Chapter 166 Someone is infected with the disease
When the epidemic first broke out, Meng Yan and Lu Haozhi didn't take it too seriously.
After all, based on the experience of the previous life, although this epidemic came with great force, it retreated quickly. Its impact was always limited to the suburbs of Beijing and the mountainous areas, and did not spread widely.
At the flower-viewing banquet, Meng Yan extorted money from the wives of each family, and each family had already sent it to Shanghe Garden one after another.
Lu Hao issued an edict, ordering the Ministry of Rites to award memorial archways to the ladies who donated money as a token of their appreciation.
When each family received the gifts, they all had bright smiles on their faces and expressed gratitude respectfully, but they were cursing in their hearts, accusing Empress Dowager Jiang of being cunning and scheming, Concubine Meng of being sinister and treacherous, and Lu Haozhi of being a shameless king, and saying that all three members of the family were not good people.
Everyone knew that this matter had only just begun. Lu Haozhi had to use this as an excuse to make a big move on the lions.
Therefore, when the court met again, two officials took sick leave, and one even had to mourn for his mother who had passed away two years ago. He said that he was busy with work at that time and had no time to observe the mourning period. Now he felt guilty towards his mother and begged the emperor for permission. His sincere words were enough to move people to tears.
The remaining officials stood by and watched, waiting to see what tricks the emperor would use next.
If he backed down for a moment, it would show that he was a cowardly monarch. His previous execution of the Regent was entirely due to the support of the Empress Dowager Jiang, Marquis Meng and other elders. Or, if he simply relied on the donations from the women at the flower viewing banquet and had no other countermeasures, he would be a foolish and incompetent monarch who could only hide under the skirt of women and was even less to be feared.
Lu Hao has been on the throne for nearly six years. Apart from the time when he took over the imperial power, he has been a peaceful monarch. However, it is still not clear how he is as a monarch.
This contest between the emperor and his subjects has just begun.
How could Lu Haozhi not know what these foxes were planning? In front of all the ministers in the court, he praised the official who was going home to mourn his father. On the one hand, he said that his filial piety moved heaven and ordered the Ministry of Rites to write an article about his deeds to be spread throughout the world; on the other hand, he stripped him of his official position and allowed him to return home to mourn his deceased mother without worrying about other things.
The minister had never thought that the emperor would actually dare to take off his official hat. This was really like shooting himself in the foot. However, it was too late to undo what had been done. He could only thank the emperor with a sad face, come to the court in a purple robe and jade belt, and leave the court in a white dress.
Lu Haozhi even sent Rong An to bring two imperial doctors to the homes of the two ministers to treat them, and even called it the emperor's care.
These two men were naturally pretending to be sick. One of them was drinking happily with his concubine in the backyard of his house. When he heard that the eunuch in charge of the emperor's affairs had come to visit him and brought two imperial doctors with him, he was so scared that his face turned pale. He immediately ran back to the inner room and lay on the bed covered with a blanket.
Rong'an went inside, conveyed the emperor's greetings, and then asked the imperial physician to treat him.
The imperial physician who came with him naturally understood the emperor's intentions. Although he knew that the official in front of him was not ill, he still pretended to take his pulse. He then diagnosed him with four or five illnesses and prescribed seven or eight medicines.
After Rong'an left, the man thought he had gotten away with it and was feeling very lucky when someone from the palace suddenly sent a bowl of medicine, saying that the emperor was very concerned about his health and had personally ordered the Imperial Hospital to prepare the medicine and send it to him while it was hot.
In front of the palace maids, how could the man dare to refuse the emperor's kindness? He looked at the bowl of pitch-black medicine and swallowed it with gritted teeth.
No one knew what medicinal ingredients were used in the medicine, but it tasted bitter and smelly. The official almost vomited out his overnight meal after drinking it.
Originally, the matter had passed without any major incident, but unexpectedly, the palace sent him decoctions of medicine for several days, and each time they would not stop until he finished drinking it.
After tossing and turning like this for three or five days, the man actually fell seriously ill and had to lie in bed for more than ten days!
When he was able to walk, the first thing he did was to send a large sum of silver to fill the national treasury.
Lu Haozhi deliberately spread the news, which frightened all the ministers and they opened their purses one after another.
That evening, Lu Haozhi had been reviewing memorials in Chunze Zhai all day. He got up a little late for lunch and had no appetite for dinner. However, he felt hungry again when the lights were turned on.
Meng Yan was well aware of his shortcomings, so when the emperor visited Chunze Zhai, she asked the small kitchen to prepare them.
As soon as Lu Haozhi said he was hungry, the palace maid brought him a bowl of water chestnut porridge, a plate of sesame oil pastry, a basket of crab meat steamed buns, pickled cucumber and gourd strips and other side dishes, and placed them on the kang table in the main room.
Meng Yan was flipping through a medical book while he had his meal.
"I've remembered all the ups and downs and riots I've been having these past few days. Once this busy period is over, I'll settle accounts with them one by one. They only think I'm still an emperor, someone they can easily manipulate. Humph, they're mistaken! Sooner or later, I'll root out these poisonous tumors left over from the previous emperor's time. They eat the emperor's salary, and are supported by the people, yet they have no regard for the country and the people, only for their own glory. They truly deserve death! If this force is not eliminated, the court will never have peace!"
Lu Haozhi ate his porridge with a gold-painted white porcelain spoon while chatting with Meng Yan about recent events in the court.
Warm yellow candlelight spilled out from the satin palace lantern shade, casting a faint glow on his tall nose.
Meng Yan listened to his words with a faint smile on her face. She understood the man's ambitions and aspirations. After all, in his previous life, he was the one who ultimately created the Qianyuan Prosperity. He was capable of doing this.
No matter what, nothing can stop him.
Back then, she was completely lost in thought, with nothing else in her heart except the love between men and women. But now, she wanted to help him as much as possible, to become a woman who could truly stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
This is for him as well as for herself. She wants to live a different life in this life.
"Your Majesty, I believe, can take your time and defeat them one by one."
Meng Yan smiled and said, Lu Haozhi is well versed in the ways of being a king, so she doesn't need to remind him of these words.
However, in his previous life, when Lu Haozhi was clearing out the forces of the old ministers, his methods were too radical and the killing was too heavy, which caused the situation to be temporarily unstable. Although it was finally settled later, the aftermath did not gradually subside until several years later.
Lu Haozhi wrinkled his nose, glanced at her, and said in a muffled voice after a while, "Of course I understand. If it weren't for... if something happened to you at that time, I would be unhappy..."
Meng Yan was speechless for a long while before she burst into laughter and said, "So, this matter should be blamed on me."
Lu Haozhi simply said, "That's right, so Yan'er must always be by my side, otherwise I will turn into a murderous tyrant."
tyrant?
Meng Yan suddenly remembered that the book that affected her fate was originally called "The Tyrant's Favor".
She had once wondered why Lu Haozhi's personality had nothing to do with the word "tyrant". Now that she thought about it, was it related to her?
It turned out that she and Lu Haozhi had been bound together for a long time, which was probably something the author of the book himself had never thought of.
This is truly amazing...
At this moment, Rong An suddenly rushed in from outside, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said in panic, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, someone in the garden has been infected with the plague!"
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