Chapter 114 – Qing Transmigration Tale (23)
Lin Yu Tong thought that this matter had passed. Commandery Prince Zhi had come down, and found a righteous reason. So it was fine. Then the rest was just each couple closing the door and fighting in their home. She did not expect the news to leak. At least, the palace learned of it. But they learned the opposite. They all thought that the imperial sons drank and hit their princess consorts.
In the palace, the old empress dowager was furious. She heard that Tenth Prince had whipped Tenth Princess Consort.
Tenth Princess Consort had married from the grass lands, and was close to the empress dowager than the others. Now, Ten was whipping her. Would this be tolerated?
She usually did not interfere in matters. For the first time, she was angry. She called the high ranking consorts into the palace and even sent an edict for the imperial sons and their princess consorts to come to the palace.
Si Ye and Lin Yu Tong had thrown the matter to the back of their mind a long time ago, and was discussing whether they should go stay in the estate for a while. Lin Yu Tong wanted to have Si Ye ask for a holiday for Hong Hui and Hong Yun, and take the two children to relax. Si Ye did not agree. No matter how much Lin Yu Tong worked to persuade, he did not agree.
“How can they slack off in their schooling?” Si Ye was very principled. Even facing the schemes of a beauty, he did not retreat at all. “Do not spoil them. If Ye says no, then no.”
The two were chatting idly when they heard Su Pei Sheng’s hurried footsteps.
Si Ye immediately shoved Hong Zhao in his arms to Lin Yu Tong and stood to ask, “What happened?”
Su Pei Sheng entered. “Someone came from the palace. The empress dowager is calling for all the princes and princess consorts to enter the palace.”
The two changed expression at the same time. They thought something important had happened. The empress dowager did not appear to have real power, but at key times, the edict from the empress dowager was of effect.
The old empress dowager did not meddle in matters. Everyone knew this fact. She did not even leave her palace rashly.
The emperor was not the empress dowager’s son, so other than being grandmother in name, being the empress dowager, she was nothing else.In terms of blood, it was very distant. She was just the niece of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang.
A sudden summons, and for all the imperial sons and princess consorts to go to the palace together. What was it if not for an important matter?
Lin Yu Tong’s expression changed. She gave Hong Zhao to his wet nurse, and the matters of her room to Granny Yuan, and the matters of the establishment to the old granny. She went in to change into plain colored clothing and came out. She wore pearl hair ornaments.
Si Ye also changed into a plain colored robe. The two did not dare to delay and rushed to the palace.
Once the empress dowager moved, it likely was not anything good.
Just after coming out of the establishment, they encountered Eighth Prince on a horse. In the carriage behind him was Eighth Princess Consort. Both brothers were dressed plainly, and their expressions were very solemn. They did not waste any words, yielding to each other, and just hurried along.
For the first time, Lin Yu Tong knew that it was possible to bounce when riding a carriage in the capital. Her organs were almost shaken out.
Entering the palace, Eighth Prince and his wife were ahead of them. Si Ye moved like the wind. Luckily, Lin Yu Tong had secretly practiced internal energy. Otherwise, she would not be able to keep up with his steps.
They entered the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. Everyone arrived at about the same time. Lin Yu Tong stood behind Si Ye and then had the time to wipe her sweat. Such a hot day, people would have problems with the heat.
She was tired and thirsty, but the palace grannies and servant girls did not seem to have the intention of serving these princes and princess consorts any tea. Lin Yu Tong took out mint candy from her pocket space and secretly shoved one at Si Ye. This was not sweet, but it would ease thirst.
Si Ye pretended to yawn, and covered his mouth with his hand, shoving it in. If this was not the right place and time, Lin Yu Tong would laugh.
Such art in secretly eating like this. People could not help but be amused.
In the past, they all wore pink and green. Now, they all wore plain robes and silver hairpins. No one talked in the large hall.
These imperial sons all kept their eyes to themselves, and were all guessing inside, what had happened?
Was it the emperor…… Or the crown prince……
What should they do next?
