Cining Palace
Queen Mother Yin's condition became more and more serious. She lay on the bed all day long and coughed violently. The nuns were so anxious that the huge hospital could not hire a single person to come for treatment. Even the medicine was stopped and refused to be distributed.
"Queen Mother, we can't keep going like this. I think it's better to ask my uncle to get some medicine?" The old lady who was waiting aside picked up the porridge bowl and fed her a spoonful.
Queen Mother Yin gasped weakly: "I wonder if the emperor has gone to court?"
"Why should the Queen Mother worry about the affairs of the previous dynasty? You just need to take care of yourself." Mammy comforted her.
"The Emperor has arrived——"
After hearing this, Queen Mother Yin sat up tremblingly. Mammy quickly stepped forward to help her, and then she reluctantly leaned against the wall.
Tai Buran, wearing a dragon robe, quickly entered and paid his respects to his mother. Queen Mother Yin smiled kindly, and then coughed again.
"My mother has always been in good health, why have she been so weak in recent months?" Tai Buran asked doubtfully.
Queen Mother Yin looked at the people around her and motioned for everyone to retreat, leaving only the loyal nanny.
"Your Majesty, my mother is lucky to be alive till now. The Imperial Hospital sent people to say there was a shortage of manpower, so my mother just managed to hold on like this for three days..."
Tai Buran's heart trembled: "Why is Tai Hospital so short of manpower? What on earth do they want to do?"
Mammy let out a long sigh: "I heard that Prince Zheng occasionally caught wind and cold, so he moved the entire hospital there and served them day and night. It was useless for me to urge him all day long..."
After hearing this, Tai Buran could no longer bear the grievance in his heart, and threw himself into the arms of the Queen Mother and cried bitterly: "Mother, the emperor can't stand these miserable days anymore! Zhang Qingmeng arbitrarily decided on the policy of the court and killed everyone who had served him for many years. Eunuch Yang next to me regards the emperor as a plaything. The emperor is really miserable..."
Empress Dowager Yin asked: "Your Majesty, please don't cry. How could Zhang Qingmeng have trouble with a personal eunuch? What did he say?"
Tai Buran wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes, thought for a while and said: "It was just last night, Eunuch Yang said a few words to him, but he never wanted to be heard by him..."
After once again confirming that there was no one else in the room outside the window, Queen Mother Yin stroked Tai Buran's cheek: "Your Majesty, please be more careful with your words in the future. It must be Zhang Qingmeng who has set up an eyeliner and is always supervising us."
"Don't be afraid!" Tai Buran shook off his tears and cried: "I am the king of a country, am I not even allowed to speak?" But in an instant, he made up his mind, straightened his back, and pushed away She shed tears: "Mother, if the emperor does not resist, I am afraid that the foundation created by Emperor Taizu will be destroyed in the hands of the emperor. The emperor will never be willing to be the king of the subjugation of the country!"
Queen Mother Yin was so frightened that she quickly interrupted him: "Your Majesty, you are so confused. How can you, a child, go against Zhang Qingmeng?"
"I am not a child, I am the emperor of a country, with the blood of Emperor Taizheng flowing in my body! I must! I must bring down the traitor Zhang Qingmeng, personally manage the government, and restore the glory of the empire!" At this time, this passionate fifteen-year-old The young boy was full of expectation and longing, with sporadic gleams of fire in his eyes.
Tai Bu Ran gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty has a great plan in mind, and I hope my mother will help me!"
The little emperor ordered his aunt to get a pen and paper and grind the ink hard. Just when he was about to start writing, he gently put the inkstone back. I saw him biting his thumb without hesitation and spreading the red blood onto the rice paper...
next day
Uncle Yin Jiesheng got up as usual and ate under the service of his servants. He had not been involved in political affairs for many years, so he could only communicate matters in the court through his apprentice Huang Shenchao, who was the Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
"Master Qi, Master Huang is here."
Yin Jiesheng put down the tea bowl excitedly: "Please come soon, I haven't seen him for many days!"
After a while, a man in official uniform came in, bent down and asked, "How is your teacher's health?"
"Okay! It's you. You haven't come to see me for a few days. It's really embarrassing! Come on, come on, sit down quickly!" Yin Jiesheng smiled and asked his apprentice to sit on the chair, and he also picked up the tea bowl and drank. One mouthful.
The two chatted for a while, and Yin Jiesheng patted his belly: "I don't know what happened in the court. I only focus on eating and drinking all day long."
Speaking of this, Huang Shenchao sighed deeply and asked why. He shook his head and replied: "Now this court is almost becoming Zhang Qingmeng's court."
"Ouch..." Yin Jiesheng quickly blocked his mouth: "You bastard, are you looking for death? I haven't lived enough yet!"
Huang Shenchao was still stubborn: "Teacher! What loyal minister can't be filled with righteous indignation? That Zhang Qingmeng arbitrarily determined the imperial court, regarded the court as nothing, and regarded the emperor as a child's play. He was a wolf and killed loyal people. Isn't this what my disciple has witnessed with his own eyes?"
