But if other honorable nobles find out, the consequences are almost the same. And if something like this gets out, it will become a huge scandal. No wonder that as soon as something happened to Long You, the old man hurriedly promoted him to a level in advance and kicked him out of the capital. Now he even gave himself a secret order to prevent this guy from returning to the capital. The old man has nothing to do with his daughter and can only shift the conflict outward.
Not only to save the face of the Tian family, but also to save the eldest sister's reputation, and this guy's life. It's ridiculous that the elder sister was always worried that the old man would use her own hands to kill someone with a knife, or send Zheng Daoyuan to her as a hostage. She was forced to live with the King of Teng and the King of Song. At least while Huang Qiong was away from the capital, she would have less trouble with Huang Qiong's wives and concubines.
Before he went on the expedition, Princess Jincheng had always had something on her mind, and it was not that he didn't notice it. Originally, I thought that Princess Jincheng was worried about something unexpected happening to Gao Huaiyuan when she went on an expedition with him. Looking at it now, I am afraid that the eldest sister who kept looking at me with a pleading look in her eyes was not only worried about Gao Huaiyuan, but also worried about this guy.
Because the eldest sister knew that a bowl of water was level as she said it. But no matter what, even if it wasn't for her face, since Gao Huaiyuan was the old man's favorite grandson, he would definitely give her some special care. As for her lover, her identity cannot be made clear. He is a civil servant and a grain and grass officer. Although he does not have to go into battle to kill the enemy, he is generally very safe.
But his temperament is something that most people can't stand. Especially for myself, I am still a person who does not rub sand in my eyes. I even killed my so-called count cousin. If someone gets anxious, would it be difficult to kill him? At this time, Huang Qiong finally figured out that when he was about to go on an expedition, Princess Jincheng always looked at her with a trace of sadness because of that, and took a closer look at the guy in front of her.
This guy is indeed very talented, but his character is also a bit off? He is even more arrogant than himself. When he was in Lingzhou, he had been contradicted several times to the point where he could not get off the stage. Zhang Qian was so troubled by him that for a while, he even walked around when he saw him. It wasn't until he was sent back to Xijing that the two of them got better. It can be seen from this that his temper and character are really a bit too weird.
As for appearance, it's just average. Although he's not ugly, I don't think he's handsome either. But my eldest sister was so devoted to him. Not only did he risk huge criticism to give birth to a son for him, but he also stayed by his side for so many years. You must know that such things as illegitimate children will cause great criticism even in the open era a thousand years later.
What's more, in this relatively conservative era? If you get pregnant out of wedlock, in this day and age, you may even be in danger of being beaten to death by your father and brother. Even in the former Tang Dynasty where the atmosphere was relatively open, it was absolutely not allowed. I really don’t know how good this guy is. Let the eldest sister, the current princess, be so devoted to him and do something that would bring shame to the Tian family if word spread.
Huang Qiong gave him a heads-up, and Zheng Daoyuan finally knew why his correspondence with Princess Jincheng had not been discovered for so many years. It was the emperor who had been secretly covering up for him and Princess Jincheng. How could he really not know about these noble methods? He once served as the prefect of Fengxiang? If there is no capable person to help cover it up, how can we not find out if we really want to?
It used to be that he didn't know the true identity of Princess Jincheng, but now that he knew it, he couldn't help but feel a little scared. This fear is not for himself, but for his lover, Princess Jincheng, and the son whom he only recently found out about. Because once this matter is leaked, if it is left to ordinary people, the most it will be is to divorce the wife. But if it were left in Tianjia, if he knew that his daughter had done such a thing.
In order to appease Xungui's anger, and to save the face of the Tian family. Princess Jincheng and her son could only have one outcome, and that was to find an excuse to die. A count was given such a huge hat and had to raise a son for someone else. Even if that person is the current princess, the emperor may not really be merciful. A woman's life and death is far less important to the court than stability.
Because if something like this happened, it would not only disgrace the Tian family, but also humiliate the entire noble family. This dynasty is not the former Tang Dynasty where the princess was so ridiculous that she could keep her appearance and not be punished. No matter which emperor this kind of thing happens to, Yingchuan Bo, and even the entire noble family, must be given an explanation. Princess Jincheng and her son have been safe for so many years, and it turns out that the emperor has been secretly protecting them.
Thinking about the fact that he and Gao Huaiyuan had somewhat similar faces and almost identical bodies, Zheng Daoyuan couldn't help but sigh. He knew that his father and son might never recognize each other in this life. Neither the emperor nor the prince in front of him would offend the entire noble family for himself or Princess Jincheng, nor would he offend the brothers who had served the Huang family.
Regarding Zheng Daoyuan's sigh, Huang Qiong felt a little irritated for no reason. After Zheng Daoyuan left, Huang Qiong had no intention of criticizing Zhezi. After thinking about it, he took a few guards and eunuchs and changed into casual clothes, and simply went to Daming Palace, another palace in Chang'an. One was that he had admired this palace for a long time in his previous life, so he just took this opportunity to visit it as a way to relax.
Secondly, he also wanted to see the actual situation in the Daming Palace. The Ministry of Industry spends a lot of money to repair the Daming Palace every year. Huang Qiong wanted to see if the current situation of the Daming Palace required spending so much money on repairs every year. If the money was not used for maintenance and went into private pockets, then it seems that the Ministry of Works in both capitals need to be rectified.
