Fifty days ago, when King Luhuang was poisoned, it also started from his eyes.
At this time, the prince had already lost control of his bowels and bladder, and his chest and throat were all in pain, especially his eyes, as if countless Rong Mamas were stabbing his eyes with needles, and he could not stand any light source. However, treatment required sufficient light, so Liu Siyao simply wrapped the prince's eyes with a white cloth to avoid irritation.
Even so, the prince was in so much pain that he tried to grab the white cloth on his eyes. However, two strong eunuchs held his hands down tightly, and he struggled on the bed like a stranded carp.
At this time, the severe pain in the eyes masked the pain in the chest, throat and other places. Compared with the pain in the eyes, the pain in other places was just an itch.
The prince howled in pain, his throat was red and swollen, and he could no longer utter a complete sentence, "It hurts... ah ah... Imperial Concubine... poison... the food is poisonous!"
The pain caused the prince to lose control of his expression and look hideous.
Princess Lu was so frightened that she could only cry.
The imperial doctors prepared an antidote and fed it to the prince. However, the prince's throat and esophagus were red and swollen, and he had lost the ability to swallow. The black medicine flowed out from the corners of his mouth as soon as he was poured in.
There was no other way, so the imperial doctors had to pry open the prince's mouth, insert a funnel, and force the medicine into his stomach like they were feeding medicine to cows or horses.
Not long after the medicine was poured in, the prince coughed violently and vomited the medicine, and in the end he even vomited blood.
Not only that, during the process of vomiting blood, the white cloth covering the prince's eyes also oozes bright red blood.
At the same time, blood was flowing out of both ears and both nostrils like thin lines. As the disease progressed, the blood flow gradually spread from the thin lines to the shape of earthworms, and the bleeding did not stop. As soon as the blood was wiped off, fresh blood would flow out from all the five senses and seven orifices.
At this time, the white cloth strips covering the eyes had turned bright red, just like the pieces of cloth used by women during their menstrual period.
Liu Siyao hurriedly untied the white cloth strip, intending to replace it with a clean one, but the prince's eyes had lost their sensitivity to light at this time, and his pupils did not expand and contract normally, like a pool of stagnant water.
Liu Siyao knew that no medicine was of any use and that she could not save the patient. She dejectedly put the clean white cloth back to its place and used cotton gauze to wipe the blood from her eyes.
"What are you standing there for? Cover the prince's eyes quickly. His Highness is afraid of the light." The Crown Princess Lu finally came to her senses and grabbed the cloth to cover the prince's eyes.
Liu Siyao stopped him, shushed him, and whispered, "Your Highness... is already blind."
The Crown Princess sat slumped beside the sickbed. At this moment, she didn't know that the Crown Prince's life was hanging by a thread. The first thought in her mind was that a blind Crown Prince could not inherit the throne.
The prince can be foolish, stupid, immoral and incompetent, but he cannot be blind!
what to do
The Crown Princess hurriedly ordered the East Palace attendants, "Quick! Go and call the Emperor's eldest grandson!"
The attendant hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you want to invite the Crown Princess and the Emperor's second grandson along?"
There are currently four grandchildren in the Eastern Palace, including the eldest grandson Zhu Yunwen, the third and fourth sons, all born to Crown Princess Lu, and only the second son Zhu Yunhuan was born to the former Crown Princess Chang. It turned out that the former Crown Princess gave birth to the eldest son Zhu Xiongying, but unfortunately Zhu Xiongying died at the age of eight, and the original second son Zhu Yunwen became the eldest.
The Crown Princess shook her head. "Hu'er is still young, how can we let him see such a cruel scene? Don't waste time, hurry up and ask the eldest grandson to come over."
Zhu Yunwen was born on December 5, the tenth year of Hongwu, and is fifteen years old this year.
Zhu Yunhuan was born on November 29, the 11th year of Hongwu, and is 14 years old this year. In fact, he is less than a year younger than Zhu Yunwen...
Normally, the Crown Princess cared deeply for Zhu Yunhu, son of her first wife, much more than her three biological sons. But at the critical moment, his true nature was revealed like a magic mirror.
The entourage hurried to the East Palace to invite the emperor's eldest grandson Zhu Yunwen.
