Empress Dowager Zhang now had an unreasonable trust in He Qing. Upon hearing this, she frowned, "Since Master Zhen has become a monk and is practicing to pray for the country, he also bears the heavy responsibility of the country's destiny. Suddenly having this dream, perhaps it is a warning from heaven?"
"I think so too," He Qing sighed. "But given my status, it's not appropriate for me to say this, and I don't think many people will believe it. The weight of the country is too heavy for a little woman like me to shoulder. Even if the heavens wanted to warn me, they shouldn't look for me."
Empress Dowager Zhang was a smart person. She almost immediately understood the hidden meaning of her words and asked, "What should I do?"
It's not "what do you want me to do" but "how should I do it".
He Qing felt a lump in her heart, and all her emotions were blocked in it. A soft emotion enveloped her. In the end, she just squeezed Empress Dowager Zhang's hand hard, without showing anything. She stood up and walked to the desk next to her, spread out paper and ground ink, and picked up the pen to draw on the paper.
Empress Dowager Zhang came over and looked for a while before asking, "What is Master Zhen painting?"
The only ones who were unhappy were the two maids beside her.
Originally, at He Qing's age, she would have been married off soon. Then, all matters in the Princess's mansion would be under their control, a life of glory and happiness, just like the lives they had longed for countless times before them. But now, with He Qing's tossing and turning, she would stay in the palace to seek the scriptures for the rest of her life, while forcing those who followed her to seek other places. How could this not make them gnashing with anger?
If they could find a better place to go, they wouldn't have to waste their time staying with her.
What's even more abominable is that she distributed all the things to the maids below on the grounds that "the clothes and jewelry of young girls are not suitable for the maids." The two maids only got some worthless things, saying that they would "keep them as a souvenir."
The two maids gnashed their teeth in hatred and were about to use their authority to scold her.
But He Qing was no longer afraid. She was no longer the Grand Princess of Anping. She should be called the Supreme Wisdom Master. The nanny who assisted the princess had no right to control a nun like her. Seeing them like this, she felt somewhat relieved.
Unfortunately, I am now weak and alone, and I can only focus on finding a place for myself, so I don’t have the time to deal with them.
In her previous life, if the maids around her and the people outside had not instigated her to praise the Jin family to the heavens and the earth, how could she have agreed to this marriage?
It's important to remember that when a princess chooses a husband, she naturally has more than one candidate. Empress Dowager Lin had no intention of manipulating her and simply gave her the list to choose from. Nanny Lu volunteered to investigate the candidate's character, talent, and appearance, and when she returned, she praised him with such rave reviews that she personally chose the Jin family.
This account will have to be settled sooner or later.
During the reign of He Qing's elder brother, Emperor Ling of Chu, He Jun, the previous emperor was a devout believer in Taoism. He repeatedly issued edicts summoning Taoists from across the country to the capital to study Taoist scriptures, build temples, and refine elixirs, leading to a period of rapid Taoist prosperity. Later, he even built the Dao Palace within the imperial gardens and moved in himself. He wore Taoist robes and a Taoist hat, refraining from worldly affairs and government affairs to demonstrate his sincere devotion to the pursuit of immortality and the Way.
So at the age of only 33, he died suddenly from taking too many golden elixirs.
The palace had only been built a short time ago and had been vacant for only two years. Although it looked somewhat desolate, it was in no need of repair.
Because the main hall was the emperor's residence, He Qing chose the eastern side hall to live in. The Inner Palace Bureau hastily sent a few people over to remove the items that were out of place, cleaned the place from top to bottom, and stocked it with the necessary items for a Taoist temple. They also selected a few more people to take charge of cleaning and cooking, all dressed in Taoist attire, and everything was complete.
Next came the elaborate and lengthy funeral of the late emperor. As a monk, He Qing quietly attended to his duties, not asking about other matters, but he could still vaguely hear the Empress Dowager and several officials from the Council of State arguing several times.
It should all be about the new monarch.
He Qing calculated the date and thought it was about time, so he went to Kunhua Palace.
Empress Dowager Lin was currently experiencing a headache. As the saying goes, a country cannot be without a ruler for even a day. While the ministers could discuss matters at court, without an emperor, people's hearts remained unsettled and uneasy. For the sake of the Chu state, a new ruler should be welcomed and appointed as soon as possible. Even if they wanted to conduct the late emperor's funeral first, they should have chosen the right person.
So during this period, the court officials submitted memorials one after another, and every word and sentence was a reminder to her.
In reality, Empress Dowager Lin herself understood this truth. It was something that had to be done sooner or later, and doing it sooner would appear to be a matter of righteousness. But the thought of her son being gone, only for someone else to inherit his glory, and the thought that the future would never be the same as before, was a thorn in her side.
So today, even the clan elders were invited by the court officials to act as lobbyists.
Empress Dowager Lin knew that this matter could no longer be delayed.
Even without her expressing her opinion, the court officials and royal family members had already proposed several alternative royal family members.
So when she heard He Qing coming to greet her, she didn't even see him and asked the outsider to send him away. He Qing only nodded slightly, without further entanglement, and turned away very decisively. She was a monk now, so she had to act like a monk and not get too involved in these matters. At least she had to keep up appearances.
On the second day, Empress Dowager Lin relented and took the initiative to summon several important officials from the Council of State and several respected princes from the royal family, asking them to nominate a candidate to succeed the new emperor.
Although her face remained stern and her tone was firm, her relenting words brought a sigh of relief to everyone. They were about to present their proposed candidates, not caring to comply with her wishes. But Empress Dowager Lin suddenly spoke up, "Gentlemen, you have all served three dynasties and are experienced in statecraft. I have no qualms about the candidates you recommend. However, I must make one point clear: Prince Rui's descendants are not acceptable!"
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