Regarding Kou Zhun's begging for his bones, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty showed no reaction at all.
Not even a hint of surprise.
They all knew that this was not really Kou Zhun's resignation.
It is a set of etiquette for a new king to ascend the throne.
As the saying goes, there are only one emperor and one minister.
When a new king ascends the throne, the old ministers naturally have to express their opinions.
This means begging for bones.
Prove to the new king that he is not greedy for power and position.
If the new king is tough, he can play it accurately on the spot.
If the new king is not strong enough, or is very young like Zhao Zhen, he will naturally have to be retained.
Zhao Zhen had already been reminded by Chen Lin, so when Kou Zhun asked for the bones, he quickly got up, ran down the imperial steps, and helped Kou Zhun up.
"No! I...I still have to rely on my beloved to govern the country."
"Declaration!"
Zhao Zhen helped Kou Zhun up and said with a sullen face.
Guo Huai immediately took out a volume of edict and read it out.
The content of the edict is basically the same as what Zhao Heng promised Kou Zhun before. The only difference is that Zhao Zhen added the title of Bachelor of Jixian Pavilion to Kou Zhun.
It's a bit like icing on the cake.
He also wanted to prove to the courtiers that he valued talents.
Of course, Zhao Zhen himself doesn’t understand this.
It was decided after Kou Zhun, Liu E and others discussed it.
According to the rules, Kou Zhun should have been promoted to a peerage, but Kou Zhun himself declined.
He said that he already had the power of regent and was already a first-class official. If he were to enter the title of nobility, he would be incapable of being ennobled and it was inappropriate.
When Guo Huai finished reading the edict, Kou Zhun bowed his hand and said, "Old minister, thank you for your love."
Kou Zhun withdrew from the palace.
Later, Xiang Minzhong, Li Di and a group of other veterans also came out to beg for the bones.
Zhao Zhen helped them up one by one, rejected their petition to beg for their bones, and each received a title.
Wait until the courtiers are added.
Zhao Zhen personally went down the imperial steps, asked Kou Zhun to go up to the imperial steps, and sat on the left side of the second step of the third-level imperial steps.
In this way, Kou Zhun could truly assume the power of regency.
Helping Kou Zhun up the imperial steps, after Kou Zhun sat down, Zhao Zhen returned to the dragon chair, blinked his eyes, and said timidly: "I...why didn't I see the edict conferring Kou Ji's title?"
"
When Chen Lin heard this, she lowered her head and didn't want to speak.
The corner of Kou Ji's mouth twitched and he complained silently in his heart.
Zhao Zhen, I know you are a brother, but this situation is obviously not the time to mention this...
When Kou Zhun heard this, he glared at Kou Ji fiercely.
Kou Ji spread his hands, looking helpless.
Liu E's eyes lingered on Kou Ji for a while, but she said nothing.
Manchao Wenwu looked at Kou Ji with strange expressions.
Xiang Minzhong leaned back pretending to be dazed, and whispered to his son behind him: "You see...this is called Jane in the Emperor's Heart!"
Xiang Chuanzheng nodded blankly.
"cough……"
Kou Zhun coughed and said dryly: "In the official family, Kou Ji is young and is already in the sixth rank. If he goes up higher, he will be in the fifth rank... He has not made great contributions to the court and cannot be awarded the fifth rank."
Zhao Zhen was still talking, but Kou Zhun was afraid that he would say something inappropriate, so he hurriedly patted Kou's car and said in a deep voice: "The late emperor passed away, and the country has been mourned for three years. The official family will keep vigil for the late emperor for forty-nine days.
During this period, the court will be suspended."
All the civil and military officials in the court bowed and responded, "Well..."
"Now that the official has ascended the throne, he should send a report to his residence tomorrow to inform all prefectures, states and counties."
"Here..."
"Retreat!"
"..."
The civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty bowed to Zhao Zhen and then left the Chui Gong Hall.
Zhao Zhen sat on the dragon chair in a daze, watching Manchao Wenwu quietly leave.
After the Manchu civil and military officials left, Liu E said to Kou Zhun: "Kou Gong, while the mother and son of the Ai family are keeping vigil, the government will be busy with Kou Gong."
The enthronement ceremony has ended, and Liu E's self-identification has also changed.
From the palace to the Aijia.
Kou Zhun cupped his hands and said calmly: "It should be so."
Liu E told Chen Lin: "Help the official family change into mourning clothes and follow the Ai family to Daqing Hall to help the late emperor keep the funeral."
Zhao Zhen stood up from the dragon chair and allowed himself to be manipulated by Chen Lin.
Seeing Kou Ji pushing Kou Zhun to leave, he finally couldn't help but said, "Can you take Kou Ji with you?"
Liu E and Kou Zhun were both stunned.
Liu E was about to refuse.
