"Really?" The young eunuch will be skeptical.

"It's true!" Yang Jiong replied categorically, "My admiration for the emperor is like a surging river, endless, heaven and earth can be learned!" ”

This young eunuch's name is Han Shunxi, and he is the one who took the lead in shouting "Long live my emperor" at the foot of the white marble steps on the day Gu Xu killed Emperor Tianxing.

With the death of Emperor Tianxing, several powerful eunuchs in the Great Qi Palace in the past, such as the eunuch Cao Tong of Bingbi, all chose to commit suicide because they were afraid of Gu Xu's liquidation.

After Gu Xu stayed in Zichen Palace, out of the consideration of saving expenses, and as a traverser, he had long been accustomed to taking care of himself, and he didn't like to be served by a large group of people anytime and anywhere, so he laid off a large number of palace personnel.

After all, when he was shopping in the store in his previous life, he liked to choose slowly by himself, and if the clerk followed him too diligently, he would feel uncomfortable.

If even daily chores such as eating, drinking, bathing, and dressing were watched by a large group of palace maids and eunuchs, it would undoubtedly be unbearable for Gu Xu.

The palace maids and concubines in the palace have basically been released to the people and married to good people.

In the past 20 years, Emperor Tianxing has been in retreat and cultivation, and he is not close to women. However, the imperial court still followed the old system, and held a draft every three years in the private sector.

As a result, there are many "older virgins" between the ages of twenty and forty gathered in the Zichen Palace.

They spent the best years of their youth in the deep palace, but they never even saw the face of the emperor.

Gu Xu couldn't help but sigh at this, this is really a full man who doesn't know how hungry he is.

In his army, a large group of single soldiers could not marry a daughter-in-law, almost to the point that they felt beautiful when they saw a sow; However, for the sake of the so-called "royal face", Emperor Tianxing raised thousands of women in the palace and let them have nothing to do.

Isn't this not at all worried about the decline in fertility and negative population growth in the Great Wilderness?

For Gu Xu's decree to release the palace women back to the people, most of the palace maids and concubines felt sincerely happy and praised the wise decision of the new monarch.

They are like canaries who have been imprisoned for a long time, and now they are finally free.

However, there are also a very small number of people, when they are about to leave the palace, they glimpse the young and upright figure of Xinjun from a distance, and a jade tree is in the wind, and an inexplicable feeling swells in their hearts, and they even put forward the idea of wanting to stay.

But Gu Xu flatly refused.

On the one hand, he is not an abusive person; On the other hand, Zhao Yan was still beside him at the time, looking at him with a smile.

If he overturned her vinegar jar, he would never have a good end.

As for the eunuchs in the palace, they originally thought that they would also roll up and leave, but Gu Xu considered that they might be looked down upon after they went out, and it would be difficult to "re-employ".

So, after cleaning up a group of big eunuchs who did evil and bent the law for bribes, Gu Xu left the rest of the people behind.

However, Gu Xu did not let them idle in the palace, but sent them out to deal with a lot of chores during the early establishment of the new dynasty. After all, he is currently short of manpower, and in doing so, he can be regarded as making full use of the labor force.

Someone once said to him: "Emperor, the number of servants in the palace is too small, I am afraid it is difficult to show your royal prestige." ”

In this regard, Gu Xu secretly slandered in his heart: If you want me to recruit more people, will you also pay the wages of these people?

However, he replied lightly: "A person's prestige does not depend on the number of servants under him, but on his own strength. ”

Han Shunxi, who was the first to surrender to Cheng, was temporarily promoted to "Suitang Eunuch" by Gu Xu because of his innocent family background and did not do anything evil.

Since the eunuchs with a higher status than him at present have either died or been imprisoned, Han Shunxi instantly has the greatest authority in the inner court.

But he didn't dare to get carried away at all, let alone follow the example of his predecessors, and use this little power in his hands to loot and collect money.

Because he knew that his current power and status all came from the young new king.

This new emperor is completely different from the Tianxing Emperor who retreats and cultivates and ignores mundane affairs.

He is determined to seek treatment, strictly supervises, knows the affairs of the DPRK and China well, and does not tolerate half a grain of sand in his eyes.

Within a few days of his assumption of power, a large number of officials were crammed into the prison of Loking. The cell, which used to be empty and deserted, is now crowded.

