The ninth year of Ningwu was a very important year for many people. How peaceful the first half of the year has been, how bloody and bloody the second half of the year has been in just six months.
The cause of all these things, most people think, is Xiao Chen who has passed away for many years. No matter how many scruples and dissatisfaction there are with the aristocratic family, the death of Xiao Chen seems to be the prelude to this series of changes. Everyone knows that when Empress Xiao Chen married Jinshang and was the only favorite, she was infertile for many years. Later, under the pressure of the courtiers and the Queen Mother, Jinshang had to draft another female concubine. The imperial concubine Xie in the palace entered the palace during this period, and after only two years, Empress Xiao Chen died of depression.
No one has brought up the matter of that year, but no one thought that the present has never given up on investigating this matter. Later, by mistake, the clues were found. It turned out that the imperial doctor Hu who treated Xiao Chen at the beginning did not die, but used the method of feigning death to hide it from the world and hide it among the people. Just like this, the scenes were uncovered, and it was found out that the little empress Chen was poisoned to death, and the instigator was the current queen mother. In and out together, loving and inseparable. The empress dowager thought that the emperor was not suitable for heirs, but she blurted out that it was enough to adopt the clan one last time, so the empress dowager became murderous towards the little empress Chen.
If you really want to say it, it is hard for the queen mother to have no selfish intentions when she kills Xiao Chen. After all, the Chen family is a small family. How can the four families in Beijing allow people from untouchable backgrounds to share the honor? On the other hand, Concubine Xie, who entered the palace back then, was the empress dowager's niece. If they didn't get rid of it, then the aunt and nephew conspired to frame Xiao Chen.
After Xiao Chen's empress passed away, Concubine Xie went all the way up and gave birth to a prince Xie and a princess for the present. Now she is conferred the title of imperial concubine. Even if she is not a queen, she is already the master of the harem. It's a pity that they underestimated His Majesty's affection for Xiao Chen after all. The old case was uncovered. It was rumored that the Emperor was extremely furious that day. I read the love between the two of them for more than ten years. The Empress Dowager was immediately startled, and then she was imprisoned in the palace by Imamami, and no one could see her.
This matter involved a lot, Xie Shangshu entered the palace overnight, but not only did he not see Sheng Yan, but also Xie Shangshu's three sons, all of which were taken down by the emperor. Overnight, the whole city was put under curfew, and thousands of imperial guards were mobilized to surround Xie's mansion. The emperor's move made it hard for people to guard against, and there was no chance for people to catch their breath. Apart from the Li family of the royal family and the Xie family who were mired in the mud, Xu and Qin's second family did not dare to act rashly at this moment.
After that, within a month, Mrs. Xie was repeatedly exposed by officials. From bribery to collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, every single crime was singled out, and it was a crime of copying and beheading. In the end, after careful settlement, two charges were confirmed, one was selling officials and accepting bribes, and the other was embezzling disaster relief money. Before the crime was committed, people would come to the gate of the Xu Mansion every day to ask for an audience, but since Concubine Xu was demoted, the master of the Xu family has been complaining about illness, neither going to court nor seeing guests.
In the middle of the night, in the front hall of Xu Mansion, Xu Shangshu stood with his back to someone, and saw someone walk in. The dark screen was dragged to the ground, the firelight reflected the shadow obliquely, the person who came was Xu Changfeng who hadn't appeared for a month.
"Father." He bowed.
Xu Shangshu didn't respond, and only told Zhang Yuan next to him: "It's not peaceful recently, take care of the second child, and don't let him cause any trouble."
"Yes." Zhang Yuan replied, and quietly left.
Xu Shangshu stood with his hands behind his back, with aloes wafting in the air, his back also looked ethereal like smoke, swaying like a fairy. After a long time, he said: "I'm afraid Mrs. Xie will die. This time last time, I came prepared. Zhang Chengping and Chen Li have already been assassinated. Everyone has controlled the place inside and out. Today, I don't have any scruples." He sighed, "I'm just confused. After mobilizing the 3,000 Imperial Guards stationed in Beijing, so many actions, there is no news at all. The president, Zhang Chengping, lost his head without making a sound..."
