The survival rule of a concubine's daughter 128: One stone, three birds, good strategy
"Little sister, you're wrong. It's precisely because the Yang family is a noble house that they can't have their eldest daughter lower herself and damage the reputation of the manor. Moreover, it would affect the relationship between Lady Yang and my mother, so I had no choice but to refuse. Just like your birth mother, although she was bestowed upon by the previous emperor, she still has to maintain a certain dignity as a concubine, but she can't be on an equal footing with the legitimate wife. If Miss Yang were to enter our household, Lady Yang would not be considered a true relative of the royal family, let alone be on an equal footing with my mother. And as for you, little sister, although we're both born out of wedlock, you've been elevated by the current empress and my father to the position of princess. But if we were to compare our status, do you dare to compete with a legitimate princess like myself?"
Princess Qing'an was choked with anger for half a day, unable to speak, but her smile remained sweet as ever. The jade and gold hairpin on her temple trembled slightly, casting a faint glow. "I heard that you and Miss Yang have always been close friends. If Miss Yang really enters the palace, wouldn't it be humiliating for you, the esteemed Princess Qing'an, the emperor's own niece, to still address your brother's concubine as 'sister'? Wouldn't outsiders laugh at you for lowering your own status?"
Princess Qing'an's face turned red with rage, and she couldn't help but slam her hand on the table and stand up. "You..." She had always been spoiled and gotten what she wanted since she was young, even after entering the palace, where the Empress Dowager doted on her and the Queen treated her with favor. Even Lu Shu Fei, who was known for being arrogant, called her "little sister" in a soft voice. In the palace, she was someone who could get away with anything, so how could she tolerate Yu's harsh words? She couldn't help but say angrily: "No matter how eloquent you are, you're just jealous and can't stand others. Even if you go to the Empress Dowager, you won't be able to justify yourself."
Ru Qing said coldly, "I may be jealous, but the king has five concubines and a side consort. But as for you, sister, I heard that the servant girl your aunt personally chose to serve your brother-in-law died mysteriously after less than half a month of service. Tell me, sister, what do you have to say about this?"
Princess Qing'an's face showed a hint of panic, her tone severe and stern. "You're spouting nonsense! It's clearly because she's not lucky enough, what does it have to do with me? I'm handling my own family affairs, don't you think you're interfering too much, sister?"
"Is that so? My own family affairs have nothing to do with my sister. Doesn't she mind me interfering too much?"
Princess Qing'an was stunned, unable to find words for a moment. She wanted to say something provocative, but saw Ruqing take the teapot from Yatou's hand and personally pour tea for Empress Dowager and Princess Ningjing. Meanwhile, Princess Ningjing and Empress Dowager sipped their own tea, looking calm and composed as if they hadn't heard the argument between Ruqing and Qing'an earlier, which made Qing'an feel a bit deflated.
……
Lunch was still at Longxianju, the dining hall and the side hall were some distance apart. As she walked in front of Taifei, Princess Ningjing looked at her energetic and vigorous appearance, without any weakness of a pregnant woman, and couldn't help but praise her: "Niece-in-law's body is indeed robust."
"That's heaven blessing me with a healthy body."
The empress also couldn't help but laugh, and she really liked that Ruo Xue never used her pregnancy as an excuse. She still occasionally asked after Ning Jing's well-being, and couldn't resist saying to Princess Ningjing: "This child is indeed the material for a mistress, unlike those concubines who, once they're pregnant, start coming up with all sorts of ailments and spend their days looking pale and sickly, it's really detestable."
"Any truly noble lady from a wealthy family, raised in luxury and pampered since childhood, naturally can't compare to a delicate beauty like you. The Empress must be blessed with good fortune, and Sister-in-law is certainly fertile."
She leaned against the empress and felt her hand tighten, but she quickly pulled back and signaled to her not to get angry. She smiled brightly at Princess Ningjing and said: "After hearing what you just said, I finally understand why our dynasty stipulates that the empress must come from among the common people. It turns out that those high-born young ladies with noble status have weak bodies and cannot give birth to healthy and excellent offspring. Auntie, this younger sister of mine has been raised in luxury since childhood, and her body is naturally delicate, so please take good care of her."
The quiet princess straightened her eyes, and finally, reason prevailed, saying: "This girl has always been a pig-headed brain, you must not have any knowledge of her."
Princess Qing'an's face turned red with anger, her eyes flashing with resentment. She was about to say something when the Empress Dowager turned to Ruqin and said, "Your sister has been spoiled by your father the king. Don't treat her as an equal."
