Chapter 140: Caning
In Changshoufang, an old lady was sitting on the doorstep, choosing vegetables while looking at the scattered Yulin troops. Ming Huashang noticed her, took the initiative to walk towards her, and asked with a smile: "Hello, old lady. Are you preparing dinner? What are you having for dinner?"
The old lady was well-known in the Changshou Room for her warm-heartedness. She usually liked to walk around the streets and chat. Perhaps because of the mutual sympathy between the Sheniu, the old lady was not shy and chatted with Ming Huashang freely: "We are planning to have shepherd's purse soup cakes tonight. What are you doing? Didn't I ask you once before? Why are you here again?"
Ming Huashang sat at the doorstep without any hesitation, helping the old lady to choose vegetables: "There are many people in this area, and the commander is afraid that there are explosives hidden in the alley, so he asked us to look for them. Auntie, do you know any men in this area who are secluded, have strange tempers, and are not with their children, and are about 30 to 50 years old?"
The old lady thought for a moment and said warmly, "That's a lot."
The old lady talked about the gossips of various families in the neighborhood like a treasure trove, but the "weird person" she was talking about was obviously not the kind Ming Huashang was looking for. Ming Huashang listened to the family's gossip and interrupted her tactfully: "Auntie, I don't know the whole story of whether there is an affair or not, so I dare not comment rashly. The weird person I am talking about is the kind of person who likes to make trouble, has a bad temper, speaks in a serious and formal manner, and is not very popular with children."
The old lady frowned when she heard this: "We are all ordinary people living in this neighborhood. How can we like to study medicine... But when we have a headache or a fever, we all like to ask Lord Liao."
Ming Huashang tried to ask: "Master Liao is..."
"He is also in your Jingzhao Prefecture, and seems to be a military officer."
Ming Huashang wondered when there was a military officer named Liao in Jingzhao Prefecture. She pronounced the name and suddenly realized, "Are you talking about Lord Liao Yushan, the Jingzhao Yin?"
The old lady nodded repeatedly: "Yes! Has he been promoted to Jingzhao Yin?"
"Yes." Ming Huashang said, "The Jingzhao Yin also lives here?"
"Yes, it's over there, in the courtyard with the tree at the gate." The old lady chattered, "Lord Liao is a cultured man, he has nothing to say to us, and we dare not disturb him. Unexpectedly, he has been promoted to Jingzhao Yin. What rank is Jingzhao Yin? How much is his salary?"
Ming Huashang was embarrassed and said tactfully: "This is the boss's private matter, it's not appropriate for us to pry into it."
The old lady said "oh" in disappointment and nodded: "That's true. But he definitely earned much more than us ordinary people. I guess in a few days, Jingzhao Yin will not live here anymore and will move to Dongcheng."
Ming Huashang listened to what the old lady said and doubts flashed through his mind. Jingzhao Yin was promoted in September last year. His salary as a military officer was meager and he could only afford to rent an old house in Xicheng. However, the annual salary of a third-rank official was not low. Why was Jingzhao Yin still living in such a place?
Ming Huashang asked, "Madam, has Lord Liao lived here for a long time?"
"It's been more than ten years." The old lady said, "It's rare, after all these years, he finally got a promotion. In the past few years, I saw him go out early and come back late every day, often with the lights on late at night, all alone, without even a companion. Well, it's good that he got a promotion, hard work will eventually be rewarded."
Ming Huashang asked, "Has he lived alone all these years?"
The old lady sighed, "Yes, his wife had no money to treat her illness after giving birth, and she died of illness within a few years. The neighbors saw how hard it was for him to raise his daughter alone, and suggested introducing him to a continuation of his marriage, but he refused. God is also blind. He raised his daughter with great difficulty, but ten years ago, there was a spring plague in Chang'an, and his daughter was infected with the plague. During that time, the price of medicine in Chang'an soared, and he had no money to buy medicine, so he watched his daughter die. It's so pitiful, the little girl was only seven years old when she died. If she could grow up, she would be your age."
