Shengshichun

Chapter 392 Entering the Palace
Now that people know that the missing eldest prince has already appeared, and that only those close to him are in the capital, public opinion in the capital is still high.

As the auspicious day of the Queen's birthday approaches, this heated discussion is pushed to a climax.

Originally, the people were not allowed to discuss the affairs of the imperial palace, but this time the government did not force a ban, so everyone was more courageous to speak out. Various speculations were also derived from this.

The Phoenix’s birthday is on the tenth day of the tenth month.

On the ninth day of the first lunar month, every household that received the imperial edict began to prepare their attire for the banquet.

At the same time, all kinds of rumors outside also entered the backyard of every household.

This was the first time in nearly ten years that the Empress had held a birthday banquet for the Phoenix. In the past few years, the country was in turmoil, and the Emperor and Empress had to be frugal. They had not bought new dragon and phoenix robes for three consecutive years, so it was impossible for them to hold a banquet for themselves. Even if it was to boost morale, they would only climb the city wall to celebrate with the people during the New Year.

Therefore, the purpose of this palace banquet is to celebrate the stability of the world.

In addition, the issue of succession to the throne was still unresolved, and everyone realized that this palace banquet would definitely be extraordinary.

Those who knew about Yang Yi's existence were relatively calm. Those who were still in the dark had already sent many people to the streets to collect information.

After all, this is a major event that concerns the entire court. A new emperor appoints his own ministers. Who wouldn't care about who will succeed him in the future? How can the palace solve this problem? If it can't be solved, what should the officials of the Great Zhou do? If they bite the bullet and push someone up, it's not that they can't recognize him, but what is his background, temperament, and ability? How can we speculate?

As a result, many memorials were submitted to the palace during these days, and many civil and military officials requesting to see the emperor came in and out of the Qianqing Palace.

However, whether in writing or in person, the emperor's attitude was no attitude.

If there must be a change, it is that the spirit and complexion of the emperor and empress seem to have improved significantly. Even the news quietly spread from the Imperial Hospital said that the emperor's pulse was normal and he had returned to the health condition before the rebellion of the deposed crown prince.

Before the incident involving the deposed crown prince, the Imperial Medical Bureau's diagnosis was that the emperor could maintain his current status for another four to five years without any problems.

That is to say, although the Prince of Yan could no longer inherit the throne, at least the court could be stable for another four or five years. Perhaps in these four or five years, a solution could be found.

This possibility is of course very small, but it seems that this is the only thing we can think of.

So it depends on whether the emperor will give any hints at this palace banquet.

And tomorrow's Phoenix birthday has made people look forward to it unprecedentedly.

The Pei family had prepared their formal dresses early. On the afternoon of the ninth day, Fu Zhen and Mrs. Pei were discussing the head ornaments they were wearing. Naturally, they were full of uncertainty about the upcoming banquet.

"Since the emperor sent guards to keep an eye on the Yi family, he must know what the Yi family is thinking. He didn't stop them. Was he trying to expose the Yi family and the Guo family's conspiracy and their intention to decentralize power in public? Or was he thinking of something else?"

After sending away the latest round of guards who brought in the news, Fu Zhen couldn't help but grumble. "This Yi family is really abominable. The queen finally waited for the return of the eldest prince, and the mother and son were reunited to celebrate the birthday. Moreover, after so many years in the court, everyone can finally breathe a sigh of relief and have fun. But he had to pick this opportunity to cause trouble for others. Even if the eldest prince was not here, he was still too presumptuous."

They had all heard about the friendship between the Yi family and the Guo family. As she and Pei Zhan had expected, they were indeed one of the rebels who had once disobeyed the emperor and surrendered. Liang Chen and his team had inquired at the Ministry of War and the generals who had served in Guangxi. Although the Guo family had made efforts in fighting against foreign enemies over the years and was on the right track, they were still dissatisfied with the emperor's decision to only give him the rank of second-rank general.

He was summoned by the court once every three years, but he usually claimed to be ill and did not come. If he had not made any mistakes in his duties, he could have been charged with disobeying the emperor's order and punished.

Therefore, it is not reasonable that the Guo and Yi families remained unmoved when the palace revealed a loophole in the issue of imperial power.

Because even if they don't want to move, there will often be people under them who will instigate them.

