The eldest prince plotted rebellion and was imprisoned. Concubine Lin poisoned the emperor and was executed for her crime. The titles of the Wang and Lin families who followed the eldest prince in the rebellion were stripped, and all the participants were executed. The rest of the women and children were exiled.
These punishments were all imperial edicts, and the words were not long, but it was obvious that the shorter the words, the bigger the matter.
The Mansion of Marquis Zhongjing was once insignificant, but later it became famous because of the birth of a prince's wife. Now that Lin Weinan is gone, the eldest prince is trying to force the palace to rebel, and the Lin family is also suffering a devastating disaster.
The Xuanping Marquis Mansion was Princess Xing'an's in-laws' home. The consort Shen Yun was in the capital, but Shen Liang was still at the front. He was heartbroken when he heard about this, but it was difficult for him to plead for mercy.
The Lin family was the first to be punished, and immediately the monkeys scattered. Wei Feng regretted it very much.
She may have thought about remarrying, but Mrs. Lu and Zhuang Lingyi persuaded her to do so for the sake of her child, saying that the entire Lu family would belong to her in the future. Even she herself felt that it would be better for a woman to not marry if she had money, leisure and power. But now she was at a loss for words.
I never thought that such a thing would happen in the Lin family.
When she married into the Lin family, she thought she would stay there for the rest of her life, but she never expected her life to be so short.
Wei Feng suddenly regretted it. She had always thought that not marrying into the palace was the safest option, but now it seemed that she might as well have fought for it. The eldest prince's wife, Wang Yuanshuang, was at most imprisoned, but she still had no worries about food and clothing. But she was imprisoned and exiled. During her exile...
She couldn't even imagine how terrible it would be.
Among his old friends, Cheng Shaojin had already gone to a fiefdom with Prince Le'an and he had lost contact with him since then. Luo Yaoniang was now the Princess of Chen in the palace. Although he had seen her before and their feelings seemed to remain unchanged, their positions had changed and they were no longer as close as before.
In fact, Yao Niang was also very sad: "I watched him build a tall building, I watched him entertain guests, and I watched his building collapse."
In her previous life, everyone in the Lin family scolded her and Li for being ruthless. Everyone thought that she had married into the Lin family for no reason. Many years later, even her own son thought that if she had not left the Lin family, she would have been a marquis' wife long ago. But now the Lin family has been almost confiscated and the clan has been exterminated. What good is it for Lin Weinan to be alive? I'm afraid she would not dare to come back.
Gao Xuance couldn't help but nod when she said this: "You are right. This is how it has always been since ancient times when the kings became victorious and the bandits were defeated."
"After all, Wei Feng and I used to have a good relationship. Can you ask someone to take care of her?" Yao Niang looked at Gao Xuance.
Gao Xuance nodded without hesitation: "Okay, don't worry, I will definitely do what you asked me to do."
Yao Niang smiled and said, "That makes me feel relieved. I'm not trying to save her, I just hope that her situation will be a little better. After all, we used to have a good relationship."
For a weak mother and her young son, life must be very difficult, and it is not known whether they can make it in the future.
After Gao Xuance came out of the prince's residence, the eunuch beside him couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, do you want me to go to the Ministry of Justice?"
"Why are you running?" Gao Xuance said contemptuously.
"Just now the princess mentioned..."
"That's because the princess is kind-hearted. But if we were prisoners today, our situation would be a hundred times worse." Gao Xuance liked Yao Niang because although she had her own plans, she still had a conscience and felt compassion for everyone. But he was no longer the same.
The eunuch was startled and dared not say anything more.
After the incident between the Lin and Wang families, when Prince Jinyang returned to the court, Prince Chen was always ranked first in terms of merit and reward, especially for leading 5,000 soldiers to fight against the 50,000 Donghu, and actually dispatched troops to defeat the Donghu.
There were people of his time who were more talented than Wei and Huo.
From then on, Prince Chen's prestige increased greatly, and Emperor Jianzhang recovered greatly. After he recovered, he dismissed many people from the palace. From then on, Concubine Hong no longer had any rivals in the palace.
But the more times like this, the more Yao Niang feels she needs to keep a low profile.
When Emperor Wu of Han deposed Chen Ajiao, Wei Zifu's line had no choice but to do so, but in the end it was still the youngest son Liu Fuling who inherited the throne. Don't think that the throne is within reach after the death of Concubine Lin and her son.
