Gu Xining reported everything to the emperor about Zuo Sanxiang's plan and the banquet with Kabuki on the boat, and only waited for the emperor's order.

From Gu Xining's point of view, the emperor must impose restrictions on Zuo Sanxiang's misbehavior, or at least send someone to issue orders and punish him.

"Well, Mr. Zuo did a good job! Gu Xining, go and check the grain and rice shops in Bianzhou as Mr. Zuo said. I will then send people to check the official warehouse. Let's clear the grass first and give the snake to

Drive them out and let Zuo Sanxiang catch the snake!"

Gu Xining raised his head in surprise, "Your Majesty, we have been prepared for a long time. If we investigate like this, we may have little effect!"

"It has little effect, at least it has some effect, even if those who are greedy for money and food from the country are stabilized first. Only when they think they are safe will they relax their vigilance and not incite the workers and civilians to confront the court. Can you

clear?"

Gu Xining always felt that it would be strange for Zuo Sanxiang to not provoke a popular uprising because he always wanted to kill people.

"Your Majesty is far-sighted, but Mr. Zuo threatens to kill people at every turn. I am afraid that the situation will not be controlled by then!"

The emperor smiled meaningfully, "Leon Sanlian, the officials of the imperial court and the border officials will be killed at will, and thousands of elites will be destroyed at will. Do you think there is any situation that he can't control? Even if there is a big chaos, the court will deal with him to calm it down."

Public outrage is not out of the question!"

Gu Xining shuddered. Although he was not optimistic about Zuo Sanxiang's future, it was still scary to hear such words coming from the emperor's mouth.

When the emperor hired people, he had already thought of all the escape routes. If the matter was done this time, the credit went to the King of Jin. If it was done badly, it would be Zuo Sanxiang who killed innocent people indiscriminately and aroused public anger.

The ministers of the imperial court were nothing more than pawns of the emperor, so why was he, Gu Xining, not a pawn.

"My subordinates understand! Let's take people to Bianzhou now!"

"Wait a minute, I'm asking you, what kind of person do you think Zuo Sanxiang is? I want to hear the truth, so it's okay for you to speak out!"

Gu Xining hesitated for a moment, "In the eyes of my subordinates, this person is bold, cruel, drunk and lustful, looks down on others, and has bad habits! If I have such a friend, it would be a shame for me! But, I can't.

I don’t admire this person because he has real abilities! If his personal ethics were better, maybe I would choose to be friends with him!”

"Very good, impartial, public or private, do you want to know what I think of this person?"

The emperor asked Gu Xining a question, but Gu Xining was worried that knowing too much would be detrimental. Under normal circumstances, the emperor would not share his thoughts with others.

"Today I and you are facing each other. Don't worry too much. I am the emperor, and in your opinion, I can only have unpredictable power. I play the role of emperor every day. Ever since I took this position, I have not

Then there’s the father, the husband, the friend! Just a loner!”

The emperor claimed to be a loner, but Gu Xining was wondering what he said wrongly today that made the emperor feel so emotional.

"I would like to accept your Majesty's teachings!" Gu Xining responded, thinking that after hearing the emperor's truth today, he might have to stay away from the capital in the future.

"In your position, it is impossible not to worry. In fact, what I am going to say is not a shocking secret. I just feel that living like Zuo Sanxiang is the only way to live in this world in vain! Don't stick to etiquette and law,

Not bound by morality, you can scold someone if you want to, hit someone if you want to, and eat and drink if you have wine and sex. This is the real man! And I, and you guys, may not want to be like Zuo Sanxiang.

, it’s just that due to etiquette, morality and other people’s comments, I had to suppress myself! When I was young, I just wanted to be a general and serve on the battlefield with my martial arts, but fate played a trick on me, and later I had to take charge of the country. When I was a prince,

I still have many friends around me, but after becoming emperor, I don’t have any friends anymore. In the past ten years or so, you are one of the few people who listen to me!"

