The dawn was faint, the morning mist was filled, and an urgent decree came from the Hall of Long Life. Outside the palace, everyone in the Xiao Mansion knelt on the ground in fear, waiting for the emperor's cronies and eunuchs, the Yellow Gate Squire Lord Weimen to read out the will.

By the time she finished reading, Mrs. Xiao was almost dizzy, and the two maids beside her hurriedly helped her to prevent her from losing her square inch in front of the emperor's henchmen.

Prime Minister Xiao Cheng's face was blue, but his tone was still respectful, and he said with both hands: "Weichen is willing to receive the order, thank you Lord Longen." ”

"Prime Minister," Wei Men shook the long hair in his arms, then folded his hands in front of him, and said politely: "The emperor just asked General Sima to cooperate with Lord Tingwei to handle the case, and he will not hurt the general in the slightest." ”

That being said, who knows if there is no return?

Prime Minister Xiao Cheng gritted his teeth, "The Son of Heaven is wise, Weichen believes that the eldest son is innocent, and in the end, Tingwei will definitely be able to return justice to the Xiao Mansion." ”

"Lord Tingwei is upright, he will do routine business, and ask the general to wait in the palace for summons in the afternoon." Wei Men said calmly.

After sending them away, and closing the east door of the Xiao Mansion, Mrs. Xiao paced back and forth in the main room with a sad face, muttering uneasily: "What can I do about this? Zhu Er has just been canonized as General Sima, how can he spread this kind of thing! ”

Xiao Zhuru glanced at his father with a strange expression, then turned around and comforted Mrs. Xiao and said, "Mother, my son has nothing to do with Li Chong's affairs, the emperor is not a person who does not distinguish between black and white, and his son will be safe." ”

"Zhu'er, it's not stupid to be a mother, there have been many things recently, which one is not coming to Xiao Mansion?" Mrs. Xiao stroked her chest worriedly.

"Okay," Prime Minister Xiao Cheng sighed, "Zhu'er has nothing to do with this matter, you don't have to worry too much;." ”

"If there is no business with Lord Li, what about other things? Now the teahouse outside is spreading the stories of those literati who add oil and vinegar to the vinegar, Zhu Er has become a general, how can his reputation be ruined by these people! Mrs. Xiao said with a secret hatred.

Prime Minister Xiao Cheng replied: "Don't judge the affairs of the court as a woman, I will enter the palace and report to the emperor." ”

As he spoke, he looked past Mrs. Xiao and looked at a young man not far behind her, "I still have a lot of things to discuss with Lord Guangluxun Xu, you can step back first." ”

Mrs. Xiao had to withdraw in a panic, and after she left, many maids in the house also left with Madame, and they were much cleaner at once.

Prime Minister Xiao Cheng made a posture of please sit, "I made Xu Guangluxun smile just now." ”

Xu Guangluxun hugged his fists and said: "The Prime Minister is polite, and it is not unreasonable for me to feel that Mrs. Fang is worried." ”

Prime Minister Xiao smiled bitterly, his eyebrows were full of wrinkles, he picked up a cup of tea with lingering gas, and said unfathomably among the clouds: "What's the use of worrying? Whoever the Son of Heaven wants to fall, the courtiers have no reason to disobey. ”

"The Prime Minister is too pessimistic, when the first emperor was alive, the prime minister was the first emperor and the auxiliary country for thirty-two years, just by virtue of this, the emperor will not do anything to you."

Prime Minister Xiao put down the teacup quietly, "The emperor has always been the son of heaven in the Kowloon Golden Bottle, and the Xiao family is just a courtier who assists him wholeheartedly. Xu Guangluxun's words are wrong. ”

Xu Guangluxun knew that he was speechless, and covered it up with a chuckle: "It's unintentional to say it, the prime minister is reasonable, and it's shallow under his eyelids." ”

Xiao Zhu on the side said at this time: "Xu Guangluxun should not look at things like a woman, and as a man, he should look at things higher. ”

This sentence made Xu Guangluxun's face change slightly, and Prime Minister Xiao Cheng glanced at Xiao Zhuru in embarrassment, but he just didn't see it.

The Son of Heaven began to crack down on the power of the powerful family, and anyone with a discerning eye could see it, but he was still saying these polite words, he was too foolish to take their Xiao family as a fool, could such a person be used by his father to win him over?

