ebookland Chapter 290 Regicide
Chapter 290 Regicide
The first person to be pushed out by Cao's party was naturally Qi Heng.
Qi Heng himself was unaware of the conflict behind the scenes, and was even extremely happy to accept this glorious mission.
The angle he chose for his advice was very particular. He did not directly point out the problem with the empress. Instead, he told the emperor not to be overly obsessed with love affairs and should focus on the country and the people.
If the harem is rich, there will be hope for succession, and thus the country will be stable.
His original intention was simple, he just wanted Zhao Ceying to stay away from his sweetheart.
He would be happy if the two of them could separate.
……
Another month of quarrels in the court has passed. The title of the Sheng family has been confirmed without any dispute, but the issue of the title bestowed upon the biological father of the new emperor has not yet been finalized.
In order to compromise, the court officials also proposed that although the emperor was not inappropriate in terms of etiquette, if he was just given the title of king...
But as soon as these words were spoken, internal strife began to arise within Cao's party.
The court officials who had originally believed that the Empress Dowager was the elder and held the orthodox filial piety began to have doubts.
The current situation is not the peace, orthodoxy and opportunities they expected. Instead, it is like a group of vanguards on the battlefield, each one rushing to die in a battle where they see no justice.
They are silent, but someone is singing.
It was bustling and noisy, as if everyone in the city of Bianjing was extremely dissatisfied with the new emperor.
In the harem, Empress Dowager Cao, who was listening to the report on the situation and layout of the court today, was trimming the bonsai with a large golden scissors.
Click, click.
The branches of the bonsai fell onto the table in clusters.
There are finely fragmented green and also broken brown.
However, only the main trunk is left of the bonsai, and it seems that it has already ushered in its cold winter before the arrival of frost.
Empress Dowager Cao, who was holding the scissors, nodded contentedly and put down the scissors.
“It’s much more comfortable to watch this way.”
"Clean."
At the same time, an elderly eunuch walked in and reported quietly with his head lowered.
"My lady, everything is ready."
Empress Dowager Cao couldn't hold back her smile anymore. She opened her mouth, controlled her facial features and expression, and said with great joy,
"it is good."
From now on, she will be the only one who has the final say in this imperial city.
……
At this time, Zhao Ceying had just come off court and was discussing the so-called "etiquette" with a group of important ministers in the study.
All the ministers of the six ministries except the Minister of Works came, and several people from the Censorate, regardless of rank, whose advice had been accepted, also came.
Sheng Hong, his three sons, their colleagues, and the capable men of Cao's party naturally took their places.
The two Dukes of Cao, the Duke of Ying who holds nearly half of the military power, the Duke of Fu who is quite prestigious among the civil officials, the Duke of Qi who is mainly a figurehead but cannot be without me, and the Duke of Liang who has little presence and seldom attends court except on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month are also here.
There are also several marquises and earls, such as the Marquis of Jinghai who is engaged to the third son of Shangshu Ge, the Marquis of Zhongshan whose legitimate daughter is married to Sheng Changfeng, the Earl of Chengping who is negotiating a marriage with the Gu family, and the Earl of Changxing who is a rigid and simple person who opposes the new emperor's grace to confer the title of Supreme Emperor on his father.
Rather than saying it was a private meeting, it would be more accurate to say that top officials forced the emperor to continue attending court after the court was adjourned.
There were fewer rules in the meeting hall than in the court, and everyone took advantage of the rules to "speak freely".
The Earl of Changxing became the spearhead of Cao's party. While angrily denouncing the new emperor's actions as being inconsistent with etiquette and law, he also gave what he thought was the correct solution.
The title of Duke was a favor bestowed by the late Emperor. It was already one level higher than an ordinary duke. It was not a bad idea to promote him to King, but to be the Emperor Emeritus... How could that be!
Zhao Ceying did not reject it completely, but he hinted in a tactful way that if he wanted to put an end to this matter, all he needed to do was for Empress Dowager Cao to return the imperial seal and stop ruling the country from behind the scenes.
Except for the two Dukes with the surname Cao who refused to give in, the other bureaucrats and nobles who supported the Empress Dowager began to think and weigh the pros and cons.
Just when the balance seemed to be tipping towards one side, there was a knock on the door.
The person who came was the queen who was more than two months pregnant.
She wore a veil out of habit, and there was nothing wrong with it even in front of so many male relatives.
Moreover, the queen had been dressed like this for many days.
The demigod wrapping and sense of boundary that the veil brings will create distance between people, leaving enough space for the personal maid and the queen herself to protect her belly.
Zhao Ceying quite agreed with this method. It was obviously just a dressing idea, but it could have so many practical applications, which made him admire it very much.
"Your Majesty, gentlemen, excuse me for interrupting you."
Then Molan stated her purpose.
"The wife of the doctor Taizhong just came to deliver some black chicken soup that she cooked herself.