He pointed to the top of his head: "It seems that the knife that has been sharpened all this time today is not intended to kill the wild wolves in the north, but the people sleeping on the side." He shook his head and sighed, "Changfeng, you know, Your knife will stab yourself sooner or later."
The corners of Xu Changfeng's mouth curled up slightly, and the unintentional meanness and calculation in those deep eyes were exactly the same as his father and brother. He calmly said: "Father, you know better than anyone else that this world is not the world of the aristocratic family."
"Instead, the emperor's world."
In less than three months, the Xie family, a century-old family, was confiscated. Among them, the misappropriation of money was supposed to kill the three families. Later, the Holy One used the name of "filial piety" to name the queen mother, and in the end he only beheaded Xie Shangshu and his four sons, and all the rest of the family were exiled, and their descendants were not allowed to enter the court again. It is said that on the day when Xie's family ransacked his family's house and exiled it, all the people in the city gathered around to watch. The boxes of gold and silver things were moved out, and there were nearly a thousand of them piled up. The emperor's palace is full of sighs.
The members of the Xie clan were disheveled and pushed into the bullock cart like animals. One of them laughed suddenly, looking at his face, he was embarrassed and coquettish, he snatched the newborn baby from his wife's arms, covered his eyes, and said with a trembling smile: "Baby, you were born at the wrong time!" Rather than being humiliated by others all your life, it is better to reincarnate early!" He raised his hand high and threw the baby to the ground to death. Afterwards, he took out the wine he bought from the jailer, drank the whole cow, and before the guards came up to bet on him, he took the knife and put it in front of his neck, and said ruthlessly: "The dignified descendants of the Xie family have our own way of death. Don't bother!"
I heard that among the 300 people exiled by the Xie family on that day, dozens of people committed suicide alone. Most of those who survived were the old and the weak, women and children, and it is unknown whether these people can survive to the frontier thousands of miles away. In the blink of an eye, the Xie family, which was once glorious, just disappeared in the vast world.
However, one wave is not smooth, and another wave rises again.
Xiao Chen's case was settled after Xie's, and all the concubines in the palace were involved. Although Concubine Xu entered the palace several years after the death of Empress Xiao Chen, she was also affected by the fact that she and Concubine Xie had always been in the same sympathy in the harem, and she was demoted from the position of concubine to concubine for several seemingly innocuous crimes. Zhaorong moved to the side courtyard, and the prince in his hand was also carried away. Those who suffered the same crime were the noble daughters of the Qin family and the other seven families, some of whom had never given birth or were not favored, and were almost directly thrown into the cold palace. In the end, the concubine Xian, who had no background and status, was in charge of the harem and raised the two young princes.
After the Xie family was ransacked, it can be said that there was a lot of anxiety in the court. By now, everyone has seen it clearly. Today, it is true that he is angry about Xiao Chen's unjust death, and it is also true that he wants to liquidate the Xie family. In just one month, there have been several outbreaks in today's government, and several people have been dismissed from their posts. Even veteran ministers like Xu Shangshu have been severely beaten.
As a result, people in the ruling and opposition parties are in panic, and everyone is in danger.
These days, apart from Xu Qihe, I hardly see the other two young masters. Especially Xu Yanqing, since the Xie family's accident, he has been running around, but what he can do is limited, and he is a child of the Xu family, if one of them is not good at this time, I am afraid that even his family will be affected. In the end, I could only watch helplessly as my natal family was ransacked and my relatives were exiled, and I couldn't do anything.
I heard that Xu Yanqing quarreled with the master several times because of this matter, and in a fit of anger, she never came home again. And since Concubine Xu Gui was demoted, there seemed to be ominous rumors in the court—someone boldly speculated that the next person the emperor would liquidate would be the Xu family.
This sentence is not groundless. Everyone knows that Xu Xie has always been on good terms with each other, and Xu Shangshu even married Mrs. Xie as his concubine, and he doted on her even more than his mistress, Mrs. Yu. Although it is not as bad as a married woman, the Xie family is already a thorn in the emperor's eyes. Although the relationship between the aristocratic families is entangled, there is no guarantee that this will not bury hidden dangers of suspicion, and if it is not done well, it will be a dilemma.
