Emperor Que Shaohua

After the imperial court disbanded, Emperor Tianyi summoned Xue Songnian alone in the imperial study. He knew very well that it was an idea to assist the government by taking advantage of the opportunity of the two princes' return to Beijing to propose the release of the East Palace, and Wang Changyou was just appointed as a leader.

He was surprised by Xue Songnian's actions, but not completely unexpected.Although for several years, the other party has been deliberately keeping a distance from the prince and maintaining political independence, but they often subtly provide support at critical moments. After a long time, it is not difficult to taste some taste.

After King Jing returned to Beijing, he has never entered the palace to meet or show his face in the court.I heard that the body is very weak, at least when Princess Danyang came back from visiting, her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and King Ning always tried to stay in Jingwang Mansion as much as possible, and didn't care much about the new mansion.The emperor wanted to send two imperial doctors to ask for the pulse, but felt that the purpose of this move was too obvious, which revealed a guilty conscience, so he remained on hold.

Calculated, the seven cold-relief pills given at the beginning of the year have been used up, at most half a month, before October [-]th, King Jing will definitely enter the palace.In the rivers and lakes, the hustle and bustle of the Hundred Days Reward is like ripples on the surface of the water, gradually calming down after layers of ripples, and there is silence everywhere.Just as there must be calm before a storm, the emperor felt oppressed by the silent confrontation, and it became more and more oppressive every day.He wasn't sure what kind of attack King Jing was going to adopt, how many back moves he had hidden, and what consequences and influences it would cause.

In today's situation, even those who have the city and know how to tolerate will still have resentment and will never retreat half a step.Since it is doomed to be unlucky, why should there be any scruples? Ordinary people still have to fight hard, let alone Yu Zhou's eldest son, the current suzerain of Langhuan, Luo Yanhua who is known for his outstanding talents.

He knew what Langhuan's demands were, and even setting aside the promise he made when he signed the contract last year, rehabilitating the suspicious case back then is the most suitable choice at present.The grief, indignation and hostility need to be resolved, and once Langhuan's name is rectified, he will be a loyal minister and righteous man, so naturally he can't do anything unfavorable to the emperor and the court, and the crisis will disappear accordingly.But on the other hand, the emperor was very unwilling.Bringing up the old Langhuan case again means that what I said and did in the past ten years is all wrong, killing Zhongliang and wronging the queen, how will the people of the world think about it, and how will future generations comment?Even if it comes down to being deceived, at least he is a fool!

Xue Songnian chose to express his position at this delicate moment, try his best to protect the crown prince, and stand clearly on the opposite side of King Jing, and Emperor Tianyi's mind inevitably became a little active.Such a reasonable reason seems to have paved a comfortable step for him. Should he take advantage of the situation and let the prince come forward to create obstacles for King Jing?But when the thought came to him, he hesitated again. When Luo Wenxiao was strong in the past, he was defeated more and more thoroughly. What he needed was an easy-to-use sharp knife and a shield, not to get burned.

So before making a decision, one must find out Xue Songnian's intentions. What is this high-ranking minister thinking?

"I believe that the crown prince is the foundation of the country, and if the crown prince is confined for a long time, the situation in the court will be unstable and the country will not be peaceful." Xue Songnian bowed slightly and replied calmly, "Now that Suining has achieved a great victory, the safe return of the princes is a celebration of the whole world. Happy event. If His Majesty promulgates amnesty, how can he leave the East Palace alone? If the heavenly family is reunited but the prince is missing, wouldn’t it attract criticism and how would the officials treat it? This is one of them.”

As he spoke, he observed the emperor's demeanor calmly: "The prince is always pure and filial. I heard that since he accidentally committed a mistake and offended His Majesty, he cried bitterly and repented every day in the mansion, worrying about himself. There is more than enough; I think your Majesty is not worried about it, which makes you troubled and uneasy. If you are in your position, you must do your duty as a minister. I dare to ask Your Majesty to forgive the prince. It assists in state affairs and shares worries for the king. This is the second."

Emperor Tianyi saw that he had covered every aspect of his speech, and it seemed that he had not dealt with the East Palace for a long time, but his ministers saw the gap, so he couldn't help snorting: "Could it be that the assistant government is confused? Such a wicked person, I wish he could commit suicide to thank his ancestors. , why talk about coordinating state affairs!"

"The crown prince is talented and intelligent, but what he lacks is that he is still young, and his actions are bound to be inappropriate." Xue Songnian said, he could hear the emperor's displeasure, but he was letting go, and his heart became more determined, "Since I have deeply repented, why doesn't Your Majesty give me a chance to make amends and reform?" He paused, and then said meaningfully, "After all, it was His Majesty who resisted all the arguments in the first place, and the second prince was able to be appointed as the heir apparent. , thinking about it, I will do my best to never let His Majesty down again."

