Hu Shanwei had no choice.
She did not continue to kneel down and beg Emperor Hongwu to let her go. Based on her understanding of Emperor Hongwu, the emperor was so heartless to his own son and the person who had served him for many years. Who was she
It's useless. The older this emperor gets, the more he fears losing, and the stronger his desire for control becomes. He is used to treating everyone as a chess piece. Whoever he needs to put there must stay there. Otherwise, a useless abandoned piece will be more dangerous.
What's more, she also has to take into account Muchun who is guarding Yunnan. At this critical moment, she must not let him be dragged into the vortex of the dispute over the national reserve.
Hu Shanwei returned to her residence as if sleepwalking. All along the way, her mind was filled with the scene before Empress Xiaoci's death. At that time, she was angry that the mastermind used the assassination of Silkworm Mother and the death of Ma Ye to bring physical and mental harm to Empress Xiaoci. She was full of confidence:
“… Your Majesty, you must hold on. I swear that I will find the real culprit. I will deal with anyone who stirs up palace fighting and anyone who fights for the throne. No one is allowed to stir up trouble!”
Empress Xiaoci looked at her with pity and advised her to stop and leave the palace:
"… In fact, the harem is the same as the previous dynasty. Everyone has selfish desires and wants to climb up. This is human nature. Therefore, you can never kill them all or eliminate them all…"
"I don't want you to repay me, nor do I want you to take revenge. I just want you to live well..."
"… Let go. The harem is the biggest arena of fame and fortune in the Ming Dynasty. After my death, the harem will become the biggest arena of fighting for the position of empress, or even the position of crown prince, and will tear each other apart until a new empress emerges. The Ming Dynasty court is about to face the biggest shock. In order to protect yourself, you must use up all your wisdom and never dream of anything else."
At that time, her heart was filled with anger and sadness, and she only wanted to find out the mastermind behind the incident and take revenge. How could she listen to him
She opposed Empress Xiaoci making the choice for her, and spent a year guarding the Xiaoling Mausoleum, feeding deer and raising peacocks. Life was a test for her, but her fire of revenge was still burning. Until Consort Duanjing Guo came to the Xiaoling Mausoleum to "visit her cottage" and asked her to come out of the mountains, she knew there was a tiger there, but she still went there.
Later, she succeeded in exposing the mastermind behind the incident, Concubine Da Ding, and avenged Empress Xiaoci. The price she paid was that Empress Xiaoci's resting place was almost razed to the ground. From then on, she was involved in various palace whirlpools, and gradually became tired of this endless infighting, bloody storm, and wanted to withdraw and seek peace, but she couldn't go back.
Ten years later, Hu Shanwei was crowned with the imperial robe and was forced to become a palace lady. She understood how brilliant the seemingly indisputable choice made by Empress Xiaoci before her death was, and how much mysteries and deep care it concealed.
Empress Xiaoci had considered her and Muchun so deeply, paving the way for them step by step, striving for the outcome that lovers would finally get married. However, she was too young and naive at the time. She did not understand the deep meaning behind Empress Xiaoci's advice. She did not follow the path paved for her by Empress Xiaoci, but instead headed towards another fork in her life that was full of variables.
Hu Shanwei walked aimlessly in the palace. The palace was like a huge chessboard with all four sides aligned. People were like chess pieces. Once they stepped in, they had no control over whether to move forward or backward.
Hu Shanwei slowly sorted out his emotions and thought about what to do in the future.
Do you regret it? Hu Shanwei asked himself.
I have no regrets. Empress Xiaoci was very kind to me and taught me carefully. Without her, I would just be an ordinary woman, going with the flow.
If God gives me another chance, I will still choose to avenge her. A queen who has devoted her whole life to the Ming Dynasty and the palace should not die in obscurity and let the murderer go unpunished forever.
I cannot let down this favor, even though I know the price I have to pay is the postponement of the meeting with Muchun.
It's a postponement, not a see you forever.
Emperor Hongwu had made a promise that once the harem could safely survive the upcoming storm and the royal crown was secure, it would be the time to help her and Mu Chun get together.
Hu Shanwei comforted himself, thinking that he had chosen his own path and had already made the choice, so he should not regret it. He should think about how to make it up to Mu Chun in the future. At least, his and her future was full of hope.
After figuring this out, her steps became lighter. She walked along the long street of the East Six Palaces, passing by the iron tablet that read "Eunuchs are not allowed to interfere in government affairs, those who do so will be beheaded." The iron tablet no longer had the luster it had when she first entered the palace, and was now covered with rust, just like the aging emperor in the Qianqing Palace.
