Qing Yan

In the past, when Yu Wenzhe was around, he was the one to advocate for all kinds of political affairs. Jing Yan firmly remembers his father's earnest teachings when he was 15 years old, the day before his wedding——

"Yan'er, you are as smart and steady as any man. As a father, I believe you can handle the way of survival in the forbidden palace. However, there are two things that you must remember! No matter how much you pamper you, you must not interfere; the second thing...the queen mother is really a heroine, you must serve her respectfully and not disobey her. My son must keep these two things in mind, absolutely!"

Therefore, from the moment Jing Yan married into the royal family, he was afraid of making mistakes in front of the queen mother. He greeted and served on time every day. Even more tense.

At that time, Yu Wenzhe felt distressed seeing it, and tried to persuade him a few times, but they were all gently taken away by Jing Yan's gentle words.Because of this, Yu Wenzhe was even more moved, and often said: "I am so lucky to marry such a good wife as Qingqing." Since then, he has loved Jing Yan even more.

However, that was when Zhe was here!

Today, everything is changed.

Since Yu Wenzhe's death, Jing Yan has been thinking wholeheartedly about guarding the country for him, and fearing that the empress dowager's loss of a son in middle age would be unbearable, so he shouldered the heavy burden.

The queen mother is his own aunt. Since his mother passed away when he was young, the queen mother has been the closest mother's family to him. Jing Yan really loves her.Even if, as my father said, the queen mother was a "heroine" when she was young, but she is middle-aged and has endured such severe pain, how can she still bear the burden?

However, the fact is that she is wholeheartedly thinking about the Empress Dowager's body and the Great Zhou Dynasty, but her aunt and aunt only have a light calculation and hold everything in her hands.

Jing Yan is aware of his strengths, and in front of the Queen Mother who has rich experience in politics and has experienced all kinds of changes in the palace, his intelligence is nothing but the light of a firefly.But she gave it her all after all.Worst of all, the Empress Dowager shouldn't have acted like nothing happened on the surface these days, and secretly plotted to keep herself completely in the dark.

Jing Yan was angry and ashamed, but if the situation is like this, what can she do?

"Empress? Empress!" Empress Dowager Duan shouted, calling back Jing Yan's downcast soul.

Jing Yan was startled, and raised his head, facing the scrutinizing eyes of the previous queen mother.

That look was very complicated, it seemed to be resentful, but it also seemed to be forbearing, and there was a bit of eagerness, even——

Empress Dowager Duan seemed to be traveling to an unknown place through her own face.

Jing Yan is awe-inspiring.

She couldn't understand her aunt and mother-in-law even more.

"What is the empress thinking?" Empress Dowager Duan kept a pale face and raised her eyebrows.

After a moment of silence, Jing Yan was not reconciled after all, pursed his lips and said: "My child is thinking, the queen mother is really thoughtful."

"Oh? How do you say that?" Empress Dowager Duan raised her brows slightly, seeming to be interested.

Jing Yan chuckled, "The queen mother manages the overall situation, and all major affairs of the government are under the control of the queen mother..."

As she spoke, her snowy jade-like palm couldn't help clenching the side of the skirt, and then loosened it in an instant. She took a deep breath and said, "My child... I have to admire!"

"Ah--"

The Empress Dowager Duan laughed lowly, suddenly her eyes flashed, and she said in a deep voice: "Is the Empress complaining about Aijia's arbitrary behavior?"

Jing Yanquan didn't expect her to be so straightforward, she got up subconsciously, lowered her head and said, "I don't dare."

"It's not daring, not not complaining, right?" Queen Mother Duan asked.

Jing Yan opened his mouth, but still whispered a word: "Yes."

"Hmph..." The Empress Dowager Duan's voice turned cold when she heard the words.

Jing Yan was shocked, and immediately regretted that he should not have contradicted the Queen Mother out of a moment of anger.She raised her head hastily, and met the eyes of the previous queen mother.At the beginning, I was puzzled, but after concentrating on it, I was sure that at that moment, I really saw two things in the eyes of the Empress Dowager Duan... Appreciation.

There was a sudden silence in the hall, and the personal maids standing behind their respective masters all held their breaths, fearing that their breathing would break the silence.

In front of important officials in the court, he was at odds with the queen mother, such a situation made Jing Yan very embarrassed.

She wasn't alone in being uncomfortable—

Duan Yan saw that the most honorable mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the Great Zhou Empire were at odds with each other, and they had a mutual displeasure, and suddenly felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles.He coughed unnaturally, and wanted to leave temporarily.As a foreign minister, it is best not to get involved in the conflicts in the harem.

No idea, Empress Dowager Duan glanced at Jing Yan, and suddenly laughed: "The empress complains that Ai's family is arbitrary, but what is the meaning of the empress contacting the Duke of England and the envoys?"

Jing Yan's face turned pale, and he couldn't help arguing: "The child is worried that the mother's phoenix body will not be able to bear it... After bearing the bad news, he only wants to relieve the mother's worries. Could it be... Could it be that the mother thinks that the child..."

Do you think the child has a different heart?

If that was the case, why did he bother to take Ah Rui into the palace according to Zhe's plan that day?

Jing Yan felt wronged and bitter again.

Looking at the situation in front of him, Duan Yan became more and more uncomfortable, coughed lightly again, bowed and said: "Since the Empress Dowager and the Empress have important matters to discuss, I will leave..."

Before finishing speaking, Empress Dowager Duan hurriedly said: "Zhiliang, you don't have to go! Royal affairs are the world's affairs, and it is also your duty as a prime minister."

