Because Yun Fenghuang knew so many secrets in a short period of time, his thoughts were whirling, and he didn't realize it for a moment. He only subconsciously said: "Xiao Qi? He has a kind and lovable nature, but this What does it have to do with His Majesty being able to succeed Xiaozong back then?"
"Xiao Qi's appearance." The Empress Dowager reminded briefly.
"Looks like?" Yun Fenghuang was still confused, "Does he look like His Majesty before he ascended the throne...?"
"No." Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the Empress Dowager, "He looks like the late emperor."
After a pause, the Empress Dowager said softly, "Both father and son are like the late emperor."
Yun Fenghuang was astonished: "...Since my granddaughter-in-law entered the palace, I have never heard such words? Even many old ministers don't seem to have mentioned it?"
Ordinarily, if Chunjia really looks like Shenzong, there should be rumors about the former harem
After all, it is a good thing for an adopted heir like him to resemble his late grandfather, and there is no reason to hide it.
"That is the look that the Ai family least wants to forget, but it is also the one that they cannot forget the most in these years... I originally thought that after the late emperor passed away, there would be no chance... Who would have known that the waiter secretly came back from Fuyang County that year and crawled in front of the Ai family The people in front of me howled and cried bitterly, saying that the vassal king who inherited the title from the concubine of King Fuyang looked very much like the late emperor when he was a boy." The Empress Dowager shook her head, with a look of reminiscence on her face, and said slowly, "At that time, he was still in Qiongjiu. Living in the palace was a young prince who was unassuming because he was not favored. He wore a blue shirt and fast boots all day long. His whole body showed no trace of the arrogance of an aristocrat. He looked like he was just an ordinary kid from a wealthy family... That year, Shanyuan When they first met in Guanwai, when he said his surname was Gongxiang, the Ai family thought he was some branch of the clan who came to the imperial capital with his father and brother to establish a relationship... "
"The Ai family decided at that time that the throne must belong to Gong Xiangji!"
She turned her head and looked at Yun Fenghuang, "If you look carefully at the appearance of the emperor and Xiaoqi, they are indeed at least 30% similar to the late emperor. After all, they are both of the Gongxiang family's blood. This degree of resemblance, Zong There are many relatives. But their expressions and demeanor are just like the late emperor when he was a boy... The late emperor was familiar to the ministers and palace people, but it was before and after he ascended the throne. At that time, his majesty was becoming more and more grand, and he could not be seen for many years. The tranquility of the time was diluted by being independent from the world. But for the Ai family, the late emperor at that time is what the Ai family cannot forget the most. "
After a pause, the Empress Dowager smiled to herself, "The Ai family did not dare or have the shame to recall the late Emperor after that."
Because she misunderstood that Shenzong's betrayal would even be detrimental to her and her family, and secretly set out to cut off his heirs... She didn't dare to think about how they would get along after that.
The memories that left her most free of haze and burden were the meeting when they were young, and the brief time when they were newly married, when they were still in love.
The young Chunjia was gentle and elegant, not like a descendant of the clan, but like a son from a wealthy family... To the Empress Dowager, this junior with estranged bloodline was a shadow of Shenzong's past.
Therefore, Gong Xiangji's ascension to the throne has nothing to do with the age of the orphans, widows, and mothers. Since the Empress Dowager is the one who truly determined the new emperor, she cannot choose anyone else!
After Yun Fenghuang heard this, he was finally able to ask the question he wanted to ask the most: "If this is the case, why is the situation like this? If you had reminded us of Shenzong's edict in advance, why would your Majesty be so passive?"
"You also want to ask, why the Ai family clearly liked Gong Xiangji as the emperor, but let him live in hardship in the palace for these years, and even took eight years before taking charge?" The Empress Dowager glanced at her and said lightly, "This Of course it's because he resembles the late emperor."
Seeing that Yun Fenghuang was confused, she sneered briefly, "Except for being the victim of the Ai family and not knowing it until his death, the late emperor was a wise and powerful man! If Gong Xiangji only looked like him, he was actually an embroidered idiot. It’s better to die early, lest you continue to live in this world exactly like the late emperor and humiliate the late emperor!”
Yun Fenghuang: "...?!"
The Empress Dowager ignored her speechlessness and continued, "And do you think Ji Shi really knew nothing about his actions during those eight years?! And Duke Yi was really loyal to him because he was the emperor. ?”
Yun Fenghuang pondered: "You think it was the Imperial Grandmother who protected you?"
