Lu Xianchen stood diagonally to the side of the Queen Mother. She was dressed in white and wore a hat. She was very silent and not conspicuous in the entire court.
But anyone who cares can notice it.
Lu Xianchen silently considered the current situation in the court.
What needs attention are the three hereditary kings with different surnames: King Zhongxin, Marquis Dingbang, and Duke Lu. Next to them is Liang Binzhu, who holds military power, and next to him is Wang Weice, the leader of civil servants.
The first three all had fiefdoms within the Hong Dynasty, and it was difficult for the emperor to manage them within their fiefdoms. Liang Binzhu had a great influence on the Liang family army in northern Xinjiang, and it was difficult to easily touch him. Wang Weice was a scholar from a poor family, and was good at Imperial College. There are many people there, almost everyone can speak, and most of the civil servants present regard him as their leader.
"The Ai family believes that there is no need to mobilize people to worship ancestors," the Empress Dowager Mingxi said from behind the curtain. "Last year, the grain harvest in Bailan Town was poor, and there was also a plague. Such governance is not prosperous, so we should focus on the people's sentiments instead of Spend real money and money on sacrifices.”
"I think that this year's Qingming Festival should be a 'big sacrifice'," said the Duke of Lu. "The country is not prosperous, so we should go to the clan, apologize to our ancestors, and pray for blessings for the coming year."
"It is not a wise move to sacrifice people and money by holding large sacrifices," said the Empress Dowager Mingxi.
"But in order to ensure good weather in the coming year, I believe that all the gentlemen and families in the countryside are willing to donate one or two." Lu Guogong said.
The Empress Dowager Mingxi showed obvious displeasure. She always believed that things depended on man-made things and that man would conquer nature. If the ancestors had spirits, they would definitely not be happy with their female dictatorship, so she and her ancestors did not want to see each other.
In particular, today's ancestor worshippers include her son. According to the regulations of the Great Hong Dynasty, the Queen Mother must observe the ceremony and go to the ancestral hall without kneeling, but the Queen Mother does not need to participate in the sacrifice.
In the past few years, the Queen Mother was bedridden and did not participate in the Qingming Festival. She was classified as "the Queen Mother does not worship." But this year, she appeared again and claimed to be the Queen Mother. There are many etiquette regulations involved. .
There are many people who worship ancestors during the Qingming Festival and the Empress Dowager Mingxi has an "unjustified reputation".
The Queen Mother of the Ming Dynasty wanted to reduce the restrictions during the Qingming Festival because she was sincerely considering the disaster last year and the treasury was empty. Those who wanted to hold a "big sacrifice" were thinking about how to punish the Queen Mother for an "illegal" crime.
"I second the proposal," Dingbang Hou stood beside Duke Lu, "I also think that everything that went wrong last year must be related to the insincerity of worshiping ancestors. This year it is appropriate to hold a big sacrifice and invite Yuanlu to send representatives to the post. Show me Hong Chao’s national prestige.”
As soon as the words "Yuanlu Sect" came out, there was an indistinct gasp from the courtiers.
Lu Xianchen also tried his best to calm down so as not to make a sound in surprise.
What? Someone from the Yuanlu Sect is coming? So early?
Compared with the original work, the current plot has changed too much, and Lu Xianchen does not dare to measure the current situation from the original work's dimensions.
Anyway, in the original work, after the Yuanlu Sect arrived, the vicious female supporting character, the Holy Doctor, dared to attack the heroine. The heroine’s subsequent dangers were all caused by the Yuanlu Sect’s tacit approval of the original female supporting character, which ultimately led to The female supporting role is trying to kill herself.
Now, Lu Xianchen will definitely not harm Su Fengyao, but the arrival of the Yuanlu Sect is still not a good sign.
Well, the Saint Doctor Peak is isolated from the world anyway. In the original work, the Saint Doctor Woman is almost the only one who has the final say on what she wants to do. To talk about "orthodoxy" and "family teacher's instructions", she protects the royal family surnamed Su, so she shouldn't have the final say. Question.
