The gold, silver, jewelry, silks, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, high-quality wood, etc. that were seized from the Prince of Xiang's palace, plus the villas he had privately built, amounted to a huge amount of tens of millions of taels of silver.
When the Xiang prince and his family were escorted out of the city, the people of Lingzhou lined the streets to see them off. If the officers had not stopped them, the rotten leaves thrown by the people would have been enough to smash the Xiang prince to death.
It seems miserable for a vassal king to fall to such a state, but if he was not a vassal king and did not share the same blood with Emperor Jingshun, he would have deserved to have his heads chopped off even if he had a hundred.
In the past few days, the talk in the streets and alleys of Lingzhou City was about the dethronement of King Xiang. The people had let out a sigh of relief, and with the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, there was a lively atmosphere in the city that was comparable to the Chinese New Year.
At dusk, a small black boat was mixed in with other tourist boats, moving slowly on the surface of Ling River.
There are all kinds of shops lined up on both sides of the river. At this time, restaurants and teahouses are the busiest.
When the black-sailed boat was about to pass by a teahouse, a shrill voice suddenly shouted angrily from inside the teahouse: "Someone! Stop his mouth and beat him up!"
Inside the black-sailed boat, Huayang felt that this sentence was very familiar. He subconsciously moved closer to the screen window and looked towards the teahouse on the shore.
When Chen Jingzong saw this, he signaled Fugui outside to stop the boat and move closer to the shore.
The teahouse was not big, but because of the booming business, they had erected a canopy by the river with six or seven tables underneath. At this time, people in plain clothes gathered in the canopy. Through the gaps between the people, Huayang saw a white-faced storyteller in his forties sitting in the teahouse. He held a whip in his hand and made beating movements with great excitement while imitating the woman's words vividly: "Who are you? You are so bold as to tease our princess!"
Huayang: …
Chen Jingzong sat opposite her, observing her expression, and said, "If you don't like it, I'll have someone arrest the storyteller and give him a good lesson."
Huayang shook her head. From what she had heard so far, although the storyteller had made up some words, there was nothing offensive to her.
After the storyteller finished telling her story, he actually started telling the story of the prince consort making a scene in the Prince of Xiang's mansion, and even praised the prince consort on horseback as "extraordinarily heroic" and "handsome".
Huayang looked as if this was untrue and urged, "Let's go, there's nothing good to hear."
Chen Jingzong: “I love to listen to it.”
Huayang went to look at the other side of the river bank.
After the storyteller took a break, the common people who were drinking tea started talking about the princess and her husband with great interest.
"One time I was shopping on the street and I saw the prince consort riding back to the city. He was indeed handsome and at least eight feet tall. He looked so majestic on the horse!"
"Of course. If the prince consort is not good-looking, can he be chosen as the emperor's son-in-law?"
"The princess is as beautiful as a fairy, and she has a kind heart. She is willing to seek justice for the people. I heard that the prince consort has also done a lot of practical things for the military households in the garrison. From this point of view, the prince consort and the princess are really a match made in heaven."
When these words floated into the cabin, Huayang saw that Chen Jingzong's eyes were full of smiles, and he was so happy that he almost took out money to reward him.
"Did you arrange these people in advance?" Huayang asked suspiciously.
Chen Jingzong stopped laughing, looked at her and said, "If I really want to help, I should tell them to praise me instead of flattering you and me that we are a perfect match made in heaven."
Huayang: …
He is too tall and can't grow any taller, so his skin is getting thicker and thicker, right
The man who was truly meant for her had not yet been born, and Chen Jingzong was just lucky enough to become her consort.
.
During the holiday at the end of April, the two couples still did not return to Shiqiao Town. It was not until the Dragon Boat Festival when the government offices and the garrisons had a three-day holiday that Chen Jingzong and Chen Bochong took their wives back to the Chen family's ancestral home.
Chen Tingjian went out to greet her personally, and when he saw Huayang, he bowed deeply and said, "The deposed king has brought disaster to the area, but fortunately the princess is here to rule for the people. The princess is kind and loves the people, and she is a blessing to the people of Lingzhou."
Hua Yang gave him a false helping, with a sincere look on his face: "Father, you are too kind. I just presented the grievances of the people to your Majesty, and I dare not take credit for it."
In this life, she did help the people of Lingzhou, but if it weren't for the memorial filed by her father-in-law in her previous life against the King of Xiang, Huayang would have no way of knowing the evil of the King of Xiang and the suffering of the people of Lingzhou. Ordinary officials either did not dare to offend the prince or did not have the prestige to persuade their father to punish the King of Xiang. Only her father-in-law stood up and although he successfully overthrew the King of Xiang at that time, he was later liquidated by the court for this action, which implicated his entire family.
If the people of Lingzhou really have someone to thank, they should thank their father-in-law.
Huayang said some polite words in front of the imperial envoy, but what he said to his father-in-law now were words from the bottom of his heart.
Chen Jingzong saw admiration on her face.
How strange! She had obviously done a great good deed, but she seemed to want to give the credit to the old man.
Chen Tingjian felt the princess's sincere humility.
A princess who should have been living a life of luxury in the capital, traveled thousands of miles with their family to Lingzhou to mourn. She had no complaints or resentments, and made contributions worthy of being recorded in history. She was not arrogant or proud, and had a beauty like a jade, and a character like a saint. If she were a man, she would have definitely become the crown prince of this dynasty, and would have become a wise ruler in the future!
Chen Jingzong saw the admiration and affirmation in the old man's eyes again. Not to mention him, even the top scholar had never received such treatment!
