noffsinger Chapter 305 Consort Fucha
Chapter 305 Consort Fucha
In the imperial court of the Forbidden City
Hongchang's decision was like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar both inside and outside the court.
The streets and alleys outside the palace were bustling with activity, and those who had bought the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" (a local newspaper) were particularly lively.
After reading it, everyone was very satisfied with the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" (Da Qing People's Daily).
They went out early to buy today's "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" (People's Daily of the Qing Dynasty) from newsboys.
Not only did she want to buy it herself, but she also bought it for others.
They couldn't wait to see what new things were happening today.
Wen Yi and the others naturally did not disappoint.
Ye Runyi is the leader of Hongchang's secret guards.
They had long ago discovered the incriminating evidence against the ministers who impeached the princess in court.
Delivered to Wenyi
Wen Yi, naturally, wouldn't be merciful; after some polishing...
These contents were cleverly incorporated into the reports of the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" newspaper.
Let the people of the world see the sordid affairs within the families of these high-ranking officials.
Favoring concubines and destroying wives are minor matters.
Wen Yi smiled slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes.
These ministers appeared dignified and respectable in court, but secretly engaged in shady dealings.
Now, she is going to expose their shameful deeds to the public and make them feel utterly ashamed.
The circulation of the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" newspaper increased several times compared to the first day.
Newsboys roamed the streets and alleys, selling out their newspapers in the blink of an eye.
Many people gathered together, passing around the newspaper and discussing its contents.
Even illiterate people gathered around, listening to the literate people read to them, their faces filled with surprise and indignation.
The entire capital seemed to be ignited by the *Da Qing Bai Xing Bao* (People's Daily of the Qing Dynasty), and people's emotions were running high.
People were gossiping about the scandals of those high-ranking officials.
"Oh dear, this Lord Zhao's son is actually acting like a tyrant on the street!"
He injured several civilians and even protected his son; it's outrageous!
"And this Lord Li actually kept more than a dozen concubines in the backyard and abused his wife!"
They are worse than animals.
Several men in our village can't even find a good wife.
He's even worse; not only does he keep a bunch of concubines, he also abuses his wife!
A burly man in the crowd spoke indignantly, and the surrounding crowd immediately echoed his sentiments.
"That's right! These officials, they always flaunt their power and influence."
They do all sorts of shady things behind the scenes.
This "Great Qing People's Daily" really dares to write anything!
An old man sighed
"This newspaper is run by the princesses, so naturally there's nothing to be afraid of."
The princesses have far more backbone than these officials!
A woman interjected, and her words immediately resonated with those around her.
"Exactly! The newspapers run by the princesses must be speaking up for the common people."
"Unlike those officials, who only know how to plunder the people's wealth!" a middle-aged man echoed.
Some people say, "If the princesses could manage things in the future, wouldn't our lives be much easier?"
Some people countered, "How could that be? No matter how kind-hearted these princesses are, they are still women. How could they possibly let princesses manage affairs?"
"Yes, all the previous princesses went to marry foreign rulers. I wonder what will become of these other princesses."
Whispers rose and fell among the crowd.
Everyone expressed their support for the report in the *Da Qing Bai Xing Bao* (People's Daily of the Qing Dynasty).
They expressed their indignation at the ministers' disgraceful deeds.
The entire capital city seemed to be ignited by the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" newspaper.
People were in high spirits, discussing the scandals of those ministers who were usually high and mighty.
The unspeakable and sordid deeds of these ministers...
Hongchang knew this, but he did not directly punish these people.
Ye Lanyi had already secretly arranged for people to quietly guard the residences of these ministers.
The reason why Hongchang did not act immediately was
I just want to see how these people will react when their dirty deeds are exposed.
After the court session ended, the ministers returned to their respective homes.
However, some ministers only discovered the sky had fallen when they returned to their own residences.
The ministers were astonished to find that everyone in their families was pale and looked grave.
It was as if something extremely terrible had happened.
When they eagerly inquired with the servants in their household, the answer they received sank their hearts to the bottom.
It turned out that the report in the *Da Qing Bai Xing Bao* (The People's Daily of the Qing Dynasty) had swept through the entire capital like a whirlwind.
Those shameful things they usually kept so well hidden,
Now they are exposed to the light of day, with nowhere to hide.
When Lord Zhao returned home, he saw his principal wife sitting in the main room.
Her hands trembled as she held the newspaper, her eyes filled with tears.
