☆、240、The Death of Mu Liquan, Revenge!
After a moment of silence, Emperor Mingxian finally spoke: "Oh, so you're going to sue Ning Baichuan and Mu Liquan."
Baili Chen nodded hurriedly and said, "Father, that's exactly right. They are far too audacious and should be severely punished!"
Emperor Mingxian smiled silently at Baili Chen: "That was a case personally sent by Zhenqin to investigate, and you are both fine now, so let's just let this matter go."
Ouyang Yue bit her red lips, looking weakly and speechlessly at Emperor Mingxian. The latter merely smiled faintly, subtly observing the expressions of Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue. Baili Chen was furious, but a hint of disappointment seemed to flash in his eyes. Ouyang Yue, however, remained expressionless, only showing grievance. Yet, when she looked at Emperor Mingxian, she didn't seem to beg for sympathy at all. Ouyang Yue pulled Baili Chen aside and said, "Your Highness, Father is right. Since things have come to this point, we can only swallow this bitter pill. Anyway, the child is fine. Even if Ning Baichuan and Mu Liquan cursed me to my face, saying I couldn't have children, and that Your Highness and I would die a horrible death, it wouldn't matter. At that time, the case was still under trial, and they were the presiding officials. I was just a prisoner then, so naturally I wouldn't dare to do anything to them. Back then, they were my gods. Even if they really wanted to abort my child, I had to endure it, didn't I?"
Baili Chen laughed angrily: "That's right. Anyway, we were handling a case at the time. Even if you really miscarried, no one would blame you for not protecting the royal offspring. It's my fault for not being able to protect my own son. How can I blame others for not protecting our child? This child deserves to die. Even if the Great Zhou Dynasty becomes extinct, it has nothing to do with you. These people are like wolves and tigers, and they have powerful backers. We can't touch them. Otherwise, they might accuse us of being ungrateful. We would be wronged to death."
Ouyang Yue sighed and said, "Your Highness is right. I really shouldn't have come today. I'm so frightened. I don't know how the child is doing. Let's go straight to the Imperial Hospital. I can handle whatever happens to him."
"My wife, you've worked so hard. Don't worry, even if this child can't be saved, I will tear that scoundrel who dared to threaten and curse you to pieces, even without orders. I will accompany you to a distant land and never return to this place of sorrow." Baili Chen said helplessly.
Emperor Mingxian and Fushun listened quietly, but their expressions were quite strange. Fushun was alright, staring intently with slightly wide eyes, not daring to speak. Emperor Mingxian, however, sneered. Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue had been pointing fingers at him from the moment they stood in front of him. If he didn't help them bring the person to justice, he would be like the real murderer of his son. They even threatened and mocked him in their words. Emperor Mingxian was displeased, but he didn't say it outright.
Ouyang Yue was indeed somewhat frightened this time, and it was indeed unfair to him. Moreover, even if Emperor Mingxian selectively wanted to protect Ouyang Yue's child, there was a 90% chance that the evidence Baili Cheng presented was forged, but there was still a 10% chance that what he said was true. Emperor Mingxian couldn't say that he had no doubts at all. However, based on his understanding of Baili Chen and the need to find a balance in this matter, he deliberately didn't bring it up again. Who knew that these two would keep trying to cause trouble for others? Emperor Mingxian originally didn't want to get involved in this matter.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Tell me, how were you threatened back then?"
"Waaah..." Upon hearing this, Ouyang Yue let out a sob and began to cry. She didn't cry very loudly, but tears just kept falling down her face. She was extremely aggrieved. Emperor Mingxian's heart couldn't help but clench as he watched her cry. He asked Baili Chen, "Did you see the imperial physician after you went back? Is it really that serious?" His expression turned cold and stern.
Baili Chen sighed and said, "After returning home yesterday, Father Emperor first consulted the imperial physician. There was nothing seriously wrong with her body, but she was quite frightened. The physician said the baby's position might be unstable, and the Princess Consort was also in a bad mood. She didn't sleep well at all last night and only slept for a while this morning, but she insisted on coming to Father Emperor to seek justice. However, the Princess Consort is too kind. After entering the palace, she felt that she couldn't cause Father Emperor any trouble, so she backed out. Alas!"
Isn't this just an attempt to cause me trouble? They're clearly here for this reason.
