The sound of rummaging through boxes and cabinets came from the tightly closed windows. Everyone has little secrets that they don't want to show to others, and they all became uneasy when they heard the sound. The first one to step forward was a young eunuch who was about fifteen or sixteen years old and had a shrill voice.
Every time Prince Lu came to pay his respects at Zhongcui Palace, he would bring a certain number of people with him. This person was Prince Lu's attendant and was quite respectable.
Hu Shanwei asked: "What's your name?"
The attendant said, "Cinnabar."
Prince Lu liked the style of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, during which alchemy and Wu Shi San were popular. Most of Prince Lu's attendants were named after the recipes of elixirs.
Hu Shanwei said, "Dansha, tell me, what case are you going to investigate today?"
Dansha choked, "Hu Siyan locked the door and went into the house to search and pick things up in a big way. Isn't he investigating a case? There are rules in the palace. From small quarrels to big murders, they are all handed over to the Palace Justice Department for investigation and sentencing. Could it be that Hu Siyan has forgotten the palace rules after being out of the palace for a year?"
As soon as Dansha opened his mouth, many people agreed:
"Hu Siyan used to work in the Palace Administration Department. How come he doesn't know the rules?"
"What do you know? She has just been reinstated and might want to use us to establish her authority."
The five east and west palaces are all inhabited by princes, and most of the people serving here will follow the princes to establish their own fiefdoms in the future. Now that the young master, Prince Lu, is fourteen years old, they can't stay in the palace for more than two years, so they dare to contradict Hu Shanwei.
Hu Shanwei deliberately remained silent, waiting for this group of people who stood out to finish their words, and secretly memorized their faces. When everyone saw that she did not refute, they thought she had given in, and their voices became louder and louder.
Hu Shanwei secretly sighed that Concubine Guo Ning had no idea how to educate her children. Like master, like servant. They influenced each other and the situation became more and more chaotic. No wonder Prince Lu, who was only fourteen years old, dared to seduce Shen Qionglian, who was able to give lectures in the main hall.
It was ignorance that gave him courage.
He thought that with the powerful Guo family as his in-laws and Concubine Ning in charge of the harem, he would be different from other princes.
When the complaints were almost over, Hu Shanwei seemed to lack confidence and said slowly: "You think too much. Today, it was Concubine Ning who was disciplining her son. It has nothing to do with the Palace Administration Department. The Palace Administration Department only manages the palace servants and cannot intervene in the royal family's household affairs."
Seeing how easy she was to talk to, everyone became even more arrogant.
Dansha said, "Prince Lu is practicing archery at the parade ground. Hu Siyan has gone to the wrong place. Even if you dig three feet deep, you can't find Prince Lu. Hu Siyan, please go back."
Everyone started to make a fuss. Hu Shanwei picked up a pen, wrote down the names of the dozen or so troublemakers, and handed it to Haitang, "Start searching from their houses."
Hasn't the house been searched yet
Haitang went out with the list, and everyone saw several palace servants in the courtyard banging several stools around, pretending to rummage through boxes and cabinets, in an attempt to trick them.
It turned out to be all a false appearance. The closed doors and windows were just to confuse the audience. Pretending to be cowardly was to find the first person to come forward. There were many servants in the East Five Palaces of the King of Lu. Hu Shanwei had limited manpower. It was impossible to search everyone in a short time. He had to find a breakthrough first and grab the handle before he could
Then continue on, just like breaking bamboo, and cut a gap first.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the gang members who stood out rushed out while there were many people around to seek support from Prince Lu. Haitang was almost pushed down by this group of people.
Ji Gang was waiting for them outside. With a wave of her hand, the Jinyiwei formed a formation of two, one to catch people and the other to put people in sacks. They captured the troublemakers and imprisoned them separately.
Ji Gang whistled, indicating that all the birds had been caught and put into the cages.
Those who were acting were acting, those who were arresting people were arresting people, those who were searching were searching, and there was no chaos at all. The person in charge, Hu Shanwei, sat in an armchair from beginning to end, gentle and quiet, without revealing himself.
