HCB Chapter 127 Plot
Chapter 127 Plot
Zhen Huan quickly stopped him, "Your Majesty, there's no need to be so angry. Their inappropriate accusations against you just show how arrogant they are. Now is a good time to gather evidence of their crimes."
She glanced at the memorial in her hand and said, "There's no need for the Emperor to comment on this, lest they sense the Emperor's mood and restrain their minions."
The emperor cast a deep gaze on Zhen Huan again, "Huan'er is worthy of being called the female Zhuge Liang, she is always thoughtful."
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Nian Gengyao was dismissed from his post as Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi and his title of first-class duke and demoted to General of Hangzhou for failing to abide by the code of conduct for a minister. The official positions and titles of his two sons were also revoked, and his confidants and generals were either dismissed or transferred.
Unexpectedly, just a few days after Nian Gengyao took office as the general of Hangzhou, he was assassinated by the remnants of Lobsang Danjin due to the recurrence of his old injury.
The emperor didn't know whether he was a remnant of a traitor or not, nor did he care. He was just angry that Nian Gengyao died before he could really deal with him, and the Nian family was also wiped out.
The emperor still did not listen to Zhen Huan's advice to uproot the Nian family. In Zhen Huan's unwilling eyes, the emperor looked gloomily, his fingers tapping on the stack of memorials placed at hand.
The memorials were just ordinary letters of greeting, but at the bottom were the last memorial and secret letter submitted by Nian Gengyao before his death.
Considering that the Nian family had its roots in Sichuan and Shaanxi, and that the local Prince Guo was the most famous, the emperor posthumously conferred the title of First-Class Brave and Brave Duke on Nian Gengyao, and his second son, Nian Fu, succeeded him as the Assistant Commander of the Hangzhou Garrison, a third-rank official.
To conquer the enemy with a strong will is called courage; to die for one's country is called courage; to die for one's country is called courage;
To sacrifice oneself for what is right is called courage; to uphold justice unyieldingly is called courage; to not shy away from death is called courage;
To lead others with righteousness is called bravery; to die for righteousness is called bravery; to make decisions in every situation is called bravery.
Those who have made contributions to the people are called "lie"; those who uphold virtue and follow the profession are called "lie"; those who have made great achievements are called "lie";
There is a cut-off overseas, which is called Lie; there is no fear in the accomplishment of one's work, which is called Lie; there is great merit in one's achievement, which is called Lie;
The glory of military career is called "lie"; the great relief to the people is called "lie"; the dignity of commanding those below is called "lie".
The posthumous title was fine, but what the emperor thought was another matter. As soon as this imperial edict was issued, the court officials knew the tide had turned again.
The air pressure in Yikun Palace is very low.
The blood had drained from Concubine Hua's pretty face, her eyes were swollen like walnuts, and she kept muttering that she had killed her brother.
Concubine Hua was practically exhausted from tears, and Zhou Ninghai couldn't bear it any longer. "The general's actions have also saved the entire Nian family. Look at those in this dynasty who are feared by the emperor, how can they have a good ending? You might as well think about who brought these things to the Empress."
Concubine Hua wiped her swollen and painful eyes with a silk handkerchief. "I always thought it was Jiang Ruyin. I asked you to buy some gossip from outside the palace, and there was a copy of the Analects of Confucius. The chapter on the family of Goujian, King of Yue, was folded up. That's where the saying 'When the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked; when the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden.'" At that time, the emperor severely punished me because Lou Yong'er had a miscarriage, and I realized something was wrong. Songzhi and I carefully compared the handwriting on the paper a few days ago, and it was definitely written by the same person."
"Before, it was Concubine Fang who was in charge of the six palaces. Now, someone who was able to secretly put this into the food box of Yikun Palace should not be underestimated. Could it be Concubine Fang who came from a commoner family?" Zhou Ninghai thought for a moment and raised a question.
Concubine Hua hesitated. The letter mentioned the affair between the Empress Dowager and Longkodo. It used the example of "When the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked" to say that the Emperor must be equally wary and dissatisfied with Longkodo, and that Nian Gengyao must have evidence of Longkodo's crimes in order to save the Nian family's life.
Her original intention was to let her brother see if this move would work, but unexpectedly, Nian Gengyao saw it more clearly than she did:
The letterer explained that this would only save the Nian family's life, not Nian Gengyao's. Furthermore, if the emperor treated Longkodo, a civil official, in this way, how much more so would he. After careful consideration, Nian Gengyao stopped discussing his military exploits, instead mentioning how he had been connected to the emperor through his sister's affection for him, and how he had assisted the nine princes in their battle for the throne for decades. This was how he sought to preserve his military achievements, the Nian family's reputation, and Nian Shilan's position as imperial concubine.
Standing alone in the autumn wind, his hair was disheveled and his eyes were bloodshot.
At Shu Dong's suggestion, Jiang Ruyin returned to the dormitory.
Glancing at the fragrant and rich ginseng black chicken soup, Jiang Ruyin sighed, "Even if it's a delicious dish, I've lost my appetite after drinking it every day."
Fu Qiu consoled him, "The queen's health is the most important thing."
Shu Dong frowned and sighed, "In fact, this servant has never understood why Your Majesty was willing to hurt herself and fake a pregnancy."
Jiang Ruyin perked up when he mentioned this. He called Suochun over. The four of them hid behind the cloth bed. Jiang Ruyin lowered her voice:
"Choosing this juncture for a miscarriage was to sow the seeds of guilt in the Emperor's heart. He had been playing a trick with Zhen Huan without telling me, and it just gave me the opportunity to be harmed. Regardless of whether the Emperor is sincere about Zhen Huan or not, whenever he sees her, he will see my shadow. And if only Hongxuan grows up to be a prince in the future, it will also reduce the Emperor's fear of me.
Our emperor is inherently suspicious. Not only in the previous dynasty, but even in the harem, he's never willing to let one single person dominate. My identity has long been the subject of gossip spread by those with ulterior motives, sparking controversy among the imperial court. If Nian Shilan falls, only Concubine Duan and I will be able to assume important positions.
Concubine Duan is frail and childless, yet shrewd and calculating, and understands the Emperor's character. She will inevitably show weakness to allow me to steal the show. If rumors start to spread again, it won't just be the harem that'll be watching me. The attention of the court will also be focused on me, with countless conspiracies and high-sounding reports.
Without the Nian family, Nian Shilan was like a tiger without its claws; no one would take her seriously, so the Nian family would do everything in their power to protect her. Conversely, even if Nian Gengyao were gone, as long as his military achievements and the Nian family remained, the emperor would not allow Nian Shilan to bear an heir. Given the emperor's affection for Nian Shilan, as long as she chose not to commit suicide, a high position was inevitable. Nian Shilan was bound to have either power or an heir, and I could even give her a favor. Thus, Nian Shilan was completely reduced to a tool to block outside attention.
If the Nian family cannot be saved, I can use the excuse of being weak due to miscarriage to shirk responsibility.
Do you understand?"
In fact, there are many things they don’t know, but Jiang Ruyin doesn’t care. She tells them these things just to make them less skeptical and more trusting when doing things.
Fu Qiu digested this long speech with a serious expression.
Suo Chun frowned, trying to understand a sentence or two.
Shu Dong was stunned and frightened by Jiang Ruyin's plan.
Regardless of whether they understood or not, all three of them answered, "I understand."
Jiang Ruyin looked at Shu Dong and smiled slightly, "Aunt Shu Dong, whether Fu Qiu and Suo Chun understand or not, they will listen to me. What about you? Do you understand?"