[Qing Chuan] Mu Emperor's Grace

"What's the matter with Queen Mother?" Hongli asked anxiously.

Baoyan wiped away her tears and said in a hoarse voice: "Now there is more air out and less air in."

Hongli was stunned in place as if struck by lightning, and He Shen hurriedly supported him, but he broke free.

Hongli quickly ran to the empress dowager's bed. The old man on the bed made a terrible sound in his chest, and he couldn't lie down at all. When she saw her son coming in, she was startled suddenly, and tried her best to resist the urge to cough, but the sound of gasping But it can't fool anyone.

Immediately afterwards, in her blurred eyes, she saw another person following in, and the queen mother stretched out her hand forward with all her might.Hongli wanted to hold it, but found that the Queen Mother's hand was reaching out to Heshen.

"Emperor Niang!" Hongli couldn't help calling out, thinking that the voice could wake up the queen mother, but unexpectedly the queen mother weakly shouted: "Emperor...you go out...he Shen stay..."

When Hongli heard the words, his eyes turned red in an instant. He couldn't understand the queen mother's thoughts at all, and said anxiously: "Emperor mother, what do you want to take? My son will help you... As long as you tell me, my son can give it to you... ..."

But even though Hongli shouted like this, the queen mother seemed to have never heard of it, and just waved at Heshen stubbornly.He Shen had no choice but to go forward, he silently supported Hongli, and said softly, "Your Majesty..."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by the emperor's angry roar: "Get out!" He Shen looked at the furious emperor, opened his mouth, and finally said nothing.

He turned around and was about to go out, but the moment he lifted his foot, he suddenly heard the empress dowager's intermittent hoarse voice: "He... Shen... you stay!"

This cry made He Shen's heart tremble, and when he looked up, the emperor's face was even more ugly. He couldn't imagine what kind of important event it was that made a terminally ill old man drag his dying body, It must also be finished.

He Shen turned around again, caressing Hongli's back and said, "Your Majesty, you just obeyed the Empress Dowager, let me stay..."

This time, the two pairs of eyes looked at Hongli together, and the emperor's eyes flickered, he didn't dare to let go of the expectations in the eyes of the queen mother, and said in a sad voice: "Emperor mother, what do you have to say, you can't confess it in front of your son? "

The empress dowager had no other way to deal with her son's lack of cooperation, she could only forcefully turn her head to the side, not looking at the emperor with a stiff face.

Facing such an empress dowager, Hongli compromised. He glanced at He Shen expressionlessly: "You just stay..." When he walked to the door, he turned around and said, "I will just remember something." Outside, remember to call me if you need anything."

After Hongli left, the Empress Dowager still maintained that posture until He Shen said softly: "Empress Dowager, the Emperor has gone out, if you have anything to say, please tell the servants."

The empress dowager's eyeballs moved, her chapped lips squirmed, but it was already difficult to make a sound. She pointed to the soft pillow on the throne with difficulty.He Shen understood her gestures, moved the soft pillow, and touched the cushion under the soft pillow. As expected, the young man felt a slightly protruding object under the soft pillow.

He Shen lifted the cushion and saw that there was a decree stamped with a phoenix seal inside. He Shen looked at the Queen Mother suspiciously, but the Queen Mother nodded slightly.So He Shen read the imperial decree from the beginning, and finally his hands trembled uncontrollably: "The Empress Dowager... this..."

Seeing that He Shen closed the Yizhi, the Queen Mother is now willing to speak: "He Shen..."

He Shen gritted his teeth and knelt down on the ground, and replied tremblingly: "The slave is here..."

"This... the contents of the imperial decree...you have also seen..." The Empress Dowager still couldn't finish the words in one go, and the words were often accompanied by heart-piercing coughing.

The more He Shen listened, the colder his heart became, but the queen mother didn't give him time to think, and said word by word: "If...in the future...the emperor really...decides to abolish the empress...you must...will..." Speaking Behind, the Empress Dowager became more and more agitated, coughing one after another, which made people tremble with fear.