Emperor Mingxian looked at Baili Chen with some surprise. Although he didn't like this son, he understood him even better than Baili Zhi. Precisely because he understood him, he paid more attention to him. Although he could watch Baili Chen suffer from childhood without intervening, he actually knew most of Baili Chen's affairs. Although Baili Chen's personality was somewhat extreme and ruthless due to his childhood experiences, he was not very tactful in his actions, and even directly set traps for others. He preferred to act directly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been impeached by so many senior officials in the court. Although he did it intentionally, his methods were definitely not as sophisticated as they are now. Did marrying Ouyang Yue make him smarter, or was he always like this, and Emperor Mingxian just didn't understand his son thoroughly enough, or perhaps both?
Emperor Mingxian remained silent. Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen exchanged a glance, puzzled. Why was it so difficult to deal with Ning Baichuan and Mu Liquan's disrespect towards Ouyang Yue? Did Emperor Mingxian value these matters highly, or did he value Ning Baichuan and Mu Liquan so much that he didn't want to punish them? If so, then things would be complicated.
Emperor Mingxian remained silent for a while before saying, "Then what do you intend to do with Ning Baichuan and Mu Liquan?" Emperor Mingxian's question only made Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue more suspicious.
Baili Chen thought for a moment and said, "Of course, they should be punished for disrespecting the royal princess. Your son is not unreasonable. Since they made threats and intimidation to try to frame the princess, they should pay the price."
"Intimidation and framing?" Emperor Mingxian looked at Ouyang Yue thoughtfully, a meaningful smile on his face.
Yu De, having been promoted by Emperor Mingxian, not only submitted a detailed report on this major case upon receiving the petition, but also sent someone to inform Emperor Mingxian of the subsequent events. During their conversation, Yu De naturally complained a bit about how cunning Princess Chen was, and how her tormenting methods were top-notch. While he didn't say it explicitly, Emperor Mingxian understood the implied meaning. He was also aware of what had happened at the Dali Temple; Ouyang Yue had tormented Baili Cheng and his three companions for five days, driving the Emperor to the brink of madness before finally stopping. Although Ouyang Yue's quarters weren't as luxurious as the main bedroom in Prince Chen's residence, they were far superior to ordinary places. With such good food and drink, Ouyang Yue hardly seemed like a prisoner; there was no prisoner in the world treated so well. And that's not all. Ouyang Yue always likes to tease people. When she curses, she doesn't use vulgar language, but she can make people feel disgusted to death. It's like biting half a fly into your stomach, which is more disgusting than swallowing the whole fly.
Yu De was a capable and astute man who never went too far in his actions and always left himself a way out. He was also quite lucky, as he was favored by Emperor Mingxian as soon as he entered officialdom and was subsequently promoted to the position of Dali Temple. Over the years, regardless of Yu De's own methods, even out of respect for Emperor Mingxian, few people dared to directly offend him. This time, however, Ouyang Yue had offended someone severely, yet Yu De couldn't muster any desire for revenge. He only thought that if he encountered Ouyang Yue again, he should stay far away to avoid being caught in the crossfire. This surprised Emperor Mingxian greatly.
So how could such a person be intimidated and framed? Now he's not standing properly in front of him anymore, but instead coming here to complain about being wronged. That's why Emperor Mingxian didn't care at first.
Ouyang Yue sighed, "These officials are probably too eager to make a name for themselves, so they've resorted to all sorts of tricks. They even lied to my daughter-in-law, saying that the Prince had confessed to his crimes, hoping to trick her into saying what they wanted to say. Unfortunately, my daughter-in-law and the Prince are innocent, and no matter what method they use, what I say won't be what they want to hear. In the main hall, Mu Liquan cursed my daughter-in-law and Prince Chen, saying that they would all die. I really don't know what he was thinking. My daughter-in-law is carrying the royal child. Does he want to destroy the royal lineage? Logically speaking, this Lord Mu has been an official in the court for many years and wouldn't make such a brainless mistake. It seems that either Lord Mu was confused for a moment, or I, the Princess Consort, am too hated. These people all wish I were dead."
