The four of them were talking and laughing happily. A harmonious atmosphere naturally surrounded them, and they were as close as a family.
In a narrow alley not far away, a sinister gaze shot out from the shadows, staring at Shen Qianchen and the others, as if wanting to kill them.
For Chu Lingxiao, the scene before him was too eye-catching.
He clenched his hands into fists, his heart churning with anger, embarrassment, hatred and shame.
He stood there motionless, watching Pei Linye ride away on his horse. His face became increasingly gloomy, as black as the bottom of a pot.
Pei Linye's back quickly disappeared around the corner ahead. Shen Zhi withdrew her gaze and began to invite Shen Qianchen and Shen Yunmu, brother and sister, to go into the house.
Jiang Yuan, who was walking at the end, took a quick look at the alley where Chu Lingxiao was through the gap between the two doors at the moment the gatehouse closed the door, and then she turned around.
Jiang Yuan quickly walked to Shen Qianchen's side and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Princess, Chu Lingxiao is hiding in an alley outside."
Shen Qianchen was not surprised at all, not even the corners of her eyes or eyebrows moved. After all, she had previously speculated that the gangster who hacked the door was instigated by Chu Lingxiao, and now Chu Lingxiao's appearance here only verified her speculation.
In front, Shen Zhi didn't notice Shen Qianchen. She was scolding her son, telling him not to walk recklessly in the future, and said that if she saw him doing that again, she would punish him by making him copy scriptures.
When he heard about copying scriptures, Shen Yunmu became completely depressed, like a dejected puppy.
He even tried to negotiate with Shen Zhi: "Mom, can't you punish me by making me do horse stance? Doing horse stance is also very painful!"
Shen Yunmu felt that copying those scriptures that seemed like heavenly books was more torturous than doing horse stance!
"No!" Shen Zhi rejected it outright, leaving the naughty kid no room for negotiation.
Shen Qianchen was amused and laughed out loud, not taking Chu Lingxiao, a clown, seriously.
After the gate of the Shen residence was closed, Chu Lingxiao came out from the alley outside, limping. His limp was so severe that he attracted the attention of some passers-by.
Chu Lingxiao was wearing a royal blue silk gown with dark flowing patterns, a sash around his waist, a purse and a jade pendant. He was dressed like a decent man. If he stood there motionless, he would look handsome and tall, with a dignified appearance.
His gaze cut into the scarred vermilion lacquered gate like a knife; his sinister eyes formed a sharp contrast with his shiny appearance.
The scenes of Pei Linye attacking him here last time appeared clearly in his mind, as if it were yesterday.
Since that day, he has been thinking about this matter over and over again, and he feels more and more uncomfortable, as if there is a thorn in his heart that is stabbing him repeatedly.
He had been married to Shen Zhi for fifteen years, and he had never liked Shen Zhi. This woman was arrogant and looked down on him as her husband. This marriage was not something he had asked for at all.
When Shen Zhi proposed to divorce him, Chu Lingxiao felt ashamed and annoyed on the one hand, thinking that he was not someone Shen Zhi could summon and dismiss at will, but on the other hand, he also felt happy, because he could finally get rid of this woman!
He was looking forward to seeing Shen Zhi's miserable life after the divorce. Shen Zhi had a son and a daughter. Even with her parents' family in the Duke's Mansion, it was impossible for her to marry into a good family again. She would either marry a poor family far away or remain faithful to him for the rest of her life.
He waited for Shen Zhi to regret it in the future, but he didn't expect to see Pei Linye and Shen Zhi together that day. It was obvious that Pei Linye had a crush on Shen Zhi.
At that moment, Chu Lingxiao felt as if the world was falling apart.
Pei Linye was only 30 years old and already the deputy commander of the Jinyiwei. He had a strong backer and military merits, and a promising future. Moreover, he had never married! He actually fell in love with Shen Zhi? !
Chu Lingxiao still finds it unbelievable when he thinks about it, and at the same time, he feels empty inside.
The servant at the back saw Chu Lingxiao staring at the gate of the Shen residence fiercely, and said cautiously: "Master, don't worry. I have told that ruffian that I will not involve you."
