RNP Chapter 348 House Arrest
Chapter 348 House Arrest
Even though Shen Shixi hadn't read many books, how could she not know the difference between the Analects and the Women's Analects? The Women's Analects was one of the Four Books for Women, a textbook used to enslave women's minds.
When she was little, her father made her read it. She glanced at one side, then threw it directly into the brazier. Her father was so angry that he picked up a feather duster to hit her. The two of them circled the brazier. Later, she kicked the brazier over, almost causing a fire, and her father didn't dare to do it anymore.
Other people's mythical beasts only dare to climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles, but his mythical beast is the kind that dares to burn down the house.
Chao Yu came in to deliver a message, saying that on the night Princess Guo returned, she hosted a banquet in the main courtyard to entertain Prince Guo, and the couple consummated their marriage. They are now inseparable.
Later, the Prince of Xun sent someone to invite Prince Guo to a banquet, but the princess persuaded him not to go.
Upon hearing this, Li Yuanke said, "Whatever he does, let him do whatever he wants, do whatever he wants. At worst, we can put him under house arrest later."
Even if brothers born of the same mother rebel, they cannot be killed openly; at most, they can be imprisoned and eventually tortured to death.
Refer to Emperor Yongzheng and his brothers.
Shen Shixi said, "He's just a little foolish. He should have avoided that step if possible! You're an emperor; you should have the magnanimity of a statesman!"
She poked his chest, and Li Yuanke grasped her hand. "Tell me," he said, "what does it mean to have the magnanimity of a statesman?"
"Try to make as few enemies as possible and as many friends as possible! Yes, you don't care. You'd be happy if any of your brothers or nephews rebelled, because killing one would reduce the danger. But what about the common people?"
Warfare brings suffering to the common people! And Li Yuanke, you are young and full of vigor now, but everyone grows old. When you are old, your thoughts on many things may be different from today's.
Li Yuanke understood what she meant, and his heart warmed, but he remained stubborn, saying, "I'm over twenty-five, I'm old."
Shen Shixi leaned on his shoulder and laughed, "Li Yuanke, you're getting old! You were begging for mercy last night!"
Li Yuanke was extremely embarrassed and slapped her on the buttocks. "Shut up, was I begging for mercy? You bastard, you had such strength, you almost crippled me."
On the 18th day of the third month of the tenth year of Yongxi, Shen Shixi turned twenty.
Early in the morning, Shen Shixi went to Cining Palace to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. After the ceremony, the Empress Dowager asked her to stay and talk.
"It's not easy for me to see you on ordinary days, and there are some things I want to say, but I can never find an opportunity. Now that you've come, I won't keep you any longer. Let's get straight to the point."
Shen Shixi was a tough nut to crack; she wasn't afraid of being called unfilial. She remained unmoved by the accusations that she hadn't come to pay her respects.
"Your Majesty, please give your orders!"
The Empress Dowager said, "Yuan Yin has been innocent and kind since childhood, and he has no ambition. You knew him before. I originally thought that as his sister-in-law, you would treat Yuan Yin well. Chen Yuan, what exactly did Yuan Yin do to make you want to kill him? To make his brothers kill each other?"
Shen Shixi was also momentarily stunned. "Your Majesty, I don't understand what you're saying!"
The Empress Dowager was so angry that she cried. She held back her tears and said, "You say you don't understand, but how could I possibly understand the things you've done, every single one of them?"
"I may not be as clever or as cunning as you, but I can see things clearly. Since you entered the palace, what's been going on between the Emperor and the Yuan brothers? And now, with all this talk of Taoist priests and the king's double-dealing, I might as well tell you: if anything happens to Yuan Yin, I won't stand idly by!"
Shen Shixi looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "After I entered the palace, Li Yuanyin was very good at first, and so was you, Your Majesty. Of course, we didn't have any conflicts of interest at that time. When did the rift begin?"
"It all started when you looked down on Lady Xie, yet still tried to force her onto the Emperor. I must say, you really understand Li Yuanyin; you were afraid that if Lady Xie married into some powerful family, she would still be entangled with Li Yuanyin, so you sent her to the palace. Who knew she'd be so restless after entering the palace? Did I arrange for them to sleep together?"
