Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Jia Cong asked, "How is the civilian factory in the Ministry of Revenue going?"

"The Ministry of Revenue has just submitted a proposal, saying that it has cooperated with Huizhou merchants, Shanxi merchants and other business groups to open 37 factories and mines, all of which use Western equipment introduced by Wanguo. As expected, production has increased greatly." Pang Chao said.

Jia Cong pondered and said, "It's not surprising that the output is large, but is the sales good?"

"The sales are very good. We can also sell them to Shannan Province and Japan. Many cloths and ironware can also be sold to the Tartars in the grasslands and the barbarians in Liaodong." Pang Chao said.

"Then I feel relieved. However, after industrial production increases, the market development must also keep up. Otherwise, if no one buys the products we make, it won't work. How is the navy being built?" Jia Cong said.

"General Yan and General Peng are currently planning this matter. They have already selected 50,000 elite troops from the southern garrisons who are familiar with water, and are training them and teaching them new tactics. The army has already been formed, but the warships are not up to par yet," said Pang Chao.

Jia Cong nodded slightly and said, "It's said that the navy takes a hundred years to build. We are just starting out, and it's good to have this much progress. How is the output at the shipyard?"

"At present, the two shipyards built with the help of Xiyi have been put into trial use and have gradually accelerated the speed of warship construction. Together with the Xue family's shipyard, one first-level ship, four second-level ships, eleven third-level ships, and twenty fourth-level ships have been built in the past year.

Including the first two fleets ordered and the subsequent purchase of Western warships, the total number is currently three first-class flagships, 15 second-class ships, 35 third-class ships, and 77 fourth-class ships. "Pang Chao said.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Well, at least my money wasn't wasted. With such a strong army, I can survive in the vicinity of the country."

Pang Chao laughed and said, "Your Highness, are you thinking about expanding your territory again?"

Jia Cong nodded and said, "We have spent a lot of money to build a navy, we can't just keep it at home forever. Wouldn't it be a waste if we don't send it out to fight?
It would be a good idea to eat this piece of fat meat in front of us before the Western barbarians set foot in Japan."

Pang Chao said: "Based on the current situation, it will be effortless for the new army to conquer Japan."

"We'll discuss this later. Anything else?"

"There are two more things. Duke Anguo sent a war report from the south, saying that he had combined kindness and force, won battle after battle, and had completely eliminated and subdued the chieftains of Hunan and Guangxi provinces, and was advancing westward.

The chieftains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou learned that the government troops were invincible and were terrified. They were willing to surrender. I think we can subdue them within this year." Pang Chao said.

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Old Li has been a soldier all his life, so he is quite good at fighting. Tell him that I am waiting in the capital to celebrate his success. I wish him to complete his mission and return to the capital in triumph as soon as possible."

"Yes. The other thing is that Gu Zhongtang has drawn up a specific strategy for the reform of the grain transport administration. Please review it, Your Majesty." Pang Chao took out a memorial from his sleeve.

Jia Cong flipped it open and took a look, then frowned and said, "It's too long, sir, please give a brief account."

"Okay. Gu Zhongtang divided this strategy into four parts: people, ships, food, and merchants. First, the people for sea transportation. They will be recruited from the boatmen and porters on the canal, and equipped with boatmen who are familiar with the sea routes;

As for seagoing vessels, the Ministry of Works was ordered to speed up their production and strive to build or purchase more than 40 thousand-ton seagoing vessels by the time of this summer's harvest, so that they can be used. Old warships in the navy can also be used to make up the number.

As for the imperial grain, only 10% will be transported by sea this year, and it will increase by 10% every year thereafter. After ten years, all the imperial grain will be transported by sea.
As for the transporters, half of the grain this year will be delivered to the government ships, and the other half will be delivered to the Wanguo Ship. The freight rate is 1 tael and 5 coins per stone of grain, but a gambling agreement must be signed. If the grain is lost, the merchants must compensate accordingly.

Jia Cong asked, "Do merchants make money?"

Pang Chao said, "I asked the shopkeeper of the Xue family. This price is the price for receiving goods at the dock. Seagoing ships have to travel between the north and the south to sell goods. If we can get a stable business of transporting grain, we will make a lot of money."

"Okay." Jia Cong nodded.

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "If we use sea transport, the coastal areas of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong are easy to handle, but what about Jiangxi, the two lakes, Henan, Anhui and other places?"

