Chapter 76 [76] Mutation in the Imperial Academy
【76】/First release
Duke Suguo is an elder who is very talkative.
After playing a few games of chess, he told Yun Ran many interesting stories about Sima Jing's childhood, including but not limited to how smart and clever the ninth prince was when he was young, how he could recite poems at the age of three and give up pears at the age of five, and how the late emperor doted on this young son, holding him in his hands for fear of dropping him, and holding him in his mouth for fear of melting him, and praising him to everyone he met as a child given by heaven.
Yun Ran was stunned when he heard this.
Even though she knew that Sima Jing's temperament had changed drastically due to a sudden change, she still couldn't connect the current taciturn and cold Sima Jing with the smart and well-behaved little prince described by Duke Su.
It's very divided.
But she was quite yearning for it. If there was some magic that could take her back to Sima Jing's childhood, she would definitely grab his face and rub it wildly.
While kneading, he laughed evilly: "You have always pinched me when you grew up, now I will let you taste the feeling of being kneaded!"
But if I rub little Sima Jing until he cries, wouldn’t that be too much of a bullying of the child?
As she let her imagination run wild, Duke Su, who was sitting opposite her, put his fist to his lips and coughed, "Is the princess listening?"
Yun Ran came back to his senses and nodded repeatedly: "I'm listening, uncle, please continue."
Duke Su: “…”
He coughed again and said, "I was just asking Princess, where did you hear that the late Emperor missed His Royal Highness Prince Jing?"
Yun Ran was slightly embarrassed and touched the tip of his nose. "I can't remember clearly. I probably heard it casually in the palace..."
Upon hearing this, Duke Su looked at her thoughtfully, but didn't press the issue further. He only sighed, "How could I not miss him? After all, of all his children, the late emperor loved the Ninth Prince the most."
Yun Ran pursed his lips, but couldn't help himself: "If he really loved her so much, why didn't he take the little prince with him when the rebels surrounded Chang'an?"
No matter how urgent the situation was, Yun Ran felt that the late emperor was not a real man at all because he abandoned his wife and children and ran away alone.
Of course, she only dared to think about such disrespectful words in her heart and dared not say them out loud.
Duke Su obviously did not expect that this young princess would be so bold.
The previous praises for the late emperor were like morning dew on leaves, disappearing instantly when the sun shines on them.
"This...this...the situation was extremely urgent. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, so you should naturally prioritize the overall situation..."
The usually composed Duke Su also stuttered for a moment, then put on a serious expression and said, "Princess, you shouldn't talk about the late emperor like this."
Yun Ran: “…”
Look, these adults are always like this. When they can't win an argument, they use etiquette to force others to do something.
But she wasn't the type to argue, and besides, she was visiting the Duke of Su's mansion today, so she quickly put on an ashamed look and lowered her head, saying, "I overstepped the bounds."
Duke Su's expression eased a little, and he looked at the messy Gomoku game again, with no interest in playing chess at all.
He put down the chess piece and glanced around. Seeing that the servants were all standing in the distance, he lowered his voice and said, "There's an old story about the late emperor that I've been holding on to for years. I should have spoken to King Jing in person, but the boy has been aloof and withdrawn since returning to the court, and I haven't found a suitable opportunity."
"I had a very pleasant conversation with the princess today. I also saw that she was kind and virtuous, and that she cared deeply about King Jing. I think it's the same thing I'm telling you."
Yun Ran vaguely felt that Duke Su was going to say something very important—
According to the advice that "curiosity killed the cat", she should have covered her ears and not listened.
But her damn curiosity!
Yun Ran hated himself and pricked up his ears: "What's the matter?"
Duke Su said, "Before the late emperor passed away, he wanted to exchange three cities for Prince Jing and make him the heir to the throne."
Yun Ran: “!!!”
It is indeed not a small matter, but a major event that could cause the world to fall.
Even though she didn't understand the intrigues of the imperial court, her keen sense of danger made her giggle. "Really? Haha, maybe the late emperor is sick and confused, or maybe you misheard..."
Duke Su frowned and said, "State affairs are of great importance, not to be trifled with. The late emperor loved Prince Jing the most, but it's a pity that Prince Jing was captured and exiled. Otherwise, the throne should have been inherited by Prince Jing, not..."
His voice gradually lowered: "Those who disobey their rulers and fathers, harm their brothers and sisters, and are unfilial and unbrotherly."
