Chapter 46 Mu Mu

Ruan shi and Mu Mu did not end well in the previous lives. After the two of them died, rumors spread that Guan Suyi's life was hard and tortured her six relatives, which not only bring bad luck to the Guan family, but also killed her sister-in-law, nephew, and adopted son. The old madam believed in Buddhism, and really invited a monk to come to the house to done somethings, which made her situation even more difficult.

Since then, her prestige in the Marquis Mansion had been shattered. No matter what she said or did, there were always people talking behind her back, as if she was a big joke and shouldn't be alive at all. If she hadn't followed her grandfather to the south and the north since she was a child, and had cultivated a strong bones and an iron heart, she would have been killed by the rumors.

As the saying goes, "The public's mouth can melt gold, accumulating and destroying bones", dying from rumors were ten thousand times more tragic than dying on the battlefield. Even if the people went to the Yellow Spring, the damage to their soul would never be eliminated. Of course, she wanted to save Ruan shi and Mu Mu, not because she was afraid of people's words, but because she wanted to give them a new life, and to see if humans could fight for their lives with heaven.

Thinking like this, she waved to Minglan, "Take my name card and go to the imperial hospital to ask for an imperial doctor. The second madam and the young master, one is heavily pregnant, the other is young and frail. The two are tired from the journey, and need to be conditioned.

In the entire Marquis Mansion, only Zhao Luli and Guan Suyi had ranks, so they could hire an imperial doctor. When others were sick, they had to find a doctor on their own, or tough it out. Ruan shi had frightened the eldest young master and the eldest miss, and was often mocked by the servants as evil spirit. If there was nothing she would never dare to go out, much less cause trouble to the marquis mansion, and she would silently endure major and minor illnesses. Seeing that her sister-in-law was so attentive, she couldn't help being a little flattered, and said hurriedly, "No, no, there is no need to call the imperial doctor. Mu Mu and I are just tired, we just need to go back to sleep."

"You're pregnant with the eldest son of the second house, so it's better to be more cautious. Let the imperial doctor see if you are sick or not, and prescribe a few pills to eat." Guan Suyi waved at Minglan who was hesitant to move. Minglan nodded and ran away.

The old madam also echoed, "Why should the family be so polite, your sister-in-law cares about you."

"Yes, daughter-in-law knows, thank you sister-in-law." Ruan shi's eyes were slightly red, and seeing Guan Suyi's expression was normal, she took a seat beside her cautiously. Mu Mu seemed to sense the new Madam's kindness, and moved over in small steps, and continued to look at her with his head tilted.

Guan Suyi also imitated his movements, tilting her head to look back, the little guy blinked, she blinked, the little guy tilted his head to the other side, and she followed suit. After going back and forth a few times, Mu Mu suddenly covered his mouth and smiled. Eyes curved into crescents, looked very cute.

Guan Suyi felt so soft in her heart, she desperately wanted to hug the child and kiss him, but she was afraid of scaring him, so she could only tentatively reach out and touch his forehead. Mu Mu hid for a while, then stopped moving, looking at her with curiosity in his eyes.

"Does he know how to talk or just doesn't like to talk?" Guan Suyi asked softly.

"He doesn't like to talk." Ruan shi whispered to her sister-in-law's ear, "He was there when his parents died. Perhaps he was frightened by the sight of blood flowing like a river, so he rarely spoke since then. The more you tease him, the more he is reluctant to open his mouth, still hides in the nooks and crannies where no one can see, often after rummaging through the whole Marquis Mansion we find him tired, hungry and timid, looking so pitiful, so we couldn't do anything to him."

A mental injury was harder to heal than a physical one. Guan Suyi felt a little more pity in her heart, but she didn't dare to approach Mu Mu rashly, so she picked up a piece of cake to coax him, "Rushing the journey the whole morning, are you hungry? Come, eat a piece of cake."

Mu Mu stared at the cake, clearly eager, but also showed a look of fear.

It's just a piece of cake, how could children be so afraid of it? Guan Suyi's heart skipped a beat, and finally realized something. Pastries were not scary, but what about after eating them? She immediately asked Ruan shi to bring Mu Mu to the window, leaning towards the morning light she said, "Mu Mu, open your mouth for mother to see."

Mu Mu looked at her with wide eyes.

"Ah, open your mouth, ah…" Guan Suyi very patiently demonstrated, because there was a small game of imitating each other before, Mu Mu quickly opened his mouth and made a hoarse sound.

The old madam noticed something was wrong, hurried over to watch, and couldn't help but exclaimed. She saw the inside of Mu Mu's throat was swollen and inflamed, pus was flowing out, and if not receive medical treatment it could completely block the passage for eating and breathing. No wonder he didn't dare to eat pastries, no wonder he went so suddenly in his previous life, because he had been ill for a long time, but no one noticed.

A cold sweat broke out from Guan Suyi's back, and she immediately sent someone to urge the imperial doctor. Thinking of it, she was not completely innocent in her previous life. If she was careful enough and responsible enough, if she gave Mu Mu half the care and concern she placed on Zhao Wangshu and Zhao Chunxi, he would not have died so unclearly.

What kind of sin have you done in your past life? Guan Suyi's heart was in severe pain, but she didn't dare to hug Mu Mu rashly, so she could only comfort him, "Don't be afraid, when the imperial doctor comes to give medicine, our Mu Mu will not be in pain."

Mu Mu seemed to understand, but also seemed to not understand, he kept opening his mouth and said "Aaah" with a smile in his eyes.

The imperial doctor soon arrived, gave Mu Mu some medicinal powder with a blowpipe, and prescribed a few more decoctions, saying that madam was careful and found it early, if it delayed for two or three days it would be troublesome and so on. Ruan shi's fetal position was very good and her body was also strong, she didn't need to be conditioned, just let her move around more when she was free.

The imperial doctor was sent away with great gratitude, and the old madam knelt in front of the Buddhist altar and recited something, which showed that she was really frightened. Mu Mu's throat was cool and comfortable, and his pale face became more rosy. He ran to Guan Suyi with his short legs and continued to look at her with his head tilted.

Ruan shi said with shame, "If sister-in-law hadn't found out in time, Mu Mu would have been in danger. I'm so careless, I really shouldn't…"

Guan Suyi interrupted her softly, "You are also pregnant, so it's inevitable that there will be times when you can't take care of it. You have been taking care of Mu Mu all these years. He doesn't close to anyone, but prefers to get close to you, which clearly shows that you have done enough. Children have sharp eyes, who is good to him and who is bad to him, even if he can't say it, his every move will reveal it."

"It can be seen that sister-in-law is really good to Mu Mu too, otherwise, how could he like you so much when he just met you. Look, his eyes won't turn." Ruan shi was greatly relief, and felt more and more that her sister-in-law treated people with generosity and had pure heart.

Guan Suyi fell in love with Mu Mu's ignorant appearance. Seeing Minglan coming over with white porridge, she immediately waved, "Give it to me, I'll feed him."

This time, Mu Mu didn't shy away. The other end just blew a mouthful of hot porridge, he already opened his mouth wide and waited, his little hands grabbed the hem of his clothes, like a baby bird waiting to be fed, causing everyone in the room to giggle. Guan Suyi laughed for a while and feed a mouthful, only felt that she had been in the Marquis Mansion for many days, and only at this moment she felt truly happy.

At this moment, a steward woman hurried in and whispered in the old madam's ear, saying it was a whisper, but the voice was not low, and several masters who were closer could hear it. Anyway, the news had already spread, it was not a secret.