Daming Palace and Taiji Palace are actually connected. From Xuanfu Gate in the East Palace of Taiji Palace, you will be facing the Xing'an Gate of Daming Palace when you enter Xi Neiyuan Bai. When Huang Qiong took the guards and eunuchs and walked slowly all the way to Daming Palace. A group of high-level eunuchs from the Xijing Internal Affairs Bureau and the Daming Palace, along with a group of high-level eunuchs from the Xijing Internal Affairs Bureau and the Daming Palace, have been waiting respectfully at Xing'anmen
Seeing these eunuchs kneeling on their knees outside the now wide-open Xing'an Gate, Huang Qiong frowned slightly inconspicuously. Then he raised his hand to signal that the eunuchs could get up. Then, with hands behind their backs and accompanied by a group of trembling eunuchs, they walked into this palace, which was larger than the Taiji Palace, grander and more magnificent, and was also the main palace of the middle and late Tang Dynasty.
After entering the Daming Palace, Huang Qiong did not stay in the Youjinwuzhan Courtyard, but directly entered the front area of the Daming Palace through Guangfan Gate. At the first glance, we saw Hanyuan Hall, the main hall of Daming Palace. This Hanyuan Hall is thirteen rooms wide and six rooms deep. Although it is not as grand as the hall of the same name in Jingzhao Palace, it is still shocking enough. Coupled with the convenient terrain of Longshouyuan, it is even more important to look up.
When the door of Hanyuan Hall was opened, Huang Qiong entered the hall steadily. Looking at the furnishings in the hall and the pillars filled with roughly carved dragons, I shook my head slightly. Standing behind him, the eunuch in charge of the Daming Palace took a few steps to Huang Qiong and softly introduced to him that the furnishings in the palace were old objects left over from the former Tang Dynasty, and that one was added after the founding of this dynasty. It was replaced over the years.
He told Huang Qiong that the dragon chair on the throne with flying dragons carved from top to bottom was an imitation made during the reign of Emperor Taizong of this dynasty. The dragon chair in the Hanyuan Hall was especially fond of the Emperor Taizu, so after the death of the Emperor Taizu, it was buried with him in the Xiaoling Mausoleum as a funerary object. Although this dragon chair was imitated during the Taizong period and was made of fine nanmu, its carving was inferior to that of the one buried with it.
There are also bronze furnaces and bronze cranes in front of Danbi. They are all imitations from the Taizong period. The old objects left over from the former Tang Dynasty were all buried for Taizu. Although the objects on the throne have been replaced, the Hanyuan Hall has experienced countless natural and man-made disasters since it was built during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the former Tang Dynasty. Apart from the regular replacement of the tiles above and the replacement of the wooden columns, there is almost no major repairs required.
Regarding the eunuch's introduction, Huang Qiong just nodded and said nothing. After looking at Xuanzheng Hall again, I went straight to the back bed through Zichen Gate. Because Xijing was the capital, since Emperor Taizong moved the capital, it was no longer where the emperor stayed all year round. Therefore, the number of maids and eunuchs left in the Second Palace of Xijing, whether it is Taiji Palace or Daming Palace, is not very large.
Compared with the Tai Chi Palace where the old man stayed every time he came to Xijing, the Daming Palace was left out in the cold for more than ten years after the old man gained power. Because of their declining status, there are even fewer eunuchs here, and the total number of eunuchs is only 200. There are only fifty maids in the palace, and most of them are old, lustful and older people. Being sent to Daming Palace is almost equivalent to retirement.
Therefore, Huang Qiong did not see many palace maids and eunuchs along the way. Compared to the Taiji Palace where he currently resides, the Daming Palace is much deserted. However, Huang Qiong was not very interested in the number of eunuchs and maids. His attention was mainly focused on this palace. Along the way, although he was a little distracted due to time constraints, Huang Qiong still watched carefully.
From the fact that the palace was in a state that could be used at any time, Huang Qiong knew that a lot of money had been spent on the palace to maintain it in this state over the years. However, although the palace is still complete and can be used at any time. But Huang Qiong still found that some maintenance areas were very poorly repaired. Even the palaces that needed major repairs were almost all reduced in size.
The Taiye Pond used as the Imperial Garden has actually become silted up to the point where there is almost no water left. Even though it was the coldest winter, it was like a pool of stagnant water. The strange smell emitted from the Taiye Pond was something Huang Qiong could smell right at Wangxiantai. Many of the surrounding pavilions and pavilions are also damaged. The Hanbing Palace, which is far away from Wangxiantai, has completely disappeared, leaving only a small pavilion.
The original Qinghui Pavilion on the right side of Wangxiantai has become a small hall. Seeing this scene in front of him, Huang Qiong's face darkened somewhat. He remembered that last year, the Chang'an Ministry of Industry reported that the cost of repairing the two palaces and Taizu's Xiaoling Mausoleum was as high as 970,000 yuan. In addition, from what I had seen before, in all the temples that had undergone major renovations, the regulations had obviously been reduced again and again, or simply disappeared completely.
For example, Xuanwei Hall and Greenhouse Hall, these two halls that were supposed to be adjacent, now only have their bases left. The cumulative amount of money and silk allocated by the imperial court for repairs over the years is enough to reach an astronomical figure. However, as long as the palace buildings have been repaired, they have shrunk again and again, and some have not been repaired at all. And although the quality of the repairs is acceptable, it is far from enough compared with the money allocated.
So where has all the money gone over the years? Huang Qiong can figure it out without guessing. Huang Qiong is not the kind of person who likes to build gardens and palaces. He actually doesn't care much whether the Daming Palace can remain completely intact. Especially as a person who manages the finances of this huge and weak empire, with the current income situation so difficult, he doesn't want to spend a fortune on it.