Mu Liquan's words in the hall were merely meant to frighten Ouyang Yue. Even if he truly meant it, his intention at the time was simply to intimidate her. However, in this matter, Mu Liquan was completely unreasonable. Cursing a royal heir and attempting to intimidate Ouyang Yue was something Mu Liquan was neither qualified nor worthy of. Even if it was only necessary for the investigation, Ouyang Yue wasn't a criminal at the time, and Mu Liquan was impolite. If Ouyang Yue didn't pursue the matter, all would be well. But if she did, Mu Liquan would only have the option of apologizing obediently. However, Ouyang Yue wouldn't let an apology suffice.
Emperor Mingxian was silent for a moment before saying, "I understand. You should all go back and rest. Seventh Prince's wife should take care of herself recently, and make sure nothing else happens to her."
Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue didn't press the matter further and withdrew. Since they rarely got to enter the palace this year, they wanted to visit Emperor Mingxian and the Empress Dowager and Empress as well, otherwise people would gossip.
In the Imperial Study, Emperor Mingxian sneered: "Over the years, Mu Liquan has been in charge of the Ministry of Justice and has handled quite a few wrongful convictions. It seems that his tenure as Minister of Justice is coming to an end."
Fu Shun, listening intently, stiffened. Seeing Emperor Mingxian's cold demeanor, his heart tightened. Whether it was because of Ouyang Yue's unborn child, Mu Liquan's disrespectful behavior towards the royal family, or Emperor Mingxian's other intentions, he hadn't done the right thing this time. Royal dignity had always been paramount. Even with frequent infighting among princes, most princes didn't die too badly, unless the struggle was extremely fierce. Generally, even in princely conflicts, the other side wouldn't die a gruesome death. When Emperor Mingxian fought his princes, he ultimately succeeded. Those princes who lost were imprisoned in his residence; some were poisoned, others committed suicide because they couldn't bear the suffering. Although Emperor Mingxian secretly wished for his brothers' early demise, he wouldn't do it easily, lest he give historians and censors ammunition against him. Therefore, even if he wanted someone killed, he would secretly send people to carry it out. This shows that even in the fiercest power struggles within the royal family, face must be preserved.
Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen had committed such a heinous crime that it had been exposed, and Emperor Mingxian would have to think carefully before making a decision. What was Mu Liquan compared to them? Regardless of whether Emperor Mingxian was angry because of Baili Chen or Ouyang Yue, Mu Liquan's violation of imperial authority and the fact that Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue had brought the matter to the imperial study were enough to make Emperor Mingxian take it seriously.
Emperor Mingxian turned to look at Fushun: "Do you understand what I mean?"
Fu Shun was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will certainly handle the matter well."
In the next two days, the Minister of Justice suddenly received several cases of corruption and concealment by ministers. These ministers were not particularly prominent in the court in the past. Some were very low-key, and some were not well-known. However, they were involved in five cases, which immediately attracted the attention of many ministers in the court.
The Ministry of Justice has always been a place of torture. Those who have served as Ministers of Justice throughout history have not been kind-hearted. Entering the Ministry of Justice prison is practically a matter of life and death, as most cases sent there are already close to being decided. However, some refuse to confess, requiring the Ministry of Justice to use every means to extract confessions. Tortured confessions are commonplace. Moreover, the Minister of Justice has considerable influence. Mu Liquan is the most ruthless Minister of Justice in recent years; it was rumored that five people died in the Ministry of Justice prison in a single day. This ratio shows how much blood Mu Liquan has on his hands. As for whether the innocence is genuine or fabricated, who cares when the case is finally decided?
There had been times in the past when people were arrested for committing crimes at the same time, but five or six cases a day was a bit too many. However, Mu Liquan didn't care; it was perfectly normal.
According to past practice, when these prisoners, whether guilty or not, are sent to the Ministry of Justice prison, they are first treated. They won't be beaten to death. It depends on the mood of the people in the Ministry of Justice. Some may not like you and will subject you to severe torture from the beginning, leaving you half-dead even if you don't die. Sometimes, when they are in a good mood, they will be gentler, but it's hard to say whether it's a board or a cangue. This is the usual practice of the Ministry of Justice.
Whether those people are innocent or not is not within their consideration. Even if they are found to be innocent in the end, then the beating will be in vain. They will be lucky to escape with their lives. If the truth is found in the end, then of course no one will care about the beating.
The Ministry of Justice was quite surprised by the simultaneous outbreak of five or six embezzlement cases today, as it was a common occurrence on the first day of the new administration.
