Chapter 99

" Aunt, I have found out about that person. " Prince Ying, Zhao Xu, burst into the inner palace of Zhao Nian Nu and said.

"Oh, tell me."

"That young man passed the examination and became the top scholar."

"Yay!" Pan'er jumped up from the side.

"Aunt, why did you want me to find out about him?" Zhao Xu was very puzzled. One was in Yanzhou, the other in Kaifeng, with no connection at all, and the age difference was significant; Aunt was ten years older than that young man.

"Ah, ah," Zhao Nian Nu was first surprised, then lost her composure. How could she talk about what happened back then?

But due to Wang Ju's efforts, Zhao Nian Nu's fate was finally changed.

It was a bit difficult, and there was still an unknown background. Otherwise, how could Old Lady Cao have stepped in to suppress Princess Xiao on behalf of Sima Guang?

But there was a way.

Zhao Nian Nu quickly returned to the capital.

Emperor Zhao Zhen scolded her severely in the palace. She definitely did not admit it. "Is there anything wrong with me going to Gong County to pay respects to the ancestors?" Zhao Zhen was helpless and had to let her go back.

Zhao Nian Nu began to take action.

She organized some of her mother-in-law's behaviors and had Pan'er secretly spread them in the capital.

Emperor Zhao Zhen was quite popular among the people, and as his only surviving child, Zhao Nian Nu was also loved by the common people. When they heard that the princess was living a dark and miserable life at the Li family, the rumors were exaggerated, making Zhao Nian Nu seem even more wronged than Dou E and more miserable than the White-Haired Girl. Thus, the rumors began to spread in the city.

But this was just in the city, and it did not affect the upper class.

This was the first step. The second step was to actively counterattack by sending people to keep an eye on Lady Yang. However, at this point, Zhao Nian Nu was still somewhat doubtful. This mother-in-law often watched her, but why would she say she had a relationship with a eunuch? And why would the ministers also cooperate with Lady Yang to attack her?

But for the sake of divorce, she decided to ignore it.

Lady Yang sneaked in, and following Wang Ju's advice, Zhao Nian Nu drank wine with Liang Huai Ji. Lady Yang burst in and started a big fuss. She said such terrible things that Zhao Nian Nu really got angry. She forgot what Wang Ju had said and slapped her mother-in-law hard.

Lady Yang was not easy to provoke either. "You are the Emperor's daughter, but I am the Emperor's aunt."

They started to fight, and in a fit of anger, Zhao Nian Nu ran to the palace. This was what Wang Ju had taught her, but at that moment, she completely forgot Wang Ju's instructions and just wanted to run back to the palace to seek justice from her father.

As a result, Sima Guang and others came, and her mother-in-law was spreading rumors outside, even saying that Liang Huai Ji was a fake eunuch.

Zhao Nian Nu was heartbroken.

But here, the fate of this tragic princess was changed.

If she couldn't enter the palace, she wouldn't. Then Zhao Nian Nu took a rope and tried to hang herself.

"Coincidentally," Pan'er burst in and "timely" saved Zhao Nian Nu.

Pan'er, eager to protect her mistress, stopped Sima Guang when he was on his way to court and asked, "Sir Sima, I won't mention the phrase 'a minister dies for his lord's disgrace.' Is the Emperor not kind to you ministers?"

"Is Liang Huai Ji a eunuch?"

"The princess was insulted by her mother-in-law, and you ministers did not uphold justice. Instead, you helped the tyrant and forced the princess to commit suicide. I will fight you to the death."

They could not let her fight, so two soldiers held her back.

Sima Guang, humiliated in this way, could not bear it and immediately submitted a memorial to impeach Zhao Nian Nu for poor discipline, as a servant dared to humiliate a minister.

Emperor Zhao Zhen ignored him. "My daughter has already committed suicide. Are you still not done?"

Back in the palace, Consort Miao said, "Your Majesty, let Nian Nu divorce the prince."

Emperor Zhao Zhen was somewhat inclined. Although he was kind to his in-laws, he could not sacrifice his daughter's life. However, before he could speak, Old Lady Cao and Sima Guang came.

Thus, Wang Ju's final step was put into action.

Zhao Nian Nu, hearing the rumors outside, became "crazy" in a hurry. The process was similar, but she did not burn the palace; instead, she burned the prince's residence outside.

Additionally, because Pan'er had already sent people to spread the word, the public opinion favored the princess.

Sima Guang also had political enemies. Divorce was not good, but forcing the princess to commit suicide first and then driving her mad, was Sima Guang not at fault? Now that the princess was a madwoman, he could impeach her.

Public opinion was fierce, and even common people pointed at Sima Guang.

Sima Guang was intimidated.

Successful divorce!

Zhao Nian Nu was taken back to the palace. As soon as she entered the palace, her madness was cured. Mainly because her mind was not deep, which made Emperor Zhao Zhen suspicious. He secretly investigated and then called his daughter to question her. "You won't say? I will apologize to the Li family and let you remarry." Zhao Nian Nu was immediately frightened and recounted everything, including Wang Ju's plan.