It's getting late now. Although court affairs cannot be delayed, it would be good to have some chicken soup to warm your appetite.
The way of keeping healthy should not be neglected, the dragon body is healthy and the country can be stable. "
The Taizhong Daifu was Shen Congxing, and his wife was naturally Da Zou.
Mrs. Zou and Mrs. Shen were close, so they naturally took good care of Zhao Ceying.
Sure enough, when Zhao Ceying heard that the soup was made by Mrs. Zou herself, he became interested.
He came forward, took off the lid, and smelled it carefully.
"Black chicken soup?
It is indeed the workmanship of the wife of the Taizhong doctor."
"Oh? Why do you see it?"
“No matter what soup Taizhong’s wife cooks, she always adds several kinds of medicinal herbs to go with it.
Her specialty, black chicken soup, is made with duck and old chicken bones, mushrooms and other ingredients, and is simmered over low heat for a whole day to bring out the flavor of the ingredients.
Not only is it delicious, it is also a great way to nourish the body.
Especially now that you are pregnant, drinking some black chicken soup is absolutely perfect for you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern."
When there were outsiders around, the two of them treated each other with respect as a rule.
Zhao Ceying was calling his attendants to the side.
"Quick, serve a bowl to each of you dear ministers.
In the past, it would be served with a bowl of noodles.
After practicing martial arts, I came back and had a bite. It was really delicious. "
When the emperor ate a meal, even if it was brought by someone close to him, the meal had to be checked with a silver needle.
Of course, the queen and ministers are no exception.
Molan stood aside, watching the silver needle going in and out of the soup bowl, and watching the eunuchs and palace maids who were testing the poison take mouthfuls of the food into their mouths.
The emperor naturally ate first, and Zhao Ceying ate it all in one gulp.
He smacked his lips briskly.
"what!"
"Please eat slowly." Molan put down the bowl of soup she was about to eat, took a handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully wiped Zhao Ceying's mouth.
In the eyes of any minister, this scene showed the harmony and love between the emperor and the empress.
"You guys should eat something soon. We are all in the meeting hall now, so don't be shy."
After finishing speaking, Zhao Ceying turned to Molan and said with emotion,
"Don't mention it. After finishing one bowl, my stomach feels warm and I want to have a second bite."
Then he raised his hand and snatched the chicken soup that Molan was about to put in his mouth.
"Be good, go ask the maid to serve you another bowl."
This move has become commonplace for "insiders" such as the Duke of England and the Duke of Fuguo who often come to the study.
Every time the empress came to bring some soup or water, the new emperor would rush to have a bite.
Can……
At the moment when Zhao Ceying snatched the queen's bowl and spoon, the palace maid who was responsible for testing the poison on the queen screamed.
"what!!"
At this time, Zhao Ceying had already drunk half a bowl of soup.
As the palace maid who was testing the poison looked around in panic and rushed out of the hall recklessly, the soup bowl in Zhao Ceying's hand fell to the ground with a clang.
Almost at the same time, blood flowed out of Zhao Ceying's nose.
"emperor!"
Mo Lan, who was closest to the door, exclaimed and shouted to the guards outside the door,
"Hold her down!"
"Go and summon the imperial physician! Quickly!!!"
The ministers were dumbfounded, especially the two Dukes of Cao who knew that the Empress Dowager had said that she would get rid of the Queen.
Zhao Ceying felt dizzy and fell on the stool.
He subconsciously wiped his mouth and nose with blood on his hands. He lowered his head and muttered,
"I never expected it. I never expected it..."
Then he raised his head suddenly, trying to open his eyes wide, which were already blurry and couldn't see clearly in front of him, and grabbed the queen's hand.
"Only you. Only you can..."
As he was speaking, he suddenly turned his head and looked at the ministers.
The ministers, who were being stared at by a pair of eyes flowing with blood and tears, knelt on the ground one after another, with the worst premonitions and imaginations appearing in their hearts.
Zhao Ceying was a martial artist after all, and his strong ability to endure pain allowed him to speak clearly to everyone at this moment.
“All of you present here today are witnesses.
This is an oral instruction."
"Minister, obey my orders!"
Sheng Changtong's loud shout brought all the ministers back to reality.
"Your servants, obey your orders."
"Only the Queen can carry on my spirit.
You must support...the Queen in the future.
I discussed, drafted, and studied with her...
With her, the Zhao family will not fall into the hands of evil people..."
"The minister obeys the order!"
It was still Sheng Changtong who kowtowed and obeyed orders.
Unlike others who were slow or silent, Yao Yiyi's eyes were bright at this moment.
This sudden situation caused her adrenaline to surge, and her breathing became rapid due to nervousness, but more importantly, it was because of her brain's need for oxygen after the intensive processing.
This is the opportunity!
The murderer must be Empress Dowager Cao, who eliminated Cao's party and killed the traitor Shen.
But before Xingjian did all this...
