Chapter 42: Even if you are a female prime minister, you will still...
Seeing Yunsheng crying so sadly, Zhao Changning couldn't help but sigh as if he saw an old friend.
"I'll let you bury her properly later, but now, you'd better cheer up and don't ruin my plan, otherwise I will bury you with her."
Yunsheng was so frightened that he trembled all over. He wiped away his tears and sobbed aggrievedly, "Auntie, I won't ruin your plans."
The queen came very quickly because it was a case of poisoning. The appearance of poison in the palace was a big deal. As the queen, she had to come in person for such a big matter.
After spending only a few days with Qiaoyu, she had already developed a bond with her. Seeing the woman who served her on a daily basis die suddenly, she couldn't help but turn her head away.
"What's going on? Where did the poison come from?"
Zhao Changning quickly said, "Qiaoyu must have brought it from outside the palace. Don't worry, Your Majesty. I've searched the house, and apart from the unfinished wine, there's nothing."
The Queen frowned as she looked at the wounds on Qiaoyu's body. She glanced at the eunuchs, whose faces had died in such a miserable state, and said with disgust, "Bastards, these eunuchs should be properly disciplined. They are becoming more and more presumptuous. The Emperor said to treat the palace servants well, and the palace maids are not someone they can beat."
Zhao Changning helped the empress out and said guiltily, "Your Majesty, although I am the seal holder, there are some areas in the palace that I cannot control. The eunuchs are extremely united. Right now, only the palace maids and eunuchs are in trouble. What if one day it involves the nobles..."
The Queen nodded. "You are absolutely right. I have noticed during my time in the palace that the maids are easy to control, while some eunuchs, relying on their former power, are too overbearing. It is time to put some order into this palace."
She was completely at ease at this moment. The emperor ascended the throne in a hurry, and she had no foundation or experience. If the matter of the female official could be accomplished, it would be a good thing for her.
The Queen patted Zhao Changning's hand and said, "I've considered the matter you mentioned about the female officials. I'll discuss it with the Emperor later. Let's wait until after the Mid-Autumn Festival and then think carefully about how to implement it."
Zhao Changning's face was solemn as he bowed deeply. "It is our blessing that Her Majesty treats us so kindly."
She breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the joints were opened up, the subsequent matters would not be so difficult.
Yunsheng didn't go back until night. He looked listless and didn't say a word.
Xiao Shun consoled her, "Has Qiaoyu been buried?"
Yunsheng secretly glanced at his aunt who was petting the cat with her eyes closed, nodded and whispered, "Yeah, it's not far from Yunpei."
Zhao Changning didn't even open his eyes, but stood up and went back to his room.
Yunsheng couldn't help but purse his lips in grievance. He knew that his aunt was aloof, but he didn't expect that even though they were so familiar with each other, she would still treat him the same as always.
He couldn't help but shrink into the corner and poke ants again, and began to seriously think about whether he had done something wrong.
Xiao Shun patted his shoulder and handed him a small porcelain bottle. "This is what my aunt asked me to give you. Apply it on your face and it will heal faster."
Yunsheng's tears fell, and the salty tears slid across his red and swollen face, but he didn't dare to cry out loud.
He wondered if his aunt's hand hurt.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Zhao Changning is extremely busy.
That day, she entered the Qinzheng Hall again with a memorial in her arms.
"Your Majesty, today we have envoys from two countries, as well as several chieftains from the southwest. The Honglu Temple has made arrangements for them. I'd like to ask if you would like to meet them first?"
The emperor frowned and shook his head gently, "See you later."
Zhao Changning noticed that the emperor was in a bad mood. Ever since the Jiangling dike burst in Jingzhou, the emperor had been always thinking about something.
"Your Majesty, the Zhejiang Provincial Governor, Zhou Mi, has sent a memorial stating that the silk has been delivered to the Maritime Customs. The Jingzhou prefect has also sent a memorial stating that disaster relief efforts are proceeding smoothly. You see, this is all good news."
The emperor said calmly, "Of course it went smoothly. I agreed to let them arrange it, so they directly placed their people there. I only had to allocate money and bleed. How could it not go smoothly?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Changning quickly lowered his head and said nothing more, but he knew very well in his heart that this was bound to happen.
The late emperor hated strife because these ministers liked to form cliques, which led to the creation of the powerful and notorious Silijian.
It is true that there is nothing new under the sun. From the previous emperor to the new emperor, there have been waves of ministers, but there is never anything new. Everyone is fighting for power and profit.
The emperor suddenly remembered, "I find the matter of the female officials you proposed to the empress very interesting. Whether it is the former court or the harem, it is time for some changes. Have you thought about the follow-up?"
