In the Shiqianxi Hall, the emperor was leaning on the couch wearing only a medium coat. He stared blankly at the roof of the hall, not knowing what he was thinking.
He held a cup of smoothie in his hand, and the ice cubes in it had long since melted. The milky white milk overflowed from the cup and dripped down his arm. It had already stained his clothes, but Yuan Ke was still unaware of it.
Under the royal couch, Yuan Yi knelt down and sat behind a few desks, flipping through a few secret letters. The more he read, the more frightened he became, and within a short time, his forehead was covered with cold sweat.
Li Shi, a seventh-grade medicine official (a female official in the inner palace, one of the six chief ministers of the Six Bureaus), is the daughter of Li Zuan, the Wuzhi Li family.
In the second year of Jingming Dynasty (eight years ago), King Yuanxi of Xianyang rebelled. His uncle Li Boxhang (the eldest son of the third family of the Li family in Longxi, the son of Li Fu, the nephew of Li Chong, and the younger brother of Li Shao) had a clear command of affairs and was a minister on horseback, leading swords to the left and right. Just like Hou Gang, who was imprisoned just yesterday, he was extremely favored by Yuan Ke.
Unexpectedly, he planned to assassinate the emperor with Yuan Xi, thus making him a traitor. On the second day after Yuan Xi rebelled, Li Boxhang actually escaped?
He fled all the way to Andong Mansion. At that time, Li Zuan was appointed as the head of Andong Mansion. Since they both belonged to the Li family in Longxi and had always been on good terms with Li Boxhang, he hid him in the mansion.
Afterwards, Yuan Xi was executed, Li Boxhang was arrested, and he and Li Zuan were sentenced to death for the crime of treason. Those whose family members were fourteen or above, the men were exiled to the army and were reduced to criminal status. The women were given military households as wives, and those under fourteen were eight years old. For those over the age of 18, men who enter the palace as eunuchs and women who enter the palace as maids.
That's how you enter the palace...
It is not an exaggeration to say that this woman has a blood feud with Gao Zhao, who forced Yuan Xi to rebel. If we do some calculations, she has served the queen for more than two years?
This kind of status should be considered taboo and should not be sent to the queen. It is probably because the internal chamberlain was negligent and he did not look at this woman's register before sending someone.
It’s even less certain that someone did it intentionally...
The more he thought about it, the faster the cold sweat on Yuan Yi's head broke out.
"Don't be fooled by the evil spirit!"
Yuan Ke put down his cup and sighed leisurely: "Whether it's in this palace or in other mansions, all the officials and maidservants were punished when they were young. Even Liu Teng was no exception. If we really want to talk about it, which one Isn’t there a blood feud with my royal family? Can’t we use any of them and drive them all out of the palace? Don’t stop eating because of choking..."
Yuan Yi's heart moved.
The emperor's subconscious intention seems to be that this matter is only a special case, there should not be too much involvement, and there should not be many conspiracies...
But he was so furious yesterday that he wanted to punish everyone and dug up the palace three feet into the ground: the leading general Yu Zhong (the commander of the Imperial Guard), the Changqiu Qing Liu Teng (the general manager of the palace), and the Taiwei Yuan Yong were all demoted. Crime. The Six Shang and Six Bureaus, all the offices and prisons in the inner palace, the imperial guards and the forest all need to be thoroughly investigated.
But it was only a day of investigation. How could the emperor make a decision so quickly?
If the emperor's tone wasn't a little vague, I'm not sure. If the palace ban was still under martial law, and Yuan Yong and Yu Zhong were still investigating thoroughly, Yuan Yi would have suspected that the emperor knew something hidden?
Just as he was wondering, he saw the emperor sitting up straight. He seemed to be wiping his hands with a piece of silk towel casually, but the look on his face was very solemn and hesitant.
This is obviously something important that needs to be discussed with him... Yuan Yi subconsciously sat upright!
After waiting for a long time, I heard Yuan Ke say: "Fourth brother, am I going to have a son?"
Yuan Yi was ecstatic.
No wonder the emperor was furious yesterday, but after just one night, his anger seemed to have disappeared?
