The atmosphere of today's morning court was relatively dull. Many officials did not dare to speak too loudly for fear of upsetting Emperor Ning. The morning court that originally took about an hour ended in less than half an hour.
Emperor Ning left the Golden Palace and went directly back to the Imperial Study. As soon as he stepped through the door, he saw Li Yan kneeling in the palace.
Li Yan also noticed him, turned around and called out softly: "Brother Emperor!"
"Do you still have an imperial brother like me in your eyes?" Emperor Ning's face was expressionless and his voice was a little low. He bypassed him and went straight to the back of the dragon case to sit down. He stared at him for a moment and continued: "Li Yan, tell me
, what on earth are you doing?”
Li Yan's expression was evasive, his eyebrows were slightly lowered, and there was sweat on his palms. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said: "Brother Emperor, I am doing this for the future of Ning State. Tang Ji and other sycophants do mischief all day long. Brother Emperor,
But you were bewitched by him and favored him so much. If you let him grow up, it will shake the foundation of our country, Ning!"
"You mean, I am a foolish king who knows no difference between loyalty and evil?" Emperor Ning asked angrily.
Upon hearing this, Li Yan immediately kowtowed and saluted: "My brother, I don't dare!"
Emperor Ning frowned and snorted coldly: "Are you afraid, or are you dissatisfied? You were dissatisfied with me for sending Li Chonghan to Yunzhou, so you turned your anger on Tang Ji and almost cost Shen Di his life.
If word spreads, how will the people view the royal family? How can those scholars who want to become officials trust the royal family?"
At this point, he stood up suddenly and said angrily: "Don't you want to avenge your son? It was me who sent him out, but you came to kill me!"
Seeing this, Li Yan buried his head on the ground and did not dare to move. It had been a long time since he had seen the emperor's brother so angry. He couldn't help but remember what happened more than ten years ago. He trembled slightly and said quickly: "I don't dare, my brother."
I know my mistake."
Emperor Ning's fist hit the dragon case hard, his expression extremely serious: "Now that Ning State looks calm, there are actually signs of internal and external troubles. Tang Ji's strategy to promote agriculture has solved a problem for me. He has been here these days.
I discussed with Shen Di the new method of managing the army in the northwest, and everything I did was for Ningguo. What about you? What are you doing? You want to assassinate my capable minister of Ningguo, and you want to use such a stupid way to frame the blame. You are really my star.
Can no one in Wei find out? There is also Xian'er, who was also led astray by your uncle, look what he has become now? Tell me, who is the sycophant?"
Li Yan had sweat breaking out on his forehead, but he didn't dare to say anything, so he could only kneel down and be scolded.
Emperor Ning sat down on the dragon chair again, closed his eyes, and took a deep, heavy breath. After a while, he opened his eyes and said in a deep voice: "Go back to your fief."
Hearing this sentence, Li Yan was like a bolt from the blue. He guessed that the emperor brother would not kill him, but he might have to lose his skin or take back his authority in the court, but he never thought that he would be expelled from Kyoto.
, raised his head suddenly: "Brother Emperor, I..."
Before he could speak, Emperor Ning said in a deep voice: "I have made up my mind!"
The emperor's golden words made it impossible to take back the decisions he made at will. Li Yan raised his eyes slightly and saw the man sitting behind the dragon case with a very firm look on his face. He nodded: "My brother, thank you, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Ning didn't speak again, and raised his hand casually, signaling for him to step back.
After Li Yan left, Emperor Ning finally exhaled and murmured: "He is the daughter of Concubine Xi, and he grew up with me. When Concubine Xi passed away, she asked me to save his life. Not only did I not kill him,
Instead, he handed over some of the important affairs of the court to him. As a result, after so many years, he allowed his son to do so many bad things in the city, humiliating the dignity of the royal family, and now he poisoned Tang Ji and Shen Di because of personal vendetta.
, I can’t let him continue to act recklessly. I hope that after this time, he can wake up, otherwise it will be my fault for not remembering the feelings of the past!"
As he spoke, his eyes became sharp, as if he had no emotion at all.
Bai Chang, who was standing beside him, bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
After a while, Emperor Ning retracted his thoughts and tapped his forehead with a headache: "Of course this matter cannot be spread, but the court must also give an explanation... Oh, how can everything be done with Tang?
With that brat Ji involved, is it possible that he is really a disaster star?"
"For some people, he may be a disaster star, but for Ning Guo, he is a lucky star." Bai Chang replied with a smile.
Emperor Ning turned his head and glanced at him: "You old guy is becoming more and more biased toward him!"
Bai Chang shook his head: "I don't dare. My preference is always Your Majesty."
At this moment, the little eunuch standing at the door of the palace suddenly heard a voice: "Your Majesty, Princess Jingyang wants to see you!"
Hearing this, Emperor Ning raised his eyes and looked outside the palace. The little girl from Jingyang had pestered him yesterday for a token to visit Tang Ji in the outer city. He didn't know where that boy was. Qi'er went to look for him from time to time, and now he even
Meng'er also... If it weren't for the inappropriate age, he might really consider recruiting Tang Ji as his son-in-law. He stopped thinking about it and said, "Xuan!"
Soon, Li Qingmeng walked in with an aggrieved look on her face. She pursed her lips and looked pitiful. She knelt down and said, "My son, I wish to meet my father."
Emperor Ning naturally noticed her strangeness and raised his hand to tell her to stand up: "Without courtesy, come to Father quickly."
