Chapter 246 Where to Live? Confrontation between the Emperor and his subjects
The Queen Mother said a few simple words, and then asked Fanghua to take Ji Qingyuan to the prepared palace to settle down first.
Why haven't you arranged a palace for her yet?
Ji Qingwu asked, "Empress Dowager, where should I live?"
The Queen Mother said, "Qingwu, please sit down first. We can talk about where you will live later. I want to chat with you about family matters."
Shi Xi observed the Queen Mother's expression and led the maids out.
Ji Qingwu had a hunch that something big was going on, and it seemed that what the Queen Mother wanted to say to her now might be "family talk" that could not be heard by outsiders.
As soon as the palace door closed, the Queen Mother said, "Qingwu, you don't have to hide your relationship with the Emperor from me anymore."
Ji Qingwu nodded immediately in fear: "So the Queen Mother knows everything."
The Queen Mother's eyes and tone were filled with a certainty of understanding.
"What are you hiding from me, kid?"
Ever since Emperor Wu Su ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager had always wanted to put someone around the Emperor, but in the selections in the past two years, all the women from the families of important officials who had made great contributions to the Emperor were selected.
The only family missing is the Ji family.
Ji Qingyuan was beautiful but had an unpleasant personality. She waited for Ji Qingwu to be found and brought home after a lot of effort, but she thought he was useless.
Unexpectedly, there was a sudden turn of events and Emperor Wu Su made this exception.
When the empress dowager saw Ji Qingwu again, she felt that she was in good health and he looked more and more pleasing to the eye.
Ji Qingwu pursed his lips, looking embarrassed.
The Queen Mother said, "I don't mean to blame you. The Emperor is not my biological son, and he is still alienated from me. If your last name was not Ji, you might have entered this palace long ago."
"The Ji family is supported by me. I don't want the Ji family to decline after I am gone for a hundred years."
Ji Qingwu followed the tone and pauses of the empress dowager's speech, nodded and hummed at the appropriate times, and then sighed at the right moment.
The Queen Mother's eyebrows showed vertical lines, and she said, "Qingwu, can you understand my painstaking efforts?"
Ji Qingwu cooperated very well and nodded immediately with a bitter look.
The Queen Mother asked, "Qingwu, what did you feel that day in the Qinzheng Palace?"
Ji Qingwu thought she just needed to listen, but she didn't expect that she would have to answer questions.
Her eyes flickered and her answer was ambiguous.
"Replying to Your Majesty, I have a lot of feelings. It is beyond my imagination that such a thing could happen."
The Queen Mother nodded in agreement: "I can't imagine it either."
"The brother that Concubine Wei has always relied on is kneeling outside the palace, but my niece is sitting in the Qinzheng Palace. Whenever I think of this scene, I feel relieved."
Ji Qingwu didn't know whether to give a reminder.
Your own son, Prince Yong, is also kneeling outside in a miserable state.
The Queen Mother seemed to have foreseen the glorious rise of the Ji family in the future palace, and her mind was filled with excitement.
She pulled Ji Qingwu aside and chattered for a long time.
Before she knew it, the Queen Mother had said a lot. With a dry mouth, she picked up the teacup, took a sip, and leaned back in the throne.
"I am tired too, please leave."
Ji Qingwu's back was a little stiff from sitting. She stood up and was about to walk out when she stopped.
She turned around and called out, "Her Majesty the Queen Mother."
The Queen Mother asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Ji Qingwu was even more confused than her: "Where should I live?"
The Queen Mother touched the phoenix hairpin on her temple, glanced at her, and said, "Child, do you still need me to teach you?"
He did not arrange a place for her to live, nor did he explain things clearly, in an attempt to make her get closer to the emperor.
Ji Qingwu pretended to be confused and said, "Empress Dowager, I will go and live with my fourth sister."
The Queen Mother felt that what she had just said was in vain. This child looked not pleasing at all.
She frowned and asked, "Do you know what you are doing in the palace?"
Ji Qingwu clasped his hands in front of him and said stiffly, "I'm here to help the Queen Mother prepare for her birthday celebration."
*
Today morning court.
After being demoted two levels, Wei Ting was again criticized by people from the Censorate.
"Your Majesty, Lord Wei was transferred to lead the Vanguard Battalion, but he neglected his duties. In the past two days, many people have seen Lord Wei appear in a clinic in the city during the day."
Although Wei Ting's gift of the thousand-year orchid was rejected, he still sent flowers, plants, birds and fish to the clinic every day.
What was sent over yesterday was a green-haired turtle.
When Emperor Wu Su heard the word "clinic", his sitting posture changed slightly. The secret reports sent from all over the world in the past few days included matters related to the clinic.
His Highness Lu Juan caught a glimpse of the Emperor's actions and for the first time was unsure whether this expression showed happiness or unhappiness.
Emperor Wu Su asked, "Sir Wei, are you dissatisfied with your position as the leader of the Vanguard Battalion?"
Wei Ting raised his head and stepped out of the line, bowing and saying, "I have been the General of the North Guard for many years in the northern border. I am not used to being the commander of the vanguard camp, so I often forget that I have this important position. I am old and my memory is not good."
As soon as the words were spoken, the hall returned to deathly silence.
Wei Ting became more and more daring and even dared to challenge the emperor in the court.
Emperor Wu Su said in a low voice: "Bad memory?"
Wei Ting was not afraid: "That's right."
Emperor Wu Su's brows were downcast, and his heavy aura fell not only on Wei Ting, but also on every minister standing below.
All the ministers were silent, and no one dared to stand up and persuade the emperor when he was angry.
At this time, someone stood up.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I want to say something. General Wei Ting has been at the border for a long time, fighting for the country on the battlefield. He was a little blunt in his words, and he did not mean to be disrespectful to Your Majesty."
Emperor Wu Su saw that the person who came out was an important official dressed in purple robe.
"Prime Minister Su, I remember that you have no friendship with Lord Wei, why are you standing up to speak for him?"
Su Fengyue is nearly sixty years old, with gray hair on his temples, and looks like an upright official.
"I am only on the side of reason. Even if Your Majesty doesn't like what I say, I still want to say something. But please don't let the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the border feel cold."
Emperor Wu Su looked at him coldly and said, "It is said that honest advice is unpleasant to the ear, but is it honest advice, or is it because the one who said it is a traitor and has no intention of being submissive to me?"
No one in the palace could bear the burden of being called a traitor. Even the prime minister Su Fengyue could not open his mouth.
Wei Ting turned around and said, "I am grateful to Mr. Su, but there is really no need to speak for me. I believe that justice is in the hearts of the people."
"What a saying that justice is in the heart of the people!"
Emperor Wu Su waved his robe sleeves and threw the previous memorial onto the gold bricks.
"Wei Ting has behaved in a perverse manner, neglected his duties, and has no regard for the will of a loyal minister. He has ignored the great plans of the court and has now been demoted to an officer of the Infantry Battalion."
The officer of the Infantry Battalion was the city gate officer, a minor official of the seventh rank.
After Wei Ting returned to the court, he was promoted from a first-rank military general to the third-rank vanguard battalion commander, and then to the current seventh-rank city gate official.
It can be seen that the relationship between the monarch and his minister has completely fallen apart, and everyone knows that it is because of military power.
Emperor Wu Su said coldly: "I hope you will take this as a warning and be angry about it!"
Wei Ting looked back at the emperor and said loudly: "I thank you for your grace, my Lord!"
Emperor Wu Su said angrily: "Dismiss the court! Wei Ting should go to the Qinzheng Palace to wait for the emperor's order. When he receives the order, he should report to the city gate."
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