Chapter 211 The real face is revealed in front of the palace, and the officials are arguing
"Princess, is something going to happen? You have already resigned, why does Your Majesty still order you to enter the palace?"
>"Yes! Sister, why don't we just run away!"
When the imperial decree came, everyone in the Lanling Palace was panicked and worried. Gao Changgong did not want her to enter the palace again. Xiao Jinyu said: "Don't worry, even if I have to leave here, I will take everyone to leave safely!"
Seeing her confident look, the anxious hearts of several people calmed down a little, and they Watching her and Gao Changgong board the carriage and drive toward the palace.
When they arrived in front of the Tai Chi Hall, hundreds of officials were already lined up on both sides of the hall. But when they saw King Lanling and "Xie Zhen" dressed in men's clothes walking towards the hall, the eyes of all the princes and ministers were already filled with excitement. They all looked at "Xie Zhen" curiously!
"I heard that Xie Youxiang is actually a woman. Why don't you take off your official hat and mask and let us see your true face?" Gao Yuanhai was the first to ask curiously.
"Yes, please thank your right minister to take off the mask, otherwise you will have to test your true identity in front of all the civil and military officials?" He Shikai also echoed in a sinister voice.
As soon as they heard about the real body test, the expressions of the officials became even more unpredictable, and many of them showed great interest!
Zu Jue's eyes flickered, and he seemed to be still thinking about how to stand in line at this moment, when he heard Gao Zhan say: "Xie Qing, take off your official hat and let everyone see your true face!"
"Yes! I obey your Majesty's order!"
"I admit that I am a woman!"
I never expected that Xie Zhen would admit that he was disguised as a woman without any private struggle. Men's!
He Shikai was speechless for a moment!
As soon as she finished speaking, she took off her official hat and the mask on her face. Her long hair poured out like a waterfall and was blown by the wind, and her appearance changed instantly. Light up the hall!
Although he had seen her true appearance, Gao Zhan couldn't help but be stunned and stared at her for a long time.
Perhaps he has never felt such shocking confidence and fearlessness in the face of danger from a woman. Gao Zhan also felt an indescribable sense of loss in his heart.
All the officials were also surprised and amazed, and then they were surprised and angry again!
"Xie Zhen, how can you, as a woman, enter an official position to deceive the king and bring trouble to the court?"
"No, your name is not Xie Zhen. You should be called Princess Xiao Jinyu of Lanling, right?" "He Shi asked.
Gao Changgong was furious.
Xiao Jinyu shook his hand and turned her gaze to He Shikai: "Jun Lu has been ruling the court as a woman for several years. Mr. He, why don't you say that she is causing trouble as a woman? Chao Gang? "
"Furthermore, why have I caused trouble to Chao Gang? Please come with me one by one!"
"You imitated Empress Dowager Feng of the Northern Wei Dynasty and wanted to control the emperor and instigated His Majesty to carry out this act. The sinicization reform weakened the power of the nobles, and they also issued edicts to destroy Buddhism, exchange trade, and amend the law. Isn’t this just causing trouble to the government?”
“Hahaha, I’m going to cause trouble to the government?” Waiter, who issued these edicts? The emperor is the master, so how can I control it? Are you calling your majesty a puppet and a fool? "
"You!" He Shi! Kai was furious, flushed with anxiety, and quickly looked at Gao Zhan, "Your Majesty, this woman is so eloquent, she is slandering me!"
Gao Zhan was very angry and glared at He Shikai, but he didn't While speaking, he just looked at Xiao Jinyu quietly, His Highness.
Xiao Jinyu stepped forward again and walked in the hall. She looked at the ministers and then at Gao Zhan on the dragon chair.
“Why should I give your Majesty these suggestions? Do you know how corrupt and declining the Qi State is now?”
“Nowadays, the powerful are annexing mountains and rivers, while the poor and weak are Without a place to live, the land could not be fully utilized, and the people had no savings at all. All cultivated land or pastures were in the hands of aristocratic families and nobles. Many people could not afford to pay taxes and could only be sold into slavery. The court The tax revenue collected is getting less and less!”
