Chapter 130 [VIP]
Master Changfeng said that Xie Jing is the one with the dragon's fortune.
The Prince of Jin composed himself. The true divination had never been wrong; he had to remain calm.
The calm planning was just like putting the emperor on the throne six years ago.
The deposed crown prince, whose position was secure back then, still fell into his hands. His only mistake was leaving Xie Yingchen alive, which led to the tiger being released back into the mountains.
He squinted, Xie Yingchen seemed born to be in a superior position, and could easily control the whole situation with every move he made.
Xie Yingchen raised his hand and said, "Minister Fan, go and do it."
Fan Heng agreed and picked up the memorial from the ground.
Even if Ji Nanke was dissatisfied or angry, Xie Jing did not express any objection at this time.
The way the Ji family was dealt with was in line with everyone's wishes.
If Lady Ji were to be posthumously honored as Empress, her illegitimate son would become the legitimate heir, which would be unacceptable to anyone.
Now that the Ji family has no official status or title, there is only a tiny chance that the throne will fall to Gu Yan unless all of the emperor's sons die.
Very good.
Everyone was relieved.
"Chief Minister Song," Prince Jin said, "Back then, due to the fierce earthquake in Qingzhou and the Emperor's whereabouts being unknown, Prince Chen was temporarily appointed as regent. Now that the Emperor is seriously ill, this is not something that can be cured overnight. In my opinion, the regent should be re-appointed. Prince Chen is not a prince, so his position is not legitimate."
"The Empress Dowager has arrived!"
Just then, the eunuch's shrill announcement rang out, and Xie Yingchen said unhurriedly, "His Majesty needs to rest. You will come with me back to Wenyuan Pavilion to discuss this matter further."
“State affairs are of utmost importance,” Prince Li interjected. “I will discuss the rest with the Empress Dowager.”
Xie Yingchen nodded: "Cousin Lang, cousin Jing, you two should come along too."
The eldest prince, Xie Lang, looked delighted and repeatedly agreed.
Xie Yingchen left first, followed closely by Chief Minister Song. Prince Jin gave Duke Wei a wink, and the two of them lagged behind, followed by the rest of the officials.
"What is it?" Duke of Wei asked.
The Prince of Jin clearly intended to remove Xie Yingchen from his post and promote someone else. My relationship with the Prince of Jin is so-so that we could not possibly collude in private.
The Prince of Jin didn't mince words and said directly, "Duke, you've chosen the Third Prince, haven't you?"
Duke Wei remained noncommittal, casting a scrutinizing glance at him: "Speak plainly."
Prince Jin smiled faintly and said confidently, "In the court, you, me, and Chief Minister Song form a three-way power struggle. I'm sure you can see that Chief Minister Song has already sided with Xie Yingchen, leaving only the two of us."
The three parties had long been rivals, and the emperor preferred a balance of power; in terms of their respective positions in the court, they were roughly equal.
"Duke, if we cooperate, we can surely help the Third Prince rise to power. What do you say?"
Duke Wei pondered this.
The King of Jin was observing and weighing his options, and had not taken sides. Why did he suddenly change his mind? The Duke of Wei thought he would patiently wait until he and the Chief Minister of Song had decided the outcome before he could reap the benefits.
Xie Yingchen's power is still limited. The deposed crown prince was ultimately deposed because of regicide, patricide, and usurpation. As the eldest son of the deposed crown prince, this is an indelible stain on his reputation.
The Third Prince was indeed weak, which meant that after he ascended the throne, he could only rely on himself. He had neither the ability nor the means to discard him after he had served his purpose.
If he were to cooperate with the Prince of Jin, he might not be without a chance. The Duke of Wei's heart was pounding.
The Prince of Jin nudged his arm, and the Duke of Wei, snapping out of his daze, saw the Empress Dowager approaching amidst a crowd of people. The two stepped aside to greet the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager brushed past them and hurried straight into the palace.
Where is the Emperor?
"I will absolutely not agree to posthumously confer the title of Empress upon Lady Ji."
"A harlot..."
Gu Zhizhuo curtsied to avoid her, but the Empress Dowager didn't even notice her.
