Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 257: Intolerable
Except for a few people involved, the officials in the court avoided talking about the incidents during New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, whether they were paying New Year's greetings or visiting relatives. Even the imperial censors, relatives and friends kept their distance from them, and even their colleagues who had joined them in slandering Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing and his son did the same.
The several imperial censors were naturally anxious and resentful at this kind of alienated and even isolated treatment. They huddled together tightly, and at the same time hoped that the person who gave them such an idea would be able to come up with a backup plan.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the backup plan they had been waiting for finally came. Zhang Shou, Zhu Ying and Princess Yongping were born on the same day of the same month of the same year. This news, which was originally known only to a few people, spread like a whirlwind throughout the capital, and the meaning of it shocked countless people.
Although the officialdom was temporarily calm, and few people discussed the news when they met, the common people were not so aware. This kind of thing was originally beyond the law, and the law could not stop the rumors, and there were countless people whispering.
"It's not just three born on the same day! I heard that Doctor Zhang from the Imperial College, the eldest daughter of Duke Zhao's mansion, and Princess Yongping were all born on the same day and in the same place! Brother, you are older. What happened on the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15, the tenth year of Yongchen?"
"Hey, you asked the right question! You were young at the time so you didn't know. The common people rebelled on the Mid-Autumn Festival and the whole capital was in chaos. It's hard to say whether something messed up happened on that day... Speaking of which, if the three children were born on the same day and were taken away by the wrong hands... Bah, brother, just pretend that I didn't say anything and forget it!"
"Brother, don't be so shy, there's no one else involved! With the caution of the palace and Duke Zhao's mansion, it's impossible to get the wrong child. In my opinion, a marriage with such a huge difference in family background is probably due to fate born on the same day. But why is it Dr. Zhang and Miss Zhu? Maybe it's Princess Yongping and Dr. Zhang?"
"Eh? That makes sense! I heard that when the emperor was choosing a son-in-law, he wanted to choose two consorts and two grooms, but when the news came out, there was only one consort and two grooms, and Princess Yongping suddenly decided not to get married... Could it be that the eldest daughter of the Zhu family, who was more domineering than the princess, snatched the consort that Princess Yongping had chosen earlier?"
When rumors like this gradually spread to various mansions, and even to the inner palace, the reactions of each family were completely different. In the Zhaoguogong Mansion, while the Imperial College had not yet opened, Zhang Shou still came and went frequently, and Zhu Ying also often went to visit Wu next door, and discussed how to renovate the Luwang Villa.
And the Madam Dowager and Jiu Niang did not even forbid the servants to discuss the matter. Both the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law knew that it was possible to forbid it openly, but they might discuss it even more harshly in private. In this case, it would be better to ignore it.
Of course, the two of them were so open-minded because Zhu Ying came back on the first night of the first lunar month with a beaming face, conveying Ge Yong's clear attitude of protection, and also told them Zhang Shou's words with a smile on her face. Knowing that the children were indeed in love, the two of them no longer had anything to worry about.
Compared to the peace and tranquility of the Duke Zhao's mansion, the Yonghe Palace of Concubine Yu in the palace was truly a dark cloud that threatened to destroy the city. Since the incident in the tenth year of Yongchen, the straightforward but stubborn Jiu Niang had retreated to Zhaoming Temple, while Concubine Yu had changed from being bright and forthright to being taciturn, which inevitably affected Princess Yongping.
Therefore, when the news reached Yonghe Palace, because Concubine Yu and Princess Yongping were always kind to each other, the two eunuchs and most of the palace servants tacitly concealed the news from them. But the truth could not be hidden. First, Princess Yongping heard the news from Princess Deyang because a palace maid let it slip. Later, Concubine He, who came to visit, broke the news to Concubine Yu.
When Princess Yongping came back, she saw her mother in a royal blue outfit, holding a sword, looking heroic... or murderous. At that moment, she felt that she had come to the wrong place because she was used to seeing her mother with a sad and unhappy face.
Seeing her coming back, several palace servants who were blocking Concubine Yu felt relieved. One of them rushed towards her in a hurry, knelt down and begged desperately: "Princess, please persuade Concubine Yu. She said...she said she wanted to go to Kunning Palace to seek justice!"
"Mother, do you also think that it was the Queen who was fanning the flames and stirring up trouble behind the scenes?"
Without looking at the palace maid who was about to lose her soul, Princess Yongping stared at her mother. Then she saw Concubine Yu sneer at her: "Mingyue, do you think I am really a Bodhisattva who doesn't care about anything? Who else would use such a ridiculous trick except that woman? I have tolerated her for so many years, and she really thinks I am a dough that is easy to bully?"