Emperor Tianyi's gaze focused, and the last sentence of the other party hit his mind extremely accurately.Long-term inheritance, political law for all generations, has been the same since ancient times.The courtiers are all disciples of the sage, so naturally they want to support the head of the heir. Even though he gave the queen to death and changed Luo Shenhua's name, the meaning could not be expressed more clearly, the courtiers are still stubborn, and have been fighting for quite a long time Protect the eldest son of the emperor.The number of people who were admonished by the pillars, and those who were seriously injured by the court staff, could not be counted on one hand. In order to suppress the controversy and establish another prince, he really used his iron fist and spent a lot of energy. He even considered setting up Concubine Han as the queen.

After several contests between monarchs and ministers, the final goal was achieved, but the impact was not insignificant.Yan Cunyi, a self-assistant government official, resigned from his old age and became an official, and the academician Zhang Yuandao died of illness in a foreign land. It has been a long time since there has been a famous minister with outstanding strength and a heart to rule the world.Although all the officials were silent and no longer spoke for the eldest son of the emperor, until now, the position of the second prince's heir is still a bit embarrassing.

Emperor Tianyi was absolutely unwilling to admit his mistakes. The haze of the past has not yet cleared. If he abandons the crown prince after six years, he will not only face the problem of establishing a crown prince again, but it will also mean a slap in the face and no face left, just like Langhuan's rehabilitation.He was utterly disappointed in Luo Wenxiao, and this was an important reason why he hadn't been dethroned for so long.

Thinking that the prince was really submissive in front of him, and he was supported by civil servants, he couldn't help thinking deeply, no matter how much he made a mistake, Luo Wenxiao could at least control it.As for why Xue Songnian tried his best to plead for mercy, he didn't care too much, it was nothing more than following the king's heart and interests.A few days ago, with the support of King Ning, Zhong Lin, the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, asked to continue to implement Qingzhang Tianmu and expand the scope to the seven provinces in Yuzhou.Perhaps it was this incident that made a group of courtiers who strongly opposed it impatient, pinned their hopes on the prince, and rushed to play together.Xue Fuzheng was very scheming, and even included the conflict between himself and Prince Jing.

"The crown prince has caused too much trouble, Xue Qing must know, how can I rest assured to entrust him with important tasks." He said slowly, "You have repeatedly spoken for him, have you ever thought about the risks involved? It is a troubled time, if a wave There is another wave of Weiping, who can take responsibility?"

The tone was calm, but Xue Songnian felt a heavy pressure when he heard it.As expected, the emperor was really moved and wanted to use the crown prince, but he was worried that it would cause a bigger disaster than February [-]th, and it would not end.

"His Royal Highness used to act according to the order, and it was always appropriate. There is nothing wrong with it. The ministers, Wang Shilang and others are willing to protect their lives and lives. Please ask the emperor to order the release of the East Palace to stabilize the court and the people!" At this moment, it is time to see the true chapter. Not dodging and hesitating, he said in a deep voice, "Furthermore, Your Majesty is the Nine-Five Supreme Being, who can make decisions arbitrarily and say what he says. The wrath of the Son of Heaven can lay down millions of corpses and bleed for thousands of miles. What kind of trouble can threaten His Majesty?"

The atmosphere in the imperial study was stagnant for a while, Emperor Tianyi's eyes were deep, if there was a cold light threatening, Xue Songnian's face was calm and he did not dodge.After a while, the emperor withdrew his scrutiny and said lightly: "I have already understood Xue Qing's opinion, and I will make a decision on my own. After working for half a day, I am also tired, so let me tell you."

From the beginning to the end, neither the emperor nor the assistant government ever revealed a single word about King Jing, Langhuan, or the crown prince's secret collusion with the enemy country. However, the two have already completed mutual testing around the theme.When Xue Songnian left Miyagi, he was quite satisfied with the results of the days of planning. Although Emperor Tianyi did not issue an edict immediately, based on his understanding of the emperor, it would not be long before he made up his mind.King Yun returns to the capital, and the crown prince rises again. The situation in the capital will become complicated and difficult to understand again.

He has carefully analyzed that what King Jing lacks the most is time and physical strength. However, if he wants to avenge his grievances as soon as possible, he must remove the stumbling block of the prince. The emperor just pardoned the prince's fault. The more Yan Hua united with other princes to attack Luo Wenxiao, the more embarrassing Emperor Tianyi would be in face, and the more resentful he would be in his heart.I push the flames behind my back, as long as the two sides clash once or twice, when the conflict intensifies, there is no room for change.

