Shen Zhanran was shocked when he saw the excitement among the crowd.
However, he has experienced many fierce battles with Zhu Yuanzhang these days and has seen Zhu Yuanzhang's methods. He is no longer the former imperial student.
So he was slightly surprised and then came back to his senses.
Then he calmly bowed his hands to Xu Yunzhen and said with a smile: "Dong Guo, it's not the ministers who are blocking me. It's really that your majesty needs to rest and it's not appropriate to meet you all!"
"You said you should rest, just rest..."
"Even if you want to rest, why can you go in, but Duke Dingguo can't..."
"I think your Majesty is fine at all. I'm afraid he was coerced..."
...
When Shen Zhanran opened his mouth, everyone criticized him again.
Shen Zhanran saw that the more they talked, the more outrageous they were, and knew that if he opened his mouth to explain again, it would only make the situation more serious.
But if he did not stop him and allowed Xu Yunzhen and others to enter and leaked the news about Zhu Yuanzhang's departure from the capital, I am afraid that the capital would immediately be in chaos.
Just when he was in trouble, he suddenly saw Chen Mingxia in the crowd with a look of fear on his face. He immediately thought of Zhu Yuanzhang's previous incident with the imperial censor, and he had an idea in his mind.
So he slowly stepped aside and looked at everyone quietly.
When Xu Yunzhen and others saw this, they couldn't help but stop and looked at him in surprise.
For a moment, there was silence in front of the Qianqing Palace.
"Shen Zhanran, what do you mean?"
Xue Lian couldn't bear the silence and was the first to ask.
Seeing that he took the bait, Shen Zhanran smiled slightly and said, "Wei Chen was just ordered to deliver the order. Since you adults insist on entering the palace, and Wei Chen is unable to stop you, we have to step aside to avoid missing your important event."
As soon as he said this, everyone's faces showed suspicion.
At this time, Feng Quan stepped forward and said: "Master Shen, we just want to enter the palace to pay your respects. Please don't misunderstand me!"
Shen Zhanran glanced at the people present and sneered with a dissatisfied look on his face: "All of you are ministers of the imperial court. How can a minor official have the right to misunderstand!"
When Xue Lian heard this, he couldn't help but said angrily: "Master Feng, what are you talking about with him? We ask to see your majesty for the sake of the Ming Dynasty."
"We are loyal and can learn from the sun and the moon. I don't believe that Your Majesty will punish us!"
Shen Zhanran glanced at Xue Lian with a smile, then stepped back toward the door, looking at him provocatively.
Seeing that Shen Zhanran dared to underestimate him, Xue Lian became even more angry and immediately shouted and walked forward.
But after he took a few steps and found that no one else was following him, he couldn't help but stop again.
Then he looked back at Xu Yunzhen and said with some dissatisfaction: "Dong Guo, let's go!"
Xu Yunzhen knew that Xue Lian had a martial heart, and if he felt cheated, he would definitely cause trouble for himself afterwards.
So he stepped forward helplessly and winked at Feng Quan.
Seeing this, Feng Quan stepped forward again and said to Shen Zhanran with a flattering look on his face: "Master Shen, although Marquis Yangwu's words are a bit vulgar, he is also loyal. Do you want..."
"I am a humble minister with limited talent and little knowledge. I am really not qualified to discuss this matter with you sirs. However, your majesty is wise and powerful and should be able to understand you sirs. So you might as well go directly to your majesty for instructions!"
After Shen Zhanran interrupted Feng Quan's words with an unhappy look on his face, he glanced at Chen Mingxia in the crowd as if unintentionally, and at the same time a smile flashed at the corner of his mouth.
Since Shen Zhanran was the focus of the field at this time, although his action of looking at Chen Mingxia was brief, many people saw it clearly.
Especially when Chen Mingxia saw Shen Zhanran's gaze, his body couldn't help but shrink, but it couldn't be more obvious.
Then they remembered Zhu Yuanzhang's previous incident of scolding the censor and nobles with his stick, and they couldn't help but show panic on their faces.
Seeing this, Shen Zhanran knew that this risky move was the right move, and he relaxed a little and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
At this time, he suddenly found that Linhuai Marquis Li Zushu from behind the crowd had been staring at him, and he couldn't help being shocked.
After Li Zushu saw his gaze, he actually smiled at him, and then looked at the Confucian scholar not far away.
When the Confucian scholar saw Li Zushu's gaze, he was stunned, and immediately said: "We have been here for a long time, and I think His Majesty has woken up. Why don't we go in together to say hello, and this wish has been granted!"
When everyone heard this, they immediately reacted.
"Wu Weihua is right. Your Majesty must be awake, and there is no way to hide from him. Why not go and say hello to His Majesty, so that His Majesty knows our loyalty!"
At this time, Xue Lian shouted loudly again and walked forward slowly.
Everyone saw this and followed him one after another.
Only Li Zushu still stopped and stared at Shen Zhanran.
