"The emperor really trusts you." It is true that Fan Wuguo is favored, but this is different from trust. Perhaps the emperor will indulge him in doing some things and let him hide behind the Kaiping Guard like Wei Tingyu, but if there is something really big, he will usually not be allowed to participate. If he does participate, he is usually just a runner instead of the one who makes the decision. This is the difference.
He was also not allowed to bring weapons into the palace, even if it was just a small dagger.
Wei Tingyu did not comment. The trust he gained was earned by himself.
He has the ability to work for Emperor Xuanren, and his weaknesses and bottom line are also very obvious. Emperor Xuanren can easily control him. Don't think there is anything wrong with it, and there is no need to be unwilling, because the other party is the emperor, the master of the world, it is normal to do so. If he can give unconditional trust in just over a year, Wei Tingyu himself will doubt whether Emperor Xuanren is worthy of him working for him.
Seeing that the situation was completely under Xiaocao's control, Wei Tingyu did not disturb her and left.
Fan Wuguo just looked at him, always feeling that there were some strange emotions in Wei Tingyu. To be specific, Young Master Fan said that he had no idea at all. He turned his head to glance at Xiaocao, then leisurely followed Wei Tingyu, teasing him from time to time.
After making sure there was no problem, Hong Yi left to report to Emperor Xuanren. He had sent people to report several times before, but since the matter was handed over to him, he followed it from beginning to end and knew the situation best.
They tried to keep the noise down as much as possible, but they did not try to hide it, so although on the surface the entire banquet was not affected, there was music, glasses clinking, those who should toast were still toasting, those who should build relationships were still building relationships, but in the past, everyone would toast to Emperor Xuanren, but today, no one did, and the drinking of others was obviously controlled.
Moreover, the hangover soup originally prepared for the elderly was also on their table.
It can be said that Emperor Xuanren reacted belatedly. His ministers, who were in high positions, were basically elderly. They drank alcohol on a daily basis, but that was a frequent drink. They could refuse when they didn't want to drink. The old people were different, but they also considered possible situations, so they were given alcohol-detoxifying soup.
It didn't seem to have much of an impact, as neither the Empress Dowager nor Emperor Xuanren were as excited as they were at the beginning.
Until Hong Yi came back and narrated the whole story from beginning to end, he said at the end, "If it weren't for the timely response of Miss Wenren, I'm afraid today would really be... The two old people haven't woken up yet, but the situation has indeed stabilized. I confirmed this with Miss Wenren again and again before I came back." Thinking about it now, it still makes people feel scared.
The empress dowager finally felt relieved and said "Amitabha". "Your Majesty, it's all thanks to that girl today. You must reward her handsomely later." Two people died because of the Qianqiu Banquet. Even if this matter was completely suppressed, the empress dowager would not feel at ease.
Emperor Xuanren nodded and said, "Of course." Those who deserve rewards should be rewarded, and those who deserve punishment should be punished.
Hong Yi was able to become the chief eunuch beside Emperor Xuanren, and he had been following him since Emperor Xuanren was still a prince. Over the years, he was able to maintain a stable position to where he is today. In addition to his loyalty and ability, he was also a bit lucky. Or, in other words, he occasionally had some unusual feelings. For example, now, he felt that the girl from Wenrenjia might be extraordinary in the future. So, within the scope of what he could say, he said good things to Xiaocao, and there was no need to make up stories. He just let these two know the truth about what she had done.
How many people rushed to ask Eunuch Hong to help them speak well of them in front of Emperor Xuanren? Unfortunately, Eunuch Hong was a very principled man. He just listened with a smile but refused to respond, and no one could do anything about it.
Although they were trying to talk Xiaocao into it, the moods of the Empress Dowager and Emperor Xuanren had improved. However, at this moment, the banquet was about to end. The whole afternoon had been a "buffet" and the dishes on the table had been rotated several times. Adding them up, the total number of dishes was not small. But, to be honest, there were basically no plates of dishes that had been eaten up, while the number of dishes that had not been touched was definitely not small. From this point of view, it was definitely a luxury.
