Li Hong took the imperial edict and stood there as if in a dream. He didn't know what to do for a moment. He saw his father looking at him with a smile on his face. He suddenly remembered his father's love when he was a child and couldn't help but feel great in his heart. , fell to the ground, hugged his father's knees and cried bitterly: "The child is unfilial and does such a thing. He is really worse than a beast!"
"Idiot, idiot!" Li Zhi helped his son up from the ground and said with a smile: "Hong'er, why did you say that? This world belongs to you. My father is sick. He gets dizzy and can't see after the slightest exertion. Looking at things, although you are the supreme king of thousands of times, you feel like you are sitting on pins and needles. You can ascend the throne as emperor to take over the burden from the shoulders of others. This is an act of filial piety, so why should you blame yourself? As a father, I was deceived by villains and let many loyal ministers If you have been wronged and ruined the country and the country, how can you have the dignity to see the late emperor again after you die? It is a great act of filial piety for you to be able to forgive your father's mistakes, don't you think so, Awu?"
At this time, the queen also knew that the situation was over, and there was no point in showing her face anymore. She nodded and said: "My mother was a bit strict when my father was in charge of the government. After you ascend the throne, you must be lenient!"
"My child obeys the order!" Li Hong nodded.
"That's right!" Li Zhi patted his thigh lightly: "Hong'er, how do you plan to arrange your father and your mother after you ascend the throne?"
Li Hong was stunned. He really had not thought about this problem. Wang Wenzuo heard clearly and hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Since the prince has ascended the throne, the saint is the emperor, and the queen is the empress dowager. From what I can see, the two Your Majesty still lives in the Daming Palace, just like today. The Crown Prince moved from the East Palace to the Taiji Palace, so that the two Your Majesties will get used to it. And if Your Majesty wants to visit, it is not far from the Taiji Palace to the Daming Palace. Is that okay? "
Li Hong naturally agreed with Wang Wenzuo's opinion. He quickly smiled and said: "My child means the same thing. I wonder what Aye and Grandma think?"
Li Zhi and Empress Wu exchanged glances, and both saw relaxation in each other's eyes. After ensuring their lives, what they were most worried about was that Li Hong would drive them to a remote and desolate palace to spend their old age. It should be noted that although those remote palaces are not bad in terms of architecture, most of the buildings are in disrepair. Naturally, they cannot be compared with the residences of emperors such as Taiji Palace and Daming Palace. More importantly, once you go to those places , if you are far away from the center of power, the supply of materials and manpower around you will be greatly reduced, not to mention the sense of gap after falling from the peak of power that no one will care about after you are far away from the center of power, which is enough to kill you quickly An old man's. Being able to stay in the Daming Palace, although they handed over the power in their hands, the emperor often came to visit, so the quality of life of the couple in their later years was correspondingly guaranteed.
"Wen Zuo is indeed a good minister!" Li Zhi said with a smile: "I did nothing wrong when I left you with my son!"
"I don't dare to praise the Supreme Emperor!" Wang Wenzuo bowed and saluted: "The prince is pure and filial in nature, so he would do this even if I didn't ask him to speak! I'm just boldly speaking and filling in the omissions for the Holy One!"
"You are a good minister who can correct the omissions!" Mrs. Wu said with a smile. She seemed to have put all the unhappiness behind her: "Wen Zuo can not only lead troops to conquer thousands of miles away, but he can also assist the king and bring peace to the world. He is truly a rare talent. Hong'er, what position do you plan to serve as Wen Zuo after you ascend the throne?"
"This -" Li Hong was stunned. He knew that his own mother had wanted to kill Wang Wenzuo several times. Unexpectedly, he turned against Wang Wenzuo faster than flipping through a book. In the blink of an eye, he asked for an official position on his behalf. He thought about it. After thinking about it, he replied: "I haven't thought clearly about Saburo's official position for a while. I will wait until I go back and think about it before I make a decision." He thought clearly that anyway, Saburo's contribution this time was already too great to add, so he might as well just tell him directly in private Ask him what kind of official he wants to be, and just give him what kind of official he wants.
"If you haven't decided yet, how about making Wen Zuo a minister?" Wu smiled and turned to Li Zhi: "Pheasant slave, what do you think?"
Before Li Zhi could speak, Wang Wenzuo had already said in a deep voice: "Shang Shu Ling is an official position that Emperor Taizong Wen once held. Emperor Taizong Wen wore armor and personally served as a soldier. His military uniforms were stained with horse sweat, and his horses were infested with lice. , within a few years, the district was flattened, the people were prosperous, and the whole world was peaceful. The contribution is so great that it has never been seen in ancient times. If I were to occupy this position, wouldn't it be ridiculed by the world? "
When Li Zhi heard what Wang Wenzuo said, he couldn't help but be stunned. He didn't expect that the other party could be so clear-headed and calm at this time, knowing how to advance and retreat. He glanced at Li Hong and asked: "Wang Qing, what official position do you want?"
