At this time, Prime Minister Zhang Dun was standing alone on the inside of the desk, looking dazed at the richer red gift lists in front of him.
"King Shen, King Jian, King Shen, King Duan... they really see each other for what they are."
He scanned all the gift lists one by one, but when he saw King Duan, he suddenly stopped.
He knew very well about Duan Wang Zhao Ji that he was extremely talented in poetry, music, music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Not only that, this man was also good at sensuality, pleasure, and pleasure. He was simply a replica of the former empress Li Yu.
"If such a frivolous and dissolute person reaches the top of Yuji, wouldn't it be a great harm to the country?"
There was undisguised sarcasm in his eyes. As a prime minister, he could naturally see everything clearly. If you want to be a qualified emperor, you need more than useless things.
He snorted coldly and threw it aside without even looking at the gift list. At this time, his eyes turned back and he was wandering around among the remaining gift lists.
However, after pondering for a long time, he hesitated between Shen Wang Zhao Yi and Jian Wang Zhao Si. As for the remaining princes, they were deficient in every aspect, so they were naturally not considered.
Of course, this matter is not something he can make alone. He needs to discuss it with the ruling officials and the Queen Mother before he can make a decision.
"Why……"
Suddenly, he sighed. If the official family had no heirs and died suddenly, without even leaving a posthumous edict, how could there be such trouble?
"Da da da……"
But at this moment, a sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside, which immediately interrupted his meditation. He looked up and saw that it was the housekeeper of his house who came.
"Sir, Butler Liu from Prince Shen's Mansion is here to pay his respects."
"King Shen? Haven't you been here once?" Zhang Dun was a little stunned, paused, and then said,
"Go and reply to him. As a former Prime Minister, some matters will be dealt with impartially and there is no possibility of favoritism. Let him wait with peace of mind and don't have to be active and cause criticism."
"yes"
The butler responded, then turned and left.
Outside the door of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Butler Liu sighed helplessly. The prince asked him to come over specially to express his attitude, but as a result, he was "invited" out without even meeting him. What should he do?
When he was worried, he suddenly saw a familiar figure walking over not far ahead. His expression condensed, he knew that person very well, who was it if he wasn't from Prince Jian's palace?
Butler Liu frowned. Didn't this person come here once yesterday? Somehow, he felt something was wrong there. He didn't stay any longer and turned back towards his palace as quickly as possible.
…
"Meet the Queen Mother."
"All the nobles, please rise."
In Baoci Palace, the Empress Dowager Xiang summoned all the important ministers from the East and West mansions, obviously to discuss important matters. As for what it was, everyone knew it.
"The official family died suddenly, and the whole country was sad. However, the country cannot be without a king for a day, otherwise there will be great chaos." At this point, he paused for a moment towards the Queen Mother, glanced at the ministers, and then said,
"Who will be the new king? Even a woman in the Ai family couldn't make up her mind, so she hurriedly summoned everyone."
The ministers and ministers standing below at this moment are all the highest holders of power in the Song Dynasty. Their words and deeds determine the fate of the world.
"To report to the Queen Mother, I believe that one should choose between the Ninth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince." Zhang Dun spoke first and expressed his opinion.
"In terms of eldest son and younger, it should be King Shen, who is the eldest brother of the emperor in the official family, or King Jian, who is the younger brother of the official family, which is in line with etiquette."
The hall suddenly became quiet, and everyone looked at Zhang Dun strangely, with different expressions. It was unclear whether they were admiring or mocking.
"Isn't it too hasty to say what Mr. Zhang said? King Duan, King Shen and King Mu are all brothers of the official family, so why are they excluded directly? Isn't this unfair?"
"How can King Duan be the king of the world because he is frivolous? Besides, King Xin Mu is neither the eldest brother nor talented, so there is no need to consider it."
"Prince Duan is a talented and suave gentleman, how can he be said to be frivolous?"
"you……"
"Okay, we are all ministers of the dynasty. How can we be so arrogant and quarrel like this?"
But at this moment, Queen Mother Xiang suddenly spoke, interrupting the argument between the two. She looked at the other person, Zeng Bu, the Privy Councilor. She nodded slightly to him, and then said quietly,
"The Ai family has no children, so there is no distinction between legitimate concubines and concubines. The princes are all concubines, and according to etiquette and law, they are all qualified to inherit the throne."
"What the Queen Mother said is true. The theory of the etiquette of Prime Minister Zhang is indeed a bit biased. I heard that yesterday, all the princes gave generous gifts to the Prime Minister's house. Could it be that the gifts given by others were too thin, which caused Prime Minister Zhang to favor one over the other?"
