"Your Majesty, this is written by the Queen Mother." In the blink of an eye, it had been more than a month since his mother moved to the palace. When Zhao Zheng heard that it was a letter from his mother, he immediately put down the memorial in his hand and took it over to read carefully. The previous ones were all short-lived. It was just that the soup spring in Qinian Palace had to heal the soreness of legs and feet. Today, Zhao Zheng couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth, but at the end he frowned.
Just because Zhao Ji said that the palace attendants in Qinian Palace saw her as a prostitute and often treated her perfunctorily. Only the close attendant Lao Ai took care of her carefully. In order to save her from falling into the deep pool the day before yesterday, she was choked by the water and is still bedridden. bed. Zhao Ji felt that Lao Ai's loyalty could be used and he saved her, so she might as well make him a waiter. On the one hand, she could repay his life-saving grace, and on the other hand, having a man with a title by her side could also intimidate the palace people from serving her. No more caring.
"Lao Ai..." Zhao Zheng slowly tapped his fingers on the case and muttered. After a long while, he put the letter in his sleeves, tilted his head and asked, "What time is it?" Shen Yu brought out the outer robe. He put it on him and advised: "Go back to your Majesty, it's Haishi." Zhao Zheng nodded and was silent for a while before saying, "Just take all these."
At the same time, Lu Buwei also received a secret letter from Zhao Ji, but after reading the content, he became furious and immediately photographed the letter on the desk: "He is just a retainer from my house, and he dares to threaten me with his wife." Lu Buwei suddenly discovered that it was a big mistake to find Lao Ai to send to the palace in order to deal with Zhao Ji, who had been so demanding in the past.
The next day.
"Read it." Zhao Zheng remembered his mother's instructions at the court meeting and asked the eunuch on the side to read out part of the letter. "Do you have any objections, sir?"
On the side, Chen Tingwei heard that the Queen Mother had ordered "Marquis Changxin", and unconsciously looked at "Marquis Wenxin" Lu Buwei. Seeing that Lu Buwei's face was not good, he thought it was an opportunity to please him, so he stood up for him: " Your Majesty, Lao Ai is just an eunuch, and it is his duty to take care of the Queen Mother. Prime Minister Lu has done great work and is only a "Marquis of Wenxin". How can an eunuch become a "Marquis of Changxin" by relying on his ability to serve others? "
Zhao Zheng's face darkened when he heard this, and he didn't answer any other words. He repeated one word sadly: "Sure?" Chen Tingwei wanted to speak for Lu Buwei, but he forgot that there was a person sitting majestically in the middle of the hall. That person was none other than the king of Qin. He consciously made a mistake, his face turned pale with fright, he could neither stand nor kneel.
Zhao Zheng had no intention of letting him go, so he put on an expression of Shuyun Danyue, and asked in a consultative tone: "What does Tingwei think..." Before he finished speaking, Lu Buwei interrupted and said: " Your Majesty, I happen to have something to report." Although Zhao Zheng felt unhappy when he was interrupted, he still suppressed his anger and "good tempered" raised his right hand and said: "Mr. Lu, please speak."
"A few days ago, I received a report from several imperial officials. Chen Li, who is responsible for the imperial court, has been pursuing personal interests and neglecting public law. The king has ordered his officials to conduct a strict investigation. We have already found out. Please make a decision." After saying this, he asked someone to submit the memorial. After seeing this, Zhao Zheng sneered, threw the thing in front of Chen Li with a wave of his hand and said, "What else do you have to say?" Chen Li knew that the matter had been exposed, and knelt down with a pale face. Zhao Zheng made a confession, and after a while The guards in front of the palace came out and took him out.
"That matter of becoming a marquis..." When this happened, Zhao Zheng brought up the old matter again. "Since he has contributed greatly to the rescue and has worked hard for many years, it is not a big deal to be granted the title of 'Marquis of Changxin'. I second the proposal." It is strange to say that everyone knows that Lao Ai used to be a retainer in Lu Buwei's house, but now he is asking for this " "Chang Xinhou", it was obviously intended to embarrass him, but he was the first to agree. Everyone didn't know what medicine he was selling in his gourd, but who dared to question it after he spoke?
In this way, Lao Ai's reward was decided on the same day. It was already evening when the news reached Qinian Palace. It's that night, he and Zhao Ji...
"The Queen Mother... you are still pregnant..." Lao Ai advised. Zhao Ji leaned on him and said angrily: "You heartless thing, you feel sorry for your child, but I don't feel sorry for this piece of meat in my belly? Don't worry, after the third trimester, the fetal gas will gradually stabilize, and it won't be a big deal if you move appropriately." Yes. You have received a reward today, so don’t say those disappointing words, just be gentle."
Lao Ai looked at her beautiful face and her Adam's apple moved. She felt very proud when she thought that she had become the Marquis of Changxin. At that moment, she started to move majestically. Zhao Ji sat on him and patted his broad back weakly. He shouted: "Damn ghost, be gentle... and don't hurt the child."
