Li Zhi, don't be a coward

Chapter 165 The Loving Couple
The New Year does not seem to have much impact on the palace.

The majestic and majestic Tai Chi Palace is still shrouded in strict rules.

In Chengxiang Hall, Li Zhi stood in front of a huge copper stove, and the charcoal fire in the stove was burning fiercely.

Li Zhi still felt a little cold. Since his middle age, his health has not been very good. Apart from wind disease, he also has many minor ailments, especially in winter, he is especially afraid of the cold.

Squinting and looking outside the palace, countless eunuchs are quietly tying red silk on the palaces and terraces of various palaces, adorning them in New Year's colors.

"It's been another year..." Li Zhi muttered to himself in a daze.

The older you get, the less passionate you are about the New Year.

Thinking back to when he was young, his father personally brought him and his younger sister, Xiao Si, by his side. Every New Year, his father would put down a mountain of memorials and take the two brothers and sisters to practice horse riding and archery outside the empty hall. , play a game of pins and needles.

At that time, Taiji Palace was still very cold, but he and his sister were extremely happy. In his heart, Taiji Palace was a home, a big house with family affection and warmth inside.

In retrospect, it seems to be a memory of another life.

The father has passed away, and so has the little son.And he, the cowardly and crying prince, also became the emperor of Tang Dynasty.

He couldn't find any trace of his childhood joy, and the more than ten years of his career as an emperor had gradually worn away the joy and affection in his heart.

Today's Tai Chi Palace is just a palace, a place where he sleeps and is busy.

The personal servant Wang Changfu bowed his head and hurried into the hall.

"Your Majesty, Song Sen, the deputy head of Baiqi Division, has something to do." Wang Changfu said softly.

Li Zhi came back to his senses and said, "Say."

"Li Qinzai, the son of Weinan County, made a big disturbance at Liu Yuanzhen's mansion an hour ago. He led more than a dozen of his followers to smash Liu's mansion to pieces and broke one of Liu Yuanzhen's legs..."

Li Zhi was startled, thought for a while, and gradually smiled in his eyes: "This Jingchu has a big temper..."

Wang Changfu said again: "Also, the fourth prince, His Royal Highness King Xun, the eldest son of Hedong County, Xue Na, and the grandson of Shen Guogong, Gao Qi, the three of them gathered dozens of people and smashed the house of the supervisory official Ma Zhong. Ma Zhong was killed by Gao Qi. He was slapped more than ten times on the street, and his face was so swollen that he couldn't see anyone."

Li Zhi was stunned again: "Su Jie also participated?"

"His Royal Highness Xun didn't show up, but ordered the guards to block the street, saying that the prince's guard of honor was passing by, and no one else was allowed to approach, leaving enough time for Xue Na and Gao Qi to make trouble."

Li Zhi's eyes flickered: "Jingchu smashed Liu Yuanzhen's mansion, and Sujie and the others made a big fuss at Ma Zhong's mansion. Was it a negotiation?"

"According to Baiqisi's report, the two parties did not discuss well. His Royal Highness King Xun and Xue Gao spontaneously vented their anger for Li Xianzi. It happened that the two incidents happened at the same time."

Li Zhi smiled mysteriously, and murmured: "I didn't expect that Jing Chu would handle this matter like this, which is in line with his playful nature, haha."

Wang Changfu kept bowing all the time, not daring to raise his head.

After a long time, Li Zhi asked again: "Liu Yuanzhen's mansion was smashed and his leg was broken. Can Li Yi's mansion do anything?"

"Until the time when Baiqisi entered the palace to report, Li Yifu still did not respond."

Li Zhi sneered: "Old fox, you can hold your breath."

While meditating, there was a report from the eunuch outside the hall, and Empress Wu arrived.

A gust of fragrant wind blew across the face, and Empress Wu had squatted down in front of Li Zhi to give blessings. After seeing the ceremony, Empress Wu stepped forward lightly and said softly: "Your Majesty will preside over the sacrificial ceremony in person tomorrow. The Ministry of Rites has prepared the regulations and titles. Your Majesty may Want to read it?"

Li Zhi smiled and said: "The Queen will help me to take a look. Every year, the rules of the grand ceremony are the same, so there is nothing to look at."

Empress Wu also laughed and said: "Then the concubine will be overstepping, just help His Majesty take a look."

Speaking of which, Empress Wu brought a bowl of soup from the tray of the maid behind her, and said softly: "Your Majesty has worked hard for days, and my concubine ordered the imperial chef to carefully cook the lotus heart soup. Although the lotus heart is bitter, it is good for the heart. Your Majesty, please drink some."

Li Zhi took the soup bowl, took a sip, and suddenly said with a smile: "Before the queen came, I heard something interesting..."

