Chapter 88: First Release - Did you arrange this? ...
The emperor frowned, very reluctant.
Zhao Changning passed another cup forward. "The cold spring water is gone. This is the last cup. Your Majesty, we may have to wait until Yuncui Mountain recovers before we can get this cup of herbal tea again."
The emperor's eyes darkened for a moment, he sighed, took the tea bowl and drank the cold tea in one gulp, frowning at the bitterness.
Zhao Changning smiled and handed the candied fruit over. "Don't be so stubborn. Eat something quickly."
The emperor ate four or five candied fruits before the taste in his mouth was barely diluted. Seeing Zhao Changning pursed his lips and tried to suppress a smile, he felt a little uncomfortable.
"Don't tell anyone about this, not even the Queen."
Zhao Changning laughed out loud. "Okay, Your Majesty, I will keep this a secret."
The emperor just shook his head helplessly and did not blame her.
When preparing to offer sacrifices to heaven at the Circular Mound, Zhao Changning missed Xiaobai so much that he ran to Shuier Lane.
As soon as I entered the yard, I saw Gao Cong eating steamed egg with rice in the pavilion. It must be delicious, and he was shaking his head.
Zhao Changning saw that there was still steamed egg foam at the corner of his mouth. The rope tied around his hands had been replaced with coarse cloth, but it did not affect his eating at all. The rope around his feet had been removed.
She couldn't help but frown. Was she too careless?
Granny Xu saw her narrow her eyes and quickly explained, "This is Yunqiu's leftovers. I mixed some rice with it for him. This kid might have eaten it."
Although his tone was still disgusted, his eyes were happy.
Zhao Changning didn't care much, as long as they got along well.
"I've already written to the Gao family. It'll probably take a month or two to get back and forth. Things are going turbulent out there lately, and you have a special status, so it's best you behave yourself."
Gao Cong pouted and muttered unhappily, "Humph, bad woman."
Zhao Changning found it funny to hear him repeating the same words over and over again. He didn't bother to pay attention to him and waved Xiaobai over.
Xiaobai limped over with a live mouse in his mouth to claim credit.
"Oh, Xiaobai, you are so awesome." Zhao Changning hesitated, carefully avoided the mouse and touched the cat's head, only to feel that his fatigue was much less.
Xiaobai was also very happy. His round eyes became brighter and brighter. As if to show off, he fiddled with the live mouse in front of her, just like teasing a child.
After Gao Cong finished eating, he saw Zhao Changning watching Xiaobai teasing the mouse with a smile on his face. The mouse couldn't escape at all and could only tremble under the cat's claws and flee pitifully.
He suddenly felt a sense of empathy, thinking that he and the Gao family were the poor and innocent little mouse, so he started cursing.
"Humph, bad cat. A bad woman raises a bad cat."
Zhao Changning glanced over coldly.
Xiaobai seemed to understand as well. He showed his claws, raised his pointed nails and swept lightly. A gray arc went straight towards Gao Cong.
"Ahhh..." Gao Cong was hit in the face by the mouse. He jumped up and down in fear, screaming loudly. Suddenly he remembered that there was no rope around his feet. He ran around the yard, "Bad woman, bad cat, ahhh..."
When Zhao Changning saw Xiaobai retaliate immediately and sweep the mouse onto Gao Cong, she suddenly realized that it was indeed her cat.
I laughed out loud for the first time in many days.
Gao Cong was about to faint from anger, and he kept yelling, "Bad woman, bad woman, it really is a cat raised by a bad woman, too bad..."
Xiaobai licked his paws calmly.
Zhao Changning felt that he had rested enough and prepared to go back.
When Granny Xu sent her off, she sighed repeatedly, "Girl, the well water is almost dry. It costs a lot of money to buy water every day. Look at these vegetables, they are all dried up. There is no green at all. What a pity."
Zhao Changning looked at the withered and yellow yard. In the past, at least there were some cold-resistant plants with greenery.
She pulled out a stack of banknotes from her sleeve and said, "Don't worry about not having money. Eat and drink as you please. Just buy what you want."
