Survival countdown

On the fourth day of fasting, it is the time of offering sacrifices to heaven.

Southern Suburb Circular Mound.

After the end of offering sacrifices to heaven, Emperor Yuan Shou sent back the forbidden army, and left the altar of worship alone, standing with his hands behind his back until the moon was in the sky, when the forbidden army came to report to Huo Jingtang for an interview. Knowing that the plan was going well, he clapped his hands and agreed to be summoned.

The full moon in the night sky is bright and clear, and the silver light sprinkles thousands of feet, covering the Temple of Heaven with a veil of mystery.

Huo Jingtang was followed by five or six princes, they stopped at the bottom of the steps of the Temple of Worship, raised their hands to stop the imperial army who was about to report, and ordered them to retreat a hundred meters away, then walked up the altar of sacrifice to the Temple of Heaven, and came behind Emperor Yuanshou .

The father and son did not speak, watching the stars quietly.

Emperor Yuanshou said suddenly: "Where is Sirius?"

Huo Jingtang raised his finger and pointed in a direction. Emperor Yuanshou asked about other stars one after another, and he answered them one by one.

"I haven't forgotten." Emperor Yuan Shou patted Huo Jingtang on the shoulder with a smile, and said to him: "Today, I am going to confess my sins to the heavens and my ancestors, and I am going to make your mother the empress on the winter solstice, and let you recognize your ancestors and return to your ancestors. "

"Even if I mutilate my siblings?"

Emperor Yuan Shou paused, and looked back into Huo Jingtang's eyes: "...Xiao Liu?"

"I resisted stubbornly, and found that the imperial concubine had committed suicide. I lost control of my emotions and hit the knife."

Emperor Yuanshou was stunned, and sighed after a long while: "It has nothing to do with you, it's my fault."

Under the altar of offering sacrifices to heaven, the fifth prince looked at Huo Zhaowen, whose expression was numb in the night.

Huo Jingtang fiddled with the Buddhist beads, and silently recited the Heart Sutra: "If I become the crown prince, what will His Majesty plan to do with Xiao Lang?"

Emperor Yuanshou was a little displeased: "Are you afraid that I will harm him? He is a capable minister, saved my life, and was burdened by Changping. I am indeed ashamed of him, let alone the person you put on top of my heart. I want to kill him." Didn't I force you and my father and son to turn against each other? I won't harm him in public or private, but he can't be the queen."

Huo Jingtang lowered his eyes: "The wife of the scum does not go to court, how does Your Majesty think I should deal with Xiao Lang?"

Emperor Yuanshou: "He is the prime minister, and you will write a good story about the monarch and his ministers together, and stay together as usual. If one day you can be a monarch and a minister and get a decent ending, why not?"

Huo Jingtang: "Does it mean that after I become the crown prince, I still have to marry a wife and take concubines?"

Emperor Yuanshou: "Ordinary men have three wives and four concubines in order to have successors, let alone a prince?"

Huo Jingtang: "If Prince Jing didn't get in the way, and His Majesty married his mother as he wished, would he still marry the Queen and Concubine Zheng for the position of the Eastern Palace, and thus feel wronged and neglected my mother? Fading and falling in love, if my mother hadn't died It was so tragic, sooner or later I will end up like the Queen and Concubine Zheng, and I will also be the former Eastern Palace and the current King Jin..."

With a crisp sound of 'pa', Emperor Yuan Shou slapped Huo Jingtang severely and scolded: "You are belittling your mother! How can others compare with your mother? I have always treated you favorably and treat them poorly, that's how you are. Look at mine?"

"It's a lie to say that I'm ungrateful and never arrogant because of it. I have been able to do whatever I want for many years without being bullied, all because of His Majesty's favoritism, but the person who pushed me off the cliff and fell to pieces was also Your Majesty."

Emperor Yuanshou's face was livid: "Are you going to question me tonight? Do you still remember what happened back then? It was the harem and court that co-operated to force me to send you back to Prince Jing's mansion, not to mention that the harem is no safer than Prince Jing's mansion! Let's talk about changing the prince... ...I am indeed a little impatient, the East Palace is useless, you—you are the most proud candidate for the heir apparent who was brought up by me, and the son born to the woman I love the most, suddenly there is no cure for the medicine, don't I feel sad? Don't you struggle? Have you ever hesitated? The choice of the crown prince is a matter of national importance. If the empress and the East Palace are allowed to control the court, the great situation is doomed to decline. Can I guarantee that I will live a long life and then be educated by a junior? Can I still guarantee success? When I know you Get rid of the poison, immediately restore the original plan, the crown prince is still you, the emperor is still you, it can only be you!"

