One Hundred and Sixty Eighth Chapter Turmoil Rises Again
This year's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet lacked a lot of people, and it was impossible for the Empress Dowager to appear. Chunjia didn't even ask what she meant, and directly let Yun Fenghuang announce that she needed to rest; the three empress dowagers, one was Being a common man, the two were "sick", so of course they couldn't attend; the empress had just left the palace and took away a Jieyu.
Therefore, all eyes are focused on Chunjia's body, and... Chunjia's side.
After all, the next seat has been vacated, and this palace banquet might be an indicator of successor candidates.
The closest to Chunjia is Yunfenghuang.
The queen is not here, and she is the one with the highest status in the palace, so there is nothing wrong with that.
Anyway, this arrangement was seen by Chunjia first, and he never raised any objections, and it was even more impossible for Yun Fenghuang to suppress him.
The second is Concubine Xuan and Rui Concubine...all according to their status, quite well-behaved, without any accidents.
No clues could be seen from the seats, so everyone paid attention to the emperor's every move, hoping to find out who he favored more.
It's just that Chunjia's attention was not on the concubines at all, but she frequently toasted the regent, and from time to time greeted the heroes who had contributed to the downfall of the Ji family. He told him not to drink too much, and asked the palace servants to warm up the wine in front of him for a while. It seemed that the emperor valued Ouyang Shi very much.
But following the emperor, he reminisced about the past with the head of the Luo family, talked for a long time with the head of the Meng family about the glory of the Meng family's ancestors, and talked about the way of poetry with the head of the Yin family... Anyway, none of the four families Being left out in the cold, no one is unique.
In addition, Yi Guogong and other courtiers were also favored. Chunjia was not as warm to Yi Guogong as he was to the four families, but his attitude was more casual and he seemed closer.
Right now, some people felt sorry for Lord Yi. If Concubine Zhenxishu hadn't left early, there might be no suspense about her successor right now?
However, it occurred to me that the Yun family still had a biological daughter in the palace, and that was Concubine Xie, the biological mother of the Fourth Prince.
Although Concubine Xie's reputation is not obvious in the palace, she has a good father!
Yun Fenghuang was seated next to Chunjia, condescending, seeing the expressions of the people below, and the corners of his mouth could not help but twitch.
At this moment, a scarlet-robed official came out and raised a glass to Chunjia.
Seeing this, Chunjia's eyes flickered slightly, and she drank with a smile.
According to the rules, the official should say a few auspicious words at most, and then he should return the table.
But he bowed his hands in salute, and said: "Your Majesty, on such an auspicious occasion, I have something to say, for His Majesty's honor, I have to say it."
"I love you, but it's okay to say it." Chun Jia smiled and waved his hands, with a pleasant expression, as if he were a generous host.
It's just that Yun Fenghuang is familiar with his temperament, but he senses that the emperor is actually in a bad mood at the moment.
Sure enough, the official said: "Last night, there was a servant who couldn't bear the harsh treatment, and went to the yamen in disguise to expose the master's house... Such things should not have been brought up today to disturb the interest of Your Majesty and everyone. But that servant is Jia Chongyuan's mother. The Jia clan's son, talking about the three corpses and insects in Jia Chongyuan's body, the former empress Ji's family, and all the empresses in the palace, is a big matter, and I dare not say nothing, and dare not delay."
At this time, the opening was just over, and the song and dance carefully choreographed by Jiao Fangsi was on the rise.
After some words, although the surrounding area became quiet in an instant, the sound of silk and bamboo in the distance became somewhat chaotic.
Yun Fenghuang frowned slightly, and looked sideways at Chunjia.
The young emperor's eyes were cold, his expression was calm, but his tone was as gentle as ever: "At this time, the emperor and his ministers are having fun and celebrating the festival together. I will report this matter after the banquet is over. Aiqing, please return the table, and I will summon you alone later. ,how?"
The official hesitated for a while, but he didn't dare to refute the emperor, so he cupped his hands and said: "I obey the order."
Now that an accident is about to disappear, the regent slowly put down the wine cup, and said with a half-smile: "Wait a minute!"
He turned to Chunjia and said in a slow voice, "Your Majesty's move is inappropriate! The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is held every year, and this year is particularly incomplete. I also left the palace sadly... Today's banquet is not very interesting, it's better to do something serious!"
As he spoke, he looked around, "What do you guys think?"
Yun Fenghuang speculated that he should have connected in advance, and several courtiers stood up and agreed, expressing their willingness to listen to the revelations of Jia's servants, especially when it comes to the former queen and the concubines being bewitched by the three corpses, saying that it was a relationship Sheji is not too much, and everything should be thoroughly investigated.
Of course Chunjia's side would not sit idly by such an obvious challenge.
Duke Yi and Ouyang Yanran were the first to stand up and refute, saying that there are endless state affairs, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is once a year, and the opportunity for the monarch and his ministers to have fun together is not always available. The emperor has already said, celebrate the festive season first, and then deal with this matter, not to say that it doesn't matter.
Moreover, the truth of this matter has long been concluded. It is a joke that a mere servant's one-sided words will disturb such an important festival!
The two sides argued back and forth for a while, and then they heard someone in the concubine's table yell anxiously and angrily: "My mother's family has come to treat me generously, what kind of slave dares to make false accusations?!"
Of course it was Jia Pingye who said this, the former Jieyu now Chongyuan didn't have a strong presence in the palace because her status among the concubines was not very high and she wasn't particularly favored.
It's the kind of person who doesn't think of her good or bad.
Even if she hugged the common man Zheng Shangchu's thigh first, and then the former empress Ji Lingzi's thigh, Yun Fenghuang didn't think of this person during the stormy turmoil in the harem.