Su Fengyao had just come back from the Yuanlu Sect. She didn't even know that the Yuanlu Sect intended to interfere in the Qingming Festival ceremony of the royal family surnamed Su, but a courtier said it to the court. This was not a good thing from a horizontal perspective.
But the Yuanlu faction was coming, and the Empress Dowager Mingxi could not refuse this "big sacrifice" request.
King Zhongxin also took a step forward at this time: "The coming of the Yuanlu sect has been informed to the Holy Doctor in advance. The Holy Doctor can prepare for the Yuan Lantern Festival, and I believe she can also prepare for the Qingming Festival."
Lu Xianchen, who was suddenly called, was stunned on the spot. Who told me in advance? Why didn't I know?
"I don't know," Lu Xianchen's mind twitched and he told the truth, "My master has been in seclusion all year round. I didn't see him often when I was at Holy Doctor Peak. When I came to the palace, I didn't receive a letter from him."
Lu Xianchen maintained an inscrutable look on his face and expressed sincere doubts: "I don't even know that the Yuanlu Sect is coming intentionally. How does King Zhongxin know that I know?"
King Zhongxin must not have expected that the Holy Doctor would deny it in public, and his face immediately turned red.
"I know, it must be Lu Yi who didn't bring the message," Lu Xianchen found a place to go down the stairs, "I haven't seen the Yuanlu sect flying carrier pigeons over there recently. I asked Lu Yi to bring the message to me. , but that naughty kid seemed to have some objections to me, he was sarcastic and didn't have a few nice words to say."
Lu Xianchen resented the naughty child very deeply, and even with his hat on, he could hear the sincerity of these words.
I don’t know if others believed it, but anyway, this was a suitable step, so King Zhongxin rolled down the stairs: “Yeah, that may be true, just don’t leave such an important job of spreading the message to a child... "
Duke Lu cupped his hands and said: "So, Queen Mother, this 'big sacrifice' matter should be undisputed. General Liang has returned to the palace, and the Yuanlu faction is coming to worship ancestors during the Qingming Festival. Of course, we must be fully prepared." "
Lu Xianchen's eyes squinted at Liang Binzhu under his hat. He actually knew about the Yuanlu Sect's arrival when he returned to the palace.
All the courtiers knew that it had been kept secret from the emperor and the empress dowager until now. The empress dowager of Mingxi had just learned the news and did not react for a moment. She could not even organize the words to defend the "big sacrifice" trip.
In a few words, the courtiers directly decided on the specifications of the "big sacrifice" without giving the Empress Dowager Mingxi any chance to shirk the blame.
Su Fengmo didn't say a word from beginning to end.
After retreating from the court, Lu Xianchen told Liu Er to call Lu Yi over.
Lu Yi was called over, and the little boy's face was full of dissatisfaction.
Lu Xianchen took off his curtain hat and knelt down in front of Su Fengmo and Queen Mother Mingxi.
"Xianchen is guilty. He should have known about the Yuanlu Sect but didn't. He was unable to inform His Majesty and the Queen Mother. Please punish him." Lu Xianchen said.
She pulled Lu Yi, who was still standing next to her, and said to him, "Kneel down."
Of course Lu Yi didn't want to, and just as he was about to jump away, Lu Xianchen moved his fingers slightly, and an invisible marble hit the numb tendon on Lu Yi's leg, causing him to weaken his legs and kneel on the ground.
"You..." Lu Yi stared at Lu Xianchen.
The next moment, the marble hit Lu Yi's dumb hole, and he couldn't say a word again.
"Lu Xianchen and his younger brother apologize to the Queen Mother and Your Majesty." Lu Xianchen kowtowed.
"Because my younger brother was so young and reckless, he forgot such an important matter and almost caused a disaster. Please don't blame your Majesty and the Queen Mother."
