Those who disobey the order will be beheaded, and it will also implicate Cao Shanggong and Cui Shangyi who are present.
"Your humble servant Hu Shanwei has received the imperial edict. However—" Hu Shanwei held the bright yellow imperial edict and pointed at Consort Fan in the ice cube: "I want to take her to the capital with me. A female official from the harem died in the Yangtze River just after leaving the palace. I must get to the bottom of this. The authorities must thoroughly investigate this case and find the real culprit. Consort Fan must not die in vain."
The eunuch who announced the decree had expected this, and said, "When Consort Fan resigned from her post and left the palace to retire, she encountered an accident on the way. The Emperor and Empress were very shocked, so they immediately ordered us to come to Guazhou. In addition to sending an order to escort Consort Hu back to the palace, they also ordered people from the Ministry of Justice to come and supervise the case. The people from the Ministry of Justice are right behind and will be here soon. In addition, they also ordered us to bury Consort Fan properly. In addition, the Empress learned that Consort Cao and Cui were both in Guazhou, so she gave gifts to the old people in the palace."
Cao Shanggong and Cui Shangyi hurriedly knelt down to receive the reward.
The emperor and empress had arranged everything, even the old officials in the palace were taken care of, and nothing was leaking. Cao Shanggong advised Hu Shanwei, "The emperor's order cannot be disobeyed. You should go to the harem and cooperate with the Ministry of Justice to investigate the death of Fan Shanggong. Fan Shanggong has been in the palace all her life and has no grudges with people outside. This sudden disaster must be related to the palace. Don't worry, I will investigate with the people outside and the Ministry of Justice. With both efforts, I don't believe that we can't find the real culprit."
Of course, Hu Shanwei knew that one must venture into the tiger's den to gain access to the tiger's cub, but she really didn't want to enter! Once inside the palace, it was like entering a deep sea. She had a family, so how could she bear to leave her five-month-old daughter behind
But if she didn't pile up a mountain of silver and make a big show of fishing for people in the Yangtze River, how could she quickly attract all the good swimmers in the Ming Dynasty to search the Yangtze River almost everywhere? And find the irrefutable evidence that the sunken ship was pierced and the door was locked
If left alone, Fan Shanggong's body would turn into bones and be forever sealed in the sunken ship...
Now, it is impossible to directly disobey the order. He can only return to the palace first, find out the murderer who killed Concubine Fan, and then find an opportunity to resign.
Hu Shanwei looked at Lady Fan buried in the ice and said, "I have to wait for the Ministry of Justice to come and perform an autopsy, inspect the sunken ship at the bottom of the river, write the evidence of intentional homicide into the file, and confirm that Lady Fan was murdered before I can go back to the palace with you."
The eunuch was a little anxious, "But the emperor and the empress are still waiting for Hu Shanggong—"
"I will not disobey your order." Hu Shanwei interrupted, "I came to Guazhou not to return to the palace, but to hear the news of Concubine Fan's death. If her funeral is not handled properly, how can I return to the palace with peace of mind?"
Hu Shanwei refused to leave, and the stalemate lasted for about half an hour. Then Bao Zhao, the Minister of Justice, arrived in Guazhou. When Bao was young, Emperor Gaozu had just suspended the imperial examinations. He was selected to be a student at the Imperial Academy because of his talent. He once served as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. He was as clean as water and had a strong character. Many corrupt officials were impeached and brought down by him. He was prestigious both in the officialdom and among the people. Because "Bao" and "Bao" are pronounced the same, he was nicknamed Bao, which shows that he had a very good reputation.
In the 30th year of Hongwu's reign, Bao Zhao was transferred to the Ministry of Justice as the Right Vice Minister. In the 31st year of Hongwu's reign, Emperor Gaozu knew that his time was up, so he promoted him to the Minister of Justice. He was one of the ministers of state in the Jianwen Dynasty.