"These words can only be said in my house, and must not be spread to the outside world. After all, we have no choice. It is better to turn a blind eye..."
"Uncle Guo!" Huang Shenchao suddenly changed his title: "My mentor is Uncle Guo, the uncle of the current emperor, and the brother of the Queen Mother! Others can look on with cold eyes, why do you..."
Yin Jiesheng frowned, signaled all the servants and maids to go down, and whispered in his ear: "Why don't I want to eliminate traitors for the country and help the court? But I am single and weak, and I am also known as being unjust."
Huang Shenchao banged his thigh desperately: "It's a pity that the emperor is so young that he is willing to be controlled like this!"
While they were talking, someone from the palace was sent to invite Yin Jiesheng. They learned that the Queen Mother was seriously ill and wanted her uncle to come and serve her. Without daring to waste a moment, Huang Shenchao left quickly and entered the palace without stopping.
But in this Cining Palace, apart from the Queen Mother and the nanny beside her, no one was staying here. This made Yin Jiesheng feel a little frightened. If the illness was serious, how could there be only one nanny left?
Empress Dowager Yin's face was full of smiles: "Brother, I haven't seen you for a few days, but you have gained some weight again!"
Etiquette cannot be dispensed with. Yin Jiesheng understood the general idea and hurriedly knelt down to the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager Yin just kept coughing.
"The Queen Mother is in such good health, why don't you send more slaves?" Yin Jiesheng looked at his sister and asked.
"When I saw them, I felt upset. It would be better if there were fewer people and it would be quieter..." As he spoke, he gave Grandma a look. Grandma understood and went out to get a gold-trimmed tunic.
Yin Jiesheng asked with a smile: "What does the Queen Mother mean?"
"It's nothing, it's just that the Ai family recently remembered the past of the two brothers and sisters when they were young, and felt a little nostalgic. I will give this shirt to my brother. Please don't dislike it."
Yin Jiesheng stood up in a hurry, half-knelt on the ground and said respectfully: "How dare you not accept the reward given by the Queen Mother? I hope the Queen Mother will protect her body well, and the people will be even happier."
"Sigh... Today, after all, you and I have different identities, and we have to be restricted by these complicated etiquettes. It was better to be a child!" Empress Dowager Yin sighed, and then turned her eyes to Zhi He: "These clothes are made of fine materials, especially It's on the right cuff, which is amazing."
When the right cuff was mentioned, Yin Jiesheng followed the Queen Mother's words and paid attention, taking a gentle look at it.
"But, the right cuff is the most fragile and can easily break if you are not careful. Brother, please take care of it!"
Yin Jiesheng replied respectfully: "The Queen Mother has good intentions and the people are grateful. You must pay attention to her."
The two chatted all morning again. Before leaving, Queen Mother Yin quickly stopped him. This time she said very solemnly: "I hope brother will pay more attention to the right cuff. The right cuff is the most fragile. Brother, please pay more attention!"
Yin Jiesheng agreed repeatedly. As soon as he stepped out of Cining Palace, the Queen Mother's words came to his back: "Be careful! The right cuff is no better than other places!"
In this way, the Queen Mother's words are somewhat intriguing. Why does a right cuff make the Queen Mother so persistent? Yin Jiesheng thought about it over and over, but finally couldn't understand it. He had no choice but to hold Zhiyi in his arms and ride back to his hometown in a carriage.
There was a lot of traffic in the capital, and I had to slow down when driving on the road. The carriage was rickety, and it was very boring. At this time, Yin Jiesheng once again thought of the gold-edged straight jacket, and repeatedly thought about the Queen Mother's unusual behavior. He picked up the right cuff, looked at it, and tried to knead it.
wrong! There's something wrong with this touch! Yin Jiesheng was sensitively aware that there seemed to be a pocket sewn inside Zhisheng's right cuff, and inside, there was the sound of paper rustling! This made Yin Jiesheng a little panicked. He quickly reached out of the carriage and after confirming that the surroundings were correct, he pretended to be calm and put it away. Fortunately, no one saw it!
As soon as he returned to the house, Yin Jiesheng dismissed all the servants, and hid in the inner room in a panic. He picked up the tailor's scissors and cut off the right cuff, then carefully untied the thread sewing the pocket, and gently inserted his fingers - —Yes, it’s the feel of rice paper!
"My ancestors..." Yin Jiesheng took a breath of air, gently took out the folded paper, and slowly threw it on the desk, which really shocked him - the rice paper was covered with bright red Words painted in blood. He bolted the door and closed the window. He interpreted this passage carefully, and after reading it again, he was even more frightened.
This was an edict made of blood and tears. With tears in his eyes, Tai Buran listed Zhang Qingmeng's crimes and how he had insulted the current emperor. He also pointed out that in the long run, Emperor Taizu's foundation would be destroyed and the country would be destroyed. Danger!