"He has a good temperament and good skills, so he can be considered a promising talent. Although he was still immature, he was young at the time, and he naturally became more mature as time went by. The practices of Ji's people were just perfect for training him. "The Empress Dowager said lightly, suddenly showing a look of sadness, "It's just that, just as you resemble Aijia, he really does resemble the late emperor."
The royal elder's face suddenly turned cold, "Even this soft-hearted approach to women is the same as the late emperor's back then!"
You are even scolding yourself... Yun Fenghuang sighed in his heart and said softly: "My granddaughter-in-law didn't expect that either... Maybe you don't believe that if she had a choice, she would rather die on the spot than do anything else." See that he is seriously injured now.”
"You have no time to think too much during life and death, and you can best see your sincerity." The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Ms. Yuan is right, the one who should be beaten by the Ai family is not you, but the emperor!"
Yun Fenghuang was silent.
The grandfather and grandson were silent for a moment, and then the Queen Mother said again: "Is there anything else you want to ask?"
"The Imperial Grandmother hasn't said anything about the edict yet?"
As soon as this question was asked, the Empress Dowager looked at her deeply, with a sneer on her lips, and said: "Edict? Hasn't the people in front of the Ai family already told you about this?!"
"This is all a good thing you did!"
Yun Fenghuang said in surprise: "Is it true that the edict is really hidden in Shanyuan Temple?! But how did King Mao get it when he hasn't come to the imperial capital for many years?!"
The Empress Dowager showed an incorrigible expression: "The late Emperor never thought about returning the throne to the Gongxiang clan, so why did he leave an edict proving that Xiaozong and the Regent were not of royal blood... Have you ever thought about it?!"
"..." Yun Fenghuang pondered.
But before she could think clearly, the Empress Dowager choked up and said, "Because he can't worry about the Ai family!"
Yun Fenghuang was startled: "Grandma Huang...?"
Is Shenzong worried about the Empress Dowager
What's there to worry about
Shenzong, do you know what your queen has done to you
Well, Shenzong didn't know anything, so he thought his queen would be wronged after he left
But what reason did Xiaozong have for not being filial to the Empress Dowager
"The late Emperor said that Xiaozong was not his own flesh and blood. Even if he was, there is no one in the world who would be unfilial to his own flesh and blood." The Empress Dowager sat upright, tears falling silently, "So on the eve of his death, he transferred the Imperial City Secretary's staff to He forced them to stay sick, and in front of the emperor, he ordered them to swear to be loyal to the Ai family for generations... They didn't care about the world, the common people, or the rise and fall of the Gongxiang family, but only thought about the Ai family... But because they didn't know that the new emperor was wise and foolish, and that After he left, there were changes in the previous dynasty and the harem... Therefore, the late emperor thought hard and made an agreement with the Ai family to use Shanyuan Temple as a signal."
"This is not only to commemorate the acquaintance of Ai Jia and him at Shanyuan Temple, but also because this Taoist temple has some relationship with Qu's humble servant. If anyone thinks too much, their attention will be placed on the Taoist temple instead of the Taoist temple. itself!"
The Empress Dowager looked at Yun Fenghuang and sneered, "So do you understand? In Shanyuan Temple, it is true that there are no secrets! The so-called people and things are just deceptions!"
"The only thing it does is serve as a signal."
"If the new emperor treats the Ai family badly after the first emperor passes away, or if the Ai family is in danger for any reason... then send someone to destroy Shan Yuan Temple!"
"At that time, the former Imperial City Secretary who is hiding outside will hand over the edict to the person they think is most likely to avenge the Ai family!"
"At the same time, all the secret agents arranged by the late emperor were used at the same time, and they cooperated internally and externally to overthrow the reigning emperor..."
The Empress Dowager's lips trembled and she couldn't continue. She whispered, "So do you know why the Ai family has not gone to Shanyuan Temple for many years, but they have always been richly gifted?"
Because that's where she met Shenzong, and because it was the last tenderness and protection Shenzong left to her before his death.
Yun Fenghuang was stunned, thinking that when the news came that Shanyuan Temple was burned, the Empress Dowager fell ill overnight, and her vitality was seriously damaged... She was a little at a loss, and after a moment, she said softly: "My granddaughter-in-law... was also seriously ill at that time. It’s your granddaughter-in-law who can’t help but seek medical treatment randomly.”
"...That's all." The Empress Dowager smiled mockingly to herself, "The Ai family originally wanted to live out their lives in peace, but maybe the time has come because they didn't report it. The Ai family harmed the late emperor all his life, and even kept it a secret from him all his life. , I originally wanted to bring all these secrets into the Zi coffin, but in the end, I still want to tell them. I want you to know how vicious and stupid the Ai family was back then!"