When they saw Minister Bao, they were relieved, thinking that with his reputation and character, he would be able to find out the truth. Minister Bao came with a coroner and a constable from the Ministry of Justice. As soon as they arrived, they performed an autopsy and filled in the body compartment. In the last ray of daylight, he sent a strong constable to follow the water ghost and dive to see the sunken ship erected on the river bank.
The constable surfaced and confirmed the water ghosts' statement, "Master Bao, the holes in the bottom of the boat are neatly cut. It is indeed caused by a sharp weapon. The initial judgment is that it is a deliberate murder."
Hu Shanwei said, "Master Bao, there were more than 50 people on the boat, and only Lady Fan's room was locked from the outside, which shows that Lady Fan was the only target of the murderer. In order to destroy the bodies and clear the evidence, the murderer did not hesitate to create a river disaster, causing more than a dozen innocent people to die in the river. He is really crazy and inhumane."
Bao Zhao worked his way up from a junior censor to the Minister of Justice, and was in charge of the Ming Dynasty's criminal justice system. He had a wide range of experience. He looked at the copper lock that still had traces of water plants, and said thoughtfully: "When it comes to murder, it is usually for love, money, or power. Concubine Fan has been in the palace and is old, so murder of love can be ruled out. This major case with more than a dozen lives may be caused by officialdom infighting and money and power. The murderer must have a big background. However, I guarantee my lifelong reputation that I will find out the truth and let the dead soul in the river rest in peace."
"Mr. Bao" was a well-known honest official, even with dark patches on his official boots. When Hu Shanwei saw Bao Zhao swearing on his most cherished reputation, he immediately felt relieved. In the Ming Dynasty, there was no official more reliable than Bao Zhao.
Hu Shanwei bowed deeply to Bao Zhao and said, "I believe in Lord Bao. I hope Lord Bao can find out the truth as soon as possible and let the dead soul rest in peace."
After a short reunion, it was time to say goodbye. Hu Shanwei said to Lady Cao and Lady Cui, "The money we used to reward the water ghosts and take care of Lady Fan's funeral, and the rest will be left for you two to use in your old age. Hire more servants to guard the house, and hire bodyguards to protect you when you go out. Be careful."
Cao Shang Gong said: "You can go to the palace without worry and find out what happened to Fan Shang Gong. We will take care of the rest. We have plenty of money for retirement, but it will attract thieves if we spend too much. We plan to use the remaining money for charity, to catch and bury the ownerless bodies in the Yangtze River, and bury them in peace. This will be considered as doing good deeds for Fan Shang Gong, so that she can be reborn into a good family in the next life and be a rich and idle person. Don't work hard like an old ox in this life to serve the royal family, but end up like this."
The death of the rabbit makes the fox mourn, and the eyes of the three "battle-hardened" female officials were a little moist.
The eunuch was urging him again, so Hu Shanwei said goodbye to Cao Shanggong and Cui Shangyi overnight and returned to the palace with the "Poems of Fan Deji".
The return to Beijing was still by water. Due to the death of Concubine Fan, the journey was escorted by imperial cavalry on the shore and by ships of the Nanjing Navy on the river, providing tight protection.
Hu Shanwei boarded the official ship that was as stable as the ground, asked for hot water, washed off the corpse stench on his body, took off his underwear, and soaked his chest with milk stains that had spilled, and then dried it with his body temperature. He repeated this process over and over again, and the originally soft fabric became hard, as if it had just been starched.
While taking a bath, Hu Shanwei drank tea made from cooked malt and hawthorn, which was used to stop milk production. After drinking it, the milk supply would gradually decrease and eventually stop.
It was midnight, and her breasts began to swell and harden slightly. A Lei had not yet stopped feeding at night, and every night at this time, he would roll into her arms half asleep and half awake for a "midnight snack".
Now that Alei is not around, her milk will swell every time it reaches this time. A mother's body has its own consciousness that is not controlled by the brain. Whenever she sees a baby or hears a baby crying, her body will react before the brain does, has its own temper, and starts to swell with milk to prepare for feeding.
This reaction was almost indiscriminate, and no matter how hard Hu Shanwei tried, she couldn't control it. She could only rely on folk remedies to suppress her maternal instincts.
