On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the court ordered women and the royal family members to pay homage to the palace.
Then there was a very miraculous scene.
Concubine Xue Gui, Concubine Xiao Shu, Li Zhaoyi, and Jiang Shuyi sat side by side to receive court greetings together.
In this scene, there is a tendency of four-legged confrontation.
The royal wife, and many people don't know that Concubine Xian was demoted to Jieyu last night, and they were at least shocked if they saw this scene.
The concubine Xian has become Jieyu, Li Zhaoyi and Jiang Shuyi are in power, is the harem going to change
Many people are anxious and restless, with ups and downs in their hearts and restlessness.
After the congratulations, Mrs. Xie found Gu Jiu, "Second Aunt, grandma, in this palace..."
"Don't ask about the affairs in the palace."
Gu Jiu interrupted Xie's words very simply, her face was serious, "Don't say unnecessary words, so as not to bring trouble to father."
Xie's heart trembled, "Is it so serious?"
Gu Jiu put on a straight face, "I already berated Concubine Xian last night, do you think it's serious?"
Mrs. Xie felt sorry for her, so she didn't dare to ask more questions.
But when the old lady Wei asked about it, Gu Jiu said a few more words, "As long as Li Zhaoyi gives birth to a prince as she wished, the three forces in the harem will be established."
"Where's Jiang Shuyi?"
"Jiang Shuyi is nothing to worry about, she is not strong enough to fight yet."
Without the support of her natal family, Jiang Yan is just a rootless driftwood, which can only be swayed by the waves.
"You also have to be careful, looking at the situation, you are getting more and more nervous." The old lady Wei told Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu nodded, "Lady Madam is worried, I will take care."
The old lady Wei thought for a while, and then asked: "Will the palace be implicated?"
"Not yet. As for the future, no one can say for sure."
The old lady Wei sighed, "I hope Prince Ning's mansion is safe."
Gu Jiu also hoped for peace.
After talking, she went to Changchun Palace.
The palace banquet on the first day of the first lunar month has always been unpalatable, and she is not willing to eat it.
When we arrived at Changchun Palace, everyone in the palace was there, including the princess of Huyang.
Gu Jiu sat with the female relatives.
Concubine Xiao Shu wore a forehead wipe on her head. She had a headache since last night, and it got worse today.
King Ning sat beside her, "Concubine Mother, please take care of yourself."
Concubine Xiao Shu nodded, "I can't die, don't worry. You've heard what happened in the harem today, the harem is about to change.
We old people are blocking His Majesty's eyes, His Majesty wants to support newcomers to fight with us.
For decades, Ruizhen Empress Cui had never been so aggrieved when she was alive. Now my palace is full of children and grandchildren, but I have to suffer this disgust. Your Majesty really refuses to give us old people a little dignity, it is really too chilling. "
King Ning said: "The old man is cruel and ruthless. I didn't know it until today. I want to see if that Li Zhaoyi can give birth to a son."
"Don't mess around." Concubine Xiao Shu reminded King Ning, "I have invited the most skilled old woman in gynecology to look at it. Li Zhaoyi's baby is very likely to be a son."
King Ning sneered, "The old man is probably overjoyed to have a son. It seems that Li Zhaoyi will be promoted to the concubine soon."
Concubine Xiao Shu nodded, "That's right. As for that Jiang Shuyi, she's still a little behind. Unless she can also conceive and have children, she will be promoted to the concubine position."
King Ning said lightly: "Jiang Shuyi is nothing to worry about. The most important thing now is the old man's attitude. The old man refuses to obey the old man, it is really troublesome."
Concubine Xiao Shu snorted coldly, "There are a few emperors who are willing to submit to old age, and you are too naive."
King Ning said with a smile: "My son is old. Now I am also a grandfather, and I am also an old man."
Concubine Xiao Shu laughed.
The owner of Huyang County said next to him: "Brother Wang is an old man, so what am I? I don't want to grow old."
Concubine Xiao Shu pointed at Princess Huyang, "You, you have all the faults of a woman, vanity, greed, jealousy, stinginess, smug beauty, favoring the easy and fearing the heavy...the list goes on and on."
