79 Chapter 79
◎Two chapters in one◎
Even sitting in the carriage, Huiyin still couldn't believe it. Crown Prince Li Heng died just like that, and Li Cheng had already taken a shortcut to the capital, because news had also come from the capital that the emperor had died.
Whether in terms of etiquette or strength, Li Cheng is the undisputed candidate.
And she would soon be promoted from a princess of a vassal state to the empress.
"Mother, are we going to the capital? Where is the capital?" Zhan Ge'er asked in confusion.
Jing'er thought she had been there when she was little, and said to her brother, "Stupid, the capital is the capital, and there is the imperial city there. From now on, father is the emperor, mother is the queen, and I am no longer your brother, but your brother."
This long list made Zhan Ge'er even more confused. Huiyin recalled how she was shaken when she received the letter.
In the previous life, she painstakingly planned and finally became the Queen Mother from a concubine. Now she is the Queen, and it seems that she did not pay anything. Isn't it too easy? People who are often destroyed by fate always feel that happiness comes too suddenly and they don't deserve it.
Not to mention Huiyin herself, even Madam Xu, who had been on a hunger strike for half a year, couldn't believe it. She said to Luo's mother, "I think the second girl's hand is broken. She is so violent. How could such a person have such good fortune?"
Luo reminded her, "Madam, although the enthronement ceremony has not yet been prepared, the second young lady will be the empress soon. You must never say such things again."
People always have a fear and terror towards those who are truly in high positions. When Luo was even mentioned, she would unconsciously look around, fearing that someone would hear her.
Madam Xu remained the same as before: "I have nothing to be afraid of. I am her grandmother. The country governs the world with filial piety. What can she do to me? And Deyin is her sister. No matter what, as the empress, she cannot fail to save her sister."
Luo was a little worried: "Madam, please ask Madam to talk to the eldest lady."
"Yes, I asked Ji to say it. If she didn't mention it, I would have. It's a pity for Deyin's mother. She was placed in that nunnery. They were so cruel that they didn't bring her back this time."
Speaking of Xu, Mrs. Xu actually knew that there were some things that she was willing to do but unable to do. Could it be that Zheng Fang loved Ji too much that he was unwilling to do it?
No, it was because the Ji family and the Xu family were in opposition, and the Ji family raised a good daughter.
The son only turned to the Zheng family because he saw that the Ji family was more powerful. Apart from that, he was nothing.
There are too many unfair things in the world. The eldest granddaughter Deyin is so virtuous and beautiful, she is qualified to be a role model for the six palaces, but why did Huiyin take her?
Luo couldn't bear to see Madam Xu like this, and couldn't help but remind her: "Madam, it's too early to say these things now. You think that the second aunt suddenly rushed to the capital, with Wei Duo watching in front and Zhao Hong and Zhao Yong brothers behind. Besides, the emperor may also want to take concubines. To put it bluntly, our second girl is not a young woman anymore, and who knows what will happen when the time comes."
"Forget it, forget it. I'm not that malicious and don't want her to do anything bad." Mrs. Xu said this, but she believed it deeply in her heart.
Deyin's final outcome was because the Zheng family did not help the prince at all, so the prince was disappointed and felt bad for Deyin. As for Huiyin, it was because she had a good brother, and it had nothing to do with her personally.
Ultimately, it was all because of the Ji family thieves.
Despite Mrs. Xu's complaints about not being able to get out of her carriage, the rest of the Zheng family members who followed Huiyin were very happy, even Yin Lifang who went to Beijing with her.
She was originally ill, but now she is all well again.
"When we go to the capital, we will ask the emperor to grant us a fiefdom. The emperor is far away and no one can control us." Yin Lifang thought.
She was unwilling to stay in the capital. She was tired of living under someone else's roof these days. She could not get any good thing in the capital. Whether it was her nominal status or how people looked at her, she was keenly aware that she could not get any good thing.
But no matter what, Li Cheng's victory is better than Wei Duo's victory.
However, compared to the two of them who had different thoughts, Ji, Cui Yuehuan and Xin were all overjoyed. As long as Huiyin became the empress, all of them would benefit greatly.