His inner strength is so strong that he is invincible. No betrayal or pain can defeat him. He can make clouds and rain with a flip of his hand, like a shrewd chess player, manipulating everyone's life.
However, in the face of time, everyone is equal.
Looking at the rusty iron monument, Hu Shanwei's eyes turned cold: Just endure it! Let's see who can survive...
At the same time, on the other side of the tall palace walls of East Chang Street is the Yanxi Palace, which had been closed for twelve years and welcomed its new owner.
The previous mistress was Concubine Hu, who was the most favored concubine in the six palaces. Because of the outbreak of the "Hu Mei Chaos in the Palaces" case involving her father, her three clans were exterminated, and she died of dystocia when giving birth to Princess Nankang, the Yanx Palace has been empty ever since.
After the death of Consort Duanjing, the emperor ordered the renovation of the Yanx Palace. At that time, everyone in the palace thought that the palace would house several favored tribute girls from Goryeo. No one could have imagined that the owner of the palace would be Consort Cui Shufei, who had been the Shangyi for fifteen years.
In other words, as soon as Consort Duanjing Guo died, Emperor Hongwu had already decided on the perfect candidate to replace Guo and take charge of the harem.
Cui Shangyi, a subordinate who has served for many years, has eyes and ears that are familiar with the palace and the previous dynasty. He is dignified and able to command the support of the people in the harem. His promotion from a fifth-rank female official to a concubine is nothing more than changing his official uniform and title and taking a second job.
Moreover, Cui was 42 years old and it was impossible for her to have children of her own. She had no selfish thoughts and put the interests of Emperor Hongwu first.
To use the recruitment notice of five hundred years later, it means having relevant work experience, not requiring any on-the-job training or adaptation period, being able to start directly, being infertile, guaranteeing that maternity leave will not delay work, loving one's job, treating the company as one's home, and having extremely high loyalty to the boss.
I remember that when Consort Duanjing Guo first took charge of the harem, she encountered obstacles everywhere and had to invite Hu Shanwei to be her military advisor. After many twists and turns, she finally gained a foothold. Now Consort Cui Shu can switch from a female official to a concubine mode in just one second without any effort.
The fact that Cui was favored and made a concubine was definitely not the result of Emperor Hongwu indulging in lust and dragging his old subordinate onto the dragon bed on a whim, but was the result of careful consideration and weighing of the pros and cons.
If Emperor Hongwu were to live five hundred years later, he would definitely be a gold medal headhunter, good at placing the most suitable talents in the most suitable positions.
Cui moved to a new house. Shen Qionglian, whom she had promoted, wrote a calligraphy piece for her as a housewarming gift.
Concubine Cui Shu unfolded the mounted scroll and asked, "Be cautious when you are alone?"
"Yes." Shen Qionglian said, "The Great Learning says, 'To be sincere is to not deceive oneself. To hate bad smells and to like beautiful things is to be modest. Therefore, a gentleman must be careful when he is alone.' It means that we cannot really deceive ourselves. If we smell something bad, it is bad. If we like something, we like it. We should be honest with our hearts. Madam Shufei, is this really what you want?"
Shen Qionglian was only thirteen years old when she entered the palace, and was very childish. Concubine Cui Shu chose this talented girl by drawing lots, and treated her like a treasure, nurturing and taking care of her carefully. In name, they had a superior-subordinate relationship, but in fact, they were almost like mother and daughter.
Shen Qionglian was proud of her talent and a little cold-hearted. She had long been accustomed to the care and appreciation of others and felt that it was her due. Even so, Shen Qionglian was moved by Concubine Cui's companionship for the past twelve years. She never meddled in other people's affairs and had no curiosity about other people's affairs, including Hu Shanwei's investigation into the death of King Luhuang in Yanzhou. She had no interest in asking about it.
But Concubine Cui Shu was different from "others", so Shen Qionglian was rarely curious about Concubine Cui Shu's sudden change, and she wanted to know why.
Concubine Cui Shu personally hung Shen Qionglian's calligraphy on the wall. Under the candlelight, her wrists, neck, chest, waist, long legs, ankles and arches of her feet formed graceful arcs, like willow branches swaying in the spring breeze.
"I am different from other female officials. Lady Cao comes from a family of scholars, and Lady Fan is even more amazing. She is the granddaughter of Fan Jian, one of the four great poets of the Yuan Dynasty. She is famous and talented. Even if they leave the palace, they can still live well. But I am different..."
