Golden Branch

The Queen's body was kept for twenty-seven days, and Concubine Jiang also stayed like this for twenty-seven days.

During the day, she cried and knelt in the mourning hall with the princes, princesses, concubines, etc.

At night, she quietly went to look after Changning and kept vigil for the queen alone.

In front of the coffin, she did not cry loudly or grieve to the point of being unable to control herself. She just sat there quietly.

He would either whisper to Queen Li about past events or copy scriptures.

After enduring for nearly a month, the normal crying for the dead had caused a lot of trouble for the powerful people.

Concubine Jiang is twofold.

Her voice became hoarse and she lost a lot of weight.

Although she was not emaciated, anyone could see that she was filled with grief from the bottom of her heart.

The sage observed silently for several days and saw that Concubine Jiang was consistent and had no trace of acting. He sighed silently in his heart:

A Jiang treated his sister with genuine sincerity.

Concubine Jiang, who has such a pure heart, makes the rumors in the streets seem even more ridiculous and hateful.

The saint was already sad and angry because of the death of his beloved wife. How could he tolerate the villain hiding in the dark taking advantage of his beloved wife and plotting against his concubine?

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for me. I want to see who this person is. How dare he be so arrogant and treacherous as to even toy with the affairs of the royal family?"

The saint called Zhou Jiming and gave him orders in a cold voice.

"Also, these disgusting and absurd words should never have been spread. From today on, I don't want to hear a single word about the Empress or the Imperial Concubine!"

The saint spoke in a hoarse voice, one sentence at a time.

"Yes! I obey your command!"

Zhou Jiming bowed and listened to the sage's instructions before responding respectfully.

After leaving the palace, he personally supervised the matter.

Find out the source of the rumors and stop their spread... Zhou Jiming was used to doing these things, and within two days, there was no more gossip outside.

Those who spread the rumors have also been investigated.

"Your Majesty, it was Consort Zheng's brother who approached the tavern's Hu Ji and announced that 'the Empress has passed away and the Imperial Concubine has succeeded to the throne.'"

Zhou Jiming came to the emperor with a dozen documents to report.

The sage raised an eyebrow. "Talented Lady Zheng? Could it be that Consort Zheng is the mastermind behind this?"

A saint is never deceived by superficial illusions.

Zheng Cairen was just a newcomer who had entered the palace in the past two years and was the cousin of Concubine Zheng Xianfei.

Although she was born into the aristocratic Zheng family, Zheng Cairen was only a illegitimate child of a branch of the family.

She was sent to the palace by the Zheng family to help the aging and fading Concubine Zheng maintain her favor.

Zheng Cairen herself was of low rank, had no offspring, and her closest relatives were not prominent enough in the clan.

Only a saint would be so foolish as to think that she had the motive or need to frame Concubine Jiang.

On the contrary, it was Consort Zheng Xianfei behind Consort Zheng——

Well, Concubine Xian is also an elder in the Qiandi Palace.

One of the four concubines, she had two sons and one daughter.

Concubine Zheng's eldest son was the second prince.

If the second prince had not occupied the position of the legitimate, eldest and virtuous crown prince, he would have been considered outstanding.

He is both civil and military, and has a good character.

When the saint was conquering all over the world, the second prince followed him.

The second prince also had military achievements.

Therefore, after the saint ascended the throne, when he rewarded meritorious officials and the princes, he appointed the second prince as King of Zhao.

Over the years, King Zhao has gained experience in the six ministries and has gained a good reputation in the court.

Among the many illegitimate princes, Prince Zhao was considered the first.

Unfortunately, he is still not as good as the prince.

There was no way. The crown prince was too outstanding, like the bright moon in the sky. The other princes could not compare to him at all.

Prince Zhao is far inferior to the Crown Prince!

This is the idea of ​​the saints and the officials in the court, but Concubine Zheng and her Zheng family may not be willing to "accept their fate".

Perhaps, they still want to fight for it.

What he wanted to resolve most was the identity of the legitimate son of King Zhao.

If the Queen were still alive, Concubine Zheng and others would not have had such delusions.

Unfortunately, the queen passed away. If Concubine Zheng could ascend to the throne, Prince Zhao would become the legitimate son.

The subsequent struggle for the throne would be justified.

However, before Concubine Zheng, there was Concubine Jiang, who also had a prince.

Concubine Zheng could kill two birds with one stone.

Spread rumors, overthrow Concubine Jiang, and take advantage of the opportunity to ascend to the throne...

The sage was indeed wise. Just by hearing that the main person spreading the rumors was Zheng Cairen, he guessed the subsequent truth.

Zhou Jiming gave a negative answer, "Your Majesty, on the surface, this matter 'should' be related to the virtuous concubine, but I have found that Zheng Cairen's family has been bullied in the clan."

Zheng Cairen was a illegitimate child of the Zheng family's side branch.

