The worry in Concubine De's eyes that night was real! She stayed by Zi Ling's side, desperately hoping that Zi Ling would wake up, and she prayed for Zi Ling in her heart over and over again, because, if something really happened to Zi Ling, then Xinyang's mistake would be irreparable!

Yes, she hated all the women in the harem who shared her husbands with her,^ but she didn't want Xinyang to be involved, he was her son, and he was going to be the emperor in the future, how could she let him wade into troubled waters and ruin his great future? She wants to clear all obstacles for Xinyang, holding a butcher knife and swinging all the way, and Xinyang, as long as she stands with her hands hanging on the side, she must not let his hands be stained with blood!

The Queen Mother finally personally decreed the abolition of Concubine De and imprisoned her in the Cold Moon Palace for life, however, the huge grief and pain in the Queen Mother's heart were known only to Aunt Shuwen. She watched the Queen Mother depressed all day long, gradually losing weight, and she could only be anxious in her heart.

Ziling also knew that the Queen Mother was in a bad mood, so she went to Cining Palace to chat with the Queen Mother and help her copy the scriptures. The Queen Mother saw that Ziling was smart and sensible, and she relied on her more and more.

In the dead of night, the red candles are dim.

In the tent, Meng Hongyu fell asleep, and Zi Ling lay beside him, without a trace of sleep.

She propped up her right hand and quietly looked at his sleeping face, listening to his breathing. This man who is deeply favored by God, has a handsome face and a perfect figure, as the respect of the Ninth Five-Year Plan, enjoys endless glory and wealth, and the endless beauty of the incense car, he is a well-deserved "pride of heaven"! But why was there a faint sadness on his face?

During the day, he worked hard for the country, the people, and the ancestors, and returned to the harem, not only could not be cleaned, but also had to deal with the "family affairs" corrupted by conspiracy, ^ although he was the son of heaven, he was not as good as an ordinary man, who still had a wife, children, and a warm home. Is this what is called "gain and loss"?

Gently stroking his face, Zi Ling kissed him with great distress, then held his hand tightly and gradually fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already dawn, and it was already past the time of the previous dynasty, but Meng Hongyu was still lying on the bed and falling asleep. Zi Ling sat up suddenly, urging Meng Hongyu to get up, and Zhang Luo wanted to wash and change his clothes. But he lay on the bed like a child, refusing to get up, and asked Li Zhao to pass the decree that the emperor was unwell and would not be early today.

Zi Ling was frightened, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, Zi Ling doesn't want to be a sinner!" ”

He laughed: "Why don't you become a sinner if you don't go to court early for a day?" ”

"The emperor should put state affairs first, but now he is lingering in Ziling's palace, why is Ziling not a sinner?" "The spring night is bitter and the day is short, and the king will not be early from now on." Yang Guifei has borne the infamy of Emperor Tang Ming's "laziness" for more than 2,000 years, and has been accused by the world, Ziling does not want to become a sad woman like Yang Guifei.

His face was pale, as if he was coquettish and begging: "I promise you, let me rest today, right?" Shinong and industry have a time to rest throughout the year, why can't I even rest for a day? ”

Hearing his words, Zi Ling suddenly felt distressed. yes! He toiled day and night, and was distracted by state affairs, so why couldn't he be allowed to rest for a day? Whether it scolds or not, the world's evaluation of her is not important, what matters is his happiness!

So he continued to lie in bed, and she lay on his side and frolicked with him. Under the bright sun, she saw a few white hairs in his black hair, and couldn't help but reach out and pull it down, hand it to him, he pinched it and played with it, and then sighed: "It turns out that I am also old." ”

"Who said, Your Majesty, you are a young man? We are a teenager couple. Ziling hurriedly comforted him, and only after he finished speaking, he felt speechless, only the queen and the emperor were husband and wife, and he was just a "concubine" at best. "Concubine", Linu, she is just a woman standing silently beside him, not a wife who shares tea and drinks with him on an equal footing.

"I want to make you queen." After listening to her words, she fell into deep thought, Meng Hongyu seemed to guess her thoughts, "What do you think?" ”

"Huh? Did I hear me right? Zi Ling was startled, and thought to himself, "Did he just say that he wanted to make me the queen?" ”

There was a moment of joy in his heart, and then he felt red and embarrassed—he pierced her mind for a moment, and knew her feelings.

"Zi Ling doesn't dare to have any extravagant hopes, just wants to be a concubine without wind and waves." Zi Ling hurriedly crawled out of bed to bless his body and plead guilty. She really doesn't have any other thoughts, she just wants to be his woman plainly, it doesn't matter if she is a queen or a concubine, as long as she can follow the king's side quietly and flow for a long time. Besides, it's chilling in the heights! She is afraid of the responsibilities and burdens that come with fame and status, and even more afraid of becoming the target of public criticism.

"I'm just talking casually, you don't need to be nervous." Meng Hongyu said.

At noon, the emperor accompanied the Queen Mother to dine in Cining Palace, only Aunt Shuwen was waiting on the side, and the mother and son chatted while eating.

Meng Hongyu said: "Queen Mother, the sons have tested Xiao Ziling according to your instructions. As soon as Erchen said that he wanted to make her a queen, she was very nervous, and it seemed that she really had no ambition to be a queen. ”

"That's good, but the emperor still shouldn't take it lightly, don't forget the lesson of Concubine Rong." The Queen Mother reminded him.

Speaking of Concubine Rong, Meng Hongyu's face was gloomy unconsciously: "Erchen feels that Ziling is not a woman who only seeks fame, fortune and status, she is smart and witty, and she is really the best choice for the queen." ”

"To be honest, the mourning family also likes her, and with her ingenuity, she must be able to manage the harem in an orderly manner. It's a pity that she is the daughter of Prime Minister Xiao Cheng. Xiao Jiaquan leaned towards the government and the opposition, Xiao Zixun defeated the Huns in the northwest border not long ago, and made great contributions, if Xiao Ziling was established at this time, then I am afraid that the Xiao family will be more difficult to control in the future, I hope the emperor will not forget the reason why she entered the palace as a concubine. ”

Meng Hongyu was silent, the Queen Mother's words were not unreasonable, although he liked Ziling, but considering the interests of his family and country, he had to extinguish the idea of "growing old with a young couple" with her, this is the emperor's involuntarily!

Seeing the hesitation in Meng Hongyu's eyes, the Queen Mother continued to show him the stakes: "If she really becomes the queen, the child she will give birth to in the future will be the prince of the concubine." This child has such a smart mother and a grandfather who has the power to lean towards the opposition. Could it be that the emperor is not afraid of the dictatorship of the harem? Not afraid of the usurpation of power by relatives? ”

"What the queen mother said is very true, the son must remember the teachings of the queen mother, and will never make Xiao Guifei the queen in his lifetime!" As soon as he thought of the dictatorship of the harem or the usurpation of power by his relatives, Meng Hongyu felt afraid, so he swore an oath to the Queen Mother.