"My concubine said that about me, I feel very sad!" Princess Huyang acted like a baby.
Concubine Xiao Shu changed into a more comfortable posture, "You are also quite old, I don't expect you to change over, I only hope that you will make less trouble. You have seen what happened last night, even Concubine Xian can't help but be punished." Take away the imperial concubine position, as an imperial daughter, you are not the most favored imperial daughter, if you cause trouble again, be careful that your father will take your title."
Princess Huyang's expression changed, "Mother and Concubine, don't scare me."
"Is this palace scaring you? Ask your brother Wang."
King Ning said casually: "Seizing titles is too common. In the old man's early years, did he win the titles of members of the royal family? I counted, and I almost won the titles of three or five princes, and seven or eight titles of county kings. The princess and the princess There are more than a dozen in total. Huyang, you'd better be honest. Otherwise, you will become the first princess of this generation to be confiscated."
Hu Yang was frightened, and his face turned pale.
Concubine Xiao Shu said: "Since Empress Ruizhen Cui passed away, Your Majesty has become more and more free-wheeling. You must be more cautious in doing things in the future, so as not to hinder Your Majesty's eyes."
Then, she looked towards Liu Zhao's brothers.
"Dalang, Erlang, and Shiro, you three brothers must share the worries of the prince with your heart. Wulang and Liulang must also study hard and strive to receive the errand as soon as possible."
Everyone said yes.
Concubine Xiao Shu then said: "The royal family's heirs are not prosperous, Da Lang, Er Lang, you all have to work hard. Shi Lang, when Qin'er recovers, try to add two younger siblings to the child."
Liu Yi said yes with a smile, "Qin'er misses her grandmother very much, and cannot go out due to confinement. She said that when she is out of confinement, she will bring her brother into the palace to pay her respects to her grandmother."
Concubine Xiao Shu was cheerful, "She has a heart. Tell her to take good care of her body, the body is the foundation."
"Grandson thank grandma for caring on Qin'er's behalf."
Because Xiao Qin'er gave birth to a son, Liu Yi received the most attention.
Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao didn't care, they didn't care about this concern at all.
Ouyang Fu and the second son felt very uncomfortable.
Among the brothers, the second son was the first to get married, but until now he has not given birth to a boy and a half girl.
The second young master glanced at Ouyang Fu, and said that if he had no objection, it must be a lie. If it wasn't for the birth of the eldest son, the second son would not have waited until today without concubines, just a few maids.
The second son thought to himself, wait a little longer, wait another year and a half, if there is still no movement, he will marry a concubine from outside.
Although the child born in the concubine is not a direct descendant, but because the birth mother is a good citizen, the status of the child is naturally higher than that of a maidservant. Only slightly shorter than the son-in-law.
Ouyang Fu understands the Second Young Master very well, she has already studied the Second Young Master thoroughly.
The way the Second Young Master glanced at her, she knew the meaning clearly.
She was sore in her heart, but she had to force herself to be calm.
She can't fall down, she can't be weak, she must stand upright, and she must give birth to the eldest son. No woman can take the position of the eldest son.
She used to be gentle and virtuous, just because there was no woman worthy of her attention.
But once a woman worthy of her attention appears, she is not a vegetarian.
The women of Ouyang's family have always been insulated from the word weak.
Everyone had lunch in Changchun Palace and then set off for the palace.
King Ning left halfway, not knowing where he went.
Liu Zhao accompanied Gu Jiu back to the palace.
These two days have been really exhausting.
As soon as Gu Jiu returned to the upper room in the east courtyard, she went to the soft bed to relax her whole body.
Ah, it's so comfortable.
Liu Zhao sat down beside her and massaged her to relax.
"Now this situation, how do we go on?"
Gu Jiu turned to look at Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao had no expression on his face, completely unable to guess what was going on in his mind.
It took him a long time before he said: "It's still the old way of playing. The Li family is nothing to worry about, Li Zhaoyi and her unborn child are nothing to worry about, what really kills is the attitude of the emperor's grandfather."
yes!