Zhao Changning thought about it but couldn't say it directly, especially since the emperor was comparing the affairs of the previous dynasty and the harem.
She simply lowered her head and said, "Changning only studied in the inner library, how could she know so much? I need to discuss this with the Empress first."
The emperor's handsome face showed admiration, the corners of his lips curved slightly, and his deep eyes looked straight at Zhao Changning.
"To plan for a county, one must have the determination to plan for a province; to plan for a province, one must have the vision to plan for a country. Changning, those who do not plan for the future will inevitably have immediate worries. Some things must be thought about in advance so that they can be dealt with calmly."
Zhao Changning didn't know whether the emperor was talking about the former dynasty or the harem, so he just nodded in agreement.
She just smiled and poured a cup of tea for the emperor. "Your Majesty, from what you said, you agreed to this lady-in-waiting?"
The emperor nodded. "You are also concerned about the peace of the harem, and you are very thoughtful. However, I didn't expect that you have some ideas, and I didn't see them before."
Zhao Changning pursed his lips and chuckled, half-seriously, saying, "Your Majesty knows how I got this seal. There are so many people who are dissatisfied. Anyway, I can't give up this seal, and I don't want to. So I can only ask those who are dissatisfied and disobedient to give it up."
The tone of her voice sounded like a joke, but also like a casual chat between friends, very relaxed.
The emperor raised his eyes indifferently, and his eyes gradually became deeper as he looked at her, as if he was thinking of something. After a long time, he smiled and shook his head, then picked up the memorial leisurely and began to review it.
Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. Her words were suggestive and highly provocative, and he was afraid that the emperor would be unhappy.
She knew very well that the deeper the conflict between the emperor and the cabinet, the more opportunities she would have.
It was only now that she began to understand the late emperor a little bit. The late emperor lived a lifetime and saw so many people die, but he had very few close friends. In the end, he only had a little palace maid like her by his side. It was just as the late emperor said, the higher you go, the lonelier you will be.
No matter how close the emperor was to the late crown prince and how good his relationship with the ministers in the cabinet was, it was no longer the same now.
After Zhao Changning finished his work with the emperor, he rushed to Kunning Palace.
Looking at his aunt's hurriedly leaving back, Yunsheng felt very lost.
Anyi couldn't bear to watch this and frowned, saying, "Although we've been cleansed, we're still men. Why are you always like this? Crying and complaining all day long, aren't you annoying?"
Yunsheng blinked his eyes and said puzzledly: "I don't have any."
"You haven't yet?" Anyi looked at Yunsheng's pretty face and the slightly red corners of his eyes and shook his head. "At least you were able to bury your friend's body. Ask your aunt, ask others. Who doesn't have a friend in a mass grave? You're lucky to have your aunt protecting you."
Yunsheng was stunned by what he said and couldn't speak for a long time.
When Zhao Changning came out of Kunning Palace, it was already late, the crescent moon was hanging high in the sky, and a cool breeze was blowing.
My voice is a little hoarse, but fortunately the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is finally settled, so I can have a good sleep tonight.
On her way back to her residence, she kept feeling that someone was following her, so she found an opportunity and pulled the person out.
"Yunsheng?" She breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little impatient. "Why are you following me so late at night?"
Yunsheng was so frightened that he trembled and apologized in panic, at a loss for what to do. "I'm sorry, auntie, I, I was wrong..."
Zhao Changning was speechless and looked at him impatiently, "I've already asked you to bury Qiaoyu. What else do you want? Just tell me."
Yunsheng couldn't help wanting to cry again, but when he thought of Anyi's words, he held it back.
"Auntie, I don't want anything. I, I, I want to tell you..."
Zhao Changning frowned, interrupting his stuttering words, saying, "Yunsheng, I'm not you. Do you think everything I have now came for no reason? I don't have the time to comfort your weak heart. I have a lot of things to do. I'm very busy, understand?"
Yunsheng couldn't stand his aunt's harsh words, and finally couldn't help but shed tears.
He raised his hand to wipe away his tears, sobbing, "Aunt, I understand, wuwuwu... I wanted to tell you that the Concubine Zhaoyi in Yonghe Palace bribed the music department of the Jiaofang Bureau and wanted to perform a dance at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, wuwuwu..."
Zhao Changning: “…”
She only felt more irritated.
Seeing his aunt turning around and leaving, Yunsheng quickly chased after her, "Aunt, I just hope you can trust me. I won't be a burden to you, and I can do things for you..."
Zhao Changning was annoyed by his chattering and yelled at him angrily, "Shut up."
As she walked, she suddenly stopped.