The servant thought Chu Lingxiao was worried that the gangster would drag him out.
Chu Lingxiao walked towards Shen's house one step at a time, as if he hadn't heard anything.
Last night, he asked some thugs to come here and make trouble. He wanted to use the stratagem of a hero saving a beauty to scare Shen Zhi. Then today he would come to comfort her again. After a few times, Shen Zhi would be able to feel his kindness.
They are husband and wife, and a night of love means a hundred nights of love. It is impossible that Shen Zhi has no feelings for him at all. He wants to completely nip the signs of her and Pei Linye in the bud.
Unexpectedly, his plan turned out to be a pawn for others! When Chu Lingxiao thought of Pei Linye's attentiveness to Shen Zhi just now, and thought of his own son being held in Pei Linye's arms, he felt a ball of anger burning in his heart.
No man can tolerate this! The more Chu Lingxiao thought about it, the angrier he became. The more he thought about it, the more he felt his head was green.
A burst of rage suddenly burned away his sanity.
Suddenly, Chu Lingxiao rushed towards Shen's residence like a mad bull.
Today, he had to ask Shen Zhi to give him an explanation, and asked her to explain in front of her son what exactly was the relationship between her and Pei Linye? !
Chu Lingxiao's eyes burned red with anger, and he raised his fist and wanted to punch the door covered with knife marks...
However, at this moment, several yamen runners swarmed in from the side, and two of them grabbed Chu Lingxiao roughly.
"What the hell?! You dare to cause trouble in broad daylight in the capital!" The tall and strong squad leader looked at Chu Lingxiao arrogantly and kicked him in the waist and abdomen. "What do you think this place is? The people living here are not ordinary civilians, but the cousin of the deputy commander of the Jinyiwei! Are you so bold that you dare to come here to make trouble!"
The two yamen runners let go of Chu Lingxiao, and Chu Lingxiao limped and staggered to the ground.
One of the yamen runners even spat at him contemptuously: "What the hell?! Why don't you leave!"
Chu Lingxiao certainly didn't want to go to Jingzhao Prefecture. If he was really taken to Jingzhao Prefecture by this group of yamen runners, he would be a laughing stock in the whole capital.
"Master!" At this time, the servant hurried over and apologized to the yamen runners in a low voice. Then, he helped Chu Lingxiao up from the ground and whispered in his ear, "Master, let's go back."
Chu Lingxiao stood up in a daze, and walked back in a daze, his mind was elsewhere.
It was not until this moment that he felt a sense of reality. Although the divorce agreement between him and Shen Zhi was not signed by him personally, it was already a fact.
Chu Lingxiao walked forward aimlessly with a dull look in his eyes. He couldn't even hear the servant's voice calling him from behind.
The streets of the capital city were as bustling as ever. As people went about their daily lives, they inevitably gossiped about various things. The most talked-about topic recently was probably the emperor's body.
Three or four students walked past Chu Lingxiao sighing. A scholar in blue clothes said with a sad face, "The emperor has been ill since the first month of the year, and the morning court hasn't even started yet."
"Yes." Another blue-robed candidate was also in low spirits and echoed, "I heard from my friends in the Imperial College that the emperor is seriously ill this time, so it's not very optimistic. Oh, I wonder if this year's spring exam will be postponed?"
For students, the Spring Examination is an opportunity that comes once every three years. Once missed, they have to wait three years later. The cost is too high, especially for those poor students who travel thousands of miles to Beijing to take the examination. The expense is enough to crush a family.
"It's hard to say." Another scholar in a lake-colored robe waved his folding fan meaningfully, "Even if I miss this spring, there may be an imperial examination next year."
What he said was almost like saying that if the new emperor ascended the throne, he would definitely hold an imperial examination.
Several other students also heard it and had different expressions. Some were surprised and confused, some were worried about the country and the people, and some were struggling with whether to stay or go.
The candidates were talking a lot, but Chu Lingxiao turned a deaf ear to them and continued walking forward.
Not only the students were discussing this in private, but the court officials, nobles, and common people were also speculating that the emperor had been ill for too long and had attracted a lot of attention.
