Concubine Hui said lightly: "There are many women in this world who are good-looking, good-natured, and talented, why should you never forget for a woman!" What's more, you will be the emperor in the future, and when the time comes, the six palaces in the east and west will be your concubines, you have to reproduce heirs, and you must be wet with rain and dew, and you can't just pamper one or a few! ”

Ye Minzhao lowered his head slightly: "What the mother concubine said is that her son understands." "To understand is to understand, but there are some things that cannot be figured out by understanding.

Concubine Hui didn't know much about her son, and she knew that persuasion was useless, so she simply waved her hand and said, "You can go down." I thought to myself, the fifth lady of the Shen family is also a very outstanding woman, and she will marry into the palace in the future, and the two will get along for a long time, and it will be good to fall in love over time.

Ye Minzhao agreed, saluted and retreated. Back to the Qianqing Palace, in the evening, the orthodox emperor woke up, maybe back to the light, orthodox today is very good, he has been bedridden a few days ago, today he actually let the eunuch help him walk a few steps in the dormitory.

Ye Minzhao replaced the eunuch and went to support orthodoxy with his own hands. He said: "The weather is just right today, why don't you help your father and go for a walk outside." ”

Orthodoxy rarely felt that his body was a little looser, and when he heard Ye Minzhao say this, he nodded in agreement. Ye Minzhao helped the orthodoxy just out of the dormitory, the orthodoxy was already old and dizzy, and he couldn't see anything clearly, but Ye Minzhao found that there were bursts of black smoke rising from the direction of the Taihe Hall in the south.

Ye Minzhao's expression was grim, and he was about to call someone to see what was going on, when he saw Chen Jia hurriedly running over, he glanced at the emperor, and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the big thing is not good, the Taihe Palace is gone!" ”

"What?" Located in the center of the former part of the Forbidden City, the Taihe Hall is the highest symbol of imperial power and has extraordinary political significance. The folk call "Jinluan Palace" is also the Taihe Palace, which shows his importance. The Taihe Hall of the previous dynasty caught fire twice, and the reigning emperor issued an edict of guilt. The ancients were superstitious and believed that the fire in the Taihe Hall was a sign of God's dissatisfaction with the Son of Heaven and God's condemnation.

In just a few moments, the fire was already growing louder, and I saw the flames soaring into the sky, and the entire imperial city was illuminated as daylight. Orthodoxy was so anxious that he stomped his feet and trembled: "Quick, quickly help me, go over to put out the fire!" ”

Orthodoxy has already run out of oil, where can it withstand such a blow. He staggered out two steps, only to feel that the blood was attacking his heart, and the blood was surging on the top of his head, his eyes rolled, and the whole person fainted softly. Ye Minzhao exclaimed in surprise and held on to orthodoxy, "Go and ask for a doctor!" On the other hand, he said to Chen Jia: "This king is here to take care of his father, you take someone to put out the fire, no matter what, you must extinguish this fire as soon as possible." After a pause, he said with a stern expression: "Ask someone to find out the cause of the fire." ”

At such a juncture, such a thing happened, Ye Minzhao was worried that someone was playing tricks behind him.

Chen Jia didn't dare to delay and hurriedly went.

Ye Minzhao asked someone to bring a soft couch over and returned to the dormitory with orthodoxy. Since the emperor was seriously ill, Jiang Yuanzheng had never dared to go home, and took the best doctor in Taihe Hospital to be on duty outside the Taihe Gate. Not long after the little eunuch went, Jiang Yuanzheng hurried over with the imperial doctor. Outside, there was already a sound shock from the roof tiles, and Chen Jiazheng led a large number of Praetorian Guards to take water from the Jinshui River to fight the fire.

The whole palace was in chaos.

Jiang Yuanzheng knew that the emperor was choking enough at this time as soon as he saw the orthodox appearance, so he still stretched out three fingers and put them on the emperor's wrist, touched them for a long time, shook his head with a pale face, and immediately changed to a imperial doctor, and the imperial doctor also touched the pulse of the orthodox emperor, and beads of sweat immediately appeared on his forehead.

Ye Minzhao asked anxiously, "Father, how is he?" ”

Jiang Yuanzheng wiped the cold sweat on his forehead and said, "The emperor is weak and weak, and he was suddenly stimulated, so that he was in a hurry!" Even...... I'm afraid it's ......."

