Chapter 262: Xiang Zhuang Sword Dance Aims at Pei Gong
Although she had suffered the pain of losing her father, this time Emperor Hongzhi passed away in vain, which was still a huge blow to Empress Zhang. Her life has always been smooth and successful, even when the Ministry of Rites selected Concubine Taizu.
She was also the winner in one fell swoop. After the marriage, her husband was harmonious and beautiful. He was the emperor, but he was more pure and self-loving than the rich folk. He had not taken in a concubine for many years. The only regret was that besides Zhu Houzhao, she
The other son and daughter both died in infancy.
However, she never expected that her husband, who was only thirty-six years old, would let him go back to the west so gently and skillfully during this mere cold weather, leaving Zhu Houzhao and her, an orphan and a widowed mother, in the world. To her,
The sky was undoubtedly falling. At this moment, although she had woken up, her head was still groggy, and even her eyes seemed to have lost focus.
"Mother, mother...".
"I'm not sick and don't need to take medicine." Empress Zhang burst out these words suddenly, and soon she found that the curtain had been raised high, and she was very angry for a moment. However, she sat up straight with support.
Only then did he realize that the person kneeling in front of him was none other than Zhu Houzhao. His eyes immediately turned away, and he reached out his hand to gently caress his son's cheek.
"Of course my mother is not sick, why are you taking those quack medicines?"
Although Xu Xun tried his best to persuade Zhu Houzhao not to overwhelm the people in the Imperial Hospital with one stroke, Zhu Houzhao was still worried about it. At this moment, the word "quack doctor" was mentioned in his mouth. Seeing Empress Zhang's confused expression, he reached out and held her right hand.
Said: "Mother is just too sad and has hurt her mind. Just take a good rest. There are so many things to be busy with these days, so you have to take a good rest."
"Well, you too... From the time of Queen Xie, you have to shoulder the heavy burden left by your father!" At this point, Empress Zhang couldn't help but became sad again, and she shed tears involuntarily.
, "It's a pity that you are only so young, but you have to shoulder the most painful and tiring burden in the world...".
"Mother, when I grow up, I will work hard!" Zhu Houzhao interrupted Empress Zhang's sad voice, and then said word by word, "I have something to discuss with my mother today. If it weren't for those
The quack doctors were using medicine indiscriminately, and my father would not have given up so soon and returned to the west. We are all regretful and sad now, but how could we take advantage of them! Therefore, my son has ordered the eunuch Zhang Yu, the eunuch who is in charge of the Imperial Pharmacy Bureau, to be replaced.
As well as the eunuchs in charge of compounding the medicine below, as well as the leaders of the Imperial Hospital, they all took it, and they must be severely punished for their crimes!"
Empress Zhang didn't care much about state affairs in the past. Unless she had offended her two younger brothers, Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling, she would not let go and let Emperor Hongzhi punish those people no matter what. At this time, I heard Zhu Houzhao say that these eunuchs and eunuchs should be punished.
The imperial doctor, she hesitated slightly, and then asked: "Who is there?"
"Zhang Yu, I can't remember all the names of the eunuchs down there for a while. There are also Shi Qin, Liu Wentai, Gao Tinghe from Taiyuan Hospital...".
Before Zhu Houzhao finished speaking, Empress Zhang suddenly interrupted: "Then how will you punish them later?"
"According to my opinion, Cun Zhen has given them an advantage, so of course he should be killed as a warning to others!"
"This won't work!" Even though Empress Zhang was heartbroken over the death of Emperor Hongzhi, Zhang Yu brought Liu Wentai here for treatment every day when she had a headache or a fever. Liu Wentai's medicine was the only one that cured the troublesome problems several times. Not to mention.
She said that apart from these, she had another concern. So after only a pause, she said with a serious face, "They deserve to die for their crimes, but whether they are demoted, exiled, or guarding the border,
But there are always years of hard work, and it’s just a matter of saving one life.”
"Mother!" Zhu Houzhao suddenly became anxious and stood up suddenly, "Do you also believe the nonsense that Zhang Yu, Liu Wentai and others said? The birth of all the sons and ministers was due to their efforts, or... or maybe it was the father's fault this time.
The reason why the accident happened was because of some pills I took, and I planned to have a baby with my queen mother... I planned to have a baby brother with my queen mother..."
Zhu Houzhao suddenly lowered his voice at this last sentence. Even so, Queen Zhang still shed tears after hearing it. After a long while, she said: "Since you know everything, why do you still ask me? Houzhao, after I married your father,
After four years of no success, the empress dowagers of the two palaces and the ministers tried every means to get your father to accept a concubine. He didn’t know how much pressure he had to bear for this. Thanks to Zhang Yu and the people at the Taiyuan Hospital who tried their best, he was able to have you. As for you.
This time, your father told me that you were alone and wanted to give you a younger brother and sister..."
"But Queen Mother, this is not the reason why these quack doctors killed my father!" Zhu Houzhao knelt in front of the bed again, looked at Queen Zhang and said softly, "Mother, even if they had merit in the past, they have already been rewarded.
Rewarded. To put it bluntly, the second time my mother became pregnant, her younger brothers and sisters died one by one. God knows if it was because they took the wrong medicine? As for this time, my father must have been bewitched by Liu Wentai.