A huge happy event has happened?
It’s time for the emperor to have a son.
Not looking at the other brothers, even the youngest Yuan Yue has two sons. Only the emperor has no son-in-law?
It took a lot of effort to have Prince Chang, but not long after he was established as Crown Prince, he died young?
He then wanted to establish Prince Ming, but he died suddenly before more than a month had passed and the articles of association were not drawn up?
Since then, the emperor's temperament has become more and more cruel, and he has killed his third brother Yuan Yu and his sixth uncle Yuan Xie. This has made all the brothers and the clan panic all day long, for fear of arousing the emperor's suspicion...
Therefore, Yuan Yi is happy from the bottom of his heart.
It’s not just that!
Whether the emperor has heirs or not represents the stability of the country and whether the country will be unstable.
As long as Yuan Ke has a son, it at least means that after a hundred years, the national fraud can continue smoothly without major twists and turns. For example, Yuan Yi and other clans and their descendants can still be rich.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty...eh?"
Just after he praised it, Yuan Yi was startled.
From the emperor's tone, it seems that... he hasn't been born yet?
My guess was correct. She was indeed not born, but Yuan Ke was extremely certain.
"I called Wang Xian to check Hu Chonghua's pulse today, and the pulse is definitely a male fetus!"
When mentioning Hu Yunhua, Yuan Ke's mind couldn't help but think of that woman who was as charming as heaven, elegant, and as elegant as water.
Since he has summoned the king to show his diagnosis, he should be inseparable.
At that time, Queen Wen Zhao (Gao Zhaorong, Yuan Ke's biological mother) was pregnant. Wang Xian diagnosed her pulse and concluded that the fetus must be a boy, but the consequences were unexpected...
Yuan Yi's face was full of joy, and he stood up and bowed deeply to Yuan Ke: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Congratulations indeed!
Yuan Ke finally couldn't hold it back and laughed "hahaha", with a sickly flush on his face.
I have been so impatient these past few years and my body is getting worse day by day. Isn’t it because of the difficulties in the family and the depression caused by the deliberate worries?
In the end, God will bless you and bring you great blessings...
After laughing for a while, Yuan Ke took a deep breath and said with a hopeful look on his face: "That's why I'm calling my fourth brother this time... I want to abolish the system of 'raising a son and killing his mother'..."
Yuan Yi sighed in his heart: Is he finally here?
This system in the Yuan and Wei Dynasties originated from Emperor Daowu.
Due to his biological mother, the Queen Mother Helan, the process of Emperor Daowu's succession to the throne was extremely difficult and dangerous, and he was almost killed by his mother, brother, uncle, etc.
After succeeding to the throne, Emperor Daowu poisoned his biological mother to death, and gave his younger brother and uncle a clan to death. Then he established the ancestral system that "when establishing a prince, he must kill his biological mother", which has been passed down to this day.
It really should have been abolished long ago.
When Xianwen's younger brother was made the crown prince, Emperor Xianwen cried and begged Emperor Wencheng to abolish this system, but he refused. Xianwen was so anxious that he framed his legitimate mother (adoptive mother), Empress Dowager Feng, because she was afraid that if his son was made the crown prince, his biological mother would be poisoned, so he did it himself.
She covered the eldest son of Emperor Wencheng who was born to her to death instead of dying of illness.
It was this time that laid the trigger for Empress Dowager Feng to turn against Emperor Xianwen. In the end, Emperor Xianwen was poisoned by Empress Dowager Feng...
When Emperor Xiaowen was established as crown prince, he also cried and begged Empress Dowager Feng to abolish this system. For this reason, Yuanhong was almost deposed. In the cold winter of March 9th, Empress Dowager Feng stripped her naked, locked her in an ice cellar, and tried to freeze to death and starve to death. But the strange thing is that after being imprisoned for three days and three nights, Emperor Xiaowen was safe and sound, with no symptoms of cold.
Later, there was a Shuguan Yao Gua, saying that Yuan Hong was protected by gods. Empress Dowager Feng was afraid of being sent by heaven, so she gave up.
