Chapter 317 My eldest brother is the eldest son
At this time, outside Kunning Palace.
Wei Si was getting down from the phoenix chariot, holding the hand of a palace maid.
Seeing Mei Chuyi being dragged out of the palace with disheveled hair and disheveled clothes, she said, "Sister Chuyi."
Mei Chuyi raised her head from her disheveled hair, her eyes red, "Wei Si, why...why did you come back?"
Wei Si looked at her steadily, "Then why did you betray me?"
"Do I have a choice?!" Mei Chuyi's face suddenly turned grim. "The Wei Kingdom is doomed. If I don't join Xie Zhe, does that mean my whole family will die with you?!"
Wei Si's eyes also turned red, and she said sternly: "Mei Chuyi! You and I have known each other since we were three years old. We are close friends who grew up wearing the same pants! I don't blame you for turning to Xie Zhe to save your life, but do you really think I don't know?! As early as when Xie Zhe was still a hostage, your family had already hooked up with him!
"The Emperor values the Mei family and wants them to be the first to support the new policy, but what about you?! You think distributing good farmland to the poor seriously infringes on your interests, and you refuse to give even a small amount!
"You pretended to obey, but secretly disobeyed, and the officials below followed suit. In the end, the new policies implemented by the emperor not only failed to benefit the people, but instead made those noble families even more arrogant!
"Mei Chuyi, I know neither you nor I are saints, but when we were young, when we read the line 'The rich have wine and meat, while the poor freeze on the streets,' I clearly saw you cry. At that time, you said the people were very pitiful, and you said that although you were a woman, when you grew up, you would urge your husband to become an honest official who protected the people.
"Mei Chuyi, who are you now?!"
Nine-story palaces and jade-like buildings.
The early summer wind whistled between the two women, like the roar of some wild beast.
Mei Chuyi slowly avoided Wei Si's sight.
After a long pause, she whispered, "Wei Si, people do change. I don't regret having come to this point. It's just my bad luck. If I had a biological son, Xie Zhe might not have ruined me."
After a pause, she looked at Wei Si, "You were about to be crowned queen, but you haven't given birth to a son for him. At your age, it's difficult to conceive. I didn't expect that after fighting for half a lifetime, the final winner would be that lowly servant Zhang Tingliu..."
She laughed twice, and then passed by Wei Si under the escort of the guards.
Pei Lin appeared beside Wei Si holding a whisk, glanced at Mei Chuyi, and suddenly chuckled, "What an idiot."
Wei Si looked at him.
"What the Princess doesn't know is that Mei Chuyi was originally fertile. However, the Mei family's influence in the court was at its peak at that time, which displeased Xie Zhe. Xie Zhe was afraid that if she gave birth to a son, the Mei family would then cut off his support and become disadvantageous to him. Therefore, he secretly gave her a sterilizing drug."
Wei Si was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Mei Chuyi.
The woman had already walked away, her elegant palace skirt dragging very long, but her hair was not combed properly, making her look particularly disheveled.
Pei Lin said quietly, "Over the years, Xie Zhe has been secretly chipping away at the Mei family's influence in the imperial court. Mei Chuyi originally had three brothers. The first two, one a scholar and the other a warrior, were incredibly talented and could have supported the family. However, because of Xie Zhe's covert actions, both died young. The current head of the Mei family is a worthless mediocre man, and his son is also completely useless. The Mei family may seem prosperous, but in reality, it's already ruined."
In Wei Si's sight, Mei Chuyi had already disappeared at the end of the palace alley.
The Mei family betrayed her father and brother and were originally her enemies, but after hearing Pei Lin's words, she did not feel the pleasure of revenge, but only endless sorrow.
She raised her head and looked at the highest palace.
The golden glazed tiles reflect dazzling light, and the imperial power is awe-inspiring and inviolable.
The older they get, the more endless their desires become. All the civil and military officials in the capital are fighting for a share of the imperial power.
