Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Qionglin Banquet
The princes also paid attention to this Qionglin Banquet.
The Third Prince and others also came. They stood in a pavilion not far away and watched, their faces not looking very good.
The Sixth Prince said, "I heard that Father is going to announce Fu Xiao's identity to the public."
Once the emperor announced it himself, no one would dare to doubt Fu Wenxiao's identity as the prince of the Duke of Zhenguo.
Compared with the status of the prince of Zhenguo, a mere new top scholar is nothing; it is just icing on the cake for him.
"What is this?" The Eighth Prince's face turned red with anger, and he shouted angrily, "He is obviously a dead man. Since my father tacitly acknowledged that Fu Xiao was dead and even had him be granted the title of Duke of Zhenguo, why not just let him stay dead forever?"
The eighth prince and the second prince are both sons of Concubine Xian.
However, whether the Second Prince was deposed or the Concubine was banished to the cold palace, it was all related to Fu Xiao.
The person the Eighth Prince hated most in his life was Fu Wenxiao. He wished he could eat his flesh and blood. When he even heard that Fu Wenxiao was going to die, he was so happy that he got drunk.
Compared to the furious Eighth Prince, the Third Prince, Sixth Prince and Seventh Prince present all looked very calm.
Ever since they heard that Fu Xiao had recovered and was going to take part in the imperial examination, they knew that this day would come sooner or later.
Their father, the emperor, had always relied on Fu Xiao the most. Ridiculously, he would rather trust an outsider than trust his sons. He was wary of them and even used Fu Xiao to suppress them.
It was the emperor's preference that led Concubine Xian to take the risk of poisoning Fu Xiao in order to avenge the Second Prince.
The Third Prince felt sorry. He had paved the way for Concubine Xian, even giving up some of his connections. Why couldn't she kill Fu Xiao?
The virtuous concubine is also useless. What's the point of just poisoning Fu Xiao? She should have just had someone kill Fu Xiao on the spot.
Of course, he also knew that Fu Xiao was extremely vigilant and was protected by Fu family guards. Under normal circumstances, it would not be easy to kill him.
Why didn't the poison kill him?
Didn’t the imperial physician say that Fu Xiao only had two or three years to live, and that he would die in agony when the time came?
The Sixth Prince looked at the newly graduated scholars who were communicating with each other and he could see Fu Wenxiao at a glance. No matter when or where he was, his presence could not be ignored.
Fu Xiao is indeed a very capable person, and it is no wonder that their father relies on him. If possible, he actually wants to win over Fu Xiao.
It's a pity that this person is only loyal to the emperor.
The Sixth Prince said slowly, "Eighth brother, there is no need to be so angry."
"You sound nice!" The Eighth Prince attacked the brothers indiscriminately, "Don't think I don't know what you are thinking. Aren't you afraid that one day your father will really get old and confused and pass the throne to Fu Xiao?"
If Fu Xiao and Princess Yuan'an were not so similar, he would have suspected that Fu Xiao was actually the prince born outside his father's family.
"Impossible!" The third prince looked at him coldly, with undisguised contempt on his face.
He felt a little impatient. Why were these brothers so stupid?
The fifth brother is stupid, and the eighth brother is also stupid. They are so stupid, yet they still dare to covet the throne without even considering their own capabilities.
The Sixth Prince waved a folding fan casually, laughed, and said patiently: "Eighth brother, father is not so old and confused, otherwise how do you think the Duke of Zhenguo died?"
The Eighth Prince was not happy, "Didn't he die on the battlefield, ambushed by the Northern Di people?"
"Then how do you think the Northern Di people were able to sneak attack him?"
"this……"
The Eighth Prince looked hesitant.
It is incredible that Duke Zhenguo Fu Zongxu was a man of great martial arts skills and had so many personal guards around him, yet he was ambushed and killed by the Northern Di people.
The third prince and the sixth prince looked at each other, then looked away as if nothing had happened.
