Being robbed of her beauty by the Queen Mother, Zhuang Jingjia turned pale. She glanced at the sleeping emperor, bit her lip, stood up and said, "What the Queen Mother said is that I think too much."
Queen Mother Li was still angry and wanted to say something else. Empress Dowager Chen interjected: "Well, what you are worried about is not unreasonable. But my father is kind and my son is filial, my brothers and sisters are respectful, but I don't have those dirty things like the previous dynasty, so the queen doesn't have to worry too much."
Zhuang Jingjia's eyes were red, and she lowered her head and said: "What the Queen Mother has learned is that I am just worrying blindly. I just thought that if the emperor's horse was tampered with, the treacherous thief would definitely regard King Lu as a rare commodity, and he would not be able to bear to say anything. It's not that I doubt King Lu - he is still a child, how can I, my concubine, doubt him?"
Queen Mother Li's face changed color after hearing this. She initially thought that the emperor's fall from the horse was an accident. After Zhuang Jingjia analyzed it, she felt frightened and calmed down. He looked directly into Zhuang Jingjia's eyes and asked, "Why, has the emperor's horse been tampered with?"
Zhuang Jingjia lowered her head and replied: "I don't know, but the horse is now being guarded by the guards. I don't have the will to do it, and I don't dare to do anything with it."
After hearing this, Queen Mother Li said: "What is your request? A thorough investigation!"
Before he finished speaking, an internal official outside the palace announced: "Queen Mother, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet is here."
There was a sound of footsteps, and Zhang Juzheng, along with Ying Gong, Lu Tiaoyang, Wang Guoguang, and Zhang Siwei, kowtowed to see him outside the hall.
Queen Mother Li glanced at Queen Mother Chen, and when she nodded, she ordered: "Let them come in."
Zhang Juzheng, with red eyes and a solemn expression, led several important ministers into the palace. As soon as he entered the door, he asked: "The emperor fell from his horse, and all the ministers were heartbroken - I wonder what the holy bow is like?"
Just as Empress Dowager Li was about to speak, Zhuang Jingjia had already replied: "Old sir, don't worry. The imperial doctor just looked at her, but she suffered some concussion on the head and injured her leg. She will wake up in a while."
Zhang Juzheng took a deep breath and suddenly fell to the ground, choked with sobs. His thin body trembled slightly, and tears rolled down his face. It took him a while before he said in a voice: "Your Majesty has a fragile body. You must never do what Meng Lang did in the future. I... I..." Speechless.
The two queen mothers and the empress felt a little sad in their hearts when they saw his true feelings. Queen Mother Li nodded and said: "The old gentleman is right. The emperor will not be allowed to ride horses in the future. However, the queen is afraid that the horse has been tampered with, and this needs to be investigated clearly."
After Zhang Juzheng heard this, his beard and hair stood up, and he shouted angrily: "Is there such a crazy beast in the palace? Where is the Supervisor of Ceremonies?!"
With an angry shout, the three women and the ministers kneeling behind him were all startled by him. Empress Dowager Li's heart pounded, and she asked her left and right, "Why hasn't Zhang Hong come yet? Didn't he have him bundled up and sent here?"
After hearing what Empress Dowager Li said, Wei Chao left the palace gate and arranged for someone to rush him. He walked quickly two steps to look outside the gate of Bailu Palace.
Suddenly, I saw people around the Queen Mother who had gone to see Zhang Hong running from a distance, holding some papers in their hands and running very fast, panting.
When Wei Chao arrived, he saw the official's mouth wide open, his face full of fear, his lips trembling and unable to speak. He was so excited that he almost lost his mind.
I heard the eunuch say in a shrill voice: "Ancestor, ancestor..."
Wei Chao walked up to him, slapped him on the mouth, and cursed: "I told you to get something, why did you arrive just now? Shut up."
After hearing this, the official shut his mouth tightly. Wei Chao glanced around and said, "The Queen Mother is waiting, why don't you go in?" He kicked him again and followed him into the palace gate.
The eunuch trotted into the main hall, knelt down with a plop, and said in a trembling voice: "Report to the Queen Mother, Eunuch Zhang, Eunuch Zhang..."
Empress Dowager Li frowned and said, "What's wrong with Zhang Hong? You're so eager to reply." Zhang Juzheng and others were also given seats at this time. Looking at the appearance of the prisoner, doubts arose in his heart.
The eunuch took out a breath and said: "Eunuch Zhang hanged himself, and there is still a suicide note here!" After saying that, he seemed to be paralyzed, and he held up a few pieces of paper in his hand.
It was like a scorching thunder struck in the air in the room, and everyone in the hall suddenly changed their colors. There was a buzz in Queen Mother Li's head, and her voice changed: "What did you say?"
The eunuch trembled and said: "The servants searched everywhere but could not find Eunuch Zhang. Later... later... they found him in the side hall of Qianqing Palace. He was already hanging... hang......."
Wei Chao took two steps forward from the entrance of the palace, took Zhang Hong's suicide note from the eunuch, lowered his head and glanced at everyone in the palace, and actually handed the suicide note directly to the queen. Queen Mother Li was stunned for a moment, with an angry look on her face, and then sighed, with a wry smile on her face again.
Zhuang Jingjia's face was pale. When she took the pieces of paper and looked at them, she saw that it read:
"The most heinous criminal, Zhang Hong, wrote: Since the emperor came to power, he has carried out wanton reforms, destroyed the country's system, refused to listen to loyal advice, and is so happy to have great achievements, just like the emperor, the country may be overturned in an instant. Although I am not the emperor, I can't bear to see it. The emperor destroyed the imperial court and caused trouble to the world!"
