Jiuxi

Chapter 875 873 [Moisturizing Things Silently]

"Prince."

Queen Ning looked lovingly at Li Daoming beside her.

"Yes, Queen Mother."

Li Daoming responded crisply, then stood up and walked to Lu Chen, bowed and said in a formal manner: "Sir, please accept Daoming's greetings."

Although Lu Chen had vaguely guessed something when Queen Ning decided to promote Wang An, he did not expect her to be so direct.

He quickly stood up and moved away, saying sternly, "How dare I accept your courtesy, Your Highness?"

Queen Ning did not interrupt. Li Daoming looked at Lu Chen and said seriously, "My mother said that the Duke is a pillar of the Great Qi. Whether we can resist foreign enemies and recover our homeland in the future depends on the Duke. I am young and ignorant. If I can get the Duke's teachings and assistance, I can inherit the late emperor's will."

No matter how intelligent he was or how well taught he was by Queen Ning, he was only five years old after all, and it was not easy for him to speak these words smoothly and fluently.

"I will do my best to serve the court, but there is a distinction between the emperor and his subjects, and I dare not cross it."

Lu Chen still refused.

Although Li Daoming is currently only the crown prince and his coronation ceremony has not yet been held, the crown prince is also the monarch, so Lu Chen naturally would not make such an unnecessary mistake.

Li Daoming stood there a little dazed, revealing at this moment the naivety and ignorance typical of his age.

"Prince, come back and sit down."

Queen Ning did not let the situation cool down. She gently called Li Daoming back and then said to Lu Chen, "I originally wanted to appoint you as the Prince's Tutor, but the coronation ceremony is just around the corner, and it is inevitable that a hasty move would be inappropriate. You have made great contributions to the country by helping the country in times of crisis. If you only give you the position of Prince's Tutor for a few days, people will naturally think that the royal family is mean and ungrateful."

Lu Chen had been in this world for nearly seven years and had experienced two generations of emperors. He had long been accustomed to the vague and to-the-point conversation style. Now, Queen Ning's straightforwardness gave him a different feeling.

however……

How could a woman who could accompany and support Li Zongben all the way, and who had no obstacles from being a prince's wife, a crown princess to the master of the six palaces, be a simple and ignorant person?
Lu Chen didn't know all the details of that stormy night. When he entered the palace that day, Empress Dowager Xu had already seized control of the harem, and a group of her trusted confidants held important powers in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. On the surface, Empress Ning did not have any ability to resist. If Lu Chen had not brought several important ministers to force Empress Dowager Xu to make concessions, Li Zongjian might have been able to stay in the palace.

But things are not that simple.

Before Li Zongben got into trouble, Empress Ning had been in charge of the harem for more than two years. Could it be that she did nothing in these two years and didn't even have a confidant in the harem?

Lu Chen didn't need too much analysis. He only needed to look at the current situation in the harem to know that after Queen Mother Xu was forced to hand over power, her power suffered a devastating blow within one day and one night and was almost uprooted. Yuan Yuji certainly played a role in this, but how could it be without Queen Ning's understanding of the situation in the palace?

It was true that Empress Dowager Xu had seized the initiative unexpectedly, but Empress Ning's forbearance during those days at least ensured that she and Li Daoming lived safely. When the situation turned around, she no longer had any reservations and regained control of the harem in the shortest possible time with lightning speed.

This shows that she is definitely not a shallow blank sheet of paper.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen said modestly: "Your Highness, as a military hero, I don't know much about the way to govern a country, and I am afraid I am not qualified to teach Your Highness the Crown Prince. Moreover, I am too young after all, and I can't compare with those respected adults in the court. How dare I accept the title of imperial teacher? In my opinion, Prime Minister Xue, Prime Minister Xu and Duke Rong are more qualified than me."

When Li Daoming called out "Sir" just now, Lu Chen couldn't help but think of the young Li Gongxu. He thought that he had never attended a single day of proper school since he came to this world, but he actually had one disciple after another, and their backgrounds were so powerful.