Pang Chao said: "Gu Zhongtang set up grain boarding stations at many coastal wharves such as Taicang, Huai'an, Jiaozhou, and Laizhou.
Grain from inland provinces can be transported to the seaside via the Yangtze River and Huaihe River waterways by horse and cart or by small boat. It can also be collected in silver, with less grain collected in the inland areas and more purchased from coastal provinces to save as much transportation costs as possible.

We have to try it out to know which one is better. In short, no matter which method is used, it is definitely much more economical than river transportation. "

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Well, let's try it first. It's just a 10% grain tax. Once we get familiar with this route, I think we can complete the task in less than ten years."

"That's what the prince said."

“When the grain transport by river is completely stopped, we can spend more money to repair the canal. After all, this river is of considerable significance and can also facilitate the movement of people and goods inland.

When the time comes, we can hire those people who make a living on the river to repair the river, and kill two birds with one stone." Jia Cong said.

Pang Chao said: "The prince and Gu Zhongtang have the same idea, he also has this idea.

In addition, Wu Jiedu submitted a memorial from Shannan, saying that there were some obstacles in promoting sinicization there, mainly because there were too few people proficient in Chinese, and requested the court to allocate some lecturers there.

I suggest that we select some of the scholars and students from all over the country and send them there."

Jia Cong slapped his forehead and said, "I should have thought of it earlier. Sir, this is a very good suggestion. Why should so many people squeeze into the single-plank bridge of the imperial examination, especially when many people are destined to fail in their lifetime."

I suggest that the Ministry of Rites and each province select a thousand people to send first, and if that is not enough, we can add more."

Pang Chao said: "There is just one obstacle. It is hard to leave one's hometown. These scholars may not be willing to travel thousands of miles overseas."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "If you don't want to go, it's not because you can't leave your hometown, but because the price is not enough.

Tell the Ministry of Rites that I have made an offer to them. Any scholar who is willing to go to Shannan will be appointed as a school official or a teaching instructor. The juren will be awarded the seventh rank, the scholar will be awarded the eighth rank, and the student will be awarded the ninth rank.

The reward for a boy student is a house, 100 acres of land, a girl from the south of the mountain, two able-bodied women, and two servants. The reward for a scholar or a juren can be increased at the discretion of the emperor.

If you still don't want to go, I'll add another one. There are so many people in Shannan anyway, can't we afford to support a few teachers?"

Pang Chao clapped his hands and laughed, "If this happens, many of the world's scholars and students who have spent their whole lives studying classics will be vying for the opportunity. If they go over there and become officials directly, they will also receive many rewards. It would be worth it if they never return home."

Jia Cong said: "It would be great if you can pass the imperial examination smoothly, but if you fail, it would be a waste of time.

I think the age limit should be 40. No matter who you are, you are not allowed to take the provincial or metropolitan examinations after you reach that age. The country does not need so many old men to be officials. They should all be more self-aware and do what they should do. "

Pang Chao said, "It's good to do this, so that many people won't waste their whole lives on the imperial examinations. At forty, people are free from doubts and should be clear-headed. I will go back and tell the Ministry of Rites what the prince wants."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Sir, what do you think of conquering Japan at this time?"

“It’s just the right time.”

"Okay, I feel relieved with your words. Please go back and discuss a plan with Yang Ling, Shuang Ying, Peng Cheng and others. This time I will personally lead the expedition to Japan." Jia Cong said in a deep voice.

Pang Chao hurriedly advised: "Your Majesty's body is worth a ton of gold, you should not put yourself in danger. Besides, who will be in charge of the city when Your Majesty goes to war?"

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "Sir, there is no need to persuade me. Although I have led troops to fight, I have never fought a hot war. It is a good opportunity to broaden my horizons and learn a little so that I can command and dispatch troops in the future.

What's more, I have been collecting intelligence on Japan for several years, and we have the Kii-ryu as our internal support, so this battle should be a sure win and there is no need to worry.

It is enough for Mr. Du Zhong to be in charge. With Wang Ziteng, Niu Jizong and others here, I think no one would dare to seek death. If someone really wants to die, just help him. "

Pang Chao tried to persuade him earnestly, but Jia Cong shook his head and said, "This battle won't take long. I'll come back after the situation is settled."

