Chapter 136 The Rogue Chang Sheng

Chapter 136: Rogue Chang Sheng
What is a captain of the Imperial Guard doing frequently entering and leaving the Queen's bedroom?
Of course, the nobles did not have any blasphemous speculations about Empress Ma.

I'm just simply curious. What qualifications does a Jinyiwei have to be favored by the Empress? What can he do in Kunning Palace? Is he just playing some vulgar game like "Eagle Catches Chicken" with Anqing that he has never heard of?
Seeing that everyone was immersed in their own thoughts, Li Kedi quietly closed the west door.

He leaned against the door and took a few deep breaths before hurriedly chasing after Ye Xuan.

"Master Zhang, do you think this Master Ye is really His Majesty..."

Among the officials who returned to the east gate and continued to be blown by the cold wind, several officials from the Ministry of Works immediately started discussing again.

The core of the crowd was Zhang Qiao, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, who had brought his son to communicate with Ye Xuan after the garden party that day.

Seeing that even his superior, the Minister of Works Xue Xiang, was looking at him with an inquiring look, Zhang Qiao couldn't help but feel elated.

While stroking his beard, he lowered his voice and said mysteriously: "I think it's probably right!"

Hearing this, even Xue Xiang couldn't help but ask: "Oh, what evidence is there!"

Zhang Qiao stepped forward and said emphatically, "What kind of evidence do you need? Think about it, sir!"

"If he wasn't His Majesty's... well, how could a Jinyiwei centurion be promoted twice to a thousand in just two days?"

"And how could you enter the palace through the west side gate that only the royal family can enter and exit?"

"The Empress is very strict about rules, so why would she allow a military officer to enter and leave the harem, and even frequently visit her own Kunning Palace? Could it be that he is thinking of replacing Your Majesty and compensating this person who has fallen into poverty?"

"Also, how do you explain that at the garden party that day, even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince treated Ye Xuan as close as a brother?"

"Haha, besides, children speak without restraint. Her Royal Highness the Princess has already called him 'brother'. Isn't it obvious, my Lords?"

Zhang Qiao's eloquent speculation can be said to be logically rigorous, with a lot of supporting evidence and is well-founded.

Ordinary people might think that it is just speculation and there may be some misunderstanding.

But to the ears of these conspirators who were accustomed to intrigue and guessing people's minds, Ye Xuan's identity as Zhu Yuanzhang's illegitimate son was almost a foregone conclusion!

"If that's the case, things are going to change in the Ming Dynasty!" exclaimed a pessimistic official.

Xue Xiang narrowed his eyes slightly and rebuked: “Don’t talk nonsense, even if the emperor coughs at this person, Lord Ye will not easily change the position of the country’s foundation if he feels guilty.”

"Moreover, the current Crown Prince is deeply loved by his subjects, and His Majesty himself also values ​​him very much. Even if His Majesty has this intention, the Queen will never agree!"

Zhang Qiao immediately nodded and agreed, "Your Excellency is right. I think Your Majesty is so kind to him just to make up for the father-son relationship."

Xue Xiang nodded, looked at his official from the Ministry of Works solemnly, and warned: "Although based on my understanding of the emperor, it is almost impossible to restore this gentleman's status, but he will definitely be rich and powerful."

"How else could he have placed his most trusted Jinyiwei in the army, and even promoted them twice in a short period of time? Anyway, if anyone offends him, I estimate that even if the person himself does not want to retaliate, the emperor will definitely not let that person have a good ending."

Zhang Qiao was sweating coldly, thinking of the dispute between his son and Ye Xuan at the garden party. Although he later found Ye Xuan to apologize, Ye Xuan didn't seem to care. But if he asked himself, what would happen if he had an illegitimate son who was living among the people and suffered so much?

If other people offend him, as his father, I will never let it go easily.

After hearing Xue Xiang's words, everyone nodded in agreement and secretly reminded themselves never to offend Ye Xuan in the future.

Only Zhang Qiao was left standing there, with a worried look on his face.

Seeing Zhang Qiao like this, Xue Xiang sighed and said, "The person who tied the bell should be the one to untie it. Just make peace with him in the same way you offended him."

Zhang Qiao was awakened from his dream when he heard this, and hurriedly thanked Xue Xiang, "Thank you for your enlightenment, sir. If I can escape this disaster, I will be loyal to you!"

…………

A few days passed by unknowingly. Every day, Ye Xuan would stroll around the palace on time or play games with Princess Anqing.

Even Ye Xuan himself did not expect that the little games that he had sneered at as childish when he was a child actually cultivated Princess Anqing's "game addiction". Every day, she would only ask the palace servants to accompany her in playing hopscotch, catching chickens, skipping stones, and cat's tumble.

However, Empress Ma praised Ye Xuan several times for this. In the past, Princess Anqing would either make a fuss in Kunning Palace and ask to go out for fun, or she would play tricks on the palace maids in a mischievous way, making Kunning Palace "miserable".

Queen Ma was overjoyed that she could now calm down and play games.

At the same time, it also saved the palace maids in Kunning Palace from being harmed by Anqing, and they were grateful to Ye Xuan.

Even many young and beautiful palace maids looked at Ye Xuan differently, either overtly or covertly.

Time passed quickly until one day when Ye Xuan came back from the palace and saw Chang Sheng, who had disappeared for a long time, in the hall.

Ye Xuan got furious when he saw Chang Sheng. Not only did he not pay him a single ounce of the ten thousand taels of silver he owed him, but he even let his two sisters stay and eat for free at his place.

These two girls often came to Ye Xuan at any time of day or night, under the pretext of discussing poetry, which made Ye Xuan very annoyed.

"Brother Chang, you are finally here!" Ye Xuan rushed up angrily, grabbed Chang Sheng by the collar and wanted to demand the agreed 12,000 taels of silver.

But before Ye Xuan could collect the debt, Chang Sheng started to complain: "Brother Ye, have you made up your mind about the marriage of my two sisters? Don't think you can just take advantage of me and turn your back on me!"

Ye Xuan was so angry that he laughed. Since Chang Sheng had slandered him, even though he was only a thousand households, he could not be slandered for no reason. He pointed at Chang Sheng's nose and asked:

"Don't talk nonsense. I am upright and honest. Don't make up dirty rumors about me!"

Chang Sheng sneered twice and said, "Let me ask you, my two sisters were made to cry on the first day they arrived at your house, and they even went to my third sister to complain, right? And I heard that you often tricked my two sisters into coming to your room in the middle of the night under the pretext of discussing poetry, right?"

"You still dare to say that you didn't eat my two sisters completely? So, you have nothing to say!"

Chang Sheng became more and more excited as he spoke, and his face turned red.

(End of this chapter)