Wealth and glory seek stability

"Go up!"

The chief eunuch in front of Guangming Gate gave a clear shout and all the ministers entered.

At the grand court meetings, Jian Xi has been standing in the first row for decades.

He listened to the advice of all officials and remained as calm as a mountain.

"Your Majesty, I want to report Prime Minister Jian Xi for taking human lives lightly and harming the people."

Zhang Cen'er was surprised, "Lord Lu, be careful with your words."

Lu Ling took out the memorial he had prepared long ago and presented it to the emperor, then said, "Your Majesty, Jian Xi abused his power as the prime minister and beat to death Ruan Liuyu, a young master of the Ruan clan, in public. He deserves death."

Zhang Cen'er closed the memorial and looked at Jian Xi, "Mr. Jian, is this true?"

Jian Xi nodded and looked at Lu Ling, who was dressed in a green robe, with a gloomy look in her eyes. "Lord Lu said that the beast humiliated a woman in the street. I couldn't bear to see it, so I hit him too hard. It's good that the beast died, otherwise I would have sent him to the authorities for prosecution."

To put it simply, humiliating in the street was an understatement. Jane Xi's blood boiled whenever she thought of the scene that day.

Ruan Liuyu allowed his servants to pin a woman to the ground, strip her clothes off, and even took turns doing beastly things to her. Jian Xi's carriage happened to pass by, but the people around seemed to be used to it.

He immediately got off the carriage, picked up the knife and directly destroyed Ruan Liuyu's vitals, then threw his cloak to the humiliated woman.

"Then Prime Minister, you know that the woman is a slave girl, the lowest slave in the imperial capital. Ruan Liuyu is a son of an aristocratic family. What you are doing is a contempt for the laws of our dynasty." Lu Ling said in a loud voice.

Jian Xi sneered and said, "I only saw that the girl was a living person, no different from me or any other woman in this world. Ruan Liuyu is violent and licentious, he deserves to die."

"How dare you! As the prime minister, you actually disregarded the Xuanwu law. That woman was clearly a slave of my Ruan family. It's okay even if you slaughtered her in the street. The prime minister is too lenient. You killed innocent people for no reason. Your Majesty, please help my Ruan family."

Ruan Juyi knelt on the ground, his voice was so shrill and touching that those who didn't know him would have thought he was a loyal minister who dared to speak out and give advice.

However, Jian Xi understood that since Ruan Zhiyin retired, Ruan Juyi was the most promising descendant of the Ruan family.

The remaining power of the Ruan family cannot be underestimated.

Not long after.

Then several more ministers came forward to impeach Jian Xi.

"Your Majesty, if the Prime Minister holds his position but does not speak his mind, it is really hard for me and my subjects to be convinced."

"The Prime Minister is a beast for destroying innocent people. I beg Your Majesty to punish him according to the law."

"I second the motion. According to Xuanwu law, officials who oppress and kill innocent people should be stripped of their positions and exiled."

"Lord Ruan, please be careful with your words. Even if the master can decide the life and death of the slave, the laws of our dynasty do not say that slaves can be tortured and killed in the streets. Doesn't Ruan Liuyu's actions violate the laws of our dynasty? The Prime Minister is just acting on behalf of heaven."

"Qi Si, as a female official in charge of ceremonies, are you allowed to make irresponsible comments on such matters?"

"Humph, Lord Ruan, as a Langguan of the Ministry of Revenue, can even accuse a prime minister of a country. There is nothing that I cannot say."

"Your Majesty, please judge."

"Your Majesty, please judge."

Most of the officials from the Ruan family knelt on the ground, including some people from the Qi family. Only a very small number of people who could not stand Ruan Liuyu's behavior stood up to support Jian Xi, but the voices of opposition were quickly drowned out.

Jian Xi knew she had fallen into a trap.

This was a trap set up specifically for her.

Because Zhang Cen'er has been consolidating power in recent years, Jian Xi has offended many people.

These people seized the opportunity and wanted to rush over and eat her up.

Zhang Cen'er saw that most of the people in the hall had knelt down, and he felt disappointed. "Since the Prime Minister's words and deeds were inappropriate in this matter, Jian Qing will be confined to the mansion for the time being. I will send someone to investigate the whole matter before making a decision."

"Your Majesty is wise."

The grand court meeting was over.

When Jian Xi walked out of the Gate of Light, Yinzhu, the personal maid beside Zhang Cen'er, called her.

"Sir, the Empress invites you to the study to talk."

Jian Xi nodded.

Inner study.

Zhang Cen'er had a stern face and picked up the top-quality inkstone on the table and threw it towards Jian Xi.

Jian Xi stood still, the inkstone hit her forehead, and red blood flowed down her fair face, past the corners of her eyes which already had some fine lines, until it disappeared into her vermilion robe.

The robe was soaked in blood, but it looked like it was wet with water.

Zhang Cen'er remained silent, avoiding Jian Xi's still upright gaze, and said with a pleading tone, "Xi'er, you clearly knew that this might be a trap, so why did you rush into it? This time you gave the Ruan family a handle. Ruan Juyi didn't want me to punish you for this, he just wanted some benefits."

