If it wasn't true, how could Queen Mother Zhou make up such an incredible story to deceive her relatives?
There was no need for her to do this.
Duke Zhen Guo was her biological brother from the same mother. As long as she asked the Zhou family to take care of Concubine Xu Xian's nephew, what reason did Duke Zhen have to refuse?
As for whether Jin Jiashu's biological mother had experienced the fire in Kunning Palace, it would not affect Duke Zhen Guo's judgment at all. It would be the same regardless. If it were to explain the reason why the Sun family wanted to exterminate the Jin family, then just "Concubine Sun hated Concubine Xu Xian" would be enough to explain.
So, this thing should be true. On the day of the fire in Kunning Palace, a young woman who had just been sent to the palace by the Wu family and had not yet officially become the emperor's wet nurse fled to Cining Palace in the chaos and asked the Empress Dowager Zhou for help. It is very likely that Kunning was also The truth about the palace fire was told to Queen Mother Zhou.
But, was this young woman safely sent out of the palace by the Empress Dowager Zhou and reunited with her family, only to die of a sudden illness a few days later?
That's hard to say.
Haijiao's eyes shone slightly. There were some things that he couldn't figure out in his previous life, but now he could finally figure them out.
Concubine Xu Xian was a palace attendant of the Queen Mother Zhou, but no one knew when she entered the palace, and why she entered the palace as a married woman to serve the Queen Mother? If we say that she was a wet nurse candidate sent to the palace by the Wu family, and after Empress Wu and the third prince died in the fire in Kunning Palace, she fled to Cining Palace for help and stayed as a palace servant, then that would be explained.
In those years, although Concubine Sun had not yet entered the Kunning Palace, she was already the de facto mistress of the harem. Even the Empress Dowager Zhou could only seal the palace and stay away from her for the time being. A wet nurse who did not even have a palace registration, still knew Knowing Concubine Sun's secret, where else can she find a way to survive other than taking shelter in the Queen Mother's Palace?
Empress Dowager Zhou kept her by her side as a palace attendant, which was considered a form of protection, right? Protect a witness who witnessed the tragic death of Queen Wu and the Third Prince from being harmed by the Sun family...
However, Queen Mother Zhou should have sent a letter to the Jin family, otherwise Jin Juren would not have fled the capital with his family in a hurry. As for his claim that his wife was dead, he probably just wanted to cover up the fact that his wife never returned home after entering the palace, and at the same time, he wanted to distance himself. Once the Sun family finds out that his wife was selected by the Wu family to be a wet nurse, he can deduce that his wife was seriously ill, did not enter the palace, and died later, so that he can avoid being implicated.
Since Jin Juren's first wife has "died", it is logical for him to remarry after returning to his hometown. But from then on, he didn't dare to go to Beijing to take the exam. He probably put all the blame on his first wife, and then angered his first wife's eldest son Jin Jiashu, ignoring that the latter was bullied by his stepmother...
Haitang heard that Hai Jiao's thoughts were a little distracted, and quickly pulled him back: "According to what my brother said, when Concubine Xu Xian was serving the Empress Dowager Zhou, she had not yet reconciled with her husband, and she had to keep her identity a secret, so why did she dare to What about being a concubine for the emperor? Does the emperor know her origins?"
Hai Jiao paused, then his thoughts came back: "Even if he didn't know it at first, he would definitely know it later. However, Emperor Deguang still loved Concubine Xu Xian very much and didn't care at all that she was married... Of course, there are Maybe it’s because she gave birth to the eighth prince and had meritorious service.”
As for why Concubine Xu Xian dared to be the emperor's concubine... isn't this obvious?
With her status, with Queen Mother Zhou around, she could still be protected. But Queen Mother Zhou is old and will die sooner or later. Once she dies, where will the palace people around her go? If you are lucky, you may be dismissed from the palace normally, or you may be guarding the mausoleum for the Queen Mother; if you are unlucky, you may be angered by Concubine Sun and order your execution.
If Concubine Xu Xian doesn't want to die, she must find a way out for herself. She may have just wanted to seek a job as a medical attendant at first, but somehow she was attracted by the emperor. For the future of the Zhou family, the Queen Mother Zhou would definitely confess to the emperor that she was a married woman because she did not want to be accused of bullying the emperor. But the emperor did not care, so Concubine Xu Xian had no reason to refuse. After becoming the emperor's concubine and giving birth to the emperor's heir, even if Sun Guifei knew who she was, she would not dare to do anything against her. Even if Empress Dowager Zhou dies, she still has a way to survive and may be able to protect other palace residents in Cining Palace.