However, in comparison, people also eat more than at other times. Although they may stretch out their chopsticks occasionally, over time and with more times, they naturally eat more.
The banquet did not end, but the Queen Mother and Emperor Xuanren had already left, which also meant that some other performances in the palace had also begun.
Except for the elderly who left one after another after being reminded by the palace servants, the others were those who had nothing to do. Regardless of their age group, the rest were all concerned about specific events or people inside and outside the court.
It's difficult to discuss anything with the two people sitting up there, but now there's nothing to worry about.
Some people don't know what happened yet, but some people already know. The emperor didn't order it to be concealed, so soon, everyone knew about it. Now everyone is silent. Seriously speaking, they are all wrong. They didn't think it through, and that was a mistake. As a subject, they should learn to reflect on themselves.
Come on, don’t say anything. Just write a letter of apology tomorrow.
Fortunately, no one was killed. If someone had died, it would probably not be as simple as asking for forgiveness.
Wenren Taibo was involved in this, feeling somewhat proud and somewhat worried. However, no matter what it was, he did not have the time to think about it at the moment. There were quite a few people surrounding him, and the gist of it was "raising a good daughter." Regardless of how true this statement was and what the purpose was, Wenren Taibo had been in officialdom for a long time and was able to handle this situation with ease. In short, he just avoided the traps and didn't get involved.
Some people would like to take advantage of this moment to care for those elderly people, so as to gain a reputation for caring for the elderly and loving the people, especially King Heng who may be in a bit of trouble now. However, it is a beautiful thought, but it is actually very bleak now. The place used to temporarily house those elderly people is already guarded by the imperial guards, and no unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter.
In the palace, no matter how powerful one is outside, one has to restrain oneself, even when facing people outside the palace whom they totally ignore. If they accidentally alarm the emperor, they may be in big trouble.
Prince Heng became furious upon hearing this, and left with a gloomy face, then went to find Concubine Kou.
The birthday gift he prepared, or the birthday gift prepared by Concubine Kou, was handled by only a few people. If something went wrong, it might be the fault of these few people. However, in the eyes of Prince Heng, these people should not have the courage to do so. The only one who was a little suspicious was probably the Kou family. After all, from the very beginning, the Kou family wanted to offer the "mountains, rivers, and the country".
Concubine Kou has been a little uneasy since the problems with "Splendid Mountains and Rivers", but she dare not disobey Prince Heng's wishes even though she wants to sacrifice "the mountains and rivers" for the "people and the people". She wants to use Prince Heng as a stepping stone to a higher position, provided that Prince Heng will not kill her. As a qualified employee, she can make suggestions, but cannot interfere in other people's business.
She also knew about Prince Heng's temper. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as the rumors said.
So, who replaced these two paintings? Concubine Kou bit her nails nervously. Her beautiful nails had been bitten into cracks, but she herself didn't seem to realize it.
"Kou Shi—"
Concubine Kou was startled for a moment, then came to her senses and quickly stood up, "Your Majesty."
She knew that Prince Heng would probably look for her as soon as possible. Although she was a little afraid, she still stayed alone after leaving the table. It was a blessing in disguise. If it was a disaster, it was inevitable. No matter how afraid she was, she had to find a way to cover it up. Hiding would be a sign of guilt.
This is where Prince Heng lived before he left the palace. When Prince Heng’s family members were in the palace, they would rest here when necessary.
Prince Heng still has some gentlemanly manners and would not easily lay hands on a woman.
He lifted his robe and sat down, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
"Your Majesty, I really don't know what's going on. You know, after I gave the things to you, I never touched them. You looked at them at that time. After I left the palace and entered the palace, I was not by your side. So I really don't know what's going on." Even a strong woman should know how to show weakness when necessary. What's more, Concubine Kou doesn't need to pretend at this moment.
Prince Heng pondered. Kou was right. So, the problem was still with him? But that was not right either. The "Mountains, Rivers, and States" was supposed to be in Prince Heng's mansion. How could someone take it out and replace the original birthday gift
There was a hint of danger in Prince Heng's eyes. It seemed that he had to investigate thoroughly.