Yun Ran's heart was pounding and his chest was beating wildly.
It’s incredible, really incredible.
Duke Su dared to say these words, but she didn't dare to listen!
"Uncle, it's getting late. Let's stop playing chess here."
Yun Ran quickly put down the chess piece, his voice trembling: "I only played chess with you today. You didn't say anything else, and I didn't hear anything."
After saying that, without even looking at Duke Su's reaction, she turned around and left with Qingling.
In the octagonal pavilion, Duke Su looked at the hurried figure that was trying to avoid him, his eyes narrowed.
I wonder if this young princess, who has a good reputation, can listen to what I said today.
Is it possible to let this pillow talk reach King Jing's ears?
***
After returning from Duke Su's Mansion, Yun Ran has been feeling uneasy.
She didn't understand why Duke Su suddenly said this to her. Even though they were relatives, it was too early to talk about such formalities when they met for the first time!
And why did he tell her this?
Could it be that it's been so painful to hold it in my heart for more than ten years, and now I finally get the chance to express it?
Or did he want her to know that the throne should have belonged to Sima Jing, but he was unlucky and missed it. Now that she knew the truth, should she encourage Sima Jing to put his efforts into regaining his dignity and work together to take the throne back?
If this is true, then this cousin thinks too highly of her.
Not to mention that she was just an ordinary person with no ambition, who just wanted to live a stable life and eat and drink well, even if she was really possessed by a ghost and suddenly became ambitious and motivated, Emperor Wenxuan had already sat on the throne for ten years, and the country was peaceful and prosperous. It would be too presumptuous for her and Sima Jing to stage a coup and seize the throne at this time.
Yun Ran didn't know what Sima Jing's attitude was towards this matter, but she was very sure that she didn't want to get involved.
If Sima Jing had that ambition and aspiration, and was determined to take back everything that belonged to him, then she...
Well, let me give you some advice first.
If you can't persuade him, just let him go.
But before he left, he gave her a letter of divorce.
There is no way, people with different ideas cannot work together.
No matter how much she liked him, she couldn't take risks with him, including the Changxin Marquisate and Shuiyue Temple.
If he succeeds, she will be happy for him.
If he fails, she will remain a widow for him, build a Taoist temple, and continue to do her old job.
That night, Yun Ran lay in bed, going over all possible developments in his mind.
After sorting out my thoughts, I was no longer panicked.
It's either life or death.
Whether he lives or dies, we have to wait until Sima Jing returns from Jiangnan.
Moreover, based on her understanding of Sima Jing, he was not the kind of person who coveted power.
If she was wrong, it meant she didn't understand him at all.
Love without understanding is false love. It will shatter into pieces after just two steps without any wind.
Then there is no need to keep any memories.
After figuring this out, Yun Ran felt refreshed. He raised his hand to hug the embroidered pillow beside him and soon fell asleep.
**
The next day, the wind was gentle and pleasant, and it was the day of the Spring Examination.
The warm spring light shines obliquely on the vermilion gate of the Imperial Examination Hall, making the gilded red plaque above the gate shine brightly. The branches of the old locust tree in front of the gate are covered with new green, and the whole place is full of spring and everything is renewed.
At three quarters past noon, three solemn and distant bells rang out in succession in the Imperial Examination Hall.
"The bell has rung, the exam is over!"
The family members and servants who had been waiting at the door were all excited, looking up and standing on tiptoe: "Finally, he's coming out!"
"I wonder how my little boy did in the exam? I heard that the test questions were set by Tutor Lu himself."
"Oh, may the Bodhisattva bless me, and pray that my son will do well and make the list!"
As everyone was eagerly waiting, the two tightly closed vermilion doors finally opened, and the first batch of candidates walked out on the stone slabs.
Some, pale-faced, staggered, clinging to the doorframe, their eyes filled with the relief of exhaustion. Others, high-spirited, discussed the exam questions loudly with their classmates, waving their folding fans. Others, with their heads bowed and brows furrowed, seemed to be frustrated by a policy paper they hadn't fully answered.
"Shiro, Shiro, this way!"
"My dear, I'm here!"
The servants and family members waiting outside the door immediately rushed forward, handing out water bags and snacks, and the noise spread instantly.
In a canopied carriage next to the Imperial Examination Hall, Yun Ran lifted a corner of the curtain and looked at the bustling scene outside.