After all these arrangements were made, the Crown Princess burst into tears. Her mournful cries reached the compartment. Concubine Guo listened to the Crown Prince's screams and the Crown Princess's cries, and the melancholy that had been accumulating in her chest for fifty days was released at this moment.
It was worth it! Her desperate gamble was worth it.
When Emperor Hongwu heard the crying and screaming mixed together, he picked up the teacup and threw it hard to the ground. With a bang, the crying from next door was instantly suppressed.
The Hongwu Emperor roared, "Are you satisfied now? I thought you had become smart and virtuous over the past nine years, and like Empress Xiaoci, you had become my right-hand man. I saw all your efforts, and I had already written the imperial edict to enthrone you as empress! I was just waiting for the Imperial Observatory to calculate a good day, but you poisoned the prince just when he was about to be crowned empress!"
"I misjudged you! You haven't changed. You are still the stupid concubine you were back then. You relied on your family's power to act recklessly, thinking that I dared not touch you! Your eyes are blinded by personal grudges. You are short-sighted, ignore the overall situation, are narrow-minded, and have no demeanor of a legitimate mother. You are only worthy of being a concubine! You are born to be a concubine! A stupid and vicious woman like you is not worthy of being the Queen of the Ming Dynasty! You are not even worthy of carrying the shoes of Queen Xiaoci!"
"Private grudge?" Concubine Guo laughed. "How can a concubine give birth to a son? The prince is the emperor's son, but the prince of Lu is not the emperor's son? They are both princes, both born out of wedlock, so who is more noble than who? The prince's life is life, but my son's life is not life?"
Emperor Hongwu slammed the table, "The prince is the heir to the throne! King Luhuang has to call himself 'the minister' in front of the prince. It is true that the prince committed the great sin of fratricide, but he has been the prince for 25 years and has a good reputation outside, and he has done nothing wrong. If the prince is deposed immediately, it will inevitably cause turmoil in the court and the country. No one will believe that the prince, who has always been benevolent, would kill his own brother. They will think that someone has framed the prince and will petition for him. By then, for the sake of the throne, the princes and ministers will be divided into several camps and attack each other. The Ming Dynasty will definitely be in turmoil. I have no choice but to maintain stability first. Everything must be considered carefully. I asked Hu Shanwei to conceal the matter, but she actually dared to disobey my order—"
"Your Majesty! This matter has nothing to do with Hu Shanwei!" Concubine Guo interrupted, "Yes, it was I who asked Hu Shanwei to go to Yanzhou to investigate Tan'er's death and let Tan'er know the truth, but when Hu Shanwei came back to report, he only said that Tan'er died of erysipelas and destroyed herself. However, both Hu Shanwei and Your Majesty underestimated me. I have been in charge of the harem for nine years, and I have fallen many times. I have learned from my mistakes and am no longer the silly Concubine Ning. Do you think you can fool me by asking Hu Shanwei to lie?"
"When I heard the bad news about Tan'er, the first person I suspected was the crown prince. I will soon be crowned as queen, and everyone in the court knows it. It is a foregone conclusion. If I am crowned as queen, Tan'er will be the only legitimate son. But the emperor knows Tan'er's character very well. He has no ambition at all and his qualifications are average. He just wants to be an idle prince and live a life of wealth and honor. So the emperor will crown me as a noble concubine and promote me. If I am ambitious and Tan'er is outstanding, I will never be the noble concubine or the power of the harem."
"But, because the crown prince is the biggest beneficiary, I quickly put this idea aside. I thought there are two possibilities. The first is that a concubine in the harem is trying to sow discord between me and the crown prince, forcing me to take revenge on the crown prince, ruin my own future, give up the easily obtainable position of queen, and then take the opportunity to ascend to the throne. The second possibility is that other princes, especially the second prince Qin Wang, stir up disputes and kill Tan Er, and then use me to kill the crown prince, and then he, as the eldest son of a concubine, has the possibility of entering the East Palace. Qin Wang has done many evil things. He once tortured and killed Liu Siyan, and did such a cruel thing as cutting off Liu Siyan's tongue to trick Qin Wangfei into eating it. Killing a younger brother is probably not a problem."