Gu Xining immediately knelt down and said, "My subordinates are frightened."

Before Gu Xining could finish his words, the emperor smiled, "Look, you have too many thoughts on your mind. This is not a shameful thing. I am just talking to you. Forget it, I think you are very uncomfortable here."

Zi Zi, go do your errands! Try your best to find out something, and the credit cannot go to Zuo Sanxiang!"

Gu Xi

After Ning bowed and exited, the emperor called Zhao Agui, "Agui, let's go and see Concubine Pei!"

"Why does your Majesty think of Concubine Pei today?"

Zhao Agui was very curious. Five years ago, the emperor had never called any concubines to sleep with him. After he retired from the court, he only focused on staying in the Wuji Hall where he made alchemy.

"Idiots talk too much. Go quickly and instruct your disciples to attack the front line!"

"Slave obeys the order!"

Zhao Agui smiled flatteringly and ran forward while shouting, "You guys, go to Concubine Pei and pass on the emperor's instructions. The emperor wants to show off!"

"For a eunuch, he looks quite good as an official! He looks more like a county magistrate!"

The emperor paced behind him and joked.

Concubine Pei was very surprised by the four eunuchs who went to deliver oral instructions to Concubine Pei.

"The Yunhua Hall of Changle Palace is almost deserted. Are you here to make me happy?"

The four eunuchs were out of breath and knelt down and pointed outside the palace door, "I heard it true, the Holy Emperor is really coming! Even if the servants have ten thousand heads, they would not dare to deceive the noble concubine!"

Concubine Pei glanced in the direction outside the palace door and sighed, "Okay, everyone, get up and help decorate the inside of Yunhua Palace!"

It is said that it is a layout. In fact, it means walking around the palace a few times to look around and then calling all the eunuchs and maids in Yunhua Palace outside the palace gate. All the furnishings and objects must be wiped by the maids every day. In fact,

What really matters is the atmosphere.

The emperor finally came here once, and he couldn't leave the place deserted. By the time the twenty-one maids and eunuchs followed Concubine Pei and knelt down at the door, Zhao Agui had already made his way over.

"Your Majesty is riding in the Yunhua Hall of Changle Palace!"

The last three words of this voice were dragged out so long that all the concubines in the other eight halls of Changle Palace heard it.

When the emperor's carriage appeared, Concubine Pei's slender voice shouted, "I respectfully welcome your majesty! May your majesty be blessed with good fortune and may you live long and happy!"

The emperor waved his hand on the shoulder carriage and smiled: "Concubine Pei, please get up quickly, everyone. I came here today because I heard that Concubine Pei's lily and jujube soup is very good, so I came here to try it!"

Concubine Pei was stunned for a moment, then thanked her and stood up. This was the first time she had heard of this lily and jujube soup, but what the emperor said could only be right.

Zhao Agui came forward and gave a few instructions to Zhao Hua, the eunuch in charge of food in Yunhua Palace, and Zhao Hua took four people down to work.

In the past five years, except for the annual New Year's Eve banquet and the wedding of King Jin, Concubine Pei and the emperor sat together, the rest of the time was spent in Yunhua Hall to kill time.

Looking at the somewhat old emperor in front of her, Concubine Pei didn't know what to say. After all, the emperor was only three years younger than her father.

"Pei Guifei, before King Jin leaves, can he come to Yunhua Hall to say goodbye to you?"

It was the emperor who broke the awkward silence and asked about Prince Jin.

Speaking of the King of Jin, Concubine Pei's eyes flashed with light: "Reporting to Your Majesty, when Du'er said goodbye, I personally cooked ginseng soup for him. Du'er was very filial, and Your Majesty entrusted him with such an important task. Concubine."

Grateful!"

"Why didn't Concubine Pei say that I sent Duer a hard job to offend someone? This job is very dangerous!"

