N-A-A Chapter 228 Casually Sowing Discord
Chapter 228 Casually Sowing Discord
Shen Shixi's attitude was very sincere, and Zheng's mother and daughter-in-law could understand the implication in his words.
Zheng did something that damaged the royal family's reputation, which is why the emperor wanted to execute her. However, since it was near the New Year, he spared her life for good luck.
If you're saying it's all about the bond of being husband and wife for even a day, only a three-year-old would believe that.
Both of them were seasoned veterans and naturally wouldn't believe such a statement.
The so-called "human hearts are unpredictable" means that she harmed someone, the emperor left the palace, and someone took the opportunity to do something.
In other words, Fan deserved to die, but instead of being executed in the fullest sense, she died at the hands of the victim. She, the perpetrator, ultimately became the victim.
Madam Zheng was quite formidable. "Thank you for your guidance, Imperial Noble Consort! My granddaughter brought this upon herself, and I have nothing to say about her tragic end. However, those who killed her are ultimately wicked. I wonder what decree the palace will issue?"
Shen Shixi said, "The lack of offspring in the palace is a matter of great importance to the country and the nation, and the Empress Dowager cannot ignore it. Currently, there are not many concubines who have contributed to bearing heirs. Including myself, I am also unable to bear an imperial heir for the Emperor."
Throughout history, this has always been the case; those who could give birth to imperial heirs were always meritorious officials of the court.
It means that the person who harmed your granddaughter just gave birth, so she is a hero and also seeking revenge, and cannot be punished.
Madam Zheng understood and recognized who it was. She sighed, "Your Majesty need not belittle yourself. Your Majesty is still young and will surely bear a prince for His Majesty in the future. As for my granddaughter, I thank Your Highness the Imperial Noble Consort for your guidance!"
She rose to perform a grand salute, but Shen Shixi had someone help her up. "I have the Emperor's trust and have been granted the power to manage the six palaces, yet I am unable to reward merits and punish demerits. Zheng was also a sister to me in the palace during her lifetime, and I am deeply saddened by her passing."
In this world, only parents and relatives can unconditionally love their children. If she has a spirit in heaven, she would surely hope that her loved ones can be understanding and that she can find solace in their grief.
If you want revenge, go find the Xie family yourselves. The palace can't give you justice.
Lady Zheng was grief-stricken and aggrieved, and she cried out, "That day, she said that she could enter the palace with her sisters and have someone to help her in the future. She entered the palace happily. She died, and I didn't even get to see her body."
Madam Zheng's rudeness startled the old lady, who apologized to Shen Shixi, saying, "Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Shen Shixi shook her head, "Madam, you are too kind. As mother and daughter, it is only natural. How could I punish you? However, whether in the inner palace or the harem, even sisters can turn against each other."
Although I do not know the specifics of their feud, I believe your granddaughter would not have acted without reason and implicated others. There is no point in pursuing the details now. This is all I can say. Do you two have any further questions?
"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful. Without your compassionate favor today, my Zheng family would have remained completely unaware. We will never forget your great kindness," the old lady said.
Madam Zheng added, "To be honest, Your Highness, my mother-in-law and I went to the palace to request an audience with the Empress, but we were reprimanded instead. I really can't bear it."
Shen Shixi said, "After Lord Zheng submitted his memorial, His Majesty learned of the matter, which is why I am sitting here today to talk with you and the old lady. His Majesty is a wise ruler and would never allow his subjects to suffer injustice without a reason."
Lord Zheng is also a pillar of the court, highly valued by the Emperor. Only through the harmonious cooperation of the Emperor and his ministers can our Great Zhou Dynasty prosper. The Zheng family has a long tradition of scholarship and propriety; among the five surnames and seven prominent clans, they are the foremost among the gentry of the land. His Majesty relies heavily on them; you should all be aware of the profound favor bestowed upon you and strive to repay it!
Madam Zheng said, "This humble woman will instruct my son to serve him wholeheartedly and repay the Emperor's kindness! Thank you, Imperial Noble Consort!"