When Emperor Xiaowen made Yuan Xun the crown prince, Empress Dowager Feng was still alive and Yuan Hong was still young, so he did not dare to comment.
When Yuan Xun was abolished and Yuan Ke was established, Gao Zhaorong had already died of illness, so this system was not implemented.
It is not because of the above that this system should be abolished, but because it is contrary to human ethics.
Not every prince is like the late Emperor Xiaowen, who is protected by gods and has unlucky luck.
Not to mention being naked and freezing for three days and three nights. They were raised well in the palace, but not just one or two died due to a minor illness.
The reason is simply that the aunt is not the biological mother and has no blood ties, so she is not as close and caring as she is to her own children.
For example, Prince Chang before Yuan Ke was raised under the knees of Gao Ying because his biological mother was given away by the queen. However, Gao Ying was not a patient and careful person, and the people in the palace were also used to being domineering and careless. It was just a cold wind.
It will kill Prince Chang.
According to rumors, Empress Dowager Feng was not the only one who killed her own children because she was afraid of death. There are cases of this in every generation.
Just like Gao Ying, the month after Prince Chang died in infancy, the emperor planned to re-establish Prince Ming (son of Gao Ying), but Prince Ming suddenly died suddenly?
Yuan Yi wouldn't believe it to death if there was no ghost involved. However, the emperor believed it so firmly that he was as possessed by a demon and loved the queen endlessly?
Even for Gao Ying's nature, this system should be abolished. Otherwise, she would have to raise another prince to death?
Thinking of this, Yuan Yi bowed down again: "I have no objection!"
The emperor was overjoyed, as if he couldn't believe it, and asked suspiciously: "This is an ancestral system, and the fourth brother agreed so readily?"
Yuan Yi hesitated for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and told the truth: "It's not that I don't follow the ancestral system, but that the Gao family is really not a good wife and mother. I'm afraid of making the same mistakes as Prince Chang and Prince Ming... ”
Prince Chang, Prince Ming?
It was like a stab in the chest, Yuan Ke felt a sharp pain in his heart.
It’s not that no one kept secrets from him, the two princes were both queens, and the queen even conspired with her uncle Gao Zhao to kill her. For example, the queen’s brother Yu Zhong, the emperor’s uncle Yuan Xie, and the emperor’s younger brothers Yuan Yu and Yuan Yi.
But how can we make such a big decision based on conjecture?
Yu Zhong conducted a secret investigation for several months, but in the end there was no solid evidence?
But the queen is really impatient and is not the choice of a good mother...
Thinking of this, Yuan Ke's determination to abolish the ancestral system became stronger: "My brother understands the righteousness, and I am very relieved. I will call all my uncles and brothers to discuss with each other every day after the court..."
Yuan Yi secretly sighed in his heart: Even if Gao Ying and Gao Zhao were so domineering and rampant, who would object?
Is it Yuanyue, Yuanhuai, or the clans?
Who doesn’t hate Gao to the core?
Uncle Yong Wang is possible.
But what a coincidence, the assassin just shouted "King Yingchuan will avenge me"?
At this time, Yuan Yongzheng was busy proving his innocence, and he was not as worried as usual. He was afraid that the emperor would use the topic to his advantage. Even if he didn't want to, he didn't dare to say anything.
What's more coincidental is that Hu Chonghua was pregnant, and the queen was assassinated at the same time. Otherwise, Hu Chonghua would have been made difficult and targeted by the queen.
Even if the emperor abolishes the system, there will be fewer twists and turns. At least the queen will be able to complain to the emperor flawlessly and act recklessly...
Thinking of this, Yuan Yi paused for just one or two breaths, as if he had seen a ghost in the middle of the night, and suddenly he had a sudden thought: It was only when he was looking at the case that he suddenly had a whim, wondering whether the female official of the Li family had been raped by someone. I deliberately arranged to be with the queen...could it be really intentional?
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
As he called him, he raised his head involuntarily. He found that the emperor's face was extremely gloomy, and it was as if there were two knives hidden in his eyes, which made Yuan Yi feel cold in his heart.
