Zheng Zhongming was also on guard against Xiao Shuo.
Zheng Zhongming suffered heavy casualties in several battles with Xiao Shuo, so he would not take Xiao Shuo lightly.
Even now, on the surface, Xiao Shuo didn't seem to doubt him, but what if it was the case? Xiao Shuo was always cunning...
For today, he specially transferred his trusted aides to the imperial guards. Now, in the Imperial Temple, apart from the Twelve Guards, there are imperial guards, totaling 3,000 people, which can protect against any unexpected events.
He would never let himself be alone under Xiao Shuo's nose again.
Zheng Zhongming pushed the emperor himself, with only a few trusted imperial guards following him. He did not ask anyone else to do anything else. He then sent the emperor to a side hall and personally helped him lie down.
All the people who originally served the emperor were sent away by him.
The emperor leaned against a pillow, looking gloomy.
Along the way, no matter what Zheng Zhongming said to the emperor, he remained silent.
After the wind blew, the emperor's consciousness gradually became clearer, and because of this, he became even more afraid.
He realized what he had just said.
Those words would bring him to ruin...
"emperor."
Zheng Zhongming called softly.
The emperor looked up at him silently without saying a word.
"Your Majesty, you are the emperor."
Zheng Zhongming said solemnly: "It was the late emperor who was unkind to you..."
“That’s enough!”
The emperor finally spoke, interrupting him.
"At that time, I just felt that my father was becoming increasingly indifferent to me, so I personally enlightened Qin Wei, taught him his lessons, and took time out to play with him..."
"You were the one who told me that the late emperor wanted to change his position."
Zheng Zhongming didn't expect that ten years later, the emperor would suddenly bring up this matter again.
Fortunately, the emperor did not need his answer and just muttered to himself.
He couldn't help but ask the late emperor, and the result made him feel chilled. He asked Zheng Zhongming what to do, and Zheng Zhongming said that there was an epidemic outside the capital...
The emperor's eyes were empty.
He really didn't want the late emperor to die at that time. Zheng Zhongming told him that this epidemic was not serious and would only make people weak and sick for a while. He thought that when the late emperor fell ill, he would be allowed to take over the government. He would try his best to let the late emperor see his excellence and that he was the one who was most like the late emperor.
But……
"I didn't mean it."
"Your Majesty, the matter is over." Zheng Zhongming soothed, "You have made Dasheng prosperous in the past ten years. The late emperor would be pleased if he were still alive."
emperor:"……"
Zheng Mingzhong continued, "It has been ten years. Now, someone is deliberately bringing up this matter again in order to embarrass Your Majesty."
He said in a gentle and persuasive way: "Think about it, for so many years, no one has ever mentioned this matter, even Earl Jian'an has appeased him well. Why would it be suddenly brought up again ten years later?"
The emperor's eyes widened slowly, and he looked at Zheng Zhongming in disbelief, and asked, "Who is it?"
Zheng Zhongming made a decisive statement: "It is Xiao Shuo."
"Impossible." The emperor said without thinking, "It can't be Ah Shuo."
The emperor sighed, "Chongming, you have too deep a prejudice against Ashuo..."
Even though Xiao Shuo was no longer as respectful to him as he used to be, he had no reason to harm him.
Zheng Zhongming knew the emperor would say this.
He stared at the emperor and said what he had kept for a long time: "Your Majesty, Xiao Shuo is the prince of Lingnan, Xue Yao."
The emperor was stunned for a long time, and his cloudy eyes seemed to have a spirit. Then he shook his head in disbelief: "Impossible."
Zheng Zhongming stared at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, please trust me. I have never lied to you. Never."
emperor:"……"
The emperor still didn't believe it.
He was the one who helped bring Xiao Shuo up, how could it be Xiao Yao? !
Zheng Zhongming didn't have time to analyze everything with him. He was afraid that Xiao Shuo's men would come over at any time, so he could only make it short and direct: "Your Majesty, did you really have a stroke?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they really attracted the emperor's attention.
Stroke?
He certainly didn't want to believe that he was having a stroke.
He wanted to be as vigorous as he was before, instead of lying on the couch all day and letting others do whatever they wanted...