As the empress's mother, I wonder how glorious Ji's future will be.
In the carriage, she also instructed her two daughters-in-law: "It may be inconvenient for the queen to take the two little princes in the carriage. When we arrive at the post station, you must serve them well."
How could Xin and Cui Yuehuan not be unwilling? They quickly agreed.
After finally reaching the inn, the two sisters-in-law hurried over. Unexpectedly, Huiyin's face was not happy at all. Instead, she asked them: "Have the eldest brother and the second brother written to explain the situation? Is Wei Duo still in Yangzhou now? How did the prince die?"
Xin shook her head and looked at Cui Yuehuan again. The two of them were also completely unaware.
Although she became the queen mother in her previous life, she was reborn without overcoming the crisis. She was afraid that Li Cheng would not be able to escape the fate in this life.
"I don't need you here, you can go down first." Huiyin said.
Cui Yuehuan didn't dare to say anything and left with holding her breath. She was a straightforward person and seemed to want to say something when she returned to her room, such as that the queen seemed to treat her less courteously, but she still held her mouth.
Aunt Rong quickly advised, "Young lady, have some tea. This is the scented tea that was just delivered."
"Okay, I was just angry for no reason." Cui Yuehuan felt uncomfortable.
Nanny Rong said quickly, "Please don't tell anyone. As the saying goes, there is a difference between the emperor and his subjects. Now she is not just a princess, she will be the empress in the future. From now on, things will never be the same."
If you can't even handle this little bit of anger, what else do you expect in the future?
Cui Yuehuan certainly thought that if Li Cheng became the emperor, he would certainly bestow titles on the Cui family, after all, the Cui family was his maternal uncle's family, and the Cui family was proud at that time. Unexpectedly, Huiyin's attitude towards her was also ordinary. She was young and could not hide things, so she was a little unhappy.
These actions soon reached Huiyin's ears. Huiyin curled her lips and said, "What an uncle. He is like a turtle on weekdays, but he wants to run over to pick fruits when it's time to pick them. Now we don't know what the situation is in the capital, but these people's faces can no longer be concealed. If I don't use some powerful means, I'm afraid this journey will not be peaceful."
In fact, Huiyin has been quite calm in recent years, so calm that these people really want to fight with her.
Nan Mama and Fu Gui looked at each other. They knew that the princess was not really kind. She just had no conflicts of interest and she didn't like to always suppress others. But such a person was able to defeat all the concubines and the engaged Bai Yueguang around the Huaiyin King. She was not someone to be trifled with.
As a master, she must be able to manage her subordinates well. As the future queen of the Zheng family, she must also be able to manage her natal family well.
Otherwise, not everyone can withstand the sudden rise to power. If their temperament changes drastically and something bad happens, they don’t know whether they can protect themselves in the future.
Furthermore, before Li Cheng came to power, not many relatives helped him sincerely. After he came to power, those people wanted to share this snack. Those who got less would definitely take it from those who got more. Who got more? Wasn't it the Zheng family and himself?
This is the Qingzhou Posthouse just outside Xuzhou. The postmaster has already learned of Huiyin's identity and is extremely respectful, preparing a meal with beef and mutton and drinking top-quality Jinhua wine, which is extremely thoughtful.
"Take these ten taels and give them to the postmaster as a reward for his meals. Also pick out two pieces of cloth to give to him as a reward." Huiyin knew that in some places cloth was hard currency and more useful than money.
Fugui hurriedly took the order and left.
Ji, who was sitting at the bottom, said hurriedly, "Your Majesty is still so honest and dedicated to her duties."
"Mother, as long as I am not crowned as queen, you'd better not call me empress." She said seriously, ignoring others' flattery.
Seeing that the people eating at the table were all her daughters and two daughters-in-law, Ji couldn't help but say, "They are all family, why should your majesty mind?"
Many people think they have self-control, so when they see someone in history become arrogant quickly, they don't realize that sometimes they will be even more arrogant when it comes to them. The Ji family usually seems to be quite calm, but now they have begun to take it lightly.