When Gao Cong heard what Zhao Changning said, he felt relieved. At least he wouldn't go hungry by following this bad woman.
But he was still very angry, especially when he saw Zhao Changning easily take out a stack of banknotes, he couldn't help but sneer.
"Bad woman, where did you get this money? Humph, and you still say that our Gao family is not a good thing either."
Zhao Changning sneered, "Really? Are you admitting that the Gao family's money is dirty? Then why am I considered a bad guy?"
Gao Cong jumped up as if his tail had been stepped on, his rosy-lipped and white-toothed face flushed red. "Nonsense, nonsense! My grandfather would never do that. It must have been someone else's frame-up..."
Zhao Changning was fed up with his stupidity and exposed him without mercy.
"Someone else framed you? Gao Cong, let me ask you, you hold no official position, and your uncles and cousins only receive meager salaries. Your grandfather is the only one supporting the Gao family, yet you live an extravagant life, spend lavishly, have countless servants, and buy cloth at a price of one gold brocade per foot. Do you know how much it cost to wear and eat every day? The five hundred taels you casually gave to save someone, do you know how much land it would take to support you? You keep saying that someone else framed you, but where did the Gao family get all that money and land? Did it just fall from the sky? Did the people not want to plant the crops themselves, so they forced you to give them at knifepoint, and if you didn't harvest them, they would kill you, right?"
Gao Cong was defeated by her words. He staggered several steps, his face pale, his lips parted, and he shook his head to express his disbelief.
He still didn't want to admit it, and murmured: "Bad woman, you lied to me, you lied to me, no, it's not like that, my grandfather is a good man, he is a good official..."
Zhao Changning shook his head, knowing that he understood everything in his heart, but just couldn't admit it emotionally, otherwise he would have stabbed him with the knife.
Besides, she didn't say Gao Yun was a bad person or a corrupt official. Many things and people are contradictory and cannot be summed up in one sentence.
She thought for a moment and said to him calmly, "Gao Cong, there is no pure wealth in this world, only the blood and sweat of the people."
When Gao Cong heard the words "people's blood and sweat", he could no longer stand and fell to the ground. His eyes were red, two lines of tears rolled down his cheeks, and his whole body was shaking.
Zhao Changning felt pity for him when he saw him crying. He pursed his lips and turned away.
She thought the boy might run away or not want to care about her anymore, but when the sacrifice was over, Zhao Changning missed Xiaobai and dragged her tired body into the courtyard again. Gao Cong actually opened the door with Xiaobai in his arms, followed by Yun Qiu.
When he saw Zhao Changning, although his expression was still unhappy, he finally managed to speak in a friendly manner, "You're back?"
Gao Cong shouted into the house, "Grandma, she's back."
Zhao Changning looked at Gao Cong, who had completely let go of his hands and feet, in surprise, "Won't he run away?"
Granny Xu grumbled, "If he goes out now, he'll starve to death or die of thirst. How dare he run away? He eats so much."
Gao Cong was a little embarrassed and grumbled unconvincedly, "I, I also helped out. I didn't eat and drink for free, Xiaobai, right?"
Xiaobai meowed comfortably and rubbed against his arms.
Zhao Changning looked at his delicate and tender appearance, shook her head, and didn't bother to pay attention. Anyway, she could afford to support him, so this way, she would be doing her best to Gao Yun.
After returning to the palace, he heard that Concubine Zhaoyi of Yonghe Palace was under house arrest again. The emperor was furious and sent her two children to Kunning Palace.
Yun Hui's face was filled with disgust. "At this time, you still want to fill the pool with water to take a bath. Not only is the emperor angry, but everyone is also very angry. Humph."
Zhao Changning was not surprised by Concubine Zhaoyi's behavior. After so many years, she gave birth to a little prince, but her rank had not been promoted. It can be seen that beauty is not always useful.
I don’t know if the Queen is just going with the flow here.
After the Circular Mound offering sacrifices to heaven, the temperature dropped suddenly and the end of the year was approaching. The empress considerately reported to the emperor and ordered all the concubines in the harem to live frugally and not to be extravagant during the New Year.