So Duan Yan had no choice but to plead guilty, and sat back in his original place in embarrassment.

Empress Dowager Duan stabilized Duan Yan, then turned to Jing Yan: "Master Duan is also your mother's brother and your elder."

Jing Yan felt something was wrong in his heart, but he couldn't refute it.

Empress Dowager Duan said again: "If the empress is so concerned about Ai's family, it is your filial piety. It's just..."

She took a deep look at Jing Yan: "Ai's family has eaten more salt than you have eaten rice, and Ai's family has traveled more roads than you have traveled across bridges. It was back then... that year. It’s a big pain, but the Ai family still survived it?”

Jing Yan felt a pain in his heart when he heard the Empress Dowager Duan's sad tone.

"Yan'er, you are still too young..." Empress Dowager Duan sighed in a low voice.

Jing Yan shuddered——

Inkstone?

How long has it been since she heard her aunt call herself that?

Jing Yan raised his head in disbelief, but what he saw was that Empress Dowager Duan had returned to her indifferent appearance.

"Does the empress think that she has considered everything thoroughly and made no omissions?" Queen Mother Duan asked rhetorically.

Jing Yan hadn't woken up from the empress dowager's friendly tone before, he was dazed and forgot to answer.

"Current situation, is it possible to rely on the military power in the hands of the generals and the protection of the governors of several states to stop the people talking? There is still a word 'reason' in the world! Carrying a few knives, Killing a few people can suppress disobedience? How will the courtiers explain it? How will the clan explain it?"

Jing Yan heard a few words from the Empress Dowager Duan, and the more she listened, the more frightened she became, her brows were furrowed into knots.

She bowed her head and said: "My son is indeed young, and his decision may not be thoughtful, but he still feels that there are external troubles from Beizheng and foreign affairs, and internal worries from disobedience. Those who have their duty have it. The so-called "strong medicine to eliminate illness, heavy codes to cure chaos" is also a last resort."

Empress Dowager Duan praised secretly, but she didn't reveal anything on her face: "Although my Great Zhou has been a martial artist since the time of Gaozu, you must know that the matter of swords and soldiers is not for the well-being of the people. Even now, the treasury is not abundant and the position is vacant. Dazhou must not be in chaos first, otherwise it will give the Beizheng puppet dynasty an opportunity to sneak in. The empress's thoughts, the Ai family understands. Everyone in my Dazhou wants to reproduce the glory of the ancestors, but'Xu Tu Gradually, the four words, Empress, you must keep in mind!"

Xu Tu gradually...

Jing Yan chewed carefully.

After this conversation, she seemed to have a new understanding of the Queen Mother Duan.Until now, she finally understands what her father said back then, "the queen mother is really a heroine", and she truly appraised it appropriately.

That being the case, it seems that the obstacles to Ah Rui's ascension to the throne that I originally imagined can be solved.

Jing Yan admires those who are stronger than him.

So she respectfully said: "With the mother and queen planning strategies, the country will be safe and sound."

Empress Dowager Duan seemed not used to her compliments, her eyes slid across her face, and she sneered: "The Ai family will not care about you like you."

Jing Yan was embarrassed.She really admired her, but was misunderstood by the Queen Mother.

After going back and forth like this, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly relaxed.

The attendants also breathed a sigh of relief.

Empress Dowager Duan ignored Jing Yan, but turned to Duan Yan: "Zhi Liang told Ai Jia how the ministers and workers of the previous dynasty are now..."

Before Duan Yan could respond, Empress Dowager Duan raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Zhiliang hasn't seen that Yu Wenrui yet, has he?"

Jing Yan's heart tightened.

Duan Yan nodded.

Empress Dowager Duan said to Jingyan: "Queen, where is Ah Rui? Why isn't he by your side?"

Jing Yan had no choice but to bite the bullet and said: "After returning to my mother, Ah Rui... Ah Rui is now serving Xiandian."

Empress Dowager Duan raised her eyebrows: "Fengxian Hall? Where is she herself?"

Jing Yan's lips were pursed into a line: "My boy took Ah Rui to the Fengxian Hall to worship Emperor Gaozu before, she...she..."

"How is she?" Empress Dowager Duan asked anxiously.

Jing Yan's heart was broken, and he simply told the truth: "A Rui's words were inappropriate, and she lost her sense of proportion. The child punished... fined her to kneel in front of the high ancestor's throne..."

"what!"

Empress Dowager Duan suddenly got up, pointed at Jing Yan and scolded, "Nonsense! How old is she? You just let her kneel in a place where no one is there? What to do if you scare her! If you really get sick from kneeling, Queen, you will take care of her." Can you afford it?"

Seeing that Empress Dowager Duan was really anxious, Jing Yan also panicked in her heart. She immediately knelt down in front of Empress Dowager Duan, and argued: "Mother! Mother, please listen to your child! A Rui's mistake is not a small one. Fighting with the British granddaughter in the imperial garden, she has no demeanor of a prince. In Fengxian Palace, Haier reprimanded her because of this, but she talked back to him, saying that she didn't want to be emperor anymore! The king, if you can do whatever you want when you are young, it will be okay when you grow up? So let her reflect before the God of Gaozu..."

"That's all!" Queen Mother Duan interrupted her with a wave of her hand, and snorted coldly, "It turned out that it was because she beat your niece!"

Jing Yan was stunned.She knew that she was misunderstood by the queen mother again.