At this time, the prince's screams came from next door again. Concubine Guo laughed sarcastically, "In fact, in the end, the person I doubted the most was the King of Qin, and the person I least wanted was the prince, even though some people said that the prince was hypocritical and always pretended to be a good person. But when I was stupid, I also took the "Empress Xiaoci's Daily Notes" to learn the words and deeds of the previous queen, to manage the harem, and to pretend to be a good queen. It doesn't matter if you pretend, who is born a saint? Who doesn't have shortcomings? No weaknesses? As long as you keep pretending, it's always good to get closer to your goal."
At this point, the cries of pain from next door suddenly stopped. Seeing the prince in so much pain, the imperial physician used acupuncture to make the prince pass out, and continued to feed him detoxifying medicine to prolong his life. At this time, there was no such thing as giving up treatment, and every moment of delay was valuable.
While Concubine Guo was telling her story, Emperor Hongwu remained silent. He was always paying attention to what was happening next door. When the prince's cries of pain stopped abruptly, he realized that the prince was beyond help.
Emperor Hongwu promoted Guo for his safety. Both Guo and Tan'er were of average qualifications, or even mediocre. However, the Guo family was full of loyal and brave people. Even Tan'er, a coward, took up arms to protect Empress Xiaoci's coffin in the underground palace when the two rebellious sons born to Concubine Da Ding attacked the Xiaoling Mausoleum.
The more critical the situation, the more one can see through human nature. Tan Er, this silly and foolish son, has a pure and kind heart, and he also has a sincere and filial heart towards his stepmother, Empress Xiaoci.
Therefore, among his twenty or so sons, Emperor Hongwu loved Prince Lu the most. For him, he chose the peaceful vassal state of Yanzhou and ordered the Ministry of Works to build the Prince of Lu's Palace. Although he knew that this was an overstepping of authority, he still allowed the Ministry of Works to build it as luxuriously and grandly as possible, and even dismantled the city walls of Yanzhou and moved them southward, making the Prince of Lu's Palace even more magnificent than the imperial city in his hometown of Fengyang.
There are twenty or so princely palaces, but none of them can compare to the Prince of Lu's Palace. This stupid son has no interest in the throne or the imperial power. He relies on his father wholeheartedly and enjoys the splendor and wealth without any care.
Emperor Hongwu sighed that Tan'er was not ambitious enough, but he actually felt that it was a good thing for Tan'er to be useless and ignorant, as ignorant people are more likely to be happy.
When Tan'er's mother, Concubine Guo, was in charge of the harem, she treated the concubines, princes and princesses fairly and impartially, and emulated Empress Xiaoci in every way.
Emperor Hongwu knew that if he made Concubine Guo the empress, Tan'er would be his only legitimate son and would pose a threat to the Eastern Palace.
However, the loyalty of the Guo family, the lack of ambition of Tan Er, and the virtuous and fair Concubine Guo were like Empress Xiaoci in the world. These three points made Emperor Hongwu decide to confer the title of Concubine Guo.
Being a queen is a very safe approach, and the harem, the court, and the princes can all live in peace.
But he didn't expect that he believed the Guo family, Concubine Guo and King Luhuang, but the prince did not.
The prince simply poisoned his most beloved son...
This prince who is famous for his benevolence! You knelt outside my study for a long time and even fainted in order to save the life of teacher Song Lian. How could you have the heart to do such a cruel thing and kill your own brother
Emperor Hongwu regretted it deeply. In the end, he still overestimated the prince.
If he had not planned to make Concubine Guo the Queen, Tan'er would not have died, and the Crown Prince would not have died. At least on the surface, they could have continued to maintain a scene of brotherly love and respect... But there is no if.
Listening to the noise next door, Concubine Guo looked at the wall in front of her, as if she could see through the past. The pain that Tan'er had experienced was restored to the prince in detail. It turned out that Tan'er's death was more painful and longer than she had imagined!
