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Seeing that the emperor's health was getting worse day by day, Zhou Chen was summoned by the emperor again.

Inside the Chuigong Hall, the emperor was standing in front of Zhou Chen's painting of the banquet in the Jiying Hall and watching.

"More than ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Every time I look at your painting, I am amazed. Mr. Zhou, I have seen too many talented people, Duke Wenzheng, and Han ministers..."

"Although you are young, I know that you are no worse than them. You are even smarter and understand the situation better."

"It's great to be young."

Listening to the official's murmurs, Zhou Chen remained silent. Yes, in the official's eyes, he was indeed very young, but in fact, he had lived many times longer than the official.

"I don't have much time left. Zhou Qing, you should assist the Crown Prince well in the future. Don't let me down."

Zhou Chen immediately bowed down: "I will obey your majesty's orders and swear to be loyal to your majesty and the prince until death."

"well."

The emperor nodded with satisfaction, and then said, "Come and have dinner with me later."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

This was the last meal Zhou Chen had with the Guan family. Just a few days later, the Guan family arranged all his funeral arrangements, closed his eyes, and never woke up again.

After the national mourning, Zhao Zongquan officially succeeded to the throne and became the fifth emperor of the Song Dynasty. A new era had arrived.

Although the new emperor was quite old, he did not have real power when he first ascended the throne. Instead, the Empress Dowager Cao was behind the government. Strictly speaking, he was a new emperor whose power was stripped away.

After the new emperor ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Cao and the ministers came to power, and the court situation also underwent great changes. Many officials had been demoted before, but now many new officials have taken office, and the court has gradually stabilized.

Zhou Chen did not change, and still served as the commander of the Palace Front Department. Firstly, he was also the minister entrusted by the late emperor, and the new emperor could not touch him at all;

Secondly, Queen Mother Cao also had a friendship with Zhou Chen. She felt that Zhou Chen would definitely stand on her side, so she naturally trusted Zhou Chen very much.

With the advent of a new era, many things have changed. For example, after the new emperor ascended the throne, the first thing he did was to announce to the world that he would hold a special examination and advance the imperial examination by one year.

However, the new emperor promoted his brother-in-law to the position of deputy commander-in-chief of the Palace Front Department, vaguely intending to compete with Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen, who had watched "The Story of Minglan", naturally had some understanding of Zhao Zongquan's brother-in-law Shen Congxing. He was a military commander with considerable martial arts skills, but his wisdom was average.

Shen Congxing had just taken up the post of deputy commander-in-chief of the Palace Front Department, and he was very concerned about the matter. After meeting Zhou Chen, he began to interfere in the affairs of the Palace Front Department.

Although Zhou Chen did not intend to target him, Shen Congxing still overestimated himself. He soon discovered that although he was the deputy commander-in-chief of the Palace Front Department, in fact, not many commanders of the Palace Front Department took him seriously.

In the eyes of many people, he was just from a small place like Yuzhou, and he got the high position by luck. He was not able to convince the public at all, let alone be compared with Zhou Chen, who had made great military achievements. Therefore, he, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Palace Front Division, was just a figurehead, and no one took him seriously.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 1155 Zhou Chen Becomes a Hot Pot

The new emperor Zhao Zongquan is different from Prince Yong and Prince Yan. Prince Yong and Prince Yan have been operating in Bianjing City for many years and have close ties with many officials and nobles in the court. They also have a deep foundation, so they are able to compete for the position of crown prince.

But what about Zhao Zongquan? He was just a temporary helper and had no foundation in the court. This was also the biggest reason why the empress dowager was able to rule the country from behind the curtain.

If Prince Yong and Prince Yan ascended the throne, the Queen Mother would have no chance to rule the country from behind the scenes.

Perhaps before Zhao Zongquan became emperor, he was afraid and unwilling to come to the capital, nor did he dare to become the crown prince.

But after he really became the emperor, his thoughts naturally changed drastically. He was already in his forties, and of course he did not want to be dominated by Empress Dowager Cao, and he also wanted to control power.

So after he ascended the throne, he began to try every means to seize power. Making his brother-in-law the deputy commander-in-chief of the Palace Front Department was just one of his points. He also wanted to put his own people in other departments.

But after he implemented his plan, he found that the huge city of Bianjing and the imperial court were simply beyond the reach of a temporary emperor like him.