This kind of food could not be brought into the palace, so Hu Shanwei simply threw the remaining hawthorn and malt into the pot and boiled them together, filtered out the juice, and then poured the dregs into the river on a dark and windy night.
While drinking the tea that would soothe his milk production, Hu Shanwei picked up a pen and wrote a letter to Mu Chun. When the official ship docked the next day, Chen Xuan, the admiral of the Nanjing Navy, personally greeted him at the Longjiang Post Station. Hu Shanwei took the opportunity to secretly give him the letter.
After changing to a horse-drawn carriage, the doors and windows of shops along the road were closed, pedestrians dispersed, roadblocks were set up at the entrance of the alley, and soldiers stood guard every five steps. Nanjing was under martial law today. Hu Shanwei knew that this kind of pomp was definitely not for herself, a fifth-rank palace lady, and she did not have the nerve to do so.
Hu Shanwei asked Chen Xuan who was escorting him. In front of everyone, Chen Xuan could not express any position, and said routinely: "The King of Runan reported that the King of Zhou and the Crown Prince of Zhou were plotting a rebellion together. Cao Guogong Li Jinglong went to the King of Zhou's mansion in Kaifeng, Henan to capture the King of Zhou. Today he will be escorted to the Imperial Clan Court in the capital for trial."
The Crown Prince of Zhou, Zhu Youdun, is still a hostage in the capital and has been detained long ago. There is no need to go to Kaifeng to arrest him.
Hu Shanwei knew the royal family pedigree very well. She couldn't believe it. "The King of Runan is the second son of the King of Zhou. He and the Crown Prince of Zhou are brothers from the same mother."
The wife of Zhou Wang Zhu Su was Mu Chun's aunt, Feng, the daughter of Feng Sheng, the former Duke of Song. Feng Sheng's entire family was executed by Emperor Gaozu for treason, and the Feng family was exterminated. Mu Chun only saved her uncle Feng Cheng's family, went to Yunnan, changed her name, and disappeared from then on.
Princess Feng of Zhou gave birth to the crown prince Zhu Youdun and the prince of Runan Zhu Youxun. The couple had a good relationship. When the Feng family was exterminated, the prince was powerless, but he also fulfilled his responsibilities as a father and husband and protected his wife and children. Thus, Feng avoided the tragedy of Princess Lan of Shu being forced to commit suicide. Emperor Gaozu ordered Mao Xiang to peel off the skin of Lan's father Lan Yu and express it to the Shu Palace in Chengdu, Sichuan.
However, she never expected that Princess Feng of Zhou escaped death, but had to watch her second son turn into an ungrateful person and slander his own father and elder brother in order to compete with the crown prince for the title of prince.
Therefore, when Duke Cao Li Jinglong came to Prince Zhou's mansion to arrest Prince Zhou, Princess Zhou was heartbroken and cursed her second son Zhu Youxun for being unfilial, but there was nothing she could do. Her family had been wiped out, and her nephew Duke Qian Mu Chun had "died" three years ago. Now she really had no one to rely on.
Chen Xuan said: "Well, the King of Runan sacrificed his own family for the sake of justice. If loyalty and filial piety cannot be achieved at the same time, then I can only choose loyalty."
Hu Shanwei didn't know what to say for a moment. Would the King of Zhou rebel? The sun rises in the west. It's fine for other princes, but the King of Zhou is a well-known medical idiot. Ru Siyao and the imperial physician Tan are both editing books in the King's mansion. How could a medical book rebel
The emperor wanted to reduce the power of the vassal states, so why did he have to reduce the power of the doctor Zhou Wang first? He couldn't find a reason, so he tempted the King of Runan to bite his own father... Who made such a stupid move? Are you stupid? Creating such a human tragedy, it's so ugly! It's simply a case of covering one's ears and stealing the bell. Even I, a female official, can guess that the King of Runan was instructed to bite his own father. Are all the subjects in the world stupid
When a minister makes such a foolish move, should the king just sit there and do it
The rebellion of King Zhou, which was nothing more than a joke, indeed caused a sensation inside and outside the court. People spoke up for King Zhou, who had a very good reputation among the people for compiling medical books and curing diseases. As a result, many people petitioned along the way when Li Jinglong, Duke of Cao, escorted King Zhou to the capital. It was hot in the dog days of summer, and the pampered King Zhou got heatstroke in the prison car. The people spontaneously raised money to buy expensive ice cubes and put them in the prison car to keep King Zhou cool.
