Hu Shanwei felt a lot of pressure as he had to work, investigate cases, and think of ways to save King Zhou. He burned Ru Siyao's letter to prevent any complications.
In the middle of the night, Hu Shanwei vaguely dreamed of feeding A Lei. She was awakened by the pain of swollen breasts. Her breasts were as hard as rocks. If they continued to swell, they would become hot and even nipples would ulcerate. Hu Shanwei got up, applied a hot towel to her breasts, and squeezed out the milk bit by bit.
The next morning, the palace maid brought food in boxes. Hu Shanwei lied that it was hot and he had no appetite, so he asked for dried hawthorn slices boiled in water and cooled down to drink, ostensibly to stimulate his appetite, but actually to wean him off his mother's milk.
I don’t touch any fresh seafood or other irritating foods, hoping that my milk will come in soon.
Hu Shanwei went to Xiaoling that day. As soon as she arrived, Princess Huaiqing followed. They came to see her biological father and stepmother. Hu Shanwei knew that the drunkard's intention was not to drink, but she could do nothing about it.
In fact, Huaiqing didn't need to speak. Based on Ru Siyao's entrustment in the letter, Hu Shanwei would do his best to save King Zhou's life. It was just that the twists and turns in this matter were not convenient to explain to Huaiqing.
The two of them were watching deer at the Xiaoling Mausoleum. The environment here was quiet and cool even in the summer. Princess Huaiqing exchanged a few pleasantries with her and was about to get to the point. Hu Shanwei raised his hand and said:
"The princess's purpose for coming here today is the same as her purpose for visiting Empress Ma in Kunning Palace yesterday. Prince Zhou and the princess have a deep brother-sister relationship. In the past, Prince Zhou mourned for Concubine Duanjing for three years, showing his utmost filial piety. The princess tried her best to plead for Prince Zhou, and I can understand her feelings."
Hu Shanwei pointed to the hut of the tomb keeper hidden in the Xiaoling Mausoleum and said, "When I was guarding the tomb, I swept the floor and fed the deer all day long. My life was very hard. Thanks to the princess's care, I was able to have food and clothing without worries and have a bowl of meat to eat every day. I have always kept these kindnesses in my heart and have never forgotten them."
Princess Huaiqing thought to herself, in fact, it was the Prince Consort Wang Ning who had a request back then, but the Prince Consort and you had been engaged before, and we had to avoid suspicion by being in a melon field or a plum field, so I had to help... I'm a dignified princess of the Ming Dynasty, not someone who is petty-minded. I only gave him some food and clothes, but I didn't expect that the little help I gave him back then would be repaid with a spring today.
Thinking this in her heart, the princess said, "It's just a small favor. Because of your previous advice, my father's "Record of Filial Piety and Kindness" changed the country's filial piety system, and my mother was buried with honor, avoiding the embarrassment of no one to preside over the funeral."
Anyway, it cannot be said that it was because of the Prince Consort Wang Ning.
Princess Huaiqing was a woman with a broad mind. When the Prince of Qin slandered Hu Shanwei and his husband Wang Ning for still having feelings for each other, she thought that the woman's jealousy would inspire Huaiqing to kill Hu Shanwei. However, Huaiqing not only did not fall for it, but instead cooperated with the Embroidered Uniform Guards and acted with his husband Wang Ning, pretending to kidnap Hu Shanwei and luring out the Prince of Qin, the mastermind behind the scenes.
This time when King Zhou encountered difficulties, Huaiqing asked Hu Shanwei for a favor, but he did not mention the two times he had shown favor to him in the past, trying to ask for repayment. His magnanimity is truly admirable.
Therefore, Hu Shanwei and Princess Huaiqing had some feelings of mutual appreciation. When talking to a smart person, there is no need to be too cautious. She said bluntly: "The princess is very righteous and sensible, so I will not beat around the bush with the princess. When the emperor was three years old, I entered the palace as a female official. It can be said that I watched the emperor grow up. When the emperor was young, he was expected to be a great success. He surpassed many powerful and politically experienced uncles and his original wife's son Zhu Yunhuan to be named the crown prince. His position as the crown prince can be said to be in turmoil. The only person the emperor can rely on is Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu carried out a major purge in the previous dynasty through the Lan Yu case. Only four families of the rich and powerful families in the capital that used to be full of the capital were left. Before Emperor Gaozu died, he ordered all the concubines in the harem to be buried with him. Now there are only eight members of the royal family in the huge harem and the emperor. The emperor holds the power and no one can hinder him. He has monopolized power as soon as he ascended the throne."
