It was almost five o'clock in the morning, and the sky was still dark.
Less than two hours had passed since Zhao Yun passed away.
Xie Daoqing was already dressed in mourning clothes. He knelt in front of the coffin and cried for a long time. He was helped up and walked onto the phoenix chariot.
She will go to Chui Gong Hall to discuss matters with the important ministers.
This is not a formal court meeting, but it is much more important than most court meetings.
The officials said that they asked her to "read His Majesty's last edict."
Does the official family have no posthumous edict? Maybe there is. In the past six months, the official family has been feeling unwell and has told the queen many times about his posthumous affairs.
The night wind ruffled Xie Daoqing's mourning hat. She wiped the tears from her face and felt inexplicably relaxed in her heart.
The husband who never wanted to take another look at her has been forgotten in her heart and is dead. Everything that is about to happen in Chui Gong Hall will determine who will inherit the throne of the country.
This is what will determine the rest of her life.
…
After the phoenix chariot went away, Yan Rong, who was still kneeling in Ciyuan Hall and wiping away tears, turned his head for a moment, lowered his head and continued to cry, patting the back of the grieving Zhao Jin gently.
She knew what Xie Daoqing was going to do.
It's a pity that no one except her, Yan Rong, has figured out the most crucial part tonight...
~~
A curtain has been drawn.
Xie Daoqing slowly sat down behind the curtain, covered his face with his hands again, and cried sadly.
Empress Dowager Yang, Empress Dowager Li, and Empress Dowager Wu had sat in this seat before. Now it's her turn... Empress Dowager Xie.
There was a faint morning light outside the hall, and Cheng Yuanfeng could be seen still busy.
Tonight is a secret meeting among the important ministers, and all etiquette should be kept simple.
The difficulty lies in the selection of people to listen to the edict.
Cheng Yuanfeng said privately that all the three provinces, five prefectures, six ministries and nine temples were members of Jia Sidao's party, and they could only be summoned according to the regulations. They only asked for official positions and did not select factions.
As for the palace guards, Fan Wenhu, Jiao Zhi, and Zhao Dingying each led a thousand men to guard the palace.
At that time, Xie Daoqing still asked.
"So...Jia Xiang agreed to enter the palace?"
Cheng Yuanfeng then sighed and said: "Prime Minister Jia doesn't want chaos to happen again. State affairs will be decided during the palace meeting. Please be at ease, Queen."
This means that Cheng Yuanfeng tried his best to deal with Jia Sidao and made compromises on political affairs in exchange for a balance of military power in the palace city.
No one wants to start a fight and cause Lin'an City to suffer military disaster. In the end, the matter will have to be negotiated...
~~
"Your Highness."
"Your Highness..."
The sky was already twilight, and Zhao Fu was supported by others and slowly walked outside the hall.
Ye Mengding brought him here early and didn't pay attention to etiquette.
Now is not the time.
Zhao Fu bent his back and shrank his head, looking very scared.
In the eyes of others, His Royal Highness Prince Zhong has not yet recovered from the grief of the death of his official family, which shows his filial piety.
Before entering the palace, Zhao Fu looked back, his expression turned pale with fright, and he pulled Ye Mengding tightly.
"Sir, why is Jia Sidao here too? Don't let him come..."
"Your Highness, I have no other choice."
Ye Mengding lowered his head, without moving his lips when speaking, and explained two sentences in a voice that only Zhao Yu could hear.
"Jia Sidao is the prime minister, with power over the government and the public. All the officials in the court are his lackeys, and all the soldiers and horses in Lin'an are mobilized by him. If he is not summoned, there is no guarantee that things will not happen."
"But that's not what Mr. Sir said before!"
"Your Highness!" Ye Mengding's voice was very soft, but his tone was a little anxious, "I am asking the Right Prime Minister to support His Highness's succession..."
He was really helpless.
Prince Zhong is too simple and will not listen to these false and true words in the court.
When making the promise to Cheng Yuanfeng, of course he had to talk about Jia Sidao in the most unbearable way, and of course he said, "As long as you join forces with me, Jia Sidao will be finished!"
Did Cheng Yuanfeng agree?
Just silent.
Because when things come to a close, the most important thing is strength.
Throughout the night, apart from a few rumors, has Jia Sidao's strength been damaged?
And what is King Zhong’s strength?
The crown prince's title has not yet been corrected.
Zhao Dingying?
Zhao Dingying was loyal to the officials. The reason why he dared to enter the palace was because he believed that the officials were loyal to the king and came to gain credit from the king, not to rebel.
The only thing a loyal king can rely on is the blood of the emperor, what else?
Without that thunder, it can be said that he has no strength compared to Jia Sidao...
Even though Ye Mengding kept talking about these principles, Zhao Yu couldn't understand them.
"Sir, I don't want Jia Sidao to come. He wants to harm me. Drive him out."
"Your Highness, please be patient for the time being and wait until your status is corrected..."
"Then...who is that?" Zhao Fu was suddenly startled, raised his finger to someone, and then retracted his hand in shock, his face changed drastically.