Many officials began to ally themselves with him because he was the emperor, but most of them were still waiting and watching, especially those high-ranking officials and nobles, who did not take him seriously at all, and most of his orders could not leave the palace at all.

Most of the emperors of the Song Dynasty were of the depressed type, but he was the first one to ascend the throne at such an age and still feel so depressed.

Inside the Chuigong Hall, Emperor Zhao Zongquan rubbed his head in pain while listening to the report from his trusted subordinates.

The only people he could trust now were his subordinates and officers brought from Yuzhou. After ascending the throne, he also tried his best to arrange these people under his command, but unfortunately, the effect was too poor.

"Is it really impossible to win over the Duke of Jingguo?"

Zhao Zongquan asked Shen Congxing that the most important thing for him now was to get the support of court officials and nobles.

The civil officials and the empress dowager controlled the political situation, and those senior ministers now treated him more as a puppet. He only had the right to listen in on most things, and in the end, he had to get the approval of the Empress Dowager Cao.

Because now the most important imperial seal is in the hands of the empress dowager. Without the imperial seal, his orders cannot be conveyed and no one will listen to him.

The tiger talisman was in his hand, but the problem was that although he had the tiger talisman, he didn't have the jade seal, so he couldn't mobilize the troops at all. Except for the people he brought with him, few generals in the court were willing to obey his orders. They all obeyed his orders in secret, so building good relationships with the nobles was one of the most important links.

And Zhou Chen happens to be the most honorable Duke of Jingguo among the nobles. Now in the military, only the Duke of Yingguo can be compared with Zhou Chen in terms of prestige in the military, and the rest are a level lower.

If he could get help from either Zhou Chen or the Duke of England, he would definitely be able to have a good start with all the nobles in the court.

But the problem is that the Duke of England is very cunning and now ignores him, so he can only hope for the younger and stronger Zhou Chen, so he sent out his most trusted brother-in-law Shen Congxing.

Shen Congxing said dissatisfiedly, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Jingguo is very arrogant. I have been the deputy commander of the Palace Front Department for quite some time, but I have only met him twice. I wanted to invite him to a banquet but was rejected. The commanders of the Palace Front Department either follow his lead or are the Queen Mother's men. Although I am the deputy commander, I can't command anyone. It's really frustrating."

Zhao Zongquan said in a deep voice: "I have heard of the great name of Duke Jingguo for a long time. When the late emperor encountered a palace coup, there were so many military generals in the court, but he chose to write a blood edict to Duke Jingguo, which shows the trust of the late emperor and the empress dowager in him. And he lived up to the trust of the late emperor and succeeded in saving the emperor and quelling the rebellion. Duke Jingguo is really as talented as the rumors say."

"He has the trust of the late emperor and the empress dowager, so it is normal for him to be more inclined towards the empress dowager. Since Duke Jingguo's approach doesn't work, let's try someone else."

After becoming emperor, he understood that the court could use civil officials to suppress military generals, but the emperor could not lack the support of military generals, especially a newly enthroned emperor like him.

At this time, Zhao Ceying in the hall suddenly said: "Father, do you still remember Commander Gu Tingye?"

Zhao Zongquan's eyes lit up: "Of course I remember. If it weren't for him, my father and I might have been in danger. He is the second son of Ningyuan Marquis's mansion. His current position is the deputy commander of the cavalry. He is an excellent talent."

"Yes, not only that, I heard that Gu Tingye was able to join the army with the help of Duke Jingguo, and later he also made great contributions under Duke Jingguo. On the day when the capital was in turmoil, it was he who guarded the mansion for Duke Jingguo and protected Duke Jingguo's family. Therefore, he must have a very good relationship with Duke Jingguo, and they are close friends."

Zhao Ceying had been in the capital for a long time and had naturally heard a lot of news about the capital. Everyone in the capital knew about the relationship between Gu Tingye and Zhou Chen. Whenever Gu Tingye was mentioned, Zhou Chen would definitely be mentioned.

"We may be able to start with Gu Tingye. Not only is he very close to Duke Jingguo, he is also the legitimate son of the Ningyuan Marquisate. If he can stand on our side, it will definitely send a good signal to all the nobles in the court."