The Seventh Prince present was like an invisible man, just sitting there drinking tea and not participating in his brothers' conversation.
He has always been like this, he doesn't talk much and is a very quiet person. The princes present are used to it.
Except for the young Ninth Prince, the extremely stupid Fifth Prince, and the Fourth Prince who was lucky enough to be alive but had a broken leg, the four adult princes who are now intact are all here.
The eighth prince has a violent and impulsive temper and is unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility. The seventh prince's mother's family is in decline and he himself has no ambition.
The third prince and the sixth prince did not take the two seriously.
The Third Prince and the Sixth Prince had no intention of explaining for the Eighth Prince. Some things were known to everyone, and it would be unpleasant if they were spoken out.
The Sixth Prince continued, "I heard that Aunt Yuan An's health has been poor, probably for the past two years."
"Yes." The Third Prince nodded seriously, "Aunt Yuan An is also pitiful. She has been bedridden since she took refuge in the palace. She has been ill for so many years... It is because of her illness that Father relies on Fu Xiao."
If the Empress Dowager was still alive, or Princess Yuan'an was in good health and still held power, how could their father dare to let Fu Xiao come back? How could he dare to acknowledge Fu Xiao's identity?
Now, the Fu family army fell into the hands of an adopted son of the Duke of Zhenguo.
Even though the adopted son has some means, he is not of the Fu family's bloodline after all. If he makes any unusual moves, it would be unjust and the Fu family army would not obey his orders.
Looking at the situation, what else can Fu Xiao do except continue to rely on the saint?
Without the Empress Dowager, Princess Yuan'an, and the Duke of Zhenguo, he would be just a noble son with some ability.
For the emperor, such talents are easier to control and can become a knife in his hand.
The Third Prince and the Sixth Prince were both very clear about this. It was precisely because Fu Xiao had nothing that their father would rely on and trust him more.
But this did not stop them from hating Fu Xiao and wanting him dead.
What a pity, why is this person so unlucky?
Just as the Qionglin Banquet was about to begin, several princes arrived slowly.
Seeing Fu Wenxiao sitting in the front seat, the Eighth Prince couldn't control his expression and looked very gloomy.
The Seventh Prince was still silent and taciturn, not communicating with anyone.
The third prince and the sixth prince were calm and did not pay too much attention to the Jinshi. They sat there chatting and laughing with the officials around them.
Soon, the old emperor arrived.
Everyone stood up to welcome him, and Fu Wenxiao led the new scholars to salute the old emperor.
The old emperor laughed so hard that everyone stood up. His eyes fell on Fu Wenxiao and he praised him in public.
The officials present could see what the old emperor was thinking. Although many of them were afraid of Fu Xiao's former fame, there was no need to offend the old emperor or praise him against their conscience.
Of course, there are also people who do not want Fu Xiao to return to the court.
But whether they wanted it or not, they could not defeat the emperor.
**
The moon was above the willows, and Fu Wenxiao returned in the night, smelling of alcohol and feeling the chill of a spring night.
When he got off the carriage, he asked, "Where's the lady?"
The steward who came out to greet them said, "Madam is in the study."
Fu Wenxiao went to the study and found Yu Li writing a letter.
He leaned against the door, looking quietly at the girl working at the desk by the window, without saying a word.
Until she turned around and asked, "Xiao brother, you are back, why don't you come in?"
Yu Li pressed the paper on the table with one hand and held the wolf hair brush in the other, looking at him puzzledly.
He lifted up his skirt and walked in, sitting next to her, his eyes fell on the paper, "Are you writing a letter to your second sister?"
As she wrote, she said, "Yes, you won the first prize. You must tell them about it and make them happy."
The letter was not finished yet. Yu Li chatted with him for a few words and then continued to work at his desk.
The servant brought a bowl of sobering tea, and Fu Wenxiao held the tea and drank it slowly.
"Have you been drinking again?" Yu Li looked up at him.
Under the light, his face flushed slightly and he hummed softly.
