HMAM CH 34 Chaotic Night
The more Madam Xu looked, the more satisfied she was with Yang Ziran. During the past two days of the autumn hunt she often went to drink tea and chat with Madam Li. Seeing that the other also seemed to have the same intention, she became more and more sure of her choice.
Zhao Miaoling had been a little affected ever since she saw the second son of the Yang family that day. It was not that she thought he could compare with Gu Hong, but that the fact such a handsome young man who attracted the attention of the ladies was always joking and making her laugh satisfied her vanity.
She also knew that she, despite being eighteen-year-old and still not yet engaged, was considered rare among the families of officials and nobles.
Only Zhao Mingde felt something was fishy: "The Yang family has always kept their mouth shut and never got involved in faction disputes. If the second son of the Yang family marries the daughter of my Zhao family, they will unavoidably belong to my Zhao family faction. Old man Yang does not appear to be that easy to talk to."
"Now that husband commands popular support, and they see the momentum is good, so naturally they are willing to be a fence-sitter." Madam Xu smiled as she prepared the hairpins for her daughter to use for tomorrow's hunting banquet. "Isn't the Yang family a loyal family? When they become our in-laws, are you afraid that they will fall out with us?"
Zhao Mingde thought about it and felt it made sense, so he did not say anymore.
This was the last day of autumn hunting. In the afternoon, Madam Li and her maid came over to have tea with Madam Xu.
"Tonight is His Majesty's banquet. Will sister be attending the banquet?"
Madam Xu fingered the embroidered handkerchief in her hand and said with a smile, "It's a must to go to the emperor's banquet. What's the matter? Is there a new curiosity?"
Madam Yang smiled and said: "A servant came to report this morning and said that a sister of mine from Jiangnan sent me a white jade Buddha. It is in excellent condition and I would like to invite sister to come and have a look."
Madam Xu loved to collect jade Buddha. She couldn't help but become interested and said, “Truly? Then I shall go and have a look."
Madam Li appeared troubled: "But the banquet..."
“The banquet is of no importance." Madam Xu waved her hand, and without waiting for Madam Li's suggestion, she turned to the maid and said, "Go and tell the young lady to clean up. We will go back to the capital early."
Madam Li smiled as she watched the maid walk away, a flash of something appearing deep in her eyes.
Night fell.
This feast was no different from the one on the first night of autumn hunting. Other than the fact that the faces of the young people were a little more tired and excited after hunting, everything was as usual.
Jing Ye sat quietly in front of the low wine table, watching the people below clicking cups and drinking wine.
In the second half of the banquet, Zhao Mingde stood up and said: "Your Majesty, allow this subject to offer something to Your Majesty."
Jing Ye put his elbows on the armrests and said with a smile, "What is it?"
Zhao Mingde waved his sleeves and two children carrying a bronze wine vessel half a person's height walked over. When the copper lid was lifted, the light of wine flickering could be seen.
Zhao Mingde said: "This subject offers you this 'State Wine' with hopes that Your Majesty will be a wise monarch who uses wise ministers."
Jing Ye nodded in understanding: "Zhao Qing is considerate." Then he raised his hand and said, “Serve the wine."
The palace servant then took the jade cup from Jing Ye's wine table and stepped forward. The boy carrying the wine held a long ladle to scoop out the wine and gradually filled the jade cup.
Zhao Mingde stood at the foot of the dais, looking up at the little emperor with a calm expression.
The palace servant turned around and handed it to Jing Ye. Jing Ye took the wine, raised his cup to Zhao Mingde, and flashed a very clear smile.
Zhao Mingde looked at his calm expression and suddenly felt something was wrong.
The little emperor threw back his head and swallowed all the wine. Then he looked at the ministers. Suddenly his eyes widened and he spit out a mouthful of blood.
The wine was poisoned!
The ministers were frightened, and several loyal ministers immediately stood up and shouted "Protect His Majesty!". The timid madams and ladies also screamed, and the soldiers standing guard on all sides drew their swords.
There was chaos and panic.
Zhao Mingde was a man who had been through storms. Seeing this sudden incident, it was better to retreat than to advance. He rushed to the throne while the palace servants were panicking, hugged Jing Ye's body lying on the wine table and shouted: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
The emperor's face was pale, with blood stains on the corners of his mouth. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at him with a tranquil gaze.
Zhao Mingde's pupils dilated.
The dagger was hidden in the emperor's sleeve. The moment he hugged the emperor, it penetrated his heart without any hindrance.
"You..." Zhao Mingde looked at Jing Ye. He had never thought, not even now, that the emperor would kill him like this.
"You…"
Jing Ye had no expression, lowered his head and said softly: "This way of dying is quite decent, Zhao Qing."
Yang Manor in the capital.
Madam Xu was sitting in the room, looking at the embroidered uniform guards outside the door, with a face full of panic: "Sister, this is..."
