It was a dark night, and the lanterns throughout the palace were dotted like a sea of stars, illuminating the palace as if it were a temple in heaven. King Zhuang walked through one palace after another, paused for a moment at the entrance of the Taiji Hall, and then stepped onto the steps.
Eunuch Xia was waiting at the palace gate, and when he saw him coming, he politely bowed.
He was a favorite of Emperor Yuanfeng, and Prince Zhuang had always been very polite to him. This time, just like before, he politely and affectionately avoided his greetings and said with a smile, "Why are you so polite, eunuch?"
Eunuch Xia still performed the ceremony cautiously: "Etiquette cannot be abolished. Your Highness, please come this way."
His attitude seemed a little different from usual. Prince Zhuang knew what was going on. He went to the East Side Hall and followed Eunuch Xia in. He first saw Emperor Yuanfeng sitting behind the desk.
Several palace lanterns were on in the room, illuminating the entire room as bright as day. Emperor Yuanfeng's expression was hidden in the residual light, so it was impossible to tell what his expression was.
Prince Zhuang followed closely and knelt on the ground to pay his respects to Emperor Yuanfeng.
Emperor Yuanfeng did not respond for a moment. After a while, he calmly asked him, "How is your mother now?"
King Zhuang acted very naturally. When he heard his question, he hurriedly said, "I have taken the prescription prescribed by the imperial physician and I feel much better now. I slept for the whole afternoon and just woke up to drink some medicine. Now I feel sleepy again, but I am not in good spirits. The imperial physician said that this is normal. After all, I was only poisoned, so I am always a little weak and need to recuperate slowly."
Emperor Yuanfeng stared at his son's face, and saw only loyalty and honesty on his face. He said, "Your mother was poisoned in your house. Do you have anything to say?"
Prince Zhuang seemed to be stunned for a moment. He looked up blankly and looked at Emperor Yuanfeng, then he panicked again: "Father, son... this... son doesn't know why mother was poisoned in his house..."
Emperor Yuanfeng raised his hand to interrupt him and suddenly shouted, "Come in."
King Zhuang was a little confused. He got up from the ground, bewildered, and waited aside.
Emperor Yuanfeng pointed at Gao Ping who had come in and said to him, "Tell him what happened again."
Gao Ping responded by bowing to King Zhuang and telling him what he had discovered in the palace. He then took out the puppets and handed them to Eunuch Xia.
Even Eunuch Xia, who had practiced to the point of almost becoming a spirit, could not help but change color. He took the thing in his hand and felt that it weighed a thousand pounds. He shuddered and then handed the thing to Emperor Yuanfeng.
Emperor Yuanfeng stretched out his hand to take it, but Eunuch Xia hurriedly called out "Your Majesty", with a serious and nervous expression: "Your Majesty, you are the true dragon emperor, how can you touch such dirty things..." Now that she heard that Madam Xu was back, she was actually a little scared for a moment and forgot about her daughter.
Mother Li couldn't help but shake her head in her heart.
This Madam Zhang is really too disorganized. It's no wonder that such a person gave birth to someone as unscrupulous as the Crown Prince's wife. After all, her own mother is so confused. If she doesn't plan for herself, who can she rely on
Mother Li sighed, lowered her voice and coughed: "Yes, the Duke's wife came back and cried for the Second Young Master. Before she could react, the Crown Prince's wife... just couldn't get over it..."
Mrs. Zhang covered her chest with her hands, feeling unable to breathe, and cursed her heartless husband a thousand times in her heart.
He was the one who stopped her. Otherwise, when the news of Xu Ying's accident came back, she would have gone to comfort her daughter. Unfortunately, she was too late!
Her eyes were blurred with tears and she was still dizzy even after getting on the carriage. It was not until she got off the carriage at the second gate of Xu's house and saw the overwhelming white cloth that she was really stunned. She couldn't help crying out loud because her legs went weak.