Pang Chao knew that Jia Cong had made up his mind, so he had no choice but to agree.
-
In Prince Gongxian's mansion, Sun Shuo was having a secret discussion with the chief steward in the inner study.

"Your Majesty, the secret has been confirmed. Meng Deyun, the steward in charge of the spring and autumn land rent in the palace, has long been bribed by An Wenyao."

Sun Shuo sneered and said, "That's great, it's a good opportunity to use a counter-espionage strategy."

"What does the prince mean?"

“Tell him about my meeting with Prince Jing, and make sure he doesn’t notice it accidentally, so that he will think he has found out important information.” Sun Shuo said.

The chief minister said, "I understand, but if this is the case, he will definitely tell Eunuch An. If the Empress Dowager knows that the prince and Prince Jing have had secret contact... it may be detrimental to the prince."

Sun Shuo smiled faintly and said, "If I don't let Chen know, how can I have a chance to turn things around?
Now that Jia Cong is extremely powerful and in control of the government, and he is in contact with me, the eldest grandson of the retired emperor, how do you think she will react?"

The Grand Master said: "The Empress Dowager should be worried that Prince Jing intends to depose the emperor, and even wants to use the prince to change the dynasty."

Sun Shuo nodded and said, "Anyone would think this way, not to mention Chen, who is such a shrewd person. Her suspicion of Jia Cong will suddenly become stronger.

But she would not take action against me. After all, my identity was there. If I died inexplicably, she would not be able to explain to the royal family. Besides, in her mind, it was Jia Cong who was plotting to usurp the throne, not me.

What can a useless person like me do? And she already knew Qin's background. Putting the two together, Jia Cong had been planning to rebel, so she would definitely take the initiative. "

The chief steward's eyes lit up and he praised, "What a brilliant plan! It turns out that the prince secretly revealed the princess's life story to the East Factory guards for this reason. He used Dai Quan's mouth to let the Empress Dowager know so that she would no longer have any doubts.

Your Majesty is tenacious and far-sighted, and the old prince would be proud of him if he were still alive."

He is the trusted and loyal warrior left by Prince Yi Zhong to his son, and is in charge of the secret spy agency - Tianji - that Sun Shuo's father had worked hard to build up over many years.

Even though the rebellion failed, Tianji had not been completely destroyed by the Emperor Retired and Emperor Xifeng. Although its scale had been greatly reduced now, it was still silently protecting Sun Shuo in secret.

Sun Shuo sneered: "Jia Cong is a kid who doesn't know the current situation. I have to give him a push.

As long as Chen attacked him, given his ruthless and cruel nature that refused to suffer any loss, he would definitely fight back, and by then he would definitely destroy Chen and Sun Du.

Sun Chi is thousands of miles away, and Jia Cong can't depose his mother and establish his son. Who among the royal family is more suitable than me to take over the artifact? When the time comes, he will definitely remember the conditions I offered him."

The chief steward bowed and said, "Your Highness is wise, and you are even better than me."

What Sun Shuo did not say was, if Jia Cong was naive for a moment and supported me to ascend the throne, how could I give him the vast territory for nothing? I would have my own means to deal with him when the time comes. Even Cao Cao did not dare to take the risk of regicide, so Jia Cong might not dare to do so.

As long as he can ascend the throne and become emperor, he will have a life-saving golden body that he can rely on to deal with things.

Yangxindian

The Empress Dowager was reviewing the memorials when An Wenyao suddenly came in quietly and whispered, "Your Majesty, there is news from Prince Gongxian's palace."

"What's the matter?" The Empress Dowager paused slightly, with the red pen hanging in the air.

"I just received a secret report saying that Jia Cong had arranged a secret meeting with Prince Gongxian at Jishui Temple on a certain day last year. The details of the meeting are unknown."

"Hmm?" The Empress Dowager's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she asked coldly, "Is it true?"

"It has been confirmed. Prince Gongxian rarely left the house, but he did leave the house on that day and was out of surveillance for two hours. It was very strange. It turned out that he was having a secret meeting with Prince Jing. The servant who accompanied him also inadvertently confirmed this."

Pah! The red pen slammed on the table, and the Empress Dowager was as cold as frost, spitting out a few icy words between her pearly teeth: "Good, good, good! Good Jia Cong!"

An Wenyao hurriedly hunched his body even lower, knowing that this matter must have touched the Empress Dowager's sore spot.

