Marquis Zhongyong stopped her.
What he wanted was for Fu Jiang to have no place in the world, and for his life; the Grand Princess's apology was of no use to him.
Especially since he had just made that conjecture.
"Your Majesty, I do not wish to make things difficult for you, but I also cannot lose face. Otherwise, how will the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion maintain its standing in the capital? May I ask if Your Majesty has a solution that satisfies both?"
He passed the question back to the Grand Princess.
If what the Marquis of Zhongyong wanted was money and power, the Grand Princess could provide it for him, but the Marquis of Zhongyong did not lack these things.
That's not what he wants either, the Grand Princess remained silent.
The atmosphere reached a stalemate; although there was no loud arguing, there was an undercurrent of tension.
After a moment, the Grand Princess sat back in her sedan chair. "Lord Xie, let me be frank with you. I have already sent people to Fu Jiang's hometown to investigate. Before that, Fu Jiang needs to go to the Princess's residence to recuperate."
If it is verified that Fu Jiang is indeed her grandson, then naturally, she cannot allow anyone to hurt him again.
But in her heart, she already believed that Fu Jiang was Nianxi's child, and everything he said made sense.
Unbeknownst to anyone, just two days prior, she had been on the verge of death, feeling as if her soul had left her body. It was Fu Jiang who revealed the jade pendant and saved her, restoring her vitality.
Even if it turns out that Fu Jiang is not her descendant, as long as he has never done anything to harm Nianxi and the others, she will protect him as a final consolation.
Since the Marquis of Zhongyong is determined to take action against Fu Jiang, she has no choice but to become an enemy of the Marquis's mansion.
Marquis Zhongyong understood the meaning behind her words, "Princess is wise. You should know what kind of person Fu Jiang is. Is it worth it for him?"
Such disregard for reason and law could very well render all the contributions he made to Da Yuan in the past meaningless, and ruin his reputation in his later years.
The Grand Princess remained calm, every wrinkle that creased her face revealing her composure.
"I am a woman, and an old woman with one foot in the coffin. Empty fame is of no use to me."
"Lord Xie, I can publicly apologize to you on his behalf. If you intend to inflict castration on him, please change it to ten lashes; I will bear the punishment for him."
She was the great-aunt of the current emperor, and Emperor Renzhao had left a will; how could the Marquis of Zhongyong dare to subject her to punishment?
Besides, her body is not strong enough to withstand whipping. At that time, the Marquis of Zhongyong will be in the wrong.
The Grand Princess is abusing her age and power, openly bullying others.
Upon hearing this, Fu Jiang felt extremely pleased.
The Grand Princess protected him so much that as soon as she arrived, she had him carried over from the Imperial Hospital. From now on, he only needed to please the Grand Princess and he wouldn't have to worry about not being able to avenge his broken leg.
He even started fantasizing about trampling the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery into the ground in the future.
Then the Marquis of Zhongyong asked, "His father killed your daughter. I wonder how the princess will deal with him?"
When the Grand Princess learned about Fu Jiang's situation, she checked his official register, which showed that almost his entire clan had been wiped out, leaving only a few distant relatives with whom he had little contact.
Fu Jiang's butcher father, who bullied his daughter, died drunk in the river when Fu Jiang was young.
She had hatred in her heart, but no enemy to kill.
The Grand Princess gritted her teeth and said, "Open up the grave, dig up the bones and scatter the ashes!"
Marquis Zhongyong's expression was inscrutable. "Very well, then please do as the princess wishes. However, I have a condition: I must have Fu Jiang personally scatter his father's ashes."
Thus, all grudges between us are wiped clean.
The Grand Princess is so domineering and unreasonable that Xie Bang could disarm himself and threaten her, but in the end, it would only put the emperor in a difficult position.
When Zhongyong Hou and Xie Tingzhou were first in the Wude Division, they had already foreseen this outcome.
Therefore, he chose to temporarily back down and let Fu Jiang personally go to his hometown in Qingzhou to dig up graves.
Even if the Grand Princess protects him, a person who steals from others' backyards and betrays his ancestors is no longer worthy of being a human being in the eyes of the world.
Let him taste what it's like to be unable to lift his head first, and then he'll find another opportunity to take his dog's life.
The Grand Princess is old; how long can she protect him?
There's another reason for making this request: things from back then are hard to investigate.
But Fu Jiang's act of scattering his own father's ashes is such a heinous act that it will surely be known to the whole world. The matter will blow up and stir up the stagnant waters, and who knows, it might even uncover some clues.
This was an idea that Fu Guang suggested to him when he first arrived.
Fu Guang is usually quiet and reserved, but he turned out to be quite clever. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Ye Zhen, who was dressed as Fu Guang, with admiration.
Ye Zhen noticed his gaze and quickly lowered her head.
The Grand Princess could also foresee the consequences of Fu Jiang taking matters into his own hands, and refused, saying, "His legs are broken, and it is inconvenient for him to travel far."
Marquis Zhongyong then said, "This is my final concession. Otherwise, I would have no face to stand in the court. I might as well take the children home and farm."
The Grand Princess's aged, withered fingers gripped the armrest of the sedan chair tightly.
Marquis Zhongyong is a minister highly regarded by the emperor, and he has just returned with meritorious service. If she forces Marquis Zhongyong to resign, not only will the emperor not agree, but it will also arouse public anger.
At that time, His Majesty might kill Fu Jiang to appease public anger.
Therefore, she finally agreed, "Very well, I grant your request."
That butcher harmed her daughter so badly, it's retribution that her own son dug up her grave.
Fu Jiangben also broke his leg, so he can live a life of wealth and leisure under the protection of the princess's mansion.
Fortunately, Fu Jiang has several children in Qingzhou. She can take them in and raise them well, so they may still have a bright future.
Fu Jiang was unwilling to give up, saying, "Xie Bang, you are malicious."
He had schemed and endured for half his life, all for the sake of rising to a high position. Xie Bang not only broke his legs, but also shattered his last hope.
Da Yuan ruled the world with filial piety, but he crushed his own father's bones. The spittle of scholars and writers could drown him. Forget about his future, he would have a hard time even going out.
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