Chapter 692: Blood Splattered Court, The Way of a Gentleman

After Emperor Daxing was buried in the coffin, because everyone knew that the emperor's sudden death was inseparable from indulgence, everyone in the East and West Six Palaces was in danger - those who had children could barely hold their breath, and those who had no children didn't have to pretend to be crying with a sad face. The more they knew that now that the crown prince had returned, and that the person in charge of the six palaces had been replaced by Empress Zhang herself, the more desperate and helpless they felt. They all thought that the emperor would ascend the throne and have at least a good life for more than ten years in the future, if they had thought that the emperor's body could not bear such a toss, who would be so stupid and only thinking about tying up the emperor, and they were not young girls who only thought about grace when they first entered the palace!

Compared with other palaces, the Changning Palace is silent, or lifeless. After Zhu Ning came that day, there were only four people left in the main hall of the huge Changning Palace. At this time, three of them quietly went outside to inquire about the arrangement of the mourning hall, etc., and took the opportunity to find out whether the people who were buried had been decided, and the empty place was only Guo Guifei and her confidant palace maid Ji Xiang.

At this moment, Guo Guifei sat in front of the dresser, combing her jet-black hair with a jade comb one by one. She is only in her early thirties now, and she can be regarded as the youngest among the concubines of the East and West Six Palaces. Because she has always been good at maintenance, those low-level concubines who are several years younger than her look even older than her. Gently putting down the comb in her hand, she said to Ji Xiang without looking back:

"In the past, everyone said that the Xu family of the Duke of Wei was the first family in addition to the royal family, but now it has been replaced by the British Gong Zhang family. But few people will remember that when Emperor Taizu was still there, the Marquis of Wuding, the Guo family, except for the title of the merit was not as good as the Xu family, the rest were not bad at all. At that time, the Xu family only had one prince, but the Guo family had two marquises. ”

Ji Xiang has followed Guo Guifei since she entered the palace, knowing that she is clever and charming, the best at flattering, and knowing that she is good at advancing and retreating, but she has never heard her boast about the family behind her in this tone, and she can't help but be stunned at this time. Guo Guifei looked at Ji Xiang's surprised appearance in the bronze mirror, and couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

"Grandfather and uncle's military exploits are certainly great, but among those famous founding generals, they are nothing, if it weren't for the fact that Concubine Ning was extremely favored by Emperor Taizu back then, they might have ended up like other heroes. Even so, my aunt married King Ying's concubine, but because she had no children, she could only watch the feudal country be removed. My grandfather had twelve sons, the eldest uncle was Princess Yongjia, and the third uncle was appointed as the right governor of Zhongfu for his merits, but my father was only a treasure of the Liao Palace. If I hadn't made the concubine, how could my brother inherit the position of Marquis of Wuding last year? ”

Speaking of this, she sighed leisurely: "So, what kind of noble house, the kind of mansion with dozens of people, how can it be stopped for a day." I grew up in the Liao Palace, and I have seen the bitterness and hardship behind the princess's honor, and I have long understood that only the son is the real reliance on a woman. Finally, my wish was granted, and I had three sons, but both of them were sick since childhood, and the only one was not a sign of longevity. I can't let them go, but if I live, I'll hurt them even more......"

At first, he was just surprised, but at this time, the more Ji Xiang listened, the more he felt unlucky, and hurriedly persuaded: "Don't worry about it, although there have been martyrs since Emperor Taizu, those childless concubines have always been chosen, don't you think Concubine Ning died at the end of her life?" You have also given birth to three thousand-year-old masters, besides, look at Concubine Li Xian and Concubine Zhang Shun, they are all very ...... at ease."

"They have long been unfavored, and when they get close to the queen, they are naturally at ease."

Guo Guifei picked up a box with carved lacquered rosewood Nine Dragons playing beads from the dressing table, and gently rubbed the pattern on it, as if returning to the old days: "The emperor and the queen have been husband and wife for many years, and I am naturally inferior." All I can do is to make the emperor happy, instead of restraining him with those great principles and etiquette, so everyone knows that the emperor prefers me. Even if the queen is in power and deeply loved by Emperor Taizong and the emperor, she has never really understood the emperor's heart. Only I truly regard him as a husband and a king! Everyone said he was killed by me, and now I'm following him! ”

As she spoke, she had gently opened the clasp of the box, and her right hand slammed into the object. Almost without hesitation, she grabbed the sharp dagger and stabbed it deep into her chest. When Ji Xiang's exclamation sounded behind her, her will had gradually blurred.

Even if she dies, she will not wait for Empress Zhang to use Zhu Gaochi's will to let her be buried, let alone show her begging ugliness again! As long as her children can live well......