"Mother, preparation is the key to success. Without preparation, everything will fail. I have benefited the most from this matter, so why am I not so effusive in my words? It's not because I am pretentious, but because I know too well that we will become proud and arrogant after our success this time. As the saying goes, an arrogant army will be defeated. Is this the road to success? No, this is just another beginning. A slow move will lead to the failure of the whole game. I don't care what you were like in the past. If I am lucky enough to become the queen, you must stop being arrogant and impatient. Otherwise, I will hear what anyone does. Whoever makes me unhappy for a moment, I will make him unhappy for the rest of his life." Huiyin glanced at everyone and snorted coldly.
Who is more attractive, Princess Huaiyin or the Queen?
It's obvious.
Originally, the Zheng family was very happy, even ecstatic, but they didn't expect Huiyin to kill them directly.
Cui Yuehuan was almost frightened to tears. She suddenly felt scared, and Xin didn't dare to say anything more.
Fortunately, the next day, Huiyin was smiling and talking as usual. They even felt that Huiyin's anger that day was an illusion. But they didn't dare to get close to Huiyin as before. Nan's mother couldn't help but whisper the change in Huiyin's ear.
"What friends do I need? The higher you go, the lonelier you become. It's not just me, the emperor is probably even lonelier."
…
Li Cheng rushed to the capital at night. When the gatekeeper saw Shi Chong, he opened the door. Shi Chong was the prince's confidant. The prince wanted to take advantage of him and control the situation. He didn't expect that Li Cheng didn't do anything to Wei Duo and ordered someone to kill the prince.
李澄讓人活捉了石崇，告訴他太子已死，皇帝也已經亡了，現在第一順位的繼承人便是他了。
到了這個地步，石崇也看的出李澄之聰明雖然并非在衛铎之上，但是他是正經大邺的皇室子弟，比衛铎可名正言順多了。
卻說京中何皇後本是秘不發喪，想等太子回來之後繼承大位，沒想到太子死訊傳來，她又打算把雲枝的兒子扶植成太子。
這樣混亂的局面，也沒有誰能注意到德音，德音只是看着大家都說雲枝一個奴婢，日後就要成太後了，她真的是嫉妒又不甘。
與其如此，還不如前世呢。
還真是說什麽盼着什麽，宮裏被人闖了進來，她們被人控制起來，生完皇子早已封良媛的雲枝面帶豐腴消息靈通，顯然也是心神不靈。
德音不解：“怎麽了？”
雲枝複雜的看向德音道：“我聽說淮陰王奉皇上手诏登基了。”