"I entrusted him with important national affairs, but he secretly harbored ulterior motives and colluded with the deposed crown prince's clan. It's true that greed is the result of greed!"

The Empress Dowager smiled coldly, then took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. With murderous intent surging in her eyes, she said, "Are you sure about your 'Subduing the Tiger' plan?"

"I think the chances are more than 80%, but...what happens next is hard to predict," said An Wenyao.

The Empress Dowager looked solemn and said resolutely: "When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. There is nothing to worry about."

"Yes. I'll arrange it right away." An Wenyao bowed and retreated.
-
Jia Cong stayed with his wives, concubines and sisters in the farm for two days. As he had too many government affairs to attend to, he could not leave. After repeated urgings from the Grand Council, he had to return to the capital to decide on important matters, mainly the funeral arrangements for the two emperors.

Because the Grand Council was too small, Jia Cong, other ministers, and a cadre council gathered in the Wuying Hall to discuss matters.

Jia Cong glanced at Duan Zhun and signaled him to take charge.

Duan Zhun came out and said, "Your Highness, after the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works drafted it and the Military Affairs Council made the initial discussion, there are two matters that I would like Your Highness to decide.

First, the posthumous title and temple name for the two saints. The initial posthumous title of Emperor Changtai was "Emperor of the Heavenly Longyun Dingtong Zhongzheng Zhiwenshengwuzhiyongrenciduanjingkuanminyingzherui" and the temple name "Renzong"

Jia Cong had long known from Pang Chao that the posthumous title was the final judgment on the emperor's life's merits and demerits, but this idea had gradually become a dog-skin plaster since the Tang Dynasty.

The ministers frantically flattered the emperor to show their loyalty and respect, making the posthumous title long and smelly, worthless, and unable to reflect the emperor's life and deeds at all.

In comparison, temple names have fewer characters and carry much more weight, because the temple name is the title written on the tablet placed in the ancestral temple. Future generations will definitely not be able to remember the posthumous title, so the temple name is more like the final evaluation of the emperor.

Needless to say, the word "Ren" is definitely a complimenting posthumous title. According to the rule of "the ancestor has merits and the ancestor has virtues", the emperor who has made great contributions to the country can be called the ancestor, and those who have not made any merits can only be called "virtuous" and the ancestor.

As for Renzong, there is nothing wrong with him. He is neither high nor low, and is considered acceptable.

Jia Cong didn't have the time to bother with the dead, so he nodded and said, "Okay."

Duan Zhun added: "Emperor Xifeng is planning to propose a posthumous title..."

"There is no need to talk about the posthumous title. You are all great scholars of the dynasty. The posthumous title you proposed for the late emperor is naturally appropriate. I can't remember it all, so I have no objection. Let's talk about the temple name." Jia Cong said hurriedly.

"I'm going to give him the temple name 'Shizu'. Your Majesty, please make your decision," Duan Zhun said.

"Ancestor..." Jia Cong frowned slightly. This evaluation was quite high. Judging from the length of time Emperor Xifeng had been in office and his achievements, he did not seem to be worthy of the word "ancestor". Duan Zhun said: "To accept the mandate and not move is called the Shi, to see the world in all directions is called the Shi, and to leave a legacy for future generations is called the Shi.

Emperor Xifeng succeeded to the throne through a secondary branch and was an outstanding ruler, hence the name "Shi";
He promoted new laws, eliminated accumulated abuses, benefited the people, pacified Liaodong, recovered the northwest, and defended the territory. His contributions were invaluable, so he was called "ancestor."

Jia Cong smiled, knowing that the New Party had feelings for Emperor Xifeng and were willing to leave a good reputation for him after his death. He thought that he was his father-in-law after all, and even though they had a falling out in the end, the dead were the greatest, so he would not argue about it.

Yin smiled and said, "What Mr. Zhun said makes sense. I agree with him. It is settled. Report it to the Grand Empress Dowager for approval."

"Yes. Your Majesty is wise." Duan Zhun was relieved to see that Jia Cong did not bear grudges and agreed to the temple name.

Feng Yuan came out of the class and said, "Your Highness, another matter is about the tombs of the two saints. Should they be buried in the imperial mausoleum or in another location?"

Jia Cong glared at him and said, "There are many Feng Shui sites in the imperial mausoleum. Why bother choosing another location? Just bury him in the imperial mausoleum." He didn't know how much it would cost to choose another location, but it would cost at least several million silver.

