Dugong

Chapter 89 The Lord humiliates the minister and dies
"Full of frustration?"

Li Ping'an stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the imperial brush. He carefully observed the strokes and found that the other three characters were steady and balanced, but the long stroke of the character "忍" was like a blade drawn from its sheath, piercing into the bottom of the character "心".

The running script is naturally concealed and revealed, with smooth transitions and rarely showing sharp edges.

"Your Majesty is heartbroken!"

Li Ping'an suddenly understood the meaning behind the imperial edict, realizing that the source of His Majesty's heartache lay in the northern frontier, most likely due to the successive killings of Zhang's generals, which triggered the actions of the Prince of Zhenbei.

The man was killed by my own hands, but the eunuch is His Majesty's confidant and brother. The court will think that His Majesty is reducing the military power of the Prince of Zhenbei.

Li Ping'an asked, "Eunuch Xia, the late emperor was powerful and influential throughout the world. Did he ever feel aggrieved?"

Eunuch Xia, who had served as the chief eunuch and whose pen was responsible for many imperial edicts, sighed after a moment's thought and replied, "It is widely believed that the late emperor rewarded those who had rendered meritorious service and, following ancestral rules, conferred the title of Prince of Zhenbei. But that is not the case. I have personally witnessed the late emperor sitting in meditation for several days and nights, revising the edict three times, and finally, he had no choice but to confer the title!"

"Yes, even the mighty late emperor had his share of misfortunes."

Li Ping'an was no longer as ignorant as he had been back then, believing that the emperor was an omnipotent god and that His Majesty was still a mortal with limited abilities.

A wise ruler can tolerate injustice for the sake of the country, while a foolish ruler is a god who acts with complete impunity.

Li Ping'an then asked, "Do you think His Majesty wants us to endure humiliation and hardship?"

"That's how it should be."

Eunuch Xia said, "Even His Majesty has tolerated it, which clearly means he is unwilling to cause any trouble. You should follow His Majesty's wishes and restrain your sharpness."

Li Ping'an gazed at the imperial brush, recalling every word of instruction from Eunuch Chu.

One incident is similar to today's: back then, the late emperor was still a prince, and Eunuch Chu had only recently been appointed as the chief eunuch of the prince's residence. When he entered the palace to pay his respects, he was humiliated by the third prince. The late emperor chose to bow his head and endure it, after all, the third prince was the crown prince's younger brother, and the prince's residence could not afford to offend him.

"The late emperor tolerated it, but my godfather found an opportunity to frame the third prince for coveting the position of crown prince, thus avenging the late emperor."

Since then, Eunuch Chu has become a trusted confidant of the late emperor, wielding great power for decades.

"My family may not be highly educated, but we still know the principle that a subject should die for his lord if he is disgraced!"

Following the standard etiquette for an audience with His Majesty, Li Ping'an knelt below the imperial brush, and Eunuch Xia and the others quickly followed suit, kneeling behind him.

"This servant dares not call herself a subject, but I do know loyalty and righteousness, and I am willing to die for Your Majesty, even if it means being shattered to pieces!"

The crowd followed suit, bowing and kowtowing three times and shouting, "We are willing to die for Your Majesty!"

The sound penetrated the roof and faintly entered the imperial study.

Emperor Yongning glanced at the memorial submitted by Prince Zhenbei, his face cold and gloomy. He then wielded his brush on the Xuan paper, leaving four wild cursive characters.

"Endure to protect your weapon!"
Yesterday, the three regents and the newly appointed Grand Secretary Cui saw this memorial in the imperial study and praised the Prince of Zhenbei for his loyalty to the emperor and his dedication to the country.

Emperor Yongning asked, "Is the Prince of Zhenbei truly loyal?"

The four senior officials fell silent. If he was truly loyal, why didn't the Prince of Zhenbei personally escort Lü Jing back to the capital to plead guilty?

The subtleties involved are known to both the government and the public.

He was unwilling to relinquish military power in the northern frontier, yet he was also unwilling to submit to execution. In short, his loyalty was not absolute, which meant he was absolutely disloyal.

Grand Secretary Yuan, fearing that His Majesty would lead his troops north, hurriedly advised, "First reduce the number of soldiers in the northern frontier, then reduce their provisions and pay. The Prince of Zhenbei will weaken day by day, and his danger will resolve itself without a fight!"

Grand Secretary Cui and Minister Lu agreed in unison. The late emperor valued military strength, and the civil officials in the court had been suppressed for a long time, always hoping to reduce the size of the military.

Emperor Yongning looked at Prince Cheng: "What does Uncle think?"

