The emperor was a little blocked, and if he wanted to ask Xiao Rongzhan who his character was like, it was definitely like himself, but it was a pity that he was still too young and did not have his own calmness and stamina.

"Do you like her so much?"

"Yes. Rong Zhan said without thinking.

The emperor was silent for a long time, feeling that it was impossible to find a breakthrough in this matter from Rong Zhan. He snorted faintly: "You go down first." ”

"Father?" The matter of marrying Yuanxi did not get the emperor's explicit permission, and Rong Zhan always felt unsure.

"This matter, Emperor Rong thought about it carefully. The emperor looked at Rong Zhan firmly.

The emperor had agreed to consider it, which meant that he had at least moved his mind, and Rong Zhan also knew that it was useless to say more, so he kowtowed and knelt down.

"This stinky boy. The emperor pinched a pair of idle cards in his hand, and had mixed feelings in his heart.

Back then, if he had known that the Shangguan family would have this fate, no matter how much Princess Hanzhang and Shangguan Linqing were in love, he would never agree to this family business. But people are not immortals, and there is no way to predict the future. Fortunately, Princess Hanzhang never regretted it until she died.

"Someone!" the emperor shouted, calling Xu Wenliang, the great eunuch who had served him for many years, to come in.

"Your Majesty. Xu Wenliang wore an inky dress, and the gold thread on the collar and sleeves symbolized his status as a great eunuch.

"Go to Princess Chenxiang and bring me the Lord of Donglin here. ”

Xu Wenliang went for a while, and Princess Chenxiang reluctantly released Yuanxi. Following Xu Wenliang, Yuan Xi kept his head down and remained silent, until he entered the door, Xu Wenliang turned around and asked, "County Lord, how many times has this been in the palace?"

"Back to my father-in-law, for the first time. ”

Xu Wenliang raised his eyebrows, gave a thumbs up, and said with sincere approval: "County Lord, the future is immeasurable." ”

Yuan Xi didn't know why he suddenly said this, probably because she knew the rules of the palace, right? Xu Wenliang was the most favored eunuch around the emperor, and he had a very tricky eye, and it was not easy to get his appreciation.

Xu Wenliang led Yuan Xi to the hall outside the emperor's study: "The county lord is waiting here, the little slave will go down first." He said as he exited the hall and closed the door.

The hall is a little gloomy and cold, although it is the height of summer, but there is very little sunlight, and there are ceramic Taiping jars in the four corners, which contain ice cubes the size of city bricks.

"Get up. "The emperor's voice came from somewhere.

Won-hee kowtowed in the direction of the emperor's throne and thanked him.

The emperor appeared on the throne at some point, which is a bit of a dragon seeing the head but not the end. He sat quietly drinking tea and looked at Won-hee through the curtain.

"How old are you?"

"Back to the emperor, the courtier's daughter is sixteen years old this year. ”

"How many are you doing at home?"

"Back to the emperor, the courtiers will do three. ”

The emperor was silent for a while: "Your parents, are they good to you?"

Yuan Xi lowered his head slightly: "Back to the emperor, the mother of the courtiers died after giving birth to the courtiers, and there are only grandmothers and fathers in the family, and they love the courtiers very much." ”

"That's good. The emperor said lightly.

Yuan Xi was a little puzzled, and asked so many questions, as if the official officials were checking the household registration. Whether my father and grandmother are good to me or not, what does this matter to the emperor?

"I heard that you were born in August?" the Emperor asked suddenly.

Yuan Xi was even more puzzled, but still replied: "Yes." ”

"What's your mother's last name?"

"The emperor will speak, and his mother's surname is Chu. ”

The emperor slowly pulled up the curtain, and he stood in front of Yuan Xi, who was a little frightened, this was the first time she had seen the emperor without being separated by the curtain. At such a close distance, she could almost clearly see the hairs and beard on the emperor's face.

"The surname Chu is a big family, you know? My aunt married a general surnamed Chu. The Emperor looked at her warmly.

For so many years, my father rarely mentioned his mother's family history, even if he was drunk, he only talked about his mother's appearance, temperament, and talent. Yuan Xi was speechless for a while, the emperor's words were really unacceptable, did he want to happily say to the emperor: Wow, what a coincidence! Or do you say to the emperor with a dead face: "So fateful, I recognize you as a godfather?"

Isn't this looking for death?

Yuan Xi really couldn't think of what to say, so he could only lower his head and say, "Yes, the courtiers don't know." ”

Seeing that Yuanxi didn't react, the emperor turned his back and paced a few steps in the hall: "Have you heard the story of Shangguan Linqing in Donglin Prefecture?"

"Yes, the courtiers know. ”

For some reason, this dialogue becomes more and more restrained. Although the emperor was very kind, Yuan Xi just couldn't relax.

"Do you think there is anything suspicious about Shangguan's case?" the emperor turned suddenly.

"The courtiers don't dare. Yuan Xi knelt down in confusion: "The case of Shangguan's family is the emperor's holy judgment, and the courtiers dare not beak themselves." ”

The emperor was silent: "Tell the truth, I forgive you for your innocence." ”

This has been the case in all dynasties, how can a woman ask about the government affairs? Yuan Xi's eyebrows were furrowed, and she didn't know why the emperor suddenly asked this question. If the emperor takes a fancy to himself and wants to let himself back up Rong Zhan, then his question is aimed at testing Yuan Xi's political mind. If the emperor wanted to see if Yuan Xi understood etiquette, Yuan Xi should avoid answering this question.

But what the emperor's purpose is, Yuan Xi really can't figure it out.