As for someone like Qing An, verbal attacks are just child's play; the best offense is to completely ignore her from the heart.
At mealtime, as if serving herself, Princess Ningjing smiled and said: "For those who have a body, don't pay attention to these rules anymore, sit down and eat together."
The queen suddenly thought of it and said to Yu Qingdao, "You child, you've always been one to report good news but not bad news. I'd almost forgotten that you're a person with a body too. Come sit down and let's eat together."
As if following the words, she sat down and picked up the ivory chopsticks to pick at her food. A faint smile seemed to hover around the corners of Princess Qing'an's lips, "Sister-in-law is indeed a lucky person, now she has risen to prominence thanks to her son."
As if she hadn't heard, she lowered her head and continued eating. Qing'an thought she was afraid of him, so he turned to the imperial concubine and said, "Sister-in-law is already pregnant, but it's impossible for her to serve the king again. Mother should think about the king's well-being and consider getting him a few more consorts or a side wife." Then, with a provocative gaze at Ruqing, he sneered, "Don't blame me for speaking out of turn, I'm just thinking of sister-in-law's reputation. If she takes the initiative to let her brother take in a few concubines, outsiders will definitely praise her for being virtuous."
As soon as she heard the sound of chopsticks, she paused for a moment and finally swallowed the food in her mouth. She smiled at Princess Ningjing and said: "Auntie, listen to this, my sister is so virtuous! She's thinking about you nephew like that. And when she gets pregnant one day, Auntie will also think about her reputation and want to give her husband a few more concubines. As for me...". She looked at the suddenly changed expression of Princess Qing'an and said coldly: "Whether or not the prince wants to take a concubine is a private matter of the royal family, so there's no need for my sister to worry about it."
Princess Qing'an's expression changed slightly, and she suddenly let out a cold laugh: "I am the king's biological sister, so the king's affairs are also my affairs. I think that now that you're pregnant, it's really not suitable to keep the king tied to your side anymore. I think that for the sake of your reputation, you should also take in a concubine for the king."
"As if indifferent, he said: 'Although our family is not wealthy or noble, we also know that a married-out daughter should no longer interfere with her natal family's affairs. My younger sister actually still manages the matters of her brother and sister-in-law's household, truly unprecedented.'"
The empress glared at Princess Qing'an, "You're becoming more and more unbecoming. Do you really think that just because you've been made a princess, you can look down on others? If you continue to interfere in the palace's private affairs, don't bother coming back again." Then she turned to Princess Ningjing and said, "This child has been spoiled by her father since childhood, and is becoming more and more muddled. You'll have to pay extra attention to her, younger sister."
Princess Ningjing pinched Qing'an under the table and said, "Sister, rest assured, when we get back, I'll let the nanny teach her some discipline." Then she glared at Princess Qing'an and growled, "If you speak nonsense again, be careful that I will tear your mouth apart."
Princess Qing'an was so angry that her nose was crooked, but she still had to be mindful of her stepmother and mother-in-law, and didn't dare to be too presumptuous. However, her eyes were fiercely staring at Ruqin.
As if seeing but not seeing, only beckoning to her mother-in-law to have a meal, after finishing the meal, Princess Ningjing took Princess Qing'an back.
After everyone left, Linglong took out the South Pearl necklace given by Princess Qing'an and called He Mama over. She handed the pearls to her, "Today, Qing'an insisted that I wear this pearl necklace. Thinking of her vicious and despicable nature, I didn't dare to take it lightly. Would you please help me check if there's anything wrong with these pearls?"
He's mother was originally a person from the Liao Wang Fu, because she had learned medicine since childhood and also had a place in the Liao Wang Fu. In the past, she was even an accompanying servant of the Liao Wang Fei. Later, when the Liao Wang lost power and was confined to the imperial villa, the Liao Wang Fu was also confiscated, and most of the slaves were sold off. He's mother did not originally have the surname He, but later she was sold to the Fang Fu and was favored by Mrs. He, who thought that her medical skills would be greatly beneficial to Ruo Qing, so she made her an accompanying servant for Ruo Qing.
She didn't disappoint everyone's expectations, after marrying into the Wang family, she cleared out all the items that weren't suitable for Longxianju, including tableware, potted plants, paintings, incense in the censer, and even carefully examined the screen fan before stopping.
He's mother took the emerald green beads and carefully stroked them, then brought them to her nose and sniffed them carefully. Suddenly, her face turned suspicious, and she sniffed again. Her expression changed suddenly, "This string of pearls is not right." She said, hastily throwing it away, and it fell onto the carpet with a clatter.
Chen Xiang hastily asked if the pearl had been soaked in poison.
