When the three assistant ministers rushed to Qianqing Palace, it was almost Shenshi.
Gao Gong took the lead, followed by Guo Pu and Zhang Juzheng, and the three assistant ministers entered the Qianqing Palace in the shape of pin. As soon as they entered the emperor's chamber, they saw Long Qing leaning on the slightly raised imperial couch, looking towards them.
When Long Qing saw Gao Gong, the solemn look on his face relaxed. He cheered up and said, "First...the three gentlemen are here."
Gao Gong saw that the emperor's words were very weak when he mustered up his energy, and his face was even grayer, with sunken eye sockets and swollen cheeks. He couldn't help feeling sad, and choked with sobs: "Old minister, I'm late, please forgive me." He said. Then he knelt down and knocked his head on the ground.
The chief minister knelt down. Naturally, Guo Pu and Zhang Juzheng couldn't stand, so they also knelt down and kowtowed.
The emperor struggled to say: "Please rise, three gentlemen. Meng Chong will give you a seat."
Meng Chong quickly asked the eunuchs to bring three brocade stools and asked the three ministers to sit down.
Gao Gong and the three of them each sat on half of their buttocks, and only then did they have time to look at the details in the dormitory.
However, in the palace, except for the emperor who was half-reclining on the imperial couch in the middle, the queen and Concubine Li were bowing and grabbing the emperor's right hand on the right side of the imperial couch, while the prince stood still on the left side of the imperial couch.
There was nothing unexpected about this. The surprise was that there was a person standing next to the prince, wearing a bright red silk flying fish suit, with a calm and solemn expression, but he was only slightly taller than the prince - this person was actually very pragmatic.
Including Gao Gong, the three assistant ministers were startled when they saw this position.
Although Gao Jingshi is the prince's companion, it is natural to stand by the prince's side normally, but now it is clearly the time when the emperor wants to take care of him! At this time, it is normal for the prince to stand next to the emperor, but for him to still stand next to the prince, there is obviously a problem, and the problem is huge.
But the problem is that the emperor himself is here right now. If the emperor feels that his position is inappropriate, how can Gao Pragmatic stand there?
Even if the emperor is seriously ill and is too lazy to speak, the empress, the concubine and even the chief ceremonial officer's handprint and several important pens are all there. There can't be anyone who understands here, right?
The three assistant ministers have all been in the center for half their lives, and some truths are obvious immediately: this position can only be approved or even personally appointed by the emperor.
But... why?
The third assistant minister couldn't figure out the situation for a while, and he couldn't speak. Gao Gong originally wanted to scold Gao Pragmatic and said something like "what a decent person", but after thinking about it, he decided not to do it. This matter is really weird, so let's take a look first. Let’s talk about the situation.
In the end, it was the emperor who spoke first. He coughed hard, as if there was something blocked in his throat. He cleared his throat hard and said, "I have no hesitation, and I am determined to pass the throne to the crown prince. For the sake of my fate, I will assist the crown prince well."
The buttocks of the three people with high arches were not yet warm from sitting, so they quickly stood up and bowed down. And Meng Chong had already stepped forward to make a call - he translated the emperor's words just now in classical Chinese into an oral edict: "Holy edict: I, the descendant of our ancestors, have been suffering from this disease for six years now. Entrusted by the late emperor. The East Palace is young, and I now entrust the three ministers including you to assist me, abide by the ancestral system, and protect the imperial throne. Your merits will be in the country and will never be lost forever."
Although Gao Gong and others expected that they would accept Gu's fate, they still couldn't help but feel sad when they thought that this emperor who had known them for many years and seemed cowardly and absurd, but in fact was very wise and foolish, really wanted to take over Yan Jia. Cry bitterly.
Especially Gao Gong, the relationship between him and Long Qing cannot be described in words! All of a sudden, I was crying so much that I was heartbroken.
Long Qing braced himself and said: "Sir, I really have failed my ancestors, but I am lucky to have you here, so I will not fail the world. Now that the prince is young, the palace and the concubine do not know about government affairs, so I can only blame the world for bringing trouble to you, sir. Please Sir, teach my son well, just like he taught me back then..."
"Your Majesty!" Gao Gong was even more mournful after hearing this. His eyes were full of tears and he choked with sobs. He banged his head three times on the gold bricks of Qianqing Palace: "The old minister has little talent and little virtue. , but he was trusted by His Majesty and entrusted with the task of assisting, but he sacrificed his life in return!"
Seeing Gao Gong's emotion, Long Qing also had tears in his eyes. He nodded with reluctance, turned his head and said to Zhu Yijun: "Prince, Mr. Gao is my teacher, and now I have entrusted him to teach you. You should respect me as much as you respect me."
When Zhu Yijun saw his father who doted on him and loved him deeply, he was still the one he couldn't forget. He couldn't help it anymore and burst into tears. His tears were like broken pearls, falling drop by drop on the edge of the imperial couch. He nodded: "My son has remembered it. Father, my son has remembered it...Father, please don't abandon Jun'er, okay?"
Seeing the prince like this, Empress Chen and Concubine Li couldn't control their emotions and started crying together. In the dormitory, cries broke out all over the place, and they were extremely sad.
Long Qing stretched out his left hand towards the prince with difficulty. Zhu Yijun quickly stepped forward, held it with both hands, and said: "Father, my son is here..."
Long Qing trembled, squeezed his little hand as hard as he could, and said tremblingly: "Jun'er, daddy will let you down this time..."
"Father!" Zhu Yijun grabbed his father's left hand with all his strength, tears streaming down his face.
Long Qing's eyes slowly moved back from Zhu Yijun's face, glanced at Gao Pragmatic, and said, "Jun'er, are you satisfied with the companion book I chose for you?"
Zhu Yijun nodded vigorously while crying.
"That's good." Long Qing gasped twice, squeezed Zhu Yijun's hand, but said to Gao Pingshi: "In Xiao Gaoqing's family, the prince has become the emperor, and you, the prince's companion, cannot be... But it doesn't matter, he is in charge. Before, you still had to accompany him to study... You, you not only have to accompany him well, but also supervise him, just like how you lectured for him before when he lectured on things that the officials had not explained clearly."
In principle, this sentence seems to have some language errors, but the emperor was so ill that he almost held on for his last breath to explain his funeral affairs. It is not surprising that the logic is not clear. Anyway, Gao Pragmatic already understood what the emperor meant.
He was actually quite touched at the moment. At least Long Qing was extremely benevolent and righteous to the Gao family. Coupled with the father-son relationship between him and the prince, Gao Jingshi also shed tears. He knelt down in front of the imperial couch and learned from Gao Jingshi. He kowtows like an arch to receive orders.
Long Qing's eyes moved with difficulty, and he glanced left and right, as if he was trying his best to think about whether there was anything important that had not been explained clearly.
At this time, Empress Chen, who had been just sobbing softly, suddenly raised her head, sobbed and asked the emperor with pear blossoms: "Your Majesty, if the country is in trouble before Jun'er comes to take charge in the future, my two sisters don't know." It’s a serious matter, but what should we do?”
Long Qing never expected that the Queen would ask such a question. He was startled for a moment, then without hesitation raised his index finger slightly, pointed at Gao Gong, and said: "If anything is difficult to solve, just ask Mr. Gao."