Ming Huachang vaguely heard the old yamen runner mention that Jingzhao Yin had a daughter, but she died early. Unexpectedly, the cause of death was so tragic and helpless.
Ming Huashang sighed and continued to ask the old lady about the things in Changshoufang. As she was listening, she caught a glimpse of Su Xingzhi standing not far away, looking at her with hesitation. Ming Huashang apologized to the old lady and stood up and ran over.
Ming Huashang and Su Xingzhi walked to a deserted place. Seeing that no one could hear them, she lowered her voice and asked, "What happened?"
It was time to go to the yamen, but Su Xingzhi came out to look for her. Something must have happened. Sure enough, Su Xingzhi suppressed his anxiety and said, "Something bad has happened. Yu Ji seemed to know something. She had a quarrel with me yesterday and then disappeared."
Su Xingzhi spent the whole night looking for Su Yuji last night, but found nothing. Su Xingzhi no longer had the heart to go to the government office, so he asked for leave from Yu Shitai and continued to look for people in Chang'an City today. He looked for Su Yuji in all the places she might have been, but still couldn't find her. Su Xingzhi could only come to Ming Huashang, hoping that she had some clues.
Ming Huashang and the Yulin Army were searching the city, and Su Xingzhi spent a lot of effort to find her. When Ming Huashang heard that Su Yuji was missing, she frowned deeply and asked hurriedly: "What did she say to you last night? Tell me from the beginning."
Ming Huashang frowned and fell into deep thought after listening to Su Xingzhi's narration. Based on her understanding of Su Yuji, Su Yuji should not be such a sensitive and irritable person. She ran away from home just because her brother said a few words for another woman. Did she hear something?
This incident made Ming Huachang notice a detail. In the dream, when Su Yuji came to the Ming family to reveal that she was the real daughter, she seemed to have brought a painting, so her self-proof was so convincing.
However, Ming Huashang had lived in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion for seventeen years but could not find any clues. How did Su Yuji know that she had been replaced and even produce evidence?
Where did the portrait come from?
If Ming Huazhang hadn't been there, Ming Huashang would have definitely suspected that there was a traitor in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and that perhaps the second and third wives had deliberately caused trouble and deliberately stolen the portrait to stir up conflict. But combined with her sudden death and the clues she had obtained during this period, Ming Huashang felt that this matter might not be that simple.
She had always been concerned about the real daughter, first doubting who she was, and then doubting who Ming Huazhang was. She never thought about why Su Yuji came to her house. In her opinion, it was perfectly legitimate for Su Yuji to come to her house after learning that she was the real daughter.
However, Su Xingzhi clearly said that Nanny Su did not tell Su Yuji about his life experience, and he never mentioned it either. So how did Su Yuji know about it?
Ming Huashang first considered why Su Yuji came to visit. She believed that it was Nanny Su who swapped the granddaughter of the Su family with the daughter of the Duke's family because Su Yuji said so in her dream. Where did Su Yuji get this knowledge from?
Ming Huachang's heart skipped a beat. Apart from the people around Wang Yulan, the only people who knew more about the baby swap 17 years ago than the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion were probably the Li family. Prince Zhang Huai had loyal followers and enemies, and there were more than one party who wanted to find Ming Huachang.
Ming Huashang couldn't help but imagine that if she hadn't had that dream, she would probably still be the second daughter of the Salted Fish, and wouldn't have joined the Black Owl Guards, and naturally wouldn't have known Su Yuji and Su Xingzhi. At the same time, Su Yuji was told that she was the daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo who was replaced.
The person behind the scenes wanted to find out the orphan of Prince Zhang Huai, so he exaggerated Su Yuji's life experience and encouraged her to go to the mansion to find her relatives, in order to test the reaction of the Duke of Zhenguo. Su Yuji did not know Ming Huashang, and she also misunderstood that her adopted brother's family deliberately changed her life in order to let their daughter enjoy glory and wealth. Who can tolerate such a gap? She was betrayed multiple times, and it was reasonable for her to come to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to reveal the truth in an emotional state.
