Wu Zetian entered the Hall of Martial Accomplishment and sat down on a brocade stool behind the rolled-up high table. She flicked her sleeves and asked with a smile: "Wan'er, do you have any important memorials that need to be dealt with? After dealing with court affairs today, I have interrogated five tributary scholars in a row. My body is a little tired. If there is nothing important, I would like to rest early. "
Shanghai Wan'er had been absent-minded all morning and her speed in dealing with the memorials was a little slow. Usually, she would have finished sorting out yesterday's memorials by this time, but now she was still lacking two or three. When Wu Zetian asked, Shanghai Wan'er's face heated up slightly and she said: "There are not many memorials that require the Empress's approval. Wan'er has already sorted them all out. There are only three more that I have not had the time to look at."
Wu Zetian said: "Since that is the case, I will first look at them before I rest."
The memorials on the table were divided into three piles. The left pile was for Shanghai Wan'er to handle, the right pile was for the Empress to personally approve, and there were three more in the middle. Shanghai Wan'er had been handling memorials for Wu Zetian for a long time. Wu Zetian naturally knew her habit of placing memorials. She placed the three memorials in the middle in front of her and picked up the first one.
Wu Zetian was an old woman in her seventies and her eyes were already a little blurry. She opened a memorial that Shanghai Wan'er had not had the time to read. She slightly turned her body and squinted her eyes to read. Halfway through reading, Wu Zetian suddenly let out a "Pu Chi" sound and burst out laughing.
Shanghai Wan'er had just come over with a bowl of wort. Seeing Empress Wu in such a state, she could not help but be surprised and asked: "Why is the Empress laughing?"
Wu Zetian said with a smile: "Take a look yourself. Hahaha, this Wang Shouli is such a bookworm. He is so naive that he is cute, hahaha..."
Shangguan Wan 'er picked up the memorial and opened it to take a look. It was an impeachment memorial from Imperial Messenger Wang Shouli. In the memorial, Imperial Messenger Wang accused the Great Master of the White Horse Temple, Great Master Huai Yi. He said that even though he was a monk, he was still a strong man. The Imperial Palace was the residence of the imperial concubines. Only women and eunuchs were allowed to enter. Even the imperial guards and warriors had to leave the Imperial Palace at night to guard outside.
Now White Horse Temple Abbot Huai Yi entered the palace from time to time and stayed overnight. This caused a lot of gossip in the court. He, Wang Shouli, as the imperial messenger, did not dare to remain silent. He specially requested the Empress to forbid Monk Huai Yi from sleeping in the palace at night, or to 'remove his power' to protect the palace maids' chastity.
When Shanghai Wan'er saw this, she could not help but want to laugh. This Imperial Messenger Wang was really a bookworm. He could even make such a suggestion. He must have heard about the affair between Huai Yi and the Empress, but it was not convenient for him to say it directly. So he came up with such a tactful way. However, could this kind of advice affect Empress Wu in the slightest?
Shanghai Wan'er waved the memorial and asked Empress Wu: "Empress, how should we reply to this memorial?"
Wu Zetian said with a smile: "Why bother with him? Just leave it in the palace!"
As Wu Zetian said this, she picked up the second memorial. Just as she opened it, she seemed to remember something. She looked up at Shanghai Wan'er and said: "Oh, yes! Now that spring is just right, I want to go to Dragon Gate to relax and stay for a few days. During the trip, the minor court meeting will be cancelled. All the memorials will be sent to Dragon Gate Xiangshan Temple. During the court meeting, all the officials will come to Xiangshan Temple to see me. You go and arrange it! "
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Shanghai Wan'er agreed and retreated.
...
The western suburbs of Luoyang were beautiful, and Dragon Gate was the best.
Dragon Gate Mountain was one of the eight sceneries of Luoyang since ancient times. The pavilions here were majestic and spectacular. The spring at the foot of the mountain gurgled and the Yi River rippled. Boats traveled back and forth, forming the beautiful scenery of Dragon Gate Mountain. Wu Zetian had always liked the scenery here. Every year, she would go to Dragon Gate to relax and relax.
Two days later, all the preparations for the war were completed. The accompanying royal relatives, civil and military officials, eunuchs, palace maids, and palace guards all followed Wu Zetian's carriage to the Dragon's Gate. She also sent the Golden Guards and Qiu Shenji's troops to the Dragon's Gate to protect them. The large group of troops marched towards the Dragon's Gate.
Beside the Tianjin Bridge, a medium-sized merchant ship that could carry 50 to 60 people was quietly anchored there.
A man wearing a turban on his head and a blue robe stood at the bow of the ship.
This man was about 25 or 26 years old and could not be considered handsome. He could only be said to be pleasing to the eye. He had a slightly dark complexion and a small beard on his chin. He had a rather ordinary face, but his pair of bright and spirited eyes revealed a sense of shrewdness and capability. This made his ordinary face appear extraordinary.
He smiled and looked at the endless parade of carriages and horses on the bridge with a thoughtful expression.
The ship shook slightly and the curtain was lifted. A woman walked out from the ship and stood beside the man in green. She used her hand to slightly cover her eyebrows and looked at the solemn parade of soldiers on the bridge. She laughed lightly and said, "We are really lucky. We have just arrived at Luoyang and we already see the Empress on patrol. This kind of grandeur is really daunting."
The man in green smiled slightly and did not reply.
