Women dressed as men: powerful officials

Chapter 290: Death Talisman

When I was young, Mu Ai always liked the most legendary woman.

This is what Bei Yu felt in his heart.

Although he was born to the queen and was a legitimate prince, there was an older son named Beimin before him.

Although Beimin was not born of a legitimate wife, he was still registered under the name of the queen.

Ever since he could remember, there had been endless discussions in the court about appointing a crown prince. Some people cited the national precepts, which advocated appointing the eldest son instead of the legitimate heir, while others cited historical facts, claiming that there were precedents for appointing the eldest son instead of the legitimate heir.

Bei Yu never cared about these.

Because he knows that what is his is his, and what is not his is useless even if he fights for it.

What's more, he doesn't have Beimin's ambitions.

He prefers beauty to power.

Bei Yu has a secret that he has never told anyone, which is that he likes his best friend's unmarried wife, Xu Xi.

Xu Xi is the most talented woman in Beijing, and her every frown and smile can attract people's attention.

Some even said that the daughter of the Xu family was worth a fortune, simply because she had been engaged to Shen Yijie, the eldest son of the Shen family, since she was a child.

The talented man and the beautiful woman are a match made in heaven.

Bei Yu had been restraining his feelings for someone he shouldn't have liked, until his brother Bei Min married Xu Xi.

That year, Xu Xi got married in a grand ceremony.

Beimin also went from being the eldest prince to the crown prince and heir to the throne.

The debate over whether to establish the eldest son or the legitimate son ended when Xu Xi married Bei Min.

Xu family's disciples are spread throughout the court and the country. The fact that Xu family broke off the engagement with the Shen family and chose Beimin shows that Xu family supports Beimin.

Bei Yu was unwilling, but he also knew that he no longer had the ability to fight against Bei Min, so he followed the wishes of others and married a woman at random.

It was at that time that rumors spread in the court.

The Xu family wanted to replace the Tianqi Bei family and they wanted to ascend the throne and become emperor.

Because before this, the daughters of the Xu family never married into the royal family.

Later, Beimin ascended the throne as he wished and became emperor.

What followed was the most turbulent year for Tianqi.

The Xu family rebelled, and the emperor was furious, killing millions of people. The Xu family was exiled, and when they met bandits on the way, they were exterminated.

Another year later, Beimin led his troops northward, intending to conquer the north, but he died in the battle to defend the city with Geshu.

Brothers eventually become brothers.

He took over the throne naturally.

It was also at that time that Qi Chengen, the prime minister, said, "There is nothing groundless in this world. If the Xu family had no intention of rebellion, how could they marry Xu Xi into the royal family? Do you know that the people in the Imperial Hospital took her pulse that year and found that the child in her belly was a prince? If the prince was still alive and if the Xu family had not been wiped out, do you think that the world would be surnamed Xu or Bei now?"

These words were undoubtedly a heavy blow to him who had just ascended the throne.

Bei Yu didn't know whether he should be glad that the prince had died young or glad that the Xu family had been destroyed.

In short, he wants to secure his throne.

Just like today, the Xu family’s rebellion must be brought to a final conclusion.

Otherwise, he would really be that foolish and incompetent emperor.

Bei Yu's reaction was within Xuyuan's expectations.

She just quietly waited for Bei Yu's rage to end, and then said: "The Xu and Shen families have been friends for generations. If there was no change, why would they cancel the engagement? If the Xu family really wanted to sever their friendship with the Shen family by marrying Xu Xi, how could they have arranged the marriage between Xu Ze, the youngest son of the Xu family, and the current Concubine Xing?"

As soon as the four words "Empress Xing" came out.

Everyone looked at Shen Yiji.

What Xu Yuan said was true. After Xu Xi married into the royal family, the Xu family renegotiated the marriage with the Shen family. The marriage was arranged between Xu Ze, the young master of the Xu family, and Shen Yifeng, the young lady of the Shen family.

Later, when the Xu family was raided, Xu Ze went to the Shen residence alone to cancel the engagement.

After the Xu family was exiled, Shen Yifeng never discussed marriage again. She planned to shave her head and become a nun, spending the rest of her life in a temple.

In the same year, the Queen Mother selected a concubine for Bei Yu and personally arranged the marriage.

Shen Yifeng entered the palace and became the imperial concubine.

For so many years, Concubine Xing had no children. Many people in the court impeached her, but they were all blocked by the Empress Dowager.

Bei Yu laughed even more when he heard this. "Xuyuan, you mean that I ruined Shen Yifeng's marriage, right? If you hadn't entered the palace, if you wanted to see Concubine Xing now, you would have to go to Putuo Temple outside the city to see her!"

"What I mean is that the late emperor's request for marriage was illegal, so the Xu family was convicted of treason with such simple slander and evidence that could be easily overturned!"

Xu Yuan raised his eyes and looked at Bei Yu. He felt no pressure in his heart, only relief.

"Your Majesty, do you dare to ask yourself, do you really not know the trick? In the past ten years, so many people related to the Xu family have been banished from the capital. Have you really never noticed it? I would like to ask, does Your Majesty really have no mercy? Today in this hall, the position I stand in is the position where my grandfather stood in the past. Our Xu family is doing the same thing. Is Your Majesty going to pretend not to see it for the sake of power?!"

"You are presumptuous!"

Bei Yu slammed the table with his palm, shaking with anger.

When the ministers saw Bei Yu was furious, they immediately knelt on the ground and said in unison: "Your Majesty, calm down!"

Xu Yuan never knelt, but just continued to look at Bei Yu coldly.

Bei Yuan saw this and said, "Father, this wish is really outrageous. She disguised herself as a man to deceive her son before, and now she is even more rude and contradicts the emperor. She deserves death."

"If you follow what my brother said, then shouldn't all the people in this hall, including Grand Tutor Shen, be imprisoned and executed in the autumn?"

Bei Yao asked back with a smile.

Bei Yuan looked back and said, "This is the majesty of the royal family. If we allow Xu Yuan to behave like this today, wouldn't the people who want to seek justice in the future break the drums in front of the palace gate in order to be tried by Your Majesty? It would be fine even if it was a major case, but a few missing chickens and ducks have been brought before the emperor. Is this what Third Brother wants?"

"The Xu family incident involved the lives of more than 300 people, and nearly 100 civil and military officials were banished from the capital. Do you think this is a small matter, my royal brother? If this matter does not receive the attention of the emperor, it will be a mockery for the people of the world."

"Third brother, are you trying to protect Xu Yuan?" Bei Yuan's eyes turned and he said, "I heard that after third brother learned that Xu Yuan was imprisoned, he immediately went to the prison. You two..."

"My royal brother, please be careful with your words. If seeking fairness and justice is considered as shielding, then it is not only ridiculous, but also disheartening."

Bei Yao didn't look back, but he knew that countless people were looking at him at this moment.

Including Emperor Bei Yu.

"Father has already said that those two pieces of evidence alone cannot convince anyone. If the evidence was not irrefutable, why did they convict the Xu family? When the Xu family was sentenced, my third brother was not even born yet. How could you think that the Xu family must be innocent?"

Bei Yuan looked at Bei Yao. Although his words were gentle, every word was a provocation.

Let’s talk about the case that happened more than 20 years ago today.

Whether it is right or wrong depends entirely on what the emperor thinks.

If it were the late emperor, I'm afraid his head and body would have been separated the moment he made the wish and went to prison.

Bei Yuan was convinced that no matter what the matter was, as an emperor, he would not tolerate others bullying him.

Bei Yao's help is not a good thing, it may even be a fatal spell for making a wish.