Chapter 130: The Imperial Edict! Zhao Duan's first visit to the Prince Consort's residence
Chapter 130: The Imperial Edict! Zhao Duan's first visit to the Prince Consort's residence, Princess Yunyang has the skills to train her husband
riverside.
Seeing that Zhao Duan agreed readily, Xu Zhenguan's pale face and bright eyes also showed expectations.
"Your Majesty, in this case, I will take my leave now."
Zhao Duan looked eager to fight, as if he was willing to go through fire and water for the empress.
But his feet did not move.
Xu Zhenguan glanced at him and said jokingly:
"You are willing to leave without hearing about the treatment of my aunt?"
Zhao Duan smiled innocently:
"I just don't want your majesty and the Grand Princess to hurt their relationship."
It's ridiculous that Marquis Xiajiang has been thrown into prison and has one foot on the execution ground, but Princess Yunyang has not been involved in the quagmire at all.
Xu Zhenguan was silent for a moment, then said:
"Ma Yan has interrogated Marquis Xia Jiang. The trap set against you was set by him alone, not my aunt. But if you trace it back to the source, it was indeed her who instigated Marquis Xia Jiang to become your enemy."
Once a woman learns how to use her advantages properly, she often doesn't need to draw the knife herself to kill someone.
Zhao Duan recalled the indifferent eyes that briefly looked at him in the sedan, and thought that this woman was not simple.
Xu Zhenguan suddenly sighed:
"Actually, the eldest princess... wasn't like this at first... let's not talk about it."
It sounds like there is a story... Go ahead and tell me, the most abominable thing is to have fragments of the story... Zhao Duan's curiosity exploded.
But the emperor didn't say anything, and it would be ignorant for the ministers to ask further.
After silently thinking about it in his mind and checking Yunyang's background, Zhao Duan said seriously:
"Your Majesty, please don't be embarrassed. I think the princess will understand your Majesty's intentions after this incident and will not..."
The so-called leniency when taking advantage of others.
The empress had just bestowed a valuable treasure, and Princess Yunyang failed to gain anything in return. Zhao Duan magnanimously said that he would not pursue the matter any further.
Xu Zhenguan shook his head and interrupted him:
"I have made a decision. After this incident, it would be good to let her reflect on herself. Princess Yunyang will be sent to Jizhao Temple later to cultivate her character. It will also be a good opportunity to cut off her contact with those questionable people.
Then, she won’t be able to trouble you anymore.”
"Jizhao Temple? The one next to Shenlong Temple?" Zhao Duan was stunned.
He knows this place.
It is a small nunnery built near the main Buddhist temple, Shenlong Temple.
The nunnery is full of nuns who are meditating in seclusion.
According to convention, if the emperor passed away, the concubines who could no longer stay in the palace would be sent to Jizhao Temple.
There were also some royal women who, if they did something wrong, would be ordered to live in a nunnery for a while.
It may be as short as a few months or as long as several years, or even a lifetime, and one is only allowed to stay with the green lamp and the ancient Buddha.
The Empress actually wanted to confine her aunt to a nunnery...
Hiss, does this count as “reform education”?
Well, the key is to cut off his contact with his many mistresses.
Well, “forced detoxification center”?
Zhao Duan's mind was full of mixed thoughts.
I think this punishment is reasonable. After all, she is my aunt and I should show her some mercy.
Xu Zhenguan grabbed in the air, and a scroll of imperial edict appeared out of thin air in his palm.
He casually threw it to Zhao Duan and said:
"The imperial edict has been drafted. You can take people to the Prince Consort's residence to pass it on."
Ah, this... Zhao Duan glanced at the empress and vaguely understood something.
Without refusing, he responded with the imperial edict in his hand and turned to leave.
There is a very strict process for delivering an imperial decree. The recipient of the decree must bathe and burn incense at home in advance...
However, after the empress ascended the throne, the process was simplified.
Zhao Duan held in his hand the imperial edict with twenty-four large red seals on it.