Her sister Molan can take this opportunity to ascend the throne!
Zhao Ceying was bleeding from all seven orifices. In modern medicine, this level of poisoning would require careful rescue in the ICU, and the survival rate would not be high, not to mention in ancient times when there was only Chinese medicine and no technology.
Was it snake venom? Or was it mercury and cinnabar, or some combination of plants and the local chemistry known as alchemy?
Yao Yiyi didn’t know, she only knew that she was racing against time.
She wanted to force Zhao Ceying to hurry up...
When Zhao Ceying heard that it was Sheng Changtong who agreed, he felt a little relieved.
But this relief made him feel deflated.
Enduring the sudden pain and dizziness that seemed to drag him into the abyss, he ordered,
"Quick, grind, go write, draft an edict, write down...what I just said."
"The minister obeys the order."
Sheng Changtong writes calligraphy very quickly.
Because she had been under pressure to go to school and to take exams within a limited time, she took great pains to improve her writing speed in small regular script even in ancient times when people still pursued beauty when writing with a brush.
Unlike all the ancient people who emphasized slow and careful work, Yao Yiyi was born with a sense of urgency as if she was being chased by a dog.
It only took Yao Yiyi a minute and a half to write a hundred words or so.
"read."
Now, with Molan's support and with her constantly wiping the blood with a handkerchief, Zhao Ceying was able to maintain the most basic decency.
After vomiting a mouthful of blood mixed with some fishy smell, Zhao Ceying took a deep breath and asked in the direction of the courtiers,
"But it's correct?"
"Your Majesty, that's right."
The one who answered him was the Duke of England, who was already in tears.
"Exactly?"
"Yes, exactly."
"it is good……"
"Molan, help me..."
Zhao Ceying stroked the imperial edict with his hand, lifted the jade seal with difficulty, and tremblingly knocked down the bright red seal.
After that, he was completely out of strength.
He could no longer sit in the chair.
Zhao Ceying fell to the ground, lying on his side, feeling Molan's trembling and the panic as she kept dealing with the blood and foreign objects in his mouth.
He grinned, turned over stubbornly, looked up and said,
"Molan, my stomach hurts so much."
"But fortunately, I was the one who drank it."
"God bless you."
Molan was already in tears, and her body and hands were covered in blood and dirt.
But everyone clearly remembered that just half a cup of tea ago, the two of them were still treating each other with respect like a couple from heaven.
The new emperor was even more like a child, snatching away the queen's food.
"emperor……"
"No, call my name."
Molan pursed her lips, then cried out,
"Ce Ying."
"Cymbidium."
At this moment, although Zhao Ceying could no longer see, what appeared in his mind was the afternoon among the trees in the farmhouse that year.
Suddenly, all the pain in my body seemed to disappear.
The warm sunshine enveloped him, and he felt much lighter.
Zhao Ceying thought that this was probably just a moment of last gasp.
He used his last bit of strength to try to smile, as if he wanted Molan to remember his carefree and easy manner.
Zhao Ceying said,
"I go first."
"You must be well and live a long life..."
“Ce Ying——!”
"emperor--!!!"
……
Molan held Zhao Ceying's body motionlessly. She lowered her head and pressed it against his, with their fingers interlocked, like a hug between husband and wife, like a silent confession between lovers.
At this time, the imperial physician arrived in a hurry.
He widened his eyes and shouted in disbelief, "I am too late to save you. I am guilty!"
The Queen was immersed in grief, but at this moment the Duke of Fuguo picked up the soup bowl that was scattered on the ground.
After the imperial physician carefully spread out the cloth and examined it carefully, he said tremblingly,
"This is... a deadly poison that kills instantly upon contact with blood... If the poison scratches the skin, there is no hope of recovery, let alone if it is ingested directly..."
"Poisonous?"
It was the Queen's trembling voice.
The queen did not let go of Zhao Ceying's hand. Tears kept flowing from her eyes. She seemed to be talking to the imperial physician, or to everyone else.
"This bowl of soup should have gone into my stomach."
"Whether I die with one body or two lives, or I fall into the emperor's mouth, this is a dead end."
As she spoke, the queen laughed.
The mental disorder caused by great sorrow and pain made all the old ministers feel unbearable.
"What a good plan! What a good plan!"
"Hit her right here! I want to see who is the master behind her!"
Conspiring to murder the heir to the throne, and killing the current emperor...
No matter which one was accomplished, it would be a serious crime punishable by execution of nine generations of the clan, which would disrupt the government and cause turmoil in the country.
The maid who tested the poison was not stubborn, and the impact of killing the emperor made her confess everything tremblingly.
“No! I didn’t!!
It’s the Queen! I want to kill the Queen and the bastard in her belly!!!
The Empress Dowager…The Empress Dowager…Ahhh!
I didn't, I didn't! The Empress Dowager asked me to kill the Queen, not me, I didn't kill the Queen! "