female concubine

"I wish your majesty all blessings."

The emperor stared at Xiao Youqing for a long time, with loose clothes and no make-up, and immediately ordered: "Give me a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The emperor slowly sat up and leaned forward, put his hands on the desk and asked intently: "I asked the imperial medical officer about it, why didn't you tell me?"

"Youqing just want to be a mother in peace and stability, with the lessons learned from Princess Zhao, how can you feel at ease?"

The emperor raised his finger and tapped the table, "You admitted it quite quickly, I'm afraid, it's not just for this reason?"

Before Xiao Youqing could reply, the emperor waved his hand and said, "I have two items that I would like to ask Princess Chu to look at."

Zhao Ci handed a secret memorial and a memorial to Xiao Youqing, "Sixth Princess."

The emperor said again: "Everyone else step down."

"Yes."

A memorandum impeaching the king of Chu to return to the capital privately and a secret report of the king of Chu's return to the capital submitted by the Imperial City Department, the handwriting is clear, but Xiao Youqing only glanced at it hastily, and his face did not change, as if he was not worried, "Cold food The day before the festival is Xiaoqing’s birthday, Dad forgot, Weng Weng also forgot, only the officials and elder brother still remember.”

Regarding Xiao Youqing's explanation, the emperor lowered his head and smiled, "According to what you say, my youngest son is still a love interest."

"Youqing is fortunate to be sympathized with by the officials, and it is all thanks to His Majesty's grace."

The emperor still laughed tremblingly, and his expression changed immediately, "But this crime, how can he justify it?" The emperor pointed to his stomach, "This child is his crime."

Xiao Youqing raised his eyebrows, secretly suppressing the anger in his heart, "The child in the womb has never been guilty of any crimes, and those who are guilty are adults. When he is born safely, Youqing will take the blame himself."

"Why do you have to bear his crimes as a woman, or does it mean that he has never been to Beijing, and the child in your womb is not his?" The emperor leaned forward, and said in a calm and sinister voice, "Do you want me to depose you?" ?"

Xiao Youqing raised her head and stared at the emperor, "If you ever betray your husband in this life, you will definitely enter Abi Hell."

Seeing Princess Chu's resolute attitude, the emperor frowned, "You are very similar to your mother, so I know that you will not do anything wrong to him, but," he said with a sinister smile, "What do I believe? Use, they don't believe it?"

Xiao Youqing closed his eyes slightly, and said indifferently: "What exactly does Your Majesty want to say?"

"Hand over the palace maid from the Food Department of the Shangshi Bureau. I know that she is in your hands. As long as you hand it over, I will immediately explain to the courtiers in person. The Cold Food Festival is my yearning for the birth mother of the King of Chu, and I will call him back secretly. Dejing, you can raise your baby in the mansion with peace of mind from now on."

"Otherwise, no matter whether the feudal lord returned to the capital privately without obtaining the order or the court ordered officials to leave their posts without authorization and enter the capital privately, once found out, they will all be charged with treason. If they are caught and held on, I will not cover it up."

Holding on to it, Xiao Youqing knew who it was without thinking, "They are all parents and children. Could it be that in His Majesty's eyes, only the crown prince and King Zhao have always been?"

Throughout the dynasties, there was no prevention of private communication between Beijing officials and local officials. Without edicts, Beijing officials were not allowed to go down to the localities, and local officials were not allowed to leave without authorization, let alone enter Beijing. Prevent chaos.

"Whoever shakes the foundation of the country, no matter who it is, I will not be soft. I have turned a blind eye to what I have done in the past. If you believe it or not, I will not only turn a blind eye to the crime of treason this time. If you abolish him, you can also kill him!"

When the prince lost power, Xiao Youqing didn't think that the emperor would dethrone the King of Chu, nor that he would easily kill this useful pawn, but with the emperor's cruel heart, she couldn't guess what method he would use to coerce him, Xiao Youqing couldn't help it. Daring to use the safety of the King of Chu as a barrier, Xiao Youqing got up, "Youqing can hand over the person to His Majesty, but before His Majesty silences her, it is best to listen to her truth, listen, His Majesty's favorite son , How exactly do you want to put your own brother to death."

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Since the sound of the Dengwen drum in front of the Que Tower until now, no newcomers have entered the east wing of the Liang residence for many days.

"Miss, there is someone asking to see you outside the door, claiming to be from Lanyue Tower." Seeing the mistress staring blankly at the courtyard, the maid came closer and reminded: "Alang went to Da Nei early this morning, and he hasn't returned yet. .”

Liu Shi came back to her senses, "Let her come in and see me."

"Yes." The maid bowed and left.

It didn't take long before he led a woman in her 40s and [-]s who still had a charm, "Lady, I'm here, and the slave will leave first."

Liu Shi turned her head from the daze, stared at the woman in surprise and said, "Mother Yun?"

"Don't panic, lady, I'm not here to ask you to do anything, but to give you something." After finishing speaking, the woman took out a stack of wrapped yellow paper, "Your body deed, a piece of paper is not few."

"Mom, what does that mean?"

The woman smiled and narrowed her eyes, "This is what the official said. From then on, your favor will be paid off. You will never owe him any more. He won't bother whether you go or stay."

Liu Shi looked at the stack of opened body deeds, and said with a wry smile: "Go, can she rest assured? With her temperament, she can't."

Mother Yun looked at the room, "You had many opportunities to follow officials into the mansion to repay your favor, but you chose this way in the end. You should know better than me what kind of officials you are. Stay here Is it worth it to be around such a person?"