As long as you bring a team of eunuchs, you can visit.
The foreign official was originally unable to undertake this task, but he was a "royal servant" and a "White Horse Supervisor".
According to the etiquette, it is the duty of reading the imperial edict.
Zhao Duan walked towards the Meridian Gate with a hint of anticipation.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen the real face of this eldest princess yet. I wonder what her expression would be when she sees me riding on her face?"
This farce has finally come to an end.
"Little bitch, I'm here!"
He hurriedly led his men out of the Meridian Gate and did not notice that another group of people passed him in the distance.
……
the other side.
Xu Zhenguan waited for his loyal dog to leave, then he sat alone by the river and enjoyed the breeze.
After his emotions calmed down, he returned to the imperial study to handle government affairs.
Not long after I sat down, I heard a female official report:
"Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Dong's grandson requested to see you, saying that he was ordered by the Grand Tutor to present the list."
Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyes lit up: "Call him in."
"Yes."
After a while, outside the imperial study, a young man dressed in luxurious robes, about 25 or 26 years old, with ordinary appearance, mediocre temperament, and a slightly reserved demeanor, saluted:
"Student Dong Da, I pay my respects to His Majesty!"
Xu Zhenguan sat at the table, with the dignity of an emperor. He nodded and smiled, saying:
"No need to be polite. Did the Grand Master order you to deliver a message?"
Dong Shusheng, the grandson of the current Grand Tutor, had once met Zhao Duan at the "Qinglian Cottage" opened by "Miss Xiaoya". Dong Shusheng, who had ordinary looks and mediocre talents, looked up a little nervously.
Obviously not suitable for this occasion.
He responded first, then took out a note from his sleeve and said in a serious tone:
"Your Majesty, my grandfather ordered me to send you the list of bachelors for your review."
The female official serving nearby stepped forward and presented the memorial to the empress.
Xu Zhenguan opened it and read, and saw a lot of names on it.
It was also the Empress's intention to form a list of "new cabinet" that was loyal only to her.
However, compared with the powerful "cabinet" during the old emperor's period, this new "cabinet" is extremely immature.
Most of the names on the list are talented young scholars, and only a few of them hold great power.
However, everyone knows that once the new cabinet is established, the empress will be able to secure the throne.
In a dozen years or so, the people on the list will replace the current ministers and become the new elites.
"Very good, what else does Grand Tutor say?" the empress asked after closing the list.
Dong Da said nervously:
"Grandpa only said to leave it to His Majesty for instructions. Oh, by the way, I also want to tell His Majesty a message."
"What?"
Dong Da said hesitantly:
"Your Majesty, please be close to wise officials and stay away from villains.
My grandfather heard that Zhao Duan has been favored by the emperor recently, so he dared to advise Your Majesty that Zhao Duan has a very bad reputation. Although he has some abilities, he is just a cruel official.
Your Majesty can employ them to do things, but you must not use them too much, let alone rely on them. Otherwise, if these cruel officials form a clique, it will be a huge hidden danger to Your Majesty."
Xu Zhenguan was stunned for a moment, and said with some surprise:
"The Grand Master also knows him?"
Dong Da said honestly:
"Although Grandpa has not been involved in the government for a long time, he still has many disciples. The Hanlin Academy and the Imperial College have been denouncing Zhao Duan recently, and Grandpa has heard about it, so..."
Xu Zhenguan smiled helplessly, he was not surprised.
Grand Tutor Dong is a man of high moral character and has read the books of sages all his life. He has never liked people with poor moral character.
Although Zhao Duan's abilities are gradually becoming known to the public, except for a very small number of close people, outsiders still have a very bad impression of him.
The main black spots are limited to his bad character.
The name of "cruel official" gradually spread.
Grand Tutor Dong did not know the truth and was misled by the rumors. He was worried that the empress would rely on cruel officials, so he made this advice.
It is also a loyalty.
