Chunjia actually didn't have a deep impression of his empress Yuan, although Ji Lingzi was second to none in terms of appearance and temperament in such a large palace.
She is one year younger than Chun Jia, and is twenty-three this year. Her eyebrows have fully grown, and she is no longer as bright as Yun Fenghuang, a young woman. Instead, she is calm, with the charm and charm of an adult woman.
It looks like peonies blooming in full bloom in spring, solemn, graceful, noble and gorgeous.
He slowly walked down the steps to greet him with a salute, but his momentum was not inferior at all, and he was faintly competing with Chun Jia.
"The queen has lost a lot of weight." Chunjia squinted his eyes, looked her up and down for a moment, and then said slowly, "I thought you could gain some weight by letting you rest quietly these days."
Ji Lingzi said calmly: "Your Majesty, I'd like to thank you for your trouble, but I've actually gained two pounds in the past few days."
Chunjia was not embarrassed and said calmly: "I haven't seen the queen for a long time, but I can't remember clearly."
"Your Majesty's heart is not here, and he doesn't feel comfortable when he comes." Ji Lingzi smiled lightly, "In this case, I don't feel comfortable looking at you. Both of us are tortured, so it would be good if we don't come."
"Then why did Concubine Xian call me here today?" Chunjia asked calmly, "I originally thought so too. Originally, I and the Queen had a mutual respect for each other. It would be fine if we didn't see each other for the last time. Especially when the Ji family had just been destroyed, I I thought the queen probably didn’t want to see me at all.”
Queen Ji looked at him deeply: "I want to make a deal with Your Majesty."
"Deal?" Chunjia asked with interest, "But I don't know what the Queen's bargaining chip is?"
This was not his intention to tease. After all, although Queen Ji's status was noble, this dignity and status came from her birth as the legitimate daughter of the Ji family.
Now that the Ji family has been overthrown, and her own life is at the emperor's mercy, what qualifications does she have to negotiate a deal with the emperor
"How about a chance to weaken the Regent?"
The queen's words made Chunjia more and more curious, and her tone was playful: "Oh? What chance?"
"The regent's current father-in-law, Lu Qidao, another adopted daughter of Qingpinghou, is in the palace as a concubine." Empress Ji casually mentioned this person who had been almost forgotten by Chunjia, "The Ji family was destroyed because of the common people Ji family, if Lu Qidao He has done similar things, so why is Marquis Qingping intact? The regent's mother's family is from a humble background, and his wife is not of high birth. To be able to achieve such a great reputation today, Marquis Qingping has contributed a lot."
"If we can suppress the Qingping Hou Mansion, even if we just demote Qingping Hou, it should be an excellent thing for Your Majesty, right?"
Chunjia pondered, the queen was right, the regent was actually not very good at temple matters.
It should be said that Shenzong's two sons, Xiaozong and the regent, were not very good at political fighting.
Otherwise, Xiaozong, as an emperor whose legitimate son ascended the throne, would not have been forced to die in depression by the Ji family; the regent clearly had the backing of the Dingbei Army and the full support of Xiaozong, but he still stopped being half a step above the crown prince. , watching Chunjia, who had nothing to do with the throne, ascending to the throne.
When the regent was able to obtain the title of regent, it was actually after he married Qingpinghou's adopted daughter that Qingpinghou gave him some advice.
Lu Chuncao, Marquis of Qingping, was born as a eunuch like Zheng Ju. They both worked their way up from the bottom of the palace, so you can imagine how smart they are in the city.
The two major arms in front of the regent, Wen is headed by Qingpinghou, and Wu is headed by Zhaowu Bo - if any one of them goes wrong, their vitality will be seriously damaged.
On Uncle Zhaowu's side, Yun Fenghuang proposed a plan to establish Gu Zhen as his queen and start a estrangement.
But for Qingpinghou, Chunjia had no clever plan for a while.
If Empress Ji can really give the Qingping Hou Mansion a heavy blow through Lu Qidao...
Chunjia thought for a moment and smiled: "What does the Queen want to trade? And why do you think I will fulfill my promise?"
It was already this time. Before entering the Chongchang Palace, the emperor imagined various reactions of his empress Yuan.
Whether Empress Ji cursed, begged, despaired, or forced him to see a dead body when she walked in... he would not be surprised.
But the queen negotiated a deal with him as if nothing had happened.
This made it difficult for Chunjia not to suspect that either the queen had other agendas, or that this matter was very, very, very important to Empress Ji.
It was so important that even when the Ji family was destroyed and she was about to die, she would still remember it.
"I heard that His Majesty ordered that the Ji family be buried with a grand burial, and I want to see her off." Empress Ji said calmly, "If Your Majesty allows it, I hope that I can go away with dignity."
These two things are not embarrassing, and to a certain extent, they even help maintain Chunjia's image of being "wise and tolerant".