"Your Majesty." Zheng Zhongming tried to persuade him, "Your Majesty, you didn't have a stroke at all. It was Xiao Shuo who colluded with the imperial physician to deceive you. You are actually in good health. It was Xiao Shuo who colluded with the imperial physician to announce that you had a stroke, so that he could control the government and cover up everything with one hand."
"This is just his first step."
"Once he takes control of the government, he will gradually eat away at the great prosperity of the dynasty, and you will be burdened with this indelible crime."
The emperor's expression gradually became solemn.
For the emperor, what he hoped most was that what happened today had never happened. If he was murdered by someone, then he would not be the one at fault...
Zheng Zhongming was a close minister to the emperor and knew him better than anyone else.
Likewise, he also knew what the emperor cared about most.
He continued, "Your Majesty, didn't you realize that Xiao Shuo did this on purpose? He wanted to make you a sinner for all eternity, step by step."
"Your Majesty, when you were in the Imperial Temple, did you feel that something was not right?"
The emperor nodded in a daze.
fragrance.
Ever since he smelled the scent of incense in the Queen Mother's room, he has been feeling drowsy and has hallucinations and auditory hallucinations from time to time...
Until we entered the Imperial Temple.
"Your Majesty, someone has done something to you!"
"That's why you lost your composure in the temple and said those words."
emperor:"……"
He understood.
He thought carefully about what happened today, and the more he thought about it, the more frightened he became.
Each and every one of these is so coincidental!
It was so coincidental that it seemed as if someone had deliberately set a trap for him, waiting for him to fall into it and go to destruction.
He believed in Xiao Shuo because he knew that even if Xiao Shuo wanted power, he would not kill him. Instead, he would provide him with good food and drink.
But, if Xiao Shuo is Xue Yao...
The emperor shuddered. If Xiao Shuo was Xue Yao, didn't that mean he had been lurking beside him, waiting to drag him into the abyss? !
And it’s almost successful?!
Seeing that the emperor had believed it to the fullest, Zheng Zhongming took out a piece of blood-written paper from his bosom, presented it to the emperor with both hands, and said, "Your Majesty, this is the blood-written paper of the Marquis of Anping."
"The Marquis of Anping has been silenced by Xiao Shuo. This was given to me before he died."
Marquis Anping was the heir appointed by the late emperor for King Lingnan, so the emperor naturally remembered him.
The emperor took the blood letter with trembling hands. There was a lot of things written on the blood letter, and the emperor only saw the sentence "Xiao Shuo is Xue Yao".
This is indeed the name of Marquis Anping.
The emperor's heart suddenly turned cold.
Of course, a letter written in blood may not prove anything, but it is too coincidental, everything is too coincidental.
As soon as Marquis Anping returned to the capital, the letter showing the collusion between the late emperor and Nan Huai appeared, causing him to vent all his resentment and anger on Marquis Anping.
Successfully destroyed the Anping Marquis Mansion.
There is also Princess Lingnan's biological mother, Madam Rong.
It was Xiao Shuo who initially said that Madam Rong was stupid and should be kept to avoid becoming a topic of gossip.
But then, what did Mrs. Rong do? !
Thinking of what happened on the Lantern Festival, the emperor's hands trembled with hatred.
If what was written in blood is true, then everything can be explained.
The emperor's hands were still shaking, and he could hardly hold the thin paper written in blood.
Zheng Zhongming said with tears in his eyes, "Your Majesty, think about it again. Have you ever been smooth since the return of the King of Zhenbei? If Xiao Shuo had not colluded with Chu Yuanchen in private, with Xiao Shuo's ability, how could you have come to this situation step by step?"
"Your Majesty, please take a look."
"The Great Rong Dynasty is about to change its surname to Chu."
The emperor's heart was shocked. The people he feared most in his life were Chu Xiao and Chu Yuanchen. Zheng Zhongming's words were like a heavy blow to his heart.
He couldn't help but follow Zheng Zhongming's thinking and thinking... The more he thought, the more frightened he became.
Xiao Shuo!
Is it really Xue Yao? !
The evil creature who should have died in the sea of fire twenty years ago? !
He grasped the blood letter tightly, crumpling it into a ball.
Zheng Zhongming followed up with the final blow: "Your Majesty, do you still remember that Princess Rong of Lingnan also has a pair of phoenix eyes!"
The emperor had met Princess Lingnan only once.
When she and King Lingnan had just married, they came to the capital together to pay their respects to the late emperor.