However, what shocked Heshen the most was the content of the edict: The Empress Dowager's decree, no matter what the empress's misbehavior has done, she should not be held accountable, and the emperor cannot be too harsh on the empress... let alone abolish the empress... "

He Shen read the Yizhi again, and heard the queen mother say: "The Ai family knows...the time is coming...today...the Ai family will keep you...there is one, you must...take this Yizhi is handed over to the emperor."

He Shen held the imperial decree like a hot potato, his heart was sad and desolate, he lowered his head, and whispered: "What if... the slave doesn't agree?"

Looking at it from He Shen's point of view, you can clearly see the stretched veins on the Empress Dowager's neck. Expressions can be deceiving, actions can be deceiving, but only the real physical reaction can't.

The queen mother was in a hurry, but even so, the old man's expression was still calm, and she struggled to pull a smile: "Heshen... this is Yizhi..."

He Shen was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "Empress Dowager...you say the same sentence every time...but you know in your heart that if the slave doesn't give this Yizhi to the emperor, no one will know the existence of Yizhi... ..."

The queen mother blinked when she heard the words, and looked at He Shen with a hint of pleading in her eyes: "He Shen... mourning the family... there is no other way to do this, maybe in the eyes of the emperor... the queen has already existed in name only... if mourning If the family doesn't do that...the position of Yongzhen's son will not be kept...He Shen...you are a courtier...how many people in the court say that all princes are equal, but in their hearts they still think that the sons and concubines are different... You know better than Aijia..." I don't know if the key points were mentioned, but the Empress Dowager's spirit has improved a lot, and her words have become much more fluent.

Seeing that He Shen was silent and did not answer, the Queen Mother took a deep breath.He let out a piercing gasp: "Heshen... Aijia knows your relationship with the emperor... The emperor doesn't love the queen... You are a man again... Which elder brother ascends the throne... It has nothing to do with you... ..."

The more He Shen listened, the colder his heart became, the empress dowager, who was originally kind-hearted in his eyes, suddenly became hideous, he chuckled, and didn't answer the queen mother's words, just asked: "Mother, why me? You can obviously hand it over to the emperor directly, or have the dowry ordered to be forwarded to the emperor, there is no need to force me to stay in front of the emperor, and then pretend to be secret and hand over the decree to me..." He Shen became angry, I even forgot the usual self-proclaimed.

When the Queen Mother heard the words, her breathing speeded up significantly, and she was about to cough. She looked at He Shen with pleading eyes, but He Shen was unmoved.

The queen mother withdrew her gaze desolately, and sighed: "The Ai family knows... In your heart, you all feel that the end of the Ai family is coming, and you don't need to serve the Ai family with all your heart... Ai family thought that He Shen, you are different from others. You serve the Ai family. There is still a bit of sincerity... Now it seems that Aijia really wants to go wrong... What a fool... If you die, it turns out that you are talking about deceiving people... Once Aijia can't give you any benefits... then even I don't want to agree to such a trivial matter..."

He Shen knelt on the ground and listened without saying a word. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have thought that the queen mother is also a good at pretending to be confused, and her acting skills are not inferior to modern old dramas.When the queen mother said this, her voice was still gentle, and even her complaints and accusations were gentle.But this kind of soft knife that kills people without blood, on the contrary, makes He Shen feel more intimidated.

The young man raised his hand and wiped his face. Since the Queen Mother insisted on this, he had no choice but to tear his skin apart: "My Lady, I have always regarded you as a respected elder, and I know how much you love Twelve Elder Brothers, but the Queen Mother Empress, why didn't you answer my question just now? What are you running away from?"

When He Shen asked this sentence, the Empress Dowager followed his eyes closely and moved away without a trace. The old man stared blankly at the closed porthole, as if he hadn't heard He Shen's question at all.

