Chapter 39: Disaster

February is just the right season for grass to grow and birds to fly. Today's sunshine is also warm on the body, as if to make the darkness of the world have nowhere to hide.

"Lady, watch your step." Xia Ling saw Wei Zifu step on two empty steps and hurriedly reached out to support her.

Wei Zifu suddenly came back to her senses, her heart beating wildly. She subconsciously looked up at the warm sun above her head, and finally showed a smile to Xia Ling: "I'm fine."

Xia Ling carefully helped Wei Zifu continue to walk down the steps and whispered: "The slave sees your complexion is not good, was it because the Empress made things difficult for you in the Wan Ge just now?"

"No." Wei Zifu shook her head slowly, her voice a bit dry: "I was just thinking too deeply, let's go, let's return to Pixiang Hall."

Just now, following behind "Chen Ajiao," she seemed to be obsessed, actually wanting to kill the child in her belly in full view of everyone. If it weren't for the moment her reason returned, if she had really done that just now, with her current status, she probably wouldn't have lived.

The current her was still just a small Lady, her Qing brother hadn't made contributions to the Great Han, and wasn't the Great General. Her nephew Huo Qubing was only ten years old and hadn't emerged in the army.

At this time, hurting "Chen Ajiao" and her legitimate son, Liu Che and Dou Taizhu would absolutely not let her go. Wei Zifu took a deep breath and gripped her fists tightly.

She had to wait, wait patiently.

Wait for her brother to become the Great General, wait for her nephew Huo Qubing to become the Piaoqi General and Champion Marquis, wait for her Ju'er to grow up safely. By that time, if Chen Ajiao was deposed like in her previous life, it would save her the trouble.

If Chen Ajiao was not deposed, even if she gave birth to a legitimate imperial son, even if this legitimate imperial son became Crown Prince, she would find a way to make Liu Che and Chen Ajiao mother and son estranged, just like Liu Che treated her and Ju'er in her previous life.

Wei Zifu knew very well that she had no bargaining chips in her hands now, as humble as an ant. Only when Liu Che discovered her brother's value could her status be improved.

Liu Che, the hatred of the previous life, will be repaid in this life with the throne you care about most.

The Empress was preparing to organize the Ai Fu year birthday banquet for the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager vaguely heard the palace maids serving her talking about it, and she was calm on the surface, but secretly happy in her heart. After so many years, "A Jiao" finally had a bit of the appearance of a daughter-in-law.

On this day, Jin Su, the daughter the Empress Dowager had with her former husband Jin Wangsun, brought a son and a daughter to visit her mother.

The palace maids invited them into the Empress Dowager's Changxin Hall. When Jin Su saw her mother, she immediately performed a kneeling ceremony.

The Empress Dowager's face showed joy, and she hurriedly called for people to help her daughter up and bestowed a seat.

For this daughter Jin Su, the Empress Dowager felt that she owed her a lot. Back then, Jin Su was only a few years old and was at the age when she needed her mother, but she was forced to leave her daughter and husband to enter Weiyang Palace.

Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye, and their mother and daughter finally met and reunited, and the Empress Dowager could finally properly make up for this daughter.

Che'er was filial and knew her mind, so he enfeoffed Jin Su as the Xiucheng Lord. But the Empress Dowager always felt it wasn't enough, so when Jin Su's daughter, her granddaughter Jin E, reached the age of marriage, she thought she must find a good marriage for her granddaughter.

The way the old lady Dou doted on A Jiao back then, the Empress Dowager now wanted to dote on Jin E. Since Chen Ajiao had become Empress, her granddaughter should be a Queen.

The Empress Dowager had picked for a long time among the current feudal kingdoms and finally locked her target on the Huainan Kingdom. Huainan was wealthy and the climate was pleasant. If her granddaughter could marry the Huainan King Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess.

Once the current Huainan King passed away and the Crown Prince succeeded to the throne, Jin E would be the Queen.

Thinking this way, the Empress Dowager had people go and summon Liu Ling, the Huainan King Wengzhu who lived in Changle Palace. She wanted to let Liu Ling see her granddaughter first and let her granddaughter build a relationship with her future sister-in-law.

Jin Su came to Changle Palace this time for her daughter's marriage. Since she was found by her younger brother, who was the Son of Heaven, the whole family had risen like chickens and dogs, living a good life.

Her son and daughter were even more spoiled by their mother and were a bit arrogant. Her daughter Jin E reached the age of marriage but was unwilling to marry an ordinary person, so she had no choice but to beg her mother, the Empress Dowager.