"Zeng Bu, how dare you slander the truth!"
Zhang Dun looked ugly and stared at the opponent.
"Mr. Zhang, please be careful. I am only telling the truth. If you have offended me, please forgive me." Zeng Bu cupped his hands, but there was no intention of apologizing in his expression.
"The princes are not perfect, and they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. As the king governs from the ground up, even if there are some shortcomings, it does not hurt. We and other courtiers will help to check and correct the flaws and omissions."
"sophistry."
Zhang Dun's expression was gloomy, and he couldn't understand the hidden meaning in the other party's words. He was just whitewashing it for King Duan. However, Zhao Ji was not only inappropriate, but also had various characteristics that were taboo for a king.
"We all have our own opinions. It's not an option to continue arguing like this. We might as well listen to the Queen Mother's opinion. So, as long as everyone has no objections, how about we make a decision based on this?"
At this time, a figure suddenly walked out, it was Cai Bian, Zuocheng, the Minister of Finance. He had a high position and was naturally quite influential. After his words fell, everyone was silent, obviously recognizing his suggestion.
Zhang Dun hesitated to speak. For some reason, he always had a bad premonition. However, seeing that everyone was speechless, he did not want to offend the crowd.
"I originally let you decide, but in the end, I decided to pass this embarrassing matter off to the Ai family." Empress Dowager Xiang seemed a little helpless, thought for a while, and continued,
"A woman from the Ai family doesn't have much insight. However, when the late emperor Shenzong was in power, he once said that King Duan would have a long life, benevolent and filial. Therefore, the Ai family feels that he should be established as the king. What do you think of the noble family?"
"The Queen Mother..." Upon hearing the Queen Mother Xiang's words, Zhang Dun's expression suddenly changed slightly. He was about to refute, but was instantly interrupted by Zeng Bu.
"Since the late emperor said it, it is the holy will. King Duan is blessed with longevity, benevolence, filial piety, and also has great talents. If he becomes the emperor, he will become a sage and wise king. I second my opinion."
"The late Emperor's farsightedness and sagacity are certainly beyond the reach of us. So, I second my opinion." Cai Bian also bowed and agreed.
"I also second the proposal."
"..."
In the blink of an eye, the situation suddenly changed. Several officials on the scene seemed to have already discussed it, and they all agreed. Zhang Dun's expression suddenly changed.
Wouldn't this mean that he was completely isolated? He wanted to refute, but when he saw the vaguely smiling eyes of everyone, his heart suddenly froze and he lost the courage to speak.
Seeing this scene, Queen Mother Xiang seemed to finally heave a sigh of relief, showing a rare smile and saying:
"Since the ministers have no objections, let's make a decision. Without further ado, Mr. Zhang, I will leave this matter to you. The other ministers will assist you, and there must be no mistakes that cause turmoil."
"Old minister, I obey the order." At this point, Zhang Dun knew that his opposition was hopeless, so he couldn't help but sigh secretly and bowed in response.
…
Emperors change, fortune changes, and the slightest change will cause shock in the world.
Huainan, Maoshan.
At this time, the old Taoist who was sitting cross-legged and meditating on the top of the mountain suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards the west. He saw golden energy surging at the end of the sky, and there were frequent visions, and he couldn't help but frown.
After a long time, I didn't know what I was thinking of, but I suddenly sighed and said:
"The days have changed, but we are still on our original destiny. I don't know whether this choice is right or wrong?"
Just at this moment, a silhouette suddenly appeared, like a misty breeze, changing erratically, and in less than a moment it had leapt to the top of the mountain.
"Senior Brother Liu, you are fine."
The visitor is also a Taoist, but he is slightly younger and has an extraordinary temperament.
"It turns out that I am the junior brother in charge, but I am so polite." Liu Daoren nodded and asked,
"Junior brother, are you here for the matter of changing the throne?"
"That's right." The leader nodded,
"When the new emperor ascends the throne, Maoshan has to express something. What's more, the disaster is about to happen, and that matter should be dealt with. This matter is of great importance, and I must go there personally."
Upon hearing this, Liu Daoren's expression became solemn, he paused, and then replied:
"That's alright, let's wait for Pindao to tidy up a little, and then we'll set off today."
"There's one more thing." The leader suddenly said again,
"Senior brother, when you go to Bianjing, you need to pay attention to one person."
"Are you talking about Fei Yunzi?"
