Chapter 122 [VIP]
The emperor frowned impatiently.
The thin curtain could not block out the excited voices of the crowd outside the carriage.
"Master."
Lady Ji drawled, "Should I not have come back with you?"
"Please send me to the estate. I will be content as long as you visit me from time to time."
The emperor held the soft jade in his arms, savoring its fragrance: "Don't think nonsense. I just want to be with you every moment."
Ji leaned against him. For the past three days, she felt as if she were in a dream. She was deeply immersed in this beautiful dream and did not want to wake up.
Even with her face in such a state, he didn't seem to mind; it was clear his feelings were the same as hers. Just as Lady Ji was about to speak, someone outside began reciting the Criminal Law.
"Anyone who commits adultery shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane; if the person is married, the cane shall be punished with ninety strokes."
First there was one voice, but soon more voices joined in.
“A wicked woman shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane; an adulterous woman shall be sold into marriage by her husband…” (Note)
Ji carefully lifted the curtain of the carriage. A dark crowd blocked the carriage from all sides, and the candlelight of the lanterns reflected on their faces, leaving mottled shadows.
"I saw her!"
The moment Ji peeked out, a clamor erupted.
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Headmaster Ji, is the woman in the carriage a member of the Ji family?"
Before the Duke of Wei could stop him, the clan chief Ji said with a heavy heart, "Yes."
The young students were the most impetuous, shouting recklessly, "Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people."
"Your Majesty has committed adultery with my wife; you should issue an edict to repent."
"Your Majesty, we beg you to give the people of the world an explanation!"
"Ninety strokes of the cane."
...
The Duke of Wei's ears rang loudly, and he cursed inwardly: "That cunning fox from Song."
No wonder he left first; he must have anticipated facing such a scene upon his return.
"Your Majesty has committed adultery with my wife, which is immoral and immoral. I have studied diligently for decades and I refuse to associate with such a ruler."
The middle-aged scholar wearing a turban burst into tears and rammed his head against the nearest city wall, only to be grabbed by the collar by a heavily guarded Imperial Guard.
Unable to push away the Imperial Guards, he covered his face and wept bitterly.
Duke Wei was dumbfounded. This… even if the Emperor were to die immediately, he wouldn't be crying so bitterly, would he?
The emperor was traveling incognito with few guards, and the crowds of people surging in made it impossible for the carriage to move.
"Your Majesty," the carriage attendant said with a troubled expression, "we can't go any further."
Unless it involves knives and bloodshed.
"You unruly people!" The emperor was furious. "No wonder the founding emperor suppressed the scholars. I have been tolerant of them and have shown them kindness time and again. Is this how they repay me? Ungrateful wretch."
He just wanted to take a woman he liked as his concubine, so why is everyone objecting?
His remaining rationality told him that he had to quell public anger as soon as possible.
However, when he saw Ji Shi trembling in his arms, his last shred of reason vanished.
"kill."
A low groan came from the emperor's throat.
Li Deshun was startled and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you mustn't."
His forehead was covered in cold sweat as he advised, "Your Majesty, on this joyous day, seeing blood will... will spoil the celebration."
The emperor pondered and said, "That's true."
The palace gates opened, and the Imperial Guards, who had been urgently dispatched, rushed out. They swiftly drew their swords and drove the people in the square to both sides.
Most of the common people were still afraid of the government troops. Before long, the Imperial Guards cleared a path, and Commander Zhou of the Imperial Guards stepped forward to respectfully welcome the Emperor.
"Walk."
The carriage wheels sped across the square and stopped in front of the palace gate, where the palanquin was already waiting.
The emperor stepped down from the carriage and said coldly, "Issue my decree to elevate Lady Ji to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort."
The Meridian Gate Square fell silent for a moment.
After saying this, the emperor embraced Lady Ji and entered the palace gate without looking back.
Duke of Wei: "..."
He's going crazy.
That cunning old fox, Chief Minister Song, must have guessed this would happen and deliberately avoided it.
Definitely.
After a brief silence, the Meridian Gate Square became noisy again.
The news spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and before dawn, all this absurdity had become common knowledge in the capital. Merchants from all directions flocked to the capital daily, and as soon as the city gates opened at daybreak, the entire surrounding area soon knew.
After Zheng Qi returned from the capital, he brought back all the news exactly as it was.
Gu Zhizhuo laughed so hard he almost fell over, nestled in Qingmei's arms, his laughter never ceasing.
