Chapter 11 The Prince's Failed Rebellion
No wonder this place is called Huangzhen, it turns out that it has the Dazongzhengsi department of the royal clan.
The teahouses, restaurants, inns, drugstores, and even brothels here are all unusual because they are manned by clan members, and these clan members are of high seniority. There are also tomb guards and their families, and there are quite a lot of them.
Zhang Xiaojia pulled the cart to the Dazong Zhengsi, only to see the second uncle guarding there.
She carried He Fei to the wheelchair, pushed it slowly to the front of the Second Imperial Uncle, and said respectfully: "Second Imperial Uncle, the prince and I are here to report."
The Second Imperial Uncle looked at He Fei in the wheelchair, frowning, and said seriously, "Guarding the Imperial Mausoleum requires careful words and actions. You must not speak loudly, nor smile, and you must always keep a frown on your face. You must also wear mourning clothes to express your deep condolences to the late emperor.
You will live in the Shouyin Hall in the cemetery. Your movements will be strictly restricted and you are not allowed to leave at will.
The mausoleum is the emperor's final resting place and must be kept clean. You two will be responsible for cleaning the Shouyin Palace, including cleaning the palace and repairing the roof.
You also need to read the Buddhist scriptures once a day.
Meals are delivered three times a day, and clothing for all seasons is also delivered the next day. But please note: no ice in the summer and no carbon in the winter; this is the garden's rule.
And the most important thing, especially you, Lin'an, you must not bully others, and you must not act recklessly, do you understand?"
Zhang Xiaojia's eyes twitched wildly. It was winter, with temperatures dropping more than ten degrees Celsius. "It's snowing heavily, and the rivers are frozen solid. Without carbon, are we going to freeze to death?"
The Second Imperial Uncle snorted coldly and said, "There is a kang in the garden that is connected to the fire wall. Although it does not provide coal, it is enough to keep out the cold."
Zhang Xiaojia was still dissatisfied and muttered, "What's the point? Without firewood and charcoal, we'll still be freezing."
The Second Imperial Uncle shouted angrily, "Shut up right there! Who's going to speak, you or me?"
Zhang Xiaojia snorted softly and said, "Go ahead, go ahead."
The Second Imperial Uncle continued, "On the fifth day of every month, you may go to the Imperial Town to purchase daily necessities, or you may go up the mountain to collect firewood. Tomorrow at noon, you must arrive at the Imperial Mausoleum. Remember, those guarding the Imperial Mausoleum are all originally princes and grandchildren. Within the mausoleum, they still enjoy a certain authority and respect, so you must not be disrespectful."
Zhang Xiaojia asked, "Will anyone come to Shouyin Palace?"
The Second Imperial Uncle stroked his beard. "On the 16th of every month, two men will come to inspect and collect the Buddhist scriptures. Inspections are exempted for two months in winter, as it's freezing and snowy. Three meals a day are delivered to the palace gate, and clothes remain the same all year round. No one may enter Shouyin Palace without the emperor's order."
Zhang Xiaojia pushed He Fei to the inn and asked for two superior rooms.
"Captain Wang, please help this county lady pack her luggage."
"yes."
Zhang Xiaojia pushed He Fei into the restaurant, found a seat on the first floor and sat down comfortably, casually ordering a few signature dishes.
Before the dishes were served, someone sat down at the next table.
"Sixth brother, have you been poisoned by the Queen's zombie poison? Do you think it was done by the Queen or by someone else?" A deep and magnetic male voice sounded.
Zhang Xiaojia looked up and saw that the person opposite him was the third prince.
"It was definitely not done by my cousin," she said firmly.
"Oh? Then who exactly is your cousin in your mind?" the third prince asked with interest.
"He is a benevolent monarch and a wise ruler. He will surely accomplish great things that will be remembered throughout history. He is also the most valued son of the late emperor." Zhang Xiaojia's words were full of admiration.
"Tsk! Is he worthy?" The third prince sneered disdainfully.
"Your mother's death was definitely not caused by my eldest cousin." Zhang Xiaojia suddenly lowered his voice, "You might as well check your favorite concubine. If you think about it this way, your third sister-in-law is really pitiful."
"Sixth sister-in-law, the second uncle must have mentioned to you that he still has power in this mausoleum that cannot be underestimated, and the emperor's hand cannot reach here." The third prince changed the subject.
"All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are the king's subjects. Then just chop off the hand he extends!" Zhang Xiaojia said in a firm tone, with a cold flash in his eyes.
The third prince stared at her, and Zhang Xiaojia looked back at him without showing any weakness.
The Third Prince smiled faintly and said, "This prince really wants to see how you've been doing this past year."
Zhang Xiaojia said unyieldingly, "This princess would like to see if that hand dares to be extended."
Zhang Xiaojia immediately knew the consequences of offending the third prince, and the meal cost him one hundred taels of silver.
Zhang Xiaojia imitated the late emperor's tone and said, "As a prince, how can you indulge in business? Such behavior is not in line with the royal dignity!"
After saying this, Zhang Xiaojia offended the bosses behind 90% of the businesses in this town.
After leaving the restaurant, the only places she could buy things from were roadside stalls, a grocery store, and a drugstore. The prices charged by everyone else were ten or even a hundred times higher.
When Zhang Xiaojia saw Captain Wang pulling the cart out again, his expression was still cheerful and cheerful.
When she learned that the grocery store could deliver things to her, she knew that this store belonged to the emperor because they provided her with a lot of food that could be stored for many days.
"Shopkeeper, this note has what I want. I will come to pick it up on the fifth day of the next lunar year."
"Don't worry, my lady, everything will be ready."
Zhang Xiaojia didn't ask them to deliver the goods, just put all the goods into the cart. Since they had offended the princes and uncles guarding the imperial mausoleum, there was no need to let the grocery store deliver the goods. It might even cost a life.
Zhang Xiaojia collected all the meat on the roadside. By the end of the Song Dynasty, people had mastered better salt purification technology and were able to produce relatively pure salt.
After seeing that the cart was filled until there was no gap left, Zhang Xiaojia pulled the cart and pushed the wheelchair and set off for the imperial mausoleum.
When passing by the teahouse, a group of people on the second floor looked at Zhang Xiaojia, and Zhang Xiaojia felt that someone was looking at them.
Living a year as a coward, are you kidding me? Which one of them is not powerful and not a royal relative?
She had been in the palace for thirteen years, and she knew one thing: the eunuchs and maids in the palace were all of the same character, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. The tougher the master, the more respectful the servants would be to him. The better the master's temper, the more the servants would like to manipulate him.
Zhang Xiaojia turned around and raised his middle finger without any hesitation.
The middle finger gesture held a special meaning in ancient times. It represented an extremely cruel punishment, namely beheading, because the "middle finger" symbolizes "interruption." During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there was a brutal general named Zhang Yanze of the Later Jin Dynasty. He raised his middle finger to represent beheading.
Zhang Xiaojia thought as he walked, guarding the imperial mausoleum is a punishment, but also a protection, so these princes and uncles will not be poor and will still be rich.
But he can only live in this town and guard this imperial tomb.
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