Madam Zheng also bowed in farewell.
Shen Shixi had the gifts presented: two bolts of brocade, a pair of jade ruyi scepters, and a set of headdress. The first two items were for the old lady, while the headdress was just right for Madam Zheng.
This amount of money is nothing to a powerful family like the Zheng family; what they value is a sense of honor.
"I will not keep you two any longer. Chao'en, you may escort the Old Madam and the Lady out of the palace!"
Chao En is the head eunuch of Zhaoyang Palace. Compared to when they first entered the palace, they were left in Fengyi Palace for an hour, and later reprimanded and left the palace in disgrace, this is a real loss of face!
Once inside the carriage, Madam Zheng touched the pair of jade ruyi scepters. "Mother," she asked, "what crime has Jin'er committed?"
The old lady said, "The three of them entered the palace together. The first one to become pregnant was the Xie family's daughter. The Imperial Noble Consort also said that the incident happened on New Year's Eve. At that time, Jin'er must have known that Xie was pregnant. Jin'er has always been proud and arrogant, and she looked down on Xie's unscrupulous means of currying favor with the emperor. She must have used this incident to her advantage."
Madam Zheng was stunned. "Before Xie entered the palace, I heard that she had some ambiguous relationship with Prince Chang Le. Is this child stupid? No matter what, we can't use this to make a fuss, wouldn't that be..."
Wouldn't that offend the Empress Dowager?
No wonder, given how the Empress dared to treat them that way back then.
The five surnames and seven prominent families have a long history, intermarry within the family, monopolize cultural resources, enhance their influence over the imperial court through the imperial examinations, and resist the imperial court.
They also gained the power to surpass the royal family.
During the previous dynasty, the last emperor proposed marriage to the Cui family of Qinghe for his crown prince, but was rejected. In fact, in a book called "Clan Records" that circulated at the time, the Cui family of Qinghe was listed first, above the imperial family.
When the previous dynasty collapsed, the noble group led by the Li family took the opportunity to strike at the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families. The strength of the clan group was reduced, but its reputation remained and there were signs of recovery.
Cultural seeds cannot be suppressed; their flourishing is a sign of prosperity when they blossom everywhere and compete in a hundred different forms.
Culture is monopolized because there are no books; books are too expensive.
Shen Shixi never intended to sow discord among the five clans and seven noble families by breaking their alliance. It would be pointless; they had been intermarrying for generations, their blood ties were unbreakable. But to sow discord whenever possible was an easy thing to do, and he did it without hesitation.
The Grand Minister of the Imperial Household Department came in person to discuss the imperial concubine conferment ceremony with Shen Shixi. He gave her a list with many things written on it.
"The Imperial Observatory has already divined an auspicious day for the Consort's investiture ceremony according to His Majesty's decree. It will be on His Majesty's birthday, October 18th. This is the ceremonial schedule, which His Majesty has already reviewed. Please take a look, Your Highness!"
Shen Shixi took the document and glanced at it, her scalp tingling. "Are the rituals and regulations really this complicated? Why must the Emperor and I go together to offer sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and the Altar of the Land and Grain? Can't the Emperor go alone?"
And she had to get up so early, starting at half past Yin time, which is four o'clock in the morning. She had to put on her full makeup according to the rules, which meant she couldn't sleep all night and wouldn't finish until three or four o'clock in the afternoon. For a whole day, twelve hours, wearing a flower crown weighing more than ten kilograms, how could she possibly survive?
Sun Qingcheng was stunned for a while. "Your Majesty, the more elaborate and solemn the ceremony, the more noble it appears. These were all decided by His Majesty and the Ministry of Rites after repeated discussions. They are His Majesty's deep love and respect for Your Majesty."
"If Your Majesty finds it insufficiently ceremonial, we may add to it, but we must not reduce it!"
This was also the Emperor's intention. The ceremony of conferring the title of Imperial Noble Consort was combined with the ceremony of bestowing the honorary title, so the ceremony could not be simple. This also shows the Emperor's great favor towards the Imperial Noble Consort.