After leaving Hanzhang Palace, Gu Zhizhuo did not go to Wenyuan Pavilion, but left the palace gate alone.
The jade lion paced aimlessly in front of the palace gate. When it saw her come out, it came over, swaying its head and hooking its tail around her leg, begging for candy in a coquettish manner.
"Okay, okay, I'll take it."
As dusk fell, the pale orange-red sunset lingered on the horizon, the summer evening was extremely humid, even the wind blowing in our faces was hot, making it feel suffocating and uncomfortable.
After eating the candy, the jade lion followed Gu Zhizhuo contentedly, not even needing her to hold the reins.
A man and a horse slowly walked through the crowd sitting quietly at the Meridian Gate. Gu Zhizhuo saw Ji Nanke not far away.
Ji Nanke was dressed in luxurious clothes, and she preferred to wear simple clothes. She was as elegant as a fairy, but she was not as flamboyant as before. Instead, she seemed a little confused, as if she was trapped in a fog and could not break free.
She stood not far from the palace gate, glancing in that direction every now and then, seemingly waiting for someone. When she saw Gu Zhizhuo come out, her expression stiffened, and she silently turned her head away, as if she would never have anything to do with her again.
Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow. Based on her understanding of Ji Nanke, Ji Nanke was angry with Xie Jing again, pretending to leave in a huff, waiting for Xie Jing to come and coax her.
I'm so bored.
Gu Zhizhuo stroked the horse's back. At that moment, Fan Heng, the Minister of Rites, led several eunuchs to carry Ji Shi out as well. Ji Shi was wrapped in a thin quilt, and Granny Wan followed behind with her head down, her face ashen.
Fan Heng: "Miss Gu."
"You're busy."
Gu Zhizhuo led the jade lion aside to let them pass first.
"Be careful," Fan Heng instructed the young eunuch, then called out loudly, "Is Headmaster Ji here?"
Is Headmaster Ji here?
After calling out two or three times, Chief Ji, supported by a student, stood up shakily.
His head was wrapped in a thick white cloth. He had just been so enraged by the fact that Lady Ji had been made an Imperial Noble Consort that he had banged his head against the wall.
He originally intended to end his life, but there was a Jinyiwei guard every ten steps at the Meridian Gate. As soon as he bumped his head into one, he was pulled back. He didn't die, but he was still a little dizzy and unsteady.
"I...I am."
"I answered," Chief Ji replied, his voice somewhat weak.
Fan Heng said amicably, "The Ji family has passed away, and their bodies are here."
Ji Ruo is dead?
Chief Ji asked in shock, "When did this happen?"
"Two hours ago."
Fan Heng gestured to the eunuchs to carry the person to Chief Ji.
They carried Ji Shi on their shoulders, a thin blanket covering her face. The clan chief hesitated before walking over, carefully lifting a corner of the blanket to reveal a pale face covered in red rashes. Startled, the clan chief retreated, his lips trembling.
Fan Heng: "Is it Ji Ruo?"
"Yes," Chief Ji said affirmatively.
The surrounding students were in an uproar upon hearing this. What? Ji Shi is dead?
Wasn't she just conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort?
What happened?!
Fan Heng said matter-of-factly, "Does Headmaster Ji have a residence in the capital? How should this person be settled?"
He thought, "I can't just leave it here and let Headmaster Ji carry it back by himself."
Chief Ji was bewildered, and answered questions intermittently, "There's a house..."
Wasn't she supposed to be made an Imperial Noble Consort? Can he take her away? Has the Emperor finally figured it out?
"Please lead the way, Headmaster Ji."
"Wait!" Ji Nanke rushed into the crowd. "Where are you taking her?"
Xie Jing had promised her that he would get her aunt a posthumous title, hadn't he? Even without a posthumous title, her aunt was still a legitimate Imperial Noble Consort and shouldn't have been carried out wrapped in a thin blanket.
"Miss Ji." Fan Heng recognized her; she was the Third Prince's sweetheart.
"Sister Ke?"
Ji Shanzhang had not seen Ji Nanke for a long time. She had grown from a child to sixteen years old, and the changes were quite significant.
