On the twentieth day of the first lunar month, Lin'an Palace, Cining Hall.
Queen Mother Yang Guizhi was sitting in front of the palace, with a thick brocade blanket on her knees, fascinated by the plum forest in front of her.
The surrounding palace people were silent, and everyone was careful to keep silent.
Around New Year's Day, the ill-tempered and moody Empress Dowager Yang had already injured or driven several palace officials out of the forbidden palace.
Only a month had passed since the palace was deposed. The head of the harem of the Song Dynasty had all white hair and looked much older and haggard.
"Queen Mother, Your Majesty and Zhaoyi are here to see you."
Cuizhu, the personal palace maid, came up and reported in a low voice.
"Invite them in."
Yang Guizhi nodded slightly, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Almost two months later, Zhao Hong came to see me. What kind of medicine was sold in the gourd?
He wouldn't come here to give me three feet of white silk and let him live this miserable life, would he?
"Queen Mother, Your Majesty does not like to be called "official"."
Cuizhu blushed and reminded softly from the side.
Yang Guizhi glanced at the embarrassed Cuizhu in surprise and nodded slightly.
"My son, please see the Queen Mother."
Zhao Hong came over and stepped forward to worship.
"I'm here to see the Queen Mother."
Zhou Xiuniang followed and saluted.
Zhao Hong and Zhou Xiuniang stood in front of Yang Guizhi, respectfully.
To be honest, he was very busy and too lazy to show respect to the elderly and the young. To his surprise, Yang Guizhi suddenly became much older, with gray hair and a haggard face, completely different from the calm and cold queen in his mind.
Is this what power does? After losing control of the Song Dynasty's forbidden area, the Queen Mother Yang, who was determined to retaliate, was already a useless person?
However, today is Yang Guizhi's birthday, so he has to come.
"Bring it up!"
Zhou Xiuniang waved her hands, and the imperial guards carried the things up.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing?"
Yang Guizhi was startled, and fear came to mind.
He wouldn't really let himself commit suicide, would he?
"Queen Mother, today is your birthday. This is my child's wish. I wish you good health and longevity!"
Zhao Hong was a little surprised and felt compassion.
The smart and capable Yang Guizhi even forgot his birthday. It can be seen that the impact of the palace change was quite severe on her.
"My... birthday..."
Yang Guizhi was in a trance, as if intoxicated.
"Queen Mother, I mentioned it to you yesterday, but I'm afraid you forgot it again."
Cuizhu said softly from the side, bending her body slightly and drawing a beautiful arc at her waist and hips.
Zhao Hong's evil eyes lit up inexplicably.
According to his old driver's aesthetic point of view, with this waist, he is above eighty-five.
"Your Majesty, it's the late emperor's funeral. It's not appropriate to arrange this. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Zhou Xiuniang said softly from the side and opened the box herself.
"Your Majesty, I know you like to paint. These are a few ancient paintings and some jewelry made by my father himself. They are disrespectful."
After Zhou Xiuniang finished the introduction, she stood aside respectfully.
The strong and shrewd Yang Guizhi who kept her at arm's length turned out to be so old and haggard!
"Your Majesty, Zhaoyi, sit down. I'm ready."
Yang Guizhi glanced at the gift and nodded slightly, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Could it be said that the moment of meeting Tu Qiongdeng has not yet come?
Zhao Hong and Zhou Xiuniang sat down aside, and the palace servants served tea.
Zhao Hong was surprised to find that it was actually brewed tea, not the kind of matcha made with crushed tea leaves.
It seems that the Queen Mother clearly understands her living habits.
Yang Guizhi raised his head and looked at Cuizhu in surprise. Cuizhu blushed, her eyes twinkling.
"Your Majesty, the child has many things to do. Please forgive me for not coming to greet the Queen Mother. I originally wanted to bring the emperor's grandson here, but the child made a fuss and was afraid of disturbing the Queen Mother's tranquility."
"Your Majesty, the winner is the king or the loser. You hate me in your heart, and I know it in my heart. You don't have to be mean. Tell me, what are you going to do with me?"
Yang Guizhi said softly, with a calm expression.
It seems that she has accepted the reality in front of her.
"The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit?"
Zhao Hong was startled for a moment, then laughed.