"However, Emperor Gaozu arranged everything for the emperor, but he didn't expect that the emperor himself was a novice with no experience in political struggles. The experienced old ministers in the court were basically killed by Emperor Gaozu. The empress dowager was confused. The empress was born in a humble family. She was good enough to be a good wife and mother, but she was far from being able to give the emperor guidance and advice like the Empress Xiaoci did before. The emperor had just taken power, and compared with Emperor Gaozu's experienced hands, he was like a seven or eight-year-old child wielding an extremely sharp sword to protect a warehouse full of coveted treasures."
"Princess, think about this. If you were the child guarding the treasure, would you also act recklessly? Would you lose your sense of proportion and have no rules? If you smell danger, you would just hack and chop at random, and would not feel at ease until the other person is dead?"
Hu Shanwei made a calm analysis, listening to the gradual despair of Princess Huaiqing, "You are right, the emperor is just a child who uses weapons to protect treasures. He has lost his mind and actually agreed to use the naughty child Prince Runan to frame his own father, Prince Zhou. It is really a stupid move. In fact, the emperor no longer cares about the process, he only wants the result. In this case, Prince Zhou will definitely die, and no one can persuade him. Sorry, I shouldn't have made things difficult for you."
"Princess, don't worry. It may not be to the point of death." Hu Shanwei said: "This was done by Li Jinglong, the Duke of Cao. Li Jinglong did indeed take the forbidden dragon robe in the Zhou Palace—"
"That was a frame-up by the King of Runan!" Princess Huaiqing couldn't help but defend King Zhou.
Hu Shanwei sighed, "Princess, please don't say that. If you expose your deceitful behavior, it will only embarrass the emperor. The emperor won't listen to anything your highness says next. Therefore, your frank words will not achieve your desired goal at all. You need to change your approach now."
People have to have dignity and trees have to have bark. Even the old fox Emperor Gaozu would get angry and embarrassed sometimes, let alone the young and thin-skinned Emperor Jianwen
Princess Huaiqing's mood at the moment was like the willow catkins in the sky, rising and falling. She hurriedly grabbed Hu Shanwei's hand and said, "What do you think we should do? I'll listen to you!"
Hu Shanwei said, "There are laws in the country. Those who commit treason must be executed, and all nine generations of the family must be implicated. But they are all members of the royal family. Can they commit suicide? Now, the King of Zhou has to bear the charge of treason. The princess must persuade the King of Zhou to confess his guilt and repent, and then persuade the entire royal family to intercede for him and spare his life. The person in charge of the King of Zhou's treason case is Li Jinglong, the Duke of Cao. He is the general who was left by Emperor Gaozu to the emperor, but in terms of seniority, he is also the cousin of the emperor and the nephew of the princess. The princess used seniority to pressure him. Anyway, the King of Zhou confessed his guilt, and the purpose of removing the title and reducing the power of the vassal state was achieved."
Princess Huaiqing was very confused after hearing this. "How could the King of Zhou admit to such a false accusation?"
She felt that the King of Zhou was wronged and had no ambition to rebel, so she collected a bunch of medical books compiled by the King of Zhou and went to Kunning Palace to plead with Queen Ma.
Hu Shanwei said, "If the King of Zhou refuses to acknowledge him, the Crown Prince of Zhou will be buried with his father. If the King of Zhou acknowledges him, no one will believe that he really did it. They will all think that he had no choice but to do it in order to save the life of his eldest son. As long as there is green, there will be no shortage of firewood. The King of Runan sold his father and brother for fame, who would look up to him and who would believe his lies? It is said that things change over time. There is still a chance to overturn the case in the future, but if a person dies, there is nothing left."
After hearing Hu Shanwei's words, Princess Huaiqing suddenly realized that she had been going in the wrong direction all along. The more she spoke up for King Zhou, the more embarrassed the Emperor became, and the more dangerous King Zhou became.