"Official titles are famous weapons of the imperial court and should not be granted to others indiscriminately!" Wang Wenzuo said: "I am only forty years old, and I am already in the third rank of officialdom. Most people in the world think that I am lucky to get promoted, and then I will be promoted. I am afraid that the world thinks that the emperor is unfair, and uses the famous weapons of the imperial court. Granting personal love harms the emperor's virtue."
"What do you mean, Sanlang?" Li Hong asked.
"Please reward the meritorious soldiers with money, silk, officers and titles. I only need to be added to the third rank of Zhongshu Men and enter the Political Affairs Hall!"
"That's easy to say! Mr. Zhang, please hurry up and draw up an edict. If you add Sanlang to the third rank of Zhongshu's family, you can join the Political Affairs Hall to discuss matters!" Li Hong readily agreed. At that time, if the official position was added to the third rank of Zhongshu's family, he could join the Political Affairs Hall to discuss matters. He was regarded as a Prime Minister. . Based on his relationship with Wang Wenzuo, even if Wang Wenzuo didn't mention it himself, he would still get Wang Wenzuo into the political hall, otherwise there would be no one he could trust, and he would not feel at ease in the position of emperor.
"I obey the decree!" Zhang Wenguan did not hesitate and quickly drafted the edict, then handed it to Li Hong to read and stamped it with the emperor's seal and the seal of Zhongshu's family. The edict became effective. Wang Wenzuo had already entered Zhengshitang became one of the prime ministers of the Tang Dynasty.
Wang Wenzuo saw that the purpose of tonight had been basically achieved, so he secretly winked at Li Hong. Li Hong nodded slightly with understanding, then bowed to Li Zhi and Wu: "It's getting late, I don't dare to disturb the child. Parents, please rest in peace and take your leave now!"
The group of people left Qinghui Pavilion. Wang Wenzuo was thinking about who should be sent to guard this pair of special prisoners when he heard Li Hong said: "I am really tired, why not go back to the East Palace to rest first!"
"Absolutely not!" Zhang Wenguan said loudly: "Your Majesty, you must not return to the East Palace now?"
"Where can we go if we don't go back to the East Palace?" Li Hong asked in confusion.
"The facts must be consistent. Since you have ascended the throne as emperor, you must live in the main palace. How can you return to the East Palace?" Zhang Wenguan said: "Not only can you not return to the East Palace, but it is not a long-term plan for the Supreme Emperor and the Queen Mother to live in the Daming Palace. , if possible, it is better to move it as soon as possible!"
Wang Wenzuo turned around in surprise and looked at Zhang Wenguan in surprise. In order to ensure the secrecy and suddenness of the action, he did not disclose the plan to others, so at first he was a little worried that things would get stuck in the political hall. After all, according to the political system of the Tang Dynasty , Zhongshu has the power to draft edicts, and the provinces have the power to refute them. The Zhengshi Hall is where the two provinces under Zhongshu merged their offices. Even if it is the emperor’s decree, it does not have the seal of Zhongshu’s clan, and it does not have the right to authenticate. legal significance. According to Li Zhi's personality, the probability that he would fight to the end when facing the crown prince's pressure is very slim. However, the political affairs hall was a different matter. During the Emperor Gaozong's period, a group system was adopted. No one knew who was on duty at the political affairs hall that night. Who is it, not to mention whether the husband on duty will hold on hard. But Zhang Wenguan had been very cooperative just now, and now he directly suggested that Li Zhi and Wu be driven away from the Daming Palace. This really made Wang Wenzuo doubt his position.
Faced with Wang Wenzuo's surprised look, Zhang Wenguan smiled: "Ms. Wang, have you forgotten that I am still the bastard of the East Palace? After all, I am still the Prime Minister of the East Palace! So you don't need to worry that I have other tricks. Let's put it this way ! As the name goes, His Majesty ascended the throne in a hurry, so it is inevitable that there will be some gossip outside. If the Supreme Emperor and the Queen Mother are allowed to continue to stay in the Daming Palace, what will the people of the world think? "
"I just want to show some filial piety to the world!" Li Hong said with some difficulty: "Is there any reason in the world for a son to chase his father?"
"The emperor regards heaven as his father, how can a son be the father of the emperor?" Zhang Wenguan said with a smile: "Besides, the emperor is just the emperor. The queen mother is absolutely unwilling to take care of her in old age. If you want to protect the emperor and his wife, it is best to do it as soon as possible. It would be better to move your parents away from Daming Palace!"
Li Hong looked at Wang Wenzuo and couldn't help but feel a little scared when he saw the expressionless look on his face. He shook his head: "I just promised my parents, how can I break my promise?"
Zhang Wenguan smiled and turned his attention to Wang Wenzuo: "Your Majesty, don't panic, I think Mr. Wang must have already found a solution!"
