Emperor Mingwen was a man who cherished talents. The look he looked at Chu Yunning was a little more appreciative, even a little complicated and dark.
"Aren't you afraid?"
Ordinary people would be scared to death if they offended the Prime Minister and the Queen.
But looking at Chu Yunning, there was no fear at all.
"Afraid, how could I not be afraid?" Chu Yunning could be tough in front of the queen because the queen was just a queen, and there was still room for change in some things.
But in front of Emperor Mingwen, Chu Yunning said that he had to show weakness when he should, because Emperor Mingwen was the master of a country and had the power to kill.
Can't afford to offend.
Emperor Mingwen raised his eyebrows, obviously not believing her words.
"I believe that the emperor is a wise king and will not condone the queen to kill innocent people indiscriminately."
Emperor Mingwen smiled: "No need to flatter me."
"Everything I say is from the bottom of my heart." Chu Yunning rolled her eyes silently in her heart and continued to praise her, while her hands continued to grind.
Emperor Mingwen asked again: "Is there any news about how many children?"
"Everything is fine for now."
These concubines are quite obedient. Their food, drink, housing and transportation are all guarded, and they don't do anything. They don't even go out, which greatly reduces the chance of trouble.
Anyone with any brains knows that
If you give birth to the little prince safely, the glory and wealth for the rest of your life will be preserved.
As long as a little prince is born in the palace, she can take Beibei to Shu. Thinking about it makes her excited.
"Your Majesty, the money raised by the Prime Minister and the harem has been delivered." Eunuch Mo lowered his head and held a box in his hand. The box was filled with banknotes, ranging in amount from large to small. At a rough glance, it was at least tens of millions.
Emperor Mingwen glanced at him and said: "Eunuch Mo, please make a decree!"
"According to my decree, the prime minister will be fully responsible for this disaster relief. If there are any mistakes, don't ask him, and kill the prime minister first!"
After saying this, Eunuch Mo was stunned, and then quickly went to announce the decree.
...
"I appreciate this!" After Eunuch Mo read out the imperial edict, the Prime Minister's face looked gloomy and ugly.
According to his original plan, no matter who was responsible for this disaster relief, the five million taels of silver would be returned to his own pocket.
But the emperor actually issued an edict.
That sentence of "killing the prime minister first" is simply putting his heart on the fire.
I am angry and angry. I have been an official for more than thirty years and have experienced three dynasties. When have I ever been so wronged?
"Prime Minister, please accept the decree." Mo Gonggong said.
The Prime Minister of the Palace took the imperial edict, suppressed his anger and said: "I accept the edict!"
After thinking for a while, he asked unwillingly: "Which minister did the emperor meet again?"
He didn't believe that the emperor would come up with such an idea.
A figure of the marriage contract was printed in my mind, and I shook my head again, how could this be possible? It definitely couldn't be a little girl.
"Since the Prime Minister left the palace, no ministers have entered the palace to see the Emperor. The Prime Minister is overly worried."
The Prime Minister understood clearly and secretly said that the Emperor's wings were stiff.
"How is the Queen now?" Madam Gong couldn't help but care about her daughter.
Eunuch Mo hesitated for a moment before saying: "The Queen is currently in Cihe Palace to plead guilty. Prince Xiao's injury is not serious..."
This sentence made Madam Gong's face change instantly, and she was annoyed that Queen Gong could hurt Prince Xiao because of her confusion.
That's the Queen Mother's heart.
"Mrs. Palace is worried. The Queen Mother said that as long as the Prime Minister is successful in the disaster relief, she will not argue with the Queen." Eunuch Mo said with a smile.
If the disaster relief was wrong, wouldn't it mean that the Queen would not be saved?
The Prime Minister of the Palace suppressed his careful thoughts, this was the Emperor trying to beat the Gong family, but it was not up to him to decide whether the disaster relief was good or bad.
Eunuch Mo said unhurriedly: "Prime Minister, don't worry, you are not responsible for this disaster relief work alone, there are others to help. The emperor has already thought of a disaster relief strategy for you."
The Prime Minister frowned. He only said there was a disaster in the afternoon, and now he has come up with a solution?
He doesn't believe it!
"What relief measures can your Majesty have?"
The Prime Minister asked disapprovingly.
"Dig a canal along the way, and set up supervision posts in every county, hire disaster victims who are capable of working, and register them. Each person will be given money every day. If something goes wrong in any county, the crime of that county will be punished.
!”
When Eunuch Mo finished speaking, the Prime Minister frowned.
"By the way, the supervision posts in each county are manned by soldiers from the Imperial Guard. The posts are rotated every ten days and they report to the emperor every ten days."
When the Prime Minister heard this, his brows were so tight that they could knot into knots. Wasn't this trying to force someone to death?
Not to mention taking back five million taels of silver, it would be nice if he didn't repay the money.
"This is a waste of life and money. Why would the Emperor go through so much trouble to come up with such an idea?"
Although the Prime Minister said this, his heart was completely conquered by Emperor Mingwen's disaster relief strategy.