Xu Guangluxun lowered his tone to this young man who looked about the same age as him, and said unhurriedly: "Women may not see as much as men, isn't Empress Dowager Shen, who has been in power for two years, an extremely powerful woman?" ”

"It is precisely because of the intervention of these women that the affairs of the DPRK and China will become more and more muddy!" Xiao Zhuru endured the anger in his heart.

Prime Minister Xiao Cheng's eyes sank, and he said in a low voice: "I told you that you should be cautious in your words and deeds. ”

Xiao Zhuru saw his father's complexion, and immediately lowered his head. What he is most afraid of is Daddy's whip and fist, if it weren't for the eldest lady who dotes on him in every way, maybe he will always be psychologically unbalanced.

Xu Guangluxun touched his chin, "Speaking of women, it is reported that a new lobbyist has appeared next to the Queen Mother, and it is a young girl. ”

"It's the second lady of Shen Mansion, Shen Shuzhao." Prime Minister Xiao Cheng replied, "The literati of the Northern School and the merchant Zhen were all lobbyed by her for the Queen Mother, and her beloved daughter knows all about these things in the palace. ”

"Oh? Speaking of which, I know that the queen mother was the emperor's concubine a few days ago, and she chose the eldest daughter of the Shen and Chen families, and she will soon be at the concubine ceremony, and the queen mother should be busy in the harem. ”

Xiao Chengyun took a sip of tea lightly, and said calmly when talking about the queen: "My beloved daughter knows what she says and does, so she doesn't need to worry too much about her reads;." ”

"The prime minister has a noble woman as the queen and a noble son as a general, and the prosperity of the Xiao Mansion is really enviable."

"Guangluxun also knows that the tree is a big move, otherwise the Xiao Mansion would not be where it is today." Prime Minister Xiao Cheng changed his words and asked: "Guangluxun is a good position, as the emperor's close minister and think tank, the future is just around the corner. ”

"Thanks to the Prime Minister's secret support, otherwise how could there be a lower official today."

"Guangluxun is young and promising, since he is a new official, if you don't understand, you can ask more."

"Thank you Prime Minister for your appreciation, the lower official will definitely be."

The two of them laughed and laughed until they sent off the guests, and the atmosphere in the Xiao Mansion seemed to be the same as before.

In the harem, the ten-mile urgent decree also lit the flames of the palace. Shen Shuzhao stood behind the beaded curtain of the cabinet, listening to the minister tell the queen mother about important matters.

The emperor has issued several decrees today, and many people have been affected by Li Chong's case! Not only because of who murdered his political opponent Li Chong, but also because of him, the dark old things involved behind him were all turned over!

The more you check, the more you investigate, the more you are implicated, the one who is most implicated is the old force cultivated by the Xiao family.

In the early morning, the emperor summoned many old ministers of the court and China to gather in the palace to discuss state affairs, and most of those who were not summoned were those who were ordered by the court captain.

Shen Shuzhao listened carefully to these familiar names, and he also had a bottom in his heart. The emperor wants to re-divide the forces of the DPRK and China step by step, and divide all the power among the people he trusts.

It seems that the Xiao family has to fall this time, because this time - it is the Son of Heaven who wants them to fall!

After the minister finished speaking, the queen mother first ordered him to temporarily retreat outside the door, and then asked Shen Shuzhao: "You went to investigate outside the palace is really right, and it has added fuel to the fire for the court lieutenant to investigate Li Chong's case." ”

Shen Shuzhao said: "Back to the Queen Mother, now the Xiao family has become a hot potato, and within three days, the courtiers will conclude that the emperor will identify Li Chong's matter on Xiao Zhuru's body, and then they will uproot the deeper forces in the court and carry out a big cleanup." ”

"God really helps me," the Queen Mother was full of confidence, "The Xiao family has been doing evil for so long, and it will be a long time before you go to Yan Hanshan and let him and all the poets go out to arrange the Xiao Mansion." Civilians are grass, the wind blows the grass, and the mourning family wants to make this wind blow more fiercely! ”

"Yes, the courtiers will do it when they leave the palace." After speaking, Shen Shuzhao thought for a while and asked: "It's about to be the concubine ceremony, what position does the queen mother want to give to the eldest sister?" ”

The Queen Mother thought for a while and said: "The mourning family was originally going to make her a concubine, but Concubine Xi's fake pregnancy made her canonized as a concubine, and the concubines who followed the mourning family hinted that the mourning family wanted to be promoted to the concubine position. ”

"According to what the courtiers have seen, those below the concubine rank are promoted to two levels, and those above the concubine rank are given titles, and those with titles are promoted to concubines."

