King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 746 The dust has settled
"The old man won't kill me. He can't afford to lose that person. From now on, we can live a peaceful life!"

"Now that I think about it, I have really lived in vain for the past ten years. I wasted my precious time just to fight for some petty gains!"

After calming down, Zhu Jingyuan's optimism exceeded Yuanchun's expectations.

If she did something like this today, would she be able to live a carefree life in the future? Yuanchun was skeptical.

Even if the emperor takes family affection into consideration now, will the same be true after the Thirteenth Prince ascends the throne?

But now, this is not the time to talk about these things. Yuanchun didn’t want to upset Zhu Jingyuan’s mood, so she just went along with what he said.

The only thing that remains unchanged is that no matter how big the storm is, the two of them will face it together.

Back at Prince Rui's Mansion, the Sixth Brother and his wife returned to their residence, and only then did Zhu Jingyuan fully understand the situation.

Even though he had a strong character, he was trembling with fear at this moment, and his hand holding the teacup kept shaking.

"Princess...I...we are finished!"

"What should I do? What should I do?"

Lao Liu was panicked and threw away the teacup. Then he stood up and threw himself into Chen Zhi's arms, like a child seeking comfort.

"Your Highness... don't panic, don't panic!"

In fact, Chen Zhi was even more panicked than Zhu Jingyuan, because once the truth was revealed, their crimes would be even greater than the prince's.

But can we stop the matter from being investigated now?

"Your Highness... Your Highness... We need to find a way to silence the person who knows about this matter. This may help us turn things around!"

"Silence... yes... silence..."

They also attached great importance to confidentiality, and only seven or eight people knew about their overall operation.

They said they wanted to silence him, but how to do it became a big problem!
Now that they have failed, can they still mobilize the original people? Even if they can mobilize them, they may not be able to kill them quickly.

There is also a most crucial issue. The silencing itself is also a trace, which is completely a case of trying to cover up one's own mistake.

That night, Lao Liu and his wife were in a state of panic and confusion.

Zhu Jinghong and his wife returned to the imperial mausoleum outside the city under heavy protection.

By the time they arrived, it was already 2:30 pm, which is not too late in modern times.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and everyone in the palace had a small gathering. However, since there was no banquet at the imperial mausoleum, they all dispersed around the hour of Xu.

Something big is happening tonight, so Daiyu can't sleep of course. So she sits in the room waiting. No matter how Zijuan tries to persuade her, it's useless.

"My queen, the prince and princess are back!"

Zijuan's excited voice finally woke Daiyu up. She hurriedly got up from her chair and trotted out of the house.

When Daiyu came out to greet them, Zhu Jinghong and the other man had already entered the inner courtyard. They looked relaxed and calm, which made Daiyu feel more at ease.

"Come back so early?"

"Why, Sister Lin doesn't welcome us?" Baochai joked.

Although she had anticipated what would happen tonight, it was difficult to control this kind of thing accurately after all. The fight just now was still vivid in her mind. After experiencing such a big change, Baochai was still in the mood to joke. It had to be said that she had a strong endurance.

But from another perspective, the gains tonight were really huge, so it was normal for her to be happy.

At this time, Zhu Jinghong interrupted and said, "I didn't eat anything at the banquet tonight. My stomach is empty!"

Daiyu immediately replied, "The kitchen is waiting. I'll have the food served right away!"

She was waiting for Zhu Jinghong, and the maids on duty in the palace were also waiting, so any meals needed would be delivered as soon as possible.

After Daiyu gave the order, the three of them had already started cooking in the kitchen before they even entered the room.

The dishes still needed time, but the wine had already been served, and the maids took the initiative to warm the wine with hot water.

"No need to bother, pour me a few cups first so I can quench my thirst!"

"It's late at night now, and the weather is getting colder. However, wine is the hottest thing. If you drink it cold, it will solidify inside you, and your five internal organs will be used to warm him. Wouldn't that harm him?"

Baochai waved her hand, signaling the maid not to move, and then continued: "In my opinion, you should warm it up before drinking it!"

"So many reasons, girl Lin...what do you say?" Zhu Jinghong looked like he was asking for help.

Daiyu raised her eyebrows and said, "How you drink is your own business. What does it have to do with me?"

Turning to look at Baochai, Zhu Jinghong smiled and said to her, "Did you hear me? I can drink whatever I like!"

After saying that, Zhu Jinghong looked aside and ordered, "Bring some wine!"

After all, he was the master of the palace, and upon hearing this, the maid took action, carefully bringing the wine over and filling it up.

"You... really take my kindness for granted!" Baochai replied angrily.

Zhu Jinghong said with a smile: "Don't let the golden cup face the moon in vain!"

Daiyu immediately added: "Oh... Master Thirteen can also write poetry!"

“How about I write this?”

Daiyu looked thoughtful and said very seriously, "Of course it is very good, but there is one thing that is not perfect!"

"Oh?" It was just a joke, so Zhu Jinghong was looking forward to the girl's witty remarks.

