Chapter 422: There is no blame and no honor in everything
The crown prince's dethronement has not yet been decided. Two days later, two sisters, Lan Ning and Jin Lingyi, came into the palace to pay their respects.
When I arrived at Concubine Fu's place, I sat down to have tea and talk.
When Xue Hengzhao heard that they were coming, he also came to Furong Palace.
Because the Dowager Empress has been fasting and practicing meditation these days and has not seen any guests, there is no need for the two of them to go to Tong'an Palace to pay their respects.
Lan Ning saw her and smiled and said: "I haven't seen you for many days. A few days ago they were hanging out clothes, and I found a lot of dowry clothes in my box. I have gained some weight in the past few years, and I can no longer wear them.
You haven’t even gotten dressed yet, and the colors and materials are good, so I selected a few jackets and brought them to the palace for you.”
Xue Hengzhao thanked him: "Thank you, Princess, for thinking of me. Sooner or later, I should wear quilted clothes. I'm always afraid of the cold, and I'm worried that I don't like to dry my clothes after washing them. This is a timely help."
"As long as you don't mind it," Lan Ning said, "Actually, he has gained some weight after all, so he should wear some clothes outside!"
Concubine Fu said: "But! It's better to pick out the clothes you can't wear and distribute them to the people around you. It's a sign of cherishing material resources. Otherwise, if you leave them in vain, the creases will be ruined after a few years. Isn't it a pity?
?”
After hearing this, Jin Lingyi smiled and said: "My queen and cousin reminded me, I will go through my suitcase later."
"Heng Zhao, since you are here, I have to ask you about what happened in the past few days." Lan Ning frowned slightly.
Seeing that there were no outsiders, Xue Hengzhao said bluntly: "What you want to ask about is the reward your Majesty gave to the fifth prince and the prince a few days ago?"
"That's it," Lan Ning nodded, "Now both the government and the public are discussing this matter, and it's quite disturbing."
"Then what does the Fifth Prince think?" Xue Hengzhao wanted to know the Fifth Prince's attitude.
"He is quite calm." Lan Ning couldn't help laughing when she said this, "He said that whether it is a reward or a punishment from His Majesty, it is all your kindness, and you just have to accept it."
"Your Highness thinks so." Xue Hengzhao said, "Thunder, rain, and dew are all gifts from the king. As a minister, you should accept them well."
"Then tell me, what is the meaning of His Majesty's reward of these two things to them?" Lan Ning wanted to know, "There are all kinds of things outside. Some say that His Majesty rewarded the prince with nine rings to show that he would never touch him.
The position of prince.
Others said that the Nine Links were just a set of toys after all, and that the Yao family's decline was a foregone conclusion. The prince was still young, so the emperor, out of consideration for the love between father and son, asked him to stay away from the court and live a leisurely life.
As for our side, some people say that the Emperor is angry with His Highness, because he is unwilling to openly express his position and always hides it.
Some people say that this is an overt criticism and a covert praise. On the surface, they are reprimanding, but in fact they are praising him for not speaking nonsense.”
"In this world, except His Majesty, who knows what it means, everyone else can only rely on speculation. What I said is just my own opinion. Just listen to it."
, should come from Kun hexagram sixty-four of the Book of Changes: Kuo Bao, no blame, no reputation.
The intention is to tighten the mouth of the bag, without disaster or praise.
Although it is often used to satirize people who keep their mouth shut and protect themselves wisely.
But as far as the hexagram itself is concerned, people should be cautious in their words and actions when they are in a dangerous situation. In this way, although they will not get honors, they can avoid disasters."
"Then what do you mean..." Concubine Fu wanted Xue Hengzhao to speak more concisely.
"What I mean is that the fifth prince did the right thing. Even if His Majesty was a little angry with him at the time, it would avoid future troubles." Xue Hengzhao said, "For the current plan, it is best to be careful in everything."
Lan Ning couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief after hearing this: "Your words are a reassurance for me. You don't know that I've been in a trance these days, as if I'm in a boat."
"Then what is the meaning of the nine rings given to the prince?" Jin Lingyi asked.
"This servant can't guess, but I think that under the current situation, even His Majesty is waiting and watching, and he can't make up his mind at the moment." Xue Hengzhao said, "Maybe His Majesty did this just to test."
"Testing? Who are you testing?" Jin Lingyi asked.
"Yes! Even if you are testing the prince, you are testing Lao Wu, and even more, you are testing what the courtiers will do." Concubine Fu said, "The relationship between deposing and establishing the crown prince is very important. It not only depends on the character and qualifications, but also the support of the people."
"So we can only wait and see what happens now?" Lan Ning asked.
"It's better to be still than to move." Xue Hengzhao said firmly, "In the past, we had to muddy the water. Now that the water is muddy, we have to clarify something before taking action."
"Yes! It's really a mess now, especially the previous one." Concubine Fu nodded, "We just want not to be involved in it. If we can stand on the shore, don't go into the water first."
In the Jiaolan Palace, Concubine Xian's maid Shucong brought in a few Yaotai jade phoenix chrysanthemums from outside and inserted them into the crystal vase on the desk.
Concubine Xian was ordering the maid to polish her nails when she glanced at the flower path and said, "The chrysanthemums are blooming more luxuriantly this year than in previous years."
"My servant was passing by, and it was true that the flowers bloomed well, so I picked a few of them." Shucong said with a smile, "I think the empress also likes them."
"It's done, you can go down!" Concubine Xian looked at her nails and was very satisfied, and said to the little palace maid who was polishing her nails.
The little palace maid bowed and left.
Shu Cong said: "My servant saw that the second and fifth princes' concubines had gone to Concubine Fu's side."
"Lan Ning hasn't been in the palace for some time," Concubine Xian smiled, "I guess it was His Majesty's reward that made her unable to sit still."
Just as he was talking, Kang Guang also came in from the outside and said as he entered: "Mother, there are many ministers in the previous court who want to hug the fifth prince's lap!"
Concubine Xian’s smile became even stronger: “This is very good, the more the merrier.”
"What does the empress mean?" Kang Guang asked hurriedly.
"Have you never heard that the rafters that are exposed will die first?" Concubine Xian asked, "This is a time of panic. Those ministers are like dogs in the water, trying to hold on to something before they are defeated. So,
Keep yourself from drowning.
The prince can't get out of the palace, and they can't flatter him even if they want to. What's more, they don't dare to flatter him, otherwise they will be regarded by His Majesty as an old member of the Yao family."
"Your Majesty said this, and the young one will understand." Kang Guang said as if he suddenly understood, "The more people there are, the more obvious the evidence that the fifth prince is forming a clique for personal gain. If His Majesty finds out, he will definitely be angry."
"Now you understand why I didn't let Qingque reveal Gan'er's name in the prophecy, right?" Concubine Xian said, "As long as the prince is not deposed for a day, he will still be the prince. If he is deposed, it is the emperor's decision. It is not his turn.
Others intervene.
Why should we wade into that muddy water now? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to watch the fire from the other side?”
"Your Majesty is really smart. The so-called victory without bloodshed is nothing more than this." Kang Guang quickly patted his horse, "Just let those water ghosts drag the fifth prince in. The prince will never be able to stand. When the time comes, he will be ours after all.