Chapter 308 The Audacious Zhou Family
"Okay then, go to the Duke of Ling's mansion and pick him up."
"Yes, I'll go right away!"
After politely bowing to the Emperor and Empress, Chief Steward Li bowed and took a few steps back before turning and walking away. He didn't waste a single word. Even though the current Emperor and his former master, the Crown Prince, were worlds apart in personality, he tried very hard to adapt.
After all, the master had spared his worthless life, hadn't he? Not having a servant buried with him was already a great favor. Now that he'd been brought back, renamed, and entrusted with important tasks, he truly couldn't ask for more.
Jiang Wan looked out the window and frowned at the rapidly receding figure.
"Why did you think of retrieving this person and using him?"
"Is there something wrong?"
Li Chengxiu, who had already stood up and sat aside, also saw the person leaving quickly through the window, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"Li Jinzhong was brought up by my brother. I knew he was quite capable, otherwise my brother wouldn't have given him the surname Li."
"It's not that I don't think it's appropriate. He's a smart guy and very good at reading people's expressions. But he used to follow your brother. Now that you've brought him to your side, what do you think?"
"good."
Li Chengxiu nodded.
"You also said that he is a smart man. In this situation, he naturally knows what to do.
In fact, I didn't want to have a eunuch following me around. You said I have been taking care of Li Song for so many years and everything is fine. Why do I have to have another person following me?
But those ministers are always saying this is unreasonable and that is unreasonable. I opened the court meeting myself and I called it quits. What's the problem with that?"
Jiang Wan didn't say anything, letting him vent his pent-up emotions.
"I've always felt that keeping eunuchs is the real illogicality. Isn't it just shouting a few times at court meetings? I can obviously do this job, but they just won't let me!
You said I can't send Li Song to the cleansing room just to save some monthly salary, right?
After all, he has been with me since he was a child, and his family is counting on him to carry on the family line. There are so many troubles every day..."
"Are you done with your nonsense?"
"No! Those people in the court think I'm weird all day long, and I think they're all abnormal! But wife, just say whatever you want, I'm listening."
Jiang Wan turned her head to look outside out of habit. Only her personal second secretary Hongxiu was standing outside the door waiting for orders. The others were quite far away. She then turned back and asked in a very serious tone.
"Li Jinzhong originally left the palace with the women and children of the Eastern Palace. Now you've brought him back. What have you done with the three children of the Eastern Palace concubines and your brother?"
When Li Chengxiu mentioned his prince, his whole aura changed. It was hard to tell whether the emotion in his eyes was longing or resentment, but sadness was definitely there.
His voice was also low and heavy.
"Zhou Liangdi, Li Xun, and Li Xiang are all dead."
"What's going on?"
Jiang Wan was startled and reached out to grab her husband's arm, with some disbelief in her voice.
"Your brother wouldn't be so cruel, would he?"
If Li Yanxiu had been able to be so cruel at the beginning, he would not have been able to get over the hurdle in his heart and thus forced himself to death.
That person seems to be cold-hearted, but in fact he is a very affectionate person.
His hatred for Song Ziying was real, but his love for her was also true! It was precisely because he loved her too much and hated her too much that he got stuck in a dead end and ended up in a dead end.
"No, what are you thinking about?"
He shook his head and sighed.
"When my father was alive, he often said, 'Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs.' No matter how much my brother hated the Song family, he would never kill his own son.
Although it is true that Li Xun was born to that vicious woman, he is still a descendant of our Li family."
"Who did that?"
This made Jiang Wan confused.
"Since your brother was able to send these children away, he must have made proper arrangements. If he hadn't done it himself, who would dare to kill the royal descendants?"
"Oh, of course there is that daring person!"
Li Chengxiu gritted his teeth a little.
"The Song family courted disaster and my father exterminated all nine clans, but Zhou Liangdi's mother's family wasn't among them; she was only the niece of the Min family.
She took her children back to her parents' home and lived there for about ten days. Not long after the news of my brother's death spread, the yard where they lived caught fire and all the adults and children were burned to death!
"How can this be possible!"
Jiang Wan slammed the table hard.
"How dare the Zhou family be so bold?"
"Yes. Back then, the Zhou family relied on the Min family and used the Song family to send their daughter to the Eastern Palace.
As a result, Song Ziying suddenly became pregnant, which caused the Song family to turn against them and refuse to acknowledge their responsibility. She was even severely punished when the Song family fell.
They said they were afraid of being implicated again, so they took the initiative and burned my two nephews to death.
There was a hint of suppressed sobs in the voice, which made people feel distressed.
"A few days ago, I found a reason to wipe out the Zhou family. That's why those ministers have been displeased with me. I'm going to do this even if they're unhappy. After all, the Zhou family is not innocent and has done a lot of evil.
As an uncle, I must avenge my nephews, otherwise my father, mother and brother will not be able to rest in peace in the underground.
Wife, I know that it’s wrong for me to take revenge, so you can scold me too…”
He lowered his head and spoke in a humble tone, without any of the high-spirited spirit he had in the past when he jumped up and down and cursed his mother. Whoever's man is the one who loves him, Jiang Wan couldn't help but feel sorry for him when she saw Li Chengxiu like this.
"Who said you did something wrong?"
She moved her belly with great effort, then reached out her hands to hold her husband's face and comfort him carefully.
"Since the Zhou family wasn't wrongly accused, then they deserved it! How can upholding justice be considered a personal vendetta? We're clearly punishing evil!"
The young emperor, who had just been feeling guilty, immediately raised his eyes upon hearing this, with disbelief in his eyes.
"I, I ordered the extermination of the entire Zhou family."
"You've wronged them? Did you fabricate all the evidence against them?"
"Of course not!"
"That's it, isn't it?"
He rubbed the face in his hands vigorously. The Empress was best at comforting the Emperor.
“Although I am the emperor now, I can no longer act arbitrarily and unreasonably, lest I go astray and become a tyrant.
But now we are right, what are we afraid of?
What's wrong with a little personal grudge under the guise of justice? The emperor is also a human being, so is he not allowed to avenge his nephew?
You did a perfect job in this matter, it's very good, I like it very much!"
"Wife, my dear wife!"
Li Chengxiu hugged his wife and began to cry and complain about his grievances.
"As expected, we are a couple who slept in the same bed together. You just understand me!"
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