"Back then, it took a lot of effort to conquer the world. There are still people like the Guo and Yi families, but they just haven't shown up yet." Madam Pei fiddled with a pile of pearls in front of her and said, "But if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Everyone has seven emotions and six desires, so how can everyone be upright and noble? It's good enough if they can be clear-headed in major matters.

"It's not a bad thing for the Yi family to show up. If it's not too much, give them a warning. If it's too much, kill them to scare the monkeys. The political tactics in the court exist in every dynasty. How to balance it depends on the emperor's skill in controlling people. After all, isn't the art of using people the art of being an emperor?"

Having said that, she picked out a large phoenix hairpin and compared it to Fu Zhen's bun.

Fu Zhen followed her lead and stuck his head out a little, also expressing his agreement. Then she smiled and said, "Although my mother is outside the court, she has a deep understanding of the court's affairs."

Madam Pei wrapped up the hairpin and pushed it in front of her, not without pride: "Don't think I'm idle all day long. In the Zhou army, I was one of the top women soldiers. Whenever there were wounded soldiers, I followed the military doctors to carry the wounded and prepare herbs. When the men went to war, they still talked about the same things when they returned to their rooms. I understand now.

"Besides, do you think there were no open and covert struggles during the war? There were both. Why did the Guo family only get the second rank? It was because Guo Su once excluded other leaders in the camp, causing unnecessary casualties. This person has a bad mind.

"Anyway, no matter where you are, as long as it involves power and profit, how can it be so clean?

“The reason why our four families are determined to assist the emperor is because we have seen so many of these things along the way.

"Plus, the emperor is indeed a wise ruler. He is worthy of those dead soldiers as the emperor, so we all accept his advice. Otherwise, the same misfortunes that happened in the dynasties in history will happen to us in the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Mrs. Pei's expression was unusually deep, and it was obvious that behind her words lay many past events unknown to the younger generation like Fu Zhen.

Fu Zhen said: "I've never heard you mention this before, can you tell me about it?"

Mrs. Pei smiled and said, "What is there to say? It's all in the past."

Fu Zhen shook her arm and said, "I've been free lately and always feel bored. You can tell me a story."

Mr. Pei then stopped choosing the jade bracelet and glanced at her with a smile: "That will have to be done another day. Let's finish the work at hand today. As for the Yi family, since the eldest prince has noticed it, he should also take action. Let's see what his attitude is towards this."

After saying that, she put an emerald green bracelet on Fu Zhen's wrist, and said after examining it from left to right, "It's really beautiful. This kind of thing is really only suitable for young girls like you to wear."

……

Dusk enveloped the earth. At the Yang family, He Zhao also brought out a set of robes for the banquet to Yang Yi. However, Yang Yi did not pay any attention to it.

Chen Song has been keeping a close eye on the Yi family these days. Perhaps he is quite confident in the plan at hand. The two young men with the surname Yang who were brought from the emperor's ancestral hometown have not only been openly entering and leaving the Yi family's gate these days, but the Yi family has also invited people to the inn to teach them etiquette.

Of course, this was not enough. To see the emperor and empress, they had to be qualified to enter the palace. So the Yi family asked the two to take their travel permits and household registration documents to the Ministry of Rites to report their backgrounds, and to obtain a record in advance under the pretext that they were distant relatives of the emperor who had come to Beijing to celebrate the empress's birthday.

The emperor actually approved such an obvious intention!
Early in the morning, the Ministry of Rites gave its approval and ordered officials from the Ministry of Clan Affairs to go to the post station to verify their identities. Finally, they verified the origins and identities of the two and found that they were indeed descendants of the emperor's ancestor who was thirteen generations older than him.

"More than a dozen generations," Yang Yi couldn't help laughing when he heard this. "More than a dozen generations is already more than a hundred years ago. He clearly knew what the Yi family was thinking, but he didn't even try to stop them. Did he really want the Yi family to disrupt tomorrow's birthday banquet?"

Chen Song bowed his head deeply: "But those two people do have some relationship with the Yang family. Since they are here under the guise of celebrating the birthday, the emperor may not be able to refuse directly.

"Your Majesty is well-known for your virtue. If you reject someone at this time, it will also be detrimental to your reputation."

Yang Yi took a deep breath: "So the Yi family saw that the palace would give this face at this time, so they boldly sent people up."

"I think so. After all, once you enter the palace, it doesn't matter if you fail once. Once you do it, there will be a second time. Once you show your face in the palace and in front of the civil and military officials, they will naturally think of them when they need you in the future."

