Wei Yuanzhong was the prime minister of the current dynasty, he was more than seventy years old, but he was sent away again. This time he was sent to a place even further away, to Guangdong, if it was a little further, he would be in Jiaozhi.
Wei Yuanzhong was dressed in plain clothes, he bade farewell to the Emperor in the Golden Hall and angrily said in a loud voice, "I am old, today I am going to Lingnan, ten out of ten I will die, I am afraid I will not be able to see Your Majesty again, there will be a time when Your Majesty will miss me."
Wu Zetian's anger had not subsided, hearing him say that, she was somewhat curious, she laughed coldly and said, "Why will I miss you?"
Wei Yuanzhong's white beard fluttered, he pointed to Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong who were standing next to Wu Zetian and shouted loudly, "These two children, in the future they will become the root of His Majesty's disaster! At that time, His Majesty will think of this old official's benefits! "
Wu Zetian's countenance changed, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were accused by Wei Yuanzhong in court as treacherous officials, they hastily prostrated themselves and cried out that they were wronged.
Wei Yuanzhong looked at their ugly faces and was unable to restrain his anger, he cupped his hands to Wu Zetian, waved his big sleeve and walked out of the Main Hall, the civil and military officials in the hall unexpectedly bowed deeply to him without prior agreement. Someone even said in a low voice, "Duke Wei, take care!" "Duke Wei, have a pleasant journey!"
The people in the Golden Hall were all the officials of the monarch, regardless of their positions, they did not need to salute each other when they saw each other. Strictly speaking, in front of the Emperor, officials should not use honorifics when addressing each other, nor should they address each other by their official positions, but by their full names.
But at this moment, the officials in front of the Emperor were solemnly saluting Wei Yuanzhong, even saying "Duke Wei, take care", it was clear that they were extremely dissatisfied with the Emperor and were using this as an excuse to vent their anger. Wu Zetian saw the reaction of the officials in her eyes, she was secretly vigilant, she suddenly felt that she had become a lonely person.
Wu Zetian was in a trance. She suddenly remembered Zhou Xing, Suo Yuanli, Lai Junchen, Qiu Shenji and the others who had been executed one after another. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly, They are the ones who are truly loyal to me. If they were still here, would the ministers dare to be so arrogant?
However, it was useless to think about this at this time. Wu Zetian also knew that she didn't have much time left. She didn't have the time to cultivate a few capable watchdogs. Moreover, the courtiers gradually became bolder. It was not only because she had lost her powerful lackeys by her side, but more importantly, it was because of her declining age.
Her aging was unstoppable. No one would believe that an old woman in her eighties could sit on the throne for another eight to ten years. Even those who had attached themselves to her in the past were now looking for a way out and a new backer, let alone those who feigned civility and sincerity and wholeheartedly focused on restoring Li Tang's throne.
Thinking of this, Wu Zetian looked at the officials in the hall, and a wave of disgust rose in her heart.
"Sage, I have been wronged, I have been wronged!"
Suddenly there was a burst of wailing. Wu Zetian took a closer look and saw that Er Zhang was still crying in front of the table.
As soon as Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong wailed, Wu Zetian should have woken them up. However, Wu Zetian was indeed a little old. At this time, she was actually absent-minded, reminiscing the days when the four ruthless officials were in court. Er Zhang had no choice but to continue wailing.
Hearing the wailing, Wu Zetian looked down and saw Er Zhang kneeling in front of her, thumping his chest and stamping his feet. She couldn't help but feel a touch of warmth in her heart. She suddenly felt that she was not lonely. At least she still had these two little lovers. Not only did they live with her day and night, they were affectionate and intimate, they also never went against her in politics.
Wu Zetian said softly, "Wei Yuanzhong has already left. Please get up. Don't be afraid. How can I believe his slanderous words?"
…
When a person is old, they will show some similarities to a child. Even though Wu Zetian was already an old woman and her need for sex was very little, her dependence on Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong was getting heavier and heavier.
Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong no longer needed to wait on the bed to serve that old woman whose skin was loose and flesh was emitting the smell of old age. They just needed to accompany her and comfort her. It was easier for Er Zhang's heart to accept this. Wu Zetian felt their affection and was even more reluctant to leave them for even a moment.
Sometimes they would sit together and tell childish and ridiculous folktales. Wan 'er was surprised to find that these little stories, which even she disdained to listen to, could actually make Wu Zetian laugh out loud, a laugh that came from the bottom of her heart. Sometimes, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong would tell her some interesting stories that happened among the people. Wu Zetian listened with great interest.
She often told Er Zhang about some of her childhood. Even though she often forgot some things now, the memories of her childhood were inexplicably clear.
She talked about it over and over again. Even Wan 'er was familiar with every story of her childhood, not to mention Er Zhang, who stayed by her side every day. But Er Zhang still pretended to be interested. Every time, he listened very carefully, as if it was the first time he heard these stories from her.
For Wu Zetian, it was indeed the first time she told these stories. She could not remember if she had told it to Er Zhang yesterday or even just now. As she talked, she would nestle in Zhang Yizhi's or Zhang Changzong's arms and fall asleep. She looked very peaceful in her sleep, just like a child.
Wan 'er had a stronger and stronger feeling that what Langjun said was right. The sun was about to set …
Wei Yuanzhong, Gao Jian, and Zhang Shuo were banished to Lingnan, but the anger of the officials did not stop. The Du family of Fanchuan had always regarded Er Zhang as the murderer who killed Du Wentian. They spared no effort to contact him. Through the huge connections and financial resources of the aristocratic families, they united all forces and persistently found trouble for Er Zhang.