After Concubine Cui finished hanging the scroll, she stepped back a few steps and looked at whether it was neat. "I am an orphan from a poor family. My family members took away my property and sold me to a rich businessman as a concubine. The rich businessman saw that I was pretty, could recognize a few words, and had a basic understanding of poetry and prose. He thought I was a rare treasure and gave me to the official as a bribe. The good times didn't last long. The official was executed for corruption, and the women and children were confiscated and became official slaves. Because I was born beautiful, I was selected to work in the Wu Wang Mansion at that time as a foot-washing maid."
Fate is unfortunate, beauty is short-lived, Concubine Cui Shu just downplayed it, as if she was talking about someone else's life experience. She walked closer to the scroll and raised it a little to the left, then it was hung straight. She nodded with satisfaction, "Foot-washing maid sounds better, but in fact, she is just a bed warmer, not even a title. In order to survive, I treated the emperor as hard as the previous two men to please and serve him, but the emperor did not touch me, he gave me another way."
“So, for me, meeting the emperor is like getting a chance to be reborn.” Concubine Cui Shu looked at the stunned Shen Qionglian and smiled slightly. “The emperor sent me out of the Wuwang Mansion, where I had famous teachers to teach me poetry, history, and some basic kung fu from Mao Xiang, such as picking doors and unlocking locks. I changed my identity and became the daughter of a scholarly family. I was admitted to the palace as a female official, starting as an eighth-rank female historian, and worked hard to climb up. I was a chess piece arranged by the emperor in the palace, and my second identity was a spy of the Jinyiwei, who was here to... monitor Empress Xiaoci and successive imperial concubines. Your Majesty, you are the only person I am loyal to.”
Shen Qionglian stared at Concubine Cui Shu in a daze, as if she was looking at a stranger.
Concubine Cui Shufei said: "Shufei is just a title, an official position. To me, there is no difference between me and Shangyi. We both serve the emperor. The emperor did not touch me last night, and he will not do so in the future. The so-called sleeping with me is just a cover to confirm the title. I am confessing everything to you today, and I am also telling you that you must be absolutely loyal to the emperor to be able to sit in the position of Shangyi steadily and for a long time. Similarly, the emperor will trust you. The Shangyi Bureau controls the entry and exit of the harem, just like a key. You have to be the emperor's eyes, ears, and key..."
Concubine Cui Shu was opening the door to a new world for her favorite disciple Shen Qionglian, while Hu Shanwei was helping Concubine Cao pack her luggage and prepare to leave the palace tomorrow.
Hu Shanwei only packed up three boxes and crates. Palace Lady Cao was even more honest than Bao Zheng.
Seeing Hu Shanwei's surprised look, Cao Shang Gong smiled mysteriously and said, "Don't think that this is all I have. In the past few years, I have been buying land and houses outside to prepare for retirement. These three boxes are for outsiders to see. Otherwise, it would be bad for my reputation if I had to use more than a dozen cars to load my things when I leave the palace."
When Shang Gong Cao does things, she is rough but meticulous, makes plans early, and is like a cunning rabbit with three burrows. Hu Shanwei really admires her.
Hu Shanwei asked Cao Shanggong: "Cao Shanggong is still young, there is no need for you to resign. You have worked with Cui Shufei for so many years, you should have a better cooperation. Why did you recommend me to His Majesty? Are you in a hurry to leave? You can still work for a few more years and save more money for your retirement."
When a man is about to leave, his words are always kind. Cao Shanggong imparted her experience in officialdom to Hu Shanwei, "I used to be Shanggong and she was Shangyi, we were of the same rank, but I was the head of the female officials, she had to listen to me, and I often liked to show off. Now she is the concubine, I am Shanggong, I have to listen to her - it is equivalent to my position being swapped with hers. On the surface, everyone's relationship seems to be flourishing, but in fact there are weeds hidden under the flowers. When the conditions are right, the weeds will grow wildly and 'eat' the flowers. Do you understand?"
Cao Shang Gong's words were from the heart. "We are in the officialdom. Whether we are former officials or female officials in the harem, we should not easily test human nature, and we should not bet our future on the shining side of the other person's humanity. In other words, try not to think too highly of the other person, and treat the other person as an ordinary person with good and evil, conscience and selfishness. Ordinary people have weaknesses and demons, and no one knows when they will be triggered."