Later, Tai Buran pointed out that since his uncle and he were close relatives, he should have thought of the difficulties of Emperor Taizu in starting a business, summoned loyal people from all walks of life, followed the imperial edict to punish the thieves, and wipe out the traitors. The ancestors were very lucky, and the country was very lucky. He then explained that this blood letter was his determination to get rid of Zhang Qingmeng. At the end of the article, he promised that the loyal people who participated in the elimination of the thieves would be granted public titles, marquisships, and generous rewards.
Yin Jiesheng was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground. He didn't know where to put his trembling hands, so he had to press them under his buttocks. At this time, he felt that even breathing was so terrifying!
That night, Yin Jiesheng dressed in casual clothes and quietly found Huang Shenchao with this secret edict. At this time, Huang Shenchao was sipping wine from a cup with an imperial doctor to vent his dissatisfaction.
Seeing his master's visit, Huang Shenchao didn't even have time to salute, so he hurried forward, grabbed his hand and asked, "Master, how is the Queen Mother's condition?"
Yin Jiesheng sighed: "The Queen Mother's condition is becoming more and more serious. The palace does not allow me to deliver medicine. Alas..."
The imperial doctor slammed the wine bottle to the ground, his face as if it had just been burned red: "Huh! Zhang Qingmeng just caught the cold, so he called the entire imperial hospital and was not allowed to enter the palace! If it hadn't been tonight Mercy, let us go home and rest for the night, I’m afraid we’ll be exhausted!!”
Yin Jiesheng made a look and said tentatively: "Don't talk nonsense. Serving King Zheng is a matter of course and you should be proud of it."
"Bah!" the imperial doctor spat: "You are that uncle, right? I didn't expect that you are also a seller seeking glory!"
Yin Jiesheng continued to test: "Aren't you afraid if I tell King Zheng what you said today?"
"If you want to tell me, tell me! Why should I be afraid of you?"
When he said these words, Yin Jiesheng finally let down his guard and said to the imperial doctor: "I admire the brave men and their loyalty! I just want to ask if you two have more courage?"
After Huang Shenchao went around to confirm that no one was around, he asked nervously: "What do you mean by this, master? Could it be that he is entering the palace today..."
"This is not the place to talk. We should find a more secluded place!"
The three of them took advantage of the darkness to avoid the scrutiny of the curfew officers and soldiers, and went all the way to the imperial doctor's home on the outskirts of the city. Along the way, the imperial doctor explained that his name was Zhou Cixue, and he relied on a meager salary to support his elderly mother. He only had a thatched house on the outskirts of the city, with no village in front and no shop behind, and it was very secluded.
After entering the house, the three of them first paid homage to Zhou Ci's mother, and then hid in the back room to discuss in secret. Yin Jiesheng took out the blood edict, and the two of them were shocked when they saw it. They knelt down and kowtowed, crying and saying: "I didn't expect that Your Majesty would be so determined. I will definitely help my uncle to fight against the thieves!"
"You two, just the three of us are still weak. If there are other loyal people joining us, it will be a success!"
Zhou Ci patted his chest and said, "Lieutenant Jie Tao and I are old friends. This man commands two hundred forbidden troops and has long been resentful of Zhang Qingmeng's domineering behavior. I will call him here tomorrow."
Huang Shenchao also mentioned a person: "There is also Qiu Fei. Although he came to Beijing with Zhang Qingmeng, he was only made a head of a hundred households and had no power at all. He was already dissatisfied with Zhang Qingmeng. As long as he was bribed with a lot of money, he would definitely be defeated." Join in!"
The next night
Xie Tao and Qiu Fei really agreed and quietly came to the thatched cottage at night. Zhou Ci trembled with his lips: "I've been waiting for this day! I've been waiting for this day!"
The five of them bit their little fingers and printed their names on the edict with blood:
"Uncle Yin Jiesheng
Huang Shenchao, Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Civil Affairs
Chief of a Hundred Households Qiu Fei
Lieutenant Xie Tao
Imperial Physician Zhou Cixiao"
Yin Jiesheng was so excited that he held their hands tightly: "Even if I spend all my wealth, I still want to save the emperor from the fire and water, and rectify my more than four hundred years of great power!"
Zhou Ci's eyes filled with tears, and fire ignited in his chest: "No matter whether we succeed or fail in the end, we must never leak the edict, let alone others!"
The five people dropped blood into the wine bowls, and each of them drank it up in one gulp. He solemnly knelt before the bloody edict and swore: "The national thief Zhang Qingmeng wields power in both the government and the public, and kills loyal and good people indiscriminately. He has the heart of a venomous snake, a wolf by nature, and everyone is angry! Today, the five of us are protected by the empire. Thanks to your majesty's kindness, I will lead you." It is the destiny of God to secure the country, support the inner world, and destroy the traitors. I hope Emperor Taizu Gao will bless me! I hope the yellow sky and thick soil will bless me! If all the thieves are eliminated, the world will be blessed! The people will be blessed!"
The weak candlelight swayed gently, and the whole room flickered. A gust of cold wind rushed into the room, blowing out the remaining flames...
