"I know that his highness is not an ordinary highness. He has a lot of power. Tell him that I beg him to let me go home.”Murong Wanhua said to Cui Ling who was beside her.
"Young Madam, no, Master, your husband treats you so badly and is so heartless to you. Why do you still want to see him? If it were me, I would kill him."
"You're still young and don't understand these things. He didn't divorce me and we're still husband and wife. Please send me back.”
"Which family are you from?"
"Yuhang's home."
"Your home is gone. It was burned to ashes in a big fire. Isn't this courtyard house in Beijing good?”
"No place is better than my own home. Why don't you send me back to my mother's house? I don't want to live like a prisoner.”
"You know, your family doesn't have a biological mother. You have a mean stepmother and four children. Your father doesn't have the final say. Where do you live? His Highness treats you so well, treating your throat and giving you this quiet courtyard house. If I were you, I would be satisfied. Why don't I take you to Shijing Mountain next to the Forbidden City to take a look? Your son will definitely like to go. Take your son out for a walk.”
"Bring her son out for a walk. I want to say a few words to Murong Wanhua.”
The few of them looked towards the source of the voice. Qianlong stood at the main entrance, his eyes shining as he looked at Murong Wanhua. It was the feeling of reunion after a long time, and Murong Wanhua did not dare to meet that gaze.
Servant Cui Ling tactfully brought the child out.
Qianlong strode over and stood beside Murong Wanhua, asking,"How is this place? Are you used to living here?"
"I'm not used to it. I want to go home. Please let me go home.”
"What's wrong with this place?"
"I don't like it anywhere. I don't like living like a prisoner, and I don't like the climate in the capital. The summer is dry and hot, and the wind blows twice a year for six months.”
"Alright, I'll send you to the south and buy you a house there.”
"I'm going to Yuhang."
"Yuhang is a small place. Many people know about you. Your mother-in-law, no, your original mother-in-law didn't treat you well either. If you don't like the north, I'll find you a house to live in Hangzhou. I can entrust the Hangzhou magistrate, Bai Dayao, to do it for you.”
"Bai Dayao?"
"Yes, you know him. He's the original county magistrate of Yuhang.”
"He's now the magistrate of Hangzhou?"
"That's right."
"Bai Dayao became the magistrate of Hangzhou? How is that possible?"
"Anything is possible. Why can't Bai Dayao be the magistrate of Hangzhou?”
"Bai Dayao is now the magistrate of Hangzhou. Where is the original magistrate?" Murong Wanhua asked in confusion.”
"Lu Houhuang? He went to your hometown Yuhang to be the county magistrate.”
"Unbelievable, Heaven and Earth Great Shift? Upside-down?"
"What's so unbelievable about it? A cadre was someone who could be promoted and demoted, and only appointed people based on their merits. The capable were promoted, and the mediocre were demoted.”
"You sound like you're talking big. Are you a leader? You know Bai Dayao?"
"When I was doing business in Jiangnan, I was friends with Bai Dayao.”
"I don't believe it. You're doing business with Bai Dayao?" Murong Wanhua said seriously. How was this possible? Bai Dayao didn't know how to do business, and he had never dealt with businessmen. He was a clean and honest official.”
"You're so sure about him?" Qianlong laughed. You know him so well?"
"Which of the commoners in our world doesn't know this rank-seven Sesame Official? He was familiar with the situation of each family in the government. His wife dared to scold him for being incompetent in front of others. He had nothing in three years to clear the magistrate and 100,000 snowflake silver. He couldn't even arrange his child's work.”
"This place is too hot. Why don't we go inside and talk?”
"If you have anything to say, say it here.”
"I want to talk to you in private.”Qianlong said affectionately.
"I have nothing private to say to you. Thank you for treating my throat. Let me go and let me be free. Don't worry about me, okay?”
"It's dangerous for you to go out, and the child isn't safe either. This place is very safe.”
"I don't need to be safe. I'm just a housewife. I didn't threaten anyone's interests. I didn't offend anyone. Why wouldn't it be safe for me to go out? Let me go, please."
"If you really want to leave, I can send you to Hangzhou.”
"I don't need you to send me off.”
"You know what? I haven't seen you these days. I miss you very much. In the military camp, when I'm not fighting, as long as I have time to think, I will see your figure in front of me. The dream of you and the reality of you are gentle together, making me unable to distinguish them. In the blink of an eye, you are in front of me, your voice and smile are vivid. In the blink of an eye, it turns out to be a dream. Unrequited love is very bitter. I have written several poems and want to read them to you face to face.”
"I don't understand, and I won't listen. If you don't let me go, I'll commit suicide. Really, I mean what I say.”As she spoke, Murong Wanhua was about to bang her head against the wall at the side when Qianlong pulled her back tightly.
