Tiantang

Chapter 285

Chapter 292 Holding a Grudge

Xingqing Palace.

Ever since Li Heng doted on Liu Ying, another beautiful and talented person, he had somewhat neglected Zhang Liangdi.Although Zhang Liangdi felt angry and upset in her heart, she was helpless.Things in this palace are just like this. As a woman in the palace, if she can't keep being loved for a long time, she can only endure loneliness and misery.

Zhang Liangdi is also a woman who is unwilling to be lonely, and it can be said that she is very ambitious.As Li Heng's position of imperial power became more and more stable, she also set her sights on the position of the mother of the world in the future.In fact, she is the one with the highest status among the women around Li Heng, and she is also from the best background. If there is no accident, the queen must be hers.

Of course, this is a routine view, and special circumstances cannot be ruled out.In case Li Heng has another new love, and then accepts a concubine, the position of queen will be hard to say.

Therefore, at the critical moment when Li Heng is about to ascend the Great Treasure and sit on the throne of the emperor, any woman favored by Li Heng will become Zhang Liangdi's confidant and arch enemy.

Zhang Liangdi sat alone in the bedroom, looking at the entrance of the palace in a dazed and lonely way, expecting Li Heng's figure to appear.It's a pity that Li Heng hasn't come to her for nearly a month, even though she had the cheek to ask Li Heng to come over with various excuses, Li Heng was indifferent.

Zhang Liangdi sighed resentfully, and softly said to her personal maid Lian'er, "Lian'er, did Your Highness go to Lianhu Bieyuan again today?"

Lian'er nodded obediently, "Well, Concubine Liang, Your Highness is still resting in the Lianhu Garden."

Zhang Liangdi was silent, and suddenly cursed fiercely for a long time, "What a foxy girl!"

Lian'er was startled, and quickly stood there with downcast eyebrows, not daring to look up.

After a while, Zhang Liangti got up and said calmly, "Lian'er, let's go, follow me to Miss Wanchun's place, she hasn't seen her since she returned to Chang'an."

Lian'er was startled, and then said respectfully, "Princess Wanchun is having a banquet with His Royal Highness in Lianhu Bieyuan at this moment... It is said that it is the birthday of Liu Cairen in Lianhu Bieyuan, and His Highness invited Princess Wanchun and the noble concubine The empress went to have a feast together to celebrate."

Zhang Liangti's charming face suddenly darkened.

Li Heng actually celebrated that vixen's birthday behind her back, invited Princess Wanchun and Concubine Yang to a banquet together, and left her alone... This made Zhang Liangti feel endless shame!
"Fox spirit! Hu Meizi!!!" Zhang Liangdi gritted her teeth and "roared", and then her voice choked up, and she ran away covering her face.

at dusk.

Lian'er slowly walked in from outside the hall, with a hesitant look on her face.

Zhang Liangdi frowned, "Lian'er, I told you to invite Sister Wanchun over, why did you take so long to come back? Did you see Sister Wanchun? Didn't she come?"

"Liangdi, Princess Wanchun said that she was having a banquet at Liu Cairen's place today, and she was tired, and said that she would come to visit Liangdi some other day." Lian'er said softly.

Zhang Liangdi's complexion changed suddenly, and she scolded angrily, "What a dog who sees people as inferior... Now, everyone in this palace doesn't take me seriously... Hateful!"

Zhang Liangdi's demeanor was crazy and almost ferocious, Lian'er didn't dare to raise her head, and knelt down on the ground.

Zhang Liangdi invited Princess Wanchun to come over, under the banner of reminiscing about the past, but actually wanted to hear some news from Wanchun.Unexpectedly, Wan Chun didn't give her face and ignored her.

In fact, Wan Chun wasn't pretending to be a pose or putting on some airs of a princess, it was just that she was really tired after having been in Lianhu Garden for a long time, so she went to bed early when she returned to her own Wanchun Garden.It's just that the current Zhang Liangdi is burning with jealousy, her mentality is distorted, and she is very sensitive.

……

……

It also happened that something happened.

In the afternoon of the second day, Zhang Liangdi felt irritable, so she went out of the palace and returned to her mother's house to stay for a few days to relax.

Her guard of honor left the Zhuque Gate of the imperial city, and walked slowly towards the south of the city along the broad Zhuque Street. The Zhang Mansion was on the side of the Da Ci'en Temple in the south of the city.

Zhuque Avenue is the grandest north-south avenue in Chang'an City, and it is the main road from the imperial city to all parts of the city.Originally, this street was very smooth, but Zhang Liangdi's guard of honor team was marching, but because there was another larger and larger team coming from the Mingde Gate in the south, blocking the path, they had to stop temporarily roadside.

Zhang Liangdi was in a bad mood, and when she realized that the guard of honor had stopped, she sat on the chariot and asked coldly, "Lian'er, what's going on? Why don't you stop?"

Lian'er said softly, "Liangdi, the guard of honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Wanchun and Princess Yongning came back from outside the city, the team can't get through for a while, just wait for a while."

Zhang Liangdi frowned, stuck her head out from the chariot, and looked around.

Seeing the chariots and horses in front of Ying Street, more than a hundred guards of the palace are in front, and there are more than a hundred well-dressed house slaves behind, plus the palace maids and palace guards following Wanchun, this team has at least 400 people. [-] people, firmly occupying Suzaku Avenue, slowly marching towards this side.

Compared with it, Zhang Liangdi's team with only dozens of people seemed deserted.

Zhang Liangdi's complexion couldn't help being a little ugly.