"Huh?" The Queen Mother replied, "The good concubine has a title, do you mean to make her a concubine too?" ”

"Exactly, a good concubine is not favored and indisputable, and it is the most suitable person to become a concubine to assist the eldest sister."

The Queen Mother smiled, "Silly child, you can't think that she will never have desires just because of her momentary appearance. Many people who have never been close to the maelstrom of power have said that they do not enjoy chasing fame and fortune. ”

Shen Shuzhao lowered his head: "The courtiers have approached her many times, and her personality is indeed a dusty person, her father is also a subordinate of the Queen Mother, and she has been honest and honest for many years in that position. ”

"In that case, then do as you say."

"The Queen Mother, there is one more important thing for the eldest sister to be a concubine."

"What?"

Shen Shuzhao raised his head and looked at the Queen Mother's deep eyes sincerely: "That is to elevate the identity of Daddy." ”

After hearing this, the Queen Mother's expression appeared a hint of indescribable and unclear, and she only spoke after a long time: "Do you mean that the background of the daughter of the Taishi is not enough?" ”

"Back to the Queen Mother, the courtiers are about to leave the palace and return home, before that, there are a few heartfelt words to say, among the four surnames of the Wei Dynasty, the Xiao family has the prime minister and General Sima, who are in charge of political affairs and military power in the court; The Chen family has a lieutenant, who is in charge of the general military power; The Jiang family inherited the title of the founding father and married the royal family; Only the Shen Mansion only has the position of Daddy's Grand Master. Today's Taishi is no longer in vain, although the rank is comparable to the prime minister, but it is far inferior to a high-ranking eunuch of the Yellow Gate, it is just a beautiful position given by the emperor to the nobles. ”

Shen Shuzhao told the hidden dangers of the Shen family, and these are exactly what the Queen Mother is worried about.

"Queen Mother, there is no step in the Shen family that you did not take from the man's world, but Niangniang is only the queen mother after all, and you will not be a leader in the emperor's day, and the eldest sister relies on the Shen family. Daddy has no real power, so in the harem, he lacks the confidence to fight with powerful families such as Concubine Xi. ”

"Shuzhao, what do you mean?"

"Queen Mother, the courtiers hope that you will give the title of King Daddy for the sake of the Shen family."

After hearing this, the Queen Mother took a deep breath and said quietly, "This is not a trivial matter. ”

"The courtiers know it, but there is nothing else to do." Shen Shuzhao finalized that the Queen Mother was an ambitious woman, because in her previous life, in order to elevate her life experience, the Queen Mother successfully promoted Shen Taishi to the county king, but that was when she broke down the Xifei family.

At this point, the shape has changed, and she needs to do it now.

"Alas, in vain, my Shen family is still the founding of the four great families, and now there is no one talent among the men in the four generations, how sad!" The Queen Mother sighed.

Shen Shuzhao sighed, "Yes, Queen Mother, the only person the Shen family can rely on now is you!" If you fall one day, who else can be behind the Shen family? ”

She knew that the Queen Mother would definitely consider it after mentioning the official position of Shen Taishi, the first emperor suppressed the big family everywhere, and after the new emperor ascended the throne, the Queen Mother tasted the sweetness of dominating the government and politics, and she would not let go lightly.

There must be a fight between mother and son, and the longer they stay in the deep palace, the more alienated the family relationship becomes.

When he walked out of the Yongshou Palace, Shen Shuzhao secretly made a decision in his heart, after the Xiao family completely collapsed, if Wei Yang was willing, she and her would both leave here and never come back.

Back in the West Wing, she picked up her pen and wrote a secret letter that decided her fate.

Wang Xian closed the window for Shen Shuzhao, lowered the jade curtain, and set aside a quiet place for Miss Shen Er to practice calligraphy.

But what he will never know is that on the case of the collection of poems, on the envelope that is as pure as snow, there are three big characters written that are as secretive as deep......

To the Shaw Mansion.