Before they could think of anything, Consort Hui, Consort Rong, Consort De, and Consort Yi, along with the concubines who had children all entered.
These people came in and looked. What was this?
They were all wearing plain clothes.
If one or two people were dressed plainly, this was nothing. Who did not have their own preferences?
But when everyone was dressed like this, people could not help but feel strange.
In reality, it could not be blamed on them. If these were summons from another person, these people would have asked around and would have learned. They even did not need to ask around, and there were people who wanted to curry favor who would tell them the information.
But who usually paid attention to the empress dowager’s palace? Even if they wanted to ask, they would not have an avenue.
Now, they were blind.
The consorts sat down at the front, and looked at their sons. All of them secretly glared at them. They had heard something of these children getting drunk and then hitting and cursing their wives. But was such a thing not normal between husband and wife? Whose family was not like this? They did not keep it on their mind. Who would have thought the empress dowager would interfere. If they had known, they would have warned of this.
Look at the plain clothing. If they did not know, they would think that they were in mourning.
When this reached the ears of the emperor, these were all disturbances. Who were you hoping would die?
After greeting the niangniang, they dared to look up.
Lin Yu Tong saw that these niangniang were dressed brightly and knew that they had thought too much. She secretly scratched Si Ye’s palm. He grabbed her hand, and she did not dare to do it again.
The empress dowager came out quickly, and her expression was not very good.
She first started with Fifth Prince, because she had raised Fifth Prince. “You are just a bastard, how can you hit your wife? I heard that you threw your wife into the water?”
Fifth Prince was stunned. Who had said this? Was he the person who was so brave to do this to his wife? His wife had pulled up his leg and he had been sent head first into the water.
“Imperial Grandmother, this…… Grandson……” Fifth Prince first knelt down and tried to find the words. He could not find the words to say that he had been bullied by his princess consort. He could only suppress his anger and kowtow, saying, “Yes! Imperial Grandmother is right. This grandson was wrong, and will not dare to do this again.” Then he glared at Fifth Princess Consort. She was not just a tiger, she dared to tattle tale. She did not just dare to tattle tale, she even reversed the facts. Good! Tatara-shi, just wait and see.
Fifth Princess Consort was very surprised that such rumors would spread. But seeing that her husband was glaring at her again, she laughed coldly inside. Whether she offended him or not, she did not have favor. Who would fear him?
She decisively stood up, knelt down and kowtowed, saying, “Imperial Grandmother has misunderstood. It is not my ye who threw me into the water, but I threw Ye into the water. Imperial Grandmother may have heard incorrectly. If you have to punish, punish your granddaughter-in-law. Have my ye divorce me. This granddaughter-in-law will not hold any resentment.” Then, she looked fearlessly at Fifth Prince. Look, I said the truth. I do not fear anything. Because I know no one will believe it.
The empress dowager did not speak when Consort Yi first said, “Good child, rise. Five is shameful. You have been wronged.”
The empress dowager nodded and said to Fifth Prince, “See how good your wife is. She is willing to take on any crime for you. You need to pay more attention.”
Fifth Prince opened his mouth, tongue tied for a while before saying, “Yes! Grandson will treat Princess Consort well!” While he spoke softly, Fifth Princess Consort could hear he was gritting his teeth.
After dealing with Five, the empress dowager’s fire aimed at Ten.
“You muddle head, you dare to whip your princess consort.” The old empress dowager hit the table with her hand.
Ten immediate knelt. His eyes were wide as he looked at his princess consort. She was blinking her not so large monolid eyes, full of pleasure at his misfortune. What could he say? That he was whipped by Princess Consort daily? He could not afford to embarrass him.
“This grandson was wrong. This grandson was drunk, and will not dare to do it again,” Tenth Prince said in a low voice.
These ye had been hit by their wives, but they did not dare to say because they wanted face. They even had to carry the reputation of hitting their wives. They suffered for their face.
Lin Yu Tong covered her smile with a handkerchief. But she just could not help it.
