Chapter 734: The Regent
The next day.
Wei Qing received an oral order from the emperor, summoning him to the palace.
Wei Qing has a good physique and strong recovery ability, so those seemingly hideous wounds do not have that much impact on his body.
He changed into his official robe, stood straight, and looked energetic, with no sign of injury at all.
Tang Li also got up early and accompanied Wei Qing to the door.
She seemed to have a feeling that this was not a simple summons.
The emperor doesn't have much time left, and this summons is probably to make arrangements for his funeral arrangements.
And what will her husband do?
Wei Qing placed a kiss on her forehead: "Don't worry, wait for me to come back for lunch."
Wei Qing's eyes were calm and resolute. Tang Li felt relieved and nodded.
Wei Qing entered the palace in a sedan chair and arrived outside the Taiji Hall.
The palace door was tightly closed.
The eunuch said, "Master Wu, the Sixth Prince is inside. Please wait a moment."
Wei Qing nodded and stood straight at the door.
Wei Qing looked at the gate of Taiji Hall and somehow recalled his childhood.
When he was young and playful, he accidentally broke into the Taiji Hall. The emperor was discussing matters with his ministers at that time. The emperor did not get angry, but hugged him, let him sit on his lap, and continued discussing matters.
He didn't understand what his ministers were saying, he just felt that the afternoon sun was very bright and it felt warm when it fell on him.
Wei Qing didn't want to think about it before and treated the emperor as a complete stranger.
Now that I think about it, the emperor was actually quite nice to me.
Therefore, he was even more confused. Why could people turn against each other so suddenly? His father, who was obviously your closest blood relative, could suddenly order you to be killed.
A cold smile appeared on Wei Qing's lips.
He found it a little ridiculous.
Sometimes he really couldn't understand, is power so important?
He quickly stopped smiling and returned to his expressionless look.
After waiting for about half an hour, the palace door opened.
Two eunuchs walked in and then carried Zhao Jingxuan out.
Zhao Jingxuan had injured his leg during the coup, making it difficult for him to walk. His face was pale, his eyes red, and when he saw Wei Qing, he had a pitiful expression, as if he was extremely sad.
Zhao Jingxuan has different feelings towards Wei Qing.
He treats Tang Li as his sister. Wei Qing is Tang Li's husband and the father of Wei Ziang and Xu Jue, so he inexplicably feels close to Wei Qing.
Especially this time, it was Wei Qing who turned the tide of the palace coup.
In short, in his eyes, Tang Li and Wei Qing are both his saviors.
Therefore, I unconsciously want to be dependent on others and show my childish side.
Wei Qing stretched out his hand, patted him on the shoulder, and walked into the hall.
As soon as Wei Qing entered, the palace door closed behind him.
The emperor was sitting on the dragon throne, his face pale, his bones bony, like a dead tree, and full of fatigue.
In front of him were two rolls of bright yellow things, which looked like imperial edicts.
"Your Majesty, I, Wu Yu, pay my respects to you." Wei Qing said.
"For the rest of my life." The emperor's voice was weak.
Wei Qing stood up, stood respectfully aside, and listened to him speak.
"It rained all night last night. I listened to the rain all night and recalled many old things and many old people." said the emperor.
He recalled that when he was very young, he lived with his elder sister in a place that looked like a cold palace.
When it was freezing cold, they huddled together to keep warm.
Later, he was noticed by his mother, who brought him to her side to be raised, and his life began to get better.
When he became the crown prince, he listened to the stories of his ancestors told by his tutor, and he also wanted to create a prosperous era in the same way. He read books, learned riding and shooting, and prepared to be a good emperor.
He thought of the bright and beautiful woman, and that fleeting glimpse left a deep impression on him.
He behaved like a prince in a proper manner, but he acted out of line with that woman and wanted to marry her...
When he saw her again, she was his queen, dressed in palace attire, noble and elegant, no different from the other women in the harem he had seen. His heart was no longer fluttering, and they treated each other with respect...
He thought of the naughty yet exceptionally intelligent child, and how the Prince's tutor always had a contradictory attitude of helplessness yet couldn't help wanting to praise him.
The corners of the emperor's mouth slowly curled up.
Wei Qing glanced at him, frowning, and said, "Your Majesty."
He probably knew what the emperor was thinking, which probably included him and his mother. He did not feel happy, but felt like a thorn in his back and a lump in his throat, very uncomfortable and disgusting.
Wei Qing's voice interrupted the emperor's memories.