"Funeral and funeral ceremonies..."

"Keep everything simple." Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "Emperor Renzong was kind to the people, and Emperor Shizu was frugal throughout his life. How can we, the descendants, let the two emperors bear the humiliation of wasting money and labor for the sake of our reputation of loyalty and filial piety?

Only by keeping things simple can we show the virtue of the two saints who love their people like their own children. "

Feng Yuan quickly echoed, "Your Highness is right. Moreover, the Emperor Shizu's will clearly stated that funeral arrangements should be kept simple. It is inconvenient for us to disobey the Emperor's will."

He was also a stingy person who would rather spend every penny in half, so how could he be willing to spend money on a dead person? Now that Jia Cong had expressed his opinion, he had no more scruples and quickly agreed.

"Well, what Mr. Feng said is very good." Jia Cong nodded.

Although everyone had some objections, thinking that the national treasury was now abundant and the funerals of the two emperors should not be too frugal and lose dignity, they saw that Jia Cong was very determined and stopped talking.

Jia Cong's agreement to the temple name "Shizu" was already a concession. If anyone is still ignorant and makes him angry, it will be more trouble than gain.

When Duan Zhun presented the specific funeral regulations, Jia Cong was not interested in reading them carefully. He glanced at them, picked up the red pen and wrote a sentence at the end: Prince Jing, General Jia Cong respectfully requests the Empress Dowager to make her decision.

"Present it to the Yangxin Palace."

"Yes." Duan Zhun took the letter.

"By the way, who is the person giving the Emperor a lecture in the study now?"

Duan Zhun said: "They are the Imperial Academy's Attending Scholars and Attending Lecturers, a total of three people, all of whom are upright and well-versed in the classics."

Jia Cong pondered and said, "Now that the emperor is at the stage of enlightenment, it is enough for him to be able to read and recognize characters. In the future, he must not only learn the teachings of the saints, but also learn practical things and travel thousands of miles."

Everyone was shocked, thinking that Jia Cong wanted to interfere with the emperor's education, and asked hurriedly, "What does the prince mean?"

Confucian officials naturally wanted to shape the emperor according to their own preferences and regarded it as their core interest.

Jia Cong glanced at everyone and said, "After the emperor turns ten, the Hanlin Academy will retain a lecturer, and the General's Office, the six ministries, and the Censorate will each send an important official to take turns explaining the practical ways of civil and military affairs to the emperor."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They could accept that the emperor's leading power in education was still in the hands of the civil officials. They hurriedly said, "We obey your order."

After Jia Cong and the others finished their discussion and left the palace, Cheng Lingsu got into the car as soon as he got in and reported, "Master, the Hydra has discovered something serious. Mr. Pang asks you to return home as soon as possible."

"What's the matter?"

"The spy has learned that the people under Chen's command are planning a plan called 'Fu Hu', which seems to be targeting me." Cheng Lingsu whispered.

"Fu Hu?" Jia Cong laughed and said, "It sounds like they are targeting me. Why did Chen suddenly become hostile to me? Is it because I forced them to return nearly 10 million silver?"

Cheng Lingsu said: "The Chen family is in the wrong in this matter. Besides, such a big family is unlikely to risk ruining the family for money. There must be another reason."

Jia Cong said, "Let's go back home and listen to what Mr. Pang has to say."

Pang Chao had been waiting in the outer study room for a long time. When he saw Jia Cong come in, he hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the Jinyiwei just sent a message saying that An Wenyao has reported the secret meeting between Your Highness and Prince Gongxian to the Empress Dowager."

Jia Cong frowned and said, "This matter is very confidential, how did An Wenyao know about it?"

"It was leaked from Prince Gongxian."

"Hmm? Intentional or unintentional?" Jia Cong asked.

Pang Chao said: "How can such a big thing be unintentional? It seems unintentional but it is intentional."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "What does Sun Shuo want to do? Isn't he afraid that I will retaliate against him?"

Pang Chao sneered, "Prince Gongxian has his own vicious plan, using the Empress Dowager to deal with you."

Jia Cong was surprised and asked, "Does the Empress Dowager want to break up with me just because I met Sun Shuo? That's unlikely."

Pang Chao said: "Women are the most vicious, and we must be on guard. Moreover, the Empress Dowager already knew the background of Concubine Qin, and with Sun Shuo fanning the flames, the prince is also powerful and bullies the young master.

