After being dressed as Wu Zetian's daughter, she was favored by the group

Chapter 8 Empress Wu's Counterattack

Seeing the change in the situation, Hao Chujun immediately changed his tactics in order to protect the Ministry of Rites, and pressed Wu Zetian:
"Excuse me, Empress Wu, did Eunuch Chen come to Hanliang Hall last night to read out the imperial edict to abolish the Empress? Did you accept the edict?"

Hao Chujun was worried that Wu Zetian would not answer as 'Zhaoyi', so he had no choice but to change the title back to empress, and moved out Chen Gonggong, a close minister of the emperor. As long as Wu Zetian admitted it, it would prove the fact that the empress was abolished.

It doesn't matter if you don't admit it, anyway, he, the two princes, and the imperial guards on duty have all witnessed it with their own eyes. If Empress Wu denies it in public, it will definitely damage the emperor's majesty and strengthen Li Zhi's determination to abolish the empress.

Wu Zetian smiled charmingly, turned her head away, and asked Li Zhi in surprise:
"Your Majesty, the concubine rested early last night. Did you let Eunuch Chen deliver the decree? Why didn't the concubine know about it?"

This answer neither admitted nor denied, but kicked the ball to Li Zhi to save face for Li Zhi and let him lie.

"Haha, I passed on many decrees yesterday, how can I still remember them clearly, Eunuch Chen, what decrees did you pass on to the queen yesterday, tell the truth!"

Eunuch Chen was being used by Hao Chujun as a spearman, and he hated his teeth for a long time. Hearing what Li Zhi said, he didn't understand, so he knelt down and replied respectfully:

"Go back to Your Majesty, back to Your Majesty, this servant went to Hanliang Palace three times yesterday, all about today's Princess Grand Ceremony, it is inconvenient for Your Majesty to get out of bed, it is Cui Daizhao's order for Your Majesty, it is normal that Your Majesty does not remember !"

The parties denied it, Hao Chujun was completely desperate, he couldn't let Wu Zetian come up with that edict.

If it is really taken out, it will slap the emperor in the face. As for asking the two princes to testify, it is even more impossible. The action of abolishing the empress last night can only rot in the stomach.

"Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Xu Jingzong bowed:

"I remember that last year after the abolition of Shangguan Yi, it was carried out in front of all the civil and military officials in the court. I am stupid, I have never heard of the abolition of the empress, and I can secretly carry it out without telling all the officials. It shows that Hao Chujun is fabricating a lie. Slandering the empress is such a serious crime of deceiving the emperor, I beg your majesty to remove the prime minister!"

After Xu Jingzong's words fell, all members of Empress Wu's faction agreed, and Li Zhi's face was a little ugly. Hao Chujun was originally promoted by him. got the upper hand.

"Your Majesty!" Wu Zetian said, "Xiang Hao is knowledgeable and versatile. He also assisted the British Duke in destroying Korea. He has made great contributions to our Tang Dynasty. How can he be dismissed because of a slip of the tongue?"

Hearing what Wu Zetian said, Li Zhi couldn't believe his ears!

Has my wife become generous?
Not to think too much, he immediately echoed: "Yes, yes, yes! What the queen said is true, then I will let the past go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Zetian took over the conversation and continued: "The concubine thinks that not only should he not be punished, but should be rewarded instead!"

As soon as these words came out, Li Zhi knew that his wife was going to make a big move, Hao Chujun's heart twisted, he didn't believe that Wu Zetian had such a kind heart, there must be deceit in it.

"Oh? According to the queen's wishes, how should I reward her?" Li Zhi could only bite the bullet and ask.

Wu Zetian smiled like a flower, pointing at the next Prince Li Hong, remonstrating:
"With Prime Minister Hao's talent, he can be ranked among the three princes. Please Your Majesty canonize Prime Minister Hao as the crown prince's Taibao, and he will be stationed in the East Palace. He will be responsible for teaching the prince how to govern the country, so as to cultivate a wise emperor for my Tang Dynasty!"

"My minister agrees!"

"My minister agrees!"

"My minister agrees!"

