Around the time of the autumn harvest, many things happened in Lin 'an, the capital of the Wu dynasty.
After the shame of Jingping, the martial arts of the Southern dynasty began to flourish. This year, the Martial Champion Ceremony was carried out vigorously in the capital, attracting a large number of chivalrous men to the capital. The influx of people with swords and sabers made the security of the capital a little chaotic, but the various actions of the chivalrous men also evolved into various fascinating stories in the mouth of storytellers. Not long ago, the famous prostitute Lin Susu fell in love with a Jianghu hero, causing the two Jianghu heroes to meet at the top of the city wall. The matter caused an uproar and became a much-told story.
While the Martial Champion Ceremony was going on, the flourishing literary meetings in Lin 'an were unwilling to be left behind. At this time, the academies that gathered in Lin' an had their own activities. Several large-scale patriotic literary meetings were held in Lin 'an, causing a sensation for a while. Several famous poems were written, generous and upright, and were widely sung by the women in the brothels.
The prevalence of the literary and martial atmosphere washed away the decadent atmosphere of the Northern Wu period for a while, and there was even a faint atmosphere of prosperity. At least in the eyes of the literati, the generosity of the current society was far better than the singing and dancing of more than ten years ago. With the beginning of the autumn harvest, a group of bandits near the capital, including Wang Xigui, were also arrested under the encirclement of the soldiers, and then beheaded in the capital, which greatly inspired the people.
A large number of shops, restaurants, and workshops were opened. The prosperity of the business near Lin 'an had caused the city to expand at an alarming rate. At this time, its prosperity had actually surpassed that of Bianliang, which had been operating for two hundred years. In the brothels, the stories of scholars and beauties were spread every day, and the anecdotes of the officials in the court would from time to time become the gossip of the people in the capital. Amidst the lively atmosphere, there was a matter that was also mixed in. During this period of time, it became an interesting topic of discussion for many people.
The son-in-law, Qu Zonghui, had committed a crime.
At the end of June, the son-in-law took a fancy to a northern girl while playing with flowers. There was an accident when they bullied each other, and the girl was accidentally killed. His companions and followers tried to resolve the matter, but the girl's parents were unyielding and refused to let it go. In this way, the matter became a case of the extermination of the family. Later, the capital governor found out, and the matter reached the heavens.
In the capital, the investigation and reporting of all kinds of cases had its own procedures. If it was so simple, when it was reported, it might not have become so big. However, it was hard to say how the princess felt when the prince consort did such a thing. When it was reported, the eldest princess flew into a rage and sent the prince consort to prison. Qu Zonghui's family was also a prominent family of the Southern Nation. They hurriedly came to plead for leniency, and soon, the matter was spread.
After that, some unexpected news came out one after another, which led the whole thing in an unexpected direction.
The Emperor's son-in-law had committed such a heinous crime. Although it was detestable, as the discussion deepened, many people gradually understood the situation of the Emperor's son-in-law. If this was just of the husband and wife, it of the emperor, the rumor was that it of the emperor of the emperor, of the emperor emperor, it of the emperor, of the Emperor of the Emperor, of of the Emperor, of the Emperor, the Princess, If one were to say that this was just a normal matter of husband and wife not getting along well, then from the day they got married, the Princess had never shared the same room with the Prince Consort. Until now, the rumor that she had never let the Prince Consort come close to her really added a layer of fire to this situation.
The man who was chosen to be the Prince Consort was looked down upon by his wife from the day he got married. He had not slept with his wife for ten years, so the Prince Consort gradually gave up on himself. As he became more and more depressed, the Princess Residence did not care at all and allowed him to do as he pleased. What she had done was indeed hateful, but apart from that, was there a problem with the Eldest Princess's actions? Gradually, this kind of discussion began to ferment among the people.
Although it was not the time to kill people based on etiquette, women's virtues were still important. Qu Zonghui's case was coming to a conclusion, and there was nothing more to say. However, the First Princess's arrogance was unbearable. The scholars shook their heads. Even the girls in the brothel felt that the First Princess had gone too far when they talked about it. In the early days, the First Princess's thunderous behavior of putting the Prince Consort in prison naturally could not be seen as selfless at the moment. Instead, it was more like getting rid of a burden and taking the opportunity to kill him. As a wife, it was really not right to treat her husband like this.
In such a discussion, the bigger news gradually came. The change of Tian Hu's power had not been spread on a large scale because of the deliberate control. General Yue's second great victory in Xiangyang was reported one after another, which stirred up the atmosphere in Lin 'an. In a short period of time, it suppressed the gossip of the Prince Consort …
*****
The sun was warm, and the leaves were golden. When most of the people in Lin 'an were attracted by the great victory in the north, it was impossible to skip over what had happened. In the palace, every day, officials and famous people came and went, and all kinds of things were involved. After all, the Prince Consort and the Qu Family occupied a considerable part of this period of time. On this day, in the imperial study, as a father, the sigh also sounded several times.