"It would have been better if Li Bai had been born a thousand years later!"

Zhu Jinghong pretended to be confused and asked, "You mean, he can ask me for advice?"

Daiyu nodded and replied, "If it's a question of how thick-skinned you are, I'd really ask for your advice, Your Majesty!"

There was laughter at the scene. Compared with the situation of the previous two families, it was really a world of difference.

After eating and drinking, the three of them chatted briefly for a while, and then Zhu Jinghong hugged the two of them and rested together.

The next day came in a blink of an eye and the sun shone on the earth again.

What happened last night alarmed too many people. It was absolutely impossible to keep it secret. Even though the emperor ordered the news to be blocked, it still sparked discussion in the court.

However, because he has not figured out how to deal with the matter and has not figured out the truth of the matter, Zhu Xianming has no clear attitude towards the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet for the time being.

The Crown Prince closed his doors to visitors, and the same was true for Prince Rui's palace. Prince Xiang even fled to the city early. The current situation caused the officials to panic.

For five consecutive days, the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard conducted strict investigations and arrested hundreds of people inside and outside the palace, including some generals involved.

People were already in a panic, and the investigation and arrest of so many people caused an uproar in the city. Not only did officials discuss the case in private, but even the common people began to speculate.

People's minds are complicated, and there are all kinds of messy statements. When Zhu Xianming heard about it, he almost fainted with anger.

Of course, at this point, the situation that night was already clear. The fourth and sixth brothers had each rebelled, and Zhu Xianming could no longer forgive them.

At this time, Zhu Xianming sat in a quiet room, looking at the portrait of the queen, wondering what to do next.

In front of him were three pages of paper, on which were written different decrees for different people.

After a long while, Zhu Xianming sighed and ordered, "Go and pass on the order!"

Cheng Ying has gone to supervise the Eastern Depot. Now the eunuch in charge of the Qianqing Palace is called Gu Cheng, who has been serving Zhu Xianming for more than ten years.

"Yes!" Gu Cheng responded.

Half an hour later, inside the main hall of the East Palace, the eunuch read out the imperial edict.

“Imperial Decree…”

"The Crown Prince is insane and behaving in an inappropriate manner. He must remain indoors to recuperate. I decree this!"

After hearing these words, Zhu Jingyuan kowtowed solemnly to express his gratitude, and then stood up to accept the imperial edict. The emperor gave such a result, which was expected by Zhu Jingyuan and Yuanchun, and this was the right move to calm the situation.

If the truth were revealed at the official level, the royal family would be completely discredited, which was something Zhu Xianming could never accept.

Putting all these aside, even out of consideration for the Queen's spirit in heaven, Zhu Xianming would not have killed his legitimate son.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict did not say much. After completing the task, he left with the guards, and the gate of the East Palace was also closed.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, all the guards, eunuchs and maids in the Eastern Palace were replaced. After the order to "seal the door", the Eastern Palace completely lost contact with the outside world.

It is worth mentioning that Miaoyu saw the opportunity early and withdrew when she found out that the situation was hopeless. Now she has been wanted by the imperial court.

After seeing off the imperial envoy, Zhu Jingyuan let his children and concubines go, and then he and Yuanchun entered the inner hall.

Putting the decree on the table, Zhu Jingyuan sighed and said, "We have passed the first stage. It depends on how Old Thirteen will deal with us in the future!"

Yuanchun replied: "If the emperor doesn't touch us, I think he won't make it too difficult, otherwise he will lose face!"

"That's true, but if he doesn't care about this little bit of face, what should we do?"

After a moment of silence, Yuanchun said helplessly: "Then we can only leave it to fate!"

Zhu Jingyuan clenched his sleeves and said with regret: "It's not a pity for us to die, but I really can't bear to see these children..."

This is his weak spot. If possible, he hopes that the children can be safe, even if it means giving up the royal wealth.

However, past experience has shown that these are just wishful thinking.

Yuanchun replied: "Okay... don't think about it for now. When this storm is over, I will resign from the position of the Eastern Palace with the old man, and then I will be demoted!"

Although Zhu Jingyuan nodded, he had completely different thoughts in his mind.

At this moment, he was determined to die, because only if he died on his own initiative would Zhu Jinghong not feel embarrassed, and then his family would not be embarrassed.

Of course, Zhu Jingyuan could not say these words to others. Firstly, he was afraid that Yuanchun would stop him, and secondly, he did not want his children to bear a grudge against him.

On the other side, the imperial envoy arrived at Prince Rui’s mansion, and they also read out the imperial edict.

"Imperial decree... Prince Meng Lang of Rui has behaved frivolously and used inappropriate language. He is to be confined to his home and study the classics in depth..."

"Appreciate this!"

Simply put, Zhu Jingyuan was also placed under house arrest, and like the Eastern Palace, all the people inside and outside his mansion were replaced.

After hearing this simple imperial edict, Zhu Jingyuan's mentality had fallen to the bottom, and he was extremely unwilling in his heart.