"Each year, disaster relief costs the court a lot of manpower and material resources, and it is not a long-term solution. If the canals are dug, there will be no need to worry about droughts and floods in the future. Although it is a bit laborious, it can be solved once and for all." Eunuch Mo repeated the words of Emperor Mingwen.
The Prime Minister was speechless. In the past, being responsible for disaster relief was a job that everyone wanted to do, but now, it is just a hot potato, and whoever does it will be unlucky.
"Your Majesty, Prime Minister, the Emperor said that it is not necessary to delay the matter, so that you can set off immediately."
Eunuch Mo raised his hand and asked someone to bring up the disaster relief funds.
A large box was filled with trivial banknotes. The prime minister was so angry that he almost spit out a mouthful of blood.
"True face, take the order!"
When Eunuch Mo left, Prime Minister Gong's expression could not be described as ugly.
"Prime Minister, what do you mean by the emperor?" Madam Gong asked.
The Prime Minister was silent for a long time and then said: "The Emperor has Zhuge Liang beside him to help with ideas, push orders in front of him, and build rivers and canals in the back. He really shouldn't be underestimated."
"Who is this person? He dares to go against the prime minister. Don't you want to live?"
The Prime Minister of the Palace snorted coldly: "Who else could it be, but Chu Yunning from the Chu Shang Palace, who caused a turmoil with Prince Xiao and destroyed the Yihong Tower by himself? Now he is in the palace and holds the Phoenix Seal!
"
"How could she, a small and weak woman, have such great abilities? The prime minister must have made a mistake."
The lady in the palace didn't believe that Chu Yunning had such ability. She was just an arrogant, domineering, vulgar and brainless woman she had seen at a banquet a few years ago.
The Prime Minister was speechless for a moment. Today, at the door of the Yizheng Hall, Chu Yun was neither humble nor arrogant.
Stopped in front of the palace, there was no trace of fear in his eyes.
Rather, it is a gesture of knowing everything.
The Prime Minister of the Palace slapped his forehead: "Send a letter to the Queen quickly. Don't offend Chu Shang Palace again."
"Master Xiang, what about it?"
"The queen is no match for Chu Shanggong at all. She can only win over her and is not easily offended."
Not to mention how smart Chu Yunning is, he can't offend him just because of his ability.
If the queen could endure it, please Chu Yunning, and think of ways to give birth to a legitimate son, then the queen's position would be secure.
Otherwise, it will be in danger.
The Prime Minister's advice reached the Queen's ears word for word.
The queen of the palace was so angry that she smashed the furnishings in the room to pieces. She was so angry that her heart kept heaving.
"I am the mother of a country and I still want to please her. What a dream!"
The Queen's eyes were red, and murderous intent flashed deep in her eyes.
"My Lady, please bear with me a little longer. When you recover, it won't be too late to take back the Phoenix Seal and deal with her," the palace maid advised.
The Empress gritted her teeth. She was stupid. She was deceived by the Emperor and Chu Yunning and coaxed away the Phoenix Seal in her hand. As a result, she was now unable to move forward and was in a deadlock.
"I know that from now on, I will withdraw my meat dishes. I will eat vegetarian food and pray for the people every day until the disaster relief is over."
The empress calmed down, knowing that she could no longer remain silent: "Go and send a message to father."
"yes!"
One month later, the relief effect has changed significantly.
Emperor Mingwen's reputation spread among the people, and at the same time there were people praising Chu Yunning.
"Chu Shanggong is very resourceful and can come up with such a good disaster relief plan. It is a blessing for the people."
Concubine Mei looked at Chu Yunning with admiration, stretched out her wrist obediently, and continued gossiping: "My mother wrote a letter asking me to listen more to Chu Shanggong. The flood control happened to pass through my hometown, and many people are still planning to give Chu Shanggong.
Shang Gong is building a temple."
After saying this, Chu Yunning's face changed slightly.
"Chu Shanggong, what's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with my fetus?" Concubine Mei nervously covered her bulging belly.
Chu Yunning retracted her hand and shook her head: "The child is fine. How long has it been since what Concubine Mei just said?"
Concubine Mei breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that the child was okay.
"This matter has been going on for about ten days. Many people admire Chu Shanggong very much." Mei Fei said.
Chu Yunning hummed lightly, and after a few words of advice, he went to find Emperor Mingwen.
It is not a good thing for a woman to be too showy, especially if she steals the limelight from the emperor and others, that is a crime worthy of death!
"Chu Shanggong, wait a moment, the emperor is meeting with the ministers inside." Eunuch Mo reminded in a low voice: "Chu Shanggong, please be careful, the emperor is not in a good mood today."
"Thank you, Eunuch Mo, for informing me."
After waiting for about an hour, Chu Yunning finally met Emperor Mingwen.
Emperor Mingwen's face was really disgusting, and he glanced sideways at her: "What's the matter?"
Chu Yunning knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Emperor Mingwen.
"The emperor is wise, and I dare not pretend to claim fame. If someone wants to frame me, I ask the emperor to make the decision for me."
