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In fact, Gu Zheng had also planned to save Tang Lichen, so when he knew that He Qing had the same idea as him, he was actually somewhat happy.
He looked at He Qing, who thought he was going to say something, but in the end, Gu Zheng just looked away calmly and nodded, "Okay, I'll help you with this."
It always saves effort to talk to smart people.
However, He Qing would not admit it voluntarily, giving others a chance to criticize her. She smiled and said, "How can you say this is helping me? Lord Gu is a pillar of the court. Saving the country from danger and maintaining the court's dignity is part of his job, isn't it?"
Gu Zheng laughed, "Master, you're really too quick to destroy the bridge after crossing it."
"Lord Gu already had this intention, so I am doing something unnecessary." He Qing said lightly without changing his expression.
Gu Zheng naturally wouldn't admit it. He just smiled and turned the topic back to Tang Lichen's matter. "Master, do you have any good ideas?"
"How can there be a foolproof plan for something like this?" He Qing asked. "Ruizhou may seem like a major commotion right now, but the situation still depends on the imperial court's response. We absolutely cannot back down from a situation like this. We should send troops to suppress it. Do we even have to reason with them?"
The more assertive the imperial court appears, the less likely the rioters will dare to act. Then, they can send someone to support them. Tang Lichen is no fool; given the opportunity, he will surely escape from the government office. Without the hostages, it will be easier to deal with the rioters.
Gu Zheng shook his head and said, "Given the current situation in the court, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager will not agree."
If a war breaks out, it will inevitably involve all parties and become a considerable burden for the imperial court. The Empress Dowager's attitude now must be "less trouble is better than more", and she will never take the initiative to take on such trouble.
It would be easier for her to appease the rioters in Ruizhou at a small cost.
"Don't worry about that," He Qing took a deep breath. "If Lord Gu can convince Minister Xue to speak to the Grand Empress Dowager in court, I can take this opportunity to persuade her."
Gu Zheng glanced at her, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."
He didn't ask He Qing if he was sure. He Qing's nervous expression gave him a clue as to the answer. But there aren't many things in this world that are 100% certain. Most of the time, it's just a matter of taking a gamble. You can't just do nothing because there's no guarantee it'll work, right?
However, by choosing this path, Master Huiru was indeed quite bold. No matter how tactful her words, she was essentially trying to pressure the Grand Empress Dowager with her power. This approach, if not handled with caution, could easily lead to the downfall of everyone involved.
But the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
Since I have decided to do it, Gu Zheng thought, I might as well go for a big one.
The meeting continued in the afternoon, but He Qing did not participate. She had been there by chance in the morning, but it was inappropriate for her to remain in Ziping Hall. There was no need to arouse suspicion in such matters.
She went to Kunhua Palace.
Empress Dowager Zhang was already seven months pregnant, with a noticeable bulge. Although she appeared unaffected, the atmosphere throughout Kunhua Palace was tense. Someone had to step forward to assist her during every move to prevent any accidents. Aunt Qiu personally oversaw her daily life, keeping a close eye on her.
Even when He Qing came over to talk, she had to stay beside him to prevent He Qing from instigating Empress Dowager Zhang to do anything.
Right now, the baby in Empress Dowager Zhang's belly was the most important thing. He Qing had no intention of involving her. Seeing that she was fine, he took the initiative to stand up and say goodbye.
After returning to the Wendao Palace, she sat in her room, constantly flipping through her memories, looking for various statements and evidence that could persuade the Empress Dowager, hoping to impress her and make her change her mind.
As He Qing expected, the meeting that afternoon did not produce any results.
This is not surprising. Any matter involving such a wide range of issues can rarely be decided quickly, and it always takes several days to discuss it in the court.
Gu Zheng acted quickly. The next morning, during the court session, Xue Zhidao publicly stated his stance. His words served as a catalyst, prompting countless officials to rally behind him, creating a force that could not be ignored. Even Wang Tong, who had initially advocated for appeasement, was weakened by the situation.
This completely uncontrollable change made the Empress Dowager very unhappy, and the morning court did not last long before it was dispersed.
Because the Empress Dowager had simply walked away in a huff, there were naturally no further arrangements. The important officials stood in the hall, staring at each other for a moment, before Xue Zhidao stepped forward and had the eunuch on duty convey a request to proceed to the Ziping Hall to make an appearance.
The Empress Dowager had just finished changing and was drinking tea when she heard the eunuch's words. She was so angry that she threw the cup in her hand and said, "Go tell Xue Zhidao that I will not see anyone today!"
The attitudes below were so uniform that the Empress Dowager had fully grasped the threatening meaning.
The pressure from the court officials gave her, despite her high position, a strong sense of crisis. While she appeared to be in charge of government, in reality, she could only rely on the court officials to handle matters. If their ideas conflicted, the court officials were fully capable of forcing her to change her mind.
This was the first time the Grand Empress Dowager had experienced such a terrible feeling. Even though she knew she was not the true Supreme, she was still filled with shock and anger.
At this time, she could not meet with the court officials calmly, so it was better not to meet them.
After the eunuch who delivered the message left, she sat down again, raised her hand and pinched her eyebrows, feeling a severe headache.
He Qing had been following this matter closely, and had almost come to ask for an audience on time. The Empress Dowager, thinking that she had considerable insights into many matters, summoned her to meet with her.
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