Everyone was hoping for rain or snow, but it didn't happen every day.
The emperor had great difficulty falling asleep every day. He was torn between hoping for rain and writing a self-criticism edict, and he lost weight rapidly.
Zhao Changning saw it, but there was nothing he could do.
There were more and more problems in the court, and the disaster brought by the drought had just begun to emerge. The emperor had no intention of going to the harem, and even did not go to the military equipment bureau. He stayed in the Qinzheng Palace every day and worked hard on government affairs. He did not want that at this critical juncture, another minister would accuse him of indulging in women, which would cause a stir.
The king and his ministers discussed difficult issues together every day, and thus became closer.
Zhao Changning could sense that the emperor's trust in her was growing day by day, and even his eyes seemed to gradually take on different meanings, deep and dark.
She was not unintentional, she just felt a little panic in her heart. This was just mutual support in difficult times.
But the power that came with it made her unable to extricate herself. No one in the court dared to yell at her anymore. Wherever she went, everyone smiled, everyone was kind, and everyone flattered her.
Even the cabinet seemed to be under her wing. She could participate in meetings and no one ignored what she said. She had completely established her foothold and firmly believed that she had a place in the court.
What an addictive current situation. This kind of power even made her feel the pleasure of being second to none and above everyone else.
Power was too tempting. It quietly nourished every dry part of her heart. Unbeknownst to her, it had already surpassed every emotion in her heart.
On this day, the north wind was cold and the palace was quiet.
But the beautiful jade lady came gracefully and was very happy to see Zhao Changning.
"Auntie, I haven't seen you for a long time. How come you have lost so much weight?"
Zhao Changning saw that she was still as charming and delicate as ever. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he said with a smile, "It just so happens that the Emperor is taking a nap right now. Your Majesty, please follow me."
When the emperor saw the beautiful lady coming, he dropped his red brush, stood up and stretched his body.
Zhao Changning took the opportunity to persuade him, "Your Majesty, you should go out for a walk. It's not good to stay in the house all the time."
The emperor nodded tiredly, and the group went straight out of the Qinzheng Hall and went to the small garden of Yuhua Pavilion nearby.
The beautiful lady Yu was young, lovely and lively. She said a lot along the way, but unfortunately the emperor didn't seem to be in a good mood and only responded occasionally.
Zhao Changning followed beside him without saying a word.
Beauty Yu suddenly suggested going to the Imperial Garden. "Although there are no flowers or plants in this season, the broad view will make people feel better. Your Majesty, what do you think?"
The emperor was annoyed and felt that these words were useless and noisy, not as good as Zhao Changning's gentle words.
He turned his head slightly and saw Zhao Changning beside him with his head lowered, looking quiet and elegant.
She had also lost a lot of weight, and was wearing a light bamboo green dress that was neither new nor old, which made her look quite inconspicuous. During this period of time together, he had indeed been comforted by her a lot before he calmed down, and he seemed to have gotten used to her nagging him in his ears.
He suddenly stretched out his hand and said softly, "Okay, let's go and take a look."
Zhao Changning listened and was looking at her toes to turn around when suddenly her whole body became quiet. She looked up and saw the emperor reaching out to her. His long, slender hand seemed to be waiting for her. There was a rare smile on his tired expression, and a strange light flashed in his dark eyes.
She was shocked, her heart beating like thunder. She quickly looked away, looked back, and smiled awkwardly.
"My dear lady, I'm so sorry I walked ahead of you."
Jade Beauty didn't notice at all. Seeing the emperor reaching out to her, she walked around Zhao Changning and happily handed over her fair and tender hand, "Your Majesty, let's go."
The emperor held the jade beauty's hand, his lips curled slightly, and he looked at Zhao Changning with a dark and gloomy gaze, like a whirlpool that draws people in.
He smiled faintly, and his eyes scanned Zhao Changning's face before slowly receding like the tide.
Zhao Changning's whole body was stiff. She only came to her senses after the gaze disappeared and followed the crowd again.
