The correct way to open the first favorite concubine of Ming Dynasty

"What does she want?" Zhu Zhanji asked.

The princess said: "She didn't say what she wanted. But at this time, you don't need her to say, can't you guess?"

Heidan hurriedly asked: "Did Concubine Mu ever promise her?"

The Crown Princess said: "She only gave such empty words, so I naturally won't promise easily. But if she really does it, it means that she and Ji Gang are not on the same boat, so I don't think it's okay for her sister to marry us Sure. In terms of character, talent and appearance, they are all first-class, and her sister is willing to help Donggong, so we can only help and there is no harm. If we really want to fight against Hu Shanggong, there will be a lot of unnecessary troubles."

I finally understood where Hu Shanxiang's smile came from on the willow shooting field.

The more arrogant Ji Gang is, the more Donggong wants to get rid of him quickly, the greater the benefit to her is getting rid of Ji Gang.

Hu Shanggong's tricks are good first, first to make Donggong dare not underestimate her, and now he reverses all Donggong's doubts about Hu, completely clearing the way for Hu Shanxiang to enter the palace.

It is also ruthless enough, stepping on Ji Gang to the top position, but also stepping on Ji Gang so that he will never stand up again.

Heidan wanted to say something else, but I said softly, "Did Your Highness forget Zhou Xin?"

He froze, and turned to look at me.

I said again: "The number one talented scholar of the Ming Dynasty, the number one benefactor of the East Palace, Xie Jin froze to death on a snowy night, doesn't Your Highness want to avenge him?"

I address him as "Your Highness", he knew that I was serious, so he swallowed everything he wanted to say.

The Crown Princess looked at me and said, "This is how you look like a good housemate, so I'm not in vain to teach you."

Heidan sent me back to my room, and the two held hands, silently the whole way.

After entering the room and sitting down by the bed, he said: "The Hu family is not a good stump. Even if she has nothing to do with Ji Gang, I am afraid that she will bully you when she comes. Although Ji Gang is difficult to get rid of, you only need to wait for the father to ascend the throne. If you want to kill a few Can’t Ji Gang be killed? You have to be controlled by a servant.”

"Although I like what you said," I lightly kissed him on the cheek, coaxing him: "But if you tell others, let alone whether you will kill me, I'm afraid I might even have the heart to destroy you." Now, what do you want at that time, do you want to be a fateful mandarin duck with me and go to the end of the world?"

When the crown prince ascends the throne, Heidan and I can wait, but many ministers and people may be killed by Ji Gang before that day.Besides, the King of Han hadn't left the capital for several months, the situation was complicated and changed day by day. For the safety of the East Palace, the sooner he could get rid of Ji Gang's serious troubles, the better.

Heidan himself knew that this was inappropriate, so he smiled wryly and said: "If I can really die with you, it's better than being angry here. The majestic East Palace, to get rid of adultery, unexpectedly needs the hand of a servant."

I said: "That's something that can't be helped. Because it's the Eastern Palace, His Majesty is worried about us, so we can only trust Jinyiwei, eunuchs and female officials—hey, don't call it 'servant and servant', the female officials are serious about receiving the royal salary. , not slaves."

Heidan said: "When I have the final say in the future, the first thing I will do is abolish the female officials, and hand over the harem to the queen. Emperor Gao is really, his own women can't be trusted, so he insists on creating a system of female officials. , get in the way."

I smiled and said, "It's not that he can't trust his own woman, it's that he can't trust your children and grandchildren. If someone is attracted by some vicious woman, the whole harem will be messed up." Pointing to himself, he said with a smile: "Just like me."

"Even if you are really a vixen, I have the ability to accept you." Heidan wrapped my hand with his big paws, squeezed the tip of my nose, and said with a smile: "Emperor Gao thinks everyone else is like him. Thousands of guards in the harem But come here. Knowing that women are too much trouble, as long as one is not enough? Can the world be turned upside down by her troubles?"

I almost blurted out, "If he only needs one, he will lose you." Suddenly, I remembered that Zhu Di refused to recognize his biological mother, Concubine Concubine, and claimed to be the son of Empress Gao. , there is no need to have so many palace complaints."

Heidan smiled wryly and said: "Those who want to expand the harem feel that there are not enough women. I only want one. If you have to give me another one, it's fine with people, but I just put one I don't want."

It's my selfishness that I'm hiding from him.If Hu's enters the palace, at least Heidan doesn't like her, and I know that she will be deposed in the future; but if it is someone else, I can't guarantee that Heidan will not be tempted, and I don't know what the future holds.

I believe that Heidan loves me at this moment, loves me very much, but I never dared to believe that love in this era is moral, like modern monogamy for life.Or to put it more pessimistically, even in modern times, too many people cannot be faithful.

With such thoughts in mind, I feel sorry every time I hear Heidan's confession of true feelings, but with my nature, there is nothing I can do.

I said: "In short, we need one more person. Since the Hu family is no longer a spy, it doesn't matter if you come."

Heidan sighed: "I'm afraid that Hu Shanggong will be arrogant and doesn't want her sister to be a concubine, Ruowei."

In June, the beauties Lu and the palace mermaids hanged themselves in the palace.

The reason was that the two of them had a close relationship with the eunuch, and the emperor said, "Don't think that I will be confused when I am old, I know everything you do."

It is a serious crime for a concubine to commit suicide, and the emperor was already angry.When the palace officials seized Lu's suicide note and Zhu Di read it, he became more and more furious.