Luo Yanhua's body was already at the end of its strength, once the suzerain became seriously ill or had an accident, the seemingly peaceful relationship between the two parties would be completely broken, and Lang Huan would become a traitor, and the redress of grievances would be in vain.Perhaps the conflict intensified for a while, and both sides suffered losses, but as time went by, the one who suffered must still be Langhuan.The disputes between the rivers and lakes and the court have always been like this.

Ever since he fell into the nightmare, Emperor Tianyi's energy was not as good as before. He went to the court to discuss matters early this morning, and then summoned the assistant minister and several courtiers one after another, feeling quite tired.He hastily had his lunch and rested in the West Nuan Pavilion of the Qingliang Hall, but he always kept in mind the petitions of the civil servants.

As dusk approached, he changed into ordinary clothes under the service of the palace servants, and summoned Wu Yong to give some instructions.Wu Yong didn't dare to be negligent, so he quickly withdrew and summoned four agile and clever imperial guards. A group of five people surrounded the emperor, walked along the imperial road, crossed the Tianjie Street, and quickly walked out of the corner gate on the east side of the palace in a low-level suit. Get on a sedan chair.

For Emperor Yuzhou, if he thinks of the Queen and King Jing, he feels mixed with hatred, guilty conscience, fear, and even some unspeakable complex emotions. Han Guifei and his mother often arouse annoyance and disgust, but Mixed with a little pity from the superiors.He heard Xue Songnian say today that the crown prince is sincere and fearful, and he repents every day, he was not aware of being touched, thinking of Concubine Han Gui who was buried in the sea of ​​fire and no one mentioned it, he felt a little pity for no reason.

People's hearts are very strange. Concubine Han Guifei died miserably. Her resentment and persistence are horrifyingly annoying, but they also vaguely bring some vanity satisfaction to the emperor.What Luo Wenxiao did is unforgivable, but it seems that the reason behind it is still to deal with Luo Yanhua. Perhaps because Han has served him for decades, he should give him another chance?

On a whim, he actually came up with the idea of ​​going to the East Palace to take a look.

The sedan chair arrived outside the side gate of the Prince's Mansion, and the guards on duty were waiting to stop it. A royal guard stepped forward and yelled at him in a low voice. The four guards were shocked and knelt down to see the Holy Majesty.

"There is no need to pass it on, don't disturb the inside." The emperor waved his hand, and since he came in a modest suit, his expression was very casual, "I have nothing to do, just take a leisurely walk."

The guards didn't dare to disobey, and hurriedly opened the side door.The voices of people in the East Palace are lonely, except for the guards on duty outside, there are few maids in the palace.Emperor Tianyi has visited several times in the past, and he has an impression of the layout of the scenery here.Looking around, the palaces and pavilions are still tall and majestic, but the vegetation has shown signs of being neglected by few people. In autumn, all the flowers are withered, and the fallen leaves in the courtyard are not cleaned, adding a bit of decay.

The empathy that the emperor had raised before increased by two points, and he continued to walk at a leisurely pace.It was intended to be unexpected, so I met the attendants along the way and asked where Prince Ming was now, and they were not allowed to report, and went straight to Mingguangxuan.At first, he didn't pay attention to the terrified expressions of the people who hesitated, but when he saw several maids in colorful dresses carrying food boxes or holding fine wine in their hands, he gradually realized that something was wrong.

Mingguangxuan is spacious and beautiful, and it is the most suitable place for banquets in the East Palace. When the people guarding outside saw Long Live coming, they all knelt down on the ground in fright and kept silent; Seeing that the door of the palace is half-opened and half-closed, a woman's warbling soft voice can be faintly heard from inside, sometimes mixed with a drunken hoarse voice of a man.

Wu Yong saw that the emperor's face became very ugly in an instant. He couldn't stop this stall, so he quickly winked at several accompanying guards, stopped two or three feet away, and let the emperor walk up to him alone. .

Through the gap in the door of the inner hall, one can see that in the spacious hall, the long yellow sandalwood table is full of delicacies and fruits. The prince is sitting in the middle, accompanied by two beautifully dressed women on the left and right, busy with warming wine and carrying wine. vegetable.

"Your Highness, too much drinking hurts your health. The Crown Princess also explained yesterday that I want my servants to persuade you not to let you get drunk again!" One of them said softly, "Otherwise, you will be punished tomorrow. A court lady really can't afford to suffer."

