Gonggong Cao was already trembling with fright, he was not afraid of death, if the emperor let him die, it would be just a holy decree, he was afraid of the emperor's wrath.

The emperor asked, "What is Aiqing's crime?"

Gonggong Cao sweated like rain and said: "The slave slanders Concubine Yun, the slave should die, the slave should die." The Emperor walked to the door and waved to the brocade guards on duty, and they dispersed automatically.

The Emperor returned to his office, his voice still so solemn.

He said: "Your sin is indeed to slander Concubine Yun, but to slander in public. ”

Gonggong Cao's tears flowed down, and he said: "Your Majesty, the minister is loyal to the emperor, if the emperor knows the slave and persuades him, even if the emperor divides the five horses of the slave today, beheads him in the city, and executes him in the city, and the slave will not complain." ”

"When the emperor took Concubine Yun Niangniang as his wife, the slave had strongly objected, Concubine Yun Niangniang was not as weak and virtuous as imagined, she was a very dangerous character, the emperor left her by the pillow is tantamount to drinking water to quench her thirst, and the tiger seeks skin! There are thousands of women in the world, and there are many people who are equivalent to Concubine Yun's appearance. Miss Qiuyuling of Zhongzhou Mengguo Mansion. ”

"Among them, Nangong Li and Qiu Yuling are upright and young, if the emperor likes it, they can be recruited into the palace, none of them is worse than Concubine Yun, and I hope the emperor will think twice." ”

The Emperor continued to correct the recitals, as if he had not listened to him.

Cao Gonggong's heart was chilling, Cao Gonggong took off his crown and hat, and slowly stood up, his martial arts were not inferior to many martial arts masters in the world, but now his legs were trembling, he took off his crown and hat and court clothes, sorted it out and put it on the ground, and then bowed to the emperor three times, and said: "Take care of the emperor, the old slave takes the first step." After taking the emperor for 10,000 years, the old slave served the emperor again. ”

The emperor corrected the last book, then put down the pen and said, "Where are you going?"

Hearing the emperor's voice, a trace of warmth appeared in Gonggong Cao's heart, and he stopped and looked at the middle-aged man in the dragon robe.

The emperor stood up and bent down, and Gonggong Cao quickly knelt down.

The emperor picked up his crown and hat, smiled and dusted the floating soil on it with his dragon robe, and Gonggong Cao said when he saw this: "The emperor has tormented the old slave." ”

The emperor smiled, he smiled kindly now, and he buckled the hat of Gonggong Cao on his head. Then sat back.

The emperor said earnestly: "Aiqing, I don't know how dangerous this matter is, I have also doubted it, but for so many years, Concubine Yun has been virtuous and virtuous, and she has a reputation in the Manchu Dynasty and even among the people. It is said that she is a saint descending to earth. ”

"Even if you want to move her now, it's impossible. If Concubine Yun is punished on trumped-up charges, I am afraid that I will lose people's hearts, and if I don't even let go of the people next to my pillow, then wouldn't everyone in the Manchu Dynasty be in danger? If this is the case, the entire imperial court will be shrouded in this kind of terror, how will the civil and military officials handle their official affairs? After all, the Lanyu case, the empty seal case, and that kind of thing, let him appear once. ”

"And Concubine Yun has been with me for many years, if it is not good for me, how can I live until now? I naturally know your loyalty to me, but you can't slander Concubine Yun in front of so many people, if Concubine Yun wants to deal with you, even I can't protect you. ”

"Since the establishment of the East Factory, there have been many critical voices in the Manchu Dynasty, and even there are different voices among the Jinyi Guards. Many courtiers suggested that I immediately depose Dongchang, remembering the lessons of the fall of the first Qin and the later Han. Eunuchs must not be given too much power. ”

"It's also very difficult for me to sit here, if the courtiers seize this handle and take the opportunity to cut down the East Factory, I can only learn from Cao Mengde and kill you, the 'king', to calm the anger of the people. ”

Although Gonggong Cao was scheming, he didn't expect this, he looked at the emperor and cast a grateful look. He is the emperor's most loyal dog, and just now the emperor has more than ten lives replaced him like this.

This is a kindness that no one has.

The Emperor continued, "Get up, and remember that the next time you speak, you must pay attention to where you are." ”

Gonggong Cao didn't get up, and Gonggong Cao asked, "The emperor is not only going to go today, but also Concubine Yun......"

The emperor said: "I know this, since she wants to take care of it, just ignore it, just do what you have to do, and if it is that matter, you don't have to take care of it." It's good that you don't know what to do, Concubine Yun shouldn't know about that, right?"

Gonggong Cao said: "Back to the emperor, Concubine Yun doesn't know, the first person the old slave will meet after returning to Beijing is the emperor." ”

The Emperor said, "Well, you can stand down." ”

Gonggong Cao said: "There is one more thing that the emperor doesn't know whether the old slave should say or not?"

The emperor smiled: "Now it's just you and me, just say anything." ”

Gonggong Cao noticed the emperor's title, and he was not talking about you and me, but about you and me, and he was talking about two people.

Father-in-law Cao was moved to tears, and Father-in-law Cao kowtowed heavily and said: "The old slave was originally broken for His Majesty, and he will never give up!"

The Emperor said, "All right, all right, if you have anything to say, say it quickly." ”

Gonggong Cao said: "Although Your Majesty trusts His Royal Highness King Yong, please pay more attention to Your Majesty, His Royal Highness King Yongwang handed over the military power so easily, and the old slave is afraid that there is fraud in it." ”

The emperor deliberately asked, "How do you say this?"

Gonggong Cao said: "Back to Your Majesty, the Xiaoguo Army is the most elite army under His Royal Highness King Yong, which is also mixed with a lot of Hu people, and these people are all the henchmen of King Yong, if His Majesty leaves it around the Jingshi, if His Royal Highness King Yongwang gives an order and raises his arms, then Your Majesty will not become a fish and meat? And the army of 150,000 is not trivial." If it is to besiege the Jingshi, the old slave is afraid. ”

The emperor asked, "What should this matter be done as Aiqing sees it?"

Gonggong Cao said: "According to the old slave's humble opinion, we should implement the good policy of Your Majesty before, slowly weaken Zhu Yunchang's power, and block it in the northwest, the northwest is large but the products are scarce, and the people's livelihood is scarce, and it is impossible for His Royal Highness King Yongwang to rely on a little people's strength to support such a huge army." In this way, sooner or later, he will be crushed by himself. ”

The emperor nodded repeatedly, but the emperor did not agree with him, the emperor had his own ideas.

The emperor said: "You don't have to worry about Aiqing, I have my own good plan." ”

(End of chapter)