Huo Jingtang: "So you can sacrifice Concubine Zheng and King Jin?"

Emperor Yuanshou shouted angrily: "It's them who don't live up to expectations! The sixth wife relies on Zheng Guogong's mansion, and the third child meddles in the Jiangnan examination hall, making it a mess. Most of the money collected from selling officials and nobles is spent on the management of the Duke's mansion. The sixth is counted as the beginning." I don’t know. After the third brother Dongchuang’s incident, he should know no matter how stupid he is, so he can still use it with peace of mind? As long as he makes some compensation, he will not let me down. Which of the errands he did afterwards has no shadow of his relatives? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to destroy the Great Xia, and Zheng Yuanling is still playing tricks inside! When he ascends the throne in the future, his relatives will interfere in politics, and it will definitely become a disaster!"

King Jin under the altar of offering sacrifices to heaven, even though he was mentally prepared, almost collapsed under the worthless reprimand of Emperor Yuanshou.

"Lao Liu is the same as the East Palace. I have worked hard to water it, and none of them can be successful!"

"Who can become a great climate under the water of your moodiness? One moment you hold it up to the sky with high hopes, but the next moment you suddenly fall to the ground and kill them all. How can you tell me how to become a great climate?"

"You! Thunder, rain and dew are all God's blessings. Civil and military officials, all people in the world, who is not so cautious when facing me? They can adapt and become a climate. You are my sons, princes and grandchildren, why not? "

"So when you face us, do you see us as subjects or as sons? When will we treat you as a father and when will we treat you as a king so that we won't go wrong?"

Emperor Yuanshou was extremely angry, he raised his hand and was about to slap him again, but he touched Huo Jingtang's eyes, but he couldn't do it again, and instantly slumped, showing a tired and old look: "I prefer you, I want to take the best in the world I left things to you, but did you do something wrong?"

Huo Jingtang was moved, and his arms moved slightly, but he did not respond to Emperor Yuanshou.

"It's true that I was ruthless when I abandoned you when you were poisoned by Gu poison and the medicine stone was useless, but after that, everything returned to the right track. In order to compensate you, I don't care about the infamy of future generations who suffer from discord between husband and wife, father and son—" After a pause, Emperor Yuanshou slumped his shoulders and said: "Do you think I am too ruthless to you, the prince, the sixth son and the noble concubine? I am ruthless to them, but how can I treat you? Is there anything else I'm sorry for you? Even for Lao Liu and the imperial concubine, I never thought of killing them! I plan to confine Lao Liu to the land, as long as he lives in peace, he will have no worries about food and clothing, and live a long life age!"

"Parents love their children, and they must have far-reaching plans. Ziyu, when you sit in my position, you will understand my painstaking efforts."

"Parents love their children, not for repayment."

A familiar voice suddenly appeared behind him. Emperor Yuan Shou looked back, but saw that it was the sixth son who he thought had died in the coercion of the palace, and the fifth son followed.

"What about us?" King Jin asked, "Father, aren't we your sons?"

Emperor Yuanshou's cheeks twitched, and when he was scheming, he made a deadly move. When he was questioned face-to-face, he couldn't be hard-hearted to the end.

"There is no partiality in the world. It's normal for parents to favor a certain child. Even my concubine loves me more than my third brother, but my concubine never thought of pushing my third brother to die. You said you didn't want my concubine to die, but I The concubine mother was forced to commit suicide by you, and her body was still used to the end. You still said that you didn’t want me to die? Just now when Huo Jingtang said that I was dead, your first reaction was to take the blame on yourself! You still excuse him! Ning Bearing the notoriety of murdering sons, Huo Jingtang is not willing to bear the notoriety of fratricide! How could you be partial to this?"

King Jin gritted his teeth in hatred.

The fifth prince felt the same, couldn't help feeling sad, and bowed his head in silence.

"Don't you know the fate of forcing the palace to rebel? Don't you know that I will commit suicide? You are as wise as you, Your Majesty, have you really never thought that my mother and concubine will end by committing suicide? Or have you thought about it but it doesn't matter, the weight is far away Not as good as Huo Jingtang ascending the throne?"

"Presumptuous!" Emperor Yuan Shou couldn't hold back his face, and angrily scolded: "In what capacity are you questioning me?"

King Jin said every word: "Today, I would rather be deposed as a commoner and only question you as your son. Father, did you really never think that I would die?"

Emperor Yuanshou was stunned, his eyes flickered, his mind was confused, and he couldn't answer immediately.