"What's mother sneered, 'If it was just a simple poison, that would be fine, but this one has been soaked in a large amount of musk.' Then she explained to Ruqing: 'Musk opens the orifices and awakens the spirit, invigorates the blood and disperses stagnation, its flavor is pungent and warm, it grows in the valleys and rivers, dispels evil qi, kills ghostly spirits and demonic creatures, warms and calms convulsions and spasms caused by cold and dampness, eliminates the three types of worms, and when taken for a long time, it eliminates evil influences and prevents nightmares.' It also has the effect of invigorating the blood and facilitating childbirth."
As if emotions suddenly changed color, Qing An's true thoughts were indeed cruel and vicious.
He's mother picked up the pearl again, examined it carefully, and said: "This pearl is good, each one is full and round, although it has absorbed a sufficient amount of musk, but it also mixes with other scents such as osmanthus, jasmine, white lily, sandalwood, and agarwood. Although I can still smell the strong musk, others may not be able to smell it out because it is mixed with other flower scents. If I hadn't learned some fragrance identification techniques from my master in the past, I wouldn't have been able to smell it out either." Then she used force to pull off the chain, and it turned out that the chain was not made of ordinary gold or silver thread, but was woven from twelve strands of golden silk. He's mother put it to her nose and smelled it carefully, then coldly smiled and said: "Indeed, there is another purpose." Then she explained to Ruhua that this golden silk was also soaked in several kinds of fragrances, who would have thought that a sufficient amount of musk was soaked in it?
As if sucking in a mouthful of cold air, he gritted his teeth and said in a chilly tone: "This Qing'an is indeed impressive, actually giving me such a big gift."
Chen Xiang also gritted his teeth and said: "Princess, should we tell the king about this?"
Ru Jing fell silent for a moment, then asked He Mu, "He Mu, in your opinion, should we tell Wang Ye about this matter?"
"What's more, Princess Qing'an sending you this string of pearls is clearly not a good omen. If something really happens to the queen, she'll also be implicated. Given the king's temperament, she won't have a good life either."
"Ruan Qing nodded, 'Harming the descendants of the Wang family is a serious crime. How can she be so fearless? Who is backing her up?'"
The air was filled with a gloomy atmosphere, and a resentful voice said: "Your Highness, this matter cannot be let go easily. This person is like a mad dog, targeting you everywhere. Now, even the most vicious tricks have been used, which can prove how much this person resents Your Highness. Your Highness, you can't show mercy anymore, you must counterattack."
"How am I supposed to fight back?"
Chen Xiang hesitated for a moment, thinking, "I can give this pearl to the Empress and also tell it to Wang Ye..."
Ling smiled coldly and said, "This pearl was indeed given to me by her, but what if others were to claim that I intentionally framed her, how would you react?"
Chen Xiang pursed his lips and then said: "Then tell Wang Ye about it."
As the situation subsided, Li Xu's temperament would definitely make him find Qing'an to settle accounts. But no matter how hateful Qing'an was, she was still the adopted daughter of the Empress Dowager, the wife of Ning Jing Da Long Gong Zhu, and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ning Guo Gong Fu. If he were to get rid of her for a moment's pleasure, wouldn't it be a loss of face for the Empress Dowager and a slap in the face for Ning Jing Da Long Gong Zhu?
"No matter what, Qing'an is after all Old Master Wang's daughter and the princess of Jingwang Fu. If this matter really gets out, Jingwang Fu will also be greatly implicated, and the one who will bear the brunt of it will be Li Ying." Ah, ancient times were indeed fond of the method of dragging others down together.
As if resentfully gritting her teeth, this Qing'an was indeed vicious and also determined that she didn't dare to really make a scene, again, this musk was a precious thing, ordinary people's families couldn't afford to use such precious spices, she was also determined that the humble daughter of the Fang family was an inexperienced country bumpkin who definitely wouldn't know the uses and overbearing nature of musk, again, musk was composed of various mixed spices, ordinary people also couldn't smell it.
"Mom, if I really wear it on my hand, will I really have a miscarriage?"
"What's mother hesitated for a moment, "This string of pearls and silk thread indeed used a lot of musk to soak, but just wearing it on the hand, the fragrance will fade away soon. However, this musk is really overbearing for the fetus, so it's better to use it with caution." Finally, she whispered: "I heard that in the palace, they also use musk with caution. But among the concubines, in order to compete for favor, this musk has been repeatedly forbidden but not stopped."
As soon as he heard the bloody meaning in these words, Qing An couldn't help but want to chop him into a thousand pieces.
