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Chapter 642 Negotiation (I)

Hiss!

After a stick of incense, Empress Dowager Zheng's face turned ashen, her eyes were blazing with fire, and she tore the letter in her hand into two pieces.

Eunuch Zhao was startled: "My Lady!"

The Empress Dowager Zheng continued to tear the letter in her hand until it was torn into pieces. The bed was filled with scraps of paper, and the Empress Dowager Zheng's chest rose and fell violently, showing that she was very angry.

"Your Highness, please calm down!" Eunuch Zhao knelt beside the bed and begged: "The imperial physician has told you not to get angry. Please take care of yourself!"

Empress Dowager Zheng breathed rapidly, the fire in her eyes still burning brighter and brighter: "Go, let Jiang Shaohua in!"

Eunuch Zhao did not move and continued to persuade her: "Your Highness is angry and I am afraid that you will not know how to speak properly. If you completely anger the princess, there will be no room for recovery in the future."

Empress Dowager Zheng glared at Eunuch Zhao fiercely. "What nonsense are you talking about! Do I have to act according to her mood?"

"Your Highness is of high rank and status, so of course you don't have to look at anyone's face." Eunuch Zhao pleaded softly, "I am just a lowly person. I have been refusing you for the past few days. I'm afraid you have remembered this. When you ascend the throne and become the empress, it will only take a flick of your finger to kill me."

"I have served Your Majesty for so many years. Even if I have not made any contributions, I have worked hard. I beg Your Majesty to have mercy on my humble life."

Empress Dowager Zheng was so angry that she didn't want to hear him. She sneered and said, "What are you afraid of? Jiang Shaohua wants to ascend the throne and become the empress. She has been acting more cautiously these days than before. Isn't it just for the ministers to see that she comes to Jingyang Palace every day to face difficulties?"

"She's trying so hard to see me, I'll just listen to what she has to say. Go right away and call her into the bedroom!"

Eunuch Zhao reluctantly accepted the order, and before leaving, he whispered a few more words: "I dare to say a few words that I shouldn't say. It has come to this point, and the princess's ascension to the throne has become a general trend. In just a few days, the princess has dealt with the accumulated government affairs, and the court officials have bowed their heads, and people's hearts are at peace. Your Majesty, why do you have to be angry with the princess! Not only did you let the officials watch the fun, but you also let the Li family get the biggest benefit. It's really a loss."

These words really hit the sore spot of Empress Dowager Zheng.

The Empress Dowager Zheng's expression became increasingly grim: "If you dare to gossip again, I will kick you out of Jingyang Palace."

Eunuch Zhao quickly shut up and got out, welcoming the princess into the bedroom.

Jiang Shaohua walked into the dormitory calmly, his eyes casually sweeping over the torn pieces of paper thrown everywhere: "Grandma, calm down first. I still have four letters like this. I'll tear them up for you later."

He will not stop until she is mad to death!

Empress Dowager Zheng was extremely angry, but she calmed down. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze was quite cold: "Jiang Shaohua, where did you find this letter?"

Jiang Shaohua said calmly: "I have been to the Tianlao, and the Prince of Dongping told me the location of the secret room where the letters are hidden. These days, I sent my confidants to search the secret room of the Prince of Dongping's mansion, and they just came back today." "Zheng Chen colluded with Jiang Yi and the Prince of Dongping to conspire for rebellion. These letters are the evidence."

"I know that this is what my great-aunt is most concerned about. As soon as I get the letter, I will send it to Jingyang Palace immediately. Please take a look at it first."

As he spoke, he took out four more letters from his sleeve and waved them in front of the Grand Empress Dowager Zheng: "If my great-aunt doesn't want these letters, I will send them all to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice has many witnesses in custody, and with this piece of evidence, they can convict the Zheng family."

"Are you threatening me?" Empress Dowager Zheng stared at Jiang Shaohua and squeezed out a few words from between her teeth.

Jiang Shaohua and Empress Dowager Zheng looked at each other and said, "I am giving my great-aunt a way out. If my great-aunt takes this step and shows her support for me, I can ascend the throne and become the Empress of Daliang. Of course, my great-aunt can also be stubborn to the end and break with me completely, and even use various means to prevent me from ascending the throne."

"However, the method used to deal with the King of Huaiyang is no longer effective for me. All the ministers and the Queen Mother support me, and Prime Minister Wang is also willing to support me. Whatever I do now is to restore order. There is no way to pin the charge of treason on me."

"The palace has been run by my great-aunt for decades. She has many people at her disposal. She could order someone to poison my food or set up some accidents. As long as I die, the game will be solved automatically."

"My great-aunt hesitated for a few days and didn't make up her mind because she was afraid that the court would be in chaos after my death. Prince Ping knows nothing, and in the end, someone will have to take charge of the court. I can take care of Prince Ping, treat the Queen Mother well, and support my great-aunt. If the Prince of Huaiyang or the Prince of Wu'an were in power, or if it were any other clan member, I'm afraid that wouldn't be the case. My great-aunt is already old, and I don't know how long she will live. By then, will Prince Ping still be able to survive? How can my great-aunt live a peaceful life?"

"Let's not talk about the future, let's talk about the present. My great-aunt is determined to oppose me, so I don't have to be polite to the Zheng family. I will be convicted of treason and the Zheng family will be exterminated. When my great-aunt is in the underworld, will she still have the face to meet the ancestors of the Zheng family?"

"I came here today to make everything clear. The choice depends on what my great-aunt wants."

……

Eunuch Zhao didn't even dare to look up at the Empress Dowager's expression.

The dormitory fell silent for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Empress Dowager Zheng finally spoke, still in a stern voice, but clearly revealing her weakness: "You swear to heaven that you will raise Prince Ping to adulthood and ensure that he will live a safe and prosperous life."

Jiang Shaohua's voice rang out: "Okay, I, Jiang Shaohua, swear to heaven that I will do my best to take care of King Ping Jiang Hao and make him live a safe and worry-free life."

"The Zheng family cannot be implicated in the case of treason." Empress Dowager Zheng continued to put forward conditions.

Jiang Shaohua said calmly: "The masterminds are the Gaoliang Prince and the Dongping Prince and his son. Zheng Chen was deceived by Jiang Yi and had evil thoughts for a while. He didn't have time to make any moves to rebel. The Zheng family will not be implicated."

Empress Dowager Zheng pressed the issue further: "Duke Anguo is recovering from his injuries now, so Minister Ding will temporarily serve as the acting Minister. When Duke Anguo recovers, the position of Minister of War will be held by Duke Anguo again."

Jiang Shaohua raised his eyebrows and said in a cold tone, "This is impossible. I can spare the life of Duke Anguo and let the Zheng family live, but that's all. Zheng Chen first murdered the emperor and then instigated Jiang Yi to raise an army to force the emperor to abdicate. These are unforgivable capital crimes. The Zheng family can still stay in the house safely because of the protection of their great-aunt. Thinking about power and wealth is too greedy and ridiculous."