She originally wanted to get off the car, but her fourth brother Yunshang was worried that she would be squeezed by the crowd, so he just asked her and Zheng to stay in the car and wait, and he went to the crowd to pick up Yunze.
"Don't worry, your fourth brother has sharp eyes. I'm sure he'll see it as soon as Sanlang comes out."
Zheng smiled softly, without a trace of nervousness on her dignified face.
Yun Ran turned around and asked: "Aren't you worried about Third Brother at all, Mother?"
Zheng sighed, "I've already worshipped all the gods he should have. The rest depends entirely on his own knowledge. Besides, your third brother has been self-disciplined since he was young. Of my five children, he's the one I worry about the least."
Worry the least...
Yun Ran's eyelids twitched slightly, and suddenly something occurred to him. He lowered the curtain and moved closer to Zheng: "Mother, you have so many children. Do you also have a favorite child and children you like in general?"
When Zheng heard this question, she was stunned.
I never really thought about this before, but now that I think about it, it's inevitable that I will favor some over others among the five children.
For example, the eldest son Yunyi, as the couple's first child, was naturally highly valued. He was also the one that Marquis Changxin held the most among his four sons.
After the birth of her second son, Yunrui, a fat boy weighing 8.8 jins, with a sturdy build, strong and tough, she no longer took such careful care of him as she did to her eldest son.
The third one was another son. Marquis Changxin lifted the swaddling clothes and took a look. He was a little disappointed: "Why is it another boy?"
So I didn't take it seriously.
After giving birth to their fourth son, Yunshang, the couple was disappointed and thought that perhaps they were not destined to have daughters, so they should just accept their fate.
Unexpectedly, hard work paid off and I finally had a baby daughter.
Unfortunately, after three years of pampering, his daughter was lost, and Yun Shang became the eldest in the family again.
By this calculation, Sanlang is indeed the most neglected of the four sons.
"Everyone has their own length, and it's not easy to treat them equally, even if they are my own children. But if I ask myself honestly, you are all my dearest and I love you all very much."
As Zheng spoke, she thought of her past shortcomings and said with shame, "Mother is also a human being. She can't be perfect. I can only do my best."
Yun Ran also knew this and threw herself into Zheng's arms affectionately: "I think my mother is already a very good mother."
At least the brothers in the family are friendly and respectful to each other, and the sisters-in-law are very respectful when they talk about their father and mother. The efforts of the two elders are indispensable behind this.
"You're just sweet-talking."
Zheng hugged her daughter, patted her head with a smile, and said, "But why do you suddenly ask this? Did your third or fourth brother say something?"
Yun Ran hurriedly shook his head: "No, my brothers are all very good, I just..."
She pursed her lips and said, "I thought of His Highness and his two brothers."
Zheng's expression changed slightly when she heard this.
She naturally knew that the Queen Mother and the late Emperor favored the youngest son. There had been rumors among the people before that Prince Jing had been unlucky in marriage for many years after returning to the court. Perhaps Emperor Wenxuan was deliberately suppressing him.
Since ancient times, imperial families have been ruthless, and fratricide is not uncommon in the royal family.
Just when Zheng was about to ask her daughter if she had heard any rumors, a panicked shouting suddenly came from outside the carriage -
"Get out of the way, everyone!"
"Oh my God, what's wrong with this guy?"
The mother and daughter in the car were both startled and quickly lifted the curtain to look outside.
Suddenly, a path opened up at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, which had been crowded just now.
A man in a scholar's blue robe and a scholar's scarf stumbled into the crowd. His clothes were stained with dark red blood, and his left arm hung limply, clearly severely injured. His eyes were bloodshot as he shouted frantically, "The emperor has a hidden illness, and the prince is not of royal blood!"
As soon as the words fell, the crowd exploded.
"What did he say?!"
"Are you crazy? How dare you speak nonsense and criticize the royal family!"
The guards in front of the Imperial Examination Hall were terrified and rushed forward: "Quickly arrest him!"
The man, however, ignored all else and stumbled forward, his voice hoarse and resolute, repeating the same sentence over and over again: "The emperor has a hidden illness, and the prince is not of royal blood!"
"The emperor is immoral, confusing the royal bloodline with bastards... Ugh!"
