Chapter 220 Accident
"Don't worry, Concubine. I have already asked someone to investigate this matter. Don't spoil the fun of hunting. The game that the ladies brought back has been prepared by the imperial chefs. Please enjoy it carefully when Your Majesty returns."
The Queen Mother consoled with a smile, and her words were meaningful.
The virtuous concubine rolled her eyes and said with a smile: "The queen is right. No matter what, the wife of Marquis Wuning hunted a wild beast today, which is also an unexpected surprise..."
"What the virtuous concubine said is exactly right. There are both joy and sorrow. There are many surprises. A lynx has entered the T-shaped Green Flag Hunting Ground, and the eldest princess's son and daughter-in-law were struck by lightning... It's an omen from heaven!"
Su Qianqian narrowed her eyes slightly. This imperial concubine was indeed smart, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to set up such a big plan and replace Madam Xiao's child. A bolt of lightning actually allowed her to take advantage of the situation and use it to attack someone who was in a higher position than her. What was she trying to do?
After Concubine Xiao's words, all the empresses and ladies dared not say anything.
The emperor claimed that he was the son of heaven, so naturally he had to respect heaven's will and check for celestial signs. He also had the Imperial Astronomical Observatory send people to observe celestial phenomena around the clock throughout the year. No one dared to jump to conclusions about such strange phenomena.
"Your Majesty, regarding thunder in a dry day, I have heard of a saying. Should I tell you about it?"
Su Qianqian leaned over and nodded respectfully towards the queen, then asked softly.
"Madam Wuning, please go ahead. We are just chatting here. It would be good to tell some interesting stories to broaden the horizons of those present here," said the Queen in a gentle voice.
"Empress, ladies and gentlemen, I have also heard this story from hearsay:
Once upon a time, there lived a family in a village. The couple was kind-hearted. They raised a pair of children and adopted many abandoned children. They also had a working ox and a puppy at home.
Gradually, one of the abandoned children grew up and became greedy. He wanted to seize his master's property and become like his master. He repeatedly plotted to harm his master and their children. The last time, he used the master's daughter to feed poison to the ox.
Unfortunately, the owner's daughter was stupid and trusted the abandoned child very much. Fortunately, the puppy found her and knocked over the hay trough of the ox, saving the ox's life.
At this time, a thunderclap sounded in the clear sky, striking the abandoned child and the master's daughter. The abandoned child turned into a young man in plain clothes, and said to the master and his wife:
The kindness and benevolence of the two of you moved the heavens, so they sent me down to earth to endure the calamity and test me. Now you can go back and report. Your daughter will be reborn after this heavenly thunder, and will go to the fairyland with you in the future.
Many years passed, and the couple passed away as expected, and their daughter also ascended to heaven riding on the puppy. ”
Su Qianqian said with a smile: "Empress, it is not a bad thing when a strange phenomenon falls from the sky, nor is it that a person who is struck by lightning is a bad person... There are also fools, and there are also incarnated gods. The master is virtuous, so he will attract strange phenomena to protect them and warn them, which is a good thing."
Everyone listened attentively, and finally they suddenly realized: So this is what Su Qianqian meant. The strange phenomenon did not mean that the emperor and empress were morally flawed, and it also covered up the shame of the eldest princess's son and daughter-in-law: being struck by lightning does not necessarily mean that they have done many evil things, they may also be stupid!
Mrs. Qin couldn't help but smile and looked at her granddaughter-in-law with praise. This story was also a reminder to people with ulterior motives: oxen work hard and should not be used as tools to be framed.
"So, the thunder is a good omen. It's the kindness of your Majesty and the Empress. Even if there are villains, they are protected by God..." Empress Defei blurted out. Thinking that the people who were struck were the eldest princess's son and daughter-in-law, she quickly added, "It could also be a deity who has experienced a catastrophe..."
Xian Fei couldn't help laughing at De Fei's embarrassment, but she still spoke up to help her: "De Fei is right. Our Great Qi has pacified the northern border this year, and Wu Ning Hou has returned with a great victory. Isn't this a good omen? Thunder, lightning, rain and dew are all blessings from heaven. They may have great fortune in the future. Look at the prince of Xuan Guogong. He looks a bit more dignified now."
While Defei was speaking, she also looked at the wife of Duke Xuanguo and Su Xinxin. The wife of Duke Xuanguo quickly nodded in agreement and thought to herself: All the concubines are gone, and I can't easily enter my daughter-in-law's room. A man who is pure in heart and has abundant energy and blood, isn't he majestic?
Su Xinxin also nodded. Zhu Min had changed completely since he was struck by lightning. He was truly reborn. He tried his best to please her and always put her wishes first in everything. If anyone in the Zhu family dared to disrespect her, Zhu Min would be the first to rush up and teach them a lesson.
Thinking of this, Su Xinxin turned to look at her sister. Thanks to her, she had come to an end her previous muddled and precarious days.
As we were talking, there was some noise outside.
Whoever dared to make a noise in front of the Queen's tent soon found out the result. A eunuch came in to report that Marquis Wuning had caught the person who released the lynx into the T-shaped Green Flag Hunting Ground.
Princess Zhaoyang's face changed drastically. Concubine Xiao and Princess Zhaoning, mother and daughter, both looked relaxed. They had been waiting for this moment.
The queen was silent for a moment and then said, "If that's the case, go out and take a look. Don't bring anything in and dirty this place."
So everyone followed the Queen and walked out of the tent with their own thoughts. Su Qianqian supported Madam Qin as they walked out, and was also guessing who Qin Hanzhang had caught.
Outside the big tent, where the prey should have been placed, there were five people kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs. The strange thing was that they were not dressed like guards, but wore brown clothes with animal skins on the outside. They were clearly hunters.
Qin Hanzhang glanced at his grandmother and Su Qianqian, then bowed to the queen. "Your Majesty, I have found out that these five people took the lynx cubs away, causing them to become rampant. They then drove them into the bushes of the Dingzi Green Flag Hunting Ground and then resealed the fences in order to take the opportunity to frame Princess Zhaoyang."
Princess Zhaoyang, who had been lowering her head waiting to be punished, suddenly raised her head and looked at Qin Hanzhang in disbelief. She turned to look at the people dressed as hunters and was shocked: these clothes were all bought by her, but she didn't recognize those people!
"Why did they frame Zhaoyang?" the queen asked gently.
"They said they were following... following the order of Lu Min, the captain of the Imperial Guards. If the noble ladies were injured in the hunting grounds, the princess who brought them into the hunting grounds would be blamed. Everyone can see that this was a deliberate arrangement. As long as they insist that it was her guards who did it, she cannot escape responsibility. At the same time, the commanders of the Imperial Guards and the Imperial City Guards were both derelict in their duties. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is kind and will naturally be ashamed to resign the position of commander and hand it over to Lu Min."
"What! Lu Min actually dared to..." Princess Zhaoyang realized that she was being used as a pawn and instantly shouted in rage, but was blocked by the Queen's sharp eyes.
"Are they all Lu Min's subordinates?" The queen glanced at the people who had their heads down, their mouths stuffed with bamboo balls filled with peppercorns. She could forget about asking any questions she wanted.
"No, that's not the case." Qin Hanzhang replied calmly.
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