The Empress Dowager angrily retorted, "Back then, on New Year's Eve, Xie was framed by Zheng and should have been executed. The Emperor spared her life. It was clearly Xie who was being unruly, so how can you blame Yuan Yin!"
Shen Shixi didn't want to reason with this kind of person; it was like someone pretending to be asleep—you could never wake them up.
"Fine, it was my fault and the Emperor's fault. The Emperor should have kept Lady Xie, promised her the position of Empress, and let Li Yuanyin enter the harem every day to favor her, so that she could have a son and be made the Crown Prince. Is that right? Is that your purpose?"
"Why didn't you say so earlier? Back then, when the Emperor was made Crown Prince and the late Emperor passed away, you should have had him abdicate the throne to Li Yuanyin. Why didn't you mention it then?"
The Empress Dowager was furious. Pointing at Shen Shixi, she cried, "You, you, you! It really was you! That Taoist priest was indeed invited by you! You deliberately made the Emperor suspicious of Yuan Yin, didn't you?"
"Yes, you're only finding out now!" Shen Shixi was too lazy to argue with her, and smiled. "So what if I am? You've been plotting with Lady Zhang, the wife of the Chancellor, time and time again. What, you're allowed to plot with her, but I'm not allowed to do anything?"
The Empress Dowager was stunned. She hadn't expected it to be the Empress. "You, you, how could you be so... so cruel! Yuan Yin trusted and protected you so much, and you actually harmed him like this!"
"What have I been plotting with Zhang? If you hadn't stirred up trouble in the previous dynasty, would Zhang have come to me with these words? I'm so old, wouldn't it be better to enjoy my retirement? Why do I have to get involved in your affairs!"
Shen Shixi sneered, "What's there to say about the affairs of the previous dynasty? The Empress Dowager trusts Zhang Shi but not me and the Emperor. It's nothing more than the Three Departments system. What is Zhang Shi's motive? I suppose Zhang Shi even hinted to you that she wanted to remove the Emperor and install Li Yuanyin instead?"
Or perhaps, a young emperor will be chosen, and Li Yuanyin will become the regent, wielding real power—who knows!
Shen Shixi stared at the Empress Dowager and saw that her eyes were darting away, so she knew that Zhang had indeed said those words.
"The world belongs to the Emperor, and the future belongs to the Crown Prince. As his mother, I am merely following the example of the Empress Dowager. I thought the Empress Dowager would understand!"
"Yuan Yin never had such a thought. Although he is a bit weak-willed and too kind, he was taken advantage of by the Xie family and made mistakes. He has always felt guilty towards his elder brother. If it weren't for you, the two brothers would have talked things out long ago, instead of reaching this point of suspicion!"
The Empress Dowager was filled with regret. She shouldn't have let Shen Shixi into the palace in the first place. But the Emperor pleaded with her, saying that he was surrounded by enemies and that only Shen Shixi could help him. Naturally, she couldn't refuse. As a result, she brought a tiger into the palace, and now it was going to bite her.
Shen Shixi said, "Empress Dowager, you must know that the five surnames and seven noble families want to seize the imperial power, yet you treat Zhang like a sister; Li Yunjue is the eldest son of the Crown Prince, and the late emperor once discussed him as the heir apparent. He has always been ambitious, yet you treat Wang Jiaofan like a granddaughter, and you spoil her so much that she can come and go in the harem as if it were your own courtyard."
You cannot distinguish right from wrong, loyalty from treachery. This empire has been given to you and Li Yuanyin; can you truly sit securely on it?
Seeing the Empress Dowager's stunned expression, Shen Shixi smiled and said, "I don't know who told you that I invited that Taoist priest. I'm too lazy to argue. Empress Dowager, Li Yuanyin's life and death are in your hands. If you are instigated by someone and have any thoughts, the Emperor may tolerate it, but I will not!"
The court is no longer ruled by Prime Minister Cui. Prince Guo's reputation is already ruined, so he can't possibly be the regent. You don't need to associate with the Zhang family anymore.
"You are getting on in years; whether you choose to spend your remaining years peacefully in the Cining Palace or retire to another palace is entirely up to you!"
She rose and issued an edict: "From now on, anyone who submits a memorial to the Cining Palace should first report to me."
That's house arrest.