Emperor Que Shaohua

In the Imperial Study Room of Chonghua Palace, Emperor Tianyi sat behind the imperial case, examining the two documents spread out, and clasped the table with his knuckles.He was not reviewing the memorial, but in front of him were urgent letters from Jinling Liubaili, written by the two princes.

Zhang Chengjue stepped forward lightly, poured some tea into the cup, and at the same time glanced nonchalantly at the paper covered with handwriting.When Wu Yong needs to be separated to handle the internal affairs, he and several other servants will take turns to accompany the king on duty, such as now.

King Ning's secret booklet arrived the day before yesterday. The emperor read it and said nothing, probably because he had sent two secret orders to Jiangnan, so there was no need to comment.But today, as soon as King Jing's reply letter arrived, it caused more reactions. The emperor just glanced at it and sneered again and again, obviously very annoyed.

Just at a glance, he saw that the content of the letter was not long, it only took up half of Xue Tao's paper, and he didn't know what was written on it, which made the emperor very unhappy, but he seemed to be unable to attack, and finally suppressed his anger and fell into a meditation.

The emperor's thought lasted for less than half an hour. The servants and maids who were waiting around were all winking. Everyone held their breath and the huge imperial study was as quiet as no one.Seeing that it was getting late, the servant in charge of lighting the lamps lightly lit up a few pairs of candles.

Zhang Chengjue went over to refill the tea again, as usual it was time to ask for instructions on when to deliver the meal, but he was also afraid that he would get into trouble if he spoke rashly, so he was a little hesitant.In recent days, the emperor was obviously in a bad mood, his temper was moody, and he frequently issued decrees to make life difficult for his ministers.It coincides with the three-year examination, and far more officials have been demoted or relegated than before. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is a targeted attempt to weaken the power of the prince. Luo Wenxiao, the second prince who has been enshrined in the East Palace for six years, really is in jeopardy.

The emperor still had a sense of proportion in political affairs, but the lives of the maids and servants were even more difficult. Some people were reprimanded for no reason, and even Wu Yong, his closest confidant, was reprimanded.

Even a dull person can realize that the [-]th day of February more than two months ago was a turning point. On the one hand, King Yun was good at beating the Xiwen Drum, which made Jiuwu Supreme lose face; , He did not hesitate to collude with the enemy country, how could the emperor feel better?The courtiers discussed in private, shaking their heads and sighing.But there was another theory quietly circulating in the palace: the dead Empress Langhuan had a spirit in the sky, she couldn't see that His Royal Highness was being tortured harshly, and she turned into a ghost to demand her life!It is not unfounded to say so, starting from the night when King Jing almost died in the palace, His Majesty the Emperor would have nightmares eight out of ten days, often talking nonsense, even shouting the name of the queen, struggling and convulsing, and finally dripping with cold sweat Waking up with a start, the concubine or servant who was on duty at night was frightened and at a loss.Although Wu Yong tried his best to block the news and strictly forbade any rumors, but the fire cannot be contained in the paper, one day or two is accidental, and it has been like this for several months in a row. In addition, Emperor Tianyi's bloodshot eyes are sometimes irritable and sometimes in a trance In this state, the imperial physicians were continuously summoned to prescribe medicines, and if they were not passed on, it would spread.Just a few days ago, another medical officer was executed by His Majesty in anger.

Although King Jing is currently in the south of the Yangtze River, it seems that a letter is enough to cause trouble.

Zhang Chengjue was distracted and thought for a moment, but he mustered up his courage and reminded softly that it was time for dinner, and the waiter in the respect room was waiting outside, please ban live.

"Let him go back, take away all the signs." Emperor Tianyi snorted impatiently. During this time, the number of times he went to the harem has decreased a lot. Just imagine that no matter how submissive and tender the concubine is, he is always haunted by nightmares in the middle of the night. Waking up in a state of horror, the first thing you see when you open your eyes is a face that pales with fright, and you will feel embarrassed when you hear intermittent greetings or uncontrollable screams squeezed out of panic, what else can you do? interest?