"Old Madam, it's incredible, something has happened to the Ye family! Yesterday's treasure appraising banquet was not completed at all. The good treasure was placed under everyone's eyes, but it was inexplicably shattered. Master Ye immediately ordered people to seal the mansion, detained the guests, and then went to the palace to ask the emperor for help. He thought the emperor could help him turn over the city of Yanjing. However, really did not expect the emperor to not investigate, only said that the Ye family's blessing was shallow, difficult to bear the Holy's favor so the national treasure was shattered by heaven's will, and let them just pinch their noses and recognize it; As if that's not enough, the emperor turned his face and beat the Imperial Guards who went to the Ye family to investigate the case, downgrading them, and said they left their posts without authorization. This is what happened yesterday, and today during the court, the emperor still not let the matter drop. Rebuked the Joint Defense Department and the leaders of Imperial Armies one by one, said in the future, only the emperor could mobilize the defense of the capital with tiger tally. Such an arbitrary dispatcher like the Ye family did is guilty of conspiracy and rebellion, and the nine generations should be punished! This sentence made Master Ye terrified and pissed himself in the hall, made it smelled of urine.

The steward fanned her nose and covered her mouth, as if she was really there.

The old madam asked anxiously, "Afterwards, what did the emperor say?"

"Later, the emperor thought that he was disrespectful in front of the imperial court, so he dispersed the court meeting in advance. How could Master Ye dare to go, he knelt in front of Chengde Hall to plead guilty. Lord Marquis, Lord Marquis also ran to kneel with him when he received the news. Perhaps he is now at the Ye mansion to help with the aftermath." The steward's voice became lower and lower, until it became silent.

"Unworthy son! What does the Ye family have to do with him!" The old madam was trembling with anger.

Afraid that she would be hurt by her anger, the steward hurriedly reported the good news, "The emperor originally wanted to seize Master Ye's official position, but Ye Jieyu suddenly relapsed and vomited a bed of blood. If she hadn't sought medical treatment in time, she almost died. She cried and shouted the emperor for mercy, and then asked herself to be demoted to atone for her father's sins. The emperor was afraid that she could not bear the stimulation, so he had no alternative but to send Master Ye out of the palace, said he should reflect behind close door. Now it's unknown whether Ye Jieyu is alive or dead, listening to what the imperial doctor said, it's very likely that she will not survive tonight. Now the news has spread all over the street, saying that the daughter of a horse dealer also dares to dream the ultimate wealth, even Heaven couldn't bear to watch and specially sent a disaster to punish her. The Ye Mansion, who was still full of arrogance and great momentum yesterday, has now become the laughing stock of the whole Yanjing, and even the storyteller in the tea-house has already sang it at this time. Old madam, this servant will let you hear one section…"

The steward woman cleared her throat and sang, "The Ye family has a daughter, her heart is higher than the sky, her life is as thin as paper, no matter how much have planned, in the end the enemy broke a coral tree, and an unpredictable disaster is coming. But begging for the monarch's favor, on the contrary entered the dark haze again, thinking that the power is monstrous and domineering, but after all, the monarch is the monarch, the subject is the subject, and the crime of arrogance cannot escape…"

"Good singing!" The old madam's face was like a frost and she gritted her teeth, "However, Ye Zhen has nine orifices in her heart and as cunning as a fox, so she won't let herself suffer loses in vain for such trivial matters. Who knows if her old illness is true or not? It is said that a scourge will live for thousands of years. I don't think she will die this time, it's just a bitter trick, that's all."

Ye Zhen had already "drowned" before Ruan shi passed the door, so she didn't know why her mother-in-law hated the Ye family, so it was not easy for her to speak.

Guan Suyi's brows frowned, her face was gloomy, and she seemed to have inexplicable worries. She thought hard for a while, and muttered, "Then how did the coral tree shatter in front of everyone's eyes? Minglan, you go to inquire again, be sure to ask. Be more detailed." As for the fate of the Ye family and Ye Zhen, she had already expected it, so she had no interest.

Minglan's footsteps paused slightly, and then she rushed out. The old madam and Ruan shi looked at each other and thought to themselves: The daughter-in-law's (sister-in-law) focus seems a little strange? The Ye family insulted her like that, but she did not mock or slander them at all. It can be seen that the Guan family education is indeed extraordinary!

"The public's mouth can melt gold, accumulating and destroying bones": unanimous opinions can accumulate false truth; rumors are terrifying, which can reverse right and wrong, and put people to death.

tiger tally: a two-piece object made in the shape of a tiger, used as proof of authority.

nine orifices in her heart: a person who is well-versed, or in modern term, has high IQ.

Chapter 47 Slap in The Face

After coming out of the main courtyard, Guan Suyi bent her knees and waved at Mu Mu, "Little Mu Mu, will you go back to the main house with mother?"

Mu Mu immediately hid behind Ruan shi, his two small hands tightly grasped the hem of her skirt, stuck out half of his head to look timidly, and then shook his head invisibly. Guan Suyi thought that he would not let go of his defenses so quickly. For a child like him, he must have a lot of barricades, and it often took more than ten years or even more than half of his life to recover from the trauma of war.

Mu Mu was still young, and his mind was still uncertain. He only needs to be gently soothed, and sooner or later he would recover. She was not in a hurry either, and smiled, "Then mother had to go back alone." She then straightened up and said sternly, "Sister-in-law, did you send him to the clan school?"

Ruan shi helplessly sighed, "Send it, he can't stay, either hiding by himself or being bullied by his little friends in the clan school. Sister-in-law, you don't know, his adoptive brother really doesn't like him. One time he actually took off Mu Mu's robe, and poured ink all over him. Mu Mu didn't know how to resist, and when he got home, he scared me to death. He was as black as little ghost, if he didn't open his mouth, we could only see a pair of white eyes rolling around. It make me angry, funny and distressed."

Speaking of Zhao Wangshu, Ruan shi was full of complaints. On the way back, she had already inquired clearly that this new sister-in-law came from a literary giants family and was very good at dealing with naughty children. As soon as she arrived, she let lord marquis beat Zhao Wangshu and restrained him to study and read, which was quite effective. Therefore, she dared to say a few words of truth, otherwise she would have taken Mu Mu and avoided her long ago.

"After all, Zhao Wangshu and Zhao Chunxi are not my children, and now the Ye family has stuffed in another Concubine Ye. I should have strictly disciplined them, but now I'm afraid it won't work. If sister-in-law doesn't dislike it, how about sending Mu Mu to the main house every day, and I will personally teach him to study and send him back after dinner. Your pregnancy is getting more and more advanced, and your energy is not enough, it's difficult to even take care of yourself, let alone Mu Mu. One of us can take care during the day while the other during the night, let him adapt slowly. After five to six months, your body will be heavy, and I will take him over completely, and you will be able to give birth in peace."

Ruan shi was overjoyed and said yes again and again. It was really a blessing for Mu Mu to be able to worship at Guan shi as a disciple, and only a fool like the eldest young master would try his best to avoid it. Alas, there are those who, though they have a good destiny, are not blessed in the midst of blessings.

Guan Suyi got Ruan shi's approval, and did not forget to ask Mu Mu's opinion, "Did Little Mu Mu heard what we said just now? In the future, you will study with your adoptive mother during the day and play with your second aunt at night, okay?"

