"Zhen Guogong, was the lonely queen mother rescued by your people?" asked Rong Zhan as he walked towards the palace.

Old Lady Chu turned her face and wondered a little: "What's the matter? Didn't the queen mother be sent back to the palace by Concubine Zhao of the Prince's Mansion? Doesn't His Royal Highness the Crown Prince know yet?"

"Concubine Zhao?"

This name is really surprising, if it weren't for the old lady Chu mentioning it, Rong Zhan almost forgot that there was such a person in his house. It's just that when did this Concubine Zhao get so capable that she dared to snatch people in the hands of King Lijun?

"Yes, it's Concubine Zhao, the car of the Prince's Mansion sent the queen back to the palace, I saw that the mother was in good spirits, and I was not frightened. He also asked us to wait for the prince's drive here, saying that he was tired, so he went back to the middle palace to rest first. ”

Old lady Chu held Rong Zhan's wrist and walked tremblingly towards the palace: "Hey, this is strange, Your Highness of Feelings, you don't know anything? ”

Rong Zhan just felt flustered, remembering that before he went to return to Yunzhou, Zhao Kezhen still looked like he couldn't die with him, what's wrong now, why is he active again?

"This time, Concubine Zhao has made a great contribution, Prince, I also said something about relying on the old and selling the old, the princess is my daughter's bloodline, but I am not partial, since Concubine Zhao has made a great contribution, you can not treat her badly in terms of position. ”

"Yes, yes. Rong Zhan replied briefly.

The fire in the imperial study has been extinguished, and the Duke of Zhenguo has also sent people to the Lijun Palace, arresting Xiao Rongcheng who has escaped. The palace was filled with smoke before it dissipated, Rong Zhan covered his mouth and nose, and walked in the direction of the imperial study for a while, the smoke was too thick there, and Zhen Guogong pulled him down: "Prince, just leave these things to the inner eunuchs to do, you go to see the queen first, right?"

This is a serious matter, Rong Zhan turned around and went to the Middle Palace. The maids around the queen are all gone, and now there are some unfamiliar faces around her. The queen was leaning on a mahogany arhat bed, and Zhao Kezhen held the grapes and fruits that had just been washed and served her to eat.

Rong Zhan knelt down: "The son-in-law Xiao Rongzhan knocked to see the queen mother, and the son-in-law was unfilial, which frightened the queen mother." ”

The queen subconsciously got up to help him, but was stopped by Zhao Kezhen's look. The queen looked at her for a while, but finally failed to resist Zhao Kezhen's fierce color, so she raised her hand and said, "Get up, the queen mother is fine." ”

Rong Zhan stood up, stepped forward and knelt beside the queen, and said softly: "Erchen heard that the queen mother was escorted to the city tower by Xiao Rongcheng's brute, he didn't hurt the queen mother, right?"

The queen's gaze was gentle and almost watery, but her words were still faint, as if through a layer of mist.

"No, Concubine Zhao sent someone to save her mother in time, otherwise, I don't know what would have happened. ”

Rong Zhan had no choice but to raise his eyes and look at Zhao Kezhen. The woman looked at him with a smiling expression, always giving people a feeling of futility. Although he had this doubt in his heart, Rong Zhan still arched his hand at her: "Thank you, if you hadn't saved your mother this time, Gu really didn't know what to do." ”

Zhao Kezhen hooked the corners of her lips, and her eyes showed a hint of charm: "Your Highness, we are close husband and wife, just say thank you." ”

Rong Zhan frowned, she was just a side concubine, the word husband and wife, she was afraid that she couldn't afford it, right? It's just that she just saved the queen, and she can't be too harsh. I just pretend I didn't hear it.

"Zhan'er, Xiao Rongshen poisoned your father and emperor, imprisoned the queen mother, occupied the harem, controlled the lifeblood of Da Chu, and really became a puppet emperor for a few days. Now that you have revived the mountains and rivers, you can't allow his old ministry to continue to run rampant. The queen twisted a grape and ate it slowly.

"Yes, the son remembers the teachings of the queen mother. ”

Rong Zhan looked at the queen, always felt a little estranged, the queen's attitude when she saw him this time was very different from before, there was always a feeling of being close or not, alienating or not being alienated, and being separated. The queen mother, who regards herself as the pearl of the palm on weekdays, is simply like two people, but the person in front of her is the queen mother, there is no doubt about this, whether it is the voice, or the posture, or the fine lines on the hands, there is no doubt that she is the queen mother.

"Is the queen mother angry with her son?" Rong Zhan knelt down again.

The queen's face trembled for a moment, but she looked up at Zhao Kezhen, and returned to calm: "Zhan'er, when did the queen mother get angry with you?"

"But......" Rong Zhan wanted to speak, but stopped.

Zhao Kezhen took a piece of melon with the skin removed, bowed down and sent it to the queen's mouth, and said softly: "Queen Mother, this is a melon from the Western Regions, it is rare to eat it in ordinary times, if you don't eat it now, it will not be fresh after a while." ”

The queen took the melon, but she didn't enter it, but turned to look at this Rong Zhan, and said: "Zhan'er, the country can't be without a king for a day, since you are the crown prince appointed by the previous emperor, it is natural for you to ascend the throne and succeed to the throne." The queen mother is reluctant to intervene in the major affairs of the court, but it is just a matter in the harem, and the queen mother still has to ask, I don't know if the queen mother can ask or not?"

Rong Zhan bowed his head slightly, bowed and said, "The queen mother naturally asked, and the queen mother's words should be kept in mind." ”

"That's good," the queen raised her eyes and glanced at Zhao Kezhen, and asked slowly: "With the emperor, there must be a queen, my mother wants to ask, who are you going to make the queen?"