There are also Prince Zhou, Prince An and even Concubine Li's youngest son; they are all the emperor's sons.
When the emperor recovered from his illness and it was also his longevity festival, Concubine Hong was promoted to Imperial Concubine and was in charge of the affairs of the six palaces. Emperor Jianzhang was also afraid that people in the world would think that he was dealing with Concubine Lin for Concubine Hong, so he only promoted Concubine Hong to Imperial Concubine.
"Greetings to mother." Yao Niang smiled and brought Cheng Yun over to pay respects to Concubine Hong.
Concubine Hong was very happy to see Chengyun. She heard that Concubine Lin wanted to kill her own son first in exchange for the support of the Gongxun Group again. Little did she know that it was because of Chengyun's crying that made Emperor Jianzhang think that the eldest prince was simply insane.
The royal struggle could only end in confinement at most, but he wanted to use ruthless means to eradicate the problem completely. This was too cruel and merciless, so he made up his mind to eliminate Lin's mother and son.
In fact, it was my little grandson who made the greatest contribution.
"It's almost ten months now. In two months, it will be Chengyun's first birthday. We have to take good care of him when he celebrates his first birthday." Concubine Hong looked very proud.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "The prince also said that he would give Cheng Yun a good ceremony this time. Mother, my fourth brother's wife is pregnant again. I heard that the reaction was so strong this time. I wonder what the reason is?"
"Oh, maybe she worries too much." Concubine Hong was unwilling to say more.
Mu Wantong is the daughter of King Zhennan. She is very ambitious. After she entered the palace, she not only cured the Fourth Prince's foot injury, but also made friends with many Confucian officials. She really thinks she is a dead person.
Yao Niang nodded: "She and I have always had a bad relationship. Last time when the prince went to war, she saw that I was pregnant and mocked me many times. Although my daughter-in-law is her sister-in-law, I am afraid that things will not be normal."
"Hmph, you don't have to take her to heart. I know all their plans." Ever since the last time she and her daughter-in-law helped each other, their relationship has been very good.
No matter what, Yao Niang is a blessed person, and the child she raised is also blessed. Moreover, she is not afraid of things and can take responsibility at critical moments, but she will not suppress others and steal the limelight like Mu Wantong.
"I'm glad that you know. Yes, you are now the Imperial Consort. The enthronement ceremony will be held next year. I am a practical person. I would like to ask you what you would like. I will go downstairs to prepare it." Yao Niang asked with a smile.
Concubine Hong shook her head: "I don't want anything. As long as you are safe and sound, I will be happy."
"That's not the way to say it. Forget it. Mother is always polite. I will prepare it myself. If you don't like it, I can prepare something better in the future." Yao Niang said.
No matter what, the mother-in-law and I are still very easy to get along with. The relationship between the two is not like that of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but more like that of friends.
After Yao Niang and Cheng Yun returned from paying respects, they saw Gao Xuance coming over. Concubine Hong smiled and said, "What a coincidence! Your wife just left. Otherwise, you three could have met each other."
"We see each other every day, so why do we have to meet here? I have come specially to pay my respects to you, mother. It would be nice for us to have a chat." Gao Xuance knew that he had forced his mother to marry Yao Niang, but if he went too far, it would not be good for Yao Niang.
Concubine Hong and Gao Xuance said whatever they wanted to say: "Your second brother finally had a son, which is a great honor. I am relieved. But he fell off the horse, and I am afraid it will affect his fertility. Can you bring a famous doctor you know to see your second brother? That way I will feel relieved."
Gao Xuan Ce nodded immediately: "Mother, what are you talking about? I will definitely help. Second brother is my brother after all. If it weren't for Lin's mischief, why would second brother be raised by Lin? When you become the queen in the future, second brother will certainly understand your painstaking efforts."
"Cer, you can't say such things. I am only the Imperial Consort now, and the Emperor hasn't revealed that he will make me the Empress." Imperial Consort Hong was a little reserved.
Gao Xuance smiled and said, "Mother, it's obvious that if you were to become the empress, you would be better than anyone else. In the future, you might be a wise queen like Empress Changsun, and leave your name in history."
"You kid..."
Although she complained, Concubine Hong was still very happy.
She suddenly realized that her son understood people's hearts much better than her daughter-in-law. Her daughter-in-law was too honest, but her son could know exactly what other people were thinking. Living with such a person, it was difficult to tell which words were true and which were false, but you were still willing to listen to him.