"Coupled with the fact that Buddhist temples harbor filth and evil, a larger number of farmers are hiding in temples because they cannot pay taxes. In this way, more farmers and their land will be hidden in temples, and the court cannot collect taxes. , and had to be spread equally to the remaining farmers, thus aggravating the disappearance and hiding of the farmers. This disaster snowballed and grew bigger and bigger, until finally the court could no longer control it, and the people were even more unable to survive, so The people will be forced to complain, and the country will be in turmoil and chaos again."
Hearing this, many ministers were frightened. Most of the ministers standing in the court were nobles and descendants of aristocratic families. A small number of people come from poor families, so there are many who have never seen the current situation of ordinary people at the bottom.
But it is also possible that you know it and pretend not to know it!
But one of them was very moved and showed appreciation for Xiao Jinyu.
This person is Zhao Yanshen!
Zhao Yanshen came from a poor family and was deeply aware of the suffering of the people.
"So, Prime Minister Xie...or, Princess Lanling, why do you make these suggestions for His Majesty?"
Xiao Jinyu then turned his attention to Zhao Yanshen.
Zhao Yanshen was originally just a retainer of Sima Ziru. Later, he joined Gao Huan and gradually worked his way up to the position of Sikong.
"Zhao Sikong asked well. My wife proposed this strategy of revitalization for Your Majesty, just so that the people of the country can get rid of these sufferings as soon as possible!"
"The people are the most valuable, the country is the second most important, and the king is the least important. After all, only when the people become rich and powerful can a country become stronger. Zhao Sikong, am I right?"
"Xie Right Prime Minister What you said is absolutely true! The current situation of our country is indeed like this. If these shortcomings are not eradicated, the country will be in danger!"
Zhao Yanshen sighed, and several Xianbei nobles headed by Han Changluan couldn't bear it! He stopped and scolded: "Zhao Sikong, are you also bewitched by this beautiful woman?"
"Whether it is bewitched or not, you all know it well. There is no need to keep thanking the right prime minister because he is a woman." It is really unnecessary to call a woman a monster when she has her own virtues and talents. This only shows that you are admitting your own incompetence."
Zhao Yanshen started, Lian Zu! Jue also added: "This sentence is true. It is even more rare for a woman to be talented. It was the Empress Dowager Feng of the Northern Wei Dynasty who came to the court for the second time and made a series of reforms, such as the rent modulation, the land equalization order, the three The long-term system greatly promoted the development of the country and increased the country's income. In any case, Emperor Xiaowen later moved the capital to Luoyang, which made Luoyang prosperous and prosperous. Empress Dowager Feng played a major role in this! ”
“ Zu Zhongshu also thinks that Princess Lanling is comparable to Empress Dowager Feng?”
“I’m just talking about things! It’s not difficult to admit that women are talented!”
“You!”< br>
He Shikai’s eyes widened with anger, and he thought to himself: This Zu Jue has always been a stranger, and he will side with whoever benefits him the most. The current situation is obviously not good for Princess Lanling. Oops, he actually spoke for her?
"Yes, Princess Lanling has the talents of Empress Dowager Feng, but does she also have the ambition of Empress Dowager Feng? Otherwise, why would she be above the court as Xie Zhen?"
Gao Changgong couldn't bear it any longer and was about to retort when he heard Xiao Jinyu laugh and say: "If I really wanted to be Queen Mother Feng, why would I marry Prince Lanling and take such a tortuous path for you to frame me up? I could marry Your Majesty directly. How about that?" Queen Mother Feng usually controls the imperial power and takes charge of the government. Wouldn't it be easier that way?"
As soon as she said this, Gao Zhan's face turned pale and he almost stood up: If he thinks about it again, Including her in the harem will definitely be opposed by the officials!
Sure enough, there was a shocking and fierce argument in the court.
