Chapter 76: When the needle meets someone, it is inevitable that the abdomen will be restrained again.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Wen Zheliu pressed his white fingertips against his chest, his thin eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and his thin lips were pale, just like the snow piled on the ground outside, looking like a weak willow swaying in the wind.
After coughing a few times, he was almost out of breath.
"What's wrong? Why are you coughing so badly all of a sudden?"
Although Situ Yun was listening attentively, his face turned pale when he heard Jianwen Zheliu. He raised his hand to stop Master Xuankong from speaking and turned his head away.
Wen Zheliu coughed uncomfortably and couldn't squeeze a word out of his throat.
He raised his hand slightly, signaling Xiaobai to answer for him.
Xiaobai quickly knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, it's cold and dry here, and the young master's cough is always severe."
"Why are you still calling me 'Young Master'?" Situ Yun's voice dropped. "Your master is the Crown Prince, personally appointed by me. How could a servant not only bring honor to his master but also bring him disgrace? You look unfamiliar. Who in the Imperial Household Department assigned you to work for the Crown Prince?"
"Mother, cough cough, Queen Mother."
Wen Zheliu paused for a breath after uttering each word, and although he tried his best to suppress his cough, a faint wheezing sound could still be heard from his chest.
"Xiaobai wasn't sent from the Imperial Household Department. He's a personal guard brought from the Central Plains by a son-in-law. It's thanks to him that we were able to return to Xiyue safely this time."
"...Well, if you're used to it, just keep using it."
Situ Yun turned to Dugu Qiu and said, "You've been serving the Crown Prince all the way. Others don't know how to serve him, but don't you? What are you standing there for? Call the imperial physician."
This imperial physician is not interested in spreading the news that the prince is pregnant...
It was not easy to directly disobey Emperor Jingming's order, so Dugu Qiu ordered the little maid to find the imperial physician as slowly as possible, and was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead.
Fortunately, before the little maid stepped out of the door, she heard the slightly hoarse voice of Wen Zheliu.
"Thank you, Queen Mother, for your concern and for sending the Imperial Physician to see me. My illness is not serious and I will just need to rest in bed for a while. There is no need for the Imperial Physician to come and see me."
Fearing that something unexpected might happen if they continued sitting here and chatting, Wen Zheliu put his hand on Xiaobai's arm and slowly stood up.
"I'll take my leave."
Situ Yun sighed softly.
"It's strange that I felt you were deficient the moment I saw you. Go ahead and get your body in good shape, then we can talk about other things."
Central Plains, Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The dragon throne was hanging empty, but there was a seat next to it, and the person sitting in it was He Jiuyue.
She held the emerald green Buddhist beads that she had asked for at the Qifu Temple in the suburbs of Beijing when she returned to the capital, and carefully twisted them one by one, with no expression of joy or sadness on her face.
"Your Majesty is unwell, and I am here to take care of government affairs."
The officials standing at the foot of the jade steps were stunned for a moment, then exploded.
He Jiuyue's title of "Regent" is not a false reputation. She indeed handles government affairs in the court and has dealt with ministers from all walks of life.
But at that time, He Jiuyue and all the ministers were standing at the foot of the jade steps, listening to the holy words of Emperor Jingming. Emperor Jingming was in charge of the government affairs, and He Jiuyue was assisting him. It was not like now, where He Jiuyue was sitting in a high position and "doing it for others"!
Minister of Rites Xie Guan roared, and the official hat that hid his gray hair shook slightly.
"Princess Pingyang, do you realize that this is using the emperor to control the princes, which is a great offense against the world? If you still know, then come down from the sky!"
He Jiyue is firmly rooted like a mountain, unmovable.
"Thank you, sir, you're joking. Your Majesty's old illness has relapsed, and he sent me to assist in managing state affairs. How can you say he's 'using the emperor to control the princes'?"
Xie Guan's face turned ashen, and his lips turned purple. "He Jiyue, the current emperor is your aunt. If you do this, you will be punished by heaven!"
He Jiuyue said nothing, but glanced at the ministers from top to bottom, taking in everyone's reactions.
They were well-read and knew that "the first bird to stick its head out gets shot at", so they were eagerly waiting for Xie Guan to speak, and at the same time observing the expression of He Jiuyue, the person in charge of government affairs.
"Rites and music have collapsed, the ruler is no longer a ruler, and the minister is no longer a minister. I resign this office today!"
Xie Guan smashed his official hat and left the table in anger.
The others were in a state of panic, but they looked at each other, and no one dared to take the disrespectful step that Xie Guan had done.
"Princess, are we just going to let her go?" Chen Jin whispered into He Jiuyue's ear.