Mu Mu seriously thought about it for a while and then nodded slightly.

Both sisters-in-law were satisfied and went separate ways. Guan Suyi walked to the door of the main house and saw a lot of melon seeds and shells mixed with falling flowers. Didn't know which servant who was lazy and irresponsible that discarded it. After walking two steps, there was no one in the courtyard, except for an eight or nine years old maid standing by the east window, tiptoeing while cleaning the top window lattice with a rag.

"Why are you alone? Where are the others?" Minglan took the little maid's rag from behind and helped her clean the window ledge.

The little maid was taken aback and saluted tremblingly, "This servant has seen Madam. This servant is responsible for cleaning, but because of her clumsy hands and feet, she has not finished the work at noon. Begging madam to please forgive. Everyone else went to the kitchen to get their meals and will be back soon."

"You don't need to cover for them. When I first arrived, I made a rule that there should always be people in the courtyard at all times, even if the meal has to be taken in turn, they must not be all gone carelessly, otherwise when the master has an order, won't there be no one to support? I don't think you are clumsy, but you are too diligent, taking other people's work into your own hands." Guan Suyi saw the little girl's eyebrows and eyes were scrunch up, she seemed to be about to cry, and she couldn't help laughing, "Quickly take the gold beans. I have no intention of punishing you. As the saying goes, don't meddle in affairs that are not part of your position, I have only one principle in employing people, you should do what you should do well, and you shouldn't interfere in what you should not do. I won't praise you for being diligence, on the contrary I will remember you, just because you broke the rules I set. Only this time, and there will be no next time. Minglan, take her to tidy up, and in the future, I will make her a second-class maid to run errand in the house. You should teach her the rules when you have free time."

Minglan obediently promised, and took the thankful little maid to the side room to wash up.

Guan Suyi went to the study, spread out the rice paper, and drew the layout of the Ye Mansion that Minglan had inquired, used cinnabar to circle the location of the coral tree, and traced all the servants that served as guard, the guests, and the owner on all sides, after that she racked her brain and pondered.

It had been inspected once when it was moved to the warehouse, and once when the box was closed and locked, and there was no damage. In the meantime, twenty-four servants in their prime surrounded and monitored them motionlessly, never leaving for a moment, but when they opened the box again, the treasure was shattered, and the crowd was screaming.

This thing couldn't be pondered, the more pondering the more strange it became. Guan Suyi beat her forehead, her internal organs felt uncomfortable as if a cat had scratching it. She had a bad shortcoming, when encountering a problem, she must solve it, otherwise she would lose sleep all night and tried her best to study it. Because of this, she couldn't specialize in her studies, and she always got side-tracked when she learned, often giving Old Master Guan a headache.

Now after two lifetimes, this old problem did not get better, but instead became more and more serious, to the point that she was obsessed with this coral tree, hated that she couldn't take the catcher's job and go to Ye Mansion to investigate. However, she was only interested in the modus operandi. As for the perpetrator, eight out of ten was the one in Weiyang Palace.

In addition to beating up foreign relatives and appeasing the Emperor Teacher, he also took advantage of this matter to clean up the capital city department, the joint defense department, the Three Armies of Imperial Guards, and removed the remnants of the previous dynasty and former subordinates of the Second Prince from the capital defense, to ensure the stability of his interest, and conveniently curbed the unfavorable trend of courtiers forming parties for personal gain. It could be said to kill several birds with one stone. Under this heavy pressure, he never disturbed any people, nor caused chaos in the capital, which showed that he was kind but also ruthless.

The front rafter rots first, even if there was no Ye family, no matter which family jumped up first, the result was the same.

Guan Suyi chuckled and shook her head, also full of curiosity about this kind and ruthless emperor, but this person was not someone she could reach. After a little thought, she threw away her hand and continued to ponder about the case. After a while, Minglan brought the little maid over and said with a smile, "Miss, look, she looks like a jade doll after washing up, she's so cute."

The little maid blushed slightly and said in a salute, "This servant Yinzi has seen Madam."

"Your name is Yinzi? What a good name!" Guan Suyi smiled, "Don't you have a sister named Jinzi (Gold)? I remember your ancestral home in Liaodong, are your family still at the border?"

"Yes, they all followed by the second master's side to serve, but they refused to come over because of the long distance. This servant family is poor, and if can get one or two small pieces of silver is already heavenly, how dare to dream of coveting gold. This servant has five older sisters and one younger brother, they are called Da Ni'er, Er Ni'er, San Ni'er, Si Ni'er , Wu Ni'er and Fugui ."

The little maid counted with her fingers, which made Guan Suyi laugh again. Minglan was a little absent-minded, and when her miss closed the corner of her mouth and lowered her head to look at the drawings, she said angrily, "Miss, Concubine Ye hasn't entered the door yet, and those slaves dare to snub you, this servant will call the people back and severely punish them! "

"You don't need to call. After a night of brewing and someone else pushed the waves, the news of the Ye family's rotten luck must have spread by now. There are many mouths in the kitchen, this is where the information gathered and circulated, so the news passed on so quickly. It won't be long before those people turn around. We don't need to punish them severely, but help them accomplish what they want. I'd rather have no one to serve in my courtyard, than having two-faces slaves."

Yinzi quietly hid behind Minglan, only felt that the gentle and elegant madam was extremely majestic at this moment, and those lazy and slippery people would regret their intestines.

Sure enough, within a few moments, the servants turned around one after another, with an expression of fear and guilt on their faces. Seeing Minglan standing under the porch with her hands on her hips, they immediately stepped forward to confess their guilt. But instead of being forgiven, a slave trader came in and took those young and strong servant who had signed the death contract to be sold, the children of the family were sent to other villages to serve as errands, and the old and weak servants who had signed the living deed each were allocated a few taels of silver and be returned to their hometowns to find another way out.

In less than an hour, the huge courtyard, where there used to be more than a dozen people, only had the three master and servant left, the breeze rolled up the defeated leaf and destroyed the red, looked somewhat gloomy and desolate. The old madam let the people who complained and pleaded guilty to kneel without opening a mouth. Instead, she sent many upright and honest maids and grannies to let the madam choose personally.

Guan Suyi only asked four questions: first, can they read or not; second, what are their specialties; third, what are their family background, where are their ancestral home; fourth, what are their plans for the future. One of them was a 12- or 13-year-old maidservant who was originally a small servant in the old madam's courtyard. She was both literate and proficient in medicine, her family died and she was an orphan, hoped when she was eighteen or nineteen, madam would be able to eliminate her slave status, set up a female household and be self-reliance.

Guan Suyi said "good" three times in a row, she even promoted her as a first-class maid to filled Mingfang's vacancy, and left a few capable people to look after the courtyard, and the rest were sent back to the old madam. In this way, the main house, which was originally very pompous, seemed to be quite depressed. But in fact, the disorderly were scrape out, from top to bottom completely worked as one, and the inside and outside courtyard were enclosed like iron barrels

After another hour, the common affairs were sorted out. Guan Suyi continued to ponder the case with the drawings, and then saw Zhao Luli hurried in. His lips were dry, his face was gloomy, and the fabric on his knees was worn out in two places, revealing a white inner clothes. Without guessing she also knew that he must accompany Master Ye to kneel in Chengde Hall and suffered a lot.

"Lord Marquis is a rare guest." After several days of humiliation, Guan Suyi couldn't even pretend with him, so she put down her brush to sneer.

