Shipin Dalizheng

Chapter 366 The Sealed Curse

After all, it is not difficult to get Xiao Zhenyue back. With his current status, as long as he is willing to negotiate, many people will give him face.

Isn't it just throwing money at something? If money can be used to accomplish something, it's not a big deal.

On the other hand, Xu Yingniang's pregnancy also reminded him that there were many new army officers getting married at the same time, and the next generation would be the heirs of the new army, so he had to pay attention to it. So he assigned this matter to Nanny Xing to handle.

Everyone thought that Rong Tang paid a huge price to redeem people so that they could marry off the officers of the new army, but Nanny Xing knew that the people the uncle really wanted to redeem were those poor women, so she happily accepted the job.

Next, they would prepare to welcome Madam Rong's tablet back to the ancestral hall. Rong Tang had turned down many family invitations under the pretext of celebrating the anniversary, but during this time, he heard that several families who had shown interest in each other at the previous matchmaking banquet had begun exchanging gifts.

Two days later, Gu Zhongxun came to visit. When they met, he bowed deeply and said, "My cousin wanted to come in person, but I thought it was inappropriate, so I came to thank you on his behalf."

The arrival of the Prince of Huai in person would signal to others that the Earl of Jian'an was now the Prince of Huai's man. Although the Prince of Huai also hoped so, Gu Zhongxun dissuaded him.

He said, "Cousin, Rong Tang doesn't want to cause trouble. Both Prince Rui and Prince Yong have offended him. As long as you don't provoke him and he doesn't go against you, it's already a great support."

Prince Huai agreed with this and insisted on listening to advice. He had seen clearly over the past year that Prince Rui's scheme against Rong Tang had failed and he had only gained an enemy for nothing. Prince Yong's faction bullied Consort Xian and was at odds with Rong Tang. As long as he didn't provoke him, he wouldn't be an enemy.

Although the person did not come in person, the gifts he brought were very generous. After Rong Tang looked at the gift list, he knew that he had indeed helped Prince Huai a lot, so he happily accepted it.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

If Rong Tang wanted to know, he had his own ways to find out, but the risk of the palace's spies moving around was a big deal, and he didn't want to cause trouble.

Gu Zhongxun bowed again, "Thanks for your reminder."

It turned out that the three princes had their own agenda when they went to the Zheng residence that day. They might be reluctant to let Wang Fu marry their principal wife, but they were willing to give her the position of a concubine. They all thought that Wang Fu was old and severely disabled, and no noble in the capital would be willing to marry her. So they could take this opportunity to ask for an imperial decree to grant her a marriage.

Being a royal concubine would not be a disgrace to Wang Fu. Raising a disabled person in the palace would not only gain the support of the prime minister, but also help solve a problem for his father, the emperor, and his mother, the queen. It was like killing two birds with one stone.

However, Prince Huai had been reminded by Rong Tang and was cautious. Yesterday, when the three brothers came to the palace to pay their respects as usual, Prince Rui and Prince Yong successively requested an imperial decree to grant them marriages, but Prince Huai remained silent.

The emperor remained calm at first and asked him, "Nangong Huai, do you think so too?"

Prince Huai shuddered, calling out his father's full name. This was a sign of his father's extreme anger. He knelt down hastily, "Father, I don't have such thoughts. I have a deep relationship with my principal wife, and I have no intention of taking a concubine into the palace at the moment. Besides, even if I were to take a concubine, it can't be Miss Wang!"

"Why, do you think she is disabled?"

Prince Huai was practically sweating profusely, and in a panic he said, "Miss Wang has been favored by our father, the Emperor, and our mother, the Empress, since she was young. She is also two years older than me, and I have always treated her as my elder sister, never harboring any inappropriate thoughts."

Emperor Xuanning looked at him inquiringly for a long time, and finally said, "You are quite good. Please kneel down and pay your respects first."

Prince Huai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and ran out. Not long after he ran, he heard the sounds of banging and smashing coming from the imperial study, as well as the wailing of Prince Rui and Prince Yong.

By noon, he had heard that Prince Rui and Prince Yong had each been beaten with thirty boards. He also heard that the Empress had issued an imperial edict to reprimand the two consorts, saying they were not virtuous enough to hold their husbands' hearts. She had also given each of them several concubines, all of whom were retired maids, with looks and figures reminiscent of maids.