Jin Juren would ask his wife to separate from her infant son and work as a wet nurse in the palace to help him cling to the powerful. He was not a good and affectionate husband. It is human nature not to hug Concubine Xu Xian from Pipa. As for Jin Jiashu's son... a mother must survive first before she can talk about anything else.
The more Hai Jiao thought about it, the more he felt that his guess was correct: "As long as Emperor Deguang knows that Concubine Xu Xian is a married woman, he will definitely clear up any future troubles. Most likely, he sent someone to find Jin Juren and ordered him to write a divorce letter. My sister still remembers that the box of gold ingots in the luggage of the Jin family were all cast by the imperial government and were usually rewarded by the emperor to his ministers. I am afraid that Jin Juren received such a box of gold ingots in exchange for what he wrote in his own hand. With Li Shu, Concubine Xu Xian was able to seal her concubine openly. Even if someone later discovered that Concubine Xu Xian was married for the second time, Emperor Deguang would not worry that he would be accused of seizing his wife..."
Calculating the time, if the emperor really sent someone to find Jin Juren to ask for divorce, Jin Juren would have remarried and had children by then. The latter abandoned his first wife first, so there is no reason to accuse the first wife of abandoning her husband and son.
Haitang felt that her brother was a little too excited at this time, and quickly poured cold water on him: "Brother, have you ever thought about it, if Concubine Xu Xian really has the evidence for Concubine Sun to murder Empress Wu and the third prince, then why didn't she use it in her previous life? Come out?"
Hai Jiao paused, slowly lowered his head and looked at his sister sitting across from the kang table.
Haitang continued: "In her last life, her son was probably killed in Chang'an. She could have noticed in advance that Concubine Sun had evil intentions, and asked the Empress Dowager Zhou to write a letter asking Duke Zhen to take care of the Jin family. How could she not have guessed that she had killed her ex-husband? Who is her son's murderer? Since she knows who her enemy is, why doesn't she reveal the truth about the Kunning Palace fire and take revenge on Concubine Sun? She is no longer a little palace servant, but the emperor's beloved concubine. The eighth prince was born. Even if the emperor favored Concubine Sun again, he would not turn a deaf ear to Concubine Xu Xian's words, right? But she never mentioned it, so why? Not to mention because she had no evidence in her hand, she herself was a witness. Doesn’t it count as evidence?”
Hai Jiao frowned: "The Empress Dowager Xu actually mentioned this matter...but that was a long time later. The Sun family had fallen, and no one cared about it. The court officials thought she wanted to aggravate Concubine Sun's crime. But it's true... this is a bit unreasonable. Logically speaking, when she told the emperor that she was a married woman before she was named concubine, she should have confessed her identity, which would lead to the fire in Kunning Palace. The truth. Why is there no movement in the palace?"
In fact, it cannot be said that there is no movement at all. After the emperor recovered from his illness, he not only granted the title of abbot to his former father-in-law, but also pardoned and recalled many former members of the Wu clan, which brought a lot of trouble to Mr. Sun Ge. But in the harem, Concubine Sun is still aloof.
If this is the emperor's punishment for Concubine Sun and her family...
Haijiao secretly gritted his teeth: "My wife and son died so tragically, but the real culprit who killed them was not even demoted. Emperor Deguang is so ruthless...Then why did he pursue the Wu family and pardon so many people?" Wu Clan's former student? Could it be that he doesn't really regret it, but just wants to use these people to check and balance Mr. Sun Ge?!"
Hai Jiao couldn't help but feel a little gray when he thought about it. If the emperor could even let go of the murder of his wife and son, would he really give up on the Sun family? Will it really stop the Sun family from persecuting the Zhou family?
Haitang pulled him and said, "Brother, don't think too much. Concubine Xu Xian could not threaten Concubine Sun with the truth about the fire in Kunning Palace, but she was not a little sheep to be slaughtered. Knowing that Concubine Sun wanted to kill her son, she It will definitely pay off.”
(End of chapter)
