The next day, after the prince was ready to go to court, he went to Hulong Temple to pray for the late queen.
Before going to court, Emperor Wu of Zhou told the prince to pay attention to his health and not to get exhausted while praying for the late queen.
Faced with Emperor Zhou Wu's sudden concern, the prince was stunned for a moment, and then said with great emotion that he would take care of himself.
Emperor Wu of Zhou also said that he would also go to Hulong Temple on the anniversary of the death of the late Queen.
As soon as he said this, all the ministers in the court looked shocked. This is the second time that the emperor personally went to Hulong Temple to pray for the late empress after her death.
The first time Emperor Wu of Zhou went to Hulong Temple to pray for the late empress was when the late queen passed away. In the following years, Emperor Wu of Zhou never went to Hulong Temple to pray for blessings. This year is the seventh year since the death of the late Queen. It is a very important year. Of course Emperor Wu of Zhou must go to Hulong Temple.
"On the anniversary of the late Queen's death, all my dear friends will not come to court."
Emperor Wu of Zhou said this very calmly, but it caused a storm in the hearts of the civil and military ministers of the dynasty.
Quit going to court? !
The emperor actually wants to quit the court for the sake of the late queen again? !
The ministers all showed expressions of disbelief!
The prince and Duke Zhen were also shocked. They did not expect that the emperor would withdraw from the court for the second time for the first empress!
After the emperor ascended the throne, he only stepped down from the throne when the previous queen passed away. Since then, the emperor never stopped going to court. Even if he was too ill to get out of bed, he insisted on going to court.
In the seventh year after the death of the late empress, the emperor once again resigned from the court for the late empress. This... It seems that in the emperor's heart, the late empress, who has been dead for several years, is still very important!
Emperor Wu of Zhou looked at the prince and said, "Follow me to Chonghua Palace later."
"Yes, Father."
"Dear ladies, do you have anything to report?" Emperor Wu of Zhou asked.
"I'm fine."
"Retreat from the court."
Sun Kui shouted loudly: "Retreat!"
All the ministers knelt on the ground and saluted: "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor!"
Before leaving, the prince looked at the king proudly and immediately went to find Emperor Wu of Zhou.
After the court came down, the ministers who supported the prince's party surrounded Duke Zhen.
"Mr. Zhen Guo, did you already know that the emperor would stay away from court for the sake of the late empress?"
Of course the Duke of Zhenguo didn't know, but he had to pretend to know.
"This year is the seventh year since the late Queen passed away. The Emperor will definitely pay attention to it."
"I didn't expect that the Emperor has always been thinking about the late Queen."
"The late Queen is still very important in the Emperor's heart."
"The queen is the emperor's first wife, and she plays the harp and harp in harmony with the emperor."
The ministers who supported the prince's party were all smiling and proud.
During this period, because Emperor Wu of the Zhou Dynasty gave Kong Taichang's youngest daughter in marriage to the king as his concubine, the ministers who supported the king were very arrogant and proud, and often showed off in front of the ministers of the prince's party, which made them very depressed. It also made them very worried, worried that the emperor would really depose the prince.
Now that the emperor attaches great importance to the death anniversary of the late queen, the ministers in the prince's party breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, he was very proud.
As long as the first queen is important in the emperor's heart, then the emperor will not abandon the prince easily.
Although Concubine Rong is favored by the Sixth Palace, she is not as good as the former empress. If she passes away in the future, the emperor will never stop courting for her.
Looking at the jubilant prince's party, King Dai and Marquis Xuanping looked very ugly. They never expected that Emperor Wu of Zhou would quit the court for the sake of the late empress again.
In the carriage returning to the mansion, the King Dai said with a dark face: "Father, the Emperor actually quit the court for that woman again!"
After hearing what King Dai said, Marquis Xuanping quickly reminded him: "Your Highness, please keep your voice down. If these words reach the ears of the Emperor, I'm afraid it will make the Emperor unhappy."
Hearing this, King Dai lowered his voice and said: "She has been dead for seven years, but my father still values her..."
"My lord, please stop talking."
Prince Xuanpinghou also advised the king: "Your Highness, you cannot show disrespect to the late queen, let alone be dissatisfied with it. If the emperor knows about it, he will also be angry with you."
"Isn't the person my father loved most the most?" King Dai didn't understand. Emperor Wu of Zhou's favorite woman was his mother and concubine, but Emperor Wu of Zhou valued the anniversary of the death of the late queen.
"Although the late empress is not the emperor's favorite woman, her status in the emperor's heart is extraordinary." Xuanping Hou said, "Furthermore, Duke Zhen Guo is still here, and even for the sake of Duke Zhen Guo's palace, the emperor will We must also pay attention to the death anniversary of the late Queen, otherwise the Emperor will be said to be ungrateful."
Hearing what Marquis Xuanping said, Dai Wang felt better.
"Sooner or later, I will eradicate the Zhenguo Palace." King Dai knew in his heart that if he wanted to become the prince, he must eradicate the Zhenguo Palace, the biggest obstacle.