"What can I do?" Wang Wenzuo said coldly.
"The Emperor and the Queen Mother are both frightened birds. It shouldn't be difficult to scare them out of the Daming Palace, right?"
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Early the next morning, the British government.
"Open the door, open the door!, open the door quickly!"
The heavy knocking and shouting from the yard woke Li Jingye from his sleep. He wiped his groggy eyes, propped up half of his body, and shouted loudly: "Who, who is shouting and disturbing people so early in the morning?" Clear dreams!”
"It's me, King Luo Bin!" The doorkeeper had already opened the courtyard door. King Luo Bin quickly rushed into the courtyard and ran towards the inner room while shouting: "The throne of heaven changed hands last night. Brother Li, can you still sleep?" It tastes so sweet! It really makes my little brother envious!"
"The throne of heaven has changed?" Li Jingye suddenly woke up when he heard this word. He turned over and jumped down on the bed, shouting: "What is going on? Can you explain clearly?"
"An edict has just been passed down outside the Suzaku Gate. The Holy Emperor is unable to handle state affairs due to the violation of the Holy Body, so the edict has been passed down to Prince Li Hong and he has retired as the Supreme Emperor!"
"This is impossible!" Li Jingye shouted without hesitation: "It's not the first day that the emperor has been in poor health, but I didn't see that he passed on to the prince. There must be something fishy in this!"
"Yes, I have another piece of news here about what happened last night. Do you want to hear it?" King Luo Bin said with a smile.
"Stop talking nonsense and talk about it if you have something to say!" Li Jingye shouted.
"Hahaha!" King Luo Bin laughed twice: "That is, Wang Wenzuo led troops into the palace last night and supported the crown prince on the throne. Which one do you think is true?"
"Of course it's the second one!" Li Jingye replied without hesitation: "The emperor can just return the favor. I don't know the queen's virtues yet? Unless the knife is placed on her neck, she will never make a small concession. of!"
"Right?" King Luo Bin smiled: "If that's the case, what should we do now?"
"Of course it was Wang Wenzuo who met me!" King Luo Bin replied without hesitation: "Wang Wenzuo deserves the greatest credit for the prince's great success this time. Since we are all old acquaintances, there is no need to worry about our lives!"
Li Jingye nodded, knowing that the other party had grasped the key point: "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. No matter what the cost, let me meet him as soon as possible."
As the saying goes, some people are happy and others are sad. There are people like Li Jingye and King Luo Bin who have been blessed by heaven. Naturally, there are also people like Liu Yuanzhen who were hit by a big iron pot falling from the sky and suffered a bloody head. At noon the next day, an envoy in brocade clothes came out from the imperial city. When he arrived at the Liu Mansion, he imprisoned all the men, women, old and weak, without sparing any one. Many of the original prisoners in the prison were acquitted and released, including more court ministers who had been detained in the past few days, freeing up a lot of space. Others were arrested and complained of injustice, but Liu Yuanzhen remained silent, his face ashen, like a living dead.
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The Penal Department Prison.
"Brother Liu, Brother Liu!"
Liu Yuanzhen was sitting by the railing. He heard someone calling him from behind. When he turned around, he saw that it was Wang Wenzuo: "Why is it you?"
"Why can't it be me?" Wang Wenzuo smiled. He waved his hand and motioned for the officer to open the cell door. He then unshackled Liu Yuanzhen and put some food and wine on the table. The two sat down opposite each other. Wang Wenzuo poured the other party a glass of wine. He raised his wine glass: "Brother Liu, I promised to let you be released as governor, but you ended up here. It's really my fault!"
"That's all!" Liu Yuanzhen took a sip of wine and said with a wry smile: "The situation is like this, but you can't help it. You can come here to see me, which is enough to reminisce about the old friendship! The winner is the king, the loser is the bandit, this is the truth since ancient times, I am The Queen has done so many things and must have offended many people, so she deserves to be imprisoned!"
"This?" Wang Wenzuo was stunned when he heard this, and then smiled and said: "Brother Liu, you are worrying too much. It is not His Highness the Crown Prince who wants to imprison you, but Queen Wu. Don't worry, the Crown Prince has been enthroned as emperor, and I have sent someone to You are included in the amnesty list, and you will be released in a few days!"
"Seriously, that's great!" Liu Yuanzhen was overjoyed when he heard this: "Brother Wang is willing to help, which shows your kindness!"
"It's just a piece of cake!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "But Queen Wu, no, it should be said that the Queen Mother really hates you and gnashes her teeth. She said that you recommended Zhou Xing to her, and she must be punished by the Crown Prince! "
"Zhou Xing?" Liu Yuanzhen laughed bitterly: "Brother Wang, don't you understand? The Queen Mother hates me for recommending Zhou Xing to her. She hates me for recommending you to her in the first place!"
