Prince Gong and Yang Xiaoshan, under the leadership of An Dehai, disguised themselves as shamans and entered the Chengde Palace to meet the empress dowager of the two palaces.

This is a side room, few people pass by, in the easternmost corner of the Chengde Palace.

However, this side room seems to have just been cleaned, there are four palace lamps hanging inside, curtains are spaced in the middle, and the hanging tassels formed by jade pendants and jade rings on both sides are hung in the air, and they do not move at all. Behind the curtain is a jasper-inlaid chair with yellow silk cushions, and a beautiful woman sits on it, the Empress Dowager Cixi, who is very famous in history.

Cixi wore a silk robe and a shawl covered with pearls. Hands with long nails resting on their knees. There were several eunuchs standing next to her, holding tea sets, flower water, and incense pills waiting beside her, and two palace maids behind her used long-handled peacock feathers to fan her and enjoy the coolness.

At this time, although Cixi was only in her twenties, she was dressed very old, in order to maintain her majesty, she deliberately elongated her face, she saw through the gauze curtain, and clearly saw two people following An Dehai outside, when they took off their shaman masks, one he knew was Prince Gong, and the other was a very handsome young man who was very faced.

"Chenyi? I have seen the Queen Mother. After Prince Gong took off his mask, he wanted to salute Cixi behind the curtain.

"Chen Changshan has seen the Queen Mother." Yang Xiaoshan also saluted.

"No courtesy." Cixi's voice was not loud, but it was very firm, and she knew that she was a person with ideas when she heard it.

"This is the newly married monk aunt, Chang Guogong." Although Cixi had never met Yang Xiaoshan, she often helped Xianfeng with state affairs and was very impressed by him. Although Yang Xiaoshan's official position is not high, such a rapid promotion speed is also a rising political star in the Qing court.

"It is the lower official, the queen mother can remember the minister, and the minister is very honored." Yang Xiaoshan couldn't imagine that he was registered on the Queen Mother's side, and Cixi knew herself.

"Chang Guogong helped his ministers to deal with foreigners in Beijing and contributed a lot to the signing of the "Beijing Treaty". The foreigners withdrew from the capital so quickly, and Chang Guogong should be the first to take the lead. Prince Gong was very active in promoting Yang Xiaoshan in front of Cixi, and the meaning of his throat was to suggest that Cixi should not treat Yang Xiaoshan as an outsider and start today's topic as soon as possible.

But Cixi didn't take the initiative to find out, but said with a sad face: "The first emperor drove the crane to the west, leaving us orphans and widows." The emperor is still young, only six years old, and the mourning family does not know what to do when they think of the days ahead. ”

Prince Gong didn't mention Su Shun when he heard Cixi, and he didn't dare to say much, so he could only say in passing: "If there are ministers, I will definitely help the Queen Mother to assist the emperor together, and please let the Queen Mother be relieved." ”

Cixi pretended to wipe her eyes, and then said: "You are all important ministers of the imperial court, but it is a pity that the first emperor did not list you as ministers of care. If it is you who assist the emperor, the mourning family will be relieved. ”

Cixi still didn't mention Su Shun, and Prince Gong couldn't figure out whether she wanted to target Su Shun, and he didn't dare to speak rashly.

Yang Xiaoshan saw Prince Gong's embarrassment, at such a juncture, both sides were actually guessing each other's thoughts, although they understood something, they were not sure. It's not good to be the first to open on both sides, and this opening can't be taken back, after all, the stakes are high.

So Yang Xiaoshan felt that instead of guessing and going around in circles, it was better to pick the lead himself, they reached an alliance in history, and they couldn't be wrong.

"Lord Su led the seven adults as ministers who take care of their lives, and they must be the same as the ministers, doing their best to share the worries of the Queen Mother." Yang Xiaoshan decided to break the deadlock and point out Su Shun.

"Don't mention it, Lord Nasu。。。。。。" Cixi shook off all kinds of disrespect for herself after leaving Beijing, "That Su Shun is not only like this to our women, but also openly roared at our little emperor, and the little emperor was so frightened by him that he couldn't stop crying." ”

Cixi has said this, but she still hasn't shown her hole cards, what does she want to do with Su Shun? Whether to dismiss him from office, go to prison, or simply kill him, it's really hard to answer.

Prince Gong is also hesitating about the proportions of the Empress Dowager Cixi, once it is not well connected, it will bring unhappiness to coexistence in the future. If it is light, Cixi will worry about whether she will have anything to do with Sushun, and if it is heavy, will Cixi suspect that she is too murderous and defend herself, this is really very difficult to accept.

Yang Xiaoshan knew the outcome of the matter, so he answered the word for Prince Gong, "I can't imagine that Su Shun is so disrespectful to the emperor and the queen mother, and the minister thinks that not killing is not enough to make the people angry, and only by killing this great rebel can he be right." ”

Yang Xiaoshan's words made Cixi look at her differently, she couldn't imagine that this Zhenguo Gong had the same idea as herself, and she was very bold, and she unconsciously showed an expression of appreciation.

Prince Gong is such a smart person, he also sensed Cixi's thoughts, it seems that this Su Shun really angered the Queen Mother, so he immediately said: "The minister agrees with Chang Guogong's meaning, this Su Shun should be killed!" ”

Cixi was very happy when she saw that both of them had expressed their attitudes, and she also hated Su Shun to death. This Su Shun also said before Xianfeng's death: "The master is young and strong, and you want to kill yourself." "Fortunately, Emperor Xianfeng was soft-hearted, otherwise he would have been taken to the funeral by him.

"But this Su Shun is the minister appointed by the first emperor to take care of his life, what if he bites him back, then what should I do?" Cixi is also very jealous of Su Shun, Su Shun has outstanding ability, ruthless, and is not the kind of person who is tied up.

The minister suggested that the Queen Mother take the other seven ministers back to Beijing first, and let Su Shun escort the coffin, which was a hundred and eighteen people. As long as the Empress Dowager returned to Beijing first, she reached an agreement with Prince Gong, announced that the ministers controlled the government, read out the charges of the eight ministers, and issued an edict to take them down. Only in this way is the first to strike, and it is useless for Su Shun to have the ability. Yang Xiaoshan offered advice.

"Yes, among the eight ministers, Su Shun is the one who has the idea, and the others are not to be afraid, separate them, as long as they don't hold together, they won't be able to set off much storm." Prince Gong agreed.

Later, Cixi and Prince Gong finalized the details, and a struggle for supreme power began.

The Empress Dowager of the Two Palaces took the little emperor and seven ministers to return to the capital from the trail, and the next day after arriving in the capital, Prince Gong held the edict of the Queen Mother, read out the charges of the eight ministers, dismissed them from their positions on the spot, arrested Prince Yi, Prince Zheng and other seven ministers, and sent troops to arrest Su Shun who was escorting Xianfeng's coffin in Miyun, a suburb of Beijing.

Immediately afterwards, Cixi issued an edict, ordering Su Shun to be beheaded, the family members were assigned to Ningguta, Prince Yi and Prince Zheng gave Bai Aya to commit suicide, and the other five people were dismissed from their posts, and the army was confiscated.

In the end, the queen mother of the two palaces lowered the curtain to listen to the government, changed the year name "Qixiang" to "Tongzhi", and crowned Prince Gong as the king of the government, the foreman of the military aircraft department, and dealt with military affairs.

This year is the Year of Xinyou, known as the "Xinyou Coup" in history.