When the news of Guo Guifei's suicide came, Zhu Zhanji was comforting his younger brothers. He is the eldest grandson of the emperor, and then he was crowned the grandson early, and he is not in the same place as his younger brothers, but he still cares for his younger brothers. At this time, because of the hot weather, everyone was sweating profusely, and the sick King Teng and King Wei were even more difficult to support, when they heard the news of Guo Guifei's death, King Teng's head tilted and fainted, and King Liang from Guo Guifei also cried loudly, and King Wei, who was only five years old, was still ignorant. Seeing this scene, Zhu Zhanji ordered someone to invite a doctor on the one hand, and asked the kings to stay in the palace on the other, while he hurried to Changning Palace.

At the gate of Changning Palace, he happened to collide with Empress Zhang, who rushed here, and hurriedly called the queen mother. Seeing Empress Zhang looking at the plaque with gold characters on a blue background, he couldn't help but feel a little strange knowing the famous halls of the harem.

"I didn't expect Guo Guifei to be so strong."

Empress Zhang didn't expect that Guo Guifei would take such a step quietly, sighed like this, and didn't know what it was like in her heart. When she entered Changning Palace with Zhu Zhanji, and learned that the palace maid Ji Xiang had died by touching the pillar, she felt even more unspeakable palpitations, and she was standing in the outermost room, unable to take another step. After standing silently in place for a while, she turned her head and said to Zhu Zhanji: "She is also your mother-in-law, if you go to see her for the last time, I won't go, so as not to see sorrow." King Teng, King Liang, King Wei, are pitiful, they are all your brothers-in-law, if there is a reward in the future, you should take care of them, do you understand? ”

"Yes, Erchen wrote it down."

After Zhu Zhanji returned to Beijing, he had heard some rumors, and he was naturally extremely dissatisfied with Guo Guifei, but at this time, everyone was dead, and he had nothing else to say, so he agreed to his mother's words. When he entered the house, he saw two shocking blood stains in the center and corner of the room, even if he hadn't seen the bloody chick, he couldn't help but be stunned. At the beginning, he came in a hurry, only thinking that Guo Guifei Bai Aya had committed suicide, but now he knew that it was with a knife, even if he had a deep prejudice in his heart, his hatred had turned into a little terrifying.

"Guo Guifei was buried in the mountain mausoleum according to the ceremony, and Ji Xiang was also buried to take care of his family. After the funeral, Changning Palace will be temporarily sealed! ”

Such an episode during the state funeral did not cause much turmoil in Beijing. Even if Concubine Guo Guifei was born in a noble family, the Hou family of Wuding is already an outdated noble, and today's Guo family has long since lost the prestige of the Hongwu period. After that, Zhu Zhanji, who was persuaded by hundreds of officials to ascend the throne as the emperor, said goodbye to the concubines one by one, and the situation was not enough for outsiders. Only Chen Wu, who was with Zhu Zhanji all the time, knew that when he came back from the place where the concubines were buried, the emperor didn't eat a bite of dinner and didn't sleep all night.

The new monarch ascended the throne and granted amnesty to the world, and originally wanted to add grace to the old, but because Zhu Gaochi had already promoted all the civil and military officials to a high position when he ascended the throne last year, not to mention that Zhang Fu had no seals, and even Yang Shiqi and others were already unofficial, so Zhu Zhanji only rewarded the ministers and officials for carving new books, and gave the feudal lords utensils and so on, among which the Han and Zhao feudal domains were the most generous. And because of Zhu Ning, the Zhou Wangfu is also a year, and the reward is twice as good as that of the sons of Taizu.

In a harmonious atmosphere, there are also some dissonant notes - Liu Guan, the imperial historian of the left capital who originally took a boat along the canal and slowly went north, learned the news of the emperor's death, and immediately abandoned the boat and went ashore in the starry night, and finally arrived in the capital within the twenty-seven days of national mourning. However, what awaited him was a cold will - the Yellow River had been flooded for many years, and Liu Liu, the imperial historian of the left capital, looked at the waterway of the Yellow River. Travel immediately on the day of the order, and do not miss the deadline. In addition, the former commander of Nanjing Jinyi Wei made Liu Jun extremely heinous, and he should be beheaded, suspended his execution for national funeral, and sent Jinyi Wei to prison for his crime.

The news spread the fastest in Beijing, and as soon as the will was given, Liu Mansion, which had always been a crowd in Qunli Hutong, suddenly became a place to take a detour. Anyone can see that Liu Bu, who has been imprisoned, condemned, and degraded by three dynasties, but has always stood above the court, may really fall in this new dynasty. At the same time, Zhang Yue also received his own appointment, and from now on, he will be the imperial history of the left capital.

