Chapter 30 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
Qi Banyue anxiously defended herself, "My father was definitely not a concubine. My mother did marry my father!"
Zhang Xiaojia raised her eyes, her gaze as cold as ice, and said coldly, "How dare you! How dare the eldest princess marry? She can only marry a prince consort. How dare you pretend to be of royal blood? Don't you know that the law is strict and those who pretend to be of royal blood will be exiled?"
Qi Banyue was so angry that her whole body was shaking. "I'm not pretending. What I said is all true. The eldest princess is my mother, and she is in the hall right now!"
Zhang Xiaojia remained unmoved and said coldly, "Come here, capture this woman!"
"Miss Wei, please go and ask the eldest princess to come and tell her that someone dared to pretend to be of the Huang family's bloodline and claim that she is already married."
When Wei Jingxuan heard this, she knew that this matter would not be resolved peacefully. It seemed that she had to make a choice. She didn't know whether she could defeat her brother if she was loyal to Lin'an, and whether the Duke of Wei would let her take the throne.
Upon hearing this, the guards immediately stepped forward and surrounded Qi Banyue.
Wei Jingxuan entered the spacious and bright hall and respectfully bowed to his grandmother, who sat at the top. Then, turning gracefully, he faced the dignified and elegant eldest princess and, with a gentle yet firm bow, said, "Your Highness, a woman claiming to be your daughter has been detained in the Yixuan Garden in the backyard. Her name is Qi Banyue and she has been ordered by the Lin'an County Lord Zhang Xiaojia to be detained."
When the eldest princess heard this, her expression instantly became solemn. She didn't say a word, but stood up hurriedly, her eyes flashing with anxiety and uneasiness, anxious about the sudden incident.
Ban Yue, her biological child, is a secret not known to everyone in the capital, but it's certainly not a secret either. Why did Zhang Xiaojia suddenly intervene? Was there any instruction from the Emperor?
Wei Jingxuan, understanding the princess's anxiety, quickly followed, saying softly but firmly, "Your Highness, please stay. I have a few words from the bottom of my heart. I hope you will listen."
The princess stopped, frowning, and looked at Wei Jingxuan with a sharp gaze. She uttered a word in a low and majestic voice: "Speak."
Wei Jingxuan took a deep breath and spoke calmly and clearly: "Your Highness, as a member of the royal family, you can naturally have your own favorites and ministers, but marrying into someone else's family is a taboo.
The man from the Qi family, as a staunch supporter of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism, can only be regarded as your concubine, and your position as the eldest princess can be preserved;
If you truly marry down, the title of eldest princess will be lost to you! Marrying down is not only a desecration of your status, but also a betrayal of your ancestors. Do you remember? The founding Empress Shengwu deeply detested Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism... Are you really going to admit that you married down to the head of the Qi family? This would be an act of betrayal to your teachers and ancestors. You must know that the Third Princess has always coveted the title of eldest princess.
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess swayed slightly and looked at Nanny Zhou beside her, her eyes full of confusion and anxiety.
Upon seeing this, Nanny Zhou immediately understood the deeper meaning behind the eldest daughter of the Wei family. If the princess truly agreed to marry into the Qi family, she would not only lose the royal family's support but also face life-threatening situations. The second princess's untimely death undoubtedly provided the third princess with a perfect opportunity to ascend to the throne.
Nanny Zhou advised in a low but firm voice, "Your Highness, it's really not worth it for a man. The Emperor can no longer tolerate Qi Jiacheng. You must think twice! You should act with caution at this time."
When the princess heard this, a trace of struggle and helplessness flashed in her eyes. She asked in a low voice: "Mammy, what should I do?"
Nanny Zhou pondered for a moment, then said firmly, "Return to the Princess's residence and write a letter to the Emperor, apologizing for having a lover, admitting that Qi Jiacheng is your lover, then close the door to visitors and wait for the right moment to rescue the Second Young Lady. Only in this way can you preserve your status and position."
Under the persuasion of Nanny Zhou, the eldest princess finally nodded and decided to return to the Princess's Mansion.
After waiting for a long time, the eldest princess did not dare to show up and recognize the girl.
Qi Banyue felt a mixture of emotions. She knew that any excuse she made would be futile. But suddenly, she remembered that she was carrying a precious jade pendant that could prove her identity. She shouted, "Wait a minute! I have evidence to prove my identity!"
Before she finished speaking, she quickly pulled out the jade pendant, which was as smooth as jade and exuded a faint luster, from her bosom and held it high, letting it shine before everyone's eyes. The moment Zhang Xiaojia's eyes touched the jade pendant, they flashed slightly, and she obviously recognized the unique royal mark engraved on it.
