Before Xuan could speak, Xiao Yanzheng had already lifted the curtain and ca out: "Fourth Sister-in-law." He walked over excitedly, "Are you okay?" His eyes also reddened.
Xiqiu chuckled softly, "I’m fine." She said as she gave Xuan a kiss, then said to Zhi, "Take Xuan to play in the courtyard, be careful."
Zhi acknowledged and led Xuan out the door.
Xiqiu took a handkerchief and helped Xiao Yanzheng wipe his tears, smiling as she said, "Why are you crying? I’m alright." Xiao Yanzheng laughed through his tears, nodded, and took Xiqiu’s arm, saying, "Yes, Fourth Sister-in-law is a great person. Good people are blessed!"
Xiqiu chuckled lightly as the two entered the side room. Xiqiu greeted the Grand Dowager and First Madam with propriety before sitting down. Chunliu and Yiquan kowtowed to the Grand Dowager and then left the mansion.
"Is my husband doing well?" Xiqiu said as she went looking for Xiao Yanzheng’s second son: "Why didn’t Yong co back?"
Xiao Yanzheng waved his hand, "He was crying and fussing, if I brought him back, I wouldn’t have the chance to talk." After speaking, he sat down beside Xiqiu and said with a smile, "Let tell you, the court was truly lively today; when I arrived, I heard the Emperor still hadn’t finished court, and they were in a heated argunt."
Xiqiu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why did they start arguing?" At most, presenting a morial grounded in reason wouldn’t lead to such a dispute.
Xiao Yanzheng shook his head, "You’ll find out when Second Brother and the others return."
The Grand Dowager smiled and said, "Seeing the weather getting hotter, I think we should spend a few days at the villa this year." She looked at Xiao Yanzheng, "You should bring your two children and co with us too."
Xiao Yanzheng’s eyes flickered with so hesitation, "If I leave, what will my husband do alone at ho?"
The Grand Dowager pointed at Xiao Yanzheng and said to Xiqiu and the First Madam, "Look, now it’s only about her husband, not her mother."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law all laughed, and Xiao Yanzheng scolded, "Mother!"
Xiao Yanzheng was not mistaken, today the court was unprecedentedly lively and destined to be recorded in history.
The Emperor suddenly appeared at the morning court, and the civil servants, who had been holding back for days, suddenly erupted.
For a mont, the voices of "This minister has a morial to present" rose one after another, and morials listing all of the Shen Family’s cris over the years were delivered like snowflakes... On the other side, the Shen faction was busy impeaching Fourth Master Xiao, impeaching Lord Wu and Elder General Chen, countering blow for blow.
At first, everyone spoke politely and orderly, until it later escalated into face-to-face argunts, with an Imperial Censor pointing at the Shen faction and saying, "Fourth Madam and Grand Commander Xiao share deep affection, and she is extrely virtuous and dignified. I often hear my wife praise her at ho... Such a virtuous woman, yet after being summoned to the palace, falls gravely ill and narrowly escapes disaster, and the Empress hasn’t offered a single explanation. I refuse to accept it!"
On the Shen side, soone stood up to respond: "She is utterly mad and delirious; perhaps she set the fire herself. The Empress is tolerant; otherwise, punishing Mrs. Xiao Tong for showing great disrespect would not be excessive."
"You are simply reversing black and white." Three people stood up at once, speaking in unison, with one stepping forward, saying, "With no evidence, what right have you to slander! The Empress, as the mother of the nation, is a role model for all won. Her every move serves as an example for the world. This incident has chilled the hearts of all under heaven. If the Empress does not provide a clear explanation and definitive response, the people will not be appeased."
Two people from the Shen faction stood up to reply: "You want evidence, the two Imperial Physicians in the palace are the evidence. They were by Fourth Madam’s side at the ti; they are the best evidence."
"Ha!" Soone sneered and questioned, "You said they were by Fourth Madam’s side at the ti. If Fourth Madam wanted to set the hall on fire, why didn’t they stop her, allowing a weak and ill woman to succeed?" After speaking, with a wave of his hand, "Truly a laughingstock!"
The Shen side refused to accept this and requested the Emperor summon the two Imperial Physicians present at the ti. After questioning, the Imperial Physicians revealed shocking news: "Old Madam Shen and the Empress ordered us to use a dangerous thod to awaken Fourth Madam. This thod was so perilous that it would severely damage her health after waking. We were hesitant... Just then, Consort Wen arrived, and after a dispute, we had regrets, but dared not defy the Empress’s decree, resulting in a stalemate in the Glazed Palace... Unexpectedly, the palace suddenly caught fire, nearly..."
Speaking from his perspective with helplessness, his words shocked the court and opposition alike!
People from the Shen faction jumped up and directly accused the two Imperial Physicians of slandering the Empress, kicking an Imperial Physician in front of the Emperor. This kick was so powerful that it imdiately provoked an indignant Imperial Censor to retaliate, igniting a tumultuous commotion on the court as they shoved each other, escalating into scuffles and brawls...
The sound of slaps and smacks were incessant, mixed with curses, the sounds of gang-beatings, and spitting...
The guards standing outside were so shocked they forgot to intervene, while the Emperor’s face darkened and beca extrely displeased.
He had seen many brawls among rough n and many street squabbles among shrews, but he had never seen literati engage in mutual assault and insults.
Fourth Master Xiao looked indifferent, yet he had no intention of intervening.
"Stop." Lord Wu stood out, angered: "Despite being scholars of the sacred texts, you act like ignorant shrews engaged in scuffles!" He then took a step forward: "All of you, return to your places."
The stern shout was truly effective, with everyone hanging their heads yet still stubbornly standing in place, sneaking glances at the Emperor.
It was seen, the dozens of participants in the scuffle, with disheveled clothes and hair, sporting injuries, appearing forlorn and embarrassing. Lord Wu, the First Master, and the others looked on with emotions of laughter and exasperation.
This event not only shocked them but also astonished people for many years to co. No dynasty in history had ever witnessed such a large-scale brawl among literati. The spark of this incident was traced back to the death of the Imperial Uncle, where the two factions had long been at odds, rely awaiting the opportunity to explode. So said it was caused by the death of Fourth Master Xiao’s eldest son and the crippling injury of the Eldest Prince, fueling mutual suspicion between the two sides. While others believed it was Fourth Madam Xiao’s mistreatnt in the palace that provoked Fourth Master Xiao!
In short, regardless of how later generations evaluate it, at this mont, the Emperor wished to sentence all of them to execution to end the matter.
"Emperor." Soone dissatisfiedly said, "They started the fight first." Then, with a contemptuous glance at the opposition, "Ignorant shrews unworthy of the sacred texts."
These words reignited the booming clamor, and the waves of insults erupted once more, buzzing and booming, and though Lord Wu shouted along with them, his voice was drowned out by the rising and falling argunts.
The scene was unprecedentedly spectacular.
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