Princess An Le walked into the bedroom and saw her mother reclining on the bed. Grand physician Ma Qinke was sitting on a brocade stool by the bed and taking her mother's pulse. An Le asked: "Ah niang, are you not feeling well?"
Empress Wei's hair was slightly loose, her face was flushed, her eyes watery. She really did look like she was lying on the bed. She smiled slightly at her daughter and said: "Nothing, it's just that I didn't sleep well. After Grand Physician Ma's treatment, I'm much better."
Empress Wei glanced at Ma Qinke who was putting on an act and said lightly: "You can leave. Ben gong wants to speak with my daughter."
"Yes, this subject will leave."
Ma Qinke hurriedly picked up the medicine box that had never been opened and bowed to Empress Wei and An Le before retreating outside.
Ma Qinke had a dignified appearance, and even An Le couldn't help but take another look at him. An Le's heart suddenly skipped a beat. There was a strand of curly hair stuck to the corner of Ma Qinke's mouth, and when he looked at his mother's flushed cheeks, An Le suddenly realized something.
Empress Wei felt slightly guilty under her daughter's slightly strange gaze. She hurriedly coughed and straightened her body, asking: "Why does daughter have the time to visit mother today?"
Princess An Le quickly concealed her strangeness. She lifted the hem of her dress and twirled on the spot. She giggled and asked: "Ah niang, do you think daughter's dress looks good?"
When Empress Wei saw it, her eyes lit up. She carefully examined the feather dress and praised: "It really is a work of art. Where did this daughter buy such a dress? It is probably one of a kind in the world?"
"Hee hee, of course it is … … unique."
Princess An Le was very proud. When she said "unique", she suddenly remembered that the Yang Family had a similar dress. A thread of darkness flashed across her heart but she quickly threw the thought away.
"This dress is not unique now but it will definitely be in the future!"
Princess An Le put down the hem of her dress and went forward to grab Empress Wei's arm. She giggled and said: "Ah niang, it's almost spring and the flowers are blooming. My Ding Kun Chi is starting to take shape. Why doesn't mother invite all the noble ladies and socialites in the capital and hold a banquet at Ding Kun Chi?"
Empress Wei heard this and understood her daughter's intentions. She couldn't help but chuckle: "You, you got a precious dress and you can't wait to show it off to others?"
Princess An Le wasn't shy at all. She smiled and said, "Since I have embroidered clothes, how can I travel at night? Mother, do you agree?"
Empress Wei thought for a moment and said, "Daughter, it is not necessary to go to Ding Kun Chi to hold the banquet. This spring the court will be holding the Heaven and Earth Sacrificial Ceremony in the southern suburbs. Mother wants to personally attend the ceremony. Mother is a woman, it is not good to ask a group of foreign officials to serve as the kitchen attendants. Therefore, I want all the madams and daughters of the ministers in the capital to serve as the kitchen attendants.
Your daughter will be going with Mother. When the time comes, not only will all the noble ladies and young ladies of the capital be able to witness your splendor, even the ministers of the court will be able to admire your elegance. "
When Princess Anle heard this, she was overjoyed and quickly said, "Good, good, but … Mother wants to be the Yaxian, will Father agree?"
Ever since the Duke of Zhou established rites, the use of rites in the officialdom grew. Even now, the specific steps of every ceremony contained rich political meaning. This was even more so for a grand ceremony like the Heaven and Earth Sacrificial Ceremony.
All along, the Heaven and Earth Sacrificial Ceremony was always the Son of Heaven responsible for the first offering, the ministers and officials responsible for the second offering. If the Crown Prince was present, under normal circumstances, the Crown Prince would be responsible for the second offering.
This rule was once broken by Emperor Gaozong and had Empress Wu Zetian be the second offering. Wu Zetian also made an exception and threw the then Crown Prince Li Dan to one side and had the King of Wei, Wu Cheng Si, be responsible for the second offering. These two events had caused an intense debate in the court. That was why An Le asked this question.