The little girl with buns on her back who had sat beside her in childhood, weeping over ancient poetry, had actually died in the power struggle many years ago...
While the two were talking, they were in Kunning Palace.
He Yu's subordinates reported to him about the Wen brothers and sisters.
He Yu frowned, "The Wen family is plotting a rebellion, and is Pei Lin behind it?"
"According to the results of my humble interrogation, this is what happened!"
He Yu stepped out of Kunning Palace.
He bowed to Wei Si and turned to Pei Lin, "Please, Eunuch Pei, please go to the prison."
Pei Lin raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"Wen Yueyin and others have already confessed that Pei Dajian was the driving force behind this incident."
Pei Lin sneered, "It's not me."
He Yu did not argue with him, but only signaled the guards to arrest him.
…
Northwest corner of the palace.
The prison here is cleaner and tidier than the Sky Prison, and is specially used to detain prisoners with special identities.
Wen Yueyin gripped the cell door with both hands and stared at the cell across the corridor unwillingly, "Little sister, we are all prisoners, why do you get to live in that big cell all by yourself?!"
The cell where Wen Xingluo lived was the same one he had been in last time. It was quite spacious and bright, with a new set of huanghuali wood furniture, a bed, a dressing table, and even the silk and satin covering the bed were extremely exquisite and expensive.
Wen Xingluo was sitting at the table drinking tea.
Hearing this, she looked across the iron fence.
The cell opposite was only half the size of hers, but it was crowded with the four siblings of the Wen family.
She took a bite of the green pear tea cake and said nonchalantly, "Maybe it was arranged by my mother. My mother loves me the most, so of course she wants to give me the best."
Wen Yueyin stared at the tea cake in her hand, touched her hungry stomach, and couldn't help swallowing.
She looked at Wen Rufeng and said coquettishly, "Brother, I want to eat tea cakes too."
Wen Rufeng sat on the straw pile holding Wen Qingsong's tablet, rolling his eyes at her angrily, "Eat, eat, eat! All you do is eat! Besides eating, what else can you do?! You've hurt us to this point, and you're happy?!"
"How did it become my fault?!" Wen Yueyin complained, "Didn't you guys agree to the rebellion? It takes two to tango, so don't blame anyone else! If you really want to blame someone, just blame Pei Lin!"
Wen Ruyun sat in the corner, fanning himself with a folding fan, and said unhappily, "In my opinion, Wen Xingluo should be blamed! Wen Xingluo, you knew clearly that this was wrong, yet you allowed us to do it. You simply have ill intentions!"
"Yes!" Wen Rulei agreed, "You are too vicious!"
Wen Xingluo ignored their incompetent barking and continued to enjoy her exquisite tea.
Amidst the noise, the Imperial Guards brought Mei Chuyi in.
Wen Yueyin was curious, "Isn't she the queen? Why is she also..."
"It looks like the empress has been deposed." Wen Ruyun waved his folding fan with interest. "I wonder if the new empress will be Concubine Zhang or our mother."
As he was speaking, the Imperial Guards brought Pei Lin in again.
Pei Lin was locked up in the cell next to Wen Xingluo.
The Wen siblings immediately grabbed the cell bars in anger, "Pei Lin, you've brought us to this point, you have to give us an explanation no matter what!"
Pei Lin ignored them and just glanced at Wen Xingluo.
His gaze flickered across the girl's belly as he spoke softly, "The King of Hexi has rebelled, and the northern counties are following suit. Half of the thirty-six counties have already lit beacons. Of these, half have been persuaded by the confidants I sent out to join the Wei camp."
Wen Xingluo elegantly enjoyed her afternoon tea, "What does it have to do with me?"
"The county lord will become the flag."
As Pei Lin finished speaking, Wen Rufeng said unhappily: "She is the flag, then what am I?!"
"Yes, Eunuch Pei," Wen Yueyin banged the cell door, "My elder brother is the eldest son. If he really rebels, according to the rules, my elder brother will sit on the throne!"
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