The old lady is reborn

Song Ying said to Huaiyuan again: "This batch of flying eagles was transferred to me by General Wang. If they are injured or sick, don't want to be flying eagles anymore, and want to quit the guard life and take another path, we should send them off well and don't need to recruit new ones.

Let's learn from the Marquis of Dongyang. We won't compensate them after we hire them."

Huaiyuan nodded: "I understand, mother, I will tell Mingdai about this."

Song Ying was distracted, thinking about this mess, when Nanny Zhang came in to report that several guards from the Nan'an Marquis' Mansion in the Banshan Pavilion discovered that people from the Dingguo Duke's Mansion and the Xianwang Prince's Mansion had already come up.

After hearing this, Song Ying said to Gong Qifang: "We have almost finished discussing this. You will have to perform the next big show alone."

Gong Qifang smiled and said, "I am not afraid now. I feel that if I fail in singing, I will have someone to back me up."

Song Ying smiled gently and left Gong Qifang's yard with Nanny Zhang and others.

The first one to arrive was Duke Dingguo. Gong Qifang thought: This must be because it concerns my concubine's sister, so he came so quickly.

But he still calmed down and went over to greet her: "Father."

Duke Dingguo nodded and asked, "Is the message you passed on true? Does the wise king really want to demote his wife to a concubine?"

Gong Qifang said: "It is hard for me to say whether it is true or not, but yesterday a man who is close to the wise king, named Xiyue, came to tell me something.

Since my daughter knew about it, she reported it to her father as soon as possible. If it is false, it will just make everyone laugh. If it is true, my sister will naturally need my father to support her. "

In the eyes of Duke Dingguo, his daughter Gong Yan and Prince Xian have been living well over the years.

The two were a loving couple, but the only flaw was that along with their reputation for deep love, many interesting anecdotes about the virtuous king and his wife gradually spread.

Among these interesting stories, his daughter was always portrayed in a distorted way, appearing to be a little overbearing and having a bad temper.

Because of my daughter, I have done a lot of things for the wise king over the years. How could the wise king demote his wife to a concubine just because of those trivial matters?

He himself did not like Gong Qifang's mother. Even if he had thought of finding an opportunity to kill her, hadn't he ever thought of demoting his wife to a concubine?

Who would do such a stupid thing, risking their reputation for a woman they don't like?

Find an opportunity to kill him, or actually dethrone him.

But his wife is smart and she took the initiative to retire many years ago. Since she knows how to advance and retreat, it doesn't cost him much trouble.

But the Xiyue mentioned by the eldest daughter just now, I seem to have heard Gong Yan mention it, she is a low-ranking concubine in the palace. She came to pass on the message?

Can you believe anything someone says?

Since it concerns Yan'er, I'd better take a trip to make sure I feel at ease.

It just may not be true.

Today, I want to see whether it is Gong Qifang who is spreading rumors or a bed warmer in the palace who dares to say irresponsible things about Yan'er, the legal wife?

Just as he was thinking about it, he looked Gong Qifang up and down with suspicion and vigilance.

If someone is not attentive in the temple and still wants to cause trouble for Yan'er, then she will be slapped with a big wooden board and lose all hope of causing trouble.

Let’s see if she dares to talk nonsense again in the future.

Gong Qifang lowered his head and asked someone to serve tea to his father, and then he didn't say much.

A young nun came to announce: "Master Jingxin, the virtuous king is here."

Duke Dingguo was about to stand up to greet him and ask him about his wife being demoted to a concubine. Gong Qifang stopped him and said, "Father, why don't you sit in the compartment for a while and listen to what the virtuous king has to say?"

On the side of the house facing the rock wall, there is a small meditation room separated by six floor-to-ceiling pivot doors.

At first glance, these quaint and beautiful pivot doors, with their carved and hollowed-out tops and covered with impenetrable screens, are very beautiful, like a row of windows overlooking a cliff.

Duke Dingguo thought about it and decided it was a good idea, so he turned around and went into the compartment.

When the wise king came, he had already made up his mind that he had to get this woman back to the palace today, no matter what.

Then just kill that annoying Gong Yan, but Gong Qifang will have to take the blame.

The virtuous king came in and sat down at the head of the table naturally. He looked at the teacup on the table and asked, "Are there any guests?"

"No. I just brewed it because I knew the prince was coming."

It's fine if the wise king is satisfied and the person is obedient and easy to manipulate.

Gong Yan was very obedient at first, but gradually he developed a bad temper, became disobedient, and always wanted to argue with Xiyue.

The wise king asked, "Have you made up your mind? Will you come back with me?"

Gong Qifang replied: "I have been living in seclusion for many years, what am I going to do when I go back?"

The wise king felt that her words were no longer as hostile as last time, and seemed like something they could talk about.