Among many aristocratic families, some of the main branches will treat their clansmen well and even help those who are in trouble.

But there are also fools who rely on their status as direct descendants to bully and exploit their fellow tribesmen.

Unfortunately, Concubine Zheng's father, the head of this branch of the Zheng family, is the latter.

He claimed to be the clan leader and a noble person, and he would exploit, beat and scold his clan members at will.

For example, Concubine Zheng was only fifteen years old when she entered the palace. She originally had a fiancé, but was forcibly separated by the Zheng family. They also threatened her father and brother's future and forced her to enter the palace and work like a slave for Concubine Zheng!

Zhou Jiming was in charge of the Dali Temple and controlled the Baiqi Division. He had many forces both overt and covert, so the information he obtained from the investigation was extremely detailed and in-depth.

Zhou Jiming found out some secrets that were unknown to outsiders.

The Saint listened slowly for a long while before speaking quietly, "Does Consort Zheng have a grudge against the Zheng family? Far from helping Consort Xian, she might even deliberately use this status to frame her."

Zhou Jiming lowered his head and said nothing.

After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "I have found out that Zheng Cairen's younger brother is studying at Mount Li Academy, and among his classmates is the distant nephew of Consort De."

The saint frowned slightly.

Why is Concubine De involved?

Like Concubine Xian, Concubine De was his concubine in his early years.

Concubine De had three sons and two daughters. Two of her sons and one daughter died young and were not included in the family line. Now only one son and one daughter are left.

The son was the sixth among the princes. When he was born, the sage had already become the King of Qi.

He is young, has no military achievements, and does not have any outstanding talents.

Until now, the Sixth Prince has not even been crowned king.

In his current situation, not to mention being compared with the Crown Prince, even the King of Zhao, the King of Yan, the King of Wei, etc., are all superior to him.

The Saint did not think highly of the Sixth Prince, and had never considered listing him as a candidate for succession.

Firstly, the sage has the most outstanding crown prince. The King of Yan and the King of Wei, who are also born of legitimate parents, cannot compare with the crown prince, let alone the princes born of concubines.

Secondly, among the illegitimate princes, there was the relatively outstanding Prince Zhao, and the ninth prince who was favored by the saint.

The Sixth Prince is neither high nor low, and no matter how the turns come, it will never be his turn.

The saint really never considered the Sixth Prince.

However, just because a saint doesn’t want to do that doesn’t mean others don’t have ambitions.

Furthermore, Concubine Cui De did not do it herself this time.

She took advantage of Concubine Zheng, so even if something happened, everyone would naturally suspect Concubine Zheng.

The rumor incident could not bring down Concubine Jiang, but it was able to kill Concubine Zheng, who also had an older prince. For Concubine Cui De, it was also a success!

The saint's mind raced.

As a man and an emperor, he has always disdained to pay attention to the intrigues and schemes of the women in the harem.

But, disdain does not mean not understanding.

With the clues from the investigation of the Hundred Cavalry Division, and based on interests and human nature, the saint quickly sorted out the incident and came up with a guess that was close to the truth.

Concubine Cui De used a knife to kill someone, hoping to kill three birds with one stone.

Although Concubine Zheng seemed to be wronged, she was not innocent.

In the internal strife of the Zheng family, Concubine Zheng was a vested interest. Her father was mean to the clansmen and caused the disaster, so she should bear the consequences.

As a high-ranking imperial concubine, she did not notice Zheng Cairen's abnormality, which led to her being framed.

The only innocent person in the whole incident was Concubine Jiang.

She had no intention of becoming queen, but was wantonly slandered.

Wait, Ajahn really doesn’t want to be queen?

That is the most honorable position for women in the world, and it is the dream of countless women.

The saint remained calm, but secretly kept this question in mind.

……

The empress's body was kept in a state for twenty-seven days, and then sent to the imperial mausoleum for burial on an auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Observatory.

On the day of the funeral, all officials above the fourth rank in the capital, ladies of noble birth, princes, princesses, kings, clan members, and concubines all wore mourning clothes and attended the funeral procession with grief and tears.

After nearly a month of tossing and turning, even young people like Wang Heng and Wang Mian had their throats dry and their faces pale.

He has lost weight and his body sways slightly when he walks.

Especially the legs, the knees were already bruised, red and swollen.

There was no other way. I had to go to the palace every day to kneel and cry, and I couldn’t cheat, so I had to kneel down.

Bruise and purple bruises on the knees are minor injuries. The worst thing is shaking when walking.

Wang Heng, Wang Mian, Zheng Shisan and other close friends supported each other and slowly followed the funeral procession.

Only after leaving the palace and the capital can you get on the car.

Sitting in her own carriage, Wang Heng felt as if both of her legs were about to break.

She was quite close to the queen, and she was indeed sad when the queen passed away.

However, after tossing and turning for more than twenty days, I was exhausted both physically and mentally, and the sadness turned into numbness.