Indeed, the emperor has been ill since he fell ill during the New Year and has not been seen in public since. For more than two months, the morning court sessions have been suspended and state affairs have been presided over by the crown prince.
In addition, the imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau were all worried and almost treated the palace as their home, which indirectly confirmed that the emperor's condition was not optimistic.
It was not until March 16th that the first morning court session after the New Year was resumed.
All the civil and military officials in the court gathered in the Golden Palace again. The emperor ascended the throne after a long absence, and he was still as high and mighty as before.
The civil and military officials below were all secretly looking at the emperor. The emperor looked extremely haggard, with sunken cheeks, and even the dragon robe on his body seemed empty. He was listless, with dull eyes, and it was obvious that he was seriously ill and would faint at any moment. Seeing this, the officials not only did not feel relieved, but became even more worried.
Soon, some court officials began to report one after another, but none of them dared to mention important matters, for fear of offending the emperor and being accused of irritating him.
Even so, the emperor did not hold out for long. He could not hold on any longer until halfway through the morning court session and ordered Eunuch Ni to disperse the ministers.
"Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
The orderly and loud voices echoed throughout the Golden Palace, and the ministers respectfully saw the emperor off as he was carried away on a sedan chair by the eunuchs.
Only when they could no longer see the emperor did they breathe a sigh of relief and stand up straight.
People came out of the Golden Palace in twos and threes, talking as they walked forward.
An old man with gray hair and a goatee rubbed his brows and whispered with a sigh: "The emperor's dragon body... Alas, he has rested for so many days, but he still hasn't recovered."
Thinking of the emperor's gloomy face, which looked as if his energy had run out, the old man's face looked unhappy, and he was somewhat worried about the future of Da Qi.
Several officials gathered around the old man, with different expressions. Some nodded with emotion, some remained silent, some sighed and looked back in the direction of the throne, and some frowned.
After walking down the white marble steps, a middle-aged official in his forties cleared his throat and sighed, "It has not been easy for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to supervise the country for the past two months."
He spoke meaningfully, exchanging a look with the old man with a goatee.
Another person nodded and agreed, "The emperor is ill, and fortunately, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is in charge, so the government can be in order."
Other officials also felt the same way and understood what their colleagues had not yet said.
Since the emperor fell ill, the prince has been in charge of government affairs for the past two months. Not only has the government not been in chaos, but it has been going more smoothly than before.
For example, at the beginning of this year, there was a spring flood in the northwest. King Qin Yao of Nanyang submitted an urgent memorial over an express route of 800 miles to the court requesting disaster relief. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince immediately allocated disaster relief silver to the northwest. The disaster relief was carried out vigorously and did not cause too much damage to the disaster-stricken areas in the northwest.
The prince is fair in his dealings, but the emperor is a suspicious and anxious person. The northwest has always been a concern for the emperor.
This time, the spring floods in the northwest have caused a disaster. If the emperor were to handle this matter, the relief money would probably not be available so quickly. In all likelihood, the emperor would even send his trusted imperial envoys to the northwest to supervise, which would more or less interfere with the disaster relief.
There are not many confused people among the civil and military officials in the court. Most of them are clear-eyed and clear-minded. They know very well that the emperor has become more and more moody in recent years. Especially since last year, many officials have been imprisoned for no reason, which makes all the officials realize what it means to serve the emperor like serving a tiger.
Now that the emperor is unable to govern the country due to his illness, it may not be a bad thing.
"Master Wang, you said..."
One of the officials wanted to say something more, but stopped halfway through.
Everyone turned to look in the same direction, and saw Kang Hongda, dressed in a scarlet robe with a lion pattern, walking out of the Golden Throne Hall, striding with his head held high and a stern expression.
Then, officials of higher ranks than Kang Hongda all saluted him and called him "Master Kang!"
Kang Hongda didn't even look at these people. He walked through the crowd with an expressionless face, exuding an aura of "keep away from strangers".
Anyone could see that he was not in a good mood.
"..." The officials fell silent and looked at each other. Several of them began to think anxiously about whether they had said something wrong. What if Kang Hongda told the emperor...
Some people were nervous, but some didn't care at all and looked at Kang Hongda with contempt.