Today, I "forgot" to hand over the Yuanlu Sect's instructions to His Majesty and the Queen Mother. This matter is definitely derelict. The specific ruling can be big or small. Lu Xianchen's move is just to make this matter clear. Confessed in vain.
A trace of intolerance flashed in the eyes of the Empress Dowager Mingxi, but immediately, it was the cruelty of a politician: "In this matter, the holy doctor woman and her brother are indeed at fault. Each of them will be punished with twenty canes. They are not allowed to do it again."
The Queen Mother signaled, and the guards came forward and tied the two people to a bench.
"After all, it was an unintentional mistake by a young child, and the Ai family is not a bloodthirsty person, so there is no need to punish him too harshly." The Empress Dowager Mingxi added.
Lu Yizhi is one year younger than Su Fengmo, so he can't actually be called a "kid".
There is a lot of knowledge in playing board. The important point is that twenty boards can kill someone. Be gentle, fifty boards can only cause skin trauma. It all depends on the instructions from the superior.
What the Queen Mother means is not to hit her too hard.
Lu Yi was tied up, feeling extremely dissatisfied. He tried desperately to struggle, but because his hands and feet were weak, he could hardly move.
He still hasn't understood what happened: What's going on? Why should I be beaten?
——The pain is not very painful, but being tied up and beaten in front of so many people, do I still want to save my face? When I return to the Yuanlu Sect in the future, my brothers and sisters should also laugh at me!
——What a bastard sister, you want to drag me down even though I’m being beaten for no reason, no matter how unreasonable you are!
Lu Xianchen closed his eyes under Lu Yi's resentful expression.
Su Fengmo lowered his eyes slightly, as if he couldn't bear to look.
The Empress Dowager Mingxi coughed next to her, as if to remind her of something, and Su Fengmo had to raise her eyes again.
He saw sister Xianchen being beaten, with bright red blood flowing out and staining her white clothes.
Lu Yi had a scolding expression on his face, staring at Lu Xianchen, his eyes like knives, as if he wanted to cut her into pieces.
Lu Xianchen underestimated the power of twenty planks and overestimated her own ability to withstand it. No matter how much the Queen Mother asked for a gentle attack, twenty planks were enough to make her, a girl with no swordsmanship talent, faint from the pain.
Later, the two of them were helped to rest. Lu Xianchen could hardly move and could only lie on his side.
Lu Yi's ban was finally lifted. The seventh disciple, who was a sword cultivator, was in better health than her and could jump out of bed at this time: "What evil have I done? I got a slap in the face for no reason. You have a hole in your head." Well, you want me to be beaten?"
"You made a mistake because of your fault." Lu Xianchen said.
"What mistake did I make? Just bring the news that you said?" Lu Yi was furious, "No one assigned me that task at all, and I don't even know about it!"
"You don't know? You have to know even if you don't know." Lu Xianchen said.
Lu Yi was angry: "You are simply unreasonable!"
"Because this matter is related to the relationship between the royal family and the Yuanlu Sect. The Yuanlu Sect is coming, but notified the courtiers but did not notify the Queen Mother. When these words are said, it is difficult not to make people think too much. People will speculate and attack the royal family. This pair Your Majesty's rule is not good." Lu Xianchen said.
Lu Yi was still unconvinced: "Then what does this have to do with me?"
"I have to find a reason that makes sense. At least it makes sense on the surface. You are the one who came from the Yuanlu Sect recently. What words did the Yuanlu Sect ask you to bring? It's reasonable. As a child, you accidentally forgot it. It makes sense." Lu Xianchen said.
"In this way, we can barely cover up what the Yuanlu Sect has deliberately done."
Lu Yi spread his hands: "Then why didn't the Yuanlu faction tell the eldest princess directly? I believe she would never forget it."
"So this is just a set of words that can cover up the past..." Lu Xianchen's body was still hurting, but his mind had to think about the next plan.
"So I was beaten innocently!" Lu Yi was still full of anger.
"Lu Yi," Lu Xianchen called him by his first name, "This is the palace, right or wrong is not that important sometimes, don't be willful."