Whether the Empress Dowager wanted to take preemptive action, fight for power, or prevent trouble, she had enough reasons to attack the prince. "

Jia Cong sneered, "What can she do to me? A woman in the deep palace knows nothing about killing. She wants to do something like 'subduing the tiger' secretly, but I'd better start by shocking her openly."

"What does the prince mean?"

"How about taking off An Wenyao's dog head first?"

Pang Chao shook his head and said, "This will not resolve the hatred between the two sides, but will deepen it. There will be more open and covert attacks in the future.

The root of this change is that Prince Gongxian is trying to stir up a quarrel between the Queen and the Queen. If we want to resolve it, we have to start with him, otherwise we will just fall into his trap."

“Sir, you are right. Sun Shuo is such an idiot. He must have thought that if the Empress Dowager and I were at odds, I would help him take the throne.

Do you think I dare not touch him just because he is the son of the deposed crown prince and the brother of Keqing? Naive!" Jia Cong sneered.

Pang Chao nodded and said, "What the Empress Dowager fears is that the prince will depose and enthrone the emperor. If Prince Gongxian dies suddenly, wouldn't the prince be able to prove himself?
In this way, the Empress Dowager would have no reason to take action against the prince, and the pressure from the royal family would also make her flustered for a while.

The prince once again said something to her, letting her know that he was omniscient and omnipotent, and she would not dare to act rashly again. "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Mr. Pang is really thoughtful. I only thought about dealing with the enemies in the open, but ignored the poisonous snakes in the dark. Let's do this.

First send Sun Shuo to the underground to be the emperor, and then explain everything to my mother-in-law."

Pang Chao smiled and said, "When the time comes, we can ask the princess to step in, so that the prince and the Empress Dowager can have more room for maneuver."

"good."

That night, Sun Shuo died suddenly in his mansion for no apparent reason. The cause of death was unknown, and the whole capital was shocked.

The princes of the royal family, led by Zhongxin, were terrified, thinking that the Empress Dowager was going to take action against the royal family in order to consolidate the Chen family's position. The next day, they submitted a joint memorial requesting the court to thoroughly investigate the case.

Because Sun Shuo's identity was sensitive and his father had left him with many favors and favors, many ministers submitted petitions requesting a thorough investigation.

The Grand Council felt that the situation was extremely difficult; this case was beyond their capabilities, so they hurriedly reported the matter to the Empress Dowager and Jia Cong.

Jia Cong claimed to be ill and did not go out, but only ordered the three judicial officials and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a thorough investigation.

The Grand Empress Dowager was a little flustered. She finally sent away the royal princes who came to the palace to petition (force the emperor to abdicate), and repeatedly promised to conduct a thorough investigation and give an explanation to the world. She also appointed Sun Shuo's legitimate son as a prince. Only then did the princes leave in anger.

"Go, summon that bastard Jia Cong into the palace." After everyone left, the Empress Dowager was anxious and angry, and slapped the armrest.

"I obey your order." An Wenyao was in a hurry, and he didn't know that his "Subduing the Tiger" plan had been leaked. Prince Jing was proving his innocence and also trying to shock Changchun Palace.

Not long after, An Wenyao came back dejectedly and reported, "Your Majesty, Prince Jing said he caught a cold and is seriously ill, so it is difficult for him to obey the imperial order to enter the palace. Please ask Princess Ruyi to take his place."

"You bastard! You were having a great time outside the city just two days ago, but today you got sick. It's obvious that you are faking illness!" said the Empress Dowager angrily.

An Wenyao was a little embarrassed. He glanced at her quietly and said, "Your Highness, the prince said that he got sick because he played too hard outside the city the past two days. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

"Bah! What a shameless little thief! He caused me such great trouble and then hid away. He still wants me to forgive him. What should I forgive? Should I forgive him for his audacity?" Although the Empress Dowager was cursing angrily, there was a hint of smile on her face.

"Yes Yes."

Although Jia Cong's move put a lot of pressure on her, it at least showed that he had no collusion with Sun Shuo, which meant he had no intention of deposing and enthroning the emperor, and he hoped that she would not misunderstand him.

Yin said: "He must have found out about the 'Fu Hu' incident, so he took such a drastic action. Go down and find out where the information was leaked. Let's not talk about this anymore."

