Chapter six hundred and ninth, the court and the wild are boiling
"Mother, the officials are here."
In Yuanfu Palace, Mrs. Liu was having a meal when she suddenly saw the palace maid hurried in to report.
"What, why did he come here?"
Mrs. Liu was startled for a moment. Since Zhao Ji ascended the throne, although he had honored herself as Queen Yuanfu, it was just a memorial arch, and it was definitely not a true sign of respect. Otherwise, how could that bitch Meng be enthroned in the same way?
According to common sense, except for holidays and banquets held in the palace, it is impossible for him to interact with the other party at other times, let alone come to visit him in person.
But, why did the other party suddenly appear today?
Although Mrs. Liu was jealous, she was not stupid, so she had no choice but to make random guesses. After all, as a woman in the harem and the widow of the late emperor, she had to be more cautious in her actions.
"Your Majesty has arrived..."
While he was thinking about it, the other party had already walked in. Mrs. Liu did not dare to neglect and quickly stood up to salute.
"My concubine Liu is here to see your Majesty."
"Sister-in-law, there is no need to be polite, just stand up." Zhao Ji glanced at the other party, then waved his hand to signal the other party to get up. His eyes seemed to accidentally glance at the table next to him, and then said,
"I came in a hurry, but did I disturb the emperor's sister-in-law from her meal?"
"No, I just finished using it and am planning to ask the servants to evacuate it."
"Yeah?"
Zhao Ji nodded, found the main seat and sat down, but secretly thought in his heart, this Liu family's words and deeds were all decent, and there was no trace of arrogance and domineering at all. Why was he so obsessed with Meng's matter?
in the end?
After a pause, he continued,
"The emperor's brother died young, and the whole country is sad. Recently, I often think of the days when I got along with the emperor's brother in the past, and I am also very sad. Therefore, taking advantage of my free time today, I came to ask the emperor's sister-in-law how she was doing in life.
Is there anything wrong with it?"
"Your Majesty, please take care of me. I hope everything is well with you."
Mrs. Liu replied slowly, but she had doubts in her heart. The late emperor passed away? The biggest beneficiary is you? Are you afraid that it is too late to be happy? Are you still sad? This is obviously a perfunctory statement.
But the other party mentioned this rashly? Could it be that he had other intentions?
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking? The other party then changed the topic,
"Since the emperor's sister-in-law has nothing to worry about? Then why do she make trouble and do stupid things?"
"Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?" Hearing such a question? Mrs. Liu suddenly couldn't sit still and stood up and asked.
"Since the death of the late emperor, I have been grieving in body and mind. I only burn incense and worship Buddha in the palace every day, praying for the late emperor. I have never done anything beyond my reach. Why do I need to provoke these slanders for nothing?"
"Slander?" Zhao Ji snorted coldly. He didn't argue with the other party and looked at Zhang Yan in the distance.
"Show the things to the emperor's sister-in-law."
"The little one obeys the decree."
Zhang Yan walked closer in a few steps, then took out all the letters and handed them to Liu with both hands.
"This...this is..."
As soon as she saw those letters, Ms. Liu immediately understood what she was talking about and was so frightened that her face turned pale.
It was taboo to communicate with foreign ministers in private, not to mention her sensitive status. She thought she was careful enough and kept all her letters in an extremely private place, but she didn't expect that she would still be sent to the emperor.
Found.
She could no longer maintain her previous self-confidence, and she suddenly fell to the ground with a thud, her face extremely pale. At this time, she knew that she could not escape the blame, and she did not know how to defend herself. She was speechless for a long time.
"Empress, what's wrong with you?"
But at this moment, a clear child's voice suddenly came from outside the door, breaking the solemn atmosphere in the room. Zhao Ji was startled for a moment, turned around and saw a little girl running away under the care of the palace maid.
Come in.
"Kang Yi?" Zhao Ji immediately realized that this was the third princess born to the emperor's brother Zhe Zong and the Liu family. She was still young at the moment, only five years old.
"My dear, it's so cold on the ground, why did you sit down? Usually when Kang Yi wants to sit down, you don't let him?"
"It's okay, Mom's legs are just weak and she accidentally fell."
Seeing her daughter's concerned expression, Mrs. Liu immediately hugged her into her arms. Her eye circles were uncontrollably red. If something really happened to her, what should Kang Yi do?
"Empress, who is he?" Princess Kang Yi naturally did not know the worries in her mother's heart. Instead, she stared curiously at the 'stranger' on the throne and asked in a sweet voice.
"He...he is your Majesty, your imperial uncle."
Hearing her daughter's inquiry, Ms. Liu couldn't help but feel a shiver in her heart. This official's temperament has changed drastically since he came to the throne, and he has become more and more unpredictable. But he must not offend his daughter because of this.
