The beauty of the Hou family and the king's plan

“What’s more, I think Master Xue should trust the eldest princess’s judgment.

Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run. It is impossible for the princess to marry a vicious and cruel person to the eldest son of the Xue family.

Mr. Xue might as well put aside his prejudice against Miss Feng Er and get to know her better."

It is not known whether Shen Baozhao's words convinced Xue Sheng, but they soon reached the ears of the eldest princess.

The princess said to Li Ma, "Duan Ning really picked the right person this time. This Fourth Miss Shen is smart and sensible."

Nanny Li also nodded: "If the princess thinks she is good, why not marry her to the young master?"

The eldest princess shook her head: "If it's her, Sheng'er really doesn't deserve her. I have a vague feeling that she is blessed with great fortune, perhaps even more than Duan Ning."

Nanny Li felt that the princess was worrying too much. She was just the daughter of a fourth-rank official, and the eldest daughter of a motherless man. How could she be compared with the pampered Duan Ning?

Although Shen Baozhao felt a little uncomfortable meeting Xue Sheng, he still played with Princess Duanning until dusk before returning home.

Moreover, Princess Duan Ning told her that the eldest princess would celebrate her 100th birthday next month and a birthday banquet would be held. At that time, all the powerful families in Kyoto, including officials of the fifth rank and above, would come to celebrate the birthday, and she would also send an invitation to Bao Zhao.

In the past, at banquets like the eldest princess' birthday celebration, only the old lady, Wang and the eldest son's children attended, and Shen Baozhao had never attended.

But when he heard that the family of the fifth-rank official had also returned, he had an idea, because Jin Shiniang's uncle, Lord Jin, was a fifth-rank official.

As they had agreed to attend the banquet, Duan Ning watched Shen Baozhao's carriage go away reluctantly.

The next day, Shen Baozhao and his third wife, Mrs. Tang, attended to the patient together.

When Tang saw Shen Baozhao appear in Rongde Hall early in the morning and winked at her, she knew that she had something to say.

When they had some free time at noon, the two of them sat together in the courtyard of Rongde Hall, looking at the water lilies in the big vat and the small koi swimming around.

Shen Baozhao was the first to express his thoughts: "Aunt San, I want to take action tonight, how about it?"

Tang was not surprised by Shen Baozhao's decision. She also hoped to find out the whole story as soon as possible.

He nodded and said, "What do you need me to do?"

"According to Bixiao, the old lady needs to go to the toilet once a day at midnight. So let's do it at midnight.

Third Aunt doesn't have to do anything, just stand by and bear witness. If you can get the truth from the old lady, I hope you can tell it to Third Uncle and my father."

Shen Baozhao did not plan to bring Master Shen II with him tonight.

Firstly, success or failure is still uncertain. Secondly, Mr. Shen is the old lady's biological son after all, and he cannot move under the pressure of filial piety.

Thirdly, Shen Baozhao hopes to seek justice for his mother personally!

Tang nodded, prepared for a protracted battle tonight, and asked Nanny Liang to watch over her while she went back to the yard to rest.

At night, the breeze is blowing gently. Spring nights are always refreshing.

The thin bamboo outside the main room of Rongde Hall was swaying in the wind, and the shadows of the bamboos swayed in the candlelight.

'Tick, tick,' the bronze faucet with the twelve Chinese zodiac animals tells the time. It is past midnight.

The old lady opened her eyes and called out, "Madame Lin, Madame Lin."

Nanny Lin is old and cannot help the old lady go to the toilet by herself. Usually, Nanny Lin and a maid help her.

But today, the old lady called many times, but Nanny Lin did not get up to light the lamp and come. There was only a faint candlelight beside the Buddhist shrine in the bedroom.

Just as the old lady was shouting impatiently and wanted to get up by herself, she just sat up with difficulty.

Then she saw from afar a woman with loose hair, a pale face, a moon-white double-breasted top and a scarlet Xiang skirt, slowly approaching the old lady.

He murmured, "Give me back my life, give me back my life..." He came closer and closer until he was almost in front of the old lady.

The old lady's ears were filled with the heart-wrenching cries of Princess Nanhua on the day of her difficult childbirth, and the repeated cries of "Give me back my life".

She opened her eyes wide in fear, huddled in the corner of the carved bed, and waved her withered hands: "It's not me, it's not me."

The dishevelled ghost was about to step forward, but the old lady screamed, “Nanhua, I didn’t mean to kill you.

If you want revenge, go find the culprit. It was the emperor who wanted to kill you, so go find him.

He said that if he killed you, Concubine Shu, he could be promoted, but we don't want that. Nanhua, Nanhua, don't come to me, don't come to me."

The old lady was so frightened that she peed a pool of urine and passed out.

Shen Baozhao and Tang ordered people to light all the candles, and Rongde Hall was suddenly brightly lit.

The woman dressed as a ghost also took off her fake long hair and turned out to be Xia Lian. She was wearing a similar dress to the one she wore on the day Nanhua County Lady died.

Shen Baozhao asked her to change her clothes and sent someone to send her back to Zhaoming Garden.

Then he walked to the old lady, smelled the urine odor, and covered his mouth and nose in disgust.

He pulled out a golden needle from his waist and, without caring about the thickness, stabbed it directly into the old lady's philtrum.

The old lady also slowly woke up, and when she woke up she still shouted: "It wasn't me who killed you, it wasn't me."

Shen Baozhao said quietly: "Who did grandma kill?"

The old lady finally woke up, and when she saw Shen Baozhao, she thought she had a nightmare. But she also felt uncomfortable with a damp feeling in her lower body, and a stinging pain in her philtrum.

With a stern face, he ordered Shen Baozhao: "Fourth girl, help grandma up. Change the bed."

Shen Baozhao sneered and threw the clothes that Xia Lian wore as the Princess of Nanhua County in front of the old lady.

"No hurry, Grandmother, just make do with it. Now you should explain to me the matter of killing my mother and letting the Concubine Shu ascend to the throne."

The old lady then realized that she was not dreaming, but was really scared.

"So it's you who's playing tricks on me. I don't understand anything you're saying.

Your mother died of complications during childbirth, what does this have to do with Concubine Shu? Fourth girl, are you crazy? "

The old lady refused to admit it and acted superior.

Shen Baozhao didn't expect such a mad man to admit his mistakes. She slowly pulled out the golden needle and asked Bixiao to control the old lady.

Slowly insert the golden needle into the back of the old lady's neck.

Just as the needle was completely inserted, the old lady screamed. It seemed as if all her limbs were broken, and every bone was screaming.

Bixiao could hardly hold her back. The old lady's features twisted as she shouted at Shen Baozhao, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you. Save me!"

Shen Baozhao then chuckled: "Grandma, it would have been better if you had been so tactful earlier."

"Hurry, hurry, save me!" The old lady couldn't bear the pain and knelt in front of Shen Baozhao without any courage at all.

Shen Baozhao walked slowly behind the old lady and slapped her on the back of her neck. Then the golden needle flew out with a whoosh and fell into Shen Baozhao's hand.

The old lady suddenly collapsed and fell to the ground.

Shen Baozhao was not in a hurry either, and just sat aside with the third wife Tang. Bixiao also served them a cup of tea.

"Grandma, please tell me." Shen Baozhao spoke softly to the old lady on the ground.