Kang Hongda has been living a successful life in the court in recent years, and his career has been very successful. He has an attitude of being second to none in the court, and even the crown prince has to give him some respect.
To put it bluntly, Kang Hongda's confidence comes from the emperor.
Now, the emperor is seeing his body weakened. If the prince ascends the throne in the future, will Kang Hongda still be able to control everything like he does now?! Difficult! This is called thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west!
Even if Kang Hongda holds the military power, so what? ! In terms of military power, who in the court of Daqi can compare to Prince Gu Jue? ! Moreover, all the civil and military officials in the court have eyes. In the past two months, the prince has visited the Prince's mansion from time to time, and the Prince did not refuse the prince. It is obvious that the prince and the Prince have a good relationship.
Yes, after all, they both have the surname Gu and are uncle and nephew.
If Kang Hongda dared to act rashly in front of the prince, Prince Chen might help the prince to kill him. After all, Prince Chen and Kang Hongda have always been at odds.
The weather in Da Qi is about to change! ! Several officials could not help but look up at the blue sky above. The azure sky was as clear as a mirror, and the clouds were floating in the sky with the wind, changing in many ways.
In fact, a change of government may not necessarily be a bad thing. Several officials thought the same thing, but no one dared to say it out loud.
Kang Hongda continued to walk out, his face as gloomy as water and his steps as fast as an arrow.
He was not deaf, so he certainly heard what those people said just now. With his shrewdness, even though those people said one thing but said another, he could still hear the other party's hidden meaning.
These court officials all felt that the crown prince was more suitable to sit on the throne of the Emperor of Great Qi than the current emperor Gu Lang.
Kang Hongda has always had an attitude of neither being close nor distant towards Crown Prince Gu Nanjin. After all, Gu Lang is only in his forties.
Gu Lang was the eldest son born to the late emperor's empress. When he was one year old, he was named crown prince by the late emperor. The late emperor loved this eldest son very much. However, as Gu Lang and several other princes grew up and began to participate in state affairs, some of Gu Lang's shortcomings were revealed.
Gradually, the late emperor became dissatisfied with Crown Prince Gu Lang. Most of the loyal old ministers in the court also knew that the late emperor had scolded Gu Lang several times when he was alive.
Some people even said with all seriousness that the late emperor once lamented to the former chief minister Jiang Changfan that "the crown prince cannot be deposed unless he has committed any fault" and so on.
When the current crown prince Gu Nanjin was born, the late emperor took great care of him as his grandson. As soon as Gu Nanjin started to learn, the late emperor took him by his side to educate him.
Gu Nanjin was raised by the late emperor, who named him the crown prince when he was fourteen years old.
At that time, Gu Jue, who was still the Ninth Prince, had made many military achievements in the north and was the most meritorious in the entire army. He not only shocked the court, but also became famous throughout the world. At that time, many ministers were wondering whether the late emperor would depose Crown Prince Gu Lang and enthrone the Ninth Prince Gu Jue.
The late emperor responded by appointing Gu Nanjin as the crown prince to declare that Gu Lang's position was unshakable.
The impetuous people's hearts were thus stabilized.
The wind was quite strong today, carrying scattered petals and flowers, some of which blew towards his hair.
Kang Hongda casually picked up a leaf in the wind and gently stroked it with his fingertips, as if trying to feel its veins.
He had also watched the crown prince grow up, and the crown prince was indeed a model of a wise ruler, but -
After the crown prince ascends the throne, will he be able to accommodate himself? !
This is what Kang Hongda is worried about.
Kang Hongda retracted his fingers and held the leaf in his palm. As his fingers tightened, the leaf in his palm was crushed into mud, and green juice flowed out from between his fingers...
He suddenly stopped, took a frosty white handkerchief from the handsome servant, and slowly wiped the juice from between his fingers with the handkerchief.
Looking at the stained white handkerchief, Kang Hongda's eyes were gloomy, and he always felt that everything was going wrong recently.
The emperor was clearly only in his forties and had only been on the throne for a few years, so how could his health suddenly collapse? !
Kang Hongda was in a state of unrest. After leaving the palace, he wanted to go out for a drink, but in the end he went to the yamen.