The door closed again, and only a silent majority remained in the room. Having learned from the previous experience, no one wanted to reason with Hu Shanwei.
In fact, Hu Shanwei was just bluffing. She didn't know what she was looking for. She just judged that this person should have extended his evil hand to Prince Lu based on her previous understanding of the interlocking methods of the mastermind behind the scenes:
Concubine Guo Ning invited her to return to the palace to take charge, and she obeyed her orders. The palace was temporarily peaceful. Concubine Ning failed to dig her own grave as she wished. The opponent's plan failed and it was impossible for him to wait for Concubine Ning to gain a foothold before taking action. He must come up with another plan. Prince Lu is a big sitting duck. The opponent's next step should be to target Prince Lu.
Just like playing chess, when a player places a piece, he has to predict what the opponent will do next.
Hu Shanwei believed that the huge scandal of Prince Lu forced Shen Qionglian to deliberately shine at the Mid-Autumn Festival so that she could give lectures in the main hall to protect herself. Her opponents would definitely be aware of it and would not let her go.
Hu Shanwei looked around again, still with a pleasant expression, as if nothing had happened just now. He waved his sleeves and said, "Everyone, stop standing. Find a stool and sit down. Let's talk about Prince Lu. Don't tell me that Prince Lu is good in every way. Concubine Ning has heard enough of this. Otherwise, she wouldn't have sent me to the East Fifth Office to investigate."
Everyone looked at each other, not daring to sit down or speak.
At this time, Haitang came in again, holding a red box in her hand. No one knew what was inside. Anyway, after Hu Shanwei opened it and looked at it, his face changed and he said, "Seal it and keep it as evidence."
"Yes." Haitang stepped back holding the box.
Hu Shanwei said, "We are talking behind closed doors today. This is a private matter between Concubine Ning and Prince Lu, and it will not be made public. Whatever you say to me here will be kept secret. No matter what secrets you reveal, I can guarantee that you will not die. But once you leave this door, it will be up to fate."
Seeing the familiar lacquer patterns on the red-carved box, someone's expression changed immediately.
The contents inside could be described as genre paintings in a more elegant way, or erotic paintings in a more vulgar way, but they were covered with books written by sages, and there was no flaw on the surface, so they got away with it and appeared in the bedroom of Prince Lu in a dignified manner.
This is just the beginning. Who knows what disgusting things will be uncovered later.
Hu Shanwei turned the clepsydra upside down and said, "I'll give you a quarter of an hour. You can keep silent here. When the time is up, I will call the people from the Palace Administration Office to come over. Who brought this thing into the palace? Why did it appear in the bedroom of Prince Lu? What else is there? I think everything will be revealed after you stay in the torture room of the Palace Administration Office for one night."
The fine sand from the clepsydra falls silently, but it is like a heavy punch, crushing the heart.
When the leak was halfway through, the first person stood up. Hu Shanwei gave a look and the man was taken away by his men to the compartment to explain.
The second, the third...
When the fine sand ran out, eight people walked out.
Hu Shanwei said to the remaining people, "You'd better be clean. If anything is found during the search, or if someone reports you, I will have no choice but to send you to the Gongzheng Division for interrogation."
On the training ground, a young eunuch hurried to the side of Prince Lu who was practicing archery and whispered something to him. Prince Lu turned pale and immediately asked for leave from his archery master and rushed to the East Six Palaces.
When they reached a fork in the road on East Chang Street, Concubine Guo Ning had been waiting for a long time at the only way to enter East Wusuo, waiting: "Why are you running? You are in such a hurry, what are you going to do?"
"Mother." Prince Lu felt guilty, "Mother, please don't listen to the slander. Your son did nothing."
After all, he is her biological son. When Concubine Guo Ning saw her son's face, she knew that what Hu Shanwei said was true. Yes, he has done nothing now, but when he really does something shameful, he will probably be stripped of his title and confined to his hometown in Fengyang to farm as a punishment, just like the King of Qin in the past.