It's such a pity I couldn't go to Lotus Manor to see the fun.
Meow?
The tabby cat swung its unicorn-like tail and patted her face with its paw.
Meow!
Gu Zhizhuo picked up the cat, kissed it, and asked, "Quickly, continue."
"The scholars and teachers of the various academies in the capital, as well as the students who have arrived in the capital early for next year's spring imperial examinations, are now sitting in silence at the Meridian Gate. At first, some people tried to bang their heads against the wall, but they were all stopped by the Imperial Guards. Later, they stopped banging their heads against the wall and instead sat in silence, and everyone was writing petitions. Clan Chief Ji is also among these people."
Gu Zhizhuo nodded.
It must have been the young master's arrangement. Even if someone were to die by running into the wall, it would escalate the situation, but there's no need to let students lose their lives for such a trivial matter.
"The inner palace was not peaceful either. The Empress, except for her hairpins and jewelry, knelt in the Phoenix Palace with all the concubines."
Gu Zhizhu frowned and asked, "Where is our residence?"
She sent Zheng Qi back yesterday not only to gather information, but also to inform her third uncle.
“Our manor remains untouched for now. Fifth Young Master… Gu Yan is being held captive in the manor by the Third Master and is unaware of what is happening outside.” Zheng Qi finished speaking and added, “The eldest son-in-law asked me to tell you that if you have nothing else to do, you should return to the capital first.”
The current "son-in-law" of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is Xie Yingchen. After the formal betrothal and marriage ceremony, the Grand Madam was very satisfied with Xie Yingchen's attitude and had the entire mansion change their address to "son-in-law".
Gu Zhizhuo's earlobes turned slightly red. The young master must have something urgent to say.
She smiled and said, "Alright, have someone prepare a carriage."
"Yes." Zheng Qi replied, then asked, "What should be done with the Ji family?"
"Keep them locked up, it's not like they're short of food."
Gu Zhizhuo tapped the table lightly with his fingertips: "Let's take a look first."
She's brought the matter to light, but she hasn't thought about how to handle it yet.
Zheng Qi withdrew.
Gu Zhizhuo cleaned the bones off the freshly cooked fish and fed it to the kitten.
The cat, whiskers twitching, buried its head in its food, its little ears twitching happily.
After finishing the entire plate of fish, the tabby cat sat obediently on the octagonal table, licking its paws to wash its face, cleaning itself thoroughly so that there was no fishy smell at all.
"Miss, the carriage is ready."
"Let's go back."
Gu Zhizhuo picked up the cat and hugged it, pinching its paws: "I'll bring you here to soak in the hot springs again next time."
The kitten didn't know what a hot spring was, but it understood that she wanted to take it out to play, and it meowed happily.
Upon returning to the capital, Gu Zhizhuo did not go home first, but went directly to the Prince Chen's residence.
She was very familiar with the Prince Chen's mansion; she had lived there for many years in her previous life, and she had visited it quite often in this one as well.
Without needing to be invited, she made her way to the garden's waterfront promenade, sat down on the chaise lounge by the pond, and appeared completely at ease. The cat jumped off her lap and ran around the garden chasing butterflies.
The garden was somewhat desolate and seemed very deserted, just like when she moved in in her previous life.
There weren't many flowers or trees, and no fish in the pond. A few lotus leaves and aquatic plants floated by. The water in the pond was clear and shallow, and you could clearly see the small pebbles at the bottom. There was nothing else there.
After the deposed crown prince died, the mansion was searched several times, and the rockery and pavilion in the garden were all removed, for fear that there might be a secret passage.
The furniture in each courtyard was almost completely removed, for fear of a hidden room.
Later, when the late emperor passed away, the prince went to Liang as a hostage, and the house was sealed off.
She visited several times after the young master moved in.
There were few people in the mansion. Apart from the main courtyard, only a few side courtyards were opened for Huai Jingzhi and his group to stay in. All the other courtyards and pavilions were closed.
The servants in the mansion were mostly lowly eunuchs and old women who had served the deposed crown prince; there were only about ten people in total.
Hmm.
It seems like it was the same in my previous life.
After she moved in, the young master found a way to buy Qiongfang back from the list of slaves for sale and give her to him.
Not a single person in the entire mansion had the leisure or inclination for anything else; it was so desolate that it was even worse than the Wang family's house, which had been uninhabited for years.