"In addition to Gu Tingye, there is also Qi Heng and Qi Yuanruo. The reason why Yuanruo was forced to leave the capital was because the woman he loved was the sixth daughter of the Sheng family, but Duke Qi and Princess Pingning disagreed. He was also threatened by Prince Yong, so Yuanruo had to leave the capital to avoid the limelight."

"Qi Yuanruo has a special relationship with the Sixth Young Lady of the Sheng Mansion, and the wife of Duke Jingguo happens to be the eldest daughter of the Sheng Mansion. Perhaps through Yuanruo, we can have a good start with Duke Jingguo."

"Gu Tingye and Qi Heng and Qi Yuanruo?"

Zhao Zongquan thought of Qi Yuanruo, a handsome and modest gentleman. He liked his appearance and temperament, and he was deeply impressed by Gu Tingye's bravery. These two were definitely young talents, and he wanted to conquer them both.

However, the person he wanted to conquer the most was Duke Jingguo Zhou Chen. Compared with the aged Duke Yingguo, Duke Jingguo Zhou Chen would surely be the best in the army in the future. What's more, Zhou Chen was not only brave, but also a very talented and erudite person. Conquering one Zhou Chen would be more useful than conquering a dozen military generals and nobles.

"Okay, I'll leave this to you."

"My son, take your orders."

Zhao Ceying agreed immediately. After arriving in the capital, he naturally wanted to achieve great things rather than just enjoy himself.

After everyone had left, the queen came into the hall and personally massaged the emperor's head.

"I know your majesty is upset, but please don't work too hard. Taking care of yourself is the most important thing."

"Work hard? Humph, I am nothing as an emperor."

In front of the Queen, Zhao Zongquan could no longer endure it and had a look of unwillingness. He had been on the throne for some time, but during this time, he had no say in anything. All decisions were made by the Queen Mother and the officials. Every morning at the court, he sat there like a mascot.

"Does Your Majesty think so highly of Duke Jingguo?"

"Of course, if we can win over the Duke of Jingguo, we can win over most of the nobles. Compared to those difficult civil servants in the court, nobles like them are easier to win over."

"If Your Majesty really wants to subdue Duke Jingguo, I can try to help."

Zhao Zongquan held the queen's hand and asked in surprise, "Do you have a solution?"

Queen Shen was an extremely dignified and elegant person. Her voice was gentle and slow, giving people a very kind feeling.

"I heard that Duke Jingguo loves his eldest wife very much. He has not taken a concubine for six or seven years since his marriage. It was only this year that his eldest wife helped him take a concubine. This concubine is the cousin of Madam Sheng. Madam Sheng is the only one who makes the decisions in the entire Duke Jingguo's mansion. Therefore, Madam Sheng must have a transcendent status in Duke Jingguo's heart. I think maybe we can start with Madam Sheng."

Zhao Zongquan hesitated and said, "That's true, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to deal with the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother also values ​​the Duke of Jingguo very much, and I'm afraid she won't let you succeed so easily."

Empress Shen said, "My birthday will be in a few days. It will be the right thing to invite some noble ladies to the palace."

"In that case, then give it a try."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

…………

"Sanlang, Huaer, come here quickly, come here quickly, let me take a look."

This was the first time Zhou Chen and Hua Lan returned to Sheng Mansion after the palace coup, and it was also the first time they met the old lady again after a long time.

Before, everyone in the Sheng family was very worried about Zhou Chen and Hua Lan. Later, Wang Ruofu took the children to the Duke's Mansion, which was formerly the Marquis' Mansion, but she did not go at that time.

The old lady held Hualan's hands and said, "It's good that you're okay. It's good that you're okay."

Then she looked at Zhou Chen again and praised with satisfaction: "Sanlang is more majestic than before, that's great."

Wang Ruofu said with a smile: "Old lady, your grandson-in-law is now a Duke, so of course he is more powerful than before."

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, except for the founding dukes who were conferred at the beginning, the rest of the dukes were at most lifelong titles. This kind of promotion from a hereditary founding marquis to a hereditary founding duke was the first time in history.

The Duke is very honorable, but what is even more honorable is the Duke who can inherit the title without succession. Looking at the entire Song Dynasty, there are only a few Dukes whose titles can be inherited without succession.