"Let her be."
He Jiuyue rested her elbows on the armrests of the dragon chair, her fingertips still slowly turning the beads, but her volume suddenly rose.
"If anyone feels that they are not up to the task and wish to retire, please feel free to resign and follow Xie Guan. I will not hold it against you for what you did at court today. After today... it is the end of the year, and it is time to cleanse the court of corruption."
No one dared to move. After a moment, all the ministers knelt down in unison, led by the leading official.
"Your servants swear to follow the Grand Marshal until death!"
This court meeting was just to establish authority, but He Jiuyue and Emperor Jingming had been in a stalemate for several days, and there was indeed a lot of official business piled up in the court. He Jiuyue waved his hand to end the empty courtesy and let the officials below talk about business.
After all, there was a lot of official business piled up, and He Jiuyue dealt with it for three days in a row before the memorials on the desk were finally cleared.
She picked up the pen to write on the memorials at the bottom, and Chen Jin gently handed the brewed tea to her.
"My Lord, there is something I don't understand."
He Jiuyue's handwriting reflects his personality. He Jiuyue has a generous personality and his handwriting is elegant and graceful. When he gets anxious, his handwriting is inevitably a little flamboyant.
Fearing that her ministers might not be able to read the words clearly and thus cause trouble for the government, she exerted all her strength to control the brushstrokes and wrote the inscription stroke by stroke: "You say."
Chen Jin hung his head and said, "If you hold His Majesty hostage, you will be cursed by the other princes, and you must also be wary of Emperor Jingming secretly gathering troops to undermine your regime.
"Instead of putting yourself in danger, why not seize the opportunity to ascend to the throne and solidify this unacceptable reputation?"
"...Because I don't want to be emperor."
He Jiuyue put down his pen, picked up the teacup, skimmed off the foam with the lid, and sighed leisurely.
"Chen Jin, being the ruler of a country is not as glamorous as it appears. Not to mention, in order to expand my family, I have to have a large harem and cannot take care of my beloved.
"For the rest of my life, I will be locked up in this deep palace, dealing with official business from all over the country day and night.
"The most important thing is, once you're in that position, you'll be admired by everyone, and you'll have to give back to everyone. There will always be things you can't control. By then, the entire Central Plains will be mine, and I'll belong to the entire Central Plains, but I don't want to reach that point yet."
Chen Jin couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
"Unable to take care of my beloved", the princess really can't let go of Master Wen.
The princess had personally promised Master Wen, "Zheliu, you are the only man in my house." She was leaning against the wall and heard it all clearly.
"But Princess, the arrow is on the string and must be shot." Although it is clear, you still have to persuade those who need to be persuaded.
"Go down, I'll be alone."
He Jiyue pressed her temples and was about to close her eyes, but at the last moment, she opened them again.
"Is there any progress on the disappearance of Wen Zheliu?"
Xiyue East Palace, on the eve of the welcoming banquet.
"Dugu Qiu," Wen Zheliu said, leaning against the couch, quickly scanning the books on government affairs that Situ Yun had instructed him to read. "Who are the people coming to this welcoming banquet? Are there any people I need to pay special attention to?"
Dugu Qiu looked embarrassed.
"Your Majesty has been obsessed with Taoism and Buddhism lately, always associating with Imperial Master Xuankong. His attitude towards the ministers in the court is similar, but there is one person you may want to pay attention to."
"Who?" Wen Zheliu raised his eyes.
"General, Murong Xuan." Dugu Qiu replied.
"Why should I pay attention?"
"She controls nearly half of the troops in Western Vietnam and holds considerable influence in the court. If you wish to maintain your position at the top, you must securely control the troops below."
Wen Zheliu's fingertips tightened slightly as they gripped the book.
Things in the world are always easier said than done. He just came to Xiyue and has only a vague understanding of the local customs and people. He knows even less about the affairs of the court. How can it be easy for him to hold on to Murong Xuan, this big tree?
Without money and reputation, how can one achieve anything with just the title of "Crown Prince"?
Let’s take one step at a time and see what happens.
Mount Xiyue is located northwest of the Central Plains. In winter, the days are short and the nights are long. As it was getting dark outside and I heard the sound of willow-breaking, I felt sleepy. I just leaned on the couch to rest for a while, and in the blink of an eye, it was the welcoming banquet.
As soon as you see someone, you can't help but bind your abdomen.
From the Central Plains to Xiyue, Wen Zheliu used cloth belts to hold up his belly all the way. Xiaobai's skills in holding up his belly became more and more advanced, almost reaching the level of perfection.
It's just uncomfortable to have a belt tied around my stomach.
