On the first day of the Lunar New Year, court ladies and royal family members entered the palace to pay homage.
Then a magical scene appeared.
Concubine Xue, Concubine Xiao, Zhaoyi Li, and Jiang Shuyi sat side by side and accepted the congratulations together.
This scene is like a four-way stand.
There were still many ladies in the court who did not know that Concubine Xian was demoted to Imperial Concubine last night. When they saw this scene, they were not only shocked but at least stunned.
The virtuous concubine became a concubine, Li Zhaoyi and Jiang Shuyi took the position, is the harem going to change?
Many people are anxious, their hearts are in turmoil and they cannot find peace.
After the court ceremony, Xie found Gu Jiu and asked, "Second Aunt, in this palace..."
"Don't ask about the affairs in the palace."
Gu Jiu interrupted Xie's words bluntly, her face serious, "Don't say anything unnecessary, or you'll bring trouble to your father."
Xie's heart shuddered, "Is it that serious?"
Gu Jiu said with a stern face, "I already demoted Concubine Xian last night. Do you think it was serious?"
Xie felt sympathetic and did not dare to ask any more questions.
When Old Madam Wei asked about it, Gu Jiu said a few more words, "As long as Li Zhaoyi gives birth to a prince as she wishes, the three forces in the harem will be complete."
"Where's Jiang Shuyi?"
"Jiang Shuyi is not a concern. She is not strong enough to fight at the moment."
Without the support of her mother's family, Jiang Yan is like a rootless drifting tree, drifting with the waves.
"You have to be careful too. The situation is becoming more and more tense." Old Madam Wei warned Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu nodded, "Thank you for worrying about me, Madam. I will take care of it."
Madam Wei thought for a moment and then asked, "Will it implicate the palace?"
"Not yet. As for the future, no one can predict."
Old Madam Wei sighed, "I hope everyone in Prince Ning's mansion is safe."
Gu Jiu also hopes for peace.
After talking, she went to Changchun Palace.
The palace banquet on the first day of the Lunar New Year is always unpalatable, and she is not willing to attend it.
When we arrived at Changchun Palace, everyone from the palace was there, including Princess Huyang.
Gu Jiu sat together with the female relatives.
Concubine Xiao Shufei was wearing a headband on her head. She had a headache since last night and it was getting worse today.
Prince Ning sat beside her and said, "Mother, please take care of yourself."
Concubine Xiao Shu nodded and said, "Don't worry, I won't die. You've heard what happened in the harem today. Things are going to change in the harem.
We old people are a nuisance to His Majesty, and His Majesty should support newcomers to compete with us.
"Decades have passed, and even when Empress Cui Ruizhen was alive, she never felt so aggrieved. Now, with all my children and grandchildren, I have to endure this kind of disdain. Your Majesty is truly unwilling to give us old people any respect. It's truly disheartening."
Prince Ning said, "The old man is cold and ruthless, and I've known this for a long time. I want to see if that Concubine Li can give birth to a son."
"Don't do anything rash." Concubine Xiao Shufei warned Prince Ning, "I have asked the most experienced gynecologist to take a look. It is very likely that Concubine Li will have a son."
Prince Ning scoffed, "The old man must be overjoyed to have a son in his old age. It looks like Li Zhaoyi will be promoted to the rank of consort soon."
Concubine Xiao Shu nodded, "That's right. As for Jiang Shuyi, she's still a little short of the mark. Unless she can also get pregnant and give birth to a child, she won't be able to be promoted to the position of consort."
Prince Ning said casually, "Jiang Shuyi is nothing to worry about. The most important thing now is the old man's attitude. The old man refuses to admit his age, which is really troublesome."
Concubine Xiao Shu snorted coldly, "How many emperors are willing to admit their age? You are too naive."
Prince Ning said with a smile: "My son has to accept his age. Now I am also a grandfather, and I have become an old man."
Concubine Xiao Shu laughed heartily.
Princess Huyang said beside her, "My brother is an old man, so what am I? I don't want to grow old."