There are even quite a few people queuing up outside, waiting for the autumn queen to be able to free up some vacant seats.

Han Shunxi doesn't want to be "prison friends" with these people.

With a solemn countenance, he took out a decree from his sleeve and began to read:

"When the weather is good, I am hereby clearly ordered:

"Yin Yangjiong of Luojing Mansion, in a prominent position, does not want to serve the country, but acts of greed.

"When the ghost king of Bishan invaded the border, he embezzled disaster relief funds, causing the people to lose their places and complaining; He also took bribes, privately appointed cronies, engaged in malpractice, and corrupted the dynasty;

And with Mingquan and Yanling, the two firms secretly communicated with each other, resold the government's cultivation resources, and filled their own pockets, causing the majesty of the imperial court to be swept away and their interests damaged. His evil deeds are clearly exposed, and they are indeed the wrath of man and God.

"According to the law, I will sentence Yang Jiong to be hanged to set an example. Bai Zhuqing took this as a warning, fulfilled his duties, was honest and honest, and jointly protected the peace of Daxia to comfort my heart.

"Chin this!"

Hearing the word "hanging", Yang Jiong seemed to have been hit by a thunderbolt, and the whole person instantly stiffened, and his fat face lost its blood color and became as white as paper.

His eyes showed deep horror and despair, and he kept begging Han Shunxi: "You can't kill me, you can't kill me!" I...... I was forced to do it, and everyone around me did it! I...... I'm just doing the same thing as them......"

However, Han Shunxi just stared at him coldly, without any sympathy on his face.

"My lord, times have changed," he said calmly, "under the rule of the emperor, you have to do things according to the rules of the emperor.

"The laws of Great Qi may sometimes be just a dead letter, but in Great Xia, the law is an iron law, the embodiment of the emperor's will, and no one can trample on it."

As soon as the words fell, Han Shunxi turned around and left.

As the door behind him slammed shut, the cell was once again shrouded in darkness.

Only Yang Jiong's face was like ashes, lying lifeless on the straw mat, and the fat on his body was piled up layer by layer, like a heavy hill.

…………

In the Kunyuan Palace, the bead curtain hangs lightly, swaying with the wind, making a small sound.

On the beams, the gold paint is mottled, and the auspicious pattern of the dragon and phoenix is faintly visible, but the edges have been slightly dimmed.

The porcelain was neatly arranged, but the luster was not as good as it was new, and some of it was still stained with fine dust.

Sunlight poured in from the window lattices, forming bright beams of light that illuminated every corner of the temple and the dust dancing in the air.

This is the dormitory of the empress of the Great Qi Dynasty in the past.

It is located on the central axis of Luojing, facing the Qianyang Hall of the emperor's dormitory, painting a flying building, graceful and atmospheric.

At its peak, hundreds of servants shuttled through it, busy and orderly, taking care of the daily life of the queen.

However, now, with the dismissal of the palace maids, the once lively palace has instantly become empty and deserted, and it seems particularly silent.

Chen Anzhi, the former queen of the dynasty, was in the palace, silently packing up her belongings.

She had already taken off the delicate and gorgeous dragon and phoenix pearl emerald crown, untied the priceless gold and jade belt, and took off the colorful cloud dragon pattern red bow robe.

Instead, there was a plain pale cyan skirt and an ordinary wooden hairpin.

In the past, many people praised her beauty, saying that she was graceful and luxurious, dignified and bright, like a rich peony flower, showing the queen style of the mother's world.

However, when she faded away from her fancy clothes and did not apply powder, she seemed to turn back into a small wildflower on the side of the road.

Delicate, soft, but no longer has that glamorous demeanor.

After the change of dynasty, she has been reduced to a commoner, and according to the rules of the new dynasty, she has to leave the former palace. Except for a few simple personal belongings, those former valuables were all royal property, and she could no longer take them with her.

Her daughter Xiao Wanjun, the former princess of Zhaoning, was quietly helping her pack her things.

She is still as usual, dressed in simple men's clothes, with a headscarf to tie her hair, looking heroic, like a handsome son.

"Wan Jun, you should understand," Chen Anzhi turned to face his daughter and said earnestly after wiping a bracelet as smooth as new and gently putting it into his bag, "Our family has done many things that Gu Xu did in the past in order to chase wealth and power.

