female concubine

Chapter 297

Hearing that the officials announced that they wanted to choose a concubine for the crown prince, Zhao Chen stepped out of the queue angrily, "Xian Xiaoyi, the crown princess's body is not yet cold, and all the ministers are human ministers, so they asked the prince to marry him within a year of his wife's death. Continuation, what is your intention?"

"The crown prince is the foundation of the country, if the foundation of the country is not solid, the country will inevitably be tilted."

"When the husband dies, the wife shall observe the filial piety for the husband for three years, and shall not be remarried. If the main wife dies, the husband shall also observe the filial piety for the wife for one year, and shall not be married during this period. Why don't all the ministers and workers of the ancestral system talk about it today?"

"The crown prince is the king, the concubine is the minister, and the ministers mourn for the monarch. This is the etiquette law, but there is no etiquette law where the king mourns the ministers."

"There is a husband and wife under the monarch and ministers. It stands to reason that Her Royal Highness is also your monarch. If you don't observe filial piety, it's fine. Now you can even disobey the way of being a minister." Zhao Chen looked at the heart of the old minister who was arguing with him in front of him. disgusted.

The old minister scolded: "Young Minister of Dali Temple, you are trying to make excuses."

After the dispute, the left servant of the Shangshu shot Wang Wenfu out of the queue and played to the emperor: "His Royal Highness the Crown Princess has passed away, and the ministers are deeply grieved. However, the matter of the crown prince is a state matter. The emperor's grandson is young and needs to be taught by his mother. Now, the ministers can rest assured about the teachings of the emperor's grandson, so the ministers thought that they could accept another crown princess for His Highness, and issued an edict to choose a concubine first, and the grand ceremony will be postponed until next year after the Xiaoyi Crown Princess Xiaoxiang."

Wang Wenfu's pertinent words made the two arguing back to the train. The emperor on the throne was sweating coldly, as if he couldn't even hear the quarrel in the audience, his hands clasped in front of his belly were tightly clenched, Qi Liu saw that something was wrong and went Walking to the throne, "Your Majesty?"

"I can't hear clearly, please don't say anything..." the emperor said very weakly.

"Just now, Wang Xiang was playing."

"Prince Wang..." the emperor opened his tired and weak eyes, "Then follow Xiang Wang's wishes."

Qi Liu was stunned for a while, then he straightened up and went to the inner side of the railing on Dan Xi and preached: "Your Majesty has a decree, and the king has full authority to handle it."

"Your Majesty is holy!" The matter of congratulations for the crown prince was decided. After the court was over, the courtiers went back to recommend candidates for the crown prince.

——Eastern Palace——

There were also officials from the Eastern Palace among the court officials, and the news quickly spread to the Eastern Palace. Prince Shao Zhan delivered the bowl containing the decoction to Princess Le'an and walked out of the crown prince's bedroom.

"En House." Prince Shao Zhan bowed to Fei Pao.

Seeing him coming out, Prince Zhan Shi of Zhan Shi Mansion asked, "How is His Royal Highness?"

Prince Shao Zhan shook his head, "There is no improvement."

"Now the health of the officials is not as good as before, and the situation in the court is becoming more and more tense."

Prince Shao Zhan Shi nodded and then asked: "Is there any news in the palace that the officials want to choose a concubine for the crown prince?"

"Yes, it's a matter of today's court meeting, but His Royal Highness looks like this..."

"If you don't want to accept it, you have to accept it." Prince Shao Zhan stared at Feipao, "For the future planning of His Royal Highness, it is difficult to say whether the current Zhao family can be reliable. The little emperor is still in his infancy. If His Royal Highness can gain power It may be worry-free if you help each other."

"His Royal Highness is the crown prince, the only blood of the official family..."

"En House, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just in case."

"The dignitaries in Beijing..." Prince Zhan Shi lowered his head and thought carefully.

"The lower official has a candidate in mind."

"Who?"

"The great-great-grandson of Cao Yun in Shangzhu Kingdom, the Cao family is not only a general, but now Cao Ji is also the deputy prime minister. Their family can be regarded as the most prominent family in Tokyo."

Crown Prince Zhan Shi folded his scarlet sleeves and sighed: "The courtiers also mean the Cao family."

