In the Kunning Hall, Zhao Kuo, an official of the Song Dynasty, and Yang Guizhi, the empress of the Song Dynasty, faced each other. One was in a wheelchair and the other was sitting on a chair. The palace maids and eunuchs stayed away from each other.
"The official family hasn't been here for a long time."
Yang Guizhi drank tea with a calm expression.
"Meditate to nourish your Qi and seek peace and quiet. How is the queen always doing?"
A rare smile appeared on Zhao Kuo's face.
In front of Yang Guizhi, he always felt awkward and even subconsciously afraid.
"So-so, well fed, warmly dressed, that's it."
Yang Guizhi's answer was still calm and calm.
"Many years have passed and the queen has gray hair."
Seeing the white hair on Yang Guizhi's head, Zhao Kuo sighed unknowingly.
"That's right. Most of you and I are dead now. Officials don't look good, so it's better to eat less golden elixir."
Seeing Zhao Kuo's emotion in his eyes, Yang Guizhi also had a hint of emotion in his eyes.
"The queen is right! But who knows if she can still survive..."
Zhao Kuo smiled bitterly and then changed the topic.
"I just went over to take a look at Cao Meiren. I'm afraid it only happened in the past few months."
Cao Mei and Yang Guizhi competed for the queen, and Zhao Kuo chose Yang Guizhi. Now Cao Meiren is seriously ill and may not survive for long.
"Birth, old age, illness and death, no matter whether they are royal family members or ordinary people, no one can escape this."
Yang Guizhi put down the tea cup and looked at Zhao Kuo.
"The official came here today because he has something to say."
It's not unusual for Zhao Kuo to come over. What's rare is that he stayed for such a long time and hesitated to speak. Something must have happened.
"Queen, the queen should know that Duke Ji Guo Zhao Hong gave birth to a grandson and was poisoned, right?"
Zhao Kuo asked cautiously and tentatively.
"I know that. What's wrong?"
"The envoy of Jin came to the court and said that it was the Golden Emperor's birthday in September. He invited the Duke of Ji to visit Jin to reopen the business and discuss state affairs. I don't know what the queen means..."
Sure enough, Zhao Kuo got involved with Zhao Hong, the Duke of Ji Guo.
"Officials, the Song and Jin Dynasties have reached a truce, so it is not a bad idea to send an envoy to the Jin Kingdom. I heard that the Tatar army is coming back from the Western Expedition. I am afraid that the Jin Kingdom will drag the Song Dynasty into the war. The officials will be careful."
Yang Guizhi is shrewd and discerning, and he can see the essence of the problem at a glance.
"Yes, yes! The Queen said yes!"
Zhao Kuo nodded repeatedly with a smile on his face.
"Guan Jia, what exactly are you going to say? You might as well speak out!"
Yang Guizhi felt inexplicably desolate in her heart.
They have been husband and wife for more than thirty years, talking like this in a normal manner, with caution and suspicion between them, which makes people sad and helpless.
Is she too strong, or is Zhao Kuo suspicious of her?
"Queen, recently some ministers have suggested that Ji Guo Gong Zhao Hong has been the prince for four years and should be established as crown prince. I wonder what the queen thinks of this matter?"
Zhao Kuo mustered up the courage and said it bravely.
"This is a major matter for the court. Officials can make their own decisions. Don't ask me."
As expected, in the final analysis, it was still about Zhao Hong.
They have been married for decades and he is looking for him. Isn't there something else? Can't you have a good conversation?
"If that's the case, of course you have to ask the queen what she means. Once Duke Ji is promoted to the crown prince, he will have to be the queen's mother-in-law to keep him in check so that he doesn't make mistakes."
Yang Guizhi did not express any objection, and Zhao Kuo felt more at ease.
"It seems that the official family has already decided. In that case, why should the official family ask me? The official family is the king of a country and can make his own decision."
Zhao Kuo looked old and haggard, and Yang Guizhi softened her heart and did not want to embarrass him.
"The queen doesn't know that those imperial students sit quietly outside the palace every day to petition to make Duke Ji the crown prince. I am also upset by their troubles, so I came to ask the queen what she wants."
Zhao Kuo's attitude was humble, but he still wanted to get Yang Guizhi's attitude.
"I heard that Princess Yi has been here several times in the past few days, and she was also talking about Zhao Hong, right?"
Yang Guizhi asked. In fact, Princess Yi also came to see her when she entered the palace, also talking about Zhao Hong.