Fu Wenxiao has a good alcohol tolerance. Even when he is drunk, it is not easy for him to get red on his face. His face is still white and clean. His face is slightly red, which shows that he must have drunk a lot of wine today.
His voice was a little hoarse. "They all offered me a drink, it's hard to refuse."
Yu Li frowned, looking somewhat displeased.
Fu Wenxiao continued, "The Third Prince and his men were there too, and they toasted me on purpose."
After hearing this, Yu Li rarely took note of the Third Prince and others.
These people are bad by nature, and they don't get along with Fu Wenxiao, so naturally she doesn't like them.
Seeing that he was so drunk, Yu Li stopped writing, put down his pen, pressed the half-written letter with a paperweight, and then went over to pull him.
She said, "Xiao brother, go back and wash up and rest."
Every time this guy gets drunk, although he is very well behaved and doesn't make a lot of noise, he is very clingy to her. She is used to it and has to take him back to his room to rest first.
Fu Wenxiao obediently let her pull him out of the study.
When I returned to the inner courtyard, I saw Zhou.
Seeing the couple holding hands, Zhou smiled and asked, "How is Xiao'er? I heard he drank some wine?" She knew in her heart that people would definitely drink at the Qionglin Banquet.
Yu Li said, "He drank a lot. I'm going to take him back to his room to wash up. You can go and rest, mother. Don't worry."
With her around, Zhou was indeed not worried and said with a smile, "Okay, then you guys go and get busy."
Just as Zhou was about to turn around and leave, Fu Wenxiao stopped her, "Mother, at the Qionglin Banquet today, the Saint will announce my identity in public and return the Duke's Mansion to me. In a few days, we will move back to the Duke's Mansion."
When Duke Zhenguo Fu Zongxu passed away, news of the death of his eldest son Fu Xiao also spread. Princess Yuan'an took refuge in the palace to recuperate, and the huge Duke Zhenguo Mansion became an empty shell and was sealed off by the court.
This move naturally also has the intention of intimidating the subjects who follow Princess Yuan'an.
Zhou was stunned for a moment, and suddenly burst into tears.
She covered her face. At this moment, she finally felt relieved. All the suffering was over and all the persistence was worth it.
She did not disappoint Princess Yuan'an's trust. Xiao Ge'er survived and returned healthy. The saint publicly acknowledged his identity and he was no longer a "dead man".
Fu Wenxiao walked over, put his arm around her shoulders, and patted her back gently.
With a smile on his face, he said softly, "Mom, thank you for your hard work over the years."
Although she was a wet nurse, Zhou had done so much for him in her life that she deserved the title "mother". She was like another mother to him.
Zhou said with tears in her eyes: "Xiao brother, as long as you are well, I will be at ease."
She never complained about anything, and hoped that the child would live a smooth and peaceful life and have a good ending. Although he was not her child, she had taken care of him since he was born and watched him grow up. In her heart, he was like another child of hers.
Unfortunately, his identity destined him to have no peace and success, and he was destined to experience twists and turns and many hardships in his life.
How easy is it to have a good end?
"Mom, everything will be fine." Fu Wenxiao's gentle voice rang out in this spring night, bringing with it a calming power.
Zhou's heart gradually settled down.
She turned to look at Yu Li who was standing not far away and smiled through her tears.
Yes, it will be fine in the future. Xiao Ge'er is healthy again, and Li Niang is here with him, so how can it not be fine? As long as Li Niang is here, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.
Fu Wenxiao noticed her gaze and the trust on her face and smiled slightly.
I don't know when it started, but Yu Li has become a belief in Zhou's heart, as if as long as she is around, she can make people feel at ease.
The same is true for the two children, she is their salvation.
How could it not be?
Even he felt extremely safe and secure because of her existence. As long as she was there, his heart was at peace and he was not afraid of the ups and downs of the future.
She brings them hope and gives them the strength to be stable.
In fact, they are the ones who can't live without her, and they are the ones who always rely on her.