The woman who walked out from the cabin was wearing a cotton dress with a braided hairpin. She was dressed very ordinarily, but at a glance, there was a magnetic-like charm that could immediately attract the eyes of men.
This was because she was very feminine. Women were women. All women were called women, but sometimes the word "woman" was used to describe one type of woman. That was a femme fatale. To put it nicely, it was called a stunner.
She had a long and fair neck. Her facial features were not particularly exquisite. Her fair and wide forehead was a bit too high, her bright and clear eyes were a bit too big, and her lips were a bit too thick. This kind of facial features was by no means the most perfect combination and could not be considered flawless.
However, it was this combination that gave men a very special feeling when they saw it. It was very easy for people to associate it with sex. Her facial features were not the most perfect, but when it was cleverly combined with her face, there was a kind of charm to it. The wonder of creation was truly indescribable.
Her figure was the same. She was a round and smooth woman. She was slightly plump and did not have a slender charm. However, as she stood there, she exuded a charm from her bones. It gave people the urge to press her down and possess her.
This femme fatale beauty was called Yang Xuerao. She was Shen Mu's woman. Shen Mu was the man in the green robe.
What they saw was the tail of the procession. The large procession quickly passed by. Shen Mu stood at the bow of the ship with his hands behind his back. He squinted at the procession and suddenly asked, "Where is Di Renjie now?"
The 'femme fatale' flirtatiously combed her hair and lazily replied, "That old man is still touring. I'm afraid he won't be able to reach Luoyang anytime soon."
Shen Mu helplessly sighed and bitterly smiled, "That old man has no choice but to get involved in this mess. How long does he think he can hide for?"
Yang Xuerao replied, "He'll hide for as long as he can. This Luoyang City is filled with holes. If he accidentally falls into one, he might not be able to climb out again. That unscrupulous old thief is smarter than a ghost. His nickname in the officialdom is' Old Fox '. How can he not be more cautious when he meets someone like you who specializes in digging holes? "
Shen Mu chuckled and said, "That's true. If he wants to delay, then let him. Anyway, the Empress has already ordered him to return to the capital. He won't be able to delay for long. Come, let's enter the city. We'll trick people while waiting for him! "
Yang Xuerao lazily stretched her waist and followed him back to the canopy. She delicately pleaded, "Are we going to see that 'Young Master Jiang' who wears white all year round? Let's rest for two days and accompany me on a tour of Luoyang's scenery. It's my first time coming to the Eastern Capital. "
Shen Mu's voice came from the cabin, "From Chang 'an to Luoyang, you've already enjoyed the scenery along the way. Haven't you seen enough?"
Yang Xuerao coquettishly pouted, "You dead man! It's as if you've never seen a woman in eight lifetimes. I've been bullied by you along the way. How can I have the time to enjoy the scenery? "
"Hehe, reward my ass. You really hit the nail on the head!"
"Ah … I'll bite you to death!"
A burst of laughter came from the cabin. The waiters at the bow were busy with their own things, as if they were already used to it.
…
Qiu Shenji had already arrived at the Dragon Gate with the Jinwu Guards. The Ministry of Justice's Zhou Xing and a large number of officials from the Ministry of Justice and Luoyang Prefecture were also the first to arrive. At this moment, a large number of officials were doing the final purge around the Dragon Gate. Even some monks who were not particularly clear about their background were driven away from the Dragon Gate. The officers and soldiers of the Jinwu Guards were arranging defenses around the Dragon Gate, Fragrant Hill, the banks of the Yi River and the post stations.
Qiu Shenji and Zhou Xing stood side by side in front of the mountain gate of Fragrant Hill Temple.
The two of them were like killing gods. As long as one of them stood there, others would not dare to come close. When the two of them stood side by side, ghosts and gods would retreat. Within a radius of ten feet, there was not a single person.
Qiu Shenji and Zhou Lai were the four ruthless officials of the imperial court. Qiu Shenji and Zhou Xing were officials who climbed up the official path, so they naturally formed a faction. Lai Junchen was originally a prisoner. He relied on opportunism and informants to get rich. Suo Yuanli was a Persian barbarian who did not follow the right path. Therefore, the two of them formed a faction.
Wu Zetian's change of dynasty was imminent. Everyone could see that Empress Wu's ascension to the throne was unstoppable. However, Wu Zetian was old after all. She was a person who was almost seventy years old. No one knew when she would pass away. Since she was going to be the Empress, the Crown Prince became the most important issue for all the officials.
If Empress Wu wanted to be the Empress, the Crown Prince would be the most confusing. The other dynasties only had a few princes. There were at most two or three people who were truly qualified to compete for the position of Crown Prince. Even so, the officials often chose the wrong side.
And now, Empress Wu was using the identity of the Li Dynasty's Empress Dowager to take over the country and proclaim herself as the Empress. She would turn the Li Clan's country into the Wu Clan's country. The variable of the Crown Prince would be even greater.
Empress Wu had four sons. Two of them had already died in her hands. Of the other two, one was now a puppet emperor. The other was under house arrest in Fangzhou and under strict supervision. If Empress Wu became the Empress, it was hard to say whether her son would inherit the position of Crown Prince.
Then who was the remaining candidate for the Crown Prince?
After Zhou Xing and Qiu Shenji discussed, they set their target on Princess Taiping. In the end, Qiu Shenji tried to probe and was given the cold shoulder. Now, the two of them had to choose another "wise ruler" to ensure their wealth and honor would last for a long time.
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