Chen Xiang said in a cold tone, "Princess, what are we waiting for? The princess and Qing'an Princess have no grudges or grievances against each other. She is so sinister and calculated towards you, we can't just sit back and wait to die."
As if moved by silence, Chen Xiang hastily said, "Can't let her be happy and carefree?"
"As it happens, I have many ways to deal with her."
……
Later, she asked He's mother to check the rewards in the palace to see if they also contained any harmful substances. He's mother checked them one by one: the jade Ruyi made of purple jade, the golden necklace with fragrant wood and pearls, the pearl beauty pills, the beauty cream, the black agate bracelet, the jade forehead decoration, as well as the thousand-year-old ginseng... He's mother carefully examined each item, when she suddenly picked up an embroidered screen with a picture of a magpie on a plum blossom branch and a beautifully framed "Goddess of Mercy with a Child" painting. Her face changed color and her voice trembled.
"Who sent this?" asked Ruqing, turning her head to ask Chen Xiang.
Chen Xiang's face turned pale, and his hands trembled as he flipped through the gift book. His expression suddenly changed dramatically, and he stammered: "This screen and the 'Good Fortune in Giving Birth to a Noble Son' painting were both gifts from Empress Dowager Shun."
"Shun Chen Tai Huang Tai Fei?" Mama Zhou also exclaimed in surprise, her face filled with incredulity.
As if lost in thought, she quickly filtered through these people in her mind. Shun Chen, the Empress Dowager, was the birth mother of the late Rui Wang and Fu Guo Da Zhang Gong Zhu. The cause of Rui Wang's death was unknown, and it was said that he died of illness. As for Fu Guo Da Zhang Gong Zhu's husband, he had been publicly flogged by Li Xun, and her granddaughter had also been rejected by Li Xun. It was said that she later married a Jin Yi Wei Qian Hu in a hurry, and her life was not very good.
As soon as the news came, he hastily ordered Xiao Shunzi and Xiao Zhuzi to go and investigate the origin of this Shun Chen Taifei, especially the relationship between her and King Jing, and the grudges that existed.
That night, Ru Xiang brought up the matter of Empress Chen to Li Xiu. He even took out the painting of Guanyin and the screen. Li Xiu's expression turned suspicious and he was so angry that he tore the painting into shreds and smashed the screen. He declared that he would go to the palace to settle accounts with that woman.
"Stop right there," she said, blocking his way. "What's the point of going to find her now? You've ruined everything, do you think she'll still acknowledge you?"
Li Xue sat down with a blank expression, his face clouding over.
She comforted him and asked, "This Shun Chen, the Grand Empress Dowager, I have only met twice. Although she has been out of favor for many years, she was still able to survive in the bloody struggle in the harem and become a princess. This is not something to be underestimated. How could she use such a despicable trick on me? Your Highness should think carefully, what did you do to offend her?"
Li Xiu coldly snorted, "Isn't it just that you publicly flogged your son-in-law and refused the marriage of your granddaughter? You actually harbor such hatred in your heart. Alright, alright, you're someone who can't bear to live. Don't worry, tomorrow I'll go into the palace and give you justice."
When asked how to deal with Shun Chen Taifei, Li Xiu disdainfully said: "After all, my imperial grandmother is still standing, she actually dared to lay poisonous hands on the unborn great-grandson of her imperial grandmother. It's really bold and unscrupulous. Her Imperial Highness has been treating her with courtesy all these years, but it seems that she has been indulging a tiger instead. This time, I will give her some color to see."
The Grand Empress Dowager is the biggest among the elders in the palace, and although Shun Chen's rank is high, she still has to bow down to the Grand Empress Dowager. If the Grand Empress Dowager were to take action against her, it would be perfectly justified, but what grounds could she use? She couldn't just say outright, "You dared to secretly harm my granddaughter-in-law and plot against my unborn great-grandson, I'll have you torn limb from limb." After all, things need evidence, and relying solely on this painting and screen to condemn Shun Chen would be a bit far-fetched.
Li Xiao sneered, "A name? That's easy. The Fu Guo Da Zhang Gong Zhu family hasn't done anything to anger the heavens and men in all these years. This is a good opportunity to make use of it." He paused, "As for Rui Wang," he remained silent.
Ru Wang heard that the cause of death was unknown, and it's unlikely that...