Ji Nanke's eyes flashed coldly, and she ignored him.
If he hadn't inexplicably insisted on going to beat the petition drum, everything could have proceeded according to her plan step by step, and things wouldn't have ended up like this. She and her aunt were having a hard time in the capital, and not only could the Ji family not help, they also seemed to be making things worse.
"Who gave you permission to act on your own!" Ji Nanke said coldly to Fan Heng. "Was it Xie Yingchen? How absurd! The Emperor himself bestowed upon her the title of Imperial Noble Consort. How can a mere prince depose her just like that?"
Fan Heng's attitude was extremely polite: "Miss Ji, please don't keep calling her Imperial Noble Consort; she doesn't deserve that title."
Fan Heng was grateful for Xie Yingchen's advice. He turned to the Ji clan chief and said, "The Prince of Chen has decreed that since the Ji family died before the investiture ceremony, they are not yet considered imperial concubines. The abandoned women of the Ji family who have died and returned to the clan shall be disposed of by the Ji family themselves."
Chief Ji opened his mouth, then released the student who was supporting him and knelt down gratefully to kowtow.
His forehead was pressed deeply into the ground, and blood kept seeping out from the white cloth wrapped around his head.
With tears streaming down his face, he said, "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Chen."
His Highness Prince Chen has preserved the century-old reputation of the Ji family. Otherwise, even a thousand deaths would not be enough to atone for his sins, and he would have no face to meet his ancestors after death.
The students looked at each other, and one of them said from the bottom of his heart, "Prince Chen is wise!"
So that was Prince Chen's intention!
“Prince Chen must be the Crown Prince’s grandson from back then,” an old scholar said, stroking his long beard. “Truly wise and virtuous.”
Some people also asked, "...How did the Ji family die?"
Yes. That's the key point.
Did their letters finally make the Emperor see the truth and order Ji Shi's execution? Or...?
That cannot be said. Fan Heng smiled and told the eunuchs to continue carrying Lady Ji, saying, "Please lead the way, Headmaster Ji."
"impossible!"
Ji Nanke cried out in alarm again, her voice filled with fear.
If she didn't even have the title of Imperial Noble Consort, how could she continue to live in the palace under the pretext of mourning her aunt? And if she didn't live in the palace, where could she go?
There's no going back to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Are we going back to the Ji family?! That old pedantic man will never let me have an easy time.
"I won't agree."
She stretched out her arms, blocking the young eunuchs, and said firmly, "I will report to the Emperor. What is the punishment for disobeying the Emperor's orders?"
"Ahhh!"
Granny Wan, who had been following the young eunuchs blankly, suddenly became hysterical. She screamed and lunged at Ji Nanke. Caught off guard, Ji Nanke had no time to dodge and was knocked to the ground by a strong impact.
Granny Wan pressed her knee against her lower abdomen, her hands, which were slightly rough from years of hard work, tightly gripping her neck.
Hmm.
Ji Nanke's face turned pale. She desperately tried to pry open Granny Wan's hands, leaving deep red scratches on the back of Granny Wan's hands with her fingernails.
Fan Heng was stunned.
This happened at the Meridian Gate; if someone dies, he can't bear the responsibility.
Fan Heng cried out, "Quick, pull her away!"
The young eunuch could only put Ji down first and then go forward to pull her away.
"It's all your fault. It's all your fault!"
Granny Wan seemed to have lost her mind, her face contorted with rage, her hands clenching tightly.
"If it weren't for you, how could Madam have died? It's all your fault, all your fault!" Yuege
The surrounding students realized what was happening and rushed over to pull the person away.
"Hey, you old woman, let's talk this out, don't hit me."
"Quick, pull her away!"
"Killing someone is punishable by death, don't act impulsively."
Granny Wan was getting on in years, and she was soon pulled away.
Ji Nanke clutched her neck, finally catching her breath, and gasped for air. Deep finger marks were left on her neck; her fair and delicate skin was contrasted sharply with the reddish-purple marks, which were particularly glaring.
Ji Nanke's face was as white as paper, still in shock, and she couldn't stand up.
"Young lady."