Such a reaction can already explain the answer. Jin Wang's heart was ashamed, he cupped his hands above his head, knelt three times and kowtowed nine times: "I understand. I will order my ancestors to hand over the military power of Dingzhou, and please go to the fiefdom. There is no edict to come out, and I don't ask about the government. Stay safe, and hereby swear that you will never be in trouble with the new emperor. If you break this oath, you will die badly, and you will fall into Abi forever. But there is one thing I want to ask, and I beg your majesty to return the body of my biological mother, and I will take her back to the fief, so that I will not hinder your majesty again Eye."

"You..." Emperor Yuanshou was a little flustered, but before he could react, the fifth child also knelt down, kneeling three times and knocking nine times, as if breaking the relationship.

"Your Majesty, I am also willing to ask for a fiefdom. I will never come out without an edict. I will never interfere in the government. I will wholeheartedly support the new emperor."

The two kowtowed together and said in unison: "I hope Your Majesty will help you!"

"..." Emperor Yuan Shou's face was gloomy, and he turned his head to look at Huo Jingtang: "Is this your purpose tonight? You don't want me as a father, you just want to be a monarch and minister with me?"

Huo Jingtang lifted the hem of his clothes, then knelt down and kowtowed: "You prefer me, so do I. The so-called father is king before father, but in my private heart, you are my father first, and then the king. The courtiers will resent the king His ruthlessness and abandonment, the son will resent but will never hate his father. I was abandoned because of the poison, although I was disheartened, but after that, which one of the things you ordered did not do my best? Not all because you are The king and I are the ministers, more because you are the father and I am the son."

Emperor Yuanshou: "You don't resent, why don't you accept my arrangement?"

Huo Jingtang: "I don't want to be emperor."

Emperor Yuanshou: "Nonsense! Why did you go to the Northwest if you didn't want to be emperor? Why did you recruit so many counselors in private? You tried to recruit Chen Shidao, and had a private relationship with Gao Tongzhi. Didn't I know? Your ambition is obvious to me. , tell me now that you don’t want to, how can I believe it?”

Huo Jingtang didn't explain much: "Your Majesty, please choose another crown prince! I only have Zhao Baiyu in my life, and I'm doomed to have no descendants, unless you are willing to see the country change hands and the court be in turmoil!"

Emperor Yuanshou glared: "Are you threatening me?"

Huo Jingtang: "It's just stating the facts. The real threat, I think you don't want to see it for the time being."

Emperor Yuanshou's eyes were shattered, he was terribly sad, his hands were shaking with anger, and he couldn't help nodding his head: "Huo Jingtang, during the Liangjiang case, you broke a game of chess with me for Zhao Baiyu, because you owe him, so I won't hold you accountable." .Now you are threatening me instead of being the emperor because of him... The person you are threatening is your father, the father who has worked hard for you! Do you really think that I dare not kill Zhao Baiyu? Do you think that you are indebted? Saving my life is enough for me to forgive your disobedience today?"

Huo Jingtang: "Xiao Lang has lived and died with me."

Emperor Yuanshou: "Your parents are responsible for your body, hair and skin. Your life was given by me and your mother. What kind of thing is Zhao Baiyu?"

"I died once during the four-year torment of Gu poison. Now this life is given by Zhao Baiyu. He is my husband who will be buried in the same coffin a hundred years later." The rough Emperor Yuanshou felt helpless: "Why bother, Your Majesty?"

Emperor Yuanshou sneered again and again: "I have no shortage of princes. Since you are all ministers, you probably don't care about the titles of deposed princes and grandchildren. I hope you don't regret it. Huo Jingtang, you don't want the position of crown prince, most people fight for it." Blood flow, I am not begging you! But what I give you, you have to accept it whether you want it or not!" Then he looked around at the three people kneeling on the ground, and said coldly: "Since everyone likes to kneel, I will kneel here Enough!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and left.

The three of them just knelt at the Temple of Heaven, the moon was setting and the sun was rising, the sun was scorching, and pouring a glass of water on the stone bricks of the Temple of Heaven would probably be hot and smoke.

Huo Jingtang and Huo Zhaowen's bodies were strong, and it would not be a problem for them to be in the sun for a few hours, but the fifth prince was spoiled and never suffered. His face was pale, his mouth was blistered, and he passed out after three hours in the sun.

The imperial guards who were in charge of watching around the Temple of Heaven didn't know what to do, so they were going to ask someone to ask Emperor Yuanshou for instructions, but Huo Jingtang called out: "Don't disturb Your Majesty, go ask the Queen Mother."