Seeing the empress dowager like this, He Shen laughed in a low voice: "Since the empress dowager is unwilling to say it, this servant will dare to say it for you. The reason why you asked me to receive this decree is neither Ji Xiaolan nor Qian Feng. Any of the ministers here is not a maid like Aunt Baoyu, who is very close to you, because you know that the emperor has more patience and tolerance for me than others, and you also know that the relationship between me and the emperor The secret relationship makes the emperor value me quite a lot, so once I submit this decree to the emperor, the news will spread quickly to the ears of all elder brothers and courtiers like a fire that cannot be wrapped in paper ..."

The Queen Mother still looked out of the window motionlessly, as if she hadn't listened to He Shen's words at all, but in her cloudy eyes, there were still emotional fluctuations that couldn't be hidden.

"For the sake of Elder Brother Twelve, you have really planned everything. On the surface, this decree is your edict. It must not be abolished, and it is also your intention. But after I hand it over, the meaning is completely complete. It's different. Everyone knows that when it comes to the queen, it will inevitably involve the twelfth prince, and when it comes to the twelve prince, it will inevitably involve the matter of establishing a reserve." He Shen paused, trying to sort out the thoughts in his mind Be smoother.

"It's no secret that the twelfth elder brother is fostered in Shoukang Palace. Let me say something disrespectful. If something happens to you, the twelfth elder brother will lose his most important support at present. Although the laws of the Qing Dynasty clearly It is forbidden for ministers and elder brothers to form parties for personal gain, but you know in your heart that all the ministers in the current court, except for a few who really do not stand in line, the rest support different elder brothers. Although the twelve elder brothers are the sons of the eldest son, but because the emperor and the empress have turned against each other , even the twelfth elder brother is not valued by the emperor, how many courtiers support the twelfth elder brother is for your face, you can't be more clear..."

The Empress Dowager's complexion was already very bad, and now she frowned, it was even worse, but her mood was completely confused, and He Shen seemed to have a clairvoyant eye, able to see through the thoughts in her heart one by one.

He Shen didn't give the Queen Mother much time to buffer, he continued: "You are eager to find new help for Elder Brother Twelve, just at this time, you discovered that I can control certain emotions of the Emperor, and at the same time I am living in He has an important position, he is still young, and he has enough time to support the twelfth elder brother and assist him until the day when he ascends the throne. If I submit this decree to the emperor, and the news reaches the ears of the elder brothers, it will naturally be Thinking that I have become the helper of the Twelve Elder Brothers, even the emperor will think that I have become a member of the Twelve Elder Brothers behind his back. In this way, the people who originally intended to win me over Elder brother, he will naturally respect me and stay away from me, and the emperor will also be wary of me. No matter how deep his feelings for me are, he will carefully measure how much sincerity is worth for a favorite minister who is always planning for his successor to the throne. This order of yours not only cut off my way out, but also created a rift between me and the emperor, preventing the emperor from pampering me too much and causing me to be infamous, it is indeed a good intention."

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager suddenly said in a hoarse voice: "Enough...don't...say any more..."

He Shen was in a trance, looking at the Yizhi in his hand, and said with a wry smile: "The reason why you left me in front of the emperor is because you expected that after I go out, the emperor will definitely ask you, what kind of thing... ...Worthwhile the Empress Dowager is still thinking about it when she is dying...even giving up the words to say goodbye to her own son...At that time, the emperor will definitely investigate in many ways.

The queen mother's chest heaved violently, and every word He Shen said felt like a heavy blow to her heart. She slumped on the pillow, her eyes glazed over, as if she had completely lost hope.After a while, he laughed abruptly again. The old and deep laughter made people tremble: "Heshen...what you said...is correct...but what can you do? As long as you stay today, The news will spread like wildfire, and everyone will be suspicious, what exactly did the Ai family say to you...except to show Yizhi...what can you do?"