Impeachment memorials were constantly sent to the Emperor. Wu Zetian showed an attitude that she had never shown before: ignoring them.
She completely ignored Er Zhang's various crimes mentioned in the memorial, but she also did not punish those who impeached Er Zhang and challenged her authority. It was not that she did not want to, but because she had already lost her exuberant energy. The aging of her body made her naturally choose this kind of reaction that should not have appeared in someone as strong as her.
In the beginning, Zhang Yizhi was a little nervous when faced with all kinds of impeachment. But seeing that Wu Zetian was calm, Zhang Yizhi gradually developed the habit of ignoring it. He just quietly remembered the names of each impeachment, endured it, and waited for the opportunity to fight back.
Wu Zetian admired Zhang Yizhi's' indifference '. One day, she smiled and said to Zhang Yizhi, "A gentleman is magnanimous. Facing the provocation and impeachment of the officials, Wulang can be indifferent. You are worthy of the name of a gentleman."
Zhang Yizhi humbly and ingratiatingly said, "I do not dare to be called a gentleman. It is only because I know that the Sage will protect us, so I feel at ease."
Zhang Changzong said, "The officials are not willing to forgive us. I am very depressed. My brother and I have never done evil to anyone. Why can't they tolerate us? "
"Because in the eyes of the officials, an emperor can only be a good emperor if he becomes a high and lonely person!"
Wu Zetian replied with a smile, "They are not targeting you. Anyone who is favored by me will become their enemy. But they can't tolerate you. I can tolerate you. What can they do? "
Wu Zetian said childish words and did something childish at the same time. She took a memorial to impeach Zhang Yizhi and tore it into pieces. She scattered it on the ground like a fairy scattering flowers.
As an emperor, he could not tear up the memorial of the officials because it was a symbol of a fatuous ruler. Even if the emperor was impatient to see a memorial, he had to file it and store it to show that he was accepting the admonishment. She had already grasped the power of the world's supreme ruler. Wu Zetian, who only cared about the reputation behind her, seemed to have abandoned her reputation like a pair of worn-out shoes.
The house attendant faithfully recorded this incident. Wu Zetian looked at him and smiled faintly. Her smile was full of mockery and disdain. Her expression was not directed at the house attendant, but at the entire court. She used this almost childish action to vent her dissatisfaction.
Wan 'er gave Little Hai a look. Little Hai waved his horsetail whisk, and a few eunuchs tiptoed over. They knelt on the ground and picked up the scattered pieces, hoping to piece them back together. Wu Zetian did not stop them. She only smiled disdainfully. She snuggled into Zhang Yizhi's arms and fell asleep …
…
Not every official had a farsighted and farsighted vision, and not every official could uphold the path of a sage. The Emperor's unusual trust in Er Zhang still made some officials wag their tails to express their goodwill and submit to Er Zhang like flies chasing after smelly, like they wanted to serve under him. Among them, there were a few who held real power. For example, assistant minister of the Summer Palace, Wei Chengqing, assistant minister of the Phoenix Pavilion, Cui Shenqing …
They were only one step away from becoming prime ministers. They hoped to smoothly enter the Political Affairs Hall with the help of Zhang Yizhi's power. Among the prime ministers of the Political Affairs Hall, Yang Zaisi, Su Weiwei, and others always flirted with Zhang Yizhi. Since Wei Yuanzhong was demoted, Yao Chong had been alone. In order to keep his position as prime minister and prevent the anti-Zhang forces from losing the last seat in the Political Affairs Hall, Yao Chong had to change his way of doing things. At least on the surface, he began to get close to Zhang Yizhi. This made Zhang Yizhi's reputation even more arrogant.
Wu Zetian was also constantly strengthening the power of the second Zhang. Zhang Changzong not only held the title of Duke Ye and the civil position of Minister Fengchen, but also held the position of General Yunhui. He held the position of Lieutenant General of the Left Thousand Ox Guards and controlled an army. Zhang Yizhi, in addition to the power of Duke and Commander of Fengchen, also held the position of Vice-Minister of Defense. He was in charge of the arsenal, weapons, and the three departments guarding the palace.
The two of them not only held a certain amount of military power, but more importantly, they had begun to handle a large number of government affairs on behalf of Wu Zetian. Seventy to eighty percent of the replies to the memorials actually came from the two of them.
The Emperor's neglect of government and authorization of Zhang Yizhi not only angered the ministers who were enraged by Wei Yuanzhong's demotion, but also the Crown Prince, the Prince of Xiang, and the representative of the Wu clan, Wu Sansi, felt deeply uneasy. As the vanguard of the rebellion against Zhang Yizhi, Princess Taiping was naturally even more nervous.
"Don't worry …"
On the bank of the Wei River, Yang Fan held a fishing pole and watched the fish float gently tremble on the clear water. He said to Princess Taiping, who was wearing a light headpiece and sitting next to him, also holding a fishing pole, "I have already begun to make arrangements. If other crimes can't bring them down, then I will put the crime of rebellion on them. I don't believe they will still not fall!"
At this time, Princess Taiping came to her senses. She sighed worriedly and said, "Seeing how much Mother dotes on them, I worry that even if I put the crime of rebellion on them, it won't be able to bring them down. At that time … what should I do?"
Yang Fan suddenly lifted his fishing pole and a lively crucian carp jumped out of the water and struggled to jump in the grass.
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