Zhurou

Chapter 265 Congratulations

Concubine Li said this to flatter Zhao Mingzhi, wanting to let these loyal ministers know their own difficulties and how hateful the princess was.

Zhao Mingzhi did not argue when he heard this, but only replied: "It's not just the Queen who is worried, I am also always worried that things in the north will not go smoothly. I just hope to bring the people back to the capital as soon as possible, but there is still a long time, the Queen should also take care of her health."

After hearing what Zhao Mingzhi said, Concubine Li felt even more powerful. She sighed and said, "Of course I don't think about it, but I can't control what's in my head! When I close my eyes at night, all I think of is the Emperor and Princess Baozhu."

Zhao Mingzhi sighed, "The imperial physician just said that it's all a mental illness, and there's nothing wrong with the body. There's no need to move to recuperate..."

When Concubine Li heard this, she was horrified and thought to herself: This bitch, I am already living in a corner of the palace, but she is still not satisfied. Does she want to send me away?
She said hurriedly: "I am not sick, but I feel uncomfortable in my heart. I am really useless and can't help Your Highness at all, let alone share the worries of the Emperor. I just feel bad. Your Highness has so many important things waiting for him, so don't bother to care about me..."

Although she was sitting on a chair, there were the prime ministers standing opposite her, and Zhao Mingzhi was beside her. Concubine Li felt like there was a cone on her butt and she couldn't sit steadily at all.

Thinking of her own actions over the past two days, and watching Zhao Mingzhi's movements beside her, she was really a little scared and wanted to hide away for a few days to avoid the limelight. However, her brain was not very useful, and she didn't know how to deal with it. After hesitating for a while, she used the same trick again and said, "Since the imperial physician also said that I am worried, I think no matter how much medicine I take or how long I stay healthy, it will be useless. I have to use heart medicine to treat it."

She held a handkerchief in her hand, covering her face with it, and said, "I will go to the Sanqing Temple tomorrow to pray for the emperor and others. It's a pity that my worthless life is useless. If it were useful, even if I had to sacrifice my own life, it would be worth it if it could bring the emperor and the princess back to the court!"

Hearing the words "Sanqing Temple", Zhao Mingzhi pondered for a moment and said, "Speaking of this matter, the last time the Imperial Astronomical Observatory came to report, it also said that the birthday of the Supreme Emperor would be in two months. It would be best to go to Sanqing Mountain, Wutai Mountain, etc., and choose a sacred mountain to fast and cleanse. Unfortunately, Wutai Mountain is high and far away, and Your Majesty and I cannot move away at the moment..."

Zhang Yi immediately said, "If you want to fast and have a clean diet, there may be others in the palace who can do it for you, except for the emperor and the princess."

As a deputy privy councilor, why should he be afraid of a concubine who had no sense of existence in the Empress Dowager's palace? Moreover, he was in a righteous position at this time, so he did not hesitate at all and said, "The Empress Dowager is worried about the Emperor and wants to pray for our dynasty. As for not eating or drinking, it is better to ask the Empress Dowager to go to Lingshan on my behalf. This is the best of both worlds."

Concubine Li was already sitting unsteadily and was so frightened that she almost fell down. She was about to refuse, but when the words came to her lips, she didn't dare to say them.

Zhao Mingzhi hesitated when he heard this, and said, "It's a long and bumpy journey, and the queen is already in poor health, so how can we ask her to go through more trouble..."

She had something unfinished in her words, and looked not at anyone else, but at the imperial physician opposite her.

The imperial physician didn't need anyone to remind him, and immediately bowed and said, "The Concubine is in good health, but there is always a heat in her lungs. If she can go to a place with beautiful mountains and rivers, and fast for a few months, I think it will be helpful to treat the root cause..."

At this point, the ministers on both sides, as well as Zhao Mingzhi who was sitting on the table, all looked towards Concubine Li.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Concubine Li felt as if she was hit on the head with a stick. Her eyes went dark and she was almost unable to move.