"Now that he is about to ascend the throne and become emperor, our family will inevitably be liquidated by him."

For the first time in all these years, Xiao Wanjun heard her mother speak to herself in such a gentle tone.

She remembered that the last time they met, her mother also aggressively asked her to marry someone to protect the interests of her mother's family, the Chen family in Xiangyang.

This last queen of the Great Qi Dynasty is like a river mussel, and the gorgeous Yanju crown dress is her hard shell. However, when Gu Xu destroyed this shell along with the Great Qi Dynasty with a thunderous force, her fragile, soft, and helpless heart was revealed.

But even if she became a commoner, the first thing she thought of in her heart was still her own family, not her daughter and son.

"What does Mother need me to do?" Xiao Wanjun asked bluntly. She has always been smart and clever, and she has long been keenly aware that her mother has something to ask for her.

Chen Anzhi approached her, hugged her into his arms, and gently stroked her back.

The hug was not intimate, and there was still a delicate distance between the two bodies.

The mother's action of touching her daughter is also a little clumsy - after all, the prince and daughter of the Great Qi Dynasty have been raised by their nursing mothers since childhood, and as a queen, how can she often take care of the children by herself and painstakingly?

"Wan Jun, you have grown up now, you are a famous beauty in Luojing, much more beautiful than your mother used to be," Chen Anzhi whispered softly, "Just dress up a little, don't wear men's clothes all day long, change into a gorgeous skirt, with a few beautiful steps, the whole Luojing man will fall for you." ”

"What do you mean by that?" Xiao Wanjun took a step back and broke free from her mother's arms.

"I remember, during Gu Xu's days in Luojing, you seemed to have had some dealings with him," Chen Anzhi didn't seem to notice his daughter's reaction, and still maintained a gentle tone and said, "Your beauty is not inferior to his wife in the slightest." If you can win his favor and say a few kind words in his ear, maybe he will open up to us Xiangyang Chen and show mercy to his subordinates. ”

It turns out that my mother wants me to be able to perform beauty tricks!

Xiao Wanjun was calm on the surface, but she laughed at herself in her heart, feeling that she had been reduced to a pure tool in the eyes of her mother.

At the same time, she also noticed that perhaps because her mother spent a long time in the deep palace and was accompanied by the concubines every day, her vision was gradually limited by the palace wall, and her understanding of the reincarnated Ziwei Emperor seemed quite shallow.

She knew that Gu Xu had always been strong-willed, and any decision he made would never be easily changed by a few sweet words from a woman.

Otherwise, he would not have been able to achieve such brilliant achievements today.

What's more, the saints and strong have always been known for their emotional indifference, how can they be easily moved by women?

…………

"It is said that the heart of a saint is strong, and he lacks the seven emotions and six desires of mortals. But why did the emperor have the leisure to shoot pigeons with a slingshot in the imperial garden? ”

In the imperial garden, Zhao Yan looked at Gu Xu beside her and joked with a smile.

As she spoke, Gu Xu squinted his eyes slightly, his fingers pulled the leather band of the slingshot at will, and then quickly released, and a small pebble was wrapped in the whistling wind, and hit the pigeon flying in the air accurately.

This was Gu Xu's first attempt to use a slingshot. However, with the authority of the "Mandate of Heaven" that can manipulate probabilities, he does not need to practice, and naturally becomes a "sharpshooter" who is a hit in every shot.

He bent down, picked up the dove that had fallen on the ground, stuffed it into the "Idle Cloud Residence", and then pondered for a while, and replied, "Perhaps, it's because my cultivation path is a little different from that of other saints and powerhouses." ”

"Oh? What's the difference? Zhao Yan asked curiously.

"The Tao they cultivate is the way of heaven, the deeper the realm, the higher they can fly, and the farther away from the world," Gu Xu explained, "And the Tao I cultivate is the way of people, and the power comes from all sentient beings, and they need to connect with a little earth qi in order to cultivate better." ”

"Down-to-earth? What does that mean? Zhao Yan was confused.

Since marrying Gu Xu, she can often hear some strange words from his mouth that she has never heard before.