Because of Prince Zhou's high popularity among the people, Emperor Jianwen was worried that Prince Zhou would cause public resentment and unrest when he entered the capital, so he simply ordered a city-wide curfew and blocked the road that Prince Zhou's prison carriage took to enter the city, preventing anyone from approaching Prince Zhou.
King Zhou was framed for treason by his own son, and suffered a double blow both physically and mentally. He knew that this sudden disaster was caused by his own brother, Prince of Yan Zhu Di. The emperor did not dare to move the powerful Fourth Uncle first, so he took action against the powerless Fifth Uncle to make an example of him.
The relationship between the King of Zhou and the King of Yan was good. No matter how Li Jinglong tempted him to get close to his brother, the King of Yan, the King of Zhou refused. Look, although they were both younger brothers, the King of Zhou and his biological son, the King of Runan, were really different.
Seeing Hu Shanwei's incredulous expression, Chen Xuan said with a double meaning, "Things are going to change, Hu Shang Gong, be careful."
The weather is changeable in summer. The sun was still shining brightly when Hu Shanwei went ashore, but it was immediately covered with dark clouds after entering the city. Hu Shanwei lowered the curtains of the carriage, thinking that Emperor Jianwen must have known about the farce of Prince Zhou being accused of treason by his own son... Knowing that he had no basis for rebellion, he kept making mistakes. It was obvious that his fear of his powerful uncles had surpassed reason and basic human ethics. Alas, he was clearly a shy and reserved boy three years ago, how did he become like this now
The world has really changed, and the royal family's muddy water is becoming more and more muddy.
Hu Shanwei thought to himself, I will find out the murderer who killed Lady Fan and leave immediately instead of getting involved in this mess.
As he was thinking, they arrived at Xi'an Gate. Chen Xuan and the others stopped and were escorted by the imperial guards into the palace. After walking a few miles, they arrived at Xihua Gate and
Entering here is the harem.
I, Hu Shanwei, am back again.
Hu Shanwei handed the bag to the eunuch guarding the door, "Send it to the Shangyi Bureau to check if there are any prohibited items, and then send it to my room."
Haitang at the door was almost impatient, having waited for a long time. She was now a sixth-rank official in the Shanggong Bureau and a confidant of Empress Ma.
"Hu Shang Gong!" Hai Tang suppressed her inner excitement and bowed, "Please ask Hu Shang Gong to follow me to Kunning Palace to see the Queen."
Hu Shanwei was very pleased to see Haitang had made such great progress.
On the way to Kunning Palace, Hu Shanwei also "accidentally met" old friends, including Shen Qionglian, the Shangyi Bureau's Shangyi Bureau's Sibao Huang Wei De, and Chen Ermei, the Shangshi Bureau's Shangshi Bureau's Shangshi Bureau. In addition, there were some unfamiliar palace people who came together to watch the "legendary" Hu Shanggong.
Everyone knew that Hu Shanwei was searching for the body of Lady Fan at the Silver Mountain in Guazhou, and most of the onlookers looked at him with kindness and admiration.
When they arrived at Kunning Palace, Haitang led Hu Shanwei to a side hall and sat him down, serving him tea. "Mrs. Hu, please wait a moment. Grand Princess Huaiqing came to the palace early this morning to talk to the Empress, and she hasn't left yet."
When Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne, his daughters became princesses, his sisters became eldest princesses, and his aunts became great eldest princesses. Princess Huaiqing rose two generations at once.
When Hu Shanwei heard that Grand Princess Huaiqing was coming, he guessed, "The Grand Princess is here to plead for King Zhou."