"So, now that Concubine Cui Shu is in power, it's not appropriate for me, her former superior, to be her assistant. I need someone of a lower status to work with me. Cui Shangyi undoubtedly trusts Shen Qionglian, whom she cultivated, the most. But Shen Qionglian can take over the position of Shangyi, but being a Shanggong... Haha, even if Cui Shangyi wants to promote one of her own to the position, the emperor will not agree."
Hu Shanwei was confused. "Why doesn't the emperor agree? The emperor has already made her a concubine and entrusted her with the power of the harem."
Cao Shang Gong said: "Because the emperor is the emperor, the emperor has mastered the art of checks and balances, and the power of the harem has been given to Cui Shufei. How can the Shang Gong who is in charge of six bureaus and one department still be Shufei's subordinate? Therefore, the position of Shang Gong belongs to you, and you can't escape it."
So that’s how it is! It’s true that when the gods fight, the little devils suffer.
Hu Shanwei pondered for a while, and then an idea suddenly occurred to him: "If Cui Shangyi becomes Cui Shufei, I have to be Shanggong to check and balance each other. If Cao Shanggong becomes Cao Shufei, then... Cui Shangyi will become Cui Shanggong!"
With Choi Sang-Gong, I can leave the palace smoothly.
"Puh!" Cao Shang Gong slapped the back of Hu Shanwei's head. "You have a bad mouth, stop cursing me. I would rather leave the palace and enjoy my old age. Being a concubine also depends on appearance, you know? Cui Shangyi looks like a favorite concubine, it seems so. If I move into the Yanxi Palace, it will undoubtedly tell the concubines in the six palaces that the emperor does not believe in you, you should give up. You can't even act like the emperor, and the emperor is not stupid. But you..."
Cao Shang Gong stared at Hu Shanwei's face and looked at it carefully. "Actually, after the death of Concubine Duan Jing, the emperor wanted to arrange for a new person to take over the power of the harem. In fact, at the beginning... I thought it would be you. You are my subordinate. No matter what, I can't continue to be a Shang Gong. Eighty percent of my replacement will be Cui Shangyi, so I was ready to quit at that time. Unexpectedly, the emperor switched your positions and did the opposite."
After hearing this, Hu Shanwei felt a chill in his heart. Cao Shanggong's suspicion was not unreasonable. Emperor Hongwu finally chose Concubine Cui Shu because he knew that Mu Chun had feelings for her, and Empress Xiaoci had left some last words before her death.
The lesser of two evils, Hu Shanwei thought: "In any case, being a Shang Gong is much better than being a Shu Fei. Fortunately, I met Mu Chun. Being a Shang Gong still has hope, but being a Shu Fei means being trapped in the deep palace for life."
That night, Cao Shanggong and Hu Shanwei slept on the same bed and chatted until late at night. No one knew who stopped talking and fell asleep first. The next day, Hu Shanwei sent Cao Shanggong out of the palace.
One person, three boxes, a carriage was loaded, Cao Shang Gong said: "The storm is about to start, I am going to slip away, you have to take care of yourself."
Emperor Hongwu began to settle accounts.
In the 26th year of Hongwu, the rebellion of Lan Yu, Duke of Liang, broke out.
Emperor Hongwu exterminated the entire Lan family, peeled off Lan Yu's skin, and sent his skin to the Shu Prince's Mansion in Chengdu. The Shu Prince's Consort Lan was Lan Yu's daughter. The Shu Prince was trembling with fear, and the Shu Prince's Consort committed suicide in order not to implicate her husband and children.
However, the tragedy of the Lan family was just the beginning.
Emperor Hongwu classified all officials who posed a threat to the Crown Prince into the so-called "Blue Party" and killed them all.
A total of more than 15,000 officials were involved, including one duke, twelve marquises, two earls, and almost all the surviving founding fathers died here.
Among them was Mu Chun's great-uncle, Duke of Song Feng Sheng, who was sentenced to death and his entire family was exterminated, even his two adopted daughters were not spared. Only two married daughters were spared - one was the wife of Duke of Zheng, and the other was the Princess of Zhou.
Mu Chun wrote a letter to Emperor Hongwu to plead for mercy for his uncle Feng Cheng. Emperor Hongwu spared Feng Cheng's family's lives, stripped him of his title, and demoted him to a commoner because Mu Chun's grandfather Feng Guoyong died early and had made great military achievements. Mu Chun sent a thousand households to bring his uncle's family to Yunnan.
The author has something to say: The record of Feng Cheng in "Ming Shilu" is very strange. He is obviously a second-generation military man who is good at fighting and has made many achievements. However, since the end of the 25th year of Hongwu, all records about him and his descendants have disappeared...