The next day, the emperor’s decree to confer the title of Shunyang Prince on the eunuch Lan Huaiyu was announced to the world.
Half a year ago, there was a flood in Yangzhou. Lan Huaiyu led the decree to control the water and was extremely successful. Now, Yangzhou has been designated as his fiefdom.
Such a thing had never happened before and would never happen again. The emperor’s decree seemed to be a reward for meritorious officials, but who didn’t say in private that the emperor favored eunuchs?
Those who considered themselves to be of the pure stream faction quickly gathered, scolding the eunuchs for ruining the country. Even a group of censors prepared to die to persuade the emperor to withdraw the decree.
The Six Ministries were in a state of panic.
Chu Zheng, who served as a supervising secretary, was subdued this time.
That was his son-in-law, who was already powerful and now even more extraordinary. Was he out of his mind to impeach him?
But because he didn’t work together with his colleagues, he was quickly isolated.
In the former Eunuch’s Mansion, now the Shunyang Prince’s Mansion, Chu Zhiyi looked indifferently at the group of people sent by the palace with their chins raised high and their nostrils facing the sky.
In her previous life, the emperor conferred the title on Lan Huaiyu a month after his marriage. Who would have thought that it would come the next day this time?
She knew that the emperor trusted him extremely, and even when she entered the palace with him as Yingfeng, she even noticed that the emperor’s trust was not that simple, but rather some flattery and caution.
She still didn’t understand why, but those were not important. What was important was the people in front of her.
As soon as the imperial decree was issued, the empress sent this group of people over.
It seemed kind, but looking at these people’s faces, some were even familiar.
They were all serving by the empress’s side, and their hands were stained with blood, including palace maids, eunuchs, and unborn babies. They were all murderers.
In her previous life, she and the empress were considered allies. Although she looked down on her, she had never conflicted with her, but now…
And she didn’t quite understand why the empress was so determined to target Lan Huaiyu. He hadn’t sided with any prince, and even if she didn’t win him over with such great power, she shouldn’t offend him.
This servant’s surname is Li, and I have served by the Empress’s side for many years. The palace people respectfully call me Mother Li.
This servant is ordered by the Empress to teach the Princess of the Commandery the rules of the palace. Now that the Eunuch is the noble Prince of the Commandery, the Princess of the Commandery must also learn the rules of the clan so as not to embarrass her husband.
Mother Li’s nostrils were even bigger, and her eyebrows and eyes were full of meanness and arrogance.
This Chu family girl had only returned after living in the countryside for sixteen years. Regardless of whether she was Chu Zheng’s biological daughter, one look at her unadorned appearance was enough to know that she had no knowledge.
Dealing with such a country bumpkin, wasn’t it too easy? She would play her to death!
The Princess of the Commandery’s standing posture is not right. How can a woman stand with her arms crossed? She should fold her hands and let them hang down.
As she spoke, Mother Li personally demonstrated.
After demonstrating, she said, Please begin, Princess of the Commandery.
The six palace maids and two young eunuchs behind her naturally looked down on this country bumpkin, and they also caught sight of the two rough maids, Xiaochun and Xiaomei.
Mother Li, the Princess of the Commandery’s maids are really unsightly. How about we teach them a lesson on behalf of Mother?
Leave it to you.
The two young eunuchs immediately walked towards Xiaochun and Xiaomei, rolling up their sleeves with fierce eyes.
Wait a minute.
The girl opened her mouth, her clear voice pouring straight into the eardrums.
Mother Li’s nostrils were still facing the sky, looking like she was waiting for rainwater to irrigate them, What instructions does the Princess of the Commandery have? You can wait until noon. From today onwards, except for three meals and sleeping at night, you must listen to this servant talk about the rules.
I want to ask if the Empress is temporarily sending you here, or if she wants you to stay in the mansion all the time?
Naturally, this servant can only return to the palace to report after the Princess of the Commandery has learned the rules and the Empress is satisfied.
Chu Zhiyi smiled, Very good!