The imperial army hesitated.

Huo Jingtang closed his eyes, fiddled with his prayer beads, his posture didn't look like he was kneeling, but he seemed to be sincerely praying for blessings.

"Your Majesty is in a fit of anger. If you go to ask for instructions, you will only get the response of kneeling until you die, but the prince really knelt to death. Your Majesty regrets it afterwards. Can you bear the responsibility? Go ask the Queen Mother for instructions. If the old man comes forward, His Majesty will treat you a little less. .”

The commander of the imperial army came up, even if Huo Jingtang didn't give a reason, he would obey the orders, so he hurriedly sent someone to ask the queen mother for instructions.

After a while, the nurse beside the queen mother rushed over with the imperial physician, and carried the fifth prince back to the nearby royal villa, and asked Huo Jingtang and Huo Zhaowen to get up and go to the queen mother.

Mammy said to the guards blocking the way: "If Your Majesty blames you, please tell the truth."

With the support of the Empress Dowager, the Imperial Army wished that they would quickly take away the three hot potatoes on the Temple of Heaven.

***

Royal Villa, Qiuwu Courtyard.

As soon as Huo Jingtang and the others stepped into this place, they saw Zhao Baiyu under the plane tree.

The fifth prince was carried into the yard, and Huo Zhaowen asked his mother that the queen mother was chanting sutras and Buddha, so she couldn't be disturbed, so she sat on the steps outside the yard and watched the sky expressionlessly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zhao Baiyu pull Huo Jingtang first checked him for any injuries, and then cared for him in a gentle voice, he couldn't help feeling envious.

Huo Jingtang is so lucky, there are so few people in the world who love him passionately.

He also had a mother and concubine who loved him without asking for anything in return, but now he has nothing.

The melancholy in his heart expanded, and Huo Zhaowen simply threw himself into the blue sky and forgot everything around him.

Zhao Baiyu dragged Huo Jingtang to sit down at the stone table under the tree, poured him a cup of chrysanthemum tea to soothe his throat and relieve the heat, and asked with concern, "How is it?"

Huo Jingtang: "Let's see if His Majesty can figure it out...why are you here?"

Zhao Baiyu: "I'm worried about you."

After returning home on the day of the family banquet, he told Huo Jingtang what the queen mother said and what he guessed, and Huo Jingtang said at the time that he didn't need to worry about it and left everything to him.

"How did you handle it?"

"Say it straight."

"As a result, His Majesty was furious and punished the three of you to kneel for ten hours. I heard that you are planning to depose the titles of the two princes?"

"Cut the mess quickly and be less procrastinating. I don't want to be more patient with His Majesty. The dust will be settled when I am recognized. There is no precedent for a male queen in the world. The courtiers can agree for a while, but it doesn't mean that they have no other thoughts in ten or twenty years. , the harem is related to the previous dynasty, everyone hopes that the future crown prince will come from the belly of his own daughter, then you will become the target of public criticism, and there will always be times when I am negligent and unable to protect you. Your Majesty is arrogant, the peace and prosperity will start in his hands, The realization of his long-cherished wish will further encourage his self-willed ego, and he must be given a blow to wake him up, and don’t really think that he can control everyone’s life.”

Huo Jingtang couldn't help sighing: "After the Gu poison was cured, how perfunctory I was with the political struggles in the court and the formation of cliques and private interests, I don't believe it, Your Majesty can't see it. He pretended to be ignorant, and he really had love for his son. His obsession eliminates the debt deep in his heart. He is so determined that he can take advantage of the death of the woman he has been with for nearly 30 years without shame, and his methods are becoming more and more like the rumored late emperor."

"Hush. Keep your voice down, walls have ears."

Huo Jingtang kissed the back of Zhao Baiyu's hand, enjoying Xiao Langjun's care especially.

But he was right. Emperor Yuanshou once hated the former emperor for being selfish to Prince Jing, and now he is even worse than that. He did not hesitate to force the other princes to die just to pave the way for Huo Jingtang.

It is undeniable that it is the deep paternal love for Huo Jingtang, but the selfishness and paranoia are chilling.

"Your Majesty can figure it out?"

"Wen dies to remonstrate with Wu to fight to the death, and the officials of the court have received their salaries and naturally have to do what they should do."

Zhao Baiyu understood the hint and lowered his voice: "Are you uniting with all the court officials to force His Majesty to give up the idea of ​​appointing you as the heir?"

Huo Jingtang also lowered his voice, pretending to be mysterious: "Guess why they promised me to offend His Majesty?"