Yang Yi glanced at him.

At this time, He Zhao hurried in and said, "My Lord, the matter you asked me to find out last time has been solved.

"When you and I were in the northwest, the group led by Guo Su happened to be guarding outside the emperor's tent."

As soon as these words came out, Yang Yi and Chen Song's eyes fell on his face.

"Is there any evidence?"

"There is no evidence." He Zhao shook his head. "At most, it can only confirm the mission that Guo Su was in charge of. After more than 24 years, it is impossible to find any clues about their master's whereabouts."

Chen Song heard this and said, "Whether there is evidence or not, I think it is not important. Just based on Guo Su's dissatisfaction with the emperor's rewards over the years, it is entirely possible that he wanted to take advantage of the situation and do something against the lord.

"What matters now is that they are still planning to achieve their goal of decentralization through the issue of appointing a successor."

He Zhao nodded: "Chen Song is right. What matters is the present. As long as their conspiracy cannot succeed, no matter how ambitious they are, it will be in vain."

Yang Yi walked back and forth along the railing for a few steps, and finally stopped under the pillars: "You two, do you want me to enter the palace?"

He and Chen both bowed their hands and said, "At this point, all this chaos can only be stopped if the Lord shows up as the eldest son of the Emperor and takes over the throne."

Yang Yining remained silent.

He Zhao said: "My lord, since you have already made up your mind, why are you still hesitating? You enter the palace to become the eldest prince and take over the throne, not for the emperor, but for the people of the world and for the overall situation of the court!"

Yang Yi took a deep breath, picked up the robe on the table, then gritted his teeth and said, "Go prepare the horse. I'll go ask him what he thinks first."

When He and Chen heard this, their eyes lit up: "My lord is wise!"

……

He Zhao and Chen Song have been with Yang Yi for so many years, and have been through life and death many times. They are no longer just ordinary master and servant. In their hearts, they are no different from family members.

Although Yang Yi has not said what decision he will make these days, his actions have already said it all.

He has witnessed so much human suffering since he was a child, and with such a father's guidance, he is destined to shoulder the responsibility of saving the world.

Although he has been displaced for more than 20 years, has he ever given up his inner ambitions?
In fact, no matter what kind of person Yang Yi chooses to become in the end, it will not affect Chen Song and He Zhao's persistence by his side, but since they already have a family-like relationship, of course they both hope that Yang Yi can finally realize his ambitions.

Becoming the new emperor of the Great Zhou is the best way for Yang Yi to realize his ambitions.

It would be such a pity if we stopped moving forward because of the father-son feud with the emperor.

"There's no need to be hard on yourself," this is the simplest thought in the hearts of the two personal guards.

Two quarters of an hour later, the carriage drove out of Yang's house. Halfway through the journey, He Zhao looked back and then assigned a guard to say, "Go to Pei's house and see if General Pei and Madam are free at this time. If they are, tell them that our lord has an urgent matter and has come to the palace to look for the emperor."

At the end of his words, he winked, and the guard understood what he meant. He clasped his fists and then rode his horse out onto the street.

Fu Zhen and Pei Zhan had just finished dinner and were thinking about the palace banquet the next day.

They were both familiar with every step of the banquet, but they didn't know when the two people arranged by the Yi family would choose to appear in front of the queen.

Yang Yi will also enter the palace tomorrow.

The emperor's attitude towards the two children of the Yang family is ambiguous and they are unable to intervene.

But if an unpleasant scene really occurs tomorrow, the two of them must find a way to control the development of the situation. At that time, perhaps there will be no room for any rules or irregularities.

The couple was discussing in the room when Guo Song ran in:

"General, Madam! The eldest prince has entered the palace! Just now, the guards of the Yang family came to pass on a message, saying that the eldest prince was very angry after finding out the connection between the Yi family and the Guo family, and he went directly to the palace to meet the emperor!"

"Has he really entered the palace?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Zhen immediately walked to the threshold.

"They have already gone! When Guard He sent someone to deliver the message, they were already halfway there! I'm afraid they have already entered the palace by now!"

Fu Zhen and Pei Zhan looked at each other, and then she turned back to the house without saying anything: "Hurry up and prepare the carriage! And send a message to the palace gate in advance, saying that we also have an urgent matter regarding tomorrow's palace banquet and need to see the Queen, and ask them to be flexible and let us into the palace! I'll be there right away!"