Li Xiu glanced at her, "The late emperor had eight sons, Rui Wang was the eldest son, but his birth mother was of lowly status and had no chance of becoming the crown prince. The late emperor was born to the empress dowager and naturally ascended to the throne. My father, the king, was the second son of the empress dowager and logically became the King of Jing. The other six uncles, Zhu Wang and Shi Wang, passed away due to illness. Jing Wang, Yu Wang, and Cheng Wang were granted their own estates and made princes. Rui Wang was the oldest, but unfortunately, he had no children despite having many wives and concubines. Empress Dowager Chen thought it was because of Rui Wang's wife's jealousy and repeatedly summoned her to the palace to set rules. Rui Wang's wife endured it at first, but later when Rui Wang turned 40 and still had no children, one of his concubines became pregnant. However, Rui Wang's wife insisted that the child was not Rui Wang's and wanted to investigate the matter. Empress Dowager Chen then used this as an excuse to want to divorce her, saying she was cruel and harmed Rui Wang's descendants. Only then did Rui Wang's wife reveal the truth - Rui Wang had fallen off his horse many years ago and was unable to have children..."
"What about afterwards? Did the King of Rui kill himself in shame?" The man had lost his masculinity and it was spread everywhere, he was still a prince, how could he hold his head up again?
Li Xiao sneered, "You only got it half right. The affair of Rui Wang was spread far and wide, and in a moment of madness, he flew into a rage and killed all the concubines in the palace, then took his own life as well."
"Where is Queen Rui?"
Li Xiao's normally cold face showed a rare hint of sympathy, "Shun Chen Taifei hated her for driving her own son to death, and had her beaten to death."
As if feeling a sudden shock, but could only silently sigh, "The Rui Wangfei is truly pitiful."
"Yes, it's really pitiful. Empress Dowager Cixi was indeed ruthless, ordering someone to take a bamboo strip and fiercely whip the face of Imperial Consort Shu, when the Grand Empress Dowager arrived, Imperial Consort Shu's face had already been beaten until it was bloody and bruised, with brain matter splattered everywhere."
As if the air was sucked out, a round of scolding turned into a faint sigh: "For mothers under heaven, sons are always right, and daughters-in-law are always wrong." If you really want to say it, Rui Wangfei is the victim. Her husband didn't take care of her, she kept her chastity for many years, but in order to save her husband's face, she didn't dare tell outsiders, and had to endure her mother-in-law's harsh criticism. In the end, when she couldn't bear it anymore and revealed the truth, she ended up like this.
Li Xiwang glanced at her and nodded, "You're absolutely right, all mothers are like that. Since then, Empress Chen's temper became even more erratic. No one in the palace dared to provoke her, and the empress dowager pitied her old age, so she turned a blind eye. Who would have thought that she would actually set her sights on you?"
Ru Jing asked: "Since Chen Taifei is fine, why does she want to make things difficult for me? There must be another reason."
Li Xiu thought for a moment, and finally revealed the truth to his young wife. "That year, the former emperor's grandfather suddenly summoned all the young masters of the aristocratic families in the capital to go hunting in the imperial garden. At that time, my father king and the former emperor cooperated seamlessly, and they hunted back many prey, making the emperor's grandfather extremely pleased. He publicly praised the former emperor and my father king. Rui Wang was not convinced, boasting that he could do it alone. My father king had always looked down on him for trying to please the emperor's grandfather everywhere, so he deliberately provoked him. At that time, Rui Wang, who was still the eldest prince, couldn't bear the provocation and set off on horseback. Who would have thought that the mountain road in the imperial villa was rugged and uneven? The horse galloped rapidly, and one of its front hooves fell into a pit, causing Rui Wang to lose his balance and fall off the horse. He landed with a thud, and unfortunately, he fainted on the spot."
"I suppose by that time it was already ruined and never got up again. What a pity, for the sake of dignity, they sealed the imperial physician's mouth, isn't that so?"
Li Xue smiled and gently scratched her nose, quite liking her sharp tongue. "You're absolutely right."
Ruoyu said: "After King Rui's death, Empress Chen lost her backing and shifted all the blame to my father. Is that right or not?"
Li Xī hesitated for a moment, nodded, "It should be, just didn't think that after so many years have passed, she would finally lose control. She really has been holding it in for long enough."
As she suddenly thought of something, she quickly got up and opened the carved Lingzhi patterned thirty-six grid storage cabinet. From inside, she found a delicate box, among which she opened a red velvet box inlaid with pearls and jade stones at the four corners, decorated with gold leaves. Inside, wrapped in large red silk brocade, was a bright red agate necklace. The agates were uniform, with vibrant colors, round and smooth, plump and large, making it an excellent imperial gift, rarely seen in the world. Ru Xiang took out this agate necklace, put it to her nose and sniffed, saying to Li Xiao: "This necklace was also given by Empress Chen, because there were too many rewards in the palace, and they couldn't be worn one by one, so they were put away first. Now that Wang Ye said so, this necklace also has a strong fragrance when smelled, which is not much different from the fragrance inside the screen. Wang Ye, take a sniff."