He had seen her from afar, and it had been so long that her appearance had long since become blurred in his memory. The only thing he still remembered was that she was a stunning woman with a pair of phoenix eyes. At the time, he felt a little sad that such a stunning beauty was promised to the warrior King Lingnan. It was such a pity.
Unconsciously.
The eyes of Xiao Shuo and Princess Lingnan seemed to overlap.
"I, I'm going to kill him... I..."
The emperor blurted out in rage.
It was as if a ball of rage rushed to his head, causing his blood vessels to swell.
He shouted angrily, "Go and catch him! Catch him!"
"I will kill him, I will kill him with my own hands."
In the past, the emperor trusted Xiao Shuo so much, but now he hated him so much. It was not hatred, but fear, panic, and fear...
He trusted Xiao Shuo only because Xiao Shuo would not tolerate him for the sake of power.
But now, Xiao Shuo is Xue Yao.
Xiao Shuo had every reason to harm him and bring him to ruin!
The emperor became afraid when he thought of this.
The emperor believed it! Zheng Zhongming breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his head, tears welling up in his eyes. From an angle that the emperor couldn't see, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
He won...
No, it's only half the battle now.
Zheng Zhongming hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please listen to me..."
"Chongming. Go and capture Xiao Shuo for me! Go, go!"
The emperor's resentful voice echoed in Zheng Zhongming's ears. He frowned imperceptibly and thought to himself: The emperor is too impulsive. How can the emperor make the decision on this matter now?
Moreover, Zheng Zhongming himself was unwilling to do so.
In the past, Zheng Zhongming might have obeyed the emperor's order and killed Xiao Shuo.
No matter how incompetent the emperor is, he is still the emperor of the Great Rong Dynasty. As long as there is no deposed emperor, his words will have some effect in the court.
However, he had endured for so long and paid so much, not for the purpose of supporting someone to take the throne and continue to be a powerful official.
What he wants is this beautiful country.
Zheng Mingzhong's eyes flickered.
He thought about it. Even if the emperor and his subjects got along well, wouldn't the emperor still ignore him in the end? He would kick him away. He would only think of him when he needed him.
If that's the case, why can't he take over and put everyone under his feet?
Seeing that he was silent for a long time, the emperor's eyes widened and he was furious and asked: "...Zheng Zhongming, are you going to betray me too?"
"Your Majesty. I cannot."
Zheng Zhongming said solemnly: "I am loyal to you only. This has never changed over the years!"
"I have always said that Xiao Shuo cannot be trusted. Since you do not believe me, I am using this as an excuse to argue with you and investigate Xiao Shuo's true identity."
"My heart is only for you."
emperor:"……"
A gleam of light flashed across Zheng Zhongming's eyes: "Your Majesty, please listen to me."
"Xiao Shuo is no longer the Xiao Shuo of the past. In the past three months, he has controlled all the civil and military officials. Even the Twelve Guards are now in his hands."
"If we act rashly, we will only force him to make a desperate move."
"Your Majesty, do you still remember that you allowed Chu Yuanchen to transfer 30,000 Zhenbei troops to Beijing? The Zhenbei troops have already arrived..."
The emperor's heart grew colder.
The power has completely fallen into the hands of others.
Now, he can still be a puppet.
Once the relationship is torn, he will either win or die...
Zheng Zhongming said patiently, "Your Majesty, please listen to me..."
Zheng Zhongming glanced in the direction of the door, fearing that the noise the emperor had just made would alarm others.
He lowered his voice and continued talking to the emperor.
By the time Zheng Zhongming walked out of the side hall, a cup of tea had passed.
There were two imperial guards guarding the door. Zheng Zhongming asked if anyone had been there before, and both of them shook their heads.
He felt relieved and walked back to the main hall of the Taimiao.
The sacrifice to the late emperor is almost over.
From a distance, he saw Xiao Shuo standing there in a red Qilin robe. There were officials kneeling on the ground all around him, but Xiao Shuo was the only one standing there, as if everyone around him was bowing down to him.
Zheng Zhongming frowned somewhat uncomfortably.
Following the ceremonial officer's chant, everyone stood up again.
Soon, the clan members and others left the imperial temple, and Zheng Zhongming walked towards Prince Li.
"Your Majesty," Zheng Zhongming said, cupping his hands. "The Emperor said he wants to go to the garden outside the capital to recuperate."