"The Queen Mother, success or failure has nothing to do with you. No matter who ascends the throne, you are still your Queen Mother. Shi Miyuan controls everything and can directly push Zhao Guicheng to the throne. I really don't understand, why do you want to get involved? And you have to fight me to the end?"
Zhao Hong's words caused a moment of silence from Yang Guizhi. After a moment, she slowly spoke.
"Officer... Your Majesty, you and Shi Miyuan are at odds with each other, and you and I have hurt each other. Have you not reflected on it? Are you also to blame?"
The stubborn Yang Guizhi refused to admit that he had done something wrong.
Zhao Hong's heart was filled with helplessness.
"Even if I bring the blame on myself, this is a state matter, not a private matter between you and me. The Queen Mother deposed the public servant for personal reasons, and she and Shi Miyuan secretly deposed the current prince, and then faked the imperial edict and established a new king. How can the Queen Mother feel at ease?"
Disappointed, Zhao Hong was slightly angry.
Yang Guizhi seems to have a natural hostility towards herself.
You can't please everyone, but you can at least prevent others from hating you.
Pure bullshit!
It never seems appropriate to talk nonsense about Yang Guizhi.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to say more. Your Majesty is the winner now, and what your Majesty said is the imperial decree. I am just a defeated general, let your Majesty handle it."
Yang Guizhi's face was as cold as ice, and Zhao Hong sighed secretly in his heart.
The situation is easy to change, but the nature is hard to change. Yang Guizhi is indeed Yang Guizhi. Even though he is over sixty years old, he is still as stone-hearted.
How can such a stubborn person change?
"Your Majesty, I want to say a few words from my heart. I wonder if Your Majesty is willing to listen."
Zhao Hong stopped trying to hide it and directly explained his purpose.
Looking at the maid Cuizhu behind Yang Guizhi, Zhao Hong glanced at her a few more times.
She has long legs and a slender waist, and a light robe can't cover up her straight breasts. She is such a soft and beautiful woman!
Cuizhu was flustered when Zhao Hong saw her. Cuizhu's face turned red, but she looked back at Zhao Hong shyly.
All this was keenly captured by Yang Guizhi who raised his head inadvertently.
This time, though, she wasn't angry.
"His Majesty is the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. He is responsible for life and death. Naturally, if you have anything to say, you can say it directly."
Yang Guizhi's face remained calm and he waved his hand gently. The people around him, including Cuizhu, all retreated.
"Xiu Niang, you go to the kitchen to prepare it first. I have something to say with the Queen Mother."
The etiquette has been fulfilled on the scene. Zhou Xiuniang is bored staying here, so it is better to let her go back and rest.
"Queen Mother, I'll go over first. I'll celebrate your birthday later!"
Zhou Xiuniang bowed and left first.
"Your Majesty, what can't you say? Why do you want to avoid your woman? If you want to kill me, an old woman, just do it. Your Majesty ascended the throne because of my face. I can't thank you enough!"
Yang Guizhi couldn't help it and sneered.
On the day of the palace change, the humiliation she suffered had already made her feel ashamed.
"The Queen Mother, the matter of deposing that day was imminent and had to be launched. The child had no choice. It was a helpless act to embarrass the Queen Mother."
Zhao Hong hesitated slightly and finally said it.
People like Yang Guizhi care most about their own face. On that day, the palace changed, and Yang Guizhi became the laughing stock of the world. Although it was self-inflicted, it still made her lose face.
In a while, he will go to Jinling, and he may stay for a long time. He doesn't want a fire in the backyard, and he will have to kill him when the time comes, causing both sides to suffer.
Today, I came not only to celebrate Yang Guizhi's birthday, but also to seek peace and make my own attitude clear.
Yang Guizhi had no expression on his face, still looking at Mei Lin in front of him without saying a word.
"Your Majesty, if the child is deposed, with Shi Miyuan's ruthlessness, you can imagine what will happen to the child. The child has no choice but to fight back, just to protect himself. The Queen Mother is embarrassed because of the situation. Please forgive me."
Zhao Hong answered truthfully, with a sincere tone and a low posture.
Yang Guizhi glanced at Zhao Hong coldly, smiled slightly, but still did not move.
"Your Majesty, you are really a good strategist. After the late emperor's decree, you bribed Feng Shu, pretended to be deaf and mute, pretended to be a pig to eat the tiger, and succeeded in one blow. Tell the truth, the Song Dynasty is in the hands of your majesty, I can rest assured."
