This was the first time Empress Dowager Lin stepped into the Wendao Palace.
This place was built by her husband, and after it was completed, he lived here permanently, seeking immortality and the Way, even abandoning this beautiful land as if it were a piece of trash, let alone his wife and children. But from another perspective, it was precisely because Emperor Ling was obsessed with Taoism and had no interest in women that he and his son lived a stable life.
So Empress Dowager Lin didn't know whether to feel resentment or gratitude.
But over the years, she subconsciously avoided this place and never set foot there, as if it were in another world.
But now that he had truly entered, he felt it was nothing special. This place of Taoist retreat was no different from any other palace; it was only Emperor Ling's wishful thinking that it possessed some kind of mystical power.
The past was gone like a cloud of smoke, and the slight ripple in Empress Dowager Lin's heart soon subsided, and she returned to her usual dignity.
She inspected the entire Wendao Palace and said to Aunt Qiu, "Although it's a secluded place, it's still a bit shabby. Tell the Ministry of Internal Affairs to redecorate this place so that Master Huiru can live comfortably. That way, he can delve into the Dao and pray for the Great Chu."
"Thank you, Empress Dowager." He Qing had already received the news, so he changed his address.
Empress Dowager Lin shook her head. "No official decree has been issued yet."
"That will be soon," He Qing said. "I heard that Scholar Gu debated with the scholars today and silenced the ministers. The matter has been decided, and the decree will be issued tomorrow. In that case, the title should be changed."
The two of them entered the house and sat down. Tea and fruit were served, and Empress Dowager Lin said, "Once the imperial decree is issued, it's time to move to another palace. Yangshou Palace is not far from here. I'll choose it so that we can meet and talk often in the future and keep each other company. I've been reading a few volumes of Taoist scriptures here, and I've gained quite a bit. When I have some free time, I'll discuss my understanding with you."
"I hope Your Majesty doesn't mind my stupidity." He Qing said.
"But I don't know when the affairs of the court will be settled." Queen Mother Lin put down her teacup and sighed softly. "Right now, the ministers in the court are all thinking on their own and acting on their own. They don't listen to orders. I am a woman and cannot intervene directly. If there is no one to hold them back, I am afraid..."
"Isn't Mr. Xue here?" He Qing asked.
Empress Dowager Lin shook her head slightly, took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it to her, "Take a look at this."
"This..." He Qing looked at her hesitantly, "I'm afraid this is not appropriate."
"What's wrong with that? I can see it, and so can you," said Empress Dowager Lin. "Master Zhen is now a layman, so just consider it as helping me resolve my worries."
He Qing then opened the memorial, which turned out to be Xue Zhidao's resignation letter.
This was something that had never happened in his previous life. ——Naturally, at that time, Xue Zhidao had single-handedly supported the Zhongshan King He Yuan to ascend the throne. Although He Yuan was ambitious and his actions had displeased the court officials, he was still a loyal follower of the emperor, and his position as Prime Minister was secure. He had always been the leading figure in the court's struggle against He Yuan.
However, he did not expect that this would change the possibility of He Yuan ascending the throne, and instead caused a rift between him and Empress Dowager Lin, so she resigned early.
During this period, He Qing repeatedly reviewed the history of the Great Chu in his memory, and reviewed many later people's evaluations of this period of history, even including many novelists' words.
Yes, He Qing now knew that the mysterious time-traveling woman had acquired most of her professional knowledge from various novels. While much of it was fabricated, it wasn't necessarily entirely without truth. And perhaps because it was integrated into the story, it was even more deeply engraved in the memory.
He Qing listed these statements one by one, compared them, and took the more reliable ones. She gained some understanding of this period of history and was no longer the eldest princess who lived in the deep palace and knew nothing about the major affairs of the court.
Therefore, when she saw this memorial, she thought a lot. After pondering for a moment, she asked softly, "Does Your Majesty want to use Gu Zheng?"
"This man is indeed a talent, but unfortunately he is too young. I'm afraid he won't be able to convince the public." Empress Dowager Lin rubbed her brows. "My status has many concerns, and it's not easy to argue with the court officials on this issue."
If she were the emperor, she could use whomever she wanted. Even if Gu Zheng was young, as long as he was talented, she could control him. But she was only the empress dowager, ruling the country from behind the scenes. If she made any extraordinary political moves, the court officials would definitely be wary.
"Gu, Zheng." He Qing repeated the name, his expression a little complicated for a moment.
In He Qing's life, he had never heard of this name. Perhaps it was because Xue Zhidao was still alive, and Gu Zheng had been suppressed, so his talent was not prominent and was unknown to outsiders.
But she knew what kind of person Gu Zheng was in the history books.
Gu Zheng, in later generations' estimation, stands shoulder to shoulder with the ancient sages. Not only was he brilliant in politics, he also forged his own unique school of Confucianism, authoring countless works and cultivating countless disciples. He founded a new school of thought, and is a subject of considerable prominence in history books.
The Iron Wolf Tribe captured the capital and ended an era, but they were unable to remain arrogant for long, as the remaining officials and troops of the Chu Dynasty, who had finally come to their senses, could not accept the fate of being enslaved by foreigners, so they fought desperately and soon drove them out of the pass.
Among all of this, Gu Zheng's ability to form alliances was the most important part. It was his efforts to persuade various forces to join forces that led to this result.
But sadly, once the grassland people were driven away, the Central Plains was leaderless, and the precarious coalition immediately collapsed, internally divided, and fell into civil strife that lasted for thirteen years before being unified by a new dynasty.
Gu Zheng, as a founding hero of the Xin Dynasty and a great scholar, was the most legendary figure in the past few hundred years.
Some people say that it was because of his assistance that Taizu of the Xin Dynasty was able to conquer and maintain his throne so smoothly, and the series of good policies he implemented did have a far-reaching impact. Even in the era when the time-traveling woman came, some of his ideas still seemed very advanced, shining with the brilliance of wisdom, and not at all outdated or faded.
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