The remaining words were quickly silenced by the guards with handkerchiefs. Two guards, one on each side, escorted the man away. Several other guards, with stern faces, scolded the people around them: "This person has entered the examination hall without permission and spread rumors to confuse the public. Don't believe them or spread them, or you will get into trouble!"
Today, the entrance to the Imperial Examination Hall is packed with people, not only aristocratic families and common people, but also a large number of young candidates.
These scholars from all corners of the country are not only the future pillars of the country, but also the most loyal believers of Confucian orthodoxy.
Now, seeing the man dressed as a scholar being knocked unconscious and taken away by the guards, although he did not dare to stop him, he could not help but clutching his sleeves and whispering.
"This man looks like a scholar. Seeing him injured like this, he still risked his head to come to the Imperial Examination Hall and tell those things. Is there really something hidden?"
"Your Majesty has been on the throne for many years, and there is indeed only one empress in the harem, and only one eldest prince..."
"If it wasn't for a hidden illness, how could they have children only in the fourth year of their marriage?"
The servants waiting nearby quickly pulled their master back, their faces filled with panic: "Master, please don't get involved. If you get involved in this kind of thing, it will lead to the destruction of your entire family!"
The people around were also in an uproar. Several vendors carrying loads put down their loads and gathered together to whisper.
"Is the eldest prince actually of royal blood?"
"If what that person said is true, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"
"Hey, don't talk about things that have nothing to do with us!"
"Yes, yes, let's go quickly. The police will come soon. Don't let them be arrested as accomplices!"
The entrance to the Imperial Examination Hall, which had just been bustling with laughter and joy, suddenly turned into a chaotic scene of panic.
Yun Ran and Zheng in the carriage were also stunned, their faces pale.
Seeing Sanlang Yunze dragging Yun Shang, who still wanted to watch the fun, back to the carriage, Zheng waved hurriedly: "Hurry, hurry, everyone get in the carriage!"
After the two of them got in the car, Zheng quickly ordered the driver to leave, and then she gritted her teeth and hit Yun Shang: "You want to die? Why don't you hide from this kind of thing? What are you dawdling for?"
Yun Shang screamed from being hammered, but he knew he was in the wrong. He covered his arm and said, "I wanted to see the man's face clearly, but unfortunately, his face was covered in blood and I couldn't see anything clearly."
Zheng cursed, "What's so good about those treasonous rebels? You're not an official, so why should you see so clearly?"
Yun Shang saw that his mother was really angry, and he didn't dare to say anything. He said with a shameful look on his face, "I know I was wrong, and I won't do it again in the future."
Zheng's chest was still heaving violently——
Half angry, half scared.
It's terrible, really terrible.
Someone actually dared to talk nonsense in front of the Imperial Examination Hall. That would be a serious crime punishable by losing his head, no, it would involve the punishment of nine generations of his clan!
"Mother, please calm down."
Yun Ran was frightened by what he saw just now. While he reached out to pat Zheng's back, he felt upset and felt that something was wrong.
Zheng came to her senses and saw that her daughter's face was pale with fear. She held her hand and gave her a comforting smile.
The carriage rumbled forward, but the interior fell into an eerie silence.
Finally, Yun Shang couldn't hold it in any longer and nudged Sanlang Yunze next to him with his elbow: "Third brother, say something.
Yunze had already spent nine whole days in the narrow cubicle of the examination room, and he felt dizzy and exhausted.
After being released with great difficulty, he had originally planned to go home, take a shower, have a good meal, and then have a comfortable sleep with his beautiful wife.
I didn't expect that as soon as I came out, I would encounter such a terrible and depressing thing.
Not only was it frustrating, but if one delved deeper into what that madman said, it might even involve his sister and brother-in-law—
Yunze just felt his head buzzing at this moment.
"What did I say? You have to be careful with your words and actions at this time!"
He glared at Yun Shang angrily and said, "Especially you, watch your mouth. Stay in the mansion for the time being. Don't run around anywhere, and don't meet up with your bad friends."
As he spoke, he looked at Zheng: "Mother, what do you say?"
"Yes, yes, yes, I'll get someone to look after him when I get home!"
Zheng nodded and glared at Yun Shang. "I'm afraid this incident today will cause quite a stir. Until this storm blows over, you should stay in the mansion. If you dare to run away, I'll have your father break your legs!"
Yunshang: “…”
Why did they all teach him a lesson?