Just listen to Kou Zhun say: "Kou Ji, as a disciple of the emperor, should help the late emperor guard the grave."
Kou Ji opened his mouth to refuse.
But Kou Zhun glared at him.
Kou Ji secretly sighed, cupped his hands and said: "I obey the order..."
Liu E was very dissatisfied, but she didn't say anything.
Kou Zhun took out his identity as Emperor Kou Ji's disciple and asked him to help Zhao Heng keep the funeral, and Liu E couldn't refuse.
The ancients attached great importance to rules.
A half-disciple is the rule.
Kou Ji is Zhao Heng's only student, equivalent to Zhao Heng's half son.
He helped Zhao Heng go to the wake, and no one could fault him.
It is definitely a good job for someone who is not a member of the royal family to guard the emperor's grave.
It is not only a kind of status recognition, but also a ladder for promotion in the future career.
It can be said that Kou Ji helped Zhao Heng protect his soul. As long as there are no mistakes in the future, it is inevitable that he will become a general and become a prime minister.
However, Kou Ji didn't think this was a good job.
Instead, he felt that it was a chore.
The ancients kept vigils and the rules were so strict that it was outrageous.
They wore coarse linen clothes and ate simple meals, and they were all cold.
Moreover, he stayed in front of the coffin for forty-nine days and could not sleep well.
But Kou Zhun had already decided for him, and he couldn't refuse even if he wanted to.
Liu E told Guo Huai to help Kou Ji find a set of mourning clothes to wear.
Then he took them to Daqing Hall.
In Daqing Hall.
All the concubines knelt on the ground.
Among them, Kou Ji discovered that he had seen Concubine Yang and Concubine Du, and a large group of remaining concubines that he did not recognize.
There were old ones, young ones, and little girls who were about the same age as him.
Liu E led Kou Ji and Zhao Zhen to the Daqing Hall, and found a place at the entrance of the hall for Kou Ji to kneel.
Kou Ji didn't say anything, and just went to kneel at the entrance of the palace.
Liu E took Zhao Zhen and knelt down in front of Zhao Heng's coffin.
Not long after, Guo Huai led a woman in her forties into the Daqing Hall.
Kou Ji looked at the woman and roughly guessed her identity.
Zhao Zhen’s biological mother, Mrs. Li.
Mrs. Li entered the palace and saw Zhao Zhen, trembling all over.
But she didn't have any extreme reaction. Instead, she walked up to Liu E in a polite manner and bowed to Liu E.
"Empress..."
She used to be just a maid beside Liu E.
If Zhao Heng hadn't figured out a way to have a child through borrowing his mother's womb, she might not have had the chance to be favored by Zhao Heng, let alone give birth to a son for him.
So in front of Liu E, she behaved very humblely.
She had been imprisoned for many years and had cried, laughed, gone crazy, had epilepsy, complained, and cursed.
All the resentment in her chest has been smoothed away by time.
Now, she just wants to be by her son's side, even if she has no status, even if she is a maid, she is willing to do so.
Liu E saw her and had complicated thoughts.
Although she imprisoned Mr. Li, she never mistreated Mr. Li.
In addition to having no freedom and not being able to see Zhao Zhen, Li's other treatment was far better than that of other concubines in the palace.
She wanted Mr. Li to live peacefully and comfortably for the rest of his life, so it was best not to appear in front of her again.
It can manipulate people by good fortune.
Zhou Huaizheng's words before his death revealed Zhao Zhen's life experience.
The civil and military people in the entire court were agitated, and she had to invite Li to come out to appease the officials.
Liu E stood up slowly and reached out to hold Li's hand. Li shivered all over and stood stiffly, letting Liu E hold her hand.
Liu E said calmly: "Don't call the Ai family empress from now on... The official family has ascended the throne and canonized you as the crown princess. From now on, you can just call the Ai family sister."
Ms. Li trembled all over and said with a horrified look on her face: "That matter... did someone tell it?"
Liu E clenched her fist slightly and said in a deep voice: "Now the whole city knows it... It won't be long before everyone in the world knows it..."
Mrs. Li was trembling all over and said: "Your Majesty... slave... slave really didn't say anything..."
Liu E frowned and said in a deep voice: "Your son is now an official, how can you call yourself a slave again? Do you want others to look down upon him?"
Ms. Li quickly shook her head, "No...no..."
Liu E warned in a deep voice: "Remember your identity, you are the Crown Princess now! Your son is an official!"
With tears in her eyes, Mrs. Li nodded blankly.
"Kneel down and keep vigil for the late emperor!"
Mrs. Li quickly knelt down on the ground.
Liu E also knelt on the ground and said no more.
When Zhao Zhen came to Liu E from the Li family, he noticed her.
But he didn't say a word from beginning to end, but silently observed Mr. Li.
After Mrs. Li knelt down, he hesitated and whispered: "You... you are... you are my biological mother..."
