Disguised as a man, she became the biggest villain in the book.

Chapter 252 Inside and Outside the Play 2

Upon hearing his concubine's words, the wealthy man hesitated for a moment. He turned to the Taoist priest beside him and asked, "Master, what do you think should be done about this?"

The Taoist priest stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "If this child could stay away from you and go to a temple to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures for fifteen years, perhaps he could get rid of the bad luck on him. In that case, it might not be a bad thing for your household."

Upon hearing this, the wealthy man thought to himself: Well then, let the mother and child leave for now, lest disaster befall our family.

Thinking of this, he waved his hand, signaling his men to stop attacking, and said to his concubine, "Alright, I'll believe you for now."

And so, the concubine left without looking back.

During her time in the temple, the concubine painstakingly raised the child, who was well-behaved, sensible, and diligent in his studies.

Time flies, and twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, but the fortunes of the wealthy man's family have steadily declined.

The family business suffered repeated losses, and their land and houses were constantly sold off to pay off debts. Their former wealth and glory had long since vanished.

Finally, one day, the wealthy man discovered that the story about the child being a jinx was a scheme orchestrated by the Taoist priest and his wife. He also realized that his wife was the one who had been responsible for his inability to have children for so many years.

When the wealthy man learned of this, he was so enraged that he beat his wife to death.

Since driving away his concubine and child, the wealthy man had no other children born.

The wealthy man was filled with remorse, his brow furrowed with worry all day, and he lost his appetite.

One night, the wealthy man tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Suddenly, the image of the child his concubine had taken away years ago flashed into his mind.

The wealthy man wondered: Could it be that driving away that child has led to this current state of destitution?

After careful consideration, the wealthy man decided to send someone to find the mother and child and bring them back home.

After many twists and turns, the people sent out finally found the Buddhist temple where the concubine and child were staying.

When the concubine learned that the master wanted to take them back, she was initially unwilling.

But looking at her child, now grown into a man, she finally softened. After all, blood is thicker than water, and the child was still the master's own flesh and blood.

So, after being away from home for twenty years, the child returned with his mother to that familiar yet unfamiliar place.

After the child returned, the wealthy family's business began to flourish, even surpassing its former glory.

The wealthy man was filled with regret. He regretted that he should not have listened to slander and driven the child away. If he had stayed by the child's side to teach him, the child would surely have become a successful person long ago.

This new play tells a story of being proven wrong; everyone thought he was a jinx, but in fact, he was a lucky star.

As soon as he returned, he used various tricks to show the rich man his abilities, which made his father look at him with new respect, and then made his father feel deeply guilty. Then there was a family drama, and then it was a happy ending.

This kind of satisfying, face-slapping story with a happy ending is always the most popular, no matter the era.

Yuexin Pavilion

Zheng Luoqi was still in her usual spot listening to the new play, with He Jinyu sitting next to her. Boyu and Zisang stood on either side, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

He Jinyu returned from Huainan not long ago.

Halfway through the play, He Jinyu turned slightly to face Zheng Luoqi and asked softly, "My lord, was this new play your work?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Luoqi's lips curled up slightly, and she replied with a smile, "Indeed, that is my idea. What do you think? Does it meet your approval?"

He Jinyu nodded and chuckled, then said thoughtfully, "My lord, I've heard that the one in the palace has been suffering from nightmares every night lately. I suppose the Taoist priest will be making his appearance soon?"

"Clever!" Zheng Luoqi's lips curled into a faint smile as she mentioned the one in the palace. "I'm also very much looking forward to seeing how she will handle this matter."

Inside the palace

Chen Xianlin was plagued by nightmares every night, making it difficult for her to fall asleep, and her mental state deteriorated.

Finally, she sent someone to Jietai Temple outside the palace to invite a highly respected master, hoping to use his magic to exorcise this troublesome "dirty thing".

After being summoned to the palace, the master began a ritual of chanting scriptures and praying for blessings within the palace grounds. For three days and three nights straight, the sounds of wooden fish drums and chanting scriptures filled the air.

After performing some rituals, the master pointed the finger at the unborn child in Consort Jiang's womb, and asserted that this child was a harbinger of misfortune, and that it was because of his (or her) existence that no other children had been born in the palace for so long.

After learning about this, Consort Jiang already had a plan in mind.

Fortunately, Zheng Luoqi had reminded her before that if she encountered such a thorny situation, she should ask to go into seclusion and avoid the limelight.

Therefore, Consort Jiang made a decisive move and wrote to the emperor requesting to leave the palace and go to a temple to cultivate herself for a period of time.

However, Chen Xianlin seemed to have already guessed Consort Jiang's thoughts.

After all, a play with a plot quite similar to this one was currently popular outside the palace, and she had naturally heard of it.

But so what? This child must disappear today, no matter what!

When Consort Jiang saw that Chen Xianlin was unwilling to let her go, she immediately remembered Zheng Luoqi's warning. Given Chen Xianlin's personality, even if she offered to go into seclusion, he might not let her go and would most likely try to kill her. In this case, she had to ask the Emperor for help.

Xue Huaiyu initially didn't want to get involved, but when he thought about how this was his own flesh and blood, his heart softened.

Just then, Consort Jiang sent someone to plead with him, saying that they could wait until the child was safely born before judging whether he was indeed a jinx.

If the birth of this child truly affects the other offspring in the harem, then it will not be too late to execute him.

After listening carefully, Xue Huaiyu thought about it and felt that what he said made some sense.

What if it turns out that this child is not a jinx, but a lucky star who can bring good fortune?

Moreover, this unborn child is his only bloodline, and he simply cannot bear to abandon him.

After careful consideration, Xue Huaiyu finally made up his mind and immediately issued an imperial decree ordering Consort Jiang to go to a quiet place to recuperate until the child was born safely.

The emperor issued an edict, and Chen Xianlin could not disobey it, so she could only watch helplessly as Consort Jiang left the palace.

Chen Xianlin was not one to give up easily. He sent many people to assassinate Consort Jiang, but she was always saved.

Chen Xianlin immediately guessed that it was Zheng Luoqi who was hindering her. She only regretted that she hadn't discovered sooner that Consort Jiang was from the Prime Minister's residence.

Because of the new play recently produced by Yuexin Pavilion, Chen Xianlin sensed something was wrong. In addition, Yuexin Pavilion is a property of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and this new play is aimed at her. It is obvious that the Prime Minister's Mansion knows that she is going to make a move against Consort Jiang.

Chen Xianlin grew angrier the more she thought about it. The Prime Minister's Mansion had repeatedly tried to stop her, and even interfered in the affairs of the harem. This was going against the royal family, and Xue Huaiyu was completely powerless to resist.

The more Chen Xianlin thought about it, the more she felt that Xue Huaiyu was a good-for-nothing. How could she have ever been attracted to him in the first place?