Yunsheng bumped into her all of a sudden, and was completely shocked. He apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, auntie, I didn't mean to, I'm sorry..."
Zhao Changning turned around, raised his hand, grabbed his collar, and said through gritted teeth, "Shut your mouth."
She pushed Yunsheng directly in front of the queen and repeated Yunsheng's words.
"Tell the Queen how you found out about this."
Yunsheng knelt down obediently and finally stopped crying.
"Your Majesty, I used to be a small fireman, delivering charcoal to various places every day. At a palace banquet some time ago, I met someone..."
Zhao Changning held his forehead and said, "Speak to the point."
Yunsheng shrank his head. "During the recent Mid-Autumn Festival, many musicians from the Music Bureau came to the palace to be on standby. Someone I know happened to be there, and she told me that Empress Zhaoyi paid a large sum of money to bribe the music director and the lead dancer, hoping to perform at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet."
Afraid that his aunt and the Queen wouldn't believe him, he added, "She happened to see it and originally told it as a joke. But I asked her carefully and even took her to identify him. It was the little fifth son who was beside Consort Zhaoyi."
Zhao Changning didn't expect that this kid was quite interesting, so he went to verify it first before saying anything.
After hearing this, the queen couldn't help but sneer. It was these damn eunuchs again, with their hands reaching to the sky.
"She's really anxious. The confinement period hasn't even ended yet, and she can't wait to regain favor."
She said to Zhao Changning, "Go and bring the music director and the lead dancer here. I want to see what other tricks Shang Meir has up her sleeve."
"Your Majesty, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is coming soon. All the vassal states and principalities are here to offer their congratulations. The Emperor attaches great importance to this banquet," Zhao Changning advised gently. "If you bring the dance and music department now, it will delay the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet and lose the country's prestige in front of the principalities. I'm afraid you won't be able to explain it to the Emperor."
What she was most worried about at this moment was that Concubine Zhaoyi was planning to do something bad at the Mid-Autumn Banquet, which was directly related to her life, not to mention the subsequent matter of the female official.
The queen was not stupid, so she naturally thought of this.
She felt that the position of Queen was restricting her hands and feet, and she gritted her teeth in anger, "Am I just going to watch her rise again, or even do something bad?"
Zhao Changning bowed his head and pondered for a moment before coming up with an idea. "Your Majesty, why don't you invite Empress Zhaoyi to Kunning Palace?"
The queen was stunned. She had clearly figured out the reason, but she still resisted.
"It's already evening, what are you asking her to do?"
"Discuss the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet with Empress Zhaoyi. You can bring her along and explain every detail of the banquet so that she can fully participate." Zhao Changning smiled and said, "Your Highness, you have been tired and worried these days. You can rest assured that nothing will happen. When the time comes, you can also show your sisterly love and your exemplary motherly character to the emperor."
Several palace maids who had been sent there earlier were also trying to persuade the queen. As bystanders, they knew what to do and what would be best for the queen.
Even Chunyun was trying to persuade her, which showed that she was afraid of Shang Meir.
Although the queen was angry, she had calmed down a lot after what happened last time.
"In that case," the Queen patted the soft pillow angrily, "then please ask Zhaoyi to come over."
Zhao Changning stopped the palace maid who was about to pass on the message, "What will you do if Zhaoyi says she's still under house arrest?"
The maid was speechless and looked at the queen.
The Queen gritted her teeth, her face grim. "Just say that I appreciate her dedication to serving the Emperor, and that the little princess is pitiful, so I'll let her go this time."
Zhao Changning left with peace of mind.
Yunsheng followed his aunt closely, not daring to say a word, for fear that his aunt would drive him away.
Zhao Changning knew that she had lost control tonight, but she really didn't have much patience for someone like Yun Sheng. It was really because she had long passed the time to teach others carefully.
In the deep palace, people like him should have died long ago.
"Yunsheng, shall I take you out of the palace?"
Yunsheng stood there in a daze. He thought he would cry out of sadness, but at this moment he was able to hold back his tears.
He said in a trembling voice: "Aunt, do you hate me?"
Zhao Changning took several steps before realizing that he hadn't caught up. He turned to look at Yunsheng, who was a few steps away, and said softly, "Yunsheng, no one hates you."
Yunsheng stumbled and fell in front of Zhao Changning, tears welling up in his eyes. "Aunt, I have nowhere to go."
"Yunsheng, I'll give you some more money." Zhao Changning paused. "The world outside is huge. There's no need to waste time in the palace."
She looked at his eyes, which were still clear and transparent despite having been in the palace for several years, and couldn't help but sigh.
"Yunsheng, leave, you don't belong here."
