female concubine

In mid-October, the emperor insisted on letting the queen Yaxian, and ordered the Shaofu supervisor to make additional sacrifices for the queen, so that the officials were once again separated in the name of various departments. In a rage, the emperor imprisoned several important court officials who took the lead in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment , Under repeated suppression and severe punishment, this made the officials stop.

Crown Prince Wei Xu learned that some veteran ministers were also convicted and imprisoned for persuasion, so he interceded with the emperor, "Zhang Xueshi, Tian Xueshi, and Lu Xueshi are all ministers of the humerus, and they have assisted Your Majesty for nearly 30 years. Your Majesty If we put them in jail, wouldn’t it make the courtiers feel disappointed? Let the common people down?”

The emperor dismissed all the servants in the hall, copied the memorandum presented by the crown prince on the table and threw it at his face, "You are the crown prince who does not participate in politics. You are not dead yet, so you want to meddle in the government?"

"I don't dare." The Crown Prince knelt down tremblingly, "It's just that people in the court have been panicking recently, and I'm afraid..."

"Shut up!" shouted the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, please release the three bachelors, they are not at fault." The crown prince still insisted.

The emperor took his hand away from the table, walked up to the crown prince, squatted down slowly, and stretched out his hand to grab the skirt of his nape, "You act submissive in front of those ministers and even your mother, and you look like a filial son. Sometimes cowardly, sometimes tough, when I was critically ill, all the courtiers stood up to let you supervise the country, prince, prince..."

The emperor let go of his hands and stood up, "I don't care if you are really benevolent and filial, or you are pretending to be benevolent and righteous," the emperor said coldly, "You have disappointed me very much."

"Daddy."

"Come on!"

The servant heard the voice and stepped into the hall, "Officials."

"Let Zhizhi draw up an imperial decree. Today, the crown prince will be accused of bewitching the prince and colluding with party members on behalf of the intercessors. They will stop going abroad and will never return to Beijing."

"Daddy!" the crown prince raised his head.

"Xue Jin!" the emperor shouted again.

Xue Jin heard the sound and hurried in, "Officials."

"The crown prince will secretly collude with foreign ministers and hold the Zongzheng Temple," the emperor opened his indifferent eyes, as if all the dissatisfaction with the crown prince erupted at this moment, "wait and see!"

Xue Jin raised his head in shock, "This...an official?"

"Are you so old that you can't even hear what I say?"

The emperor was furious, Xue Jin had no choice but to bow and obey the order, "Yes."

-------------------------------

The news that the crown prince was imprisoned in Zongzheng Temple quickly spread from the forbidden area. The emperor's move also aroused the anger and dissatisfaction of a group of court officials. The old minister bluntly scolded the emperor for being unkind to his father and was subsequently dismissed.

——Eastern Palace——

The crown princess was sitting on the couch by the window with the warm sun shining in, holding a needle and thread in her hand and embroidering the word "Fu" stitch by stitch.

"His Royal Highness's embroidery is really beautiful, this blessing word..." Before the palace man finished speaking, the princess' hands suddenly trembled, "Your Highness, the villain deserves to die!" The palace man knelt down in panic.

The Crown Princess helped her up, "What does it have to do with Mrs. Zhang if I am not careful?"

The palace man then turned around, took the wound medicine and carefully bandaged the princess, "Your Highness has been restless these days."

The princess looked sideways out of the window, "I always feel that something bad is about to happen."

As soon as the words fell, the prince Shao Zhanshi of Zhan Shifu hurried into the palace, and played loudly at the threshold: "Prince Shao Zhanshi asks to see His Royal Highness the Crown Princess."

"come in."

"Your Highness!" Shao Zhanshi stepped into the hall and knelt down and said, "Your Highness, hurry up and save His Highness the Crown Prince."

The princess put down the needle and thread in her hand, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"His Royal Highness was taken into Zongzheng Temple by the officials."

The princess got up from her seat, "Prepare clothes for me quickly."

——Gulu Gulu——The car and guard of honor of the Crown Princess drove away from the East Palace, and pedestrians on the street gave way one after another.

Zhao Xi clutched Zhu Yi's red cuffs, "How could this be?"

"His Royal Highness has always been obedient and harmonious with the officials. Could it be that Shao Zhan made a mistake?"

"It's no small matter for the Crown Prince to enter the Zongzheng Temple. Shao Zhan has always been cautious in matters and is His Highness's confidant. It is impossible for him to lie about the news without knowing it." Zhao Xi worried.

------------

——Changing Arch Hall——

Wang Wenfu and Zhang Hou, the two prime ministers in the Dutang, went to the Chuigong Hall one after another to intercede with the emperor.

"His Royal Highness is not at fault, His Majesty locked him in Zongzheng Temple, fearing to hurt the peace of father and son..."

