It's no wonder that Zhao Ji was so angry and furious. After all, Lu Buwei had promised her that nothing would happen, but now Cheng Qiao knew about it.
It’s okay for others to know. Zhao Ji can still be ruthless enough to silence her, but how can Cheng Qiao silence her if she knows about it?
Even if she is the Empress Dowager who exercises royal power, she cannot take down a Qin prince without any reason.
What's more, this monarch of Qin is the son of the late king, the brother of his own son, the biological son of his good sister Mrs. Han, and the grandson of her two mother-in-laws. She also watched him grow up and regarded him as her own son. How could this be destroyed?
Once the matter was exposed, she didn't care much about other people's opinions and comments. At worst, she would pretend not to hear, and be out of sight and out of mind, but if her son, who regarded her as her own, knew about it, her face would be greatly damaged.
If the two Queen Mothers knew about her son, her good sister Mrs. Han, how could she have the face to face them?
Although it is not a big deal to find a face, it is not a matter of honor after all.
Zhao Ji now regrets not holding back her desire.
The emotion of regret is extremely normal. It’s like a man who couldn’t help but carry forward traditional crafts and then regretted it afterwards. When the cooling-off period comes, it will be the same thing afterwards. He can’t help but carry forward traditional crafts next time.
Anger, regret, and shame accumulated in her heart, making Zhao Ji extremely manic. Without giving Lu Buwei any face, she pointed at Lu Buwei's nose and yelled.
Lu Buwei silently endured Zhao Ji's scolding, firstly because Zhao Ji was superior to him in status after all; secondly, Lu Buwei knew that he must not reason with a woman at this time, let alone stand firm, especially if this woman was Zhao Ji.
At this time, the woman is angry. She won't listen to anything she says. She has to wait for the other person to vent her anger. It's even more difficult to hold back. It's terrible for a woman to go crazy.
Especially with Zhao Ji's character and status, if a woman of this status goes crazy, the consequences are even more unpredictable, and he has to take the blame.
Lu Buwei, who was silent and doing what he said, gradually made Zhao Ji feel a little bored, and the anger in her heart gradually became lower. In addition, she was tired of scolding, so she quickly stopped scolding, turned around and sat back on the couch to sulk.
…
This Lu Buwei saw the right opportunity before speaking.
"Your Majesty, don't worry too much. Lord Chang'an will not spread such disgraceful things."
"This matter is not only disgraceful to the Queen Mother, but also disgraceful to the late king and the Qin clan."
"Mr. Chang'an will not reveal the matter to the king, Queen Mother Xia and others. Telling this matter will affect the harmony of the harem, which is harmful rather than beneficial."
"Based on the Queen Mother's understanding of Lord Chang'an, would Lord Chang'an be such an unreasonable person?"
When Zhao Ji heard this, she thought it made sense. As the empress dowager, every move she made was related to her family and country. How could such a thing that harmed the face of her family and country be made known to the whole world?
And Cheng'er has been considerate since he was a child. When he and Zheng'er returned to Qin from Zhao, Cheng'er treated him and Zheng'er very well. This was still the case after he became the queen. In terms of being considerate and close to her, as he grew up,
Zheng'er is much inferior.
"You have a point."
Zhao Ji calmed down a lot, but there was still a knot in her heart, and she said distressedly: "But Cheng'er finally found out about this matter, and my glorious image in Cheng'er's heart must have been shattered."
"Is there any way you can restore my image?"
Lu Buwei was speechless. How could this be saved?
The deal is done!
I wanted to think so, but I couldn't say it. Lu Buwei knew that Zhao Ji had to go along with it, and it would not make things easier for people if he went against it.
"It is basically impossible to completely recover it, but it can make up for part of it."
Zhao Ji's eyes lit up and she quickly urged: "Speak quickly."
"First of all, the Queen Mother should not run away after meeting Lord Chang'an, and take the initiative to admit her mistakes. Considering the current situation of the Queen Mother, Lord Chang'an will probably understand."
"Secondly, we need to reward Lord Chang'an. He is soft-spoken and short-handed when he eats people. He can also see the Queen Mother's sincerity while sealing her mouth."
Lu Buwei stroked his long, fairly black beard, looked calm, and spoke slowly.
Zhao Ji quite agreed with Lu Buwei's idea. Isn't it just to say soft words? It's normal to say soft words when you make a mistake. Besides, this is for your own son, not an outsider. Compared with letting Zheng'er and the others know about it, the consequences are much worse.
What kind of?
"Swallowing the Starry Sky: Sign in to Become a God"
What kind of reward can make Chenger keep his mouth shut to the greatest extent, and can express his sincerity to the greatest extent?
Although Cheng'er is considerate and will probably not expose it, Cheng'er has a deep relationship with the king and is young and energetic, so there is no guarantee that something will happen...
The king Zhao Ji refers to here naturally does not refer to Ying Zheng, but to Ying Zichu.
"How about becoming a marquis?"
Zhao Ji thought about it and suddenly thought of a good idea, a pair of charming eyes with a hint of inquiry.
The corner of Lu Buwei's mouth twitched slightly. Although Chang'an Jun Chengqiao's accumulated contributions are indeed not small, he has not yet reached the point of becoming a marquis, right?
However, Lu Buwei couldn't refute it directly, otherwise it would probably be counterproductive, so he could only smooth over the situation, so he tactfully advised: "There is too much noise, if someone secretly inquires..."
Hearing this, Zhao Ji also realized that something was not right, but she still felt uncomfortable with Lu Buwei's objection, and retorted: "Why can an old guy like you be granted the title of Marquis, but not Cheng'er?"