Chunjia thought for a while and felt that there was no need to refuse, so he asked: "How do you plan to plot against Lu Qidao? Qingpinghou is not an easy person, and ordinary things cannot affect him."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured." After receiving the promise, Queen Ji's expression became indifferent and she said calmly, "Your Majesty, has you forgotten the experience of Qingping Marquis? He was originally a commoner Ji's servant. Because of his dedication in serving, He was also smart and intelligent, so he was appreciated by the late emperor, so the common man Ji gave him to the late emperor, and he has won the late emperor's trust ever since. His title was bestowed upon him by the late emperor despite heavy pressure."
"What is his background and what are his flaws, I don't know, Mr. Ji?"
Seeing that she had no intention of going into details, Chunjia did not ask further questions and just smiled: "There have been many twists and turns in the impeachment of the Queen in the past two days. Since the Queen is also eager to defend herself, let's do it tomorrow, okay?"
The queen nodded slightly.
Chunjia said: "That's it, I'll wait for the Queen's bargaining tomorrow. All the Ji family members are still mourning. On the day of the funeral, I will go with the Queen to express my condolences."
The implication is that if the Queen does not trick Lu Qidao enough to implicate Lu Chuncao when she defends herself tomorrow, then on the day of the funeral, not to mention that the Queen cannot go, Chunjia herself may not go.
The couple had always had a mutual respect for each other. After everything was said, Chunjia stood up and left.
Empress Ji had no intention of showing off to him at the moment and sat still, too lazy to see him off.
However, Chunjia walked to the door and remembered, turned around and asked: "I thought you would mention the second prince and the third prince."
"Your Majesty is really good at joking." Empress Ji said calmly, "When the two princes discuss it, they want to call me 'Mother', don't they also want to call Your Majesty 'Father'? Why do you need me to worry about them? Your Majesty. You are not a heartless person. Even if your own flesh and blood has a bloodline that you don't like, at most they will not be able to meet the great people and suffer some grievances between brothers and sisters. What will happen to them? In that case, they will not survive. Now."
In fact, the main reason was that if Chunjia didn't plan to keep the twins, it would be useless for her to plead for mercy.
Might as well just let it go.
"I heard that over the years, the Queen has been persuading the Ji family to adopt an heir for me and then establish another young master." Chunjia said "hmm" and asked again, "Is it because of my neglect of you?"
Empress Ji smiled: "Your Majesty said this, but you are too underestimated. After all, I come from a wealthy family, how could I try every means to put you to death for such a small thing? I just think that if you don't die, you will become Future troubles. It’s a pity that no one in the family listens to my concubine. Otherwise, how could Ji, no matter how concubine she is, be in the current situation? "
This made Chunjia slightly startled: "The Queen suspected me early on? Why?"
"Because Your Majesty is so studious." Empress Ji said calmly, "I, the Ji family, have many children. When I was young, I was well-behaved and sensible and didn't need to worry about the family. But every day, I would get up early before dawn to pay greetings to my elders and wash myself. Going to a women's school is okay in summer and autumn, but people tend to get sleepy in winter and spring, and occasionally lose their temper when being shaken awake by the waiter."
"Your Majesty, fifteen years old, seems to be timid and cowardly, and hesitant to care about Yuan Niang. However, since entering the palace, there has been no one to supervise you. Even I, Mrs. Ji, would rather you abandon your studies and play around all day long. But what about you? Practice writing and martial arts. , a day never falls.”
"Even if your performance is mediocre, as if you are not enlightened. But from my point of view, just because you practice continuously, it shows that you have a perseverance and are extraordinary."
“Throughout history, monarchs who were supported by powerful ministers but failed to break away from the control of powerful ministers throughout their lives were either complete losers. After ascending to the throne, they only indulged in debauchery, indulged in pleasure and did not think about Shu, and even the hearts of loyal ministers were chilled; Either he is eager for quick success, and on the first day he sits on the throne of God, he wants to contact both internal and external officials to kill the powerful officials; Oh, there is also a kind of poor physical fitness, although he is smart, he will die within a few years."
"Your Majesty does not belong to any of them. You are strong and strong, and your self-discipline is shocking to me."
"So I feel that letting you live one more day would be very dangerous for me, the Ji family."
"Therefore, it is better to choose a young family member to adopt him as soon as possible. When the time comes, we will teach him how to behave wildly from an early age. I, the Ji family, can be stable for more than ten or twenty years."
After hearing these words, Chunjia was not angry, and only said: "The queen is really discerning. Fortunately, Mrs. Ji didn't listen to you. But I am also curious, why didn't Mrs. Ji listen to you? I seem to have vaguely heard of it, Is Mr. Ji very wary of the Queen?"
Empress Ji stared at him for a while, then said: "This is probably because your Majesty is destined by fate. The Ji family has been prominent for three dynasties, but their fortunes have gradually declined, and everyone has become slack at the top and bottom."
"Destiny?" Chunjia smiled and said gently, "What I have today is the result of years of hard work, like walking on thin ice. What does destiny have to do with it?"
As for the Ji family slacking off, he did not take it seriously, "Even if I am not taken seriously, the regent is still there, Duke Yi is still there, Cui family and Zheng family are here, what right does Ji family have to slack off? The palace is in trouble, and the royal mausoleum is here. If it collapses, how can Ji be slacking off?"