In the dream, the Duke of Zhenguo knew that this was a trap set by the enemy, but in order to protect the real orphan Ming Huazhang, he could only follow Su Yuji's words and insisted that Ming Huashang was Su's child and wanted to send Ming Huashang away on the spot. It was Ming Huazhang who felt sorry for it and tried to stop it, so Ming Huashang was saved from being abandoned.
However, he also exposed himself to danger by doing so, and the protector behind him immediately assassinated Ming Huashang. In this way, Ming Huashang's identity seemed to be confirmed, and the court would think that she was the daughter of Prince Zhang Huai, otherwise why would she commit suicide out of fear of crime?
Therefore, the real orphan was able to hide the truth and use someone else's trick to take the blame.
Ming Huashang finally connected everything together. It turned out that both she and Su Yuji were just pawns in the game of the superiors. When the person behind the scenes instigated Su Yuji, he never cared about Su Yuji's life or death, and when the other party tried to kill Ming Huashang, they did not hesitate at all.
Ming Huashang sighed. As a chess piece, it was too tiring to feel angry and sad. The most urgent thing was to save people. Ming Huashang said, "Su Yuji is in danger now. We must find her as soon as possible. Where does she usually go?"
"I've been looking for her, but the people there said they haven't seen her." Su Xingzhi was very anxious. "I really had no choice, so I came to you. I thought she would come to see you."
Ming Huashang had never seen Su Xingzhi lose his composure like this before, and she was also infected by his anxiety. At this time, someone outside the alley shouted, "Mrs. Ming Er?"
Ming Huashang responded and asked, "I'm here. What's the matter?"
"Someone from your family is here to see you."