She had just acted so pretentiously, singing and composing, saying that she wanted to pray for the retired emperor and others, and even said that she could sacrifice her own life. If she refused again at this moment, wouldn't it be clear that what she had just said was against her will? When the retired emperor and others come back in the future, she will have no place to stay.

Concubine Li was very disappointed. When she went to see Zhao Mingzhi again, she saw that she seemed to be still hesitating and she didn't know how to respond.

Now he is still in the capital, in the imperial court, with civil and military officials in front of him and palace maids behind him, yet he is treated so hard and lives such a miserable life. If he really goes to Mount Wutai or Mount Sanqing, he will starve to death and no one will even look at him.

Even if the Northern Emperor came back, he had never taken care of me. We only saw each other once or twice a year and we barely spoke to each other. How could I expect anything else from him?

Concubine Li said hurriedly: "If you want to pray for blessings, it's naturally a good thing. I'm just afraid that the place is too far away, and the people and the place are unfamiliar..."

She had barely begun to evade the question when Zhang Yi on the other side continued, "Your Majesty is here to pray for the Emperor and our dynasty. You have your own imperial physician accompanying you, and there are guards leading the way. Besides, the Di people have retreated, and the sea and rivers in the east are peaceful and tranquil. You don't have to worry at all."

Seeing Zhang Yi stepping forward, Yang Ting looked up at Zhao Mingzhi and saw that she seemed to want to refuse and wanted to use her own body instead. He understood and said quickly: "Your Majesty's move is not only for the emperor, but also for the court and the country. When the people from the north return in the future, it will be a great achievement. Besides, compared to others, if you can go in person, firstly, you are of high status, secondly, you are of high generation, and thirdly, you are sincere. There is no other more suitable candidate!"

At once, everyone in the hall agreed, and the momentum was very strong.

Opposite her were important officials from the two governments, who used great principles to pressure her, many of which were words she had just said. No matter how much Concubine Li wanted to go back on her word, she didn't have the courage to do so. She was only angry, anxious, furious and panicked. In her panic, she suddenly had an idea.

She raised her hand and pressed it on her head. After hesitating for a few breaths, she finally let out a scream. Because she was afraid of falling to the ground and hurting herself, she moved her butt forward to leave enough space. Then she quietly turned half of her body to the side, pretended to be in unbearable, closed her eyes, and fainted on the back of the chair.

Even at this moment, she still remembered to use her arms as cushion, for fear that her chin would hit the chair.

When Zhao Mingzhi saw Concubine Li fall, he immediately called out, "Doctor!"

As she spoke, she called over the eunuchs and palace maids, and urged them to carry Concubine Li to the side hall. She also sent someone to the Imperial Hospital to summon a few more doctors to come and diagnose her.

The imperial physician immediately stepped forward and hurriedly followed.

The officials on the opposite side also craned their necks to look, all speechless.

Zhao Mingzhi sighed, "There is only one concubine in the palace right now, and she can make all the decisions. I thought that if I was away for a while, she could help take care of me for a few days. Who would have thought... I just hope that the queen is okay..."

It seemed that her words were just out of concern for Concubine Li's health, but to the ears of others, especially Zhang Yi, it was like a thunderclap, and they were suddenly awakened.

——Although the court has sent an envoy to redeem the retired emperor, the situation is complicated after all. It is unknown when there will be a result, and no one knows what the result will be.

Once the princess got married and followed Pei Yong to Jingzhao Prefecture, only the emperor and Concubine Li were left in the palace.

In the past one or two years, everyone can see that Concubine Li is confused and now she is keen on listening to those Taoist nuns. If someone fails to keep an eye on her and something happens in the harem, she will be deep in the palace, and the princess will marry out, with the front and back courts separated. Who can control it?
Are you counting on the little emperor who is less than ten years old?
Previously, Concubine Li was worshipped as a guardian in order to check and balance Princess Zhao Mingzhi, who had too much influence on the emperor. Although it didn't have any effect, it was better than nothing.