"Imperial grandmother, don't be like this, these are all the cheap maids of the Qu family..." Yun Fenghuang's words of consolation were interrupted by the Queen Mother: "No, no matter how bad the Qu family is, I hope the Ai family will trust the late emperor more, and the late emperor will follow the Ai family more If you give some explanations, the Ai family and the late emperor will not reach the level they did later."
She was silent for a while and said softly, "You should understand now why the Ai family would tell you this past event today, right?"
"...The Imperial Grandmother hopes that the granddaughter-in-law will never force or test His Majesty for her own selfish purposes in the future?" Yun Fenghuang said with a wry smile, "How can the Imperial Grandmother talk about this matter... After this incident, is it possible that the granddaughter-in-law still has any thoughts? What kind of face, what are you thinking about? For the rest of my life, as long as His Majesty doesn’t dislike him, my granddaughter-in-law... is willing to stay by his side without asking for anything... serve him day and night... "
After saying this, she saw the Empress Dowager looking at her with a cold expression.
Yun Fenghuang was stunned: "Royal Grandmother?"
"Do you think the Ai family is Gong Xiangji or the Yuan family?!" The Empress Dowager sneered, suddenly picked up the tea at hand and poured it directly on her!
At this moment, there was no Queen Mother Yuan to stop her, but Yun Fenghuang quickly ducked aside with quick eyes and hands, frowning: "Please speak clearly, Grandmother! What my granddaughter-in-law just said comes from the bottom of her heart!"
The Empress Dowager's eyes pierced her like a knife: "Speaking from the heart? You bitch, you swear this hand, you use it to fool Gong Xiangji, and Yuan who cares about Gong Xiangji, it's okay to pay it back, in front of the Aijia , What other tricks do you want to play?"
She sneered, "The two arrows used to kill you are so powerful that only top masters can use them to kill. Why should they be used to kill you? If they are used to kill the king, Ning Guo, the Duke of Yi State, will at least die." One, will not make Gong Xiangji more anxious than killing you! Or do you think that in the eyes of outsiders, Gong Xiangji loves you to the point where he is willing to risk his life for you?!"
Even Yun Fenghuang himself did not expect Chunjia to block the Queen's arrow. This was something that the assassin would never have expected.
In fact, no one would have thought that the emperor would risk his life for a successor!
"..." Yun Fenghuang took a deep breath and suddenly sneered, "The emperor's grandmother just talked about the past with her grandson-in-law, and every word was full of regrets. But from the granddaughter-in-law's point of view, the emperor's grandmother was actually the same as she was when she was a teenager. After leaving the cabinet, his behavior of always doubting the late Emperor Shenzong has not changed at all!"
Seeing that the Empress Dowager was startled, and then showed a look of rage, she said coldly, "Daughter-in-law, are you wrong? Back then, you were suspicious because the late Emperor Shenzong had secretly communicated with the Qu family without telling you, and then handed over the Imperial Guards. He betrayed you and had an affair with Mr. Qu. You were so confident in your theory that you were only sent to Zhuangzi to live for a few days before you decided to fight him to the death! At this moment, you Isn't that the case? My granddaughter-in-law doesn't know what information you have, so you are sure that your granddaughter-in-law can't be sincere to your majesty... But your granddaughter-in-law thinks that although she is not a truly virtuous and virtuous person, she is not a human being! "
"Your Majesty, the majestic emperor, is concerned about the safety of all people, yet in full view of the public, he risked his life and death for his grandson's wife..."
"If my granddaughter-in-law still has second thoughts about His Majesty from now on, wouldn't she be worse than a beast?!"
"You watched His Majesty come all the way, and your granddaughter-in-law entered the palace after your majesty. You should also be very aware of my granddaughter-in-law's character."
"My granddaughter-in-law has never been afraid of death!"
"I just said that my granddaughter-in-law would rather die than hurt your majesty. My granddaughter-in-law said it sincerely!"
"And from now on, if I treat His Majesty sincerely, my granddaughter-in-law dares to swear all the poisonous oaths in the world... Why on earth does the imperial grandmother make such an arbitrary judgment? Is my grandson-daughter-in-law really fooling you?!"
The Queen Mother looked at her blankly.
As the Empress of Shenzong and the behind-the-scenes leader of the general trend of the country in the past two years, even the direction of the seemingly chaotic situation is all in her mind. The Empress Dowager is actually also the Queen Mother Yun, who is famous in the harem of the previous dynasties. With a condescending attitude.
