The public tasted the wrath of the emperor
Chengqi four years · February.
An explosive news flew out of the palace from the beginning of the inner court and spread all over the streets and alleys of the capital.
The female emperor Nangong Zhenzhen was furious on the court for some reason, and five of the six ministers, namely: the Ministry of Households, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Punishment, and the Ministry of Work, were interrogated in court and imprisoned in Dali Temple. Heavenly Prison…
You must know that the six central books are the central organization of the imperial court, which is the most important link between the previous and the next. If the imperial court wants to run the six books, one of the six books is indispensable. Most of the six books of the past dynasties are the emperor's confidants. Shiqing Shilu.
In one day, the five ministers were dismissed. It was a decision that people heard about.
To do this: It is tantamount to the flying tiger breaking its wings, the hero killing the horse and breaking the magic weapon...
Although this news spread like wildfire, no one among the people knew what the reason was...
Not only the government and the opposition were shocked, but even the people in the capital were also panicked.
Hearing that this edict was issued, the civil and military officials spontaneously came to the imperial study room and begged in blood, hoping that the sage could open up the net and pardon the five adults.
But Her Majesty the Empress seemed to be really touched, no matter how the officials begged, cried, even hysterically, they were not moved.
Those people who didn't know where to go, were dumbfounded when they heard that the always benevolent and kind-hearted Her Majesty the Empress turned out to be unusually decisive this time... Some people even secretly speculated that Her Majesty's temperament changed because of sorcery.
The beginning and the end of the matter... In fact, it's all because of a commonplace thing.
A few days ago, the Minister of the Ministry of Households once again played in court, asking the female emperor to choose an auspicious day to marry a new husband, set off the stone carvings of heaven, and calm the world.
This matter has been mentioned by the Minister of Accounts and the ministers no less than ten times before and after. Her Majesty the Empress is at most just angry at Huo Chao, Kuang Chao, why is this angered
It turned out that the five ministers seemed to be prepared this time. Not only did the joint officials demand that the empress must give an answer as soon as possible, but what was even worse: the minister of rites also took out three scrolls, which were painted with the most likely words " "Dragon", "requested" the female emperor Nangong Zhenzhen to choose one of them, received it from the capital, and asked Guan Tiansi to see it and then choose an auspicious wedding day.
Nangong Jingnv sat upright in a high position and looked at the group of courtiers kneeling in the dark under the hall. At this moment, Nangong Jingnv seemed to have an epiphany in an instant. She suddenly understood a truth: her "heart and kindness" did not seem to have been. In exchange for the equal respect of the courtiers.
These old court officials... Although they were loyal to the court and recognized themselves as the empress, they took their "heart and kindness" as a bargaining chip to coerce the emperor, trampled on their bottom line again and again, and had no fear.
After thinking about this, Nangong Jingnu laughed silently. She suddenly understood why Qi Yan chose to disguise herself as a man for so many years. In this world... If you were born as a woman, it was really hard to move, and you were constrained every step of the way. What about ordinary people
Even though it was a guess that was a little ashamed to say, Nangong Jingnu finally saw it clearly: these courtiers, these men, although they were kneeling in front of them, but in their bones they always looked down on their own queen...
Nangong Jingnv glanced at it lightly, and finally set her eyes on Qin De, Minister of War. Nangong Jingnv remembered that Qin De was a student of Qi Yan, and it was also because of Qi Yan's several recommendations that she gradually put Qin De. Tak mentioned this position.
Nangong Jingnu: "The Ministry of War."
Qin De: "I am here."
Nangong Jingnu asked calmly, "What about you? Do you think the same way as they do?"
Qin De pressed his head very low, almost sticking it to the cold floor tile. The question of Her Majesty the Empress may seem ordinary, but it is actually very mysterious.
Things have evolved to this point, even though the Minister of the Household is full of heart, but inadvertently turned it into a struggle between monarchy and subject power.
Qi Yan's early teachings poured into Qin De's mind: Qi Yan told him that even if he is a very noble official, he must not forget his identity, and always remember that all the glory of being a courtier From the grace of the emperor, do not forget the origin.
Qi Yan's remarks at the time were just to make Qin De loyal to Nangong Jingnu, who was at a disadvantage at the time, but Qin De took these remarks deeply in his heart, even if Qin De knew... His remarks might offend most of the courtiers, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "I only know how to be loyal to the monarch and serve the country, and I dare not have my own ideas."
Nangong Jingnv didn't make a statement, but asked the same questions from the other five books, but their answers were the same as Nangong Jingnv thought, full of the "arrogance" of a big man. In short, it fully reflected the contempt for women.