However, the appearance of this jade pendant brought Zhang Xiaojia an unexpected gain. She was secretly delighted, thinking that as long as someone could verify the authenticity of this jade pendant, then the whole incident would have a turnaround.
As long as the jade pendant is real, and as long as the princess admits that Qi Jiacheng is just her lover, then a great scholar of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism will become the lover of the royal family, and he will not be able to promote Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism as a great scholar. He will not be a threat to her mission.
I just don’t know if Wei Jingxuan warned the eldest princess. The eldest princess is stupid, but Nanny Zhou beside her is not stupid.
Zhang Xiaojia pondered in his mind, but deliberately questioned: "What can a jade pendant prove? Maybe it was stolen."
Upon hearing this, Qi Banyue was extremely anxious, but she was helpless. Just then, a staggering old woman approached. With a deep gaze, she glanced at the jade pendant in Qi Banyue's hand and said in a calm but firm tone, "This jade pendant was indeed once owned by the princess. This girl may indeed have an indissoluble bond with the royal family."
Zhang Xiaojia secretly rejoiced; the censor had more work to do. She feigned contemplation and said, "Even so, further investigation is necessary. First, take her to the Wude Division for custody. I will make a decision after I have ascertained the truth."
Zhang Xiaojia's eyes turned and he saw Chen Yuxi, the darling of the Chief Censor, who was a graduate of the imperial examination system.
She immediately said, "Yuxi, as an official of the Imperial Academy, you should immediately go to your father and tell him that someone has dared to pretend to be of royal blood and slander the eldest princess for marrying someone else. He needs to investigate whether this is true or not."
Chen Yuxi pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then immediately understood Zhang Xiaojia's intentions. She had heard her father mention that Zhang Xiaojia, the mayor of Lin'an County, was exceptionally talented and would have been a force to be reckoned with at court had she not married into Prince Jing's household.
Chen Yuxi turned and left without saying much, secretly thinking about Zhang Xiaojia's deep favor. Her father once said that if she could cling to Zhang Xiaojia's thigh, she would be able to rise quickly in her official career.
After making some noise in the garden, Zhang Xiaojia clapped his hands and left.
Wei Jingxuan personally sent her back.
Sitting in the gorgeously decorated carriage, Wei Jingxuan looked at Zhang Xiaojia with complicated eyes, and Zhang Xiaojia was also looking at her. The carriage fell into silence for a moment.
Finally, it was Zhang Xiaojia who broke the silence. She said calmly, "You can't take the position of Duke of Wei. Your brother is the emperor's servant and has a deep friendship with him. Besides, he and you share the same mother. Can you really bear to ruin him? For things like being a marquis or a prime minister, it's better to make your own way."
Upon hearing this, Wei Jingxuan's eyes revealed a hint of unwillingness. She asked softly, "Can't you just let me have a dream?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaojia responded coldly, "Stop daydreaming! Do the things I've assigned you. Otherwise, you might not even be able to hold down the position of the eldest daughter of the Duke of Wei's mansion."
After hearing this, Wei Jingxuan sneered and said, "Have you already planned this for us? You've never liked rough work like farming since you were a child. All you do is talk and never do anything, ordering others to do things."
Zhang Xiaojia winked playfully upon hearing this, then swiftly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, I heard that the Crown Prince's Consort of Rongchang County is considering divorcing her husband. How much do you know about this?"
Wei Jingxuan smiled knowingly and jokingly said, "How much good has the Empress Dowager given you? I want a piece of the pie, too. Let's do it together."
Zhang Xiaojia pretended to be coquettish and said coquettishly: "What are you talking about? Can't it be that I am kind-hearted and helpful? I have always been very well-behaved, so the elders naturally like me. You are just jealous of me."
Wei Jingxuan didn't take it seriously, but secretly complained in his heart that those elders must have been bewitched by Lin'an's beauty and couldn't see the truth.
She spoke slowly, revealing the twists and turns: "Yu Niang's life story is similar to yours, but she's not as lucky as you. She lost her mother at a young age, and with a stepmother came a stepfather. Marquis Jinyang and Prince Rongchang were once engaged, and it was Yu Niang who was supposed to marry, but the stepmother secretly replaced her with her own daughter. But two years ago, the Prince of Rongchang accidentally fell off a horse and became paralyzed in bed. The stepmother regretted the engagement and pushed Yu Niang out. After Yu Niang married into the Prince's mansion, she took good care of the Prince and even asked Imperial Physician Hu to cure him. But the Prince's heart was seduced by Yu Niang's half-sister, and now he wants to demote his wife to a concubine and marry her sister instead."