"What are you afraid of?" Concubine Hui had already heard the news and hurriedly brought someone over. As soon as he entered the palace gate, he heard Jiang Yuanzheng's words, Jiang Yuanzheng hurriedly got up and saluted Concubine Hui, Concubine Hui said: "Excuse me, tell me what happened to the emperor?" ”

Jiang Yuanzheng suddenly knelt down and choked up: "I'm afraid the emperor won't be able to survive tonight!" ”

Although Concubine Hui and Ye Minzhao had been prepared, they still felt like a thunderbolt sounding above their heads when they heard these words. Concubine Hui had come back to her senses in an instant: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Immediately knelt on the ground and cried bitterly, Ye Minzhao was still stupid there, and seemed to be a little overwhelmed. Concubine Hui pulled the corner of Ye Minzhao's robe, Ye Minzhao reacted, and he also fell to his knees, burst into tears, and choked up: "Father! ”

When their mother and son cried, the eunuchs and doctors in the room were all dumbfounded. I don't know if I should cry with them. was in a daze, Concubine Hui had already stopped her grief, "Everyone else should go down, Jiang Yuan is staying!" ”

After everyone was gone, Ye Minzhao helped Concubine Hui to sit down next to the imperial couch, Concubine Hui wiped her tears, looked at Jiang Yuan and said, "Lord Jiang, you tell the palace the truth, how long can the emperor last?" Is there any chance that he will wake up? After a pause, Concubine Hui said: "The emperor is very sick, but now there are still many important matters in the imperial court, and the emperor needs to wake up and preside over the overall situation!" So Jiang Yuanzheng, for the sake of the imperial court, please let the emperor wake up and say a few words no matter what! ”

Jiang Yuanzheng is not stupid, he knows that the so-called "unresolved matter" is that the emperor has not yet established a prince, and indeed this matter is not decided, and the court will definitely be chaotic after the emperor dies. But now that the emperor has run out of oil, he still has a few hours to live, and if he is forcibly woken up with drugs, I am afraid that he will not last long and will hang up immediately.

Concubine Hui probably understands this. So what she said was an understatement, meaning that Jiang Yuan correctly understood, and wanted him to ignore the emperor's life and death, wake up the emperor, and establish Ye Minzhao as the crown prince before dying.

The emperor originally had a few hours to live, and this kind of drug stimulation is not tantamount to rebellion against the emperor? That's a big sin of the Nine Clans, he has a small Tai Hospital, where does he have the guts?

Jiang Yuan was kneeling on the ground, constantly wiping the cold sweat on his forehead with his sleeves, his body trembled, and he said incoherently: "Niangniang...... Mother's life! ”

Ye Minzhao also understood what Concubine Hui meant, after all, he still had a little father-son affection for orthodoxy, and couldn't help but call: "Mother!" ”

Concubine Hui stretched out her hand to stop Ye Minzhao from speaking. "Don't interject! This matter has nothing to do with you! The corners of Ye Minzhao's mouth moved, and he finally closed his mouth.

Concubine Hui said to Jiang Yuan with a pleasant face: "Lord Jiang, this matter can only be entrusted to you!" Besides, there are only three of us in this room...... Even if you don't want to, there will always be someone who will! ”

Concubine Hui's words were endless, but Jiang Yuanzheng completely understood them. The so-called "there are only three of us in this room" means that no matter what Jiang Yuan is doing, no one will know, and no one will blame him. The so-called "even if you are unwilling, there will always be someone who wills", that is, he is unwilling to help Concubine Hui wake up the emperor, and naturally there are other imperial doctors who are willing to do this. But after listening to Concubine Hui's words just now, if he refused to do it, then Concubine Hui would definitely kill him immediately. The charges are all ready-made, and it is not good to treat the emperor's condition, and no one will plead for him if he is directly dragged out and beheaded.

Jiang Yuan was hesitating, and Concubine Hui said again: "Our mother and son, we will never forget adults in the future!" Hearing this promise, Jiang Yuanzheng immediately made up his mind: "Xiaguan will go to the side hall to write a prescription." ”

Concubine Hui said: "You just write here!" ”

As soon as he gave the order, a palace maid from Jingyang Palace came in with the four treasures of the study. Jiang Yuan was trembling and writing a prescription, and someone grabbed the medicine according to the prescription, and boiled the medicine in the Qianqing Palace, and the people who used it were all the people of Jingyang Palace. Jiang Yuan said: "A bowl of medicine will go down, and in another quarter of an hour, the saint will wake up!" I can only hold on for half an hour! ”

Concubine Hui nodded: "You go down first!" ”

Concubine Hui immediately sent someone down: "Go and ask the cabinet Ding Ge Lao to enter the palace to meet the emperor!" "When the emperor wakes up, there needs to be a minister here to draw up an edict for the emperor, this work should have been the cabinet Shen Shoufu, but Shen Shoufu has always been smooth, although he also has the intention of making friends with Concubine Hui, but if he leaves, Concubine Hui dare not believe him.

