King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 751 Yuanchun's Two Cousins

Listening to Chen Zhi's incessant abuse, Xu and Zhao remained calm and even felt like laughing.

Soon Chen Zhi was also tired, so she calmed herself down, sorted out her thoughts and said, "You two fools, although we are down and out now, we are still the residence of a dignified prince. You two have been bullying me today, and I will repay you double in the future!"

"Sister-in-law, I am waiting with good intentions, why do you say that?"

"I don't give Sixth Brother wine because I'm afraid he'll get drunk and talk nonsense. I reduce your fruit supply because the new fruit is not fresh. And the tribute rice from Yutian is even worse..."

Every time Chen Zhi said something, Xu and Zhao would scold her for more than ten times, and every word they said would hit her sore spot.

You know what, Chen Zhi is really patient. Even though these two people took turns rubbing salt into her wounds, she is exceptionally calm at this moment.

At this point she had already realized that these two were just pawns, and Baochai or the Prince Xiang's Mansion were the ones manipulating the situation behind the scenes.

She downshifted and tangled with the two people in front of her, just in time for the people in Prince Xiang's Mansion to see the joke. She, Chen Zhi, would not be so stupid.

As expected, since she was not angry, the momentum of Xu and Zhao became weaker, as if their fists were hitting cotton.

"What's wrong? Keep talking. I've already remembered all the good things you've done for me!" Chen Zhi said with a smile.

She regained her shrewdness, and this smile frightened Xu and Zhao, and the memories of being suppressed by Chen Zhiwei in the past few years emerged in their minds.

After saying that, Chen Zhi turned around and left. She looked so casual, as if the Prince Rui's Mansion was not a prison.

But the look in Chen Zhi's eyes when she was leaving still made Xu and Zhao feel uneasy, which shows how powerful Chen Zhi is.

Of course, although Xu and Zhao were shocked, they did not lose face and watched Chen Zhi leave.

Turning her head slightly, Xu ordered, "Pass it on. Do it this way in the future. Come to us if you have any problems!"

The more unruly Chen Zhi was, the more uncomfortable she felt, so she had to think of more ways to discipline her.

The conflict at Prince Rui's Mansion came to an end after Xu and Zhao arrived at the scene.

In a blink of an eye, another two days passed. Because the prince's condition had worsened in recent days, Zhu Jinghong took Baochai and Daiyu to visit him.

No matter what, the prince is his biological brother, and he should go and visit him out of human ethics.

Zhu Jinghong has been very busy these days, mainly dealing with military training, gun research and development, new species planting and other matters, all of which require him to go to the scene in person to see.

The carriage of Prince Xiang's mansion entered Dong'an Gate and arrived outside the gate of the East Palace.

"See Your Highness!"

The two centurions guarding the Eastern Palace came forward with their flag officers to pay their respects and called all the people he could.

Of course Zhu Jinghong didn't have to get off the carriage. After passing through the main gate, his carriage entered the East Palace from the side door on the west side.

"Mr. Lin, what did the imperial physician say?" Zhu Jinghong suddenly asked in the carriage.

"The imperial physician said that she might be pregnant!" Daiyu blushed.

"It seems that the hard work in the past period of time has paid off!" Zhu Jinghong smiled slightly.

At this time, Baochai interrupted and said, "Who says it's not true? He always went to Lin's room a few days ago, and everyone else was looking forward to it!"

"Sister Bao..." Daiyu's expression was shy, and she was obviously extremely embarrassed.

"Okay, okay...I won't say any more, I won't say any more!"

While the three of them were chatting, Yuanchun had already gathered all the children together and warned them very seriously about something.

"I'll say it again, your Thirteenth Uncle will be here soon, you must not behave disrespectfully!"

"You Chun'er, you are the eldest brother, you must set a good example for your younger brothers and sisters!"

"Did you hear it clearly?" Yuanchun turned around and looked at Zhu Muchun.

Zhu Muchun was the eldest son of the crown prince and the eldest grandson of the royal family. According to the rules of primogeniture, he should have become emperor after Zhu Jingyuan.

Zhu Muchun knew this truth when he was very young, but his dream of becoming emperor was shattered half a year ago.

Zhu Muchun is already eighteen years old this year, and he knows very well what the changes in the Mid-Autumn Festival in half a year mean.

So he also knew that his uncle Thirteen who was visiting today would be the next emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

But Zhu Muchun had been unhappy with Zhu Jinghong since he was a child. When he saw that this guy had seized his throne, he hated him even more.

When Zhu Muchun learned yesterday afternoon that Zhu Jinghong was coming, he even considered assassinating him at close range. After killing Zhu Jinghong, he might be able to take back the throne.

But he couldn't do this kind of thing alone, and in this huge Eastern Palace, he couldn't call on anyone except the eunuchs around him.

When Zhu Muchun thought about his impulsive thoughts afterwards, he felt that he had lost his mind.

If he really planned this and the news leaked out, he would die quickly.

In fact, now that Zhu Jinghong is in his current position, there are many people who care about his safety more than he does.