Zhang Chengjue responded, and was about to bow and leave to dismiss the respect room, when the emperor raised his finger to the candle beside him.The meaning of this gesture is very clear. Zhang Chengjue quickly took off the silver silk cover and moved the burning candle closer to the gold candlestick. He was a little surprised. His Majesty was annoyed for a long time, but there was thunder and rain, and it seemed that he did not intend to King Jing committed the crime, but wanted to burn the letter instead.

As expected, Emperor Tianyi picked up the Xue Tao note with elegant handwriting, but he didn't immediately put it on the candle flame, but thoughtfully, he suddenly said: "The eldest prince is stubborn, he has repeatedly disobeyed, and dares to disobey his will!" Take it seriously. You have served me by my side for several years, let me tell you, how should I treat him?"

"Return to Your Majesty, as a humble slave, how dare you speak a little bit about Tianjia." Zhang Chengjue was surprised that the emperor would ask such a sentence, and immediately knelt down on his knees, "Your Majesty atones, I really don't dare to say more Word."

"If you want to say it, you can say it, I will forgive you for not guilty." Emperor Tianyi waved his hand in annoyance.

"Yes, yes." Zhang Chengjuan replied resolutely, thinking quickly about how to answer in line with the holy will.The emperor Gan Gang was arbitrary, and of course he didn't need his own servant to provide insights. The sudden question was just a momentary feeling, and he needed to express his emotions.It's not difficult to answer, in the palace, even the blind and deaf know the attitude of the Holy Majesty towards the eldest son of the emperor.Thinking of this, he adjusted his expression, and said cautiously but with a little resentment: "I have little knowledge, and I just want to say that His Highness is not good, but it is really unfair and uncomfortable to see Long Live. What His Majesty said, every sentence It’s all golden words, even if His Majesty is a descendant of a dragon and a grandson, and has a noble status, he should respectfully abide by the teachings and should not repeatedly disobey his father.”

"Noble status?" Emperor Tianyi sneered habitually. In the past many years, whenever he thought of Luo Yanhua's life experience, his heart would be ignited with unknown karma, accompanied by undisguised indifference and malice.Because you have sufficient reasons, you can feel at ease no matter how cruel or tortured you are.Today, at the moment of sarcasm, I suddenly realize that the confidence I have had for a long time no longer exists, and everything I imposed will have to be paid for.He regained his composure, and then slowly said: "According to what you said, the eldest prince has repeatedly contradicted and disregarded his elders, should he be severely punished?"

"Slaves absolutely dare not put their beaks." Zhang Chengjue felt that there was no displeasure in the emperor's voice, so he quickly kowtowed and boldly said, "I don't read much, but I have heard thunder, rain and dew. It's all due to your kindness. Thinking about everything, His Majesty will make his own decisions, His Highness will definitely not complain."

If it was Wu Yong, he would never have said such uncautious words. His heart was pounding, and he held his breath waiting for the emperor's reaction.There was only a short sneer from above, followed by a long silence.

Emperor Tianyi looked at the letter in his hand, King Jing's words were plain and concise, as always, he did not make any excuses, but implicitly reminded that on the third day of May a year ago, drinking wine on the birthday night was an alliance, and there were three chapters of the agreement, please abide by it Make promises, don't urge and don't ask, don't bear the word of faith.

Only then did the emperor save his eyes and saw that another year's birthday was approaching, and a round of cold, summer and spring had indeed passed since the night of the covenant.I remember that in the imperial study that night, facing the golden cup full of poisoned wine, Luo Yanhua put forward three conditions: first, please appoint a special person to cooperate with him; It is clearly stated that the situation is complicated, and it is okay for the ministers to come forward to deal with it, but between advances and retreats, there is a difference in priorities. If there is a momentary conflict with the palace's order, it must be decided by me, and the emperor cannot force each other.

In this way, the menacing edicts that came out a few days ago were tightly blocked. This neither soft nor hard nail hit the emperor in the middle of the way, unable to get up or down.The civil strife in Langhuan was undoubtedly a good opportunity to weaken the worry in his heart, and he was really unwilling to let it go for nothing. He almost regretted letting King Jing go to the south of the Yangtze River.