Concubine Xiao Shu pointed at Princess Huyang and said, "You have all the faults of a woman: vanity, greed, jealousy, stinginess, conceit, and the list goes on."
"I feel very sad when my mother says this to me!" Princess Huyang acted coquettishly.
Concubine Xiao Shu changed into a more comfortable position. "You are already quite old. I don't expect you to change. I just hope you can avoid getting into trouble. You saw what happened last night. Even the virtuous concubine was stripped of her title. You are the emperor's daughter, not the most favored. If you get into trouble again, be careful that your father will take your title away."
Princess Huyang's expression changed, "Mother, don't scare me."
"Ask your brother if I am trying to scare you."
Prince Ning said casually, "Snatching titles is too common. In the early years, I seized the titles of many members of the royal family. I counted and I took away about three or five princes and seven or eight county kings. Princesses and county ladies combined, there must be more than a dozen. Huyang, you'd better behave yourself. Otherwise, you will become the first imperial daughter of this generation to be stripped of her title."
Hu Yang was frightened and his face turned pale.
Consort Xiao Shufei said, "Since the passing of Empress Cui Ruizhen, His Majesty has become increasingly arbitrary. From now on, you must be more cautious in what you do, so as not to offend His Majesty."
Then she looked at Liu Zhao and his brothers.
"Da Lang, Er Lang, Si Lang, you three brothers must work hard to help the prince share his worries. Wu Lang and Liu Lang must also study hard and strive to get a job as soon as possible."
Everyone agreed.
Concubine Xiao Shu continued, "The royal family is not prosperous. Dalang, Erlang, you must all work hard. Silang, wait until Qin'er recovers and try to give the child two more brothers and sisters."
Liu Yi smiled and said, "Qin'er misses grandma very much. She is in confinement and can't go out. She said that after the confinement is over, she will bring her brother to the palace to pay her respects to grandma."
Concubine Xiao Shu was cheerful, "She's thoughtful. Tell her to take good care of her health, health is the most important thing."
"Grandson thanks grandma for her concern on Qin'er's behalf."
Because Xiao Qin'er gave birth to a son, Liu Yi received the most attention.
Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao didn't care at all and didn't pay any attention to this.
Ouyang Fu and the Second Young Master both felt very uncomfortable.
Among the brothers, the second son got married the earliest, but he has not yet had a child.
The Second Young Master glanced at Ouyang Fu. If he said he had no objections, that would be a lie. If it weren't for the birth of a legitimate son, the Second Young Master wouldn't have waited until today without a concubine, only a few maids.
The second young master thought, let’s wait a little longer, maybe another year or two. If there is still no movement, he will marry a concubine from outside.
Although the child born to a concubine is not a legitimate child, because the mother is a good citizen, the child's status is naturally higher than that of a maid's child. It is only slightly lower than that of a legitimate child.
Ouyang Fu understood the Second Young Master too well, she had already studied him thoroughly.
She understood clearly the meaning of the glance the Second Young Master gave her.
She felt sad inside, but she tried to remain calm.
She couldn't fall down, couldn't be weak, she had to stand tall and give birth to a legitimate eldest son. No other woman could take the eldest son's place.
She used to be gentle and virtuous, but there was no woman who was worthy of her tricks.
However, once a woman worthy of her attention appears, she will not be a pushover.
The women of the Ouyang family have never been weak.
After having lunch in Changchun Palace, everyone set off to return to the palace.
Prince Ning left halfway and no one knew where he went.
Liu Zhao accompanied Gu Jiu back to the palace.
I've been so exhausted these past two days.
As soon as Gu Jiu returned to the upper room in the east courtyard, he lay down on the soft couch and relaxed his whole body.
Ah, this feels so comfortable.
Liu Zhao sat down beside her and gave her a relaxing massage.
"How do we continue playing in this situation?"
Gu Jiu turned his head and looked at Liu Zhao.
Liu Zhao had a blank expression on his face, and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.
After a long pause, he finally said, "Let's stick with the old ways. The Li family isn't a concern, Li Zhaoyi and her unborn child aren't. The real problem is Grandfather Huang's attitude."
yes!