For example, Deng An from the East Factory, Xu Guangfu from the Dong'an Gate, and even the current guards of the Eastern Palace. Therefore, before Zhu Jinghong arrived, the Eastern Palace had been inspected.

Yuanchun's order to gather everyone together at this time was not actually hers, but the people from the East Factory asked them to gather together. As for other servants, the restrictions were even more severe.

So when Zhu Jinghong entered the Eastern Palace, he did not see anyone except the eunuchs and maids who accompanied the Prince Xiang's mansion.

They soon arrived at the inner quarters of the East Palace, where Yuanchun, accompanied by two concubines, welcomed them into the courtyard with beaming faces.

"Thirteenth brother, your fourth brother's illness has improved a lot since he learned that you were coming!"

"Hello, Fourth Sister-in-law!" Zhu Jinghong bowed.

Behind him, Baochai and Daiyu also followed suit and bowed, but were supported by Yuanchun.

"We are all family, why be so polite, come on... let's go in!"

"Fourth sister-in-law, please!"

So they entered the bedroom and smelled a strong smell of medicine. Yuanchun was afraid that Baochai was pregnant and would not be used to it, so she led her and Daiyu to the side hall.

"Come sit over here and let their brothers talk first!"

On this side, Zhu Jinghong entered the inner room, and the smell of medicine became even stronger.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Several eunuchs and maids on duty bowed.

The prince was in a coma. Zhu Jinghong watched him from the bedside for a while and then asked, "What's the situation?"

The prince had been ill since December last year, and his condition had been intermittent with no signs of improvement. We thought he would get better after the spring, but it got worse.

Before coming, Zhu Jinghong actually speculated that the prince was pretending to be sick and weak in order to reduce his hostility.

But when he saw the prince's thin face, Zhu Jinghong knew that his situation was extremely bad. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was "at the end of his rope."

Zhu Jinghong remembered that when the prince was first imprisoned, he lived a very comfortable life, reading, writing, playing the zither, or painting...

Who could have imagined that the prince would become like this!

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince took medicine half an hour ago and then fell asleep!" replied the leading eunuch.

Sitting on the chair opposite the bed, Zhu Jinghong waited quietly. He still planned to say a few words to the prince.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrested many people. After interrogation, the plans of the Crown Prince and Prince Rui were revealed.

Although he knew that the fourth brother in front of him wanted to kill him, Zhu Jinghong, as the winner, had let go of his hatred, so he could sit here calmly at this moment.

Of course, it was also because they once had a deep brotherly love, otherwise Zhu Jinghong would not have waited, but would have left after taking a look.

After sitting quietly for nearly half an hour, the prince finally woke up and turned his head to see Zhu Jinghong. Because his head was dizzy, he only said after Zhu Jinghong approached: "Tenth... Thirteenth brother!"

"Fourth brother, are you feeling better?"

"I... I'm fine, fine!" Zhu Jingyuan struggled to get up.

"Fourth brother, just lie down and we will talk like this!"

After struggling, he felt really weak all over and his limbs were sore, so Zhu Jingyuan didn't persist any more.

"Thirteenth brother, why are you here?" Zhu Jingyuan couldn't help but ask.

"Fourth brother, I heard that you were not feeling well, so I came to see you!"

After staring at Zhu Jinghong for several seconds, Zhu Jingyuan turned his head towards the bed and said, "I...I'm sorry for you!"

Zhu Jinghong calmly replied, "Fourth brother, everyone has bad days, and they all pass!"

"All of you get out!" Zhu Jinghong ordered.

What the two brothers discussed should not be known to outsiders, so Zhu Jinghong called them out.

"Thirteenth brother, I... don't dare to ask for your forgiveness, but this matter... was planned by me alone, and has nothing to do with them!"

"Fourth brother, please... please... let them go!" When he said this, Zhu Jingyuan was already in tears.

Zhu Jinghong was calm inside. Just as he said, he had let it go and would not target anyone because of it, unless those people were seeking death.

"Fourth brother, you are overthinking it. I don't blame anyone!" Zhu Jinghong replied slowly.

"I... believe you, thank you very much!" Zhu Jingyuan held his brother's hand tightly.

On the one hand, he did believe Zhu Jinghong's promise, but on the other hand, he had to believe it because he had no choice.

Zhu Jinghong forced a smile and consoled him, "Fourth brother, take good care of yourself. There will be many good days ahead!"

"Thirteenth brother, I know my body. This time... I'm afraid I can't make it through!"

Every time he fell ill, it was a hard time for Zhu Jingyuan, and he did gain experience from it.

Due to the lack of medical resources, it was extremely common in later generations for trivial illnesses to take people's lives.

Therefore, when Zhu Jingyuan said that he couldn't make it, it was very likely that he really couldn't make it.

Zhu Jinghong was helpless and could only comfort him: "Fourth brother, don't let your imagination run wild. Just rest and you will get better!"

Shaking his head, Zhu Jingyuan closed his eyes, and tears flowed from the corners of his eyes again. He didn't know whether it was because of fear, sadness, regret, or for some other reason.

"Thirteenth brother, Fourth Brother has often had dreams in recent months, that he was born... born in an ordinary family, and you and I... you and I were brothers who loved and were harmonious, how..."

