The daily life of a concubine's daughter

Chapter 205 The Two Kings Arrive

Several princes came together to pay their respects to the emperor, and they fought back and forth with open and covert attacks, and could only speak one sentence to get through several rounds of confrontation.

The old emperor watched the show for a while, then sent them all away and opened the memorials to review them.

The fourth prince, Zhou Shao, had been favored since childhood. He boldly stayed and obediently approached the emperor, serving him tea and ink, and being very attentive.

The emperor reviewed more than a dozen memorials in a row, raised his hand, and a teacup immediately came to his hand. He took two sips of tea to moisten his throat, then looked up at his attentive fourth son and asked with a smile:

"Why do you want to be a eunuch?"

Zhou Shao hurriedly patted the emperor's shoulder and said with a smile: "Father, I have something to report."

"explain."

"Today is the old Duke Zhenguo's 70th birthday. You have been his subject for many years."

"so what?"

Zhou Shao mustered up the courage to test: "Why not give me something as a reward?"

The old emperor hesitated for a moment and asked, "Are you asking me for the precious jewel in his family's hand?"

Zhou Shao's fists pounded faster: "I have just started school and I am learning about the Northwest War eighteen years ago. I admire the old Duke's bravery and fighting skills very much.

Now he is an old man, and although his children and grandchildren are not very capable, the old Duke has done nothing wrong. "

The emperor put down the memorial and said calmly, "If a son is not taught well, it is the fault of the father. As the Duke of Zhenguo, his biggest fault is that his family is not peaceful and his children are not capable of anything.

However, it is rare for a person to live to be seventy, and there are not many old ministers as old as him in the court, so he should be rewarded."

The emperor then issued an imperial decree, ordering Zhou Shao to take the decree to the Shi family to congratulate the old duke on his birthday.

Zhou Shao was overjoyed. He thought that his father still valued the Shi family, so his marriage with Shi Mingzhu became more certain.

He could still hold back in front of the emperor, but once he left the palace, his face lit up with joy.

The emperor shook his head, leaned back, and opened one of the twenty or so memorials that had been placed aside.

The old eunuch stepped forward and massaged the emperor's temples to relieve his headache.

The emperor looked through five or six of them and sighed, "Qin Shun, guess who these twenty-odd letters are impeaching?"

The old eunuch Qin Shun said in panic: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. How dare I speculate on political affairs? He must be an important figure."

"Yes, he is an important figure, and an old fellow at that." The emperor sneered and pointed at the memorial with his index finger. "It is Shi Zhenlei, the one praised highly by the Fourth Prince! And his two good sons, Shi Jimian and Shi Jizheng."

Qin Shun was so frightened that he fell to his knees.

The emperor stood up and walked around the hall. Qin Shun got up, bent forward and held his hand.

"In my opinion, Shi Jizhen has worked diligently at the border these years, and Shi Jimian has done nothing wrong. The old Duke will still raise his sons, but his sons don't know how to raise children.

The flood in Fengzhou and the increase in grain prices are probably caused by his grandson. The old Duke and the old lady can't help him, and none of his grandsons are capable. What a pity!"

Qin Shun didn't dare to answer.

Who knows whether the emperor is truly regretful or truly satisfied.

It seems that the Emperor suppressed the impeachment letter and kept it in his palace without sending it out, in order to save the old Duke's face a little bit, and was only waiting for the old Duke's 70th birthday to be over before dealing with the impeachment letter.

*

Zhou Shao was in high spirits and couldn't wait to see his sweetheart.

Meeting his fifth brother Zhou Xu on the way, Zhou Shao suppressed his displeasure and asked humbly, "I was just about to go to the Shi family to announce the decree, but you stopped me. Is there something important?"

Zhou Shao tolerated Zhou Xu only to win him over and increase his power. Even if he failed to win him over, he could still live in peace with Zhou Xu and prevent Zhou Xu from becoming hostile to him.