"Naturally, we should put order out of chaos and return everyone to their proper place."

Gong Qifang smiled faintly after hearing this: "Back then, it was the prince who said that he and his concubine sister had a mutual affection for each other, and this matter was also reported to the late emperor and the empress dowager.

I am the concubine's sister, so how can everyone return to their proper place?"

The virtuous king said, "How difficult is this? The queen mother originally favored you. As long as you are willing to return to the palace, I will ask the queen mother for a decree, and there is nothing I can say against it.

It was just a name trick back then, and the nobles in Kyoto would know the truth."

After hearing this, Gong Qifang asked the virtuous king, “That being said, Your Majesty and I have no romantic feelings for each other, why are you suddenly making such a fuss just to welcome me back to the palace?

This makes people hesitate to move forward.”

Gong Qifang once speculated on the king's thoughts, but he didn't know whether he was right or wrong. He also felt that something was missing.

The wise king smiled and said, "You two are really smart. I don't need to hide it from you."

The wise king thought, if I take you back, you will be abandoned after I use you, so what is there to hide? How can you make it public?

That father and daughter knew too much and wanted this and that. She had been putting them off for so long that she was too lazy to continue.

But if you don't bother to deal with it, this woman will just keep making a fuss. Sooner or later, Duke Dingguo will realize that her daughter is just a cover.

He simply used the excuse of demoting his wife to a concubine as an excuse. As long as he could remember that they had a quarrel, he would get rid of Gong Yan first and let Gong Qifang take the blame.

When Duke Dingguo took action against Gong Qifang again, he simply used a knife to kill both sides and silenced them. He simply told the outside world that the father and his two daughters killed each other and all died in the end.

Thinking of this, he looked at Gong Qifang as if he was looking at a piece of meat on a chopping board and said nonchalantly.

"Duke Dingguo has done a lot for the palace over the years. I don't need to go through this again.

It was just that one thing he did, although not big but certainly not important, had a big mistake.

I am afraid that soon my fourth brother will find out the truth about Duke Dingguo. I just want to be a romantic man, but I don't want my fourth brother to think that I have any ambitions.

In this case, this matter can only be handled by the Duke Dingguo's Mansion alone.

The crime in this matter can be big or small. If it is a big one, it is inevitable that I will be implicated.

But after all these years of loving each other, wouldn't it be better if I just had to endure a woman with a bad temper and ulterior motives?"

"So, Your Majesty means that we need to completely sever ties with the Duke Dingguo's Mansion and separate completely?

I am also the daughter of Duke Dingguo, so wouldn't it be the same if I returned to the palace to be his wife?"

“What’s the difference then?

You and your daughter have never been favored by Duke Dingguo. One of you was forced to become a nun, and the other one divorced Duke Dingguo long ago.

For so many years, you have been living a secluded life and it is impossible for you to marry anyone else in this life.

Your mother was originally from Kyoto, but she had to live far away in the counties.

These were all killed by Duke Dingguo.

I am now restoring order to save you and your daughter from danger, and also to sever ties with Duke Dingguo.

Anyway, you don't need to ask so many questions, just pack up and follow me."

"My Lord, I'm afraid I can't get away."

"You are a woman who has never been involved in any of those things. How come you are the only one who can't get away with it?"

Gong Qifang said: "Your Highness has misunderstood. What I meant by being unable to escape is that my father is now behind this Nine-Turn Axis Gate.

After hearing what the prince said, he would never let me get away no matter what."

Hearing this, the wise king's face turned red and white for a long time before he said, "Is your father behind these doors now?!"

I looked at Gong Qifang again...

Was this woman setting a trap for me? How could I be so proud that I said all these things?

Duke Dingguo's expression wasn't much better either. He sat inside for a long time before he recovered.

At this moment, he stood up and pushed the door to go out. The wise king suddenly became alert. If he let Duke Dingguo leave like this, not only would the scapegoat fly away, but everything he knew would probably be told to others.

So he waved his hand, and several guards stepped forward to block Duke Dingguo's way.

At this time, another person suddenly came to Gong Qifang's courtyard. Xiyue deliberately let Gong Yan know the news, and Gong Yan also rushed to Yunlan Temple.

"What are you doing here?" The wise king was also a little confused at this time.

"I am willing to divorce. Anything is fine, just let my father go."

Gong Qifang suddenly remembered himself in his dream, and he had said similar words just to protect his mother.

But the mother still fell in a pool of blood.

And the one who hurt his mother in the dream was Duke Dingguo himself, who was now in a different place.

She could not forget the sadness, pain and despair in her heart as she held her mother's body which was slowly cooling down.

I hope the wise king will go all the way. If he is too soft-hearted, Duke Dingguo will get away with it.