"The crime of rebellion must not be pardoned! And the emperor's reform will cause suffering to all people, bring harm to the world, destroy the country, etc., and it will be even more sinful for the ministers! The emperor has already abolished Dongchang, and later wants to abolish the ceremony, and all the ancestral family laws will be destroyed. And it will lead to the worry of the collapse of the country."
"In the past, I remonstrated with you but did not listen. Today I am admonishing you to die, but I will not live alone. I rebel against a single husband, but I am not disobeying my father! If I am lucky, King Lu will be young, and the Queen Mother may be in charge, and the country will be prosperous. If it survives, the ancestral temple and the country will be safe."
"Zhang Juzheng is a treacherous minister who brings trouble to the court! Wang Guangguang, Zhang Siwei and others are all members of the party! If the affairs of the country are complicated, I only hope that the new emperor will rule, depose the traitor, recall the honest ministers, and diligently seek governance to live up to the ancestors." The hope of the sect.”
"What's the use of the death of a minister? Now that I have died to remonstrate with you, you can see that there is righteousness in the midst of chaos."
"When I was inspecting the emperor's saddle, I hid a steel needle inside, and at the speed of chasing the sound, if the emperor rode the saddle, he would be unlucky, and one would show the fate of the Menglang king in the world; the two have nothing to do with others, and there is no need to be implicated. If the emperor can Saving one's life depends on God's will. I will try my best without any regrets. This is my final masterpiece."
"The minister's family was broken up early in his childhood, and he was an orphan. Although he was married and had a son, he would be burdened by the minister, but it was just a dead ear. How can the whole family cry all the way? It's too late."
Zhuang Jingjia read Zhang Hong's suicide note, her face turned pale, and she said in a trembling voice: "He is indeed a treasonous person. Please read it, Queen Mother." After that, he handed the suicide note to Queen Mother Chen.
Empress Dowager Chen glanced at it and didn't know what to say. She handed it to Empress Dowager Li with a solemn expression. Queen Mother Li took it with trembling hands. When she saw Zhang Hong admitting his guilt, she felt dizzy and almost fainted.
After everyone in the palace had seen it, Zhuang Jingjia asked Zhang Juzheng and others: "Old sir, what should I do with it?"
Zhang Ju felt hot and cold, bitter, spicy and sour in his heart. Although he is a perseverant person, he also feels a little discouraged and frustrated at this moment.
Finally she burst into tears and said: "It's hard for the Emperor! It's hard for the ministers too! It's just to reform politics and make the country rich and powerful. How can such things happen! If the Emperor is unlucky..., it will be a waste for the ministers to be crushed to ashes." It's hard to atone for his sin! Alas -" The man in his fifties choked up again. The British public and others also shed tears when they saw the sadness he said.
Although Zhuang Jingjia was pale, she could still speak calmly. When she saw Zhang Juzheng losing his composure, she coughed lightly and said, "Old sir, there is no need to feel sad. Fortunately, His Majesty the gods protected him and he survived. Please calm down and tell me what to do."
Empress Dowager Li stood up and said: "Zhang Hong is my appointee, and the suicide note says what happened to Prince Lu and me. Now I am in a place of suspicion. I will go back to the palace first - Prince Lu will be sent to him later."
After hearing this, Zhuang Jingjia looked at her with bright eyes, as if judging whether Queen Mother Li was trustworthy. After such a big change, Empress Dowager Chen was indeed a little helpless - the emperor was murdered by Zhang Hong. Although he did not succeed, Zhang Hong kept saying that if King Lu succeeded to the throne and the Empress Dowager continued to govern, it would be difficult for Empress Dowager Li to be cleared.
When Zhang Juzheng and others saw a disagreement between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, they didn't know what to say. Zhuang Jingjia suddenly knelt down and cried: "There is no need for the Queen Mother to say this. They are all your flesh and blood. How can she kill the eldest son because she loves the youngest? Besides, who in the world does not know the kindness of the Queen Mother to the Emperor? Every time the Emperor thinks of it, he sighs with his concubines. 'You are the Queen Mother only if you are blessed' - If you return to the palace today, I am afraid that the Emperor will wake up and I will first scold you for being unfilial!"
After hearing this, Queen Mother Li felt very hot and her eyes suddenly turned red. Queen Mother Chen quickly stood up and said, "Sister, there is really no need to say that."
Zhang Juzheng and the British ministers also knelt down to persuade Empress Dowager Li to stay. Zhang Juzheng advised: "The Queen Mother does not need to restrain herself. I think that although the Queen Mother is a female child, she has served in the government for many years and has the virtues of Yao and Shun. How can she put the Emperor in an unfilial place at this time? He is rebellious to animals, heartbroken, and alienating mother and son. Why should I linger on my words? These are my sincere words, and I ask the Queen Mother to accept them."
Empress Dowager Li shed tears and said: "I never expected Zhang Hong, a beast, to do such a thing. I have lost my mind and no one. That's all, I'm still here. Just ask King Lu to come and let the queen take care of me for a few days."
Zhang Juzheng heard this and said: "I think this is not necessary. The emperor is just sleeping, and it is less than two hours before he falls from the horse. If King Lu is called, there will be shock and doubt inside and outside. I think that from Sun Long and Wei Dynasty , Cui Min and other people around the emperor, choose one to serve him, so that we can live in peace with each other."
Queen Mother Li listened and nodded in agreement. Looking at Zhuang Jingjia again, Zhuang Jingjia thought for a while and said: "I will do as the old man said. Cui Min, you go over and serve King Lu." Cui Min knelt down to accept the order.
At this time, Zhu Yijun, who had been ignored on the bed, suddenly said: "I...where am I?"
