"Holy Lord, do you want to have some food, and then go to the Queen Mother's Palace to have a look?"

It has been more than an hour since the next dynasty, and Xiao Ying is still sitting behind a few cases in a daze, and from time to time she mutters a few words to herself. Qian Manquan knows the emperor's habits, likes to think about things by himself, and only when he can't figure it out, will he find a close minister to discuss.

However, today, the Empress Dowager Huang Jiao did not appear in the court, and Qian Manquan, as a personal eunuch, had the obligation to remind the emperor to go to see the queen mother.

"What time is it?" Xiao Ying raised her head.

"It's time." Qian Man's cabinet hurriedly said, "Holy Lord, you better have some food." You've pushed it twice. ”

"Bring me some fruit." Xiao Ying is not very demanding on her diet. The emperors of the Great Qi Dynasty did not have the habit of loving delicacies, and the same was true for Xiao Ying.

The money cabinet was full and hurriedly ordered. A moment later, several plates of delicate pastries were served. A little eunuch ate some of everything first, and after the tea, the little eunuch kowtowed and left. Xiao Ying pinched it up and stuffed it into her mouth. While eating, I flipped through today's recitals.

Soon, a few snacks were served. After Ying got up and cleaned her hands, she ordered the Empress Dowager to be in the palace.

The relationship between Xiao Ying and Huang Jiao is not cold, but it is by no means affectionate. Regarding the dirty things in the Queen Mother's Palace, Xiao Ying was no longer as angry as when he first heard about it, he just buried this hatred in his heart and waited for the moment when he exerted his strength.

In normal times, Xiao Ying is not short of courtesy, even if she doesn't go to the Queen Mother's Palace every day, she has to send someone to greet her, and most of the answers she gets are fine.

Of course, when Huang Jiao is not in the court, Xiao Ying always has to go in person. It's just that in recent months, Huang Jiao has been in the court less and less. People outside thought that it was the Queen Mother who slowly handed over power to Xiao Ying, and only Xiao Ying herself knew that the Queen Mother's body and bones were indeed getting worse and worse, and she was getting thinner and thinner. Even if he appeared in the court a few times, he was always sluggish, or he was angry with some inexplicable anger.

For her mother, Xiao Ying can't say whether she is angry or painful, or a little happy. That joy naturally comes from Huang Jiao's decentralization, some ordinary excerpts, Huang Jiao's side is not allowed to do anything. But when it comes to personnel and financial matters, the opinions of the Empress Dowager are always at odds with Xiao Ying, which is also the reason why Xiao Ying is angry.

Speaking of heartache, there is naturally it, after all, it is his mother. Xiao Ying recalled the past time more than once, although Huang Jiao was strict with him at that time, she really loved him. Unlike now, even when mother and son meet, the conversation is just business. As for the few words between ordinary mothers and sons, there are almost nothing.

The so-called greetings have also become the stuff of programmatic words. "Well" or "sleepy", every time the same question and answer, it always makes Xiao Ying unconsciously want to be angry with the queen mother.

While thinking about it, the Queen Mother's Palace arrived.

After getting out of the car, a little eunuch had already stepped forward to report. After half a cup of tea, a word came from inside, letting Xiao Ying in.

Xiao Ying was a little surprised, but she still took a step and entered the palace.

The place where Huang Jiao rests is called Fengzen Palace. Huang Jiao believes in Buddhism, and all the decorations in the Empress Dowager's palace can be related to Buddhism, such as the lotus flowers in the pond, the glazed bricks on the road, and the Buddhist paintings on the walls. Including the renamed Bongzen Hall in front of you.

Entering the hall, a sweet sandalwood aroma came to the face, and the taste was stronger than that of Saisai. Xiao Ying's eyes immediately fell on a candle of black incense in the corner of the house.

Huang Jiao was half-lying on the bed with her eyes closed, her loose bun was low behind her head, and her originally pretty face was a little gray at this time. Even if she was smeared with powder, she couldn't hide her emaciation, and her raised cheekbones made her look like an old woman. On her body, there is still a thin blanket---- it's summer!

Outside at the end of the bed, a maid was cutting a piece of ointment into small cubes and mixing it with honey, dried chrysanthemums, jasmine, and the like. On the side of the bedside, a young and handsome monk sat cross-legged on a high futon, chanting Buddhist scriptures in a low voice.

Xiao Ying frowned slightly, took two steps forward and lowered her head and asked, "Queen Mother, how are you?" ”

Huang Jiao half-opened her eyes, and did not reply immediately, but waved her hand outward. The monk put down the scriptures, made a mockery to Xiao Ying, and retreated. The palace maid who made tea also put down the work in her hand and stepped aside.

"Sit down!" Huang Jiao said lightly, and as she spoke, she was about to get up.

Xiao Ying hurriedly stepped forward to help her, and the palace maid next to her also stepped forward, put two pillows behind Huang Jiao, and lifted Huang Jiao's two legs to let her sit cross-legged on the bed.

"Sit down!" Huang Jiao said again.

Xiao Ying looked at it and sat on the nearest futon. There are chairs in the hall, but they are too far from the bed. Xiao Ying still wants to be closer to her mother, after all, Huang Jiao in front of her makes Xiao Ying a little sad.

"The queen mother, if she is not in good health, she should rest in peace, and it is the same when she is in good spirits and then read the scriptures. Listening to the scriptures in this way is also tiring. ”

"The scriptures make me feel more at peace, and they are always happier than those messy things." Huang Jiao's words are still as plain as water, without a trace of fireworks.

Xiao Ying closed her mouth. Some things can be done with all your heart, even if it is facing your own mother.