He was about to step forward and offer a few words of comfort when his wife suddenly threw the newspaper at his face and angrily rebuked him:
"You heartless bastard! Your illegitimate son is spoiled rotten and runs wild outside!"
You actually protected him!
Now everyone in the capital knows about our family's shameful affair.
"I've dragged my whole family down with me, how are my daughters supposed to live?"
Lord Zhao was stunned on the spot; he hadn't expected things to escalate to such a huge extent.
He tried to explain, but the wife wouldn't give him a chance.
She turned and ran into the inner room, crying her heart out.
Lord Zhao sat helplessly in his chair, his heart filled with regret and fear.
He knew that this matter would not be easily resolved.
His official position, his reputation, and even his family could be ruined because of this newspaper.
Meanwhile, Lord Li dragged his weary body back to his residence.
His mansion was unusually quiet, so quiet it was almost frightening.
The dozen or so concubines, like frightened birds, huddled timidly in their respective rooms.
They didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Lord Li walked slowly into the backyard with heavy steps.
Before he could even stand still, he saw the legal wife sitting upright in the courtyard.
Holding a newspaper in his hand, he revealed an indescribable sense of pleasure on his face.
Lord Li's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition welled up in his mind.
He looked closely and saw his wife staring at him with a mocking and smug look.
His eyes seemed to say, "You're finally back. Let's see how you get out of this mess!"
Lord Li's face turned extremely ugly.
He forced himself to remain calm and walked up to his wife.
I wanted to see what was written in the newspaper she was holding.
However, when he saw the contents of the newspaper, he was completely stunned.
The newspaper headline read:
"Lord Li's romantic escapades exposed: he has many concubines, and his wife is being brutally abused!"
The following section details how he kept more than a dozen concubines and the various misdeeds he committed against his principal wife.
Lord Li's hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
He never imagined that his secrets would be made public.
At this moment, the legal wife suddenly burst into laughter.
Her laughter sounded particularly jarring in the quiet mansion.
"You've kept so many concubines and abused me; now the whole world knows!"
The first wife laughed and said loudly,
"Let's see how you'll live from now on, this is karma!"
Lord Li's face was ashen; he knew he was utterly defeated this time.
His wife's words were like a sharp blade, piercing his heart.
Lord Li's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
He muttered to himself, "It's over, it's over, it's all over now..."
Why would something like this happening in his household be published here? In the Qing Dynasty People's Daily?
This newspaper, the *Da Qing Bai Xing Bao* (People's Daily of the Great Qing Dynasty), was commissioned by the Emperor and run by the princesses.
Could it be that the Emperor deliberately had their scandalous affairs exposed?
Lord Li grew increasingly frightened, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
Their emperor is so young, yet he is quite shrewd.
Meanwhile, the other ministers who were exposed also found themselves in their own predicaments.
Some ministers were surrounded by angry people outside their residences, who questioned them loudly.
Some ministers were scolded by their own clansmen, who demanded an explanation from them;
Some ministers were even summoned by their superiors for questioning and asked to explain the contents of the newspapers.
Their crimes are known to all; death awaits them.
After years of navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, they quickly realized why they had encountered this calamity.
It was all because they impeached the princess in court.
This is the Emperor's warning; they are the monkeys he uses to make an example of.
Even ants try to survive.
Although these ministers realized they were in dire straits, they were still unwilling to accept their fate.
They ran to the study and began writing a letter of thanks.
After finishing writing, he sent his youngest son away that very night.
Some people harbored resentment towards the princess, believing that it was they who exposed their scandals to the public through the "Da Qing Bai Xing Bao" (Great Qing People's Daily).
They were humiliated and put in a difficult situation.
Send someone to find an opportunity to assassinate the princess.
However, their little tricks could not escape Hongchang's eyes.
Ye Lanyi had already arranged for secret guards to keep an eye on the ministers' every move.
Hongchang's eyes flashed with chilling rage upon receiving news that someone dared to plot to assassinate the princess.
He coldly ordered, "Keep a close eye on those people and wipe them out in one fell swoop."
Ye Lanyi replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Hongchang nodded slightly, his gaze as cold as a knife:
"These ministers usually flaunt their power in the court, but behind the scenes they do shady things."
Now, they dare to harbor malicious intentions towards their older and younger sisters! They're truly courting death!
Ye Lanyi strode out of the hall, quickly gathered the secret guards, and relayed Hongchang's orders.