Silence, only silence.

"Why don't you speak?" asked the Emperor.

"Courtier...... Yuan Xi regretted a little, she knew that she would enter this game, she should have said just now that she didn't know anything about Shangguan Linqing!

There was a stalemate for a while, but the emperor went down the stairs first: "Don't you dare to say?

"The courtiers were afraid that they were shallow and misunderstood the emperor's plans. ”

The emperor sneered a few times, unimpressed by Yuan Xi's flattery. He sat back on the throne: "It seems that you know a lot about the truth of 'accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger'!"

Won-hee didn't say anything as usual.

The Emperor pursed his lips: "It seems that you have a lot of opinions about my holy judgment. ”

"The courtiers don't dare. ”

"I must say that you are not flattered, and that you tell the truth. The Emperor's tone was a little low.

"Yes, courtiers are courageous. Yuan Xi kowtowed, and said like a bamboo tube pouring beans: "Sixteen years ago, that is, the fifth year of the emperor's succession, at that time, the government was unstable, the old faction was bigger, and they were pervasive in the court. The emperor wants to implement a new policy, but the power is not enough to shake the old faction, so the emperor can only continue to appoint the old faction Gao Xiangguo and the party. Only in this way can the government be stabilized. The key to the new policy lies in its implementation, if the emperor was only concerned with confronting the old faction at that time, then perhaps until today, the new policy will not be implemented. ”

The emperor frowned and took a sip of tea: "Go on." ”

Therefore, sixteen years ago, the emperor mainly appeased the old forces, which shows that the emperor is the king of the Holy Ming. Yuan Xi paused: "As for the Donglin Shangguan clan, it is just a trap set by the old forces in order to cut off the emperor's wings. The courtiers guessed that the emperor knew very well that the Shangguan clan did not rebel back then. But in order to appease the old faction, the emperor had to make a compromise, and there was no evidence to prove the innocence of the Shangguan clan, so the emperor could only endure the pain and destroy the Shangguan clan. This is the art of kingship, there is no right or wrong, only success or failure. ”

The emperor swallowed, the muscles on his face tensed, and he held on to the dragon chair, looking a little restless.

"Now, Shangguan Linrui's so-called rebellion is nothing more than being forced to Liangshan by the imperial court. If the emperor felt that he could start a war against the old faction at this moment, he would ask the emperor to issue an edict, saying that Shangguan Linrui's behavior was not a rebellion but a 'military admonition', and it was 'the side of the Qing monarch'. If the emperor felt that the old faction was still very stubborn, the emperor should push Shangguan Linrui out of the noon gate and execute him. ”

Yuan Xi raised his head after speaking, and found that the emperor was looking at him in a daze, as if he was shocked.

Yuan Xi asked softly, "Your Majesty, the courtier's words are finished." ”

"Who taught you that?" the Emperor was a little stunned.

"Back to the emperor, the courtiers are presumptuous, and the courtiers never say what others want to say. "This is true, what Won-hee doesn't like the most is to be held hostage by others and say something unconscionable. As soon as she opened her mouth, she was willing to say it.

The emperor's face twitched a little, and he didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry, and his expression looked a little funny. He let out a long sigh: "What a pity. ”

Yuan Xi was a little puzzled and looked at the emperor suspiciously, but the emperor did not explain.

"Do you say these things because you are an outsider after all, or do you think that's what you think at all?" The emperor showed a disapproving look: "If you were a member of the Shangguan family, would you still be so sensible? I'm afraid you will be even more fierce than Shangguan Linrui." ”

Yuan Xi smiled slightly: "Your Majesty, the courtiers have a saying, saying that the emperor may be unhappy." ”

"As I just said, no matter what you say, I will forgive you without sin. The emperor crossed his fingers and looked at Yuan Xi with interest.

"Shangguan Linrui's courage is not big enough, and his vision is too shallow, if the courtier's daughter was him, he would have entered the capital all the way. I will never make a posture of occupying the mountain as the king in Donglin Prefecture, what is the difference between it and Caokou?"

"Break into the capital?" The emperor's interest became stronger and stronger, this girl was really bold.

"Your Majesty, think about it, the Shangguan family is the suzerain of Donglin, the slaves and the people are obedient, there are a large number of copper and gold mines in Donglin Prefecture, and there is no need to worry about ordnance and military salaries. First hit the west, and then hit the same state, and divided the Great Chu into two, the materials in the south could not be transported, and the political orders in the north could not be transmitted. Encroaching step by step, the feudal towns in various places lured it with profits, and in less than five years, Kyoto could be besieged into an isolated city. ”

The emperor gasped, and felt a tingle in his spine for a while. Although none of these predictions happened, he had to admit that this girl was right.

The emperor laughed dryly a few times and gritted his teeth: "Your statement is too idealistic, the imperial court has a million soldiers and is not a decoration, besides, I will not let him fight Yuexi and Tongzhou." ”

"This is just the foolish opinion of the courtiers, the emperor just said that he will forgive the courtiers for their innocence. Won-hee didn't continue arguing with him.

"Do you know why I'm asking you this?" the Emperor suddenly changed his words.

It was nothing more than the two possibilities that Yuan Xi had guessed just now, and Yuan Xi answered truthfully.

The Emperor laughed loudly: "That's only half right, I really want to entrust you with a heavy responsibility. And since the founding of my Great Chu, there has never been a heavy responsibility that a woman can shoulder. ”

Emperor Zhengse said: "I want you to go back to Donglin Prefecture again." On my orders, rebuild the Donglin Sect Master's Mansion!"