"Yes. I will investigate thoroughly right away. Thank you, Your Majesty, for not punishing me." An Wenyao broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager did not blame him.

"When it comes to spies, you are involved in me and I am involved in you, with intrigues and schemes. If you can find out other people's secrets, others can naturally find out your secrets. Just be more careful in the future and don't let others use you as a tool."

The Empress Dowager said calmly that she had understood. This must be Sun Shuo's trick to drive the wolf to swallow the tiger. After Jia Cong found out, he killed him decisively to show his selflessness. She almost fell into the trap.

An Wenyao was filled with shame and said, "I will obey your orders and will be cautious in the future to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"Well, let's go."

After a while, Princess Ruyi came to see the emperor, and the Empress Dowager hurriedly came in.

"Your son pays his respects to your mother." Princess Ruyi came in with a smile.

"Good boy, come and see your mother."

The Empress Dowager smiled and waved, pulling Ruyi to sit beside her. She gently stroked her temples and saw her peach blossom-like beauty. She smiled and said, "Yan'er has become even more beautiful."

"Mother, you are making fun of me again." Ruyi said coquettishly.

The Empress Dowager smiled and changed the subject, saying, "I wanted to invite your son-in-law to the palace to discuss Gongxian's matter, but unfortunately he is ill. Has he seen the imperial physician and taken medicine?"

Ruyi pouted her lips and shook her head, "He is stubborn. He just said it was just a minor illness and that he was healthy and didn't need to take medicine. He would be better in seven days. If he didn't feel better, he could take medicine again. I tried to persuade him but he didn't listen."

The Empress Dowager shook her head and said, "This child is so young and it's hard to take good care of himself. If he gets sick, he will be very stubborn.
Although he is a martial artist and his body is not as strong as that of an ordinary person, he should be more serious. How did he get sick? I heard that you went to the farm to relax a few days ago, how come he suddenly got sick? "

Ruyi blushed slightly when she heard this, and said shyly, "He said he caught a cold when he was taking a warm bath at night."

The Empress Dowager was an experienced person, so she understood what she meant. She said angrily, "As the princess, you should also take care of him. The regent prince is so good that he doesn't care about the big or small things in the court, but is so happy about it. Young people are not yet mature, so they should be careful about sex.

Sex is like a knife that scrapes your bones. No matter how healthy he is, if he is wasted day and night by all those girls in your mansion, he will regret it one day."

Ruyi was very embarrassed and said hurriedly, "It is right that the queen mother blamed me. I will teach him a lesson when I get home and also set up some rules in the mansion."

"Yes." The Empress Dowager nodded and asked, "Did he say anything?"

Ruyi covered her mouth and laughed, "He is so timid now. Let me report to my mother that he wanted to force himself to come to the palace to meet the emperor, but Gongxian's incident happened and he was assassinated.

I also heard from people below that someone was spreading rumors that he and Gongxian were colluding, and that there was a "tiger-killing" plan against him, so I didn't dare to go out casually, and just hid at home to avoid the limelight. I hope my mother will forgive me."

The Empress Dowager was shocked, but she remained calm and said with a smile: "A son of a wealthy family should not sit in the hall. I am relieved that he can be so cautious.

Go back and tell him that many princes from the royal family have come to me today and asked for a thorough investigation into the Gongxian incident. I have already ordered a thorough investigation, and the two matters you mentioned should be investigated together.

He has made great contributions to the country and has always been respectful and filial. I will not let anyone hurt him in the slightest."

Ruyi smiled and stood up, bowing, saying, "Thank you, mother, for your grace."

"Silly child, you are the Queen Mother's daughter, and he is your husband. If the Queen Mother doesn't side with you, will she side with outsiders?" The Empress Dowager said with a smile.

"Ruyi knows that my mother has loved me the most since I was young." Ruyi threw herself into the arms of the Empress Dowager and said in a tender voice.

The Empress Dowager smiled playfully but with deep meaning, and said, "I am no longer the one who loves you the most now."

"Mother..." Ruyi smiled and then started acting coquettishly again.

"Alright, alright, we've almost shaken Mother off. It's getting late, let's go see the Imperial Concubine. Mother still has some memorials to review."

"Yes. Mother, please take care of yourself. I will take my leave."

"Well, go ahead." The Empress Dowager waved her hand, and through Ruyi, an outsider, she once again reached an unspoken political understanding with Jia Cong. (End of this chapter)