Chapter 36: Such A Top Scholar
When Hua Lin was ten years older than Yue Tang, he was just a boy who had turned fifteen.
Prince Duan gave each child quite a bit of New Year’s money, as did the Imperial Palace.
At that time, they were all busy setting off firecrackers, so they hastily put the money into several flower vases inside Princess Consort’s room.
When they came back, they couldn’t remember clearly, but six-year-old she insisted that the one in the large vase was hers.
Princess Duan came out from the inner room, her cheeks flushed with a sickly tide; she stuffed all the vases into Yue Tang’s hands at once, then scolded Hua Lin and sent them out.
“I remember you were so angry that tears were swirling in your eyes. And you know, Mother actually doesn’t like me.”
Yue Tang said calmly.
When Princess Duan gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, she injured her vitality, and she always couldn’t let go of the fact that Yue Tang’s twin brother had died young; in Yue Tang’s impression, she was always melancholic.
When she was little, she always wanted Mother to hold her, but Mother never reached out. Only when Prince Duan and her son were around would she smile at her. Besides that, only very rarely would she hold Yue Tang’s hand and walk in the garden.
After Yue Tang grew sensible, she also felt she had taken her brother’s place and was very obedient, never resenting Mother for neglecting her.
So she clearly remembered that on that New Year’s Eve, Princess Duan’s blatant “favoritism” was a one-time-only occurrence.
Hua Lin also seemed immersed in memories, and after a long pause, he pushed the measured medicinal herbs into the mortar: “You have a good memory. I don’t remember. I just remember that before she closed her eyes, she was still staring at you by the bedside.”
Yue Tang smiled again.
Actually, at that time, Empress Mu heard that she often stayed alone and frequently invited her into the palace, holding her on her knee to coax and comfort her, and combing her pretty hair.
The Former Emperor personally taught her to write and read articles to her. Later, when she began her studies, he even selected famous teachers for her.
Even when the First Prince, who was three years older, sometimes wouldn’t let Yue Tang play together, the Empress, the Emperor, and Prince Duan all told her not to give up just because she lacked strength, nor to consider herself lowly because she was a girl. As long as it was the right thing, she should boldly do it. It was precisely because of their indulgence that Yue Tang later dared to have the idea of “divorcing the husband but keeping the child.”
With so much love and indulgence, that little disappointment in front of her sorrowful mother was no longer anything.
Just as she was about to return to her room, Lan Qin came: “Master, Wei Zhang and the others are back.”
As soon as the words fell, Wei Zhang and Huo Yun entered one after the other.
“Princess! There’s something fishy about this marriage between the Xu Family and the Duan Family!” Wei Zhang took out an envelope from his bosom: “Look at this first.”
Yue Tang unfolded it.
Then her brows furrowed: “Xu He’s maternal grandfather and uncle were exposed for corruption and bribery?
“So coincidental, uncovered not long after the results were announced, and handled just right—there’s a risk of sentencing, but not yet to the point of implicating Xu He?
“This was tailor-made for Xu He by the Du Family, right?”
“Princess has sharp eyes.” Wei Zhang took the tea handed by Lan Qin, sipped it, and said, “After Xu He topped the list as Top Scholar and started working at the Imperial Secretariat, Du Minghuan and Son began approaching Xu He intentionally or otherwise, constantly showing goodwill.
“In the fourth month, the Du Family held a family banquet, where Xu He and the marriage-alliance Miss Duan were both present; it seemed like there was an intent to match them then.
“But there was no follow-up after that.
“Until in the fifth month, Xu He’s maternal grandfather’s Fu Family was reported and imprisoned; only then was this marriage formally brought up.”
Yue Tang nodded slightly: “Have you found out who made this report? Someone from the Du Family?”
“Du Minghuan’s brother-in-law, Xu Yi. Who also happens to be Xu He’s maternal grandfather’s superior.”
Yue Tang curved her lips: “Then it’s beyond doubt.