Concubine Guo felt happy but also miserable. She wept for the pain Tan Er had gone through before her death and cried:
"I didn't want it to be the prince, but the prince still disappointed me. As soon as Hu Shanwei came back, she told me about Tan'er's death and Tan'er's funeral. She didn't even notice it herself. Whenever the prince was mentioned, her eyes would subconsciously dodge, her hands would overlap, and sometimes, she would touch her neck. Her tone was too flat, as if she had gone through it countless times in her mind. Sometimes, she would pause, think about it, and then continue to speak - Your Majesty, today, I am no longer the tactless Concubine Guo Ning. Hu Shanwei's words and deeds clearly show that there is another hidden story. She is hiding it from me."
Having lost two sons at once, Emperor Hongwu was filled with sadness rather than rage when seeing Concubine Guo crying for the pain of losing her sons. He could understand Concubine Guo's pain. They should have hugged each other in pain, comforted each other, and walked out of the shadow of the pain of losing their sons, but Concubine Guo killed his eldest son.
What an injustice. Emperor Hongwu had mixed feelings of love and hate towards Concubine Guo, feeling hurt and pity.
"The man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. If you are crowned as the queen, Tan'er will be the only legitimate son of the Ming Dynasty. This title will bring him disaster of killing." Emperor Hongwu slowly raised his head:
"I also feel sorry for Tan'er. He is a simple and kind child. I always scold him for being incompetent and not striving for success. In fact, I like this stupid son the most. He is the first prince born after the founding of the Ming Dynasty! Only two months after the founding of the country, you gave birth to Tan'er. His birth is of extraordinary significance, just like a good omen. How can I not be partial to him? No matter how ridiculous he does, I will forgive him."
When she heard Emperor Hongwu mention the situation when Tan'er was born, Concubine Guo cried even louder. At that time, her son was a small, red ball, wrapped in swaddling clothes, squirming like a little worm. She had just become a mother and didn't even dare to hold him in her arms, for fear of hurting him. She carefully nurtured him until he grew up. But the son she loved so much was blinded by poison and died in pain all night. How could she not hate him? How could she let go of her hatred
Emperor Hongwu handed the handkerchief to Concubine Guo, "I am 62 years old. I am sending off a young man. I feel as much pain as you do. But why did you decide that it was the prince who poisoned Tan'er just because you suspected Hu Shanwei was hiding something from you and telling lies? Why not other concubines? Why not the King of Qin? You were so cruel to the prince. Didn't you ever think that he is also my son?"
Concubine Guo would rather wipe her tears with her sleeves than accept the handkerchief from Emperor Hongwu. "I am no longer the concubine I used to be. I secretly ordered Hu Shanwei to investigate Tan'er's death, but Hu Shanwei lied to me. I have always believed in Hu Shanwei's ability and character, so I have always obeyed her. Who in this world can force me to surrender, violate my usual principles and the oath I made in front of me, and tell lies against my will?"
"Only the emperor can do it. And who would the emperor force Hu Shanwei to lie against his will to protect? It can't be a concubine - the emperor values offspring the most. Among the women in the harem, who can really catch your eye except Empress Xiaoci? They are just a group of tools to relieve your loneliness and give birth to children. Even the concubines are the same, so it can't be a concubine."
"It's not the King of Qin, because the King of Qin has a long history of bad deeds. As the saying goes, many lice don't bite, and many debts don't worry. The King of Qin is cruel by nature, and he is also guilty of killing his brother. As a father, Your Majesty cannot sentence his son to death, but taking away the King of Qin's title and imprisoning him in Fengyang again as a punishment can not only appease me, but also make my two brothers grateful and work harder to protect the Ming Dynasty. The Guo family will be loyal to Your Majesty and the Ming Dynasty from generation to generation. This is a move to sacrifice the chariot to save the general, but Your Majesty did not do this. Instead, he chose to force Hu Shanwei to lie to me."
"Your Majesty, it wasn't Hu Shanwei who leaked the information. It was you who revealed step by step that the real culprit was the prince!"
The author has something to say: Emperor Hongwu: Blame me.
The questions last night were found by Zhou from the high school entrance examination question bank... They are just questions for junior high school students. I am not deliberately making things difficult for you. You have regressed.
Readers who have read the Ming Dynasty Quartet should know that Chen Mama means aunt towel. Both the Ming and Qing dynasties were called Chen Mama. Zhou wrote about it in every novel.
I know that everyone is having a hard time watching the film, so I'm sending 100 red packets tonight to comfort you all.
Good night everyone~