Oh, he killed my father with such a messy secret recipe, how can I spare him!"
"This...what you said makes sense."
Empress Zhang was finally a little moved. Although Liu Wentai was easy to use and attentive, she even made suggestions to Emperor Hongzhi because of the dragon, phoenix, drought and auspicious jade that he presented to Xiao Jing during the Thousand Autumn Festival this year.
The verdict of the court was restored, but now that her husband has passed away at such a young age, these things cannot compare with the love between husband and wife and the heartache. However, after thinking about it, she finally said hesitantly: "But if those previous
Spread the word about your father’s long-standing reputation..."
"Mother, your honorable name cannot be used as food!" Zhu Houzhao became even more anxious after hearing this, "My sons will be emperors from now on, why don't we ask them not to write them randomly? I don't even know what to say, Xu Xun, you
Come in!"
His shout immediately startled Queen Zhang. Seeing that there was no movement outside the door, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said angrily: "You kid, why are you so reckless? You actually let a foreign minister come in?"
It's just a matter of clearing the palace, but who am I, how can I see him?"
"You are my queen mother and the future empress dowager of the Ming Dynasty. What does it matter if you meet my confidant?" When Zhu Houzhao turned around and saw that Xu Xun had not come in, he immediately became angry and said, "Xu Xun, you are still grinding there.
Why are you waiting so long? It’s not like you haven’t seen your mother before! Besides, didn’t my father just summon you the night before his death?”
After hearing this, Empress Zhang had no choice but to reach out and put down half of the curtain. Sure enough, the next moment, she heard footsteps coming from far and near outside, and not long after, she saw someone shadowy on the bed.
He bowed in front of me, said no in a hurry, and then said: "Xu Xun, I have been running around these days thanks to you.
Taizuozi is young, and since you have his trust, you should pay attention to everything and don't let him do whatever he wants..."
"Mother!" Zhu Houzhao was furious when he saw that Empress Zhang treated her as a child again, "Xu Xun, the empress is worried that severely punishing Liu Wentai and others will damage the father's honor. Please help me persuade her!"
Xu Xun was standing outside the door just now. He could almost hear the words of the mother and son clearly. At this moment, he calmed down and said calmly: "The Queen's concerns before were very true. Since Liu Wentai dared to take shelter,
In Wenyuan Pavilion, it must not be that the three pavilion elders want to protect him, but that he uses these concerns of the Queen as threats, and his intentions are terrible! However, the more such a person is, the more he cannot let go easily.
Otherwise, regardless of the national law, wouldn’t the Queen and His Highness Taizuzi always feel guilty when they think of the emperor who died young?”
Seeing that Empress Zhang was silent and Zhu Houzhao nodded encouragingly at him, as if suggesting that he should continue to use strong medicine, Xu Xun paused for a moment, then bowed his head deeply again: "Again, I'm sorry to speak frankly.
In the past, when the emperor was in power, almost everything was decided by the three ministers in the cabinet, and the six ministers outside were also veterans of three dynasties. Now that His Highness Tai Suozi is about to ascend the throne, he will not be the same as the previous emperor.
Regardless of style, they are all different. If we can take advantage of this matter and promote some young and promising ministers who are willing to assist, it will also provide more help to the outer court."
"of!"
These words really moved Empress Zhang. She immediately grabbed the bed sheet under her body, took a deep breath and asked, "Xu Xun, where do you start with these words?"
"Empress, the three elders in the cabinet are all addressed as sir when the emperor is still alive, and the emperor once entrusted His Royal Highness Taizuzi to them. According to the popular saying among the people, they are the three elders who entrusted the lonely and important ministers.
Everyone in the Pin Dynasty can be trusted, but no one is perfect. His Highness Taizuozi is young. If there is some discord between the monarch and his ministers after he ascends the throne, outsiders will inevitably feel that the fault lies with His Highness. Moreover, it is His Highness who decides major matters.
There are always these old faces. These people are often stubborn and difficult to convince. However, young officials who are similar to His Highness Taizuzi in terms of age and temperament have to go through seniority and wear out all their sharpness before they can enter the cabinet department.
Courtyard, with one thing going down and the other going up, how much pressure will His Highness Taizuozi have to bear alone in the future?"
Empress Zhang still seemed to understand what she heard, but Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up, he slapped his thigh hard and said: "Xu Xun, I understand what you mean, this is called Xiangzhuang's sword dance and his ambition is Peigong! Should he send someone?"
Are you going to ask the young officials outside to severely punish Liu Wentai and others? The three of them in the cabinet will definitely have to wait and see, and when I get it right, those officials will be on my side?"
The words of Tangtang Tailuzi were like forming a gang on the street. Xu Xun couldn't laugh or cry in his heart, but when he thought about it, it was indeed similar to the truth. He had to nod his head and then added: "Of course, it can't all be just those young officials.
We must find someone with weight to take the lead. This person must be old enough and experienced enough..."
"I know, I know, I just need to keep it under control... Stop talking nonsense and tell me, who is it?"
Seeing that Zhu Houzhao was impatient, and Empress Zhang reached out to open the curtain, Xu Xun opened his mouth and whispered two words that were inaudible. In the blink of an eye, Zhu Houzhao nodded heavily and simply stood up.