The issue of whether to keep Ji Lingzi is definitely not a question of whether to keep Ji Lingzi in the post, but whether to keep her alive
"Now that the Empress Dowager has spoken, it doesn't matter if she goes to stay in Qingci Palace. If His Majesty doesn't like them, there won't be any trouble!" Meng's mistress was the first to express her position, "And why? She is also His Majesty’s Empress, so it’s better for us not to bear some reputation.”
The mistress's natal family and the Ji family are relatives in a roundabout way. They have had some exposure in the past, so they have no hostility towards Empress Ji.
Of course, it was okay to ask her to say a few words for Empress Ji without hindering herself, but she also refused to ask her to do something substantial for the Empress.
They are all married, have children, and have daughters entering the palace to serve the emperor. Is it possible that they are still throwing their lives and blood for such a small relationship
"Sister, don't forget the third-generation Phoenix Master of the Ji family. Where have they not placed any personnel in this palace?" Mistress Luo frowned slightly and reminded, "Otherwise, the common man Ji Sheng has been plotting to kill the royal heirs for so long. It is not that everyone is doubtful, but no clues can be found, and the truth about the auspicious beast is implicated... Now the common man Ji Sheng committed suicide out of fear of crime. If the queen is still there, she is still young, but the empress dowager is already dying. Sir, are you sure that the Empress Dowager can always control the Queen?"
"When something goes wrong, who can explain to the royal family?"
Ouyang's mistress also thought the same way: "If Ji is just being accused and exiled, the queen might be able to take advantage of the situation and stay safe in Qingci Palace. But even though she is hiding it from the empress dowager, it's not that the queen doesn't know... that's it. The Empress Dowager, without knowing anything at the moment, can still be somewhat conceited towards us."
"How can we give up when we know the truth in the future?"
"Now that there are no outsiders, I will tell you the truth: these two grandfathers and grandsons now have no biological flesh and blood under their knees. The Empress Dowager may still feel sorry for the three eldest princesses, but who can the Queen feel sorry for?"
"What can't she do?"
Yin Xiang's mother left early, and the mistress of the Yin family who came to the palace for her today was her biological aunt. Seeing that something was wrong, she quickly smoothed things over: "Let's not fight here. Didn't the Empress Dowager say so? Let's let it go. Let’s take a message to His Majesty, and His Majesty still needs to make the decision on this matter.”
Chunjia actually hasn't thought about it yet.
Now that the Ji family has been solved, it is definitely impossible for Ji Lingzi to continue to sit in the back seat - the question is, should the Empress Yuan die suddenly or be deposed first and then die suddenly? Or should she be killed suddenly and then be deposed?
Of course he is not reluctant to part with it. If he is really reluctant to part with it, he will not take the pot from his mother's family without any hesitation.
The main reason is that he is still wondering, which method is more profitable
It was difficult for Chunjia to discuss this issue with the harem, because both Empress Dowager Yuan and Yun Fenghuang had grievances with Empress Ji, and their positions may not be objective.
While he was thinking about finding a capable and tight-spoken minister to discuss, Empress Ji made some noise first - as a queen, she submitted a petition to the court, requesting that she defend herself to prove her innocence.
Of course, Chunjia would not rashly agree to her request. After all, although the Ji family was destroyed, it was mainly because the Ji family did not expect the royal uncle and nephew to attack so harshly and quickly, catching them off guard.
If Chunjia and the regent hadn't acted carefully enough and taught them to be prepared in advance, how could such a prominent family for three dynasties be eradicated so easily
Now that Duke Ye and others are gone, the remaining members of the Ji family, as long as they don't want to be traitors, will have to get closer to the ancestors and grandsons of the Ji family in the palace or the few children living outside.
Who knows if Empress Ji dared to do this because she had some trump card that would kill her
However, during this period, many courtiers questioned the queen for plotting to murder the emperor's heir like her aunt. The queen proposed to defend herself at this time. As an enlightened and tolerant emperor, Chunjia could not refuse it.
He then asked Yun Fenghuang to go to Yanfu Palace and have a look to see what the Queen was up to.
"Why are you doing this?" Yun Fenghuang was ordered to go to the Chongchang Palace. Empress Ji was dressed in regular clothes and hairpin as usual. Although her expression was slightly haggard, her overall temperament was very peaceful, and there was no sign of hysteria and despair.
She thought that people from top aristocratic families were able to keep their composure. At this moment, she was not sure about how to shed blood, but it seemed that she was not affected by the destruction of her family.
No wonder Chunjia is worried.
After Yun Fenghuang saluted and was given a seat, he said slowly, "You will definitely not be able to keep your position."
"I know." Empress Ji said calmly, "I don't expect to continue to stay in Yanfu Palace. However, I, the third generation of the Ji family, have supported the country. Although I am a wolf in the eyes of the Gongxiang family, now we are in this prosperous and peaceful age. , why does it have merit? Ask yourself, is this true?"
The Ji family started their career by assisting Shenzong. Once Shenzong was in power, the Ji family did contribute a lot.
At this time, there was no need for Yun Fenghuang to open his eyes and tell lies about such a little thing, so he nodded: "But those are all in the past, and Ji has also received the reward he deserves. Even more than that. It's all better, right? At first, the late Emperor Shenzong hoped that the Ji family would continue to assist the late Emperor Xiaozong, but during Xiaozong's reign, the Ji family suppressed Xiaozong to the point that Shenzong's only legitimate son died of depression in his prime... At this point, even if your family goes underground, Shenzong will definitely settle accounts with you."