Zhao Luli looked ashamed, but remembering Ye Zhen, whose life and death was unknown, he quickly regained his composure, begging, "Madam must already know about the Ye family, right? Now Ye Jieyu is seriously ill, father, Master Ye is currently stay behind closed doors to reflect, Ye Mansion is full of turmoil and anxiety. This matter is all because of the Guan family. Please ask madam to go back to her maiden's house and ask the Emperor Teacher and Chief Minister of Ceremonies. They have the emperor's heart, and they are very favored. If they are willing to say a few words on behalf the Ye Mansion, this catastrophe will definitely be over as soon as possible. The Guan family has always been known for their benevolence, now we are all in-laws, all is a family, we should live in harmony and get along.

Guan Suyi stared at him for a long while, and suddenly slapped him in the face, causing a lot of dust to fall from the beams of the house.

Yinzi: means silver, as in money.

Da Ni'er: big/eldest girl,

Er Ni'er: second girl,

San Ni'er: third girl,

Si Ni'er: fourth girl ,

Wu Ni'er: fifth girl and

Fugui : rich and honor.

Chapter 48 Impeachment

A crisp sound of "pop" came from inside the house, shocking Minglan and the others. Yinzi quietly hid away, but the newly arrived maid who was named Jinzi by Madam walked to the window to take a look and said anxiously, "Sister Minglan, should we go in to keep guard? In case Lord Marquis and Madam get into fight…"

"Don't go in, lest miss will be embarrassed. Let's us grab a weapon and stand here, and if miss is in trouble, we can rush in to help." Minglan picked up a slab of brick from under the wall and held it tightly in her hand. Yinzi and Jinzi followed suit, and they also pick up a convenient weapon.

Minglan saw that they were not afraid of lord marquis at all, but were loyal to miss, so she was very satisfied. The three of them stood on tiptoe and looked into the room, only to see that lord marquis was stunned by the beating and couldn't recover his sense for a long time, but the madam rolled up her sleeves with a leisurely expression and slowly moved her wrist, as if the one who was angry before was not her.

Zhao Luli had never hit a woman before, let alone hit by a woman. When he pulled away from the shock, he found that his cheeks were sore and hot, as if burned by a soldering iron, and when the tip of his tongue touched his gums, he tasted a few traces of blood. He was actually wounded.

Jinzi and Yinzi saw a line of blood flowing from the corner of lord marquis's mouth, when they looked at him more and more, they couldn't help muttering, "Madam's hands are so strong, she slap a big man until bleeding!"

Minglan snorted triumphantly, "That's right! Our miss can tie four or five pounds of lead around her wrist at the age of eleven or twelve. She doesn't need a knife to eat watermelon in summer, she can split it with bare hands. If lord marquis want to take advantage of miss, it will not be easy!"

Jin Zi silently took these words to heart, and then continued to wait and see.

After all, Zhao Luli was a Confucian general, and he would not easily fight with women. Even though his heart was already steaming with anger, he still reluctantly held back. Guan Suyi was not afraid of him, and while pouring tea for herself, she said slowly, "I said how Zhao Chunxi and Zhao Wangshu are so stupid, turns out they follow the true tradition of your Zhao family and Ye family. Since you said that what happened to Ye family were all caused by Guan family, then I will dispute you. The Ye family wanted to stuff in their daughter to be a concubine, did my Guan family order it? Ye Jieyu gave face for that concubine, did my Guan family order it? The Ye family arranged the treasure appreciation banquet, did my Guan family planned it? The Ye family's coral tree was broken, did my Guan family break it? The emperor tried his best to suppress the Ye family, did the Guan family was behind it? You touch your conscience, do you dare to say 'yes'?'

Zhao Luli was speechless, and the left cheek, which was not slapped, also flushed red.

Guan Suyi sneered, "It's the Ye family who has repeatedly provoked, and lord marquis is good, actually blame it all on my Guan family's head. It's really true that when someone is good, they will be taken advantage. I really don't know how you were able to make a name for yourself in the military back then, even dared to meddle in those rotten things like the Ye family. Master Ye funded the rebellion of the Second Prince, and only after the defeat did he offer tributes to the Emperor to survive the calamity. Now, although he has gained some grace, he still doesn't know how to restrain himself. On one side removed his enemies, while on the other side tried to form a party for personal gain. In a year and a half, a large number of courtiers have been won over. Minister of Justice, Minister of the Guards, Imperial Guard, Minister Coachmen, Minister of Imperial Clan, all of these ministers and captains who are related to the emperor's safety and security have become his 'sworn brothers', and even Ye's daughter become an imperial concubine, who controlled the inner palace. He seems to want to draw the emperor's close attendants one by one, infiltrating all aspects of his life. It doesn't look like he make friends with powerful officials, nor benefited in the slightest, but over time, his control intensified. If he want to make some small actions behind the emperor's back, it will be easy. Emperor Ping of Han, Emperor Yin of Han, and the last emperor of the previous dynasty were all killed by their close attendants, and the trouble of murdering the monarch has a long history. And the Ye family had an enormous crime before, but they arrogantly offended His Majesty, and instead of thinking how to display loyalty and retreat to consider how to make amends, they done discreditable thing in the dark, treacherous like a ghost. If his family is not unlucky, then whose family is unlucky?"

Zhao Luli was in a panic, sweating like a waterfall.

Guan Suyi drank the tea in one go and continued, "To avoid being dragged with the crime of forming a party for personal gain and crime of misdeeds, everyone is walking around the Ye family, but you have to go up and drag me into the water. You say are you stupid or not? I, Guan Suyi, must have never accumulated virtue in my last life, so I would marry such a waste like you, who have no authority, no power, no brains, no heart, all day long grieving for his dead wife, and leave behind his mother, brother, sister-in-law, children, adopted son and his second wife. Even if I marry a dead person and have a ghost marriage, it's countless times better than marrying you. At least the other party can let me live quietly, instead of repeatedly humiliated, constantly pierced the heart, even the slightest bit of warmth cannot be experienced. If you went back to the front yard today without saying a word, and didn't come here to say those stupid things, I can still bear you for a few more days, but now I can't stand it even for a moment."

She threw away the teacup and said coldly, "There is a saying 'it's not too late for a gentleman to take revenge for ten years', his Ye family has already been taken out, and my Guan family still hasn't repay yet! It's not over, you just wait!"

Zhao Luli's anger disappeared completely, leaving only fear, "You, what do you want to do? The matter of Ye family is me who doesn't think it through, I shouldn't make the Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies take the risk of being implicated by interceding, I take back my words before and apologize to you. Can't we make amends?"

"There's another saying, split water is difficult to retrieve. Broken hearts, broken tears, broken souls, and broken lives are irreparable." Guan Suyi pointed to the door and said indifferently, "I said I will wait for you, but I will not wait forever. You should be glad that we were married by imperial decree, and cannot divorce, otherwise I would have packed up and return home by now. Your two children seems to think that the Ye family is rich and powerful, and even more favored, already plan to not come here again. Then in the future, the three of you, father and children, will live with Concubine Ye together."

Zhao Luli's heart, which was already full of sharp knives, was pierced through again, and he couldn't help but be shocked. Guan Suyi meant to break relation with him, and the Guan family seemed to want to use some means against the Ye family. He was actually overreaching himself, how could it be? However, before he could think deeply, the three maids surrounded him with bricks and politely sent off the lord marquis.