There were five cases in total, which led to a related case outside the border, making it six. Among them were two elderly men, both over fifty years old and of retirement age. On their first day in the prison, they were each given thirty strokes of the cane, leaving them weak and on the verge of death. That very night, family members of two of the men bribed the jailer to come and check on them. One of them was the old man's son, a man of fiery temper. Seeing his father's weakened state, he couldn't sleep after returning home and was determined to get justice for his father.
Although this man had a fiery temper, he wasn't stupid. So many people were involved in this embezzlement case; six officials had been imprisoned and subsequently beaten. His family's protests were useless, but what about the six families? The combined power of six families was considerable. Besides, who in the capital didn't know some royal relative? Even if they didn't know those deeply entrenched figures, they'd surely have someone who could speak to them. Thinking this, he immediately sought out the other five families, and the six families joined forces, determined to get the person out.
These families were not exactly the best, but those who held official positions in the court were all pillars of their families. If they were to die in prison, the entire family would face turmoil. Therefore, no one wanted the pillar of their family to die. As was customary, the Ministry of Justice continued to use torture to extract confessions the next day, unaware that many people in the capital had already begun to unite to resist the Ministry of Justice.
Five days later, the incident finally erupted. Three or four hundred people from the six households, young and old, knelt at the city gate, blocking the way and crying out for justice. If it were just one or two, the imperial guards would have easily driven them away, but with three or four hundred people in such numbers, even the guards were somewhat intimidated and dared not make a move. And these people were blocking the way just before the morning court session, when the ministers were entering the palace one by one. The guards in front dared not move, and the ministers behind were waiting to attend the morning court session; they were all stuck there.
There was a constant stream of insults, but some people inquired about the situation first. They discovered that it involved a corruption case involving six government departments, and the person they were accusing was none other than Mu Liquan, the Minister of Justice, who was accused of embezzlement, abuse of power, and misuse of torture. What's more, some family members of certain ministers bluntly stated that the real culprit behind the corruption was actually Mu Liquan, who was trying to frame innocent and loyal officials.
In the capital, very few officials could remain completely clean. No one dared claim to have served their entire career as an official without a clean slate. Even if you embezzled someone's pen, was that considered corruption? Most people weren't clean, so how could Mu Liquan be clean? Mu Liquan, naturally, was one of the officials attending court. Upon hearing this, he was furious and wanted to lead his men to arrest the troublemakers. Mu Liquan was naturally afraid. This was outside the palace; if this matter escalated, even if it was eventually quelled, the emperor might dislike him and want to punish him severely. Being blocked at the city gate was clearly a slap in the face to Emperor Mingxian, and no one would be happy about that.
Of course, Mu Liquan didn't really dare to make a move, since there were too many people here. He just used his usual method of shouting and threatening a few words. Before everyone knew what was going on, the people from the six prefectures started fighting with Mu Liquan's people and a few ministers who were nearby. The area outside the city gate was in chaos, with shouts and cries of pain all around.
Those ministers, who were used to living a life of luxury, were no match for these people who were enraged. Many of them were beaten so badly that they saw stars. Some innocent people were beaten and felt wronged, cursing, in pain and crying. The scene was so chaotic that it was a sight to behold.
How could Emperor Mingxian not know about such a big matter? He immediately ordered his guards to separate the people and control the two groups. After learning what had happened, he summoned the injured minister and the families of the six officials for questioning. Naturally, another verbal battle ensued. However, the three or four hundred people were making a scene outside the palace. Emperor Mingxian could not resolve the matter of injuring a court official with just a few words. Moreover, he could not deal with the six families directly. If the three or four hundred people made a slight move, unpredictable things could happen. If it caused a major disturbance, Emperor Mingxian would lose even more face.
Therefore, Emperor Mingxian specially dispatched ministers to investigate the case in the Ministry of Justice. Two days later, the case was settled. Mu Liquan was found guilty of abusing his power for personal gain, using private punishment, and even daring to frame loyal officials. He was sentenced to death. At the same time, two of the six people were arrested because of impeachments submitted by Ning Baichuan. Emperor Mingxian showed leniency to these six officials and bestowed many treasures upon them. As for Ning Baichuan, his original intention was to severely punish him. Ning Baichuan, however, was quick-witted and said that he had been misled. Moreover, he claimed that impeaching the two men was merely an oversight in his duties. In the end, Emperor Mingxian directly demoted him from the third-rank Imperial Censor to the fifth-rank Vice Imperial Censor, while Liu Hanwen, the former Vice Imperial Censor, was promoted to Imperial Censor and placed under Ning Baichuan's direct supervision.