There weren't many flowers in the garden, so not many butterflies were attracted. The kitten chased her for a while but then lost interest and turned away, meowing at her in dissatisfaction.
"Why."
Gu Zhizhuo rested his chin on his right hand and sighed.
Why do you look so gloomy?
A gentle voice sounded from behind, but Gu Zhizhuo didn't even look up and said, "This mansion is too empty. You don't really want to get married like this, do you?"
Cough, cough, cough. Qin Chen, who was following behind Xie Yingchen, choked on his saliva and coughed until his face turned red.
Gu Zhizhuo turned around and looked at him sideways: "Qin Chen."
"Cough cough."
"If you were with Shen Xu, do you know what he would say right now?"
Qin Chen coughed as he looked at her with a bewildered expression.
"If you keep making noise, I'll cut your tongue out."
Gu Zhizhuo mimicked Shen Xu's tone, and before he could finish speaking, he leaned on the railing and started grinning foolishly.
Qin Chen: ?
One of them couldn't help but laugh.
Xie Yingchen nodded seriously and said, "He is not suitable to get married."
"Could you please help me decorate the place to make it suitable for my son to marry?"
Gu Zhizhuo's cheeks lit up with two deep dimples as she held out her hand to him: "Alright. Pay up."
Xie Yingchen took a small brass key from his sleeve and placed it in her outstretched palm. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "There's a secret room in my study, it's right here..."
The secret room was so well hidden that even the Imperial Guards didn't discover it when they raided the house.
However, Gu Zhizhuo knew this in her previous life, and it wasn't just her; Huai Jingzhi, Chong Jiu, and the others also knew.
Xie Yingchen described the location of the darkroom and how to open it, then placed a light kiss on her rosy cheek.
"All my money is in there, it's all yours."
He held her hand, gently closing her fingers, his tone carrying a pitiful undertone: "Now, can I find a wife?"
"Let me arrange it first."
After Gu Zhizhuo finished speaking, he was overjoyed.
Xie Yingchen patted her back, afraid that she would choke on her saliva.
"Meow!"
The tabby cat thought she was being attacked, so it rushed over from the garden, leaped over the fence, and arched its back, letting out an angry "ha ha" at Xie Yingchen.
Gu Zhizhuo scratched its chin and picked it up to comfort it.
The two, one human and one cat, forehead to forehead, were bathed in a thin veil of warm sunlight, and Xie Yingchen's eyes were filled with tenderness that seemed to melt into water.
"Yaoyao, could you go and check on Prince Li for me?" Xie Yingchen leaned against the balustrade beside her and offered to explain why he wanted her to return to the capital as soon as possible.
Gu Zhizhuo placed the cat on his lap and stroked its fur gently: "What's wrong with Prince Li?"
"Stroke."
Xie Yingchen recounted what happened at Lotus Manor, adding, "I fed him a pill that my master gave me. After returning to the capital, I had the imperial physician examine him. His life was saved, but his mouth and eyes are crooked, and he is sometimes unconscious and sometimes awake. The imperial physician was helpless."
Gu Zhizhuo readily agreed: "I'll go now." A stroke can't be delayed any longer.
Although there is a rule that "doctors don't knock on doors," Gu Zhizhuo still had a pretty good impression of Prince Li, the little old man.
In his previous life, when the young master was seriously ill, he helped search for a divine doctor from all walks of life. After the young master's death, he was also the only member of the royal family to propose that the young master be posthumously granted the title of Crown Prince.
Gu Zhizhuo remembers this kindness.
Moreover, even disregarding personal feelings, Prince Li's status as a member of the imperial clan is of paramount importance.
Gu Zhizhuo held the cat and went out with him.
As they walked, she suddenly remembered something and stared at him threateningly: "Young master, were you riding a horse? Didn't I tell you that you can't ride a horse yet? How long did it take you to get from the capital to Lotus Manor?"
The tabby cat hissed and slapped Xie Yingchen's arm.
"I was wrong."
Xie Yingchen admitted his mistake very quickly, and before she could get angry, he quickly changed the subject: "The Emperor's attitude towards Lady Ji is very strange. Do you know why?"
"It's a love charm."
A marriage charm?
