The emperor was glared at by the queen and immediately leaned back on the pillow, becoming honest.
It's okay for him to say love words to a group of old men, after all, he is an old man himself, but what does it mean to say love words to Zhou Man, a delicate little lady?
If word spreads, can the relationship between their monarch and his ministers still be pure?
He leaned back on the pillow and asked, "What then?"
Then Zhou Man was put under house arrest in the palace. Of course, her house arrest was not strict. The most unlucky person was the prince.
He had just arrived at the front hall to handle government affairs and was getting excited about criticizing the papers. Suddenly someone came to report that the emperor had fallen into a coma.
He hurried to the emperor's palace, and as soon as he started, he was asked whether he and Zhou Man had done something to the emperor. Otherwise, why was the emperor in good health before, but suddenly fell asleep today?
The prince was so angry that he laughed on the spot.
Is the emperor in good health?
Can he be seriously ill if he is in good health?
No matter how long he lingered on the sickbed.
The prince said on the spot: "Since you adults don't believe in Gu, you can go into the palace to check. If you can't find anything..."
The prince, who was about to threaten them with harsh words, raised his head and faced Zhou Man, who was standing beside the emperor's bed and glaring at him.
The previous words of Zhou Man and the emperor came to mind. He reluctantly suppressed his anger and changed his voice and said: "I will tell my father how to deal with you."
Zhao Guogong, who had been worried all the time, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, for fear that the prince would say something like "I'll kill you and kill all three of your clans"...
If you really say this, I'm afraid that if nothing happens, those people will try their best to make it happen.
As long as the prince is not really on the road to rebellion, it is better to be still than to move at this time, and to be cowardly than to be strong.
So Princess Zhao took the initiative to ask the prince to attend the illness in the side hall, and they and other ministers also took turns to go to the palace to attend to the illness.
It is said that he is serving an illness, but in fact he is keeping the prince under his nose, commonly known as house arrest. With ministers like them here, not only can the emperor's safety be ensured, but also the prince's.
The matter can be dealt with as long as the emperor wakes up.
In the final analysis, officials led by Zhao Guogong and Li Shangshu still did not believe that the prince would harm the emperor at this time.
However, there are mixed voices in the court and people's hearts are floating. It is better to retreat instead of advancing and first appease the officials.
The prince winked at his uncle repeatedly, snorted secretly, calmed down, and acquiesced to their treatment.
The palace is under the control of Yin Li and his mother. As long as his mother is there and as long as Yin Li does not betray the emperor, he will not be in danger.
So the prince is not very worried about being placed under house arrest in the side hall. What he is worried about is his father. He couldn't really be harmed and fell asleep, right?
When the prince was taken down, he couldn't help but glance at Zhou Man.
Zhou Man shook his head slightly at him, saying no.
The prince felt relieved and went to the side hall with others.
But this eye contact also fell in the eyes of many ministers, and they all began to think about it. Even Mr. Old Tang was suspicious for a moment.
Isn't it true that the Crown Prince has no idea and wants to take action against the Emperor?
After all, the royal family has no father or son.
But looking at Zhou Man again, Mr. Old Tang felt reassured, no, even if the prince wanted to, Zhou Man would not do it.
The eyes of other ministers who had doubts also moved between Zhou Man and the prince. Most of them put down their worries like Mr. Old Tang, but some stared at Zhou Man suspiciously.
One person said: "It's time for Mr. Zhou to go down and rest. The Tai Chi Palace should still be handed over to Xiao Yuanzheng."
Suddenly being targeted by artillery fire, Zhou Man didn't recover for a moment, and subconsciously expressed his diligence and love for his post, "Your Majesty hasn't woken up yet, how can I go down to rest?"
She said: "If Your Majesty doesn't wake up, I won't rest for a day."
Ministers:...
Liu Shangshu had a good relationship with her, and the two families were relatives, so he couldn't help but remind her: "Lord Zhou, you'd better go down and rest. The prince has already rested."
Zhou Man reacted belatedly, frowning and said: "You doubt me? What am I trying to do?"
Bai Shan and Yang Heshu were not of high grade, so they stayed in the front hall of Tai Chi Hall with all the officials to wait.
Those who could go to the emperor's palace to discuss matters were all civil servants and military generals of third rank or above. They were very powerful, but Zhou Man was not weak either. He raised his chin and looked at them, "My official position was given by your majesty, and I have been studying sages since I was a child.
As someone who grew up reading and is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, any one of you may betray your majesty, but I cannot!"
As soon as these words came out, even Zhao Guogong couldn't hold back his breath, blowing his beard into his face, "Master Zhou, do you think I am someone who will betray His Majesty? I have followed Your Majesty from life to death, all the way.
For those of you who have conquered the country, don’t act like you are the only loyal minister.”
"It's not you who doubted me first." Zhou Man was not to be outdone at all.
Mr. Old Tang saw the doubts on the brows of the ministers deepening. He was afraid that Zhou Man would be self-defeating after he defended himself, so he hurriedly said: "That's because you were on duty before His Majesty fell asleep. This is a routine matter."
Zhou Man felt a little calmer, "Tang Xiang had said this earlier, so I wouldn't be so angry."
Someone said: "That's just a whitewash by Prime Minister Tang. Mr. Zhou, from midnight yesterday to now, you are the only imperial physician left by His Majesty's side, and everyone in the world knows that you are the Prince's man."
Zhou Man jumped up when he heard this, "Fart! Why am I the prince's person? I am clearly his majesty's person!"
Zhou Man said righteously: "My official title was appointed by your Majesty!"
Ministers: ...Who doesn't know that you and Bai Shan are the prince's relatives?
Seeing their disbelieving looks, Zhou Man couldn't help but said: "Seriously, tell me, which one of you has no conflict of interest with His Majesty?"
She glanced at Zhao Guogong and hurried in front of him and said: "Zhao Guogong, don't say you don't have it. Moreover, the prince really did it. You are the prince's biological uncle. Your motive is not greater than mine?"
She said: "I am different, I am a pure minister just like Lord Yin!"
Everyone looked at her silently.
Zhou Man: "You don't believe it? Then you tell me, what do I want? I am a woman, and I am able to gain a foothold in the court only because of His Majesty's grace. Why should I harm Your Majesty?"
That is true, "But Mr. Zhou cannot deny that you are the prince's person."
Zhou Man looked at them silently, "What you are saying is making things worse, isn't it?"
Mr. Old Tang said helplessly: "Mr. Zhou, you came from Chongwen Hall."
Only then did Zhou Man remember how and why he became an official. It was really all because of the prince in the first place.
Okay, there's no point in arguing anymore.
Zhou Man sighed and stood up, and said to Xiao Yuanzheng next to him: "Your Majesty, I will leave it to you. I have written the prescription. Please treat it slowly. The prescription should not be strong. Pay attention to your Majesty's breathing."
Xiao Yuanzheng responded one by one and watched her being taken down.
Fortunately, although Zhou Man was taken away, everyone felt that it was unlikely that she would participate. After all, even the prince's involvement was unlikely, so her supervision was not so strict.
Although she couldn't communicate with people outside, she could still get books, pens, ink, paper and inkstones, and she could even learn about the emperor's situation from the palace maids and chamberlains.
No one expected that the emperor would fall asleep for two days in a row.