling, as if he wanted to speak urgently. Yao Niang smiled and said, "You are just a silly kid. You need to grow up quickly. When your father is at home, he obeys me in everything and is considerate to me. But when he is away, he doesn't talk to me at all. Do you think he is a treacherous man?"
In the past, I could only take care of other people's children, but now I take care of my own children, which is of course completely different.
Not everyone can experience that feeling of blood connection.
Bai Ying and Bai Zhi came in and said, "Princess, has something happened outside? You are not allowed to walk around the palace casually now. The food delivered today was delivered by the kitchen staff."
As expected, the news was blocked. Yao Niang glanced at her personal maids and said to them solemnly, "From now on, don't go out unless it is necessary."
In the previous life, the eldest prince was made the crown prince only after Prince Chen died and Concubine Hong also passed away. Now, as long as the emperor is still alive and Concubine Hong is by his side, he should be fine as long as he doesn't make any mistakes.
When Bai Ying and her friends were living in the Luo family, there were many people in the family. Although there were some conflicts, they were all very simple. However, they changed quickly after entering the palace. The palace seemed peaceful, but in fact there were many tricks inside, so they spoke in a reserved manner and asked people to understand the meaning for themselves.
"Yes." Bai Ying and Bai Zhi responded in unison.
People outside the palace didn't know yet. Luo Zhizheng saw Yu coming back from the Lin family with a frosty face, and couldn't help asking: "What happened? The son of the Marquis Zhongjing died, but there are still sons and daughters. Are you so sad?"
Yu looked at her husband in disbelief: "My dear, the Crown Prince's wife was still young. Who wouldn't be sad if the pillar of the family died for no reason?" Her husband was really careless.
Luo Zhizheng snorted coldly: "I want to tell you, your son-in-law is still on the battlefield. If he dies, it won't be too late for you to cry. Why should you be sad for an outsider?"
"Why are you like this?" Yu felt that she couldn't stand her husband anymore.
She had always thought that she treated him differently, and that she might be able to change him over time. However, after so many years, he was still the same, always cold-blooded.
Maybe, when I die, he will still feel that he already has children, grandchildren, and even grandchildren, so losing me is not a big deal. Just like his beloved inkstone, if it is gone, he can just find a good one.
Just like when she thought Gao Xuance treated Yaoniang very well, even she, an outsider, thought it was good, but Yaoniang said: "If his life is 100%, then 90% is power, and 50% is his mother. I and the child can only get 50% at most."
Yu felt that this feeling was subtle. She was over 30 years old and shouldn't care about these things, but this feeling of grief for others still made her very sad.
Luo Zhizheng saw that Yu was angry and shook his head: "You really don't know what you are talking about. The Lin family is the eldest prince's family. Lin Weinan is dead, shouldn't we celebrate? Why are you sad?"
"You know that's not what I meant." Yu wanted to ask if the death of a partner is a painful thing, and everyone has feelings. This has nothing to do with Lin Weinan's position.
Luo Zhizheng sighed slightly: "Why are you so stupid? You just want to ask if I will be sad if you die one day? There is nothing to worry about. I am much older than you. I can tell that I will die early. If I die, you will have children and won't have to serve me. You will be in a higher position and live a happier life than Second Aunt."
Mrs. Yu had not expected him to say this, and she couldn't bear it anymore: "Master, why bother saying this? You will definitely live a long life."
Although my husband can be a bit harsh at times, he does understand people's hearts and treats me well.
"You are so stupid. Fortunately, your daughter is smarter than you." Luo Zhizheng sighed.
Yu said nothing, and didn't want to pay attention to him, but she felt sad when she thought of Wei Feng crying like that. She lost her husband at such a young age, and her son was still young. The Wei family was not as good as before. Because of the issue of the heir, the Zhongjing Marquisate might have gone from a glorious and military-worthy mansion to a second- or third-rate one.
The Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing
Wei Feng has always been very satisfied with her situation. She is the wife of the prince of Zhongjing, and the Princess of Chen is her close friend. It can be said that she can get along well with both sides.
Even though she had a son and a daughter, Lin Weinan was a person who was very good at maintaining his reputation. As the original wife, she had always been respected in the mansion. She didn't want to make any more changes in her life, but it didn't go as she wished.
My husband is dead and my child is still young...
There are twelve branches in the Lin family, and each one is eyeing her covetously. She is really tired.
Why is it so difficult for her to find someone to rely on? It turns out to be like this after just a few days of good life.
Wei Feng cried for herself and for her son as well.
Seeing her daughter-in-law like this, Mrs. Lin did not forget to say to Lu and Zhuang Lingyi: "You can also persuade her for me. She should always think about the child. Alas."
