When Xie Wenzai talked about the news he heard from the Zhenguo Palace, he couldn't help sighing: "Who would have thought that? The Queen Mother was sealed off from the palace to protect the orphans of the Wu family!"
Hai Xiya couldn't help but sigh: "No one would have thought of it, right? I remember when I first heard the news, Lao Cao complained..."
When news of the fire in Kunning Palace and the disaster of the Wu family reached Suzhou, it was already half a year after the incident. Therefore, even the rumors of the Empress Dowager Zhou sealing the palace and the Zhou family's children stationed in various border towns had heard about it. When Cao Gengyun first heard about it, he couldn't help but get angry and complained a few times to the people around him.
He believed that the emperor obviously favored the Sun family, and many of his actions were very excessive. If the queen mother could open her mouth to intervene, the emperor would still have some scruples and would not dare to go too far. But the Queen Mother closed the door and stood aside, and the Emperor and the Sun family became more and more unrestrained. She can live a leisurely life herself, but what about the people who are being persecuted by the Sun family in both the government and the public? They want to ask for help, but they can't find it!
Cao Gengyun's words were too resentful, but he was not the only one among the Wu clan's former students who were also exiled to the border town at that time to think so. Everyone felt in their hearts that even if the Queen Mother Zhou was not the emperor's biological mother and had a bad relationship with the emperor, as long as the emperor still wanted to have a reputation of filial piety, he could not completely ignore the Queen Mother and would still take into account the Queen Mother's words and deeds. If the Queen Mother is willing to take care of the Emperor, the Emperor cannot be too partial to the Sun family. Then the loyal ministers Qingliu in the court will have a chance to breathe.
But if even the Queen Mother closes the palace and stops interfering in the affairs of the former harem, what will the loyal ministers Qingliu who are unwilling to cling to the Sun family do?
The exiled former members of the Wu clan were filled with resentment, but it was Xie Wenzai who persuaded them to calm down.
They were too embarrassed for Queen Mother Zhou. After the emperor ascended the throne, his attitude towards the Queen Mother Zhou and the Zhou family was no longer as good as before. If the Empress Dowager's words were effective, the legitimate prince born to Empress Wu would have been established as heir long ago. How could it be that both mother and son died tragically in the fire at Kunning Palace? The emperor did not intend to investigate the real culprit, but instead said, "The dryness of the sky caused the fire." Just prevaricate the conclusion? Although this emperor also cares about his reputation, after the Sun family came to power, they purged the Yushitai and controlled the officials who remembered the records. If he could appoint a filial prince as the crown prince and keep his reputation after his death, what else should he fear?
Although the Queen Mother Zhou was the Queen Mother, she had no children and did not have a deep relationship with the emperor. When the Zhou family was already jealous of the emperor because of its military power in the northwest frontier, it was understandable that the Queen Mother Zhou temporarily shunned the Sun family for the sake of the family after the death of her niece Empress Wu. Moreover, the Zhou family is located in the northwest and has always only guarded the territory and has not been involved in government affairs. What does the dispute between Wu and Sun in the former harem have to do with the Zhou family? Even if Queen Wu is the granddaughter of the Zhou family, what she represents is not the interests of the northwest.
The Zhou family only needs to guard the northwest frontier.
Empress Dowager Zhou only had to stabilize the military power and status of the Zhou family in the northwest.
With this idea in mind, the old man of the Wu family accepted the decision of Empress Dowager Zhou to close the palace and become autistic. Unexpectedly, the purpose of Empress Dowager Zhou's doing this was to protect the two orphans of the Wu family.
Hai Xiya sighed and asked Xie Wenzai: "When Lao Cao comes back, do you want to tell him about this? It will save him from thinking about it all the time."
Xie Wenzai smiled bitterly: "It's hard to let too many people know about this. The news of the surviving Wu family orphans is still a secret in Beijing, and not many people know about it. Even if they have arrived in Chang'an now, the news can't leak out too quickly. . The Sun family will probably send people to Chang'an City. For the sake of the safety of the two children of the Wu family, we'd better keep it a secret for now."
If it weren't for the sake of confidentiality, why would the Cheng'en Marquis Mansion be so careful to let the Crown Prince take his two children as a cover, and add Du Qi as a second layer of cover, before secretly sending the three Wu family members all the way to Chang'an City? They were also worried that if the news leaked out, the Sun family would send people to harm the two children!