The gentle and quiet Princess of Yongning, Cui Ying, and the bright and lovely Wan Chun walked side by side, chatting and laughing astride their horses, hugging each other. Judging by their attire, they should have returned from a trip outside the city.

Cui Ying is the royal concubine of Yongning, Zhang Xuan's official wife, and she is also one of the number one noble ladies in Chang'an City.She was chatting and joking with Wan Chun, when she suddenly saw Zhang Liangdi's guard of honor in the palace parked by the side of the road, she quickly ordered her followers to retreat to the side of the road, letting Zhang Liangdi's people go first.

Wan Chun glanced at Zhang Liangdi's chariot, smiled slightly, did not go up to say hello to Zhang Liangdi, but quietly watched Zhang Liangdi's chariot drifting away from the side of the road.

Although Wan Chun has a lively and outgoing personality, he is not without scheming.She had a deep affection for Zhang Xuan, and she was so determined to marry into the Zhang family that she even gave up the title of princess. In order to achieve her wish, she took the initiative to visit Cui Ying frequently after she returned to Beijing to connect with each other.

Cui Ying was originally a gentle and quiet person, Wan Chun deliberately made friends, and naturally got her sincere response.After coming and going, the two women just walked together and got along very well.

Zhang Liangdi sat on the chariot, opened the curtain, turned her head to look at the backs of Cui Ying and Wan Chun, and sneered darkly, "No wonder you didn't pay attention to me, it turned out that she climbed onto Gao Zhier...Princess Yongning , Hmph, what a big show!"

"Lian'er, I heard that Wan Chun stayed in Lingzhou for a few months, had an affair with Zhang Xuan, and wanted to give up her title of princess and marry to Zhang's family? Is there such a thing?" Zhang Liangdi lowered her voice suddenly.

Lian'er followed closely while supporting the chariot, was startled when she heard the words, and then said respectfully and softly, "I have heard about this before... It is said that His Highness Wan Chun is going to ask His Highness to marry her..."

The prosperous Tang Dynasty had an open atmosphere, and the relationship between men and women was not as strict as the Song and Ming dynasties in later generations.Wan Chun was originally a woman who was not good at hiding her feelings, who dared to love and hate, and she didn't want to hide it at all.Before returning to Chang'an, she was determined to have a good relationship with Zhang Xuan, so after returning to the palace, she intentionally or unintentionally let the maids around her "leaked".

Therefore, the affairs of Wan Chun and Zhang Xuan had actually been spread in private in the palace.It's just that the concubines, maids and eunuchs in the palace pretended to be confused, and were ready to see how Wan Chun and Zhang Xuan would end up.

Of course, there is no precedent for a royal princess marrying a minister as an equal wife.But in this heyday of indulgent lust, nothing is impossible—a father-in-law who can rob a daughter-in-law can be accepted by society, let alone this.

And Zhang Xuan at this moment is not an ordinary courtier, he has gathered thousands of honors and great achievements, and the court will grant it if he is not sure—maybe it will not be long before this Princess Wanchun becomes the side concubine of King Yongning.

These are hard things to say.This is the true mentality of the people in the palace.

"Shameless, whimsical! What a shameless girl, she really disgraced the royal family!" Zhang Liangti smiled coldly upon hearing this.

Lian'er's heart was trembling, she didn't quite understand why her master suddenly held a grudge against Princess Wanchun again...

Princess Wanchun doesn't seem to have offended Di Liang... Lian'er frowned slightly as she walked, thinking about her own thoughts.

******************************
Zhang Xuan was still on the road, when he got the news that Li Heng issued an edict to the world to rename him King Yongning, restrain the soldiers and horses of the four towns, and the Ministry of Industry had started construction of the Pavilion of Meritorious Officials and the Monument of Meritorious Officials outside Anhua Gate.

At the same time, he received a secret letter specially sent to him by Li Heng.

"Congratulations to King Yongning, this time he returns to Beijing to report on his duties, and he will surely be honored. Congratulations!" Li Tan clasped his fists on the horse and said with a smile.

Zhang Xuan returned the gift with a smile, but he was thinking about what Li Heng said in the secret letter.

Although Li Heng didn't say it clearly, but who is Zhang Xuan, how could he not understand Li Heng's true intentions.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xuan smiled softly at Li Tan, "There are many ministers in the court who participated in the demonstration of Zhang Xuan's privately built firearms to His Highness the Prince Jian Guo, with the intention of rebelling... I am afraid that Zhang Xuan will be in trouble this time when he returns to Beijing. hehe."

Li Tan was startled when he heard the words, frowned and said, "These bureaucrats who are causing trouble...Don't worry about it, the king of Yongning. The so-called clean is self-cleaning. Why should you be as knowledgeable as these rotten officials?"

Zhang Xuan smiled, a stern look flashed in his eyes, and said lightly, "Zhang Xuan has a clear conscience, and he is not afraid of others' reputation. The crux of the problem is that even though Zhang Xuan has the heart to endure humiliation, there are always people who can't tolerate Zhang. All along, he has tried his best to frame things. The so-called "one mouth can make money", Zhang Xuan really can't argue with it!"

Li Tan sighed softly, but was speechless.

The person who framed Zhang Xuan in the court, he can guess who it is without thinking.But he couldn't say, let alone express his opinion.Because Chen Xuanli, Zhang Jiyong and others are also supporters of his brother Li Yu.

Zhang Xuan glanced at Li Tan, and didn't continue the topic, but just clamped the horse's belly and continued to ride the horse forward.

(End of this chapter)