The emperor’s attitude is very important.
The emperor's preferences are the weather vane of the court.
If the emperor dislikes someone, and if that person happens to be a prince, there is a high probability that this prince will not be able to ascend the throne.
Unless you dare to rebel.
However, the prince of this dynasty does not command the army, so if he wants to rebel, he must bribe the generals. Military generals are not so easy to bribe, and not every general has the courage and ability to rebel.
Rebellion is indeed a very difficult and arduous undertaking. Throughout the dynasties, very few people have succeeded.
Those who were able to successfully rebel had one thing in common: they were not only princes, but they had also been in the military for many years, were knowledgeable about military affairs, had extremely high prestige in the army, and could command the support of hundreds of people.
However, none of Prince Ning and his brothers had a high prestige in the army, and none of them could command the support of the army.
The emperor would not allow such a person to exist.
If such a person really appeared, the emperor would have sent troops to destroy him long ago.
Therefore, rebellion seems to be a dead end at the moment.
Then we can only rely on internal struggle.
"If Li Zhaoyi gave birth to a son, would he be able to grow up safely?"
Liu Zhao's face was cold. "No one with any brains would take action at this time. If we have to, we should wait until the child is three or five years old and shows talent. Children at this age are most susceptible to illness. A small cold could kill a child."
Gu Jiu's heart trembled, and he lowered his voice and asked, "Would you take such a risk?"
Liu Zhao said softly, "I am the grandson of the emperor. I do not interfere in the affairs of the harem."
It's all high-sounding nonsense.
Gu Jiu hugged his waist and asked softly, "If father loses in the end, what will happen to us?"
Liu Zhao paused, then continued nonchalantly, "It's better. I can still live my current life, but I have no power and I have to keep a low profile.
Almost imprisoned for life.
The worst outcome is death, and everything is lost. However, as the grandson of the emperor, I will definitely be able to survive, but I will probably lose my wealth and splendor.”
Gu Jiu laughed and said, "Rather than expecting you to be rich and powerful, it's better to expect me to come faster."
After a pause, she whispered, "I carefully observed His Majesty's complexion last night. It wasn't looking good."
"Why is it bad?"
Gu Jiu pondered for a moment and said, "I suspect that Your Majesty has started taking the elixir made by the alchemist. The elixir has a refreshing effect and gives people the illusion of being strong.
In fact, elixirs are all poisonous, have side effects, and can damage internal organs.
At your age, you should be careful about what you eat, avoid taking medications, eat a light diet, and get out more often. But your Majesty's lifestyle is completely the opposite."
Liu Zhao continued to move his hands. "According to what you said, my great-grandfather doesn't have many years left?"
Gu Jiu didn't dare to guarantee it, so he could only say vaguely, "Maybe."
Liu Zhao chuckled softly. "Grandfather is already in his sixties. It seems he won't be able to see the child in Li Zhaoyi's belly grow up. A weak ruler and a strong minister is an ominous sign. Unless Grandfather is completely insane, he will pass the throne to Li Zhaoyi's child."
"What if, I mean what if, Your Majesty really became foolish in his final moments?"
Liu Zhao remained calm, "When that time comes, whatever is supposed to happen will happen."
Gu Jiu stared at him, trying to figure out what he meant.
Liu Zhao pinched the corner of her mouth and said, "Don't let your imagination run wild. This young master will live a long life."
Gu Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart rate was probably around 180 just now, which scared her to death.
No, she had to prepare a retreat in advance.
Send people to Jiangnan in advance to make arrangements.
If that day really comes, the worst that can happen is that she will retreat to the south of the Yangtze River and go out to sea.
Take hundreds or thousands of capable warriors with you and go overseas to become the king and dominate the world.
"What are you thinking about?" Liu Zhao asked her.
Gu Jiu came back to his senses and said, "I'm thinking about business. They say that there is gold everywhere in Jiangnan. I plan to send someone over there to see if there are any business opportunities."
Liu Zhao said, "Business at the jewelry store is pretty good, isn't it?"
