Chapter 85: Changning, are you blaming me? ...
"Take the two sons with you?" Zhao Changning couldn't help but pursed his lips. It seemed that Lord Gao was making a bold move to cut off his own arm. Gao Zhan's death was probably not a simple matter.
However, the death of Gao Zhan can save the Gao family from desperate situation, which is worth it.
Today, it is difficult to guess Gao Yun’s feelings towards this adopted son. Facing his family, perhaps the last bit of guilt has been erased.
She also understood Anyi's worries. The emperor must not reveal any clues in this incident. Those old foxes would definitely guess that she was the one stirring up trouble.
Zhao Changning sighed, knowing that he would eventually be charged with some crimes.
"Don't worry, even if Lord Gao doesn't think of entering the Imperial Ancestral Temple in his lifetime, we won't be in any trouble either."
Because the enclosure was secretly organized by the emperor, even if those people suspected her, they could not produce any evidence.
Several people hurried to the Qinzheng Hall and happened to meet Gao Yun and his son who had already left the hall. When they met, their eyes were fixed on Zhao Changning with unfriendly looks.
As usual, Zhao Changning stood aside with his head lowered and his hands clasped, waiting respectfully for Prime Minister Gao to leave.
Gao Yun was supported by his two sons as he staggered. After seeing Zhao Changning, he paused slightly, and his two sons also stopped.
His eyes were calm, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Nu Shu Ling, I really underestimated you. You have some tricks."
Zhao Changning narrowed his eyes, "I don't understand what the Prime Minister said."
She didn't quite understand these people's thinking. If the evidence was all false, they could just report it to the emperor. But every single piece of evidence was true, and countless lives had been lost, yet they still wanted to say that others had good methods.
If you don't want others to know, then don't do it yourself. For a moment, I thought they were victims.
It seems that there is no remorse at all, only hatred for not suppressing these things.
Gao Shoufu stopped his two sons from speaking, shook his head, and said with pale lips, "Life is short as a spring dream, and human feelings are thin as autumn clouds. Nvshu Ling, my today is your tomorrow. I hope you will take care of yourself."
The cicadas were chirping frantically under the scorching sun, but amidst their chirping, one could still hear faint traces of opera tunes, gentle and mournful.
Zhao Changning watched them leave with a calm expression. He quickly looked away and walked straight into the Qinzheng Hall.
The emperor's complexion was not very good, but not too bad either. He was leaning back in his chair, a rare decadent posture. However, he had a good figure and handsome appearance. Because he was going to have fun with his concubines today, he did not wear a dragon robe, but a dark brocade robe with wide sleeves and red piping. He looked like a handsome young man.
Perhaps frightened by Gao Yun's sudden move, Zhao Changning lowered his eyelashes and knelt down respectfully.
The only sound in the hall was the melting ice in the dragon jar and ice basin. As for the chirping of cicadas, all the cicadas around the Qinzheng Hall had been trapped long ago. Purple smoke curled up from the Boshan stove, and there was complete silence.
"Get up," the emperor waved his hand, his tone calm. "Just now, Prime Minister Gao said that he is willing to give up all the occupied land and resign the position of Prime Minister. He doesn't want anything the Gao family has now. He only hopes that his grandson will be safe."
Zhao Changning touched the ground with his forehead. "Thunderbolts and raindrops are all the emperor's grace. After all, Prime Minister Gao is a veteran minister of two dynasties and has worked hard. If he uses excessive means, it may cause unrest among the court officials. Your Majesty, please think twice."
The emperor nodded reluctantly and sighed, "The death penalty can be avoided, but the punishment of life imprisonment cannot be avoided. Gao Chen knowingly broke the law. According to the Dayong Code, he should be caned 100 times and exiled a thousand miles..."
Zhao Changning kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty is merciful," and then he said nothing more.
Gao Yun did this today, in front of everyone, which undoubtedly put a stop to this matter. He single-handedly reversed the turbulent trend and saved many lives. In this way, he won the gratitude of the court officials.
At this moment, even if the emperor wanted to move, he couldn't. He is indeed an old fox.
But in the end, the once powerful Gao family collapsed in an instant, just like the Hu party in the past, and its influence was quite widespread.