Xu Zhenguan smiled and wanted to explain a few words for Zhao Duan, but he also understood that it could not be explained in just a few words.
Holding the list, he thought of the conflict between the Dali Temple and the new cabinet, as well as the task Zhao Duan had just taken on, and his heart moved:
Well...if he can really overthrow Zhou Cheng, it can be used as an opportunity to introduce him to the Grand Tutor and resolve the misunderstanding.
He simply said, "I know, I will weigh the pros and cons myself, please rest assured, Grand Master."
Dong Da breathed a sigh of relief and said goodbye and left.
When he walked out of the imperial study and even out of the Yangxin Palace, he let out a long breath, but he was in trouble.
He could more or less hear the perfunctory tone of the empress's words. "Ah, should we tell Grandpa the truth? Your Majesty, why would you favor a cruel official? Is that person really good-looking?"
Dong Shusheng looked worried.
Little did he know that he had already met Zhao Duan and had great respect for him.
……
……
Prince Consort's Mansion.
Princess Yunyang woke up very early today, but stayed in bed until the sun rose, then she got dressed and washed with the help of her maid.
When they arrived at the dining room, the prince consort Li Shuping was already waiting.
It is worth mentioning that she and her husband had been separated for many years.
The princess occupied the main room alone, and Li Shuping, as the princess's husband, could only live in the side room.
"Yunyang, the cook just made the eight-treasure porridge. I'll serve it to you."
Li Shuping, with his hair combed meticulously and dark circles on his temples, forced a smile and took the initiative to speak.
Princess Yunyang, wearing a bright red gauze skirt and embroidered shoes, moved with light lotus steps. Although she had already given birth to a child, her skin was still as smooth as milk.
With the help of her maid, she sat lazily in the main seat.
Under her dark hair, there was no smile on her foxy face. She glanced at the eight-treasure porridge in front of her and said coldly:
"I have a bad appetite. Pour it out."
Li Shuping's attentive smile froze, and he slowly sat down and carefully probed:
"Why don't you have an appetite today?"
Princess Yunyang ordered the maid to throw away the porridge bowl, and she never looked at her nominal "husband" from beginning to end.
At this moment, he seemed not to have heard it, holding the white porcelain spoon and eating the egg custard in small bites.
The servants outside the hall were watching with their eyes and noses, and were not surprised at this scene at all.
Although this place is called "The Prince Consort's Mansion", in reality, the Prince Consort is only slightly higher in status than a servant.
Li Shuping's face changed, he gritted his teeth and asked:
"I heard that Zhao Duan broke into the Dali Temple yesterday and arrested Xia Jianghou... Are you working for Xia Jianghou..."
Princess Yunyang stopped moving and finally looked at him, a hint of mockery appearing on her charming face:
"Are you jealous? Do you think I'm worried about Lord Xia Jiang?"
When his thoughts were exposed in front of him, Li Shuping was speechless for a moment.
Princess Yunyang held the spoon in her hand, stirring the water, and said quietly:
"That's right, I was the one who asked Xia Jianghou to deal with Zhao Duan. I slept with him, and he was willing to stand up for me.
You don't want to? If you have the ability, go find that Zhao and get back your lost face. Do you have that ability? If you can do it, I can sleep with you once.
"Can you...?"
"Snapped!"
Li Shuping's face turned red, veins bulged on his forehead, and the chopsticks in his hand were broken by him.
The servants were startled, but Princess Yunyang sneered:
"Why? Have you become more capable?"
Perhaps because of the stimulation he had received over the past few days, Li Shuping was unusually courageous. He took a deep breath and said:
"Yun Yang, I am your husband after all..."
"Husband?" Princess Yunyang suddenly laughed, a self-deprecating laugh, her eyes were complicated, and she said:
"Don't forget who you are. If not...why would I marry a loser like you?!"
The servants outside the hall walked away silently, pretending not to hear.
It is no secret that Yunyang was forced to marry Li Shuping.