Emperor Tianyi didn't pay much attention to the word "loyalty". In fact, looking through the history books, there are many treacherous monarchs everywhere. It is very difficult to find someone who keeps his word, let alone the agreement with Luo Yuhua. Text, no circumstantial evidence, even if a decree has been issued, so what if the evidence is filed?But he suffered a serious setback on February [-]th. At that time, he found out enough crimes and launched a full-scale attack in his own Chonghua Palace. With the right time and place, the emperor's prestige, he was smashed into the sand, and his face was disgraced. Now King Jing is far away from the mountains. , and it makes sense, and I also know that I can't get any advantage by making a fuss about the anti-decree, and the only way is to rely on Luo Pingyuan to contain it.

The secret report submitted by King Ning the day before yesterday was full and detailed, reporting the agricultural and mulberry conditions he saw after arriving in Jinling, various plans and measures for Qingzhang’s fields, and also mentioned that there was chaos in the Jiangnan martial arts, and Brother Dahuang was already working to calm it down. Although the situation is complicated, it should be inseparable from the remnants of the Kunlun Mansion. I will find out the source and capture the traitor. Please rest assured, my father, and so on.Wanjian Villa also mentioned it, but it was mentioned briefly. It said that Shimen was invited to participate in the sword test meeting on the fifth day of May, and he might go with his brothers at that time.

It can be seen that Luo Pingyuan, who had just arrived in Jinling, had a good grasp of the situation, but he didn't seem to focus on the internal disputes in Langhuan, but pointed the finger at the remnants of the Kunlun Mansion.Emperor Tianyi felt that this note was not deep enough to embody the sacred meaning, and was slightly dissatisfied, but he was not easy to pick faults for a while, Luo Pingyuan was always rigorous, and this time it must not be empty talk.

Besides, what are the benefits of going against Prince Jing in Langhuan's territory?King Ning's main task is to supervise the farmland, and monitoring is incidental. As long as the situation is acceptable, most of them don't want to add troubles.

Emperor Tianyi thought about all kinds of causes and consequences, pros and cons, and lit the letter paper in his hand on a bright candle. With a flash of flame, Xue Tao's paper turned into ashes in an instant, falling down like black butterfly wings.He didn't want to keep the handwriting that mentioned the birthday covenant.

The secret decree for Luo Pingyuan must have arrived, and King Ning will definitely be ordered to exert pressure, and if it fails, he will resist the decree just like King Jing.Thinking of this, he let out a sigh of relief, why not wait a few more days and see what kind of satisfactory explanation Luo Yanhua can give under the enemy.

What the emperor didn't realize was that his anger had been replaced by hesitation in his thoughts, and he subconsciously avoided tearing himself apart with King Jing.If it was last year, he might still be able to maintain his fierce aura, but after a year of confrontation, with the stability of the border and the defeat of the Liao people, when the emperor's achievements were fulfilled, it seemed that his prestige was gradually worn away.Recently, I have been plagued by nightmares, and my spirit has been greatly frustrated. Compared with investigating the crimes, finding a way to sleep peacefully is the most important thing.

There were more and more rumors about Queen Langhuan's death claim in the palace, and he was angry and restrained on the face, but he couldn't help being suspicious in his heart.However, the methods have been used all over the place, from soothing decoctions to asking gods for divination, and secretly entrusting Buddhist temples and Taoist temples to hold transcendence rituals. They have worked occasionally for a night or two, but none of them can get rid of the root cause of the disease.This matter is really detrimental to the face of the king. If things go on like this, rumors and rumors will spread from the palace to the outside, and it will inevitably make people lose money. In the near future, it is said that there is a lack of virtue, and it is taken advantage of by ghosts and gods. How can it be human?It is said that there was a king in the previous dynasty who killed too much when he won the world. He dreamed of the dead opponent every night to collect debts.Emperor Tianyi was ill and went to the doctor in a hurry. A certain diary recalled this anecdote. King Xuanyun specially entered the palace and found an excuse for the fourth prince to stay outside the bedroom. Unfortunately, the situation did not change, and the voice of Empress Jiang Biyao remained the same. Like a shadow, it came unexpectedly after he closed his eyes.

