GBP Chapter 1016 The Weakness of the Purple Star
Chapter 1016 The Weakness of the Purple Star
Having made his move, Xiaoyuer had no intention of letting it go easily. As the rumors intensified, a farmer, while digging a canal outside the city, accidentally unearthed a huge stone inscribed with the words, "The Zhou dynasty has declined, the mandate of heaven is renewed, Cui inherits the mandate of heaven, and reforms the old and establishes the new."
This legendary omens fueled the previous rumors, and even illiterate farmers knew about them.
Even more extreme, some people have linked the natural and man-made disasters of the past few years to the time when Cui Rong entered the palace.
"It is said that ever since Consort Cui entered the palace, natural disasters and man-made calamities have been rampant throughout the land. Now that I think about it, doesn't the timing just match up?" Someone clapped their hands, looking as if they had just realized something.
“Yes, yes, that makes sense. I heard that half of Consort Cui’s face is covered in tattoos. She’s not dignified or proper at all. She has none of the late Empress’s grace and majesty. She also comes from a humble background. If she were to become Empress, it would be disgraceful and a disgrace to the royal family!” someone echoed.
"Hey, tell me, is the Cui family really secretly plotting to take over? There's no smoke without fire. I've heard that Consort Cui's father, Lord Cui, has a lot of influence in the court. He's quite arrogant because his daughter is favored," someone asked mysteriously in a low voice.
"That's hard to say. How could ordinary folks like us know? Come on, have some tea. It's so hot today. If we don't drink a couple of bowls of cool tea, we'll all get heatstroke. I bet this year's autumn harvest will be poor again." The man said, gulping down cool tea while fanning himself with a palm leaf fan. He said he wouldn't gossip, but his face still showed a look of unsatisfied gossip.
A group of people were chatting next to a teahouse when Cui Ling passed by in a sedan chair. He overheard these rumors and his face darkened.
The guards following the sedan chair also heard this, lifted the curtain, and asked in a low voice, "Sir, should we send someone to teach them a lesson?"
"How can we silence public opinion? If we arrest one, there are countless others to follow. It's better to guide than to suppress. We need to think of another way. Let's go back to the manor first. I already have a plan," Cui Ling closed his eyes, suppressing his temper, and gave the order in a deep voice.
"Yes!" Seeing Cui Ling's bad expression, the guards didn't dare to say anything more, secretly waved to the sedan bearers, and quickly returned to the mansion.
Over the years, thanks to the protection of her husband and daughter, Mrs. Cui has become more elegant and dignified, with a more mature demeanor, although she has more wrinkles around her eyes compared to a few years ago.
She had heard the rumors circulating in the capital and had been trying to find a solution.
Seeing the situation getting worse and worse, I've been so anxious these past two days that I haven't been able to eat.
Seeing her husband return, she immediately went to greet him, "How was it? Did you see Rong'er? What did she say?"
Cui Ling rubbed his throbbing head and didn't say anything.
Seeing this, Madam Cui waved her hand gently, dismissing the servants. She then personally helped her husband change his outer garments and boots, handed him a cup of cool tea, and asked softly, "Is this difficult to handle?"
“Rong’er does have a plan, but it’s our last resort. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to use it now. I originally wanted to save it for last to save my life.” Cui Ling’s words were filled with hesitation and reluctance.
When it came to the trump card for saving their lives, Madam Cui understood. After thinking for a moment, she decisively said, "Listen to Rong'er! She is our own daughter. Now that such rumors have spread, it is impossible for us to remain unscathed. As long as the rumors are not resolved, you will be unable to extricate yourself from the situation. We can't worry about that now, how can we wait until later? Let's do it this way!"
Cui Ling understood the reasoning behind it all. He was a decisive person, but he felt it was a pity that some trump cards could only be used once.
After letting out a soft sigh and wiping her face, she made a decision and instructed, "Have someone send Feng'er to Nanyu later. Once he sees the child, he'll know what to do."
"Mm," Madam Cui responded, without the slightest reluctance.
Before long, a baby of about one year old was carried out by Cui Ling's trusted confidant. Despite the hot weather, the baby was wrapped in a cloak, with his face covered by the hood. He was swaying back and forth on the guard's shoulder, his gaze fixed intently on the main room.
Cui Ling glanced over as if sensing something, but the child's eyes didn't change at all. "This little fool, well, at least I've gotten rid of a burden. That's enough! People in the backyard..."
"It's all been taken care of, don't worry," Mrs. Cui replied smoothly. The tacit understanding between the couple over the years allowed her to know at a glance what her husband was thinking.
This is also why she has been able to maintain her position as Madam Cui for so many years. Otherwise, given Cui Ling's philandering nature, the little vixens in this mansion would have caused a huge uproar, and it wouldn't be as peaceful and quiet as it is now.
Just as Xiaoyuer was secretly pleased with the spread of the rumors, things suddenly took another turn.
First, the farmer from the outskirts went to the government office to turn himself in, saying that he had been instructed by someone to do something for money, and that the inscriptions on the boulder were fake, carved by someone he had himself. Now, the rumors were spreading wildly, and he was filled with anxiety, unable to sleep at night. Unable to go against his conscience, he finally went to the government office to surrender.
Secondly, Cui Ling dispatched a large number of people to arrest a group of idle people who were the most talked about in major teahouses and taverns in the capital. They were caught red-handed, accused of disrespect, and thrown into jail. Not only were these people tried, but their relatives were also implicated. The swift and decisive action temporarily stopped the rumors, and most people turned to talking about it in secret.
These are all temporary solutions, not permanent ones. Once the seeds of doubt are sown, they are not so easy to uproot.
The most advantageous and decisive factor in turning the tide was the final clarification from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
Many people unfamiliar with the system assume that the Imperial Observatory is a single entity when they hear the name. In fact, the Imperial Observatory was a government office that included the Director, Deputy Director, five officials, astronomers, yin-yang scholars, and others. It was a permanent bureaucratic institution whose main task was to continuously observe celestial phenomena and accurately calculate and formulate calendars.
This includes prophecies about various climate anomalies and disasters, as well as divination and destiny.
These people held hereditary positions and were strictly restricted in their social interactions, rarely appearing in public; they were like a secluded paradise within the imperial court.
Generally, only the Director of the Imperial Observatory was publicly seen and responsible for meeting the emperor. Therefore, when people mentioned the Imperial Observatory, it was as if it were a single person. Over time, people simply referred to the Director of the Imperial Observatory as the Imperial Observatory.
This position has existed for thousands of years since the establishment of dynasties. It is of higher status and more mysterious than the Imperial Advisor. Even with the change of dynasties, the Imperial Observatory continues to exist, and its influence is self-evident.
Now the Director of the Imperial Observatory has been invited to the palace to help calculate Cui Rong's fate, and Zhou Pu also wants to know a definite conclusion.
The final result was: "The Imperial Concubine's birth chart shows that water and wood elements are mutually supportive, forming a noble and refined pattern that perfectly matches His Majesty's Qian Yuan astrological configuration. She is blessed with a virtuous star shining within her and supported by auxiliary stars, which can assist the imperial fortune and stabilize the country. This is a blessing for the nation."
This means that not only is there no problem, but she is also destined to bring good fortune to her husband and help Zhou Pu stabilize the country.
Besides, another piece of news struck Zhou Pu's uneasy heart, making him forget even going to the alchemy room: "You mean, there are unusual celestial phenomena, and the Ziwei star is weak?"