Zhao Changning had no choice but to accept the task of taking inventory of the Gao family. She was the only one to accept the task. Fortunately, there was a female official to support her, otherwise no one would help her with this task.
At this critical moment, Xu Jiawen jumped out again and stirred up trouble in the court again. He again implicated Sun Zhidao, saying that his family's land was far more than it deserved.
Sun Zhidao was so angry that he flew into a rage on the spot, cursing the people in the Censorate as mad dogs, especially Xu Jiawen, the mad dog among mad dogs.
He also mentioned that there were many people in the Censorate who owned land. "Hmph, don't really think I'm a big, rough guy who knows nothing."
Xu Jiawen's memorial aroused the sympathy of most of the censors in the Censorate. The censors were always sharp-tongued, especially Song Zongheng, who could be as powerful as ten men.
In the end, it was the emperor who stepped in to stop it.
The emperor looked quite sad and his tone was very lost, as if he was sad about Gao Yun's absence.
"Today's court is in turmoil, and the people are abusing it. It all stems from the land grabbing. Prime Minister Gao has already returned all the land he didn't deserve and admitted his fault. If you voluntarily return it, I won't pursue the matter. If you continue to cause unrest, don't blame me for taking real action."
His words finally stopped the quarreling and cursing. He had already done the trick of killing the chicken to scare the monkeys once, and that was enough.
Zhao Changning's eyes shifted between Xu Jiawen and the emperor, and he sighed in his heart.
The late emperor was indeed very wise, and his old ministers were merely the emperor's whetstone and touchstone. No wonder he said that no matter whether the throne was a peaceful transition or a bloody ascension, it would have to be baptized in blood. Without exception, every word was true.
But this also worked out well for her, as she was able to swim against the current. That was why when she stood in the court again, no one dared to ignore her.
Everyone knew that there was something fishy about the Gao family's downfall. Everything happened too quickly and fiercely, and the evidence was more and more ruthless than the last. There was no time to react. At this point, only sporadic pleas for mercy were left, and they were drowned out by the crowd's curses.
When everyone faced the young emperor, they once again realized that the emperor's methods were not bad at all, and his foundation had been laid little by little.
When meeting her, they would greet her politely, and even actively invite her to participate in discussions on certain matters, instead of yelling at her to shut up as they did in the past. No one also said that women could not discuss political topics.
Everyone seemed to agree that she could stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
Of course, there were all kinds of unpleasant words behind his back, but Zhao Changning just pretended not to hear them.
Faced with all this, Zhao Changning accepted it completely. This was what she deserved and what she should bear. She had long understood that power was a double-edged sword.
If you want power, you have to give up something.
However, when liquidating the Gao family, there were many obstacles and a lot of rumors. For the powerful, this time the loss was huge, and whoever came to liquidate would be scolded, so she simply took it as well.
Song Huan naturally went with Zhao Changning to carry out the mission. After all, her father played a significant role in Gao Yun's case.
"Go over there and register all those porcelains, calligraphy and paintings. Don't miss a single one."
She sent everyone away, and when she turned around, she saw the Gao family servants kneeling on the ground crying, the officials' relatives who came to help, and the people outside watching and cheering.
Zhao Changning stood there like a Jade-faced Devil, quietly watching Anyi and his men move boxes of things, with cries and pleas for mercy ringing in his ears.
The master has already left, and the servants who were forced to stay will not have a good ending.
Song Huan walked towards her, looked at the desolate and tragic scene before him, and murmured, "Aunt, you'd better be careful. The historians will definitely not describe you as a good person in the future."
Zhao Changning seemed to be lost in thought.
"Disturbing the emperor's heart? Controlling the government? Cruel and merciless? Committing all kinds of evil? I don't care. History is vast and profound. It's extremely difficult for me to leave a mark. There are many ordinary people who don't even have a mark. They are like the mud and sand kicked up by the wheels, which will be blown away by the wind."
"You've definitely been written into the history books as a villain, but don't worry. As long as someone is interested in what's recorded, they'll definitely dig deeper. That's why the public's praise of you is very important..."
Song Huan looked at the people sticking their heads out of the door. Their simple faces were full of curiosity. Perhaps they didn't know what role they would play?