"Your Majesty, you're not young anymore, you should stop fooling around outside. The influence and reputation of an emperor is very important. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked. You know that the country that your father worked so hard to govern cannot be ruined in your hands. A good woman was a good school. I'm getting older. She's working for me and taking care of you for me. That's a good daughter-in-law. Only when the harem is quiet will you have the mood to take care of things outside. The common people say that a good wife and husband will cause fewer disasters. That's very reasonable. She cared about you. When she was young, she said it was for your own good. When she grew up, she said it was for the sake of the Qing Dynasty not having civil strife and for the long-term stability. You couldn't divorce the Empress and ignore her just because she cut her hair in a moment of anger.”
Qianlong said to the Empress Dowager,"Mother, you don't know yet. This woman's conscience is bad. It's very bad."”
"Why?" the empress dowager asked, puzzled. How did her conscience go bad? Why can't I tell that my conscience is broken?”
"She had the intention to kill and wanted to mess up the harem. She actually found an assassin from the underworld outside to kill Murong Wan Hua.”
"The Han woman you like?”
"Yes."
"Son, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but there are so many beautiful women in the harem, and they are all obedient to you. Why don't you look them in the eye, but you have a soft spot for a Han woman?”
"The Empress killed people and wanted to steal their love. Just based on this point, don't you think she's very scary? Just based on this point, I must cripple the empress.”
"Do you have any basis for hearsay? The Empress was soft-hearted, generous, and benevolent. She was weak, so how could she kill someone out of jealousy? I heard that Murong Wanhua is living well and you even protected the mother and son?”
"If I didn't protect them, the Empress would have killed her long ago.”
"I don't think the Empress would do such a thing. I watched her grow up. She's very capable. She can look at the big picture when she's in trouble and has her own opinions. How could she do such an extreme and intolerant thing? I don't believe it."
Qianlong argued with reason and said,"If Mother doesn't believe me, you can call her over to confront me. If I say anything wrong, I'm willing to be punished."”
The empress dowager saw Qianlong's serious expression and said,""Call the Empress."
The Empress soon arrived. She saw Qianlong looking at her with a scowl and knew that she was not called here to report work or to ask for rewards. It was definitely not something good.
"Greetings to the Empress Dowager."
"Rise."
The Empress was terrified and did not dare to sit down.
The Empress Dowager asked,"Wulanala, you have to tell me the truth. Why did you send people to kill Murong Wanhua?"”
The empress was stunned. How did the empress dowager know? How did the emperor know? There was no such thing as an impenetrable wall in this world. Had the truth been exposed? In his anger, the emperor really wants to banish me into the cold palace.
"Empress Dowager, I didn't send anyone to kill that woman.”
"You dare swear to God?" Qianlong said unhappily.”
"I dare."
"If you don't want people to know, don't do it. I have a witness." Qianlong said angrily.
The empress dowager wanted to get to the bottom of this matter. She said,"Since you have a witness, call him over and confront him face to face.”
"Call Imperial Noble Consort Wei Jiashi over."
Not long after, Wei Jiashi came in a hurry.
"Greetings, Empress Dowager."
The empress dowager did not say anything about standing up and not greeting him. She went straight to the point and asked,"Imperial Noble Consort, do you know that the Empress sent people to kill Murong Wanhua?”
"I know."
The Empress was shocked. So fast? Traitor! A person's heart is unpredictable. You really can't judge a person's heart by their appearance. How could you capsize on this woman? My god, I am too simple. She is the imperial noble consort, only one step away from the empress. If I go down, she can come up. It's too scary. She set up this trap and let me fall into it. I'm such a fool. I trusted someone so easily. I'm hopeless. I'm finished.
The empress dowager said,"Tell me in detail. Do you know that the harem will be punished for lying?"”
"I know."
"Tell me."
"The Empress looked for the killer Yanzi Li Si from the capital and gave him five hundred silver notes, requesting Yanzi Li Si to kill Murong Wanhua.”
"Who else knows about this?"
"Oh, my maid Yanran, she knows Yanzi Li Si.”
"No one else?"
"And that loud voice at the first gate of the palace, the guard who is loyal to his duty, loves his job, and wants to be a model sentinel. She had met him twice, so he must know the Empress.”
"Wei Jiashi, you are really too vicious. This is a false accusation.”
"I'm telling the truth, Empress Dowager. This servant doesn't lie.”
The empress dowager said,"I will investigate. You can leave. The emperor stays behind."”
The Empress and Wei Jiashi walked out almost side by side. She gritted her teeth and said fiercely,""Traitor, this is your plan. Don't even think about pulling me down. You'll be the empress smoothly.”
Wei Jiashi smiled and said to Wulanala in a low voice,""You're finished. I'm not far from the position of Empress. Do you believe it?”
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