You can think of it yourself, how could the emperor not think of it?
No wonder I was so angry yesterday but so calm today?
I am afraid that I have already found out the origin of the assassin, and even found out that the assassin is really just after the queen...
Yuan Yi's heart beat like a drum, and he quickly lowered his eyes, not even daring to raise his eyelids.
There was a moment of silence in the palace, and one could actually hear the soft sound of the breeze passing through the eaves of the palace.
After a long time, I heard Yuan Ke let out a long sigh: "Fourth brother, do you ever remember what you said to me over wine on New Year's Day this year?"
"I...remember!"
Yuan Yi felt his throat was dry, and when he answered, he felt hoarse and hoarse.
Last year, Gao Zhao repeatedly harassed Yuan Yu, Yuan Xie and Yuan Yi. Yuan Yu was not angry, so he was executed. Later, Gao Zhao planned to kill Yuan Xie. Yuan Yi only thought that it would be his turn to be the third, so he took advantage of the New Year's Day
That night at the emperor's family dinner, he took the opportunity to cry and said that Gao Zhao already behaved like Wang Mang and would turn against him in the future...
But he didn’t expect that the emperor’s old story would be brought up again at this time?
The meaning is self-evident: Today... is going to change!
He should have been happy, but for some reason, Yuan Yi only felt a biting coldness all over his body.
When Gao Zhao was re-appointed, the emperor's brother had such great trust in him. It's still the same as yesterday.
But after just one night, the emperor actually regarded him as a serious problem?
When it comes to people in the world, the most ruthless person is the emperor...
Yuan Yi responded with difficulty: "I... you understand!"
"Then go!"
The emperor replied calmly and waved his sleeves.
Yuan Yi respectfully said that he was right, bowed and resigned.
Only the emperor remains in the palace.
For the past two moments, Yuan Ke was as motionless as a sculpture. Only his face was bright and dark, sometimes cold, sometimes full of joy.
In the end, I only heard him sigh sadly: "Liu Teng!"
"I'm here!" Like a ghost, Liu Teng emerged from the preface door.
"How is Hu?"
"She still knelt down in the palace and said that she only wanted to give birth to a prince for His Majesty. She would commit suicide and atone for her sins to the Queen..."
"Giving birth to a prince? Hahaha... This is because you know that I am eager to have a son, and you believe that I will not do anything to her for the time being, right?"
The emperor sighed leisurely and said, "Go and tell her: I will forgive her guilt and let her raise her baby in peace. In addition, all kinds of guards, food, medicine, clothing, holding (hands holding fans, umbrellas, lights and candles), and attendants will be appointed."
You must choose carefully when picking up girls. Without my will, no one is allowed to pass the edict to her, and no one is allowed to enter her palace without permission, including the queen..."
Liu Teng's heart trembled.
What "including the queen" means, the emperor is only guarding against the queen...
The emperor stared at Liu Teng, his eyes wandering, and finally sighed sadly: "That's it, let's put everything in order and make it cleaner..."
Just like Yuan Yi just now, Liu Teng's mouth felt dry.
The emperor made it clear that he wanted him to destroy all evidence and clues. Even if the queen and Gao Zhao later suspected it, they would die without any proof!
Today, things are going to change!
After saying "obey the order", Liu Teng was about to leave when he was called back by the emperor.
"Where are Yu Zhong and Yuan Yong, how did the investigation go?"
"I still don't have a clue. Hou Gang is being interrogated in Tingwei Prison at this time. Li Houlang will be questioned later... It seems that he suspects that the poison needle was switched by Li Chengzhi?"
Li Chengzhi exchanged the poisonous needle?
Are Yuan Yong and Yu Zhong really fanciful?
I am afraid that even Li Chengzhi himself would not have thought that the needle used by Hu Chonghua was learned from him, and it was not immersed in poison...
When he thought of Hu Chonghua, the emperor suddenly lost interest and waved his hand impatiently: "That's all, let them investigate!"
Even if they are just showing off, they should give the Queen and Gao Zhao an explanation...