If he wasn't sober enough, he would probably feel a little dizzy.

When Empress Ning heard Lu Chen's sincere refusal, she couldn't help but sigh softly and said bitterly, "I know that some things have made the Duke depressed, especially when Li Shizhi gathered his followers to slander the Duke, I never said anything to help him, which is really not kind enough. I just hope that the Duke will understand that at that time, His Majesty passed away and the situation was turbulent. As a woman in the harem, I was sad for His Majesty's departure and worried about the safety of the prince. It was inevitable that I was not thoughtful and did not intend to sit idly by."

"Your Highness is serious."

Lu Chen hesitated for a moment, and finally said calmly: "I have no resentment in my heart, but I feel that it is difficult to take on such a heavy responsibility. However, if Your Highness feels that I am trustworthy, I will do my best."

"That's how it should be."

Queen Ning's gentle eyes showed just the right amount of gratitude, and she then said to Li Daoming, "Prince, pay your respects to your master."

This time Lu Chen did not refuse, but he turned aside and only accepted half of the greeting, and then returned the greeting meticulously.

Queen Ning looked at the sensible and well-behaved Li Daoming with satisfaction, and then ordered: "Okay, Prince, go to the Imperial Study to study."

Two female officials led a group of palace maids and escorted the young Li Daoming to take his leave.

Queen Ning glanced around and said calmly, "Ruolan stays, everyone else leave."

"The slaves obey the order."

The palace maids serving in the hall responded in unison, then left with light steps, leaving only the female official named Ruolan.

On the night when Li Zongben was assassinated, it was this person who reminded Queen Ning to take Li Daoming to Jingren Palace as soon as possible. It was also she who took Queen Ning's imperial edict to the two prime ministers to plead. Otherwise, when Lu Chen was dealing with Empress Dowager Xu, Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo might not have been so resolute. This shows that she was Queen Ning's most trusted confidant.

The hall became very quiet, with only the scent of sandalwood remaining.

Lu Chen coughed lightly, inevitably feeling a little uncomfortable.

Although there was a third person present, she was the queen, the mother of the country, and would become the empress dowager in a few days. As an outsider, he had to be somewhat cautious.

Queen Ning did not wait for him to say goodbye, and said slowly: "Duke, I have something I would like to ask for your help." Lu Chen said calmly: "Your Highness, please speak."

Empress Ning hesitated for a moment and said softly, "Although the assassination of Your Majesty was led by Li Shizhi, it was definitely caused by the help from within the palace. Just letting Jin Qiaolan appear by Your Majesty's side two years ago and gaining Your Majesty's trust step by step is not something that Li Shizhi could have done outside the palace. I know in my heart that the Cining Palace is closely related to this matter, but she is the empress of the previous emperor after all. As long as she doesn't let go, no one can do anything to her, including you and me."

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at the female official standing beside Queen Ning.

Facing his scrutiny, Ruolan couldn't help but become more nervous.

Empress Ning said upon seeing this: "Don't worry, Duke. Ruolan is the maid I brought from home. She is the one I trust the most over the years."

Lu Chen retracted his sharp gaze, thought for a while and said, "In fact, it's not only your highness who thinks so. Many officials in the court have similar suspicions. After all, Queen Mother Xu and Li Shizhi are in step with each other, and Li Shizhi has hinted many times that he wants to force Queen Mother Xu to make up her mind to kill me. These traces cannot be hidden from everyone. But as your highness said, as long as Queen Mother Xu doesn't admit it herself, no one can go to the Cining Palace to search, because Da Qi governs the world with loyalty and filial piety, and the royal family should set an example."

"I won't do anything reckless."

Queen Ning was frank about her feelings. In fact, this sentence also concealed another thought, that is, she did think about using certain means to help Li Zongben get revenge, but considering that the prince was young and the situation was not yet stable, she would not make any rash decisions.