Ye Mengding looked at it and was also surprised.
He suddenly saw that behind Jia Sidao was Zhao Yumin.
This was something he never expected.
I thought that once the rumor of "Gong Zhou coming out" spread, in order to prove his innocence, Jia Sidao would not dare to support another clan, and could only support the loyal king.
But now, with Jia Sidao leading Zhao Yumin in a grand manner, isn't he afraid that the rumors will be confirmed?
~~
Jia Sidao looked at the Chui Gong Hall ahead.
In the thin light, he could see Ye Mengding and Zhao Yu, master and disciple, struggling with each other.
He found it a little funny.
It was Li Xia who laughed.
A thunderstorm shattered the chessboard and ended the dead game. What next? Do you think you can trust the new emperor after he succeeds to the throne?
I won’t say who King Zhong is.
Who is Ye Mengding?
He is gifted with intelligence, he has memorized his readings, and passed the examination of Ethereum to get the top grade. The two top students came from brown background, which is great.
He was appointed as a promotion official, photographed literature and teaching affairs, moved to the Imperial College to record, was a school secretary, a professor at Zhuang Wenfu, a writing assistant, and a lecturer. After the crown prince was established, he was immediately promoted to crown prince Zhanshi.
Li Xia laid out his plan, starting with a thunderbolt, the commoner became angry, and shed blood for five steps, and the world was pure... At the end, it fell on a teacher?
No, because Li Xia and the teacher were just hoping that Jia Sidao would die.
If Jia Sidao dies, rumors can also be used as evidence.
But he is not dead, the rumors are just a gust of wind.
Jia Sidao raised his hand and patted Zhao Yumin on the back, with a smile on his face.
Smiling for Ye Mengding——
"You said I want to establish a clan, fine, as you wish, come and kill me with your rumors."
~~
The morning breeze blew, and Ye Mengding trembled, and his body became a little stiff.
He saw Jia Sidao's smile...
The thunderous force last night has passed, and the mountains have collapsed, as if God has provided help.
However, Jia Sidao is still alive and still in power.
Cheng Yuanfeng was concerned about his safety and refused to fight with Jia Sidao. He could only argue with reason.
Where is Ye Mengding?
How else can it be done?
what else?
"Mr. Ye, Mr. Jia, please come over." An official came forward and said softly.
Zhao Yu grabbed Ye Mengding.
"gentlemen……"
"Your Highness, I have to go." Ye Mengding thought for a long time and finally sighed, "I have to go."
Zhao Yu was so disappointed.
He looked at Ye Mengding's back and had only one thought in his mind.
"It's useless sir, it's so useless!"
…
Zhao Fu watched under the eaves for a long time.
I saw Jia Sidao covering his sleeves and crying, and said a few words casually. Ye Mengding stamped his feet in anger. After that, Cheng Yuanfeng also came over, and the three of them discussed in low voices for a while.
Finally, Ye Mengding bowed his hand to Jia Sidao, as if entrusting him with a big task.
Zhao Fu became more and more frightened.
Finally, Jia Sidao stepped forward and saluted him.
"My condolences, Your Highness."
"Jia...Jia Xiang..."
"Your Highness, don't worry. Whatever your Highness wants, I will give it to you, but please make sure to trust me."
Zhao Yu was stunned for a moment, then turned his eyes to Zhao Yumin in the distance and shrank his neck.
No matter how stupid he is, he understands that Jia Sidao is now looking at who is more obedient.
"Then...can I still drink alcohol these days?"
Jia Sidao did not smile. There was still a sad look on his face, but there was a smile in his eyes. He leaned closer and whispered: "In national mourning, others are not allowed, but officials are allowed."
Zhao Fu seemed to understand but didn't say anything. He shrank his head and tried his best to put on a well-behaved look.
Jia Sidao only said these few words.
enough.
He turned around, looked at the horizon, and muttered to himself.
"See? Your biggest mistake is to pin your future on the loyal king, Ye Mengding. But you see, if you don't have enough strength, everything is empty."
~~
Cheng Yuanfeng was the last one to enter the palace, ordered all the servants to retreat and closed the palace door.
In just one night, he seemed to have aged a lot.
What Ye Mengding said about joining forces to support the loyal king and eradicate the traitors sounded very touching... but too false.
It's not that Cheng Yuanfeng didn't want to get rid of Jia Sidao.
He wanted it too much.
But just a few rumors can't get rid of Jia Sidao!
Ye Mengding talks about it, but from beginning to end there is only that one ballad. What other evidence is there?
There are still too many flaws in the regicide. If we don't investigate clearly, the only heir title that the loyal king can rely on is just a castle in the air.
That identity belongs to Jia Sidao, and taking into account his strength... Before the traitors are eradicated, the loyal king will be eradicated first.
In order to stabilize the country, the only solution is to weigh and negotiate.
no way.
~~
When the ministers entered the palace, Jia Sidao was the first to cry.
"Your Majesty...I am so ashamed of Your Majesty!"
Xie Daoqing also cried and asked, "Xiang Jia, where did you go last night?"