The emperor came back to his senses, and the smile on his face faded: "Did Duan Fuyu see you before he left?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." Wei Qing said.
"I still remember the first time I met Duan Fuyu, he was only seventeen years old. At that time, he was the youngest top scholar in the Great Zhou Dynasty. That year, I was still the crown prince. Curious about this top scholar, I disguised myself as a scholar and went to meet him. We hit it off immediately and talked for a whole day. A good minister meets a king, and a king meets a good minister, it's like a fish in water." The emperor said, "Duan Fuyu passed away first, and I am almost gone."
"When Wei Ziang became the top scholar, he was younger than Duan Fuyu," the emperor said with a smile.
When Wei Ziang was mentioned, Wei Qing's eyes softened a little.
"I've seen that child; he looks a lot like Duan Fuyu. Watching him and Jingxuan interacting reminded me of Duan Fuyu and me back then," the emperor said. "But Jingxuan has been spoiled and can hardly shoulder the responsibility of the Great Zhou... Wei Ziang is also still very young..."
At that time, when he ascended the throne, the country was stable. He had studied the art of ruling for so many years and was well prepared to be emperor. Duan Fuyu also entered the cabinet at that time and was able to take charge of things independently.
But it is different now. Although Zhao Jingxuan has grown up, he is still unable to shoulder the responsibility of the huge Zhou Dynasty. Liangchen is still young and has not yet become a capable minister who can stand on his own.
The emperor sighed softly: "It's my fault for leaving such a mess behind."
It's not enough that both the loyal ministers and the ruler haven't matured yet, the Great Zhou is still unstable. The rebels have fled, and many court officials have died at their hands. The position is vacant, and there are constant internal troubles, and even more external threats, such as Qi and Chu, are eyeing the situation covetously...
He had no doubt that if the Great Zhou showed signs of weakness, Qi and Chu would pounce on it like hungry wolves and devour the Great Zhou.
He gave up so much just to be a good emperor, but in the end, he still made the world a mess.
The emperor's heart was filled with bitterness, which tormented him and kept him awake. In addition to the physical pain, there was also guilt, regret, and anger at his unfulfilled ambitions.
The only thing he can do now is to keep the Great Zhou safe and stable and not destroy it in his hands.
So, someone needs to take over temporarily.
Duan Fuyu was indeed his good minister. He thought the same as him and chose the same person with him.
Wu Yu.
The emperor looked at the young man in front of him and said, "These two imperial edicts, one appoints Zhao Jingxuan as the crown prince, and the other appoints you as the regent, to assist in the administration with all your strength..."
In fact, he had hesitated. If such great power was handed over to the Regent, would his ambition swell? Would he not be satisfied with being the Regent and instead want the position of the emperor?
But now, he has no choice.
Even if he did not appoint Wu Yu as regent, he could not stop Wu Yu from wanting the position of the emperor.
He chose to believe Wu Yu, believed that Wu Yu did not have such ambition, and believed in Duan Fuyu's choice.
After the emperor finished speaking, he looked at Wu Yu, carefully observing him, but he did not see any joy on his face.
The emperor breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Wu Yu really did not have such ambition.
It seems he can rest assured.
Just then, there was a sudden noise outside the door.
"Your Majesty, I have something important to report. It's very important, and it concerns the country of Great Zhou! Your Majesty, you must see me! Your Majesty..."
The emperor and Wei Qing both recognized the voice; it was that of Lord Lu who had been so angry that he was unable to recover.
"Your Majesty, Wu Yu is not Wu Yu! Wu Yu is... I beg Your Majesty to see me!"
It seemed as if Lord Lu was being dragged away, and the sound was getting farther and farther away.
But the emperor and Wei Qing both heard what was just said.
Wu Yu is not Wu Yu?
What does it mean?
The emperor frowned, having no idea what was going on.
"Your Majesty, wouldn't you like to meet Elder Lu?" Wei Qing suddenly asked, his expression somewhat strange. "Perhaps he really has something important to report."
The emperor frowned even more tightly, summoned the eunuch, and asked Lord Lu to come in.
Soon, Lord Lu entered the hall.
He glanced at Wei Qing, then eagerly rushed to the emperor, knelt down, and pointed at Wei Qing and said, "Your Majesty, he is not Wu Yu, his name is Wei Qing, and he is the deposed crown prince who should have passed away!"
Elder Lu's voice became anxious and worried, fearing that if he was a step slower, Wei Qing would succeed and there would be no room for maneuver.
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