"Your Majesty, Duke Chen Guo wants to see you."
Huang Zhong shouted outside the palace. The empress glanced at Zhao An, who was sleeping soundly, and quickly put on her regular clothes and went to the imperial study.
Chen Guogong stood alone in the study, and ignored the footsteps when he heard them. The empress looked ugly and pretended to be kind when she came in front of him. Only then did he kneel down to apologize, as if he was belatedly aware of the situation.
"You don't need to be polite, Mr. Chen Guo. Are you anxious to see me for something important?"
"I heard that there was an assassin in the palace. I have been lamenting all day and night. I am thinking about His Majesty with all my heart and soul. I came here to have a look."
"It is true that an assassin broke into the palace, but the assassin knew he could not escape and set himself on fire."
The empress sat on the dragon chair and was served tea.
Chen Guogong was sitting in danger, looking loyal and honest, "If I ask Your Majesty, I can see the assassin's appearance. I will go all out to investigate his origin and eliminate danger for Your Majesty."
"Burned to ashes, how to verify? Maybe the people don't like me, so they assassinated me."
"I heard there was quite a big fuss and a commander died..."
Chen Guogong's eyes became a little deep, and the empress said calmly: "The person who died was Zhou Shan, the commander of the North Gate Imperial Army. I don't know much about this man. He died to protect the queen, and I should commend him for his contribution."
"Your Majesty, the safety of the Imperial Court is very important. I can recommend someone to your Majesty."
Chen Guogong's fox tail was exposed. The empress shrank her pupils and shook her head and said, "No need, I will choose the right person. Tonight, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests will greet the old prince and wash away his dust. Chen Guogong will go back and have a good rest. I will have a few drinks in the evening." yes."
This statement made Chen Guogong stunned for a while, as if he didn't expect the emperor to become so powerful.
Their eyes met, and he stood up to leave without saying another word.
Looking at the departing figure, the empress' mood was extremely complicated, and she secretly gritted her teeth and said: "It's not just reaching out to the harem, she also wants to control my imperial guards! Come one, and I will kill one!"
"If you are so powerful, that old fox Chen Guogong won't dare to bully you."
Zhao An yawned and wandered into the imperial study. The Empress raised her eyebrows and said, "Did you just see that? This old man insulted me too much!"
"Who makes you so weak? If you don't bully who will bully you?"
"you!"
The empress gritted her silver teeth and her jade hands trembled, "Let him forget it, you still yell at me!"
"Don't get me wrong, I laugh at you purely because you don't look very smart."
Zhao An poured a cup of tea by himself, and the empress looked confused. Wasn't it wrong for her to refuse Chen Guogong to continue to have her in front of her?
"Has your Majesty ever thought about why Chen Guogong wants to control the imperial guards?"
"Of course it will be convenient for forcing you to have a baby in the future!"
The empress almost didn't hesitate. Zhao An spread his hands and said, "Then you won't take advantage of this opportunity to reorganize the Imperial Guard? Will you really take it into your own hands?"
Zhao An's words made Empress Mao Ce suddenly smile with joy, and then she deliberately put her hands behind her back and made a serious face, "Slave, how should I change my system?"
"Haha, please beg me."
Zhao An grinned with big white teeth and a particularly unscrupulous smile. The empress frowned and said, "I'm not in the mood to joke with you!"
"I'm not kidding. If you want something, you have to give something."
Zhao An does have the means to restructure the Imperial Guard, but execution is not that simple.
Something that requires so many brain cells must be given some benefits.
The empress had a sullen face and was unwilling to compromise. Zhao An was not anxious at all. Anyway, she was the one who was threatening the throne.
The emperor is not in a hurry, but the eunuch is in a hurry.
The two looked at each other for a full minute, and the empress forced a smile and said, "I can't give you a knighthood at the moment, but I can give you an iron coupon for the alchemy book."
Alchemy book iron coupon?
No dogs!
"Slave, don't go too far!" The empress was really anxious, but thinking about the current situation carefully, the gold medal for avoiding death was really useless.
Zhao An looked at her flat chest unscrupulously and said jokingly, "As long as your Majesty gives me the East Palace, I can help you restructure it."
"What nonsense!"
The empress was shocked. The East Palace was the place where the future prince would live. If it were given to a slave, wouldn't it be the most ridiculous thing in the world?
Zhao An shrugged, whether to give or not was all a matter of her words, she just needed a reason.
The empress sat at the table without saying a word, with a touch of anger in her beautiful eyes. However, after getting along with him for such a long time, she finally understood Zhao An's character. Since she spoke, there must be a purpose.
"I just want to ask you one thing, you want the East Palace, but for my own good?"
"Of course, otherwise I would play with the East Palace when I'm full."
"Okay, I promise you! You can find the answer yourself!"
The empress actually agreed.
Zhao An couldn't help but look at her with admiration. When she was at the end of her rope, this woman actually had some courage.
As for the reorganization of the Imperial Guards, there is no rush now, let’s wait until tonight’s banquet is over.
After leaving the Imperial Study Room, Zhao An rushed directly to the East Palace.
The East Palace has been abandoned for too long. Except for a few eunuchs who are responsible for daily cleaning, no one usually comes here.
After a while, ten eunuchs knelt in front of them. The one in charge was called Liu Fu, an old eunuch who was half a century old. He was an old man from Cining Palace. He looked like a harmless person when he smiled.
Under his recommendation, Zhao An visited the huge East Palace, which covered an area larger than expected.
"Liu Fu, how many years have you been here? Have you ever served the emperor?"
Zhao An asked casually, and the latter said flatteringly: "How can the young man be so lucky? It was when the East Palace was empty that the old servant was sent here by the Queen Mother."
"His Majesty has just issued a decree that the Zajia family will take over the East Palace with full authority."
"Old slave, I didn't receive the order."
Liu Fu was a little panicked. He usually fished in the East Palace and lived a comfortable life. Now that Zhao An wanted to drive him away, he was absolutely reluctant to let go.
Zhao An said contemptuously: "Your Majesty's instructions are oral. If you don't believe it, you can ask it yourself."
Liu Fu shuddered and didn't dare to speak anymore, but he didn't leave either.
How could Zhao An not understand his little thoughts, so he took a bag of money and threw it away.
Sure enough, Liu Fu suddenly smiled and hurriedly called his men to leave.
After they left, Zhao An went straight to Ningkun Palace.
"Your Majesty wants to restart the East Palace?"
Chen Yuru was so excited that her heart nearly jumped out when she heard this, and then she touched her belly happily. She had had some reactions in the past few days, and she probably was pregnant, but she never dared to ask the imperial doctor.
Zhao An whispered: "Your Majesty, I plan to use the East Palace to rebuild the black factory and protect your future."
Chen Yuru's pretty face was startled, and her expression became extremely complicated.
You know, the black factory was destroyed by her father and hundreds of officials back then. If it is built again now, I'm afraid...
"Is your Majesty not going to tell Duke Chen? You have to think carefully. The servant spent a lot of effort to persuade His Majesty to reopen the East Palace, all for the sake of your dragon son in the future. If the Duke knows everything, not to mention that the servant's life is not guaranteed, in the future, Who will protect the empress, mother and son, soaring to the top?"
Zhao An's words seemed sincere, but Chen Yuru remained silent and walked around still hesitating.