Li Qingmeng stood up and ran to him with small steps: "Father!"
As the head of a country, Emperor Ning usually cares about the world. Maybe he can only find the happiness of being a father to his daughter. He raised his hand and pinched her fair face, and asked softly: "What's the matter? Who bullied me?"
Meng'er? Could it be Tang Ji? Father, I will go find him to settle the score right now!"
After hearing what he said, Li Qingmeng hugged his arm and shook her head: "No, father, it's Meng'er who is a little sad."
"Oh? What is it that makes Meng'er sad?" Emperor Ning touched her head and asked.
Li Qingmeng blinked her smart eyes, and after thinking for a while, she continued: "Father, brother Tang Ji was assassinated. He is very unhappy now. He has been sitting in the household department in a daze. No matter what Meng'er calls, it doesn't work. Mother
The concubine said that this situation is caused by a heart disease."
"Unhappy?" Emperor Ning snorted. In the whole court, that brat was the most lazy, and his life was extremely easy. How could he be unhappy? He continued: "Then what should he do with his heartache?
How can it be cured?"
Li Qingmeng was waiting for this question, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she said: "Brother Tang Ji said that it would be nice to go to the city for a walk, and I want Meng'er to accompany me!"
Tang Ji probably never thought that Li Qingmeng would sell him here.
She clasped her hands together and looked a little nervous. She had begged her father to go outside the imperial city before, but was always rejected. She was even scolded by her father. She didn't know if she could succeed using Tang Ji's name this time.
He secretly glanced at Ning Huang, waiting for an answer.
Emperor Ning thought deeply for a long time, then smiled and said: "Okay, my father agreed."
Of course he knew that this was all Jingyang's petty thoughts, but seeing her look, Tang Ji's loss didn't seem to be fake. He guessed that the boy might have learned the false news that the court had released that "the assassin bit his tongue and committed suicide in the Star Division"
, thus worrying about his own safety. In addition, although Tianxuan brought Li Yan secretly today, someone will definitely know about it.
So no matter what, he must compensate that boy and Shen Di. Since Tang Ji was unhappy, it didn't matter if he was given another day's rest.
Li Qingmeng, however, widened her eyes in surprise and cheered: "Father, you are so kind!"
Emperor Ning pinched her little nose: "But, Tianxuan must follow!"
"Okay!" Anyone can follow him as long as he can leave the imperial city and have a look outside. Li Qing agreed without even thinking about it.
Emperor Ning released his grip on her arm and continued, "Okay, Meng'er will wait outside the palace. Father will send an order to summon Tianxuan."
"My son, I obey the decree!" Li Qingmeng did not forget to give a polite salute, and then walked quickly out of the palace, for fear that her father would regret it.
Seeing this, Emperor Ning shook his head helplessly: "This shameless girl...Bai Chang, please inform Tang Ji in advance!"
Bai Chang knew what he was talking about and without hesitation, he bowed and walked out of the palace.
Emperor Ning stared outside the palace, wondering what he was thinking about. After a moment, he looked back and picked up the memorial on the table to review it.
...
Hubu, in the side courtyard.
After the morning session ended, many household officials who returned to the Yamen also expressed their condolences to Tang Ji one after another. After Tang Ji responded one by one, he felt even more exhausted. He wanted to lie down and rest in the Yamen, but was stopped.
Chen Zehan shouted out.
"Hey, Mr. Tang, is there anything you can do?" Chen Zehan looked at Tang Ji expectantly.
Tang Ji picked his ears with his little finger, avoiding the other party's sparkling eyes, and listened to him ramble for a long time. It was nothing more than that Emperor Ning had reorganized the household department and attacked too many audit officials in Du Branch. Now that there is not enough manpower, the audit is facing
Difficult question, I stroked my chin and thought about it for a while, thinking about whether I should tell the other party my method of checking accounts.
After all, Chen Zehan had been looking at each other for a while with Tang Ji. Seeing him look like this, he looked amused and immediately showed joy.
But at this moment, a eunuch came in from outside the arch and looked at the two of them with a puzzled look. If there was something in the household department that couldn't be discussed in the government office, why did he come to the side courtyard? But it wasn't much.
Thinking about it, he walked straight to Tang Ji and said, "Your Majesty has spoken!"
Although the oral edict was not as effective as the imperial edict, it was still the emperor's will. Chen Zehan did not hesitate and quickly fell to his knees.
Tang Ji looked suspicious. Could it be that the little girl really begged Emperor Ning to let him take her out to play? He shrugged and knelt down.
"His Majesty's oral message: Tang Aiqing was assassinated by a traitor yesterday. She is mentally disturbed and physically and mentally exhausted. She is specially allowed to take a day off from bathing. From tomorrow on, Aiqing must attend morning court every day!"
Hearing this, Tang Ji suddenly raised his head. The previous words were all very good, and he could accept them, but what the hell was behind them? Participating in a morning court? He was the only one in charge to attend some morning court. Wasn't this depriving him of his rest time?
Chen Zehan's expression changed, and he reminded him excitedly: "Master Tang, please thank me!"
"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty!" Tang Ji replied weakly.
After Tang Ji got up, the little eunuch took two steps forward and whispered a few words in his ear.
In an instant, Tang Ji withered again. The dead girl had indeed succeeded. The old emperor was really ridiculous. He actually allowed a foreign minister to take the princess out of the palace. If this spread, the royal family would be really embarrassed. See
The eunuch turned around and left. He also planned to go back to rest, but was interrupted by Chen Zehan.