At the same time, after Zhao Zheng finished reviewing the memorials, he started reading in Qutai Palace. But after a tiring day, the fire in the fireplace of Qutai Palace was burning brightly, and being in the palace wrapped in heat, he felt tiredness coming over him. He casually gathered the black fur coat on his shoulders, and he felt drowsy. He fell asleep on the desk. Outside the hall is a desolate scene of white snow...
The following year.
"You mean the queen mother is still unwilling to return to the palace?" Zhao Zheng said with a vague look of disappointment on his face. Zhang Jing, who was sent to Qinian Palace to deliver the news, saw this and remembered what he heard when he went to Qinian Palace. Some rumors, I don’t know whether to say or not. As a king, Zhao Zheng must first master the ability to observe words and emotions, so Zhang Jing's thoughts cannot be hidden from his eyes. He raised his hand to make a gesture, and the palace people around him saluted him and hurriedly retreated. "Don't try to deceive others if you have something to do," Zhao Zheng said, still looking at the memorial in his hand.
After receiving such an order from him, Zhang Jing dared not hide anything anymore. He simply took a deep breath and said, "I heard some rumors in Qinian Palace... about the Queen Mother and Marquis Changxin." After hearing this, Zhao Zheng Zheng felt a little uneasy in his heart. He put down the memorial and looked at Zhang Jing, indicating with his eyes that he should continue speaking.
Zhang Jing gritted his teeth and said: "I wonder if your Majesty has ever heard of some rumors about the elder Xinhou entering the palace in the past?" Zhao Zheng had indeed heard about this. He heard that Lao Ai's place was different from ordinary people, and he could use it to treat it. Make an axis and roll the tung wheel. He had always forgotten such strange and obscene anecdotes, but he didn't expect Zhang Jing to tell them today.
"I heard that the Queen Mother often vomited before moving to the palace, but she refused to hire a doctor to treat her. It was not until one month after moving to the palace that she gradually stopped. And during that time, the Queen Mother had an appetite..." When Zhang Jing said this, Zhao Zheng suddenly Recalling the scene he and Cheng Jiao had experienced in the past, he looked at Zhang Jing in astonishment. Zhang Jing had never seen him look like this before, so he immediately lowered his head and kept silent.
At this time, the overwhelming anger in Zhao Zheng's chest was screaming to burst out of his chest. But he remembered Zhao Gao's words in the past: "In all things, it is better to be kind", so he endured it again and again. The hands that were forced on the case had pale knuckles, and his eyes were red. The phoenix eyes that had lost focus revealed too many things: anger, misery, even shame and fear. The look was truly terrifying.
How could the Queen Mother!
This happened again and again, even when she was pregnant with something else...Have she ever thought about what kind of situation her son would be put in if one day things were revealed?
Zhao Zheng suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart again and again. With trembling left hand, he reached into his right sleeve and touched it several times before he could even touch such an object. Then he pulled it into his hand and the image of that thing appeared in his mind. The man lowered his eyebrows and smiled, and was infected by the peaceful and peaceful aura emanating from his body, and finally calmed down.
"Zhang Jing." Within a moment, Zhao Zheng's voice was hoarse. "My subordinate is here." Zhao Zheng raised his head and looked at him with difficulty. After a long time, he continued: "From now on, you will be responsible for this matter. Do you know what to do?" Zhang Jing asked in shock: " Does your Majesty trust your subordinates?"
"If I didn't believe you, how could you still live for so many years?" Following Zhao Zheng these years, Zhang Jing clearly knew that although he looked fierce and domineering, he was by no means a moody king who would despise life at will, so he heard these things at first glance After a while, he silently returned to the palace and told him regardless of the consequences. Not because of anything else, just because of my deep belief in him. So Zhang Jing saluted him solemnly and said, "I understand."
After that, news about her mother continued to come from Qinian Palace, from the time she gave birth to her second son, to when the child was full-term, to when the child was one year old... After hearing this, Zhao Zheng convinced himself countless times: That was his mother. But when one day Lao Ai began to use her mother's name to recruit customers, even Cheng Jiao couldn't stand it anymore.
"Let him do whatever he wants." Zhao Zheng waved his hand and said to Cheng Jiao, who was pacing back and forth anxiously. Cheng Jiao couldn't hear it, so he took his hand and said, "Brother Wang, if you continue to tolerate him like this, I'm afraid that guy will one day..." When he first learned that Lao Ai was having an affair with his mother, Zhao Zheng was really shocked. He was angry, but after the shock and anger, he became completely calm. With this calmness, he figured out some things. So looking at Cheng Jiao who was worried about him, Zhao Zheng felt warm in his heart. He raised his hand and patted his arm to signal him not to in a hurry.
