Chapter 111: No one is perfect...
The queen was trembling all over. After all, these words were extremely treasonous. There was hesitation in her eyes and she was very hesitant.
Zhao Changning held the Queen's hand. She was very calm at this moment. She no longer had the excitement that made her heart tremble and her limbs shake because of power.
She thought, no wonder everyone wants to climb up the ladder, desire is really hard to satisfy.
"Your Majesty, you must consider the eldest princess, and yourself as well. In this situation, how can the Third Prince rest in peace?"
The Queen wanted to, but when she thought of the Emperor's partiality and protection, she burst into tears again, covering her face and saying, "Changning, what should I do?"
Zhao Changning listened to the Queen's wailing and said calmly, "Your Majesty, before the Emperor's rebuke arrives, you must take the initiative."
"How can we strike first?" The Queen's eyes still showed hope as she choked out a sob, "After all, the Emperor and I have been married for many years. He, he wouldn't..."
Zhao Changning knew she was still expecting something, so she pursed her lips. "You are the Empress. You are so out of control and lost your mind that you are causing disgrace to the royal family. You can't keep what happened today secret. If it gets out, I'm afraid the court officials will report you, and the ladies of honor will discuss it. The Emperor will surely be furious. My Lady, for the sake of the Third Prince, you must hold back and go before the Emperor..."
The queen pulled her hand away, her eyes red with tears, and she screamed uncontrollably.
"Impossible! I'm going to bow down to those two little bastards! Impossible, impossible! I'm going to kill them both..."
Zhao Changning and Chunyun hugged the queen together and held the furious queen down tightly. The queen had been suffering for a long time, and now that the pain was aroused, the two of them could hardly hold it back.
Chunyun burst into tears, hugging the queen and pleading, "Your Majesty, please listen to Changning. I beg you, you were too impulsive today. Everyone is watching us, Your Majesty..."
She really regretted not holding him back. She shouldn't have gone out today, otherwise she wouldn't have met those two little bastards. The queen finally got out.
The queen screamed, "Zhang'er, I want to avenge Zhang'er, I want to kill them both..."
Just when the place was in chaos, Yunsheng came over with the emperor's oral order.
"Today, the Queen behaved disrespectfully in public. As Queen, you failed to distinguish right from wrong, treat my children with kindness, show no compassion, and fail to remember your responsibilities. You have failed my expectations. But considering..."
Zhao Changning hugged the Queen tightly, and bravely pressed his hand against her mouth. He said to Yunsheng, "The Queen has not yet recovered from the grief of losing her son. She feels very guilty about what happened today. When you return, I hope you can speak well of me in front of the Emperor."
Yunsheng blinked at his aunt and said seriously, "Your Majesty, I am only conveying the Emperor's instructions. Since Your Majesty is so heartbroken and feels remorseful, you should come before the Emperor as soon as possible to argue your case and let him understand your feelings. Don't let the misunderstanding grow..."
The queen's eyes were bloodshot and red, but her mouth was covered, "Ugh, ahhhh..."
Chunyun cried bitterly. When Yunsheng left, she immediately pushed Zhao Changning away and asked with concern, "My Queen, are you okay? Don't blame Changning for being bold. She's doing this for your own good. Don't be impulsive and don't be fooled by those two little bastards..."
Zhao Changning didn't take it seriously and took the opportunity to say, "I'll go out and see them off."
Yunsheng had been deliberately slowing down his pace as he waited for her. Seeing her emerge, he quickly exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile, then said in a low and quick voice, "This year's Spring Examination was quite a commotion. Many students have petitioned to abolish the female officials."
Zhao Changning was stunned. "Why? Female officials and the Spring Examination..."
Before she finished speaking, she understood, "Haha, do those people think that they don't have official positions just because they are female officials?"
Yunsheng glanced around and said quickly, "There are quite a few positions occupied by female officials these days, and they're all in Yujing. Many successful candidates can't be assigned official positions, but they're unwilling to go to such difficult places. Some are stuck in the Hanlin Academy, while others have been sent back to their hometowns. These people all have intricate connections, and it's causing a lot of trouble."
