"Are you coming today?"

In the following days, the third uncle chattered deeply in the courtyard all day long, and did not dare to go anywhere, for fear that when the emperor came, he would not see anyone, so he missed a good opportunity to bow his head and admit his mistakes. In the past few days, as soon as he saw Li Kui, he secretly leaned over, and then pretended to look at the scenery like a joint, but pressed his throat and asked Li Kui, is the emperor coming?

Li Kui shook his head every time: "I don't know!" ”

If the emperor's whereabouts are found out, then what's the matter?

Although it was in the city of Tokyo, Han Deqin also arranged for people to come over, but every time the emperor left the palace, he was terrified. He wished that the emperor would stay in the palace every day, and he would not take a step out of the imperial city in this life. Serving the emperor, the most feared thing is that the emperor wants to do something to make it difficult for the underground, for Han Deqin, the emperor leaving the palace is to make him suffer.

Fortunately, the emperor has been busy in the past few days, and he has to worship heaven and earth, and he is preparing to announce the Taimiao, so that his dead father will know that his sixth son has done a good job as emperor.

Every time I asked Li Kui, I got an answer that disappointed the third uncle. This made the old man very uncomfortable, and he walked away: "If you don't come every day, won't you let the third master practice in vain?" ”

In the past few days, the third uncle has not done anything, just thinking about how to pretend to be pitiful and how to get the emperor's forgiveness. Don't look at what he said toughly, the old man also has the courage to sacrifice his life, and he is not afraid of death. But if you don't die, no one wants to be stabbed in the head, right?

The Forbidden Palace.

The Queen Mother's Bedroom - Baoci Palace.

Since Concubine Zhu was promoted to the empress dowager, the emperor did not want to let the Empress Dowager move out of the Empress Dowager's bedroom. Although the days of Empress Dowager Xiang have not changed, she can clearly feel that Baoci Palace is a lot deserted.

Xiao Huangmen stomped his feet in front of the palace gate to ward off the cold, rubbing his hands with hot air, and suddenly saw Zhao Xu riding on the chariot, playing the canopy, and hugging back and forth appeared in sight. Hurriedly knelt on the ground and respectfully shouted: "Your Majesty has arrived!" ”

Empress Dowager Xiang heard the eunuch's shout in the Baoci Palace, and she didn't know why. Approaching the Chinese New Year, although the emperor still came to Baoci Palace every day to ask for peace, he was often in a hurry and left without saying two words. In the afternoon, there was never a Baoci Palace.

Although Zhao Xu still treats the Empress Dowager Xiang as her mother-in-law, the relationship between the two has been reduced to the freezing point, and even separated, which makes the sensitive Empress Dowager Xiang become suspicious, and even speculate whether there is a frame that is unfavorable to her.

But even if you are the queen mother, if the emperor wants to come, she can't stop her.

The Xiang family, who was born in a wealthy civil official family, had Xiang Minzhong, the prime minister, from his ancestors. It's just that it is not his identity as a famous minister that makes people remember Xiang Minzhong, but his good friend who was in the prime minister's position back then, and he is also a famous minister, and the former prime minister Zhang Qixian competed for the little widow. At that time, Emperor Zhenzong was confused, how could the prime minister he promoted be such a nasty embryo?

It stands to reason that a family like the Xiang family will never participate in the selection of concubines. But what is surprising is that the Empress Dowager Xiang and her father did just that. It was a surprise to many civil official families. It was enough to surprise the Empress Dowager Xiang to participate in the selection of the imperial grandson at that time, and as soon as she made a move, the target was Zhao Xu, who was the imperial grandson. Shenzong is not an ordinary prince. Because several of Emperor Renzong's sons died young, there was no heir in his later years. His father was accepted into the palace by Emperor Renzong several times and wanted to be raised as an heir, but he never let Renzong make up his mind to give Zhao Yunrang the crown prince. However, Renzong sent Zhao Yunrang out of the palace many times because the concubine in the palace was pregnant.

This made Zhao Yunrang very aggrieved.

However, in the end, what is jaw-dropping is that Renzong still has no son until he dies, and even if his son is born, he will die young. Finally, his heir Zhao Yunrang succeeded to the throne, and after his death, the temple was called Yingzong. And Zhao Yunrang's son Zhao Ji was much luckier, before he reached adulthood, he was immediately given the title of crown prince.

The Xiang family participated in the selection of the imperial grandson at this time, obviously to control the harem and be the queen. may even think that if the Empress Dowager Xiang gives birth to a prince, she will be the next Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty. The final result was that Xiang Jia's bet was right, Zhao Ji became a big treasure, and Xiang Jia became the most prominent relative of the Great Song Dynasty. The Wenchen family is still a Wenchen family that has been a prime minister, which has gained much more benefits than Jiangmen in the Great Song Dynasty, which emphasizes literature and suppresses martial arts.

It's a pity that all these plans were seamless, and finally failed in the stomach of the Queen Mother Xiang.

Of the fourteen sons of Shenzong, none of them were born to the Queen Mother, do you say that people are angry?

In the harem of the Great Song Dynasty, it was not uncommon for the Empress Zhenggong to be abolished because she did not give birth to a son, and Emperor Renzong did just that. Empress Dowager Xiang has been alive in Emperor Shenzong for so many years, and every year is like a year, and she is afraid that she will let that little prodigal hoof take advantage of her and take away her position as queen that day. Fortunately, Emperor Shenzong died, otherwise it is really difficult to say what would have happened to the Empress Dowager Xiang in the end. For her, any woman in the harem who gives birth to a prince is her mortal enemy.

The kind that I wish I could have killed.

As for the prince?

