Chapter 398: 398 game
Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Game
Marquis Anding made up his mind last night and no longer expected the new emperor to choose a concubine. At this moment, his thoughts resurfaced.
It was as if someone had dropped a large handful of tempting fish food into the pond. Not only Marquis Anding, but also many other officials' hearts began to stir like fish swarming at the smell. A series of ripples.
Above the court, the civil and military officials had different thoughts, and nearly half of them were eager to give it a try.
Especially those officials who have daughters of school age at home cannot suppress their anticipation. They are reluctant to send their eldest daughter to the palace, but their second daughter, youngest daughter, etc. are still acceptable;
Even those officials who did not have legitimate daughters of the right age could not help but wonder which concubine in the family was more beautiful. Maybe they could send the concubine to the palace, even if she had a lower status at the beginning;
And those officials who don’t have daughters at home can only feel upset secretly;
Of course, there were still some officials who stood intently and turned a deaf ear to what Yang Xuanshan said. These people just wanted to be pure ministers.
Yang Xuanshan was obviously aware of the commotion around him, and continued calmly without changing his expression: "Your Majesty, after a new emperor ascends the throne, according to the practice of our dynasty, twenty women of the right age can be selected from official and aristocratic families to enter the palace. After the selection, the Queen Mother and the Empress will select ten people to fill the imperial court and extend the line of descendants.”
Yang Xuanshan talked calmly and said whatever the rules were.
Anyway, the Yang family does not plan to send their daughter to the palace. Firstly, it is to avoid suspicion and avoid being criticized by others for using power for personal gain. Secondly, it is because the Yang family is a scholarly family, has been an official for several generations, and has always been a pure minister. of.
In comparison, other officials' hearts beat faster, and they were already wondering whether they could have a place among the twenty places.
As a result, everyone's eyes turned to Yang Xuanshan, planning to talk to Yang Xuanshan after the next court. In his mind, how should these twenty households be distributed? The civil servants, military generals and nobles must all occupy them. At a certain ratio, the clan could not directly send Gu's daughters to the palace, but it could help their in-laws secure a spot.
Thinking about it this way, everyone felt that these twenty places were too few.
There was another subtle change in the atmosphere in the palace. Some officials could not help but look at the other officials around them, wondering if they might be their competitors. They also thought about going home and asking their wives which family in the capital had people of suitable age. daughter…
At this moment, a cold male voice came from the front, like flowing water:
"I don't accept concubines."
In Daqi, in this Jinluan Palace, there is only one person who can call himself "I".
For a moment, everyone was shocked and looked at Gu Jue in front of him.
Gu Jue was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and sitting on a high golden throne. He did not wear a crown, and the twelve swaying hair were missing. His handsome face was less alienated, his temperament was cold, and his posture was calm, as if he was just a man. Talking about a trivial matter.
Unbelievable shock was written on everyone's face, including those officials who originally thought the matter had nothing to do with them.
Although they all heard about what happened in Shouning Palace yesterday from their wives, and knew that the Queen Mother Yin had made it clear that she would not marry the new emperor, they just listened and didn't take it too seriously. At most, the most he could do was sigh to his wife: The Queen Mother is so kind to the Queen, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are just like mother and daughter.
That's all.
We are all men, and we understand the nature of men very well. No one thinks that Gu Jue will refuse to take a concubine.
It is natural for men to have three wives and four concubines. From ancient times to the present, officials, squires, wealthy households, etc. all have wives and concubines. Even ordinary people, as long as their families are slightly richer and they have no worries about food, clothing and housing, they will take their wives and concubines after a few years of marriage. concubine.
Besides, the emperors in the past dynasties all had harems with three thousand beauties, and they were both fat and thin. This was a normal thing. For the emperor, having concubines was only beneficial for both public and private purposes.
In particular, Gu Jue had just ascended the throne yesterday. Because of his grievances with the late emperor Gu Lang, many people were a little unsure and were afraid that Gu Jue would settle accounts with their queen after he ascended the throne. If at this time, Gu Jue is willing to select a few families who are not worthy of merit and take in their girls, it will be enough to reassure many courtiers.
They also knew that the emperor and the empress were still newlyweds and had deep feelings. They could not tolerate the sand in their eyes now, but one thing was the same. Since Gu Jue ascended the throne as the emperor, he should take the responsibility of the emperor and take into account the overall situation.
Yang Xuanshan had the same idea as everyone else, but he still clearly remembered how Gu Jue had insisted on holding the enthronement ceremony and the empress establishment ceremony at the same time.
