My bad words were heard by all the civil and military officials in the court

He believed that with Master Tongshan's ability, it was impossible for him not to see that the Queen Mother had evil intentions, and it was impossible for him not to know about the existence of Hao Duanzhuang.

Master Tongshan clasped his hands together, lowered his eyes, and looked a little powerless: "Amitabha, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but I also have things that I am unable to do."

"The Queen Mother was born with the fate of a phoenix. How can this be changed by this poor monk?"

These words silenced everyone in the Golden Palace.

That vicious woman with a heart of a scorpion was actually born with the destiny of a phoenix. This is really... If Lord Ye had not come to their world, knowing this news at this time, I am afraid that many ministers would faint from anger.

Before he fainted, he pointed to the sky and shouted, "God is so unfair!"

The prince lowered his eyes, and a smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "Fortunately, everything is over, and it will soon be over."

Master Tongshan reminded him: "Your Highness, those more than a thousand people are not easy to eradicate."

The smile on the prince's lips disappeared and his headache started again.

Yes, these people are not easy to kill. If we are not careful, there might be a major rebellion in the Great Zhou.

Zhao Zhentian stood up at this time, his serious eyebrows knitted together, his face was full of murderous intent, and he said in a sonorous tone:

"Your Highness, I am willing to lead the troops to quell these remnants of the previous dynasty and protect our Great Zhou."

Following behind Zhao Zhentian, several more generals stood up.

Naturally, they could not miss this good opportunity as they could achieve success, get promoted and be awarded titles without being suspected.

The generals were all full of fighting spirit. The prince's expression eased a little. He bent down and helped the generals who were about to kill the enemy one by one. He said with a moving tone:

"In this case, I will trouble you, generals."

The prince indirectly obtained evidence that the empress dowager was a remnant of the previous dynasty, and in the evening of that day he sent the account book of the empress dowager's embezzlement of military funds to her bedside.

At this time, outside the Cining Palace were ministers who came together after court to resolve major issues. Even if the empress dowager used filial piety to suppress the crown prince, or even His Majesty, the fact that she was a remnant of the previous dynasty and treason was enough to cost her life.

Inside the bedroom of the Cining Palace, the empress dowager used the only hand she could move to open the account book. The familiar handwriting on it made her face change again and again. The saliva that she could not hold back from the corners of her mouth dripped onto the account book from her chin. She was horrified and felt extremely embarrassed.

She hurriedly grabbed a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth, while her other, immobile hand pressed tightly against the bed, feeling extremely hateful.

It must have been the day she had a stroke that the emperor had someone take this thing away from the secret room in her bedroom. The golden abacus that recorded important secrets. The empress dowager thought of the undecipherable words on it, and she felt annoyed but secretly relieved.

It was just corruption. As long as she admitted her mistake, she would still be the empress dowager and the emperor's mother.

Moreover, if she honestly admitted the matter, then no matter what happens later, as long as she doesn't admit it, it will be able to allay some suspicions. Then she will still have a chance to take action and will not be completely suppressed.

"This matter is my fault," the Queen Mother wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth and continued carefully, "I was confused. I will find a way to make up for the money."

Her face was filled with grief and regret, and she was also ill, with disheveled hair and a pale face, which made her look like she was repenting to the fullest.

If they didn't know her identity as a remnant of the previous dynasty, it would be difficult for the ministers and the prince to control her. They could only swallow the matter like a mute, and then reluctantly but helplessly clean up the mess for the empress dowager.

now--

Although everyone was surprised at the Queen Mother's straightforward honesty, they were able to remain calm about her hypocritical behavior at this time.

The Crown Prince gave Eunuch Lin a look, and Eunuch Lin pulled the saliva-stained account book out of the Queen Mother's hand and stepped aside to give the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister and others space to deal with the Queen Mother.

"Since you have admitted this, Grandmother, then take a look at this. Is it familiar to you?"

The prince took out the list that Zhang Liang had just asked Zhang Shuyu to bring into the palace from his sleeve and handed it to the empress dowager.

The names listed on the paper made the Queen Mother, who had not yet breathed a sigh of relief, panic. Her heart was beating like a drum, and she almost wanted to ask them loudly why they could decipher the new text.

But when the words came to his lips, he forced himself to calm down and asked calmly:

"What do these people's names mean? What do you want to show me?"

The prince remained respectful. The stench of the queen mother made him hold his breath as much as possible. He replied, "Grandmother, this is a list. It includes Li Changgong, your father's name, and your name and the name of your two brothers. Grandmother, do you want to know what this list means?"

