Chapter 282 Su Bowen resigns
After the Queen’s warning, Huipin finally put down her thoughts.
She hid her emotions and claimed to be ill. The Queen also exempted her from the morning and evening visits, and Huipin never went out again.
Concubine Zhou did come to find trouble a few times, but Huipin had been lying in bed recuperating. She was hitting cotton with all her strength, so she just cursed a few times and left in anger. Concubine Gao
was favored again, and undercurrents began to surge in the court.
The Queen’s father, Lord Qi, was a third-rank Minister of Agriculture. He had only two daughters in his life. The eldest daughter entered the palace and became the Queen, and the younger daughter married Tang Yanjun, the son of Tang Taishi.
The power of the Empress Qi's maternal family is low, so it is naturally not comparable to the Zhou family, which holds military power. This is also the reason why Concubine Zhou is arrogant and domineering.
But this is also the reason why the Empress Qi's position is stable.
Huipin can't understand, how can the Empress not understand how smart she is.
The Emperor has released Concubine Gao now, who is he jealous of?
Soon, the old general Zhou returned to the court. The Emperor remembered his life of military service and outstanding military achievements, and conferred him the title of Marquis Dingyuan, a title that can be inherited for three generations.
Not only that, in order to appease Concubine Zhou, he also conferred Concubine Zhou the title of Imperial Concubine, whose status is second only to the Empress.
I don't know if Concubine Zhou has learned her lesson in the cold palace, or if she has become more scheming. This time, she didn't show off in front of the Empress, nor did she find fault with other concubines.
The Queen had a nonchalant look on her face from beginning to end, as if none of this had anything to do with her.
She only reminded Gu Huaiyu to study hard and not neglect his studies and martial arts.
After the Emperor's gift to the Zhou family came down, Su Bohao and Zhou Liang met more frequently, and Cai Zhenglin also showed up from time to time, but the third prince appeared that one time and has not been seen since.
The third prince, Gu Huaichen, is the same age as the Crown Prince and was born only one month later than Gu Huaiyu.
Compared to Gu Huaizhi's timidity, Gu Huaichen seems more gentle and generous.
When his mother was in power, he was never domineering. Even when Concubine Zhou criticized the palace people harshly, he would plead for them. He is well-known for his good popularity in the palace.
Before Concubine Zhou was banished to the cold palace, many people still privately believed that the third prince also had the style of a successor emperor. Now, the emperor once again valued the Zhou family, and everyone was wondering what the emperor's intention was.
Not long after General Zhou returned to the court, Su Bowen also led his troops back to the capital.
The emperor, like when he received General Zhou, led all the civil and military officials to personally
go out of the palace to welcome him. But unlike when he received General Zhou, when Su Bowen returned to the capital, almost everyone in the capital went out. The people spontaneously organized themselves, and the welcoming team lined up from the city gate all the way to the palace.
Wherever Su Bowen and the Su family army went, there were cheers. Girls' handkerchiefs, children's toys, and adults' fruit and vegetable snacks were constantly stuffed into their soldiers' hands along the way. Some even knelt devoutly. The scene was even grander than the emperor's enthronement.
The emperor, with a smile on his face, personally took Su Bowen's hand and entered the palace.
Only a few people noticed the gloom in the emperor's eyes.
Su Bowen drove the Great Yin out of the Western Territory in one fell swoop, and took back all the cities that were previously captured by the Western Territory, making an unprecedented contribution.
The emperor rewarded the three armies generously, and Su Bowen also received many rewards, which were priceless, including gold, silver, jewelry, gems and jades, all of which were precious. However, he did not receive a promotion like General Zhou.
Su Bowen was originally the prince of the Duke of Zhenguo, and he would inherit the title in the future. He thought that he had received great favor from the emperor and did not think there was anything wrong.
His father-in-law Zhao Antai and his grandfather Tang Taishi did not think so.
When Su Bowen just came back from the palace, these two came to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion at the same time and agreed that Su Bowen should hand over his military power as soon as possible and could no longer serve as a military officer.
Su Bowen was reluctant in his heart. He was familiar with the art of war and had martial arts skills. He just wanted to be a great general like his father.
Although the war has ended now, we can't just put the weapons in the warehouse and let the horses go to the mountains. We have to train new soldiers in case of emergency.
He would be willing even if he was just asked to serve as a lieutenant in the parade ground.
Su Bowen said unwillingly: "Grandfather, father-in-law, I am not talented. I am only good at leading troops. It is natural for me to hand over the military power. I will go to the training ground to be a coach. There should be no problem, right?"
Tang Taishi shook his head and said: "You don't understand the current emperor. Don't you understand the affairs of the Zhou family? The emperor is jealous of your achievements and wants to let the Zhou family suppress you!"
Su Bowen was a little angry: "Is the emperor afraid that I will rebel? No way!"
Zhao Antai said slowly: "The emperor knows that you will not rebel, he is afraid that you will take sides!"
Su Bowen was even more confused: "I am the emperor's subject, so I am naturally on the same team with the emperor."
Tang Taishi said: "If Xiaoxiao didn't have such magical powers, the emperor might not be so worried. Xiaoxiao and the prince have always been on good terms, so the emperor can't help but think more."
Su Bowen looked at his grandfather and father-in-law in disbelief and asked: "You two must not mean what I think!"
"It's just as you thought. The emperor is now in his prime. He appointed the crown prince early on to appease the ministers who followed him. Now, the crown prince is legitimate and wise.
Given your current background, even if our three families don't interact with each other, others will think that we are on the same boat. Add to that the relationship between your aunt and the Queen of Qi, how can the emperor not be worried!"
Su Bowen suddenly realized that the Queen of Qi's maternal family itself had no help. Now, the emperor automatically regarded the Su, Zhao, and Tang families as helpers to the Queen of Qi and the crown prince.
Therefore, the Zhou family must be supported. Among these princes, the only one who can compete with the crown prince is the third prince born to Concubine Zhou.
The emperor wants them to fight each other while he sits on the fishing platform!
Su Bowen took a deep breath. According to Xiaoxiao's voice, he was framed for treason in his previous life, and ended up with his family destroyed.
He thought that he could avoid these troubles by following the emperor wholeheartedly in this life, but he didn't expect that he couldn't avoid it.
Since Su Bowen understood the emperor's intention, he handed in the tiger talisman in front of all the civil and military officials at the morning court the next day, and resigned on the spot.
The emperor accepted the tiger talisman and said, "My dear Su, you have been fighting in the western border for two years. It is really hard. I understand that you want to take a vacation. Just take a month off. What's the point of talking about resigning?"
Su Bowen said sincerely, "My father was seriously ill when Bowen was young. I was young at that time, so I let Liu send my father back to Quanzhou. I never showed filial piety to my father.
Now the world is peaceful, the court is full of talents, and there are many people who can share the emperor's worries. However, I only have one father. I just want to serve my father well and make up for the debt I owe to him over the years. Please help me, Your Majesty! "