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When Zhao Wu, the Zheng father and son, and the border army's defeat that year were mentioned, Empress Dowager Zheng's anger was like a bucket of ice water was poured over her head.

I feel cold from head to heart.

Isn't it that your weaknesses have been caught?

Empress Dowager Zheng's face froze for a moment, and she had to lower her posture and slow down her voice: "There is no solid evidence in this matter, how can we convict based on inference alone?"

"Perhaps, Zhao Wu's presence in the Yuzhou Army was just a coincidence. Zheng Chen's escape to the Yuzhou Army was also a coincidence."

Jiang Shaohua looked helpless: "Grandmother said such words, of course I believe it. But can the civil and military officials of the whole court believe it? Can a coincidence stop the gossips of the people?"

Empress Dowager Zheng was choked and her tone became more gentle: "You are the Son of Heaven,"

Who among them dares to question what you say?
Jiang Shaohua said calmly: "The emperor's prestige and power should be used to govern the country, not to protect criminals."

Empress Dowager Zheng: "..."

Cui Du simply wanted to worship his Empress.

In just two short sentences, the meaning is implicit but not revealed, and the power is not released. It hits the opponent's sore spot in a casual way, which is really powerful.

Empress Dowager Zheng knew that she was completely at a disadvantage and after a moment of stalemate, she finally used her last resort.

"I don't care about these things. Anyway, I can't watch the Zheng family perish."

"I am already over sixty years old, and I cannot stand the disaster of my family being exterminated. If you have any filial piety, you must at least protect the Zheng family for my sake."

Empress Dowager Zheng was half acting, half expressing her true feelings. Her eyes turned red as she spoke, and two turbid old tears were about to fall. She looked so pitiful: "Shaohua, just consider it as a plea from me."

Jiang Shaohua sighed and held the trembling and sorrowful Empress Dowager Zheng with her hand: "I will respect and take care of you in your old age. Grandma, why are you so stubborn and lose the dignity and respect of the Empress Dowager in order to protect the Zheng family."

"Grandmother cares about them so much and protects them, but how do they treat her? It was grandma who gave them power, but they did such a heinous act of treason behind grandma's back. Where does this put grandma? Where does this put the cousin who trusted them?"

"Now Zheng Chen is instigating the Yuzhou army to revolt, which shows that he doesn't care about grandma's situation in the palace at all. Grandma, is it worth it to bend down for them?"

Empress Dowager Zheng's sore spot was touched, and the turbid old tears that were about to fall immediately flowed out and slid down her old cheeks.

Jiang Shaohua sighed again, took a handkerchief from Chen Sheren, and wiped the tears for Empress Dowager Zheng: "I know that grandma has always been concerned about the Zheng family. Over the years, they and their son have done a lot of things for grandma. But in the final analysis, grandma gave them more. Grandma doesn't owe them, nor does she owe the Zheng family a penny. There is no need to cry for them now."

"Shaohua," Empress Dowager Zheng burst into tears and held Jiang Shaohua's hand tightly, refusing to let go: "Grandmother, please save the Zheng family. Let Duke Anguo resign from the position of Minister of War, and the title can be taken back."

Jiang Shaohua pondered in silence.

Empress Dowager Zheng gritted her teeth and continued to whisper: "Zheng Chen must be killed. Let Duke Anguo submit a memorial to the emperor and put the blame on Zheng Chen for the incident involving Zhao Wu. The Zheng family will open an ancestral hall and expel Zheng Chen from the family tree."

This means sacrificing the car to save the driver.

Jiang Shaohua said calmly: "Zheng Chen has already rebelled, one more crime or one less crime will not affect the overall situation."

In other words, such conditions were still not enough to impress the emperor.

Empress Dowager Zheng continued to bear the pain and said: "I ask the Zheng family to donate 30% of their property as military expenses."

Only when real money is brought out can it be considered sincere. Jiang Shaohua's brows relaxed slightly: "The court dispatched the elite soldiers of the Yingwei Camp to Yuzhou to quell the rebellion, which was indeed very expensive. Last night, Minister Ding of the Ministry of War submitted a memorial, saying that the war horses of the Ministry of War were of varying quality, and the weapons and armor in the armory had suffered great losses. I had no choice but to requisition a batch of usable war horses and weapons from the Imperial Guards camp first."

These were all the mistakes made by Duke Anguo when he was in office. Naturally, Duke Anguo should make up for them.

Empress Dowager Zheng didn't really know how huge the gap was. However, now that Jiang Shaohua had grasped her vitals, she had no choice but to abandon her weapons and armor: "Let the Zheng family fill in the gaps in the military department."

Jiang Shaohua hummed and looked at Empress Dowager Zheng.

Empress Dowager Zheng felt very aggrieved: "I have retreated again and again. You don't want me to use my private savings to fill the hole in the court!"

Where did such a huge hole in the court come from?
The court was full of rats, and the Empress Dowager in front of him was also extremely greedy. "That little private money" had long exceeded the national treasury.

Jiang Shaohua sneered in his heart, but spoke in a gentle and caring manner: "Grandma is old, and she has saved some private money. It will be passed on to her children and grandchildren in the future. Don't worry, grandma! I will never touch your private treasury."

Pass it on to your children and grandchildren?

These words once again hurt Empress Dowager Zheng.

Her son died young, and her eldest grandson died young. Now she has only an eight-year-old idiot. She holds a lot of money in her hands. When she passes away, will King Ping be able to keep such a huge fortune?
Maybe it will be given to Concubine Fan Gui... Bah! She doesn't deserve it! It's better to give it to Jiang Shaohua in front of her.

Perhaps only Empress Dowager Zheng herself knew the complex changes in her mood.

Jiang Shaohua waited patiently for a moment, but Empress Dowager Zheng remained in a daze, neither willing to give in nor to offer any benefits.

It seems that this is all I can squeeze out this time.

Jiang Shaohua felt a little regretful and said, "Grandma, the ministers are waiting in the main hall. I have to go to court. I will have lunch with you after the court meeting."

Empress Dowager Zheng reluctantly let go.

Cui Du immediately stepped forward and held Jiang Shaohua's arm. Jiang Shaohua laughed: "I'm not that delicate."

Cui Du rarely insisted on his own opinion: "I just want to support you."

Jiang Shaohua just let him do what he wanted.

Empress Dowager Zheng watched the emperor and his entourage walk away, and casually ordered: "Zhao Jingming, help me return to Jingyang Palace."

No one answered.

Empress Dowager Zheng frowned and turned around, only to be surprised to find that Eunuch Zhao was not there at all.

Eunuch Lin coughed softly and said, "Grand Empress Dowager, Zhao Jingming is lying on the bed recovering from his injuries and cannot come to serve you for the time being. I will take you back to Jingyang Palace."

Zhao Jingming entered the palace when he was young, and served her when he was in his teens. It has been almost 20 years. To her, he is definitely not an ordinary servant who can be replaced by anyone.

That night, she was so angry that she had Zhao Jingming beaten with a stick. Zhao Jingming had been lying on his back recovering from his injuries and couldn't come to serve her, and she was really not used to it.

Although Empress Dowager Zheng did not say it, she was actually very regretful in her heart. (End of this chapter)