And Ding Ge Lao is different, he is very keen on power, he can see the clues when he betrayed Old Lady Yang, before he was originally relying on King Zhao's party, after King Zhao rebelled, he immediately drew a clear relationship with the Xiao family and King Zhao, and threw an olive branch to Concubine Hui and Ye Minzhao, he didn't want to use his kind of character Concubine Hui, he really had the determination of a strong man to break his wrist, and personally sent himself and the handwritten letter of Old Lady Yang to Concubine Hui, asking Concubine Hui to hold his handle, once it was made public, he would be ruined, He naturally worked wholeheartedly for Concubine Hui.

This is also an alternative form of nomination.

Concubine Hui is indeed unavailable now, and before the orthodox minister died, Concubine Hui chose Ding Ge Lao. Ding Ge Lao received an order from Concubine Hui, but Concubine Hui didn't explain anything to him, he thought it was a fire in the palace, and Concubine Hui asked him to discuss the fire and the aftermath. He didn't dare to delay for a moment, and immediately entered the palace in a sedan chair.

When I got to the door, I happened to meet Chen Jia. After more than an hour of rescue, the fire has been extinguished, but the Baohe Hall is a wooden structure, and now the weather is hot, the fire is burning extremely fast, so the effort has burned the Baohe Hall into a pile of rubble.

Chen Jia also felt bad luck in his heart, and at this time, Concubine Hui called someone to come to look for him, saying that the emperor would not be able to do it soon, and asked him to come back to accept the decree. This is a rule that existed in the previous dynasty, but whenever the emperor is in a big business, he must always call the cabinet and the eunuchs of the celebrant to witness a series of arrangements before the emperor's death. So that the new emperor can rightfully ascend the throne.

It's just that Chen Jia is not the first eunuch in Da Nei after all, and he hasn't done it yet, so this arrangement is actually quite unruly.

Ding Ge Lao didn't know what Chen Jia was thinking, but when he saw Chen Jia, he was very polite, and said with a courtesy: "I've seen Chen Gonggong!" I heard that you had a wind chill a while ago, but are you getting better? "It is said that Ge Lao is a member of the country, an important minister of the court, how noble his position is, Chen Jia is no matter how powerful he is, he is just a eunuch, Ding Ge Lao is very respectful to him, just like a subordinate treats his boss, Chen Jia is fluttering in his heart, and he is even more disdainful of Ding Ge Lao's character.

However, Chen Jia has always been a smiling tiger-like character, even if he is a political enemy who hates poison in his heart, he can smile at him, so although he despises Ding Ge Lao very much, he still said to Ding Ge Lao with a smile: "Lao Ge Lao is worried, it's no longer a problem!"

When Ding Ge Lao entered the palace, it happened that the fire in the Taihe Hall had been extinguished, and he knew that Concubine Hui asked him to come for fear that it was not for the purpose of fighting the fire, so he quietly asked as he walked: "Dare to ask Gonggong Chen, what is the order of the concubine Niangniang called the old minister to come this time!" ”

Chen Jia said to him with a stern expression: "The emperor is about to make a big trip, and the concubine asked the elder to come here to do a good job!" ”

"Huh?" Ding Ge stumbled under his feet, what a big deal the old emperor's entrustment before leaving, it was rare for non-confidants and important ministers to participate. He only felt a surge of hot blood rush over his head, and his whole body could not help but tremble, - it was excited. For so many years, he has been thinking about the position of the first assistant of the cabinet, and this time he is waiting for the emperor to finish entrusting the orphan and the new monarch to ascend the throne, his political status will immediately rise, and there will be hope for the first assistant of the cabinet!

Elder Ding Ge couldn't help but ask Chen Jiadao: "I don't know which elders in the cabinet came to listen to the emperor's holy teachings!" "The emperor's illness is the top secret of the Forbidden City, and all the ministers know that the emperor is sick, and he is very sick, but no one can say clearly when the emperor will hang.