"Do something that ordinary people should do," Gu Xu replied with a smile, "For example, reward yourself with a roast pigeon meal at night; Or, take a walk in the garden with your loved one. ”

However, the two of them did not come to the Royal Garden today just to hunt pigeons or take a walk.

Just now, they also deliberately went to the inconspicuous well on the edge of the Imperial Garden, which was once the prison where Xiao Zeyao's ghost body was held.

This prison was originally a space that Emperor Tianxing had carved out of nothingness that was independent of the Great Wilderness, and a huge amount of dead qi had accumulated in it, which was specially used to maintain the survival of Xiao Zeyao's ghost body.

After the death of Emperor Tianxing, this space lost its owner, and the passage connecting it to the Great Wilderness began to become unstable.

Gu Xu was very worried that once a large amount of dead qi leaked out, the people living within a few miles of the palace would probably die unknowingly.

He must address this hidden danger as soon as possible.

Fortunately, the sword has now fallen into his hands.

Although Tai'a Sword did not recognize him as the master - of course, he had no interest in becoming the master of this so-called "First Weapon of the Great Wilderness", he could still use his "domination" authority to forcibly mobilize part of Tai'a Sword's Dao rule power to completely seal this prison.

The dead qi in the prison was also extracted by him and sealed in the space magic weapon.

Although these dead qi are dangerous, they can also be used as materials to refine powerful magic weapons.

The war in the Great Wilderness has come to an end, but the real enemy is still eyeing the Nine Heavens.

A new war could break out at any moment.

Gu Xu must be prepared for danger in times of peace and be fully prepared.

…………

After a while, Gu Xu and Zhao Yan walked out of the verdant imperial garden and stepped into the East Sixth Palace like two tourists.

The concubines and palace ladies who used to live here have long since moved out, and the once crowded and lively palace now looks empty.

Seeing the scene in front of her, Zhao Yan frowned slightly.

The living environment of this harem is far more cramped and depressing than she imagined, and it is in stark contrast to the wide and magnificent Fengtian Hall and Qianyang Hall not far away.

The tall palace walls rose mercilessly, cutting the sky into a narrow line, and the alleyway in the middle could only accommodate two people walking side by side. Walking here, it is as if you are being squeezed tightly by the walls on both sides.

Here, only the noble concubines were entitled to live alone in one hall, and the other low-ranking concubines often lived together in the side halls, and might even sleep in a bunk in a collective dormitory called the "lower room".

Zhao Yan couldn't imagine how this cage-like place could accommodate the three thousand beauties of Emperor Xia's harem in the past.

She suddenly hugged Gu Xu's waist tightly, and deliberately said to him in a delicate and resentful tone: "My Majesty, if after you ascend the throne, you are fascinated by other fox spirits, will you forget your concubines in this kind of place, and you will not come to the lucky place once in a few months or even years, so that I will wither silently in loneliness and grow old?" ”

Gu Xu looked at her slightly rolling eyes, and couldn't help but think to himself: You still have the face to say that others are fox spirits? You're the most seductive vixen in the world.

However, Gu Xu also knew that Zhao Yan, a female general who galloped on the battlefield, often coquettishly behaved in front of him recently, like a little woman, just to seek more security from him.

After all, he killed Emperor Tianxing and occupied Luo Jing, which meant that he could go to the Sword Pavilion at any time to pick up Shi Xiaohan.

On the day of the Luoshui Conference, Gu Xu risked his life to rescue Shi Xiaohan from the hands of the "ghost attendant", which left a deep impression on Zhao Yan.

As the unruly eldest lady of the Yanguo Mansion, Zhao Yan has always believed in her beauty, talent, and charm, and she feels that she has the certainty of victory against the women of the whole wilderness.

However, in front of Shi Xiaohan, who was far inferior to herself, she inexplicably felt a trace of lack of confidence.

After all, in a sense, she took advantage of Gu Xu's distress to successfully snatch him from Shi Xiaohan's hands.

Gu Xu smiled, pointed to the towering cornices of the Kunyuan Hall not far away, and reassured her: "How can you succumb to such a cramped place?" That's where you should live. ”

Although Zhao Yan had long expected him to say this, she couldn't help but show joy on her face when she really heard Gu Xu admit her status in his heart.

Gu Xu didn't think about it, like the protagonists in those, he was a bowl of water to his women.

But he is not an emotional, disregarding stakes.

