Empress Shen knelt in front of the main hall of Kunren Palace.

She hadn't tasted kneeling for many years, and at this moment she really felt that it was not just her kneecaps, as if even her spine was aching, she thought that she was indeed old, not only did she not dare to look closely at her face in the mirror without makeup, but even the invisible bones were aging unconsciously.

When people are aware of aging, they will always subconsciously look back at the past. Empress Shen didn't dare to think that one day she would meet her mother in the world, but even when she was elected as the crown princess, she actually thought that she would eventually die in Ciqing Palace, and she couldn't look forward to the day when the willows and flowers would shine.

If she wants to be where she is today, she should ask for nothing else.

But this time she was more afraid of failure than ever.

Not only because she can't accept the height and fall when she is the peak of glory, but also because she has people who must be protected.

As long as her grandson can inherit the throne and monopolize the monarchy, and never become the real supreme of the world without being threatened again, she can smile even if she dies at this time, in fact, she has long been unable to suppress her concern and miss Di'er, her child is lying alone in the cold tomb, and she has had days and nights that make her unbearable to calculate for a long time, she should go to accompany her son, and then she will be like back then, and hold the child into her arms: "Di'er, A-Niang failed to protect you and made you bear too much pain, But A-Niang finally protected Yu'er, so A-Niang was able to come to see you without any worries. ”

Tears fell on the reed mat and in front of her knees when she was unconscious, and when she was in a trance, Empress Shen finally saw the pair of brocade boots embroidered with cloud dragon patterns on a bright yellow background.

The emperor finally came, as expected. This is not a hard-hearted emperor, but she also complains that he is not decisive enough.

It is a matter of course to hand over the world to Di'er, why do you hesitate and waver again and again? If it weren't for your lack of determination, why would I have been exhausted for so many years? Do you have to criticize your grandchildren for someone who has nothing to do with them? You are not even as good as your father and ancestors, you only think about you to be a wise man, but you don't think about your responsibilities as a father and a husband at all.

But complaints such as these are, of course, unspoken.

Empress Shen only sincerely confessed her guilt, and prostrate her body on the cold-soaked reed mat, her thin plain clothes showed her thin shoulders, and she trembled lightly from the cold wind of this early spring, and her long hair hanging down, mixed with a few silver hairs in the black silk was extremely conspicuous.

Emperor Hongfu sighed in the end, he still didn't think of the queen's boudoir until this time, so he could only say: "What's the matter with the queen?" ”

"The concubine is guilty." The queen insisted on kneeling and kowtowing.

"What is the queen's crime?" Emperor Hongfu was very helpless.

"The concubine spies and learned that the emperor has left a secret decree, ordering the Empress Dowager Shengde to control the military palace, and the cabinet ministers to supervise the affairs of the country."

A gust of wind was urgent, and Emperor Hongfu felt more and more cold and penetrating bones, as if this year was far from winter to spring, and the shade in the palace wall would not weaken with the change of seasons.

Large drops of cold sweat slipped down his forehead, even if he was not the only one who knew the secret, Empress Shen's "honesty" still made him worry about the leakage of the forbidden secret.

"By whom does the queen spy on?" Emperor Hongfu asked word by word.

"It's Wu Sixing."

Of course, the effectiveness of the secret decree is not as simple as handing it over to the empress dowager with the emperor's personal letter, and it is inevitable that several people will be involved, and at least two or more ministers close to the monarch of a country need to confirm that the secret decree is indeed the emperor's

Book, Gao Deyi is one of them, and the other is Wu Sixing, this person can be said to be a minister who is extremely trusted by Emperor Hongfu, and Gao Deyi is also a loyal servant who accompanied Emperor Hongfu from the difficult and dangerous situation step by step, and Wu Sixing because of the protector, his parents and brothers were killed by Peng Shen's second concubine, and all blood relatives died in the conspiracy to seize power, even himself, he almost lost his life and fell lame and disabled.

Because of the protector, Shengsheng broke his leg bones.

Emperor Hongfu closed his eyes, because of the queen's confession, he once again had to carry out an inner struggle, how many people's desires are the power of life and death, but how many people understand the difficulty and cruelty of life and death.

"Your Majesty! The concubine is guilty, and she doesn't dare to ask the emperor for forgiveness, just for Yu'er, the concubine can only kneel and beg the emperor to take back her life, once the military and political power is granted to others, Yu'er will live under the threat of others for the rest of her life! The Empress Dowager Shengde does have deep kindness to the emperor, but the Empress Dowager Shengde must be partial to the King of Zhou, how can she be willing to return the military power after being Yu'er and the crown? If Yu'er does not have the power of military and political affairs, it is difficult to protect his life even if he succeeds to the throne, and the concubine begs the emperor to take back his life! ”

This is the reason why Empress Shen had to admit her guilt, because if she did not admit to colluding with Wu Sixing to spy on the forbidden secrets, she would not be able to explain why she knew about the existence of the secret decree, and she would not be able to plead with Emperor Hongfu to retract her fate.

"Although Yu'er is young, he did make mistakes in his actions in the past, but after the dangerous changes in the Ciqing Palace in the old years, he also knew his mistakes and changed them, and the emperor degraded the subordinates of the East Palace while leaving that secret decree, wouldn't it cause Yu'er to become a puppet for others to control in the future? Your Majesty, Yu'er is Di'er's only blood and blood, how can the emperor bear to put Yu'er in such a difficult and dangerous situation? If the emperor is worried that the concubine will follow the Gao family and lead to the dictatorship of his relatives, the concubine would rather ask for death, and ask the emperor to take back her life! ”

Emperor Hongfu turned around without saying a word.