As soon as he got off his horse at the gate of the government office, a middle-aged man with a big belly came up to him with a smile on his face, clasped his fists and said, "Sir Kang, Earl Zhongyong is here and is waiting for you inside."
Kang Hongda got off the horse, threw the reins to the servant, took a folding fan from the servant, and opened it gracefully.
There is a painting of "High Mountains and Flowing Water" on the folding fan. Two men meet by chance among the green mountains and clear waters. One plays the piano while the other listens. There is an unspoken tacit understanding between them.
Seeing that Kang Hongda didn't say anything, the middle-aged man asked cautiously: "Master Kang, are you planning to..." meet Earl Zhongyong? "No hurry." Kang Hongda waved his folding fan and said to the middle-aged man lightly, meaning that he wanted to leave Earl Zhongyong alone for a while.
Kang Hongda's eyes flashed with a gleam of sarcasm, and he sneered in his heart: The House of the Loyal and Brave Marquis has really fallen from grace! In the generation of the grandfather of the current Loyal and Brave Marquis, the Yun family was considered a well-known family in Da Qi, but now only the empty title of nobility remains. From the Loyal and Brave Marquis to his brothers, they all held sinecure positions in the court. The Yun family was gradually marginalized, and now they have fallen to the point of bowing to him.
So sad!
The folding fan in Kang Hongda's hand stopped, and then he thought of the Kang family.
Their Kang family was considered a new noble family and had no title. His generation was the most glorious. Soon after the emperor ascended the throne, he said that he would confer a title on him and would benefit his descendants.
At that time, Kang Hongda declined, saying that he was not worthy of the position, and he also swore an oath of loyalty to the emperor. The emperor felt that he was loyal to the emperor and valued him more.
Kang Hongda really felt that the title was not that important. The title was just an empty title. There were so many fallen nobles in the Great Qi Dynasty who lived worse than the gentry. For him, what was more important was the emperor's favor.
As long as there is grace, there will be power, wealth and status.
Originally, the emperor was in his prime, and Kang Hongda planned to keep the prince in the cold, wait seven or eight years, and then see how the situation would develop. After all, it was still unclear whether the prince could become the emperor.
But now, Kang Hongda can no longer be so calm.
He had already looked for the imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau, and had not missed any of the imperial physicians who had treated the emperor. After careful questioning, he found that the emperor's condition was too serious and he might not live more than a year, unless Hua Tuo was reborn.
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The prince chose the Prince of Chen to support him, and he and I are two different people. If the prince ascends the throne a year later, what will happen to me? I am afraid that their Kang family will slowly fall into the same fate as the Yun family!
In the court, countless people who were once noble have fallen, and countless people have risen rapidly and enjoyed great glory because of the appreciation of those in power. These ups and downs are common.
Kang Hongda came into the house and sat down, and the servant served him tea.
He continued to fan himself absentmindedly, and from time to time a thought popped up in his mind: if the person who ascended the throne was not the crown prince, but another prince, perhaps he would not have to worry so much.
In an instant, Kang Hongda's eyes seemed to be poisoned, cold and fierce, which frightened the servant so much that he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look directly into Kang Hongda's eyes.
The room was silent for a moment, and then Kang Hongda's nonchalant voice suddenly rang out: "Let Lord Zhongyong come in."
The servant bowed his head and responded to the order.
When he left the house, he heard Kang Hongda mutter to himself, "I want to see what he brought to surrender."
After a while, Earl Zhongyong came over with the servant in a state of great trepidation.
The servant stood guard outside the house, with his head lowered and his eyes submissive, not daring to listen to what was being said inside.
In March, flowers bloom like a sea, and the fragrance is everywhere, like a paintbrush depicting the spring all over the city.
It was not until an hour later that Earl Zhongyong left here, with a look of high spirits and brisk steps.
Immediately afterwards, Kang Hongda issued an order to arrest Chu Lingxiao immediately.
On that day, a group of imperial guards swarmed into the Yongding Marquis's mansion with great momentum, and like a stone that caused a thousand ripples, the entire Chu family was in an uproar.