Zhou Xu's biological mother, Wen, was originally the daughter of an official, but her family fell into poverty and she became a palace maid who washed clothes.

The emperor was drunk and favored a lowly laundry maid, which made him lose all face. However, the laundry maid was extremely beautiful, so he could not help but want to favor her a few more times. Until he lost interest in her, he threw her aside without even giving her a name.

Unexpectedly, Wen was lucky and became pregnant with the emperor's heir. She was first named a lady, and after giving birth to Zhou Xu safely, she was promoted to a talented person. When Zhou Xu was five years old, she died in the palace infighting.

Zhou Xu was born of a humble mother, and he himself was unpopular since childhood. He grew up with difficulties until he was thirteen years old, and finally caught the emperor's attention with an article.

The emperor then remembered that he had this son whom he once regarded as a shame.

The concubines who had sons immediately devised a plan to slander Zhou Xu for having an affair with a palace maid.

The concubines, palace maids, and female officials in the harem are all the emperor's women, so Zhou Xu is equivalent to cuckolding his father.

The emperor was furious and scolded him for being obsessed with lust. He arbitrarily conferred the title of a prince on him and sent him to a poor and remote place to be a fief. He forgot about him for seven or eight years and did not even remember to find a concubine for his fifth son.

Because of his fiftieth birthday, the marriage of the Fourth Prince Zhou Shao was put on the agenda, and the Emperor then remembered Zhou Xulai, who was of the same age as Zhou Shao.

The purpose of inviting Zhou Xu to the capital this time was, firstly, to see if this son had made any progress, and secondly, to arrange a marriage for him.

If the son gets married, it means that he has fulfilled his father's obligations, and the father can turn a blind eye to her in the future, so that he will not remember that he once favored a lowly laundry maid.

The spies Zhou Xu left in the palace informed him early that the fourth brother was going to ask for permission to go to Shi's house to distribute the reward today, so they were waiting early on the road leading to Shi's house.

He stepped forward, bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Fourth Brother! Brother, you know, I haven't been back to the capital for many years. I walked around and found that the capital has really changed a lot. It is more prosperous than when I left. Everything I see is unfamiliar.

I don't know where to eat at noon. Since the fourth brother is going to the Shi family to announce the decree, why don't you take me there for a meal? I heard on the way that the old Duke was celebrating his 70th birthday and the Duke Zhenguo's Mansion was very lively. "

Zhou Shao thought that if he brought another prince with him, it would further demonstrate the honor that his father had given to the Shi family, and there would be fewer rumors about the Shi family outside.

Moreover, Zhou Xu's identity is not conspicuous, so my father won't mind.

I just happened to borrow his identity.

So Zhou Shao smiled and said in a friendly manner: "What's the big deal? You are a prince, and you can't go even if the Shi family invites you. If you go, the Shi family will definitely treat you as a guest of honor. This is to give them respect."

Zhou Xu climbed onto his horse and told the five or six followers behind him, "My fourth brother will take care of me. You don't have to follow me."

Zhou Shao was speechless.

How poor is this fifth brother? Not only is the brocade material he wears not the imperial satin from the palace, he can't even afford a horse for each of his followers.

Zhou Shao also remembered that the fifth prince was already an adult and could not stay in the palace. There was no palace outside the palace. Where would he stay during the two days he returned to Beijing?

His mother's family had long been defeated, some were exiled, some were enslaved, and he didn't look like someone who could afford a house in the capital.

Could it be possible that a prince was staying in an inn?

Let’s check later. If the fifth brother really stayed in the inn, the royal family would be laughed at.

Zhou Shao didn't think much about it. He just shouted and rode towards Shi's house.

Zhou Xu looked at his back deeply, then followed closely on his old horse.

The guests of the Shi family were lamenting that there were not as many visitors as they had imagined. The Sixth Young Master of the Shi family had more wives than the guests today. Some were laughing in secret when they heard a servant knocking a gong and rushing in and shouting:

"The imperial edict has arrived! Prince Cheng has arrived! Prince Duan has arrived!"