Empress Wei twisted the corner of her mouth and said disdainfully: "Your older brother, Chong Run, was killed by Di Tian Empress long ago. The successor, Crown Prince Chong Jun, is an animal who wanted to kill his father and mother and has been executed. Zhong Fu is unfilial and has been sent to Lingnan. As for Zhong Mao, he is still an ignorant child. Other than Mother, who else is fit to be the second offering? "
An Le giggled and pointed at the tip of her nose, saying, "Of course it is me. Mother, I am your biological daughter. Zhong Fu and Zhong Mao are both shu sons and have low status. They are not related to Mother by blood. Could it be that Mother still wants to choose a Crown Prince from among them?"
An Le sat down next to Empress Wei and said, "Look, Zhong Jun was not born by you. How did he treat you after becoming the Crown Prince? He actually wanted to send troops to kill his mother! Mother, now that I have even had a female Emperor, why can't Daughter be the Crown Princess?
We are one family. Rather than letting Zhong Fu or Zhong Mao be the Crown Prince and letting Mother down when they are fully fledged, Ah Niang should persuade Ah Father to appoint Daughter as the Crown Princess. We are close relatives. Daughter is the one who is truly filial to you. "
Empress Wei glared at her and said angrily, "Preposterous! This kind of matter, even the Emperor cannot make a decision on his own. You want to be the Crown Princess? Will all the civil and military officials in court agree? Your Father can't be without scruples. "
An Le said with disdain, "What civil and military officials are there? Right now, aren't all the civil and military power in our hands? Whoever dares to disobey, we will use swords to force them to obey! Ah! Ah Niang, why don't we do this … "
An Le said excitedly, "Anyway, Father does not like to be in charge of government affairs. Right now, most of the government affairs are managed by Mother. Why don't Father give the throne to Ah Niang. Father will be the Grand Emperor, Mother will be the Emperor. Then, Daughter will be the Crown Princess. Isn't it logical?"
Empress Wei poked her forehead lightly and said with a smile, "You, you are really indulging in the wildest fantasies. This melon head of yours, what kind of muddled ideas do you think of all day?"
As Empress Wei said so, her heart suddenly moved, "That's right! The Political Affairs Hall, the Six Ministries, and the Imperial Guards of the North and South are all in my Wei clan's hands. Why can't I really be the Empress? "
Madam Wei and Li Xian had already cooled their relationship as husband and wife, and from the bottom of her heart, she looked down on Li Xian. Ever since the refined and refined Ma Qinke and the strong and muscular Yang Jun had become her guests, she felt even less shame for Li Xian's position. Now, her daughter's words had actually moved her heart.
Thinking of the Empress Wu Zetian's domineering and unparalleled presence in the past, thinking of how she herself didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of this Empress Grandmother, Empress Wei's thoughts couldn't help but wander …
…
Li Xian had been afraid of Empress Wei for a long time. Even though he had become the Emperor, this henpecked habit had never been changed. Moreover, right now, both the civil and military paths were in the hands of Madam Wei. He, as the Emperor, had no confidence.
However, when Zhang Jianzhi and the other five meritorious officials had become complacent and overstepped their bounds, Li Xian was unable to restrain his anger. When his blood brothers and sister held great power, he was wary. Now, the entire Imperial Court was surnamed Wei, but he didn't have the slightest bit of suspicion or fear.
This Emperor, who had lived in Fangzhou's Huang Zhuling for sixteen years, seemed to only have a vision as big as a thatched hut. In his view, no matter how powerful his wife was, she was still his wife, his family. Her power was his power. Moreover, her power had to rely on his status as the Emperor, so he didn't have to worry about betrayal.
Therefore, when Empress Wei begged him to make the Offering, Li Xian almost didn't have to think at all and readily agreed. But as expected, this matter caused a great uproar in the Imperial Court.