The guards all looked serious and quickly split up to take action.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the palace windows and into the court, but it could not dispel the gloom in Hongchang's heart.
His face was ashen, and his sharp gaze swept over the ministers who had previously impeached the princess.
These people all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
Hongchang's desk was piled high with petitions and memorials submitted by his ministers.
However, he didn't even bother to glance at them; his anger made him completely uninterested in these memorials.
He issued a decree directly, dismissing all these ministers from their posts and confiscating their property without any mercy.
"I appointed public officials to publish newspapers so that the people of the land could understand important national events."
To be aware of the court's policies and activities.
You people, instead of thinking about serving the country and its people,
But behind the scenes they engage in these shady dealings; they're utterly shameless!
Hongchang's voice echoed in the court, carrying boundless authority and anger.
He continued, “Your crimes have been exposed, yet you show no remorse and even attempted to assassinate the princess!”
What use are people like you? You only bring more trouble and disaster to the court!
Hongchang's gaze was like a knife, sweeping across their faces as he said coldly:
"Guards, take these traitors away, confiscate their property, and exile them to Ningguta to serve as slaves to the armored men!"
These people were quickly dragged away by the guards.
Pleas for mercy echoed in the court, but Hongchang's expression remained unmoved.
After the guards took the ministers away, the court was deathly silent.
Hongchang's gaze swept over the assembled officials, his tone cold and resolute:
"We should take today's events as a warning."
Officials of the imperial court should prioritize national affairs and put the people first.
If there are any more unambitious and wicked individuals, I will not let them off lightly!
The ministers knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty, we obey your decree!"
They were all temporarily stunned by the emperor's actions.
He thought to himself that this young emperor was so ruthless despite his young age.
In the imperial court, no one dared to harbor any improper thoughts; all the officials were trembling with fear.
They feared becoming the next target of retribution.
Those who originally planned to rig the Eight Banners' assessment have now abandoned their plans.
They understand that any attempt to gain personal advantage through improper means will be met with condemnation.
All of these could be seen by the emperor as a provocation against the court.
Hongchang's methods have made it clear to everyone that he will never tolerate any misconduct.
As soon as they returned home from court, they ordered their servants to call all the young men who were out fooling around home.
Despite his family's objections, he packed up and sent them to the military camp.
Meanwhile, Nian Shilan from the Yuanmingyuan Garden also received a letter from Fucha Peiyun.
Please invite her back to the palace for a talk.
After thinking it over, Nian Shilan decided to return to the palace and had someone invite Feng Ruozhao, Cao Qinmo, Lü Yingfeng, Shen Meizhuang, and others.
The feud between Feng Ruozhao and Nian Shilan was completely resolved many years ago.
They've had a very difficult time getting along over the years; they used to play cards and have fun at the Old Summer Palace.
The current relationships are very unpleasant.
As soon as Feng Ruozhao and the others arrived at Nian Shilan's place, Feng Ruozhao spoke first.
"Your Majesty summoned us here today, is there something you need?"
When Nian Shilan usually invites them over to play cards, she always says so directly.
The cooling measure simply said to have them all come over.
Nian Shilan smiled slightly and gestured for everyone to sit down.
Only then did he say, "It's a good thing."
Lu Yingfeng asked impatiently, "Your Majesty, what good news is it now?"
"Have the princesses done something good for the Emperor again?"
Feng Ruozhao, Cao Qinmo, Shen Meizhuang, and the others all looked at Nian Shilan expectantly.
Seeing this, Nian Shilan stopped keeping her in suspense.
“Ah-Jun wrote to ask if we wanted to go back to the palace for a short stay. You can go back and see the princesses.”
Cao Qinmo was slightly taken aback, then her face lit up with surprise, and she said:
"Your Majesty, really? That's wonderful!"
I haven't seen Wenyi and her sisters for several months; they must miss us terribly.
Feng Ruozhao nodded in agreement:
"Yes, I haven't seen Shujia for several months either."
I wonder if she's been eating on time, given her busy schedule outside the palace every day?
Lu Yingfeng, Shen Meizhuang, and the others naturally missed their daughters very much.
Now that he has the chance to return to the palace to see his daughter, how could he not be happy?
Lü Yingfeng clapped her hands and laughed, "Your Majesty, this is wonderful!"
I miss Shuhe and Shujing every day.
They'd be overjoyed if they knew I could go back to the palace to see her.
Shen Meizhuang's face lit up with joy at the thought of Jinghe.
"Your Majesty, when shall we depart?"