From another perspective, she was so sincere in front of Lu Chen that she could be said to be open-hearted.

Looking at Lu Chen's calm face, Queen Ning continued, "It's just that I can't calm down when I think of the person who disregards human ethics in Cining Palace. Although the rebels have been eliminated and the palace is gradually clearing up the hidden dangers, there is still a lieutenant living in Tainingfang. If there is another accident..."

She paused, a look of deep worry on her face.

"Li Zongjian?"

Lu Chen had a new respect for the Queen. Not everyone could think so thoroughly, and even fewer could make a timely decision.

After thinking for a while, he asked, "Your Highness, how do you plan to deal with him?"

Queen Ning was silent for a moment, then shook her head and said, "I don't know. Lieutenant Fengguo has been honest and dutiful over the past two years. He is not only the biological child of the one in the Cining Palace, but also the only remaining uncle of the Crown Prince. If... it will definitely cause controversy among the court and the public, but if he is allowed to continue to stay at the edge of the imperial city, I will feel uneasy. Your Majesty has only the Crown Prince as his heir, and he is only five years old. It will take at least another ten years for him to grow up. Who knows if those people have any remaining power?"

Lu Chen looked at her meaningfully, the meaning of his expression was very clear.

Empress Ning bowed her head in embarrassment and said, "Please don't misunderstand, Duke. I am not trying to give you a hard time. I just want you to give me some advice. It would be best if it does not cause any disturbance in the court, so that the Crown Prince can live in a safer environment in the future."

"Your Highness has good intentions, and I have nothing but admiration for you."

Lu Chen said calmly: "Actually, this problem is easy to solve."

Queen Ning was delighted, with surprise in her eyes.

Lu Chen said: "Since Your Highness thinks that Li Zongjian is a hazard if he stays in the capital, then when I leave the capital and return to the border, let him follow me all the way north. As the descendant of the previous emperor, he should be loyal to the country and serve his country."

"This……"

Empress Ning had indeed not expected such an approach, and was a little confused for a moment. She hesitated and said, "Although he has been stripped of his princely title, he is after all the blood of the previous emperor, and he has no military experience. Letting him go to the border to fight the enemy is not too..."

She hesitated to speak. What was the difference between letting Li Zongjian face the brutal Jing Jun and killing him directly?

She was certainly not soft-hearted, but being in this position, she had to consider all aspects when doing things. How could she act recklessly like Empress Dowager Xu, who was eventually abandoned by civil and military officials?

Lu Chen said calmly: "Your Highness, rest assured. I will not let him go to the battlefield. He can go to the Dingzhou Governor's Office to do some paperwork. This will not only allow him to forgive his past despicable behavior, but also fulfill his duties as a member of the royal family. Let the border soldiers see that the court is working together from top to bottom, and they will definitely fight more bravely until the Jing bandits are driven out and the country is recovered."

Queen Ning felt relieved and nodded, "This is a very appropriate arrangement. Thank you, Duke."

Looking at the friendly expression on her face, Lu Chen bowed his head and said, "I don't deserve it. Your Highness, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

"it is good."

Queen Ning stood up to see him off, and looked at Lu Chen's figure walking further and further away under the guidance of the eunuch, and slowly exhaled.

"Miss."

Ruolan's tone became a little lighter.

Queen Ning turned her head and looked at her. She couldn't help but smile slightly and said softly: "Lu Chen is a truly smart man."

"This Duke Qin is indeed powerful. He just glanced at me indifferently just now, but I felt like I was hit by a sledgehammer in my heart. No wonder people say that the general has murderous aura."

Ruolan was still frightened, and immediately said respectfully: "But the queen is more powerful!"

"Just your sweet mouth."

Queen Ning glared at her, then stopped in front of the window, her eyes drifting off into the distance, muttering, "No matter how powerful the women in the harem are, what can they do? They are just some small tricks, how can they compare to the decisive battle of thousands of troops?"

"I only hope that... the prince can grow up safely."

(End of this chapter)