He knew very well that the position of queen of Great Xia must and could only be Zhao Yan's.

Although Shi Xiaohan was his first love, the two had a deep friendship, and even had a marriage contract, but Youzhou Zhao was the most important "partner" in his rebellion.

If Daxia is compared to a start-up company, then Zhao gave him a huge amount of start-up capital and held a considerable part of the shares.

For him, Zhao Yan resolutely gave up the throne of Dayan, led the army in the north to join his command, charged into battle, and fought for his cause. Her father, a dignified true monarch powerhouse, also attacked the imperial city with him and participated in the feat of killing Emperor Tianxing.

If Gu Xu gave the position of queen to someone else, or hesitated on this matter, then even if Zhao Yan herself had no opinion, her father would definitely come to the door in person to seek justice for his daughter.

"Really?" Zhao Yan blinked.

"When did I lie to you?" Gu Xu smiled slightly, and then added, "However, after the enthronement ceremony, I plan to move to Changchun Garden outside the city. ”

To tell the truth, Gu Xu didn't like the atmosphere of Zichen Palace. He felt that the buildings here were too neat and solemn, showing the order of dignity and inferiority everywhere, reminding him of the strict rules of the Great Qi Dynasty all the time.

"Changchun Garden? That's the garden of the Great Chu Dynasty, isn't it already in ruins? Zhao Yan asked suspiciously.

"I have sent someone to start the restoration," Gu Xu explained, "Some time ago, a large number of displaced people poured into Luojing, but there were not enough jobs in the city for them. They have nothing to do for a living, and if they don't find something to do, I'm afraid it will cause riots in the capital......"

…………

Gu Xu did not deliberately hide his whereabouts.

While he was talking to Zhao Yan, on the corridor not far away, a twenty-eight-year-old palace maid saw them from afar. This woman's name is Cui Ying, and she was the personal maid of the queen of the previous dynasty. When most of the palace maids left the palace one after another, she chose to stay and continue to take care of Chen Anzhi's daily life.

Seeing this, Cui Ying hurriedly rushed to the Kunyuan Palace, panting and reporting to Chen Anzhi and Xiao Wanjun, Princess Zhaoning: "Niangniang, princess, the emperor and Mrs. Zhao are nearby. ”

When Chen Anzhi heard the news, his hands trembled, and a trace of consternation flashed in his eyes. She quickly put down the necklace she was arranging, stood up, and began to carefully apply fat powder and tidy up her appearance.

"Cuiying, you quickly go and invite Your Majesty and Niangniang in respectfully, and don't slack off in the slightest."

"Yes, sissy." The green warbler responded.

"Don't call me a mother anymore, I'm just a folk woman now." Chen Anzhi sighed lightly.

Then, she turned to her daughter on the side and ordered, "Wanjun, you should also go and change your clothes." Facing the sky all day long, and still wearing men's clothes, what kind of body has it become? ”

Although Xiao Wanjun, the princess of Zhaoning, did not speak, she did not disobey her mother, and silently walked behind the screen.

She knew that her mother was so nervous at the moment, obviously wanting to take this opportunity to show her loyalty to Gu Xu and try to keep her family.

Although she felt that it was unlikely that she would succeed, at this time of despair, she still chose to do her duty as a daughter and obeyed her mother's arrangement.

…………

After a while, Zhao Yan lightly took Gu Xu's arm and stepped into the threshold of Kunyuan Palace.

Chen Anzhi and Xiao Wanjun were already waiting at the palace gate.

Chen Anzhi secretly raised his eyes.

In just a moment, the past queen of the Great Wilderness and the future queen collided with each other.

Chen Anzhi seemed to see a red peony in full bloom.

Graceful and luxurious, overflowing with brilliance.

Just like the phoenix crown in the past, he was in charge of the back court.

And now I am like a dead leaf that has faded its color, scattered into mud in the bleak autumn wind.

Chen Anzhi's heart was stunned for a while, she quickly retracted her gaze, and gently tugged on the sleeve of her daughter beside her.

The two knelt down and saluted together, their voices trembling slightly, and they said respectfully:

"Chen Anzhi, a woman, meet Your Majesty, meet your mother!"

"People's girl Xiao Wanjun, meet Your Majesty, meet Niangniang!"