Li Qinzai was a little helpless and wanted to turn around and leave.
Empress Wu really didn't treat him as an outsider. Li Qinzai had just planned to kill Lu Jiajiduo and fulfilled Empress Wu's instructions. She still owed Li Qinzai a favor that she had not repaid, and then she asked him for help.
I really think of myself as the donkey of the production team.
Li Qinzai wanted to refuse. I gave you face once, but it would be wrong to slap your face on your nose. You are the queen, just take care of your harem. How can there be so much nonsense?
Seeing Li Qinzai's hesitant look, Empress Wu was so shrewd that she could see his reluctance at a glance. She couldn't help but chuckle and said: "It's so refreshing to work for His Majesty, but you don't want to work for me?"
Li Qinzai said hurriedly: "I don't dare, I will go through fire and water if someone is sent by me."
"You talk about going through fire and water, but you are still unwilling in your heart. You feel that I have too many things to do, and you don't want to have too many entanglements with me, right?" Empress Wu said slowly and authentically.
Li Qinzai looked a little embarrassed. That was indeed what happened, but everyone was decent people, so why bother to talk clearly? He didn't know how to answer.
Li Qinzai said sternly: "I have no intention of doing this. Regardless of your majesty's affairs or the queen's affairs, they are all my responsibility."
Empress Wu laughed loudly: "Well said, it's your ability to talk nonsense so seriously."
After laughing a few times, Empress Wu's expression quickly calmed down and she said calmly: "I just said that cooperation is possible only if our interests are aligned. I will not let your work go in vain."
"Your Majesty led the army to the east and accomplished the task of destroying the country. Your Li family will soon be at the peak of its power. However, if you become extremely prominent, you will be jealous of others, and your Li family will have a lot of troubles in the future."
"I can promise you that if someone frames the Li family and slanders the heroes in the future, I can help the Li family in the palace to help the Li family avoid disasters. Are you satisfied with this condition?"
Li Qinzai's expression became solemn.
Empress Wu's promise carries a lot of weight.
In the eyes of others, she was just the queen of the Tang Dynasty. After being beaten by Li Zhi, the queen was just a queen, and her power was only within the scope of the harem.
But Li Qinzai knew very well that this woman had extraordinary abilities and ambitions. As long as Li Zhi relaxed a little, she would immediately jump up and down happily.
She said she could help the Li family avoid disasters, and Li Qin believed her.
This condition is very tempting. Li Ji is already old and will definitely retire after his victory in the Eastern Expedition. Now that Empress Wu proposes this condition, it is equivalent to adding a force to the Li family.
But Li Qinzai was still hesitant. This force was a double-edged sword that could hurt others as well as himself.
If he gets too close to Empress Wu in the future, the Li family will be labeled as a "rear party", which the family will not be able to remove for generations, and Li Zhi may also have a grudge against him.
The fate of Li Yifu is bloody before his eyes. He was indirectly responsible for it because of Li Qinzai. Can Li Qinzai make the same mistake now?
Li Qinzai once again experienced the power of Empress Wu today.
It seems that she still hasn't given up on pulling him into the back-party camp, but the method of wooing him has changed. This time she is trying to tie him into the same boat on the condition of profit. By the time Li Qinzai came to his senses, it was already too late to get off the boat.
Although the queen's thighs are long and white, it's still better to hug Li Zhi's thighs.
After quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Li Qinzai finally made his choice.
"Queen, we are all decent people, there is no need to put things so bluntly..." Li Qinzai smiled and said: "I am not very capable, so I am afraid that I can only help the Queen..."
Before she finished speaking, Empress Wu waved her hand and said: "Don't refuse yet, listen to what I have to say."
"Let me ask you, in your eyes, as the Queen of the Tang Dynasty, do you agree with me sitting in this position?"
Li Qinzai was silent for a while and nodded slowly.
No matter how smart and powerful this woman is, one thing has to be admitted, she is indeed qualified for the position of queen, and can even surpass it.
A woman who can even be an emperor, how can she be incompetent as a queen?
Empress Wu stared into his eyes and said, "If another woman were to be the queen, do you think she could beat me?"
Li Qinzai rubbed his face and said with a wry smile: "Queen... please let me go. I really don't want to get involved in palace affairs, it will cost me my life."
Empress Wu sighed: "You have always been cautious. Even if I want to drag you into trouble, how can you be fooled? This time is not a palace matter, but a world matter..."
Li Qinzai's smile became increasingly bitter: "Isn't it time for me to say, 'I would like to hear the details' now?"
Empress Wu nodded seriously: "Yes."
"Whether you are willing to help or not, I must explain the matter clearly. If you are willing to help, I will help. If you are not willing to help, you may as well turn around and leave. I will never hold a grudge."
Li Qinzai could only bow and said, "I would like to hear the details."
Empress Wu showed an expression of "You are very wise" and slightly twitched the corners of her mouth.
"Three days ago, when you were still busy planning to kill Lu Jiayiduo, more than ten courtiers including Yang Hongwu, the imperial minister, Dai Zhide, the chief minister, Changbo Li Anqi, etc., jointly submitted a letter to your majesty. Order the draft." Empress Wu said calmly.
Li Qinzai frowned. The harem draft was not surprising. The wives of the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, whether they were the empresses of the main palace or various concubines, were all recruited through competition through the draft.
Including Empress Wu, she was also drafted into the palace during the Zhenguan period. She was only fourteen years old that year. Li Shimin was old and had bad teeth, so he could only chew tender grass.
Each generation of emperors had to go through multiple drafts during their reign.
There are no specific rules for the draft. When the courtiers feel that the emperor's harem is empty and the heirs are not prosperous enough, they will go to court to request a draft.
The emperor usually would not refuse such requests from courtiers. In other words, even a normal man would not refuse. That was an opportunity where he could wave his hand and say "change a batch" with confidence.
As for Empress Wu, she was of course reluctant in her heart. Who would be willing to have a bunch of women come out to snatch men from her? Even a normal woman would not do it. Moreover, those women are all young and beautiful, and pose a great threat.
"So, what the queen means is that she wants to stop this draft?" Li Qinzai asked.
Empress Wu shook her head, and her tone suddenly became cold: "You still don't understand."
"According to the system, when courtiers request the draft, the Ministry of Rites should come forward, and then ask the Queen for instructions. If the Queen approves, the Minister of Rites, together with the courtiers, should ask the Emperor for the decree."
"But this time, more than ten courtiers requested a draft, but I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know about it until their memorials fell on the desk of the Minister of Secretariat."
Empress Wu's face showed anger: "They didn't take me seriously at all, and after Li Yifu died, they didn't take me seriously at all!"
Li Qinzai said cautiously: "Master... kill all those dozen court officials?"
Empress Wu glanced at him and said, "Mr. Li is very evil. If I really want you to do this, will you agree?"
Li Qinzai said flatly: "Of course I won't do it. I'm not crazy, how dare I commit suicide like this."
(End of chapter)