"Kang Yi is good, say hello to the emperor's uncle."
"Uncle Emperor, what is that?"
Obviously, Xiao Kangyi had no idea about the emperor. As for his uncle, he rarely met him since he was a child. He was a complete stranger, so naturally he didn't understand him either.
However, Mrs. Liu became more and more uneasy, fearing that Zhao Ji would be furious.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Kang Yi is still young and ignorant, so he was rude. I hope your Majesty can forgive me."
"I'm not going to argue with a child." Zhao Ji glanced at the other person, then changed his expression to a smile, waved to Kang Yi and said,
"Be good, come to uncle."
"Go." Seeing her daughter's hesitant look, Mrs. Liu suddenly felt anxious and urged.
"oh."
Seeing that his mother agreed, Kang Yi immediately responded obediently and walked forward with small steps. Zhao Ji seemed to be very happy, picked him up and asked:
"Tell uncle, are you happy every day in the palace? Is anyone bullying you?"
"No one bullies me." Kang Yi shook his little head vigorously and continued,
"I haven't seen my father for a long time. Kang Yi misses him so much."
"Your father?" Zhao Ji suddenly paused and asked,
"Then do you know why he didn't come to see you?"
"The empress said that my father is seriously ill and needs to go far away for treatment. He will not be able to come back until he is cured." At this point, Kang Yi suddenly took out a ball of colorful weeds from his pocket.
Hand it to the front door,
"Uncle, can you send this to my father? Sister Yuyan said that this is a herbal medicine that can cure diseases."
"Did you pick these?" Zhao Ji took the ball of 'herbal medicine' and asked.
"Yes, my father's illness is not good at all. Kang Yi misses him in his heart, so he goes to collect medicine every day. In this way, his father can come back sooner."
"..."
Hearing this, Zhao Ji suddenly fell silent and was speechless for a long time. On the floor, Ms. Liu couldn't hold back anymore and sobbed.
When Emperor Zhezong was on the throne, he doted on the Liu family to the extreme. He gradually advanced from a royal attendant to Jieyu, and then he did not hesitate to abolish the Meng family and help her become the queen.
This shows how deep the relationship between the two is. Hearing Kang Yi's childlike words at this time will inevitably bring back those beautiful memories of the past.
Of course, Mrs. Liu was not a kind woman. With Zhe Zong's favor, she became more and more arrogant and domineering, and her heart was even more vicious. Meng's dethronement was also planned by her in collusion with foreign ministers.
"Empress" Xiao Kangyi couldn't sit still when he saw his mother's tearful eyes. He struggled to get out of Zhao Ji's arms and ran back.
"My queen, if you don't cry, Kang Yi will stay with you."
"Okay, okay, mother, don't cry..."
Mrs. Liu suppressed the sadness in her heart and held her daughter tightly in her arms, treating her as her only support.
"I will treat the past as if it never happened and will not pursue it any further. However, nothing can happen again. Once there is a next time, don't blame me for not thinking about family ties." After waiting for a long time, the other party calmed down a little, and Zhao Ji just said
He straightened his expression and said. He had no intention of staying any longer, so he stood up and walked outside. When he came to the door, he suddenly said again,
"I like Kang Yi very much. When she grows up, I will also find a good marriage for her to ensure her prosperity for the rest of her life. I hope the emperor's sister-in-law can take care of herself."
Before he finished speaking, the person had already gradually walked away.
"Mother, why is the Emperor's uncle gone? He hasn't brought my herbs with him?"
"Kang Yi, uncle, the emperor has something urgent to do and has to leave first. Later, my mother will send someone to send those herbs." Mrs. Liu stroked her daughter's pink and jade-carved face and squeezed out a smile. However,
When he saw the maid who was tied up with ropes and looking haggard at the door, her expression suddenly became extremely complicated.
…
next day
Above the imperial dynasty, Zhao Ji directly issued an imperial edict, promoting Zhao Ji, the brother of the Nine Emperors, to the Privy Council as a king and serving as a temporary deputy. In addition, the original official positions of King Wei, King Cai and King Ding remained unchanged, and they were specially given to participate in the affairs of the court.
right.
Suddenly, the entire court exploded, and voices of opposition could not be heard. Whether it was the new party or the old party, they all shared the same hatred and strongly opposed this matter.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji didn't even think of listening to any opinions, and forcibly passed the decree, and then retreated directly from the court. In the hall, only a group of ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.
I had just returned to Yanhe Hall and before I could sit down, a chamberlain came outside to report that Prime Minister Zhang Dun and a group of ministers in power were here to discuss important matters.
