Of the twelve selected women, only Wang Yutang was sent to the laundry department; the other eleven were all returned home.
The people's anxiety was relieved, and the topic became a hot topic of discussion in the streets and alleys.
"The sight of Venus in broad daylight is indeed a very ominous sign, and it has indeed come true in relation to the assassination attempt on the young lady."
"His Majesty said that those who organized the imperial concubine selection will be pardoned for the time being. He also said that if they commit the same offense again, they will be punished severely. What kind of nonsense is this?"
"Has Your Majesty been bitten by a snake once and is now afraid of a well rope for ten years? You don't want the good thing of marrying so many wives?"
"Hey, you're the kind of soldier who wants to be a groom every night. The Emperor probably inherited the late Emperor's infatuation and devotion. Of all the waters in the world, he only wants to drink from one."
...
Time flies by.
Before the Winter Solstice, Yang Zhen finally arrived in Beijing and took on the job of tutoring Yan Ge'er.
Su Wanwan prepared six gifts of respect according to ancient etiquette, including celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, longan, and dried lean meat strips. She then had Yan Ge'er kneel and offer tea to complete the apprenticeship ceremony.
She herself sat behind the screen, observing the apprenticeship ceremony, and finally said:
"My son is young and ignorant, and I hope Mr. Yang will take the trouble to teach him."
Yang Zhen maintained a cold expression throughout and retorted:
"Using Xiu Lai as a teacher is not a good choice; it is easy to cause trouble. Your Majesty, please choose someone else."
He was completely forced into becoming a husband this time.
In his young yet brilliant life, almost all his setbacks occurred in the last six months or so.
He failed the imperial examination and hastily married to avoid suspicion.
He also fell out with Gu Ziyu of the Duke of Anguo's mansion.
Even the Yang family has been subjected to various inexplicable suppressions.
It's all because of this woman of noble status in front of me.
However, he clearly did nothing and had no romantic feelings for her.
It was a completely undeserved disaster.
Now that things have come to this, he actually feels a bit resentful towards the woman on the other side of the screen.
Do you think you haven't hurt him enough?
I want to see just how destitute and down-on-his-luck he can become.
Although she wasn't the one who caused him harm, his resentment was inexplicable.
Su Wanwan was open and honest:
"The Emperor has personally selected the candidate, and I have no right to interfere. I only hope that Mr. Yang will set aside past grievances, dedicate himself to the education, and live up to my expectations."
Yang Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting her to say that.
The matter of the Emperor's personal appointment had already been made clear when the eunuch went to find him.
To my surprise, she didn't mind at all.
She was actually one of the victims of that rumor.
But she seemed completely unaffected and even advised him to forgive and forget.
That only made him seem petty and narrow-minded.
Yang Zhen's handsome, fair face showed a slight flush.
She, a woman, was not afraid of public opinion that could destroy her reputation.
He, a dignified man, was bound hand and foot, and resentment grew like that of a woman.
Yang Zhen, having previously acted reluctantly as if forced into the task, bowed in return:
"It's a blessing to practice cultivation, and it will definitely fulfill your mission."
...
Liu Jin's eyes were sinister and shifty.
Empress Su is truly shrewd; without anyone noticing, she not only won over Zhang Yong but also indirectly won over Chief Minister Li and Grand Secretary Yang under the guise of becoming his apprentice.
Once she gives birth to a prince, it won't be too difficult for her to seize control of the political arena.
Since Yang Ting entered the cabinet and echoed Li Dongqian, Jiao Ge Lao, who was on good terms with him, had nothing to say.
However, he can't worry about those things right now; developing his own power as quickly as possible is the most important thing.
Liu Jin looked at Zhang Cai with a gentle expression:
"Shangzhi, tell me, how should we arrange the layout of our house?"
Shangzhi was Zhang Cai's courtesy name.
Not long ago, it was Zhang Cai's idea to force Xu Jin, the Minister of Personnel, to leave and to transfer Liu Yu to the Ministry of Personnel. It could be considered as Liu Jin's pledge of loyalty.
