Things could not be like this!
Therefore, the Duke of Wei immediately summoned his subordinates and said without any room for sentiment.
"Go find someone to take care of Liang Pan. Exile? Exile what? I want him dead!"
"Yes!"
Poor Liang Pan's life was comfortable and carefree in its first half, but after the broken engagement, there was no smooth sailing.
When he was finally assassinated on the road to exile, he didn't even know who had dealt the fatal blow.
The residence of the Earl of Changyi was also severely weakened.
The Earl's health was not good to begin with, and after being tossed about by the Liang family's affairs, he was bedridden.
The news of Liang Pan's death and Liang Luo's death were both kept secret by the heir of the Earl of Changyi, for fear that if the old Earl heard of the deaths of his grandson and granddaughter, he would fall ill and never recover.
The Countess of Changyi also wept daily. If it weren't for the careful care and comfort of her children, she would have fallen ill herself.
Compared to them, the former Noble Consort Wei, now the Noble Lady Wei, was truly miserable.
One morning, when a palace maid went to help her get up and wash, she unexpectedly found that her head had been smashed by a vase.
Not only was there blood all over the place, but the person was also unconscious.
After much pleading and begging to get an imperial physician, it was discovered that she had gone mad.
She had regressed to the mental state of a child of three or five, crying for butterflies one moment and demanding sweet cakes the next.
Although her face, nearing fifty, was well-maintained and looked like she was in her thirties or forties, her expressions and eyes were those of a child.
It was unsettling to look at.
When Emperor Qi heard the news, he visited her once, but she scratched his face with her nails.
In a fit of anger, he left in a huff and never again concerned himself with the fate of the occupant of Hanzhang Palace.
The Empress, delighted to see this outcome, immediately ordered the palace to remain sealed and an imperial physician to visit every three days.
However, for some unknown reason, Noble Lady Wei's madness worsened with each passing day.
At first, it was just childish behavior, but now she was harming others in various ways, and if not careful, she would stab a palace maid with scissors or set fire to the gauze curtains.
Hanzhang Palace was in constant danger.
Fearing that the matter would spread and cause gossip, the Empress suggested moving her to the cold palace.
Emperor Qi agreed without a second thought.
His decisiveness surprised even the Empress.
As she walked out of the great hall, the Empress said with a hint of melancholy.
"The Emperor's favor is truly fleeting."
The accompanying wet nurse did not reply, but ordered people to quickly move Noble Lady Wei.
The former Noble Consort Wei, who once looked down on the Empress, was now bound with cloth strips, knocked unconscious, and sent to the cold palace.
Once there, there was little hope of return.
Whether she died of illness or starvation was left to fate.
When the Duke of Wei and the Ninth Prince learned of this, how could they stand by?
Several memorials were submitted, all of which were rejected by Emperor Qi.
In a fit of anger, the Ninth Prince knelt at the entrance of the great hall and wept for Noble Consort Wei, implying that Emperor Qi was ungrateful and heartless.
Under such circumstances, how could Emperor Qi still show the Ninth Prince the same favor as before?
"He thinks I am foolish and immoral? Very well, let him see how a father disciplines his son, and let him know that the Emperor's authority cannot be challenged!"
With that, he demoted the Ninth Prince and ordered the Imperial Guards to drag him out and administer fifty strokes of the cane.
Each stroke landed on his flesh, leaving him bleeding.
Although the executioners had shown some mercy, the cane still struck flesh.
Pain was felt, and blood was shed.
After the fifty strokes, the Ninth Prince was sent back to the Prince Li's residence.
Emperor Qi did send an imperial physician with him, but this action was seen by everyone as a sign of the Ninth Prince's downfall.
The officials who supported the Ninth Prince were all anxious and wanted to go to the Duke of Wei's residence to discuss countermeasures.
Prince Ke, having finally seized this opportunity, was not foolish enough to take credit for himself but instead shifted everyone's attention to the matter of the Bai family having an heir.
The matter of Qiao Shanwei would eventually spread throughout the capital.
This news was deliberately arranged by Prince Ding to be known by the First Prince through his confidants.
In this way, he could help out.
Even if the Bai family did not switch allegiance, gaining their favor would be an opportunity.
Thus, the news of Qiao Shanwei being the reincarnation of a divine child quickly caused widespread discussion in the court.
They expressed great doubt that a child barely ten years old could have managed the floods in the southwest.
In contrast, there was little inquiry into whether he was truly a descendant of the Bai family.
After all, who was Prime Minister Bai?
If even he acknowledged his grandson, how could anyone impersonate him?
Therefore, even if the officials were suspicious, they could not speak definitively, lest they offend the Bai family.
Emperor Qi was also quite shocked by this matter and immediately asked Prime Minister Bai.
"Is this true?"
Prime Minister Bai, following his prepared speech, clearly explained the matter of Qiao Shanwei's impending return to his ancestral family.
Regardless of what Emperor Qi thought, he could only appear extremely pleased at this moment.
"Good, good! It is a blessing for the Great Jin, and for me, that the Bai family has such a good descendant to serve the Great Jin. Issue my decree and tell Prime Minister Bai to bring this Qiao Shanwei back immediately after the disaster relief is over. I wish to see what kind of young talent he is!"
"Yes!"
The news that Qiao Shanwei was to be adopted into the main branch of the Bai family spread from the court, surprising the common people who were unaware of the details.
They had never heard of the Bai family having a grandson; had they not always had two granddaughters?
One of whom was to be married soon.
The common people were curious, and the ladies of the capital were also curious.
Lin Shi seized this opportunity to spread rumors about Qiao Shanwei, praising him to the heavens.
It was not important which branch of the Bai family he belonged to; what was important was that upon his return, he would become the only male heir of the next generation of the Bai family, meaning that everything the Bai family owned in the future would be inherited by him.
This point alone was enough to attract covetous glances.
Those with quick minds had already begun to inquire whether Qiao Shanwei was engaged.
With the precedent of Feng Jinlin, they did not want to miss another such excellent son-in-law.
Therefore, everyone who left the court began to rub their hands together. If their wives had good relations with the Bai family, they immediately instructed them to inquire quickly.
Qiao Shanwei, far away in the southwest, was unaware that he had become a hot commodity.
However, he interacted with Chi Ziming daily and had become exceptionally meticulous in his thoughts.
"The river channel expansion project is nearing completion. I wonder how the arrangements from Master Chi's side are going?"
"Rest assured, my Chi family has also invested in river transport. I, Chi, never do business at a loss."