“No wonder—with Xu He having the status of Top Scholar, he’s still from an official family; if he had no wife before, he shouldn’t have gone fawning over the Du Family to marry a fifth-rank official’s daughter.
“So this is a trap the Du Family set up long ago, luring him in.”
The Du Family failed to win over Xu He, then reported his maternal grandfather.
The Xu Family is just a low-level official; Xu He has shallow roots in the court—how could an arm twist a thigh?
Even if Xu He could spot the clues with his intelligence, he absolutely wouldn’t have the means to obtain evidence to counter back.
With the Du Family’s current power, they can naturally hold the Xu Family dead in their grip.
She looked down at the petition in her hand again, then suddenly said: “If the matters on this petition are true, then imprisonment is also justified.
“Xu He is newly arrived and currently favored; if he’s clear-headed, he should stay away from trouble and cherish his reputation—instead of stubbornly provoking this mess and insisting on saving the Fu Family?”
“There are two reasons here: first, the Xu Family and maternal Fu Family support each other; if the Fu Family really goes to prison, the Xu Family will have even no one to rely on.
“Second, back in their hometown Luoyang, the Xu Family once had a wife.
Yue Tang frowned: “He was married?”
Wei Zhang nodded: “The woman was He Shi; her father was Xu He’s father’s classmate, and it was an engagement from early years. Later, her father died, leaving a widowed mother and orphaned daughter, and the family fell into dire straits.
“But because the engagement was set early, Xu He delayed until he was twenty; to preserve reputation, he couldn’t not marry.
“Shortly after marriage, Xu He came to the capital for the exam, leaving He Shi in the home county to serve his mother.
“It was the Du Family who found Xu He to propose the match and used connections to force He Shi to leave the Xu Family.
“If Xu He didn’t agree to this marriage, in the Xu Family’s eyes, He Shi would be even less worthy of him.
“Being able to use the Du Family’s hand to get rid of He Shi, climb to the Marquis of Guangling’s Mansion, and at the same time get the Du Family’s guarantee to rescue the Fu Family and preserve their official status—the Xu Family naturally thinks it’s a good deal.
“But the Xu Family doesn’t know this was a trap the Du Family set up long ago, waiting for him to fall in. Just now, Du Yu even personally went to the Xu Family to urge the marriage.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Yue Tang walked a few steps and stopped by the window. Then she said slowly: “The Du Family is adept at manipulating power, but what can this Xu He, who has just entered the Imperial Court, do for him?
“In other words, is all this scheming worth it?”
Wei Zhang paused.
Yue Tang turned around again: “Don’t you all think the Du Family’s actions seem familiar?”
Everyone looked at each other.
Then Huo Yun slapped her palm with her fist: “I remember now! Isn’t this just as strange as when the Du Family plotted to surround and kill the Princess back then?”
“Exactly!” Lan Qin also said, “Why does the Du Family always go to such unnecessary lengths?”
“There’s only one possibility,” Yue Tang looked at them, “Just like when they tried to kill me back then, setting this trap for Xu He was also instigated by someone directing the Du Family.”
Hearing this, Wei Zhang set the cup that was suspended in mid-air down on the table with a thud.
“Xu He serves in the Imperial Secretariat. He is the Top Scholar personally selected by the Emperor. After topping the list, the Emperor directly promoted him. Though his position is low in authority, it is strategically important, allowing frequent entry into the Imperial Palace.
“And now, the Du Family only has connections with Prince Jingyang’s Mansion and no ties to any other factions. By having the Du Family approach him, they can bind him to their own people, use him to spy on matters in the Imperial Palace, and hide behind the Du Family. It’s truly insidious!”
“What I want to know now is, is this petition the original from the Yamen?” Yue Tang held up the envelope.
“It’s the original!” Wei Zhang nodded emphatically. “The reason my subordinate and A Yun returned so late was because we went to the Yamen at night to retrieve this evidence, which delayed us. The seal on it is enough to prove the authenticity of the signature!”
“Good, as long as it is.” Yue Tang put away the envelope. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll go pay a visit to the Top Scholar!”