Liu Hanwen was a notorious stubborn man in the court, only believing in his own reasoning. Once he thought something was right, nothing could sway him, and he showed no respect for anyone, even daring to criticize the emperor. Such a person, lacking any sense of propriety, was unlikely to achieve much. Furthermore, he had frequent conflicts with his superior, Ning Baichuan. If Emperor Mingxian hadn't wanted to protect such a staunch figure in the Great Zhou Dynasty and uncover injustices, Ning Baichuan would have dealt with Liu Hanwen long ago. The two, superior and subordinate, also frequently clashed in political affairs, even arguing over official matters for a period, with Liu Hanwen eventually resorting to verbal abuse against Ning Baichuan. This demonstrates the depth of their prejudice and conflict. Now, with the roles reversed, what will become of Ning Baichuan, who previously suppressed Liu Hanwen at every turn? No one knows, but working under such an upright and incorruptible person will certainly not end well!
Mu Liquan's verdict came swiftly. Even with the Sun family's connections and Consort Sun's desperate pleas, it was all in vain. From trial to conviction to execution, only one day had passed. The next morning, Mu Liquan was sent to the execution ground. Even on the execution ground, Mu Liquan remained dazed and confused. He couldn't understand how six ordinary prisoners had fallen so low. Not only had they been directly implicated by Emperor Mingxian, but their entire family fortune had been confiscated on charges of embezzlement, and even their house had been seized. Although this matter didn't implicate the entire Mu family, the loss of their property meant that the women, left with only their dowries, had all fled, and the Mu family had crumbled. Although Mu Liquan had a capable younger brother, Mu Liren, he was too far away to help. Even Consort Sun couldn't save Mu Liquan; adding another person wouldn't have made a difference. He was still somewhat bewildered by this tragic defeat and impending death. He had lived a life of glory; was this how his life was going to end?
He can't accept it, how could he possibly accept it!
"No! I'm innocent!" At the last moment, as the executioner raised his knife and saw his pale face reflected on the back of the precious blade, Mu Liquan cried out frantically, "Your Majesty, I'm innocent!"
"puff!"
"Thump!"
Blood splattered everywhere, heads flew off, and Mu Li's unfinished words came to an abrupt end, leaving only a pool of blood as the final proof of his existence. Of course, that's another story.
After leaving the Imperial Study, Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen went to the Empress Dowager's Chengxiang Palace. On the way, Baili Chen looked unhappy, and Ouyang Yue looked at him and said, "What happened because of the Crown Prince?"
This whole affair was started by the Crown Prince from the very beginning. After Ouyang Yue was unharmed, they didn't mention a word about the Crown Prince's fabricated testimony. In fact, when they sent Baili Zhi and his men into the palace, they had this very idea in mind: to use the Crown Prince's fabricated evidence to frame his own brother, which was a grave taboo. Regardless of how the throne was won, every emperor, after becoming emperor, hypocritically hopes that his offspring can live in peace and be respectful to each other. However, reality is always cruel. If Ouyang Yue is innocent, then the Crown Prince has committed the grave mistake of falsely accusing his brother of treason, and this whole affair was orchestrated by the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, the most crucial person, Lin Yingying, is dead, so they can only send the fabricated evidence to Emperor Mingxian for his judgment.
Emperor Mingxian couldn't possibly be unaware of the reasons behind this, but in the end, he didn't intend to pursue the Crown Prince's guilt. Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen understood that Emperor Mingxian wanted to leave it at that. After all, they were enemies of the Crown Prince, and they didn't actually have clear evidence. The Crown Prince only claimed that those things were given to him by Lin Yingying, and with that person dead, there was no way to verify it. They could let the Crown Prince say whatever he wanted, and it wouldn't be easy to truly bring him down. However, even knowing this outcome, they were still furious. If Ouyang Yue were truly forced to confess, the Prince Chen's mansion would be doomed, but now Baili Chen was completely unscathed. How could they possibly feel at peace with this?