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——Huaiyang County Government——

"Today, all the ministers in the court have asked to play for His Royal Highness to congratulate the concubine, and the officials agreed without knowing why." Xiao Yunze sighed: "At the beginning of the year, the eldest daughter of the Cao family's gracious ceremony made her famous far and wide, and there were many The ministers got together to discuss the selection of the Cao family."

"The officials also want to elect the Cao family?"

Xiao Yunze got up and went to the door to have a look at the yard, then closed the door immediately, "Well, this way we can cut off that child's thoughts."

Mrs. Lu lowered her head and thought for a while, "Since all the ministers agree with Mrs. Cao, it doesn't matter whether the officials write the recommendation letter or not? Now is the time when the officials are most suspicious, and if they write it, they will be suspected of forming a clique. "

A word awakened the person in the dream, Xiao Yunze suddenly opened his eyes wide, "Yes, all the ministers have recommended it, I need to be more calm at this time."

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After the emperor returned to Funing Hall, he called Sun Hongda, a medical official from the Imperial Academy, to make an inspection. Sun Hongda took the pulse and gave acupuncture. Then he changed the prescription and ordered the Royal Pharmacy Hospital to reapply the medicine and suffer. The emperor's condition improved in the afternoon and he could hear the sound gradually. Then, Sun Hongda ordered the Mobang Royal Pharmacy Institute to follow this prescription for the next month.

After diagnosing the emperor, Xiao Youqing went out of the palace with Sun Hongda, stopped at the door and asked: "What's wrong with the official family?"

"The officials are getting old, and their bodies are weak...the hearing power also declines."

"Can this be cured?"

Sun Hongda shook his head, "It can only be treated, not cured."

Xiao Youqing sighed and walked back to the cabinet of Funing Palace, and when she saw someone climbed off the couch, she walked forward anxiously, "The medicine from the Imperial Medicine Institute hasn't been boiled yet."

The emperor frowned and put on his robe, "There are still a lot of chores waiting for me to deal with..."

"Enough!" Xiao Youqing squeezed her sleeves, "Isn't the official family bad enough?"

The emperor turned his head and broke her hand away, "I was in a hurry to respond to the king in the morning when the court was in a hurry..."

Xiao Youqing frowned and said: "Ministers have already selected Cao as the candidate for the new Crown Princess."

The emperor lowered his hand, "Cao family..." The memorandum of Nei Dongmensi's appointment as an official came from outside the cabinet door, "Officials, please see Wang Xiangguo."

The emperor pulled out his sleeves, took the robe from the hanger and put it on, "Let him wait for me in the study."

"Yes."

By the afternoon, more than half of the hundreds of memorials sent to the capital were the eldest daughter of Cao Ji, the servant of the door, and Wang Wenfu sorted out the candidates and presented them to the emperor.

"The minister, Wang Wenfu, kowtows to His Majesty, and wishes His Majesty all blessings."

"You don't need to be too polite."

Wang Wenfu, who bowed his head, looked up and saw that the emperor's complexion was not very good, "Is the official body better?"

The emperor put down the hand covering his chest, and said with a sigh of relief: "I'm fine."

Wang Wenfu then presented the roster of candidates, "There are two people selected in total, Li Shi, the grandson of General Li Shiji, and Cao Shi, the great-grandson of Cao Yun of Shangzhu Kingdom. There are no two candidates, and most of the courtiers support the Cao family, because a real person from Yanqing Temple once tested his fate, saying that the Cao family has the appearance of a prosperous husband."

The emperor opened the roster listed by Wang Wenfu, which summarized the individual reports of a certain department, department or official, "Cao's..."

"The courtiers of the Cao family have been there, and the academicians of the Imperial Academy have also served as guests to pick up characters. The minister also thinks that the Cao family is acceptable."

"The crown princess has just left, and the emperor's grandson is still in his infancy. The selection of a concubine is a very important matter. Let me think it over."

"Yes."

After Wang Wenfu left, the emperor summoned Xue Jin to act as an official in the imperial city.

"Officials."

"Go and check the eldest daughter of Cao Ji, the servant under the door."

"Yes."

Xue Jin was ordered to go out of the palace, and sent spies to Yifang in various cities and Chunmingfang where the Cao family was located to search for people. The next day, he returned to Jinzhong to Chuigong Palace to report to the emperor.

