Now that the kings have returned to the capital, and they have built mansions in the middle of the capital, according to the rules, the wives of the king's mansions need to pay attention to the queen in the morning and evening.
However, considering the inconvenience of entering the palace, Empress Wei only made a rule that the female relatives of each family enter the palace to pay their respects on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar new year.
These are old regulations, Jin Wangfei is not here, the work of Jin Wangfu has always been done by Yaoniang, so knowing that she will enter the palace the next day, Yaoniang took a break early the day before.
After taking a bath, Yaoniang rolled to the side of the bed and pretended to be asleep. Since Yaoniang had hung up the exemption card, Jin Wang naturally couldn't force it, and he also understood that she would have to toss for a long time tomorrow.
Nothing to say all night.
The next day, Yaoniang got up early in the morning, and the family of three sat together for breakfast. King Jin went to the Ministry of Industry, and Yaoniang took Xiaobao into the palace. When he walked to Xuanwu Gate, he ran into the carriage of Prince Qing's mansion, but it was Princess Qing with Brother Yan.
The purpose is naturally the same as Yaoniang.
The two first sent Xiaobao and Brother Yan to the study room, and then went to Kunning Palace.
When we waited, it was still early. She was the only two female relatives from various prefectures who came, and at this moment in the main hall, Empress Wei was busy seeing the concubines of the sixth palace.
This is a custom, and it is also a rule set by the ancestors. The concubines in the harem need to come to the Kunning Palace every day to pay their respects to the queen. The two Yaoniang also knew about this, so they waited outside.
After standing in front of the hall for a while, Concubine An, Concubine Dai, Concubine Yong and others all arrived.
They are all masters, and the servants below did not dare to be negligent, and they also said that the princesses should go to have tea first. But since the person has already come, it's nothing to wait a little longer, it's better than falling into the trap. Fortunately, Empress Wei was probably aware of the situation outside, and did not keep these harem concubines for long.
After waiting for another stick of incense, Yaoniang and the others saw a gust of fragrant wind rushing towards them, and many women with different looks came out from the gate of the palace.
Most of them are young women with flower-like looks and wicker-like figures. There have always been many beauties of various colors in the palace, and Yaoniang is amazed every time she sees them. But when she thought about how these beautiful young women were all serving Emperor Hongjing, she became more subtle.
You must know that Emperor Hongjing is already sixty now, he is really a tree of pear blossoms pressing down on crabapples. However, Yaoniang dare not say such outrageous words, she can't even think about it, but she will inevitably sigh in her heart when she encounters it.
Another maid came out from the palace gate and summoned everyone to enter.
All the female family members filed in, and according to the rules, they saluted the queen first, and then saluted several high-ranking concubines. Most of the concubines who can sit here are born with emperor's heirs, and some are even the mothers-in-law of these princesses.
After finishing the rules that should be done, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed, and all kinds of gossip started to be said.
Seriously speaking, Empress Wei is a very kind person, she treats people kindly and doesn't put too much airs on her. This is what Yaoniang learned from her observations during this period of time.
Besides, Empress Wei has always treated Yaoniang well. Logically speaking, she is a princess and a serious daughter-in-law. It would be embarrassing for Yaoniang, a side concubine, to be caught in it. But Empress Wei never showed anything unusual, as if Yaoniang was a serious daughter-in-law, not a concubine.
It makes people feel good.
The hall was bustling with excitement, when suddenly a maid came to report that Mrs. Xu Guogong asked to see her.
Generally, if a foreign woman wants to enter the palace, she has to hand over the sign in advance, and the palace will arrange a time to see her, and she will come without saying that she hastily came.
Why do you say rashly? Because at this time, it is impossible for the empress to arrange to meet a married woman.
But Mrs. Xu Guogong is not someone else after all. The first-rank Mrs. Guogong has a family relationship with Queen Wei. Mrs. Xu Guogong always lived in seclusion and rarely showed her face in front of people. Something must have happened to her sudden request to see her.
Empress Wei didn't delay, so she asked Mrs. Xu Guogong to be called in.
Mrs. Xu Guogong doesn't look like a Mrs. Guogong at all in terms of appearance, she looks a little weaker. It seems that he has just recovered from a serious illness, and his complexion is a little pale. Even though he has put on makeup, his face still looks sick.