The attitude of the emperor is too important.
The emperor's preferences are the weather vane of the court.
The emperor hates a person. If this person happens to be the prince, there is a great probability that the prince will not be able to ascend the throne.
Unless you dare to rebel.
However, the prince of this dynasty does not command soldiers, so if he wants to rebel, he has to buy generals. Generals are not so easy to buy, and not every general has the courage and ability to rebel.
Rebellion is really a very difficult project. Throughout the dynasties, very few people succeeded.
Those who can successfully rebel all have a common feature. They are not only princes, but also military all year round, know military affairs, have a very high prestige in the army, and can respond to everyone.
But King Ning and his brothers, none of them had a high prestige in the army, and none of them could respond to everyone.
The Son of Heaven would not allow such a person to exist.
If such a person really appeared, the emperor would have mobilized troops to destroy him long ago.
Therefore, rebellion seems to be impossible at present.
Then we can only rely on internal struggle.
"If Li Zhaoyi gave birth to a son, will her son grow up safely?"
Liu Zhao's face was cold, "No one with a brain would do it at this time. If you want to do it, you have to wait until the child is three or five years old and shows his talent. Children at this age are most likely to get sick. A little cold , may kill the child.”
Gu Jiu's heart trembled, and she lowered her voice and asked, "Are you going to take risks?"
Liu Zhao said softly: "My son is the emperor's grandson, so I don't care about matters in the harem."
High-sounding, full of nonsense.
Gu Jiu hugged his waist and asked in a low voice: "If the father loses in the end, what will happen to us?"
Liu Zhao paused, and then said nonchalantly: "It's better, I still live the current life, but I don't have authority, so I have to be a man with my tail between my legs.
He was almost imprisoned for a lifetime.
The worst result is that people die and lights go out, and everything becomes empty. But this son is the grandson of the emperor, so his life will definitely be saved, but the glory and wealth are probably gone. "
Gu Jiu laughed, "It's better to expect me to come sooner than to expect you to be rich and famous."
After a pause, she whispered, "Last night, I took a closer look at His Majesty's face, and it's not very good."
"What's wrong?"
Gu Jiu pondered for a moment, then said: "I suspect that Your Majesty has already started taking the elixir refined by alchemists. The elixir has a refreshing effect and gives people the illusion of being strong.
In fact, elixirs are poisonous, have side effects, and can damage internal organs.
At your majesty's age, you should pay attention to what you eat, don't take medicine indiscriminately, eat a light diet, and go out more. But His Majesty's living habits are all reversed. "
Liu Zhao kept moving his hands, "According to what you said, the emperor's grandfather has not been around for many years?"
Gu Jiu didn't dare to guarantee it, so he could only say vaguely: "Maybe."
Liu Zhao smiled softly, "The imperial grandfather is already an old man in his sixties. It seems that he can't wait for the child in Li Zhaoyi's womb to grow up. It is an ominous sign that the ruler is weak and his ministers are strong. Only when the imperial grandfather is in a daze will he pass on the throne. For Li Zhaoyi's children."
"What if, I mean what if, His Majesty is really unconscious at the last moment?"
Liu Zhao remained calm, "At that time, everyone who should come will come."
Gu Jiu stared at him, guessing the meaning of his words.
Liu Zhao pinched the corner of her mouth, "Don't think about it. I will live a long life."
Gu Jiu breathed a sigh of relief, her heartbeat was estimated to be 180 just now, which scared her to death.
No, she had to prepare her retreat in advance.
Send people to Jiangnan for layout in advance.
When that day really came, she would retreat to the south of the Yangtze River and go to sea at worst.
Bring hundreds of thousands of capable fighters and go overseas to rule the country.
"What are you thinking?" Liu Zhao asked her.
Gu Jiu came back to his senses, "I'm thinking about business. It's said that gold is everywhere in the south of the Yangtze River. I plan to send someone over there to see if I can find any business opportunities."
Liu Zhao snorted, "The business of the jewelry store is not bad."