"Princess Yi burned incense and worshiped the Buddha, and came over to talk about old things. Besides, she and Duke Ji have been mother and son for more than ten years. As old people, in addition to talking about their children, they can also say something... say something!"
Zhao Kuo knew it well and did not hide it at all.
In front of this shrewd and capable queen, he really had nothing to hide.
Zhao Hong coughed continuously and spurted out a mouthful of blood, which scared Yang Guizhi and stood up immediately.
"Guanjia, what's wrong with you? Go and call the imperial doctor!"
There were plum blossoms on the ground, and Yang Guizhi shouted sharply.
"Empress, no... no, it's nothing. My bones are getting worse and worse, and I don't know if I can survive until that day."
Zhao Hong drank more than half a cup of tea and seemed to stabilize.
"Queen, look at the fact that Duke Ji Guo became the crown prince..."
"Okay, okay! I have no objection!"
Yang Guizhi nodded repeatedly, stamped his feet and said anxiously:
"You said you, your body and bones are like this, and you still worry about these things! Hurry, call the doctor!"
"I have nothing. Then thank you Queen."
Zhao Kuo said weakly, in a daze.
"How could an official do this?"
Zhao Kuo was helped to lie down. Yang Guizhi called the imperial doctor aside and asked softly.
"Back to the queen, the blood that Guan Jia just vomited smelled of alcohol. Guan Jia should have had a few drinks before coming to Kunning Hall."
"How many drinks?"
Yang Guizhi was stunned and reacted instantly. She looked at Zhao Kuo, who was sleeping on the couch, with complicated eyes.
"Why bother?"
"You are not allowed to tell anyone about official drinking, otherwise..."
Yang Guizhi's eyes were cold and stern, and the imperial doctor nodded repeatedly and retreated respectfully.
Yang Guizhi thought for a moment and waved, and Zhao Guochen, his personal eunuch, hurried over.
"Zhao Guochen, please go out of the palace and tell Shi Miyuan not to hold back on the matter of establishing a prince."
After Zhao Guochen left, Yang Guizhi was lost in thought in the air in front of him. He murmured to himself for a long time and uttered a sentence softly.
"I don't even have any bones in my body. Why bother? Why bother?"
Qinghefang, in the lobby of Prime Minister Shi Miyuan's mansion.
Even in the scorching summer, the hall is cool and even a little melancholy. Wearing thin clothes will make people shiver from the cold. The gap between the common people and the powerful is self-evident.
"Xiangong Cheng, what does the golden man mean?"
Shi Miyuan's eldest son, Shi Zhaizhi, spoke first and asked about Cheng Bi, the Minister of Rites.
Shi Miyuan, who was sitting on the main seat, frowned and lowered his head in thought.
For the prime minister, who is not afraid of the emperor or the emperor, the most fearful thing is this fierce neighbor in the north.
"I don't know, Prime Minister, I don't know either. A Gudai and Zhang Tiangang are so secretive that I can't figure out the reason."
Cheng Bi whispered back in the direction of Shi Miyuan.
The envoy of Jin paid attention to Zhao Hong, Duke of Ji, and he was also puzzled.
"Why did Emperor Jin invite Zhao Hong to be an envoy to the Kingdom of Jin? What was his intention?"
Shi Zhaizhi took the place of his father and continued to ask.
"Historian Prime Minister, the Jin Emperor ascended the throne not long ago. He cultivated good governance internally and made peace with the Xia and Song Dynasties externally. This was obviously to deal with the Tatars. From what I saw, it may have something to do with the Tatars returning from the Western Expedition."
Xue Ji stroked his white beard and said it with a sad face.
"Tartar?"
Shi Zhai was stunned, then shook his head.
"Zhao Hong? The Jin people think highly of him too much! Can he influence the politics of the Song Dynasty just by relying on him?"
Zhao Hong is just a powerless prince, how can he still influence the affairs of the court?
Isn't this a joke!
"Xiang Shi, the imperial students are causing trouble. Do you want to arrest the leaders?"
Zhao Rushu, the Minister of Punishment, asked with a smile on his face.
"Arrest him? Why arrest him? Mr. Zhao, do you want the world to be in chaos?"
Xue Ji shook his head, his heart full of contempt.
A dignified minister of the Ministry of Justice, an important minister of the country, with such little IQ, I don’t know how he managed to get there?
The emperor didn't even allow the arrest of the imperial concubine, so what's the big deal in your punishment department? If they were really caught, wouldn't those Qingliu cause an uproar in the court?
"Then just watch Zhao Hong become the crown prince? This troublemaker is like a mad dog, but he can do anything?"