Zhao Baiyu is as good as others: "Why?"

Huo Jingtang: "For you." He said with a smile on his face, "Parents are like children, and their plans are far-reaching, not repayment."

Zhao Baiyu was stunned.

***

Huo Jingtang's power to oversee the country was taken back, and he, Huo Zhaowen, and Huo Zhaoxing all stayed in the imperial courtyard in the western suburbs, while Emperor Yuanshou returned to the palace ahead of schedule with his chariot and horse guards.

As soon as he returned to the palace, Emperor Yuanshou ordered Qin Tianjian to choose an auspicious day for the empress dowager. He couldn't wait for the winter solstice, and he had to confer the crown prince of Dajing within two months at the earliest.

Qin Tianjian trembled, racked his brains to count the days, but couldn't find a particularly good auspicious day, so he had to pick a second-best one, wrote the date and presented it to Wende Hall.

When the auspicious day came, Emperor Yuanshou immediately summoned the ministers of third rank and above to discuss making Cui Guogong's daughter the empress, and recognized Huo Jingtang, and confirmed the crown prince at the same time.

No matter whether it is a queen or a reserve, it is not a child's play, how can it be so hasty?

However, those who persuaded, without exception, faced the reprimand and punishment of Emperor Yuanshou like a storm. die.

The courtiers were frightened and kept silent, and no one spoke directly.

The auspicious day for the establishment of the reserve after the conferment was set, and all the yamen such as Da Nei Procurement and the Ministry of Rituals worked together to manage this errand. It was said that after the conferment, it was actually a posthumous conferment, and it was combined with the ceremony for the establishment of the reserve. , because there is no precedent, all details, large and small, must be carefully verified before they can be finalized.

Just when it was in full swing, a 500-year-old pagoda in Daxiangguo Temple collapsed suddenly. It is said that the Buddha bone relics of a certain incarnation of the Tathagata Buddha Sakyamuni were enshrined inside, but the pagoda collapsed, and the Buddha bone relics inside Fly away from Kyoto Prefecture.

The monks guarding the pagoda and the residents living nearby all said that they saw something flying out of the collapsed pagoda that night. It turned into a shooting star and flew towards the west. It was obviously a relic of the Buddha.

But for unknown reasons, the Buddha bone relic suddenly left Daxiangguo Temple.

Within two days, rumors spread in the streets and alleys of Kyoto Prefecture that the Buddha bone relics of Xiangguo Temple did not want to protect the people of Kyoto Prefecture anymore, and left overnight, which was an ominous sign.

The people's lives are rich, so people are interested in gossip. People caught in teahouses, restaurants, and roadsides will talk about the disappearance of the Buddha bone relics from Xiangguo Temple, and then talk about what the "unlucky sign" is, and I don't know who in the crowd attracted it. After the seal, there were not enough auspicious days for several major events to be held in reserve. I am afraid that it would not bring ominousness and affect the fate of the country, so the Buddha bone relic ran away.

At first, I felt that it was a royal matter, so I didn't dare to talk too much, but I just had a fluke mentality, thinking that the law does not blame the public, and continued to gossip.

***

Wende Hall.

boom!

The inkstone was smashed down and the ink was splashed all over the floor. Emperor Yuan Shou was still angry: "It's an ominous sign? In order not to be the crown prince, I can even break the matter of giving his mother's title! Nizi, Nizi!"

The eunuchs and maids knelt on the ground and dared not speak, and Emperor Yuanshou was furious.

"Fight against me! The people I left for him, indulged the cronies he made, and turned around to deal with me? Huh, the Buddhist pagodas in the capital have all fallen down, and running a hundred Buddha bone relics will not change my decision The so-called ominous omens can be turned into good luck under my true dragon Tianwei!"

Emperor Yuan Shou insisted on going his own way and suppressing public opinion, but strange things happened frequently during the process of procurement in the palace and the arrangement of the ceremony by the Ministry of Rites. Either the prepared jade jade was inexplicably broken into pieces, or the large-scale construction project was destroyed. The public opinion that was finally suppressed once again boiling.

The rumors were trivial and inappropriate, and they couldn't stop Emperor Yuanshou from acting arbitrarily, but they still added a little haze to his heart.

Emperor Yuanshou privately ordered the secret guards to investigate who was behind the scenes. Within three days, the list was placed on the table in Wende Hall.

Gao Tongzhi, Lu Zhiyuan, Chen Shidao, Zhao Boyong...all trusted ministers and prime ministers, united to disobey him, the emperor!