"It turns out that senior brother has known about it for a long time, but he is too worried." The leader nodded immediately and continued,
"A month ago, Taoist friend Shi sent a letter to someone. He specifically mentioned Fei Yunzi, calling him the person with the highest level of cultivation in the world today. Even his master Ziyang Zhenren could not match him."
"Fellow Taoist Cuixuan has always acted cautiously. Since he has made this judgment, he will definitely not be wrong." Taoist Liu frowned and continued,
"In this case, we must meet this person, otherwise there will be twists and turns in the matter."
…
Although the discussions in the palace were secretive, it was impossible to keep them secret. Within a few hours, the news of the appointment of King Duan as king swept through the entire Bianjing city like a cold winter wind.
However, what happened next surprised all the forces inside and outside the government. The throne was so tempting. I thought there would be a fight between dragons and tigers, but unexpectedly, things went smoothly without causing any disturbance.
Time passed slowly under this extremely strange situation, and several days passed in the blink of an eye.
Chu Mansion.
At this time, Chu Feng was sitting in a stone pavilion somewhere in the back garden, drinking tea and observing the direction of the imperial city, thinking in silence. Xiao Cui stood quietly not far away, looking at his young master in a daze.
.
"Master, I'm back."
Suddenly, a ray of purple light flew from the sky, and instantly fell to his shoulder. Who could it be if it wasn't Xiao Zi? Before Chu Feng could respond, Xiao Cui on the side had already shined, staring at him.
Keep looking at it.
"You go down first."
"My maid, please leave."
Xiaocui was a little reluctant to leave, but she also knew that the young master must have something important to do, so she left obediently.
"How's it going? Have you gained anything?" Seeing Xiaocui walking away, Chu Feng asked.
"Of course, I have found all their lairs." Xiao Zi patted her chest, feeling very proud. After a pause, she continued,
"My master doesn't know that there are not only four big insect monks, but seven. There are also seven mayfly temples guarding them, and they are all located in different places."
"Seven seats!"
Chu Feng couldn't help but be a little surprised. The four monks who went to the north to activate the dragon veins a few days ago had returned. He immediately sent Xiao Zi to find the lair of the remaining monks, but he did not expect such a surprise.
"Yes, they are all big bugs like Centipede Monk." Xiao Zi explained impatiently, looking like she wanted to take credit, as if she had thought of something, and suddenly said,
"By the way, I left Zihuo to monitor all the locations of the Mayfly Temple. Master, do you want to see them?"
"Oh, Xiao Zi is so amazing, she can think so thoughtfully." Chu Feng complimented him at the right time, which immediately made the other party smile, and replied shyly,
"It's okay, Master, please take a look."
As he spoke, he waved his little hand lightly, and five purple light groups shot out in an instant, turning into purple light curtains, suspended in mid-air.
Chu Feng couldn't help but his eyes lit up. Xiao Zi also had this unique ability to actually show the entire panoramic view of the five Mayfly Temples in real time, which was no different from a live broadcast.
Although the locations of the five mayfly temples are different, the overall scene is similar. They are all old and dilapidated temples. Except for a demon monk guarding the temple, there is no one else.
"So, there is the same locking dragon well underground there?"
"Yes, it's the same as the previous two places." Xiao Zi nodded firmly.
Chu Feng remained silent, thinking carefully in his mind. Suddenly, his palm slowly floated, and a similar illusory light curtain emerged, which was the detailed map of Song, Liao, Xixia and other countries.
"Point out the locations of these temples."
"Ah..." Xiao Zi was startled for a moment, as if she hadn't considered this before, and unconsciously grabbed her hair to remember. After a long time, she finally replied,
"It seems like here, here...and here."
As Xiao Zi pointed, a little bit of light gradually lit up on the map, adding to the original two locations, there were seven locations in total.
"Huining Prefecture, Yanjing, Taiyuan, Bianjing, Hangzhou, Tanzhou, Sichuan and Shu in the north."
"Huh!"
Suddenly, Chu Feng seemed to have discovered something, and couldn't help but make a sound of surprise.
"What did the master see?" Xiao Zi asked curiously.
Chu Feng did not answer, but raised his hand and made a stroke. In an instant, a ray of light connected all the locations of the Mayfly Temple, forming a strange shape.
"Take a look, what does this look like?"
"It looks like... it looks like a spoon." Xiao Zi suddenly realized,
"It's the Big Dipper!"
"Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, Yaoguang, Gathering of Seven Stars, and the Suolongjing underground in each of the Mayfly Temples. Is this a coincidence or a deliberate decision?"
Chu Feng seemed to be staring at the light curtain and thinking for a long time.