Hai Xiya was a little confused: "The emperor has decreed that Wu Wen'an was posthumously granted the title of Duke, and he also pardoned the exiled Wu family's former relatives, and re-employed the Wu family's relatives and friends in the court. None of the Sun family could stop them at first. Does the Emperor’s will still hurt the orphans of the Wu family now? What can these two children do to hinder them?!"
"Mrs. Gui said this was Concubine Sun's intention." Xie Wenzai paused, "When the emperor just issued the decree to posthumously confer the title of Duke Wu Wen'an, Mrs. Gui once asked the Queen Mother for orders to take her daughter out of the palace and return to the palace to live. Although The Wu family's mansion has been burned down, but the original site is still there. It would be good to spend some money to rebuild the house. But the Queen Mother thought twice and refused. Because the death of the sixth prince was somewhat unclear, Concubine Sun was suspicious all day long, thinking that it was The Wu family was seeking revenge, and they suspected that Cining Palace was involved. Originally, the Wu family was dead, and the Queen Mother had tolerated it for many years, so there was no reason to harm the only royal heir. The death of the sixth prince could not be related to the Queen Mother. But if the Sun family knew about Wu The three surviving members of the family have been living in Cining Palace, so it’s hard to explain this.”
In fact, Queen Mother Zhou suspected that Concubine Sun might have noticed something, so she repeatedly targeted herself, Concubine Xu Xian, and the Marquis Chengen Mansion outside the palace. There were several late-night visitors to Chengenhou Mansion last year. Although they stayed for a short time each time and were discovered and driven away by the nursing staff, no one could guarantee that they did not discover the Wu family living in the mansion.
Therefore, the Empress Dowager Zhou rushed to ask her brother Chengenhou to send the Wu family to Chang'an. This was not just because of her poor health. It was precisely because the Wu family could not prove their innocence in the death of the sixth prince, and the Empress Dowager Zhou could not seek the emperor's grace, that she had no choice but to turn to her natal family for help. Except for the northwest where the Zhou family is located, there is no place in the world that can shelter these two children.
Hai Xiya frowned when he heard this: "The death of the Sixth Prince...can't be related to the Wu family, right? They live in Cining Palace and hide it from the outside world. How can they just walk around in the palace? Besides, The Wu brothers and sisters are still children. They were even younger when the sixth prince died, so how could they have harmful intentions?"
Xie Wenzai sighed: "Mrs. Ke Gui is not a child, and she hates the Sun family deeply. The Sun family will definitely doubt her."
The Gui family lost their husband and eldest son in the Wu family fire, their natal family was demoted from the capital, and their father died in depression. Although the lives of the brothers were safe, their futures were bleak. Even though the emperor had re-enlisted old relatives and friends from the Wu family in recent years, he did not think of returning. The family comes. Gui, her daughter and nephew lived in seclusion in the backyard of the palace for many years, and were not allowed to see outsiders. Her temperament had long since changed. The blood feud between her and the Sun family cannot be erased by a few years of peaceful life. And if the sixth prince establishes a heir apparent, the Sun family's power and position will no longer be shaken. If the Gui family is eager for revenge, it is not impossible to directly cut off the future of the Sun family.
Even if Queen Mother Zhou and Marquis Chengen don't think so, the Sun family will think so.
Hai Xiya asked in a low voice: "Then what did Mrs. Gui say in front of Duke Zhen?"
"She said that she had never done it. She had been living with her daughter in the small courtyard of Cining Palace in the palace. She had never gone out and never met outsiders." Xie Wenzai also lowered his voice, "But she also said that Queen Wu was in charge She has been in the Sixth Palace for many years and is deeply loved by the people in the palace. If any of the palace people are grateful to her for her kindness in the past and cannot stand the domineering behavior of Concubine Sun and the Sixth Prince, it is natural for them to do justice for heaven..."
Hai Xiya was stunned: "What does she mean by this? Does she know who killed the sixth prince? The palace servant who was kind to Queen Wu during her lifetime?"
"Who knows?" Xie Wenzai pursed her lips, "She is only willing to reveal so much..."
He wasn't feeling very good. The Empress Dowager Zhou and the Marquis Cheng'en have sheltered the Gui family, mother and daughter, and Wu Ke for many years. Why does the Gui family seem not to be honest with the Zhou family and seems to have deep resentment?
(End of chapter)