Fearful and tense at night, followed by lack of energy during the day, and developed into restlessness when twilight fell.The emperor was very troubled, and not long ago he made a special trip to Huangjue Temple, secretly confided his difficulties to the abbot, Master Liaochen, and asked if there was a way to get rid of it.Liao Chen went through a catastrophe last year, and now he is back to health, and his expression is more serene. Hearing this and contemplating for a while, he put his palms together and said: "Your Majesty inherits the fortune of the heavens, and is protected by the king's spirit. It is difficult for the dark to invade. From what the old monk saw, Your Majesty The disease starts from the knot in the heart, if you can trace the root cause and treat the symptoms, you will heal without medicine."

Emperor Tianyi remained silent, heart disease is ineffective, and it has nothing to do with gods and Buddhas, so he can only blame himself.Others might think that Liaochen was playing tricks, but he knew his own affairs, but he believed them half-heartedly.More than 60 days have passed since mid-February, but the scenes are still lingering and vivid in front of my eyes, not only Luo Yanhua, but also Li Pinglan who I trust the most, Luo Linpian who has always been loved, and even the world in the harem. Concubine Lian, who has no disputes, and the fifth prince Luo Pingyuan, who has a rift with King Jing, are all against it. Those words echoed to this day, piercing and heart-piercing.The irony is that back then, in vain, she punished Empress Langhuan on the charge of collaborating with the enemy and treason, and imprisoned the eldest son of the emperor. Today, it is the prince Luo Wenxiao, who was established by himself, and Concubine Han Gui, who replaced the empress in charge of the harem. These actions are to sell the national fortune to the Liao people.That night was like a heavy and loud slap in the face, slapping the left cheek and the right cheek, and like opening a gate suddenly, the old past poured out like a flood, sweeping away the self-deception.Even after King Jing left the capital, the aftermath of the government and the opposition had gradually subsided, the emperor still felt that his dignity had been swept away and there was no tile left, and he hated Luo Yanhua so much that he gritted his teeth in shame.

I am the son of heaven, the king wants his ministers to die, and the ministers have to die; the rules are always orderly, the father wants the son to die, the son has to die, he thought bitterly again and again.But another sentence involuntarily pops up in my mind--if the king treats his ministers like brothers and feet, then the ministers will treat him like his heart;A long time ago, he once taught his eldest son Luo Shenhua this way, the young man looked at him with respectful eyes, remembering that he was right.

Now, of course he is unwilling and has the courage to think about the relationship between father and son. However, when he wakes up in the middle of the night, in the short-term weakness dripping with cold sweat, he will always think of God's will uncontrollably, and fall into deep doubts and fears.Being an emperor can be arrogant, but dare not go against the will of heaven. Luo Yanhua is the person who assists the emperor in response to the celestial phenomenon. If he is too persecuted, does it mean that he will lose the luck and destiny represented behind him? Not only will he not benefit himself, Instead, Fukuzawa was damaged?But today's nightmare, could it be the punishment and warning from the heavens?

Zhang Chengjue knelt on the ground, smelling the scorching smell of burning paper, he didn't dare to look up.

"Get up." He heard the emperor's voice at this time, and he couldn't distinguish between emotions and anger, "You are smart enough, but you still have a long way to go. Learn from Wu Yong."

Zhang Chengjue hurriedly thanked him, he was slightly relieved, but he couldn't help but be disappointed.He stood up and moved lightly to collect the ashes on the case.Turning his head by chance, his heart suddenly bumped. The bright and soft candlelight reflected the emperor's haggard and blue face, as well as the dense lines at the corners of his eyes and forehead, showing a bit of an old look that was not there before.

Emperor Tianyi ordered to drive to Qingliang Hall and eat at Xinuan Pavilion. When he arrived at Xinuan Pavilion, he felt unhappy for some reason and ordered to change to Dongnuan Pavilion.