Zhuang Lingyi said to Lu: "It's really pitiful, but now we should cheer up."
"Yes." Lu felt a little sympathy for Wei Feng, but she also envied her. Without a man, she could enjoy the wealth of the entire marquisate, which was not a bad thing.
They all tacitly acknowledged that it was impossible for Wei Feng to remarry, and considering Wei Feng's current condition, remarriage was absolutely out of the question.
Even Zhuang Lingyi himself thought so.
In the past few years since her marriage, Zhuang Lingyi's life has undergone tremendous changes. The husband she once thought was talented and brilliant turned out to be a mean man who was obsessed with fame and fortune. He even favored his concubine over his wife. After marriage, he took his adopted daughter-in-law as his concubine and was inseparable from that woman.
It is really painful for a married woman. She thought that starting a family after marriage would be very happy and joyful. She had no idea that it would be so difficult.
They came over to persuade Wei Feng, and Lu said, "Grandma Lin, for the sake of the children, you should cheer up. The old friend is gone, but the living must look forward."
"Yeah, you're usually a person who can take things easy, so what's the matter with you now?" Zhuang Lingyi also stepped forward to persuade him.
Wei Feng forced a smile: "Thank you for comforting me. I am much better now. Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of myself."
Seeing her like this, Mrs. Lu felt very heavy-hearted. You know, Lin Weinan was a brave general, and now he is dead. Her husband is still at the front line, and she doesn't know what happened to him.
You have to know that the troops were led by Prince Chen and Prince Jinyang, and these two were not good people, especially Prince Chen, who was cruel and ruthless.
"Grandma Shen, what are you thinking about?" Wei Feng asked hurriedly when she saw that Lu had not said anything for a long time.
Mrs. Lu shook her head: "Prince Lin is a natural military talent, but he suddenly disappeared. I wonder if it's in Prince Chen's place..."
Zhuang Lingyi agreed with this statement. Her family had been in the military for generations, so she said, "Prince Jinyang and Prince Chen are in cahoots with each other, so they must be colluding again. We are women and don't understand the war on the front, but my family also has eyes and ears in the army and knows too much."
Wei Feng looked at Lu and Zhuang. She knew that perhaps from now on, her friendship with Yao Niang no longer existed.
No matter whether she likes her husband or not, her husband died at the hands of Prince Chen, and it is impossible for her to have a good relationship with Prince Chen's faction.
The revenge for the death of a husband can never be forgiven.
The news about Concubine Hong in the palace could only be blocked temporarily, but it could not be blocked forever, especially when many people in the inner cabinet strongly demanded to see Emperor Jianzhang, fearing that he had met with something unexpected, Eunuch Feng was ultimately unable to resist.
Now that the harem knew about it, and Concubine Yan and Concubine Lin were both coming, Concubine Hong was selfish at this time and wanted to let her daughter-in-law Yao Niang come instead.
Upon hearing this, Yao Niang came over immediately.
"Mother, how is Father's illness?"
"It hasn't gotten better. It'll take some time, but at least he's not panting at night anymore. What about Chengyun? Is he doing well these days?"
Concubine Hong was very concerned about her grandson, especially since this child would be her only child if anything happened to her son Gao Xuance.
Seeing Yao Niang nod, she was relieved. But when these people came in, Concubine Hong was feeding medicine. She dressed very simply these days.
These court officials had hardly seen Concubine Hong before. They only knew that outsiders called her a demon concubine, but they had no idea what she looked like. Among these people in the inner cabinet was Luo Zhizheng, who was the Minister of Rites. If the emperor died, the Ministry of Rites would immediately prepare for the coronation ceremony of the new emperor.
Luo Zhizheng was also surprised to see his daughter here. Emperor Jianzhang had four daughters-in-law, so why were she and Concubine Hong here?
Others saw a beautiful middle-aged woman serving beside them. She had beautiful eyebrows, almond eyes and rosy cheeks. Even in her middle age, she still had a graceful demeanor. Next to her stood a young woman, who was even more beautiful and had eyes as clear as autumn water.
I only heard Feng Jinzhong introduce: "The Royal Concubine Hong and Princess Chen are here to take care of the patient."
Everyone looked at Luo Zhizheng. After all, this man was the father of Princess Chen. However, Luo Zhizheng performed the ceremony as usual, as if Princess Chen had nothing to do with him.
Yao Niang and Concubine Hong looked at each other, and she stepped forward and said, "My Lords, my father needs to rest and recuperate. He has improved a lot in the past few days. Please come closer."
The first person Emperor Jianzhang saw when he woke up these days was Concubine Hong, who did her best for him and never asked for anything in return.
