Yu Jun

At this time, it was the end of the hour, the sun was falling, and the wind was born on the ground, rising from the end of the green apple, turning into a strong wind, circling outside the hall.

The palace door opened, and the imperial doctor rushed in. The strong wind then roared into the palace, making a whimpering sound, like some kind of mournful cry, howling in everyone's ears.

The strong wind blew across the emperor's withered face, and the crowd rushed to the imperial couch. The prince rushed out against the current, grabbed a chamberlain, and shouted loudly: "Go and call Wu Hongzhe into the palace! Quick! All the chief and deputy envoys of the Privy Council enter the palace!"

The palace was dark, and a chamberlain rushed out to call. Two chamberlains used their shoulders to slightly lift the heavy palace door, so that it could be closed silently. Zhang Chongfeng urgently asked people to light candles, and several candles were lit in sequence. The prince looked at One look at the emperor's frail and old face, and he couldn't believe that he was an emperor.

Under the pain, the emperor became an ordinary old man, unable to hold on to the power in his hands, leaving only incompetent anger and fear of the situation.

Half an hour later, the chief minister and his deputy rushed into the palace. The curtains were hung in the palace of civil affairs. The emperor's mouth and nose were crooked, saliva flowed, his face was numb, and his right hand was weak. In order to cover up his serious illness, he had to communicate with the ministers. separated.

The curtains hung down, and the prince sat outside. He was a veritable vice-president. He held a secret letter in his hand. The expression on his face changed from anxious to indifferent, and there was a lot of thinking in his eyes.

After Wu Jin's death, the central officials remonstrated, and after Mo Lingfeng threw rotten grain in the court, he was fined, dismissed, and reimbursed, but Wu Hongzhe remained unwavering despite his old age.

Wu Hongzhe was not blindly happy about the victory in Kuanzhou. Instead, he believed that the situation in the court was becoming more and more cloudy. He didn't know what the Mo family in Kuanzhou wanted to do. The emperor and the Mo family had been feuding for decades. A great victory could not be a battle for the country. .

He glanced at the prince with his peripheral vision, and then at the windless curtains. The gaps in the curtains cut the emperor on the imperial couch into several sections.

He did not act according to the wind, but because the emperor was sick and old, and the prince was in his prime, it was inevitable for the court to change. If he was stubborn and conservative, it would lead to conflicts between the court and the country, which would harm the country's strength.

The smell in the temple was strong, and a lot of spices were sprinkled in the incense burner, but the smell of filth still penetrated people's nostrils.

When the emperor spoke, his tongue seemed to be stuck with swim bladder glue, and every word was muffled, unclear, and very laborious.

"Kuanzhou's secret message... The Mo family made gunpowder to shake the sky and thunder... There is no doubt that they are treason."

"Shaking thunder!"

The three members of the Privy Council looked at each other, and the Deputy Privy Councilor said anxiously: "Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible. The gunpowder production in the north and south workshops is carefully divided. Craftsmen are not allowed to leave without permission. All entry and exit must be inspected by the Imperial Guard. There is no possibility of entrapment!"

Wu Hongzhe said: "Although the north and south workshops will not be leaked, after the gunpowder is taken apart, it is nothing more than those things. Jin Lu is so rough and savage, and he has also learned a few things. There is a champion scholar in Kuanzhou, who can think of it." It’s not surprising that Tongzhen Tianlei knows how to use it.”

He glanced at the silent prince: "I wonder if the spy has sent any evidence?"

The prince handed the secret letter to the chamberlain and asked him to show it to the three ministers: "There is no proof."

After Wu Hongzhe read the secret letter, his doubts dissipated - Mo Lingfeng was world-famous for his military exploits, and he sent the news about Zhentian Lei to the emperor for him to make a decision.

If we don't send troops, we will raise tigers. When Mo Lingfeng raises his troops, it will be difficult for the country to suppress him.

Sending troops is in name only but Mo Lingfeng holds the moral right. Even if he can send troops to annihilate the Mo family army, the country will do what it wants.

The pen and ink of a literati is not forgiving.

