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 weaken. 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.
他们康家算是新贵，没爵位，到他这一代是最辉煌的，皇帝登基后不久，就说要给他封爵，恩荫后代。
当时康鸿达推辞了，说他德不配位，还对着皇帝宣誓了一番忠心，皇帝觉得他一心效忠天子，对他也更看重了。
康鸿达也是真觉得爵位没那么重要，爵位不过一个虚名，大齐朝有那么多落魄的勋贵，过得连乡绅都不如，对他来说，更重要的是圣宠。
只要有圣宠，权力、财富和地位都会有。
本来，皇帝春秋正盛，康鸿达是打算冷着太子，等过个七八年，看看局面再说，毕竟太子能不能从太子变成皇帝还两说。
可现在，康鸿达就没办法这么从容了。
他早就找过太医院的太医，那些给皇帝看诊的太医一个也没漏掉，仔细询问过了，皇帝的病情太重了，恐怕活不过一年了，除非华佗再世。
6◇9◇书◇吧
太子选择了宸王扶持他，与自己是两路人，假如一年后，太子登基了，那么自己的下场会怎么样？ 恐怕他们康家也会慢慢沦落成云家这样！
朝堂上，不知有多少曾经显贵的人没落，又有不计其数的人因为上位者的赏识一路扶摇直上，风光无限，这些个起起伏伏都是常事。
康鸿达进了屋坐下，小厮给他上茶。
他心不在焉地继续摇着折扇，有一下没一下，心中冒出了一个念头：假如登基的人不是太子，而是其他的皇子，也许他就可以不用这么发愁了。
一瞬间，康鸿达的眼神像淬了毒似的，阴冷，狠厉，吓得小厮心一惊，赶紧低下了头，不敢直视康鸿达的眼睛。
屋里静了片刻，才蓦地响起了康鸿达漫不经心的声音：“让忠勇伯进来吧。”
小厮俯首作揖，应了命。
退出屋时，就听康鸿达自语道：“我倒要看看，他拿了什么来投诚。”
不一会儿，忠勇伯就诚惶诚恐地随小厮过来了。
小厮守在屋外，低眉顺眼，完全不敢去听里面在说些什么。
阳春三月，花开成海，芬芳四溢，似是一支画笔描绘着满城的春意。
直到一个时辰后，忠勇伯才从这里离开，神色间多了一抹意气风发，步履带风。
紧接着，康鸿达下了一道令，即刻拿下楚令霄。
当日，一众禁军将士气势汹汹地蜂拥至永定侯府，犹如一石激起千层浪，整个楚家喧哗不已。
楚令霄还有些懵，被两个高大威猛的将士拖拽着往府外走，又惊又慌，喊着：
“放开我！你们是什么人，凭什么抓我！！”
“放开我，这里是京城，天子脚下……”
“……”
任楚令霄反复叫嚣，楚家的下人们都不敢阻拦，或是远远地看着，或是跑去通禀各房的主子们。
唯有太夫人闻讯后匆匆赶来，嘴里断断续续地喊着：“住手！快住手！”
本来，太夫人因为楚令宇的死怪上了楚令霄的，自楚令宇下葬后，就不愿意再见长子，哀痛自己白发人送黑发人。
可是当她听说有官兵来抓长子时，太夫人一下子就抛开了对长子的怨艾，急匆匆地赶到了外仪门，想阻拦他们带走长子。
太夫人跑了一路，气喘吁吁，跌跌撞撞，心里既心疼长子，又是担忧：是不是老大杀了老二的事曝光了，所以才会有官兵突然来拿人！ 太夫人的眼眶中含满了泪水。
她虽然怨长子害死了次子，但她也知道长子只是一时失手，不是真的想杀次子。
她一共也就这么两个嫡子，次子楚令宇人死不能复生，如果连长子为此杀人偿命的话，那么她就是连失两子。
太夫人哪里会舍得，那等于是把她的心肝给挖出来！
她拼尽全力地冲到了楚令霄与那几个禁军将士的身旁，泪水朦胧了她的视线，苦苦哀求道：“我家老大是无辜的。他只是不小心推了老二一下，老二他是不小心摔倒撞到了头，才会……”
太夫人试图为楚令霄作证。
说话的同时，两行泪水滑下眼眶，她的视野也清晰了一些，这才看清眼前的官兵竟然不是京兆府的衙差，而是禁军。
“……”
“……”
“……”
周围静了一静。
来拿人的那些禁军将士神情古怪地看着楚令霄，没想到这次来拿人，竟然还意外挖出了楚家的阴私。