"This ......" Rong Zhan was quite surprised, looked at the queen, and then looked at Zhao Kezhen. Zhao Kezhen looked away with his eyes.

"The queen mother, the father has already pointed out the crown princess to his sons, and the crown prince ascends the throne and succeeds to the throne, so the crown princess naturally wants her mother to honor the world. Why did the Queen Mother suddenly ask about this?"

The queen didn't seem to be able to speak, so she looked away a little weakly, and said to herself: "That's not the case, being a princess and being a queen are two different things, the queen is the mother of the world, and she needs to be virtuous." The queen must have a noble status, an innocent family background, and she is a decent person, and she must be physically strong and able to reproduce heirs for the emperor. You, understand?"

"The queen mother thinks that Yuan Xi doesn't have these?" Rong Zhan asked rhetorically.

The queen was speechless for a while, and then raised her head to look at Zhao Kezhen. Zhao Kezhen frowned slightly and flattened her mouth.

"She's a merchant's daughter, so she can't. ”

"I'm afraid the queen mother has forgotten that Yuan Xi's father is the sect master of Shangguan in Donglin Prefecture, and his mother is the late Princess Hanzhang. When his father was alive, he said many times that he would rehabilitate the Shangguan family, and as long as he was rehabilitated, he would let Yuanxi recognize his ancestors and return to his ancestors. Why did the queen mother forget? Don't talk about this, Yuanxi's grandfather is still Lord Chu, the prince of Zhenguo, this can be regarded as a prominent family, right?"

Zhao Kezhen was a little deflated, and quietly pulled the queen's sleeve.

The queen said: "She has had a miscarriage, and her body is weak, if she can't ...... in the future."

"Queen Mother, Yuan Xi is already pregnant, more than three months, and Concubine Zhao must also know about this. Rong Zhan looked at Zhao Kezhen unceremoniously: "Lone still thought that Concubine Zhao would talk to the queen mother about this." ”

"Really?!" The queen was pleasantly surprised at first, then calmed down in an instant, and said indifferently: "She can't tolerate people." ”

"How can you not tolerate people?" Rong Zhan was already a little impatient, he always felt that when he came back this time, the queen mother seemed to be a different person. Conduct and behave in a way that is completely contrary to what it used to be.

"Queen Mother, haven't you seen Yuanxi's personality yet? If she can't tolerate people, then Concubine Zhao's ......"

"What the queen mother said is about Concubine Zhao. The queen made a straight face: "In order to vent his anger, Wei Yuanxi dared to openly lynch the prince's concubine in the prince's mansion, is this still tolerated?"

The corners of Rong Zhan's mouth trembled, and he cried out in a lost voice: "Queen Mother......"

The queen resolutely raised her hand and said, "Don't be like this, the queen mother knows that you like her, and if you like her, you can be a concubine or a concubine, and you may not have to be a queen." How can the strength of being a queen be so narrow, like her, relying on the emperor's favor, there is no fear. In the future, if any concubine in the palace accidentally offends her, will there still be a peaceful child in this palace?"

Rong Zhan raised his hand and pointed at Zhao Kezhen: "Are you talking nonsense in front of the queen mother?!"

"Queen Mother, look at how His Royal Highness said this about the concubine, the concubine is really wronged and died. Zhao Kezhen said, sobbing at the queen's hand.

"Presumptuous!" the queen patted the bed board and scolded: "You heartless person, you don't want a queen mother if you have a daughter-in-law? What happened to Concubine Zhao on you? You just look at her unpleasantly, and all kinds of dirty water is poured on her body? Concubine Zhao just saved the queen mother, have you forgotten?!"

Rong Zhan was really deflated, and he could only kneel down: "Erchen doesn't dare to forget." He had to bow his hand to Zhao Kezhen: "I'm sorry." ”

Zhao Kezhen burst into tears and smiled, wiped her tears and said: "Rescuing the queen mother is a natural thing for her daughter-in-law, and it is not a merit. How can the concubine afford the prince's apology?"

Rong Zhan pursed his lips and stood opposite the queen with some heaviness: "Then according to the mother's will, what should I do about this?"

The queen glanced at Zhao Kezhen, and said helplessly: "Although Wei Yuanxi is good, he is a little impetuous, and he is okay to be a concubine, but he is worse than being a queen." Although he is of noble blood, he grew up in a merchant family since he was a child, and his upbringing is by no means as good as that of Miss Gonghou. In my opinion, the candidate for the queen should also be Concubine Zhao. ”

"Who?" Rong Zhan frowned, thinking he had misheard.

"What's the matter? You didn't hear the words of the queen mother? Concubine Zhao has a noble character, is from a famous family, has a gentle temperament, and treats you sincerely, this matter is decided, and Concubine Zhao will be the queen. The queen said, and turned her eyes away with a weak heart, as if she was afraid that Rong Zhan would talk back to her.

"The queen mother is afraid that she is tired, there is no hurry in this matter, Rong Erchen will think about it and talk about it. Rong Zhan bowed to the queen, turned around and walked out of the middle palace.

Looking at Rong Zhan's back, the queen shook off Concubine Zhao's hand, and said so many sorry words, she couldn't help but feel aggrieved, covered her mouth, and sobbed.

Zhao Kezhen covered her mouth and laughed: "Queen Mother, what you said today is right, you will say so in the future, the antidote daughter-in-law will definitely be sent on time, you will be waiting for a long life." Zhao Kezhen turned arrogantly in front of the queen and bowed on her knees: "What is there to cry about, favoring Wei Yuanxi is not good for you, the antidote is here, can Wei Yuanxi give it?"