"I want to see my father. I have something important to report!"

No matter how Zhu Jingyuan shouted, the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict remained unmoved and walked straight out.

"I want to see your Majesty, I want to see your Majesty!"

Zhu Jingyuan chased out, and his reckless behavior really scared Chen Zhi.

As the saying goes, there is a long time to come. It is a blessing that the throne has not been deposed. What we should do now is to keep calm and wait until the old man has calmed down before arguing with him.

If you keep insisting now, you're just adding fuel to the fire!
Chen Zhi called her sons and chased after Zhu Jingyuan to capture him.

But at this time, Zhu Jingyuan had already grabbed the eunuch who was delivering the imperial edict and said sternly, "I want to see Your Majesty and I want to make a plea to Your Majesty!"

The eunuch delivering the decree said with a fake smile: "Sixth Master, the decree ordered you to study behind closed doors, but never said that he wanted to see you!"

"Then you can help me pass on a message, or I can write a memorial and you can do it for me..."

Before Zhu Jingyuan could finish his words, the eunuch smiled and said, "Your Highness, His Majesty told you to study with peace of mind, so please don't embarrass me!"

As he said this, the eunuch stretched out his hand and took Zhu Jingyuan's hand away.

"you……"

Seeing that Zhu Jingyuan was about to do something wrong, his sons and eunuchs rushed up and pulled him back.

"Let's go!" The eunuch who delivered the order called the guards and hurried out of Prince Rui's palace.

After they left, the door of Prince Rui's mansion was shut heavily, indicating that the house arrest was no joke.

"Be patient and think long-term!" Chen Zhi advised carefully.

Zhu Jingyuan said solemnly: "I have to plead my case. I want my father to know that I have been wronged!"

Chen Zhi nodded, and then said, "I know this, but you have to wait until the time is right before making plans!"

Besides, inside Siling, Zhu Jinghong was also receiving the imperial edict.

"Although you are a filial son, it is not reasonable for you to stay in the cemetery for a long time..."

"The Queen is aware of your grief. You should return to the capital and stay in your residence to observe mourning!"

"I order Prince Xiang to return home and observe mourning according to the rules. I decree this!"

The imperial edict to Zhu Jinghong was very simple, which was to ask him to stop staying in the imperial mausoleum and return to live in the capital as soon as possible.

After reading it, the eunuch who delivered the order handed it carefully to Zhu Jinghong with a flattering look on his face.

"Master Thirteen, please don't let down the master's love and care... You should return to the capital as soon as possible!"

Zhu Jinghong replied: "Since my father has ordered it, I will return to the capital according to the order. Don't worry, eunuch!"

"Yes... If Master Thirteen has nothing else to say, I will take my leave first!"

Zhu Jinghong nodded, and then said: "Go ahead!"

After the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict left, Baochai stepped forward and asked, "When are you leaving?"

After a brief thought, Zhu Jinghong replied, "The day after tomorrow... I'd be impatient if I go back tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Baochai agreed.

These three consecutive edicts still did not mention what exactly happened, but they did have the effect of cooling down public opinion.

After all, the meaning of the imperial edict was that the Crown Prince and Prince Rui had acted inappropriately, and the most likely possibility was that they had a quarrel at the banquet.

This is indeed outrageous, but the royal family has been like this for nearly a hundred years. This quarrel was not a big deal at all. Many people did not delve into it further and just chatted about it after dinner.

Ordinary people were easy to fool, but the bigwigs in the court still noticed something was wrong and pieced together what happened that night based on the information they learned.

For officials, right or wrong is not important; the key is to take the right stand.

So the next day after the imperial edict was issued, an official reported to the emperor that since the prince was ill, he should ask the imperial physician to treat him instead of recuperating on his own.

Zhu Xianming could be lenient with his sons, but he was ruthless to these unruly officials.

The seven officials who participated in the proposal were dismissed and expelled on the spot, and each of them was beaten with twenty sticks before leaving.

So the stick is still more effective. The officials who originally wanted to speak for the prince basically remained silent, and no one dared to provoke the old emperor's anger anymore.

In the blink of an eye, two days passed and Zhu Jinghong officially set off back to Beijing.

The imperial mausoleum area was not too far from the capital, and even though they walked very slowly, it only took them half a day to get there.

The happiest ones were the children. There were more interesting things in the back garden of the palace, which was much more fun than the imperial mausoleum.

Although Zhu Jinghong was extremely low-key when he returned to Beijing this time, his motorcade was still recognized by others, just like when he first returned from the northwest.

Zhu Jinghong wanted to keep a low profile, but his strength did not allow it. He originally planned to return to Beijing quietly, but ended up with a quick tour.

The Wucheng Bingmasi had to mobilize more troops to maintain order around the convoy and ensure that Zhu Jinghong could return home safely.

Inside the carriage, the noisy voices of outsiders were heard, and Baochai said, "The king's return is what it means to be in a situation like yours!"

(End of this chapter)