"Come back to Zhongcui Palace with me." Concubine Guo Ning took her naughty child away. She then ordered the palace servants, "Do you see who went to the parade ground to tip off? Send them to Hu Siyan."
Zhongcui Palace.
Concubine Guo Ning dismissed everyone and twisted the ear of Prince Lu, "You are grown up now. It is not wrong for you to have feelings for young girls, but you can like anyone else, so how dare you provoke a female official? It's okay for ordinary female officials, but when you get married in the future, I will ask for a favor for you and grant her to you as a concubine. It will be a good thing if it meets your wishes. Instructor Shen is a teacher in the main hall, a serious teacher. How can a student have feelings for a teacher?"
If Shen Qionglian did not go to the main hall to teach the "Shangshu Wuyi" chapter, this matter could still be discussed. Shen Qionglian's ancestor was Shen Wanshan, but her father and brother were both juren, and her family background was decent. She was not qualified to be a prince's wife, but she was more than qualified to be a concubine.
Everything was different when he went to teach at the Great Hall. Even the royal family, which did not care about seniority, would not allow a marriage that violated the ethics of master and apprentice. Even in the unruly Jianghu, the marriage between Yang Guo and his master, Xiao Longnv, was a huge scandal that could not be recognized by the orthodox.
Prince Lu covered his ears and screamed in a hoarse voice, "I mean it sincerely! Instructor Shen and I have been childhood sweethearts and grew up together. I like her talent, pride and freedom. She has the spirit of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and she is unrestrained and unique. I will marry her."
Concubine Guo Ning twisted her voice more and more, "She is a court poet. It is her job to write poems and compose fu. She is not doing this to please you alone. Don't be so self-indulgent. Childhood sweetheart? You were only ten years old when she entered the palace, so she had no defenses against you. If she knew you had ill intentions, she would ignore you."
Prince Lu knelt down and said, "Mother, you are now in charge of the harem, just like the deputy queen. Please help me. I will be grateful."
Concubine Guo Ning was so angry that she slapped her beloved son. "If I fulfill your shameless request, I will have to abdicate and give the position of vice queen to someone else. Do I have the final say in the harem? There are palace rules and ethical principles above us. I am still trembling with fear every day and living with my tail between my legs, and you are still causing trouble for me outside."
King Lu is in a period of rebellion. The more he is beaten, the more stubborn.
After all, Concubine Guo Ning was born into a military family. She gave her son a severe beating, but Prince Lu gritted his teeth and refused to change his words.
At this time, Madam Guo came over and advised, "Madam, you have hurt the little prince. Who can you rely on in the future? You only have this one son."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Guo Ning stopped her hand. Seeing her son's lips bleeding, she became angry and distressed. She began to change her tactics and began to use gentle means. She hugged Prince Lu and cried:
"I have been arrogant since I was a child, but my father gave me to the emperor as a concubine on the grounds of considering the overall interests of the family and the careers of my two brothers. I have lived a rich and luxurious life in the harem for these years, but I am not happy. Empress Xiaoci and the emperor are married and have been through thick and thin together for many years. I have nothing to say and dare not covet the position of empress. But now that Empress Xiaoci is gone, who else in this palace is more qualified than me to be the successor to the empress?"
Prince Lu's mouth was swollen like a sausage, and he said, "No, mother has no rivals. The Guo family is full of loyal and brave people, and both uncles were awarded the title based on their real abilities. Mother will finally get her reward after all the hardship."
Finally, she was not completely stupid. Concubine Guo Ning continued her tearful attack, "Son, you must understand that as long as your mother does not make you the empress, you will be no different from the other princes in the East and West Palaces. You are all born out of wedlock. No matter how powerful your uncles are, it will be useless."
Concubine Guo Ning stroked Prince Lu's swollen face, "Only if I can be crowned as the empress, you will be the only legitimate prince of the royal family. Being crowned is my lifelong wish, and it will also be a great help to your future. When the time comes, won't it be easy for you to have a woman? When I become the mother of the country, everything about Shen Jiaoshi will be in my hands. I will always find a way to make her become your woman in a legitimate way."