"… Fortunately, the great victory of Minister Yue's family in Xiangyang offset some of the discussion of this matter. But you have been married for ten years. This matter is not good for your reputation after all … The Qu Family has run back and forth many times. Yesterday, his grandfather came and knelt on the ground to plead with me. This is all the friendship when we were in Jiangning. You are married and don't like him. After so many years, I won't say it. But, how to explain this matter if he is killed? What is the matter in the eyes of others? Daughter, you can't get anything good … "
With his hands behind his back, Emperor Zhou Yong sighed while earnestly persuading. As an emperor for eight years, the current Jianshuo Emperor was also quite dignified. He had shed the casual and reckless behavior when he first ascended the throne. But in the face of this twenty-seven-year-old daughter in front of him, he still felt worried.
On the opposite seat, Zhou Pei's gaze was calm, and she seemed a little tired. She listened until Zhou Yong paused, then spoke in a low voice.
"Father, killing him is for the dignity of the imperial law."
Her tone was not high, and Zhou Yong couldn't help but sigh in his heart. To be honest, Zhou Yong was more concerned about his son than he was about his daughter. Naturally, there were complicated reasons for this. When he first became Emperor, Zhou Pei was seen by Kang Xian and Zhou Xuan as their successor. She took over the responsibility of Princess Cheng's Residence. Zhou Pei was independent and resourceful. When Zhou Yong occasionally thought about the mess at Princess Cheng's Residence, and then thought about himself, he understood that it was best for him not to meddle.
When he was a prince, he was not a proper gentleman. He did things recklessly and had no sense of responsibility. But the only good thing was that he had some self-awareness. His daughter was strong and had her own opinions. He was too lazy to see her. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Listen, how low and listless her voice was. For a woman, an unhappy marriage was really sad.
As for the dignity of the imperial law, he felt it was a bit pretentious and waved his hand.
"Yes, yes, yes. Let them judge the capital governor's case. I just want to have a chat with you. Don't make our relationship with the Qu family so stiff. After all, they helped us when we came up. We have scolded them. Yesterday, we slammed the table and scolded them. We told them: For Qu Zonghui, you came here. We understand. We are not an unreasonable person. But the rumors outside are about the southerners and northerners. Now, they want to tarnish the reputation of the Eldest Princess. We have to kill a bunch of these people! F * ck! Who are they! "
Zhou Yong imitated yesterday's demeanor. His words were harsh as he scolded. Then, he calmed down. "You don't have to worry about these. They are people with ulterior motives. We will help you."
Zhou Pei looked at him. "Thank you, Father. But it is only a private message. It cannot cover up the public's mouth. There is no need to kill. We should not kill. "
"Uh …" Zhou Yong thought about it. "The imperial censors like to join in the fun. The more they join, the more lively it becomes. We have to kill a bunch of them. Otherwise, the rumors about the Princess will spread all over the city! "
The imperial study was silent for a moment. Zhou Yong looked at Zhou Pei and said, "As for the southerners and northerners, Daughter, Father should say one more thing. Don't make it too intense. Our roots are in the south. Although we are the Emperor now, we have to be impartial. There is no need to offend all the people in the south. Now that the rumors are not right, Minister Yue's family taking down Xiangyang is secondary. Tian Hu's matter is the real problem. The Black Flag is coming out of the mountains. We feel uneasy. Daughter, even if we really want to attack the north in the future, the rear must be stable. It cannot be without stability. "
He thought that his daughter would refute him. Unexpectedly, Zhou Pei nodded. "Father is right. Daughter has been thinking about this matter. I have made many mistakes in the past few years."
In the past few years, Zhou Pei's expression and temperament had become more and more graceful and calm. Zhou Yong actually had some doubts. He didn't know if his daughter was being sarcastic. He looked at her and nodded. "Ah, there is nothing wrong with my daughter. It is just that the situation … the situation is not the same. How about this, We will let Qu Zonghui off … "
Zhou Pei raised her head. Zhou Yong looked over. The father and daughter looked at each other for a moment. Zhou Pei said, "Father, Daughter feels that this matter is inappropriate. If we let him off, what will happen to the family …"
"Daughter, there is no point in saying this." Zhou Yong frowned. "How about this? Qu Zonghui has a bad record. After this matter, We will divorce him for you. You can find someone you like to marry. How about that? You can find someone you like and tell Father. Father will arrange another marriage for you. That's it … "
Zhou Yong rambled on, and Zhou Pei looked at him quietly, not knowing what to say. For the past few years, the conversation between father and daughter had always seemed to be separated by a thin layer of estrangement. The main reason was that the two of them didn't think on the same level. She opened her mouth. "Thank you for your kindness, Father, but … there is no need …"
"It is my duty to make the decision for you. I was a fool back then and didn't care enough about you two. I thought that when Junwu inherited the throne, he would just be an idle prince in Jiangning. You would be the same. You would get married and take care of your husband and children … Who knew that you would become the emperor? You didn't like Qu Zonghui. You didn't know that at the time … "
After eight years as emperor, Zhou Yong had thought about many things. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't help but wonder if it was because he didn't care enough about his daughter's marriage and that someone else had set them up for each other. The father and daughter chatted for a while. When Zhou Pei left, Zhou Yong's head hurt. His daughter was his daughter, but a 27-year-old woman who hadn't had a man yet had such an eccentric temperament was really pitiful …
As Zhou Pei walked out, she only felt a chill in her heart. She was actually very tired these past few days. In the years after the imperial court moved south, the Wu dynasty's economy developed rapidly with Lin 'an as the center. The rich families in the south all got a share of the profits, and a large number of northerners who fled to the south were often reduced to slaves and beggars. Under such a tide, Junwu tried to give the refugees a way out, and Zhou Pei helped behind the scenes, intentionally or unintentionally. She said that she was fair and just, but in the eyes of others, she was just helping the northerners fight the southerners.