Li Xiang took it over, put it between his nose and smelled it, "It's indeed very fragrant, but I don't understand much about spices either. Since she has a grudge in her heart, there must be some trickery here too. Let's just throw it away."
But then she put the chain away again, "Why throw it away? What a waste." Who knows, maybe someday when I want to frame someone, I can use it to kill two birds with one stone.
Li Xiao saw that there was no trace of fear on Qing's face and couldn't help but ask: "Aren't you afraid?"
"What am I afraid of?" Ru Qing said strangely. "She may be the Empress Dowager, but even if she hates me to death in her heart, apart from coming at me with a ghostly energy, she wouldn't dare to really take my life, would she?" So, as long as she was careful and guarded against it, what chance would she have?
It's true what you said, but Li Xi still felt that Ru Xiang's calm reaction was beyond his expectations. "Aren't you afraid?"
"What's there to be afraid of? If I'm afraid of her, she won't hurt me, will she? What kind of logic is that?"
Li Xiao was taken aback, "Earlier, Fang Ruyan said someone wanted to harm her, she cried in front of me, extremely pitiful, and was anxious all day, thinking everything was a threat. How can you be so calm?"
"As lovely as she is, she's not suited for being a princess."
Li Xiao thought for a moment and nodded, "That's also true."
She gazed at him solemnly and said, "The enemy is in the dark, I am in the light, indeed there's something to be afraid of. But now that the enemy is in the open, we don't have much to fear anymore. Don't worry, Your Highness, I'm not the kind of woman who only knows how to cry and wipe away tears when faced with trouble."
In front of a man, as a wife, you should be soft when it's time to be soft, but strong when it's time to be strong. If something minor happens, don't expect the man to step in and solve it while you cry and whine. If you're a mistress, putting on this pitiful act might even trigger the man's protective instincts. But she's the legitimate wife, and soon-to-be mother, so even if she's really scared inside, she should still put up a brave front for her child.
Li Xiao's tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed, "Right, you're a strong one."
Later, Li Xiu assured Ruqing that he married her to enjoy happiness, not to suffer from the days of being bullied and frightened. Since Empress Chen was so vicious, he would definitely counterattack, letting her not worry.
When asked how he would retaliate, Li Xū smiled mysteriously and said lightly: "Besides the late Rui Wang, doesn't she also have a daughter?"
Actually, the princesses of Daqing Dynasty generally married and lived a peaceful life. Of course, there were some exceptions. The Grand Princess of Fuguo was one of them. Like the Grand Princess of Ningjing, the Grand Princess of Fuguo did not live in the palace according to the general rules for princesses, but instead had her own separate residence. Her husband was also a prominent figure, being the second son of the former Minister of Rites. The Grand Princess of Fuguo had her own independent residence and now has two sons and three daughters, living a life of luxury and extravagance like all the other imperial children.
Li Xiu wants to find trouble for Fu Guo Da Zhang Gong's family is simple and easy.
After a moment, Li Xiao smiled slyly again, "Alright, let's kill two birds with one stone then."
As Ruqing asked him if he had thought of a good plan, Li Xue whispered it in her ear, and Ruqing let out a cry of surprise, "Heavens, this is too despicable!"
Li Xiao sneered, "She dares to openly harm my wife and child, why should I be polite? It's just a lesson for her, and by the way, let her know that Li Xiao is not someone to be trifled with."
Although Ruoxi still had some worries, Li Xiu repeatedly assured her, "Don't worry, I won't fight a battle without being confident. Moreover, now that this woman is slandering you everywhere, I will not tolerate her anymore."
As silent as a lover's sigh.
On the second day, after Li Xiu left, Zhou Mama and others came to Ru Qing again, "Why didn't the princess tell the king about the South Pearl necklace of Princess Qing'an?"
Ru Qing said: "I also wanted to tell him at first, but later I was inspired by Wang Ye's sentence 'one stone and two birds'. Why don't we turn the tables?"
Zhou Mama's eyes lit up and she hastily asked: "Has the princess thought of a plan?"
Ru Qing laughed coldly: "Isn't she taking pity on Yang's young mistress? Such sisterly affection, can't be let down."
