third chance

Good will be rewarded with good, and evil will be rewarded with evil.

……

Things are not so easy to stop. In the early morning, word spread in the streets and alleys of the capital.

"Oh, I heard that the palace was on fire yesterday, is it true?"

"Really...why isn't it true? The fire was so intense that it dyed half of the sky red."

"Isn't that right? It's been noisy for most of the night and didn't stop until early this morning. When I woke up in the morning, I saw... there was still black smoke."

"Nothing will happen, right?"

"Hard to say, hard to say..."

"Could it be the Revolutionary Party?..."

"Shhh, are you tired of working? Can the root of this tongue be chewed?"

"However, I always feel a little strange."

"What's strange? What's so strange? I saw a fire in the palace 20 years ago, and the fire was even hotter than last night..."

"I said Ah Fu, did you hear thunder yesterday?"

"Thunder? You are dreaming, don't you look at the solar terms now, is there thunder in winter?"

"Brother Guo...you can't talk too much. I didn't hear the thunder yesterday, but I saw the lightning. There was a whirring..."

"Don't tell me you're old and dim-witted?"

"Really," the man lowered his voice and said quietly, "I'm telling you, I heard the rumors in the palace that the emperor is dying. Could it be that the lightning came to pick him up?"

"You'll just talk nonsense...forget it...forget it...drink tea...drink tea."

While carrying the birdcage, the common people drank their morning tea and babbled about the big and small news, that’s all. But in some places, this is not the case.

It was also early in the morning, and Yuan Mansion began to quietly stir up chaos...

Yuan Shikai used to get up at dawn, and then the children in the family took turns to greet him. Although the rules were not as strict as those in the palace, they had to be meticulous.If you dare to neglect, Lao Tzu's slaps and even whips may come one after another, and you will be beaten to death.Although Yuan Keding has become the right minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce, and is considered a considerable official, he still dare not underestimate this kind of etiquette.As long as it is dawn, whether you are asleep or not, you have to greet Lao Tzu.

Last night after drinking with a few friends, he spent the night in Bada Hutong.But before the sky cleared completely, he hurriedly got up and rushed home. He knew his father's temper. He had no objection to going to Bada Hutong once in a while, but if going to Bada Hutong would delay the matter of paying his respects to Lao Tzu Now, after being found out, you will have to be beaten to death by Lao Yuan—isn’t it more important for you, Lao Tzu, to be inferior to those whores?

Hastily rushed to Aunt Hong's door, and called out respectfully: "Keding greets father and fifth aunt..."

"It's Keding, the master is not here."

"Then where did my father stay at that aunt last night? I have to greet him." Yuan Keding originally wanted to say hello and go back to his room, but he didn't expect it to be empty. What's weird?Dad didn't spend eight out of ten nights at Aunt Hong's place, why yesterday?

"No, Keding..." Aunt Hong was already fully dressed, and she came out gracefully as the maidservant lifted the curtain at the door.Yuan Keding looked up, Aunt Hong was so charmingly dressed that even he couldn't help but feel a little excited, but he only dared to take a glance before lowering his head.

"Yesterday, the master stayed in my room, but...in the middle of the night, someone came from the palace, saying that there was something important...he hurriedly called the master away, and he hasn't come back yet."

"Ah?" Yuan Keding was stunned, and even the drowsy bug disappeared temporarily, "What happened in the palace?"

"This master didn't say anything, it seems that the father-in-law in the palace didn't go into details, he just said to hurry up, hurry up..."

"What the hell is going on?"

"I also feel strange, thinking that you are also working in the Yamen, I thought you knew, so I asked you."

Yuan Keding was speechless, he was in Bada Hutong last night, what rumors did he know?I had no choice but to smile: "Emotions must be a big deal... Otherwise, no matter how anxious my father is, I wouldn't be in such a hurry. If it's a big deal, then I really don't know, why don't I stay and ask?"

"That's unnecessary. Is it the same when I ask the master when he comes back?"

"Then Keding will leave first." Yuan Keding yawned when he heard this, no matter how he took a rest first, it doesn't matter if he goes to the Yamen later.Anyway, there is a big event in the palace, Shang Shu Pu Ting will definitely be there, since the chief official is not there, it is only natural for him, a hall official, to slip away.

Aunt Hong went back to her room and continued to ask the maid to draw her eyebrows, but her eyelids kept twitching.What's the matter today?The eyelids are twitching wildly, what is the sign?There is an old saying that "the left eye jumps for money, the right eye jumps for disaster", but both of my eyelids jump, so what is going on?

Dizzy, completely incomprehensible.

Just as he was thinking wildly, a servant came to report in a hurry.

"Ma'am, the father-in-law from the palace is coming..."

Before Aunt Hong could figure out how to respond, the voice of the male duck outside was already yelling: "The imperial decree has arrived, and Yuan Keding will accept the decree from the members of the Yuan family..."

"Ah?" Is there such a purpose?Aunt Hong was so flustered that she hurriedly said: "Hurry up, hurry up, go and call the eldest young master. Also, call the rest of the wives and young masters to the yard together, saying that there is an imperial edict."