Zhao Changning nodded, knowing that time was precious and not daring to waste it.
"Don't worry about it. Song Huan knows what to do. How's everything going at the Maritime Customs Office?"
Yunsheng shook his head. "It's not too good. Lord Ming submitted a memorial, emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce, and he even listed all the pros and cons. He was roundly criticized by the people in the court. Some accused him of deliberately opposing the government and said he had ulterior motives. However, there were also people who supported him. Anyway, the argument is getting outrageous now, but no one dared to bring it to the emperor. But the emperor must know about it. I think the emperor doesn't want to suppress merchants for the time being. After all, a single ship trip brings back tens of millions of silver, which accounts for half of the treasury. If this route is cut off, the consequences will be disastrous..."
Zhao Changning laughed and shook her head slightly, and she knew it.
In the past, she did not understand the art of ruling, nor did she understand why the late emperor was always worried and irritable, and finally took his anger out on the palace maids and eunuchs around him. But now she fully understood the late emperor's approach. Even though the late emperor was so old, he was resented by the cabinet and ministers, and occasionally got a headache from quarrels, but he never dismissed those stubborn people.
People get lost so easily. They always need someone calling in their ears. Even if they have to change, even if they are pissed off, they still have to have this annoying person calling in.
Was the emperor a tyrant? Of course not. He worked diligently to govern the country, was frugal and self-disciplined, and during his many years on the throne, he never increased taxes or imposed tribute, and was wholeheartedly devoted to serving the people.
But the emperor is also a human being, and humans have shortcomings, and with shortcomings there are omissions. No gold is pure, and no one is perfect.
She sighed. She had defeated many people along the way, and had always believed that the path she was taking was the right one. But now she was confused.
Especially Gao Yun’s words, which always echo in my ears from time to time.
"You don't have to pay attention to these things. Just remember that the emperor is the sky. Whatever he says is what it is. You just need to obey." Zhao Changning warned.
Yunsheng was about to reply, but suddenly raised his voice, "The message has been delivered. I will be leaving now."
Zhao Changning knew someone was coming, and he calmly took out his purse from his sleeve and said with a smile, "Thank you for your help, eunuch."
He made every effort to prove his innocence.
After the queen calmed down from her anger, she sat there blankly, her face ashen, her eyes lifeless, and she said nothing.
Zhao Changning knew what was wrong with her. The emperor's oral order was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Her expectation was completely shattered. No one could understand her feelings at this moment, no one.
"Your Majesty, you are the mother of the Third Prince, but you are also the mother of the Grand Princess. You are the Emperor's wife, and the Empress of Dayong. You absolutely cannot ignore this matter..."
The queen seemed to wake up suddenly and grabbed Zhao Changning's hand with such force that her fingers began to turn white.
Her eyes were extremely cold, and held a hint of hatred and resentment as she uttered each word through her teeth, "Changning, I want to kill those two little bastards. Help me."
Zhao Changning looked embarrassed, "My Queen, I am now..."
"I know you can..." The Queen said in a deep voice, tears welling in her eyes. "Changning, I must make sure those two little bastards die. I want them to be buried with Zhang'er. For this, I am not afraid of paying any price..."
She trembled and said fiercely: "You are right, I still have Yao'er, I still have Yao'er..."
Their eyes met. Even though they didn't say anything, the look in their eyes couldn't lie. Both sides knew exactly what the other meant and understood each other's determination.
Zhao Changning remained silent, only holding the Empress's hand in his, and said gently, "Your Majesty, you should pack up now and go to the Qinzheng Palace to apologize to the Emperor. Do your part, calm your mind, and wait for the opportunity..."
The queen could only tremble all over, her hands grabbing the quilt as if she wanted to tear the cloth into pieces, tears fell from her eyes, and she finally closed her eyes.
"Okay, I'll go."
Chunyun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly called in someone to clean up the mess. "Your Majesty, when you see the Emperor, you must be patient and don't act impulsively. Those two little bastards..."
Zhao Changning saw the queen out, a little worried, "Your Majesty, can you still hold on?"
The queen nodded gently, her voice so soft it seemed like it could be blown away by the wind. "I can hold on."