Zhu Jingyuan's voice was sometimes high and sometimes low, his tone was sometimes slow and sometimes fast, and his subsequent words were inconsistent, making it difficult for Zhu Jinghong to tell whether he was awake or not.

At this moment, Zhu Jingyuan suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Zhu Jinghong and asked, "Thirteenth brother, who wrote the poem "The clouds resemble clothes and the flowers resemble faces"?"

Hearing this question, Zhu Jinghong was stunned for a moment, then replied: "Fourth brother, it was Li Bai who wrote about Yang Guifei!"

After a moment of silence, Zhu Jingyuan asked again: "When did you learn this poem?"

The previous question was very abrupt. Combined with Zhu Jingyuan's current question, Zhu Jinghong's thoughts went back to eight years ago, when he followed the prince to Nanjing to suppress the Japanese pirates, and he had said this poem in a messy manner.

When Zhu Jingyuan asked this question at this moment, he was actually asking Zhu Jinghong when he first had the intention to seize the throne.

After a brief silence, Zhu Jinghong replied: "I don't know, maybe in the tenth year of Zhengtong, maybe before that, or maybe after that!"

This answer was almost the same as saying nothing, so Zhu Jingyuan didn't ask any more questions.

At this moment, Zhu Jingyuan was truly relieved. He then said, "Thirteenth brother, I am not as good as you, and neither is the Sixth Brother. That position... should be yours!"

Next, the two brothers chatted for a while, but the prince seemed to be out of his mind again, and his words were often incoherent.

Back in the side hall, Yuanchun was talking to Baochai and Daiyu, chatting about some anecdotes of the capital, which was completely different from the atmosphere of the brothers on the other side.

Yuanchun knew that how the family would survive in the future depended entirely on Baochai's attitude. After all, the county magistrate was not as good as the current one.

So she tried her best to please others and used all her intelligence in flattery, appearing both sophisticated and humble.

This scene also made Daiyu feel very uncomfortable.

She, Baochai and Yuanchun are cousins ​​from their natal families and sisters-in-law from their husband's families, which is a relationship of close kinship.

But now, it has turned out like this!

"Sister Lin, you must remember that you need to enjoy the coolness in the summer, but you can't be too cold, especially when it comes to keeping a healthy pregnancy..."

Seeing Yuanchun's enthusiastic reminder, Daiyu thought of the "old nanny" in the mansion, who liked to be very detailed when serving people.

After nodding slightly, Daiyu looked at Baochai, only to see that the latter had a calm expression and was holding the teacup and just staring at the tea.

With just one glance, Daiyu understood that Baochai was keeping a distance from Yuanchun and had no intention of bringing the sisters closer.

Thinking of this, Daiyu sighed in her heart, but she still responded with a few words so as not to embarrass Yuanchun too much.

This awkward conversation lasted for nearly an hour before Zhu Jinghong came out from the inner room, and everyone went to greet him.

"Fourth sister-in-law, take good care of fourth brother!" Zhu Jinghong reminded her.

"Don't worry, Thirteenth Brother, I will take good care of him and make him get better as soon as possible!"

Nodding, Zhu Jinghong said: "Let's come back to see him later!"

Zhu Jinghong then left, and Yuanchun led the two concubines to escort Zhu Jinghong out of the inner house.

After Zhu Jinghong was sent away, the internal restrictions of the Eastern Palace were lifted, the eunuchs and maids in his mansion were allowed to move around, and Zhu Muchun and others also regained their freedom.

When Yuanchun entered the inner hall, she saw Zhu Jingyuan with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling of the bed.

After getting closer, Yuanchun asked, "Have you talked about everything?"

Nodding slightly, Zhu Jingyuan replied: "Let's talk... Let's talk about it. Thirteenth brother said that this matter has passed, so I can rest assured!"

"I'm afraid he says one thing and means another!" Yuanchun looked worried.

This is indeed possible, but Zhu Jingyuan continued: "I feel... I feel that what he said... is the truth!"

Zhu Jingyuan was having great difficulty speaking at the moment, and he started coughing after he finished speaking. It was obvious from his expression that he was in great pain.

"I hope so!" Yuanchun was in a daze.

After a moment of silence, Zhu Jingyuan calmed down and asked, "How was your conversation with your cousin?"

"Two cousins, one is cold, and the other... Alas!" Yuanchun frowned even more.

The one who is cold is Baochai, and the one who is not cold is Daiyu. Unfortunately, the latter doesn't care about the matter, so Yuanchun feels very uncomfortable.

"Baochai is a thoughtful person. I cannot see through her. Thirteenth brother may be magnanimous, but she..."

Zhu Jingyuan was extremely worried after hearing this. In the future, Zhu Jinghong would be busy with military and national affairs, and Baochai would have the final say on trivial matters concerning the clan.

In other words, as long as Baochai is dissatisfied with the people in his branch, she can find many ways to deal with them, and she doesn't even have to make any arrangements herself.

"In the future... spend more time with Daiyu and Thirteenth Brother, maybe... you can ensure that the whole family is worry-free!"

(End of this chapter)