Jingtai Fenghua

Chapter 14 Queen Mother Sun’s Poison

After Wang Meilin finished speaking, he stood still, waiting for Queen Mother Sun to speak.

Empress Dowager Sun knew that she was waiting for her here, letting herself decide whether to cut down her staff. If she didn't cut down her staff, everyone would starve. It was a blow.

"Queen, this matter needs to be discussed in the long term. There are so many father-in-laws and maids in the palace. They have no skills at all and drag their disabled bodies. How will they survive after leaving the palace?" Queen Mother Sun suppressed her dissatisfaction and looked at Wang Meilin kindly. .

"The Empress Dowager Shangsheng is right. Therefore, during the period when the internal treasury was empty, I have been thinking of ways to make a decision. I just don't want to lay off them. After all, they are also pitiful people!" Wang Meilin immediately responded with his hand. With.

Empress Dowager Sun knew that if there was no explanation for this matter, Wang Meilin would definitely not give up. She would either give him money or lay off people, but Empress Dowager Sun didn't want to do either of these things.

Seeing that the Queen Mother Sun didn't say anything, Wang Meilin didn't want to drag it out any longer. She was not a person who liked to drag things out in the first place, so she handed over her hands and said: "Shangsheng Queen Mother, I can still stand it for two days. In two days, I can We have no choice but to lay off people and let them leave first!”

"I know that some elderly father-in-laws and maids-in-law have some savings on their hands, and some have quite a lot. If they leave the palace, they can still live. It may be difficult for young father-in-laws and maids-in-law, so I, concubine I also want to keep them, whether this is possible or not, please let the Holy Queen Mother decide!”

After Wang Meilin finished speaking, he looked at Queen Mother Sun.

Empress Dowager Sun was still silent. She was considering whether to give up some business to Wang Meilin. It would not be feasible if the palace did not have her own people.

Seeing that he hadn't spoken yet, Wang Meilin could only hold up his hands again and said: "Concubine's plan, the 24th Yamen will be reduced by [-]%, the Six Bureaus and One Division of the Palace Ladies will also be reduced by [-]%, and the staff of Concubine and His Majesty's other three concubines will also be reduced by [-]%. However, the palaces of the Holy Empress Dowager and the Supreme Empress can only be reduced by [-]%!"

After hearing this, Empress Dowager Sun and Empress Dowager Qian looked at Wang Meilin in shock. She actually wanted to lay off so many people. If so, she would have to lay off almost [-] people.

"Does the Queen Mother have any suggestions?" Wang Meilin still asked.

Queen Mother Sun was also asked at this moment and had to say something, so she asked: "What do you think of this matter?"

Wang Meilin cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty said that I am the master of the harem, and I can make my own decisions about the affairs of the harem!"

Queen Mother Sun became even more angry when she heard this. What did this sentence mean?Don’t you understand?Isn’t it that Wang Meilin has the final say in the entire harem?Then who do you think you are?So he said angrily: "In that case, you can do it, Queen. Ask me, I can't make the decision!"

"Thank you, the Queen Mother, for your understanding. I will decide on the list soon. Thank you very much, Queen Mother, for your support!" When Wang Meilin heard what she said, he immediately saluted and thanked her.

"Well!" Queen Mother Sun was so angry that she didn't want to speak anymore, so she could only wave her hand to Wang Meilin.

After Wang Meilin thanked him, he turned around and left. After leaving Kangshou Palace, Wang Meilin waved to an eunuch beside him.

The eunuch immediately came to Wang Meilin's side.

"Keep an eye on anyone who comes in and out of Kangshou Palace. No matter who they are, they must be recorded and reported to the palace every night. In addition, the Empress Dowager Shangsheng and several close confidants around the Empress Taishang will come out and immediately send someone Keep an eye on them and see who they come into contact with!" Wang Meilin whispered as he walked.

"Yes, Queen, don't worry, I will definitely take care of this!" The eunuch immediately handed over and left the team.

He also needed to find someone. During this period, some young and powerful father-in-laws came to him. This was just an opportunity for them to make a contribution. If this could be done, those people would not need to be laid off.

Empress Dowager Sun and Empress Dowager Qian in Kangshou Palace were looking at each other in silence at this moment.

"Empress Dowager Shangsheng, what should we do about this matter? If she is allowed to continue to reduce the number of people like this, I am afraid that the entire harem will take refuge in her!" Queen Qian Taishang couldn't help it anymore and spoke first.

"I have my own plans, you go back first!" Queen Mother Sun closed her eyes and waved her hand.

"Yes, everything depends on the Holy Queen Mother!" Qian stood up and said a little depressed.

After Qian left, Queen Mother Sun opened her eyes and waved to an old eunuch beside her.

The old eunuch immediately arrived at the Queen Mother Sun's side. The Queen Mother Sun gently whispered a few words into his ear, and the old eunuch nodded immediately.

He soon left Kangshou Palace, but he didn't know that there were people watching his every move along the way.

Soon, the old eunuch arrived at the dining room under the Shangshi Bureau. Some young men in the dining room had already taken refuge with the eunuchs in Kunning Palace. Therefore, Kunning Palace soon knew about the old eunuch's arrival.

As for the old eunuch talking to a man named Eunuch Yang in the kitchen, some young eunuchs were also nearby pretending to be working, but their ears were already perked up, and they also wanted to make meritorious deeds.