When Empress Wei saw her, she sighed, "Why are you so thin?"
The last time Queen Wei saw Mrs. Xu Guogong was on the first day of the first year when all the wives entered the palace to congratulate her. It's only been a few months since we haven't seen each other, Mrs. Xu Guogong has lost a lot of clothes, and her clothes are loose, as if they will fall down when the wind blows.
"The concubine is sick, but the tired empress is worried."
Empress Wei smiled and said that this is nothing to worry about, and ordered someone to grant a seat. After Mrs. Xu Guogong sat down cautiously, she asked: "Madam Xu is entering the palace this time, what's the matter?"
At this time, there were many people in the hall, and on the left sat several high-grade concubines in the harem, all of whom were not young, but they still had charm and elegance. On the right are the princesses of various palaces.
When Empress Wei spoke, these people kept quiet, and all eyes were on Empress Wei and Mrs. Xu Guogong in the field.
Everyone saw Mrs. Xu Guogong suddenly grasping the handkerchief in her hand, she seemed to be agitated, her emaciated hands were full of veins. Everyone was still thinking, could it be that Mrs. Xu Guogong couldn't bear it anymore and planned to sue the queen and deal with the concubine in the mansion. Who would have thought that what Mrs. Xu Guogong said next would surprise everyone.
"My son Yanru was honored by the Empress Dowager's pity back then, and was granted a marriage by His Majesty. He married into the Zhao family and became the fifth prince's concubine. Jinzhou. Although my son is conscientious and has always done his duty as a princess, but his fate is poor, he has not been able to have a son and a half for His Royal Highness King Jin, and to reproduce for the royal family.
"The most important of the seven rules is that he has nothing to do except disobedience to his parents. My son is ashamed, but he has been brazenly living in the position of princess. It is also empress and His Majesty who are sympathetic and sympathetic to my son's life. The concubine is in a state of anxiety day and night. I have said countless times that my emperor is kind. But I have nothing to say except this one. My son thinks that he has never made a mistake for many years. Besides, she has a good reputation, and she has the audacity to get a gentle and virtuous compliment from her mother. Inside, everyone in the mansion praised the princess for her generosity and clear rewards and punishments. And all these years, there has never been any discord in the back house of Prince Jin's mansion, which is enough to prove that my son is a pure-hearted person."
Mrs. Xu Guogong stood up suddenly and prostrated in front of the queen.
Her body was slender and weak, and she seemed to have been ill for a long time, but it was just an ordinary behavior that made her do it dangerously. But it also made people understand that she was caused by her true temperament, so that she lost her temper.
Mrs. Xu Guogong was very excited. Everyone could clearly see that her hands on the ground were trembling, and her voice was also trembling.
"However, my son did one thing wrong. She shouldn't have attacked other concubines in the mansion because of jealousy. This matter is absurd to say, but in fact, my son Yanru also listened to my mother's instigation, so she became a concubine. I made a big mistake. I am afraid that the affairs of my Xu family are well known to passers-by. I am a cowardly and incompetent mother, so that my son is also implicated. I am not angry in my heart, and I am worried about my daughter, so I will continue to say the words of mother and child, and I My son was anxious about not being able to conceive for many years, so he was fascinated for a while, and he listened to my stupid idea."
What Mrs. Xu Guogong said was really unexpected, including Yaoniang, who did not expect that Princess Jin would make a secret move on her during childbirth, and would announce it to the world in this way.
She was a little confused, and she couldn't quite understand why Mrs. Xu Guogong made such a fuss. Could it be that she felt sorry for Jin Wangfei who was sent to Zhuangzi to recuperate, and wanted to plead for her daughter, so she took everything on herself
For some reason, Yao Niang had a very bad premonition in her heart, she always felt that something was going to happen, but she couldn't talk about it.
Over there, Mrs. Xu Guogong was still crying, but she had already mentioned that Jin Wangfei was furious because of a big mistake she made, and sent her to Zhuangzi to recuperate.
In fact, everyone knows these things, but no one has exposed them, so everyone is happy to pretend to be stupid. I didn't see that the little censor who impeached King Jin was in bad luck, which shows that the Holy One knew about it and acquiesced.
