Wei Jingxuan thought for a moment, and a strange smile suddenly appeared on her face, "No, since she won't let me go, then I won't go, lest I say I don't follow the imperial concubine's decree, but... I will go to the Qing Palace." It’s not up to her to go anywhere else.”
When everyone in the harem had different thoughts and were fighting openly and secretly, Li Qi and Qingfu came to Cining Palace under the imperial edict. After welcoming them into the main hall and serving tea, Shui Xiu said: "My lords, the Queen Mother is in the Buddhist hall. Chanting, please wait here for a moment."
Qingfu nodded, and after the water show went down, he said softly: "Master Li, do you think the Queen Mother took the initiative to call us here this time, is it for the Emperor's appointment to the Central Palace?"
Li Qi took the tea and took a sip. Although his beard and hair were all white, his eyes were very clear and there was no trace of turbidity. "Nine times out of ten, the Queen Mother... I'm afraid she wants to persuade us!"
Qingfu frowned when he heard this and said: "Persuade us? So, the Queen Mother plans to stand on the same side as the Emperor?"
"After all, the Queen Mother and the Emperor are mother and son. It's nothing unusual to stand on the same side. Besides, we came to see the Queen Mother before, hoping that the Queen Mother could persuade the Emperor not to make the Imperial Concubine his queen. The Queen Mother's attitude has always been ambiguous." Faced with Li Qi's words, Qingfu said: "If the Queen Mother really says this, what will we do?"
Li Qi stroked his gray beard and said: "No matter who speaks, I always give the same answer. To appoint the imperial concubine as the queen is against the will of heaven and the people. It must not be done. In fact, the emperor has now We have started to regress, and as long as we insist on not letting go, the Emperor will regress sooner or later."
Qingfu nodded repeatedly and said: "Master Li is absolutely right, we must persuade the emperor to give up his intention to register."
Li Qi snorted and said: "Not only did he want to cancel the concubine, he also asked the emperor to put the traitorous concubine into the cold palace to avoid causing trouble in the future." He hated Xiayue deeply, whether she was canonized as the imperial concubine or pregnant with him. Whenever Changle was accused of being unlucky, he strongly opposed it.
"It's a pity that Mr. Zhang is leading the troops outside, otherwise the weight of our words would be heavier." The Mr. Zhang in Qingfu's mouth refers to Zhang Guangsi, who was responsible for putting down the Jinchuan Rebellion. He was also extremely opposed to this matter. Zeng Shangzheli admonish.
"His absence may not be a good thing, at least..." Before Li Qi could continue, Ling Ruo had already walked in holding Shuixiu's hand. The two of them quickly stood up and saluted, "I'd like to pay homage to the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother is a thousand years old. age!"
"Two adults, please rise." After signaling the two of them to sit down again, Ling Ruo said in a friendly manner: "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and today we have summoned the two adults into the palace. The Ai family feels really sorry."
Li Qi leaned forward in his chair and said, "The Queen Mother made serious remarks. I wonder what orders the Queen Mother has for her ministers who are waiting to enter the palace?"
Ling Ruo smiled and said: "Every New Year's Eve is a day for family reunions. However, the Ai family heard that Mr. Li's son has been working as an official abroad all year round. For many years, he has not had the opportunity to spend New Year's Eve with Mr. Li or even come to Beijing. Not much, I can only exchange letters on weekdays."
"The Queen Mother is worried about you, but Quanzi has finally made some achievements during his time as the prefect of Suzhou, and the old minister is also comforted."
"Having said that, it is not a problem for family members to be separated for a long time. A few days ago, the Ai family heard from the emperor that Shuntian Prefecture Yin was old and it was time for him to return to his hometown as an official. However, he has never found a suitable candidate. To take over his position, after all, Shuntian Prefecture Yin needs to maintain the safety of the capital and has a heavy responsibility. Not just anyone can take this position." After a pause, she said: "The Ai family heard that Mr. Li's son is an upright official and is very kind to the people. Not only did the people in Suzhou praise him, but even the emperor often mentioned it in front of the Ai family. He was always excellent in the official assessment every year. It would be most appropriate for him to take over the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin. "
Ling Ruo's words surprised and delighted Li Qi, and he quickly stood up and said: "The dog has little talent, little knowledge, and little experience. How can he be qualified for the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin?" Shuntian Prefecture Yin is a third-rank official. Although he does not have great power in the capital,
But having the qualification to go directly to the palace to meet the king is far beyond the reach of a Suzhou prefect.
"Master Li is too modest. The Ai family believes that Mr. Ling will be the most suitable candidate. Furthermore, for an official, knowledge and experience are important, but the most important thing is loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. Don't you think so, Mr. Li?"
Li Qi cupped his hands and said, "What the Empress Dowager said is absolutely true. Although Quan Zi is not talented, his loyalty to the Emperor and the Qing Dynasty is definitely the same as that of my old minister. We can learn from heaven and earth."
Ling Ruo smiled slightly and said, "That's fine. The Ai family will tell the emperor about taking over the position of Shuntian Prefecture Yin. It's not a big problem. I think after that, Mr. Li's family can get together every New Year's Eve."
Li Qi said with emotion: "I don't know how to thank you for your grace from the Queen Mother."
After signaling him to sit down, Ling Ruo looked at Qingfu and said: "Although you are no older than Li Qi, you are also a veteran of the two dynasties. When the late emperor was still alive, you inherited Tong Guowei's title and became the Minister of Sanzhi and the envoy of Luan.
, and also took charge of the Military Academy, and then you were promoted all the way; after the emperor ascended the throne, he awarded you the title of Bachelor of Wenhua Palace, and even called you to join the cabinet to manage affairs, and also to manage the Ministry of War, and you were deeply trusted by the emperor."
Qingfu hurriedly stood up and said: "I have received the emperor's grace. I really deserve it!"
Ling Ruo, who had always looked gentle, when she heard his words, her eyes suddenly darkened and she said coldly: "You are right, you are indeed ashamed." In Qingfu's stunned look, she said slowly:
"Both of you are court
You are an important minister, and the emperor has always treated you with the courtesy of a minister, but what do you give to the emperor in return? In the Yangxin Palace, in front of everyone, you forced the emperor in every possible way. Is this what a minister should do?"
Faced with Ling Ruo's sudden attack, the two of them didn't know what to do for a while. After calming down for a while, Li Qi said: "I dare not go beyond my duty as a minister, but the emperor intends to make the imperial concubine his queen.
It is really in line with the laws of heaven and the people, so in order to prevent the emperor from making a big mistake, I have tried my best to dissuade him."
A sneer appeared on Ling Ruo's face, "So, the emperor still needs to thank you?"
"I don't dare!" As soon as the two of them finished speaking, Ling Ruo scolded coldly: "The Ai family sees that all of you are so brave. Heaven's principles and people's sentiments? Oh, can you two represent heaven's principles and people's sentiments?"
Her words made the two of them speechless for a while. After a while, Qingfu finally said: "The imperial concubine is a sinner. Her family has committed a huge mistake. The emperor does not hold her responsible. It is an act of mercy beyond the law. If she is registered again,
If you do it later, you will definitely make everyone in the world laugh."