Only then did Shen Zhanran realize that Wu Weihua was just a cover to confuse him, and he couldn't help but secretly curse himself for being confused.
However, the matter has come to this, and if he continues to block it, it will only be counterproductive.
Seeing this situation, he knew that if he did not resort to the last resort, Zhu Yuanzhang's departure from Beijing would inevitably be hidden.
But if he really does that, the situation will become even more passive.
Just when he was hesitating, he suddenly heard a cold voice saying: "Shen Zhanran, as a close minister of the Emperor, this is how you serve His Majesty!"
As this voice sounded, Xue Lian and others stopped and looked back.
I saw Queen Zhou walking slowly with an angry look on her face, supported by a palace maid.
When everyone saw Zhou Hou, they hurriedly knelt down and saluted.
Zhou Hou looked at them coldly and asked them to stand up, leaving Shen Zhanran still kneeling.
Shen Zhanran knew that Empress Zhou wanted to use him as a weapon to frighten everyone, so instead of feeling any resentment in his heart, he was very grateful.
However, because he was worried that Li Zushu would see his flaws, he still pretended not to be angry.
Queen Zhou walked up to him and said coldly: "What, you don't accept it?"
Shen Zhanran was stunned for a moment on purpose, and then kowtowed: "What the Queen has taught me is that Wei Chen is convinced!"
Empress Zhou snorted coldly and said: "Okay, since you are convinced, then kneel here for an hour!"
After saying that, she turned to look at Xue Lian and asked: "Marquis Yang Wu, what are you doing here again? Why don't you let His Majesty have a good rest? What are your intentions?"
Xue Lian and others had seen how powerful Zhou Hou was before, but seeing her angry face now, even Zhu Yuanzhang's close ministers dared to kneel down as punishment and hurriedly knelt down to plead guilty.
Seeing this, Empress Zhou calmed down her anger and said in a deep voice: "I have spent a lot of effort to get your majesty to drink sleeping pills. I want your majesty to have a good rest for two hours. Why are you so ridiculous?"
After Zhou Hou finished speaking, he looked inside again, and then continued: "Fortunately, you didn't disturb His Majesty. I think you are loyal, so I won't blame you. Get out of here!"
Hearing this, Xue Lian and others thanked him repeatedly. Just as they were about to retreat, they heard Wu Weihua's voice: "The Queen, the common people, etc. heard that your majesty was ill, and they all had trouble sleeping and eating. I would like to wait here to say hello to your majesty when he wakes up. Please also ask the Queen to make it happen!”
After Zhou Hou heard this, he glanced at the other party. Seeing that the other party was just a Confucian scholar, he winked at the palace maid next to him.
This maid is called Fei Zhen'e, and she was just an ordinary maid in Zhou Hou's palace.
Because when Zhu Yuanzhang was beating Zhu Cihong in front of Chengtian Gate that day, she dissuaded Zhou Hou.
Zhou Hou felt that she had some knowledge and took her as her personal maid.
At this moment, seeing that Wu Weihua's status was low and it would be a loss of status to talk to him, he asked Fei Zhen'e to come forward.
Fei Zhen'e was also a smart person, so she immediately scolded: "The Queen is discussing matters with all the princes and princes, and you have no right to speak, so why don't you get out of here!"
Although Wu Weihua is the concubine, she is an incompetent idiot and has a high self-esteem. She has always set her sights high and has no dust in her eyes. She has always regarded herself as a clear stream who is not afraid of power.
Hearing this, he thought he had found a loophole in Fei Zhen'e's words, and immediately sneered: "The Queen is wrong. The Taizu of this dynasty once issued a clear order that the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics."
"Although the Queen empress is a mother to the world, she cannot discuss state affairs with the princes. Please give me a warning!"
Fei Zhen'e was stunned for a moment, and then reprimanded: "Since you know that the queen empress is the mother of the world, is this how you treat your mother?"
"Moreover, the Queen is in charge of the harem, and the Qianqing Palace is also within the scope of the harem. How dare you, a nameless piece of shit, to talk nonsense here, but the Queen, who is the mother of the world, can't speak?"
As soon as Fei Zhen'e finished speaking, she saw Empress Zhou's eyes and immediately shouted loudly: "Where are the left and right? Drag this bastard out and beat him to death!"
Wu Weihua was still secretly pleased with his wit, but when he heard Fei Zhen'e's words, his body trembled with fright.
When Li Zushu saw this, he couldn't help but secretly scolded Wu Weihua for being a fool.
However, thinking that Wu Weihua had Mongolian ancestry and might be useful in the future, he signaled Xu Yunzhen to intercede on his behalf.
Xu Yunzhen always thought that Queen Zhou was a woman from a small family and had no knowledge, so she dared to enter the palace again after being reprimanded.
At this moment, seeing how powerful Zhou Hou is, how can he dare to speak.
So when he saw Li Zushu's gaze, he hurriedly looked elsewhere, pretending not to know.