Due to the downfall of the two patrons one after another, Jia Pingye became more and more well-behaved and low-key during this time.
For today's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, she didn't even dare to go beyond her clothes, and she didn't even look as eye-catching as Yi Xing'en and the few concubines who were valued by the master.
At this moment, looking at the scene of swords being drawn in disbelief, she left the table and prostrated herself on the ground, begging Chunjia: "Your Majesty, please be aware! I have been in the palace for many years, but I don't know anything about the three corpses, let alone my mother's family! That Diao slave It must be something wrong, deliberately planted!"
"Whether it is planted or not is not up to the empress, but depends on the evidence." But before Chunjia could answer, the regent cut in contemptuously, "At the beginning, both the former empress and Your Majesty believed that the culprit in this matter It was Lu Chongyi, because the concubine who entered the palace during His Majesty's wedding, only Lu Chongyi was fine, and the rest were harmed by the three corpse insects."
"But what if the real culprit did it deliberately in order to get rid of the crime?"
"Ridiculous!" Duke Yi frowned and scolded, "As a concubine, who wouldn't want to spread branches and leaves for His Majesty? How could he even hurt himself? Especially before this year, His Majesty has always been empty under his knees, and everyone in the palace is doing nothing for nothing. Worried about it!"
The regent glanced at him and said nothing, but a purple-robed official walked out beside him, stroked his beard and said, "Duke Yi's words are a bit too taken for granted! Of course, the concubines want to spread the word for His Majesty, but this Waiting for blessings, but not everyone can have them."
He euphemistically said, who knows if anyone feels that they have no chance to have a baby anyway, so why not let others have a baby too?
For example, Jia Chongyuan and Jia Pingye are very likely.
After all, this person has never been top-notch in terms of status or favor. From entering the palace when she got married to now, her status has basically remained the same, and her situation has basically remained the same. Chunjia probably can't think of her at all-so jealous, It is not impossible to murder other concubines!
Duke Yi directly scolded him for nonsense, not to mention how hidden the three corpses are, even a family like the Luo family and Ouyang family has never heard of it, but Jia Pingye's status in the palace, she has this ability?
The official smiled and said meaningfully: "It is true that Jia Chongyuan has never been in power in the palace, but he has not suffered any ill treatment. After all, he has been following the high-ranking people."
At this point, before everyone felt overwhelmed, they heard the regent's sudden sentence: "I remember that at that time, the imperial physician consulted with the Sixth Palace, and there was one concubine who entered the palace when His Majesty got married, except for Lu Chongyi. It's nothing, it's just... Madam Chunke?"
Everyone immediately looked at Yuan Niangniang.
Yuan Niangniang was not a very rich person, she was stunned for a while before she realized it, she was furious: "The regent suspects that this palace ordered Jia Pingye to murder Liugong?!"
"Isn't Madam suspicious?" The regent glanced at her and asked indifferently, "Madam has always been jealous, and she hasn't changed since she became a concubine in the palace. Over the years, there are several incidents of bitterness and jealousy in the harem that are related to Madam. It doesn't matter? Not to mention the frequent deaths and injuries of the concubines and maids of the Zhuzhu Palace, everyone in the previous dynasty and the rear palace knew about it!"
"Although Your Majesty is not obsessed with beauty, but as an emperor, the concubines in the harem still have some personalities. Although not all of them are intimate, they have lived in the court all year round and have a close relationship. For example, the former empress and Kang Jieyu They are sisters, Concubine Zhenxishu is rumored to be very friendly with Mrs. Yaoning... only Mrs., she is proud of her childhood sweetheart with His Majesty, and despises the Six Palaces!"
"If there is one person in this palace who wishes the concubines of the Sixth Palace to have nothing to do, to be honest, besides Madam, I can't imagine anyone else!"
Yuan Lianniang said angrily: "Even so—"
"Even if Mrs. Chunke is indeed a childhood sweetheart of His Majesty, and therefore not so close to the sisters in the harem, is it a bit arbitrary for the regent to infer that she murdered the concubines of the sixth palace?" , the thought turned, and he interrupted suddenly, looked at the regent, and said, "According to what the regent said, the son of the regent is now at this age, but the marriage has not yet been settled. Can it be said that the regent is mean to your wife? The eldest son who was born, does not love the eldest son?"
The regent glanced at her, and shouted solemnly: "I question Mrs. Chunke about the matter of the emperor's heir alone, how can you, a poor girl from a humble family, have a place to talk!"
Yun Fenghuang was furious in his heart, and his complexion sank accordingly: "The emperor's heir is your majesty's heir! Now the empress dowager and the two empress dowagers are sick and unable to attend the festival banquet. Your majesty's wife has already escaped into the Buddhist harem! There is no master, my palace was ordered to take over the power of the sixth palace, temporarily acting as your majesty's internal assistant, the regent questioned the concubine in public, why can't this palace speak out and point out the flaws?!"
Up to here, there are still reasonable and well-founded rebuttals, but she followed with a sneer and said loudly, "Furthermore, no matter how humble my family background is, it is still higher than that of Mrs. Xu! The regent thinks that I am the daughter of a humble family. But I don’t know where to put my biological mother?!”
The Xu Taipin she was talking about was the birth mother of the Prince Regent. It was said that she was born as a court lady and had died long ago.
These words are equivalent to pointing at the regent's nose and scolding him for contemptuous of his biological mother - the regent immediately became furious: "How dare you, poor servant!!!"
"Uncle Wang!" Yun Fenghuang wanted to fight back, not to be outdone, but at this moment Chunjia put the wine cup in his hand on the imperial case, and waved her hand to signal her to silence. The young emperor lowered his eyes slightly, looking To the regent, he said slowly, "Have you had enough trouble?"