Concubine Guo Ning painted a rosy picture for Prince Lu. Her son was only fourteen years old, and Shen Qionglian was seventeen, so there was still a long way to go in the future. Three years later, Shen Qionglian would be twenty years old, her blooming period would have passed, and her son would have passed his rebellious and infatuated period, and would have married and had children. Men, after all, always like young and beautiful women, and the matter would most likely come to nothing.
Calm your son first.
Concubine Guo Ning burst into tears. Prince Lu was soft-hearted and felt that what his mother said made sense. "Are you serious?"
Concubine Guo Ning bowed her head, "You are my only son. Please be patient for me for a while. When I move into Kunning Palace, I will definitely find a way to persuade Instructor Shen to leave the palace. After she leaves, you will no longer have a master-disciple relationship. When the time comes, you can ask for her hand in marriage as a prince, and she will have to agree even if she doesn't agree. The Shen family made their fortune as merchants. Although they are wealthy, their foundation is shallow. The Shen family is eager to get the support of the Prince of Daming. If Shen Qionglian gives birth to a son in the future, he will be a prince. Why not have a grandson of a prince?"
Prince Lu thought for a moment and said, "Teacher Shen is a proud person. Mother, please don't force her. I want to concentrate on learning poetry. If she appreciates my poetry, she will appreciate me as a person."
I don’t know what gave Prince Lu the confidence. He was just a big piece of ginger in the braised chicken rice. No matter how he cooked and disguised it, it still couldn’t become a piece of meat and was thrown into the trash can by Shen Qionglian.
This is Hu Shanwei's report back, "fruitful results", including folk paintings and folk novels disguised as saints' books, elixir recipes said to be circulated during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and ready-made elixirs that the attendants asked for from outside the palace in order to curry favor. According to Dansha's confession, the King of Lu has been secretly eating elixirs for more than half a year...
After hearing this, Concubine Guo Ning felt both distressed and angry. She didn't care that she had just reconciled with her son, and slapped him again, "How foolish! If eating this could make you immortal, those famous scholars in the Wei and Jin dynasties would have ascended to heaven long ago. Why were they buried in the ground one by one? Pills are poisonous. You are so young, eating these will hurt your foundation. Tell me, how much did you eat?"
King Lu covered his face and cried, "My son doesn't eat it often, but when he can't write a poem and his mind is exhausted, he eats a pill and feels as if he is possessed by a poet, and writes as if possessed by a god."
"Who gave it to you?" Concubine Guo Ning slapped her son on the left cheek, then slapped him on the right cheek, and asked three times in a row: "You eat it just because it's given to you? Are you stupid?"
Hu Shanwei had never expected that Prince Lu was lured into eating the "magic pill". She hated Prince Lu for being a toad wanting to eat swan flesh. She also felt that Prince Lu was unlucky as he was targeted when he was only thirteen years old, and was involved in court disputes, gradually going astray.
The mastermind behind this was so vicious that he didn't even let the children go. He had long planned to use Prince Lu to set a trap for Concubine Guo Ning.
The author has something to say: Good morning, my dears, please give me some praise.
Today there is a 100-point prize question with a difficulty of three stars. Huang, the niece of the female official Huang Wei De, married into a scholarly family when she grew up and gave birth to a son. This son's official career is almost like the protagonist in a certain ancient official novel. In the 14th year of Chenghua, he passed the joint examination and ranked first. After the palace examination, he was selected as the first in the second class and was successfully selected as a Hanlin Academy scholar. After that, he rose to prominence and had a smooth official career. After becoming the Minister of Personnel, he entered the cabinet and became a cabinet minister. Step by step, he became the chief minister of the cabinet, the highest position in the officialdom!
So the question is, who are Huang Wei De's legendary grandchildren:
Zhang Juzheng
Yang Tinghe
Liang Chu
Li Chunfang