"Are you really here?" Zhao Ji smiled and then ordered,
"Let them wait outside for now. I have to review the memorial and I'll talk about it after I'm done."
The chamberlain left, and after a while, he returned again to report that King Chen, King Wei, King Cai, and King Ding came to see him. Zhao Ji also gave the same instructions,
"Didn't I say that I have to review the memorial and don't have time to see them. Let the four princes and ministers wait together."
"According to the decree."
The waiter had doubts in his heart, but he did not dare to hesitate and turned around to leave again. At this time, Zhao Ji just regained his composure and looked at Zhang Yandao,
"Send out all your men in the near future. I want to know at all times what these ruling ministers are thinking and doing. If anything unusual occurs, report it to me at any time."
"The little one obeys the decree."
…
Although it is early spring, the weather is still not very hot, and it is inevitable that the body will not be able to bear standing outside for a long time. The governors in the East and West mansions are all very young, so naturally they are the first to bear it.
On the contrary, the four princes are young people in their twenties, so there is no harm in standing there for a while.
However, the four people at this time were also murmuring. It was okay that the officials didn't summon these ministers, but why didn't they even see them? Could it be that there was something they didn't do well that made the officials angry?
This is no small matter, especially at this time, an imperial edict from the imperial court suddenly pushed the four of them to the forefront. Glory is naturally glory, and the clan finally stood up. However, there are also too many constraints, and if you are not careful,
That is to say, there will be no recovery.
"Brother Ninth, what do you mean by being an official? We have obviously been given the power to participate in political affairs, and Brother Ninth has even entered the Privy Council. Why, suddenly, his attitude has changed again, leaving us and these civil servants
Are all the ministers waiting here?"
"The official family is unpredictable, so doing this naturally has a deeper meaning. As blood brothers of the official family, we can only support them. Why ask so many questions why?" Zhao Bai smiled and replied quite relaxedly.
"Uh..." Zhao Si opened his mouth, not knowing how to refute. However, he didn't want to be so confused, so he had to turn to look at his half-brother. The latter couldn't help but shake his head slightly,
"I don't have the ability of Brother Nine Emperors, so I don't think of much. However, one thing is certain, this decree will not be passed so easily. I guess the officials have other plans."
"The decree has been issued and the position has been sealed. What can I do and will I regret it?"
"That's not certain."
"Ah..." Zhao Si was stunned for a moment. With the power to participate in government affairs, he could also be powerful, but he didn't expect that he was still unsure?
Time passed, and after waiting for nearly an hour, finally, a servant came out of the palace and said loudly:
"Your Majesty has decreed that all officials and the four princes should come to the palace to talk."
"I obey your orders."
Finally, they no longer had to stay in this cold environment, and all the courtiers felt relieved. They moved their still trembling bodies towards the main hall.
"See Your Majesty."
"Let's all be flat."
In Yanhe Hall, Zhao Ji glanced at the dozen figures in front of him, and then said,
"This is not a royal court. If you have any ideas, please tell me."
"Your Majesty, the ancestral system cannot be abolished. If it is abolished, the government will be unstable and the world will be in turmoil."
"The Taizu established the empire, and in view of the lessons of blood and tears in the past dynasties, he established the system that the descendants of the clan are not allowed to participate in military and political affairs. The purpose is not to alienate blood relatives, but to once and for all avoid the possibility of rebellion by the powerful feudal kings in the past dynasties."
"..."
Upon hearing the official's inquiry, several figures immediately stood up and spoke one after another, with impassioned and tearful expressions. Zhao Ji's expression did not change, he just looked at the few people quietly, but the princes could not hold it any longer.
"Zeng, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you are predicting that this king will rebel? This is so heartbreaking." Zhao Si was the first to stand up and rebuke loudly. He was the youngest and had a quick temper, and he was filled with anger.
It's all written on his face.
"Your Majesty, I'm mistaken. What I said was not directed at any of the clan members present. It was purely to prevent possible misunderstandings." Zeng Bu replied, and then said,
"Besides, the ancestral system that prohibits the clan from participating in military and political affairs is a national policy decided by Emperor Taizu after careful consideration. Is it possible that the prince thinks it is wrong? The previous dynasties have taught them many lessons with blood and tears. Isn't each one enough?"
"You..." Zhao Si was rendered speechless by the other party's refutation. Even if he was impulsive, he would not dare to directly admit that Taizu was at fault. That would be a treasonous thing.
"Master Zeng has a sharp tongue." Seeing his brother being taught a lesson, Zhao Yu no longer remained silent and asked,
"Taizu was certainly not wrong, but times have changed and nothing remains unchanged. Even national policies should be adjusted accordingly. How can we stick to dogma?"