Some people even pointed at Xiao Jinyu and yelled:
"Xie Zhen, your words are completely treasonous!" Xiao Jinyu then continued in a solemn voice: "As Xie Zhen, I have already attended the meeting in the great court. After that, I submitted my resignation to Your Majesty, and the resignation letter has been handed over to the staff. As Xiao Jinyu, Princess of Lanling, I have no intention of entering your Majesty's harem. Instead, this villain next to Your Majesty has made up a lot of rumors to frame you. As for me, I keep saying that I am suspected of treason with King Lanling, so I would like to ask, which of the things we did is suspected of treason?"
The loyalty and bravery of King Lanling are almost the same. It is obvious to all that even after the great victory at Mangshan, he did not support his troops with self-respect, but returned all the Baibao Xianbei soldiers to the court.
As for this Xie Zhen, it seems that apart from being promoted quickly by His Majesty, she went to Yubi City for peace talks, went to Luoyang to deliver grain and grass, and proposed some improvement policies for the prosperity of the country. As for the rest, although she holds the position of right-hand prime minister, she has no military power. If you want to say that she wants to rebel, what will she use to rebel? Just rely on your talent and reputation as a scholar?
What's more, she has now resigned from the position of Prime Minister!
There was silence in the court, and He Shikai turned pale with anger.
"What kind of rumors? What does it have to do with me? Princess Lanling, don't spit on me!"
"Whether the rumors were spread by He Shizhong, you will know after checking! Why, only He Shizhong is allowed to splash on me?" Dirty water, you are not allowed to refute?"
"You!"
Xiao Jinyu ignored him and turned to Gao Zhan: "Your Majesty, I said that as a thank you Zhen, I became an official, firstly for my family, and secondly for the people of the world. Now that the high place is too cold, I can only retire. As the princess of Lanling, I married Qi State for the sake of the good relationship between Qin and Jin Dynasty between the two countries. ,
No matter what I have done now, I have aroused your Majesty's suspicion, so I sincerely ask your Majesty to allow me and King Lanling to leave Yecheng, stay away from the temple, and go to the frontier fortress
Can this dispel everyone’s suspicion?”
The frontier fortress is a bitterly cold place. I heard that there is no grass growing there and food is scarce, especially in winter. Countless people freeze to death, not to mention the pampered king of the clan. Even those nobles, no one wants to go!
Even if Princess Lanling is willing to go, will Prince Lanling be willing to go?
While everyone was sighing and wondering, they heard King Lanling say in a deep voice: "I am willing to take my wife to the frontier fortress! Please give me your permission!"
Gao Zhan was in a bad mood at this moment. He knew how to describe it. Originally, he just wanted to get Xiao Jinyu into his harem, but things turned out like this. He couldn't help but turn his angry eyes to He Shikai.
He Shikai naturally understood the coldness in Gao Zhan's eyes, his heart was hairy, and he couldn't help but break out in cold sweat behind his back.
At this time, Song Qindao, the minister of Honglu Temple, came to report: "Your Majesty, the envoys from the Southern Dynasty have arrived in Yecheng! He asked his ministers to bring this letter of credence and present it to Your Majesty first!"
< br>After that, Song Qindao presented a letter of credence and handed it to Gao Zhan from the chamberlain. Gao Zhan opened it and took a quick look, frowning and ordered: "Retreat!"
… …
After going down to court, Gao Zhan immediately issued an edict to announce that the envoys of the Chen Dynasty should visit, and Xiao Jinyu and Gao Changgong also returned to the Lanling Palace.
When they first arrived at Prince Lanling's Mansion, they saw Xiao Shiniang and Xiao Ruoling already waiting in front of the mansion.
Having not seen each other for nearly a year, Xiao Ruoling has changed a lot. She has lost her former childishness, and her delicate and clear face has highlighted a ray of calmness that can stand alone.
Seeing Xiao Jinyu, who was obviously dressed in men's clothing but already showing his true appearance, Xiao Ruoling burst into tears and threw herself into Xiao Jinyu's arms.
"Sister, are you okay? We heard about you on the way and thought you..."