He knew that Gu Jue was not someone who could be easily manipulated, so he didn't think of what to say.
Yang Xuanshan silently cast an inquiring look at Zhang Shoufu. However, Zhang Shoufu stood with his sleeves rolled up and did not receive his gaze at all.
At this moment, the academician of the Hanlin Academy strode out with an awe-inspiring attitude.
"Your Majesty, the reproduction of your heirs is not only related to whether there are successors for the ancestral temple priests, but also the stability and safety of the country."
"You are the Emperor of Qi. You should not only care about your own temporary preferences and selfish interests at the expense of the overall situation."
Although Grand Scholar Ye is old, over sixty years old, and his thin body is a bit stooped, he has a loud voice and is impassioned when he speaks.
Gu Jue looked down at Grand Scholar Ye with a faint smile, and asked in a moderate voice, "What if I only care about my own preferences?"
On the golden dragon chair, Gu Jue held one cheek with one hand, his posture casual.
The inner brilliance blooms from the eyes, like the cold moon in the night sky, noble, clear, and radiant.
Obviously he didn't release any murderous intent, and his tone was flat, but there was a sense of omniscient pressure lingering around him.
Obviously he only said these words to Grand Scholar Ye alone, but even the other people in the hall felt chills in their hearts, and a creepy feeling crawled up their spines.
Everyone was completely intimidated by his momentum.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The wrinkled old face of Grand Scholar Ye was not very pretty, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
He was a veteran of three dynasties and had been in the Hanlin Academy for decades. He had always been known as a noble man and was highly respected. Even the moody late emperor Gu Lang had never slapped him in the face like this in public.
Academician Ye's face turned red, with shame and anger overflowing on his face.
Gu Jue asked again with a clear smile: "What do you do to me?"
These five words were clearly a provocation to the ministers of the court, and the target of his speech was not only Grand Scholar Ye, but also other officials.
All the officials were speechless and stunned again, completely stunned.
The atmosphere in Jinluan Palace seemed a bit depressing.
Some officials looked at each other below, some were shocked by Gu Jue's unruly attitude; some were overwhelmed by Gu Jue's momentum and lowered their heads; some immediately gave up the idea of sending their daughter to the palace in recognition of the current situation; and a few felt that Gu Jue was too willful. .
The censor of Youdu frowned tightly, and then came out to support the great scholar Ye: "Your Majesty, you are the king of a country, how can you say such nonsense!"
"The matter of taking a concubine is not your family matter, it is also related to the overall situation. Please, Your Majesty, please don't let a small thing make a big loss."
The censor of Youdu said plausibly, not only because the emperor really needed a concubine in terms of rituals, but also because he wanted to use this matter to suppress the new emperor.
This was the first time that the emperor and his ministers had a dispute over something since the new emperor ascended the throne, and each of them insisted on their own opinions.
To be honest, it is a trivial matter for the new emperor to accept a concubine now or in three to five years. At this point, it is no longer just a matter of "acquiring a concubine", it is also a game between the emperor and his ministers.
If the king is strong, the ministers will be weak.
If they, as ministers, lost to the new emperor this time and gave in, then when the new emperor has different political views from them in the future, wouldn't he be able to throw the same two sentences at them willfully again:
"What if I only care about my own preferences?"
"What do you do to me?"
Just thinking about these two sentences, everyone felt a little heartbroken.
Gu Jue is too strong in his behavior. If they completely follow his wishes, they will have no other choice but to give in again and again and let Gu Jue do whatever he wants!
Then, these ministers will be even more speechless in the future.
The Censor of Youdu thought so, and other officials were aware of this, so no one helped Gu Jue refute the Censor of Youdu and Grand Scholar Ye.
Everyone was nervous and anxious. They were all watching, assessing the situation, and wanted to see how Gu Jue would deal with all this in the end.
However, Ren Youdu's censor spoke plausibly, and Gu Jue remained as still as a mountain, with a calm and leisurely expression, with a bit of unruly scorn for the world.
He sneered lightly and asked: "So, if I don't accept the concubine, will Da Qi be destroyed?"
One sentence made the already depressing atmosphere become even more solemn.
"..." The censor of Youdu choked on Gu Jue's words.
Someone laughed softly. His laughter was actually very light, but it seemed to be magnified several times in the silent Jinluan Palace at this moment, making it even more mocking and mocking.
Most of the officials followed the sound subconsciously, including the censor of Youdu.
Among a group of officials with complicated faces and stiff bodies, Duke Mu's smiling face made him stand out like a chicken.