Chen Jiadao: "As far as I know, among the auxiliary ministers of the cabinet, the noble concubine Niangniang only called you the old one. He showed a meaningful smile: "Niangniang relies on you so much, Ding Ge Lao should not live up to Niangniang's good intentions." ”

Ding Ge Lao was even more surprised and happy when he heard this, Rao is city is quite deep, but at this time, he couldn't help but show a smile on his face, and remembered that the emperor was about to hang up, wouldn't it be disrespectful to be happy like this, so he cleaned up his mood, and immediately hung a sad mask on his face.

Chen Jia didn't talk to him anymore, and the two came to the outside of the warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace in a moment. The eunuch in charge of Jingyang Palace was already waiting outside the door, "Gonggong Chen and Ding Ge come in with the slaves." ”

took the two of them into the warm pavilion where the orthodox weekdays rested. Chen Jia secretly raised his eyes and saw Concubine Hui sitting on the imperial couch, leaning on the orthodox head, holding a hot towel to help the orthodox keep wiping the sweat beads on his face. Ye Minzhao stood on the other side of the imperial couch, at the feet of orthodoxy. Orthodox lying on the couch, his face flushed, very unnatural. The two eyes were dull, like two empty holes. At first glance, it is back to the light, and his life is short.

Concubine Hui counted the time to drug Orthodoxy, who had just woken up.

Except for Concubine Hui and Ye Minzhao, there was no one else in the room!

"Your Majesty!" Chen Jia and Ding Ge Lao knelt in front of the imperial couch and kowtowed, Chen Jia had been waiting for the emperor for many years after all, although orthodoxy was the Son of Heaven and had supreme authority, but he was quite lenient towards people, Chen Jia remembered that he was good to himself during this time, and thought that he was about to go big, he couldn't help but burst into tears, and Ding Ge Lao also desperately squeezed out a few tears. This ability to cry when you say you cry is really not an ordinary bull fork.

When the emperor saw the two people, he first asked Chen Jia in a weak voice: "The fire in the Taihe Hall can be extinguished!" ”

"Back to the emperor, the fire has been extinguished. The minions also found out the reason, it was the six eunuchs in the imperial dining room who accidentally burned the imperial dining room with fire, and then implicated the Taihe Palace, and the servants had ordered someone to capture them all together, and all of them were sent to the Shen Punishment Division! ”

Orthodoxy muttered: "It's good to extinguish, it's good to extinguish!" He coughed before he said, "You're here just in time...... He struggled to sit up, but where could he be. Concubine Hui choked up and said, "Your Majesty, if you have anything to say, just lie down and say it!" Don't do it anymore! ”

Orthodoxy smiled bitterly: "I'm about to die, call someone out to call the King of Jin, the King of Qin, the King of Yanqing County, the other five cabinet elders of the cabinet, and the palm print eunuch Meng Chong in, I have something important to announce!" "When death comes, orthodox thinking has never been clear.

Hearing him say this, Concubine Hui couldn't help but hesitate for a moment. If orthodoxy really wants to pass the throne to Ye Minzhao, does it need to call so many royal families into the palace?

He hesitated for a moment, and the orthodoxy was already impatient: "Don't go yet!" Concubine Hui had to give Chen Jia a look, and Chen Jia understood: "The slave is going!" He turned around and walked out of the door of the warm pavilion. Called a confidant eunuch and said, "You go and call the prince of Jin, the prince of Qin, the prince of Yanqing County, the elder of the cabinet Shen Pavilion and the other five pavilion elders, as well as the eunuch Meng Chong, who is the master of ceremonies and the palm seal, all of them in." The eunuch promised to leave just now, Chen Jia stopped him and said, "Don't worry, this message should be delivered slowly, you will deliver the message within an hour, and they will come here within two hours, not slowly, understand?" ”

The eunuch was stunned and said loudly: "The slave understands! Chen Jia then called him to go.

When I returned to Dongnuan Pavilion, I happened to hear Concubine Hui crying there, "Your Majesty, you are leaving, leaving us orphans and widows, what should you do with us?" ”

The emperor coughed for a while and said weakly: "Don't cry, I will naturally leave an edict for your mother and son." "There is no mention of the establishment of the crown prince. Concubine Hui's words were originally a temptation, but seeing the emperor's response like this, she couldn't help but sink in her heart.