Yunsheng looked up at his aunt reverently and murmured pitifully, "Aunt, no one should belong here in the first place."
Zhao Changning was stunned and felt her heart tremble. She looked at Yunsheng in disbelief, not believing that he would say such a thing.
After a long time, so long that the dew condensed, so long that Yunsheng thought he had no place to stay anymore.
Zhao Changning suddenly raised his hand and gently stroked his head, "Forget it, get up, and be smart next time. It's not easy to do the errands around me."
"Oh, aunt, I've kept it in mind." Yunsheng replied.
He felt ecstatic, as if he had found a guiding light in a maze. After wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, he quickly got up and caught up with his aunt.
On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the Queen finally sent a message to Zhao Changning, saying that she had already reached an agreement with Concubine Zhaoyi and allowed her to dance at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.
Zhao Changning finally felt relieved.
On the Mid-Autumn Festival, she got up early and took Yunsheng, Anyi Yunhui and others to make arrangements. In fact, everything had been discussed long ago. They just needed to follow the rules and make some minor adjustments temporarily.
The most important thing is the job of the Shangshenjian.
In order to be at ease, Zhao Changning asked Anyi to watch over it personally from morning to night.
She had been serving in the front for a long time, but she felt it was too noisy and her smile was almost stiff, especially the melodious music and the strong smell of alcohol, which made her drowsy. So she simply switched places with Anyi and went to the Shangshenjian to keep an eye on things.
Yunsheng ran back and forth tirelessly, saying that everything was fine, both the host and the guests were having a great time, the envoys from various countries and the kings of vassal states were very respectful, and Empress Zhaoyi also performed a dance, and everything was going smoothly.
Zhao Changning smiled and handed him a bucket of water. "What about the Emperor and Empress?"
Yunsheng drank it all in one gulp. "The Emperor praised the Empress for her generosity and generosity. He was so relieved..." He couldn't help but move closer to his aunt. "I think the Concubine Zhaoyi won't need to be confined to her house anymore. The Emperor never took his eyes off her when she was performing the dance."
Zhao Changning smiled and shook his head.
She had no ill feelings towards Empress Zhaoyi, as long as she didn't block her way.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, Zhao Changning did not delay any longer and told the queen his thoughts on the female official.
No need to think too much, just arrange the current position and compete with the eunuchs. The palace maids can be assessed in the inner study hall by studying the Hundred Family Names, Thousand Character Classic, Women's Training, Women's Rules, University, Doctrine of the Mean, and the Analects of Confucius...
There will definitely not be many people in the first year, so you can take an exam every quarter as appropriate. After the exam, arrangements will be made based on the grade of the results. There are precedents for rewards and punishments, so you don't need to spend too much time thinking about it.
"If your Majesty wishes, you can choose one day each month to personally conduct the lecture. The most outstanding palace maids can be appointed by you, Your Majesty." Zhao Changning's eyes were bright and his tone was strong. "As for the rank, you will personally name them. All the women in the harem will be your students. Your Majesty, as long as you manage them properly, there is no need to worry about not being able to help the Emperor solve his problems in the future."
The Queen also thought it was very good. She looked at the clear and detailed writing and drawing on the large piece of rice paper, and thought that a lot of thought had been put into it. She couldn't help but hold it in her hands and look at it carefully.
"Changning, even if you become a female prime minister, you won't lose at all."
She was very happy and smiled, "Why don't you present this to the Emperor directly in the Qinzheng Palace? He has promised you to take care of the female official's affairs. Wouldn't it be faster?"
Zhao Changning bowed with a smile, and said thoughtfully, "Your Majesty, as the Master of the Six Palaces, is fair and just, discerning right from wrong, and kind to the palace ladies. You take it as your duty to be the mother of the nation, and you are a phoenix of great virtue. Changning also hopes that Your Majesty will personally appoint me to a position in the future, to bring glory to us women."
These words made the queen so happy that she even forgot about Yonghe Palace.
"What are you laughing at? You all look so happy?"
The emperor's voice came from outside the ceremonial gate. The moon-shaped gate was layered with green ivy climbing up, reflecting a tall bright yellow figure, which was winding out from the corridor.
"I heard laughter from a distance, and I couldn't help but stop."
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The author has something to say: The original intention of writing this article was to see a passage: When a woman rises, thousands of women will grow under her wings.
Changning is both good and evil, cruel and ruthless. She only wants power and a good life. But judging by her deeds rather than her heart, I even wonder how many such lovely and respectable women there are in the long river of history, struggling to wake up in pain, trying to move forward, and desperately climbing up.
Girls are the most beautiful things in the world
Good morning, girls! [heart][heart][heart]
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