"The harem is not allowed to interfere in politics. The errands sent by the emperor are all due to the emperor's grace and the emperor's trust!"

Concubine Pei answered very repressedly. The emperor always likes to make matters clear and then see how the other party responds.

"Concubine Pei is very measured, I like this very much! Concubine Pei has been with me for more than 20 years, and she has never returned to her natal home in Hedong!"

Concubine Pei was very curious. The emperor suddenly talked about returning to his parents' home. Was he testing her or had some other purpose.

"I have received the holy grace and entered the palace. This Yunhua Palace is my home!"

The emperor took Concubine Pei's hand, "I have grown old recently, and many things are no longer what they used to be! There are some things that you can't do if I don't propose or arrange them! It's very hard for Du'er to run errands outside, Pei.

If the noble concubine returns to Hedong with a grand ceremony at this time, at least the relatives of the Pei family can help her secretly!"

Only then did Concubine Pei realize that the emperor's sudden mention of returning to his natal family had a purpose.

"Your Majesty has good intentions, I understand, I will start preparations now!"

"The sooner the better! Well, I allow you to use the Queen's guard of honor!"

Several palace maids secretly rejoiced, but Concubine Pei looked solemn. She did not have the title of queen but now she had to use the honor of the queen. If King Jin cannot inherit the throne in the future, the prince may not pursue this matter after he ascends the throne.

"I am a noble concubine, so I should know the rules and abide by the etiquette. I should still use the honor guard of a noble concubine!"

"I will issue an edict, special permission! You don't have to worry!" The emperor's meaning was very firm.

Concubine Pei had no choice but to agree. The emperor once again counted her and her clan members. It would be extremely glorious to return home with the queen's guard of honor. The Pei family and some people who lined up for the throne would also think that Concubine Pei had hope of being promoted to queen.

The King of Jin has the hope of becoming the crown prince.

Hope is a poison that makes people obsessed, and makes people think of ways to deceive themselves and risk everything for hope.

However, Concubine Pei knew in her heart that the Crown Prince was on par with the King of Jin, and the King of Jin had no obvious advantage. Moreover, there were recent rumors that the King of Jin was pretending to be an inspector, but he was actually drinking and recruiting tricks on the boat all day long.

Thinking of this, Concubine Pei couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, I heard that Mr. Wen Qianwen, the chief minister of the Jin Palace, did not accompany him. Without a great scholar like Mr. Wen by his side, I am afraid that the King of Jin will be rude in etiquette.

!”

This question is extremely clever. It is the fault of a son not to teach his father, and it is the fault of a teacher not to teach strictly.

Zuo Sanxiang's "good reputation" became famous all over the world more than ten years ago. If Zuo Sanxiang hadn't saved the young King Jin, the Jin King would have pestered Concubine Pei to ask Zuo Sanxiang to be his master. Pei Guifei was determined to

He refused to let Zuo Sanxiang enter the Jin Palace.

The emperor chuckled, "Du'er has been repressed in the palace all day long. I don't want my son to become a hypocritical person! It's okay for young people to enjoy themselves occasionally. After experiencing it, they won't have extreme desires.

If you hold it back for a long time, I'm afraid the backlash in this regard will be more serious in the future. Of course, as a mother, you always hope that your son will behave according to the rules! Wen Qian is a man of uprightness, but he is not good at doing things. I sent Zuo Sanxiang and Liu Jingchuan

I go to assist Du'er, and I don't want Du'er to become a nerd. Let's see how this Zuo Sanxiang does things and learn how to adapt!"

"I am just worried that your majesty and Du'er's reputation will be damaged. You must know that those scholars don't see it that way!"

"Scholar?" The emperor mentioned these three words with contempt.

"When we first conquered the world, those who sacrificed their lives for righteousness were scholars. Now that they criticize government affairs and slander ministers all day long, that's not called a scholar, that's called a mad dog!"
To be continued...