The dry and sharp north wind was still howling, and there was still no snow or rain in Yujing. The moat had dried up, leaving only frozen river mud and gullies.
The imperial city was like an isolated island with high walls, struggling to maintain itself.
The emperor struggled and was helpless, but he still wrote the edict of repentance. The New Year was approaching and the officials needed to take a day off, so he could no longer avoid it.
Zhao Changning advised them to wait for another day. If there was no more snow or rain, it would not be too late to announce it to the world before the holiday.
"Okay, then I'll do as you say." The emperor said dejectedly, "You've been invited to a banquet hosted by six ministries today?"
He sighed, "It's better for you to go and comfort those people. The drought has been going on for a long time and it's not easy for everyone."
Zhao Changning readily agreed, "Your Majesty, please have a good rest."
She had rejected the invitation several times before, and this time she agreed with the intention of appeasing the emperor. She was the closest official to the emperor, and no one wanted to not get news from her.
In addition, she also wanted to ease the relationship among everyone. If she was so strong and domineering among men, she would definitely be hated.
After leaving the palace, Anyi and Yunsheng followed him, and both of them were still looking forward to leaving the palace.
"Aunt, although it's an old custom and we gather like this every year," Yunsheng said uncomfortably, "but given the current situation, is it really appropriate to hold a banquet?"
Anyi laughed at him, "Look at your courage, there will definitely be tea tonight, don't worry."
Yunsheng could hear the mockery in his words, rolled his eyes at him and said, "You haven't been out of the palace for a long time, so you don't know the situation outside. People are dying of thirst. If you hold a big banquet at this time, people will definitely scold you. Don't let it be my aunt who gets scolded again."
Zhao Changning raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "It's been like this since ancient times between the rich and the officials. The life and death of the people has nothing to do with them. Besides, aren't they distributing porridge on the streets? Don't worry. It was the emperor's intention to go to the banquet tonight."
Yunsheng finally felt relieved and began to look forward to it.
Because at that time, life in the palace was worse than outside the palace. People outside the palace had excuses to leave and to transport things from everywhere, but people in the palace could only stick to frugality. A pot of water would take two days to wash face and feet. The emperor was not a tyrant and he did not enjoy the offerings. He felt that he deserved to bear all of this, and everyone in the palace had to bear it as well.
Carriages rumbled past the bluestone streets, and yellow earth fluttered in the wind. It was very dry, and without water, it seemed as if everything in the world had come to a standstill.
Zhao Changning covered his face with a handkerchief and looked out at the street through the curtain of the carriage. It was clearly New Year's Day, but the streets were unusually empty. Pedestrians were walking in a hurry. It was no longer as lively as in previous years. Even the merchants hadn't come.
She sighed.
Soon the carriage drove into a street full of red lanterns. This place was completely different from the streets outside. It was crowded with people, BMWs and luxury cars, and it was very lively. There was even a strong smell of wine in the air.
This street has everything for eating, drinking and having fun, but it is only open to the rich. It is a veritable den of money in Yujing.
It is said that if you don’t bring over a hundred taels of gold, you are not allowed to come in, lest you be humiliated.
Zhao Changning looked at the flourishing flowers before her, and thought of the desolate palace and the deserted streets and alleys. Her eyes dimmed even more. Should she be glad that the emperor was not a tyrant who loved to enjoy himself?
"The Nvshu Ling?" Someone came over, his face full of joy. "The Nvshu Ling is here? We are so excited. Come quickly..."
Soon people rushed forward, pulling and shouting, and Zhao Changning was inexplicably pulled in.
After entering the building, I realized that the outside was just so-so. Inside was a real different world. Beauties were walking around, cups of wine were being sent everywhere, and the building was full of flowers and willows, and was full of dazzling things. The building was filled with curtains of various colors, and the aromas were so numerous and complex that I could no longer tell what they were.
"Oh my God." Yunsheng opened his mouth wide and couldn't help but sigh.
Anyi nudged him with his arm and said, "Shut your mouth, wipe your saliva, don't embarrass yourself."
Yunsheng said "Pooh" softly.