Yang Guizhi said lightly, unable to hear the sadness and joy in his words.
At this moment, she felt a little calmer. It seemed that the new emperor was not trying to settle old scores with her, but was just shaking hands to make peace.
After all, no matter how great the face is, it cannot be greater than a person's life or death.
"Queen Mother, I have no choice but to do this. Just like when I wanted to reconcile with the Wu family, but the Wu family didn't give me a chance. All of this, I have no choice but to do it."
Zhao Hong smiled bitterly and spoke with emotion.
"The child also wants to ascend the throne quietly without experiencing life and death. Doesn't the Queen Mother know that the child fought all the way from the East Palace to Fuling Hall that day. The child had firearms hidden on his body and had already entertained the idea of dying together. The Queen Mother thought, Do you want to risk your life like this?"
There was finally a hint of emotion in Yang Guizhi's cold eyes. She sat up straight and frowned slightly.
"Your Majesty, you have said so much, aren't you just worried that I will make the harem uneasy and Zhao Guicheng make a comeback? Don't worry, in his sixties, he has already become disheartened and will not and has no ability to hinder you anymore. As for Zhao Guicheng, he has great ambitions and little talent. Can’t afford the waves.”
"The Queen Mother underestimated the child and also underestimated herself."
Zhao Hong smiled slightly and shook his head.
"Zhao Guicheng is just a mediocre person. The Queen Mother will not choose him as the leader of the Song Dynasty. He cannot bear this heavy responsibility. I am not afraid of the Queen Mother's constraints. I just don't want you and my mother to turn against each other and make the world laugh at us. Let the Song Dynasty lose This is the only opportunity for ZTE.”
Yang Guizhi was able to relent, which really made him breathe a sigh of relief.
As long as Yang Guizhi can be her empress dowager, he will definitely treat her kindly and give her enough face.
He still has this measure.
"Your Majesty, do you think too highly of yourself? Can you afford the heavy responsibility of the Song Dynasty?"
The corners of Yang Guizhi's mouth raised slightly, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
Mother and son turn against each other? Are they still considered mother and son? I'm afraid they are already enemies.
"The Queen Mother, the Queen Mother is the instigator of today's chaos in the Song Dynasty. Doesn't the Queen Mother know?"
Zhao Hong became increasingly angry and his face became much darker.
"Your Majesty, you are now an official of the Song Dynasty, you can say whatever you want!"
Yang Guizhi couldn't help being surprised. Zhao Hong has a strong personality and is not a softie. He speaks too harshly.
"Queen Mother, back then you were the Empress of the Song Dynasty. For the sake of your personal grudge with Han Yuanzhou, you colluded with Shi Miyuan and did not hesitate to execute an edict to kill the important ministers of the dynasty. You raised the tiger to cause trouble, causing Shi Miyuan to monopolize power and the Emperor of the Song Dynasty to become a puppet. All the difficulties in the Song Dynasty today are due to you. Don’t you know it? "
Zhao Hong's words made Yang Guizhi turn red and retort angrily.
"Your Majesty, you are so slanderous! Han Yuzhou is recklessly going to war and cutting grass in the north. The Jin people want his head. What does it have to do with me?"
"Queen Mother, you know very well whether it has anything to do with you."
Zhao Hong shook his head secretly. This man was stubborn and strong, and he could no longer argue with him.
"Queen Mother, look at these plum blossoms. They are so beautiful that they don't compete for spring, they only repay the spring. I will lead the Song Dynasty to innovate and work hard to make the Song Dynasty embark on a bright road, a bright road for national prosperity."
Zhao Hong pointed at the plum blossom forest in full bloom and said loudly, but Yang Guizhi smiled coldly again.
"Your Majesty, what kind of bright road is that?"
"This glorious road will be engraved with the glory of our Han dynasty. All nations will come to court, and guests from all over the world will be submissive. The distant Western Regions, the vast deserts, the nine bends of the Yellow River, the magnificent sea, wherever the sun shines, wherever the rivers reach , are all my world in the Song Dynasty. I want the civilization of my Han family to bathe every corner of the world."
Zhao Hong's words made his heart heat up.
Restoring the Han family's former glory is the ideal of every passionate man of the Han family. Maybe most people, including Yang Guizhi, can't understand it, but they still do it.