Chu Lingxiao was still a little confused. He was dragged out of the mansion by two tall and mighty soldiers. He was frightened and panicked, shouting:
"Let me go! Who are you and why are you arresting me?!"
"Let me go, this is the capital, under the feet of the emperor..."
“…”
No matter how much Chu Lingxiao shouted, the servants of the Chu family did not dare to stop him. They either watched from afar or ran to report to the masters of each family.
Only the lady rushed over after hearing the news, shouting intermittently: "Stop! Stop now!"
Originally, the lady blamed Chu Lingxiao for Chu Lingyu's death. After Chu Lingyu was buried, she didn't want to see her eldest son again, grieving that she had to see her son die before her.
But when she heard that soldiers were coming to arrest her eldest son, the lady immediately put aside her resentment towards her eldest son and hurried to the Waiyi Gate to stop them from taking her eldest son away.
The old lady ran all the way, panting and stumbling. She felt sorry for her eldest son and was worried: Maybe the eldest son had killed the second son, so the soldiers came to arrest him! The old lady's eyes were filled with tears.
Although she blamed her eldest son for killing her second son, she also knew that her eldest son just acted carelessly and did not really want to kill her second son.
She only has two legitimate sons. The second son, Chu Lingyu, is dead and cannot be brought back to life. If her eldest son were to kill someone to pay for this, then she would have lost two sons in a row.
How could the lady be willing to do that? That would be like digging out her heart and liver!
She rushed to Chu Lingxiao and the imperial guards with all her might, her eyes blurred with tears, and begged bitterly, "My eldest brother is innocent. He just pushed the second brother accidentally, and the second brother accidentally fell and hit his head, which is why..."
The lady tried to testify for Chu Lingxiao.
As she spoke, two lines of tears rolled down her eyes. Her vision became clearer and she could see clearly that the soldiers in front of her were not runners from Jingzhao Prefecture, but imperial guards.
“…”
“…”
“…”
There was silence all around.
The imperial guards who came to arrest people looked at Chu Lingxiao with strange expressions. They didn't expect that this time when they came to arrest people, they would accidentally dig up the secrets of the Chu family.
"Madam," a maid at the gate next to her said to her in a trembling voice, "They said they want to seal up the mansion and confiscate all the property..."
The old woman and some of the servants around her were trembling with fear. Anything involving "confiscation of property" must be a big deal! What?! The old lady's eyes widened in disbelief. She was also very scared. Her heart contracted violently, and she was almost unable to breathe due to the pain.
She took a deep breath and asked the middle-aged soldier in a difficult tone: "Sir, may I ask what crime did my son commit that you want to seal up his house and confiscate his property?"
The middle-aged soldier with a big beard sneered indifferently and said arrogantly: "Chu Lingxiao is suspected of treason." The seven words fell loudly like hail.
The Chu family servants around all took a deep breath and felt weak under their feet.
It turned out that these imperial guards did not come because of Chu Lingyu's death, but because Chu Lingxiao was suspected of treason.
Treason?! Chu Lingxiao excitedly retorted: "I didn't rebel! How could I rebel?!"
The Madam also refused to admit it. Treason was a serious crime that would result in the execution of the entire family. She quickly asked, "Where is the imperial edict?"
"Our Chu family is a marquisate after all. How can you arrest people at will without an imperial decree? Where is the law?"
The lady raised her voice and looked at the middle-aged soldiers a few steps away with a strong appearance but a weak heart, but she was actually very frightened.
Even if she was terrified, she could only suppress it. This was a matter of life and death for the Chu family! The middle-aged soldier looked even colder, looking at the lady as if she was watching a joke, and said as a matter of course: "This is an order from Lord Kang!"
Kang Hongda wanted to arrest someone, so he didn't need an imperial decree. His meaning was the emperor's meaning! The middle-aged soldier waved his arm and ordered: "Take the person away!"
Then, the two imperial guards who restrained Chu Lingxiao forcefully dragged him out of the palace. Chu Lingxiao trembled with fear and shouted again: "I am innocent!"
"My lord..." The old lady, with a kind heart, wanted to stop them, but these imperial guards would not give the Chu family any face. One of the soldiers with triangular eyes pushed her, and the old lady staggered and almost fell. Fortunately, two maids supported her.