“竟然是淮陰王。”德音心裏一喜，轉念又覺得世道不公，為何前世她的丈夫也是淮陰王卻死了？害的她守寡。
雲枝也覺得德音還是有幾分運氣的，明明鄭家投了敵人，德音被打了一頓，還沒來得及怎麽樣，太子就出征了。現在太子死了，她的最大的靠山來了。
然而，她們的日子就沒那麽好過了。
雲枝看着德音道：“良娣，請您之前看在我也幫過您的份上，到時候幫奴婢在淮陰王和淮陰王妃面前說幾句好話，我一條賤命也就罷了，我的兒子的命就求求您照拂了。”
說罷，還跪下了。
德音還不知外頭情況如何，只簡單點了頭。
又說李澄如何肅清內闱，讓禮部諸官如何承認他的身份，又如何安撫都中大戶，對這些後宮女眷全部先看管起來，到時候等徽音過來再作懲處。
畢竟徽音是皇後，內闱之事應當由她處置才對。
後宮的女人們不免人心惶惶，有的人怕将來被士兵強占，偷偷的尋了死，有的人則是坐卧不安，如衛良娣這般的，她是衛铎的女兒。如今衛铎的對頭登了皇位，她難道還有什麽好下場不成，甚至也和雲枝似的主動對德音示好。
德音的感覺就很複雜了，這和前世多麽相似啊，那時候她在藩地，領着一份錢糧，和女人們過着餓不死的生活。突然，她的妹妹當了皇後了，要接她過去，那時荀柔這群人也是求她。
**
“怎麽皇後還未到？”身着兖服的李澄已經是等不及了。
前線還在打仗，但他要徽音和孩子們名正言順的過來了，他這個心裏才安穩。
卻不知徽音一路随軍士進京，心裏着實擔心李澄，不知道他的位置坐穩沒有，有沒有人暗算他，或者是心軟放了別人。
旁人都不知道她擔心什麽，崔月環小聲嘟囔道：“明明天大的喜事，作何這般喪氣？”
好容易過了冀州，璟兒和瞻兒也是望眼欲穿。
“母妃，何時才能見到父王啊？”璟兒問起。
徽音笑道：“還有二十裏路，不到一個時辰也就到了。”
孩子們聽說這麽快，都暗自高興，卻聽外面有人策馬前來，徽音正暗自猜想是不是李澄派的将士來接她的，正掀簾望去，卻見是李澄立于車旁。
“夫君。”
“徽音，我來接我的皇後了。”
“原本我聽說你們來了，就特地策馬過來了，這一路平安否？”李澄再見徽音，眼神裏閃爍着興奮喜悅，更有一種久別重逢之情。
徽音笑道：“平安，就是又覺得不可置信，可又擔心你。”
李澄何嘗不知，夫妻二人同乘馬車，一路以來，他便把這一切都說了：“原本我是想對付衛铎的，太子原本在一旁觀望，等着我倆鹬蚌相争漁翁得利。可是我們一個月以內只打了幾場小仗，彼此實力差不多，都不敢貿然前進。”
“太子知曉皇上身體不行了，怕衛铎到時候聽說皇帝駕崩，反而害了他的命，去扶植衛铎的孫兒，所以率人前來。而我覺得天賜良機，所以我假意打衛铎，實則打太子，因為只要太子沒了，我都不必篡位，天下就是我的。”
自古父死子繼，兄終弟及，吳王是剛駕崩的先帝最大的弟弟，先帝只有太子一個兒子，太子死了，當然李澄的血緣最近了。
徽音聽的驚心動魄，不免問道：“太子是怎麽死的？”
“他被射死的。對了，我在揚州還見到了魏王的遺孀霍氏母女，她們流落民間，差點被人玷污，還好遇到了我。我已經讓人送他們來京中，屆時還是住在京裏，不再置藩地，徹底恢複郡縣之制，全部歸我管。”說這些話的時候，李澄躊躇滿志。
“戰亂中女人就是可憐，還有衛铎呢？你就這麽回來了，他呢？”徽音最關心這個。
李澄附耳在她耳邊道：“他跟我比腳程呢，都想快些到京，結果被我半路設伏了。”
有時候打仗除了排兵布陣之外，還在于勢，那就是勢頭在不在自己這邊。
不過，他道：“我本該早些過去的，但想着等你到了之後再帶兵出去打仗，後方就靠你了。”
兩人一路都在說安排，公事說完，徽音又窩在他懷裏：“真的怕是鏡花水月，又擔心咱們到京城了，你被人陷害，還怕你去打仗了，老窩被人家端了。”
“我身邊的人無不是欣喜，只有你是真心為我考慮。”李澄當然知曉徽音擔心她。
徽音笑道：“因為只有我們夫妻是一體啊，別人都有退路，大不了人家另投明主，可咱們退無可退了。不過，我還是為我夫君驕傲，有了你，咱們大邺，肯定不會支離破碎。”
之前後宮混亂不已，如今徽音過來之後，李澄先讓禮部以最快的速度辦成皇後冊封之禮，又下聖旨封世子李璟為太子。
徽音牽着兩個兒子，一步一步的随着李澄走進宮中，這宮裏她既熟悉又陌生，重生回來第二次進宮。
第一次在宮裏，那時她還只是個淮陰王妃，低調的生怕引起別人的注意。
現在她即将要成為這整個宮殿的主人了。
她是一個做事情不會過夜的人，比如對何太後還有先帝後宮嫔妃，除了何皇後本人，有意願出去的那些年輕的妃嫔，有本家的都歸還本家，沒有本家的給二十兩做路資。若是無家可歸的，可以去守皇陵。
太子處，除了有子嗣的去守皇陵，無子嗣的，歸還本家，若無本家，也是給二十兩做路資。
宮中之物，除了本身貼身之物，其餘都不允許帶出去。她很清楚每次這種時候，很多人偷盜宮中古董字畫出去賣。
……
徽音幾乎是先拟好章法，夜裏再與李澄商量，李澄自是無有不可。二人一同在端明殿住下，這裏曾經是她鸩殺李珩的地方，如今有李澄在，這裏不是冰冷的，而是暖和的。
“魏王的家眷，你準備安置在何處？”徽音問起。