"Five of the six departments and nine ministers have been replaced. Does Dutang also want to change?"

"His Majesty!"

"I'm tired, please invite Zhang Xiang down."

"Yes."

"Your Majesty!" Zhang Hou was dragged out by two servants.

The hall returned to silence, the emperor propped himself on the table and let out a long breath. Not long after, the guard outside the hall hurried in and bowed to report: "Officials, the princess is asking to see you."

The Crown Princess climbed up the steps of the Chuigong Palace and saw the Prime Minister dragged out by the servants, "Mr. Zhang?"

Zhang Hou spread out his sleeves and bowed, "His Royal Highness, Your Highness knows that the Crown Prince..."

"I know."

The emperor walked down from the east steps of the main hall to sit down on the wooden couch in the Duo hall, picked up the teacup and ordered: "Let the princess come in."

"Yes."

Seeing that the woman who entered was about to kneel down, the emperor quickly raised his hand, "Xi'er, you don't have to..."

"The concubine kowtowed to His Majesty, and wished His Majesty all blessings."

The emperor then put down the teacup and quickly got up from his seat, walked to the princess and bent down to help her up, "You are pregnant..."

"Uncle!" Zhao Xi raised his head and grabbed the emperor's arms, his eyes filled with tears, "Xi'er begged uncle to let eldest brother go."

The emperor bent down and stood in a stalemate for a while, and then helped him up, "I just want him to reflect on himself..."

"But that is Zongzheng Temple, where prisoners are held."

The emperor turned around indifferently, "Women have no right to intervene in government affairs, and the crown prince cannot participate in politics, so the crown princess should not interfere in political affairs. You grew up in the palace, so you will not understand the forbidden rules."

"Did uncle treat him like a parent?"

The emperor frowned deeply.

"Even for one day," Zhao Xi looked at the emperor's indifferent figure, "does uncle know what elder brother wants most?"

The emperor turned his head back, but without waiting for him to speak, Zhao Xi stepped back and shook his head and said, "Uncle doesn't know, because uncle won't pay the slightest attention to him, and what uncle gave him is the responsibility that can crush people."

The emperor clenched his hands behind his back, "Come here, send the princess back to the East Palace. Without my permission, you are not allowed to step out of the East Palace."

----------------------------------

In front of the palace, Xiao Yunze, the Crown Princess, Princess Le'an, Princess Yiguo and others all tried to persuade them to no avail. After that, the courtiers sent the memorial to the Central Palace and Deoksugung Palace where the Empress Dowager resides. Two days later, the Empress came forward. Only then did the emperor release the crown prince from Zongzheng Temple and confine him to the East Palace instead.

——Zongzheng Temple——

The queen's guard of honor and chariots stopped in front of the gate of Zongzheng Temple.

Zongzheng Siqing personally took the key to open the door of a dilapidated hut. Thirty years later, Xiao Youqing was still touched when he stepped into the same room again. The furnishings inside had changed, but the bleakness remained the same.

The officials of the Zongzheng Temple informed that the crown prince had not eaten or drank for two whole days since the first moment he was brought here. Xiao Youqing walked up to the crown prince who was huddled in a corner, and stretched out his hands tremblingly with tears in his eyes, saying: "Why not?" It has become like this, repeating the same mistakes, is this really the situation she wants?"

The crown prince opened his frail eyes and moved his pale lips, "Mother..."

Xiao Youqing quickly wiped away her tears and picked up the warm water brought by the waiter, "Drink a sip of water first, mother has prepared some snacks you like for you."

The crown prince opened his eyes after dipping in a little water, stood up straight, grabbed the bowl and drank the water in one gulp, but still did not quench his thirst, "Water, water..."

The servant brought the kettle into the room and filled bowl after bowl for him. It didn't take long for the person who was extremely short of water to drink almost all the pot of water. Xiao Youqing gently stroked his shoulder, "Slow down."

A few tears fell from the eyes into the empty bowl, and the crown prince threw his trembling lips into his mother's arms like a child, "My son doesn't want to be this prince anymore, mother, mother."

Listening to the trembling cry of a child, Xiao Youqing fell into deep self-blame, "It's all the mother's fault, it's the mother who made you bear too much."

The crown prince just shook his head blindly and stopped talking, Xiao Youqing helped him up from the ground, then reached out to wipe away his tears, "Let's go home."

Hearing that he was returning home, the Crown Prince said in a daze, "Mother is going to beg Your Majesty."

Xiao Youqing didn't answer, the crown prince burst into tears again, knelt down and said: "The son knows that the mother never asks for help, it is the son who is not filial, and it is the son who makes the mother worry."

"It's good that you know," Xiao Youqing bent down to help him up again, "The Crown Princess is still in the East Palace, and there is Chen'er, even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about them."