The servants of the Chu family who were around did not dare to stop the imperial guards. They just watched helplessly as Chu Lingxiao was dragged out of the Marquis' Mansion and put into the prison van.
Chu Lingxiao was even more panicked than the lady, shouting and yelling: "Mother, I really didn't commit treason, go find Brother Yi!"
"I'm innocent!"
Chu Lingxiao had been to the Ministry of Justice’s Prison twice, and each time, he almost lost his life in there. It was a cruel and inhumane experience.
The lady was supported by her maids, tears streaming down her cheeks, and she cried, "Ling Xiao, don't worry!"
The mother and son looked at each other, showing their deep love.
Neither of them noticed that Aunt Jiang had also arrived from behind. She walked quickly, panting, and her cheeks were flushed.
Aunt Jiang also heard that soldiers were coming, so she hurried over. She didn't expect to hear Chu Lingxiao say this as soon as she arrived.
As if a stream of ice water had been poured over her head, Aunt Jiang's heart suddenly turned cold and she stopped seven or eight tables away.
She stared without blinking at Chu Lingxiao who was already being taken to the prison van, and just watched him being taken away.
Aunt Jiang's maid thought her mistress was afraid, so she whispered to comfort her, "Aunt, the master will be fine."
The maid was also sighing in her heart, thinking that her concubine had suffered so much. After all the efforts of the first lady and the eldest master to reconcile, and the eldest master also promised to make concubine Jiang his wife, she did not expect that another disaster would come.
Aunt Jiang didn't say anything and withdrew her gaze. Her eyes were so cold and cruel, like an ice knife.
The prison car outside left under the escort of the imperial guards.
The lady stood there in dismay, her eyes lifeless and her mind in a mess, completely unable to think calmly.
A year ago, she was still the old lord of the Marquisate, with many children and grandchildren, including the daughter of the imperial concubine and the grandson of the second prince. She was always the envy of others. But now, her family has broken up, her second son has died, her eldest son has been imprisoned time and time again, and this time he is even suspected of treason.
What should she do? !
She was stunned for a long time. When the wind blew, she realized that there was a cold sweat on her vest.
She finally came back to her senses and said hesitantly, "Oh, right, I have to ask for help, I have to notify Brother Yi..."
The Madam wanted to go out, but the next moment she saw the middle-aged soldier coldly announced: "Seal the mansion! Anyone from the Chu family who dares to step out of the mansion will be killed without mercy!"
The vermilion lacquered gate of the marquis' mansion was immediately closed by the imperial guards, leaving only the loud "bang" sound lingering in the air for a long time.
The lady's eyes widened as she stared blankly at the closed door in front of her. Then she remembered that the other party had said before that they would "close the mansion and confiscate the property"! The lady seemed to have lost all her bones, and she collapsed.
"Madam!"
The head maid and Nanny Wang shouted nervously, and their sharp cries pierced the hearts of the servants around them like sharp arrows.
The servants became even more panicked, with a kind of fear and anxiety about the bleak future, and everyone was in a state of panic.
In this era, when one prospers, all prosper; when one disgraces, all disgrace.
This is true not only for relatives with the same surname, but also for masters and servants.
If the master's house was ransacked, these servants would also be sold or even exiled. At that time, it would be very common for a family to be broken up.
It would be fine if she was sold to a good owner, but if she was sold to a bad owner, or even sold to a filthy place, the girl's fate can be imagined.
Seeing that the Madam's face was as white as paper, Nanny Wang became even more worried. She comforted her dryly, "Madam, don't worry. The Master is blessed by heaven. Everything will be fine..."
Her consolation was actually empty and powerless. After all, the Chu family paid a heavy price the previous two times Chu Lingxiao was sent to the Heavenly Prison.
As of today, the Chu family has sold a lot of their property and is almost unable to make ends meet.
"You deserve it!" At this moment, a sarcastic voice came from behind.
Liu, Chu Qianling and several other people came leisurely from the second house, with fake smiles on their faces.