Zhao Changning was led to the spacious second floor. It was bustling here, and familiar faces could be vaguely seen. Everyone was full of joy and excitement, without any of the fear and trepidation that was seen in the court.
The wine was wasted faster than water. The girls were turned around in his arms. The table was filled with delicacies from land and sea. Everyone was immersed in the joy of wine and meat. Before the banquet even started, everyone seemed to be drunk.
Is this what the six ministries call an old tradition? The annual banquet before the holiday? Perhaps even the Emperor doesn't know the truth.
But why do these people dare to invite her again and again?
Yunsheng carefully scanned the crowd and said, "Aunt, none of the officials are here, and the Minister of State doesn't seem to be here either. It seems like this is just a banquet to please these petty officials. Shouldn't we come?"
Now in his eyes, many people are just petty officials, and many are even lower than his level, not to mention his current aunt.
Zhao Changning narrowed her eyes, feeling a little surprised, but when someone came forward to toast her, she could only let go of everything.
There have been too many things going on recently and the officials are very emotional. Since she is here, she can't come in vain.
However, this was the first time she had seen this scene.
As she responded somewhat awkwardly, she didn't notice the disdainful looks some people cast at her. Everyone raised the corners of their lips at the same time, with sarcastic expressions on their faces, as if they were planning something.
Although Zhao Changning was not good at this kind of scene, she would not deliberately disrupt it. It was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines, and Dayong did not prohibit officials from drinking and having sex, so when she saw the girls' disheveled laughter, she held back.
She was a woman, and also an official like them. Zhao Changning warned herself to blend in well, be humble and modest, and not get angry easily.
Fortunately, these people also knew not to go too far. After many people signaled with their eyes, the girls finally withdrew, and Zhao Changning felt a little more at ease.
Everyone came to Zhao Changning with their wine glasses raised. As they were drunk, they spoke less tensely.
"Nu Shu Ling, the comedians in Qianjiao Tower are extremely clever. Their jokes and wit are extremely captivating. They are the most popular show in Yujing right now. Since Nu Shu Ling is here, why don't we meet them together?"
Zhao Changning knew that comedians were slaves of extremely low status, and most of them were musicians, singers, and dancers specially raised by their masters. It was said that teahouses and restaurants in Yujing often invited comedians to perform.
However, she had never seen it, and no one in the palace had ever performed it.
But soon, she knew why.
When the actors came out in a procession, she saw that all the men and women were bare-chested and upper bodies were not covered at all, and she immediately understood that this was not worthy of being in a formal setting, and that today's banquet was intentional.
She felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, frozen in place. Although she was facing the stage, her soul had drifted away. Her head was full of buzzing sounds, and all she could see were balls of fire.
The female actor on the stage wore a specially made official gauze robe similar to hers, which was as transparent as a thin layer of water under the candlelight. She deliberately shook her white, plump, flexible and enchanting body. She knelt between the emperor and the officials, posing in the most coquettish manner, and cried and begged for mercy in a joking manner...
With a "crash" sound, Zhao Changning stood up, and the legs of the stool rubbed against the ground, making a sharp, piercing sound.
The only sound in the room was the non-stop banter from the actor's show, while all the officials fell silent and looked at Zhao Changning at the same time.
Their expressions were complicated: some were afraid, some were proud, some were expectant, and some were laughing.
Zhao Changning's face was as white as snow on the mountain top, and her cold and focused eyes wandered among the crowd. She was always good at observing people's words and expressions, and she locked onto one person in an instant.
She walked onto the stage silently, approached the actor who played the guard, drew the long sword from his waist, and walked towards the crowd.
"Nu Shu Ling, the actor hasn't finished his performance yet. What are you doing?"
"Are you going to perform it yourself?"
"Then everyone is in for a real feast for the eyes today, hahahaha..."
"Everyone, applaud! The Nv Shu Ling is about to go on stage..."
Zhao Changning, with a smile on his face, dragged his rather sharp sword, drawing a deep scratch on the floor, and looked at the man with a half-smile on his face.
"Did you arrange this?"
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