When Zhao Xifang learned that Prince Yu's head was not only smashed, but his left leg was also broken, he clapped his hands and said, "God has eyes, this is really retribution!"
But before she could enjoy her joy for a few days, the good news that Prince Yu's concubine had given birth to a son for Prince Yu spread throughout the capital.
Zhao Xifang was so angry that she smashed a set of tea sets, "How can such a damned beast have a legitimate son?"
But no matter how angry she was, she could not change the fact that Prince Yu had a legitimate son.
After calming down his anger, he called the maid in to pick up the broken porcelain pieces.
After a while, the man she married for the second time came back, wearing the official uniform of the fifth rank.
Zhao Xifang walked forward with a smile, "Master, why are you back so early today?"
"There's nothing to do at the yamen, so I came back." The man stood there and let Zhao Xifang serve him.
The man was more than ten years older than Zhao Xifang. He married her regardless of her reputation just to get into the Zhao family and make further progress in his career.
He already had two legitimate sons, three illegitimate sons and two illegitimate daughters, so there was no need for Zhao Xifang to have another child.
The main reason why Zhao Xifang married him was that she didn't have to give birth to children.
She married this man in order to have someone to rely on when she was old. According to etiquette and law, she was the mother of the man's children, and these children had to support her.
At this time, a maid came in and said, "Madam, the fifth young master is ill. Aunt Ying asks you to invite a doctor to see the fifth young master."
Zhao Xifang's eyes flickered slightly. This fifth young master was born to the man's favorite concubine and was just half a year old. After she got married, this concubine Ying always tried to show off to her.
At this time, Aunt Ying sent someone to tell her to ask for a doctor for the Fifth Young Master, which was obviously an attempt to flatter her in front of the man.
Zhao Xifang smiled faintly, "It must be because Aunt Ying held the Fifth Young Master in the yard yesterday and let him get caught in the wind, so the Fifth Young Master got sick today."
Without waiting for the man to speak, Zhao Xifang hurriedly said, "Go and invite several doctors from all over the street to take a good look at the Fifth Young Master. He's been sick every other day, which is really worrying."
The man frowned, "Xiaowu is often sick?"
"A half-year-old child is prone to illness. It's not that Aunt Ying didn't take good care of him." Zhao Xifang helped the man take off his official uniform and handed it to the maid.
The man pursed his lips and said nothing. Zhao Xifang also didn't say much. Some things should be done in moderation.
Zhao Xifang remarried, but could not escape the disputes among his wives and concubines.
However, no one expected that under such circumstances, she would still be willing to place people into the palace to destroy the relationship between the emperor and the empress.
That day, the Queen Mother had diarrhea due to overeating, so Jiang Changning went to visit her.
When the phoenix chariot passed through the imperial garden, Jiang Changning found that Emperor Xuanzhi was standing outside the viewing pavilion. Through the gaps between the flowers, he saw that there seemed to be a person kneeling in front of him.
"Go and take a look." Jiang Changning ordered.
When I got closer, I saw the girl kneeling in front of Xuan Zhi. She was wearing a cherry red skirt and was as pink and tender as the flowers on the branches in March.
Emperor Xuanzhi had a gloomy face and was about to say something, but when he saw Jiang Changning coming over, he subconsciously took a step back and distanced himself from the girl.
Chang Youzhong also reported: "Your Majesty, the Queen is here."
"I know," Emperor Xuanzhi glared at him unhappily, "You keep talking!"
The girl kneeling on the ground changed her expression slightly and buried her head even lower.
Jiang Changning walked in front of Emperor Xuanzhi, without looking at the beautiful girl kneeling there, and slightly bent her knees to salute. Emperor Xuanzhi reached out and supported her, "Just now when I went to Qiyuan Palace, they said you went to see the Queen Mother. Has the Queen Mother's diarrhea stopped?"
"I took the medicine and it has stopped." Jiang Changning smiled, "The Queen Mother is worried about you and asked about your meals these days."
"Tomorrow we will go over and have dinner with our mother." Emperor Xuanzhi pointed at the girl kneeling on the ground and said, "Do you know this beautiful girl?"
Jiang Changning turned his eyes to the young lady and said, "Raise your head."
The young lady slowly raised her head. Jiang Changning looked at her and frowned slightly. "She looks familiar, but I don't think I've seen her before."
"Your Majesty, you tend to forget things easily. We have met before," said the concubine.
Jiang Changning was surprised, "When? Where?"
The girl smiled and said, "My lady, my surname is Sun, my name is Qingqing, and my elder sister's name is Huihui."
Sun Huihui, Jiang Changning remembered, was the daughter of Uncle Zhuang Juyue.
"I remember you were still young at that time, and you didn't play with us." Jiang Changning smiled faintly, "I didn't expect that Lord Sun would be willing to send you to the palace."
He paused and said, "Now all the concubines live in Jingyi Palace and cannot go out without the emperor's order. How did you get here?" And he happened to meet Emperor Xuanzhi.
Sun Qingqing did not answer the question, her body still trembling slightly. Jiang Changning's eyes flickered slightly, and he said with a smile: "Miss Sun, spying on the emperor is a capital crime."
"I didn't spy on the emperor. I came to the imperial garden to pick flowers." Sun Qingqing was frightened to death by her words, her face as pale as paper.
"Not just anyone can pick the flowers in the imperial garden. Miss Sun, I advise you to tell the truth. If you hide the facts, you will be the only one to suffer," said Jiang Changning.
Sun Qingqing insisted that she was here to pick flowers, and she also said something, "The Queen is so anxious to get rid of me because she is afraid that I will tell you that Old Lady Zhuang intended to marry the Queen to my brother?"
Jiang Changning smiled when he heard this and said, "A daughter of one family is sought after by hundreds of families. Old Madam Zhuang did mention several families' sons back then, but there was an imperial decree to select the best candidates for me. I entered the palace to be selected, and luckily I was pointed out to His Majesty. Now that I have such a good husband like His Majesty, who would still remember that nonsense? You brought it up on purpose today. Do you want His Majesty to hold a grudge and be dissatisfied with me?"
"Queen, I believe you." Emperor Xuanzhi stepped forward and held her hand. Not to mention that Jiang Changning and Sun Jiazi had no engagement, even if they did, Jiang Changning was now by his side and was his wife.
"Your Majesty, please understand that everything my daughter said is true. If it weren't for the arranged marriage by the palace, Madam Zhuang would have agreed to the Sun family's proposal." Sun Qingqing said anxiously.
"Sun Xiunü is too self-righteous. Old Madam Zhuang never mentioned that the Sun family wanted to propose to me." Jiang Changning knew that Old Madam Zhuang had always wanted to marry her to Zhuang Jike.
Emperor Xuanzhi said in a deep voice: "Sun, the Queen and I are a perfect match made in heaven. You are mentioning this matter at this time with the intention of destroying the Queen's reputation. Come, drag her away and torture her severely."
There was something incongruous about what Sun Qingqing did, and Emperor Xuanzhi noticed it.
She slumped on the ground, and the Emperor Xuanzhi, who was still angry, added: "The Sun family has a bad family tradition and lax rules. I have ordered that no one in the imperial family of the Qin Dynasty can take a daughter of the Sun family as a wife or concubine, and the daughter of the Sun family must never be sent to the palace for selection."
Once this decree was issued, it was equivalent to destroying the career path of all the women in the Sun family.
Sun Qingqing's face was ashen. "Your Majesty, this is only my fault. Please forgive the daughter of the Sun family."