Ah Yun has always been like this. He had always wronged her in the past, and now it was even more so. He couldn't fall down. If he really fell down, what would Ah Yun do? Also, his illness came too suddenly. Although he was a little weak recently, he wouldn't be like this. There was a possibility that he was poisoned.
But who would poison Yu in front of him? And who would benefit after he poisoned him?
When Emperor Jianzhang saw the ministers coming in, he nodded with a smile. Although his face looked weak, he did seem to have improved a lot.
"Your Majesty is unable to speak now. The Book of Rites once said that respecting the coming of age is to respect etiquette, and respecting etiquette is to establish the foundation of the country. The foundation of the country is the root of the country, and the prince is the foundation of the country. We came here today to ask Your Majesty to establish the foundation of the country as soon as possible, so that the hearts of the subjects of the world can be reassured. Now the front line is still fighting. If the enemy knows about it, where will the country go?"
There was nothing wrong with these words, and even Concubine Hong and Yao Niang could not say anything wrong. Even when Concubine Hong wanted to say something, Yao Niang pulled her clothes from behind, and Concubine Hong held back her words.
Of course, this detail also caught the attention of those who were interested, such as Luo Zhizheng, who wondered how Yu could have given birth to a daughter like Yao Niang. Prince Chen was still out there, and it was not impossible for him to abdicate at that time, so why did he jump out now?
The eldest prince was very quiet. If Concubine Hong jumped out at this time, she would probably be attacked by the censors. What was being tested now was patience. The emperor was already favoring Concubine Hong. The most urgent task was for the emperor to get better quickly. If he really couldn't get better, he couldn't make any mistakes.
When Emperor Jianzhang heard this, he closed his eyes, and his ministers were helpless.
After all, they can't force the emperor now. If something happens to the emperor, they will be sinners.
When Concubine Hong saw Emperor Jianzhang close his eyes, she was overjoyed and said to Feng Jinzhong, "Eunuch Feng, His Majesty has just taken medicine and needs to rest. Why don't you let the others speak later if you have anything else to say?"
In people's inherent impression, Concubine Hong should be very domineering, and Concubine Lin should be honest and soft-hearted. But today, Concubine Hong was seen to act in an orderly manner. She really didn't say anything in front of Yu. As for Princess Chen, she was just worried about the emperor's condition.
Of course, some people were also suspicious: "Eunuch Feng, the emperor is ill now, why don't you see Yuanzi taking care of him?"
Feng Jinzhong said, "It was His Majesty who designated Concubine Hong to come. Since he didn't designate anyone else to come, we didn't dare to shout."
Now that the emperor is alive, what he says is of course valid.
These people had no right to care about the affairs of the harem, so they retreated first. Only when Yao Niang saw them leave did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
After seeing these people leave, Concubine Hong said to her again: "You should go back. Chengyun also needs someone to take care of him. If there is any need, I will call you over."
"Thank you for your hard work here, mother. I will leave first. Please take care of yourself." Yao Niang said.
Concubine Hong smiled and said, "Don't worry."
This was just a trial run for the assistant minister. A month later, the condition of Emperor Jianzhang still did not improve. Although it was not as serious as a death, Concubine Hong could no longer bear it.
After Concubine Hong finally returned to the palace, Prince Zhou came over to question her: "Mother, how is Father's illness? People are in a panic now."
"It's nothing, you don't have to worry." Concubine Hong was worried that Prince Zhou came here deliberately to gather information, so she told Concubine Lin immediately.
King Zhou said, "My third brother is away now. All the ministers support the eldest prince. Mother, I think..."
"Okay, you don't have to persuade me anymore. If you are willing, take good care of yourself and give birth to more children. Also, the little princess born by your wife is sickly, you can't neglect yourself this time." Concubine Hong was too lazy to talk to King Zhou anymore.
But she knew that it would be difficult for the emperor to get better. It had been a month and the emperor had been bedridden.
Now, we can only gamble.
Concubine Lin was very patient. Even when the eldest prince was impatient, she still tried to persuade him: "Do you know what the medicine is called? It's called Yingshanhong. You won't live more than three months. Now more than a month has passed. As long as your father dies and the prince is away, you will be the emperor in name only. You don't even need to consult anyone."
The emperor has no empress, so the eldest prince is the eldest.
The eldest prince then suppressed his anger and said, "Yes, son, I'll remember it."
"You must not be impatient, because your father's position will soon be yours. You have already waited for so many years, can't you wait another month?" Concubine Lin warned her son.
If she doesn't take action now, when the Prince of Chen returns after making military achievements, her son will be under someone else's control for a long time. Even when the Prince of Chen becomes more powerful, her son will no longer be able to compete with him.