There were only two lines in the suicide note.One line: "The old man is old and his yang is declining, how can it be like the eunuch temple." It means that Zhu Di is not good in a certain way, so don't blame us for fighting against the eunuchs.

Another line: "Since this Lu was born, how can he give birth to another Lu. After killing, it is quick. It is also a joy to use the king as the blade."

This line of characters seems incomprehensible at first glance, so Zhu Di summoned Wang Zhaorong and Hu Shanggong to study it together.Hu Shanggong said: "According to my humble opinion, I'm afraid that during the Northern Expedition, the real culprit of Lu's rebellion was someone else. Lu Meiren participated in it and killed Jieyu with the help of His Majesty."

Zhu Di is conceited and clever, and he controls all the officials. Once he was told that he was being used like a knife, how could he endure such anger?Ji Gang will be summoned immediately.

Hu Shanggong said: "At that time, Mr. Ji was responsible for the rebellion case. Now the case seems to be wronged. I'm afraid..."

Ji Gang was kind to the Hu family, and recently had a relationship with a matchmaker. Hu Shanggong can bluntly say that Ji Gang is suspicious, and the emperor has a little more trust in her in his heart, and said: "You can choose a few capable female officials and servants. Check in the palace."

Hu Shanggong took the order.

These are what Wang Zhaorong told the princess.

"After the Northern Expedition incident, I know that both you and Chi'er suspect me. If the truth of this case comes to light, I will be able to prove my innocence."

Whether the Crown Princess believes it or not is another matter.

In July, after the eunuch reported Ji Gang's crimes, the emperor was furious and ordered Shizhong and Yushi Ting to impeach him, and Ji Gang was ruled by the Metropolitan Procuratorate.After investigation, the crimes were all true. Ji Gang was killed and abandoned in the city that day, and all his family members, old and young, were sent to the border. Party members Li Chun, Pang Ying, etc. were either killed or defended, but none of them escaped.He also listed his crimes and announced them to the world:

Frame Zhongliang and deceive the saints;

He ordered to go to the saltworks and extort more than [-] million yuan in salt taxes; he also seized [-] official ships and [-] ox carts, and put them in private possessions;

According to the order, they confiscated the family properties of the former kings of Jin and Wu, and embezzled countless gold treasures;

Get the crown of Wu Wang, wear it arbitrarily, sit high and place wine, order to play music and serve the cup, shouting long live; most of the utensils used in daily life are also arrogant;

Hundreds of private eunuchs from good families filled the mansion;

When imperial concubines were chosen, Ji Gang obtained the beauty of them and accepted them privately; he also borrowed the grandson's choice of concubines to rob civilian women by force and tarnish the holy name;

Blackmail merchants and common people;

……

Zhou Xin had investigated all of these crimes except for the grandson's choice of concubine, and the East Palace knew that Zhou Xin had also reported them to the emperor when he was arrested four years ago.However, the emperor would rather trust courtiers than direct ministers, or his own children and grandchildren.

It wasn't until the eunuch reported a serious crime: "Ji Gang has accumulated many desperadoes in the past two months, and made swords, armor and bows/crossbows." The emperor knew that he had suffered from carbuncle for many years; Not the person next to the pillow, but Ji Gang.

Presumably it was the shooting of willows at the Dragon Boat Festival, the silence of the officials, and Ji Gang's self-inflation, which gave him the courage to rebel.

As for why Ji Gang thought of making such a test when shooting willows at the Dragon Boat Festival, no one knows.

After Ji Gang's death, Hu Shanggong was able to handle the case well, and he was rewarded heavily. His father, Jin Yiwei Baihu Hu Rong, was promoted to be the minister of Guanglu Temple.

On the day of Ji Gang's execution, Zhu Zhanji was ordered by the prince to go to Lian Jiejin, Zhou Xin and other ministers who died unjustly.

I was finally able to pay homage to Lv Jieyu who died.

I was in the palace, but I just walked around with the concubines to the empresses from time to time, mostly just acting on the occasion, I didn't have any deep friendship with anyone, I only made friends with Lu Jieyu by taking advantage of the opportunity of the Northern Expedition, and helped each other in front of the emperor.She was wronged and refused to implicate Zhu Zhanji and me from torture to death, but I could only watch helplessly and failed to save her.In the end, it is still in the hands of others to clear up the grievances.

I always thought that I was capable, that I could help Heidan investigate cases in the harem, and that I could turn things around in front of the emperor, but now that I'm slowly pouring wine in front of Jieyu's spirit card, I realize that I'm still far from being truly powerful.

Although Hu Shanggong is hated by others, no one can do anything to her.Only when it is so strong can it be called "strong".

I don't know if Heidan feels the same as me before the loyal minister's spirit.

The emperor has made Zhou Xinping/fan, and made him the city god of Hangzhou, and ordered the local people to worship him.However, Xie Jin still failed to bring justice to light, and the family members who were garrisoned on the border failed to be called back—the matter of establishing a reserve, the emperor still has not fully resolved the knots in his heart.

On the night of mid-autumn in August, women in the palace imitated the folk custom of "walking the moon" and were exempted from curfew and allowed to walk around in the palace city.Hu Shanggong arrived unexpectedly.

The moon white dress looks like a fairy.A pair of almond eyes similar to Hu Shanxiang, the eyes are more intense.

After saluting, she looked at me, her gaze carefully scanned my face like a brush, and finally she fixed her eyes on my eyes, without beating around the bush: "I have a big gift in my hand, and I want to add makeup to Miss Sun."

After finishing speaking, he took my hand in front of the princess and wrote two words: "King of Han."