Everyone has always been very curious about the reaction of the Xu family to this matter, but who knows that the Xu family has no reaction at all, and it seems that they don't care about their daughter. I thought this matter would be nothing, but what people never expected was that this matter would be lifted in public at such a time and place.
Why did Mrs. Xu Guogong do this? Is it just to get rid of the crime for her daughter and take all the faults on herself. But you must know that it was Jin Wangfei who murdered the emperor and grandson. No matter who she listened to instigation, it was definitely her who did it, and she took it as a big mistake.
It would be too ridiculous to be able to escape the crime by crying pitifully.
Everyone doubted Mrs. Xu Guogong's purpose, but they couldn't figure out why, including Yaoniang. However, Mrs. Xu Guogong did not make them wait too long, and soon revealed her real purpose today.
"...And there is another reason why my son Yanru provoked His Royal Highness King Jin to disregard the relationship between husband and wife, but it was involved in a secret matter."
Empress Wei took a sip of the tea from the maid, and said, "Ma'am, it's all right." Then she asked the maid to help Mrs. Xu Guogong up and let her sit down and talk.
During this period, Yaoniang's heart was pounding, and she suddenly understood what Mrs. Xu Guogong wanted to do.
Sure enough, there was almost no room for her to react. After Mrs. Xu Guogong sat down, she pointed her finger at Yaoniang: "Does the empress know the origin of this girl?"
"I know a little bit, but I don't know if what Madam said is related to Concubine Su?"
"Of course there is a relationship, and there is a big relationship..." Mrs. Xu Guogong looked at Yaoniang and sneered, and at the same time, she said that Yaoniang had a child out of wedlock, and with the help of Liu's mother, she entered the palace as an errand, and then seduced Jin by serving the little princess. The matter of the king is said.
She spoke so eloquently that people had to believe what she said. And following her words, Yaoniang's face turned pale little by little, and at the same time her delicate body couldn't help trembling.
Nothing but shame.
The shame of having her private affairs exposed, the shame of that period, even two lifetimes of unbearable memories. All of that is actually very far away from Yaoniang, and she hasn't even thought about the events of her previous life for a long time. What Mrs. Xu Guogong said made her recall it again.
In particular, almost everyone in the palace focused their attention on her face, as if they were saying that she was the nanny who went to the mansion as a servant but seduced the male master. Look at her sitting here with a decent appearance, but she is actually just an idiot.
Yaoniang compelled to calm down, Madam Xu was aggressive: "I don't know Su side concubine, is the old lady telling lies?"
Yaoniang took a deep breath and didn't speak.
She knew that there must be a reason for everything. It was impossible for Mrs. Xu to go to such lengths just to humiliate her. She must have other purposes. Yaoniang couldn't help but think of Xiaobao, even though King Jin made up an excuse to give an explanation to the outside world. But a lie is a lie after all, and it can be exposed after careful investigation, but she was not really perfect when she was pregnant and had a child out of wedlock.
Not many people know, but not everyone knows.
Especially when she entered the mansion back then, it was indeed through the hands of Princess Jin, this alone is enough for people to take advantage of.
Sure enough, as Yaoniang expected, Mrs. Xu Guogong mentioned that Yaoniang was pregnant and had a child before entering the mansion. Including how she entered the mansion, how she followed King Jin, her son Xiaobao was also taken into Prince Jin's mansion at that time, how King Jin made arrangements, and King Jin suddenly recognized Xiaobao as his own son, and the entire mansion was sealed Everything has been said.
Although it did not say that Xiaobao is not the real son of King Jin, and that King Jin was only willing to raise a son for nothing for a woman, and also tried to confuse the royal blood, but the meaning is nothing but that.
Attempt to confuse royal blood? Even if King Jin is the prince, this is a serious crime.
"Mrs. Xu, you are sure that what you said is true. You must know that this kind of thing is not just a joke." Empress Wei solemnly said.
Mrs. Xu Guogong knelt down again: "My concubine guarantees it with her own life. I also ask the empress to be clear. My son Yanru was sent to Zhuangzi by His Royal Highness Jin Wang to recuperate because he knew the details of this matter."
Empress Wei nodded and turned to Yaoniang: "Concubine Su, I don't know how you can explain it?"