Emperor Mingwen smiled and said nothing.
"I request the emperor to issue an order to thoroughly investigate the source of the rumors."
"How to check?" Emperor Mingwen said calmly: "These are what you came up with, and what the people say is not unreasonable."
"Your Majesty, all the people in the world are your subjects. It is my duty to share your worries for you. I dare not overstep my bounds. I just want to wait in peace and contentment for the time to take Bei Bei to Shu, and stay safe for the rest of my life."
Chu Yunning wanted to scold her behind her back, but she finally managed to get out of it, but she found out who was plotting against her behind her back, and she had to skin him!
"Why is Chu Shanggong panicking? How could I be so stingy and insist on your sincerity?"
Emperor Mingwen held a cup of tea in his hand and took a sip, then slowly put it down. The teacup fell on the table with a thud, which was particularly jarring in the silent palace.
Chu Yunning's heart also trembled.
"Your Majesty, the sincerity of my ministers can be seen from heaven and earth. There is no difference of heart." Chu Yunning swore to the sky, fearing that Emperor Mingwen would think too much. No emperor in history wanted his ministers to shine brighter than the king of a country.
Some don't say anything with their mouths, but use dirty tricks behind their backs.
There are simply not too many examples of secretly finding a reason to kill a minister and his entire family.
Chu Yunning was even more worried that Emperor Mingwen would regret it and refuse to let her and Beibei go to Shu.
The emperor's heart is unpredictable. Chu Yunning once again scolded the person behind the scenes several times in his heart. He is sick!
Emperor Mingwen suddenly stared at Chu Yunning's face several times.
After a long time, Emperor Mingwen said: "
Get up, the Prime Minister can support a boat, why am I so stingy?"
"I don't dare."
Emperor Mingwen was not angry when he found out about this incident, and when the guards reported it, he just said he knew it.
"In your opinion, what should we do about this matter?"
Chu Yunning said bluntly: "In my humble opinion, we must find the root cause, otherwise there will be endless troubles."
Things are getting bigger and bigger, and she must be the unlucky one!
Chu Yunning couldn't guarantee whether Emperor Zhengwen had never had murderous intentions.
Emperor Mingwen listened patiently and raised his chin: "Continue talking."
"The emperor previously ordered the execution of the prime minister. Although the prime minister was not at fault, the rumors this time have seriously affected the emperor's reputation. I...I have an unkind request."
Chu Yunning boldly suggested: "I thought we could increase our efforts."
Emperor Mingwen raised his eyebrows: "You mean to continue pouring dirty water on my head and force the Prime Minister to find the source?"
Only when the matter gets serious can the Prime Minister be involved.
If the Prime Minister didn't want to plead guilty, he would have no choice but to quell the rumors.
Emperor Mingwen and Chu Yunning both felt like they were in the clear mirror. The source of this matter was the Prime Minister.
"Chu Shanggong, do you know that my virtuous reputation over the years has not come easily, and I am also a person who cherishes feathers."
Emperor Mingwen was obviously unwilling. He did not want to be recorded in history books as an incompetent and cowardly king.
Chu Yunning gritted his teeth and changed his strategy.
"You still need the person who tied the bell to untie it, so you can only retaliate."
The Prime Minister of the Palace is good at disaster relief and has great reputation and prestige. As long as the limelight overshadows her, there will be someone high enough to hold her up even if the sky falls.
Emperor Mingwen squinted at Chu Yunning: "Are you sure the Prime Minister will compromise on this?"
Judging from his tone, he encouraged her to increase her stakes.
Chu Yunning immediately said: "I thought there was something strange in the harem, maybe it was a sign of disaster."
"I leave all the affairs of the harem to you, and you don't need to worry about it anymore."
Emperor Wen of Ming Dynasty wants to do whatever he wants.
Chu Yunning immediately nodded: "I accept the order."
At night, there seemed to be ghost fires lingering in Fengyi Palace. Everyone in the palace saw them, and they surrounded the palace walls.
"What is that?"
"It seems like a personal shadow!"
"How come the shadow of Lady Li appears on the palace wall?"
Several palace attendants passing by Fengyi Palace on errands took a first look at the palace wall and were so frightened that they screamed.
The news spread early the next morning, causing an uproar.
"Mother, something happened."
The Queen of the Palace frowned: "It must be Chu Yunning who is behind the scenes. How could he be so unreasonable and dare to plot against me!"
"Your Majesty, many people in the harem have seen it, what should we do now?"
When she went to get food in the morning, everyone who saw her avoided her.
The Queen took a deep breath: "Hmph, don't think that you can do anything to me with your little tricks, I..."
"Your Majesty, Chu Shang Palace has brought people here to get rid of evil spirits." The little eunuch hurriedly ran in to report.
The Queen was stunned: "He dares!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yunning led someone in, followed by about a dozen monks.
There was also a palace maid holding a wooden bucket in her hand and using a spoon to sprinkle something on the ground. When she got closer, she saw that it was blood!