Zhao Luli didn't dare to make a fuss, for fear provoking the new madam to become even angrier, and then disaster would hurt Ye Zhen's head, so he could only stand at the gate of the courtyard to apologize, and turned around resentfully when his voice was dry.

Zhao Chunxi, who received the news, was angry, anxious, and afraid, but there was nothing she could do. The situation of the Ye family was worse than she imagined. Her grandfather was told to introspect behind closed doors, her mom was terminally ill, the reputation of the Ye family was swept to the floor. Relatives and friends were avoiding like they were snakes and scorpions, and His Majesty was also charged a monstrous crimes. They seemed to fall from heaven to hell overnight, to the point of extinction. And she and her daddy had tore faces with Guan shi, and pushed the last bit of support away with their own hands. What should they do in the future?

Hexiang was also quite frightened, and murmured, "Miss, Guan shi's methods are too quick, she almost emptied the main house, leaving only three maids to serve, Minglan is loyal, Yinzi's family is far away in Liaodong, she followed over from the border, so it is not easy to control. Jinzi is actually an orphan, and want to set up a female household to live independently, there is no leak that can be drilled at all! Guan shi seems to always think ahead of us, we just took one step but when we looked up, she had already walked ninety-nine steps, it's really impossible to catch!"

"Shut up! Don't sweep your own might to inflate others' momentum. Guan shi is a human being, not a god, there will always times when she make mistakes. Go and ask again to see if what she said is true or false." Zhao Chunxi said sternly.

"Which one?"

"It's not too late for a gentleman to take revenge for ten years!"

"Oh oh oh, this servant will immediately go." Hexiang staggered away, and the panic-stricken back was like a frightened bird.

Zhao Chunxi looked at her and slowly hid herself in the darkness.

—-

Revising the legal codes was a major event related to the country and should not be taken lightly, so it was necessary to pool the wisdom and work together. It was also the first time for many ministers to participate, and none of them dared to arrogate themselves. It took several days and nights of discussion to determine each memorandum. Even so, the progress was quite slow, and it seemed that something was missing, there was a feeling of having nowhere to go.

Fortunately, the Inspectorate was established at the fastest speed. Old Master Guan was appointed as the Chief Imperial Censor, in charge of supervision affairs. On top he could advise the emperor and below he could impeach officials, it even could influence the promotion, appointment, and dismissal of officials, jointly inspected local administrations and evaluate political performance. Although the grade was not high, the power was rare. In addition, two colleagues were appointed as Deputy Chief Censors and Supervisory Censors, in order to check for omissions and fill in the gap, and to encourage public opinions.

With an expression of envy and awe, the civil and military officials watched Old Master Guan took the official robe, crown, official seal, ribbon, jade tablet and other items handed over by the emperor himself. They thought he would definitely take it home and slowly admire it, but he actually put on the official robe, put on the crown, fastened the official seal with the ribbon, held the jade tablet, and said with full vigor, "Your Majesty, this minister wants to impeach Grand Astrologer Master Ye on thirty-two charges. The first crime, when he was doing business in Liaodong, he had dealings with the forces of various feudal states. At that time, he communicated with foreign enemies, leaked military information, and caused a disastrous defeat for our army in the first battle of Gaizhou, with more than 100,000 casualties. The second crime is to secretly fund the rebellion of Prince Cheng and Prince Jin, and then later change to seek refuge with the emperor, and actually awarded the title Grand Astrologer for his support. His third crime is that in his position, he never done his own government. Except for attending morning court, he never drafted a document, promoted a grand counselor, recorded historical events, and managed sacrifices, which can be called corpse enjoys vegetarian meals. Flattering the people on top and disrespectful to the people below. His fourth crime is that in the first month of the previous year, the former emperor was seriously ill and was about to die, every time he was saw entering and leaving, he did not show any worry, sorrows or solemn look when waiting on the emperor. On the contrary talked and laughed as usual, and feasted and drank continuously. His fifth crime, in the ninth month of the previous year, the former emperor died, in less than half a month of mourning period he done sexual intercourse, causing his concubine to be pregnant, and then pretended that she was ill and have her killed. His sixth crime is bribing the monarch's close attendant, giving gifts to the court ministers top and below, used the convenience of his imperial-in-law to engage in private fraud, endangering the Holy's order and offending the Holy's face. His seventh crime, the treasures hidden in the house are more than ten thousand southern pearl and a thousand eastern pearls, which are several times more than those in the inner storehouse. There are also rhino horn cups, dragon-decorated secret porcelain, and numerous illegal objects. His eighth crime is in last year summer flood and winter cold…"

Old Master Guan recited all the way, even the sound of needle fall could be heard in the court hall. Everyone was frighten, and even Emperor Sheng Yuan broke out in a cold sweat. He was not unaware of all the things the Ye family had committed, but because of Ye Jieyu's life-saving grace, he deliberately ignored it, and even condoned it, until the Ye family quietly rolled out a big network of marriages. In fact, this was also thanks to Guan Suyi. If he hadn't worried about her being humiliated after marriage, he would not have investigate the many clan women of the Ye family, which was really crooked.

Emperor Sheng Yuan thought that knocking the mountain and shaking the tiger was enough, but now listening to the old man's impeachment one by one, he finally found out that the Ye family had sinned into the sky and could not be forgiven.

The officials under the imperial seat were also sweating like pulp, and their legs were as soft as mud. Thirty-two charges were recited, and Old Master Guan had made it clear that he wanted to kill the Ye family, his thunderous methods were ten thousand times stronger than Ye Jieyu, right? Only this person wasn't playing tricks and machinations, even walking on the bright road could still make them lose their position and ruined their family!

Today's Guan Family… is really not easy to mess with!

corpse enjoys vegetarian meals: enjoy the salary without doing their duties.

Chapter 49 Righteousness

After the thirty-two charges were recited, Old Master Guan said in a voice as loud as a bell, "Ye Quanyong committed treason, forming party, favoritism, fraud, dereliction of duty, corrupt, deceive the monarch, offending face, great disrespect, and disregard human's life. When this minister heard about everything, he was heartbroken and really hateful, therefore offering one's own limited view, and respectfully ask for Your Majesty's judgement."

Emperor Sheng Yuan raised his hand to wipe off the cold sweat from his forehead, and was about to speak, but one court official stood up and asked, "Everyone knows that the Ye family and the Guan family have been at odds recently, and Emperor Teacher impeach Master Ye as soon as he took office. Isn't there a suspicion of personal vendetta?"

Old Master Guan glanced at him lightly, "If half the matter of impeachment by this official is found to be false after it's verified by the emperor, it will not be too late for you to sue this official for personal vendetta. At that time, this official will strip off his clothes and remove his hat, and beg to return to his hometown." Holding up the jade tablet, he continued, "This minister still has another person who wants to impeach."

Emperor Sheng Yuan waved his hand helplessly, "Emperor Teacher, please take your time."

Hundreds of civil and military officials held their breaths and were afraid, because the previous impeachment against Master Ye by Old Master Guan was actually involved hundreds of officials, if the Emperor Teacher found out one by one, the fate of those people could be imagined. Old Master Guan was indeed like the phrase 'should one desire to sing, one would amaze the world with his first song'. They hope they didn't offend him in the past.

Only Guan Father was the most calm, just clenched the jade tablet in his hand, sweating for his father.