After recognizing these, Princess Huaiqing found it hard to accept this cruel reality. "Everyone says that my father is cruel, but he hates fratricide the most. The King of Qin made mistakes again and again, but my father kept him alive and gave him a chance. Not to mention us daughters - he was ruthless to the princes-in-law. Now that my nephew is the emperor, I understand that no matter how cold-blooded my father is, it is always better than living at the hands of my nephew."
Huaiqing was the sixth child in the palace. Except for the second prince consort Mei Yin, who was still alive, the first prince consort Li Qi, the third prince consort Niu Cheng, the fourth prince consort Ouyang Lun, and the fifth prince consort Lu Xian were all killed by their father-in-law, the Emperor Gaozu, for various reasons.
During the Hongwu Dynasty, being a royal consort was a very high-risk job.
For most people, Emperor Gaozu was a nightmare. But everyone has their own position and attitude. As a princess, Huaiqing's husband Wang Ning was also highly valued by Emperor Hongwu and was responsible for the surrender of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. She felt that Emperor Gaozu was a good father.
Princess Huaiqing became angrier and angrier as she thought about it. She burst into tears and asked, "If my father were still alive, how could the King of Zhou have fallen into such a state?"
Hu Shanwei sighed inwardly and handed over the handkerchief, "Princess, please don't say that anymore. If the emperor hears it, he will definitely be displeased. Without the protection of Emperor Gaozu, the princess must learn to take care of herself in the future. And Prince Zhou can be willful in his father's hands, but in the hands of his nephew... Oh, you better be careful. Let Prince Zhou plead guilty first, and then the princess will mobilize the royal family, and I will persuade Empress Ma. We can do both. The emperor can't go against the entire royal family just after ascending the throne. After all, he is a grandson."
Princess Huaiqing followed the plan, left Xiaoling Mausoleum and went straight to the clan residence where King Zhou and his son were imprisoned.
Hu Shanwei fed the deer and went to the pond to watch the green peacocks. Now is the mating season for peacocks. The male peacocks with gorgeous feathers, who seemed to have their own halo, danced around the female peacocks with their tails spread out, exposing their buttocks and acting like hooligans. Their handsome, shameless and coquettish looks were very much like Muchun.
Thinking of her husband, Hu Shanwei secretly said: You take good care of A Lei in Yunnan. I have already got a clue. I will go home when I find the murderer. If the emperor and empress refuse to let go, I will ask Ru Siyao to prescribe a strong medicine and find someone to leave the palace due to illness. Nowadays, the royal family is becoming more and more complicated. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can get out.
At the same time, Mu Chun in Kunming received a pigeon message from Chen Xuan. When he read the content, he went crazy on the spot and almost dropped Arei to the ground.
This was a letter Hu Shanwei wrote to him, telling him about the various suspicious points about the death of Concubine Fan, and the imperial decree of Emperor Jianwen that she should be appointed as a concubine in the palace. She told him to be patient and take good care of A Lei, and that she would find a way to get out of this situation.
"Don't be impatient! My wife has been locked up in the palace, how can I not be impatient!" Mu Chun took A Lei's cloth tiger and pounded it on the table, "No! I have to get her back."
When Arei saw his father beating the cloth tiger, he hurried to avenge his good friend. He punched his father's chest with his little fists and bit him like a little animal.
Mu Chun was attacked by her daughter's chest, and she grimaced in pain, "Wow, your father doesn't have that ability, the nanny just fed him, and he's hungry again?"
Muchun's pectoral muscles were well-developed and hard like a rock. Arei disliked the bad taste and let go, leaving a white mark.
Mu Chun touched the small white mark and was overjoyed. He opened his daughter's mouth and saw a tiny tooth exposed on the empty upper gums.
"Alei has grown teeth!" Mu Chun immediately turned from anger to joy, holding Alei and showing off to Shi Qianhu who had always delivered the message, "My Alei is no longer a toothless person!"
Shi Qianhu is the father of eight children and is accustomed to this kind of scene. He thought, "A Lei, you have always been a shameless guy."
"Shanwei, come and see our daughter—" Mu Chun was so excited that he forgot that his wife had returned to the palace to resume her old job. He rushed into the bedroom and looked at the closet full of his wife's old clothes, and was suddenly pulled into the cruel reality.