The counterattack this time was so sudden that no one had expected it. For several years, Zhou Pei had been in charge of such a large business. As she grew older, her temperament became calm again. It was impossible to say that she had a good reputation as a virtuous and gentle woman. It was just that people wouldn't say anything bad about the Eldest Princess before. Who knew that this time, because of Qu Zonghui, the rumors would be so fierce. A woman who was tough and shrewd, had no virtue, and had no children at the age of 27. Moreover, this time, she even wanted to kill her husband. In other people's mouths, it was a big crime like drowning people in a pig cage in the countryside.
Whether or not she had committed a crime could be reasonable, but the stigma on her character was another matter. Being condemned by thousands of people would end without a cause. Although Zhou Pei was intelligent, she was still a woman in her twenties. These days, she had been under pressure and it was difficult to speak. If she hadn't been rational, she would have abandoned the whole business and hidden in a place where no one was.
For a moment, she wanted to hold on with her tenacity. At the same time, she reflected on herself. If the royal family wanted to do things, they needed people's support. Now that the world was vaguely in chaos again, she wondered if she and Jun Wu had really done something wrong. In the past two years, she woke up crying again. The last time was the night she heard about Ning Yi's death. After that, she thought that she had no more tears.
But in the end, she did.
No matter how unforgettable a person was, the dead were gone, and the living had to move on.
On the way out, before they reached the palace gate, Zhou Pei saw Jun Wu walking briskly and dusty. He had probably rushed back from Jiangning because of this matter. Seeing his sister, the anger in the Crown Prince's eyes subsided a little. He smiled and greeted her.
"… I heard about Qu Zonghui. I'm going to talk to my father … The world is going to be in chaos. These short-sighted people are still fighting for their own interests. Now, they're despicable to tarnish my sister's reputation! I won't forgive them! By the way, sister, wait for me here. I'll talk to you when I come out … "
After saying that, they left in a grandiose manner. Zhou Pei waited in the nearby imperial garden for a while and saw Jun Wu come back angrily. His negotiation with his father probably didn't yield any results. In fact, in all fairness, Zhou Yong was extremely biased toward his children. But as an emperor, he had to be rational. He couldn't really do something like fighting the "southerners" for the "northerners".
However, although there was anger in his eyes, Jun Wu didn't seem to be discouraged. He had argued with Zhou Yong probably to express his stance. Now that he had found his sister, the two of them went to the city wall to have a heart-to-heart talk.
"… Black Flag has finally come out after two years of silence. I think he's going to do something big. I don't know how the golden men will react to Tian Hu's decapitation, but sister, do you know how Liu Yu will react … "
Jun Wu sounded excited, but Zhou Pei remained calm. "The spy said that Liu Yu has gone crazy again."
"That's right, Black Flag. Hehe … Liu Yu was driven crazy a few years ago. This time, when he heard about Black Flag, he got up in the middle of the night and ran around the palace with a stick, hitting everyone he saw. Oh yes, and what happened outside Xiangyang City. Sister, you know about it, right? Black Flag killed Lu Tuo … "
The two of them climbed the palace wall as they spoke.
"They brought the Piercing Flamethrowers, and the Piercing Flamethrowers are even more useful." Zhou Pei looked at him with a slightly bitter gaze and said, "But … Black Flag's still Black Flag's. Jun Wu, you shouldn't be so happy. "
"Ha." Jun Wu smiled awkwardly. He looked at his sister and thought about something. The two of them walked for a while. Jun Wu chatted casually for a while before he finally stopped.
"Sister," he said, "Master is still alive."
"… What?" Zhou Pei took two steps before she turned around. She was wearing an ivory dress, and her face was as white as the moon. She used her finger to block a strand of hair from her ear, but her clear eyes suddenly became a little empty.
Jun Wu repeated what he said.
"Ning Liheng … Ning Liheng is still alive …" he said. "… General Yue saw him."
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