When Emperor Gaozong was consecrated on Mount Tai, it was Empress Wu Zetian who was responsible for making the Offering. That was an unprecedented move. As a result, Wu Zetian succeeded Emperor Gaozong and became the Emperor. From then on, Li Tang had been in turmoil for more than twenty years.
Could it be … after Wu Zetian, there was going to be another Empress Wei?
Even though the Wei clan had basically taken control of the Imperial Court, they still couldn't control all voices. Immediately, an imperial censor objected. Empress Wei had long since prepared for this. She immediately arranged for someone to quote scriptures and say that it was an ancient custom for the Empress to participate in the grand ceremony.
The opposing imperial censor argued that in the ancient custom, the Empress's participation in the grand ceremony was a sacrifice to the ancestors, a sacrifice to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and not a sacrifice to the heavens and the earth. There was a fundamental difference between the two. The two factions argued endlessly. Seeing this, Li Xian decided, "This matter can be decided by the Prime Ministers!"
Who were the people in the Political Affairs Hall?
Yang Zaisi, who was in a dilemma, and Doulu Qinwang, who was ostensibly loyal to Li Xian but was actually the Prince of Xiang's trusted aide, had injured his body in the tug-of-war and was currently bedridden, recovering from his injuries at home. Of the remaining Prime Ministers, three were surnamed Wei, all of them of the same clan as Empress Wei. The Prime Ministers naturally stood on Empress Wei's side, so the matter of the Empress's Offering was settled.
Bang!
A cup of tea was slammed down in front of Li Longji, the tea instantly spilling out and splashing onto the table. Following that, another cup of tea was brought out. A pair of slender and delicate hands gently placed it in front of Yang Fan, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.
Li Longji had a bitter smile on his face. Ever since he had misunderstood Yang Fan last time and almost fought with Yang Fan, Princess Yuzhen had been both angry and embarrassed after learning the truth. She no longer had a good attitude toward her third brother.
Ah! Girls always go out. Isn't it all for your own good that I'm doing this? Li Longji rubbed his nose and thought gloomily.
"Great General, please have some tea."
Li Chiying gave a gentle smile to Yang Fan, picked up the tea tray, and left the room. Li Longji bitterly watched his sister leave, but all he got in return was an indignant supercilious look. Then, he pulled the curtain door shut.
"Cough!"
Yang Fan coughed awkwardly and said, "San Lang, are you aware of what has happened in the court these days?"
Yang Fan and Li Longji both lived by the Longqing Pond. Yang Fan's mansion was next to Li Chengqi's, so there was no need for him to come to Yuzhen Temple. However, Yang Fan had no choice. There was someone else's spy by his side, and Yang Fan didn't want to expose this person, but he also had to guard against him. Thus, he could only use Princess Yuzhen as a cover.
Li Longji's expression turned serious and he nodded lightly. "The Emperor announced that the Empress would be the Offering of the Offering. Afterwards, a palace maid said that colorful auspicious clouds had appeared on the Empress's dress. It was an auspicious sign, and the Emperor announced it to the world."
Yang Fan continued, "Yesterday, there was another person who said that there must be a song before the Sage received the Mandate from Heaven. Before Emperor Taizong received the Mandate, there was a song called 'Peaches and Plums'. Before Emperor Taizong received the Mandate, there was a song called 'Music of the King of Qin Breaking the Formation'. Before Heaven received the Mandate, there was a song called 'Charming Lady'. Today, there is a song called 'Mulberry Tiao Wei'. It can be seen that Empress Wei is the Empress of the Nation from Heaven … "
Li Longji said, "All these are very similar to the Empress before she became the Emperor. First the Offering, then the Auspicious Sign, followed by the Mandate from Heaven. Haha, Empress Wei's actions are all imitating the Empress! Then what did the Empress do next? "
Yang Fan narrowed his eyes slightly and said sternly, "Kill the members of Li Tang's royal family and execute the loyal officials of Li Tang!"
Li Longji said with a heavy expression, "We … are like an arrow on the bowstring. We have no choice but to release it!"
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