After sending Zhou back to her room to rest, Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao returned to their room.
Back in the room, Fu Wenxiao reached out and hugged her tightly.
Yu Li smelled the alcohol on him and swallowed secretly. The smell of alcohol on other people might stink, but on this person, she only smelled the aroma of alcohol and the faint scent of plum, which made her feel greedy.
Afraid that she would be too greedy to resist going to the kitchen to steal some wine, she turned her head and said, "Go wash up."
"Ali, stay with me."
"OK."
Yu Li was used to this and pulled him into the bathroom.
After tossing and turning for an hour, the two finally lay down on the bed to rest.
Fu Wenxiao still held her tightly, whispered in her ear, and talked to her about today's Qionglin Banquet. Yu Li also learned from him what happened at the Banquet.
The old emperor announced his identity in public. Before the new scholars could be shocked, the old emperor changed the subject and said he would choose a husband for Princess Fuhui from among the new scholars. He appointed the third place winner as his consort and would grant them a marriage.
However, Princess Fuhui refused the marriage in public, on the grounds that the third place winner was not as handsome as the first place winner.
Even if she wanted to get married, she would find a man as handsome as the top scholar, otherwise she would not marry.
Everyone knows that Princess Fuhui likes handsome men, and all of her lovers are handsome men. She thinks the third place in the imperial examination is not as handsome as the first place in the imperial examination. Although this is true, it is still ridiculous to say it in public.
However, Princess Fuhui has done so many absurd things that this one more thing doesn't matter.
She is a princess, doted on by the old emperor. What can others do to her?
Fortunately, because she was a princess, no matter how absurd she was, it would not affect the country, and the court officials all turned a blind eye.
The third place winner was feeling somewhat resentful when he was paraded through the streets yesterday, as no one was paying attention to him and all the limelight was stolen by the first place winner. But today he began to feel fortunate that he was not as good looking as the first place winner.
Otherwise, he might not be able to bear marrying such a princess.
Moreover, he had a fiancée who had been engaged to him since childhood. He really didn't want to marry the princess, but he couldn't refuse the marriage. Wouldn't that be a slap in the face of the old emperor in public?
Princess Fuhui refused the marriage proposal, and everyone was happy.
Unfortunately, the old emperor was not very happy. Before he could get angry, Fu Wenxiao stepped forward to appease him and soon the matter was forgotten. The old emperor no longer insisted on choosing a son-in-law from among the new scholars.
This incident also made everyone see the old emperor's preference for Fu Wenxiao. Those officials who knew Fu Wenxiao were accustomed to it, while the princes sneered secretly.
The newly-appointed scholars were a little overwhelmed as they experienced such a scene for the first time.
The wonderful Qionglin Banquet turned out to be inexplicable and scary in the end. It was this kind of atmosphere that made the new scholars easily accept Fu Wenxiao's identity.
Afterwards, Tanhua went to thank Fu Wenxiao specially.
Yu Li listened to his words and slowly fell into a deep sleep.
Before going to sleep, I was still thinking that this is what the Qionglin Banquet is like. It’s just that those new scholars were a little pitiful and were all scared.
**
After the Qionglin Banquet, Fu Wenxiao's identity became completely clear.
Even the common people knew that the newly crowned number one scholar Fu Wenxiao was the former prince of the Duke of Zhenguo and the son of Princess Yuan'an.
The public version of the incident was that the prince of Zhenguo, Fu Xiao, was framed by a villain and his life or death was unknown. Everyone thought he was dead, and Princess Yuan'an was so heartbroken that she fell ill.
However, he turned a disaster into a blessing. He found a miracle doctor in the south, recovered, and returned to Beijing through the imperial examination as a scholar from the south.
This statement fooled many people. They all felt that the Prince of Zhenguo was very lucky to have escaped death, and it also proved that he was talented and knowledgeable.
Those who know the truth will not say anything more, otherwise wouldn’t that be going against the old emperor?
In this way, Fu Wenxiao finally officially returned.
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