At this time, other people in the mansion: Xie Yuxuan, Princess Liyang and Madam Wei, Ling Ye, and Axiu all came out.
"I'm fine, Aling, why did you come to Qi?"
"We miss you, we miss you so much. We only heard the news from Qi. I wonder how you are doing. ? Later, when I heard about the war between Qi and Zhou, Uncle Qi was extremely worried. He finally asked His Majesty for an order, and when he came to Qi, he heard about your identity being exposed!"
When he said this, Xiao Ruoling's face changed. Teng showed a hint of shyness.
"Sister, it was so hard for you to hide this from me. It was only when A-Ling went on a mission to Qi with Uncle Qi that he learned that you were Xie Zhen's!"
< br>After hugging Xiao Jinyu and crying for a long time, Xiao Ruoling noticed that Prince Lanling was beside him, then wiped away her tears and said: "His Royal Highness Prince Lanling!"
Gao Changgong nodded with a smile and asked everyone to enter. Let’s have a long chat in the house.
Xiao Ruoling talked endlessly about a lot of things that happened in the Southern Dynasties. For example, she and her aunt Yuan Rujing had made tea restaurants spread all over the south. The two of them had now accumulated a lot of wealth, and their business had even gradually expanded. As she moved to other prefectures and counties, Yuan Rujing had already severed ties with her husband's family, the Fan family, and her mother's family. Now she lived a carefree and colorful life, and the Fan family had been confiscated because of Fan Yong's crime of colluding with King Shixing. Or exile. A Yuan became a disciple of Yao Boshen and studied medicine seriously. He was able to recognize most of the medicinal materials and was even able to help Yao Boshen treat some minor illnesses.
"There is also the seventh uncle Xiao Xian, who opened many schools and attracted scholars from poor families to study. His disciples are all over the country. The seventh uncle is now the leader of the scholars in the Southern Dynasty, and he has something that even His Majesty dare not touch. Prestige. "
"And uncle Qi is not only getting stronger now, but he is also good at shooting and martial arts. Since my sister came to Qi, he has been studying hard and never slacking off. He is no longer the weak and weak Xiao Qilangjun before, but now he is the head of a family with both civil and military skills, not much worse than the king of the county!"
After saying that, he realized that King Lanling was listening, Then he consciously shut his mouth.
Xiao Jinyu then asked: "Uncle Xian has disciples all over the country, and he is highly respected by scholars. The emperor of the Southern Dynasty, Chen Xu... is not afraid of the Xiao family. What else will he do..."
"Sister, I am relieved. The emperor of the Southern Dynasty still cannot do without the help of his seventh uncle, and his uncle is not as loyal to the emperor as before, and he has enough power to protect himself!"
When it comes to the word "loyalty", Gao Changgong's expression changed slightly.
"Uncle Qi said that in order not to worry my sister, he will not be a lamb to be slaughtered by others, and will definitely protect the Xiao family to survive in this troubled world!"
< br>"Now we can no longer live under the emperor's feet. The seventh uncle has also been appointed as the governor of Qiao, Jiao and Guangzhou, and has retreated to Gushu City!"
Gushu is adjacent to the Yangtze River in the west, and is the gateway to Jiankang. If you control Gushu City, you can control the Yangzhou herds and control Jiankang. Wang Dun did this before, and Huan Wen also did it!
Uncle Xian is...
"Uncle Qi has no intention of rebellion, but he still has to guard against the emperor of the Southern Dynasty attacking our Xiao family. This can be regarded as a kind of self-protection. Yes!" Xiao Ruoling explained.
Xiao Jinyu nodded happily. She had never thought that Xiao Xian would grow up so fast, which surprised her.
"By the way, Sister, how are you doing now? Your Majesty did not blame you for disguising yourself as a man?"
At this question, everyone in the mansion gathered around him, all showing worry.
King Lanling said: "Ayu has requested your Majesty that we leave the center of Yecheng and go to the frontier fortress!"
"Ah?"
(End of this chapter )