Baili Chen sneered, and Ouyang Yue gently held his hand: "Husband, we never thought this matter could bring down the Crown Prince, did we?"
Baili Chen's eyes turned cold, and he smiled as he hooked his arm around Ouyang Yue: "My wife is right, we never intended to take down the Crown Prince here."
The two went to Chengxiang Hall, which was also the time when people from all the palaces went to pay their respects. When the Empress Dowager saw Ouyang Yue coming to pay her respects, she said with a loving expression, "You have really suffered. I have heard about your situation. The officials of the Three Departments are all muddle-headed. It took them so long to release you. I was thinking that if it had been a few more days, I would have had to go out myself. I heard that you had an upset stomach when you were at Dali Temple, but you are much better now."
Ouyang Yuewei stepped aside, first bowed, and then walked to the Empress Dowager's side and said softly, "I'm sorry to have worried my grandmother. It's my fault. The imperial physician said that I was frightened at the time, but I'm fine now. I just need to take more time to recuperate."
"Yes, yes, you should rest more. I know you are filial. Don't go to the palace unless you have to. Taking good care of the baby is the most important thing. Although the baby's position is stable now that it's less than six months, you can't be too careless." The Empress Dowager patted Ouyang Yue's hand affectionately and advised her.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Your granddaughter-in-law understands."
The Empress smiled and said, "Seventh Prince's wife has always been obedient. This time she has suffered a great deal, which means that everything will go smoothly for her in the future, and it will save you, Mother, from worrying."
The Empress Dowager scolded, "What are you saying? How could I not love my own granddaughter-in-law? Even if things hadn't gone wrong, I would still be worried about her, let alone this time. Yue'er, I've prepared many nourishing items and other things. Take them all back with you, and please take good care of yourself." Ouyang Yue smiled gratefully, but her heart was ice-cold. She had almost miscarried when she received the hairpin from the palace. She didn't know if that item was truly related to the person in front of her, or if the Empress and others had sent it to her through someone else. There was no one in the palace she could trust. And if the person behind it was the Empress Dowager, both the elaborate scheme and the meticulousness in making the hairpin made Ouyang Yue nervous. This kind of person was a true adversary—an adversary who could destroy her with a small mistake!
The Empress Dowager did not insist that they stay. After everyone paid their respects, Ouyang Yue needed to rest, so the greetings were over. Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen walked out, and Fenyan, who had not said much in Chengxiang Hall, went over and said with a smile, "Princess Chen is very lucky. She was able to escape this danger safely. It seems that her life will be smooth sailing from now on. This is really a great thing."
Ouyang Yue turned to look at Fen Yan. Fen Yan was already more than six months pregnant, and would give birth more than two months earlier than Ouyang Yue. Her belly was now like a ball, making her look somewhat bloated. This was a stage that most women would inevitably go through, and no one could change it. However, Ouyang Yue noticed that Fen Yan's clothes were very tight around her waist and abdomen, not loose at all. This made Fen Yan's belly look bigger than usual at six months. Although her waist had been tucked in a bit, it looked somewhat incongruous.
Fen Yan was dressed in a gilded cloud-patterned makeup, her hair styled in a flying apsara bun, with two gold ribbons dangling from her heels, tucked into her lap. With a slight sway, the tassels jingled, exuding an air of elegance and luxury. A relaxed smile graced her face, reflecting Ouyang Yue's relief at surviving such a close call. However, a fleeting glint appeared in her eyes, almost imperceptible, yet Ouyang Yue keenly noticed it. Fen Yan's previous collaboration with Baili Cheng had been extremely secretive; it could be said that no more than five people knew about it, and those who did were undoubtedly their closest confidants. Outsiders had no way of knowing about Fen Yan and Baili Cheng's collusion in this case, but that didn't mean those involved were unaware.
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Consort Fen. I also thank you for your kind words. From now on, my life will be smooth sailing and I will enjoy wealth and honor forever."
Fenyan laughed: "What's wrong? It seems that Princess Consort Chen has changed a bit after this incident. You used to be the one who scoffed at all this wealth and glory, but now you care about it so much?"
Ouyang Yue chuckled: "Of course, we should enjoy life while we can, otherwise we might not have the chance to do it again. This is something I, the princess, have learned right now. From now on, we should live life however we want. If we worry too much, we'll only end up hurting ourselves."