In fact, she didn't need to greet her, the eunuch's unique and highly penetrating voice had already alarmed the entire Yuan family, and everyone was stunned by Monk Zhang Er, who came here in a daze.Because Yuan Keding was "tired" last night, he fell asleep not long after returning to his room, so he didn't hear the eunuch's voice coming from the yard, nor did he hear the subsequent messy sounds.

"Eldest Young Master, Eldest Young Master, wake up..." In the dimness, I felt someone shaking my body.

"Nonsense, didn't you see that the young master is sleeping..." Yuan Keding thought that someone urged him to report to the yamen, so he was not so motivated.

"Eldest Young Master, Eldest Young Master..." The girl who delivered the message was so anxious that she was about to cry, "Someone came from the palace and said that he wanted to deliver the decree, so you should go quickly..."

Yuan Keding didn't understand what was said earlier, but he could clearly hear the word "deliver the decree" at the end, and sat up suddenly: "Receive the decree? Seriously?"

"Really, Eunuch is already waiting in the yard."

"Why didn't I say it earlier, I almost missed a major event." Yuan Keding was anxious when he heard this, so he quickly got dressed and went to the yard.

During the rush just now, Aunt Hong had sent someone to prepare the incense table, candlesticks, etc. for receiving the decree, and specially ordered her servants to wrap a large red envelope. It's also good to go out and ask for a lottery.

Seeing her busily busy, the eunuch passing the decree quietly asked, "What is her background?"

"This is Lord Yuan's fifth wife."

"It turned out to be Mrs. Fifth."

"Dare to ask my father-in-law, what does the imperial decree say?..." It stands to reason that all the contents of the imperial decree should not be disclosed before the decree is handed down, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the emperor.Aunt Hong is too shrewd and tactful, so she naturally understands this rule, but I don’t know what’s wrong today, so I want to know sooner, thinking that it’s okay even if my father-in-law refuses, he shouldn’t care about me when he sees that I’m a woman...

How did you know that the eunuch who delivered the decree not only opened his mouth, but what he said made her look pale-"Fifth Madam, the news is very bad, you have to hold on..."

"Ah...!" Aunt Hong was stunned on the spot.

At this moment, Yuan Keding had come out fully dressed, he knelt down respectfully, and shouted in a drawn-out voice: "Minister Yuan Keding leads the Yuan family to pay homage to Sheng An." Kneeling for a while behind him The men, women and children of the Yuan family uttered the harmony of "Respectfully welcome Sheng An".

"Sheng Gongan." Originally, there should be a few more questions and answers to show the full set of etiquette, but the eunuch who passed the decree obviously couldn't wait, took out the imperial edict and read it.Aunt Hong, who was stunned in place, was pulled to the ground by someone. Yuan Keding was a little puzzled. Fifth Aunt has always been shrewd, she is not a person who does not know how to advance and retreat, why is she so gaffe today?

"Following heaven's promise, the emperor's edict said:...Last night, the palace was on fire, harming innocent people...The crown prince Shaobao, the minister of military aircraft, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yuan Gongweiting, unfortunately died...The imperial court lost an important minister, and the country went to a pillar...Posthumous Wenxiang, Adding the title of Crown Prince and Taibao... and Prince He Shuoqing, Yikuang, went to the Yuan Mansion to express my condolences on my behalf..."

When Yuan Keding heard the words "Unfortunately Died", Yuan Keding's head "boomed", feeling like the sky was falling. Under the heavy blow, his mind went blank and he didn't react at all.

father! ...my father...!

There was a lot of crying in the courtyard of the Yuan family, "Master, you died so badly..." and "Father, why did you leave like this..." Everyone wailed bitterly, Aunt Hong had already collapsed on the ground, His eyes turned white, he couldn't speak anything, and the yard was full of chaos.

The eunuch who passed the decree shouted "Yuan Keding accepts the decree" three times in a row, and the latter finally understood, but the corner of his mouth slanted and he couldn't say anything.The eunuch was not annoyed, he stretched out his hand to help him up, forced him the imperial decree in his hand, and comforted him, "Mr. Yuan, Mr. Yuan, I am sorry for you..."

"No, it's not true, you lied to me...you lied to me..." Yuan Keding suddenly came to his senses, threw the edict to the ground, and cried loudly, "My father was fine yesterday, fine, you must have made a mistake, Make a mistake, my father will be fine..."

"Mr. Yuan, we understand your feelings... This is an accident, Mr. Yuan..." The eunuch seemed to be affected by the scene in front of him, choked up and couldn't speak, "You don't know, the fire in the palace last night Great, besides Mr. Yuan, there are about 10 father-in-laws who were burned to death or injured by the fire... Sigh~"

He sighed: "Our family will not lie, and the imperial decree will not lie. The palace has sent someone to bury Master Yuan's body. The first-class red sandalwood coffin... I will ask you to send someone to it later. Bring Master Yuan here..." After saying that, he left regardless of Yuan Keding's reaction.

The winter of 1908 was full of sadness and misfortune for the Yuan family, which was unfair to them.But where was the justice of the Six Gentlemen's family 10 years ago? ...