Old Master Guan cleared his throat and said sternly, "This minister also want to impeach the emperor for manipulating the command secretly, appoint people by favoritism, fail to cultivate the inner palace, and mishandling the importance of things. Resulting in the loss of the border positions, increased the casualties of soldiers, chaos in the court order, the foreign relatives went rampant, and all kinds of calamities that were caused by the emperor's intentional indulgence. Please implore the emperor to examine himself, to change his words and deeds, rebuild the inner palace, and return the court to a dignified and upright style."

Hey, even the emperor dares to impeach, Emperor Teacher, you are a dead man! The man who had just reprimand him for doing personal vendetta quietly backed away, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. If it was really for selfish desires, when Emperor Teacher rectified the Ye family, he then should praise the emperor nicely. They all said there's three fires when the new official took office, and the firewood for this fire was was still provided by the emperor, since he unlikely done anything to him. But he pointed at the Ye Mansion and then the Emperor, he spoke fiercely and without hesitation, truly carried out the purpose of the Inspectorate from beginning to end, and the sentence "sacrificing one's life for righteousness" were sprinkled with vigor, without leaving any room for maneuver.

The Guan family's uprightness, loyalty, and righteousness were awe-inspiring! Now it's up to the emperor to deal with it.

The civil and military officials stared at the emperor with burning eyes. Among them, Old Master Guan's eyes were the brightest, there seemed to be two flames burning in them, illuminating the ugliness of people's hearts. Somehow, Emperor Sheng Yuan actually saw Guan Suyi's pair of pupils cut autumn water and clear and distant eyes.

Inexplicably, he felt a sense of nowhere to hide, supported his forehead, and smiled lowly. Great, what a great man Empreror Teacher! First impeached the Ye family, then in order to defend himself from bending the law for personal gain, immediately impeached the monarch too, this was to force him to make a decision. Just because this Inspectorate was built by him, and it was also given powers by him, if even he didn't take Chief Imperial Censor's words seriously, the Inspectorate would be useless as soon as it was established, and it would lose its meaning.

Therefore, Old Master Guan could be said throwing bricks to attract jade and killing chickens to warn monkeys, and he was that piece of jade and that monkey. He was indeed making a name for himself, not afraid of power, and even more, holding the pearl of wisdom in his hands, afterwards controlled the course of events. No matter how much he wanted to protect the Ye family, he had to pinch his nose and admit it.

Who said that Old Master Guan was pedantic, stubborn, and unworldly? This man was clearly scheming and calculating, very resourceful! No wonder the Guan family's literary name was like a big wave, righteous and respectable, it was actually because the whole family were outstanding. How could Heaven treat this family so generously, men were watered with the righteousness of heaven and earth, and women were nourished with the spirit of mountains and rivers, which made people admire and revere, how could people not like it.

Emperor Sheng Yuan shook his head, then shook his head again, and the regrets buried deep in his heart finally came up, making his mouth full of bitter and unspeakable tastes.

The court officials only shook their heads and smiled bitterly when they saw him, but did not open their mouth, they all just broke into a cold sweat for the Emperor Teacher. Although his mouth was a bit terrifying, but his behavior of giving up his life for righteousness and thoroughly criticized, was actually something that most people want to do but dare not do. Based on this alone, he could be called the leader of the literary circle of current era and the role model for civil and military officials.

Guan Father saw that the emperor had not spoken for a long time, and he took the initiative to stand up, wanted to advance and retreat together with his father. Although it was agreed earlier that they would go their own ways, this impeachment against the Ye family and His Majesty was exactly their hard work. When they succeeded, they would kowtow to thank the wise monarch for the Holy Grace. If they were lost, they would die without any regrets.

Emperor Sheng Yuan finally swallowed his mouth full of bitterness, and sighed, "Take copper as a mirror you can correct your clothes, take history as a mirror you can know the rise and fall, take people as a mirror you can know the gains and losses. Emperor Teacher is exactly the bright mirror hanging high in Zhen's heart, illuminating Zhen's right and wrong." As he said, he walked down the imperial platform, and bowed deeply to Old Master Guan, "On that day in the Bodhi Garden, Zhen selected Elder Guan as a teacher. In the past and present Zhen has always feel fortunate, with this teacher of a hundred generations, why worry the atmosphere of court hall will be unclear, and not speak in the name of common people. Zhen should listen in the ear and accept in the heart, and rule the world peacefully. May the Emperor Teacher and the hundreds officials work together with one heart, rectify the wings of the Great Wei, and encourage Zhen together."

After the words fell, he bowed three times and sincerely said, "Thank you for the grace of Emperor Teacher's teaching, Zhen is deeply grateful. The case of Ye Quanyong will be immediately handed over to the Ministry of Justice for strict investigation and thorough handling. Must not shirk responsibility and overlook, bend the law for personal gain! And Zhen will write a Guilty Edict, to use as self-reflection."

This matter had not yet reached the point of issuing a Guilty Edict, but the emperor's willingness to admit his mistakes and write a self-reflection document was the greatest compromise and concession, and he also expressed enough respect for the Emperor Teacher. The first fire of the Inspectorate was thus burned violently, causing the civil and military officials reflected on themselves and were in awe.

Old Master Guan and Guan Father thought that the emperor would more or less try to hold his anger, but when they took a closer look, they found that he really blamed himself. There was no complaint in his eyes, instead it was full of sincere appreciation. To have a wise monarch like this, why worry the Wei Kingdom would not be prosperous? The two hurriedly knelt down and thanked the Holy Grace, their eyes flushed.

Emperor Sheng Yuan immediately helped the people to get up and comforted with a few warm words, and the tense atmosphere was immediately replaced with the harmonious feeling between monarch and ministers. After discussing a few more government affairs, it was announced that he would retire from the court. The emperor kept the Guan's father and son to dine together, and the rest of the people would go to their office to do their jobs.

When walking out of the Chengde Hall, not to mention the civil servants and military generals came forward to greet the old master one after another, even the imperial clan with eyes above their head also showed a respectful attitude. With the burst of "Emperor Teacher walk slowly", the father and son arrived at the Weiyang Palace, and they were not waiting long before being led into the inner hall. Emperor Sheng Yuan had already changed into his regular clothes and was sitting upright. The three food tables at hand were already filled with steaming dishes, and another servant was carrying water basins, handkerchiefs and other items. In case the two people want to freshen up, all preparation were extremely thorough.

"Emperor Teacher, please take a seat, Chief of Ceremonies please take a seat." Emperor Sheng Yuan extended his hand to invite them, showing an approachable attitude, "We monarchs and ministers are harmonious, we don't need to observe all kind of etiquette, treat it as your own home, just as you wishes."

Old Master Guan and Father Guan continuously said do not dare, they bowed respectfully and then took their seats. Emperor Sheng Yuan moved the chopsticks first, and then the two of them ate elegantly, behaved neither humble nor arrogant, with calm expressions on their face. This kind of style made Emperor Sheng Yuan more and more happy.

"Zhen has just come into contact with the culture of the Central Plains, so the knowledge is limited. Every time Zhen see the memorials presented by Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies, always feel captivated by the handwriting of iron painting and silver hooks." He thought for a long time before slowly leading the conversation.

Old Master Guan was indeed very honest, he immediately said, "Your Majesty is falsely praised, this minister's calligraphy is not very good, it's a line worse than my granddaughter. This minister's wrist has been injured before, and the old disease is difficult to heal, although the brushwork is harmonious, but it lost its strength. My granddaughter started to practice calligraphy at the age of three, and coupled with her brilliant understanding and talent, at a young age she already reached the wonderful realm of transcendence. Not that this minister is boasting, just pointed out to the great scholars of the world one by one, and my granddaughter is no inferior at all."

