[R18] Will drink wine – “About Wine” Chapter 125 [English]

Chapter 120: Everything

There is no place for women in the court.

The laws of heaven drove her into the boudoir, and they became fragile objects in the small courtyard of the Red Mansion. They were cared for by monarchs, ministers, fathers and sons. When they were about to get married, they were like porcelain vases that were valued. They did not need to have any ambition to move them.

The Empress Dowager Hua Hewei came from a distinguished family. She was the legitimate daughter of a noble family of the Hua family. She had never seen the sky outside the wall before she was born. After she was born, she still guarded the deep courtyard wall.She took away the supreme power in the world from her husband, but she never stepped out of that line. Instead, she lowered the bead curtain and sat cautiously behind it.

Marshal Qi Zhuyin also came from a distinguished family. She was the legitimate daughter of a general of the Qi family. She had already made a promise before the war, but no one dared to marry her after the war.There was no reward that she deserved, only concessions in front of the Jade Dragon Platform. The Ministry of Rites said that she did not deserve the privilege of having her name enshrined in the temple after her death. The name Qi Zhuyin was still labeled as Qidong’s little girl. As long as Qi Shiyu’s sons worked hard, she would not be able to be the commander-in-chief of the army.

Xue Xiuzhuo had no intention of supporting Lingting at first. When he learned that the emperor’s heir was a daughter, his extreme disappointment made him immediately change his strategy.But when he saw Lingting, he changed his mind.

Because Lingting looks so much like Emperor Guangcheng.

Anyone who is old and has met Emperor Guangcheng can tell Lingting’s origin at a glance – she is an anomaly under the Li family.

During the Yongyi period, the East Palace collapsed, and the only reason Emperor Guangcheng left the palace was to visit the sick King Qin and his wife, who was as beautiful as a flower but could not resist.Emperor Guangcheng had no favored concubines in the late Yongyi years. After he fell ill, Hua Hewei, as the queen, took control of the former dynasty and the harem to prevent him from giving birth to another imperial heir.Within these layers of walls, Emperor Guangcheng set his sights on his daughter-in-law.

It’s a pity that Princess Qin gave birth to a girl.

Emperor Guangcheng was like an old lion who was working hard. After hearing the news, he didn’t even raise his eyebrows and completely gave up his ambitions.The King of Qin didn’t know if he had heard anything, but he died of illness not long after. Before his death, he threw Lingting out of the capital, but she seemed to be destined to be picked up by Xiangyun.

When Xue Xiuzhuo found Lingting, she behaved vulgarly and was already in her teens.Xue Xiuzhuo wanted to bring her back to the position of emperor’s heir. If he didn’t have the determination to debone her, he would never be able to do it.It was difficult at first. She had wasted too much time in Xiangyunfang and had to erase the unnecessary traces. If she was not determined enough, Xue Xiuzhuo would not be able to do it even if she had the power of heaven.

But Lingting actually “corrected” herself step by step.She scraped off those vulgar and frivolous things bit by bit from her body. At first she didn’t recognize many words, so she studied hard all night. If she couldn’t write well, she practiced day and night. She seemed to be the last remaining strength left by God to the Li family, allowing Xue Xiuzhuo to see a subtle light in the decadent situation.

A few months ago, damp rain and fog enveloped the albizia flowers. When Qi Huilian rejected Xue Xiuzhuo in the attic, Lingting was sitting on the table writing.

She wrote so hard that she almost broke the paper.

Lingting finished writing and looked sideways at the patter of rain.She looked at it for a long time without any expression.Later, Xue Xiuzhuo came to have dinner with Lingting. She sat at the bottom and ate very politely.Xue Xiuzhuo is very particular about eating without speaking, and they never speak while eating.After dinner, he will test Lingting’s homework. This is the top priority of the day, and Lingting must answer clearly and clearly.Xue Xiuzhuo never beat or scolded her, but he was harsher than anyone else.

“Sir,” Lingting paused for a moment before bowing her head and said, “Should I change my husband?”

Xue Xiuzhuo sorted out the book and said indifferently: “This matter is not yours to consider.”

Lingting was silent, leaning on her body, listening as Xue Xiuzhuo stood up and walked towards the door.She suddenly turned her face, looked at Xue Xiuzhuo, and said, “Is it because I am a woman?”

Xue Xiuzhuo stood still, turned around, and looked at Lingting.Lingting’s eyes will not dodge, and her calmness is exactly the same as Xue Xiuzhuo’s.

“I am a woman,” Lingting said. “If Mr. Xin refuses to teach me for this reason, then I ask to see him.”

Xue Xiuzhuo turned around again and changed his shoes.The sound of rain outside became louder, and he said, “No, you and he don’t have a teacher-student relationship. I will continue to teach you.”

“Fate is the most unforgivable thing. It’s hard to find a saint. I don’t want to miss a gentleman.” Lingting stood up and said, “Sir.”

But Xue Xiuzhuo ignored him and didn’t answer.He opened the curtain, and the boy waiting outside quickly held an umbrella. He didn’t let the servants touch the book, so he walked down the steps and left.

Lingting stood there and saw Xue Xiuzhuo shaking a few times through the gap in the curtain and then disappearing into the rain. She knew that this was Xue Xiuzhuo’s silent rejection.No matter how other people evaluate Xue Xiuzhuo, in Lingting’s eyes, he is extremely calm under his gentle and elegant mask. He is even a little arrogant, will not be manipulated by others, and has difficulty listening to what others say.

Lingting could only give up. She sat back, opened the policy papers left by Xue Xiuzhuo, and copied Xue Xiuzhuo’s handwriting.But she will never write like it, because she will not converge smoothly, and her strokes are like steel edges, and they will never make detours.