Talking loudly about the family, the country, the country, the country, the country, and the country, is just forcing myself, the "female class", to obey their decision.
Nangong Jingnv silently listened to the statement of the other five books, and sneered: "You are so sincere, do you want to be loyal to the king to the end?"
Everyone: "Your Majesty Shengming."
Nangong Jingnv: "Okay, have you heard the saying 'The king wants the minister to die, but the minister has to die?' Where is the general in front of the palace?"
The general in front of the hall: "The last general is here!"
Nangong Jingnv: "Send the official hats of the Ministry of Households, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Punishment, the Ministry of Work, and the five ministers, and escort the Dali Temple Heavenly Prison!"
This time, everyone was dumbfounded...
Including the minister of the Ministry of Commerce, who is almost old, kneeling on the ground, unable to believe his ears at all...
The other four ministers were also dumbfounded, looking at the empress and then at the minister of the household, at a loss.
The reason why these people dared to blatantly persecute the Empress again and again is that, on the one hand, they firmly believe that what they are doing is beneficial to the court and the society, and on the other hand, just as Nangong Jingnv guessed: they have already figured out the temperament of the Empress, and it is expected that No matter how outrageous you are, as long as you have loyalty in your heart, Her Majesty the Empress who "speaks with justice" will not do anything to them.
Back then, the Minister of the Ministry of Commerce strongly opposed the female emperor's enthronement. In order to express his "determination", he did not hesitate to resign after the female emperor ascended the throne. What happened in the end? Didn't Her Majesty the Empress write the Wanyan Book by herself and persuade the Minister of the Ministry of Household to return to the imperial court
Although this incident was praised by the court and the public, and the subjects praised the empress for her kindness and kindness, it also exposed a fact: the empress's wrists were too soft.
If it were replaced by another prince, not only would he not keep the Minister of the Household, but he would be punished...
It was this little thing that made them feel more confident, and under the guise of "sheji", they kept forcing the empress to submit. Fortunately, although Nangong Jingnu was young, it was not too late to wake up.
The Minister of the Household didn't come to his senses until the guards took off his official hat. His old face was blue and white, and he shouted: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, why is this?"
Nangong Jingnu calmly looked at the Minister of the Ministry of Housing, and said lightly, "No reason."
The Minister of the Household: "Your Majesty, the old ministers are full of heart, and they are dedicated to serving the community. How can Your Majesty treat the loyal courtiers like this? If it spreads out, aren't you afraid that it will chill the hearts of scholars in the world? Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
Nangong Jingnv curled her lips, and secretly said: A heart may not be false, but the behavior of these people is no different from "forcing a good person to be a prostitute", just because these words also devalued herself, Nangong Jingnv endured and did not speak. .
The others in the courtroom came back to their senses, kept kowtowing, and shouted, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Several adults are loyal. Your Majesty calm down."
Your words, my words, the courtroom was in chaos like a vegetable market in an instant, and the guards were a little hesitant when they saw that the ministers had such a big opinion.
Nangong Jingnv suddenly stood up, picked up the imperial pen holder and smashed it down with a crisp sound, the pen holder fell apart, and the brushes were scattered all over the place, but Nangong Jingnv was still not relieved, and smashed everything that was within reach on the imperial case. Going down, with the continuous sound of the impact, the court finally restored its original solemnity and solemnity.
Nangong Jingnu's chest rose and fell violently, her pretty face turned pale with anger, and the beads on top of her head made a "crashing" sound.
Looking at the entire court, except for Nangong Jingnu, who stood out, all the courtiers, guards, and servants knelt on the ground, silent.
Nangong Jingnu vented a bit, and the haze in her heart dissipated a lot. She sat on the dragon seat again and took a deep breath: "If there is another person who resists the decree and does not obey, regardless of status or merit, they will be killed in court."
The final word, the dust settled.
…
Withdrawing from the court, Nangong Jingnv came to the imperial study alone, and after she screened her left and right, she slumped onto the chair, as if all her strength had been emptied, Nangong Jingnv raised her trembling hand and took off the imperial crown. sighed.
She is also reflecting on whether she has done too much today? Haven't you endured it all this time? Why can't I stand it today
Perhaps she sent Qi Yan to the most dangerous place, with a heart hanging over her every day. When the Minister of Rites came out with three portraits, Nangong Jingnu suddenly felt that she was very sorry for Qi Yan, a kind of being forced by outsiders. The feeling of betrayal of a loved one filled my heart instantly, and I couldn't bear it any longer.