He Shen raised his head slowly, but was surprised to find that the old man who looked shriveled and thin had tears streaming from the corner of his eyes: "He Shen... Aijia is... there is really no way... The emperor's idea is too righteous... What he believes... almost no one can change... Aijia said early on... I don't want my grandson to rule the world... I just want him to be safe and happy... This is said lightly... but who knows, it's gone The shelter of the Ai family, and the mother's embarrassment... Even if Yongzheng is still an elder brother, how can the situation be better?" Only at this time, the queen mother revealed the woman's fragility and helplessness: "Although the Ai family is Women, but I think I can still judge people... Among the grandchildren of the Ai family, Yongxuan has great aspirations and talents, Yongxuan has a lot of literary talents but lacks vigor, Yongyan is pure and filial, but too indecisive...Among them , only Yongxin's temperament is most like his Ama, the emperor has been sheltered by Ai's family since he was a child... and Yongzhen..."

He Shen closed his eyes and listened, even at this time, the queen mother still tried her best to persuade him, he heard the queen mother say: "He Shen... Aijia knows that with your ability to read people's hearts...you can even think about today's events Through the joints, if assisting Yongzheng is not what you want, how can this decree trap you...With your intelligence and dexterity, the current Yongzheng is not your opponent at all...a man who has no foundation in the palace... Elder brother...what is there to be afraid of?" He Shen was shocked because of the empress dowager's frankness.He spread out the decree again, a row of black and white characters, I don't know how much painstaking effort the Queen Mother has spent.

He Shen knew that what the empress dowager said later was from the heart, just like what the old man said, instead of seeing what happened today as the empress dowager's deception from him, it would be better to see it as a test. To test whether he is really worthy of the future entrusted by the Queen Mother to Yongxin.

Yongzheng...

In He Shen's mind, the face of Elder Brother Twelve flashed across. He was always unsmiling. When he first saw him in front of the main hall, he looked young and reckless, but now he is more calm and capable.He Shen once thought that in Yongzheng's temperament, he was more than decisive and lenient, but it is undeniable that being decisive and capable is also an indispensable trait for becoming a king.

What the Empress Dowager said today, He Shen has to agree with one thing. Among the remaining princes who are likely to ascend the throne in Hongli, Yongzheng is indeed the best one. Perhaps compared with Prince Duanhui, he still has many shortcomings However, now that Hongli is at the peak of integrity, as long as a successor is selected, there is still enough time to train him.

He Shen looked at the old man on the bed, and his eyes collided with the Queen Mother. The longing in those dull eyes made He Shen feel sad.He suppressed the sourness at the tip of his nose, and said softly: "I know...you are telling the truth..."

It is precisely because he knows that every word the queen mother said comes from the heart, which can also be regarded as the old man's last wish, so He Shen feels helpless.The Empress Dowager clearly knew that the Emperor did not have a good impression of Yongzheng. If you look at the Emperor's wishes, Yongzheng is the one with the least possibility of succeeding to the throne among the elder brothers.Hongli has such a tough temper, if He Shen took out this decree, it would be tantamount to forcing Hongli to make a decision.The queen has the protection of Yizhi, who can keep the queen's position, and Yongzheng has the queen's care, and is still the queen's son. Only he, who ran into Hongli's anger head-on, even if the relationship between the two is special, on the issue of right and wrong, the relationship between children and daughters is very important. It has to be put later, not to mention that He Shen has not forgotten that they still have differences between monarchs and ministers. This move is tantamount to hitting a stone with an egg.

The Queen Mother tried to save everyone, but only regarded him as a victim.The queen mother was shocked by the despair and sadness in He Shen's eyes, but she didn't say anything, she just closed her eyes slowly, and muddy tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.

"Heshen... the Ai family will remember... everything you have done today for the ancestor's community...for Yongzheng..." Heshen heard the Queen Mother say: "Actually...you don't have to face a big enemy... ...The Ai family has thought about it a long time ago... With the emperor's affection for you, he will definitely not do anything to you...you are the emperor...the person who has the most in his heart..."

He Shen showed a sarcasm smile, and he replied: "The Empress Dowager, I have never bothered to use feelings as a bargaining chip to blackmail my lover... He Mou accepted this decree today because of your decree, but also because I appreciate Brother Twelve's qualifications..."