Concubine Yu casually swung her sword, and several palace servants who were trying to stop her fell to the ground. She flicked her sword lightly, and her face showed a sharpness that she had never had in these years. "I tolerated her and let her go, just to seek peace and stability, to avoid the Queen Mother's displeasure and the Emperor's annoyance, but she is becoming more and more domineering! I have not been cultivating myself these years, but I just don't want to be destroyed!"
"I didn't teach my son well. It was originally her fault that she was the one who made the others crooked. Now she is accusing you of having a bad background. She has the nerve to do that!" How did the soldiers of the common people lead them to the temple where she and Jiu Niang burned incense? Did she really have no idea? You know, the emperor and Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing both decided to accompany them on a whim!
In the past, when the eunuchs in Yonghe Palace secretly discussed the queen, Concubine Yu would come forward to stop them, but now she openly accused the queen of being immoral, and everyone below was naturally dumbfounded. After the initial surprise, Princess Yongping couldn't help laughing. Not to mention the anger today, even the previous frustration seemed to disappear.
Without thinking, she strode forward and tightly grasped her mother's sword-holding hand with both hands: "Mom, I know you are doing this for my injustice! However, going to Kunning Palace like this will make it difficult for my father. How about you dance with the sword in front of Yonghe Palace for me? After so many years, what I envy most about Zhu Ying is not anything else, but her good riding and shooting skills, and her martial arts! Even if I have learned it, I dare not use it!"
Concubine Yu raised her eyebrows immediately. She stared at Princess Yongping for a long time with complicated eyes, and finally nodded and said, "Okay! But Yonghe Palace is too small, you go change your clothes, and we will go to the Imperial Garden! I have been fed up with some spoiled flowers and plants for a long time!"
When Princess Yongping changed into riding clothes and came out of the Yonghe Palace gate with Concubine Yu holding a sword in her hand, several palace maids and eunuchs looked at each other for a moment, and the leading palace maid immediately hurried to the Qianqing Palace.
At this time, we can only hope that the emperor will persuade the empress who is about to show off her power!
The people in Yonghe Palace were relieved that Concubine Yu didn't attack Kunning Palace, but the Imperial Garden was planted with a bunch of precious peonies that the Queen of Kunning Palace loved the most! If Concubine Yu really followed her tone and beat up the Queen's favorites, what would be the difference between that and directly attacking Kunning Palace?
The head maid of Yonghe Palace rushed to Qianqing Gate to report the news. When the emperor learned of Concubine Yu's abnormal behavior, he was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter: "I thought her temper had become calmer over the years, but I didn't expect that her temper was just suppressed in her heart. Don't worry that she will destroy the flowers and plants in the imperial garden. She is not the kind of person who takes her anger out on others!"
"If she had that much time, she would definitely destroy the Kunning Gate first!"
Even so, the emperor stood up without thinking. He had already guessed that when Concubine Yu said this and made such a gesture, she was not really going to destroy Kunning Gate or make a scene in the Imperial Garden. It was obviously to lure out the queen from Kunning Palace. If he didn't go now... he would probably have to face a huge trouble later!
Sure enough, when the emperor arrived at the imperial garden, which he seldom visited on weekdays - after all, concubines and palace maids often liked to wait there, waiting to meet him by chance - he heard the queen's sharp rebuke at the door.
"Empress Yu, you clearly knew that this top-grade Guan Qun Fang was mine, yet you actually used a sword to cut off its branches and leaves. Do you still have any manners? What are your intentions?"
"It's true that this flower is a rare and famous item in the imperial garden, but what right does the Queen have to say that it's yours? First, this flower is not planted in Kunning Palace, and second, there is no sign hanging saying that it belongs to the Queen and that idle people should stay away. I am just dancing with Mingyue here with the sword. Could it be that I have violated the palace rules?"
Princess Yongping had never seen such a sharp and piercing side to her mother, who was always kind to others and silent and patient in front of the Queen!
At that moment, she, who had been trying her best to imitate Concubine Yu and to be more like her daughter, couldn't help but feel confused. She felt that her imitations had been counterproductive and like a joke.
The Queen did not expect that Concubine Yu, who had been obedient all these years, would dare to talk back to her. She was so angry that she was shaking : "You are so sharp-tongued, Concubine Yu! This Guan Qunfang was a tribute from another place, and was given to Kunning Palace by the Queen Mother. There is a case to investigate, so how can you quibble! You can dance with the sword anywhere else, but you have to dance in front of Guan Qunfang. Aren't these branches and leaves all over the ground evidence?"