What's more, since Mo Lingfeng dares to do this, he probably has the strength to occupy Kuanzhou.

Thinking of this, he handed the secret message to his deputy. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the emperor say: "What does the prince mean?"

The prince sneered in his heart, knowing exactly what the emperor was thinking - if he, the prince, opened his mouth to suppress Mo Lingfeng, he could retain the emperor's holy name.

He stood up, bowed his head and replied: "I have only been in contact with you for a short period of time regarding important military and political matters, so I dare not make false claims. Please give me your Majesty's instructions."

Behind the curtain, the emperor's breathing suddenly became rapid and he was panting hard. Although he did not say any angry words, everyone still knew that Long Yan was furious. The prince should have knelt down to apologize, but he stood up straight and looked quietly behind the curtain with a look of self-mockery and impatience.

This arrogance is more like a provocation.

The monarch and his ministers have been at odds with each other for several years and have plotted against each other. Once the monarch gradually loses his authority, the ministers will overstep the rules. There has never been any affection between father and son and they are on guard against each other. Once the father gets older and older, the son will override him.

Zhang Chongfeng hurriedly stepped forward and rubbed the emperor's heart. The emperor's movable left hand tightly grasped Zhang Chongfeng's arm. There was a constant "snoring" sound in his throat. His face was livid, saliva dripped from his mouth, the corners of his mouth were crooked, and his words were unclear and unclear. , only Zhang Gongfeng heard it, it was the word "Nizi".

He didn't dare to say anything, so he turned around and called the imperial physician. The imperial physician who was guarding outside the palace came in again, passed by the military minister and the prince, and performed acupuncture and massage on the emperor.

For a moment, a sentence passed through everyone's mind - once the emperor, once the ministers.

After more than half an hour, the emperor softened his tone and said through gritted teeth: "The prince's idleness is of no benefit to the country!"

The prince said in annoyance: "Your Majesty, it's not that I am incompetent. It is actually the power in my hands. It's just a big fight. If I overstep my authority and talk about military affairs lightly, I'm afraid it will make the magnanimous people laugh."

The emperor raised his left hand and flipped a porcelain pillow on the couch to the ground. The porcelain pillow fell heavily to the ground and broke into three or four petals.

He cursed vaguely: "Rebellious ministers and traitors!"

The prince lowered his head and said nothing, while Wu Hongzhe and others pretended to be deaf and mute, not daring to breathe.

Because no one responded, the emperor's thunderous wrath did not shock people's hearts, but seemed ridiculous.

The emperor trembled for a long time, thinking of King Wei, if King Wei had not died...

He closed his eyes, stopped thinking, and said with great effort: "To pass on my decree, there is a report saying that Mo Lingfeng is good at making gunpowder and swords, and stationed troops in Kuanzhou. He ordered him to go to the DPRK with his troops from now on to report, and to transfer the Fuzhou army to control. Temporarily replace Kuanzhou."

The prince said again: "Your Majesty, what should I do if Mo Lingfeng disobeys me?"

The emperor felt blood welling up in his throat - the prince wanted him to bear the name of a foolish emperor to the end.

He said word by word: "I issued three orders in succession. If I continue to disobey the order, I will order Tang Baichuan of Fuzhou to be the commander of the army, conduct strategic planning and recruit envoys, and mobilize 100,000 troops outside the city of Jeju to suppress the rebels."

The prince immediately said: "I will go to the Hanlin Academy to summon you."

The emperor uttered his last words: "No need for the Hanlin Academy. It will be delivered urgently by the Privy Council, traveling five hundred miles a day."

"Yes."

The prince and the Privy Council responded in unison, and the emperor struggled to sit up, looking at the dangling shadows on the curtains with rage.

They are all disloyal and unfilial people!

He thought of Wu Jin's death remonstrance, of his spine that could not be beaten by the royal staff, of his character that would rather die than surrender. Compared with Wu Jin, these people in front of him could only be regarded as monsters.

The blood surging in his throat could no longer be suppressed, and spurted out with a "pop" sound. He fell straight back and hit the imperial couch heavily. He stared at the bed curtain and breathed out.

"His Majesty!"