The mother spoiled her to the point of being overbearing, and when her daughter Jin E reached the age of marriage, she was unwilling to marry an ordinary person, so she had no choice but to beg her mother, who was the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager lovingly pulled Jin E into her arms and said: "Of course you can, you are the niece of the current Son of Heaven."

Jin E smiled contentedly.

Just then, Liu Ling was brought over by a palace maid. She bowed slightly to the Empress Dowager: "Ling just wanted to go to Weiyang Palace to find A Jiao Sister, but the Empress Dowager sent someone to summon Ling."

Hearing Liu Ling mention "A Jiao," the Empress Dowager knew that Liu Ling and A Jiao had a good relationship. If the Empress could bridge the gap, perhaps the effect would be even better.

So she said: "Ling, sit by my side, I will arrange for people to invite your A Jiao Sister over."

Liu Ling walked lightly to the Empress Dowager's side and sat down, her beautiful eyes curiously sizing up the girl on the other side of the Empress Dowager, curiously asking: "Empress Dowager, who is this pretty sister?"

Hearing Liu Ling ask this, the Empress Dowager happily introduced them to each other. Liu Ling enthusiastically greeted Jin E to sit beside her: "After I came to Chang'an, I haven't had a chance to go to the inner city of Chang'an to take a look. Jin E Sister, you were born in Chang'an, would you be willing to take me around?"

Jin E nodded: "Okay, okay."

Liu Ling turned her eyes to look at the Empress Dowager: "Empress Dowager, can Ling go out of the palace to find Jin E Sister to play at any time in the future?"

The Empress Dowager was happy to see it and smiled: "Naturally, you can." It seemed that Liu Ling still liked Jin E quite a bit, so Liu Ling should speak good words for Jin E when discussing the marriage in the future.

Liu Che took the imperial carriage to Changle Palace. On the way, he had already heard the palace maid who came to report. He knew that his mother was preparing to marry Jin E to Huainan. For this marriage, he had no opinion.

After all, the strongest among the feudal forces now was the Huainan King. If his niece married over, it would be more beneficial for him to grasp the situation of the Huainan King.

Liu Che had just stepped down from the imperial carriage when he heard a frivolous voice in his ear: "Where did this beauty come from, so beautiful."

Liu Che frowned, just about to look in the direction of the sound, but didn't want the person who spoke to have already rushed in front of him. After seeing the person clearly, Liu Che's brows frowned even deeper.

"Xiucheng Zijhong?" Wasn't this his eldest nephew?

Xiucheng Zijhong, whose real name was Jin Zijhong, was Jin Su's son. Because Jin Su was enfeoffed as the Xiucheng Lord, her son was also called Xiucheng Zijhong.

Because he was unconditionally spoiled by the Empress Dowager, Xiucheng Zijhong was arrogant and domineering. Relying on having an Emperor uncle, he ran rampant in Chang'an City, bullying men and women. Today, he followed his mother into the palace. After paying respects to his grandmother, he wandered around in this Changle Palace and had already teased several palace maids.

Just when he felt bored, he unexpectedly saw a beauty who made his eyes light up.

Xiucheng Zijhong leaned in front of Liu Che, sizing him up with lecherous eyes, and after seeing Liu Che's bulging belly, he said: "So you are Uncle's woman."

He wasn't stupid, he could still think of this point.

Liu Che sneered, but before he could speak, he heard him say: "Beauty, after your child is born, I will ask Uncle for you."

Liu Che: "???" Did this beast know what he was saying?

Fuqu, who was standing on the side, said angrily: "Presumptuous, who are you, actually daring to be so disrespectful to the Empress."

Xiucheng Zijhong was stunned: "Emp, Empress?" It wasn't that Xiucheng Zijhong didn't recognize A Jiao; after all, he hadn't seen her at all.

Liu Che heard those words of Xiucheng Zijhong and was about to be angered to smoke. He narrowed his phoenix eyes and said coldly: "Someone, capture him, give him fifty lashes, and let him have a good memory."

Xiucheng Zijhong was dumbfounded. Before he could react, the guards following Liu Che had already stepped forward and pressed him down.

"Emp, Empress, no... Aunt, I was wrong, I didn't know you were the Empress." Xiucheng Zijhong begged for mercy repeatedly. If he was hit with fifty lashes, wouldn't his butt blossom?

It was said that Uncle didn't like his Empress, so Xiucheng Zijhong thought the Empress must be an ugly woman. How could he have imagined that his Aunt would be so...

beautiful?