Gu Jiu nodded. "The capital city lacks everything except rich people. Rich people are willing to spend money to enjoy unique products. The income of Zhenbaozhai in half a year is equivalent to the income of a medicine shop in several years."
"You are making huge profits."
"I'm in a business that makes huge profits. And unlike others who don't pay taxes, I pay taxes according to the law, not a penny less to the court."
Liu Zhao was surprised, "You still pay taxes?"
Gu Jiu rolled his eyes at him, "Do you know why the Ministry of Revenue's income is getting smaller and smaller? It's because all the profitable industries are controlled by officials, and these officials are unwilling to pay taxes.
So a strange phenomenon emerged: the market became more and more prosperous, more and more people made money by buying and selling, but the commercial taxes collected by the court became less and less.
The court had no money, so it had to raise taxes on the people. The people couldn't bear the burden, and finally, boom, it exploded!
"I didn't expect you to understand economics and people's livelihood."
"What's so difficult about this? Anyone with a brain knows the crux of the problem, but no one mentions it. That's because those standing in the court are all vested interests. Collecting taxes is like cutting flesh from them, so they naturally don't want it."
Liu Zhao paused, "You are right, those people standing in the court are all vested interests. Unless forced by force, they will never pay a penny of tax.
As for whether the court was rich or not, it didn't matter, they had money anyway. Even if the situation changed, the worst that could happen was a change of appearance, and they could continue to serve as officials in the new dynasty.
Those who died were members of the old dynasty's royal family. It wasn't your own life that was at stake, so why worry about it? "
Gu Jiu laughed, "As a member of the royal family, what do you think?"
"My heart is cold."
Gu Jiu said, "The law is like this, and there's no way to change it. Even if you wanted to, there would be numerous obstacles. Even someone as powerful as Your Majesty can't change it. What can I do?"
Liu Zhao said: "My grandfather is unwilling to change, perhaps because he lacks a clear understanding of the wealth held by officials.
The official clearly holds ninety percent of the wealth in his hands, but someone deliberately misleads him by saying that the official only holds ten percent of the wealth.
It's only one percent of the world's wealth. My grandfather certainly won't overturn the table and rewrite the rules for such a small amount of money."
Gu Jiu turned his head to look at Liu Zhao. What he said was more true.
Cheating superiors and concealing the truth from subordinates is the only way for an official to succeed.
Just like Mr. Gu, his family is not short of money, but he still complains about being poor in front of his colleagues.
These days, being poor is the correct term.
For example, Princess Huyang complained about being poor every other day, but she could always get some money from the palace to spend.
Gu Jiu pinched Liu Zhao's cheek and said, "Even if you know the crux of the problem, you are powerless to change it."
Liu Zhao held Gu Jiu's hand and said, "This young master is indeed powerless to change things now, but there may be opportunities in the future."
"Do you want to rebel?" Gu Jiu asked in a low voice.
Liu Zhao scratched Gu Jiu's nose and said, "I am the grandson of the emperor. I have the right to fight for it. Why would I rebel? Don't let me have any nonsense."
Gu Jiu secretly muttered, "But when I look at you, I feel that you have a rebellious nature and one day you will join the rebellion."
"Nonsense." Liu Zhao scolded softly.
Gu Jiu wrinkled his nose. "Whether it's nonsense or not, time will tell. In fact, I don't want to ask about what you do outside. It's tiring."
Liu Zhao laughed and said, "Just take care of the internal affairs for me and manage our business."
Gu Jiu snorted, "I am your Minister of Revenue, and I am here to make money for you."
"To be precise, you are this young master's Shaofu Tongcheng, and you are specifically responsible for making money for this young master."
You are so beautiful!
"After the Lantern Festival, I plan to go to the Shaofu to select a Huangmen, but I want to use your name. I have used up all the places under my name, so I can only use yours."
As the wife of the emperor's grandson, Gu Jiu could only have four eunuchs serving her. One more would be a violation of the rules.
But she can borrow Liu Zhao's name.
As the grandson of the emperor, Liu Zhao has sixteen quotas.
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