Gu Jiu nodded, "The capital is short of everything, except for the rich. Rich people are willing to spend money to enjoy unique products. The income of Zhenbaozhai for half a year is worth the income of a pharmacy for several years."
"You are making huge profits."
"This madam is engaged in profiteering business. And this madam is not like others who don't pay taxes. This madam pays taxes according to the regulations, and she doesn't lose a penny to the court."
Liu Zhao was surprised, "You still pay taxes?"
Gu Jiu rolled her eyes at him, "Do you know why the income of the household department is getting less and less? It's because all the profitable industries are in the hands of officials, and these officials are all unwilling to pay taxes.
Therefore, a strange phenomenon appeared. The market became more and more popular, and more and more people made money by trading, but the commercial tax of the imperial court was less and less.
The imperial court had no money, so it had to increase taxes on the common people. The common people were overwhelmed, and finally, boom, it exploded! "
"I didn't expect you to understand the economy and the people's livelihood."
"What's so difficult about this? Anyone with a brain knows where the crux of the problem is, but no one mentions it. Because those people standing in the court are all vested interests. Collecting taxes is equivalent to taking money from them. Of course they don't want to cut their flesh."
Liu Zhao paused, "You're right, those people standing in the court are all vested interests, and unless they are forced by force, they will never pay a penny of tax.
As for whether the court has money or not, it doesn't matter, they have money anyway. Even if the sky changes, at worst, you can change your appearance and continue to be an official in the new dynasty.
Those who died were all members of the royal family of the old dynasty, and it was not his own life, so why should he care about it. "
Gu Jiu laughed, "As a member of the royal family, how do you feel?"
"My heart is cold."
Gu Jiu said: "The law is like this, and there is no way to change it. Even if you want to change it, there are many obstacles. A powerful person like His Majesty can't change it, so there is no way."
Liu Zhao said: "The emperor's grandfather refused to change, perhaps because he lacked a clear understanding of the wealth in the hands of officials.
Officials clearly hold ninety's worth of wealth, but someone deliberately misleads them, saying that officials only have ten's worth of property in their hands.
It is only 10% of the world's wealth, and the emperor's grandfather will naturally not overturn the table and re-establish the rules for this little money. "
Gu Jiu looked sideways at Liu Zhao, his statement was more true.
Deceiving the superior and the subordinate is the only magic weapon for an official.
Just like Mr. Gu, his family is not short of money, but he still complains in front of his colleagues.
These days, it is correct to call people poor.
For example, the owner of Huyang County, who is called poor every day, can always get some money from the palace to spend.
Gu Jiu pinched Liu Zhao's cheek, "Even if you know the crux of the matter, you are powerless to change it."
Liu Zhao held Gu Jiu's hand, "I am indeed powerless to change now, and in the future, there may not be no chance."
"Do you want to rebel?" Gu Jiu asked in a low voice.
Liu Zhao scratched Gu Jiu's nose, "I'm a majestic grandson, I'm already qualified to fight, so why rebel? Don't let wild thoughts go."
Gu Jiu muttered secretly, "But when I look at you, I feel that you are rebellious, and one day you will devote yourself to the great cause of rebellion."
"Nonsense." Liu Zhao scolded softly.
Gu Jiu wrinkled his nose, "Whether you're talking nonsense, time will tell. Actually, I don't want to ask about what you're doing outside, I'm tired."
Liu Zhao laughed, "Just take care of my internal affairs and take care of our property."
Gu Jiu snorted, "I am your Minister of the Household Department, and I am dedicated to collecting money for you."
"To be more accurate, you are my young master's Tong Cheng, who specializes in earning money for me."
You are so beautiful!
"My wife plans to go to Shaofu to choose Huangmen after the Lantern Festival, but in your name. The quota under my name has been used up, so I can only use yours."
As the emperor's grandson's wife, Gu Jiu can only have at most four eunuchs to serve her. If there is one more, it is an overrun.
But she can borrow Liu Zhao's name.
As the emperor's grandson, Liu Zhao has sixteen places.