With a bang, the palace door slowly opened.
Lai Fu, who seemed to fall down at the slightest gust of wind but managed to hold on until now, flicked his whisk and sang in a long, shrill voice, "The Emperor is dead!"
All the ministers fell to the ground, crying out in grief, "Your Majesty!"
Hua Zhi followed the same action, and her heart, which had been suppressed for a long time, finally settled down. Today, even if something unexpected happened, she would no longer be so passive. Without the emperor, Xiao Liu could not have any thoughts now. In the few years when he still needed to rely on her and Yan Xi, their relationship must be harmonious. As for the future... she would never let them end up in a situation where the bird is dead and the bow is put away, the rabbit is dead and the dog is cooked.
Xiao Liu walked out of the hall, his eyes swept across everyone, and finally fell on the master who looked even thinner after kneeling down. The thing he least wanted to receive was the master's courtesy, but there would probably be many such times in the future. This was one of the things he had lost. This gentle and kind woman who was like a mother and a sister would probably never touch his head again.
Restraining the emotion that shouldn't exist, Xiao Liu said in a crisp voice, "Father, you have passed away. I ask all the ministers to perform their duties, stabilize the government, and don't let those with ulterior motives take advantage of the situation."
"Follow the prince's words."
"Minister Wei."
Wei Congwen, who was the Minister of Rites, raised his head sharply, his heart was lifted high, and he said, "I am your humble servant."
"Please take care of all the affairs from now on, the Ministry of Rites. I am still young and don't know many rules. If there is anything that needs to be decided, please consult with the Grand Master."
Wei Congwen responded loudly, and his heart fell back in relief. The nerves that had been tense for days finally relaxed. His risky move was right, and the Wei family could finally make up for its mistakes.
Duke Dingguo also bowed in response. He was the head of the imperial clan and could not shirk his responsibility.
"Ring the death knell."
When the bell struck twelve, the whole capital fell silent. Many people walked out of their homes, knelt silently on the ground, and kowtowed towards the imperial palace. The music stopped, and all the houses closed their doors quickly. In just a moment, the capital was covered in white.
The movements in the palace were naturally faster, and all that could be seen was white.
Xiao Liu changed into plain clothes and came to Hua Zhi who was left behind. Hua Zhi realized belatedly that he was no longer the Xiao Liu of the past. When she was about to salute him, he had already bent down and said, "Master, you are finally my rightful tutor."
Hua Zhi's heart softened. She had always known that one of the reasons why he acted in such a way was that he wanted people to recognize her as the prince's teacher. When he did not have the power to confer the title himself, he could only make himself outstanding enough so that the world would acknowledge her qualifications as the teacher from the bottom of their hearts.
Lifting the person up, Hua Zhi smiled softly, "Don't bend your waist so easily in the future."
Xiaoliu was born and raised in the imperial palace, and his understanding of the rules seemed to be innate, but he just felt wronged. He felt wronged in every way.
"What's wrong with me bowing to my master? Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Parents, and Teacher, I should kneel before you."
Hua Zhi was stunned, and she almost immediately heard his emotions. After thinking about it for a while, she understood. Yes, no matter how much he grows up, he is just a twelve-year-old child. He has obtained the supreme position, but has to be isolated from everyone and everything else, becoming a lonely person. How can he not feel resentful
Her body was still aching. It had been such a long day and her strength was long gone, so she just let herself go and sat down casually, patting the seat in front of her to motion Xiaoliu to sit down as well.
Xiaoliu's eyes brightened, and he sat down obediently, his expression noticeably better.
Seeing him like this, Hua Zhi felt a little distressed. She sighed softly and softened her tone, "There is no order without rules. You understand all these principles. There is no need for me to say anything more to you. I will tell you about human nature. If you were just an insignificant prince, no one would care who you were close to, because you are not important and cannot affect the overall situation. But now you are the crown prince, and you will be the ruler of a country in the near future. Your preferences, your inclinations, and your closeness are all of great importance. Countless people want to be the person you like, and countless people will try to guess your mind. They will do what you like just to get your special treatment, so they will definitely not allow me to be that special one, and they may even join hands to destroy my specialness."
Xiaoliu's eyes turned cold, Hua Zhi sighed, the Royal Family is ruthless, this is something that really does not need to be learned, even if this ruthlessness is not directed at her but is for her protection.
"But this is not without a solution." Hua Zhi resisted the urge to pat his shoulder. "As long as you are strong enough, strong enough to make all officials bow down to you, so that they dare not plot against you, dare not use those dirty tricks to target your preferences, then you may be able to do what you want."
Hua Zhi smiled and her voice became softer. "You have been by my side for more than a year. You know that I don't have much ambition. I will stay away from you after you get married. As long as I don't fight for power and profit, I think others won't hold on to me. You know where my home is. If you want to come, who can shut you out? I said that the door of the Hua family will always be open to you. As long as you are willing, the Hua family will always have a room for you and a set of dishes and chopsticks for you. Xiaoliu, the farthest distance is always the distance between hearts, not how far apart we are."
Xiao Liu was silent for a moment, and finally he looked a little happy. He was the one who was stuck in a dead end. Wasn't the initiative in his hands? As long as he remained close to his master, who could stop him
The master was right, he had to be powerful enough to suppress the evil spirits in the court so that no one could target him.
"I understand, Master. I will work hard."
"Call me Grand Tutor from now on, so that people won't find fault with you." Hua Zhi thought of something and reminded him, "You are still young and full of vigor. Remember not to let others control your emotions and lead you by the nose. Listen more, watch more, and talk less. Don't let others take advantage of you. Duke Dingguo is the rock of the country. You can ask for his advice when you encounter something that is difficult to decide, but don't rely on him too much."
"Is it not okay to ask you?"
"No, the emperor has decreed that I cannot participate in politics, and I certainly don't know more about those things than Duke Dingguo."
Thinking about how his father gave his master the position of Grand Tutor but added layers of restrictions on her, Xiao Liu felt unfair for the Grand Tutor but was secretly happy at the same time. Although he felt sorry for the Grand Tutor, it was great to know that at least he would not be alone for the next few years. He would compensate the Grand Tutor a lot in the future. Yes, he could prepare a generous dowry for the Grand Tutor and give her a red wedding dress of ten miles, no, twenty miles!
Behind the side door, the queen mother stood there and listened for a long time. It was not that she was not worried. With the example of Haoyue, she was a little uneasy about women who were too smart. But now she was relieved. Hua Zhi was not Haoyue. Intelligence can only be called intelligence when one uses one's mind in the right place.
"Lock Haoyue in the room where people's blood is taken out. Nothing in there can be added or subtracted." The Queen Mother raised her lips coldly and added, "Seal all the doors and windows with wooden boards."
"Yes." Thinking of the table in the room, Yuxiang felt a chill on her back, yet she also felt extremely relieved. This was a debt that Haoyue owed herself, and she should pay it back.
PS: There have been so many comments these days. I read all of them every day. Thank you girls for your love.