"What trump card?" Hongli asked Sakura, who was leaning on his shoulder, suspiciously.

"It's not the time yet, when the time is ripe, the concubine will tell the prince." Sakura closed her eyes and said as if she were nothing.

Hongli didn't ask any more, he just thought it was a joke of the woman's family, and he didn't have any hope for it at all.

On the second day, all the civil and military officials came to the Taihe Hall early, and the ministers waited left and right, and they did not see Orange Creek coming, and they began to be restless. They all exchanged ears and complained.

"Is this queen still coming?" This is Zhang Tingyu, who has been old-fashioned in thinking, but has always been loyal to the imperial court.

"Yes! Didn't you say that after the end of the seventh, the emperor's edict was read? It's been a long time, and my two old legs are almost standing on pillars. Ortai thumped his two hard legs and complained.

Hongtai stood behind Ortai, looked at the elderly Ortai, looked tired, and asked with concern, "Ortai, it's okay!" If you are really sick, go back and rest! Later, I will explain the reason to the emperor's mother. ”

"Lord Wang, what are you talking about? The old man endured the pain and insisted on standing here, not for you, but for my good granddaughter. Ortai seems to be a little dissatisfied with Hongtai's concern.

Ma Qi was not in the same stream, his arms folded in front of his chest, and he looked at the ministers who were chattering and complaining with disdain. Ma Qi is a descendant of the Fucha clan, and for this point, of course he also wants to stand on the side of Hongli, after all, Fucha Yingrou is the Fujin of Hongli, and helping Hongli is equivalent to helping the entire Fucha clan.

Of course, the most anxious is Xiang Guifei's father, and I don't know what method Xiang Guifei used, peeked at the secret edict of the Bianhou, and knew that above the secret edict, the emperor did not write who he wanted to appoint as the prince.

"Gonggong Chen, you went to urge the queen, the emperor has never made everyone wait, when you get to the queen, why is it like this?" Xiang Guifei's father was wise and directly asked Gonggong Chen to urge people.

Li Wei is the most calm among them, he was born in the Han people, and he can have today, all because of the emperor's trust and promotion, he doesn't want to stand on anyone's side, he just wants to follow the emperor's wishes and assist the people expected by the emperor's secret edict. So from the moment he stepped into the Taihe Palace, he didn't say a word.

"That's right! Hurry up! After listening to the words of Concubine Xiang's father, everyone also roared at Gonggong Chen.

Gonggong Chen also looked embarrassed, the emperor is gone, he is now like a grass without roots, whoever wants to call can call it. "This ...... This ......"

"What? Is it because we can't call the high-flying Chen Gonggong? Seeing Gonggong Chen's spitting and grinding, Xiang Guifei's father roared.

"No, no, my lord, you're laughing, the slave is going." Gonggong Chen shook his head helplessly and reluctantly went out.

In Kunning Palace, Orange Creek was leisurely on a rocking chair outside the courtyard, basking in the sun and eating fruits at the same time. It seems that the matter of the edict has long been thrown out of the clouds.

"Master, the sun is in the west, and the ministers are still waiting!" Yuhe was afraid that Orange Creek had forgotten, looked at the sun slanting westward, and specially reminded Orange Creek of two sentences.

Orange Creek continued to rock her rocking chair and eat as if she hadn't heard.

After a long time, a sentence came out, "Concubine Qian will be born in three or four months, right?" ”

"In terms of days, it should be six or seven months!" Although Orange Creek didn't answer the question, Yuhe still calculated carefully and returned seriously.

The two were chatting, and Father-in-law Chen came in panting from outside the door with a crying and laughing expression, and saw Orange Creek lying leisurely on the rocking chair, and the expression was even more helpless and indescribable. He staggered to his knees in front of Orange Creek, he had never been so embarrassed when he was on duty beside the emperor before. "Queen Mother, the slave is really unable to run, this is the fifth trip, please raise your noble feet and move to the Taihe Palace!" Otherwise, the old ministers would have stewed the minions and ate them. ”

"They dare, there is this palace, they don't dare to touch you, the time is almost over, you go back and tell them, saying that this palace is slightly ill today, and the matter of the edict will be talked about tomorrow." Orange Creek closed his eyes and recuperated, without looking at Gonggong Chen's helpless expression, and said leisurely.

"This ...... This? When Gonggong Chen heard this, his helpless face showed a little anxious, afraid that if this was the case, there would be an uproar in the court.

"Don't be afraid, just do what Hongu says. Go ahead! The palace is tired, and it is time to go into the house to rest. After saying that, Orange Creek got up and let Yuhe help her into the house.

Gonggong Chen, who was confused, had to run back to the Taihe Hall and tell Orange Creek's words word for word to the Manchu Dynasty civil and military. As he expected, the ministers were furious and complaining. What's more, he made disrespectful remarks, turned around and scolded Orange Creek angrily, and threatened not to come to the Taihe Hall tomorrow, unless the queen used eight sedan chairs to invite him.

The ministers grumbled, muttering to themselves. After a day of hunger, they had already put their chests on their backs and left with anger.

On the second day, the ministers really did what they said, and they all refused to come to the Taihe Hall to listen to the announcement. Just a few younger, lower-grade officials were present.