"I have a grudge against Li Xia. He is good at assassination and wanted to kill me, so he left the city to take shelter temporarily."
Jia Sidao did not hide his surprise and spoke to everyone he met, setting the tone for today's discussion.
"Absurd!" Rao Huchen shouted: "Xiang Jia, there is no need for drama at this time!"
"No kidding." Jia Sidao said seriously, "Li Xia is good at assassination."
Afterwards, he stood aside and wiped his tears without speaking again.
Only his followers came out to speak.
"The foundation of the country must be established, but how your majesty died must be thoroughly investigated first. We are not suspicious of the loyal king, but the thorough investigation is to clear the suspicion of loyal king!"
"If Pang Xie is the only traitor, then who blew up the wine warehouse? Why was Wende Hall destroyed? How did the Guanxing Pavilion detonate? There must have been someone else plotting rebellion that night!"
"..."
"There was another explosion on Yu Street. Several clan members were unfortunately killed. Magistrate Zhao?"
Zhao Yumin lowered his head, thinking in his heart——
Between Zhao Fu and the clan, Jia Sidao could only support one person.
Who is more obedient? His son is too smart and cannot compare with Zhao Yu.
The key today is that Jia Sidao just wants to draw the fire on Li Xia and continue to support King Zhong.
But as long as the fire can be burned on Zhao Yu, great things can be accomplished.
Jia Sidao understood this, but he had the confidence to control the situation, so he gave him a chance...
Thinking of this, Zhao Yumin spoke up and said: "Queen, I am guilty. I would like to ask Rong Chen to report the situation in detail. I believe that someone is driving a wedge between the courtiers and stirring up trouble..."
Xie Daoqing was silent and listened for a long time.
Finally, all the clues were attributed to Li Xia.
"I believe that what happened last night must have been done by spies. The person in Lin'an who is best at this is Li Xia, so..."
"Absurd! How absurd?!"
Rao Huchen came out again and shouted: "This is nonsense, without any basis, and you are making random accusations against Commander-in-Chief Fang. Queen, I think Magistrate Zhao is crazy and should be driven out!"
Jia Sidao turned his head and narrowed his eyes.
The person who needs to be persuaded today is not the queen, but these loyal and upright people.
Why?
A loyal and upright person is usually regarded as pedantic by others.
Thousands of people dislike it, and tens of thousands of people dislike it. But when all the rules are broken, only these loyal and upright people can represent the popularity of the people.
When the mountains and mausoleums have collapsed, besides military power, the most important thing to maintain order is popular support.
At times like this, only these people who have always been upright and fair can take charge of the situation and the government and the public can be truly convinced.
This is the word "hope", and it is also the "way" to maintain the world's situation.
…
"It's not unfounded!"
Zhao Yumin shouted: "Li Xia was in the palace last night! First he had a drink with Yang Zhen, and then he entered the palace disguised as Qiao. His behavior was suspicious and the evidence of his crime was solid!"
Ye Mengding closed his eyes, feeling helpless in his heart.
After a night of turmoil, he thought countless times that he could join forces with Li Xia and Cheng Yuanfeng to eliminate Jia Sidao.
As a result, Cheng Yuanfeng could not make up his mind and had to stabilize the situation.
Now, Cheng Yuanfeng and Jia Sidao worked together to investigate, and Li Xia was finally exposed.
Fortunately, I protected Prince Zhong...
Zhao Yumin said again: "I would like to ask the Queen to inquire about Yang Zhen!"
"Passing Yang Town..."
~~
At the same time, the sky has been bright for a long time.
Near the tide-watching platform, someone suddenly shouted.
"Li Jieshuai is back!"
Many people turned around and saw three large ships sailing upstream on the Qiantang River, their flags waving.
A man wearing armor stood on the bow of the ship, looking majestic.
This situation is very similar to two months ago.
…
"Li Jieshuai!"
After hearing the news, the girls from the Xiuyi Society rushed to Lijin Bridge and saw three large ships docked. Who was Li Xia standing on the bow of one of the ships?
They couldn't help being overjoyed, standing on tiptoes and waving the fragrant handkerchiefs in their hands.
"Li Jieshuai is back again!"
"Li Jieshuai! Look at me, look at me!"
"..."
Li Xiazhen turned to look at Lijin Bridge.
He even nodded and raised his hand to wave.
After that, the big ship anchored, and he led the soldiers off the ship and went straight to the palace city.
The three hundred Shu lieutenant generals lined up neatly and wore bright armor, which attracted the attention of many people.
The girls from the Xiuyi Society followed him to Yujie, but they didn't dare to follow anymore and stopped and chattered non-stop.
"Oh my God, my Li Jieshuai is back again."
"I just saw him leaving by boat yesterday evening. Why did he come back again?"
"It must be because of the thunder that fell from the sky last night, and the officials recruited Li Jieshuai to return to the court to protect him."
"Yes, yes, it must be, the noise last night was so scary."
"But it would be nice if Li Jieshuai came back..."
Occasionally, pedestrians passed by and listened to their conversation, shaking their heads.
Obviously, the news of the death of the official family has not yet spread to the people...