Mrs. Liu lowered her head, "When she enters the mansion, she has something in mind, and I just want to repay her kindness."

"Yes, but how much better is it now? Among the men in the world today, there are not many wives and concubines. If you compromise and be a concubine in this place, you will suffer a cold face. It's better to follow the officials back then."

"Mother Yun doesn't understand many things. Only I understand that she let me enter the house several times, just to cover up some things. Besides, you can't leave the house that day."

Mother Yun looked at her haggard face, and said regretfully: "You still have delusions about this man, can't you see it after so long, fame and fortune come first, wife and children come later, after so many years, mother, I have long Don't report any fantasies to men, but you are still so young, why bother to stick to one person?"

Liu Shi didn't answer her, but just pursed her lips and shook her head lightly.

Seeing that she couldn't be persuaded, her mother had no choice but to sigh helplessly: "Think about it for yourself. I still have some things to do in the courtyard, so I'll go back first. If you have any inconvenience in the future, just ask someone to bring me a message."

"Thank you, Mom."

Not long after the woman left, the owner of the house came back in a carriage.

The person who just returned home from Ouchi strode in wearing a crimson suit, and the tenderness and care in the past turned into indifference, "It's been so long, don't you have a word to say to me?"

"You can guess, what else can I say."

"You and I have known each other for 20 years, but it's not as good as that person in just a few years?" Liang Wenfu frowned tightly, "It was he who planned you to come back with me, and the purpose is to make you dormant by my side. I thought of the method of dealing with the emperor in front of the emperor, I am afraid that I have become the ghost of the knife."

"You asked me Chunwei's exam questions, and I told you without even thinking about it. When you got married, you did search for my book and forged the notes, and the letter you exchanged was given to you by the king of Chu. I have seen his He studied calligraphy and painting, in fact, it was just to forge other people's handwriting, obviously I know all of these, and obviously can be exposed, but I still recognize it." Liang Wenfu took a deep breath, red eyes said: "20 years, if not I will never think of doubting you for that paper of complaint until I die, I don't believe that you will betray me for such a person, what did he give you, the position of side concubine?" Liang Wenfu trembled again and said: "Or, you gave him everything, holding the illusion that he will welcome you into the palace when he wins the throne in the future?"

Immediately, Liu stood up and slapped him hard, "It's you who chills my heart every time. You don't understand what I want at all. It's always been from the beginning to now," she said again He stretched out his sleeves to cover his face and begged bitterly: "Brother Hongwen, wake up, don't continue to be obsessed with obsession, this court is not something you can deal with."

Liang Wenfu immediately shook off her hand, turned his back and said coldly: "Isn't everything I did for you? Wasn't everything I did for us? Women don't understand the court, it's easy to enter, and they want to get out , how can you do it with just one word, I don't believe you can't break this situation."

Liang Wenfu walked away, "If you want to leave, I won't stop you."

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In Qishan County, on the night when the secret letter was sent out, the king of Chu summoned a few confidantes and told them to start packing their belongings, as if they were going to return to Beijing.

But until the end of the month, there was no movement in Tokyo City.

"This thing was packed half a month ago. What is Alang waiting for? I don't understand what you are going to do."

The King of Chu also felt very strange, "I'm waiting for the edict, the edict summoning me to return to Beijing, it shouldn't be, the news has already come down, why is there no movement from Da Nei?"

"Did Ah Lang say that the princess in Beijing is pregnant?"

"If the king of Zhao knew that I had returned to the capital privately, he would definitely hold on to it. It stands to reason that he should call me back to inquire about the crime." The king of Chu held a sympathetic knot and gently stroked his thumb, "The person who can solve this crime Only the person who let me go out of Beijing, he will not let me go so easily, did she promise him something again..."

The King of Chu lay down on the table, picked up the concentric knot and stared at it under the light, "When the East Palace loses power, my private return to Beijing is nothing more than a meal, and he won't really kill me. Now , what should I use to repay my sister's favor?"

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At the end of the ninth year of Jianping, it was reported in Beijing that the princess of Chu was pregnant, and the courtiers impeached the king of Chu for returning to Beijing privately. They were speechless, and no one came out to criticize.

The common people have not yet come out of the gloom of the tragedy involving thousands of people who were imprisoned by the Prime Minister and the Right Prime Minister. This royal happy event is not enough to dilute the panic. People in the capital are still in panic for several months.

A large number of officials were imprisoned, and there were many vacancies, which would paralyze the operation of the imperial court. The emperor ordered the trial court to check the vacancies and make up for the omissions, and dispatched a group of idle officials.

"After protecting the crown prince, he still wants to protect the king of Chu. He deliberately wants to suppress the military government and the government. Now, the prime ministers of the two governments are all his confidantes, but Xiao Huaide still has a hundred thousand elites from our dynasty in his hands." After all this, the king of Chu has gained power, doesn't he really want to pass the throne to the king of Chu?"

"Xunzi said in the article "Wang Ba": Therefore, those who use the country will establish two kings righteously. If they are established by faith, they will dominate, and if they have power, they will perish. Officials and deceitful people take advantage of the situation and then deceive." Han Si walked forward slowly with his hands in his hands, watching the dirty water of a river, which was not moved by the wind, "Your Majesty who governs the country with tactics has gradually lost his respect for the court. Church's control."

"He has lost control, so wouldn't it be even more so for this king? In my opinion, even if he abolishes the prince, he will not establish me."

"That's not necessarily the case." Han Bang turned around, "When a person gets old, his state of mind will change. Why don't the three kings be a real filial son?" Han Bang said with a smile: "You must know this. Impossible."