The queen mother closed her eyes, not knowing if she was listening, and He Shen waited for a while, knowing that there would be no further reply, so she put away the Yizhi, got up and retreated...

Outside the door, Baoyan stood with a blue face, and when he saw Heshen coming out, he hurriedly looked at him. Seeing that there were still tears on her face, Heshen couldn't feel any pity in his heart.In today's scene, He Shen can imagine how much Baolian contributed to it.Seeing that his face was slightly cold, Baoyan could only look away embarrassingly.

Also waiting outside the door was Hongli who was extremely anxious at the moment, he was pacing back and forth, when he saw He Shen coming out, he hurried up to meet him, holding He Shen's shoulder with great strength: "What's the matter with the Queen Mother? "

He Shen shook his head, watched the emperor's face grow paler, and finally pushed him away violently, and broke into the door.The Empress Dowager leaned on the soft pillow, with her eyes closed, she seemed to be asleep.

He Shen watched from outside the door, suddenly there was an ominous premonition in his heart, but Hongli seemed to be unaware, walked to the side of the bed step by step, and called softly: "Mother Huang Er... Huang Er mother……"

The queen mother was like a clay sculpture, motionless.

In the warm room, Hongli held the Empress Dowager's hand, but the Empress Dowager did not open her eyes because of this move, nor did she hold the Emperor back.

Seeing this, He Shen froze in place, obviously the last moment, the queen mother was still talking to him, but now they are separated forever.

He Shen subconsciously looked at Hongli's reaction, and saw that he was desperately trying to hold the stiff hand, but to no avail, the emperor murmured: "No...impossible...the hand is obviously warm ..."

He Shen really wanted to tell Hongli that the body temperature after death was the same as the temperature in the room. Because the room was warm, the Queen Mother's body temperature did not drop rapidly.

But he opened his mouth, but he didn't say anything in the end. Such words were too rational, so rational that people felt cold-blooded.

Tears fell from Hongli's eyes, the emperor was still persistently struggling with the empress dowager's stiff hands, but he never reached out to feel the empress dowager's breath.

He Shen stepped forward, squatted beside the emperor, and said softly, "Your majesty... the empress dowager was very peaceful when she left. She fell asleep while talking with the servant..."

Seeing that Hongli did not respond, He Shen said again: "The Empress Dowager also told me about the emperor's childhood..." The thoughts in He Shen's mind were spinning rapidly, and Hongli in front of him seemed to have entered another world. No matter what he said or how to do it, he still just sat there blankly, neither eating nor drinking, nor sleeping, no one knew what was going on in his heart.

In order to bring back Hongli's mind, he was willing to say some unnecessary words to coax him. Sure enough, Hongli heard the words and asked in a hoarse voice: "What did the Queen Mother say about me?"

"The queen mother said that the emperor was the most lively and active when he was young. He also liked to beat the cicadas on the tree and climb to the tree to dig out the eggs..." He Shen chose some similar ones according to his childhood memories. Said: "Emperor Niang is really old... How did these things that Hong Zhou would do, come to Zhen..."

Heshen was in a bad mood, and just about to make amends, he heard Hongli say: "Heshen...why do you think Empress Dowager doesn't want to see me for the last time?"

He Shen frowned and said: "It must be that the empress dowager doesn't want the emperor to be sad... That's why she didn't bid farewell to the emperor..."

Hongli suddenly turned his face, the tears on his face were like fine needles pricking He Shen's heart: "But... I am still very sad..."

"Emperor Niang believes in Buddha all her life. Don't those courtesans and ministers all say that they are thousand years old, He Shen...you said that when they said this, did you believe it?"

He Shen knew that Hongli had fallen into a kind of paranoia, and he said softly: "Your Majesty...it is precisely because the Empress Dowager believes in the Buddha, and cares about the world all her life, her good deeds spread far and wide, and her blessings are profound, so she went very peacefully... Serene eyes...as if asleep...When the courtiers said this, of course, they also had good wishes in their hearts, and hoped that the Queen Mother could turn danger into good luck..."