Zhang Xiaojia narrowed her eyes, a hint of displeasure on her face, and said, "Brother He was also injured. I had a lot of trouble rescuing him. If he dares to make me a concubine and marry another woman, I will make him turn into a living dead again, and then go find my eldest cousin to have a child."
Wei Jingxuan looked at her and suddenly felt an urge to hit her.
But she still held back and continued, "Yuniang reported the matter directly to the Dali Temple. Now the Marquis of Jinyang said that her sister was beaten unconscious and she secretly got into the bridal sedan and was going to marry Prince Rongchang."
Zhang Xiaojia heard this and asked with concern, "How is Yu Niang now?"
Wei Jingxuan replied, "Although she proposed a divorce, her husband disagreed. So she decided to divorce him. According to the law, a wife can divorce her husband in three situations: First, if the husband has committed something that seriously violates human ethics; second, if the husband has bad behavior or is ill, in which case the wife can choose a divorce, but if the husband disagrees, she can still divorce him; third, if the husband has been away from home for a long time, is serving a prison sentence for a crime, or has appropriated his dowry, in which case the wife can also choose a divorce, but if the husband disagrees, she can still divorce him. Right now, Yu Niang is living in the Anju Courtyard built by the Grand Princess."
After hearing this, Zhang Xiaojia immediately shouted, "An Yi, let's go to the Grand Princess's Anjuyuan instead."
We arrived at Anjiuyuan, a place that provides shelter for homeless women or women who have suffered violence. To be honest, it can only be established by powerful people. After all, no one dares to offend powerful officials.
For example, the Grand Princess and the Eldest Princess, one is the emperor's aunt, and the other is the emperor's sister. Both are eldest princesses and are from the first-class royal family. However, the Grand Princess has real power, is the marshal of the frontier defense, and has an army of 300,000 under her command; while the Eldest Princess only receives a salary from the court and is a member of the royal family.
As for herself, she was actually even worse off. She was only a county lady, not even a member of the royal family. But what did she have? The emperor's favor, the consort of Prince Jing, and a salary from the court. Financially, she was better off. She had taxes, and she could get a portion of Lin'an's taxes (actually, she could get a quarter, but the court withheld her money, for example, the city wall was repaired with her money). As long as the emperor did not fall and her favor continued, she could prosper until her death.
At this time, Song Fanyu was leading a group of elderly, weak, sick and disabled women to prepare delicious food, which they would sell to maintain the daily expenses of the housing estate.
"Yu Niang." Wei Jingxuan called softly.
Song Fanyu looked over when she heard the voice, and after seeing Zhang Xiaojia, she quickly stepped forward and saluted: "Lin'an County Lady, Jingxuan, I'm well."
Zhang Xiaojia nodded slightly and asked with concern: "Can we ensure everyone has enough to eat by doing this?"
Song Fanyu smiled and replied, "Of course I can't expect to have delicacies from land and sea, but simple food is enough to fill my stomach."
Zhang Xiaojia said bluntly: "I can help you and let you sit firmly on the position of Rongchang Prince's Consort. Are you willing?"
Song Fanyu shook her head slightly and said firmly, "I don't want to. You once said, 'If you don't have any interest in me, I'll leave you.' I, Song Fanyu, don't want to force it."
Zhang Xiaojia frowned slightly, opened her red lips, and asked with concern, "When do you need to go to the government office next time?"
Song Fanyu lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then replied softly, "Tomorrow."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Xiaojia turned around and shouted loudly behind him: "An Yi!"
Only a quick response was heard: "I'm here!" Then, a figure appeared in front of everyone like a ghost.
Zhang Xiaojia looked at An Yi sternly and gave an order in a serious tone, "Immediately dispatch a team of elite soldiers to protect Song Fanyu non-stop for 12 hours. If she suffers even the slightest harm, all of you will have to serve as secret guards for another year! Do you understand?"
An Yi knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and replied, "Don't worry, Princess. I will protect Miss Song Fanyu with my life and will never fail in my mission!"
However, Zhang Xiaojia waved her hand and said earnestly, "There's no need to risk your life to protect me. Each of your lives is equally precious. As long as you still have breath, this county lady will definitely use all her skills to treat you properly. Therefore, you must complete the mission under the premise of ensuring your own safety. Do you understand?"
Zhang Xiaojia waved her hand and An Yi disappeared. These secret guards were really amazing. She wanted to learn from them.
"Tomorrow, I will go to the Dali Temple in person. I believe the Dali Temple will handle the matter impartially."
"Lin'an County Master, what do you want?"
"You're going to help me for the next ten years. If I say east, you're going to do it right. Do you understand? If anyone dares to lay a hand on you, I'll ask the emperor to chop off his hands."
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