Qingzhi hurried back from outside, heading straight for Heyuan, and then he saw many sausages hanging on the osmanthus tree outside the courtyard…
Upon closer inspection, they were not sausages at all, they were people hanging!
It was the group of people who came from the palace!
With their arms tied and hanging in the air, the arms of two of the palace maids were dislocated, making them look like they had grown taller.
Mother Li’s head was tilted to one side, and her tongue was sticking out, red and ugly, even more unsightly than a hanged ghost.
Blood was gushing from the nostrils of the two eunuchs, staining their entire fronts red, and two pools of what looked like berry jam were accumulating on the ground.
Qingzhi walked around, both panicked and amused. He thought that the Eunuch had heard in the palace that the Empress had sent people over, so he quickly called him back to the mansion, worried that the madam would not know how to deal with a group of wolves from the palace and would suffer a loss.
But the Eunuch never expected that the madam would be so bold, and was not one to suffer losses.
In the courtyard, Xiaochun and Xiaomei were picking up various valuables, some looted from the Chu family and some just found on Mother Li and the palace maids.
They were not very exquisite, but they could be exchanged for a lot of silver if they were sold.
Qingzhi didn’t quite understand what this meant, but he quickly ran to Chu Zhiyi, who was sitting on a rocking chair under the window.
Madam, this subordinate is late. I was ordered by the Eunuch to come back and tell Madam not to be afraid of the people in the palace. I didn’t expect you to act so quickly and accurately.
This kid had even learned to flatter?
You’re talking nonsense, I didn’t do anything. The people sent by the palace came to teach me the rules, but unfortunately, I’m really useless and can’t learn no matter how hard I try, so they all ran away.
Qingzhi: …
The girl supported her chin and said, So I have to ask the Empress to send more confidants to teach me. Of course, I don’t know if the people who are sent again will also run away.
Qingzhi immediately understood what she meant. As long as the Empress dared to send people here, the madam would dare to make them all disappear.
What courage!
He gave a thumbs up, Madam is mighty.
She nodded her chin, accepting his praise.
Looking again, Xiaochun and Xiaomei had already classified all the items, and Xiaoshun was recording them with paper and pen.
Qingzhi didn’t quite understand, What is Madam going to do?
Sell them.
Is Madam short of money? This subordinate can ask the housekeeper to send it over.
No need, I like to use the Chu family’s money.
When Qingzhi heard this, he thought, why was the madam being so polite?
Just as he was about to persuade her, he heard her say again, I like to use the money of my enemies.
…
Enemies?
Qingzhi didn’t quite understand for a moment, but after thinking about it, he seemed to understand, and secretly called out that it was not good.
The Eunuch was planning to give Chu Zheng benefits today, after all, he was his father-in-law. It was appropriate for the madam to give benefits to her father’s family, but it was also in line with her wishes.
But the madam actually said that the Chu family was her enemy. If the Eunuch really gave Chu Zheng benefits, wouldn’t the madam be angry?!
He ran away, scaring Xiaoshun and the three of them.
Chu Zhiyi, on the other hand, was used to Qingzhi’s rabbit-like personality, waved her hand and told the three of them to continue sorting and recording, and sell them in the afternoon to exchange for money.
Qingzhi returned in time and told Lan Huaiyu everything Chu Zhiyi had said.
Sure enough, his face, which had been ruddy with life, sank slightly.
Did she really say that?
Absolutely. So the so-called vendetta of the madam is probably also against the Chu Zheng family…
Qingzhi had been thinking about it all the way, was it because she had been lost outside for sixteen years and had a hard life, so she had resentment in her heart and wanted to take revenge?
But after all, they were her biological parents, who knew to what extent she would take revenge?
So the Eunuch had to weigh it carefully, otherwise it would be easy to offend her.
With that skill… if he really offended her, he probably wouldn’t get anything good.
Lan Huaiyu pondered for a moment but smiled, his indifference like cold jade occasionally showing gloom, but when he smiled, the gloom dissipated, surpassing the brilliance of the moon.
Since that’s the case, we should give Chu Zheng even greater benefits.