Wang Heng could no longer cry and was completely dazed.

Lou Yu's situation is not much better than Wang Heng's.

As a minister, he not only had to cry at the funeral, but also had to take care of his official duties and look after little Dalang.

As the eldest grandson of the queen, Xiao Dalang had to wear the mourning clothes of Qisui.

He was still young, and mourning was definitely not easy for him.

Lou Yu not only had to pay attention to his physical and mental health, but also had to remind him of many details of mourning.

This is not just a simple filial piety, but also concerns Xiao Dalang's reputation and future.

Lou Yu and Wang Heng are the most thoughtful and cautious, and the couple never get upset over trivial matters.

When Wang Heng was in mourning, she was able to wear coarse linen and eat vegetarian food.

Twenty-seven months, without interruption and without any fraud.

She strictly followed the ancient rituals and was meticulous, and no one could find any fault with her.

Xiao Dalang also has to do the same.

There must be no mistakes in what you say or do.

He is not only the young master of the Eastern Palace, but also the crown prince appointed by the sage.

With a legitimate status, he is the definite third-generation heir to the dynasty.

His words, actions, and rules will be watched by countless people, and no mistakes will be allowed.

What Lou Yu has to do is to protect him, teach him and give him advice.

It’s only one month, even if it’s just a show, we have to do it completely.

Furthermore, the Queen was Xiao Dalang's closest relative, and he was her only concern before her death.

It was the Queen who made it possible for Xiao Dalang to become the Crown Prince.

The Queen also helped arrange Xiao Dalang's marriage.

The queen arranged a principal wife and two concubines for Xiao Dalang.

The three young noble ladies all come from aristocratic families and are of noble status. They can all help Xiao Dalang expand his power and consolidate his status.

It can be said that as a grandmother, the queen has done everything she can and cannot do for Xiao Dalang.

This kindness alone is enough to make Xiao Dalang mourn for her sincerely!

Lou Yu always paid attention to Xiao Dalang, which was even more tiring than mourning for himself.

Nearly a month had passed, and Lou Yu was exhausted.

Fortunately, it’s all over!

The queen's coffin was sent to the imperial mausoleum and buried in the underground palace.

The underground palace has not been closed. This is the emperor's tomb, and it will have to wait for a hundred years after the saint's death before it can be completely closed.

Throughout July, the Taiji Palace and even the entire capital city were covered in white.

In August, the funeral ended and the twenty-seven-day mourning period also ended.

The August Festival is the first festival after the end of the mourning period. Although the palace does not hold a grand ceremony, it still has a festive atmosphere.

The queen passed away, and the six palaces were left without a master.

It would be fine on weekdays, but now that it is a major festival, we need someone to take charge.

The saint then came to Baifu Palace.

"My Lady, how about you hosting this year's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet?"

The saint sat leisurely in the main seat, with his elbows resting on the table, as if chatting about family matters, and spoke casually to Concubine Jiang.

Imperial Concubine Jiang was stunned for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, you know me well. I have always been lazy, and managing Baifu Palace is already my limit. I really can't bear such a heavy burden."

"I remember that for the past two years, the Crown Princess has been by the Empress's side, helping her manage the harem."

"Last year's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was hosted by the Crown Princess. Since there's no need to have two heads for one thing, why not let the Crown Princess take charge this year as well?"

Concubine Jiang's words were not unreasonable.

The Crown Princess is the future mistress. Now that the Queen's position is vacant, it is not excessive for the Crown Princess to take charge of the palace affairs.

Concubine Jiang meant only one thing: although she was the head of the four concubines and the most noble among all the other concubines, she would not rashly take over the palace affairs.

She is just a favored concubine, not a good wife.

She is happy to eat, drink and enjoy herself.

She refused to work as a housekeeper.

"...What the Imperial Concubine said does make some sense!"

"Although the Crown Princess is young, she is the future Queen Mother. It is only right and proper for her to be in charge of the palace affairs!"

The saint seemed to understand Concubine Jiang very well.

He spoke slowly, and suddenly changed the subject, "Speaking of status—"

The Saint raised his head, his blazing eyes filled with doting: "My Lady, are you willing to preside over the harem?"

The saint’s meaning was very clear: Concubine Jiang, do you want to be the queen?

Concubine Jiang's expression changed slightly, and she looked straight at the saint.

In her shimmering almond eyes, there was surprise, confusion, and a hint of outrageous accusation—

"Your Majesty, I don't want to!"

"The throne of Queen belongs only to my wife!"

She is like a staunch defender of Queen Li.

In her opinion, there is only one queen in this dynasty, and that is Queen Li.

No one is qualified to occupy the position that belongs to Queen Li.

Even if it was Concubine Jiang!

"Oh? Imperial Concubine, you don't want to be the Queen!"

"...Your Majesty, in my heart, the Queen is only my wife!"