"Give the punishment right here." Liu Che was really too disappointed with his eldest nephew.

Previously, ministers had submitted memorials about what Xiucheng Zijhong did in Chang'an City, but because of his mother's doting, Liu Che couldn't restrain him much. He didn't expect that he would dare to tease him; he really wouldn't have a memory if he wasn't taught a lesson.

The palace maids of Changxin Palace saw this and hurriedly ran back to report to the Empress Dowager: "Empress Dowager, it's not good, the Empress wants to lash the son of the Xiucheng Lord."

The Empress Dowager was shocked: "What? Quickly make her stop."

A house full of people came upon hearing the news, Liu Ling and Jin E supported the Empress Dowager left and right. The boards for the punishment were already prepared, and Xiucheng Zijhong was pressed and lying on the ground, sticking his butt out ready to be punished.

"Stop, give me a stop." The Empress Dowager arrived angrily.

Xiucheng Zijhong saw the Empress Dowager coming and howled: "Grandmother, save me!"

"Let him go, what is this for?" The Empress Dowager ordered.

Those guards looked at Liu Che, not knowing what to do for a while. Liu Che said coldly: "Today these fifty lashes must be hit, even if Mother comes, it's the same, execute the punishment."

These guards were all from the Qimen Army, which Liu Che had A Jiao transfer for his use. They only listened to the Son of Heaven's orders. Now that they were ordered by the Son of Heaven to protect the "Empress," they naturally only listened to the "Empress."

The Empress Dowager was furious: "Chen Ajiao, make them stop!"

Liu Che remained unmoved, insisting on punishing him. The guards received the "Empress's" order, raised the board, and hit Xiucheng Zijhong's butt.

Xiucheng Zijhong immediately wailed.

"Chen Ajiao, you actually dare to disobey my words?" The Empress Dowager was so angry that her teeth itched. She felt that "Chen Ajiao" had changed a lot before, but she didn't expect her to reveal her true colors so quickly.

Jin Su on the side ran over and knelt in front of A Jiao: "Empress, forgive me, Zijhong is still a child. If there is anything that offends you, you can punish me instead."

Liu Che narrowed his eyes and looked at Jin Su, saying coldly: "A doting mother ruins the child. Xiucheng Zijhong will become like this, Eldest Sister, you also have responsibility."

Jin Su was choked for a moment.

The Empress Dowager saw her daughter kneeling and felt even more uncomfortable. She brushed aside the hands of Jin E and Liu Ling supporting her, walked straight to "Chen Ajiao," and then raised her hand and slapped him.

"Slap." This sound made the air in front of Changxin Hall freeze.

Liu Che had no precautions against his mother. This slap came down, and he tilted to one side. Fortunately, Fuqu supported him on one side, otherwise, he would have fallen.

But even so, Liu Che still felt his belly hit Fuqu.

The Empress Dowager said sternly: "Chen Ajiao, I am not dead yet, this Changle Palace cannot tolerate you acting recklessly here!"

Liu Che covered his belly with one hand and his slapped face with the other. His expression became more and more gloomy: "Why doesn't Mother ask what Xiucheng Zijhong actually did? You blindly protect him, which is why he became like this. I am teaching this beast a lesson today on behalf of Mother and Eldest Sister."

The momentum on "Chen Ajiao" was too fierce, as if the Son of Heaven had possessed her, making people dare not be presumptuous again.

The Empress Dowager was also intimidated by him.

"Continue hitting, fifty lashes, not one less." Liu Che turned to order the guards.

When Xiucheng Zijhong was hit for the twenty-third time, Liu Che suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He suddenly grabbed Fuqu's arm, and his voice was squeezed out from between his teeth: "Fuqu, my belly hurts..."

Fuqu was shocked and hurriedly hugged Liu Che's waist: "Little Lord, what's wrong with you?"

Liu Che felt his two legs trembling and could barely stand. Finally, his eyes went black and he fainted directly.

Fuqu exclaimed: "Summon the imperial physician, quickly summon the imperial physician!"

When A Jiao received the news that Liu Che had fainted in Changle Palace, she hurriedly took the imperial carriage over. Liu Che was temporarily placed in the bedroom of Changle Palace, and the imperial physician had already come to diagnose his pulse.

"What's going on? Why did the Empress faint well?" A Jiao's gaze swept toward the palace maids kneeling in the hall, and finally looked at the Empress Dowager on the side.