"Young lady!"
As a group of people were holding Granny Wan captive, she struggled desperately and saw Gu Zhizhuo. Suddenly, she shouted, her rough voice sounding like she was crying blood.
Gu Zhizhuo was originally too lazy to bother with such trivial matters, but there were too many people at the Meridian Gate, so he could only lead his horse slowly. Hearing the sound, he stopped and turned around to look at her.
Granny Wan looked even older, and the white hair that could have been covered up was now completely exposed, her temples were frosted, and even her hair bun was full of silver threads.
"Young lady."
Granny Wan, perhaps emboldened by some unknown force, or perhaps because those scholars were simply too weak to even kill a chicken, shoved them aside and charged toward Gu Zhizhuo.
Everyone was shocked, thinking she would also grab Gu Zhizhuo by the neck. They were about to rush over to pull her away when, just three steps away from Gu Zhizhuo, Granny Wan suddenly knelt down.
Everyone froze, as if they had been frozen in place.
Granny Wan sobbed, "Young lady, my mistress died from eating peaches." Her voice was almost broken.
Many people clearly didn't understand who she was referring to, so Gu Zhizhuo simply asked another question: "You mean, Ji Ruo died because she ate a peach?"
"yes."
Granny Wan first murmured, then became extremely sad, as if she were weeping blood.
The surroundings fell silent. If they remembered correctly, the adulterous woman from the Ji family who had committed adultery with the emperor was Ji Ruo. Just moments ago, someone had asked how she died.
“It’s Ji Nanke.” Granny Wan pointed at Ji Nanke and said sadly, “Ji Nanke knew that the madam would get a rash and high fever if she ate peaches, but she still encouraged her to eat them. Ji Nanke deliberately wanted to make the madam sick.”
Granny Wan cried uncontrollably, her grief and despair driving her to shout at the top of her lungs.
Ji Nanke wanted to deny it and defend herself.
Her throat hurt terribly, and her faint voice couldn't get through. A sudden panic gripped her; did Granny Wan even know what she was doing? How could she say such things to her?
Ji Nanke clutched her throat, feeling both hatred and fear.
Gu Zhizhuo also noticed Ji Nanke at the back of the crowd and asked, "Why?"
The question "why" resonated with everyone, and they all nodded in agreement.
Other students nearby also gathered around.
Granny Wan's tears flowed continuously. She knelt on the ground and sobbed, "At first, it was to leave the manor. Ji Nanke encouraged the lady to have a secret meeting with the emperor. She coaxed the lady to eat peaches, and after red rashes appeared on her body, she bribed the doctor to say that the lady had contracted the plague. Ji Nanke made the lady ask to go to the estate for a short stay to avoid the plague."
"After arriving at the estate, the lady was with the emperor."
"she……"
Granny Wan was about to mention the marriage charm when Gu Zhizhuo interrupted her, saying, "There's no need to talk about things that aren't important."
"Shut up." Ji Nanke weakly scolded, struggling to get up and lunging forward to tear Wan Mama's mouth apart.
She was wholeheartedly planning for her aunt. Why?
Granny Wan is going to betray her!
"The Emperor brought the Lady back to the palace. The Lady was a married woman, but the Emperor could not give her a title. Ji Nanke was anxious and coaxed the Lady to eat peaches. When the Lady fell ill, he begged again, and the Emperor could not bear it and agreed. He issued an edict ordering the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to issue a letter of release from the concubine and also established the Lady as an Imperial Noble Consort."
"But Ji Nanke is still not satisfied!"
With tears streaming down her face, Granny Wan said bitterly, "After the Emperor appointed the Imperial Noble Consort, the Lady asked the Emperor to appoint the Third Prince as the heir apparent."
Ji Nanke told his wife not to take any medicine, as her rash hadn't improved and was getting worse. After eating peaches again… this time, she couldn't breathe.
"She, she died a terrible death."
"Ji Nanke kept saying that she was the lady's own niece and that she would never harm the lady."
"The lady raised her herself and treated her like a daughter. The lady trusted her."
"But the lady is dead!"
"Ji Nanke killed her."
A note from the author:
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