"Because my grandfather has grown old and his heart has softened, and he can no longer control his descendants." Empress Ji waved her sleeves, showing a hint of ridicule, and said, "When I gave my advice to my grandfather, if I planned to monopolize power to the end, Don’t give His Majesty any chance. The teaching method should be taught by someone who doesn’t know how to adapt and can only study hard; the guards who teach martial arts should deliberately tell the wrong key to make Your Majesty suffer from hidden dangers!"
"If you don't plan to fall out with the Gongxiang family, you should start returning power before your majesty gets tired of me, the Ji family. It's best to make more efforts to teach your majesty to Mingjun."
"In this way, we will not only gain His Majesty's gratitude and trust, but also have a loyal and clear name in the history books a hundred years later."
"But Gongxiang's fortune and fortune have not declined, and Ji has no possibility of usurping the throne."
"Grandfather prefers to return to power... But your Majesty also knows that it is easy to move from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to move from luxury to frugality!"
From the late Shenzong dynasty, the Ji family had monopolized power.
During the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, it was almost like covering the sky with one hand.
Come to this dynasty, the regent has the name of regent. In fact, he unites with the Zheng family and the Cui family, but he can only compete with the Ji family, and even often falls behind.
The two generations of Gonghaixi Marquis Minyang Marquis of Ye State may still remember the hardships of the difficult road back then.
But their next generation, the Ji family was already very prosperous when they were born. They grew up in this kind of superiority. For example, Ji Minggan was a little lazy even in giving Chunjia superficial respect, asking them to put down their hands. The power, treat Chunjia, who is their master and the king, as a real emperor, respect him, assist him, dig his heart and lungs, and do low-level things...
How could they be willing
Empress Ji's face finally showed some sadness: "At the beginning, I told my grandfather that if such a big event is to be interrupted, there will be chaos. But my grandfather always thought that I, the Ji family, have been working in the government and the opposition for many years, even if one day I am rejected by the emperor. , at most he would give up his title and official position, return to his hometown, and live a simple life from now on."
After all, when the Ji family was in power, political opponents, such as Ouyang Yanran and Wei Changkong, were demoted and suppressed. Not many were killed, and there were basically no murderers of the whole family.
In the view of Ye Guogong, whose energy gradually declined with age, even if the Ji family suffered retribution, it would be as if they had worked hard for three generations and returned to before they became rich.
"But I didn't expect that he would meet His Majesty."
The palace is deep and wide, and it is full of candles even during the day.
The Queen tilted her head slightly to prevent Chunjia from seeing the sparkle in her eyes. Up to this moment, her back was still straight, her sitting posture was elegant and graceful, and she did not lose her bearing at all. She said in a deep voice, "It is Ji's misfortune to meet His Majesty, but it is Ji's misfortune. For the world, they are indeed about to welcome a wise king!"
"This is Ji's sorrow, but it is a blessing for everyone in the world."
"It's just that even though I am a queen, it is difficult for me to express my congratulations to His Majesty."
"Of course, Your Majesty may not need my congratulations."
"When Jiu Shi followed the late Emperor Shenzong, he sincerely wished that the world would be peaceful and prosperous."
"Even though the Ji family no longer exists, it is expected that this original intention will be realized in the hands of His Majesty."
"On this point, if he comes to comfort the souls of his family in front of his soul tomorrow, it can be a comfort!"
Chunjia listened quietly, and then smiled: "The regent is still here, the Cui family and the Zheng family seem to be surrendered, but in fact their thoughts are unpredictable. The chaos in the three states can be put down, but it is a manifestation of local corruption. Wei He in the north has already There is something strange... The queen actually believes that I will be the wise king who will bring peace to this world, Hai Qing He Yan, prosperous?"
"Of course you will be such a wise king." Ji Lingzi turned her head and came over with a glint in her eyes, but her expression was proud, "Who do you think I am, the Ji family? I can destroy me with thunderous means even if I have been in charge for only a few years. The Ji family has made it impossible for me, the Ji family, to use all kinds of methods, and we will be defeated!"
"How could such an emperor not be the master of ZTE?"
"Could it be that these people and things you are talking about are more difficult to deal with than me, the Ji family?!"
Chunjia laughed a little dumbly and said: "Then I will thank the queen for her kind words."
He didn't stay any longer, and walked away with a flick of his sleeves.
Empress Ji did not call him, but calmly watched his back gradually disappearing - when he was almost out of sight, the young emperor suddenly stopped, sighed and said: "Have a good journey, Queen."
"Under the Nine Springs, we will never see you again." Empress Ji nodded, very calmly and calmly, and did not care about the vague regret and regret in his tone - she knew what Chunjia was regretting, and he admired her talent and sensitivity.
But from the day Duke Ye refused to take the initiative to return power, it was destined that there would be no good outcome for the two of them.
Therefore, Chunjia rarely came to Yanfu Palace, so the queen never competed for favor.
The couple kept their distance tacitly.
Now the emperor will not be reluctant to part with her, and she does not need to feel any extra resentment or sorrow.
only…
She suddenly thought of a not-so-distant past event, her eyes were dazed for a moment, and then turned indifferent.