……
After several days, it was heard that the Empress Dowager was thinking of the Grand Princess of Fuguo's several grandsons and specially summoned the Grand Princess of Fuguo into the palace to gather with her. The Grand Princess of Fuguo did not suspect anything else, happily bringing all her grandsons and granddaughters into the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was in high spirits and carefully asked about the birth dates of several children. When she found out that two of them were born in the 29th year of Tianqi, and their mother had also entered the palace in the same year, her face suddenly changed, and she became furious, shouting: "At that time, June was when the previous emperor passed away, during the national mourning period, you dared to be so disrespectful to the imperial family's dignity, taking a concubine and having children. You have enjoyed imperial favors for generations, but you did such a thing, showing no respect to the previous emperor. This is unforgivable." Then she had the empress and the emperor summoned, and the emperor, who was deeply filial to the previous emperor, also became enraged when he learned of the matter. He immediately ordered that the title of Grand Princess of Fuguo be stripped of her privileges for three years, and her husband's position in the Temple of Ancestors be revoked. The son of the Grand Princess of Fuguo was also removed from his position in the Imperial Guard and thrown into prison to be interrogated. The unfortunate concubine who had become pregnant during the mourning period was given a death sentence. The Grand Princess of Fuguo was severely reprimanded by the emperor for "great disrespect, failure to manage her household, and loss of imperial dignity." As he spoke, his anger grew, and it seemed that he intended to strip her of her title as princess.
Shun Chen the Empress Dowager arrived in time, and after a good deal of pleading, the voice of the Grand Empress Dowager was as cold as iron. She scolded her severely, saying that she had not taught her daughter properly, and then listed the various misdeeds of Princess Fuguo. The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Princess Fuguo was also stripped of her title and forbidden to enter the palace without an imperial summons.
Finally, preparations were made to remove the title of Empress Dowager from Shun Chen and demote her to a commoner. Fortunately, Li Xiu arrived in time and pleaded for leniency on behalf of the empress dowager, saying that the misfortunes of children should not extend to their mother. The empress dowager had always been obedient and law-abiding within the palace, and it would be unjust to implicate her in the affair of Princess Chang due to guilt by association.
The Empress Dowager had always doted on this grandson, and her anger was slightly alleviated. She only scolded Shun Chen Taifei severely, punished her to pay respects for half a year, and forbade her from leaving the palace for a year.
Shun Chen Taihuang Tai Fei was as pale as her daughter, frightened by the majesty of Tai Huang Tai Hou. Although she lived a lonely life in the palace, she enjoyed luxurious food and clothing, with numerous servants at her beck and call, never interrupted. Being demoted to a commoner would be more painful than death. Despite being punished for half a year and having her feet bound for a year, it was still considered relatively lenient for Shun Chen Tai Fei, who had almost been deposed.
Although the Princess of Fuguo had long been disliked by the nobles, due to the title "Fuguo" conferred by Emperor Gaozu himself, her status among the princesses was always superior. Now, because of her great disrespect to the late emperor, she was stripped of her princess title and punished with a three-year reduction in rank, which was also an extreme blow for someone who was used to being proud and domineering.
As for Shun Chen Taifei, who can't even step out of her own palace gate, what's there to be afraid of?
However, regarding the downfall of Grand Princess Fuguo and Empress Dowager Cixi's mother-daughter relationship, although it was sudden and unexpected, outsiders did not associate this matter with Prince Jingyi, but rather believed that the Empress Dowager had taken a dislike to Empress Dowager Cixi and therefore resorted to drastic measures.
Having taken care of Shun Chen Taifei, I can finally put my mind at ease. Now, there's only Qing An Gong Zhu left.
As for Princess Qing'an, he snorted in disdain, "Dealing with her is easy." Then he asked Chen Xiang, "What happened to the copper mirror that Madame Feng gave me last time?"
Chen Xiang replied: "As usual, they were all packed into boxes." After a while, he asked in a low voice: "Is the princess going to frame her?"
As expected, she nodded, "The debt of a woman's life is repaid, it's only natural. Anyway, this old thing isn't good for anything." Princess Qing'an was able to come up with such a vicious trick, and it couldn't be separated from the careful guidance of Feng Yiniang.
After several days, Zhou Mama suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous, unable to eat. Zhou Mama was frantic, her mouth foaming as she hastily summoned the imperial physician. After a thorough examination, the physician said it was due to poisoning. Zhou Mama was shocked and loudly exclaimed in front of the princess: "The princess's food, clothing, living arrangements, and medicine are all personally overseen by me, and every dish is checked for poison with a silver needle. How could she still be poisoned? I dare ask the physician, what kind of poison did the princess ingest? Is it serious?"