Grandma Zhang San came with her, and she was also a little flustered when she saw this scene. After a while, she supported Madam Zhang with trembling hands, crying softly, "Mom, please accept my condolences!"
Mrs. Zhang stumbled and was supported directly to Zhang Linghui's yard.
Zhang Linghui's yard has also completely changed. All the birds under the eaves have retreated, and white silk cloth is draped everywhere. Even the lanterns have been changed to plain colors. Everywhere you look is filled with white.
This color made people feel inexplicably depressed. Mrs. Zhang didn't dare to look at it anymore. She quickly walked into the room and saw her daughter lying on the bed neatly dressed with her hands clasped.
It was not until this moment, looking at her daughter's blue face, that Mrs. Zhang realized that her daughter was really dead. She burst into tears and ran quickly to her daughter's bed.
But Zhang Linghui would no longer respond to her.
She cried for a long time, her tears blurring her vision and she felt her scalp was being pulled and aching. Then she heard the door curtain rustle and turned around to see Aunt Zhang.
Nanny Zhang was also dressed in mourning, her eyes were swollen from crying, and as soon as she came in she called out "Madam".
Madam Zhang couldn't stop sobbing. After a long while, she asked Aunt Zhang: "What happened? How could the person die when he was perfectly fine?"
Nanny Zhang lowered her head and clasped her hands tightly together: "The wife of the prince is disheartened. She has heard too much gossip from outside... She is afraid that it will affect the two young masters, and she is also worried about the prince..."
Mrs. Zhang felt that these statements were too far-fetched.
Even for the sake of the two children, Zhang Linghui should not be able to hold on.
She knew how much Zhang Linghui cared about the two children.
"How is it possible?" She was about to get angry when she saw Nanny Zhang raise her head and look directly at her: "That's right, Madam. The Crown Prince's wife was wrongly accused and refused to be humiliated. She finally waited until the Duke and his wife came back. She felt that the children were safe, so she died to prove her innocence."
Mrs. Zhang was stunned.
She pondered over what Aunt Zhang said and seemed to realize something.
How could that be
What Aunt Zhang means is...
She suddenly realized that, yes, the Duke's wife hadn't shown up yet, and there was no sign of the two children either...
Was the lady of the Duke's Mansion waiting specifically for Nanny Zhang to say these words to her
Mrs. Zhang twisted her hands together, glanced at the dumbfounded Mrs. Zhang San, and said to Aunt Zhang: "Please speak more clearly..."
"Before she died, our Crown Prince's wife left a message, saying that she was a girl from a boudoir, and had a clear conscience, but she had to bear such a reputation, bringing shame to the family and her descendants. She could only die to prove her innocence." As Aunt Zhang spoke, she suddenly knelt down with a plop: "Madam, please help our Crown Prince's wife! Our Crown Prince's wife is innocent!"
Mrs. Zhang understood.
Her palms suddenly felt cold.
This is not a death to prove her innocence, it is clearly the Xu family wanting her to die to prove her innocence.
But... ...
How could the Xu family do this
No matter what Linghui is like, she was married to the Xu family in a formal ceremony. If she made a mistake, they could have thought of other ways to deal with it. Why must they be so cruel and ruthless that they have to make her pay with her life
She swallowed and was speechless for a moment.
Aunt Zhang didn't say anything. After a while, she said softly, "Madam, when a person dies, it's like a light going out."
What I mean is, the person is already dead and there is nothing else to do now.
Zhang Linghui can no longer survive, so her death must be used to achieve the desired effect.
Mrs. Zhang also understood what she meant. She touched Zhang Linghui's face tremblingly. She took two steps back, looked at her daughter's face and spoke softly: "Where are Tongzhou and Tongji? I want to see them."
As if she had expected Madam Zhang to ask this question, Madam Zhang did not say anything. Madam Li beside her stood up and said softly, "The two young masters are too sad and have fallen ill. In order to prevent them from being upset again, our Madam Guo will not allow them to see guests."
It means that you are not even allowed to see people.