Liang Chengdahei had an angry look on his face. He and Zhao Hong have had a long-standing grudge and are ready to fight each other at any time.
"Xiangong Liang, you, the royal censor Zhongcheng, and an important minister of the country, know that he is a mad dog, and you still compete with him in the court? If someone hadn't stopped you, I'm afraid you would have been beaten by that lunatic Zhao Hong!"
Cheng Bi smiled coldly.
"Shut up!"
Shi Miyuan coughed slightly, and the hall suddenly became quiet, and everyone's expressions were serious.
"Ms. Cheng, please find out from the Jin man what his plans are. Why did the gold master invite Zhao Hong to make money?"
Shi Miyuan thought about it and gave the order.
The Emperor of Jin invited Zhao Hong as an envoy to the Kingdom of Jin not just for his birthday, but for other things.
Cheng Mi quickly accepted the order.
"Mr. Zhao, let the officials from the Ministry of Punishment conduct overt and covert investigations to find out the people behind the tabloids. Especially the people around Zhao Hong, don't let anyone go."
"Don't worry, Mr. Shi, I will take care of it now."
Zhao Rushu said with an apologetic smile on his face.
Xue Ji glanced at Zhao Rushu, frowned, and said nothing.
As far as Zhao Rushu is concerned about the people below, it's okay to let them extort money and pretend to be powerful, but when it comes to doing things, he really thinks highly of them.
"Which of you knows how well Zhao Hong's firearms are made?"
Shi Miyuan asked subconsciously.
I originally thought that Zhao Hong would accomplish nothing, but I didn't expect that he would smelt good iron one after another and create powerful gunpowder.
"Back to the Prime Minister, Zhao Hong has built several artillery pieces that can break armor at two to three hundred steps. I heard that Zhao Hong was not satisfied yet, so he melted the cannons and recast them. These days, he has been in Kuaiji Mountain Inside the ironworks."
Hu Ju was the minister of the Ministry of Industry, Zhao Hong's direct superior, and he had a thorough knowledge of the affairs of the Shaoxing Prefecture.
"Two or three hundred steps!"
Shi Miyuan was surprised.
The range can reach two to three hundred steps, which can completely change the battlefield situation, or at least protect yourself.
This Zhao Hong is truly a talent.
Different road non-phase plan! Pity!
"He's so hot as a bitch!"
Liang Chengda's face was gloomy and he said something bitterly.
"Ms. Hu, firearms, like gunpowder to smelt iron, are important weapons of the imperial court. They must not be leaked. Let Xia Shuai send the Imperial Guards in front of the palace to take turns on duty to prevent others from taking advantage of them!"
Shi Miyuan explained solemnly.
Hu Ju nodded and bowed, and accepted the order.
Shi Miyuan's aide Yu Tianci came in and whispered a few words in Shi Miyuan's ear.
"It's too hot, everyone, please be careful and disperse."
Shi Miyuan spoke, and everyone stood up, said goodbye and left.
"I've seen the historical minister!"
The eunuch Zhao Guochen came in and saluted Shi Miyuan.
"Eunuch Zhao, please sit down and serve tea."
Zhao Guochen sat down and murmured to Shi Miyuan, who frowned.
"Is this really what the queen means?"
"Returning to the Prime Minister, how dare a slave to spread Yi's decree indiscriminately? The official came to see the queen today. The two talked for a long time. The official even vomited blood and was unconscious for a long time."
Zhao Guochen vomited out everything that should be said and shouldn't be said.
"The official vomited blood and passed out?"
Shi Miyuan was shocked.
"It's absolutely true! How dare I hide this from the Prime Minister!"
"You go back and tell the Queen to reassure her."
Shi Miyuan nodded, already having a plan in mind.
"Historian Prime Minister, Wusun sent over some heat-relieving introductions and fruits."
Zhao Guochen left, and Yu Tianci whispered to the side.
"This Wusun has also learned how to ask for directions by throwing stones."
Shi Miyuan shook his head and smiled softly.
"You ask someone to return the favor and tell Wusun to be patient. Everything is under control."
Yu Tianci nodded in agreement, looking embarrassed.
"Historical Prime Minister, God has failed to do things well, so please ask Shi..."
"Weizhai, don't worry. I said everything is under control. Just go ahead and do your work."
Shi Miyuan interrupted Yu Tianci's words, his face calm.
Big winds and waves have come, let alone this little setback.
If Zhao Hong wants to be the prince, then let him. Isn't he going to be an envoy to the Kingdom of Jin? Then let him go.
Who will lose and who will win will not be known until the last step.