The Empress Dowager's expression was a bit awkward, but fortunately, the imperial physician opened his mouth at this time: "Your Majesty, the minister has already applied needles for the Little Lord, and the Little Lord is temporarily fine. But after the minister's diagnosis, I found that the Little Lord's pulse is extremely unstable. Remember not to be so angry again, endangering the imperial son in the belly."

A Jiao listened to the imperial physician's words, and her whole heart hung up: "Was the Empress fainted from anger?"

The imperial physician could only use very academic words: "Anger attacks the heart, liver fire is prosperous." After saying that, the imperial physician went down to boil medicine for Liu Che.

Liu Che on the bed hadn't woken up yet. A Jiao turned to look at the Empress Dowager, her tone not very good: "Mother, what exactly happened, tell me clearly."

The Empress Dowager still wanted to protect her grandson, so she said: "I don't know why A Jiao wanted to lash Zijhong, I just said two words to him..."

A Jiao couldn't hear her concealment, her stern face became darker and darker. She looked at Fuqu kneeling on the side: "Fuqu, you tell me."

Fuqu told A Jiao the whole process of the matter one by one. After listening, A Jiao sneered and looked at the Empress Dowager: "Mother, your good nephew is so bold, actually teasing the Empress. You still want to protect him like this? In the future, do you want me to let him sit on the throne for a while?"

The Empress Dowager heard her son say this and gasped, her face changing drastically: "Che'er, how can you say such things to me? You... you..." Saying this, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted directly.

So the bedroom was in a mess again.

A Jiao had the palace maids carry the Empress Dowager to her bedroom, and then had the imperial physician diagnose the Empress Dowager.

After driving away the palace maids in the hall, A Jiao turned and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her own face pale on the bed. Looking at it, she met a pair of deep, dark eyes; Liu Che had woken up.

"Are you okay?" A Jiao asked with concern.

Liu Che raised his eyebrows and said: "I heard what A Jiao said to Mother just now."

"Your mother was angered to faint by me." A Jiao said lightly.

"Hmm, I know." Liu Che's eyes were cold, and he said: "Mother is becoming more and more confused." He said, and took a light breath, only then feeling his cheek burning with pain.

He seemed to laugh at himself: "I didn't expect that the first time I was hit by my mother in my life, it would be in this situation."

A Jiao stared at the faint red mark on his cheek, frowned, and reached out to touch his cheek gently: "My mother never hit me."

Liu Che suddenly reached out and held her hand, his slender brows stretched: "I was the one hit, what are you angry about?"

Although it was Liu Che who was hit, it was her own face that was hit, A Jiao felt very unhappy in her heart. But looking at Liu Che like this, her anger inexplicably disappeared: "I think you should come to Changle Palace less in the future. After this, the Empress Dowager will definitely hate the Empress even more."

A Jiao said coldly. "Fortunately, the child is fine, otherwise I must issue a decree to kill Xiucheng Zijhong."

Liu Che was silent. At the moment he fainted, he also thought so. And today, he was really too disappointed with his mother's actions.

Could the child in his belly not compare to a Xiucheng Zijhong? This was the future legitimate imperial son of the Great Han.

Even a hundred Xiucheng Zijhongs couldn't compare to the child in his belly.

After Liu Che drank the medicine sent by the imperial physician in Changle Palace and rested for a while, he clamored to return to Weiyang Palace. A Jiao followed him and personally held him onto the imperial carriage.

When they went out, they saw Jin Su kneeling outside, and Xiucheng Zijhong whose butt was beaten to a pulp.

Jin Su saw them come out and hurriedly grabbed her son to admit his guilt: "Your Majesty, Empress, it's all the child's fault. I beg Your Majesty and the Empress to spare the child for the sake of the Empress Dowager. I will strictly manage him after I go back."

Liu Che sneered: "You should have managed him long ago. I hope he will have a memory after he goes back. If there are still things like him bullying men and women and oppressing the people in Chang'an City in the future, then it won't be as simple as lashing."

Jin Su hurriedly kowtowed to thank him: "Thank you, Empress, thank you, Your Majesty."

Liu Che didn't look at them anymore and turned to A Jiao: "Let's go back."

Huainan King Wengzhu's bedroom—

The attendant brought by Liu Ling said: "The slave has already inquired, the child in the Empress's belly is temporarily fine."

"Is that so?" Liu Ling heard this and quietly breathed a sigh of relief: "Great."