But after a while, there were no more princesses in the palace. Should Concubine Li, this scourge, be left behind?
All the birds are gone, what's the use of a rotten bow?
Who will check and balance her then? Zhang Yi exchanged a glance with the people around him, his mind racing, and he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty has heat in her lungs, and she is also worried about the Northern Emperor. I think she fainted because of a surge of anger. If you can leave early, go to the mountains, clear your mind and keep your heart calm, you can heal yourself even without medicine."

Naturally, Zhang Yi was not the only one who understood the principle of checks and balances in the harem. With him taking the lead, others would not let this statement fall on deaf ears, and everyone joined in the conversation.

Everyone had their own agenda. Some wanted to keep the retired emperor in the capital, or at least in the nearby Xijing, so that they could use him to blackmail the emperor in the future to prevent him from having no scruples - this was their idea, if all else failed, to replace the old emperor with a new one.

There were also those who had recently gained power and did not want the old emperor and his followers to return to Beijing to compete with them for power, so they wanted to send them far away to the mountains in the south. At this moment, they were urging the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to choose an auspicious day. Some radical ones even proposed another suggestion, saying that Putuo Mountain was originally a place designated by Emperor Taizu for praying for blessings, and it was located in the south, with beautiful mountains and clear waters and a suitable temperature, which was just right for recuperation.

Everyone started arguing, and sparks really flew.

In any case, everyone worked together and made careful considerations and plans for the emperor. In the end, no one mentioned Concubine Li anymore, and all the conversations revolved around the emperor.

Several medical officers who came to report had clearly been informed long ago, but no one paid any attention to them. They had no choice but to stand at the door and listen to all the prime ministers' discussions from beginning to end.

Seeing that they were just standing there doing nothing, Zhao Mingzhi stopped the discussion between the two governments and summoned the medical officer.

Being able to be a doctor in the palace, medical skills are secondary, but the ability to read people's expressions must be first-class. After listening to this for a long time, everyone knew what to say. Sure enough, when they responded, everyone said that Concubine Li did not have any serious illness, but was just angry for a while.

"The winter in the capital is extremely cold. The heat in your lungs is very dry. The heat in your lungs is stimulated by the cold winter and is squeezed into your lungs. It would be better for you to go to the warmer south and use medicine to draw out the heat. Then you can slowly recuperate. This is the long-term solution."

"That's right. Although there's no serious illness, it's not good to delay for too long. The road is still easy to walk on now, but after a while it will snow and the road will be muddy and difficult to walk on."

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"When you go to the sacred mountain, you must eat clean food and cleanse your lungs. This is what you need to pray for blessings, and both benefit from it."

The doctors gave their advice one by one, either from the perspective of medical theory or from the perspective of common sense, and the ministers on the side also interjected a few words from time to time. Before Concubine Li could calculate the time to wake up, the place for her to pray had already been decided, which was Putuo Mountain on the Liangzhe Road.

Once the location was determined, the Imperial Observatory was summoned to the palace to choose an auspicious day nearby. The Imperial Medical Bureau also hurriedly received orders to select three medical officers, two medical assistants, and two doctors to travel together.

In addition to the designated personnel in Li Taifei's palace, Zhao Mingzhi selected another twenty eunuchs and twenty palace maids from the palace to serve, as well as escort guards, ceremonial guards, spare luggage, etc., covering everything from food, clothing, housing and transportation, and asked Chunlu to take the lead in taking care of them.

Concubine Li returned to her bedroom, feeling anxious. She waited and waited, but could not urge Chunlu to come back. It was dark before she finally saw Chunlu come back. She asked hurriedly, "Why did it take until now? What did Zhao Mingzhi say? I can't even get up. I can't go to some stupid mountain to pray for blessings, right?"

Chunlu looked at Concubine Li hesitantly, but did not dare to hide it. She whispered, "Your Majesty, the gentlemen and the princess have already decided on a place, and they want you to go and pray for blessings..."

"Your Majesty, please take a look to see if there is anything you would like to take with you, whether it be medicinal herbs, clothing materials, or other food and daily necessities. While we are still in the capital, please ask for as much as you can. Otherwise, when we reach Putuo Mountain, it is very far away and the palace may not respond to you. Even if you ask for help, no one will respond."