Can Lu Buwei's Xindao Chengqiao compare with him?
Not to mention other merits, his merit of supporting Conglong can overwhelm all the merits of the other party, and his merit of supporting Conglong is even more extraordinary. It is said that he single-handedly supported the late king to the throne.
Not an exaggeration.
Without him, would Zhao Ji, Ying Zheng, and Cheng Qiao have their current status?
Lu Buwei didn't argue with Zhao Ji, he just looked at Zhao Ji with a slight smile and said nothing.
After Zhao Ji finished speaking, she also realized the great contribution of Lu Buwei. She recognized Lu Buwei's statement in her heart and directly changed the topic: "How about increasing the food supply?"
"Can."
"Then let's add 3,000 households."
Lu Buwei felt that the increase was a bit too much, but it was not easy to oppose Zhao Ji again and again.
Based on his understanding of Zhao Ji, if he continues to oppose Zhao Ji, he will get angry. If a woman is in charge of the country, it is outrageous. I think the people below can also understand.
"Can."
After that, the two discussed where to increase the food town. Lu Buwei left after seeing that Zhao Ji's mood had stabilized. There was still a lot of government affairs waiting for him.
Shortly after Lu Buwei left, Cheng Qiao immediately entered the palace after receiving the news.
Cheng Qiao didn't know the content of the discussion between Lu Buwei and Zhao Ji. Because of his understanding of Zhao Ji, Cheng Qiao felt that it was necessary to comfort Zhao Ji to avoid any trouble.
…
"Queen Mother, Lord Chang'an would like to see you."
The chief female officer beside Zhao Ji silently stepped into the inner hall of Lanzhi Palace, came to the luxurious and spacious bed covered with red gauze, and reminded her softly.
Queen Mother Zhao Ji had just changed her clothes and was leaning on the bed to rest. She was only wearing a thin scarlet brocade quilt with undulating curves and exquisite embossed shapes, and a piece of jade white was exposed on her back from under her neck.
Although it is winter now, the heating system in the palace has been improved through mechanical modifications, and the temperature is very moderate. Compared with the ice and snow outside, it can be called a paradise.
"ah."
Zhao Ji, who was half asleep and half awake, called out softly when she heard this. Cheng Qiao came so quickly, which made Zhao Ji feel that Cheng Qiao was here to ask questions, and she felt a little panicked.
Fortunately, Lu Buwei analyzed it for him and came up with ideas, so Zhao Ji could still maintain basic composure.
"Go out and tell Cheng'er that I am taking a rest and need to change clothes, and ask her to stay for a while."
She is only wearing light pink and white underwear and shorts. She can't go out to see her son like this, right?
"Here!"
After hearing this, Cheng Qiao could only wait in the outer hall, drinking tea while thinking about his next words and actions.
A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Ji came out.
Since Cheng Qiao was not an outsider, Zhao Ji did not dress too solemnly. She only wore a middle coat and long trousers, and a red robe with golden phoenix wings spread over it. Her bun was not complicated. It lacked the solemnity and majesty when going to court, but had a few more
Very charming and amiable.
"Meet the Queen Mother."
Cheng Qiao has gradually become accustomed to Zhao Ji's beauty. After all, he has seen her for so many years, without squinting his eyes and bowing his hands with a smile on his face.
Zhao Ji observed Cheng Qiao carefully and found that Cheng Qiao was still the same as before, showing no strange expression. She was relieved and said with a smile: "No need to be polite, sit down quickly."
"You guys get out."
After hearing this, all the maids and chamberlains in the palace left and walked far away. No one dared to get too close.
If you want to survive in this palace, the most basic thing is to pretend to be ignorant. If you don't know, you must not pry. Those who think they are smart will often die miserably.
Zhao Ji felt more at ease after seeing her sit down until Qiao Qiao sat down, her attitude toward herself being the same as before. She mustered up the courage to bring up the topic first, and admitted her mistake according to Lu Buwei's words.
Cheng Qiao was surprised. He didn't expect that Zhao Ji would admit his mistake first. Was this what Zhao Ji could have imagined?
Shouldn't it be a case of death and denial?
When he thought about it, Lu Buwei had been here before, and Cheng Qiao knew that it was Lu Buwei's contribution. Zhao Ji should not have thought of this method of retreating to advance.
As your mother, Zhao Ji, who supervises the Queen Mother, has taken the initiative to admit her mistake, and the matter has not been completed. Do you still have the nerve to expose it? Do you still have the nerve to complain?
"The queen is in her youth, and the father died young. The son can understand, and the queen does not need to take it to heart."
"Speaking of which, the son has to apologize to his mother. Out of his feelings for his father, it is really selfish for him to ignore his mother's current situation."
Cheng Qiao did not say that it was for himself, for Yingzheng, the Qin clan, or the Qin state's reputation, nor did he talk about Lao Du's ambitions. Lu Buwei's intention was bluntly to win over Zi Chu.
For a little woman like Zhao Ji, things that may seem like a big deal to men are not worth mentioning to her, and it is only natural to deal with them emotionally.
Women are inherently emotional, and Zhao Ji is a typical example. A face can make the decision for Zhao Ji. It shows how emotional Zhao Ji is. She is definitely the kind of woman who will risk everything for the so-called love.
When Zhao Ji heard this, she thought of Ying Zichu, who loved him so much, and immediately lowered her head in shame. She remained silent, feeling even more ashamed and remorseful. She had no intention of blaming Cheng Qiao for ruining her good deeds...