Chapter 249 Take a gamble!
Cao nodded and helped her son speak. "Yes, will the emperor really remember her contribution? I heard that many people are clamoring to build a golden statue for her and even a temple for her. What if the emperor becomes resentful of her?"
Xun Mingzhi put down his wine glass and thought for a moment. "What you said makes sense. However, this matter is essentially a good thing. As long as Wutong does not seek credit and advance rashly, the emperor will definitely remember her kindness. Go, have someone send a message to Wutong, telling her not to mention the temple building again. As a concubine, she should stay in the harem and serve the emperor wholeheartedly. This is the most important thing."
After hearing what his father said, Xun Zhiyuan finally felt relieved.
If Bai Wutong really became so popular, even if he became a high-ranking official in the future, others would definitely say that he relied on the power of women.
He had long planned to take part in the imperial examinations. He was quite confident in his knowledge and abilities, and firmly believed that he would be able to make a name for himself in officialdom in the future, and would not be satisfied with being a minor official.
I still remember that before the epidemic broke out a few years ago, he and several classmates made an appointment to go to a restaurant for a drink.
I happened to meet another group of classmates there, and they started talking about me behind my back.
"Whether Xun Zhiyuan can pass the exam or not, he has a good sister who strives for success, so he doesn't have to worry about becoming an official."
"Yes, unlike us, we can only rely on ourselves. Even if Xun Zhiyuan fails the exam, he will still occupy an official position and probably stay in the capital. As for the rest of us, we can only go to remote places."
What are you talking about?
He has always relied on his own efforts. Why would others think that he has to rely on a woman like Bai Wutong to pursue his career?
The more Xun Zhiyuan thought about it, the angrier he got. "Anyway, we can't let Bai Wutong do this, otherwise it would be against the rules. If we offend the emperor, our whole family will be finished!"
…
The night fell, and the Zhou family residence was shrouded in silence. Only in one room, the dim candlelight flickered, making the atmosphere inside the room particularly depressing.
Zhou Changqing sat alone on a chair in the corner, his figure hidden in the dim light and the expression on his face was unpredictable.
Just at this moment, the maid walked in cautiously, holding a teacup.
She had her head down, concentrating on the ground, but when she looked up inadvertently, she caught a glimpse of Zhou Changqing's face, which looked a little eerie in the candlelight. She was startled, her hand trembled, and the teacup fell to the ground with a clang, breaking into pieces.
"Yes... I'm sorry, sir. I was careless for a moment. I'll go get you a new cup right away." The maid was so scared that her face turned pale and her voice trembled a little. She quickly bent down to pick up the broken pieces on the ground.
Zhou Changqing glanced at her coldly, his eyes full of impatience, and shouted, "Get out!"
"Yes, yes!" The maidservant fled from the room tumbling and crawling as if she had been granted amnesty.
Zhou Changqing looked at the broken teacup, and his already irritable mood became even worse.
He carefully planned this conspiracy, intending to use the epidemic to plunge the capital into chaos and take the opportunity to find someone to incite the people. On the one hand, he spread the news that Concubine Zhao was pregnant with disaster to confuse the people, and on the other hand, he instigated the people to attack court ministers.
As a result, the ministers suffered heavy casualties, and many vacant seats would inevitably appear in the court.
The arrival of the epidemic will force the postponement of the imperial examination to Beijing, which is held every three years.
By then, he would be able to operate in secret and recommend the people he had carefully cultivated and bribed over the years, thereby naturally becoming the second Duke of Zhenguo and controlling the power of the court.
But now, things are not going as he wished.
The epidemic was brought under control very quickly, which was completely contrary to his plan.
"This damn Concubine Zhao is simply a disaster that has come to bring disaster to our Zhou family!" Zhou Changqing cursed in a low voice while gritting his teeth.
The harem was originally peaceful without Bai Wutong. The concubines were childless and the queen posed no threat. The Zhou family's position in the court was as stable as Mount Tai.
But the appearance of Bai Wutong was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples and breaking the original balance. Everything was developing in a direction that was unfavorable to the Zhou family.
"Damn it! She should have been killed!" Zhou Changqing became more and more annoyed the more he thought about it, "Why didn't I kill her at the Royal Hunting Ground?"
If Concubine Zhao had died earlier, he wouldn't have had these troubles that are giving him so much headaches now.
But now everything is a foregone conclusion. There is no point dwelling on the past. The most important thing right now is to quickly think about how to save the situation.
"How come Concubine Zhao has medicine to treat the plague? Could it be that she has already noticed something? No, that is impossible. It must be just a coincidence. We must not let the people build a golden statue for her this time, otherwise it will inevitably threaten the position of the queen."
Zhou Changqing sat in the dim room, the candlelight flickering, illuminating his gloomy face.
After a long period of deep thought, he finally came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea.
Since the epidemic failed to achieve his goal, he would create some other trouble. He didn't believe that Concubine Zhao could deal with everything!
…
The home of the Grand Marshal.
It was midnight, but the house was brightly lit.
The general stood in the study, looking at the paintings in front of him with a serious expression.
This portrait is 80% similar to Concubine Zhao, but in the eyes of the Taiwei, it is still 20% inferior to Concubine Zhao herself.
He had seen Concubine Zhao's appearance with his own eyes. It was a kind of beauty that was difficult to describe. Although her figure was a little thin, it did not affect her stunning temperament at all. She was truly a stunning beauty.
"Should I take this portrait out? If the emperor knew about this, it would be bad for me. But if Concubine Zhao can really become the queen, our family will have a solid backer..."
The position of the Grand Marshal is now somewhat awkward, neither high nor low. He cannot be said to be extremely powerful, but he is not without status either. He is in a situation where he is not as good as the best, but better than the worst.
But people go to higher places and water flows to lower places. If there is a chance to climb one step higher, who would be willing to give up?
His father was also a general during his lifetime. Until his death, he was still thinking about climbing up the ladder and bringing glory to the family.
"Master, you haven't rested yet." Qiu walked into the study quietly with a midnight snack in her hand, and said with concern, "If you still plan to stay up late, eat something first, otherwise your body won't be able to bear it."
"Yeah." The general responded, his eyes still fixed on the portrait.
Qiu glanced at it and asked, "Are you still hesitating whether to pass this portrait on?"
"Yes," the general sighed, "If I pass the portrait around, the emperor will definitely investigate, and sooner or later it will be me. I'm afraid that I'll get into big trouble. But if I help Concubine Zhao, she will definitely remember my kindness in the future."
"Master..." Qiu hesitated. She had been severely reprimanded by the general before, but she finally spoke up, "It's not my place as a woman to interfere in this matter, but I think we might as well give it a try. Even if the emperor finds out about us, Concubine Zhao will protect us, right? The emperor won't chop off Master's head for such a small matter, right?"
After hearing this, the general was moved and felt that what Qiu said made sense. He nodded and said, "Yes, let's give it a try!"
Life is full of stakes anyway.
Sending her daughter Duan Chunrou into the palace was a gamble that she would gain the emperor's favor.
In the future fight for the crown prince, whether or not to follow the crown prince to fight against other princes will be another gamble.
As early as when the previous emperor was in power, he had participated in such a gambling game, and he won the bet on the current emperor.
He felt that his luck in gambling was pretty good, maybe this time it would be the same as before!
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