This is his ability, but such a person is so powerful that you have to admire him.
Yao Niang had just arrived home when she saw music and dancing next door. She couldn't help but ask Bai Ying, "Is this the wedding day of Madam Li from Prince Zhou's mansion?"
Bai Ying nodded.
This Lady Li was the palace maiden favored by the King of Zhou. She gave birth to a son and was given the title of Lady.
Bai Zhi said, "She is really lucky. The Zhou Wangfei gave birth to a daughter, and she got a son. Although she is not as favored as Wang, who in the Zhou Wang's backyard is as lucky as her?"
Perhaps this child was the only child of King Zhou. After King Zhou fell off his horse, there was no news of other women being pregnant.
Yao Niang asked, "Have we sent our gifts long ago?"
"Of course, please rest assured." Bai Ying is now very skilled.
The Zhou Palace was bustling with activity. Xu Qingrong did a great job of preserving her appearance. Although she did not look very happy, she still said to Madam Li, "Today is your good day. You don't have to be so polite in front of me. Just relax."
Madam Li kowtowed quickly and said, "Thank you, Princess."
She was able to give birth to a baby boy smoothly because the princess took care of her and moved the baby to her side. Lady Li also worshiped her with great care. She was originally the daughter of a good family. Like Concubine Li, she came from Nanzhili. Unfortunately, she was framed and could only be a maid in the harem. Because of her beauty, she was taken advantage of by the eunuchs.
Even after being favored by the King of Zhou for one night, she was discarded like a rag and abandoned at any time, and she had no status at all.
Fortunately, there was a baby in her belly. From then on, the child was the eldest son of King Zhou, and she was also named lady.
Xu Qingrong smiled faintly: "Kneel down and greet me."
She never thought that all her efforts would end in vain and she would be beaten to the punch by a servant girl. But she had to do it because if the prince really died, then this child would be the only heir to the Zhou Palace.
What a frustration, she couldn't help thinking.
But it was much better than Wang Yuanshuang. If Wang Yuanshuang passed away and Concubine Hong became the empress, then Prince Zhou would be the eldest son and she would be the empress.
But I still feel unhappy because I don't have a legitimate son.
Did she think she had to look at the face of a lowly Li?
No, she must give birth to a prince of her own no matter what. If that fails, she will kill the mother and take the son away.
But killing the mother and stealing the son couldn't be concealed from others, so Xu Qingrong was in a really difficult situation.
So the only identity she has now is the identity of the Princess of Zhou, which is more precious than anything else and is beyond the reach of a servant. Now she still has to improve her reputation.
Therefore, when Cheng Yun turned one year old, Xu Qingrong sent her generous gifts. All the discord between her and Yao Niang in the past seemed to have disappeared without a trace, and they became as close as sisters.
Yao Niang said, "Why should you be so polite, sister-in-law? He is just a little kid and can't bear it."
Xu Qingrong held her arm affectionately and said, "Why should we be so polite? If it weren't for the elder sister-in-law who often used words to pressure us, we wouldn't have been so estranged. Now, we are finally as close as a family. As an aunt, how can I not do my best to show my love for you?"
In this case, Yao Niang couldn't say much. This was how it was in the palace. One could hate the other person very much behind his back, but had to maintain intimacy on the surface.
The happiest thing today is of course that my mother, sister and sisters-in-law have all come to the palace. Chengyun, who is only one year old, can already stand by himself with the help of a chair and can even walk for a distance by himself.
Yao Niang even put a dot of rouge on his forehead to make him look better.
The child looked very much like Yao Niang's. Yu was unwilling to let go of him, "The little prince is really handsome. I'm not exaggerating. I've never seen a more handsome child than our Cheng Yun."
"I think she looks more like you, my sister." Fan suddenly marveled at Yao Niang's ability to give birth to a child. The child has black eyes and a chubby face. You can tell at a glance that he is a very capable child.
Such a child would live long, unlike her youngest son who was very sickly and eventually died.
Seeing Fan's mood, Yao Niang couldn't help but ask, "Sister-in-law, I heard that Rui Ge'er is engaged, right?"
"Yes, it is Sister Song who has been chosen. This marriage is a close one." Fan liked Wang Song quite a lot.
Speaking of Wang Song, Yao Niang thought of Lin Chaoyan in her previous life. She wondered if there was any difference between them in this life. She also asked Yu: "Is Sister Song doing well in the Wang family?"