According to the rules, when a princess gets married, at the very least she has to marry the son of some local wealthy family.
Perhaps he is worthy of a new noble who has made great achievements.
In most cases, they marry into wealthy families.
However, Li Shuping is an exception.
When he became a royal consort, his family had already fallen into poverty and he was just the heir of an inconspicuous small family in the capital.
He did not achieve any honors through examination.
It is said that when the previous emperor was in power, Princess Yunyang offended her brother for some unknown reason.
As a result, the angry old emperor ordered her to be married off from the palace and betrothed to Li Shuping.
At that time, Li Shuping was overjoyed and felt that he had received great fortune from heaven.
But Yunyang didn't have any good face towards him.
Later, perhaps because she gradually gave up on herself and recognized her fate, this eldest princess, who was once of extremely noble status, gradually gained the reputation of being "dissolute" and available to anyone.
"I... said the wrong thing."
Li Shuping lowered his head and slowly exhaled. He had long been accustomed to playing the cowardly role.
He didn't even have the courage to confront the princess.
After all, everything he has now was brought by this wife.
Li Shuping adjusted his mood, trying to break the oppressive atmosphere, and took the initiative to smile:
"I heard that today at the morning court session, the Dali Temple Minister Zhou Cheng led a group of officials to the court angrily. Zhao Duan and those lackeys in the imperial court are going to have a hard time now.
Humph, last time he arrested 58 officials on a large scale, the matter was barely suppressed, but now he actually dares to kill people and break into the Three Judicial Departments.
The whole court will certainly not tolerate this. I think this is really lawless. This police chief should stop doing this."
Princess Yunyang took a sip of the egg custard, but her face did not look relaxed.
She knew her niece too well.
He knew that his niece, who looked like a fairy and presented herself as a benevolent monarch, actually had a cold and ruthless side that would kill people without blinking an eye.
"Hope it goes well."
She wondered in her heart whether the angry Prime Minister Zhou could issue an edict to seize the entire city.
As for Xia Jianghou...she didn't care at all.
In fact, Xia Jianghou, who was being tortured in prison at the moment, had no idea.
Princess Yunyang had never counted on him from the beginning.
From the very beginning, she wanted to divert the blame to Zhou Cheng, who already had a conflict with the imperial court, and bring disaster upon himself.
and so.
He Zhengcai, the Dali Temple's Secretary, had a conflict with Shen Juan early in the morning over the person.
and so.
When Marquis Xia Jiang learned in the restaurant that Zhao Duan was coming to arrest him, Princess Yunyang poured a basin of cold water on him in time.
She knew that Xia Jianghou had few people he could rely on, and Zhou Cheng was almost the only one.
But what surprised her was that Zhao Duan was so bold that he actually dared to break into the Sanfasi Court.
And Ma Yan really tried to cover it up...
In less than a day, the two yamen stood on opposite sides.
She quickly felt uneasy and thought that she might have gone too far...
At this time, a servant came running in from outside and reported:
"Princess, something bad has happened."
Princess Yunyang narrowed her eyes and put down the spoon:
"Has the court been adjourned? Could it be that Zhou Cheng failed?"
The servant who was sent out to find out the results of the morning court nodded and repeated the information he had obtained.
When they learned that the imperial court was intact, everyone in the Dali Temple left the court in disgrace. Marquis Xiajiang was stripped of his title and executed in the autumn.
The princess in the bright red gauze dress had a blank expression on her face.
The hands on the long legs like white python clenched subconsciously.
Marquis Xia Jiang is going to die... Prince Consort Li Shuping couldn't help but smile.
I can't even suppress the corners of my mouth!
At this moment, a second servant came running in, panting, with a look on his face:
"Princess, something terrible is happening."
Yunyang was stunned. She didn't remember sending a second person.
I only heard the servant say:
"I followed the carriage to the East Market to buy ice, but halfway there I saw Zhao Duan, riding a horse with a group of eunuchs from the palace, coming towards our house!"
(End of this chapter)