"The Emperor is already wary of the Zhenguo Palace. The Zhenguo Palace will not be proud for long." Marquis Xuanping comforted him, "Your Highness, please be patient for now."
King Dai sneered twice and said: "Then let the Duke of Zhen Guo be proud for a while longer."
"Your Highness, the most important thing right now is your marriage to Miss Kong. I'm worried that Kong Taichang would rather ruin his little daughter's reputation than let her enter the Prince's Palace."
Two days ago, Kong Taichang went to see Emperor Wu of Zhou alone and boldly refused to marry him, but Emperor Wu of Zhou did not agree.
King Dai did not expect that Kong Taichang was so ignorant of praise, and said in a cold tone: "He dares!"
Marquis Xuanping said: "We have to guard against it!" Although Kong Taichang's youngest daughter's entry into the Prince's Palace would pose a threat to his daughter's status, he believed that his daughter could handle it well. Besides, if King Dai wants to sit on the throne of prince, he must get the support of the Kong family.
"I will send people to keep an eye on the Kong family secretly."
In the other two carriages, He Xiang and Liu Taishi were also talking about Emperor Zhou Wu's resignation for the late empress.
"I thought the emperor had not cared about the late empress for a long time, but I didn't expect that the emperor still respected the late empress as before." Shen Hu said.
Chu Ying said: "This year is the seventh year since the death of the late Queen. The Emperor will not ignore it."
Song Dekang laughed and said, "The expressions on Dai Wang's and the others' expressions just now were really wonderful."
Zhang Gong said: "They did not expect that the emperor would stop court for the sake of the late empress again."
Shen Hu smiled and said, "The prince's party started quarreling again."
Seeing that He Xiang and Taishi Liu were not talking, Song Dekang asked in confusion: "Xiang He, Taishi Liu, why are you not talking? Is there anything wrong with this?"
He Xiang stroked his beard and said, "There is nothing wrong."
"Have you known for a long time that the emperor would resign for the sake of the late empress?"
Master Liu: "I guessed it." So, they were not surprised at all.
"No wonder you are silent." Shen Hu sighed, "As long as the emperor still has the late queen in his heart, the prince will not be easily replaced by the acting king."
Hearing Shen Hu's words, He Xiang and Liu Taishi smiled inexplicably.
Song Dekang: "We don't have to worry about the prince for the time being."
He Xiang said with a smile: "Prince, when will it be your turn to worry."
Taishi Liu continued: "Prince, you don't need to worry about it."
Shen Hu retorted: "We are not worried about His Royal Highness, but for the sake of the First Queen."
He Xiang and Taishi Liu heard this and said nothing more.
At this time, Emperor Wu of Zhou took the prince to Chonghua Palace.
Chonghua Palace was formerly the palace of the late Queen. After her death, Emperor Wu of Zhou changed Chonghua Palace into a palace dedicated to honoring the late empress, and no one was allowed to live in it.
Entering the main hall of Chonghua Palace, the first thing that catches your eyes is the portrait of the late Queen.
The late empress in the portrait is wearing the queen's auspicious uniform. She has a delicate appearance, gentle eyes, and a dignified smile.
The painter is very good, and he vividly outlines the expression of the late queen.
Just looking at the portrait, you can tell that the late empress was a very gentle person. Her gentleness is not superficial, but comes from deep inside.
Flowers, fresh fruits and the snacks she loved to eat were placed in front of her portrait.
Emperor Wu of Zhou raised three sticks of incense, bowed to the portrait of the late empress, and immediately inserted them into the incense burner. The prince knelt in front of the portrait and kowtowed three times.
"Father, I dreamed of my mother last night." The prince stood behind Emperor Wu of Zhou, slightly raising his head and looking at the portrait of the late queen. His eyes were slightly red and his voice was choked with sobs, "The Queen Mother said she was living a good life in that world, so we should not worry about her." The prince really dreamed of the late Queen and was not lying.
"The Queen Mother also said that Tuan Tuan was raised well." When the late Queen was still alive, the Prince relied on her very much. "The Queen Mother loved children the most, but it was a pity that she did not see Tuan Tuan being born."
Emperor Wu of Zhou looked at the portrait of the late empress and said nothing.
The prince continued: "Father, the queen mother asked her son to tell you not to feel guilty for her death. She has never blamed you, and I hope you will not blame yourself." These words were said by the prince himself.
After hearing this, Emperor Wu of Zhou sighed softly and said, "Your mother always thinks of me and doesn't embarrass me."
"That's the kind of person my mother is."
When the late empress was ill, she not only hid it from Emperor Wu of Zhou, but also from the prince. Except for those who served around the late queen, no one else knew.
"The queen mother blames her son for his incompetence and makes you worry about him all the time."
The First Queen: I am dead, but my legend will always exist.
Queen Xie: Why do you have so many things to do after you die? !
Concubine Rong: You've been dead for seven years, can't you stop showing up to make your presence felt?
(End of chapter)