The Queen Mother wiped the corners of her mouth again, lowered her head, and did not look directly at the Prince's sharp questioning eyes. She pretended to be weak and said:

"I am a frail old woman who has lived in the palace for a long time and is ill. I am not even favored by the emperor. How can I know what this means?"

The Queen Mother's words implicitly emphasized that the Emperor was targeting her. The Prince was so angry at the old woman's shamelessness that he laughed.

"It doesn't matter if grandma doesn't know. It's fine if the civil and military officials outside the Cining Palace know. It will be fine if the people of my Zhou Kingdom know one day."

The Queen Mother trembled, but she held on: "This is a rebellion, this is a rebellion! How dare you be so disrespectful to me? Ask the Emperor to come and see me."

The prince said calmly, "Father is not feeling well and is recuperating. Grandmother, please tell me what you want to say."

Prime Minister Shangguan stepped forward and bowed: "You can also talk to me."

The Grand Tutor also said, "You can also talk to me about this."

The Prime Minister took the lead, and after the Grand Tutor, several others stood up one after another. They were all high-ranking officials of the first and second ranks in the court who held real power.

The empress dowager was panicked by these people's stubborn attitude and her face was full of anger: "I am the empress dowager, the emperor's mother. The emperor didn't come to visit me during my illness. Is this how he is filial to me?"

"And you," the Queen Mother pointed at the people in front of the bed, "you are preventing me from seeing the Emperor. Are you planning to rebel and force him to abdicate?"

The words coming out of the Queen Mother's mouth were full of majesty, carrying the threat and murderous intent of a superior, but her mouth was not keeping up with the flow, and saliva flowed out, spraying all over the bed while she spoke.

The prince frowned uncomfortably, stepped back, and stopped beating around the bush with the empress dowager: "Grandmother, you don't need to make a fuss about my father, nor do you need to use filial piety to pressure my father and grandson."

"I came here today with the list and account book to tell you that I had someone decipher the words engraved on the beads of the golden abacus you hid in the dark room. Your name is prominently listed in the list of meritorious officials of the Huan Dynasty, and it's at the top of the list."

The Queen Mother's face flushed with rage: "How dare you frame me? How dare you frame me? How would I know about the golden abacus and the golden beads? Are you trying to kill me by presenting this list to me?"

As she spoke, she became heartbroken, like a mother who had been let down by her child, tears silently flowing from the corners of her eyes along with her saliva.

"Although I am not the emperor's biological mother, I did raise and teach him. Even when he ascended the throne, it was with my support. Now that I am in poor health, you think I am an eyesore and deliberately frame me. What? Do you want to kill me?"

"If this unfilial behavior gets out, how will the royal family of Zhou still have face in front of the people?"

"Do the royal family and the emperor want to be drowned by the spit of the people of the world?" It has come to this point, with everyone forcing her, and the empress dowager can only use filial piety as a weapon.

The Crown Prince and several important officials listened to the Queen Mother's scolding with expressionless faces. After she finished speaking, the Grand Tutor endured the stench and stepped forward and said:

"Empress Dowager, I really don't understand. You are of noble status and your position is unshakable, but you have to become one of the remnants of the previous dynasty because of your father."

"But as long as you submit the list of the remnants of the previous dynasty in the name of the Queen Mother, I believe that His Majesty will not pursue your past mistakes because you are his mother and have made great contributions. Why do you continue to be confused?"

The Queen Mother sneered. Did these ministers really have no idea about the relationship between her and the Emperor?

Although the emperor would forgive her, she would also be subjected to increasingly harsh suppression by the emperor. Having been the high and mighty empress dowager for so many years, how could she be willing to endure such humiliation?

She didn't answer this stupid question, but only asked: "Are you sure that I am a remnant of the previous dynasty?"

"Just relying on the names copied down on the abacus?"

In response to this endless questioning, Prime Minister Shangguan's face was serious and his voice was cold: "Empress Dowager, we all have our own opinions on what is right and what is wrong. You know exactly what happened to you in collusion with the enemy and treason."

"Now that the truth has been uncovered and the evidence is irrefutable, the officials have discussed and decided that you can continue to live in the Cining Palace, but all your property will be confiscated, and only one servant will be left to take care of your daily life."

"Due to your illness, the imperial physician will come to treat you once every three days. As for your meals, they will be arranged to be the same as those of the palace maids."

"At the same time, starting today, the Cining Palace will be closed and the doors will be shut. Your Majesty, just wait for your fate."

After saying this, the prince and several important ministers left the hall one after another. They really couldn't stand the smell of donkey shit any more. If they stayed any longer, they would probably die.

Things happened too quickly. When the Queen Mother came to her senses from the series of judgments and wanted to vent her anger and ask loudly, she saw that there was no one in the palace and heard the heavy sound of the door being sealed outside. She collapsed and shouted:

"You are so outrageous!"