Yu said awkwardly, "It's not good at all. Living under the stepmother's control is certainly not easy. But she is a girl from the Wang family, so I can only take her here to live for a few days. Your aunt and I also think that your third sister died early, and we are afraid that Sister Song will be bullied if she marries into another family, so it's better for her to come to our house."
This is also because the Luo family is kind-hearted. The eldest branch is much more united than the second branch. Although Luo Jingrou may have brought it upon herself, she is still a girl of the Luo family. It is impossible for her to watch Wang Song being bullied. She should get engaged as soon as possible so that her status in the Wang family will be more transcendent.
"That's fine. But you must let me know when you are getting married. This little devil has completely distracted me from all my thoughts." Yao Niang poked her son's little face.
Yu smiled and said, "It's still early."
It's not a good idea to openly talk about the fact that stepwife Dou Yuhong bullied Wang Song. Although Dou Yuhong was wrong, others who don't know the seriousness of the matter may think that it was Sister Song who was at fault.
Although the little girl is not a biological granddaughter, she is well-behaved and sensible. Her mother died early, so why don't her grandparents love her more?
Skipping this topic, Yao Niang said to Zhu: "I heard that my second brother has passed the examination. Congratulations to my second sister-in-law first."
Zhu was a little proud in her heart, but she couldn't show it. After all, she was proud, and her sister-in-law and stepmother were here. Her eldest brother had no official title yet, and it was said that he would be sent to Nanjing to serve as an official this year, while her third brother was still young and was only a student. If she was proud for a while, it would be bad if people attacked her from both sides.
The mother-in-law in this family is not bad, and the eldest sister-in-law Fan is also very kind. If she wants to destroy this atmosphere, won’t she be the same as the second wife Ren and Jiang in the future? The second wife is preparing to return home, and the old lady Dou is going back to her hometown in Gaoping.
Zhu said modestly, "I will still work for the masters in the future."
Yu and Fan both thought it was right. The Prince of Chen was their aunt, so who else could they do things for if not for the Prince of Chen? If the Prince of Chen ascended the throne in the future, things would be even more different.
Yao Niang corrected him, saying, "I think my second brother is a man of great ambitions. When he passes the imperial examination, he will definitely contribute to the country."
The Zhus did not think there was any difference in what they said. They supported Prince Chen to be the emperor anyway. Isn't serving the country the same as serving Prince Chen?
Even Shi Yu did not think that there was any ambiguity in what he said. She had always had a good relationship with Yao Niang. Since she married into the Jiang family, she was able to enter the palace every time thanks to her sister. In addition, the rewards she received from the palace often gave her face in her husband's family.
Shi Yusheng was beautiful and had a temperament like an orchid. After she got married, she and her husband lived in harmony. Of course, she also subtly influenced her husband to support Prince Chen.
No one paid any attention to this remark, as the Chengyun's one-year-old birthday ceremony began immediately. The table was filled with bows and arrows, study treasures, rouge and powder, needles and thread, a dazzling array of things.
At this time, Gao Xuance also came out. He stood at the end of the table and said to Cheng Yun, "Son, come here to your father..."
Even though he has only been back for a few months, Gao Xuance likes to play with the child. When he sees difficult moves like lifting the baby up high which Yao Niang can't do but he can do easily, Cheng Yun becomes completely attached to his daddy.
This child seems to be precocious. When he was just over one year old, he could call father "king" and mother "concubine". He would even learn it after being taught a few times no matter what he ate.
Now hearing his father shouting like that, Cheng Yun ran over with a smile on his face.
Yao Niang coaxed, "Baby, you want to give something to Daddy? What do you want to give?"
At this time, Cheng Yun somehow took a box of rouge. Yao Niang was startled. It was not good for a boy to take rouge. In her previous life, she had never experienced the Zhou-Zhua ceremony. The two children she gave birth to were like fighting a war. She had no time to care about this. It was good enough that they survived safely.
She quickly responded, "Is our baby a gift to our mother?"
She reached out to Chengyun because this was a game she often played with Chengyun. In order to train her son's hearing, she would often point at objects and have him hand them to her. This would improve the child's ability to distinguish. Although he might not be able to speak, he would know what something was.
Cheng Yun stared with his big dark eyes. He thought the red thing was cute at first, but when his mother stretched out her hand, he quickly crawled over and handed it to Yao Niang: "Mom, here you go."