Zhang Chengjue waited on the dinner, and it was not until the end of You hour that he exchanged his duties with another waiter in charge.In the past two years, he had made some appearances in the palace, and he built a small house in the city, so he went out of the side door by the palace wall for the internal servants to enter and exit alone, and prepared to go back to his private house to rest.

It was getting late, he didn't take the sedan chair, and after walking a few feet, a figure followed him and grabbed his arm: "Guan Zhang, it's time to wait for you."

Zhang Chengjue frowned, and lowered his voice: "This is not a place to talk, stay away first, so as not to be seen by others."

The man snorted softly, not very happy, but let go of his hand as he said, and followed him a few steps away.The two walked south half a street one after the other, and turned into an alley. Seeing that there was no one around, Zhang Chengjue stopped and cupped his hands: "My lord, it's hard work."

The other party was in his 30s, with a yellow face and a slight beard, and he didn't wear official uniform. He didn't bother to exchange pleasantries at this time, and asked anxiously, "How is the situation? Lord Hou is waiting for the return!"

Zhang Chengjue sneered inwardly. The person in front of him was Wang Gong, a cousin of Concubine Han Guifei's natal family in the palace. With mediocre talents, he was named Marquis of Anyuan by relying on his sister's nepotism.The Han family does not have outstanding talents, and now the concubine and the crown prince are on the verge of collapse. The dignified status of these foreign relatives is already a thing of the past.

Naturally, he would not express his thoughts to the outside, and just replied blankly: "The messenger from Jinling has returned, His Highness probably refused to obey the order, but His Majesty has read the reply letter, and has no intention of urging or punishing you. .”

"It shouldn't be! What was written in the letter?" Wang Gong lost his voice, his disappointment was palpable, "Treason is a big deal, what is His Majesty's attitude? You didn't say a word?"

"How could it be my turn to read the secret letter written by His Majesty? Besides, His Majesty has burned it himself, and no one knows the contents." Zhang Chengjue shook his head. A while ago, the Han family put in a lot of effort and didn't care about the other party's reaction. They briefly described the situation in the imperial study, and finally said: "I have tried my best, but this kind of thing has always been the dictatorship of the Sacred Heart. Look at the appearance of Long Live, Your Highness." Your position is more stable than you think, it is better to find another way as soon as possible."

As he spoke, he stuffed a bank note into Wang Gong's hands: "You don't need to spend money on the Marquis. This time, I will repay your mother's care in the past. It's just that our family is weak and there are many errands in the palace. Nothing to do."

A fierce light flashed in Wang Gong's eyes. Seeing him turn around to leave, he hurriedly stopped two steps, and said in a deep voice, "Guan Zhang is so far-fetched. In the past, when the empress talked about you to Lord Hou, she praised you endlessly. I can't finish talking about the benefits in an hour. The money that Hou Ye rewarded for the empress is also ten times that of this mere 500 taels, and I didn't see Guan Shi Zhang being polite at that time."

He put the silver ticket back into Zhang Chengjue's hand: "My mother is in trouble for a while, and the prince is trapped in the shallows. We need to help each other. When the nobles get out of trouble in the future, we must share the wealth. But if something happens to my Han family, I can't survive that." One day, it’s not good for Guan Zhang, either.”

Although the voice was low, it was full of threats.Zhang Chengjue felt a chill in his heart, moved his lips but couldn't speak, so he had to catch the banknote again.

He stood in the deep alley at night, watching Wang Gong's back disappearing around the corner, but felt bitter.Concubine Han Gui has the power in the harem, and is the birth mother of the prince. Who in the palace does not compete for flattery?If he hadn't been eager to get promoted with the thought of surpassing Wu Yong one day, he should have shown less diligence, so he wouldn't have fallen into the hands of Marquis Anyuan, and there was more than one.Who would have expected Concubine Han to fall so quickly?How many people are too fast to respond.What should I do now, is it going to sink with the Han family's boat?