NFBE Chapter 279 Promotion
Chapter 279 Promotion
As evening approached, Shen Tang leaned against the window, looking at the blazing sun setting in the sky. Si'er came in and said, "Crown Princess, Madam Zhao from the Queen's side is here..."
"Please."
Si'er stepped back and soon brought Zhao Ma in.
Madam Zhao bowed to Shen Tang, who helped her up. "Madam Zhao, you are so polite. Why are you here at Prince Jingyang's mansion at this hour?"
Nanny Zhao was respectful. She knew that Empress Xu and the princess were close friends, and she also knew that Prince Jingyang was secretly supporting Prince Yu. Even more importantly, two days ago, the prince's wife accompanied the princess to the palace to visit Concubine Ye and helped Empress Xu.
If it weren't for her concerns, Empress Xu wouldn't have asked her to rush to the Jingyang Palace at this hour. Nanny Xu said, "The cake incident frightened the Crown Prince and his wife. This is a serious matter. The Empress ordered this servant to come to the palace to investigate. She will do her best to find the person who poisoned them and give an explanation to the Jingyang Palace."
Most of the tribute items this time were for the female members of the family, so the emperor handed them over to Empress Xu to arrange. If anything went wrong, Empress Xu would naturally be responsible.
Shen Tang said, "I'm sorry to have caused the Empress to worry. Please ask Madam Zhao to convey this to the Empress. Please rest assured, my husband and I are not timid people. The more those people try to prevent my husband from interacting with Prince Yu, the more they will push my husband towards Prince Yu's side."
Hearing this, Madam Zhao felt relieved and said, "I will definitely convey this to the Empress."
Nanny Zhao had already asked Steward Zhou about the pastries. She came only to appease Shen Tang on behalf of Empress Xu, but ended up being appeased by Shen Tang instead. It was getting late, so Nanny Zhao did not stay any longer.
Shen Tang wanted to escort Zhao Mama out of the house, but Zhao Mama refused to let him go, so Shen Tang only escorted him to the gate of the courtyard.
As Qiu Tong escorted Nanny Zhao out of the house, a young maid came over and said, "Prince's Consort, the Fourth Madam fainted from crying, and the old lady is also ill..."
The pain of losing a child is something that most people cannot bear.
In her previous life, Shen Tang lost the child in her belly, and she was heartbroken. What's more, the child had been raised to seven years old, and his life was taken away just because of a piece of cake. It would be strange that the Fourth Madam could bear this blow.
Needless to say, the old lady, in order to restore her reputation and to fight for her dignity, snatched the things given to her and Xie Guimo by the palace, and ended up killing her own grandson. The old lady must be regretting it to the core.
Knowing that the old lady and the fourth wife don't want to see her and Xie Guimo, Shen Tang and Xie Guimo will not have nothing to do after eating and go out to attract dislike.
The next day, Shen Tang did not go to pay her respects to the princess, but stayed in Chenxiangxuan, embroidering and sewing to pass the time.
While she was embroidering, Si'er came in and said, "Princess, the eunuch who was in charge of packing food boxes in the palace's kitchen disappeared yesterday. He was found drowned in a well this morning..."
The cakes given to officials by the palace had to be sealed. The poison in the cakes could only have been put into them before they were sealed. It must have been done by someone in the imperial kitchen.
Yesterday, as soon as the emperor learned that someone had poisoned the pastries given to Shen Tang and Xie Guimo, he ordered a thorough investigation of the matter. All the people who had handled the pastries were checked, and everyone else was fine, except for a young eunuch who was missing.
Everyone in the palace knew that if someone went missing at this time, it would be a dangerous thing. Sure enough, early this morning, when the palace maids went to fetch water from the well, they found the eunuch floating in the well, and they were almost scared to death.
The prince had predicted that this matter would be difficult to investigate, and Shen Tang and Xie Guimo did not expect Queen Xu to find evidence and bring Concubine Ye to justice.