He was truly a master strategist, extremely resourceful, no wonder he was highly praised by many high-ranking officials who said he had the strategic mind of a general.
Han Ding, whom Liu Jin had high hopes for, was forced to retire by the emperor. Now, Zhang Cai was the only one left in his camp who could be used by him.
Zhang Caimei had a flowing beard, a profound mind, and her eloquence flowed like a spring.
"The prime minister was in power, but because he had no troops at his disposal, he was unable to command the officials."
"The most urgent task is to recruit talented people in the army so as to eliminate dissidents and seize power."
Liu Jin's heart skipped a beat, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he immediately retorted:
"Shangzhi, you are mistaken. I am only concerned with relieving the Emperor's worries and troubles. I do not covet power or usurp authority."
The emperor's banner must be raised; only with a legitimate title can one speak with authority.
Zhang Cai, with an air of righteous indignation, clasped his hands in a fist and pointed to the heavens, saying:
"The Inner Minister is selfless and devoted to public service; he is truly a role model for us all."
"In the past, there was the eunuch Zheng He who made seven voyages to the Western Ocean. In the future, there was Liu Ma'er who served six emperors and lived through seven dynasties. His favor with the emperors lasted for more than seventy years."
"The third virtuous official to be remembered throughout history is none other than the Grand Chancellor!"
This flattery hit the mark perfectly, making Liu Jin feel completely comfortable.
His guard had relaxed considerably, and he laughed:
"Shangzhi is a divine being! How did I come to meet you?! Please, Shangzhi, speak freely and without reservation. I am all ears."
Scholars all had their own circles, fearing that they would be associated with the eunuch faction and ostracized by the literati.
Therefore, Liu Jin spent a lot of effort, but the number of talented people he could recruit was really limited.
Zhang Cai is already one of the best among them.
Zhang Cai said, "Now that the year is drawing to a close, if the Grand Chancellor could provide some subsidies to the generals and soldiers in the army, I'm afraid people would flock to him to pledge their allegiance."
This was a plan to bribe the generals of the capital's army with money.
But where will the money come from?
Zhang Cai lowered her voice and began to explain in a slow and deliberate manner.
...
The next day is the Winter Solstice Festival, a major festival second only to the Lunar New Year, and the imperial court will take a three-day holiday.
As usual, Lu Xingjian paid his respects at the Fengxian Hall, the Fengci Hall, and the Empress Dowager's Palace.
Unlike the previous birthday celebration where she paid her respects alone, Empress Su Wanwan had to accompany the emperor this time.
The couple acted like strangers, not uttering a single word throughout the entire process.
After leaving the Empress Dowager's Cikang Palace, Heying kept giving Su Wanwan meaningful glances, hoping she would invite the Emperor to Kunning Palace to eat glutinous rice balls.
It was a custom in the palace to eat floating dumplings every winter solstice. Even the eunuchs and palace maids would hold banquets in groups of three or five after finishing their shifts.
Now that both the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager are claiming illness, large-scale palace banquets have been cancelled, allowing the elderly concubines of Emperor Xianzong to hold their own celebrations, funded by the public funds.
If the Emperor and Empress could take this opportunity to sit down and have a meal together, it would be the perfect chance for them to reconcile.
Su Wanwan simply said, "Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off."
He Ying was so anxious she wanted to jump up and down, and added with an embarrassed smile:
"Your Majesty, Kunning Palace has prepared a luncheon this morning. Would Your Majesty be free to come?"
Lu Xingjian glanced at Su Wanwan, his tone cool:
"Did you want to ask this yourself, or did your master tell you to ask it?"
He Ying smiled awkwardly, "That's what Your Majesty thinks too."
The Empress did not allow her to ask.
"That's not necessarily true." Lu Xingjian's voice was cold and somewhat sarcastic.
"She'd love for me to get as far away as possible."
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