Chen Jia also beat the drum in his heart, knelt down and played: "The princes and ministers live far away, and it will take some time to get to the Forbidden City. Ding Ge Lao is a well-educated person, so why not ask Ding Ge Lao to draw up his will. ”

Zhengzheng also felt that he couldn't last long, although he didn't have a good impression of Ding Ge Lao, he still nodded and said, "Okay, Lord Ding will come and draft an edict for me!" ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone was startled, and they all knelt down and played: "Your Majesty, why is this difficult? ”

Orthodoxy said: "You don't have to persuade me! What kind of emperor I am, I know for myself! The fire in the Taihe Hall at this time is God's wake-up call to me! Master Ding, write quickly! At this time, there was already a little eunuch with pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and Concubine Hui and Chen Jia glanced at each other together, with worries in their eyes. Ding Ge Lao kowtowed, knelt on the ground and began to write. The orthodox emperor dictated a total of six counts involving his own misemployment, administrative mistakes, and so on. The last one actually asked Ding Ge Lao to use the Spring and Autumn Period penmanship to write out the improper things about Taizong's position.

Ding Ge Lao was already sweating profusely before he could write a few words, and he didn't expect the emperor to criticize himself so harshly before he died. Concubine Hui secretly clenched her fists, this guilty edict was really announced, even if Ye Minzhao inherited the unification, the emperor would not be able to sit on the throne, just imagine that all the thrones from Taizong to orthodoxy are not right, where is the legitimacy of Ye Minzhao's succession? How could the subjects of the world support such an emperor?

Although the old man of Ding Ge has a poor character, he is a talented person, and this edict was written and read again in front of orthodoxy. Orthodoxy nodded in satisfaction. He also said: "This second edict is reserved for Ye Yichen, the Prince of Jin!" "It's not for Ye Minzhao but for Ye Yichen, Concubine Hui and Ye Minzhao glanced at each other, and they both had a look of surprise in their eyes.

Orthodoxy said slowly: "Ye Yichen, the prince of Jin, has resisted foreign aggression in the northwest for many years, and led the tired division to repel the Tuwu and Jurchen coalition forces in the defense of Beijing, saving my Great Chu national fortune, and later quelling the civil unrest in the northwest. Besides......" Orthodoxy paused slightly, and the next few words were said quickly and urgently, "Besides, he is the only bloodline left by Emperor Taizu in this world. It was a mistake for Emperor Taizong to ascend to the throne back then, and I can't be wrong again. I am determined to return the throne to the Tai-Zu lineage! ”

The orthodox emperor was not very happy all his life, plus the prince was driven crazy, King Zhao rebelled, and the second generation of the emperor could not give birth to a child, this one by one is like a curse of heaven to make the orthodox emperor uneasy, it is at this time that the Taihe Palace, which symbolizes the imperial power, caught fire and burned into rubble, and the orthodoxy dreamed of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong one after another, so he finally made up his mind to reverse the mistakes of the Taizong era and return the throne to the Taizu lineage.

It's just that as soon as he said this, several people present were all stupid: "The emperor thinks twice!" Several people knelt on the ground together and persuaded bitterly, and Concubine Hui cried: "Where will the emperor put our mother and son in such an arrangement?" Aren't you afraid that King Jin will ascend to the throne and turn his head and put our mother and son to death? ”

Ye Minzhao had already clenched his fists, and the green tendons on his forehead had flare. Anyone can be the emperor, but Ye Yichen can't!

Orthodoxy sighed and said: "I also know that such an arrangement will not be for your mother and son, I will find a rich land for Zhao'er to be his fief, so that he will stay away from the capital and be the king in a different place, and then your mother and son will go together, although he can't be the emperor, he will still be rich and prosperous for life." Ye Yichen I still know this person, he is arrogant, and he has received the great grace of me Chan to give up the throne, he will never deal with you again, even if others have such thoughts, he will also protect you. ”

“…… Besides, now that the wolf smoke is everywhere, the people's livelihood is withering, and the country is in ruins, only Ye Yichen has the ability to turn the tide. ”

Everyone persuaded hard, but the orthodox emperor didn't listen to it at all, "There is no need to say any more, I have made up my mind, and Lord Ding will draw up an edict according to my words!" ”

At this moment, a fierce light finally appeared in Concubine Hui's eyes.