Although Ying Tianfu Cheng is also the fourth product, the left and the imperial history are also the four products, but the Beijing official and the foreign official have always been different, not to mention that now the left capital imperial history Liu Guan out of the Yellow River waterway, the right capital of the imperial history Wang Zhangzhen Fuhenan, although there are left and right deputy capital imperial history, but they have always been more than one thing is not as good as less than one thing old ministers, so, although Zhang Yue is only acting, but in his early twenties, he jumped to the scarlet Beijing official with a civil official, which still amazed countless people. Even Yang Rong, Yang Shiqi and other cabinet ministers who have worked together for many years also have some emotion in private.

"Emperor Taizong has pressed you for many years, and as soon as Emperor Daxing came to power, he rose and fell secretly, how do you feel now?"

In the evening, when I came to see my father-in-law and teacher, I easily rubbed my mother-in-law with a homely meal, but when I got to the study, I was thrown away with such a sentence, Zhang Yue naturally had to smile bitterly. Seeing Du Zhen packing up the things on the desk with an expressionless face, he went up and skillfully took a hand, and sighed again: "Sir, don't make fun of me, I can afford this grade, but I can't stand the position of Zuo Du Yushi, and I also know the emperor's temper very well, and I will never let me be in charge of the Metropolitan Procuratorate in the future." ”

"Oh, so you will join the cabinet in the future, or be in charge of the six departments?" Du Zhen asked lightly, but after a long time of not waiting for an answer, he raised his head, "I'm not joking with you, no one has any objections to this appointment, after all, no one is blind and deaf, even if it is not for you to escort the emperor back safely this time, the credit ahead should also be rewarded." It's just that I think you need to think about it, and after taking such a step, it will be difficult to move again in the future. I'm just asking you, do you want to get rid of this signature now, or do you want someone else? ”

Zhang Yue has no psychological burden to play tricks with others, but he has always been honest in front of Du Zhen, standing in front of the most respected elder since then, he said all his previous plans one by one, and even his speculation about the emperor's award of this position was not missed, and he finally spread his hands and said: "Although Emperor Taizong has been suppressing the speed of my promotion, but in all fairness, I started at the beginning of the first few levels were already fast, if there was no foundation later, it would not be as impossible to find fault as now." Besides, Mr. is now in an important position in the cabinet, if I occupy the Metropolitan Procuratorate again, plus my uncle, even if the emperor does not doubt it, others will pick on it. ”

"The two Shen families were still worried that you were in too much of a hurry, but now it seems that you are worried in vain." Du Zhen finally showed a smile and nodded approvingly, "The ministers of the central cabinet of Beijing are all old and serious people who are good at making decisions, there is no more than you, no less than you, and it is impossible for the emperor to always favor you, and there is also the queen mother." You can think of this, I didn't teach you in vain. Merit but not arrogance, chaos and not impatience, when fame and fortune can be held, degree of advance and retreat and can keep, by the Shishu admiration, is a gentleman. ”

Du Zhen has always advocated the way of a gentleman, Zhang Yue thought that he had given those eight words at the beginning, and now when he heard such a sentence, he quickly nodded yes. Weng and his son-in-law talked about other situations, and when they mentioned the Wanshi Festival, which was more than half a year after leaving, the door of the study was suddenly pushed open in a hurry.

"Dad, brother-in-law!"

Xiao Wu, who was dressed in white, looked much lighter than before, but at this time, his face was red with excitement, and he was still holding a piece of paper in his hand: "Just now someone threw a letter on the door and left, Uncle Yue sent it in and I saw it, it turned out to be the master!" The master said, Brother Wan is in Helin, and now he is very good, so I don't have to worry, sooner or later he will catch that guy and beat me up! ”

Hearing this, Zhang Yue suddenly rushed up with an arrow and snatched the letter from Xiao Wu's hand. There were only a few sentences on it, and he just swept it and read it. When he saw Xiao Wu glaring at him fiercely, he hurriedly handed the letterhead to Du Zhen, and said with a smile: "Aren't I worried about Lao Wan?" This guy is also yes, it turned out that Dr. Feng sent a letter back, and he didn't have any news himself...... By the way, why did Dr. Feng go to the north? How did this letter arrive? ”

"The master only mentioned it, I don't want to stay here and implicate others, anyway, the doctor is the most popular, he is more free there than in the Central Plains......" Seeing Du Zhen finish reading the letter, Xiao Wu hurriedly took it, carefully folded it and hid it in his sleeve, and then said, "The letter was stuffed directly into the door, I don't know how it was delivered, but the master's handwriting will not be fake." By the way, brother-in-law, is my sister okay now? ”

A sentence of senior sister made Zhang Yue change color, and when he saw Du Zhen looking at him, he didn't know how much this father-in-law knew, and he suddenly had a headache. Just as he was considering how to speak, Mo Yu's low voice came from outside the door.

"Master, someone knocked on the back door of the house, saying that he was a friend of his uncle, and he was looking for his uncle to discuss something important!"