Prince Li frowned and said, "No."
Zheng Zhongming said: "The emperor does not want to live in the palace."
He raised his hand and said, "This governor is just delivering a message for the emperor. Your Highness can go and persuade the emperor on his own."
Prince Li looked at him for a moment, and specially called Lin Shoufu to go to the side hall together.
You need to encourage, of course you need to encourage!
Unfortunately, neither of them got to see the emperor, as they were driven away by the emperor who threw a cup at them through the door.
The emperor insisted on going to the garden and did not want to stay in the capital any longer.
Prince Li had no choice but to go back in a hurry and said to Xiao Shuo, "Master, do you want to go and persuade him?"
His smile was uglier than crying.
When he went to persuade the emperor before, he also asked Xiao Shuo, but Xiao Shuo just smiled and said nothing. He didn't understand at that time, but now he knows that Xiao Shuo must have guessed that Zheng Zhongming had said something to the emperor and coaxed him out of the palace, so that his trip was not in vain.
This Zheng Zhongming has bad intentions!
Xiao Shuo just said: "If the emperor wants to leave the palace, then he can leave. The temporary palace will also be beneficial for the emperor to recuperate."
When talking about "rest", Xiao Shuo said it meaningfully. Prince Li was stunned and wanted to cry even more.
That's what I said.
Although he failed to meet the emperor just now, when he was in the Taimiao, the emperor was in a daze, as if he had lost half of his soul.
It is indeed time to rest well, and...
Even the dumbest person would probably guess that the Empress Dowager's death was related to the Emperor.
Plus the matter of the late emperor...
Prince Li was going crazy. His throat was churning with blood and he had to swallow several times to suppress it.
They had finally managed to suppress the late emperor's will, but now the emperor himself has exposed the matter, not only revealing the murder of his father, but also the empress dowager...
The Empress Dowager is already so ill, and the Imperial Physician has said that we only have three to five days left. Why would the Emperor be so impatient?
He really wanted to just ignore it, but he couldn't. He asked awkwardly, "Master, what do you think we should do about this matter today..."
"Your Highness," Xiao Shuo asked instead of answering, "Do you think you can still suppress it?"
"Should we ask the East Factory to take strict control, or should we kill a few knife washers?"
Prince Li shuddered. This knife-washing thing was too scary! He subconsciously moved back and accidentally bumped into Lin Shoufu. The two looked at each other and laughed dryly.
Xiao Shuo shook his head and said seriously, "What happened today cannot be suppressed."
Prince Li nodded silently, this was true.
Can't be suppressed.
A secret is only a secret when only a few people know it, and it can be kept secret.
But once more people know it, it is no longer a secret.
"Don't worry about it." Xiao Shuo said, "Just proceed as normal."
"You can't call the three courts to judge the emperor's crimes."
When talking about crimes, Prince Li and Prime Minister Lin's hearts were pounding. They looked at each other again and their smiles looked more like crying.
Even though everyone has guessed it, it has not been made public, so everyone can only guess in private.
The emperor has been on the throne for ten years, not just one or two days. No one can depose him, not even Prince Li has the power to do so.
Even if it was really patricide, so what? Throughout history, have there been few cases of patricide and brother-killing for this chair?
The royal family is always the most ruthless.
As it is now, at most it will be discussed endlessly as unofficial history in the future. But if Dongchang were to kill people for this matter, I am afraid it would only be recorded in official history and "be remembered through the ages."
Prince Li sighed and finally said, "Then let's do this. If the emperor wants to go to the palace, let him go."
According to regulations, the empress dowager's body had to remain in mourning for forty-nine days. Darong ruled the country with filial piety, so logically, the emperor, as his son, could not leave the capital and had to mourn for the empress dowager for twenty-seven days.
It is really inappropriate for the emperor to leave without saying anything now, and he doesn't know how to explain to the people of the world.
On second thought, the Queen Mother's cause of death was suspicious and it was difficult to explain.
Just let him do it.
Xiao Shuo nodded slightly.
Prince Li heaved a sigh of relief. He was exhausted both physically and mentally at first, but then he was glad that Xiao Shuo was there.
If Xiao Shuo had not stabilized the situation, the Great Rong Dynasty would have been in turmoil.