"Do you think I really didn't touch him this year because of my mother?" Zhao Zheng sneered and continued: "I just think it would be a good idea to use him to deal with Lu Buwei." Jiao froze before he finished speaking. , his brother Wang seems to have changed too much this year. He has always been more mature than his peers in the past, and now he seems to be more stable and tenacious. However, what makes Cheng Jiao a little sad is that others also look cold because of this. Quite a few.
Cheng Jiao understood Zhao Zheng's words as soon as he thought about it. When dealing with hypocrites like Lu Buwei, sometimes you cannot use fair and just methods. His brother Wang didn't want to bear this reputation, so he simply added fuel to the flames and secretly supported Lao Ai, a scoundrel who did things regardless of the consequences, to confront him tit for tat. By the time Lao Ai succeeded, he would have already been stained with filth, and it would be easier to deal with him than to deal with him directly. It was much easier for Lu Buwei.
Sure enough, within three months, Lu Buwei's power was gradually declining, and Lao Ai's status in the court was at its peak. However, the fight between them allowed Zhao Zheng to finally find an excuse to remove Lu Buwei from the post of prime minister and hand it over to Xiong Qi. It wasn't until Lao Ai Chu deliberately brought down Lu Buwei that he realized that he had paved the way for others.
"Queen Mother, your Majesty has tricked us. After thinking about it, Lai Ai felt that your Majesty may have already known about our affairs. Since ancient times, which king would tolerate the news about his mother and queen... I'm afraid that after not seeing each other in these years, the relationship between you mother and son Our friendship has long since disappeared. Now we have no other way out. Anyway, if we have these two children, why not..."
Qutai Palace.
"You said the mother really agreed?" Zhao Zhengwei thought that the relationship between mother and son would be so fragile one day. He smiled bitterly, and without waiting for Zhang Jing's answer, he waved his hands and said in a calm tone that he tried his best to maintain: "That's it, Zhang Jing. Please spread all the news you have gained over the years."
How could Zhang Jing dare to respond to such an order? He immediately asked in a voice: "But the Queen Mother is the king's mother, so the king..." Unexpectedly, Zhao Zheng shook his head indifferently and said: "This matter cannot be contained in the paper. , it will be a matter of time before it is completely spread, I just want him to explode early." The voice echoed in the hall, and it was terrifyingly deep for no reason.
Within a few days, the news of Zhao Ji and Lao Ai's harem spread to the world. But before this matter had time to be discussed, another incident happened: Changxin Hou rebelled. Immediately afterwards, Lord Changping, with the king's order and three thousand elite soldiers, used lightning speed to completely wash out the Qinian Palace where Lao Ai was revolting in just three days, and quelled the rebellion.
Later, the Lao Ai chariot was broken up and three tribes were exterminated. Twenty of his sworn partisans, including Wei Jie, Nei Shisi, Zuo Ge Jie, and Zhongdafu Lingqi, were killed. Lu Buwei was dismissed from all positions and expelled from Xianyang. Lu and Lai were charged with being guests in the middle of the mansion. Those who committed minor crimes were punished as ghosts, while those who committed serious crimes were exiled to Shu. The Queen Mother was imprisoned in the Yong Palace and could never get out of the royal palace.
At this point, the entire Qin Kingdom and even all the people in the world finally woke up. How could the King of Qin, who had such iron-blooded skills, be a young man who had been hiding in the deep palace for many years and could be bullied by everything? When the news spread, some families were happy and some were sad. The people of Qin were happy, and the kings and subjects of Shandong were worried. Even King Zhao, who was once proud of "the King of Qin crawling at his feet", no longer dared to boast about it. 【1】
But Zhao Zheng, who had been wishing for many years, was not half happy about it. Just because he never thought that this day would come at the expense of his mother...
That day when he arrived at Qinian Palace, the two children born to his mother were already lying on the cold ground. The moment the queen mother saw him, her eyes lost focus. She picked up the stick on the side and rushed up like crazy, hitting him with one stick after another without mercy. Compared with the pain in his heart, Zhao Zheng felt that the stick that fell on him was nothing.
There are some things he would not regret once he had done it. If he had it to do over again, he would also choose to execute Lao Ai and kill these two children. So even though he gritted his teeth and endured the harsh punishment from his mother without saying a word, he was still willing to let her vent this time.
Before leaving, Zhao Zheng stopped his vain steps and said with a white face: "Shen Yu, send the order, whoever in the Qinian Palace dares to treat my mother harshly...treat my mother harshly...will be killed with a stick." Zhao Zheng smiled miserably and said in his heart: Is it so difficult to say the word "mother" now?
Shen Yu accepted the order, but before he could retreat, he heard Zhao Zheng add: "To the Queen Mother, don't say it was my order."
I still remember that day when he stepped out of Qinian Palace in the cold west wind, not a single part of his body was intact. Even when Shen Yu carefully put on the fox fur in her hand, he would feel unbearable pain. At that time, he simply threw away his fox fur, put on his blood-soaked single clothes, and stepped onto the carriage resolutely...
