The two prime ministers did not want to offend either the prince or the queen mother.
They simply pretended not to understand what the Empress Dowager meant, knelt down together, and shouted that His Highness the Crown Prince must take care of himself!
The queen mother waited for a long time but did not wait for their next words, she couldn't help being a little annoyed.
"Aren't you good at talking on weekdays? Why don't you continue talking today?"
The two prime ministers lowered their heads, as if admitting their mistakes honestly.
"The Empress Dowager taught me the right thing, and I know I was wrong."
They said they knew their mistakes, but they didn't mean to correct them at all.
After being too angry, his complexion is ugly.
She hated these two old guys in her heart.
They are just pretending to understand in a muddled manner, cunning and cunning things!
Don't let her find a chance in the future, otherwise she will have to teach these two old guys a lesson!
No one around her was willing to speak for her, and the queen mother herself couldn't speak for the prince, so she was forced to give in, so she could only make concessions.
"Prince, no matter what you think, you can tell the Ai family well, as long as it does not violate the palace rules and laws, the Ai family can agree to you, so don't let it go."
Although the queen mother had the idea of abolishing the prince, it was when the emperor was still alive.
With the emperor in charge, even if she wanted to change the crown prince, it would be justifiable, and a lot of trouble would be avoided in the process.
But now the emperor is dead, and he left a posthumous photo for the prince to succeed him.
All civil and military officials already knew about this.
If the crown prince suddenly had troubles at this time, the government and the public would definitely be in chaos.
The regent is still on the run now, what if he comes back to usurp the throne while taking advantage of the chaos
The Queen Mother dared not gamble on this eventuality.
Li Qiong's voice came through the door.
"Is the emperor's grandmother serious?"
Seeing that there was still room for change, the Empress Dowager hurriedly seized the opportunity and responded quickly.
"The two prime ministers are here, and with their testimony, the Ai family must keep his word!"
After a while.
The door was pushed open, and Li Qiong, who was dressed in white plain clothes, stepped out.
He has loose hair and holds a sword in his hand.
The sharp edge of the sword shook everyone present with fear.
"Grandmother, the saint said that the parents who suffer from body, hair and skin, the grandson can neither watch the mother and concubine die, nor can he disobey the father's last wish. I beg the emperor's grandmother to allow me."
After speaking, Li Qiong grabbed her hair and raised her sword to cut it.
This scene terrified everyone present.
The Empress Dowager cried out in surprise: "It must not be done!"
Concubine Zhen rushed forward recklessly, grabbing the blade with both hands to prevent Li Qiong's blade from falling.
The sharp blade cut the palm of the hand, blood overflowed and dripped down the wrist.
Li Qiong let go of the sword hastily: "Mother Concubine, what are you doing?"
Concubine Zhen also let go of her hand, allowing the sword to fall to the ground.
She spread her hands, and the delicate and white palms were already bloody.
She choked up.
"Good boy, I know you are filial.
But you, as the crown prince, are the future emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Since ancient times, how can any emperor shave his hair
You must not break the rules and damage the emperor's face. "
Li Qiong said eagerly.
"Rules and face are not as important as the life of the concubine mother
As long as it can make the mother concubine or the son willing to do anything.
Let's not talk about this first, you go in and sit down, my son will send someone to invite the imperial physician. "
Concubine Zhen endured the pain and pushed her son away forcefully, bent down to pick up the sword.
She tore off the pearl hairpin on her head, and thousands of black hairs poured down like a waterfall.
The Queen Mother snapped: "What are you doing? Put down the sword!"
Concubine Zhen looked at the Queen Mother with tears in her eyes, and said every word.
"The sage wants my concubine to be buried with him, and I dare not refuse, but Qiong'er is still young, so I really can't worry about him.
The Empress Dowager is also a mother, so you must be able to understand this feeling very well.
Today's incident was caused by the concubine's body, even if I want to shave my hair, I should also shave my concubine's hair. "
After finishing speaking, she waved her sword in the astonished gazes, and cut off her hair with black hair up to her shoulders.
Black and blue threads fluttered to the ground.
The queen mother was so startled that she stuttered when she spoke.
"You, you actually came for real?"
For a woman, hair is both face and dignity.
Now Concubine Zhen has shaved her hair in public, no doubt losing face, how will she continue to live in the palace in the future
Li Qiong cried directly: "Mother Concubine! Mother Concubine, you can't do this!"
The maids and eunuchs also knelt down in unison, with their heads lowered, not daring to take a breath.
The two prime ministers on the left and right looked at each other, and they both saw surprise in each other's eyes.
They really didn't expect Concubine Zhen to be so decisive.
Such a beautiful long black hair, I don't know how much effort it took to raise it.
But she cut it as soon as she said it, and she didn't hesitate to use the knife in her hand, she was really powerful!
When the matter got to this point, the Queen Mother knew that she must make a compromise, but she was still unwilling.
She didn't want Concubine Zhen to escape so easily.
The Queen Mother said with a cold face.
"The Ai family doesn't want to force the noble concubine Zhen to die, but it is the emperor's will to let the noble concubine Zhen be buried. If just cutting off some hair can save her life, the Ai family will not be able to explain to the emperor under the nine springs."
She looked at the two prime ministers on the left and right again, and asked.
"What do you think?"
This time, they didn't pretend to be stupid anymore, and responded honestly.
"What the Empress Dowager said is very true."
Concubine Zhen knelt down at this moment and said to the Queen Mother.
"Since the concubine's hair has been cut off, it means that the concubine's life has been cut off.
After the first seven days of the saint, the concubine moved to Shuiyun Nunnery.
From then on, the ancient Buddha with blue lanterns will chant scriptures and pray for the saints and queen mothers every day, and will never interfere in the worldly affairs. "
The queen mother was a little moved.
If Imperial Concubine Zhen really moves out of the palace to be ordained and become a monk, she, the queen mother, will have the final say on everything in the harem in the future.
She doesn't have to worry about her status being threatened.
Queen Mother: "The life in the nunnery is very hard, are you sure you can bear it?"
Concubine Zhen: "As long as I can pray for you and the saint, I can endure all kinds of hardships."
Speaking of this, the Queen Mother had no scruples and agreed to her request.
Concubine Zhen was so grateful that she shed tears.
"Thank you, Empress Dowager, for making it perfect."
Concubine Zhen left with her people, and soon the imperial physician rushed over to treat Concubine Zhen's injuries.
After the wound was treated, Li Qiongping retreated to the left and right.
He looked at Concubine Zhen's gauze-wrapped hands, then at her shoulder-length short hair, and his eyes turned red again.
"It's the son who is useless, so I can only use this stupid method to make the concubine mother feel wronged."
Concubine Zhen said softly, "It's just a small injury, and this sacrifice is worth it."
Li Qiong solemnly promised.
"Don't worry, when your son secures the throne in the future, he will find a way to bring you back."
Concubine Zhen helped him wipe away the tears on his face with the back of her hand, and said in a gentle voice.
"As long as you can do well, even if I really want to stay in the nunnery for the rest of my life, I will be willing."
(end of this chapter)