"Okay, let's talk inside. It's not too hot, is it?"
Chen Jingzong suddenly spoke, interrupting the mutual admiration between the elder and the princess.
Chen Tingjian's eyes swept over the four boys, and without saying anything, his disdain was already revealed.
Chen Jingzong had long been accustomed to this. Seeing this, Huayang looked at the father and son and smiled, "Father, if we talk about merits, the son-in-law has been secretly collecting evidence of Xiang Baoshan and others since he joined the guard post, which has saved the imperial envoys who are investigating the case a lot of effort. Otherwise, this case may have been delayed for some more time."
Chen Tingjian said solemnly: "He has been granted the emperor's grace to serve as an official in the garrison. These are his duties and should not be mentioned."
Huayang: …
Sun wiped her sweat with a handkerchief and said with a smile, "It's quite hot. Let's go in quickly."
After a short gathering in the hall, the three young couples went back to the west courtyard to change their clothes.
After returning to Siyi Hall, Huayang looked at Chen Jingzong's face and teased, "Why, are you unhappy that your father doesn't want to praise you?"
Chen Jingzong glanced at her and said, "It's just my job, it's really not worth mentioning. If he praises me for such a small thing, I'll have to wait and see if the sun rises in the west."
Huayang: "Then why are you so stern?"
Chen Jingzong stopped talking.
Chaoyun and Chaoyue brought in freshly drawn water and helped the couple wash their faces and hands.
They went to the main house for the reunion dinner not long after the break, and Huayang didn't mention it again.
It was not until the break after dinner that she lay down on the bed, but saw Chen Jingzong sitting in front of her dressing table, looking down at the mirror.
The dressing table was not big, and Huayang could use it normally. But for a 9-foot-tall strong man like him, squeezing there with his legs folded, it looked funny no matter how you looked at him.
Huayang couldn't help but ask, "What are you taking pictures of?"
Chen Jingzong touched his chin and asked in the mirror: "What if I grow a long beard like an old man?"
Huayang: …
She tried to imagine what Chen Jingzong looked like, and the more she thought about it, the more disgusted she became: "If you dare to stay, never show up in front of me again."
Chen Jingzong tilted his head and looked at her strangely: "I thought you liked it."
Huayang frowned: "When did I like it?"
Chen Jingzong paused and said, "Don't you admire the old man like that?"
Huayang had been lying down, but when he heard this, he sat up and glared at him, saying, "I admire my father. First, he is old, so it is normal for him to have a beard. Second, he is elegant and refined, and having such a long beard makes him look like an immortal. Not only me, but anyone who sees him will praise his good looks. But how old are you? You are so young, and you are imitating others by growing a big beard. And you don't even like to take a bath. I wonder how sloppy you will look if you really grow a long beard."
As he spoke, Huayang actually began to feel nauseous.
When Chen Jingzong saw this, he immediately gave up the idea and sat down beside the bed and said, "I was just talking casually. If you don't like me, I won't keep you. That's why."
Hua Yang covered his chest with one hand, raised his head, and looked at his face for a few times. He snorted, "Your face is the only thing that is presentable now. You are not allowed to grow a beard before you are forty."
Chen Jingzong lowered his eyes, touched the side of his lips, and asked in a low voice: "Are you going to take care of me until I'm forty?"
Huayang: "What's wrong with being forty? As long as I don't like it, you can't grow a beard at fifty."
Chen Jingzong laughed: "I didn't have a beard at that time, and I had no dignity in front of the children."
Huayang wanted to say something else, but Chen Jingzong suddenly pounced on her and pressed her down on the bed.
Huayang didn't quite understand. They were just arguing, so why did they suddenly become interested
The main house is Chunhe Hall.
When Chen Tingjian came back after talking to his eldest son, he saw his wife sitting in front of the dressing table, combing her still-black long hair and humming a local tune softly.
Chen Tingjian asked with a smile: "Now that the children are back, are you in such a good mood?"
Sun glanced at him indifferently, stopped humming the tune, pursed her lips, and looked displeased.
Chen Tingjian paused, bent over and stood in front of the washstand to wash his hands. He carefully recalled what happened today. In the end, he was very sure that he had not offended his wife in any way.
Even so, when he sat down on the bed, he still asked tentatively: "Did I provoke you again?"
Sun: "Who else could it be besides you?"
Chen Tingjian: "How did I offend you?"
Sun: "My son has made great contributions to eradicating corrupt officials. Even the princess praised him, but you didn't even look at him kindly."
Chen Tingjian was not sure what to do. He shook his head and lay down in bed, saying, "The eldest brother, the third official, is doing a good job. I have the same expression. Why should he be treated specially? He is already a man with a family and a career. Do I have to be like Sanlang and praise him even when he is facing a book?"
Sun: "You make it sound like you praised the fourth child for being a good student when he was young."
Chen Tingjian: "What are you bragging about? The more you brag, the more complacent you become. You should be strict when educating your children. The eldest son's first place in the imperial examination and the third son's third place in the imperial examination were not achieved through praise."
Sun: "Why did your mouth sound like it was covered with honey when you praised the princess?"
Chen Tingjian was straightening his beard one by one. Hearing this, his hands trembled and he looked at his wife in disbelief: "You are so outspoken again. How can this be spread out!"
Sun: "Of course I don't mean that. Anyway, if you treat the fourth brother as well as you treat the princess, the fourth brother won't look at you coldly every day."
Chen Tingjian sneered: "If he had a bit of the humility and courtesy of the princess, I wouldn't have to look at him coldly every day."
Sun: …
(End of this chapter)