Emperor Yuanshou called all the people into the palace, stared into their eyes, threw the list in their faces and scolded: "What does it look like for a dignified humerus important minister to use these tricks to fool people's hearts like a rural god stick? If you want to participate in the establishment of the reserve, I don’t want to be as direct as the imperial censor, so I use some small thoughts to make people feel embarrassed. What can be changed? The prime ministers of the three divisions and two governments, my first-rank and second-rank officials, and Chen Shidao, the elder of the three dynasties, My Grand Master Chen, I thought you would not let your personal feelings overtake your official business, but look at you now... Isn't it because you are afraid that Zi'an will be wronged by Zhao Baiyu when he ascends the throne? Then you made the Buddha bone relic in Xiangguo Temple? You Don’t you know that I don’t believe in Buddhism?”

Looking around the group of people below, Emperor Yuanshou couldn't hide his disappointment: "I am disappointed not only because you have joined forces to disobey me, but also because of the means you have used, pretending to be tricks, fooling the people, shrinking your head and tail, and being perfunctory and flattering." Evil straight!"

Gao Tongzhi and others cupped their hands and said, "Your Majesty, calm down."

Emperor Yuanshou: "The posthumous ceremony and the establishment of the crown prince will continue as usual. Who dares to do some sneaky and shady tricks again? Don't blame me for not remembering old feelings. If there are rumors in the mansion, we will not tolerate them if we find out the source. If you want to intervene Chu, you can remonstrate to the end, bumping in front of the Chuigong Palace, or wiping your neck in front of me, is better than spreading rumors!"

Gao Tongzhi lifted his official robe and knelt down to remonstrate: "Your Majesty, the Cui family and His Majesty were young and deeply in love, and even died to save His Majesty. In addition, it is not impossible to fabricate an identity for him, return his title, and make him a queen. But the establishment of a crown prince is related to the state system, and it is a big matter, not to mention that the royal blood is cautious and should not be easily confused. The Prince of Lin'an County has been Prince Jing's son-in-law for 30 years, and King Jing's traitorous heart is well known. There is no guarantee that people in the world will not question the lineage of the Prince of Lin'an, and will not suspect that King Jing deliberately confused the royal bloodlines. They are afraid that in the future, some rebellious ministers and rebels will use this as an excuse to send troops straight to the capital, disturbing the turmoil of the country and the instability of the court , the people are displaced, and it is too late to regret.”

Lu Zhiyuan also knelt down to remonstrate bluntly: "Wu died and Wen died admonishing. I should have died in the battlefield and served the country. I deserve your majesty's mercy and compassion. I will enter the Second Mansion and take control of the military power in the world. With both blessings and wealth, I will not die on the battlefield." , Now I will be a civil servant who is deadly admonishing, and advises His Majesty to take back the Li Chu, and choose a new king!"

Emperor Yuanshou: "Shut up!" He took out his sword and stepped forward, threw it in front of Lu Zhiyuan and said viciously: "It sounds good, but it's better to die now. I can't say that I really give up for the sake of your life." Li Chu's plan!"

Chen Shidao quickly knelt down to persuade him: "Your Majesty loves his son, and the old minister feels the same. The old minister has a son, and the child's mother can't pass the test of life and death. I raised it in my arms and carried it on my shoulder. Don't be afraid. Your Majesty joked, I was the one who changed the child's diaper, and the old minister even sewed open crotch pants—"

Speaking of this, he laughed, which also eased Emperor Yuanshou's anger a lot.

When Huo Jingtang was two or three years old, he was the age at which dogs hated people. He was sent to the palace, and the harem watched over him. Emperor Yuanshou was afraid that he would accidentally disappear, so he often took him by his side, eating and sleeping together. Well, Wen Zhi and martial arts are all taught by him, being a father and a mother, that is a piece of meat in his heart, and the love is not comparable to that of other princes.

Abandoning Huo Jingtang at the beginning was a last resort, he was the king first and then the father, but after Huo Jingtang's poison was cured, no matter how good the sixth son was, he never thought of giving the throne to anyone other than Huo Jingtang.

Being eccentric is destined to owe him to other princes, but he is the emperor!

He has never been proud of anything in the past, his wife is not what he wants, the prince is not what he is satisfied with, everything must be for the sake of the people of the country, the country, the country and the people, now that he is selfish, why is the whole world against him?

Why can't the emperor, who is sitting on thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, be able to follow his heart once?

"He is just a small sapling, and whatever he looks like is pruned by the old official. The old official hopes that he will be safe and happy, and that his son will become a dragon. He is afraid that he will suffer in the officialdom, so he made up his mind to pave the way for him and overcome all difficulties for him. The old official thought Give him all the good things in the world, trying to keep out all the disasters in the world... probably all the parents in the world feel like this."