Ever since Chu Lingyu passed away, Liu and others wanted to make trouble, so Chu Lingxiao ordered them to be kept under surveillance. The old lady felt that it was inappropriate, but she did not dare to go against her eldest son, so she turned a blind eye.
Until today, when the imperial guards came to the Chu family with a large army to arrest people, the Marquis's mansion was in chaos and people were in panic. No one was in charge of the second house, and Liu and others were able to see the light of day again.
Liu was in mourning for her husband, so she dressed very simply. She wore a tea-white dress, a white velvet flower and a white jade hairpin on her head, and even her shoes were tea-white. There was no color on her body.
"Chu Lingxiao deserves it! Mother, you are a piece of shit and you'd better open your eyes!"
Liu said hatefully, her eyes sinister and resentful, looking like a female ghost coming to take her life.
In her heart, she had always believed that it was Chu Lingxiao who sent someone to break Chu Lingyu's spine. She also saw with her own eyes that Chu Lingxiao pushed Chu Lingyu, causing Chu Lingyu to hit his head and lose his life. She became a widow, and her children lost the protection of their father.
Today, she saw Chu Lingxiao was imprisoned again. On the one hand, she felt happy, but on the other hand, she was also afraid that Chu Lingxiao might really be treasonous! If that was the case, and they hadn't separated yet, then the second branch would also be implicated.
If it was just Chu Lingxiao who was convicted and exiled like last year, it would be fine. But the fear is that if one person commits a crime, the whole family will suffer. What if the male members of the second branch are exiled and the female members are imprisoned in the Jiaofangsi...
Liu felt frightened just thinking about it. Her eyes turned red like a bloodthirsty beast and she glared at the lady hatefully.
The lady was so angry at Liu that her face turned even paler, the corners of her mouth trembled, and she angrily said, "Liu, is this how you talk to your mother-in-law?!"
"I've seen bias before, but I've never seen someone as biased as you, mother!" Mrs. Liu almost laughed out of anger, and screamed hysterically, "Hasn't our family been harmed enough by uncle?!"
"Don't you understand? Guilty or not, it's just a matter of Kang Hongda's words!"
"You didn't give Kang Hongda what he wanted, so of course he would look for an opportunity to take care of the Chu family."
"If you don't want the entire Chu family to be convicted and become slaves, just hand Yi Ge'er over to Kang Hongda, that's all!"
The more Liu spoke, the more excited he became. He sounded like a madman, like a trapped beast, full of ferocity, and eager to vent his depression and unwillingness.
Madam: “!!!”
The lady's lips were trembled like a sieve, her chest heaved violently, and her face turned slightly blue with anger.
In the past, when Chu Lingyu was around, Liu would still give the lady some face. But now she was not afraid of anything and shouted recklessly, "This is the disaster brought about by the eldest branch. Why should we, the second branch, bear it!"
She hated the eldest son's wife and the old lady. The old lady was too partial. If she had agreed to give the title to Chu Lingyu earlier, what happened later would not have happened.
Their second branch was harmed by the first branch to this point. All the people in the first branch are evil, blood sucking leeches! The atmosphere around them was like returning to winter, and it suddenly became cold.
The servants also heard what Liu said and began to whisper to each other, some of them not quite sure what was going on.
"You...what nonsense are you talking about!" The lady felt her cheeks burning and was extremely embarrassed.
At first, she tacitly agreed to the suggestion of the second brother Chu Lingyu to give Chu Yunyi to Kang Hongda, but this kind of thing really cannot be made public, and it is something that is tacitly agreed to in secret.
But now, Liu talked about this matter in public.
The Madam still wanted to save face, but Liu no longer cared about that. She had lost her husband and was about to be implicated by the eldest son's family to serve as a member of the Jiaofangsi. What else did she have to worry about? Liu continued, "Mother, why do you have to pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth? It turns out that this matter is very simple. Kang Hongda has long been interested in Yi Ge'er."
"It was Kang Hongda who brought my uncle back, but after he came back, he didn't keep his promise, which angered Kang Hongda."
"It's all Uncle's fault. He had to listen to Chu... Humph, Shen Qianchen's instigation. Now Uncle's job in the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been lost. He is left with nothing!"
Two chapters in one (end of this chapter)
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