She doesn't necessarily like it, either.

In many cases, apparent love and kindness can be disguised, especially in the court, if there are no two faces to people, they will not know if they are trapped.

Hearing that the emperor was coming, Xiang sat down with the Queen Mother and asked the people around her to greet him.

"My son has seen the Queen Mother!"

"Your Majesty, please get up." Zhao Xu bowed and hurriedly stretched out his hand to the Queen Mother, the drama of the two mothers and sons was deeply meaningful.

Zhao Xu, as usual, used to call the Empress Dowager Xiang, but now it is still the same. But the muddy relationship between their mother and son has long been cracked, since Li Kui and Xing Shu led that farce, it not only ruined the status of the Empress Dowager Xiang's mother, but also destroyed the absolute authority of the Empress Dowager Xiang in the harem.

This feud has already been settled, but for Zhao Xu, the significance of his correcting his biological mother is far greater than the consequences of offending the Queen Mother.

In the former, he obtained righteousness and justifiably became the emperor, which is better than anything else. The latter, whether he is offended or not, does not affect him. In the palace, no one knows how to act? Everyone is professional, you hate me, the more I have to make up in front of you, what can I do?

Zhao Xu's greetings twice a day, thunder and thunder, did make the minister feel his filial piety, but the parties did not think that this was filial piety.

After asking Han and asking a few warm words, Zhao Xu reported the good news to the Queen Mother: "Queen Mother, my Celestial Dynasty defeated the Western Xia army in Dunyan Road, killing countless people and capturing countless people. ”

Empress Dowager Xiang wondered, she had heard the news of the Great Song Dynasty's victory in the northwest, but she did not interfere in court affairs, and she did not know the emperor's intentions.

Soon, she knew why the Emperor had come.

On the list of meritorious contributions, it is written that Li Kui is the first meritorious. This is deliberately angry with her! If you don't get angry with her, you won't give up.

Zhao Xu was on the side, not taking into account the gloomy face of the Empress Dowager, and said to himself: "In this battle, my Great Song Dynasty killed and captured nearly 30,000 elites of Western Xia, and captured countless horses, cattle and sheep. ”

"The mourning family is a woman, and my son should discuss major matters in the court with the prime minister." The Empress Dowager Xiang covered her chest, her breath was chaotic, this fake son was holding a knife to poke her chest!

Zhao Xu said worriedly: "But Li Kui collided with the queen mother after all, although this battle is a lot of credit, but it is ......"

"There is no objection to the mourning family." What can the Empress Dowager say to prevent Li Kui from being promoted, that is, she doesn't know the general situation and lacks the heart to tolerate people, which makes people poke her backbone. But let her accept it gladly, she couldn't do it, so she covered her forehead and frowned: "I mourn the lack of family, and I ask Your Majesty to forgive me." ”

After speaking, he got up and left the hall where he met Zhao Xu with the support of the eunuch.

Zhao Xu got up and bowed down and said, "Congratulations to the queen mother!" ”

The emperor then left the palace.

Of course, not long after, there was a terrible ghost cry from inside the Baoci Palace, which was not something he could consider.

The next day, the court held a grand pilgrimage.

Zhao Xu stared at the civil and military officials on the dragon chair energetically, Tong Guan stood in front of the hall and said loudly: "There is something to start, nothing to retreat!" ”

Prime Minister Zhang Dun stood up and said: "The minister has something to play, my northwest roads have defeated hundreds of thousands of troops in Western Xia, especially Yanyan Road and Huanqing Road, but seeing that the year is coming, tens of thousands of marshals of the Western Army have not yet waited for the reward of the imperial court, and I am afraid that delay will lead to grievances." Please also ask Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible. ”

"Is there a merit roster?"

Emperor Zhao Xu had long known about today's issues, and most of the issues, as the prime minister, would inform the emperor in advance and pass them on to the emperor through the official eunuch, so that the emperor would know the major events that needed to be discussed that day.

"There is no objection to the rewards and promotions of others, but Li Kui, the first meritorious, has no promotion?"

"Your Majesty, although Yan Yanlu's field battle outside Jinming Village was a great success, the Privy Council considered that there was no possibility of corroboration. In particular, our army defeated the Iron Harrier with infantry, and the Privy Council had a different opinion. Li Kui needed to go to the Privy Council in person to explain, and the power of the artillery was boasted to the gods, but the Privy Council had little reference, so Li Kui had to explain the drill in person and then determine Li Kui's merits. ”

This is reasonable, but Zhao Xu understands that this is a deliberate delay by the Privy Council.

"Li Kui killed thousands of prisoners on the battlefield, and what our benevolent and righteous division did was ruined, and Yushitai hopes that Li Kui can have a reasonable explanation."

After Li Kui arrived in the northwest, he delayed in Jingzhao Mansion for more than half a month, and then went to Yanyan Road, and did not go to Yangquan County to take office, but went directly to the battlefield. Ambushed the party in Pingrong Village. Later, because of the fighting, Li Kui was in Fushi and Jin Mingzhai for more than a month, and missed the deadline for taking office, and the former county lieutenant of Yangquan County, Di'an, because he missed the deadline for leaving office, sued Li Kui for deliberate delay. The officials needed him to explain why. ”

……

Zhao Xu originally thought that Li Kui wanted to be promoted, as long as he bypassed the Empress Dowager Xiang, everything would be fine, but he didn't expect this guy to go around in a circle and almost offend the big and small yamen in the court.

Of course, these are not big deals, and it is easy to pass the test with the emperor giving Li Kui a platform.

The key to this ability to recruit black made Zhao Xu a little nervous: What if I can't hold back in the future?