Ming Huashang and Su Xingzhi were startled at the same time and hurried out, but saw Zhaocai outside. Ming Huashang's heart was tense and relaxed, and she herself felt strange. Of course it must be someone from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. Why did she think it was Su Yuji?
Zhaocai looked solemn, and when he saw her he hurried over and said, "Madam, the Duke has ordered you to return home as soon as possible."
Ming Huashang was surprised. The Duke of Zhenguo had never interfered with her going out before. Why did he suddenly ask her to go back today? Ming Huashang asked, "Why?"
Zhaocai had a strange expression on her face. She quickly glanced around and tiptoed to whisper in Ming Huashang's ear: "My lady, something happened in the palace. The Danfeng Gate is in chaos. It seems that the empress is angry and is punishing Prince Shao and Prince Wei. The Duke is afraid that something might happen, so he asked me to take you back quickly."
Ming Huashang was shocked and asked subconsciously, "What about the second brother?"
“國公第一時間就派人去找了，但跟二郎君搜查的人說，二郎君出京了，現在聯
系不上，國公就讓人來接娘子。”招財道，“我們還以為您和二郎君在一處呢，誰想竟隔了這麽遠，我們找了好久才問到羽林軍在長壽坊。”
明日查案截止，蘇雨霁失蹤，明華章出城，鎮國公讓她回府，所有事情一下子堆到她身上，明華裳一瞬間腦子發白，不知該如何是好。
怎麽辦，她又沒有三頭六臂，到底該聽誰的？她多麽希望現在能從天而降一個救世主，幫她找出兇手，找到蘇雨霁，解決所有難題。
然而她知道，世上不會有救世主，她只能靠自己。
明華裳緊緊攥着手指，強迫自己冷靜。她不禁想，如果現在明華章在這裏，他會怎麽辦呢？
想到他，明華裳紛繁慌亂的心仿佛抓到了浮木，試着順着他的思路想。如果是他，他一定會先穩定所有人的情緒，然後排優先順序，辦最重要的事。
明華裳便也跟着想，對她來說，什麽是最重要的？
這個問題才出現在腦海裏，明華裳就有了答案。毫無疑問是家人，明華章這個時間出城肯定有他的盤算，無需明華裳操心，相反，蘇雨霁才是最應該擔心的那個。
蘇雨霁很可能是她的姐姐，明華裳不能讓她出事，一定要趕在蘇雨霁被幕後之人操控之前，告訴她一切真相。如果蘇雨霁中了幕後人的圈套，來鎮國公府認親，那所有人都要完。
她得趕緊找到蘇雨霁。
其次是破案。明日期限就截止了，如果破不了案，所有人都會被女皇遷怒。她不是京兆府的人，可以置身事外，但其他人不能。并肩作戰這麽長時間，她不能不負責任地抛下隊友不管。
相比之下，鎮國公讓她回府避風頭，才是最不重要的事情。這當然是種自保手段，但當縮頭烏龜是解決不了問題的，女皇斥責邵王和魏王世子，她又不是皇族，憂心也無用，不如做好自己的事情。
至少保證自己的家人不要在這個關頭遞把柄給敵人。
明華裳拿定主意，心湖冷靜下來，只覺得自己的頭腦前所未有的清明。明華裳對招財說：“你帶侍衛來了嗎？”
招財點頭：“帶了。”
“好。”明華裳說，“現在派最得力的人去京兆府，将父親的話轉告謝舍人，之後如何行動聽謝舍人安排。你帶一個侍衛留在這裏，幫襯羽林軍，剩下的人跟我走。”
招財下意識應下，詫異問：“娘子，您要去哪兒？”
“蘇禦史家裏有點事，我去幫他找人。”明華裳将自己原本的計劃交給招財，說，“這幾戶人家我本打算仔細問問，但時間來不及了，你幫我問完，然後就回府等我。話重點要問這些，無論聽到什麽，你都記下，回府後告訴我。”