After the words fell, the ministers of Empress Wu's faction stood up to support him one after another. Hao Chujun's face turned pale. Wu Zetian's intention was obvious. He was promoted from a second-rank prime minister with real power to a first-rank crown prince with no real power. It seemed that he was promoted, but in fact he was promoted Dark drop!

Li Zhi is not an idiot, so he naturally saw the trickiness in it, so he could only stare at Prince Li Hong, and asked in a consulting tone:
"What does the prince think?"

Li Hong is still a boy of less than fifteen years old, and he has only graduated from junior high school now. How can he understand the mystery? When he heard that his mother had arranged for him to be a teacher, he thought it was to publicize his favor to him. Li Hong When Zhi asked, he answered happily:

"I am overjoyed to be assisted by Prime Minister Zuo, thank you father and queen!"

I don't have a son like you, Li Zhi slandered from the bottom of his heart, so he had no choice but to say:

"Decree, Prime Minister Hao Chujun will be promoted to Prince Taibao, enter the East Palace, and receive a salary of seven hundred shi, hereby!"

Hao Chujun glanced at the people in the hall, Wang Derang, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, became a coward again, and the two princes who announced the decree with him also pretended to be ostriches, he did not expect to become a lonely family so soon, he sighed heavily, bowed his head and sobbed :
"Chen... Thank you, Your Majesty!"

The left prime minister was directly kicked out of the core of power, so who should take the vacated position?
Xu Jingzong looked at Wu Zetian, who shook his head slightly, and then realized that he could not get involved for the time being, so he generously recommended several talented veterans.

Seeing that Li Zhi was not satisfied, British Duke Li Ji stood up and said:
"Your Majesty, the veteran believes that Pei Yan, the servant of the Huangmen, is qualified for the post of Prime Minister!"

Li Zhi was overjoyed when he heard that, Pei Yan was the number one scholar in the imperial examination, he was full of knowledge and ability, and he had no party members in the court. The most important point was that he was Li Zhi's close servant, and it would be best for him to replace Hao Chujun.

Wu Zetian and Li Ji looked at each other, and everyone knew it.

After finalizing the appointment of the new prime minister, Li Zhi's mood improved, and he was about to arrange a banquet. Unexpectedly, Cui Yixuan, the doctor of the censor, led a group of officials to play:
"Your Majesty, I impeached Wang Derang, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and perverted the law for personal gain..."

"Your Majesty, I impeached Zhongshu's servant He Shan and forcibly robbed the women of the people..."

"Your Majesty, I have impeached Shang Shu Zuo Cheng Ning Sihai, taking bribes..."

"Your Majesty, I impeached Wen Jingxun, Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, for colluding with profiteers...!"

For a while, most of the officials who jumped out to support the abolition of the Empress were retaliated against by Wu Zetian. The charges of impeachment were justified and well-founded.

In the end, Li Zhi could only hand over all the officials involved to the Ministry of Criminal Justice and Dali Temple for trial.

The originally lively Princess Full Moon Ceremony was turned into a "counter-offensive and reckless" criticism meeting.

Although the rank of officials impeached by Empress Wu is not too high, the number is huge.

Li Zhi suffered from dizziness again, so he held on for a while, leaving Empress Wu to preside over the little princess's full moon ceremony, and took Eunuch Chen back to the bedroom.

He was really tired, not only physically, but also mentally.

After Li Zhi left, Wu Zetian held a grand banquet for the officials, held Li Lingyue in both hands, and accepted the congratulations of all officials.

Although Li Lingyue's full moon banquet became her own mother's "political show", she still felt the treatment of golden branches and jade leaves when she was a baby.

Wu Zetian was condescending, glanced at the ministers kneeling below, and looked proudly at Li Lingyue in her arms, as if saying:

"Daughter, this is the country that mother laid down for you!"

From Empress Wu's eyes, Li Lingyue saw passion, obsession, enjoyment, and greed.

Power should be something that men are obsessed with, but for this woman, it is even worse.

So she shivered and peed again...

　Ask for a recommendation ticket, throw one away and go!

　　


(End of this chapter)