Chapter 188: Gathering together to celebrate peace after the disaster
On this day, Concubine Fu prepared a table in her palace to welcome the fifth prince and his family into the palace.
It has been more than a month since the last time mother and son met.
The emperor's eldest grandson had grown up a lot. Concubine Fu held him in her arms and looked at him carefully while asking: "How many times do you wake up in the night? How many times do you feed? Do you laugh?"
Lan Ning answered one by one at the side. Seeing that the empress had held the child for a long time, she was afraid that she would be tired, so she asked someone to pick up the emperor's eldest grandson.
Said: "This child is calm! Whenever I hold him for a while, my wrists will hurt from exhaustion."
Concubine Fu handed the child over and said with a smile: "It's better to be a little fatter. No matter how fat a child is, he will just be fat. Once he stops breastfeeding, he will naturally lose weight."
He looked at the fifth prince again and said, "Bai is back a little bit. He was really dark and thin when he just came back from Longxi."
When the fifth prince saw that his empress had lost a lot of weight compared to before, he couldn't help but feel ashamed: "It's unfilial to ask my mother and concubine to worry about her."
"It's not your fault. Fortunately, there was no danger," said Concubine Fu. "I've only had a peaceful sleep since yesterday."
Lan Ning asked: "Why haven't I seen Heng Zhao? When we were at home, we said we would thank her in person."
"I guess that girl is busy making purses. I'll keep them for my New Year gifts." Concubine Fu said to Bishu, "Go and call Hengzhao."
When they moved, Xue Hengzhao arrived and said hello to Concubine Fu, mother and son.
Concubine Fu sent all the irrelevant people to the west suite on the grounds that the emperor's grandson was going to bed.
Lan Ning stepped forward and took Xue Hengzhao's hand and said, "I told the fifth prince before that you helped me a lot when I gave birth.
The fifth prince wants to thank you in person, but he is always delayed by things. Now, thanks to your advice, things in Longxi are safe. It is really too light to say thank you."
The fifth prince stepped forward, saluted Xue Hengzhao solemnly, and said: "Miss Xue, I owe you so much for saving me. I have never thanked you. I am really ashamed.
If it weren't for your prudence and wisdom, it would be really difficult for me to escape. Please accept Zhu Guo and pay your respects. I will try my best to repay you in the future."
Xue Hengzhao avoided the fifth prince's courtesy and said: "The fifth prince really made a strong statement, and I don't dare to take it seriously."
"You are the number one hero, our female Zhuge. I don't know how many things will depend on your planning in the future. It is a last resort in front of others. When we are all our own people, you must not put yourself in the status of a slave, otherwise
We can't bear it either." Lan Ning said sincerely.
Xue Hengzhao smiled and said: "Thank you for your respect, nobles. However, this is the duty that I should abide by due to my status. It is rare for the three of you to be trustworthy. I should thank you for your trust."
Concubine Fu said: "Hengzhao will not live under others for a long time. This is what we have to do now. There is no need to embarrass her, but it will make her uneasy."
"Your Majesty is right, it is best to follow the etiquette of greetings." Xue Hengzhao said.
Lan Ning then said: "We entered the palace today. In addition to meeting our mother and concubine, we also want to review the next situation and prepare early."
The Longxi case has been concluded.
According to the closed case file, the biggest mastermind of the whole incident was a concubine of the Ma family named Ma Cunxiao.
He was born to a prostitute of the Ma family. Because of his low background, he was not very favored, so he tried every means to gain credit and favor.
He confessed that it was because of the previous punishment of Ma Feiyan that the Ma family had lost face.
He took it upon himself to take revenge on the fifth prince. When disaster relief in Longxi happened to come up, he conspired with Mr. Kuang in the mansion to set up a trap to frame the fifth prince.
Kuang Yun planned to be a guest of the Ma family, so he naturally had opportunistic ideas, and the two hit it off immediately.
Because the Ma family was so powerful, they had good communication with all the officials in the imperial yamen.
The two men began to make arrangements under the guise of the Ma family. Kuang Yunchou went to Longxi to find Cao Shuo, the military envoy of Longxi, and arranged for people there to plot to go to Beijing and falsely accuse him.
Here, Ma Cunxiao found Hu Ce, the Minister of Household Affairs, who then handed over the matter to his confidant He Wenzhao.
He Wenzhao wanted to win over Wang Cheng and Wu Wantuan, who went to Longxi with the fifth prince to provide disaster relief.
Their original plan was for people from Longxi to come to Beijing to complain, and the two Hubu men followed suit and gave false testimony. Of course, they also did not forget to bribe the cook in front of the fifth prince.
Such a three-pronged approach can almost prove the death of the fifth prince.
Of course, all these words were said in Ma Cunxiao's suicide note.
Before he could be brought to the court, he chose to commit suicide.
What Kuang Yunchou told him was surprisingly consistent with him.
"The Ma family saw that it was difficult to explain the matter, so they gave up an unfavored bastard." Xue Hengzhao analyzed, "Ma Zhong has more than a dozen sons, and this one is of the lowest origin, so he can be used as a scapegoat." p>
The fifth prince also said: "Yes, those who were kicked out were obviously unable to keep their jobs. Among those who were sentenced to death, Hu Ce had the highest official position.
Although Ma Zhong was demoted, as long as the Yao family survives, he will be reinstated sooner or later."
Lan Ning said: "I don't believe that the Yao family had no involvement in this matter. The emperor must have known about it, but just because Hu Ce was Yao Tai's disciple, he was fined his salary and it was over."
"This situation is expected, and this incident alone cannot damage the foundation of the two families." Xue Hengzhao said, "However, in the end, it has disgraced them, and hundreds of officials have been implicated in this case. Without exception, they are all vassals of the Yao and Ma parties. From now on, these lackeys will do things for them. If they meet the fifth prince again, they will have to make careful decisions. They will never dare to act as boldly as before."
"As far as my father is concerned, if someone slanders me in front of him in the future, he will definitely not believe it." This is what the fifth prince is most satisfied with.
"But this way, their hatred towards us will become even deeper." Lan Ning said, "Even the Queen will definitely have to make a note of it."
"Let's be more careful in everything we do in the future," Concubine Fu said. "No matter who the Queen wants to punish, she always has to find something to do before she can take action."
Just as he was talking, Wei Zhong hurried in: "Your Majesty, the Emperor has sent Eunuch Shang here."
Concubine Fu and others had no choice but to hold their tongues and let Shang Qiyan come in.
Shang Qiyan, still smiling and friendly, came in to greet Concubine Fu and the fifth prince and his wife, and said: "This old slave has been ordered by your majesty to send a few dishes. Your Majesty knows that your empress is gathering with the fifth prince today, just because it is true.
Too busy to come over.
So I specially ordered a few dishes and asked the imperial dining room to prepare them and deliver them.
He also said that after dinner, he would ask the fifth prince to carry the emperor’s eldest grandson to Yangze Palace. Your Majesty has not seen the emperor’s grandson for several days, so he is really worried.”
The fifth prince quickly agreed and thanked Shang Qi for his hard work.
"It's not hard for me, old slave. The fifth prince has cleared his grievances. Not to mention that His Majesty is happy in his heart, but this slave is also happy." Shang Qiyan is not an ordinary person, especially he knows how to figure out the emperor's thoughts.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to be a popular person in front of the emperor for so many years.