招財和明華裳一起長大，兩人默契十足，明華裳非常放心讓招財去問話。別的不敢說，但論起打探消息，羽林軍未必比得上內宅丫鬟。
招財猶豫：“可是國公說……”
“我身邊帶着這麽多侍衛呢，不會有事的。”明華裳說，“放心，父親那邊我去說，不會讓他牽連你的。好招財，你幫我這個忙，等回去我給你買松子吃。”
招財是明華裳的丫鬟，這些年習慣了聽二娘子的話，見狀嘟嘟囔囔道：“好吧。娘子，你要小心。”
“我知道。”明華裳都來不及告別，頭也不回跑向蘇行止，匆匆道，“你快去問話吧，我先走了。”
·
大明宮。
落日熔金，暮雲合璧。雲彩飄蕩在空中，在餘輝照耀下，絢爛的如同仙境幻夢。永泰郡主跪在白玉臺階下，不斷磕頭哀求：“祖母，求求您，饒過阿兄和郎君這回吧。是我錯了，我不該帶郎君回東宮，不該在他們議論邺國公的時候不加勸阻。千錯萬錯都是我的錯，望祖母看在他們初犯的份上，放過他們吧。”
高高的紫宸殿金碧輝煌，威嚴肅穆，陽光折射在琉璃瓦上，晃得人睜不開眼睛。永泰郡主臉色蒼白，小腹墜痛，額角流下冷汗，但她擡頭望着漫長的，仿佛看不到盡頭的宮階，還是咬牙，繼續跪在冰冷僵硬的石磚上求情。
永泰郡主昨夜宿在東宮，武延基見她孕吐反應大，就陪着她在父母身邊多住幾天。今日她正在東宮裏養胎，忽然來了一隊太監，把李重潤、武延基帶走了。
東宮的人吓到了，趕緊派人出去打聽，這才得知昨日他們三人議論二張兄弟的話不知為何傳到了女皇耳朵裏，女皇大怒，下令将李重潤、武延基二人杖責一百棍。
這一百棍由女皇的親信執行，沒有任何水分。一百棍便是專門訓練過的士兵都抵不住，何況李重潤、武延基兩個公子哥。
這幾乎是要他們的命。
太子聽到消息的時候就吓昏了，醒來後就抱着韋妃哭，安樂郡主也哭哭啼啼喊怕。東宮裏亂成一團，沒有一個人去救人，永泰郡主沒辦法，只能撐着虛弱的身體，一邊派人去魏王府請魏王進宮，另一邊跑來和女皇求情。
她看不清祖母寝宮的門開了沒有，但她不能放棄。執刑的人已走了那麽久，太平公主、相王一個都沒有出現，甚至連她的公公，武延基的父親魏王都沒來。
永泰郡主便知道，他們不會來了。再疼愛的晚輩，如何比得上保全自己，明哲保身？
她只有自己了。如果她也放棄，那李重潤和武延基要怎麽辦呢？難道讓她眼睜睜看着兄長和夫君被打死嗎？
永泰郡主一聲聲哀求，一次次叩首，那些聲音穿過名貴的楠木門，鮮豔的波斯挂毯，只剩下悶悶的響動。
上官婉兒跪在榻前，小心翼翼看着上方的女皇。女皇靠在榻上，閉着眼聽女官禀報政務，仿佛聽不到外面的動靜。
上官婉兒聽着那些帶着哭腔、聲聲泣血的哀求，心有不忍，然而她看到女皇平靜的側臉，那些同情便如漣漪，很快消失不見。
女皇登基後，心思越來越深，上官婉兒很少見女皇動這麽大的怒了。她不知道二張兄弟說了什麽，但女皇不顧臣子還在，下令讓人将李重潤、武延基帶到丹鳳門杖刑，可見他們說的話遠不止不滿二張兄弟，更多的是犯了女皇的忌諱。
誰來求情，就是和女皇對着幹。太平公主、魏王是最受女皇寵愛，也是最了解女皇的人，他們都不敢冒險，上官婉兒何必為了幾個和她沒有幹系的郡王郡主，惹火上身呢？
她的祖父便是因為站錯了隊，被女皇抄家的。她從小在掖庭長大，二十年宮廷生活教給她最重要的道理，就是依附強者，莫管閑事。
上官婉兒最終垂下眼眸，不去管外面一聲比一聲凄楚的哭聲。有些聲音，只要閉上眼睛，就再也聽不到了。
女皇阖着眼，漠然聽下面人禀報。今日的政事和往常沒什麽區別，其實不需要花費心思，她聽這麽久，是在想李重潤和武延基的話。
朝野如何看二張兄弟，女皇心裏都清楚。她并不在乎那些話，男人當帝王便能有三宮六院，男人掌權後殺人便是英雄氣魄，女人為何不行？
她就是要讓天下人知道，順她者昌，逆她者亡，男人能做的，她武瞾一點都不差。
但李重潤和武延基千不該萬不該，不該說她養男寵，有辱李家列祖列宗。
只有皇後、太後養男寵才是醜聞，皇帝增添後宮，有何不可呢？李重潤嘴裏喊着陛下，其實心裏并沒有把她當皇帝，他們看她，依然在看一個老女人。
女皇這一生，最驕傲的事情是建立了大周王朝，最遺憾的事情，也是大周王朝。她的大周一代而斬，無疾而終，後人提起她，恐怕依然會說武瞾是大唐皇帝，甚至皇後。
她迫于臣子和民心，不得不将天下還給李家，已經成了她的心病。百姓說就罷了，李重潤憑什麽敢說？
當年她能眼睛都不眨殺了自己的二兒子，如今就能杖斃孫子。
這是一個末路皇帝，滅亡前的怒吼。
永泰郡主的額頭已經磕破了，血順着她的睫毛流下來，眼前已看不到任何東西。她只是麻木地磕頭，求饒，妄圖求來祖母的憐憫。
不知過了多久，有宮人停在她面前，扶住她的動作，目光中似憐似嘲。
“郡主，您跪了一個時辰了，回去歇着吧。邵王和魏王世子受刑完畢，已送回東宮了。若您快點回去，還趕得上見最後一面。”