Duke Mu had long been used to big scenes, and he watched them calmly, thinking to himself: Who is not a veteran of the three dynasties? Some people have the nerve to rely on their old age here. Hey, who doesn't know how to bully others? Their Shen family is still a Haoying family!
"I'm scared! That's not what I meant!" The censor of Youdu turned blue in the face and maintained his bowing posture. This was what he said to Gu Jue. He didn't argue with Duke Mu. He had his own position. Duke Mu was the queen's grandfather. Of course he didn't want the new emperor to have a concubine. Of course he hoped that the queen could give birth to a prince. This would be good for the Shen family and would make Shen The status of the family is more stable.
The censor of Youdu felt that Duke Mu's thoughts were human nature, and the person who made him feel inappropriate was the new emperor. This new emperor was really arrogant. He refused to accept advice and suppressed his subordinates with force. He did not have the demeanor of a wise king.
The eyes of Youdu Yushi seemed to be like the tide of dusk, with waves rising layer by layer and building up layer by layer.
Now that the new emperor has even said "subjugation of the country", it is not suitable for him to express his opinions on this topic.
He quietly winked at his two colleagues, and two censors stood up from the queue one after another and expressed their opinions:
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has no selfish interests. The heirs of the Tian family are of great importance, and this is not an alarmist statement by others."
"The rules set by our ancestors have their own reasons. Please respect the ancestral system and put the country, the country and the country first."
The two of them chatted with each other, frothing at the mouth.
It was obviously just a matter of getting a concubine, but to them, it was like Gu Jue was going to do something that would harm the country and the people.
The censor of Youdu curled his lips slightly and exchanged tacit glances with several other officials in the queue, including the Minister of Libu.
The other officials present also saw these undercurrents and knew exactly what tricks these people were playing.
In the past, when the late Emperor Gu Lang was on the throne, apart from the lineage of Prince Chen's Palace, there were two factions in the court.
One group is martial; the other group is literary.
The military commander faction is headed by Kang Hongda; the civil servant faction is headed by Wei Jingze, the Minister of Rites.
Kang Hongda sought his own death and insisted on instigating the late emperor to attack Gu Jue, but failed. Now Kang Hongda's lineage has been completely uprooted by Gu Jue's people.
However, Wei Jingze, a member of the civil servants' faction, did not participate in the forced palace to assess the situation. He even did not follow Zhang Shoufu and Prince Li into the palace on the day of the forced palace, because he did not want to offend the late emperor.
From now on, it seems that Wei Jingze made the right move, so everyone in his group is standing in the Golden Palace in good order.
Many officials also admired Wei Jingze's courage, and only now did they come to their senses.
I see.
Wei Jing clearly wanted to take advantage of the fact that the new emperor's throne was not yet secure, to give the new emperor a show of strength, and to let the new emperor know that being a king could not do whatever he wanted.
There were also a few glances at Zhang Shoufu, who stood at the head of the civil servant team without saying a word, with thoughtful expressions in their eyes.
Zhang Shoufu has been an official in the court for many years. He is already in his sixties and has low energy. Everyone knows that he will not be able to hold the position of chief minister for long. In fact, at the beginning of last year, he asked the late emperor to resign and return home, but the late emperor After trying his best to retain him, he stayed again.
Wei Jing is the Tianguan of the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for the selection, appointment, removal, promotion, transfer and assessment of officials. His power and status in the cabinet are second only to the chief minister.
Everyone knows that Wei Jingze wants to be the next chief assistant, and he is bound to win!
This time should be Wei Jingze's first step.
If the new emperor gives in today, then in the future, if Zhang Shoufu retires, Wei Jingze can use the same method to take the position of chief minister.
The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly weird. Except for officials from Wei Jingze's group, everyone else kept their voices and held their breath.
Most people didn't want to get involved in this **** storm without corpses and blood, but some people began to consider whether they should use this incident to show their favor to Wei Jingze.
The new emperor must rely on Wei Jingze. After all, Wei Jingze's faction is the largest among the civil servants, and the Chen Prince's family is all military generals. The new emperor can't rely on military generals to govern the country, right? !
To put it bluntly, this is Wei Jingze’s confidence!
Next, it depends on how the New Emperor will respond.
Naturally, Duke Mu could clearly see the stakes, and a cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck.
He regretted it.
He had long wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Gu Jue about the affairs of the court and the factions and interests behind the scenes. But a while ago, Gu Jue was too busy. Not only did he have to take back the Forbidden Army and various military stations In addition to the military affairs, he also had to deal with government affairs. In addition, he also had to worry about his enthronement.