He turned around and looked at Kou, "Why did you insist on giving away the mountains, rivers and the country before?" Even if what he said was inappropriate.
Concubine Kou was speechless. How could she explain? She said that Emperor Xuanren would not live to be fifty and would die next year. If she didn't take this opportunity to send him off, she might not be able to do so. She wanted to send off the country just to increase the weight of Prince Heng's Mansion.
"I just think it is more suitable." Concubine Kou said in a low voice.
"More suitable? How stupid!" King Heng scolded unceremoniously.
Concubine Kou lowered her head and said nothing, but her heart was burning with anger. When she found out that there was something wrong with the birthday gift and vaguely sensed that something was wrong, she was sure that it was indeed inappropriate. However, she didn't know these intricacies in the first place, and she was too chauvinistic to explain it to her. Now she was scolded for being stupid. When she got a lot of money, she hugged her beloved and praised her for being smart. What was that? Men are really not good, especially those mouths, which can fool ghosts!
After Prince Heng finished scolding, he seemed to realize that it was not appropriate. Even though they were his women and he could easily control them, if Kou was unhappy, she might not work so hard to help him make money. Prince Heng could now spend money wantonly without worrying about any trouble, but it was all thanks to Kou. Before he took the throne, he absolutely could not do without this woman. As for the future, that would be discussed later.
Prince Heng was also an old hand in this regard. He pulled Kou over and slowed down his tone, "I was just angry for a moment. I always knew that Ping'er did this for me. Ping'er, please don't be angry with me, okay?"
Concubine Kou struggled for a while, and when she saw that she couldn't get rid of him, she softened her body. However, she still sounded aggrieved and sobbing, but she didn't care at all in her heart. She was not so easy to coax, and she had met a lot of men. It would be fake if she obeyed him just by a casual word. She still needed to have a little temper when she should, otherwise, according to this man, he might still have some grudges in his heart.
After hearing these words, Prince Heng finally made the people laugh.
The two of them were clinging to each other for a while. If it wasn't for the wrong timing, they would have rolled over to the same place. After all, business was more important.
Even though Prince Heng is a prince, the number of people he can bring into the palace is limited. It is very easy to find out where the mistake occurred. The birthday gift was sent to this place after being brought into the palace.
During the interrogation, it was revealed that the only possible problem was the time when the birthday gift was kept in the house. However, even so, the door was locked and there was always someone guarding it. After all, the gift was too important and no matter how careful one was, it could not be over-cautious.
But something went wrong!
The gatekeeper refused to admit that he had left, let alone that he was "stealing from the employer". The doors, windows and even the roof were all in good condition, with nothing unusual. King Heng was almost certain that there was something wrong with the gatekeeper, so even his confidants were detained and tortured.
After checking and following the people they had contact with, we actually found some problems.
Once there is doubt about anything, even the slightest thing wrong will be magnified infinitely.
However, he is still in the palace, and the person involved is in the palace. Prince Heng sent another confidant out of the palace and back to the palace to control the person to ensure that there is no mistake.
The confidant responded respectfully, without noticing that Prince Heng was looking at him with scrutiny. But Concubine Kou, who was sitting on the side, saw it clearly. She would not interfere in such matters. If she got involved, it would not be a sign of loyalty, but trouble.
But he is still just a prince, he is so suspicious. If he really ascends the throne, I am afraid he will not trust anyone easily. Concubine Kou is blind to history, because she only knows a little about it because of various remakes of the Qi Dynasty. As for Emperor Tianshun, he is almost regarded as diligent and caring for the people. In the end, he seemed to have died of exhaustion on paperwork. From the perspective of Concubine Kou now, it is probably not the case. She may not trust people and want to take charge of everything. At the same time, it is normal for her to die of exhaustion.
Why don't you learn from your father? Today's Emperor Xuanren doesn't work himself to death, and lives a comfortable life every day. However, his reputation among the people is not bad at all. If you think about it, you can see the difference.
After the matter was settled, Prince Heng was about to take Concubine Kou to watch a play when someone from below hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, something happened with Prince Cheng..."