"Lord Gongsun, I didn't say anything," Cheng Ning threw away the melon seed shell and patted the crumbs in his palms.
She took a sip of tea, her eyes blocked by the cup.
She really didn't say anything, but Gongsun Li was a pure minister, which was 100% certain.
If she really wants to do something for the people, then the court situation will be reorganized, and it will be pure ministers who will take the majority in the court.
Otherwise, the situation that finally brought down the family will return with a vengeance as time goes by.
Unless Gongsun Li wanted to experience the scene of leaving the court angrily again, she must hold on to her power and responsibility as Minister of Dali Temple.
Gongsunli suddenly felt a lot of pressure: "...So you recommended me to His Majesty in the first place because you wanted me to break through the family?"
"You can say that." Cheng Ning admitted happily: "I think you can do it."
Only those who have experienced it will know the disadvantages of being in power.
So when she recommended Wei Yanzhou, she also trusted Gongsun Li to take this position well.
"Aning, aren't you unwilling?"
It was not until today that Gongsun Li asked this question.
Suddenly, the late emperor passed away and the new emperor succeeded to the throne. The Cheng family rebelled and was imprisoned. Cheng Ning was confiscated with 300,000 military talismans and had no merit. When he was convicted and imprisoned, she was far away from the government and the public, thinking about what would happen to Cheng Ning. manage.
It doesn't matter if you bend your body and give your best, it doesn't matter if the bird uses up its bow and hides, or it doesn't matter if you are framed.
She wanted to know what Cheng Ning thought.
But she just asked today.
Because Cheng Ning planned for Jinyang without any grudges, she felt a little unworthy.
Back then, because of her dirty family, she resigned in anger and returned to her hometown. It was a lie to say that she had no grudge against the late emperor.
The death of her close relatives and the late emperor's powerlessness made her feel that serving the court was not worth it.
Cheng Ning placed the cup on the table, with mixed emotions in her eyes.
But there is one thing: "I am not doing this for Jinyang, but for the people of Jinyang."
She is willing to compromise temporarily, not because she cares about the Jinyang court.
On the contrary, she was disgusted by the decadence and decay that had plagued the family in the past few decades.
But...the foundation of a country is its people. If the court is in turmoil and suffers from internal and external troubles, it is the people who will suffer in the end.
She has been guarding Jinyang for seven years and knows how easy it is to write the word 'tranquility', but how difficult it is to guard it.
What's more -
She glanced at the person sitting lazily on the main seat.
This man was careless, cruel and arbitrary, but she could see that the court seemed to be getting better in his hands.
Even the worries are still there.
Gongsun Li also followed her gaze and saw a man in a dragon robe sitting on her. He was powerful and dangerous.
The first time she went to the palace for an audience, she knew that Wei Yanzhou, the former Second Highness, had changed more than a little.
"Do you believe His Majesty?"
Cheng Ning shook his head: "I don't believe him, but you can."
He felt that what she said was strange, but Gongsun Li couldn't find a reason to refute it.
She took the throne not long ago, but her suspicion towards the new emperor has indeed gone from suspicion to slight admiration now.
Wei Yanzhou is a practical person and is willing to let Gongsun leave to try, no matter the cost.
Even his methods were much more ruthless than Gongsunli thought, and he would act decisively whenever it involved offending people.
It doesn't matter who the other party is.
Such a person will give you all the answers and help you overcome all difficulties. Compared with the late emperor's gentle methods, it is not a bit better.
Gongsun Li did not ask Cheng Ning why he did not believe in Wei Yanzhou.
But she knew that Cheng Ning had her own reasons.
"A Ning, what's going on with the Cheng family -" Gongsun Li accepted Cheng Ning's kindness and thought of her, "Do you want me?"
"Need not."
Cheng Ning refused decisively: "No need for the time being. You have just established your position as Minister of Dali Temple. The Cheng family's affairs are His Majesty's fault."
She didn't say why it was Ni Lin, but if Dali Temple took the initiative to investigate this matter, Gongsun Li would be in danger.
She had no doubt that if Wei Yanzhou could put Gongsun Li in this position, he could remove her.
She didn't want Gongsun Li to take risks, at least not now.
"Why? I don't believe that General Cheng is plotting rebellion, and you are even less likely to do so!" Gongsun Li said with some excitement: "I know what kind of person you are."
Cheng Ning was very grateful, but she couldn't talk about the Cheng family.
"In short, the Gao family is easy to make friends with."
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Gongsun Li was quite discouraged.
She had already been thinking of overturning the case for the Cheng family, and there were many former members of the Cheng family in the court.
If she had made this comment first, and someone would agree with her, and Wei Yanzhou's current attitude towards Cheng Ning, it might not be impossible.
The word 'treason' is inherently subtle.
According to her investigations over the past few days, on the day the late emperor passed away, although the Cheng family led their own soldiers to surround the Dezheng Palace, there was no exchange of fire at all.
At that time, Wei Yanzhou was holding a piece of imperial edict for the Zen position, and the Imperial Army and the Royal Forest Army quickly subdued Cheng Fengxu.
The charge of 'rebellion' was firmly placed on his head, and he was imprisoned and examined.
From beginning to end, there was no chance for the Cheng family to defend themselves.
And Cheng Ning was imprisoned halfway back to the court, without even having time to see his family.
Even if there was a conspiracy, Cheng Ning did not participate in the slightest.
These can all be traced and documented.
But Cheng Ning asked her not to move. Apart from fear of injuring her, Gongsunli felt that she had other reasons.
She wanted to ask again, but someone approached her.
The waiter came up with two plates of candied fruits, placed them on the table, and whispered: "Your Majesty, Master Gongsun, please use them with caution."
One plate is plum blossoms, and the other plate is candied apricots.
They all exude a refreshingly sweet and sour flavor.
Gongsun Li glanced at it and said, "No need, retreat—"
"Leave it alone." Cheng Ning interrupted her and looked away from the other tables.
She noticed that every table had the same two plates, just like the ones on her table.
Gongsun Li paused for a moment, and then she said, "I remember when you passed by Liyang at the time of the orange harvest, even the sweet oranges were too sour for you."
"That was in the past," Cheng Ning picked up a plum with plump flesh and put it in his mouth, "I've been addicted to acid lately."
Pretending not to see Gongsun Li's shocked expression, Cheng Ning slowly swallowed the plum.
In her peripheral vision, Xie Qingyi's eyes kept falling on her.
It's said to be a draft, but no one watched the actual draft process.
The officials of the Ministry of Etiquette are arranging for the beautiful ladies to rush to Wei Yanzhou to show off the palace etiquette and their specialties.
From time to time, the sound of the piano and the clanging of the pipa and zither can be heard in the Chuxiu Palace.
Wei Yanzhou, who was sitting in the upper position, seemed completely bored. Although his eyes fell on Xiu Nu, his thoughts were wandering to nowhere.
"Your Majesty?" Qian Lixin couldn't tell his emotions, so he had to bite the bullet and ask: "How is the second girl from Dunsu Hou's residence?"
Wei Yanzhou barely regained consciousness and looked at the woman sitting in front of the guzheng: "Tao——"
"Tao Xinran." Qian Lixin replied hurriedly.
Tao Xinran's cheeks immediately turned pink when his name was called. He stood up and bowed: "Your Majesty."
"The beauty is graceful, the music of the piano is lingering," Wei Yanzhou said: "Giving flowers, sealing the beauty."