The ministers present all had their children in groups, and indeed they were biased, but their hearts of loving and worrying about their children were exactly the same.

"The old minister understands that His Majesty wants to make up for the feelings of the King of Lin'an, but has His Majesty considered whether His Royal Highness is willing? No matter how small the sapling is, it will grow into a towering tree. There will always be a veteran who can't protect him and he must be alone. At that time, the old minister hoped that his son would be transferred back to the capital, stay in the capital, and become a court official, with a better future and a safer future, but he didn't want to. He wanted to stay in other provinces so that he could serve the people better and more intuitively. The old minister is worried, but more gratified—”

Chen Shidao's tone was sincere: "Your Majesty, children will never walk on the smooth road their parents arranged for them. His Royal Highness is no longer a child. He is more sober and outstanding than anyone else. You should understand His Royal Highness's temper, willfulness better. He is domineering and does whatever he wants, but he knows how to advance and retreat, and understands the importance. Will he get angry with you about the crown prince? If he intends to be the emperor, is it necessary to wait until now? Is it necessary to repeatedly reject it? Don't tell your majesty, we will wait I also thought about assisting His Royal Highness the Prince of the County to earn the merits of being a dragon, but if I assist a person who is unwilling to be an emperor from the bottom of my heart, is it a good thing for Dajing Jiangshan and the common people?"

Emperor Yuan Shou's face was livid, unwilling to admit that Chen Shidao's words made sense.

Zhao Boyong also knelt down, but his advice was different from others, but he expressed his selfishness bluntly: "His Royal Highness is enthroned, Goro must become a victim, sooner or later. The minister is also a beloved son. I hope His Majesty will forgive you. What's more, Your Highness and Goro have a deep relationship. If Goro dies in the power struggle between the harem and court, how can you know that His Highness will not be overwhelmed with grief, become mad and lose heart? Your Majesty should know, Your Highness values ​​love and righteousness, exactly the same as Miss Cui back then, and he will not turn his back on Wu Lang."

Everyone is right, Huo Jingtang is not suitable to be an emperor, but Emperor Yuanshou doesn't believe it.

He is just paranoid, and he just goes to the dark side.

"I owe Goro a lot. If Goro is wronged, I will do my best to seek justice for him even if it takes my life."

The meaning in the words is that once Huo Jingtang ascends the throne, the harem cannot be empty, and he cannot be without heirs, but he will never tolerate the courtiers persecuting Zhao Baiyu, and would rather have an empty harem and no heirs!

This is a threat!

It is absurd for a courtier to threaten the emperor!

absurd!

Emperor Yuanshou angrily reprimanded Zhao Boyong and others and drove them out of Wende Hall.

But the person who came to meet later was Kang Wang, who invited him to the fiefdom, and wanted to take Gao Duzhi with him.

King Kang said softly: "Brother Emperor, the Huo family are both cold and affectionate in their bones. They are devoted to the one they love and partial to one another, but they are ruthless and hard-hearted to others. The emperor was like this, you are like this, and I am like this, too. She is more like Miss Cui than us, she is not so cold, but she pays more attention to friendship. Even if she became the emperor, she would not marry a wife and take concubines to wrong Zhao Baiyu. It is you, the emperor, who have not regretted not resisting the late emperor all these years. Marriage? Brother Huang, ask yourself, if Miss Cui is still alive, would you be willing to let her be wronged?"

The Huo family is cold in their bones, women and love are vulnerable to power, but when they talk about affection, once they are in power, they will be confused by love, and they will only be moved by one person in their life, and it will not change in ten, twenty, or thirty years.

For example, the first emperors and Yuanshou emperors wronged and even gave up their beloved women for the sake of the throne, and after they have been in power for ten or twenty years, they will overcome all difficulties and give thousands of favors to their beloved ones.

King Kang has no ambitions, he sees clearly, Gao Duzhi, who has been guarding him for most of his life, has never thought of guarding his body like a jade, being loyal and unyielding, simply that he cannot be anyone else except him.

Emperor Yuan Shou's eyes were scarlet, and instead of answering, he asked, "You also want to disobey me?"

King Kang sighed in his heart, and bowed his hands to say goodbye: "Your Majesty, when I was a subject, I respected you, and when I was a brother, I respected you. No matter what, I will not disobey you."

Emperor Yuan Shou closed his eyes fiercely: "I won't allow you to ask for a fiefdom, so don't mention it again."