Jian Xi straightened her back, and spoke in a clear and resolute voice, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten your original ambition when you ascended to the throne? Those people just want to see us defeated, but I won't. If I indulge them once, they will definitely do something excessive next time, and the only ones who will suffer are the innocent people."

Zhang Cen'er picked up a thick stack of memorials and threw them on the ground. "Look, these are all impeachments against you. Can't you just bear it? You have to be so brave that people will use you to criticize you."

Jian Xi bent down and picked up the memorial on the ground. She read the words between the lines, which devalued her as worthless and described her as the most treacherous prime minister ever and tyrannical.

"........"

The writing is free and easy, and there is not even a single repeated sentence.

Asked lightly:

"Your Majesty also thinks that the life of that slave girl is as insignificant as an ant, right?"

Zhang Cen'er paused.

Jian Xi bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

Zhang Cen'er exchanged the mining rights of a salt mine for the Ruan family's forgiveness of Jian Xi.

Jian Xi became increasingly silent in the court. Her righteous words and uprightness seemed to have disappeared into thin air, but her actions became increasingly quick, accurate and ruthless.

Whenever anyone from the Ruan family falls into her hands, Jian Xi will bite them like a tiger out of the mountains.

After years of court struggles, Jian Xi gradually became a unique faction.

She promoted children from poor families and talented female officials. These people accomplished a lot of practical things. Zhang Cen'er was very happy and started a trend of producing talented children from poor families.

The power of the aristocratic families was dispersed a lot, and the ministers couldn't stand Jian Xi, but although she was ruthless, she was trusted by Zhang Cen'er. No matter how she impeached, Zhang Cen'er just let it go gently.

It was not until the prince married Gao Qingxi and Zhang Cen'er brought his eldest daughter Zhang Nian to teach him personally that everyone knew that Zhang Cen'er and Jian Xi were a family.

The intention to deal with Jian Xi gradually faded.

At the age of fifty, Jian Xi proposed to retire.

Zhang Cen'er rejected it.

"Sister, are you really willing to leave everything you have worked so hard for?" Ling Bao, dressed in a blue-gray Taoist robe and a simple Taoist bun, knelt opposite Jian Xi.

Jian Xi's skinny fingers picked up the warm wine on the small stove on the table and poured a cup. The unique sweet aroma of imperial wine filled the whole room.

He picked up a cup and placed it in front of Lingbao. Lingbao raised his hand to stop him, "I don't drink."

Jian Xi chuckled, her voice carrying some of the vicissitudes of time, "I forgot that you are a monk."

I seem to remember that there was a monk who ate both meat and vegetables.

"There is nothing I cannot give up. I have done what I should do. Everything is in vain. Nian'er has been born, and my power and assets have been handed over to Qingxi. Now everyone is looking forward to the death of an old woman like me."

Lingbao didn't know what to say. She was nearly forty years old, but her eyes were bright and lively, with an indescribable sense of transcendence.

"In order to avoid suspicion, my sister has rarely interacted with me over the years. If I just mentioned retirement to His Majesty, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. If I want to escape, it would be better to wait a few years."

Jian Xi picked up the wine glass, put it under her nose and sniffed it, feeling a sudden sense of satisfaction.

She didn't know when she started to love the feeling of drinking, that feeling of having her head and eyes smoky, as if she had entered another world, as if the hustle and bustle of the world could no longer be noticed.

Taking a sip, the unique crispness of the imperial wine spread from the tip of his tongue, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily, "I'll just listen to Master Lingbao in everything."

Fifty-eight years old.

Jian Xi died peacefully in her own yard.

Zhang Cen'er was extremely sad. She had doubts in her heart and sent numerous witch doctors to check but none of them could find anything.

Had to give up.

The emperor ordered that Jian Xi be buried in the imperial mausoleum.

The court and the public were shocked, and the ministers jointly submitted a petition of opposition.

When Jian Xi was alive, she was a heavy burden on them. Now that she died, she still wanted their descendants to worship her. It was ridiculous.

After Zhang Cen'er killed a few leaders, no one dared to offend him anymore.

At this time, Zhang Cen'er was in power and no one could shake her authority.

Until Jian Xi was buried.

Seven days later.

Zhang Cen'er sent the royal secret guards to investigate, but they found no signs that the tomb had been tampered with. Only then did he believe that Jian Xi was really dead.

Outside the imperial capital, the official road.

A donkey cart was driving slowly.

A couple, one adult and one child, were chattering in the front, driving the cart.

"Mom, where are we going?"

"We are going to travel to various countries. They are all fun places. Is Chuan'er happy?"

"Happy, will grandma go with us?"

"Yes, but we are going with grandma, not grandma following us."

"Oh."

"Chu Han, let Chuan'er come into the carriage. It's freezing outside, be careful not to get frozen." An elderly voice sounded, with deep concern.

Chu Han touched Chu Chuan's face which was a little red due to excitement, and said with a smile: "He is not cold, this boy is very tough."

Chu Chuan bared his teeth and said to the inside of the carriage in a baby voice: "Grandma, Chuan'er is not cold. Mom said that grandma is not in good health. Grandma should take good care of herself in the carriage alone."

The narrow donkey cart was covered with a thick white tiger skin blanket. An old lady with half gray hair was wearing an ordinary coarse linen robe. Her hair was neatly tied behind her head. The black fox cloak covering her body made her figure look even thinner.