freenovelworld Chapter 318 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 32
Chapter 318 Do You Know? Lin Yitang 32
Seeing that the gazes of the former court officials had all shifted to Duke Zhao Zhao of Fuguo, Lin Yitang learned from her secret contacts that Consort Rong had paid a heavy price for the safety of the young prince.
Just after Zhao Zhao turned one month old, she fell seriously ill. It was eventually discovered that the wet nurse had been careless and caused the illness. No one believed the result, and Madam Rong made a huge fuss, which finally made the Emperor determined to find out who was behind it.
Zhao Zhao grew up amidst many hardships, but unfortunately, he was very weak and looked like he was about to die young. At his first birthday banquet, he only made an appearance, grabbed something, and was then taken away by his wet nurse.
Lady Rong has become much more haggard taking care of the young prince this year. Zhao Zhao falls ill every few days. She used to be glorious because of the prince, but now she is worried about the prince's health. If the prince dies, her glory will never be as glorious as it is now.
The Emperor had learned about the young prince's health from the imperial physicians. He spent the past year in the harem hoping that some of his concubines would become pregnant again, but to no avail.
Consort Zhang's face was stiff, and she looked at Consort Rong with unfriendly eyes. In recent years, although the Emperor still favored her, the two had lost their romance and their feelings were slowly fading. Consort Rong's rise to power made Consort Zhang feel extremely threatened.
She certainly didn't want to live under the thumb of Consort Rong and Empress Cao after the Emperor's death. She glanced at Zhou Shi lightly, a hint of contempt in her eyes.
Zhou is all looks and no substance. She's already pregnant with her second child at her age, and even though she's recovered from her miscarriage and the Emperor visits often, she still can't conceive.
Lin Yitang ate the food on the table with abandon. The Emperor valued Zhao Zhao highly, and his first birthday banquet was a grand affair, with many novel snacks served. Lin Yitang would occasionally glance at Zhao Huiyue and then at the lively scene of the concubines.
With a light laugh, the expression on Consort Zhang's face was all too clear: she was jealous that Consort Rong was able to give birth to a son, while she had given birth to three daughters.
Lin Yitang's thoughts returned to the present moment, and she saw Consort Rong raise her wine cup with a smile in her eyes, and say, "Today is a happy occasion for Zhao'er, as well as for Your Majesty and the Empress. Your Majesty, I would like to offer a toast to Your Majesty and the Empress."
After speaking, Madam Rong drank the wine with a radiant smile. Lin Yitang glanced at the Empress and, seeing that she looked well and had a smile in her eyes, generously followed suit and drank the wine as well.
Thinking back to the past few months, Consort Rong had been visiting the Empress's Kunning Palace frequently, even more often than Consort Miao.
Consort Miao had sided with the Empress from the very beginning. The Empress intervened to stop the actions of some villains, otherwise Princess Fukang might have died young like Consort Yu's daughter. However, the Empress did not want the Emperor to have a biological son.
This is also why Lin Yitang was able to raise Zhao Huiyue when she had little power. Now, after many years in the palace, she has gradually gained manpower in the harem and has also taken control of the Wutong Pavilion.
In the previous dynasty, Lin Jingya was deeply trusted by the emperor, who promoted him to the position of Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a fifth-rank official position. He could be promoted several ranks in two or three years, thanks to the appointment of his father-in-law, Han Qi, and his own abilities.
After Lin Jingya and Han Jingshu got married, they lived in harmony. Lin Yitang even had Madam Bai bring Han Jingshu to the palace to meet them a few times.
Based on the few days we spent together, Han Jingshu appears to be a well-educated, virtuous, and refined young lady from a prominent family.
Lin Yitang was very happy that her younger brother had a virtuous wife. After all, her brother had to handle important matters in the court. If he couldn't maintain harmony at home, wouldn't he be uneasy for even a day?
However, this year's new policies failed, and Han Qi, Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi and others were impeached. The emperor could not withstand the pressure from the court and will be demoted from Bianjing in a few days.
Lin Jingya would send messages to Lin Yitang from time to time. It was because the management of the harem was not strict, and many forbidden things could be passed in as long as you had connections.
This time, Lin Yitang received a letter from his younger brother, who said that he wanted to take advantage of his father-in-law's demotion to be transferred out of Bianjing, to gain some experience, and then be transferred back to Bianjing after the storm had passed.
When I agreed to my brother's marriage to the Han family, I knew this day would come, but things were delayed for two years, and the eighth year of the Qingli era is almost over.
This year's new policies failed. Judging from the government's attitude, they will probably change the era name next year in order to ward off evil.
In September, before the river froze, Lin Jingya submitted a memorial to the emperor, informing him of his request to be transferred out of Bianjing. After some consideration, the emperor agreed to Lin Jingya's request.
The Emperor values Lin Jingya highly. He is also Lady Lin's younger brother and is talented. Now that he is caught up in the chaos of the failed new policies, it is a good choice for him to go out and avoid the limelight.
Less than a month later, Lin Jingya traveled by carriage from Bianjing to the dock, and from there by boat to the south. This time, Lin Jingya was going to Quanzhou to serve as the prefect. Quanzhou was not a remote place, but it was still too far from Bianjing, and he was a sixth-rank official.
Lin Jingya was "demoted". Other factions that were hostile to Han Qi finally "woke up" to the fact that the emperor had a change of heart and were satisfied. Moreover, Lin Jingya was just a minor figure, and the main figures were Han Qi, Fan Zhongyan and others.
Seeing that the affairs of the previous dynasty were stable and with Prince Zhao Zhao standing in front of her, Lin Yitang realized that Zhao Huiyue was almost five years old and it was time to start preparing for pregnancy.
After making up her mind, Lin Yitang directly sent Lian Yun to deliver something to the Emperor. The Emperor gave Lin Yitang face and came to Wutong Pavilion that night.