The beauty of the Hou family and the king's plan

Mei's ancestors were a family of scholars and poets, and they were good at literature rather than martial arts. If he had not really had no other choice, he would not have thought of using the power of other families.

After all, if more people know about the plan, it will eventually be leaked, and only the dead can keep secrets.

"Don't worry, Grandfather. The people sent by my grandfather are all experts and will not hold us back."

Mei Hanlin lowered his tired eyes, and Mei Ruolan also returned to the yard.

Two months passed in a flash, and the palace examination had already ended. Xiao Yuanhuai personally selected Shen Jiezhang as the top scholar of the first year of Duanyuan in front of the palace, and let him serve in the Hanlin Academy.

Xiao Yuanhuai did not select any of the candidates who had supported the draft at the instigation of Mei Hanlin or who had secretly insulted and attacked Shen Baozhao.

Gradually, those candidates came to their senses and realized that they were being used and even ruined their own future.

In the court, after Xiao Yuanhuai forcefully suppressed several officials who were jumping for joy, the protests gradually subsided.

The matter of the selection of concubines was as if it had never been mentioned. At least, no one dared to oppose the emperor and empress openly.

It was in such a peaceful situation that a plague spread in Kyoto.

By the time Jingzhao Yin discovered and reported the situation, people in Kyoto had fallen ill one after another, and all the hospitals were overcrowded.

Hall of Supreme Harmony, early morning court session.

Xiao Yuanhuai angrily threw all the memorials away. Look what was written on them!

"The disaster that befell us was caused by the evil queen. She is incompetent and wicked, jealous and cruel, and intends to destroy the foundation of our Dali.

I beg Your Majesty to severely punish the Queen and banish her to the cold palace, in order to respect the Heaven and protect the people!"

His Zhao Zhao was still working hard to bear his child. These people who had nothing to do every day and pushed the blame onto others when something went wrong actually dared to slander her like this!

What’s even more hateful is that the person who submitted the memorial has already committed suicide in front of the palace, and he can’t even find anyone to vent his anger on!

But once this matter started, it was like a dam opening to release water, gushing out, with an attitude that would not stop until thousands of acres of fertile farmland were flooded.

Even when Xiao Yuanhuai returned to the Qinzheng Palace, he was still frowning.

This plague came strangely, and when it was discovered, it had already spread to many places. Now everyone in Kyoto is in danger, and the wealthy families have closed their doors for fear of being infected by the plague.

There were more and more corpses in the mass graves outside the city. The charity cemetery did not dare to accept the bodies of the people. Once a death was discovered, the Five Cities Army would command the whole place to be burned clean.

As a result, the people complained bitterly. If this continued, everyone would die before a cure was developed.

What made Xiao Yuanhuai even more worried was that if the situation continued like this, Zhao Zhao might really be put to death.

Inside Kunning Palace.

Ever since Mrs. Mei revealed the news of the beauty pageant last time, causing Shen Baozhao to have a miscarriage, she has become particularly sensitive to matters of the previous dynasty, and naturally sent people to keep an eye on her all the time.

It's not about interfering in the government, but about making sure I'm no longer passive.

After slaying the demon, she also heard about praying for the people.

However, she was not too worried about her own situation. Instead, she was more worried about the thousands of people infected with the plague outside the imperial city.

"Bixiao, bring the freshly cooked chicken soup and follow me to the Qinzheng Palace." Shen Baozhao ordered.

She took good care of herself, and the six-month-old fetus was in good condition. Except for her belly which was slowly getting bigger and her waist which was a little plump, her limbs were still as slender as before.

Her whole body was dazzlingly white, just like mellow milk, and when Xiao Yuanhuai saw her, he couldn't help but want to tear her apart and eat her stomach.

But today, when her chicken soup was served on the table in the Qinzheng Hall, Xiao Yuanhuai slowly reacted.

He forced an ugly smile on his stern face, trying to hide his emotions.

Shen Baozhao stepped forward and stroked his brow with his hand.

"Your frown is so tight that it can kill a mosquito, yet you still force yourself to smile when you see me. Aren't you tired?"

Xiao Yuanhuai pulled her hand, held her on his lap, and stroked her bulging belly with his big palm, as if only this could make him feel at ease.

"Ahuai, I want to help you." Shen Baozhao looked at his slightly growing stubble with heartache.

She knew how much he wanted to govern Dali well and wanted to show the late emperor that he could make his kingdom prosperous and live up to his trust.

But Xiao Yuanhuai rejected her request mercilessly, "No! Don't worry about this matter, I will take care of it."

He couldn't put her in danger, and seeing her lower her eyes and stare at the memorial on the table, he turned the memorial upside down with a "pop".

"Don't look." He didn't want her to see how cruel his subjects were.

The words used to insult her were so vicious; every word was like a knife, nailing her to the pillar of shame, making her unable to move.

It’s a pity that Shen Baozhao has already finished reading it.

She found it a little funny to see him trying to cover up his mistake.

Then, regardless of his objection, he picked up the letter, opened it, pointed at the words on it, and advised Xiao Yuanhuai: "Ah Huai.

I think this is a good proposal.”

Xiao Yuanhuai took a look and thought, what good is that! Let the queen go to the Fahua Temple to pray for the people and to apologize to the Bodhisattva!

Did they know that the Queen was pregnant and about to give birth to his first child?

Just a few words makes the queen worry and go out of the palace to kneel and pray for blessings?

If she really agreed, wouldn't it be confirmed that the plague was caused by the Queen?

"I don't agree! Fahua Temple is built on the mountainside, and carriages can't reach it. To go up there, you have to take a sedan chair."

Xiao Yuanhuai looked at Shen Bao's belly with a worried look: "How can I feel at ease when you are like this?"

"Besides, it's still unclear whether this plague is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster. Even if it's a natural disaster, it's God's dissatisfaction with me. What does it have to do with you?

"They are a bunch of parasites who only know how to pick on the weak. Do you think they can become famous by just jumping out and scolding them?"

Two months ago, when spring arrived, a dike broke in the south, flooding some people's fields and causing a lot of diseases.

It was only because the disease was dealt with promptly that it was prevented from spreading.

Envoy Zeng has already left the palace to investigate, and found that the pulse diagnosis of the people in Kyoto is exactly the same as that of the people in the south.

The south is thousands of miles away from Kyoto. Could it be that the plague had legs and traveled thousands of miles to Kyoto before breaking out?

There is definitely someone who wants to cause trouble. If he is caught, he will be cut into pieces!

When Shen Baozhao saw the furious Xiao Yuanhuai, he found him somewhat cute.

This person was so angry because of her.

He consoled her, "Ah Huai, do you think I'm such a pedantic person? Would you put yourself and your child in danger for a false charge?

And who said I was going to Fahua Temple? Now that I'm pregnant, who knows if the person who proposed the draft will have other plans. If my whereabouts are exposed, I might get killed.

Therefore, you cannot go to Fahua Temple, and there is no need to go there either."