——Changing Arch Hall——

Sun Hongda entered the palace early in the morning and went to the Chuigong Hall to ask for the emperor's pulse, "The official's pulse is much more stable than yesterday."

The emperor withdrew his hand, "How is the prince?"

Sun Hongda took the pillow back and cupped his hands and said: "The doctor in Su said that His Royal Highness is caused by a knot in his heart, and I think that maybe the big marriage can really play a role. If the new Crown Princess can enlighten His Highness well, the disease will be cured without treatment. But..." Sun Hongda frowned, looking at the emperor hesitantly.

"Say."

"Your Highness is too depressed, and has been seriously ill for a few times before. In the past few years, he needs to take good care of him so that he can't be stimulated anymore."

The emperor knew what Sun Hongda meant, and it was difficult to speak out because of the presence of outsiders, so the emperor closed his eyes and waved: "I understand, you step back."

Xue Jin dismounted from the second palace gate and hurried into the Chuigong Hall, "Is the official family still inside?"

"Going back to the prison class, Doctor Sun is checking the official's pulse."

"Please pass it on for me."

The servant guarding the gate of the Chuigong Hall turned around and went inside to report, "Officials, please come to see Xue Jin, the guard in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Sun Hongda packed up the medicine box, "I will leave." He bowed and walked backwards.

The emperor ordered his servant, "Let him in."

"Yes."

Liu Miaoyi, a member of the Privy Council who was accompanying her, stepped aside, and Xue Jin knelt down inside and said, "Xue Jin, the official of the Imperial City Council, kowtowed to His Majesty, and wished His Majesty all blessings."

"How did you do it yesterday?"

Xue Jin got up and took out the roll of paper from his sleeve, "The villain sent several spies to various places in the south and east of the city yesterday to inquire, and then went to Chunming to ask the people inside, and transcribed all the things they found out. .” Xue Jin presented several blank papers filled with words.

"The Cao family has the humility, gentleness, knowledge and reason of the Crown Princess Xiaoyi, but different from the former emperor and princess, the Cao family is a very assertive and well-mannered person. He will not be chaotic in times of danger, and his grandfather has the demeanor of a general."

After looking at them one by one, the emperor put them down, "Go down first."

"Yes."

Immediately, he pushed the stack of transcribed papers to the edge of the table, "What does Liu Qing think?"

"The Holy Majesty has already made up his mind, and I dare not speak nonsense."

The emperor leaned on the back of the chair and raised his head, "Cao Ji, the servant of the family, married my aunt's grandson, and his ancestors also produced heroes for the founding of the country. Now the Cao family is the most powerful family in the court except for the Xiao family. The prince's body is very good. It is worrying, the saint cannot be around all the time, and the character of the prince..." The emperor sighed: "In the future, the central palace will need such a smart and assertive queen." Then he dropped his hand on the armrest, feeling powerless, "As for the Cao family and the prince, my decisions are all forced by the superiors, especially the Cao family."

Knowing the entanglement in the emperor's heart, Liu Miaoyi stepped forward and bowed and said: "No one can escape fate in an aristocratic family. Accept the arrangement and be controlled by others. It is not so much controlled by others as controlled by the heart. A heart controlled by etiquette must pay the same amount of freedom in order to enjoy it, and this is life."

The emperor sat up straight and leaned against the table, staring down at the three striking words Cao Shuyao on the white paper and fell silent.

Liu Miaoyi stepped forward and spread out the papers one by one. After looking down for a while, she said in amazement: "A 16-year-old boy, Shen Min, is happy and angry..." Liu Miaoyi raised her head, "Such a thoughtful person , the officials are not afraid that the mother will be strong and the son will be weak in the future?"

The emperor stared at the few sheets of thin paper with the desk on his back, "The clan is dying, but my Wei family still has the eldest princess, I can't worry about Mrs. Cao, but I," he immediately raised his head and looked at Mrs. Liu, "Trust her."

"Six sons!"

"Officials."

"Go and call Cao Neihan to draw up an order."

"Yes."

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In the first ten days of November of the 29th year of Qianyuan, the emperor issued an edict to choose a concubine for the crown prince. The family books of all the ministers were selected. The crown prince concubine, ordered the Ministry of Officials to make a book of seals, and got married in Changxia the following year.