"His Majesty……"

"Get out."

King Kang had no choice but to leave, leaving Emperor Yuanshou alone as a loner in Wende Palace.

***

Royal villa in the western suburbs.

The Empress Dowager summoned Huo Zhaoxing, Huo Zhaowen and Huo Jingtang respectively, talked to them privately, and finally told Huo Zhaowen where Zheng Guifei's body was.

Huo Zhaowen kowtowed to thank him, then left to search for the remains of his mother and concubine.

Huo Zhaoxing, Huo Jingtang and Zhao Baiyu still stayed in the other courtyard in the western suburbs, while the Empress Dowager went back to the palace in person, waiting for the emperor to come over in her small Buddhist hall.

***

Ciming Hall, Small Buddha Hall.

Emperor Yuanshou waited respectfully at the door for the queen mother to finish offering incense, and took her hand to sit down in the small hall outside, "Why did the queen mother come back from the western suburbs so quickly?"

The queen mother flicked the prayer beads: "The sixth child was fined to kneel as soon as he lost his mother, and he was banned from the western suburbs. The emperor doesn't love his son, but the Ai family loves his grandson."

Emperor Yuanshou: "He is disobedient and unfilial, and has no respect for his elders. He should be punished."

Empress Dowager: "Those who have lost their mothers should be punished if they can remain calm."

Emperor Yuanshou frowned: "The Empress Dowager is here today to ask me if I'm guilty?"

The queen mother looked straight at Emperor Yuanshou: "Does the emperor still recognize me as a mother?"

Emperor Yuanshou's face changed, he lowered his head and eyes, and said respectfully: "How can a son deny his mother? Even if I am a Tathagata Buddha, I can't deny you even if I am reborn."

Queen Mother: "If you recognize me as a mother, don't embarrass my grandchildren."

Emperor Yuanshou: "What do you mean?"

Queen Mother: "Choose another prince, don't embarrass your son, and don't owe the other children any more."

Emperor Yuanshou's face was gloomy, and his tone turned cold: "Mother, do you also want to stand on the opposite side of your son?"

The queen mother closed her eyes and sighed heavily: "Boss, how many more people do you want to owe? Cui Qingru, Changping, Huo Jingtang, Zhao Baiyu, the Zhao family... and the former queen, Donggong, who have been with you for nearly 30 years The noble concubine, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, although thunder, rain, and dew are all blessings from heaven, but people's hearts are full of flesh. They are your courtiers, but they are also your relatives and friends, your wife and children, Your nephews, nephews and nephews are all very different from you, they are real people who will suffer, hate and love, and are not pawns at your mercy."

Emperor Yuanshou was extremely depressed, and tried his best to endure his temper because the person opposite was his most respected biological mother.

The empress dowager sought the throne for him, and she retired after the event and did not fight for power. Even if her beloved daughter made a mistake, she was unwilling to use the empress dowager's authority and filial piety to force him to forgive him.

He always remembered the empress dowager's dedication over the years, even if he was born to respect patriarchy, it was no match for his respect and love for his biological mother.

The empress dowager came forward to persuade, and the weight was so heavy that Emperor Yuanshou did not dare to refute it easily.

"The queen mother should understand that her son has been planning for this for 30 years, and when her son learned of the existence of the son, she decided that the seat of Emperor Dajing belongs to him."

"Mother and you both owe Cui Qingru and Zi'an, and Zi'an was indeed excellent. At that time, he was ambitious and wanted to be the throne, and Mother was happy to fulfill your father-son relationship. But now Zi'an is unwilling, and he is not willing to give up for the throne. Zhao Baiyu, Empress Dajing can't be a man!" The queen mother sighed, "Are you wondering why my mother didn't interfere in the affairs of the previous court, why did she suddenly come out to speak this time? My mother used to put the overall situation first, and the country as the most important thing. Too many people can’t repay their debts despite eating fast and chanting Buddha these years. Maybe it’s because they recite too many Buddhist scriptures, and they really cultivate a compassionate heart, so they want everything to be perfect. Create murder."

The queen mother held the emperor's hand and said earnestly: "Mother is old and sick, and I can't spend many days with you. The only concern in this world is nothing but you. Mother really doesn't want to see you betrayed and lonely. "

Emperor Yuanshou was moved: "The queen mother will live a long life!"

The queen mother smiled kindly, looking at Emperor Yuanshou with the same kindness as mothers all over the world: "Listen to mother's persuasion, let go. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. What you want to give may not make children happy. If mother If he is still alive, he must support Zi Qu's