Haitang nodded, "Mrs. Hu is truly a master of foresight."
This is the benefit of fifteen years of experience in the palace. Hu Shanwei knows all the stories of the Ming imperial family: the mother of Prince Zhou and Prince Yan, Concubine Shuo, died early. Prince Yan is the elder brother and has moved to the East Fifth House of the Qianqing Palace, while the younger brother Prince Zhou is still young and cannot do without his mother's careful care. Emperor Gaozu therefore gave Prince Zhou to Concubine Chengmu Sun to raise.
Concubine Chengmu had only two daughters, and they raised Prince Zhou as their own son. Therefore, Prince Zhou and Princess Huaiqing were like real siblings and had a good relationship. When Concubine Chengmu passed away, no one was in charge of the funeral. Inspired by Hu Shanwei, Emperor Gaozu promulgated the "Record of Filial Piety and Kindness", which changed the filial piety system and ordered Prince Zhou to be the chief mourner for Concubine Chengmu. Other princes only observed the mourning period for their concubine mothers for one year, but Prince Zhou observed the mourning period for three years.
This made Princess Huaiqing respect Prince Zhou even more as her own brother. Although Prince Zhou later went to Kaifeng to be a fief, the brother and sister always kept in touch. When Prince Zhou's son Zhu Youdun was falsely accused of treason with his father and thrown into the clan prison, it was Princess Huaiqing who sent people to deliver meals to her every day, asked about her well-being, and took care of this imprisoned nephew.
Today, Prince Zhou was escorted back to the capital by Li Jinglong, Duke of Cao. Princess Huaiqing came to Kunning Palace to plead for Prince Zhou.
She came with a stack of medical books compiled by King Zhou, "... I grew up with King Zhou and I know him best. He has no wild ideas.
"He is not as good as me in riding and archery. My father once said he is 'useless'. Queen, please look at these books. The King of Zhou is devoted to studying medicine. How can he think of rebellion? The King of Runan, this stinky boy, has been deceived by a traitor. Don't believe what this young boy says."
Empress Ma sighed, "The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. The people of the clan affairs office will make the final decision on whether the words of the King of Runan and the King of Zhou are true or false. How can I make the final decision?"
Seeing that Princess Huaiqing looked unhappy, Empress Ma said, "However, I can pass these books and the words of the princess to His Majesty, and let His Majesty consider it as appropriate."
Hearing this, Princess Huaiqing was very disappointed, but she also understood that this young Empress Ma was different from her previous capable mother, Empress Ma.
When Empress Xiaoci was alive, she also said that the harem was not allowed to interfere in government affairs. However, every time there was trouble in the former dynasty, Empress Xiaoci would always go to "put out the fire" and use various methods to calm the furious Emperor Gaozu down and make him accept her opinions.
Today's Empress Ma has the legacy of Empress Xiaoci, but she is only kind. She is a good wife and a good mother, gentle and obedient to her husband, Emperor Jianwen. However, for an empress of a country, it is far from enough to be a good wife and a good mother...
They couldn't just ask Queen Ma for help, they had to think of other ways to save King Zhou. Princess Huaiqing said goodbye, and Queen Ma felt relieved.
As soon as the princess left, Haitang hurriedly took Hu Shanwei to the main hall. Princess Huaiqing had already reached the door, and she looked back with hope, and happened to see Hu Shanwei's profile.
Princess Huaiqing was ecstatic: Concubine Hu is back! This person could convince even the stubborn Emperor Gaozu, so it should be no problem for her to convince the young Emperor Jianwen!
The author has something to say: Hawthorn and cooked malt are simply magic tools for weaning. I was able to wean myself after drinking them for two days... Future mothers who are trying to wean themselves can try this recipe.
Good night, babies.
Congratulations to reader Badanmu for receiving a 100-point red envelope~
№1 Netizen: Almond Comment: "Hu Shanwei" Score: 2 Published: 2019-04-08 23:56:40 Reviewed chapter: 168
Song Dynasty