The crown prince raised his hand and wiped away his tears, and at the same time wiped away the desolation and loneliness in his eyes, "My son knows."

Che Yu, who had stayed at the entrance of Zongzheng Temple for a while, started up again and walked slowly towards the East Street. The palace officials and guards of honor who held flags and fans followed and left one after another. Minister Zongzhengsi got up from the ground and raised his hand to put his head on straight. It really happens in every generation.”

"The official family only has one son, His Highness the Crown Prince, so if you hurt the relationship between father and son, you are not afraid that His Highness will be enthroned in the future..."

"Who knows, the official's body has been ill since his birthday last year, and now even his temperament has changed..."

"I heard that sometimes even the words of His Highness the Queen don't work, otherwise, how could His Highness the Crown Prince be locked up for two days before being released?"

"In matters of the Tian family, although you and I are surnamed Wei, it's better not to meddle in other people's business."

"Yes."

There is a small table in the spacious car, on which there are many exquisite pastries and cheeses in plates.

The crown prince, who had been hungry for nearly two days, even ate a few pieces of jujube cake, crying while eating: "The jujube cake made by mother is the most delicious."

Xiao Youqing stretched out his hand and brushed the long hair hanging from his forehead behind his ears, "How did Dalang know that it was done by his mother?"

"My mother used to make dim sum before entering Zhonggong, and my son always remembers the taste and never forgets it."

Xiao Youqing opened his kind eyes, and suddenly felt sour, "In the blink of an eye, you have grown so big, and my mother is also old."

The crown prince took a sip of milk, picked up the handkerchief beside him and wiped the corners of his mouth, "Mother is not old, she looks only thirty or forty now, and my son will always be by mother's side from now on."

"Don't blame your father, okay?"

The crown prince froze for a while, then lowered his gaze, and bowed his head in silence.

"It's not that you don't know her current body and temperament. From last year to this spring when she got sick, she has aged more than ten years overnight. You are a young man, don't care about us old people."

The crown prince clasped his sleeves and raised his waist, saying: "My son understands."

——Eastern Palace——

Zhao Xi sat anxiously in the main hall of the East Palace, clasped his hands and looked towards the courtyard from time to time. Princess Le'an was ordered by his grandmother to stay by his mother's side for the past two days to comfort her, "Grandmother has gone to pick up daddy, and daddy will come back safely. .”

The servants walked and ran at the gate of the East Palace until they were about to enter the main hall before slowing down, "Your Highness, Princess, His Highness the Empress and His Highness the Crown Prince are back."

Princess Le'an joyfully helped her mother out of the palace.

"Daddy, grandma."

"Your Highness." Zhao Xi looked at the emaciated crown prince who went out the day before yesterday as if he was a different person, his eyes turned red in an instant, and then he threw himself into the crown prince's arms and trembled in pain: "I'm sorry, my concubine couldn't help your highness."

The crown prince fell into deep self-blame, and immediately put his hands on his wife and hugged his wife tightly, "I should apologize to you, it's my fault for worrying you."

--------------------------------------

By November, the emperor lifted the ban on the East Palace at the empress' begging.

Yousi was busy preparing for the sacrificial ceremony, and several layers of defense were added inside and outside the forbidden area. As usual, all the palace people who entered and exited walked in an orderly manner on the palace corridor that they had to come and go every day.

"All blessings, His Royal Highness the Prince."

"All blessings, His Royal Highness the Prince."

——Kunning Hall——

On the morning of the first day after the confinement was lifted, the crown prince rushed into the palace to ask his parents, "Crown Crown Prince Wei Xu, please respectfully ask for your safety." The crown prince bowed his head and asked, "How is Sheng Gong today?"

Seeing the crown prince with the same expression as usual, the emperor was silent for a while, "Bow."

The crown prince knelt down to the queen again, "How is your majesty doing today?"

"install."

Only then did the crown prince kneel down from the ground, and calmly walked to the table on the left and sat down. The emperor no longer asked about his affairs during breakfast as before, nor did he ask about caring for the concubine of the Eastern Palace. After the meal, the expression on his face did not ease. After the emperor left, the crown prince put down the bowl and chopsticks and raised his hand to cover the food in his mouth with his sleeve, and then coughed heavily again.

Xiao Youqing ordered someone to bring warm water, "Drink some water."

"My son is fine."

Xiao Youqing touched the crown prince's cold and sweaty forehead, "You don't even mention that you are weak, your father has always been in poor health, you can't also collapse at this time."

The crown prince covered his mouth and suppressed his cough, "I know, I won't worry my mother."

Until three days before the winter solstice sacrifice, ministers occasionally visited the prince in the East Palace, and since the crown prince returned to the East Palace from Zongzheng Temple, no one in the court objected to the emperor's letting the queen Yaxian.