Chapter 443 Climbing the High Branch
It just rained lightly.
The sky is still gloomy.
There are very few pilgrims to the Prajna Temple today.
The mountains were cold and damp, with water stains all over the ground. It was not a good time to burn incense.
After all, there is no rush to pray to gods and Buddhas.
Even on ordinary days, pilgrims do not just come to worship Buddha.
Most of them are noble ladies who never go out of the house. After being cooped up in the house for a long time, they come out to burn incense and walk around under the pretext of praying for their families.
What's worse is that some people take this opportunity to look for marriage or have a secret meeting with their lovers.
When a man and a woman meet, it is not like a modern blind date.
Especially in wealthy families, they will not let outsiders know before the marriage is finalized.
The places where they meet for the purpose are usually in their own gardens or on pleasure boats during an elegant gathering, or as an excuse to accompany their elders to burn incense and worship Buddha, and to seek a marriage partner at the same time.
If they are attracted to each other, the man will give her a gold hairpin as a gift and insert it into her hair bun.
If the bride is not satisfied, she will be given a colorful satin as a token of her appeasement.
In this case, when worshiping Buddha, one would naturally choose to do so when the sun is shining and the weather is fine.
But there are exceptions to everything.
For example, Jiang Yunze.
He used the excuse of accompanying his mother to worship Buddha, but actually he was here to have a secret meeting with his beloved.
Or maybe it's more than just a secret meeting with a beautiful woman...
After all, Jiang Yunze can give up everything except himself, so he is not the kind of person who would indulge in love.
He accompanied my mother and daughter in pretending to worship Buddha, and then disappeared without a trace.
Jiujiu came back from a stroll and told Miaomiao that Jiang Yunze first went to the apricot forest in the back mountain to meet a woman, and then went to the library.
Men and women strolled in the apricot grove.
The apricot blossoms in early spring are blooming, petals fallen by the rain are on the ground, and a spring breeze blows by.
The petals fell down in a shower of apricot blossoms.
Full of poetic and picturesque beauty.
It has to be said that Jiang Yunze, who calls himself a gentleman, knows how to choose a date place.
He is also very good at manipulating people's hearts.
Even when facing his fiancée who was about to get married, he still observed etiquette and knew when to act.
Zhou, who had been widowed for many years, was overjoyed.
Zhou also had some concerns at the beginning. After all, Jiang Yunze was more than ten years older than him, and he had a mistress in his mansion and a childhood sweetheart outside. He also had a lot of children left by his previous wives and concubines, and they were all adults.
Although the Jiang family has no title to inherit, it is still unavoidable to make people feel uncomfortable.
And her third brother Zhou Mu has told her rumors about Jiang Yunze more than once.
Abandoning his wife and children, heartless and ungrateful, hypocritical and utterly sanctimonious...
But the Minister Jiang she met was not like that.
He is truly a modest gentleman, with elegant conversation, politeness, and is very considerate and thoughtful.
It's not as bad as the rumors say.
Although in the entire Zhou family, only the third brother is truly concerned about her.
But she just wanted to give it a try.
Parents at home value profit.
Even if she didn't marry Jiang Yunze, her parents would find another husband for her. As a daughter who was married for the second time, she would inevitably be criticized and made things difficult for her in-laws. It was hard to say whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Rather than being so unbearable, it is better to choose Jiang Yunze.
At least his family background is not high, his clan is simple, and he only has an old mother at home.
It’s much easier to deal with than my previous husband’s family.
Jiang Yunze made Zhou happy, and then prepared to go to the library to meet his future father-in-law.
Although his engagement with Zhou was arranged by Prince Chen, Prince Chen didn't take him seriously after Jin'er's death.
After all, he was just a small fourth-rank minister in the Ministry of Rites.
To King Chen, it doesn't seem to be of much use.
In the past, the emperor looked at him differently.
The current emperor often claims to be sick and does not attend court.
Even if he tried his best, he had no chance to show his skills.
Besides, the last time I saw the emperor, he already looked very old and frail. It is only a matter of time before the new dynasty replaces the old one.
A new emperor appoints new ministers.
A person like him who has no foundation just needs an opportunity.
Now is a golden opportunity to pledge allegiance.
However, he could only continue to climb up the high branch of King Chen through the promotion and recommendation of his superiors and future father-in-law.