In her previous life, Empress Xu was defeated miserably by Concubine Ye. Shen Tang was satisfied that Empress Xu could protect herself and not be plotted against by Concubine Ye.
The clues ended here, and it was basically impossible to investigate further, but a life was lost, so we had to continue investigating even if it was difficult.
Three days later, the eighth young master was buried. Because he died young, the funeral would not be a grand one. Normally, he would not be allowed to be buried in the ancestral tomb. The old lady, perhaps out of guilt, insisted on burying the eighth young master in the ancestral tomb. The prince agreed because the eighth young master helped Shen Tang and Xie Guimo to avoid disaster.
However, the coffin was carried out of the Jingyang Prince's Mansion through the side door, and there was not even a piece of white silk hanging in the mansion.
A life disappeared quietly from the Jingyang Palace.
The old lady was ill for seven or eight days, and the doctor came several times before she gradually recovered.
The fourth wife had a high fever for two days and refused to eat a single grain of rice. The maid said that she had lost a lot of weight.
After the eighth young master died of poisoning, the fourth branch finally got over the grief in an incredible way.
It was a fine day. After having breakfast, Shen Tang went to pay his respects to the princess on time.
When she went there, the princess was writing something. Seeing Shen Tang coming, the princess smiled and said, "Tang'er is here."
Shen Tang asked, "Did I disturb Mother?"
The princess put down the pen, blew the ink dry, and put the letter in while saying, "The prince sent someone to Guzhou. I will also write a letter and ask someone to take it to cousin Mo'er."
Guzhou is a bit far from Kyoto, and there is not much correspondence between them. It just so happens that the prince's people are going to Guzhou, so they must also deliver a letter to Madam Huo.
Not only one letter from the princess, but also one from Madam An.
The princess handed the letter to the maid and sat on the small couch with Shen Tang to talk. But before she could open her mouth, a maid came in quickly and said, "Princess, someone from the palace has come to tell you the good news. The emperor has promoted the fourth master to the position of doctor of the Ministry of Revenue."
Shen Tang, "..."
This promotion really came unexpectedly.
The princess was also stunned for a while, and it was Nanny Yun who asked, "Who recommended the Fourth Master?"
The maid replied, "The King of Qi recommended her."
Nanny Yun asked again, "Where is the former Ministry of Revenue doctor?"
I haven't heard that anything happened to the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue. He was neither impeached nor did anything happen to him suddenly.
The maid said, "It seems something happened in Yongzhou, and the emperor has sent the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue away."
Shen Tang vaguely remembered that something like this happened in his previous life. The prefect of Yongzhou died of illness, and the doctor of the Ministry of Revenue took the opportunity to request an imperial decree to send him out of the capital, and the emperor approved it.
This position was vacant at the perfect time. Although no evidence was found to prove that it was Concubine Ye who ordered people to poison the pastries, everyone knew it, including the old lady.
As long as the Eighth Young Master lives, the old lady may not continue to act as she did before, secretly helping Concubine Ye to put pressure on the Princess and Xie Guimo to support Prince Qi.
The King of Qi recommended the Fourth Master as compensation to him. After all, the poison in the cakes was not aimed at the Eighth Young Master, nor was it aimed at the Old Madam. By helping the Fourth Master get promoted to a higher rank, the matter would be settled.
The reward given to Shen Tang and Xie Guimo was obtained with the help of Empress Xu. If not, Concubine Ye would not have had the opportunity to poison the pastries. If Prince Qi recommended the Fourth Master and Prince Yu opposed it, it would just bring hatred upon himself. Prince Yu certainly could not do such a thing, but he did not object. Prince Yu did not agree either. Instead, he took the opportunity to let his people take over the position vacated by the Fourth Master.
Prince Yu did not oppose Prince Qi, so Prince Qi naturally could not oppose Prince Yu.
The emperor agreed.
The maidservant said, "The Fourth Master has been promoted to a higher rank. City Patrol Officer Liu will take over the Fourth Master's position, and the vacant City Patrol Officer position will be held by my cousin-in-law."