Rong Tang burst out laughing and managed to hold it back with great difficulty.

Gu Zhongxun asked seriously, "Marquis Jian'an, how do you know that we can't bring up the matter of granted marriage?"

"Don't ask for the specific reason, I don't know either. All I know is that His Majesty wants his son to marry Miss Wang, and he issued an edict long ago. He'd rather have a marriage between the two than have his son marry Miss Wang, which means Miss Wang can marry anyone except a member of the royal family."

Although it was not explicitly stated, the implication was already very obvious. Wang Fu was not a peerless beauty, and no matter how powerful Prince Huai was, he could not go against the will of heaven.

So this time, he did nothing and won over his brothers again. The emperor didn't like Prince Rui and Prince Yong, so he, who was not outstanding, became the stunning one.

"Master Gu, regarding the curse on Miss Wang, I hope you can explain it clearly so that I can avoid a pitfall."

Gu Zhongxun was stunned for a moment. This matter was forbidden to be discussed, but Rong Tang wanted to know, and Concubine Xian would also tell him. If he spoke out himself, he could do himself a favor.

"I heard that Miss Wang was healthy and painless when she was born. A few months later, she fell seriously ill. After she recovered, her body began to deteriorate. Her legs and feet became weak, and she had difficulty walking. The Empress invited a Taoist priest named Tianjizi to see Miss Wang. He said that Miss Wang was sealed with a curse. If the curse was broken, it would be a disaster for Great Viet. The world would be turned upside down. The only way to suppress the curse is the Empress's favor."

Rong Tang laughed sarcastically, "How ridiculous! This Tianjizi is telling fortunes everywhere, spouting nonsense. He's not afraid of the consequences."

Gu Zhongxun was stunned. "Lord Jian'an, please don't talk nonsense. Tianjizi is a Heavenly Master."

"Alright, Master Gu, there's no such thing as a curse in this world. Miss Wang is just a poor woman who's been disabled by illness. Her condition shouldn't be uncommon among the common people, but ordinary people don't have the ability to save the child when it first becomes ill, so she dies early. That's why we don't see it that often."

"This... is this what Doctor Zhang said?"

Rong Tang said vaguely, "He was the one who rescued Miss Wang back then, so he has the final say. When you encounter something you don't understand, don't trust other people's nonsense. And when you see Miss Wang in the future, don't act like you've seen a ghost. It's too hurtful."

He now understood why Wang Fu had such an extreme personality. With a disease like hers, it was difficult for an ordinary person to survive. That was why everyone thought she was the only disabled person in the world, and they artificially imposed such a vicious curse rumor on her. It would be strange if she wasn't perverted.

Although Gu Zhongxun didn't understand, he forced himself to listen to Rong Tang. It was purely a matter of intuition. "I'll listen to you. Whatever you say, I'll do it."

Since that was the case, Rong Tang was not polite. "Why not let Prince Huai do something to bring Xiao Zhenyue back to the capital. He is the brother of my subordinate's wife and also your long-time friend. Take this opportunity to bring him back. We can still be good friends."

Gu Zhongxun gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, there's no need to ask my cousin for help. I'll ask my father for help. Lord Xiao and his wife are both dead, and what his family did wasn't a capital crime. I think my father would be willing to do them a favor."

That's how it is. As long as it doesn't harm themselves, most people are willing to build more connections. Xiao Zhenyue has a brother-in-law who is a seventh-rank military officer, and Rong Tang is willing to cover for him. Even if it's just because Rong Tang helped Prince Huai, Earl Zhongqin is willing to help.

After sending Gu Zhongxun away, Xiao Jinyue, who had been recuperating in the mansion for two days, learned that Rong Wanli had already started to find ways to save her brother. Under Rong Wanli's careful care, she gradually recovered.

Ten days later, Madam Rong's tablet was placed in the ancestral hall. After a busy day, the three masters of Rongjia Village took advantage of Rong Tang's free time to gather in his study again and tell him another secret.

"Li Jin, he is also a descendant of Rong Zheng."

The third master said.