He walked quickly to the attic and climbed the stairs.
When I reached the third floor, I could vaguely hear people talking in the house.
This is where Yan Xiang gathers with his colleagues.
Of course, there is more than one place like this, and Yan Xiang may not show up.
When Yan Xiang sat in that position, no matter what he wanted to say, he didn't even need to open his mouth, just a look or a gesture.
People rushed to serve him.
What is usually discussed here is not a confidential matter.
If it was a secret, there wouldn't be so many people.
Today's topic is the dethronement of the queen.
After the imprisoned queen was deposed and Queen Cao was gone, Prince Jing and his party were no more than grasshoppers in autumn, and they would not be able to jump for long.
The dethronement of the queen is no longer a secret.
It is the duty of these ministers to please the emperor.
The emperor was very wary of the queen. He was wary of her prestige in the imperial harem and among the people, and he was wary of her talents.
Even if the prince succeeds to the throne smoothly, the emperor will not allow Queen Cao to take the position of empress dowager.
Therefore, Queen Cao must die.
Today's meeting was chaired by Minister Lu.
As usual, Prime Minister Yan did not show up, but he was in the next room, listening to the ministers' lively discussions.
Not only he was listening, but also King Chen.
Although Yan Fu was the left prime minister and held a high position of power, there were still people who blocked his way and obstructed his path.
This person was Cui Yan, who occupied the position of Right Prime Minister at a young age.
That kid relied on the emperor's trust and the Cui family's prestige in the court to oppose him everywhere.
Cui Yan must be eliminated, as he also wants to be the emperor's father-in-law.
Now we are only one step away.
In fact, he is now the father-in-law of Prince Chen. Although his daughter did not become Prince Jing's concubine, she became Prince Chen's woman as she wished.
His daughter lived up to his expectations.
After only a few months in Prince Chen's Palace, he had already turned Princess Chen into a mere decoration. Now, all the affairs in the palace's backyard were in charge by his seventh wife.
His daughter will be the queen in the future.
The princess chosen by Queen Cao was no match for his son Qi Niang.
As soon as the day comes when Prince Chen ascends the throne, he will send Princess Chen to heaven and take his place.
As for Empress Cao, as many people admired her as hated her.
There was a heated discussion next door.
They listed all the crimes of the queen and tried to bring her back to life even if she had died.
Harming the heir to the throne, killing innocent people, and being the hen that crows at dawn...
Although these charges may not be enough to kill the queen, they are enough to depose her.
Take your time.
A deposed queen who has lost her power will be worse than a concubine in the cold palace.
But Prince Chen felt that overthrowing the Queen was not enough.
The Cao family must be eradicated.
The half-dead sickly prince is not to be feared. Instead, it is the eldest sister who is most beloved by the emperor and their fifth brother who pretends to be stupid and obedient.
Come one by one.
The ministers and staff left one after another.
The room was quiet, with only the gurgling sound of boiling tea being heard.
Prince Chen did not speak, and Prime Minister Yan did not dare to say anything either. He just silently poured tea for him.
After hearing so much, this gentleman must have an idea in his mind.
Prince Chen fiddled with the ring on his finger, watching the tea leaves swirling in the water in a daze. Suddenly, he asked, "Prime Minister Yan, do you have any way to make the Imperial Guards serve me?"
No matter how smart a person is, he cannot defeat the brains of dozens of people.
As the top decision maker, he only needs to listen, make choices, and give orders.
Of course, he had already made decisions on many things.
Not saying it just makes the person being asked feel valued, and the opportunity to make suggestions and make contributions should still be given.
In fact, Prime Minister Yan and his staff had discussed this issue and proposed an effective method that could kill two birds with one stone.
Yan Xiang: "Your Highness, if Mu Yunji, the commander of the Palace Guards, cannot return, the Imperial Guards will be under the control of Deputy Commander Shen. All we need to do is win over Shen Lu."
"How could this king not know this?" King Chen frowned slightly and said, "Speak to the point."
"Chen Lu is Zhaoyi Shen's elder brother. As far as I know, they have been very close since childhood... If... If Zhaoyi Shen died at the hands of the Empress or Princess Yuqing, would Deputy Commander Shen turn against her and try to kill the murderer who murdered his sister?"
…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com