After the old eunuch left, Eunuch Yang in the dining room looked calm, as if nothing had happened. Just now, the old eunuch gave him a pack of medicine.

At this moment, a young father-in-law, who was also Eunuch Yang's adopted son, came over cautiously, looked around, and said, "Godfather, you have to be careful!"

"Huh?" Eunuch Yang looked at the little father-in-law in surprise. "Godfather, I don't know how many people are in this dining room now, who have taken refuge with the Queen. Eunuch Li just came, and everyone is looking here. Does godfather still remember the previous rumors?" the little father-in-law said softly.

"Well!" Eunuch Yang also raised his eyes and looked around, and found that the young eunuchs were all doing things. They didn't seem to be looking here, but would glance here from time to time.

His heart sank, knowing that things were in trouble.

"Godfather, your Majesty has the final say in this world, and the Queen has the final say in the harem. There is news that people will be laid off the day after tomorrow. Godfather is already in his early forties this year. If he is laid off, he may be in trouble. If , if so!" The little father-in-law behind didn't dare to say anything.

Just now Eunuch Li from Kangshou Palace came to look for his godfather, and he saw it very clearly.

"Well, the Zajia family knows. You are busy here first, while the Zajia family goes to rest for a while!" Eunuch Yang turned around and left, arriving at his resting place.

After locking the door, the father-in-law took out the packet of medicine that Eunuch Li had just given him from his sleeve pocket. When he took it into his hand and smelled it, he knew it was poison. He couldn't help but sigh: "This is killing me. It's killing me." It’s the life of a whole family!”

As he spoke, he touched his forehead and felt very resentful. He had long been the Queen Mother Sun's. When the Queen Mother Sun was still a concubine, he had served her. However, he was stupid and made several mistakes. The Empress Dowager went forward to slander her, so she was sent to the dining room. It has been more than ten years now.

For more than ten years, Empress Dowager Sun has ignored her. However, the people who served Empress Dowager Sun in the same group as herself back then are now the worst-ranking eunuchs and receive fifth-grade salaries.

And I am just an ordinary father-in-law who cooks in the kitchen.

What Eunuch Li said to me today, I thought at first, it was nothing. I had done poisoning many times, so it wouldn't hurt if I did it one more time. But today Eunuch Li came to me, and many little father-in-laws came to me. Seeing it, they may have reported it to the Queen.

The Empress must be suspicious and will be wary of the food delivered from the dining room.

"Eh!" Eunuch Yang sighed, and couldn't help but think about his brother who was far away in his hometown. In recent years, he had asked people to send money back to his hometown, and his hometown had also bought a lot of fields and houses.

The year before last, my own nephew came to the capital to visit me, and he even brought his little grandnephew with him, which was really cute!
I still thought that when I got old and was released from the palace, I would go back to my hometown to take care of myself. My brother was very kind to me. He exchanged several letters every year, and advised me not to send money back. Life at home was good. Let yourself have some sidelines.

"Poison the queen?" Eunuch Yang thought for a moment and said with a sneer, then stood up and opened the door. '

He didn't want to do this. He had nephews and grandnephews. He couldn't let them suffer after him. Poisoning the queen was a major crime of treason. Killing the whole family was a minor crime. It was even possible to kill three tribes and nine tribes.

And the Empress Dowager Sun had treated her like this all these years, so she couldn't bear to risk everyone's lives to do things for her.

Soon, Eunuch Yang went straight to Kunning Palace.

Wang Meilin of Kunning Palace had already learned the news and had ordered that the meals for the past few days should be cooked on a small stove in Kunning Palace.

All the materials needed are sent out to purchase by trusted people, and all materials purchased in the palace are no longer trusted.

Just after the order was given, a palace maid hurried in and said to Wang Meilin: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Yang in the dining room has urgently requested to see you, saying that someone is trying to frame the Queen!"

When Wang Meilin heard this, he looked at the eunuch beside him, and the eunuch nodded.

"Announce him to come in!" Wang Meilin nodded happily to the palace maid.

Soon, Eunuch Yang was brought in. After seeing Wang Meilin, he knelt down, kowtowed and cried: "My Majesty, please forgive me. Someone wanted to murder the Queen. He asked the younger one to execute him. The younger one didn't dare, so he came here to report to the Queen." Empress!"

Wang Meilin stared at Eunuch Yang with a dark face, and said coldly: "Tell me in detail!"

"Yes!" Eunuch Yang, who was kneeling on the ground, quickly reported everything to Wang Meilin about what Eunuch Li from Kangshou Palace had asked him about and what he had said.

After Wang Meilin heard this, he said to the eunuch beside him: "Take him down and keep him under strict supervision!"

The eunuch asked someone to take Eunuch Yang down, and then he stood in the middle of the living room and held his hands in front of Wang Meilin.

"Go and arrest people. Anyone who dares to stop them will be arrested. If the Holy Empress Dowager stops them, they will send people to surround Kangshou Palace! No one is allowed in or out! I hope she can stop them!" Wang Meilin ordered through gritted teeth, feeling the same in his heart. She got so cruel that she actually took her own life.

In this case, don't blame yourself for being rude. If you are unkind, I will be unjust.

Soon, the eunuch led people to Kangshou Palace, including people from the Shenxing Department and Jin Yiwei.

(End of this chapter)