Mu Guogong planned to talk about it in two days. Unexpectedly, on the first morning of the court meeting, Wei Jingze took advantage of the matter of selecting a concubine.
"Your Majesty, good advice is hard to the ears but it is helpful to the deeds. I hope that the Emperor will listen to your ministers and accept their advice." After Ji Yushi finished these words, he knelt directly on the gold brick floor, in a kneeling posture, with his forehead against the cold gold bricks on the ground.
Ren Ji Yushi and others talked eloquently and stood up Gu Jue sentence by sentence, but Gu Jue didn't even move his eyebrows and listened to them with a calm face.
There was a burning edge between his clear brows, making people dare not look directly at him.
In the silence, everyone's thoughts had changed several times. Gu Jue was probably the most determined and calm one.
Gu Jue still held his cheek with his fist and asked: "Why should I accept the advice?" His voice was still cold.
Unlike Gu Lang, who was obsessed with elixirs and died young due to physical weakness, Gu Jue was handsome but not thin. Due to his long years of practicing martial arts since he was a child, his slender body was strong and thin, and the thin clothes could not hide the muscles underneath. Even if you are sitting in a lazy posture at this moment, your whole body will release a noble aura and majesty, making people dare not make mistakes.
Ji Yushi had already marched south. He slightly raised his head from the ground and glanced at the face of Wei Jingze, the Minister of Civil Affairs.
Wei Jing dusted his sleeves pretending to be casual.
Ji Yushi's pupils shrank, and the cold sweat on his back completely soaked his shirt, but he still gritted his teeth, raised his chin resolutely, and said to Gu Jue in front of him: "If the emperor insists on doing something and refuses to accept advice, I will not accept it." Only by crashing his head into the main hall would he be able to clear his name."
This sentence shocked the civil and military officials of the entire court.
This move was so cruel that as soon as the new emperor came to the throne, he forced the courtiers to crash to death in the Jinluan Palace. No matter what the reason was, outsiders would not care about the inside story. They would only see the "upright" censor hit the pillar and die. Then there must be some hidden secret in it.
In addition, the fact that Gu Jue forced the palace and his uncle usurped the nephew's position made some people question him, thinking that he was unorthodox and that he was the second Uhaduluo.
If another censor hits a pillar and dies, Gu Jue's reputation will be really difficult to clean up. He may be remembered as a tyrant in the future.
At this moment, even Mu Guogong had a headache and regretted that he had not opened his mouth earlier and blurred the topic.
The situation was changing rapidly and he missed the best opportunity.
Under the nervous gazes of everyone, Gu Jue smiled, as if he had heard some funny joke, and then uttered two words: "Bump it."
After a pause, the corners of his lips raised higher, and his eyes were half-squinted. The brilliance in his eyes was flowing, and he smiled and said: "If you want to hit him, don't hit him half alive. If you can hit him head-on and die here, I admire you for being a bit bloody."
"When the time comes, I personally will write a eulogy to praise your loyalty."
"Bump it."
The young man on the Golden Throne has such beautiful features, but the words he speaks are as sharp as the edge of a sword, with the momentum of a sword falling into the stars.
Ji Yushi: "..."
Ji Yushi wanted to see Wei Jingze again, but he knew that everyone was looking at him now, and even the smallest movement could not escape the eyes of others.
He had already placed himself on the blade. If he moved even slightly and his neck brushed against the blade, blood would be splattered on the spot.
The question is, does he have any other choice?
Ji Yushi's temples were soaked with cold sweat and stuck to his cheeks. His cheeks were also pale and lifeless.
He kowtowed respectfully, gritted his teeth, staggered up from the ground, and then resolutely hit the nearest pillar.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The civil and military officials in the court did not react when they saw this scene. As for the Jin Yiwei led by Pei Linye, they watched with cold eyes as Ji Yushi hit the pillar.
"Boom!"
The sound of the skull hitting the pillar made all the ministers' hearts tighten. They saw with their own eyes that after Ji Yushang hit the pillar, he collapsed softly on the ground, motionless, and did not know whether he was alive or dead.
Neither Wei Jingze nor Youdu Yushi expected that things would develop to this point, but now that it has happened, they cannot retreat.
The censor of Youdu came out again, his eyes were red and full of sorrow, and he said loudly and righteously: "The emperor refuses to accept remonstrance and is stubborn in his own opinion. This is really not the behavior of a wise king!"
Gu Jue smiled again. Even if someone crashed and died here, it seemed that it would not leave any trace in his heart.
He called Pei Linye and asked casually: "Go and see if he is dead?"
Forgot to set the time.
(End of chapter)