The matter was settled quickly. The empress personally apologized, and the emperor was reluctant to punish them. Of course, he was not partial to them. The second princess and the fourth prince were also punished to reflect on their mistakes facing the wall, and the wet nurses, palace maids and eunuchs around them were all beaten with ten boards.
The turmoil in the harem had just subsided, but the turmoil in the previous dynasty started again.
The female officials blocked the way for many men who studied hard, but they were very united and came together to submit a petition, hoping that the emperor would abolish the female officials.
It was simply that a hen crowing at dawn was causing chaos in the imperial court. It was truly outrageous. Our ancestors had never done that. So why were women allowed to sit in the imperial court now? What were they supposed to do? They had worked so hard to get into the imperial examinations, but these women didn't even have to take them...
The female officials, led by Song Huan, were naturally unwilling to be outdone. Since women could do a better job, why let those idiots come up? They were paid less than men, and they all worked hard for Dayong. What was the difference between men and women, and whether they were born by men or women?
She even shouted in front of all the officials, "If you have the guts, don't marry or have children. Women are so bad, so unworthy, why don't you make me kneel on the ground?"
"You, how many concubines have you taken? This is disrespectful to the elders. I will ask my father to file a memorial against you and ask the emperor to set a rule: anyone who dares to take so many concubines will be dismissed from his position."
"What men can do, women can do, and if they do it well, you can't stand it?"
The interest groups behind her also followed suit without hesitation. The two sides almost covered the entire court and were as hostile as water and fire.
The earliest female officials were basically members of poetry societies. They had all vowed not to marry in this life, so their interests remained in their family, and those people were also willing to contribute to their daughters' future.
Who wouldn't want to have an extra pair of feet in the court? As long as the daughter's interests are in her own family, it's all for profit.
They argued and argued, but no one could convince anyone else. The emperor was also in a dilemma. At this moment, bad news came from the sky.
On July 23rd, the ninth year of Cheng'an, an earthquake struck the Fenwei Valley at midnight. Overnight, more than 300,000 people in Hua County were killed. This only counted Hua County, and there was no specific statistics at all.
When it came to recruiting people, the quarrels in the court finally stopped.
The emperor did not sleep for three consecutive days, and discussed with his ministers day and night. Then he reviewed memorials, issued oral instructions, issued edicts, sent people to investigate the situation, comforted the soldiers on the border, guarded the country's borders, and did not give foreign enemies any opportunity to take advantage.
Finally, the six ministries stopped regarding the female officials as thorns in their side and instead acknowledged their divination abilities. They called them together to discuss and prepare for the disaster area...
The disaster happened so suddenly that no one could have anticipated it. At the same time, everyone gave up their hostility and sat down to discuss things peacefully.
I heard that the earthquake occurred in the middle of the night while the people were fast asleep and had no time to escape. The affected area was so wide that people felt it in Shaanxi, Gansu, Henan, Shanxi, Ningxia and other places as far away as Fujian and Guangdong. The Yellow River even flowed backwards and aftershocks continued.
In just three days, the report sent back to Yujing stated that the estimated death toll had exceeded 500,000, and the actual number was definitely higher.
The emperor was in tears, his steps were unsteady, and he staggered several steps.
Yunsheng quickly supported the man and said, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself."
The emperor closed his eyes for a while, then sat down dejectedly, leaning tiredly against the back of the chair. The few strands of white hair on his temples gleamed silver in the candlelight.
He looked around in a trance, but could not see Zhao Changning. He couldn't help feeling a little lost. During the years since he ascended the throne, Dayong had not had a smooth life. There were constant small disasters and troubles. Changning had always been by his side, giving him advice and making plans. They were a harmonious relationship between the monarch and his subject, so he was actually used to it.
The emperor had never felt so tired.
"I didn't expect that I would have to issue a confession of guilt in the end." He said in a hoarse voice and smiled bitterly.
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The author has something to say: Babies must dry their hair after washing it before lying down, otherwise they will get a headache.
I was in pain for a long time. Ouch, I was in so much pain yesterday [cracked][burst into tears]
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