With a bright smile, Fenyan said, "What Princess Chen says is true. Then I wish Princess Chen could live such a life in the future." She couldn't help but sigh, "It was really a close call. I almost thought I would never see Princess Chen again. I'm so glad you're alright. It's just that it's inconvenient for me to leave the palace. Otherwise, I would have gone to Prince Chen's residence to visit you yesterday."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "What are you saying, Consort Fen? I appreciate your kindness, and I will always cherish it." However, there was a deeper meaning in that smile. Fen Yan took another look and found that Ouyang Yue had changed her appearance. It seemed that what she had seen just now was just an illusion.
Fenyan watched Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen leave, standing there motionless for a long time. Suddenly, she said to Furong beside her, "If it were you, would you doubt me? If it were you, how would you feel now?" Fenyan was naturally referring to the letter with the handwriting that the Crown Prince had shown her earlier. However, while many people knew Ouyang Yue's handwriting, few were capable of copying it, so Fenyan wouldn't allow anyone to suspect her.
Furong was puzzled, but after thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Highness is so cautious, this matter will never be known by anyone. Moreover, Your Highness has not been directly involved in this matter. I don't think there will be any problems. Even if I were the Princess Consort of Prince Chen, I would never suspect Your Highness."
Fen Yan's expression was somewhat cold: "It's a pity you're not her. Even though I've known them for so long, I still can't fully understand Xuan Yuan Yue's thoughts. She might already be suspicious of me."
"Then what do you mean, Your Majesty?"
Fenyan's expression turned slightly cold: "Send someone to keep an eye on Ouyang Yue. Whenever she enters the palace, she and all the people around her must be closely monitored. They must report to me who they see and who they talk to."
"Yes, Your Highness, this servant will send someone down to make arrangements immediately." Furong thought to herself that Princess Chen had really suffered a great calamity this time, and she probably wouldn't be able to enter the palace for a long time.
However, they were unaware that an unexpected person was waiting in the Prince Chen's mansion at that moment. The person was a man dressed in a gray robe with a black cloak over it. His hair was tied up high and his face was fair, but he looked somewhat nervous.
"Have Prince Chen and Princess Chen not returned yet? We cannot stay out of the palace for too long," one of the slightly older men said to the younger man beside him.
The young man responded, his eyes fixed on the outside of the hall, and said, "They should be back soon. Let's wait a little longer." Judging from his actions, he was quite nervous.
The older man, however, was getting restless: "We can't wait any longer. We've been waiting for half a quarter of an hour. If Prince Chen and Princess Chen don't arrive soon, we can't wait any longer either."
"This..." The young man hesitated, "I'm sorry to have kept Consort Zhang waiting. I'm quite late in returning." Just then, a voice suddenly came, and the door to the hall closed instantly. Two people walked out from the inner hall, a man and a woman. The man was carefully supporting the woman beside him. Who else could it be but Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue?
The two men, who had been somewhat tense when they saw the hall door close, now breathed a sigh of relief. There were only the four of them in the hall now, a measure to maintain secrecy. These two were none other than Consort Zhang of Emperor Mingxian and her daughter, the Third Princess Baili Cai.
"Prince Chen, Princess Chen," Consort Zhang said directly, "This time you've threatened me with Cai'er's life to come here. What is it about? I can't stay out of the palace for too long, so please speak frankly."
Initially, Baili Cai was manipulated by Baili Jing who wanted to lure snakes to harm Ouyang Yue. However, after Ouyang Yue escaped danger, she was poisoned. The antidote for that poison needed to be distributed to everyone once. If one did not receive the antidote, the poison would cause unbearable pain when it took effect. Baili Cai had thought of resisting and had tried to get the antidote two nights in advance, but she could not even endure half an hour of the poison. This shows how vicious the poison was. Just yesterday, Baili Cai suddenly received a message that she and Consort Zhang must secretly come to the Prince Chen's residence today. Otherwise, Baili Chen would not distribute any more antidotes, and Baili Cai would only be left to wait for death.
"Princess Zhang, don't be nervous, sit down." Ouyang Yue was helped to sit down by Baili Chen, and she said with a smile.