At the behest of the few ministers, Gonggong Chen came to Kunning Palace again to invite Orange Creek, "Queen Mother, you failed to go yesterday, the ministers complained a lot, and today a few ministers came, and they begged the servants to come and invite you." ”

After hearing this, Orange Creek looked calm, "Gonggong Chen, you should write down the names of the ministers who came today, and then go with Yuhe to get some valuables, give each of them a copy, don't let them wait, let them go back, come back tomorrow, and release news to the palace, if one of the ministers is absent, the palace will never read the edict." ”

Although Gonggong Chen didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in the gourd of Orange Creek, he firmly believed that the person who was once so optimistic about the emperor would never poke out any baskets. He didn't ask any more questions, and followed Yuhe into the house to choose a gift.

Chen Gonggong returned to the Taihe Hall with the gift and distributed the gift to the minister, and even Hongtai got one.

"The queen mother said, today's hard work of the ministers to run in vain, these are the queen mother specially prepared for the adults, but also ask the adults to go back first, come again tomorrow, the edict is a major event of the country, the stability and prosperity of the country and the ministers have made a lot of efforts, so the edict is not without a person, the queen said when the ministers can arrive, when to declare, before the new emperor is established, everything is decided by the queen mother, and there is a play to the queen mother."

"Thank you for the grace of the queen, we will swear allegiance to the queen and defend the Qing Dynasty to the death." One of them took the lead in thanking him, and everyone agreed.

After thanking the grace, everyone held the gifts in their hands, without the slightest complaint, and left satisfied.

In order to facilitate listening to the order, Hongtai has not left the palace for a few days, and lives in Changchun Palace. Hongtai took the things sent by Orange Creek and returned to the Changchun Palace. Xiang Guifei was already waiting at the door, and when she saw Hongtai from afar, she hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "How is the situation?" ”

"The ministers didn't arrive, and the emperor changed it to tomorrow." Hongtai walked towards the house and returned to Xiang Guifei.

"What? Didn't announce it again? What do you have in your hand? Xiang Guifei asked in surprise, looked at the things in Hongtai's arms, and asked by the way.

"Oh! This is something sent by the emperor, the emperor is really not an ordinary person, today all the ministers are picking, I am still worried about how the emperor will end! As a result, the emperor used this small gift to not only solve the embarrassing situation, but also make the ministers grateful to her, and gain a group of confidants! Hongtai praised Orange Creek, and his expression was almost intoxicated.

After hearing this, Xiang Guifei was angry, snatched the things in Hongtai's hand, and fell to the ground fiercely.

"E-niang, what are you doing here?" Hongtai was a little overwhelmed when he saw that Concubine Xiang was so annoyed.

"Fox spirit, even my son was bewitched by her, it seems that tomorrow the Taihe Palace will announce the edict, this palace has to go, otherwise it will be difficult to rely on you, the emperor did not write who to inherit his throne, now you and Hongli are qualified, Hongli has been sick, this palace wants to see what big waves she Tong Jia Yingying can make." Xiang Guifei ignored Hongtai's stop at all, and stomped on the things on the ground while talking to herself.

"E-niang, E-niang, how do you know that the secret edict is not written?" Hongtai forcibly grabbed Xiang Guifei and asked the doubts in his heart.

"You don't have to worry about this, E-Niang has her own way. Xiaobi, take the prince back to the house to rest. ”

Hongtai didn't ask such a thing, Xiang Guifei was afraid that she had already forgotten how she learned the content of the emperor's secret edict.

She began to recall that at that time, the emperor fell for A Furong, and one night she went to visit the emperor, the emperor was dizzy, perhaps stimulated by A Furong, he thought he was terminally ill, and he held Xiang Guifei's hand painfully, "Xiang Fei! Am I about to go to see the emperors? ”

"Your Majesty, don't talk nonsense, the emperor has always been in good health, and he will definitely live forever."

"Hey! I know that people are not immortals, and there will always be a day when they die, but what I am worried about is who will inherit my throne and protect the thousands of miles of rivers and mountains that my ancestors have laid down. The emperor's consciousness became more and more blurred, and tears were squeezed out of his eyes.

"Didn't the emperor write a secret edict?" Seeing that the emperor took the initiative to mention the matter of establishing a prince, Concubine Xiang no longer shy away from it, and she also wanted to know whose name was written on the secret edict.

"Haha, there is no writing on it at all, it's just to appease the ministers, I have always been reluctant to write in the place of my name, because I am responsible for the Qing Dynasty and want to choose a Ming monarch."

Concubine Xiang listened to it and was very happy in her heart, although the emperor was confused, but she couldn't see the slightest inconsistency in what she said, and she didn't speak incoherently. Therefore, Concubine Xiang firmly believes that what the emperor said is exactly what he said in his heart, as the saying goes: spit out the truth after drinking. That's how it should be.

Since then, Concubine Xiang has been extremely protective of the birth of the imperial heir, and has tried every means to harm the existing prince. Just to increase the chance of Hongtai being favored by the emperor.

Thinking about it now, she can't help but feel tired, she has been walking so hard all the way, and she is more anxious than anyone else.