“太夫人，”旁边的一个门房婆子颤声对太夫人禀道，“他们说要封府抄家……”
那婆子以及周围的一些下人吓得浑身直哆嗦，但凡涉及“抄家”，肯定是大事！ 什么？！太夫人难以置信地瞪大了眼睛，同样吓得不轻，心脏剧烈地一缩，痛得她几乎喘不过气来。
她深吸一口气，语调艰难地询问为首的中年将士：“这位大人，敢问小儿到底是犯了什么事，你们要封府抄家？”
那个留着大胡子的中年将士冷漠地嗤笑了一声，趾高气昂地说道：“楚令霄涉嫌谋反。”七个字掷地有声，如冰雹似的砸下。
周围的楚家下人们全都倒吸一口气，脚下发虚。
原来这些禁军将士不是为了楚令宇之死来的，而是因为楚令霄涉嫌谋反。
谋反？！楚令霄激动地反驳道：“我没有谋反！我怎么可能谋反呢！！”
太夫人也同样不肯认，谋反那可是要满门抄斩的大罪，连忙又道：“那圣旨何在？”
“我们楚家怎么说也是侯府，你们没有圣旨，怎么能随随便便抓人！律法何在！”
太夫人拔高了音调，外强中干地看着几步外的中年将士，其实惶恐不安。
哪怕心里再惶恐，她都只能强压下，这可是事关楚家生死存亡的大事！ 中年将士神情更冷，看太夫人的眼神仿佛在看一个笑话似的，理所当然地说道：“这是康大人下的令！”
康鸿达要抓人，哪里需要圣旨，他的意思就是皇帝的意思！ 中年将士大臂一挥，下令：“把人带走！”
于是，制住楚令霄的两名禁军将士就强势地把人往府外拖去，楚令霄胆战心惊地又喊了起来：“我是无辜的！”
“大人……”太夫人一派慈母心，还想去拦，可是这些禁军将士根本就不会给楚家脸面，其中一个三角眼的将士随手一推，太夫人就是一个趔趄，差点没摔倒，幸好两个丫鬟扶住了她。
周围的楚家下人就更不敢拦禁军，就这么眼睁睁地看着楚令霄被拖出了侯府，拉上了囚车。
楚令霄比太夫人更慌，又喊又叫：“娘，我真的没谋反，你快去找逸哥儿！”
“我是无辜的！”
楚令霄曾经两次进过刑部天牢，每一次，都差点把命交代在里面，惨绝人寰。
太夫人由丫鬟们的搀扶下，泪如雨下，喊着：“令霄，你放心！”
母子俩彼此目光相对，母子情深。
两人都没注意到后方姜姨娘也赶到了，她走得急，娇喘连连，两颊生霞。
姜姨娘也是听说有官兵来，匆匆赶了过来，没想到她才刚到，就听到了楚令霄说这样的话。
仿佛当头被倒了一通冰水似的，姜姨娘的心一下子就寒了，停在了七八张外。
她的一眨不眨地望着已经被押上囚车的楚令霄，就这么眼睁睁地看着他被带走了。
姜姨娘的大丫鬟以为主子是在害怕，小声地宽慰道：“姨娘，大老爷一定会没事的。”
大丫鬟心里也是唏嘘，觉得她家姨娘真是多灾多难。好不容易大夫人与大老爷和离了，大老爷也答应要扶正姜姨娘，没想到又是飞来横祸。
姜姨娘没说话，收回了目光，她的眼眸是那么冰冷、那么狠戾，就像是一把冰刀。
外面的囚车在禁军将士的押送下离开了。
太夫人失魂落魄地呆立原地，两眼无神，脑子里更是一片混乱，完全无法冷静地思考。
一年前，她还是侯府的老封君，子孙满堂，还有贵妃女儿与二皇子外孙，总是收到旁人艳羡的目光，可现在呢，好好的一个家散了，次子死了，长子一次次地入狱，这一次更是沾上了谋反的嫌疑。
她该怎么办？！
她茫然了，呆了好一会儿，风一吹，她方才察觉自己的背心出一片冷汗。
她终于回过神来，讷讷道：“对了，我得去请人帮忙，我得通知逸哥儿……”
太夫人想出门，可是下一刻就见那个中年将士冷声宣布道：“封府！凡楚家人胆敢迈出侯府，格杀勿论！”
侯府的朱漆大门立刻就被那些禁军将士关上了，只留下那“砰”的一声巨响环绕在空气中，久久不去。
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 from the second house came leisurely, 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 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)