Empress Wu smiled softly: "I don't know what made His Majesty so happy?"

"A few days ago, I made Li Jingchu the nobleman of Weinan County, but someone jumped up and down in the court, admonishing me not to be knighted easily, haha, I haven't said anything yet, but Li Jingchu can't sit still."

"Today, I got a group of songs and smashed the mansion of Liu Yuanzhen, the head of the young mansion, and broke Liu Yuanzhen's leg. This dude is really popular. I thought the Li family's bastard had been reborn, but I didn't expect it. change."

Empress Wu was taken aback for a moment, the smile on her face suddenly became forced, and she still smiled stiffly: "Li Jingchu... really has a bad temper, I don't know how Liu Yuanzhen provoked him?"

Li Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly, and said indifferently: "The courtiers form cliques for private interests, and some people's hands are too long. I can't confer titles, so let them intervene? How dare you join more than a dozen censors in joint names?" Advice, a mere master of the young mansion, do you think you can turn the world upside down?"

Although the tone was light, it sounded like thunder in Empress Wu's ears. A layer of sweat dripped from her forehead unconsciously, and she still ordered herself to smile.

"Some courtiers are too shameful, Your Majesty should punish them." Empress Wu's expression at the moment shared the same hatred as Li Zhi.

Li Zhi didn't look at her expression on purpose, and said calmly: "By taking advantage of this matter, I really should rectify it, the one behind Liu Yuanzhen, hehe, you better be more sensible, don't force me to do it."

Empress Wu stood with her hands hanging down, but trembling slightly as they were gathered in her wide sleeves.

She knew very well that Li Zhi's words were definitely not talking to herself.

After a long time, Li Zhi turned his head to look at Empress Wu, and suddenly smiled: "New Year's Day is coming soon, it's very cold, the empress needs to wear more clothes, don't get sick from the cold."

"You should also take care of the princes and ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to tailor some new clothes for them. Even though it is a deep palace, the family should live in harmony and have a peaceful New Year."

Empress Wu smiled sweetly, and gave him a sidelong glance, revealing all sorts of charms: "Do you still have to order from His Majesty? The concubines have already made preparations, and the new clothes have already been put on the princes."

Li Zhi took her hand, rubbed it constantly, and said emotionally: "The empress is virtuous, I have no worries about the future, and I am blessed to be married to the empress in this life."

"The concubine and your majesty have the same thoughts, and your majesty has said everything the concubine wants to say." Empress Wu hugged his arm softly.

The love between husband and wife is as good as before, with soft words and affectionate affection.

But Wang Changfu, who was standing by the side in the hall, felt chills down his spine for some reason.

…………

An hour later, Li Yifu, the Marquis of Guangping County and Minister of the Ministry of Officials, knelt in the hall, trembling uncontrollably.

There were only Empress Wu and Li Yifu in the hall. In order to avoid suspicion, Empress Wu summoned him behind a curtain.

"Li County Marquis, I have treated you well, but you have become more and more rampant!" Behind the bead curtain, Empress Wu's voice was extremely indifferent.

Li Yifu prostrated himself on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "I am guilty!"

Empress Wu was unmoved, and sternly said: "Your Majesty is the one who can talk nonsense about conferring a title? Do you really think you are a character?"

"The empress forgives the sin. The old minister never expected that His Majesty would react so strongly to this..."

"There are so many things you didn't expect. Bengong has said repeatedly, do your job well, and don't get involved in things that have nothing to do with you. Today, you have acted recklessly and almost implicated Bengong in it!"

"Queen, this old minister was originally just trying to test His Majesty's bottom line. After all, in the past year, all the imperial memorials were reviewed by the queen. The old minister was wondering whether to add more heat to let the queen hold more power..."

Behind the bead curtain, Empress Wu's face was livid with anger, and she said angrily, "Does my palace need your advice? Why did your majesty concoct the eldest grandson Wuji's treason case back then? Yin Jian is before you, do you still repeat the same mistakes?"

Through the bead curtain, Empress Wu stared at Li Yifu's frightened old face, and said word by word: "The imperial power is against the scale of the heavenly family. If you make a fuss about the noble, you must bear the consequences!"

Li Yifu panicked and said: "Yes, the old minister accepts the crime."

Empress Wu half-closed her eyes wearily, and said calmly, "Your son-in-law Liu Yuanzhen, whose leg was broken by Li Qinzai, deserves what he deserves. How do you plan to deal with it?"

After all, Li Yifu is a veteran who has been in the officialdom for many years. Hearing this, he said without hesitation: "The old minister went to the British government to make amends."

Empress Wu said coldly: "From now on, I will take care of your errands, don't pretend to be smart anymore, I don't want the person who relies on you to be an idiot."

"The old minister understands."

(End of this chapter)