"Ah... ah!" A Lei pointed at a moon-white cross-collar nightgown worn by Hu Shanwei. Mu Chun took off the clothes and A Lei immediately grabbed them in his hand and put them in his mouth.
While biting, Mu Chun lowered his head and took a deep sniff. It turned out to be a faint milky fragrance, which was the scent of his wife.
The longing was like a flood that broke through the dam and swept away Muchun.
Mu Chun said: "I'm going to the capital."
Shi Qianhu reminded: "But the Madam asked you to take good care of the young lady until she comes back."
Mu Chun said: "When my wife is away, I have to obey her orders."
Shi Qianhu said, "The young lady is only half a year old, so it is inconvenient for her to travel far with you. Besides, many acquaintances in the capital recognize your face. You have been dead for three years. If you are resurrected, who knows what will happen."
Mu Chun handed A Lei to Shi Qianhu and said, "You already have eight children in your family. You can just herd a flock of sheep anyway."
Shi Qianhu retreated repeatedly and pushed the door open. "I dare not, as the responsibility is too great. It doesn't matter how my child is beaten, but the young lady's life is precious. I dare not raise her."
Are you kidding me? If Mu Chun comes back, even if I make this ball of lightning lose a few pounds of flesh, I will definitely die.
In fact, Mu Chun regretted it as soon as he handed it over. He thought of the eight monkey-like children in Shi Qianhu's family. His little Are must not become like a monkey.
Mu Chun then withdrew his hand and hugged his daughter tightly, "What should I do? I am worried about your mother."
Just as he finished speaking, a guard came to report: "Sir, an old friend is here to visit." After that, he handed over an ivory talisman.
Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Ji Gang.
Mu Chun looked as if he had seen a ghost for a hundred days. His expression immediately became serious and he refused to let him in - I went out to meet him.
The two men agreed to meet in a teahouse. Ji Gang was still the same as always, with fair skin, beautiful looks and long legs, pretending to be a Confucian scholar.
Before Ji Gang could speak, Mu Chun cruelly rejected him. "You are here to recruit me for your master, the King of Yan, right? I have been dead for three years, so just forget about it. Also, I don't care how the Zhu family fights or who becomes the emperor, but you can't cause trouble in Yunnan. This place is very young and has just begun to move out of ignorance and into civilization. If you make trouble, it will go back hundreds of years."
Ji Gang sneered, "If you want to take over Yunnan, wouldn't it be easier to find your brother Mu Sheng? You've been dead for three years, and you're no longer useful. I came here to ask you how you can be a husband? You actually asked your wife to go to the capital to take risks, while you stayed at home to take care of the children."
Mu Chun said, "You also know Shan Wei's temper. She values friendship and loyalty the most. She can't just sit back and watch Lady Fan. She was just going to go and come back, but she didn't expect the emperor to order her to return to the palace."
Ji Gang said, "You saved my life, so I will give you a wife. In the past three years, with the support of Prince Yan, I have secretly reorganized the disbanded Jinyiwei. The capital is full of spies, including my people in the palace. I will help you get Shanwei out."
When Mu Chun heard Ji Gang calling his wife by her maiden name, he felt unhappy and said, "I will save my wife myself."
Ji Gang said: "No matter how powerful Chen Xuan is, he can only guard the waterway gate of the capital. He can't reach into the harem. If you come with me to the capital, I will guarantee that you and your wife will be reunited."
Ji Gang actually reorganized the Jinyiwei! Mu Chun knew too well how powerful the Jinyiwei were. They all seemed to be holding back a fierceness to avenge the commander Mao Xiang who was brutally tortured. The strength of the King of Yan was far stronger than expected. Now it seemed that he needed to hedge his bets.
Mu Chun said, "Wait for me here for an hour, I'll be back soon."
Mu Chun ran to bring his father-in-law Hu Rong, who was listening to opera in the teahouse, to his home. He pointed to A Lei, who was sleeping soundly on the couch holding Hu Shanwei's old clothes, and said, "This is your granddaughter. I'm giving her to you to raise. Raise her the same way you raised Hu Shanwei before."
The author has something to say: Good night, babies~
There is a 100-point prize-winning question tonight. It is based on the final fate of the first six sons-in-law of Emperor Hongwu, which happens to be the name of a very famous novel by the famous suspense writer Agatha Christie. What is the name of this novel