"Oh? Started to practice calligraphy at the age of three? What kind of practice?" Emperor Sheng Yuan's eyes were slightly bright, and his voice had a touch of hoarseness.

Old Master Guan thought that he was interested in practicing calligraphy, and explained in detail how he trained his granddaughter, such as strapping sandbags around her wrists, slowly replacing them with iron blocks and lead blocks, and gradually increasing the weight; reading a hundred times every morning, write it down a thousand times; took her to travel around the world, explored the scenery and the customs of people, strengthen the body, and condense the spirit, etc.

Talking and talking, a vivid picture emerged in Emperor Sheng Yuan's mind: how a delicate little girl cried and wrote silently while carrying a heavy weight, how she recited poetry while shaking her head, how she crawled and rolled in the wind and sand, and how she played and thrived under the brilliant sun. The childish facial features with sheep horns braided slowly turned into a thrilling gorgeous face, which made his heart beat heavily, followed by a severe pain.

When he returned to his senses, his thoughts were even more difficult to calm down, and the smile on the corner of his mouth couldn't help but went down. But after all, the two people in front of him were Guan Suyi's family, and they were also his confidants. When the emperor finished speaking, he forced a smile and said, "Could it be that Madam's handwriting is better than Chief of Ceremonies?"

"His heart is not calm, always indignant, and his words are stained with vulgar dust. He's not even as good as me, how can he compare with Yiyi." Old Master Guan hated that iron could not become steel, but he couldn't help but muttered in his heart: How can the emperor call Yiyi madam this, madam that, as if he is very familiar with her?

Guan Father laughed and bowed, not daring to speak at will, so as not to be bombarded by his own father.

Emperor Sheng Yuan laughed aloud, and then seamlessly brought the topic to Guan Suyi again, so he heard many interesting and embarrassing things, and the pain just now gradually faded away, turning into satisfaction and joy. After the meal, the monarch and ministers felt they haven't have enough fun yet. Very soon it was not early anymore and they had their own government affairs, so they bid farewell.

Before leaving, Guan Father suddenly said, "Dare to ask what kind of incense is burning in Your Majesty's palace hall? The smell is very unique."

Emperor Sheng Yuan talked and laughed as usual, "I don't know what's burning, I came from the army, and I don't know much about these things. Baifu…"

Baifu hurriedly said, "Enlighten the Emperor, enlighten Master Guan, it's the burning of cinnamon ointment of Yunzhou tribute. If Master likes it, this servant will make people pack a box."

Guan Father didn't refuse, he took the gift box and left with the old master. Emperor Sheng Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. He took out a set of rice paper folder from the dark compartment, sniffed it close to his nose, and sighed, "Although the scent of this Fragrant Snow Sea is light, it's very long-lasting. Even if it is blocked by layers of utensils, it's still futile." Just like that person, the more you dare not think about it, the more it drill into your mind.

'should one desire to sing, one would amaze the world with his first song': people who do not have outstanding performance in ordinary times, but make amazing achievements.

there's three fires when the new official took office: a newly appointed official must do a few influencial thing first to show his talent and courage.

pupils cut autumn water: usually describe woman's eyes as clear and charming as a pool of fall water.

throwing bricks to attract jade and killing chickens to warn monkeys: to attract others interest or suggestion by putting forward one's own modest idea to get the ball rolling.

Guilty Edict: oral or documented issued by the emperor to self-examine or review their own fault, it only happen when there are problems in the court, the country suffers natural disasters or when the regime is in danger.

Chapter 50 Choice

Inside the Ganquan Palace, Ye Zhen's face was pale, her lips were chapped while she was lying on the bed. If it wasn't for the slight heaving of her chest, she looked like a corpse. The two palace maids knelt beside the bed to guard at all time, for fear that if they made a mistake, Jieyu niangniang would die.

After a while, Yong He came in with a bowl of soup medicine, and whispered, "Niangniang, wake up, it's time to drink the medicine."

Ye Zhen slowly woke up, her dispirited eyes unconsciously stared at the bed curtain, and it took a while to figure out when and where it was. With the help of the palace maid, she managed to sit up halfway, coughing, "Has the emperor visited This Palace today?" She was asleep for sixteen hours a day, afraid she missed that person's arrival.

Yong He's face darkened slightly, and she said cautiously, "Reporting to Niangniang, the emperor is busy with government affairs, and he doesn't have any spare time. However, this servant have already sent the news that your condition is a little better. Presumably after this busy period over, the emperor should be here."

"Really?" Ye Zhen smiled bitterly, "He won't come when This Palace is terminally ill, and he won't come if I gets better. Yong He, you don't have to coax This Palace." At this point, she waved her hand to dismiss other people, then continued, "Now finally understand the weight of This Palace in his heart. For seven years, even if you cover a stone, even if it's not melting, you can still get a little bit of warmth. But he is good, saying that he will turn his face, he really turns his face. Indeed the monarch are ruthless. This Palace sacrificed her life to stay with him, but really don't know if it's right or wrong."

"Niangniang, don't let your imagination runs wild, it's important to quickly raise your body !" Seeing that there was no one around, Yong He immediately took out a pale red pill from her cuff and stuffed it into her master's palm. Ye Zhen shook it slightly, swallowed it while coughing with her head down, and then took a small sip of the soup medicine.

When the master took the antidote, Yong He whispered, "Niangniang, you are far from the point of hopelessness. The emperor has no children. If you give birth to the eldest son first, the Ye family will be able to recover. Therefore, your top priority right now is to prepare for pregnancy, when the remaining poison in your body is exhausted, this servant will prepare a few more decoctions for nourishing the womb, let you drink it every day, and in less than two months then you can conceive a child."

After Ye Zhen drank the last sip of the soup, and said helplessly, "The emperor never touches This Palace, how can This Palace get pregnant?"

"Niangniang, you have never sleep together?" Yong He was so shocked that she almost shattered the medicine bowl. She only knew that the emperor never stayed in Ganquan Palace, but he also never stayed in other palaces. During the day, he often came, and occasionally let her retreat to talk to niangniang in the inner hall alone. As short as two to three quarters of an hour, as long as most of the day, it was impossible to do nothing, right?

Under the suspicious eyes of her confidant, Ye Zhen finally poured out the most embarrassing secret hidden in the deepest part of her heart, "This Palace and the emperor has never had a skin-to-skin relationship. Remember the day when he conferred Lord Marquis the marriage, when he patted This Palace's arm? In seven years, it was the first time he touched This Palace."

Yong He didn't dare to ask any more, worried that she would not be able to hold such a huge secret. She thought that since Niangniang could successfully enter the harem and got such a high position, she should have held the emperor in the palm of her hand. But it turned out that the person had never even touched her, and the meticulous care for so many years was really because of that little life-saving grace.

The Emperor is as affectionate as rumors said, but in some respects, he is extremely cold. If you can't get into his heart, even if you risk your life for him, all he can give is gratitude and care, not deep love. Saying that he is a benevolent and righteous man is true, saying that he has an iron heart is also true, how can you please such a person?

The more Yong He thought about it, the more she felt that the road ahead was bleak, and her face could not help but become blight. A stunning woman that made the moon hide and the flowers ashamed like niangniang, actually spent seven years and still couldn't gain the upper hand. Who in this world can crack the emperor's hard heart? Do they really have reflect behind closed doors forever?