This is why she rushed to Xingxintang after hearing that Chunjia was blocking an arrow for him, and when she saw Yun Fenghuang, she took action without hesitation.
Even the Empress Dowager Yuan was helpless and jealous of the wife here because of Yun Fenghuang's performance, but the Empress Dowager did not.
She has seen too many ups and downs in her life, and has competed with too many amazing and talented people. As for Queen Qu, in terms of means, Chengfu may not be much worse than Yun Fenghuang, or even worse than the Empress Dowager.
It's just that Shenzong chose the Queen Mother, but was completely bored with Queen Qu.
Therefore, in her eyes, Yun Fenghuang was outstanding, but that was all.
If it weren't for the fact that this junior's acting style was too similar to hers when she was young, and Chunjia was so similar to Shenzong's youth... so much so that when the Queen Mother looked at the young couple, she often thought of herself in a daze, and couldn't help secretly guessing, If she hadn't harmed Shenzong back then, if she hadn't been harmed by Queen Qu back then, wouldn't it be possible that she and Shenzong would be like this later on, with many heirs, and as time goes by, no matter how good the relationship is, they can't help but quarrel.
Shenzong felt no guilt in his heart, and he may not be willing to be obedient and doting on her. When the two of them had different opinions, she would act like Yun Fenghuang in private... Shenzong knew it well, but he pretended not to know because of his affection. , and even had to deal with the aftermath for her...
It was such a noisy day with the atmosphere of fireworks in the world.
Shenzong relied on her for everything, but she didn't want to ask for anything. As the most noble couple in the world, after the two of them reached the top, they didn't have the excitement and joy of the newlyweds.
The Empress Dowager always thought that Shenzong died in his prime, not only because of his destined life span, but also because he felt sorry for her until his death, and felt that he had been wronged and burdened her with guilt.
After all, how could he, a wise and capable man like him, not understand the hidden dangers of deliberately exalting his relatives after slaughtering all the main clan members
He still did this simply because he felt that Xiaozong was not of the same blood as the two of them, but the Ji family was related to the Empress Dowager.
Now that Yun Fenghuang used other things and other reasons to refute, the Empress Dowager would sneer at him.
She has plenty of means to deal with this bastard queen!
But Yun Fenghuang mentioned Shenzong and the source of her and Shenzong's sorrow.
The Empress Dowager felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
At this moment, her whole body seemed to explode, and the only thing that ran over and over in her mind was "The Imperial Grandmother has not changed at all."
It has been decades since Shenzong passed away.
The Empress Dowager had assumed countless times that if she could go back to the past, she would be able to live a happy and loving life with him.
She believed it so firmly that she never doubted it.
This is why when she told Yun Fenghuang about the past, she repeatedly emphasized that they were both young at that time.
The Empress Dowager has always felt that apart from external factors, the tragedy between her and Shenzong was mostly due to the fact that they were both too young at the time and did not understand the true meaning of getting along.
But Yun Fenghuang... Yunfenghuang, she turned out!
She said the Queen Mother has never changed!
Back then, being arbitrary had harmed Shenzong and himself, and now he is still being arbitrary.
The Queen Mother's hands and feet were cold, and she didn't know how much time had passed before she said blankly and calmly: "I... Aijia... you... the two arrows that assassinated you... weren't you a trick arranged by yourself?!"
"How is that possible?" Yun Fenghuang said those words in anger. In fact, he was a little upset in his heart. The main reason was that the Empress Dowager had too many cards in her hand.
Who would have thought that Shenzong was also a lover. For the sake of this queen, he would not even consider returning the throne to the Gongxiang family. He would even give up on the stability of the world to ensure that she would be happy in her later years. ?
If the Empress Dowager was really angered at this moment, she was also of her age, and the imperial doctor said that there was not much time left, so if she was forced to drag the current royal family to die together, then Yun Fenghuang and others would be too unjust.
At this moment, when she heard that the Empress Dowager finally spoke, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and showed genuine surprise, "It's not like you don't know my granddaughter-in-law's background... Not to mention today's incident, grandson's daughter-in-law didn't know anything about it in advance. Just say that such a master, where can I Is it possible for grandson-in-law to win over?!"
When she said this, she suddenly thought of something, twitched the corner of her mouth, and whispered, "Well, self-administering abortion pills, and self-administering abortion pills... are all done as a last resort."
"My granddaughter-in-law attaches great importance to her own safety."