Nangong Jingnu closed her eyes wearily, imagining what would happen if her father was the one facing these things today
Thinking about it, Nangong Jingnu gave a wry smile and murmured: "Father, my daughter is not filial. I'm afraid I won't be able to inherit your legacy and become a 'benevolent prince'."
Nangong Jingnv was born with ice and snow, but she was spoiled by Nangong since she was a child with a good heart and never acted against others.
Four years after ascending the throne, Nangong Jingnu gradually realized the way of being a king that belongs to women.
It is impossible to be too kind to these courtiers. Even if they are loyal to the court and the government, just because they are women, they will not get the respect of these men in the true sense. The kindness and generosity can only be exchanged for a moment of gratitude, and then there is an endless lack of knowledge!
It is true that if you can bear it and follow the advice of these courtiers, you can also keep the world at peace...
However, if these are exchanged for their own freedom and heart, is it really worth it
Can I really obey the courtiers, marry a man, and give birth to the next generation of the crown prince
Thinking of this, Nangong Jingnu refused even her soul. In her whole life, she could only belong to one person with one heart and one body.
Would I be able to become a good emperor without the "assistance" of these courtiers
Nangong Jingnv asked herself, maybe she would be ten times more tired than now, and she would have to re-promote her confidant courtiers, but as long as she got through it, everything would be fine.
Didn't I make up my mind, this time I want to change myself to support Qi Yan? How to retreat from this
The merits and demerits have their own commentary, even if they are defined as a female tyrant a hundred years later
As long as the world is maintained, everyone can be fed and clothed, there will be no more wars in the world, and the country of Wei can continue... Isn't this what I want to have a clear conscience
Thinking about this, Nangong Jingnu felt a sense of relief. Although there were dense beads of sweat on her forehead, her heart was happy.
Attendant: "Your Majesty."
Nangong Jingnu: "Come in."
The inner attendant entered the imperial study room from the corner door, and trotted all the way to the imperial office and knelt down: "Your Majesty, the adults in the court... the servants of the five departments, the servants... and other adults, how many are there? Ten people, kneeling outside the imperial study."
Nangong Jingnu casually took the book on the side of the imperial case. She flipped through the book she had not finished reading, and after reading three lines, she asked, "Why are you kneeling?"
The maid was stunned for a while, thinking to himself: Isn't Your Majesty pretending to be confused
However, he still answered truthfully: "These adults, I beg your Majesty to open up and forgive the five ministers."
After another long while, Nangong Jingnu replied indifferently: "Oh, let them kneel, and go back when they are tired."
Servant: "Yes."
Nangong Jingnv kept reading until it was dark. Before leaving, she called the chambermaid and asked, "Are those people outside still kneeling?"
Chamberlain: "Go back to Your Majesty, yes."
Nangong Jingnv chuckled lightly: "The decree, the court curfew tonight does not have to drive them away."
Servant: "Yes."
Nangong Jingnv returned to the bedroom alone, and when the drums of the inner court curfew sounded, these adults helped each other to get up and prepare to leave, but the inner servant suddenly came out and stood in front of the crowd and said loudly: "Pass your majesty's order, tonight's curfew in the palace. If you do not avoid you, your lords can stay in the inner court."
This time, the courtiers were dumbfounded again. Some people couldn't stand it after kneeling for so long. However, when His Majesty did not appear, they felt that they would not be able to come down. Leave? Does this mean letting them kneel all night
The leading adults looked at each other in dismay, and among them there were also loyal followers of the five books. In order to let their superiors see their "loyalty" when they came out, they clenched their teeth and knelt down again...
However, the empress, who has always been kind and caring, did not make any further orders. Nangong Jingnu came to the Tangquan Palace to take a beautiful bath, dispelling the exhaustion from her body, and then fell asleep in peace.
The next day, I woke up refreshed, and the ministers heard about midnight, and several of them fainted from exhaustion.
On the other hand, Gongyanghuai personally repaired a letter to Youzhou according to Qi Yan's plan, and he borrowed 200,000 shi of grain and grass.
One stone of rice can be eaten by a soldier for about three months, and 200,000 stone is just enough to last the 200,000 army of Linjiang City for three months. With the reserves in the city, the army of Linjiang City can at least be able to compete with the grassland people. Confronting until the summer, it seems that the victory has been decided...
Gongyang Huaixing hurriedly came to Qi Yan's tent, but when he came in, he smelled the smell of Chinese medicine. Gongyang Huai frowned: "Tie Zhu, are you ill?"
Just as Gu Ruolan was about to answer, Yu Guang caught a glimpse of Qi Yan's face, stopped, just walked towards Gongyanghuai with a thousand blessings and then withdrew.