Isn’t that what historical books and historical materials are all about? They can only be provided for future generations to read.
She chuckled and said, "Don't underestimate these external things. As long as the people are deeply grateful and pass down even a poem or a sentence for you, your deeds can be seen between the lines. For example, the First Emperor was often criticized by historians, but countless unofficial histories among the people can always give us a glimpse of his uprightness and wisdom as an emperor of all ages. The same is true for the Nei Sheren. The lack of historical materials does not mean that future generations are stupid, but there is one thing you should pay attention to..."
Zhao Changning turned his head with interest, "Oh? What is it?"
Song Huan took a breath and said calmly, "I must make it clear that you, Zhao Changning, were born a palace maid, not a concubine, much less a eunuch."
She leaned over quietly and said, "You know, those useless people love to steal the credit of powerful women. I would rather you be scolded from above than have your hard work taken away from you."
Zhao Changning couldn't help laughing when he thought of Song Huan's friend whose poetry collection was snatched away by her husband.
"Compared to the title of villain, I still hate having my credit taken away, and I hate being mistaken for a eunuch even more. It's really disgusting."
Song Huan couldn't help laughing, she knew her aunt was not a coward.
The two fell silent again for a moment.
Zhao Changning suddenly heard Song Huan ask something, but she didn't hear it clearly. She couldn't help but turn her head and asked, "What?"
Song Huan looked at her porcelain-white and beautiful face. She was younger than himself, but she was staying by the emperor's side. How much hardship did she have to endure to get to where she is today?
She originally wanted to ask what the next plan was, but what came out of her mouth was changed.
"Aunt, are you afraid? Do you regret it? If you were only a female secretary, you wouldn't have to face everything today."
You know, toppling the prime minister of the dynasty is not only an achievement, but also a sin.
Zhao Changning was silent for a long time.
She didn't want to lie, nor did she want to reveal her true purpose. She was afraid that Song Huan would be disappointed in her, and even more afraid that she would really have to walk alone. The female official who was afraid of holding her back before has become her little support.
"Life is short, like grass growing for a spring, it comes like wind and rain, and goes like dust." Zhao Changning's eyes flickered slightly, and he said softly, "How many more chances will I have to stand shoulder to shoulder with these men? I don't know. I only know that anyone who doesn't seize the opportunity is a fool."
From the moment she killed Yun Qiao, she was destined to move up, so she was not afraid of anything.
Song Huan looked at his aunt's resolute profile and couldn't help but quietly hold her hand.
For some reason, just holding her aunt's hand, she felt full of unstoppable strength.
Zhao Changning has been scolded since he started to liquidate the Gao family. Later, he took on the task of returning the enclosed land from the powerful and wealthy, and was scolded even more.
Sun Zhidao has always looked down on her, and this time he was even more angry and irritable.
Zhao Changning ignored him. "Since Lord Sun is so dissatisfied, why don't you go and see how much Prime Minister Gao has returned? If you're still not satisfied, then I can only petition the Emperor to see how much land the Sun family has enclosed and how many households have been hidden..."
She stood amidst the heavy protection of the Imperial Guards and sneered, "At the very least, let me enter the mansion and take a look at the Sun family's property deeds, land deeds, gold, silver, treasures, antiques, calligraphy and paintings. Lord Sun, do you dare?"
Sun Zhidao was shocked and angry at Zhao Changning's iron-fisted approach.
"Witch, you are misleading the people with your lies, misleading the people with your lies... How dare you? The sorrow of Dayong, the sorrow of Dayong..."
Zhao Changning dragged her exhausted body back to the palace. Before she could sit down, Yun Hui called her out and said that the emperor asked her to go.
Inside the Qinzheng Hall, sixteen windows are brightly lit by candles.
Zhao Changning pushed the door open wearily, just as the emperor raised his head while picking up his pen. Their eyes met, and both had extremely complicated expressions.
Seeing her extreme fatigue and rare vulnerability, the emperor tightened his grip on the armrest and almost left the chair, but he still sat down patiently.
Zhao Changning bowed, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
The emperor waited for a long time, but Zhao Changning didn't move. He couldn't help but sigh, "Changning, are you blaming me?"
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