The advantage of Xiao Shuo's omnipotence is that he can suppress the royal family and court officials.
It is almost imaginable that if Xiao Shuo had not been around, once the emperor's patricide and matricide were exposed and he had a stroke and no children, the royal family would be the first to make trouble. Even if they were not going to succeed the throne, they would at least fight for the position of regent.
And now, ask them, who dares to make trouble?
Who dares to be the regent?
I'm afraid that even the succession would depend on Xiao Shuo's opinion. Not to mention others, even Prince Li, the head of the clan, didn't dare to mention the succession.
"Your Highness," Xiao Shuo said, "Let the Ministry of Rites conduct the Queen Mother's funeral according to the regulations."
Prince Li quickly responded with a "yes", and the matter was finally settled.
The following details, whether it was the funeral of the Queen Mother, the arrangement of the Emperor's visit to the garden, or how to cover up the murder of his mother and the usurpation of the throne, were all discussed by Prince Li, Prime Minister Lin, and the inner cabinet. Even if it was an excuse, they had to find an excuse.
When he left the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the emperor drove directly to the garden, escorted by Zheng Zhongming himself and the imperial guards.
The emperor sat on the dragon scepter. He never showed up from beginning to end, as if no one wanted to see him or care about him.
The Empress Dowager's coffin was carried back to the palace and kept there for forty-nine days.
Xiao Shuo was the first to leave the imperial temple. All the civil and military officials standing outside bowed their heads in awe and slightly bowed, not daring to make a sound.
Only Sheng Xingan looked carefully at the half-grown boy following Xiao Shuo.
He was walking about half a step behind Xiao Shuo, half a step closer than Xiao Shuo's confidant Wu Ning. It can be imagined that his current status is not bad.
The child was not tall and a little thin, looking no more than twelve or thirteen years old, with a handsome face and neat clothes without any creases. He followed Xiao Shuo without looking away, with a calm expression, and was not at all stage fright even in such an occasion.
Sheng Xing'an's official position was not high, and his seat was relatively remote. This was the first time he was so close to him, close enough to see his face clearly.
picture.
He and Sister Yan have some similarities in their features, and also look like his deceased wife.
Is it really Jue'er?
Sheng Xingan took half a step forward subconsciously, but was stopped by his colleague and shook his head at him.
Colleagues were afraid that Sheng Xing'an would be like the emperor and go crazy if his brain was twisted.
Governor Xiao was there, and he actually dared to walk over there?!
Because of this delay, Xiao Shuo walked far away, and Sheng Xingan didn't dare to chase him.
Sheng Xing'an was the Minister of Rites. He had many things to do with the Empress Dowager's funeral, so he had to rush back to the palace.
Civil and military officials did not return to their own residences, but had to go to the palace together to mourn.
But as soon as they arrived at the palace, someone came over and asked them to take a bath first.
bath?
The eunuch said, "The governor said that the queen mother has been infected with an epidemic. To be on the safe side, all the gentlemen should bathe with mugwort leaves and change clothes before going to mourn."
When these words were spoken, everyone was deeply moved.
It was unheard of to let ministers take a bath in the palace.
Unexpectedly, Governor Xiao was so considerate of them. They thanked him profusely and lined up to take a shower. After the shower, each of them was given a large bowl of medicine.
Only then was he taken away to mourn.
Not only ministers need to mourn, but women in the court and outside the court also need to mourn.
Soon after the funeral bell was officially rung, the ladies from outside the palace were also summoned into the palace.
As the Princess of Zhenbei, Sheng Xiyan naturally could not escape. She reported her "discomfort" to Jingle and went into the palace alone.
As soon as she arrived at the palace, someone came over to carry her to Jiuhua Palace. A young eunuch led the way cheerfully and said, "Princess, you will go to the side hall to rest in a while..."
Others would have knelt and cried all night, but the princess was their governor's adopted sister, how could she bear such an injustice! !
The young eunuch was afraid that she would be bored, so he asked her attentively, "Do you want me to call a lady to tell you a story or play some music?"
Sheng Xiyan: “…”
"Sister Yan."
At this time, Sheng Xiyan saw Sheng Xingan walking towards her in a hurry.
Sheng Xiyan asked them to put down their shoulder straps, stepped forward and bowed: "Father."
Sheng Xingan asked anxiously: "Sister Yan, have you found Sheng Jue?"