Tenth Prince’s mother had been the noble consort, and she had died early. Other than the empress dowager, no one in the palace could control him, and no one could control Tenth Princess Consort. No one dared to say they were Tenth Princess Consort’s mother-in-law. This empress dowager had a relation to Tenth Princess Consort’s paternal family. Of course she would sort out Ten.
In terms of who disliked the concubines the most, it would undoubtedly be the empress dowager. When Emperor Shunzhi favored Donggo-shi. When the emperor had been alive, the empress dowager had been a widow. She managed to wait for Donggo-shi to die, but the result? She took the emperor with her. Now, she truly became a widow. She was much more resolute against these concubines than these niangniang. They were not the wife, and they rarely interfered between their sons and the women their sons liked.
The empress dowager said, “Your wife’s paternal family is far away. If you dare to think to bully her as you like because she does not have the care of her paternal family, see how I will punish you if I learn of this again.”
“This grandson does not dare.” Ten thought. Her paternal family was so far away, and she dares to bully Ye now. If her paternal family was close, could he manage to live?
The empress dowager’s expression relaxed. She said to the niangniang, “The sons and daughters-in-law are all yours. You can’t just care for your sons and not your daughters-in-law. Take your sons and daughters-in-law back and teach them well.”
Lin Yu Tong followed behind Si Ye and rose to follow Consort De, Thirteen, Fourteen and their wives following her.
Fourteen’s face was full of fury. His princess consort was a wretch, but Fourth Sister-in-law was the worst.
If his princess consort was the one to commit the murder, then Fourth Sister-in-law was the one to hand her the weapon. So hateful!
Entering Yonghe Palace, when Consort De sat down, Si Ye knelt first.
“It is this son’s fault to not have taught Thirteen and Fourteen. In these years, this son has let down Princess Consort. Eniang, please punish me.” His attitude was very sincere.
Consort De waved her hand. “Rise, I do not worry about you and your wife. Your wife is kind. Just looking at Hong Yun, I know that your wife has not mistreated anyone while in charge of the household. You are strict. You are the same to other people and also to yourself. Your princess consort makes up for this trait of yours. I have nothing to worry about.”
Then she looked at Thirteen and said, “Child, you care the most, and you are the same to everyone. Why is your princess consort the exception?”
Thirteen was stunned for a moment and then said, “This son was drunk and muddle headed. This son will not dare to do it again.” His waist was bruised from her pinches. What else could he do? He was so frightened he did not dare to rest in another’s rooms in fear that they would see. He had been resting in Princess Consort’s rooms all these days. He feared Princess Consort learning this and pinching him all the time so he would not dare to sleep in another’s rooms. He could not afford such embarrassment.
Fourteen was Consort De’s youngest son and did not care about anything else, shouting, “Eniang, this son did not hit Princess Consort. It was Princess Consort and Fourth Sister-in-law who hit me.”
Fourteenth Princess Consort hurriedly knelt down, “Yes! Eniang, it was me who hit Ye, and pushed him into the water. I even stole the cup from Fourth Sister-in-law’s hand and hit Ye. I hit his head…… No…… No, his head, his shoulder…… His shoulder…… It was not his shoulder……” Then she asked Fourteen, “Ye, where did I hit you?”
At the start, Fourteen felt that his princess consort was very tactful. Being brave to admit her mistake was a virtue. But as he listened, he felt that it was not right. He looked at Eniang, and saw her with an annoyed expression. He thought, not good, I fell for this woman’s trap again. When she said it in this manner, she was taking on the blame for Ye. Then what kind of person was Ye? A coward who had his wife take the crime for him.
Wanyan-shi, you are so ruthless!
Fourteen looked up and saw Si Ye and Thirteenth Prince, and even his two sisters-in-law looking in shock at him, like he did not speak the truth. He knew that he could not wash away his crimes even if he washed in the Yellow River.
He bowed his head and knelt down. “It is this son’s fault. This son hit Princess Consort and had Princess Consort take on the crime. This son was wrong.”
Consort De now had an expression of “this is right.”
The other people looked like “it should have been like this a long time ago.”
Dang! In this world, when one spoke the truth, no one believed it!
There was no natural order in the world.
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