Wen Zheliu looked at the full-length bronze mirror and touched her belly unnaturally.
It's really hard for her to always squeeze the child's space.
Fortunately, he was now the crown prince, so he could travel without touching the ground with his feet. He could just sit in a sedan chair, protecting his stomach, which was easier than walking on it.
Situ Yun must have made instructions in advance. As the announcer said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived," all the ministers knelt down.
"Your Highness, I greet you. May you be blessed with good health and happiness."
"Everyone, get up."
Wen Zheliu looked indifferent. He stretched out his hand to support the person in front of him. He glanced at the small mole under the left eye of this person, and then looked at his hooked nose and sharp face.
This person should be the General Murong Xuan that Dugu Qiu asked him to pay attention to.
As for the person behind Murong Xuan, who looks 70% like her, should be her only daughter Murong Jin... Murong Jin was among the pile of portraits of women that Situ Yun gave him yesterday.
I'm afraid Situ Yun will have to introduce him to the banquet later.
In fact, marrying Murong Jin was also a good thing, as it would have stabilized the most difficult-to-control troops. However, he returned to Xiyue and took the throne of emperor in order to stabilize Xiyue and relieve He Jiuyue of her worries, sacrificing himself, which was putting the cart before the horse.
Let’s wait and see, maybe there is a better way.
Wen Zheliu had just arrived when Situ Yun followed closely behind.
Seeing that Wen Zheliu had not yet sat down, he must have arrived not long ago. Situ Yun laughed and said, "My dear ministers, please stand up," and crow's feet appeared at the corners of his eyes.
"Zheliu, we are mother and son, and even the timing of your visit is such a coincidence. We are truly in tune with each other."
"Mother and son", he and Situ Yun, indeed.
But there was a new life growing in his belly.
He must firmly grasp the position of the Emperor of Xiyue before this little life is exposed.
Then we can only use Situ Yun.
Wen Zheliu smiled faintly and nodded.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Zheliu has just arrived and the only one I can rely on is you. I don't know everyone here very well. Could you please introduce a few to me?"
"Of course. If I, as your mother, don't teach you, do you expect others to? This person is..."
Situ Yun introduced the court officials to Wen Zheliu one by one from the highest to the lowest positions. After each round, she looked at Murong Jin, who was following Murong Xuan, and the smile on her face became more intense.
"Zheliu, you are not young anymore, you are of marriageable age. I think the general's daughter, Murong Jin, is a good match. What do you think?"
Sure enough, Murong Jin was mentioned to him.
He picked up the handkerchief just right, gently covered his lips with it, coughed twice, and then Wen Zheliu softly uttered the speech in his mind.
"That's all well and good, but I'm weak and sickly, and I'm bedridden. I'm afraid I'll delay Miss Murong. I don't have that kind of luck."
"Why are you bedridden? How could you be a burden to her? Zheliu, you are the Crown Prince of Xiyue, the future ruler of a country. It is her blessing that you are interested in her."
Still thinking about the endless descendants of the Xiyue royal family, Situ Yun hated to hear Zhe Liu say that he was not feeling well. In a moment of anxiety, he threw Murong Jin out of his mind and said, "Stop saying such unlucky things."
Wen Zheliu's thin lips slightly opened, and were gently bitten by her pearly teeth, making her look very obedient.
"Your son will follow the instructions of the Queen Mother."
His knees ached slightly, and Wen Zheliu, using the table as a cover, quietly reached over and rubbed them through the fabric of his clothes. Normally, Xueyu always loved to lie on his knees. Although she was a bit heavy, she used her warm and solid body to help warm his knees.
I really can't get used to being away from it now.
"Your Majesty, I don't know whether I should say this or not."
Wen Zheliu thought that he had declined politely and the matter was over, but then he heard Murong Jin say.
Situ Yun was startled: "You say."
There was a teasing smile on Murong Jin's lips.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is sickly and will not live long. The husband I want is a man as healthy as me. He doesn't like me, and I don't like him either!
"What I want in my house is not a delicate beauty, but a real man with strength and means!"
Situ Yun's face suddenly darkened, and Wen Zheliu's hand holding the cup paused slightly.
Although he didn't want to give himself to others for power, he couldn't let others bully him. Murong Jin was so outspoken, he must be relying on Murong Xuan's support behind him.
At this moment, he could not defeat the mother and daughter, and even had to ask them for help.
But because of this, he cannot be too humble.
People who fight on the battlefield all like things that are difficult to tame. He Jiuyue is like this, and Murong mother and daughter are no exception. The more arrogant and self-righteous he is, the more they will take him seriously.
He couldn't retreat.
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