After the accident in Xie's family, Xie's second bedroom also fell ill.
At that time, Xu Yanqing was outside and didn't care about her family, so I went to see Mrs. Xie every day. Xie's face is quite calm, but I know that she always pays attention to etiquette and general knowledge, even if she is worried about her mother's family in her heart, she can't show it, she just can't eat and loses weight day by day. After the Xie family was convicted, the Xie family cried all night, and then passed out directly. I sent someone to tell the master, but I only called a doctor to come and have a look.
After the Xie family lost power, I don't know if I was careless, but Erfang's place suddenly became much cooler. In the past, when Mrs. Xie was in good health, besides the housekeeper, she often held poetry gatherings, and also taught the maids and concubines in the mansion to read and write. Mrs. Xie seems to be sarcastic to everyone, but she has always acted fairly and never pretended to be kind to everyone. From this point of view, among the three wives, she is the one who treats people the most sincerely. real meaning.
These days, I have come to see Xie every day, and I feel uncomfortable seeing her look haggard day by day, losing her brilliance. On this day, the weather was very good, Mrs. Xie seldom got out of bed, and said to me: "Jing Ting, help me out for a walk."
Although I am a scorpion, I am still a man after all. Mrs. Xie was not as shy as before, and only let me help her to the yard. The flowers and plants in this courtyard were usually taken care of by Mrs. Xie herself. After the accident, she became ill and the place was abandoned.
The autumn wind was bleak, Xie looked at this place, and said in a hoarse voice: "Since the Xie family was convicted, the master has never stepped into the second room."
I comforted her and said: "It's a troubled time now, both the master and the young master are at their wits' end. It will be much better when the limelight passes."
Hearing this, Mrs. Xie took my hand and patted it lightly: "I have wronged you for a while." I knew she was referring to the fact that Xu Yanqing did not return to the mansion. There was so much noise and so many troubles, he never wanted to come back.
"Yanqing and his maternal ancestor's family have always been very close. This time, he must be ginseng a few times. I am afraid it will be difficult." Xie sighed, "His temperament has always been like this, but he is also extremely affectionate. The master told me before that Yan'er is good everywhere, but I don't think so." Xie murmured: "If a person is ruthless to the bone, how can... be considered a person."
Mrs. Xie caressed a withered peony. She has been thin and haggard for a while, just like this peony. Mrs. Xie was in a daze for a while, and said to me: "It's not easy for me to take care of this yard, but it will be hard for you in the future."
Hearing these words, there was a vague sense of ominousness. I hurriedly said: "Mother, don't think about it. Your illness will get better soon."
Hearing this, Mrs. Xie just smiled. At that moment, I seemed to see in a daze, that talented woman from Mrs. Xie's family in Shengjing City back then. She murmured in a low voice: "The scattered parts are turned into mud and dust, only the fragrance remains the same..."
She raised her head, looked at the sky, and said softly: "Winter is coming, and the swallows will fly away."
That night, I heard from the maid that Mrs. Xie was in a very happy mood, and said a few words to the servants. After she had supper, she rested. In the early morning of the next day, I asked my servants to prepare a food box and went to see Mrs. Xie. Outside the door, I saw two servants guarding.
They said: "It's not a coincidence for Shaojun to come, Mrs. Xie is still resting now."
Mrs. Xie always wakes up very early, but sometimes she sleeps longer, so I told my servants to put down the food box, turned around and was about to leave. At this time, I heard the sound, and when I looked up, I saw a few swallows flying by on the beams of the house. At this moment, a coolness suddenly rose in my heart.
"Quick, hurry up and open the door!" I walked back quickly and shouted to the servants.
The servants were startled, but they didn't dare to hesitate, they called Xie Shi no answer a few times, and the door couldn't be pushed, so they knew that something happened inside. Afterwards, several strong servants smashed the door open.
In the end, the door was slowly pushed open, and the autumn light shone brightly. In front of my eyes, a pair of silver and white embroidered shoes swayed gently.