In the past, Zhou Chen's title of marquis had already made her proud. Now that Zhou Chen has become the Duke of Jingguo, her eldest daughter is now the mistress of the Duke's Mansion and is also the first-rank lady canonized by the court. It can be said that she is truly at the top of the court.

As Zhou Chen's mother-in-law, she was naturally proud of it. If her husband had not forbade her to go out and show off, she would have wanted to set off firecrackers for a long time to let everyone in the capital know that the newly-appointed Duke Jingguo of the court was her brother-in-law.

Look, these past few days, countless powerful ladies in Bian Jing City have sent her visiting cards, wanting to meet at the Sheng Mansion, and inviting her to this party and that party. This is more important than when Zhou Chen succeeded to the title of Marquis Zhongjing and Hua Lan became the Marquis Zhongjing's wife.

Now in the whole Bianjing city, which official or noble family with a daughter does not envy the Sheng Mansion?

Today, the Sheng family is one of the most prestigious and noble families in Bianliang City.

The old lady was not as excited and happy as Wang Ruofu. Instead, she gave instructions with a solemn expression.

"Sanlang, although you are a duke now, you still need to be careful in what you say and do, and never become complacent."

"Don't worry, Grandma. I know what to do."

Of course Zhou Chen understood that the old lady was doing this for his own good. She was afraid that he would become complacent and forget himself after achieving such a high position at such a young age.

But how could he do that? He had been the emperor for decades. How could he be so complacent and lose his composure just because he was conferred the title of Duke?

Zhou Chen and Hua Lan chatted with the old lady. When the old lady learned that Shulan was pregnant for several months and that both Shulan and the fetus were doing well, she was very happy.

These are all her younger generations, and she certainly hopes that they can live happily and without noise.

Fan Lou.

Zhou Chen came to the private room on the rooftop and saw three people inside, Gu Tingye, Qi Heng, and the eldest son of the new emperor, Prince Huan.

Originally, if King Huan had invited him alone, he would definitely not agree to attend the banquet, but after Gu Tingye and Qi Heng persuaded him, Zhou Chen gave them face and agreed to come.

Prince Huan Zhao Ceying is indeed a character in the TV series "The Story of Minglan". At least he is much stronger than the current emperor Zhao Zongquan and looks like a man of courage.

This is also the reason why Zhou Chen agreed to come. If King Huan was a useless person who was not presentable, he would not come to the banquet.

According to the plot of "The Story of Minglan", after Zhao Zongquan succeeded to the throne, his character was completely different from the official history of the Song Dynasty. In terms of age, he was completely inconsistent with the official identity of the emperor after Renzong.

When Zhou Chen arrived, all three people in the room stood up.

"Brother."

"Dong Jingguo."

"Meet Lord Jingguo."

Among the three, Gu Tingye was the most relaxed. Although Zhou Chen became the Duke of Jingguo, his way of addressing him had never changed. He always called Zhou Chen "brother". In his eyes anyway, Zhou Chen was more like a real brother than his biological eldest brother.

"Your Highness Prince Huan."

Zhou Chen's address was polite. With his current status and position, he really didn't need to be too respectful to King Huan, who was not yet the crown prince.

"Sit, sit."

Zhao Ceying asked Zhou Chen and the other two to sit down, and then started serving wine and food.

Zhou Chen was not familiar with Zhao Ceying, but with Gu Tingye and Qi Heng around, the atmosphere was not dull. After a few drinks, they became familiar with each other.

Afterwards, Zhao Ceying began to talk about the current political situation in various ways. Although his words were very obscure, everyone could understand his meaning.

Among the few people, Qi Heng was the simplest one. He quickly started talking about how the current emperor was kind and generous, wise and brave, and said that we should assist His Majesty in building a new prosperous era.

Gu Tingye interrupted with a smile and did not give a direct answer at all. As for Zhou Chen, it was even more impossible for him to give a clear answer.

Everyone knows that the Empress Dowager is behind the government. If the new emperor wants to take back power, he can only compete with the Empress Dowager. This means that a conflict between the emperor and the Empress Dowager is inevitable.

No one is willing to take sides easily until the situation becomes clear.

Until the end of the dinner, Zhao Ceying had not received a response from Zhou Chen and Gu Tingye. He was very disappointed, but he still politely saw Zhou Chen and Gu Tingye off.

When leaving, Gu Tingye deliberately got into Zhou Chen's carriage.