Huang Jiao turned her head to the side, and the palace maid immediately poured hot water into the jade bowl, and a twisted smell spread. Carefully serving the tea, Huang Jiao seemed to be not afraid of being hot, blew lightly, and drank it in small sips.

In this process, Xiao Ying stood up and stretched out her hand to serve Huang Jiao, but saw Huang Jiao slanting at him. The outstretched hand stopped there as if it had been immobilized. It wasn't until Huang Jiao finished drinking the tea that Xiao Ying sat down again.

"I heard that the Shu envoy met me today." Huang Jiao finished drinking tea, paused for a moment, and then said quietly.

Xiao Ying knew that anything that happened in the court would be reported to Huang Jiao's ears without a smile, and it was not surprising. Still, he kept things simple.

"It's a guest from afar, treat people well, and forget about the rest."

Xiao Ying was stunned for a moment, "What about the field?" ”

"Well, you can open it, after all, there is a lot of smuggling over there, so you can't cheap them, and if you open a field, you can increase the tax revenue of the treasury. However, the field cannot be arranged in our Daqi, it is better to arrange it in Shu. ”

"This ......" Xiao Ying hesitated. Regarding the situation of negotiations with Shu, Song Zheng sent a note on the way back. The field is divided into two, respectively in Fengjie and Zigui. Shu merchants can enter Qi to buy things, and Qi merchants can also buy goods in Shu territory. In this way, whether it is Shu or Qi, there are taxes, which can be regarded as equal and mutually beneficial cooperation, and the cooperation is very deep.

If the field was only opened in the Shu realm, then the Qi State could only increase tariffs and raise the price of goods. Moreover, the things that Qi merchants can purchase are relatively casual, while Shu merchants can only buy things provided by Daqi in the field.

"There is no precedent for us to open a field in the territory. This was true of the Kingdom of Jin in the north, and the same was true of the original Western Xia. Huang Jiao explained softly.

"The Kingdom of Shu is not the same as the Kingdom of Jin." Xiao Ying pondered for a while, and still whispered, "Whether it is Dajin or Western Xia, they are not as rich as our Daqi, and our Daqi can earn a lot of silver from there every year." In the words of Song Shi, this is a trade surplus. ”

Xiao Ying unconsciously used the noun in Song Zheng's article when he was taking the top prize, "The land of Bashu is already rich, and there is no shortage of silk, medicinal materials, etc., which are famous for Daqi." Among them, Shu brocade is famous all over the world......"

"Xishu is just a small state. If it weren't for the lack of our Great Qi treasury, what would we have to do with him? Just hit it. Huang Jiao's voice was a little higher, "You don't mention the things Song Zheng said." Song Zheng's envoy to Shu last year was just an expedient measure. We have always been on the same page with Shu, and in the great war ten years ago, they used despicable means to kill and wound tens of thousands of our soldiers. Now that we don't attack Shu, Lang Zhengchun will burn high incense. There is no need to do business with him! ”

For the aggressiveness of the Queen Mother, Xiao Ying has long been taught. This queen mother is very tough on any country, and almost never thinks about playing any diplomatic means, or co-ordinating horizontally or the like. This was the case for Dajin and Western Xia before, and it is still the same for Shu now.

Two years ago, Huang Yuandu and Xiao Hui agreed with Dajin, but Huang Jiao had no choice, so he reluctantly agreed. Now that Xiao Hui is dead, Huang Yuandu is "sick and on leave", and the Guogong who came up has always agreed with Huang Jiao. Huang Jiao has no one to check and balance, so she is even more tough. If it weren't for the fact that her health was not very good, and Xiao Ying would be in power, Huang Jiao would probably go around.

The results of Song Zheng's mission will be discounted, Xiao Ying is not very reconciled, and said in a low voice, "The Shu Kingdom sent Jiang Kui's corpse over, the sincerity is full, and we Daqi are not too concerned with it." ”

"It was they who saw that Western Xia was destroyed by us, and they were afraid in their hearts, so they sent Jiang Kui's body back. You should be able to understand it too. As for the so-called sincerity, it is not necessarily very sincere. Why didn't they tie Jiang Kui up alive and send a useless corpse to him? Do you want to learn from Sun Quan's way of sending Guan Yu's corpse? ”

After Sun Quan killed Guan Yu back then, he felt that it was not easy to dispose of the body, so he gave it to Cao Cao. Because Guan Yu greatly offended Cao Apu, how could he have thought that Cao Cao would directly bury Guan Yu, so that Sun Quan would have a good taste.

Compared with Lang Zhengchun with Sun Quan and Jiang Kui with Guan Yu, although it is not appropriate, it is said that Lang Zhengchun actually has no good intentions.

Xiao Ying was not very happy in her heart, but for the sake of the patient's face, she still made efforts in a low voice, "The Jin Kingdom in the north has already used troops to Xingqing Mansion, and I am afraid that it will be captured soon." Daikin occupied most of Guanzhong last year, and with years of recuperation, the national strength cannot be underestimated. In the next step, Daikin may have a plot against us or Shu. We are friendly with Shu at this time, and we can also have one more arm in the future. ”

"Hmph, it's getting more and more useless. At the time of Taizu, I fought against the three kingdoms of Jin, Xia and Shu alone, and I could not retreat in a hundred battles, and I could still stand firm. How heroic is that? Unexpectedly, his descendants fell to the point of uniting Shu against Dajin. It's really going back the more I live. ”

Huang Jiao's words were a little heavy, and Xiao Ying's face immediately became ugly.

(Netnet) e