The Queen said calmly: "Whether the Ji family has been sorry for Xiaozong, everyone has gone down, and let them discuss it with the two generations of late emperors underground. Your Majesty is the one who is in office now, and I, the Ji family, have also contributed to your majesty. Now I The palace doesn’t ask for anything else, it just wants to be upright, can’t it?”
Yun Fenghuang said: "Now that the Holy Emperor is on the throne, what kind of uprightness do you want? If Your Majesty doesn't want to be upright, I won't be here to talk to you now."
The Holy Emperor was on the throne that day, so the Emperor's behavior must be dignified and without any criticism.
This is the bottom line.
No matter how aggrieved the queen felt and how much she felt aggrieved for Ji, this bottom line could not be crossed.
"The entire Ji family is gone. Now, in such a large family, apart from the one or two children who are scattered outside, there are only three female descendants, the Empress Dowager, me and Mu Zi, who are surviving." The Queen said, "What else can your Majesty do? Are you worried? I am just not angry with outsiders because my mother, the Empress Dowager, oh, she is a commoner, Ji, and suspects that I am also a vicious woman who cannot tolerate others."
Yun Fenghuang said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly: Although the people who have been keeping civet cats in the palace over the past few years are the common people Ji, my Majesty has never mentioned this matter. But my direct nephew, you are talking nonsense. It has nothing to do with you, I'm afraid I won't be able to convince the public."
"Isn't it true that people outside are slandering me now?" Queen Ji asked back, "Although the entire Ji family was massacred, Your Majesty has never given up on me, and since I was the queen, they can't help frame me! I am filing a self-defense according to the rules, what’s the problem?”
"There is no problem, but His Majesty is very busy now." Yun Fenghuang said, "You may not have time to worry about this matter."
Empress Ji sneered: "Since the Ji family has been destroyed, what else can he do? Oh, he is busy fighting with the regent? Has it only been a few days that the uncle and nephew have fallen out?"
Yun Fenghuang did not answer the question: "Do you have anything else to say? If not, I will go back to Your Majesty right now? As for whether you are allowed to defend yourself, it depends on Your Majesty's wishes."
"No matter what your majesty means, he should come and tell me personally." Empress Ji glanced at her and said calmly, "We are a husband and wife, why didn't he even send me the last journey? I don't think he felt wronged. Are you feeling guilty for killing so many old, weak, women and children of the Ji family and don’t dare to come to see me?”
Yun Fenghuang smiled and said: "I'm really confused because I've been sick these days! The Ji family is obviously the fault of the Regent. His Majesty was deeply angry when he found out, but it was because of the family ties and the impulsiveness of the Regent. For his own sake, I didn’t do anything to him. Your Majesty still sympathizes with the Ji family, so why don’t you dare to see your Majesty? But when your Majesty sees your Majesty, your Majesty should not forget to thank you."
Queen Ji just sneered.
When Yun Fenghuang saw this, he got up and left, went back to Taichu Palace, and told Chunjia what happened.
Chunjia frowned and said, "Is it interesting to bother with this now?"
"I think the queen's intention is that she doesn't want to be stigmatized." Yun Fenghuang said, "After all, now she knows she will not get better, so she will just fight for whatever she can."
Then he said, "If His Majesty has no time to go over, why don't I go and tell her?"
Chunjia pondered for a moment, then said: "That's all, as she said, after all, it's okay to see each other one last time as a couple."
What this means is that Queen Ji will not be spared her life.
Yun Fenghuang sighed in his heart and said: "I know, then the Empress Dowager..."
"Just say that the queen felt sorry for the sins committed by the common people Ji, and decided to become a monk to pray for the clan to atone for her sins." Chunjia said casually, "Just say, well, what is the name of the Taoist temple over there in the palace?"
Yun Fenghuang reminded: "Shan Yuan Temple?"
"Yes, it's Shanyuan Temple." The emperor said, "Tell the Queen Mother that if she misses the Queen, she can see her when she goes to summer vacation next year."
By next year, the whole family will be wiped out. If the Empress Dowager cannot bear the bad news and dies, the impact will not be that big.
"I will go and make arrangements when I get back." Yun Fenghuang nodded and looked at the pile of memorials on his desk. "Your Majesty has no other instructions, so I will take my leave first."
After Concubine Xian left, Chunjia reviewed the memorials for a while and took care of all the urgently needed government affairs. Then he had people prepare the chariot and go to Chongchang Hall.
He hasn't been to this place much since the wedding, because starting from the day after the wedding, many concubines came into the palace one after another.
The palace concubines all had their own backgrounds, and the number of bedtime visits was not up to the emperor at all, so they were tacitly arranged according to their family background.
For example, Yuan Yuniang would try every means to seize the opportunity. Empress Ji was always aloof and arrogant. She never said anything if the emperor didn't come. She looked like her love would never come... Chunjia responded to her attitude and came. Even less.
After taking office, he rarely set foot there.
Walking in now, every plant and tree seems familiar, yet extremely strange.
Also looking familiar and yet unfamiliar was Ji Lingzi waiting in the palace.