29 Outside the Generals Mansion (2/2)
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”This mansion is considered haunted and ominous, and yet the one opposite is highly coveted. Do you know why? That year, Xuanwei General lived opposite to Official of Counsel. When Xuanwei General's entire family was executed, the Official of Counsel was instead promoted quickly in his career. He is now a scholar of the Imperial Library. It's easy to guess that many fourth or fifth-grade officials are eager to feed off some of that luck by living in his former mansion, isn't it?”
At a restaurant at the corner of the alley, Ning Que and Sangsang occupied a small table at the corner and enjoyed a quiet meal of ordinary dishes and gruel. They were, in fact, carefully listening to the conversations between the people who lived in the area. These neighbors had been living here for over ten years, some even spanning several generations. Yet their favorite topics were the treason case committed by the Xuanwei General and the rapid promotion of the Official of Counsel. These topics were evergreen to them despite their daily discussions. For Ning Que and Sangsang, such chats suited them well.
”When it comes to Scholar Zeng Jing, the old man was just an Official of Counsel, but he got a quick promotion in his career out of the blue. There was, in fact, an interesting story behind it. I wonder if any of you have heard of it.”
”That issue was so sensational that the imperial court issued a decree. Do you think there's any chance the folks here have not heard about it?”
A middle-aged man shook his head and said with a hint of irony, ”As a dignified Official of Counsel, he unexpectedly married a ferocious wife. It wasn't unusual that she did harm to the concubine's pregnancy because of her jealousy. Worse, she even tried to punish the poor infant after a difficult birth. If the court hadn't given a decree, who knows what would have happened in their mansion.”
”All you people know was the imperial court's decree, but do you know who was the one who issued it?” The one who spoke earlier wore a sneer on his face. He bowed in the direction of northern Chang'an with his two hands holding up and said, ”Let me tell you. It was the Empress. She became wrathful after hearing about the situation and personally wrote a letter to Zeng Jing, ordering him to give his wife a severe lesson.”
”The Empress...”
The people drinking around the table looked at each other and then gave understanding smiles. The nation knew there was a fantastic empress in Tang Empire, who had the emperor's favor and absolute trust. She even had the authority to review state documents and appoint officials. The empress was once just an ordinary imperial concubine in the palace, or in folk's words, she was just a concubine. She only became the first lady after the former died.
Everyone could understand why the empress, with her background, paid so much attention to the domestic affairs of the Official of Counsel and was furious about his wife's abuse of his concubine and newborn.
”Zeng Jing's wife came from a major family in Qinghe Prefecture, so he chose to be tolerant in most cases. But despite his reputation as a coward, Zeng Jing can be ruthless if needed to be. After receiving the empress' letter, he summoned the entire family at night and flogged three stewards to death. These stewards were the ones who tried to murder the concubine's newborn. Later, he slapped his wife twice and sent her back to Qinghe Prefecture in a small palanquin, before decisively divorcing her!”
”The old official's decisiveness then was perhaps emboldened by the empress' authority. But his resolution and ruthlessness impressed the Empress. Later, coupled with other factors, the old official was rapidly promoted and is now working in the Imperial Library! There is a saying that blessings often underbelly misfortunes. Who could imagine that the ferocious wife's cruelty against the concubine and her baby would end up leading to the man's lifelong status and fame?”
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