"Punish you, how dare she, isn't she afraid of getting a reputation of being jealous?" Luo Wenxiao smiled, seemingly disdainful.His face was flushed, and he was obviously drunk. "You have offended me, don't say that you are just a princess, and you will become the queen of the palace. It is not a matter of abolition! As for you..." He He held up a woman's chin with his hands, and said in a frivolous tone, "Only beauties who are knowledgeable and interesting can be pleasing to others. If you have meritorious service in accompanying the driver, when I get to the palace, everyone will be famous! Well, I will make you a Concubine Xiu of the fifth rank, how about it?"

Although the two maids tried their best to please them, they knew the rules after all, so they didn't dare to answer the words.Emperor Tianyi stood outside the door, his face was livid with anger.

Another woman comforted: "Your Highness is a man above all others, and now it's just a temporary inconvenience. His Majesty's kindness is great, and he has always valued His Highness the most. It doesn't take long for us sisters to serve us, so we are ancestral graves." There was blue smoke."

"You say it's important?" Luo Wenxiao let out a series of weird laughter as if hearing something funny.He picked up the bronze wine bottle, raised his head and took a deep breath before lazily saying, "Since I was sealed up as the crown prince, since when did my father treat me like a human being! Anyone who is thankless or offends others will be punished." On my head, I have to do all the dirty work. In the end, the good reputation belongs to him, so I have to be reprimanded, bear the bad name, and suffer from both sides! That's all, he is still like a thieves, lest I get caught With the slightest bit of military power, let the fourth brother hold the heavy soldiers, hand over the Jingyu guards to the fifth brother, and let them ride on my head and shit on my head, a majestic prince who doesn't even have superficial glory, what a coward! Even so , I can bear it too, but he knows that Luo Yuhua and I are incompatible, but he refuses to cut the grass and root out the roots, and puts the eldest son there every year to suppress me. The rebellious party is revived! What kind of prince am I? It’s just a joke!”

The further he spoke, the more he gritted his teeth. From the position of the emperor, he could clearly see the blue veins on the crown prince's forehead.It shouldn't be the first time for the accompanying maid to encounter similar complaints, and while responding, she called someone to get hangover soup.

"I finally understand. Instead of humbly begging for favors, it is better to rely on yourself. It is the father who is unkind first, how can you blame me for being unrighteous!" Luo Wenxiao squinted with drunken eyes, and the shadows of two beautifully dressed women kept appearing in front of him. Shaking, zooming in, suddenly far and near like looking at flowers in a fog.He also felt that he was a bit drunk, but from just now, after drinking the spicy wine, it turned into a fire that burned from the stomach and intestines to the top of the head, and his emotions seemed to become extraordinarily excited. Those thoughts buried deep in his heart Restless and turbulent, not spit fast.He casually pulled a maid to hug her, and said with a vague smile: "What are you afraid of? My Highness has the help of heaven, and I have the support of the assistant government in the open, and I am a master in the dark. Soon, all the officials will welcome you into the palace. Father I am the Mingjun of the prosperous age, the master of Zhongxing!"

Emperor Tianyi was so angry that he couldn't listen anymore, and kicked heavily on the palace door.He stared sternly at the second prince who was still in drunkenness. He was as vicious and ruthless as Concubine Han Gui, and his desires were hard to fill. He was a little unsatisfactory. One pretended to be crazy and burned down the Hanzhang Palace where the ancestors were worshiped, and the other didn't even get drunk. Forget about trying to usurp the throne!In vain of my expectations of pampering, I actually fed a pair of white-eyed wolves!At this moment, it was too much to even reprimand him. He didn't want to look at Luo Wenxiao again, so he turned and left.

Wu Yong and several guards hurriedly followed, and within just a cup of tea, the emperor was already pale with anger and trembling all over.Everyone knew that the prince must have said something that violated taboos, and they did not dare to breathe, and hurriedly left while protecting the emperor.

When Luo Wenxiao came to his senses from the stupefaction, he rushed outside and realized that he was not hallucinating because of drunkenness, but that the emperor had actually arrived and was already too late to catch up.His mind has not yet regained his clarity, and layers of cold sweat and hot sweat alternated on his body. He shuffled back to Mingguangxuan, and suddenly overturned all the cups, plates, and dishes in a frenzy, facing the ground. Langji couldn't help panting.

The guards, maids, and servants all hid far away. The prince's face was ashamed, and he felt as if he was in a nightmare. He rushed to the inner room with the last hope and called out. In the garden, no matter how much he looked around, and even shouted over and over again, the ghostly man in black who had been lurking by his side these days was nowhere to be seen, and never responded.

That night, the palace issued an edict that Prince Luo Wenxiao would not think about his own past, would drink and have fun all day long, without looking at his father, he would be escorted to the inner palace of the palace city to be punished, accompanied by his attendants and maids, and captured and sent to prison together.