Qi Yan was sitting on the bed, covered with a quilt, and a thick blanket was pressed on the quilt. The door curtain was lifted and a cold wind came in, forcing Qi Yan to cough a few more times and tug at it. Quilt: "Have you got the food and grass?"
Gongyanghuai sat down on Qi Yan's bed without hesitation, and said with joy: "Tie Zhu, you are really predictable, Youzhou has borrowed us a whole 200,000 stone grain and grass, enough to support the army for another three months. !"
Qi Yan lowered her eyes and calculated, and said in a low voice, "Youzhou's foundation is really deep, you can allocate so much grain with a wave of your hand, and this amount is... just right." More than just right? It's just a matter of giving, it seems that Youzhou still has a grasp of the military situation of Linjiang City.
Gongyanghuai: "You mean... there are spies from Youzhou in the army?"
Qi Yan: "I don't dare to talk about this matter. The imperial court's military order, Youzhou, has the right to know it, and it can be calculated with a little careful calculation. It's better to let Youzhou know our details, in case there are more variables in Youzhou. There will also be there to help in time, so this battle, ahem..."
Gongyanghuai: "Your body doesn't matter, right? Why do you keep coughing?"
Qi Yan: "It's an old problem, don't worry. Did General Han tell you anything?"
Gongyanghuai sighed after hearing this: "This Linjiang City is too far north, and other adjacent states and counties are less than a hundred miles away, and the only way to the south has been blocked again, but the spies dispatched these days The report said: It seems that more than a dozen cities in the south have fallen one after another, but the spy also said; the strange thing is that when he went in and looked, there was no soldier or soldier in the city, not even the people, and the gates of every house were closed, and it was desolate. As for Han Mowen's side... You know, he issued a military order, and he found me yesterday after the rations arrived, saying that he wanted to go to war, but I suppressed him."
Qi Yan's heart skipped a beat and asked, "Where's the imperial court? Is there an edict coming here?"
Gongyanghuai: "No, maybe there is... but maybe it is intercepted by the enemy."
Qi Yan: "I don't think so, the imperial court probably already knew the news of the fall of Luoshui County and Jiaozhou, so if there is an imperial decree, the herald will report it to us from other places through the frozen Luochuan. So...there's only one possibility."
Gongyanghuai: "What is it?"
Qi Yan: "Even if the city falls, even if the grassland people attack but do not take it, there is no reason for it to be empty. The people relocate in peace, and even if someone flees, there will always be old and weak women and children in this icy world who are unwilling to leave and be left behind. Without even a single person, there is only one possibility, the imperial court issued an edict to relocate the people of the adjacent state capital."
Gongyanghuai: "This..."
Qi Yan: "Baishi, do you know what this means?" After speaking, the image of Nangong Jingnu flashed in Qi Yan's heart, how could Qi Yan not know Nangong Jingnv's intention, but did not expect that in order to fulfill herself, the other party would Actually made such a big decision.
Gongyanghuai: "The holy will is unpredictable, even if I guess something, I wouldn't dare to say it..."
Qi Yan smiled slightly: "You are a lot more tactful. Since you don't want to say it, let me say it. Your Majesty did this to reduce the pressure on Linjiang City. The adjacent counties are empty, so we also There is no need to divide troops to rescue, just guard the city wholeheartedly."
Gongyanghuai: "What about Han Yun?"
Qi Yan: "If it's possible, it's okay if you let him hear some wind. This battle doesn't have to be won by 'fighting', and it may be more in your Majesty's mind if it is spent."
Gongyanghuai glanced at Qi Yan, and said with emotion: Where is His Majesty's mind, it's clearly yours, or maybe His Majesty condones your mind...
Gongyanghuai is a native of the Wei country, and has no affection for the grassland people, but he respects Qi Yan, and has seen the weight of Qi Yan in His Majesty's heart, so as long as he can win, it doesn't matter whether he wins or loses victory, it's just...
Gongyanghuai sighed, and seeing Qi Yan looking at him, he explained to himself: "Hey, I suffered a big defeat, and I am not reconciled."
Qi Yan: "It's not someone else who won you, but the princess of the previous dynasty. You lost to her, so don't hate the wrong person."
Gongyanghuai: "I know, don't get angry, it's not good for your health. You know that I'm not like Lu Quan, Ding Yi, even if you look at your face, I won't kill the grassland people, it's just us. What's the next step?"
Qi Yan coughed against her lips for a while, and panted back: "I'll give you a portrait later, you can think of a way... Find out which city a prairie man named Gucci Bayin is stationed in, and find it. He... doesn't have to worry about the next step."