李澄笑道：“以後不設藩地，藩王都在京居住，降等襲爵。當年魏王叔給我的王府，沒有馬場，是生怕我學馬，如今我也這般，賜一座精巧些的府邸罷了。”
“我就怕霍家撺掇霍氏奪宮呢？”徽音最擔心這個。
李澄擺手：“放心，暫時不會的，霍家的勢力在江南。當時衛铎攻打建業，霍家被洗劫一空，全是些假把式，他家若真成，霍氏和蒹葭怎麽會流落民間。”
“還是不可掉以輕心。”徽音捏了捏他的手。
李澄則道：“說的也是，你放心，京中我交給你大哥拱衛。”
“為何是我大哥？”徽音笑。
李澄說了實話：“你哥哥有拼勁，不管我吩咐什麽，他都會竭盡全力。況且，你是他妹妹，說白了，他們雖然投奔我，可若不是因為你的關系，我絕對不會重用。你弟弟能名正言順的封爵，他卻要次一等，我已經和他說了，若能護你周全，我一樣給和你弟弟的爵位。”
世上的事情，親戚固然可靠，再有利益加固，那更是絕對的可靠。
“多謝你為我考慮，也多謝你給我哥哥這個機會，他這麽多年也活的很辛苦，常常要付出比我弟弟多，才有那般成就。”徽音和他說着心裏話。
李澄見宮裏的人，已經知趣的離開，忍不住嬉笑道：“你該怎麽謝我啊？”
“随你，今兒都随你擺弄。”徽音點了點他寬厚的胸膛。
且不說夫婦二人如何鸾鳳颠倒。
早上，徽音回到自己的宮殿，居然依舊是麟德殿，麟德殿是大明宮最大的宮殿，而她正好住在麟德殿的中殿。
她身上着翟鳥紋飾的鳳袍，頭上戴着首飾花十二樹，先傳了皇後懿旨，先帝嫔妃如何處置，前太子後妃如何處置。
之後，又請了德音過來。
到底，德音是她的姐姐，怎麽着也賞賜些東西讓她拿回去。
世事變幻，可唯一不變的還是同一場景，給同一個人下跪。
Qin An, who used to be the chief eunuch, was now serving Huiyin. She looked at her sister, who was dressed in the queen's clothes and looked elegant and noble. She seemed to be in better spirits than in her previous life.
She gnashed her silver teeth and knelt on the ground.
But unlike the previous life when Huiyin treated her warmly, this life, her sister said calmly: "I have already told His Majesty that the concubines of the former imperial concubine who have children will go to guard the mountain mausoleum, and those without children will be sent back to their families."
Deyin didn't know how to reply. Qin An frowned over there. Why was the sister of Queen Zheng so dumbfounded? It was already extremely merciful to let all these concubines go home, and even give them dowry money.
After a while, Qin An was about to speak when he heard Deyin say, "Thank you, Her Majesty, for your kindness."
Huiyin waved her hand: "Go down."
…
When Deyin came out, the young eunuchs from the palace followed behind her, holding twelve pieces of colorful silk, a pair of white jade ruyi, and a string of sandalwood prayer beads. These were gifts from Huiyin. She didn't want to see them at all, but she couldn't show any objection along the way.
Only when she got on the carriage and saw Madam Xu, she couldn't help but burst into tears: "Grandma, I do everything according to your instructions. Why can't I succeed? But she always succeeds?"