"Thank you, baby." Yao Niang smiled and asked him, "What do you want to give to your father? What does your father like?"
Cheng Yun still didn't understand these words, especially what to send and the word father.
He just hugged one of his legs and actually played the game of splits and biting his chubby feet in the middle of the table. Yu was a little anxious, but Yao Niang always smiled and poked him: "Little lazy bug, stop playing, your father is waiting for you there."
Gao Xuance felt jealous when he saw Yao Niang coaxing Cheng Yun. Yao Niang had never coaxed him like that before. But when he had this thought, he was surprised.
Others thought that Yao Niang, as a princess, was actually very good at coaxing children.
As expected, Cheng Yun chuckled and stood up to get into Yao Niang's arms again. Yao Niang said, "My dear, take another book for your father, okay?"
Forget it, we can’t let him get away with it, we have to give him some pointers.
Cheng Yun is very good at listening to instructions. Giving the book to his father is just an order.
Because he had delivered a book to Yao Niang before, when he heard this instruction, he picked up the book quickly and walked to the end of the desk. Only then did Gao Xuance feel relieved.
"I want to fly." Cheng Yun is not someone who is easy to talk to.
Gao Xuance was a man who could manipulate everyone in the world, but now he heard his son asking him to do something. He couldn't help but laugh: "You are giving me a book and you want me to take you there, right? You want to get it back with interest."
In this way, the Zhou-year-old ceremony was over, and everyone had a banquet. The emperor and his concubine sent people to deliver rewards. Cheng Yun was very honored.
When Zhu and others returned home, their faces were beaming with joy. When Luo Jingyuan saw Zhu coming back, he asked her about her situation today.
Zhu said, "It's just that we women have a shortcoming. The princess was very happy to know that you have tried it, and she also congratulated me."
Zhu then told them about their conversation, and Luo Jingyuan said, "Princess, what you said is correct. Our Luo family is the emperor's subject, not the prince's subject. Why bother talking about that?"
"What's the difference? The King of Chen is late..."
Unexpectedly, Luo Jingyuan said, "If you say that I can win the heart of the emperor over the eldest prince, the prince of Zhou is also the son of Concubine Hong. Although he is not as wise as the eldest prince, he is also quite capable. The battle for the throne has changed too much. Look at the fate of the Lin family and the Wang family. Dad loves his daughter and is willing to sacrifice the lives of the whole family, but I am not willing to do so."
Unexpectedly, Luo Jingyuan was thinking of this. Zhu had always been abiding by the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, so she only gave a few words of advice in a tactful way, but Luo Jingyuan said, "You should also be careful about your behavior."
Zhu thought to herself, but the last time Prince Chen came, you were more enthusiastic about making friends than your eldest brother. It shows that he wants to gain benefits but is afraid of being implicated by bad things. Unfortunately, there is no ready-made transaction in the world.
But on the surface, Zhu still said: "Second Master is right, I understand."
On the other side, the couple was also having a night talk. After the lovemaking in the tent, Gao Xuance stroked Yao Niang's delicate skin and said, "I plan to ask for Cheng Yun to be the crown prince next month. Is that okay?"
Prince? Yao Niang thought for a moment: "Why so fast?"
"If I wasn't afraid that my father would think the child wouldn't grow up, I would have asked for a title for him as soon as he was born," Gao Xuance said seriously.
After he finished speaking, he took Yao Niang's hand to his lips and kissed her: "No matter what, my throne will only be given to him."
Yao Niang was very moved. No matter what, Gao Xuance was obsessed with her.
But when she saw Zhuang Lingyi at the Royal Concubine's place the next month, she suddenly said, "Princess Chen, after all, Grandma Lin and you were once good friends. What the man did had nothing to do with her. A weak mother and her young son were exiled to the frontier, and someone did something indecent to her during the journey, and her body was left in the wilderness. Do you have a clear conscience?"
Yao Niang shook her head: "No, I specially asked someone to take care of her."
She remembered that she had clearly told Gao Xuance what happened, and Gao Xuance had agreed to it. But she saw Zhuang Lingyi said angrily: "Princess Chen, you know me. Although I am not good at talking, I will not lie. It's enough to exile them, but you also treat the Lin family harshly, which is almost like forcing them to die. How can this be called special care?"
Yao Niang didn't expect that Wei Feng was actually dead. She sat there in a daze, thinking of Gao Xuance, and her mood was very complicated for a moment.
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