He looked for help at his closest sister, but saw Yun Ran's pale face, her brows furrowed. "Mother and Third Brother are right. This matter today is of great importance and must be treated with extreme caution. Not to mention Fourth Brother, when I return home later, I will also have to discipline the servants and forbid them from discussing this matter."
Zheng had originally planned to tell Yun Ran, but now that her daughter had come to this realization, she felt relieved and held Yun Ran even tighter: "If you are afraid, I will accompany you back to the palace."
Yun Ran thought about it and shook his head, "No need. It's best to just pretend that nothing happened and just let things go on as usual."
After a pause, she bit her lip and looked at Zheng: "Your Highness is not in Chang'an now, so I may not be as well informed as you are at court. If there are any developments at court, please ask Dad and Big Brother to send someone to inform me."
"Silly child, what does the family say about whether it's troublesome or not."
Zheng knew her daughter was intelligent and had obviously thought of something deeper. She soothed her softly, "It's okay. It's just the ravings of a madman. It will be over in a few days. And since His Royal Highness Prince Jing is not in Chang'an right now, it's actually a good thing for the palace."
Yun Ran nodded. "Yes. I just hope the court can quickly find out the origins of that madman and put the rumors to rest."
Originally, Yun Ran planned to have lunch at the Marquis' Mansion today, but she had something on her mind and just wanted to return to the Prince's Mansion as soon as possible to take charge.
She always felt that this matter was too strange, as if someone was plotting something behind the scenes.
No matter what that person's purpose is, all she can do now is to shoulder the responsibility of the hostess and guard Prince Jing's Mansion.
When she was leaving the mansion, her third brother Yunze called out to her, "Don't be afraid. Even if the sky falls, we still have father and brothers to hold it up."
Yun Ran was stunned for a moment. Looking at her third brother, who she didn't interact with much and wasn't as friendly and warm to her as her other brothers, her heart warmed and a bright smile appeared on her face. "Well, I'm not afraid!"
Yunze also smiled: "Go ahead."
Yun Ran looked at his third brother, whose smile became even more radiant: "No wonder Third Sister-in-law likes you so much."
Yunze: “……?”
Yun Ran winked at him cunningly, turned around and stepped onto the stool to get into the carriage.
Yunze: “…”
When he was taking the exam, that living ancestor in his family was talking nonsense again. What did he say?
Without thinking any more, he turned around with his hands behind his back and strode towards Ying Ziyuan.
***
Just as Yun Ran and Zheng Shi had worried, despite the timely suppression by the officers and soldiers, the news of the doubts about the royal bloodline still spread in Chang'an.
There is no way, there are too many people in front of the Imperial Examination Hall.
As the saying goes, it is harder to stop the people from talking than to stop the river from flooding. It is not easy to stop the people from talking. Moreover, Emperor Wenxuan is not as prosperous as his predecessor in terms of concubines and offspring, which is bound to arouse people's speculation.
When Emperor Wenxuan heard of this horrifying incident, he was naturally furious. He immediately ordered the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to jointly investigate and make sure to get to the bottom of the matter.
The case was not yet closed when the madman who was talking nonsense took advantage of the soldiers' inattention and hit his head against the wall and died.
It is said that before he died, he left a blood letter on the wall.
"Those who attain a position improperly will be punished by heaven."
Emperor Wenxuan was even more furious, and it is said that he was so angry that he almost fainted.
The Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice investigated for many days but still could not find out the origin of the madman.
In order to quell the rumors as quickly as possible, they simply announced to the outside world that the man was a rebel who was left out of the Zhaode Rebellion. He took advantage of the opening of the Imperial Examination Hall to spread rumors and confuse the public, disturbing the people's hearts.
The court also issued an order prohibiting further discussion of the matter, otherwise the person would be regarded as an accomplice of the rebellion and would be killed without mercy.
Even so, once the seeds of doubt are planted, it is difficult to completely eradicate them.
The people didn't dare to say it out loud, but they couldn't help but wonder in their hearts whether the emperor was really incompetent and whether the eldest prince was a bastard.
The scholars and civil officials who always believed in the orthodoxy of blood took action and wrote a joint letter to the emperor, requesting him to select concubines, fill the harem, and have children as soon as possible on the grounds of stabilizing the foundation of the country.
——This is also the best way to dispel rumors.
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The author has something to say: Read two chapters first, and the young couple will meet soon!
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