The attendant saw this and said: "Wengzhu, don't forget the purpose of the Lord sending us to Chang'an. If the Empress gives birth to a legitimate imperial son, how can the Lord be the Son of Heaven?"

Liu Ling heard the attendant's reminder, her expression froze, and her gaze carried mockery: "Do you need an attendant like you to remind me of these things?"

The attendant lowered his head: "The slave doesn't dare."

Liu Ling took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands and said nonchalantly: "That scene just now was really wonderful. You say if the Empress Dowager killed the child in the Empress's belly, would my Son of Heaven cousin and the Empress Dowager mother and son be estranged from now on?"

The attendant looked at his own Wengzhu unbelievably. It was no wonder the Lord always praised Wengzhu for being intelligent to be able to think of this move.

"The Empress Dowager also wants to marry her cheap granddaughter to my brother. That Jin E looks like a vulgar person, and she doesn't look in the mirror to see if she is worthy, just dreaming of being a Queen, pfft." Saying this, Liu Ling threw the handkerchief she used to wipe her hands on the ground, very disgusted: "Holding hands with her, I feel dirty."

Attendant: "..."

After a pause, the attendant asked cautiously: "Wengzhu, what should we do next?"

Liu Ling said slowly: "Secret reports say that the Son of Heaven is recently investigating the matter of Tian Fen and Guan Fu. If it weren't for the words Tian Fen said to my Father King back then, my Father King wouldn't have dreamed of being the Son of Heaven for so many years. You find a way to let the Son of Heaven know the words his uncle said back then."

The attendant didn't understand the intention: "Wengzhu, wouldn't this expose the Lord?"

Liu Ling had mockery in her eyes: "My Father King's ambition, do you think Liu Che wouldn't know?"

Attendant: "..."

The imperial carriage drove slowly back to Jiaofang Hall. Liu Li had already heard that the "Empress" was slapped by the Empress Dowager in Changle Palace. Seeing her parents return, her gaze noticed the obvious palm print on Liu Che's cheek.

Hiss, the Empress Dowager's hand was really ruthless.

After A Jiao arranged for Liu Che to return to the bedroom to rest, she talked to her daughter about what happened in Changle Palace. After the Empress Dowager hit Liu Che, Liu Che moved the fetus, and the child almost didn't survive.

Liu Li was dumbfounded after hearing this, a bit regretful that she didn't follow Liu Che to Changle Palace before, always feeling that she missed some wonderful pictures.

At this time, Su Wen hurriedly reported: "Your Majesty, Zhang Tang is asking to see you in Xuanshi Hall."

A Jiao heard Zhang Tang's name and looked at Liu Li: "It should be that Zhang Tang has investigated something, I will go to Xuanshi Hall now."

"Okay."

A Jiao thought for a while and said: "Right, regarding Tian Fen, let's not tell Liu Che for now. He was just stimulated today, and the imperial physician said he can't be angry anymore."

Liu Li thought that since Liu Che became pregnant, he seemed to often move the fetus and often needed the imperial physician to prescribe medicine, always feeling that something was not quite right, but couldn't think of it for a while.

After A Jiao left, Liu Li went to accompany Liu Che for a while.

The next day, Liu Che felt his body improved, but when he was organizing the files in the Wan Ge, he accidentally found a bamboo slip that didn't belong here. He opened the bamboo slip, read the content on it word by word, and then was furious: "Someone!"

Fuqu, who was guarding outside, was frightened by the "Empress's" sudden rage and hurriedly ran in: "Little Lord, what's wrong?"

Liu Che was extremely angry: "Summon the Prime Minister to the palace."

Fuqu: "Ah?" Summon the Prime Minister?

Liu Che paused, endured the anger in his heart, and asked: "Where is the Emperor?"

"The Emperor is in Xuanshi Hall." Fuqu hurriedly answered.

"Prepare the carriage, I also want to go to Xuanshi Hall." Liu Che said, lifting his leg to walk out. He felt his lower abdomen pulling in pain again. Fortunately, it didn't feel too serious. And at this time, he had more important things to do, which could not be delayed.

Fuqu had no choice but to do as the "Empress" requested. ===== CHAPTER 40 =====

"His Majesty is in the Xuanshi Hall," Fuqu replied hurriedly.

"Prepare the carriage, I am going to the Xuanshi Hall too," Liu Che said, lifting his leg to walk out. He felt a faint, cramping pain in his lower abdomen again, but fortunately, it didn't feel too serious. And at this moment, he had more important things to do and could not be delayed.

Fuqu had no choice but to do as the "Empress" requested.