Emperor Zhao Zhen was both amused and exasperated by these two treasures and said, "Then you stay in the palace and don't go out, so the ministers won't bother me."

But he did not know that his daughter's divorce brought him a warm time in the last part of his life. Last year, when Emperor Zhao Zhen was seriously ill, he passed away peacefully because his daughter was by his side.

Zhao Nian Nu's fate and Li Wei's fate were also changed.

Of course, Sima Guang had his own thoughts. He wanted to maintain the feudal idea that the husband is the master of the wife and the mother-in-law is the master of the daughter-in-law, even for a princess. As for whether the princess lived happily, it was none of his business.

Later, Zhao Nian Nu heard some news about Wang Ju from her father, including his studies with Zhang Zai.

So she said, "Father, this young man is talented. Father can summon him."

"Don't rush. He has become a disciple of Zhang Zai and will eventually participate in the autumn examination. After he comes to the capital, I will summon him to the palace, so it won't seem abrupt."

"What if he doesn't pass?"

"With his cleverness and as a disciple of Zhang Zai, the autumn examination in Yanzhou won't be difficult for him."

Actually, he could not summon Wang Ju because Wang Ju's fame came from two battles and his identity as a mule driver, which needed time to fade.

Although he was the emperor, he was not all-powerful and sometimes had to accommodate the ministers. This balance was what made the country prosperous. If the ministers united to attack, Wang Ju would become a political sacrifice, just like Di Qing.

However, he did not expect to die soon.

But Wang Ju was going to participate in the autumn examination, which Zhao Nian Nu heard from the eunuch Liu Weijian, who went to Shaanxi to investigate a case. Therefore, she asked Zhao Xu to find out about Wang Ju's situation and whether he passed the examination.

This was relatively easy to find out, as the list of candidates for each autumn examination had to be reported to the court by local governments.

So when Zhao Xu investigated, he heard that Wang Ju had passed the examination and became the top scholar.

Hearing the news about Wang Ju, Zhao Nian Nu thought of her father's promise, feeling both happy and sad.

"Aunt, who is that young man?" Zhao Xu, looking at Zhao Nian Nu's expression, became even more curious.

Zhao Nian Nu then came to her senses, thought for a moment, and realized that her father would not see him, and she could not rely on her "brother" either. However, if nothing went wrong, her nephew would become the future emperor. Moreover, since her father could not see him, she should see him and have her nephew cover for her.

So she said, "Xu'er, I will tell you the truth, but you must not tell anyone else."

"I swear."

Zhao Nian Nu recounted the events.

"Aunt, you went to Yanzhou?" Zhao Xu was also shocked.

"At that time, I was mistreated by the Li family, and the Emperor did not uphold justice. I wanted to go to Yanzhou to find my grandfather, but I didn't know that my grandfather had already left Yanzhou."

When Zhao Shu ascended the throne, Zhao Zhen's concubines suffered, including Old Lady Cao, but there was one exception, Consort Miao. When Zhao Zongshi was young, Zhao Zhen once took him to the palace. At that time, Zhao Shu had not married Gao Taotao, and his mother was of low birth, so Empress Cao did not look favorably upon him. Therefore, he was placed under the care of Consort Miao.

Zhao Shu was a person who remembered grudges but not kindness. Later, when Zhao Zhen had another son, he sent Zhao Shu out of the palace again. During his time in the palace, Zhao Shu might not have been happy, but only Consort Miao gave him a rare period of happiness. The second time he entered the palace, he had married Gao Taotao, and the Cao family began to support him.

Perhaps in Zhao Shu's heart, one was a favor in times of prosperity, and the other was a favor in times of need. Therefore, after ascending the throne, he promoted Consort Miao to Noble Consort and made her father, Miao Jizong, Grand Tutor and Duke of Wu, the only concubine of Zhao Zhen to be promoted.

Zhao Xu also knew this, thought for a moment, and said, "Yes, what can be done? Since Emperor Renzong did not give justice, Aunt had to find other relatives." Then he added, "That young man is quite capable."

"Not really," Pan'er said. "If I were to fight, I could defeat ten Wang Jus in the battle on the mountain road in Fuxian County, but this young man killed three men and injured several others. I can't explain it, but this young man is very clever, smart, calm, and talented. He will definitely be someone who can accomplish great things in the future."

"So capable."

"More capable than you."

"Pan'er, don't talk nonsense." Zhao Nian Nu immediately covered Pan'er's mouth. Her nephew would be the future emperor, and being more capable than the emperor? She then said, "But Xu'er, this young man is highly appreciated by the Emperor. He originally planned to meet him after he passed the autumn examination and came to the capital, but it didn't happen..."

"Aunt, don't be sad. If that young man comes to the capital, I will go with you to see him."

PS: Thanks to Gu Yue Mo Hai for the three evaluation votes.

Additionally, a reader asked for the QQ group number, so I will post it here: 87768456. It is an old group number, and all readers are welcome to join.

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