"I am the Queen Mother. How can you treat me like this? I want to see the Emperor. I want to ask him in person, how can such an unfilial person be worthy of being a king?"

She went crazy for a while, but no one paid any attention to her. The queen mother's throat was sore from shouting, and her body was tired. When she was still angry, she thought of something, wiped her saliva, and said with hope in her eyes, "Come out, I need you."

After a while, no one responded.

The Queen Mother couldn't believe it, and she shouted again: "If you don't want to die, get out of here immediately."

Again no one responded.

The Queen Mother panicked. She remembered the antidote that was placed in the dark room to control the secret guards, and she was afraid that the medicine was now in the hands of the Emperor.

Now she has no bargaining chips left.

Thinking of this, the empress dowager felt a black screen before her eyes, her body fell sideways, and she fainted.

Outside the Cining Palace, the Crown Prince, many civil and military ministers, and a group of imperial guards looked at the secret guards privately trained by the Queen Mother. All of them had stern expressions and complicated thoughts.

According to the rules, the empress dowager cannot have secret guards, but she has hundreds of them. These people are supported by the remnants of the previous dynasty, so how can they not be considered remnants of the previous dynasty!

The leader of the secret guards was brought before the crown prince by a general. The crown prince asked him coldly, "What has the queen mother told you to do in the past three months?"

These secret guards were forced to expose the antidote to the public. They thought the Queen Mother could still protect them, so they thought that even if the Emperor was afraid of their exposure, the final punishment would be nothing more than a lot of noise. Who would have thought...

The leader of the secret guards lowered his head, his back teeth moved, and the poison entered his throat. In just a moment, he died.

The prince was caught off guard by the leader's behavior and was surprised for a moment, but he quickly calmed down.

He stood there and watched coldly as the secret guards fell to the ground and died one by one. In the end, only a few were left. The corners of his lips raised with a smile: "Explain well, I will supply the antidote as usual."

After he finished speaking, the secret guards who wanted to survive were taken away by Zhou Lin and the Royal Guards.

A struggle among those in high positions basically came to an end in the absence of an emperor.

The sky darkened and a cold wind blew, bringing bursts of dampness.

The Master looked up at the sky and murmured, "Your Highness, the weather has changed. It's going to rain."

The rain came suddenly. After Zhang Liang asked his son to bring the list into the palace, several people gathered together to play the cards that Ye Shengxin had made on the spur of the moment.

Ye Xingxin: "Your Majesty."

Emperor Jingming: "No."

Zhang Liang: "Explode." He played four twos.

Ye Xingxin only had three cards left, all with small numbers, so she had no advantage. She said helplessly, "No."

Emperor Jingming was thinking about something and was a little absent-minded: "No."

Zhang Liang played a three, and he had no more cards in his hand. He immediately smiled and said, "I won. Please pay me."

Ye Shengxin and Emperor Jingming each gave one or two taels of silver, and Zhang Liang accepted it with a smile. This was the fifth time he had won. He was still not satisfied and was about to start the next round when he heard hurried footsteps outside.

Zhang Shuyu is back.

The three put down their cards and asked anxiously, "What's going on in the palace?"

Zhang Shuyu wiped the rain off his face with his sleeves and sighed, "The Cining Palace has been sealed off, leaving only the Queen Mother and a maid. As for the secret guards that the Queen Mother trained privately, only seven were killed or injured. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered the Imperial Guards to be sent to the Dali Temple to interrogate them about past secrets."

"The Queen Mother is now isolated and helpless except for her title."

Ye Xingxin was puzzled: "Now that things have come to this, why doesn't Your Majesty abolish the Queen Mother's status?"

Zhang Shuyu glanced at Emperor Jingming, met his fixed gaze, his pupils trembled, and he replied calmly: "Once the status is abolished, the Queen Mother will die. Your Majesty is ill, maybe he is afraid of offending her."

"Besides, the dethronement of the Queen Mother will certainly alert the remnants of the previous dynasty. If they are allowed to escape early, it will be another big trouble for the court."

Emperor Jingming looked away to avoid being noticed, nodded and asked, "How is it going over at Luoshan?"

"Not bad."

Once the heavy rain came, it would rain for several days and nights without stopping. Now that the big thing was settled, Ye Shengxin and Emperor Jingming were no longer burdened. They had been hiding in the Shangshu Mansion these days, playing card games with Zhang Liang.

It developed from three people at the beginning to six people, and finally all the masters and servants in the Shangshu Mansion kept cards in their hands whenever they were free.

Despite the gloomy weather, the entire Shangshu Mansion was cheerful.

In comparison, there are several wealthy mansions in the capital.