Chapter 200.1
The case of treason that was instigated by Dai Wang had no trace of any involvement from Hui Wang Manor from beginning to end.
It seemed that overnight, Hui Wang Manor vanished from peoples sight. No one appeared when Emperor Hongjings death was announced, and the capital fell into chaos afterward, so needless to say, there was little involvement. After, once everything settled down, and the affected courtiers began to settle the crimes of the rebels, only then did Hui Wang Manor suddenly emerge.
The various princes manors were more or less attacked, especially Jin Wang Manor, which suffered the most. There were corpses scattered throughout the nearby streets, and even after several days of cleaning, traces of what happened could still be seen.
Even the usually low-key Qing Wang Manor had been harassed by the rebels, but they were repelled by the guards. Only Hui Wang Manor, from beginning to end, seemed as if it were an invisible object. The neighbouring residences had all been harassed by the rebels, yet the rebels seemed unable to see Hui Wang Manor.
During those two days, when the situation outside was too chaotic, two civilian households near Hui Wang Manor were truly frightened. Thinking that Hui Wang Manor was a princes residence with many guards, they believed it would be safer. So they sent someone to seek help, but all they encountered was a gate that wouldnt open, no matter how much they called.
Later, the rebels broke into the doors of these two households, and the casualties in the residence were severe. In one of the households, the daughter was harmed by the rebels and ended up smashing her head against a wall. Now, as the rebels were being accounted for, and the court was investigating what happened, these two families, who had survived the ordeal, looked at the still-standing and majestic princes residence next to them, then glanced at their own tragic situation, and harboured new grievances and old grudges in their hearts.
Coincidentally, the master of that household was an official of the central judiciary office, and he personally accused the Hui Wang of being a member of the rebels and colluding with them.
In fact, this was already an open secret. Dai Wang was the younger brother of Hui Wang. When the younger brother rebelled, the older brother must have been kept in the loop. The reason why no one from Hui Wang Manor appeared to outsiders since the very beginning was because they were waiting for the success of Dai Wang. Once he succeeded, they would all share in the glory and wealth.
This idea was not wrong, but unfortunately, Dai Wang ended up being defeated.
If no one had brought it up, everyone would have turned a blind eye to it, as it was the imperial familys own affair to resolve. However, someone did bring it up, and with the accumulation of the rebels wicked deeds, everyone in the court hated them and was filled with resentment and deep anger.
In this situation, the collusion between Hui Wang Manor and the rebels quickly became known both inside and outside the court.
Even though they were both imperial princes, Jin Wang took the lead and disregarded his own safety. He personally led people out to suppress the rebellion, not only crushing the revolt but also saving many officials and their families. After the rebellion ended, the people from Jin Wang Manor spent a whole day moving the corpses. Anyone who saw the miserable state of the nearby streets would shake their heads in lamentation, exclaiming at the intense brutality.
And on the other hand, Hui Wang clearly had the resources and ability, yet he chose not to save them.
This was human nature. Everyone was suffering, so why should you remain indifferent? And you remained indifferent despite knowing full well what would happen if you did nothing. Yet you still sat back and did nothing. Since ancient times, it has been said that when a prince commits a crime, he is as equally guilty as if it was a commoner who committed the crime. Although the masses knew this didnt apply in real life, as long as it made those privileged people uncomfortable, it brought them comfort.
Especially since everyone knew the downfall of the central palaces faction is imminent, there were no longer any concerns. Many courtiers rushed forward to present their accusations.
When the news reached the residence of Hui Wang, he cursed vehemently and turned pale with fear.
It wasnt that he was cowardly by nature, but ever since he learned of Dai Wangs defeat, he had been feeling restless in his heart. However, he never expected that his fears would come true.
Its all because of you, bastard! If it werent for you prohibiting the servants from receiving guests, it wouldnt have escalated to this extent!
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zuo retorted, How could we have let people into the manor in that kind of situation? Not to mention what would have happened if third uncle found out, if we had allowed two families to stay, even more people would have sought refuge here. Could the manor accommodate them all?
It made sense in theory, but once someone encountered trouble, it was inevitable for there to be a shifting of blame.
Father and son had a big quarrel, and the servants dared not intervene.
After the argument, the matter still needed to be resolved.
Three days passed, and after much deliberation, Hui Wang went to the palace.
He didnt do anything except betray Empress Wei, in exchange for his own safety and prosperity.
Jin Wang heard that Emperor Hongjing had fallen ill, so he hurriedly entered the palace without knowing what had happened.
It was only after consulting with Li Dequan that he learned the truth of the matter.
To protect himself, Hui Wang betrayed Empress Wei and informed Emperor Hongjing of something she had done in her early years. It was because of this incident that Emperor Hongjing fell ill.
The reason Consort De died back then was closely related to Empress Wei.
When Shen Luan was still in her boudoir, her health was not good, but it was just weakness, not a serious illness. Later, after entering the palace, her condition deteriorated further. The imperial physicians diagnosed her numerous times, always attributing it to emotional stress.
Where did her emotional stress come from? It was naturally related to her entering the palace and the Shen Family. Yet Emperor Hongjing didnt want to pay attention to all of this and actively avoided it.
Later, due to certain reasons, Shen Luan became pregnant. At that time, Doctor Liu, who was still the imperial physician, told her that giving birth to this child would greatly damage her vitality and shorten her lifespan. But Shen Luan insisted and gave birth to Jin Wang. Up until the moment before childbirth, Shen Luans condition was quite good, but problems arose during delivery.
Shen Luan had a difficult childbirth. Although both mother and child were safe in the end, it had taken a toll on her vitality. She didnt survive for many years and left behind Jin Wang, departing from this world.
This matter had always been a sore spot for Emperor Hongjing. He has always believed that Consort De was a victim of jealousy and the manipulation of fate. He believed that she intentionally opposed him, which led to her demise.
Never did he expect that it was the empress who had a hand in it.
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