"The whole world belongs to the emperor, and all the people are his subjects. From the people to the land, everything in the world belongs to the emperor. Could it be that this is not the case in the palace? Everything in the palace, including people and things, belongs to the emperor. How can there be any private property? Otherwise, wouldn't the concubines in the palace be able to use their so-called private property to support their families?"
Concubine Yu nodded calmly, and when she saw the Queen's face suddenly turned gloomy, she couldn't help but sneer.
Over the years, the empress's family had been declining, but they were still able to use money to subsidize the eldest prince, the eldest son who had the greatest hope of entering the Eastern Palace. Where did the money come from? Wasn't it because in the early years, the empress secretly sent the jewelry and even porcelain that were sent by the Imperial Household Department and specially supplied to Kunning Palace to her family in the name of rewards, and then her family mortgaged these things to buy property and make profits?
But Concubine Yu had not finished her words: "As for the Empress saying that I cut the branches and leaves of the Crown of Fragrants all over the ground, that's even more ridiculous. Why not ask a gardener to identify them and see whether they are branches and leaves blown down by the wind or branches and leaves cut by me with my sword? Are they branches and leaves from other flowers and plants, or branches and leaves from the Crown of Fragrants of your Empress?"
The queen's face flushed red. She rushed here when she heard the news. Her real purpose was to take this opportunity to severely attack Concubine Yu. But she never expected that she would fall into a trap!
Seeing Princess Yongping, who was standing behind Concubine Yu, with a smile on her face, as if she was mocking her for trying to steal a chicken but ended up losing the rice, she immediately became furious. She didn't even remember any taboos or restraint at the moment and spoke without thinking.
"You have a sharp tongue that can turn right into wrong! But no matter how eloquent you are, you can't hide it from me! Not to mention that you, the woman from the Zhu family, and the widow Zhang gave birth on the same day, and the three children's life histories are complicated. Even the marriage contract that the Zhu family announced to the public, there is no marriage certificate at all. Who knows what's going on!"
"How do we know if you and that woman from the Zhu family let the midwife deliver your babies first in order to save your own lives, thus killing Widow Zhang! Otherwise, how could that woman from the Zhu family agree to marry the arrogant Zhu Ying to a poor man like Zhang Shou! You have been struggling to delay Yongping's marriage. Do you think Zhang Shou is a good son-in-law and want to snatch this son-in-law away, or let Yongping and Zhu Ying share one husband!"
Concubine Yu deliberately staged this farce, waiting for the Queen to be overwhelmed by anger and become furious. But she had clearly prepared herself mentally, and when she was really exposed by her past regrets, she still flew into a rage.
New and old hatreds came to her mind. Seeing Princess Yongping was so angry that she was about to step forward to argue, she suddenly waved her sword in her right hand to stop her. Seeing the queen's pupils shrink when she saw the sharp blade in her hand, she smiled and walked forward slowly with the sword.
The queen was immediately frightened. She knew how unusual Concubine Yu was among the concubines in the palace. When she was in a desperate situation where she was almost certain to die, she was able to fight together with Lady Zhao Jiuniang and the widow Zhang, and finally gave birth to a son safely. How could she be defeated?
Almost subconsciously, she shouted loudly: "Come here, come here quickly! Concubine Yu wants to assassinate me..."
Just when her voice was at its highest pitch, a voice suddenly came over: "Is that enough?"
The emperor, who heard the sound at the door, quickened his pace and glanced at the empress angrily. When he saw Concubine Yu calmly put away her sword and kneeled to salute, he reached out and snatched the sword away in annoyance.
He lowered his head and took a glance, and his anger increased a little. He glanced at the queen again, whose throat seemed to be pinched by an invisible hand, and suddenly stopped talking. Then he said with a gloomy face: "Assassination? Queen, have you ever seen someone assassinate someone with a blunt sword that has not been sharpened?"
He casually handed the sword over. Seeing that the queen was so scared that she took a step back and didn't dare to take it, he immediately became even angrier: "I remember that I had issued a ban on discussing what happened that day. Queen, as the master of the six palaces, you are talking nonsense, as if you are afraid that the outside world is not making enough trouble? Moreover, every word you say is exactly the same as the rumors outside. Kunning Palace is well-informed!"
Without waiting for the pale queen to explain, he said calmly: "Come here, send the queen back to Kunning Palace!"
