After the New Year, on the surface, everything seemed harmonious.
However, as the emperor's condition gradually improved, Zi'an could feel the tense atmosphere in his heart.
Especially after the Seventh Prince went to see the Seventh Prince and confirmed that the Emperor was cheating on him, and told her that he was going to the palace to see the Emperor, Zi'an felt that the Seventh Prince wanted to be the first to fire the first shot after the calm.
Murong Jie deliberately avoided the time for Zi'an to enter the palace for acupuncture. He went to Xiwei Palace only after Zi'an left the palace after acupuncture.
The guarding of Xiwei Palace is a little stricter now. When the Empress Dowager was alive, almost anyone could enter the palace where the emperor resided, but no one bothered to enter.
When his condition was better, he asked Eunuch Lu to run errands for him. Although the ministers had not yet entered the palace to ask for an audience, at least Murong Jie had no way to hide the news that his condition had improved.
When Eunuch Lu saw Murong Jie coming outside the palace, he felt like he was facing a formidable enemy.
He thought Murong Jie came because he had been leaving the palace frequently recently.
"Your Highness, why...why are you here today?" Eunuch Lu couldn't speak clearly.
Murong Jie actually smiled at him, "I am here to visit the Emperor."
Eunuch Lu was stunned. This smile... was a bit weird. Would the prince smile at him
Murong Jie not only smiled at him, but also bowed and said, "I have never formally thanked you, eunuch. Thank you for your help in the past. I will remember it in my heart and will repay you if I have the chance."
Eunuch Lu's face turned pale. If the Regent lost his temper, he wouldn't be so scary. But the way he smiled at him and bowed to him made him feel uneasy.
He forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I have never helped you in any way."
After saying this, he subconsciously looked inside the hall, as if he was afraid that someone might hear Murong Jie's words.
Murong Jie did not embarrass him, but simply asked, "Is the emperor feeling better recently?"
"This... the situation is not very good, but it is a little better than before. Generally speaking, it is quite serious."
After Eunuch Lu said this, he felt that it was a bit unnecessary. The person who knew the emperor's condition best was the princess, so how could the prince not know about the emperor's condition
This attempt to cover up made it even more obvious and made him suspicious.
"Go in and tell them that I want to see him." Murong Jie said indifferently.
Eunuch Lu was surprised. When he came to see the emperor before, he always went in directly. Why did he need to be informed
You are so polite today, could it be...
Eunuch Lu's face turned pale, and he pleaded in a low voice: "My Lord, you and the Emperor are brothers after all, please..."
Murong Jie interrupted him, "Eunuch Lu, go in and pass the message."
Eunuch Lu did not go in, but knelt down.
Murong Jie naturally knew why this happened.
There are two reasons. Either he has been leaving the palace frequently recently and has contacted some ministers who want to overthrow him.
Or, he was convinced that he would be harmful to the emperor.
Murong Jie reached out his hand to help him up, and lowered his voice and said, "If I were really the kind of person who would kill my brother and my king, Eunuch Bao would not risk his life to save me."
Eunuch Lu was shocked and looked up at Murong Jie.
"Go ahead, go in and tell them that I have never been interested in the throne." Murong Jie said indifferently.
Eunuch Lu then became skeptical and walked in slowly.
After the New Year, the chilly winter air has subsided a little, but the silver charcoal is still burning in the West Hall, making the hall as warm as spring.
Empress Hu Huanling was serving the emperor medicine. When she saw Murong Jie come in, she stepped aside and took the opportunity to slip out, with her head lowered and her eyes submissive, looking very well-behaved.
However, she seemed like a lowly concubine who had just entered the palace and did not have the aura of a queen at all.
The emperor was sitting on the bed, with a cushion embroidered with dragon and phoenix patterns stuffed on his back. His face looked pale against the stone-blue satin cotton coat he was wearing. He had just shaved, so his face was clean, and the red spots were not as obvious as before.
His spirit is really good, even his eyes are much brighter.
Murong Jie looked at him and bowed, "Your Highness!"
"Prince Regent, please excuse me and take a seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Both of them were politely polite.
The emperor spoke first, "Your Majesty the Regent is very courageous. I heard that you are promoting free medical care on a large scale. I just wonder if the money in the national treasury is enough for you to do this for two years?"
Murong Jie smiled slightly, "Your Majesty's concern is reasonable. With such long-term free medical care, the money in the national treasury is indeed not enough to support it."
"So, the Regent has a solution?" The emperor looked serious, without any sarcasm in his eyes.
"Two years later, medical insurance fees will be collected. Each person will receive 30 coins a year, and they will be able to enjoy a year of free medical care. However, this policy will only be implemented after the emperor takes power."
The emperor's eyes were slightly annoyed, "Your Majesty has been a good person, so you want me to be a bad person?"
"How can this policy that benefits the people be turned into a bad one?" Murong Jie said calmly, "Thirty cents is not a big burden for the people. It's just the price of ten or so buns."
"These thirty coins cannot fill the gap in the medical expenses and the Welfare Bureau. The court still needs to allocate a large amount of silver. Where does this silver come from?"
"Your Majesty, the national treasury has a large amount of tax revenue every year. I believe that medical care is the top priority, and large-scale construction projects can be carried out slowly or not at all."
What he was talking about was the construction of another palace, recruiting soldiers and purchasing weapons.
He had seen the preliminary blueprints and building materials for building the palace, and it would take three to four years and cost about nine million taels of silver.
The silver in the other palace is limited, but recruiting soldiers and purchasing weapons requires continuous expenditure of a large amount of money every year.
The emperor's face was obviously filled with gloom. "The regent is trying to block my escape route."
"Your Majesty is wise and should know that this is not a way out. He once said that if something wastes money and labor, it should be avoided. I don't know if it is the Emperor who has changed, or the world that has changed."
The world will not change by itself, it is he who changes.
"The matter of the other palace can be put to rest, but the regent must know the principle of strengthening the army and enriching the country. You come from a military background, so you should know how important it is for the country to have strong soldiers and horses."
"The army of our Great Zhou is already strong enough. Your Majesty now needs to develop many capable generals, rather than blindly relying on the elderly or those whom Your Majesty is suspicious of. If you want to use them, then use them with confidence. If you are not confident, then it would be best to replace them."
The emperor's eyes flickered, "I don't understand what the regent means."
"Your Majesty understands that these people, including me, including the Xiao family, at least, are Xiao Xiao."
The emperor sneered twice, "Your Majesty, you might as well make your words clearer. Now that you are in power, the government is almost in your hands. Can I just dispose of you if I say no? As for Xiao Xiao, he is the Zhenguo General of my Great Zhou. How many local garrisons have his former subordinates infiltrated? It is not an exaggeration to say that he can command a hundred responses. Now he has married the Grand Princess. If I abandon him and the Princess says a few words about me outside, my reputation will be ruined."
(End of this chapter)