The imperial physician replied, "It's just ordinary poison, nothing serious. However, it's a big taboo for pregnant women. Fortunately, it was discovered early, Your Highness, can you take off the pearl necklace on your hand and let me take a look?"
Chen Xiang hastily removed the string of pearls from Ruo Qing's wrist and handed it to the imperial physician, who examined it carefully and sniffed it before suddenly changing his expression. "How long has the princess been wearing this string of pearls?"
"With a listless air he replied: 'Someone gave it to me the other day, I thought it was of good quality, so I put it on, probably several days ago.'"
The imperial physician's face changed greatly, "Alas, this is really extraordinary! This necklace has been infused with enough musk, and mixed with other spices, ordinary people wouldn't notice...". Then, fearing that the emperor and empress might not understand the use of musk, he rambled on for a while. When he finally said "...it has the effect of promoting blood circulation and smooth delivery", the empress's face suddenly changed, and she sternly asked Ruyi, "Where did this necklace come from?"
As if she was about to say something, but hesitated, while Xiangxiang quickly said: "Consort Hui, this string of pearls is..."
"Shen Xiang, shut up." As she hastily drank the medicine, unfortunately, it only triggered more dizziness. Rubbing her temples in pain, she weakly looked at the imperial physician and asked: "May I ask, Imperial Physician, are these uncomfortable symptoms all caused by this string of pearls?"
The imperial physician replied, "The princess's body is robust and was fine until just a few days ago. It doesn't make sense that she would have so many discomfort symptoms all of a sudden. Just now when I took the princess's pulse, I smelled a strong pungent fragrance and felt something was off." Then he handed the string of pearls to the empress, "This string of pearls has been soaked in a large amount of musk, and the silk thread also has the scent of musk. Wearing musk-soaked pearls on the body can ward off evil spirits, but it also damages the muscles and skin. Especially since the princess is pregnant, it's absolutely forbidden to wear them."
The queen's face changed greatly, she had been a queen for many years and often entered the palace to accompany the empress dowager. The tricks of using musk to harm pregnant concubines were endless in the palace, and she also knew that musk was strictly forbidden in the palace. This coral bead was extremely well-colored, large and full, and it was even more rare that each one was uniform, soft to the touch, and emitted a dazzling glow, obviously a gift from the emperor. These imperial gifts would add fragrance, but absolutely no musk would be used. So this proved that the string of beads had been tampered with by someone with ill intentions.
The empress dowager also wanted to know who had eaten the bear's heart and leopard's gall to dare secretly harm her grandson, but seeing the situation, she also knew that this matter should not be publicized, so she asked in a low voice: "May I ask, imperial physician, will my grandson be alright?"
The imperial physician looked at him with a sympathetic eye, lowered his eyebrows and replied: "Although the musk in this string of pearls is heavy, fortunately the South Pearl is smooth and round, and no matter how it is soaked, it cannot penetrate inside. Fortunately, the queen's body is healthy and fortunately discovered early. There should be no major problem."
The empress slightly relaxed her expression, muttered a phrase of "Amitabha Buddha", thanked the imperial physician profusely, and then personally escorted him out. After sending the imperial physician out of the main hall, she immediately strode swiftly to Ruxue's bedside and asked in a low voice: "This coral rosary, who exactly sent it?" Seeing Ruxue hesitate, she repeatedly pressed for an answer: "You can rest assured, if this person's background is indeed not simple, I won't spread the word outside, but you must let me have some idea about it?"
As if biting her lip, she hummed at the edge of her lips, but still didn't want to say it out loud. The imperial concubine was anxious and asked repeatedly.
Zhou's mother also knelt down in front of Ruqing, "Princess, in the presence of the Grand Princess, just tell the truth. Don't worry about anything else anymore."
Chen Xiang also knelt down, crying: "Yes, Princess, although this matter is indeed unbelievable when spoken out loud, it's still better than keeping it in my heart. Moreover, that person is taking advantage of the princess's concern for her reputation and doesn't dare to expose her, which is why she's so unscrupulous."
Linglong also chimed in, "Right, right, that person has always looked down on the princess's background and must be certain that the princess can't smell musk, which is why he's so brazen."
The empress, though perplexed in her mind, gradually heard the sound of footsteps coming from outside and sternly asked who it was. Only then did she nod to Xiangxiang.
Chen Xiang fell to his knees in front of Tai Fei and said with hatred, "This coral bead was given by the old lady of Qing Chang Hou."
Digression
I've been writing this chapter from yesterday to today, but I always feel like something is missing. I've read it over and over again from start to finish, deleting and revising until I'm exhausted to the point of almost dying.