Madam Li still looked gentle and docile as she said with a smile: "Sister, there is no need to panic. A servant just came to report that some rebel remnants of the previous dynasty had appeared at the autumn hunting banquet. His Majesty sent these people to prevent us and other female family members from being threatened. The Yulin Guards will protect us."
"Re-, really?" Madam Xu forced a smile, feeling her temples twitching and painful, "Then Miao Ling and the others..."
Madam Li looked at her and said with a smile: "Miao Ling and Yu Ying are together. Don't worry, sister. As soon as the rebels are captured I will personally send you back to your home. The white jade Buddha will also be gifted to sister to help get over the shock."
Madam Xu listened to her words of comfort for a while, but no matter how uneasy she felt, she could only remain silent.
Almost an hour later, someone from the Yulin Guards entered the room and saluted Madam Li.
Madam Li understood. She stood up and smiled at Madam Xu: "The rebels have been captured. I will take sister back home now."
Madam Xu saw that her expression was gentle and she didn't seem to be pretending, so she got up and left the house as she was told, and got into the carriage with her. Seeing that the carriage was surrounded by guards from her own manor, she finally felt at ease.
Zhao Miaoling also got into another carriage with Yang Yuying, the daughter of Madam Li.
The wheels rolled, driving all the way towards Zhao Manor.
Late at night.
In front of the main entrance of the Zhao Manor, the coachman lifted up the curtain, and Madam Xu got out of the carriage with the help of her maid. Madam Li smiled, still in the carriage and said, "It's already late night, so forgive sister for returning home first."
Madam Xu nodded. Zhao Miaoling got off the carriage and looked at the tall door wall of her home in front of her. She felt a little uneasy and couldn't help but take a few steps forward and stand behind Madam Xu.
The servant boy stepped forward and knocked on the door, shouting: "Madam is back, open the door!"
There was a sound of footsteps from the other side, and then someone pulled the door in, and the door opened. Madam Xu held the handkerchief in one hand and entered the door surrounded by maids and servants.
There were very few people along the way, and Madam Xu's heart lifted little by little. When she walked into Qingbin Hall where she lived, it suddenly sank.
She saw maids and manservants kneeling all over the hall, a few old maids were sitting on footstools, and at the front kneeled all the madams and ladies of the manor.
Meng Qiucui sat on the main seat in the hall, holding a cup of hot tea with a leisurely attitude. When she saw Madam Xu coming in, she smiled and said, “We've been waiting for you for a long time, sister."
On the night of the last day of autumn hunting, the common people shut their doors tightly and looked through the cracks in the windows at the columns of Imperial Guards walking back and forth on the street.
How many officials' families and servants woke up from their sleep, only to see groups of silent and solemn soldiers, sealing off the entire manor.
The officials’ tents in the distance were already in chaos, but the imperial tent was still peaceful.
Jing Ye placed down a chess piece and looked at the chessboard again, smiling: "I lost again."
Feng Ling placed down a white chess piece and said, "If Your Majesty was not distracted, you will naturally have a chance to win."
Jing Ye looked at his slender jade-like fingers, shook his head and said, "It's a mess outside."
Feng Ling lowered his eyes and said after a while: “Your Majesty summoned this subject here just to play chess to relieve fatigue?"
Jing Ye smiled and said, “That's right, tonight is a sleepless one." Then he started to pick up the white pieces on the chessboard, "As there is nothing else to do, let's play another game."
Feng Ling lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Lin Xiaosheng was sitting in another tent, flipping through the account books. Behind Ye Mao was a young eunuch who came in with a pile of account books and said, "Everything gongzi wants is here."
Lin Xiaosheng raised his head, took the book he handed over, and said, "Thank you. Gonggong doesn't need to go to the imperial tent to serve His Majesty?"
Ye Mao smiled and said: "His Majesty is playing chess with Lord Feng, there is nothing for me to do."
Lin Xiaosheng raised an eyebrow and said, “Lord Feng?"
"That's right." Ye Mao sighed and said, “His Majesty is a hard-faced but soft-hearted person. Although he has not been as close to Lord Feng in the past two months as he was a while ago, he still thinks of him."
Lin Xiaosheng frowned slightly.
There had been a commotion outside for more than two hours. Don’t know how many officials have been arrested. According to Gu Hong, it was better to kill by mistake than let go any guilty. Those neutral factions in the court, such as the Dou family, Feng family, etc., although they were not members of the Zhao family faction, it was still absolutely impossible not to be affected. No matter what, they would have to be imprisoned for a few days at least.
But Jing Ye summoned Feng Ling to his side. In this way, he and the Feng family could be completely pulled out of this chaos without a single loss.
Actually protecting that person like this?
Lin Xiaosheng smiled and lowered his head.