Although nervous, Consort Zhang obediently sat back down, her eyes fixed on Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue was arguably the most outstanding woman she had ever seen, not only in appearance but also in intelligence and ability. Previously, when the Crown Prince had placed her in the Dali Temple, not only did she escape unscathed, but she also caused chaos within the Dali Temple. Don't doubt it; even someone as powerless and insignificant as Consort Zhang in the palace possessed her own network of information, though perhaps slightly more extensive than that of Emperor Mingxian, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress. Of course, it was precisely because Consort Zhang's status in the palace was inconspicuous that she was able to sneak out today. However, if she lingered too long and was discovered, Consort Zhang would be in deep trouble. Leaving the palace was extremely risky, but for Baili Cai's life, she had no choice but to come out.
After Baili Cai was poisoned, Zhang Fei did try to forcibly obtain the antidote or exchange it for something through threats. However, after thinking it over, she couldn't find any leverage over Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen. For the time being, she could only accept it willingly. But no one would like to be controlled by others like this.
Looking at Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's expressions, they naturally didn't look too good.
Ouyang Yue didn't care. Looking at the nervous Baili Cai beside her, she turned her gaze to Consort Zhang's face and said, "Consort Zhang has been in the palace for quite some time now. I heard that you were one of the first palace maids selected by Father Emperor. Is that right?"
Consort Zhang didn't know why Ouyang Yue asked this question, but she nodded and said, "Yes, not only was I in that selection, but the Empress and Consort Sun were also among them. The Emperor has not held many selections since he took the throne, and that selection had the largest number of participants. Half of the people in the palace now are the old ones from that time, and the other half are the people who have survived the selections over the years."
Ouyang Yue said with emotion, "Over the years, my father has been very self-disciplined. No matter how much he dotes on the concubines in the harem, he will not neglect state affairs because of it. I, the princess consort, have great respect for my father for this."
Consort Zhang remained silent, but then Ouyang Yue spoke up again: "It's just a pity that over the years, only six princes have survived. Oh, and now if you include the one in Consort Fen's belly, there are only seven. In these twenty-odd years, only a few princes have survived, and now there are only five left, which is pitifully small. It's really..."
Consort Zhang's face suddenly darkened. Ouyang Yue abruptly changed the subject, saying, "I heard that the Second Prince was only a little over a year old when he died. It's truly a pity." Consort Zhang's fists clenched slightly, but Ouyang Yue wasn't finished. "By the way, I also heard that the first of the young ladies to become pregnant that year wasn't the Empress, but Consort Zhang. It's just a pity that I heard she gave birth to a stillborn child, and she lost two princes in a row. Consort Zhang is a pitiful person indeed!"
Even Baili Cai was unaware of this matter and looked at Consort Zhang in surprise. Consort Zhang suddenly stood up with a livid face and a ferocious expression: "It is quite surprising that Princess Consort Chen knows about this matter. However, Princess Consort Chen must have some purpose in saying this. We are all smart people. Why should Princess Consort Chen hide things? Just say what you mean."
Ouyang Yue looked surprised: "So all of this is true?" Ouyang Yue sighed, "I only heard about this by chance, and I've always had my doubts. I heard that because Consort Zhang was the first to become pregnant after entering the palace, she was very much favored by the Emperor. However, it was a great pity that her first pregnancy resulted in a stillborn child, which is considered extremely unlucky. At that time, the Emperor gradually distanced himself from Consort Zhang because of this. But later, because the Emperor was drunk, he accidentally... Consort Zhang is a very lucky person. She became pregnant twice in a row, and both times she gave birth to princes. Although the second prince was unlucky and did not live past the age of two, Consort Zhang was able to give birth to two princes. I think she must be a very lucky person..."
"Enough! What exactly do you want to say!" Consort Zhang couldn't help but shout. These things were all painful memories for Consort Zhang. Back then, after entering the palace, Consort Zhang was the one who truly stood out, because she was the first among all the ladies-in-waiting, and even among Emperor Mingxian's women, to get pregnant. When Emperor Mingxian heard that she was pregnant, he was the first to bestow the title of Consort upon her. But who would have thought that she, who was the center of attention, would give birth to a stillborn child? A stillborn child is extremely unlucky no matter where you are. In order to cover up the shame, Emperor Mingxian did not spread the news, and Consort Zhang was neglected. Over the years, she has kept a low profile in the palace, which is also related to what happened back then.