"Have you heard about Liu Nuo's deep affection for an old blind man?" Gu Zhizhuo pulled its little paws back. She didn't want to use the stories of the victimized girls as gossip, so she only mentioned it briefly before moving on. She mainly talked about their visit to the old blind man, how she accidentally saw Ji Nanke buy a marriage charm, and how Ji Nanke took Ji Shi out of the manor feigning illness…
She skipped along, pulling on his sleeve, and exclaimed, "Fortunately, the Zhuyin Mantra is based on cause and effect and is almost lost, otherwise the world would be in chaos."
After explaining the whole story, we arrived at the Prince Li's residence.
So easy to coax.
She spoke excitedly, clearly having forgotten about her anger towards him earlier.
After getting off the carriage, Princess Li personally came out to greet him.
The princess was over sixty years old. Gu Zhizhuo had met her a few times and she was usually quite healthy, but in just one day, she showed signs of fatigue and old age.
"princess."
Gu Zhizhuo curtsied.
Princess Li thought she had come to visit the prince, and quickly said, "Miss Gu, there's no need for such formalities."
After the prince fell, Xie Yingchen was the only member of the imperial clan who ran around taking care of him.
Seeing that the prince had offended the emperor and was on the verge of death, the others remained hesitant and observed the situation.
Princess Li personally led them to the main courtyard, sighing all the way, "She woke up once this morning, took the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, and then went back to sleep. She hasn't woken up since. Still, still..."
With Gu Zhizhuo present, she felt somewhat embarrassed to speak, so Gu Zhizhuo took the initiative to ask, "Did you lose control of your bladder?"
Princess Li, clutching her handkerchief, said with difficulty, "Yes."
The prince was such a strong-willed person, and Princess Li didn't know whether she should be thankful that he was unconscious and that she wouldn't have to face such an embarrassing scene.
Prince Li's sons and daughters-in-law were all waiting in the main courtyard. When they saw them come in, they got up to greet them.
Princess Consort Li: "The imperial physicians are all waiting in the banquet hall."
Three imperial physicians came from the palace and will stay by his side day and night for the next few days.
The princess led them into the inner chamber, where only the concubine attending to the ailing prince and a few servants were present. A strong medicinal smell permeated the air. Prince Li lay unconscious on the couch, his face ashen and bloodless, his cheeks deeply sunken. The brocade quilt covering him rose and fell slightly, making him appear thin and small, completely enveloped in it.
"Your Highness, let me take the Prince's pulse first."
"ah?"
Princess Li looked at Xie Yingchen in astonishment.
Xie Yingchen nodded solemnly and said, "Grandmother, Yaoyao knows medicine."
He meant, could Miss Gu save the prince? Princess Li hesitated.
However, ever since Prince Chen got engaged to Miss Gu, he has indeed become healthier day by day.
She remembered that not long ago, Prince Chen was seriously ill, and the imperial physicians said he wouldn't live more than seven days. After the prince returned, he lost his appetite, but after the emperor bestowed a marriage upon him, Xie Yingchen miraculously came back to life. The prince was overjoyed and praised Miss Gu in front of her, saying that she had the appearance of bringing good fortune to her husband.
Could it be that Xie Yingchen's good fortune isn't due to Miss Gu's ability to bring him good luck, but rather her expertise in medicine?
After careful consideration, Princess Li made a decision quickly.
"You may all leave."
She dismissed the servants and personally took the prince's hand out from under the quilt.
"Please, Miss Gu, save my prince!"
"I'll do my best."
In his previous life, Prince Li died five years later, shortly after suffering a stroke due to anger from the emperor.
Gu Zhizhuo took the pulse for a while and then calculated a divination with his fingers.
"Your Highness's blood and qi are disordered, leading to obstruction of the brain's blood vessels. He needs long needles."
“Your Highness, a stroke is a serious illness. His Highness's attack was too sudden and severe. If left untreated, and if His Highness continues to be in a coma and bedridden like this, he might only last for a little over a year.” In fact, if the young master hadn't fed him the elixir, he would have died on the spot. “If we want to treat him, I only have a 50% chance of success.”
Gu Zhizhuo made a "five" gesture and said frankly, "If we fail, the Prince's Mansion will probably have to hold a funeral."
What she meant was, either live like this, and you can live for another year or two.
It's either life or death; it's a risky proposition.
Princess Li looked at the old man on the couch, held his slightly cold hand, and lingered for a long time.
The prince would not be willing to live like this, lying on his bed unable to move.
He might also choose to take a gamble.
A note from the author:
Note: Adapted from the "Great Ming Code"
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