Empress Shen knelt on her knees and trembled, she didn't know if this plea could make Emperor Hongfu change his mind, but the situation would not be worse than now, Empress Shen at this time actually believed that Emperor Hongfu would not regain the idea of abolishing the reserve, otherwise why only let the Empress Dowager Shengde control military power? The call for the abolition of the reserve above the court has never ended, and the foundation of the East Palace has collapsed.

Why did Emperor Hongfu need to do more?

Empress Shen didn't kneel for long.

Because Gao Deyi went and returned quickly, he ordered the palace people of Kunren Palace to quickly help Empress Shen up, and Empress Shen no longer insisted on "treating the crime" at this time - this scene has ended since Emperor Hongfu turned around and left, and there is no need to continue singing and fighting, what follows is the result.

"The spring is cold, the emperor told the mother to take care of the phoenix body, the mother must not suffer anymore, please rest assured in Kunren Palace to recuperate...... As for the affairs of the harem, it is temporarily handled by Concubine Jing and concubines. Gao Deyi replaced Emperor Hongfu to "pronounce the sentence".

Empress Shen let out a long breath.

The emperor has given a heavy punishment, and since then she has only the empty title of the lord of the six palaces and even the personnel of the inner court have been completely explained, she will be ridiculed and treated coldly, and she will never regain the glory of ten years, but such a price is worth paying, as long as it can be exchanged for Taisun Shun's smooth and true rule of this splendid country, she will no longer resent the ruthlessness of Emperor Hongfu.

The queen didn't know that after Emperor Hongfu returned to the Qianqing Palace, she slowed down for a while, and it was not until the third watch in the middle of the night that she summoned Wu Sixing, who had confessed as a matter of course.

In fact, Eunuch Wu and Gao Changgong are the same age, but the former looks really old

Ran was old, trembling and even kneeling in the movement of the kneeling behavior was shaky, but Emperor Hongfu could see that he was not panicking.

The lights and candles in the imperial study are brilliant, but what is set off is bitter and sad, some distant memories seem to be vivid and seem to be in a trance, and there is a long period of relative silence between the master and servant.

Wu Sixing knelt on the ground, and gradually stabilized his body.

"I think back then, compared to Yigong, I was closer to my partner." Emperor Hongfu hung his head, and his eyes did not stare at the eunuch he called the Great Companion: "I was not a prince at that time, and I did not live in Ciqing Palace. ”

"Yes, the slave maid has always been not as calm as he should be, and he only felt indignant at the time, but he didn't expect that such a fuss would make it even more difficult for the emperor." Wu Sixing also seemed to be immersed in the distant past.

"You have always been a person who values love and righteousness, and you still admit death, but you also know that some things are not competent, you accompany me all the way to suffering, but in the end you are only willing to serve my daily life and take charge of some idle errands."

"The slave maid still remembers that back then, because the abolished Jin King disrespected the emperor, the slave and maid were indignant and pushed the abolished Jin King and caused him to fall on his back." Wu Sixing even smiled.

Emperor Hongfu also smiled slightly: "Yes, I also remember." I was so panicked that my companion shouted, 'Your Highness, run,' and I ran away......"

"Later, almost because of the slave maid, the emperor's throne was abolished, the slave and the maid repented, and was willing to suffer a proper scolding, since then the slave and the maid know, in fact, the slave and the maid are useless people, what the emperor really needs is a kind of loyal and witty, bold and cautious servants, slaves and maids have courage and no strategy, and the only thing they can do is to serve the emperor's daily life."

"Otomo, you're because of that accident...... In order to make you confess that you were instructed by me, Concubine Peng wanted to harm your second brother and threaten the lives of your blood relatives, but you insisted that 'the prince was not guilty', and later you almost died under Concubine Peng's cane. ”

The lifelong disability that followed Wu Sixing also fell in that accident, when he was not yet the age of the crown, and because of serious injuries, he almost died in this dangerous court.

"It is precisely because of the recklessness of the slave and maid that the emperor suffered a catastrophe, if the slave and maid succumb to the adulterous concubine and slander the emperor again, is it not as good as an animal?"

Emperor Hongfu sighed: "I really should have approved the eldest companion to leave the palace earlier." ”

This long sigh was choked up.

Wu Sixing was finally frightened and prostrated his head: "Your Majesty, the slave and maid are guilty, the slave and the maid should not obey the queen's orders, and leak the forbidden secrets in the Qianqing Palace to the queen, and the slave and maid can only atone for their sins." ”

"I know you ......" Emperor Hongfu supported his forehead with one hand: "I was anxious to protect myself, I couldn't care about your life or death, it was the queen who went to ask for the queen, so you can save your life, you are loyal to me, but I am indifferent to you, the queen is your savior, and I often have a heart-to-heart with you in those years, I miss the late prince, and then I am more worried that the grandson is unpopular, we have come from that time, the eldest companion understands my feelings, so you can't refuse the queen's request, and you don't want to see the grandson lose his position, Seeing that I was on the verge of death, I felt ashamed of the late prince. ”

Gao Deyi couldn't help it anymore when he heard this, and knelt down on his knees: "Your Majesty, please forgive ......"

"I don't need to say any more." Wu Sixing grabbed the land with his forehead: "The emperor can know that the slave and maid are loyal and never wavering, and the slave and maid die without regrets." ”

(End of chapter)

The eldest granddaughter-in-law of the Shoufu family