When Concubine Li heard this, she didn't react at the moment and just asked, "What is Putuo Mountain? What do you mean by not responding?"

Chunlu lowered her head and stammered, "Both governments said that Mount Putuo was the place chosen by Taizu, and the Imperial Observatory also agreed. Your Highness nodded in agreement, and everyone asked the Queen to set off after the 15th..."

"What journey?" Concubine Li's head buzzed and she couldn't understand a single word.

"The husbands and the imperial doctors all said that the queen is suffering from a heart disease. Please find a large temple in Lingshan Mountain to pray for blessings and recuperate as soon as possible... because the queen also said before that she was suffering from a heart disease..."

"Miss?"

Chunlu said this awkwardly, and when she looked up, she suddenly saw that Concubine Li in front of her had her eyes closed, her right hand was holding her forehead, and her body was staggering, as if she was about to fall.

Because she had seen her own queen pretend to faint once in the front hall, she was a little confused when she saw the old thing happening again. She thought to herself: There is no one else around, why is the concubine still putting on a show? What does this mean?
Chunlu asked in bewilderment, "Are you trying to make some noise, madam? Should I go and tell the princess to summon the imperial physician? Why don't you first let me know what I should say, so as not to say the wrong thing... madam?"

Before she finished her words, Chunlu looked at the fallen Concubine Li and seemed to have just woken up. She was stunned for a few breaths and shouted in panic: "Hurry up and help me!"

This time Concubine Li fainted for real, but she had pretended to faint so many times before that no one took it seriously. Moreover, the matter settled by the two governments was fanned by Zhao Mingzhi. Emperor Zhao Hong already hated Concubine Li, so naturally he was happy to go along with it.

So after she woke up, although she made a big fuss, no one paid any attention to her except a few imperial doctors. It was like a drizzle falling into the sea, without causing any ripples at all.

When the day came, no matter how she struggled, she was still seen off by the emperor, the princess, and a group of ministers, and they set off on time with a huge ceremonial procession.

Concubine Li had been in the harem for decades and had no sense of existence. She fled south to Caizhou, and especially when Zhao Mingzhi went to Jingzhao Prefecture and Zhao Hong returned to the capital later, Concubine Li was left alone to guard the imperial palace. Sometimes she met nuns, sometimes she met Taoist priestess, and sometimes she had to go around looking for eminent monks. She was already dragged down by the retired emperor, and with so many messy behaviors, her reputation in the outside world became even worse.

Today, the emperor returned to the court, the Di people retreated, and the people of the capital who had originally followed them to Caizhou naturally returned to the capital as well.

It was just a few words. Who doesn't like to talk about the harem? The incident at Sanqing Temple had just happened. The emperor was also a Buddhist and Taoist before. He was very wasteful and even lost half of the country. The emperor was taken to the north, which made the people feel scared. Now that Concubine Li seemed to be following in her footsteps, they were even less nervous.

Although the people could not influence the nobles in the palace, they could still point fingers and talk about them from outside. Suddenly, everyone knew about it and the public was very excited. Even some scholars from the Imperial Academy had submitted a letter of advice, advising the concubines in the harem to stay away from such low-class people and not to associate with them.

The scholars had just submitted their remonstrances when they saw in person that Concubine Li was sent far away to Putuo Temple to fast and pray. They felt that the royal family valued them so much and that their remonstrances were listened to. How could they not be delighted?

As a result, everyone inside and outside the capital was satisfied.

The two governments thought they had driven away the hidden danger, and they only needed to wait for the princess to marry and go to Jingzhao Prefecture, where they would be left with only their own people to fight among themselves. The scholars and common people felt that although the royal family was young, with a reliable princess around, they would be able to manage affairs soberly and not be deceived by treacherous villains.

As for Zhao Hong, he was always very wary of Concubine Li and was extremely dissatisfied with her. Now that she was finally sent away, he was overjoyed.