In the end, it was Ye Zhen who spoke, "Help This Palace to recuperate the body first, and get rid the remaining poison as soon as possible. When This Palace is ready, there will naturally be a way to make the emperor submit. In the past, in order to give him a good impression of chastity and virtuousness, it's inevitable that This Palace was a little more conservative and cautious, but it cannot be like that in the future. If we don't take extreme measures, our Ganquan Palace will become a cold palace from now on. The emperor order This Palace to reflect behind closed doors, but did not say when the ban will be lifted, even the palace affairs were slowly moved to those newly promoted concubines, this is just to step on This Palace. In the end, he is different from the past, his heart is so hard."

Glancing at Yong He, who noncommittally promised, she lowered her voice as much as possible, "Take out the treasure at the bottom of the box under the bed, and use everything that should be used in the future."

"Yes, this servant took the time to check and inspect, and some of them haven't been used for a long time, afraid the effectiveness will be greatly reduced. Last time, the eldest miss took a box when she entered the palace, and this servant recorded in the account." Yong He said as she went to the bottom of the bed, and suddenly heard the sound of messy footsteps outside.

"Breaking into the inner hall without permission, do you want your life?" Yong He hurriedly out to block, but saw that the person who came was an inner attendant, who was already sweating profusely, and his face flushed red.

"Jieyu niangniang, something bad happened!" The servant knelt down and said hurriedly, "The emperor has set up a new official office today, called the Inspectorate, which is dedicated to giving criticisms and supervising hundreds of officials, with great authority, even the emperor's words and deeds are also within the scope of impeachment, and he cannot be convicted by words. And the Emperor Teacher, who also serve as the Chief Censor of the Inspectorate, barely put on his official robe and immediately impeached Master Ye, directly recited Master Ye's thirty-two charges, including rebellion plan, deception, bullying, great disrespect, and so on…"

"Who said the Emperor Teacher is dedicated to the public, who said the Guan family has a clean and honest style! He is blatantly declaring his personal vendetta! Did the emperor really listen to his false accusation?" Ye Zhen flew into a rage and stood up in anger, but because she was still weak, she fell back instantly.

The inner attendant swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said in a trembling voice, "Niangniang, this servant has not finished speaking yet. After he finished impeaching Master Ye, he then impeached the emperor for nepotism and not cultivating the inner palace, causing foreign relatives to make chaos in the court, colluding with his ministers and close attendants, and endangering the Holy's life and face. Now the emperor has made a confession of guilt, he will copy the ancestral instructions a hundred times in the imperial study as a punishment…"

Before he could finish speaking, Ye Zhen had already paralyzed as soft as mud, full of despair. The Emperor Teacher first impeached the Ye family, making people think that he had selfish desires, and then he impeached the emperor, which immediately brought a big reversal, giving people the impression that he was not afraid of power and was actually selfless. If the emperor did not want to abolish the so-called Inspectorate on the first day, he would strictly investigate the Ye family and strictly punish her father.

What benevolent family, their heart is more poisonous than snakes and scorpions! This Palace just pressed Guan Suyi's face a little, but they make a killing move as soon as they strike, and they wouldn't leave anyone behind! Ye Zhen almost crushed a mouthful of silver teeth, only to feel her throat was blocked, and immediately spurted out a mouthful of black and red blood.

Yong He and the others had already lost their soul, and they were stunned for a long time before they rushed up and shouted niangniang.

After taking a few breaths, Ye Zhen said reluctantly, "Since the emperor has already confessed his guilt, then my Ye family will not be able to escape this disaster? What are the punishments for the thirty-two charges?"

The inner attendant choked and said, "A single conspiracy to rebel is a capital crime of confiscating possessions and extermination of the entire clan, not to mention multiple crimes being punished at the same time. Now Master Ye and all the people involved in the case have been taken into custody and awaiting trial. The Ye Mansion is in chaos, the servants are running and scattered, in a while it will collapse and fall apart. When this servant came, Madam Ye was still kneeling at the gate of the palace, also don't know if anyone would take care of her."

"Confiscating possessions and extermination of the entire clan…" Ye Zhen repeatedly chewed these few words, and another mouthful of blood spurted out, desperately shouting, "Go find the emperor! Go find the emperor now! Just say it's for the life-saving grace, let him spare the Ye family one last time! The Ye family will no longer dare, and This Palace will no longer dare, this will definitely be the last time!"

The inner attendant did not dare to delay, and hurried out. After receiving the news, Emperor Sheng Yuan hesitated for a moment, but he still entered the Ganquan Palace. The two of them, one was lying breathlessly inside the bed canopy, and the other was sitting outside with a cold face and solemn look, no one speak for a while.

"I heard that this is the last time?" Emperor Sheng Yuan first asked the imperial doctor to diagnose Ye Zhen's pulse and prescribed a decoction to strengthen the heart and calm the mind. After she finished drinking, and the effect of the medicine came up, he then slowly said, "Time and time again, Zhen no longer remember how many times."

"Your Majesty, this is really the last time. I will exchange the life-saving grace for your forgiveness of the Ye family. From now on, can we consider the debt between us as clear?" Ye Zhen's eyes were hazy with tears, and her tone was full of grieve. She never expected that sending a tree of coral would lead herself to such a miserable situation. Guan family really has some terrifying methods!

"Back then, he funded Second Prince's rebellion, hoping to win the dragon's merits. This rebellion can be worth 7 to 8 point out 10 of the grace. In recent years, he didn't know how to restrain himself, but instead spent a lot of money to buy close attendant around Zhen, bribing key civil and military officials, and up to no good. This crime of forming a party for personal interest can be worth one or two point of the grace, and the remaining point of the grace is not enough to balance for your spying on the emperor's trail, so how can you save the entire Ye family?"

Spying on the Emperor's trail? Hearing this, Ye Zhen's liver and gallbladder were about to be broken, completely terrified. It turned out that the emperor knew everything, but he didn't want to break the facade. If it wasn't for Ye Fan, she would not have suppressed Guan Suyi. If she had not suppressed Guan Suyi, the Ye family would not have provoked the Guan family. And they could maintain the illusion of a deep relationship between husband and wife.

Even if she was just pretending for a lifetime, even if the truth was cruel and unbearable, it would be thousands of times better than the current situation! If the Ye family was slaughtered, how could she, Ye Zhen, have any chance of surviving? Not to mention the empress dowager, the grand princess, and the eldest princess who hated her to the bone, even those low-ranking concubines would united to kill her.

If she hadn't squandered those grace, she might have lived to old age in peace, buried with the imperial consort's ceremony when she died, and enjoyed the whole nation's mourning. How noble and beautiful? But now, her life and death, the life and death of the entire Ye's clan, were all between the Emperor Teacher's mouth, and even more between the Emperor's thoughts.

Ye Zhen had never feel so regretful, and had never been so desperate. Only then did she finally understand that not everyone could be at her mercy, not everyone let her trample on them. Her power was far from being able to cover the sky with one hand.

Now, she couldn't do anything except stare at the emperor with mournful and hopeful eyes, and she couldn't even spit out a single word of defense.

Emperor Sheng Yuan considered for a moment, then said word by word, "I will give you one last chance. Save Ye Quanyong, everything you have will be lost. Save yourself, Ye Quanyong will surely die. What will you choose?" He wanted to see, what the real Ye Zhen really looked like?

crushed a mouthful of silver teeth: extreme anger.