Mrs. Li was shocked and tears burst into her eyes.
She didn't know whether she should agree or not.
Countless times in her midnight dreams, she dreamed of the reunion between mother and son.
She had dreamed about the scene where Zhao Zhen broke through the many obstacles in the palace, rushed in front of her, and called her mother.
She also dreamed that Zhao Zhen led his troops to kill Liu E, walked up to her with a bloody blade, and told her, "The child is here to pick you up."
She has dreamed of countless scenes, but she has never dreamed of this scene.
For a moment she didn't know how to respond.
The more Zhao Zhen looked at her, the more speechless she became.
Zhao Zhen stared at her for a long time. Seeing that she didn't speak, he said seriously: "I can feel it... you are my biological mother... but why haven't you come to see me after all these years?
Don’t you like me?”
"Woo..."
Mrs. Li burst into tears.
She waved her hands in a hurry, "No...it's not me...I don't want to see you...I dream day and night...all I dream about is seeing you..."
There were some truths that she couldn't tell Zhao Zhen with Liu E by her side.
Zhao Zhen stared at her and said obediently: "It doesn't matter if you don't want to see me. I don't blame you... Can you hug me? Just like Kou Ji hugged me?"
Li was at a loss and didn't know what to do.
Zhao Zhen took the initiative to get into her arms.
Li Shi froze, then suddenly hugged Zhao Zhen and cried loudly.
Liu E and Concubine Yang both looked ugly.
They had raised Zhao Zhen for many years, and when they saw Zhao Zhen getting close to Li, they felt as if something important had been taken away, and their hearts were empty.
Zhao Zhen hugged Li and cried too.
The mother and son cried for a long time. Zhao Zhen shed tears, raised his head, and asked, "Kou Ji said that you will be good to me. Is it true?"
Hearing this, Mrs. Li nodded heavily.
Zhao Zhen suddenly broke down in tears and smiled. He stretched out his little hand, took Li and Concubine Yang, leaned into Liu E's arms, and said to Kou Ji at the door of the palace: "Kou Ji, you are right. I really have three mothers.
They will all be good to me."
Liu E and Concubine Yang were shocked when they heard this.
They originally thought that if Zhao Zhen found his biological mother, he would be alienated from them and even resent them.
But he didn't expect that in Zhao Zhen's heart, they were still his mothers.
Kou Ji's words in Chui Gong Hall suddenly rang in Liu E's mind.
She now somewhat understood the meaning of that sentence.
Some things, if kept hidden for a long time, become resentment and hatred.
If you speak up early, there will be less resentment.
You may even get unexpected surprises.
Liu E looked at Kou Ji at the entrance of the palace and waved, "Come here and kneel..."
Kou Ji stood up, walked to Zhao Heng's coffin and knelt down.
Liu E looked at Kou Ji and said calmly: "You are right..."
Kou Ji cupped his hands towards Zhao Heng's coffin, "I think this is what the late emperor wanted to see..."
Liu E and Concubine Yang nodded together when they heard this.
The warm recognition scene diluted the sadness of Zhao Heng's death
Kou Ji looked at Zhao Zhen, who had tears on his face but his eyes were full of happiness, and sighed slightly in his heart.
Silly boy, you have to thank Zhou Huaizheng, and you have to thank me. If I hadn't encouraged Zhou Huaizheng to cause trouble, maybe you would never see your biological mother in this life...
Night.
Coming slowly.
The eunuchs and concubines brought a simple cold meal.
Kou Ji ate it like chewing wax, but Zhao Zhen ate it particularly sweetly.
After a simple meal, everyone knelt in the hall again.
After nightfall.
Zhao Zhen's imperial sister couldn't hold it any longer and dozed off frequently in the palace.
Liu E asked Concubine Du to take the little princess down to rest first.
Concubine Du agreed and took the little princess back.
After the little princess was settled, she came back again, and a group of people continued to kneel in the temple.
It lasted all night.
About three o'clock in the morning.
Kou Ji was kneeling on the ground, hanging his head and closing his eyes, dozing off. Someone quietly walked up to him and handed him a note.
Kou Ji woke up suddenly and turned around, but he didn't see the person who gave him the note.
Kou Ji looked around and saw that no one was paying attention, so he opened the note.
After just one glance, all the sleepiness in his body disappeared immediately.
The note said, 'Third watch tomorrow night, Imperial Garden.'
Kou Ji immediately threw the note into the brazier in front of him, turning it into ashes.
"What?"
Zhao Zhen saw Kou Ji throwing things into the brazier and asked in a low voice in confusion.
Kou Ji said dryly: "Nothing..."
Zhao Zhen nodded and did not ask any further questions.
Li, who was kneeling next to Zhao Zhen, probably guessed something. She opened her mouth and wanted to speak, but she didn't say anything.