Prince Cheng said, "Your Majesty, if the northward campaign goes smoothly, it will at most be a major blow to our strength. But if it doesn't go smoothly, it will shake the very foundation of the nation!"

Ultimately, the imperial court was broke.

If they can hold out for a single battle, but if the stalemate with the Prince of Zhenbei drags on, the people of the land will likely rise up in rebellion.

"I believe in the loyalty of the Prince of Zhenbei."

Emperor Yongning had no choice but to endure for the sake of the country, but he couldn't help but feel some resentment towards the late emperor. He swept across the barbarian lands, expanded the territory, and earned a place in history.

The national treasury is empty, and the people's taxes are depleted.

No wonder they chose a weak-willed emperor. If they had chosen a hot-tempered one, they could have simply summoned the Prince of Zhenbei back to the capital, and if he dared to disobey, they could have marched north. If they won, they could have just suppressed the popular rebellion; if they lost, everything would have been for naught!

……

a few days later.

early morning.

Li Ping'an served Empress Dowager Zhou her meal, telling her some interesting stories that happened in the palace, such as how Consort Min deliberately played the wrong notes to attract His Majesty's attention.

For example, the talented Qiu was skilled in ventriloquism and could make the imperial horse walk over by its own neighing. His Majesty thought it was the will of Heaven and thus spent the night with him.

Empress Dowager Zhou said, "The Empress has no children yet, and the concubines in the harem are vying for the Emperor's favor. If one can obtain the position of the eldest son, one will have someone to rely on in the future."

"Your Majesty is right."

Li Ping'an said in a low voice, "This servant inquired with the Imperial Hospital, and it seems that the Empress is physically weak and has difficulty conceiving. She needs to recuperate slowly."

Empress Dowager Zhou narrowed her eyes slightly, keenly sensing the unusual situation.

Even though the Ninth Prince was not favored back then, when the Imperial Clan Court was selecting a principal wife, they would still send an imperial physician to investigate to avoid hindering the imperial family's succession.

As the two were talking, Xiao Mengzi, who was on duty at the door, came in to report.

"Your Majesty, the Empress has come to pay her respects."

Empress Dowager Zhou raised an eyebrow: "It's early today."

Li Ping'an said in a low voice, "Yesterday, I promoted He Liangtai and reprimanded him for not forgetting the proper order of things and his rank."

Empress Dowager Zhou laughed and said, "In the end, you are from a small family with limited vision. It took you several attempts to figure it out before you understood."

Li Ping'an flattered, "They can't compare to the founding nobles who know the rules. I've heard that several marquis families are going to celebrate Your Highness's birthday."

"It's good that you mean it, don't waste it."

Empress Dowager Zhou declined verbally, but a smile spread across her face. As she grew older, she became increasingly fond of lively celebrations, which she used to unite people's hearts.

"Please let the Empress in!"

soon.

Empress He walked into the hall, placed her hands together in front of her forehead, and kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects and wish Your Majesty good health and long life."

Empress Dowager Zhou smiled slightly: "Rise, it's kind of you to come so early."

Empress He slowly rose, but did not sit down to speak immediately. Instead, she took the jade bowl brought by the accompanying palace maid and presented it to the Empress Dowager.

"Your Majesty, it was chilly yesterday, so I specially made ginseng tea for you."

"It's quite sincere."

Empress Dowager Zhou looked down on Empress He, but the decorum she had cultivated in the palace over the years meant that her words and actions were impeccable.

Li Ping'an bowed and served her, carefully observing Empress He out of the corner of his eye. Of course, he wasn't looking at her dignified yet charming, bright yet elegant demeanor, but rather at her manners and bearing.

When the Empress knelt and rose, the tassels hanging from her golden hairpin shaped like a pheasant remained perfectly still, showing that she had practiced her demeanor countless times.

"This Empress He is not as ordinary as she appears..."

Etiquette is not a boring and tedious formality, but a concrete manifestation of power.

The He family was not qualified to know the subtle etiquette of the palace. Empress He must have learned it on her own after entering the palace. Her progress in such a short time is enough to show her intelligence and diligence.

After chatting with Empress Dowager Zhou for a while, Empress He got up to take her leave and went to Cining Palace to pay her respects.

Li Ping'an carefully observed the Empress's walking posture. Each step was no more than six inches, her hairpins did not shake, and her jade pendants were silent. He then whispered to Empress Dowager Zhou.

"Your Majesty, the Empress's demeanor is not that of someone from a humble background."

"Xiao Anzi, aren't you the same?"

(End of this chapter)