Why are things in this world so unfair? She is the principal wife, but she is only given the title of noble concubine like a concubine? Her son is the legitimate eldest son of the emperor, but he is suppressed by others.
The eldest prince had a distorted expression: "If you want to blame someone, blame them and their son for overestimating their own abilities. We are just stirring up trouble."
Ever since the emperor's condition showed no improvement, Yao Niang was often called away by Concubine Hong to tend to him. When she came back, she never mentioned the emperor's condition to anyone, not even Mu Wantong who came to ask about it.
"Third sister-in-law, what is the condition of our father?" Mu Wantong was also anxious.
They were already very dissatisfied with Concubine Hong for stirring up trouble here, as if His Majesty belonged to her alone, and she wouldn't even let them go to see. Mu Wantong had already cursed Concubine Hong a hundred times in her heart.
Yao Niang said: "Father is still taking medicine."
"So what happened?" Mu Wantong felt that Yao Niang was cunning and not telling the truth.
Yao Niang said, "Fourth brother's wife, you are also from the Zhennan Palace. You know what it means to spy on the emperor. It is disrespectful. How can we know the emperor's physical pulse? I have nothing to tell you even if you ask me."
She even said to Mu Wantong: "If you are really worried, you can go to Funing Palace and ask it yourself. Why are you asking me?"
Mu Wantong went back with a lot of anger, and the Fourth Prince consoled her, "Maybe Third Sister-in-law is not comfortable talking about it."
"It's inconvenient. Just wait."
It seems that the emperor's life span is not long. When the time comes, all the descendants of Concubine Hong will be in trouble, and maybe even the whole family will be slaughtered.
She thought so and said so. The fourth prince was very surprised: "How can you say that?"
"Anyway, I never said I was a good person." Mu Wantong himself didn't think he was a good person. His father was often reported by censors for bullying officials in Yunnan and not respecting etiquette and laws.
Soon, Emperor Jianzhang had been ill for more than two months, and Concubine Hong had given up. She still reluctantly served the medicine here, but she had also thought about the ending. At worst, she would die and save her children and grandchildren. It didn't matter.
She was not like Concubine Liao, who waited until her son committed suicide before going crazy.
I didn't expect it to come to this.
She even said to Yao Niang in private: "If there is something wrong with Cheng Yun, you must hide him as soon as possible."
Has it really come to this? Even though there were things from the past life, a lot has changed in this life. Although Yao Niang did not waver, she also felt that she should have a way out.
You can't rely entirely on your past life and really depend on it.
Yao Niang met Concubine Lin on the way back. She immediately came up with an idea and tears welled up in her eyes, but she seemed afraid of being seen.
Concubine Lin knew that Yao Niang had returned from Funing Palace. She was pondering for a moment when she saw Yao Niang immediately look at her with disdain and walked straight past her without even stopping her sedan chair.
"Princess Chen is so rude..." the servant exclaimed.
Smart people tend to think too much. If Yao Niang was just crying in front of her, then maybe she did it on purpose for her to see. But she was deliberately trying to suppress her and she didn't even bother to save her face. It can only be said that she was angry and humiliated, and finally went crazy.
Not only did the servants of Concubine Lin think Yao Niang was crazy, even Bai Ying thought Yao Niang had lost her caution today: "Princess, what's wrong with you today... No matter what, Lin is the Concubine."
"Hmph, I'm gambling." Concubine Lin can't wait forever, and Gao Xuance can't fight this battle forever, so Concubine Lin's patience will sooner or later be limited. As long as Concubine Lin makes a move, don't blame her.
…
At this time, Gao Xuance was rushing back day and night. The Donghu people had almost been taught a lesson. He received news that his father was ill, so he had to hurry back. As long as he went back, his mother and Yao Niang would have someone to rely on.
He even killed several horses along the way. Lin Weinan was dead, Shen Liang was still at the front line, the eldest prince could not stage a coup, and he did not have the troops to do so for the time being. Gao Xuance quickly arrived under the palace wall.
The guards at the door hurried to stop them, and Gao Xuance whipped his horse whip at them: "Open your eyes and see that you dare to stop even this king."
The guards knelt down quickly, and Gao Xuance rushed back to the prince's residence. He wanted to make sure Yao Niang was comfortable first.
Little did he know that he thought Yao Niang would rush to him like a young swallow, and even pour out her heart to him, but Yao Niang frowned and asked, "Why are you back at this time?"
The timing is wrong. If Prince Chen comes back and Emperor Jianzhang is well again, wouldn't it be impossible to catch the culprit of Lin's mother and son?
Gao Xuance was stunned on the spot.
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