* * *

A few months later, the scorching sun scorched the Jade Dragon Terrace, where densely packed courtiers were kneeling, including officials from a humble family headed by Hai Liangyi.After six months, Han Cheng brought back a boy from his family and claimed that this boy was a descendant of the Li family.

Hai Liangyi’s condition improved under Yao Wenyu’s careful care. The first thing he did when he went to court was to reject Han Cheng’s confession as the Yuanfu of the cabinet and asked for the identity of the son to be publicly verified.But all the emperors of the Li family were dead, and the Queen Mother alone could not determine whether this son was a descendant of the Li family. The two sides reached a deadlock, and neither one was willing to give in another step.

“I was a fellow commander of the Eighth Battalion during the Yongyi period, and I was also the number one general under Lord Guangcheng. I have a private letter from Lord Guangcheng, Yuan Fu, isn’t this enough?” Han Cheng had gained power recently and dared to refute Hai Liangyi in the court.

Hai Liangyi’s energy was not as good as before after his illness. He would feel flustered and trembled after standing for a moment. He stepped out and said, “It’s empty words. If the commander is willing to make the private message public and submit it to the cabinet for review, you and I won’t have to have such a verbal dispute in the court.”

Han Cheng sneered in his heart. Now that there is no heir, the vacant throne is what Hai Liangyi should be worried about. If he refuses to give in, he must have already found a candidate, so he said: “Now that the throne has been vacant for more than a month, what else does Yuan Fu have to wait for? The cabinet has been debating it, but has it not come up with a charter?”

Hai Liangyi was sweating all over, and he felt a little tight in his chest, so he took a breath and said, “We reviewed the genealogy and found that the second son of the former concubine of King Yan is still in Huaizhou. This is traceable blood of the Li family. According to the rules, the current candidate for the crown prince must be he.”

“The King of Yan was the King of Huaizhou in the Wanxuan year. His direct lineage died in the battle at Luoxiaguan, and the descendants of the common people are all side branches. After careful calculation, how can it be called the blood of the Li family? The second son of King Yan’s concubine is almost 70 years old, how can he still be in charge?” Han Cheng said, “Besides, the road is long and bumpy. How can he withstand such a torment? Yuanfu, this matter cannot be discussed in detail!”

The two sides were arguing, and there were students from the Imperial College kneeling outside.The Queen Mother listened for a long time through the bead curtain and then said: “Although this matter is urgent, there is still room for discussion. The elder of the cabinet, the cabinet assistant, and the Ai family do not take anything lightly. If you have any objections, you can go to Mingli Hall to interview the Ai family and let the students disperse.”

She spoke softly, but Hai Liangyi could hear his displeasure.

Although Han Cheng strongly recommended this son, he always presented the proposal as a former colleague of the Eighth Camp, and did not let the officials of the famous family second the proposal.This is so that when things are done, the Han family can become the new emperor’s only support, and the second is to avoid suspicion.

These two are extremely important to avoid suspicion.

Hua Siqian and Pan Rugui both failed because they didn’t know how to avoid suspicion. Forming cliques for personal gain was a taboo in the DPRK.The Queen Mother has been back in power for a long time. She is now like an emperor. The most unseen thing is that her subordinates have gathered together to form a force that can coerce her into making decisions. Therefore, officials from poor families are not promoted to show goodwill, nor are officials from aristocratic families to consolidate their authority.She seems to understand that Da Zhou has reached a certain point. Instead of placing his hope on puppets like a few years ago, it is better to leave it to himself.

Hai Liangyi was ill for two months, during which time there was a lot of turmoil among the officials of the poor family. Headed by Kong Qiu and Cen Yu, they had many private discussions and repeatedly petitioned the Queen Mother to allow Hai Liangyi to return to the court to serve as director.Not only that, the Taixue students also dared to talk about state affairs. It was only June, and there were already rumors of the Queen Mother seizing power and becoming independent.

The Queen Mother did not speak openly to Hai Liangyi, but increased the number of visits from her eunuchs. This was a disguised urging, so Hai Liangyi only arrived in June, and as soon as his condition improved, he went to court.Although he has insisted that he has no party or faction in the past few decades, he has become the trend of the poor people in the world. This is something that he cannot deny even if he wants to deny it. He has become some kind of powerful “power”.

Hai Liangyi fell ill, and everyone in the world panicked.Hai Liangyi dismissed Han Cheng’s petition. Before the Empress Dowager responded, officials and students had been kneeling for a whole day.He unknowingly became the empress dowager’s worry, far more than the domineering Han Cheng.

Hai Liangyi supported his body and said: “The students of the Imperial College have the duty to discuss affairs, and the court is the place where the world is watching. Only when there is discussion can we make strategies. The Queen Mother is now in charge of the affairs diligently and personally involved in everything, but the officials are established to share the worries of the superiors and serve as directors. It is a blessing for the Zhou Dynasty that they worry about state affairs, and the affairs of the crown prince are not family affairs. I think that only by letting them here can we talk freely about the new emperor.”

It’s not stuffy in the hall, and there are bamboo curtains hanging everywhere to keep out the broken ice.For Hailiangyi, it is even a little cool.After he answered this, he stood with his head bowed. The queen mother behind the bead curtain was silent for a long time. She waited until Hai Liangyi’s legs and feet were sore before she answered slowly.

“Elder Ge is right, and the Ai family will listen to you. Regarding the second son of King Yan’s concubine, the Ai family has not seen the genealogy, so it is difficult to make a conclusion. But Han Cheng’s people have already arrived. Do you want the Dali Temple to investigate or the Ministry of Punishment to investigate? The Ai family listens to you.”