in2ebook Chapter 144 Which side will you stand on?
Chapter 144 Which side will you stand on?
Before Sang Wan could ask any further questions, she saw Xiao Ji walking out of the Yangxin Palace.
When he passed by Concubine Rong, he nodded politely as a greeting.
Afterwards, the chief eunuch serving in the Yangxin Palace summoned Concubine Rong into the palace.
Xiao Ji nodded to Eunuch Fu: "Thank you for your hard work, Eunuch."
Eunuch Fu smiled even brighter: "Your Highness, what are you talking about? I will go back and report. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, eunuch." The two said goodbye, and Xiao Ji took her out of the palace gate. The sedan chair was already waiting.
"Brother, why did Concubine Rong come out again?"
Sang Wan was indeed very curious. Setting fire to the palace and murdering a concubine was a capital crime. How could Concubine Rong have such great ability to turn things around?
"The Rong family is a thriving tree, so how can it be uprooted overnight?" Xiao Ji smiled softly, her face as white as jade. "Have you seen the Concubine Chen? Does she look like her?"
Sang Wan lowered her head slightly: "Those eyes are exactly the same."
Xiao Ji said, "As sisters-in-law, Rong Fei naturally knows the details of Chen Fei.
She dared to set fire to the palace because of the Rong family's merits. The Rong family played a great role in the emperor's rise to power.
Rong Fei's brother Rong Yize was the commander-in-chief of the late emperor's palace, in charge of the palace guards.
That night, the late emperor and the present emperor were enjoying a drink and conversation when they suddenly died. Only these three know what happened.
A fire broke out in the Jujiu Palace, but rescue efforts were delayed. The emperor was furious and dismissed Rong Yize from his post as commander of the imperial guards, ordering him to reflect on his mistakes in seclusion.
Kang Jiwei, who put out the fire that night, was promoted from the original commander of the Infantry Department to the commander of the Imperial Guard Department.
The Rong family seemed to have fallen from grace, but the Guan family lifted them up high and brought them down gently.
"No wonder she's so confident. It turns out she has something on him." Sang Wan frowned. "It's said among the people that the late emperor died by candlelight and axe shadow. It seems it's not a rumor."
"All the ministers knew it well. The few who refused to obey were imprisoned on pretexts, and the rest obeyed without hesitation."
Sang Wan felt chilled: "Isn't loyalty the most important thing for a minister? He killed the king and yet he can still sit in the imperial court. Isn't this the biggest joke in the world?"
Xiao Ji sneered: "Whoever takes over the Xiao family's throne is an internal matter of the Xiao family.
What the ministers want is a wise ruler. The current emperor's strategy in governing the country is at least as good as that of the previous emperor. Even if they secretly criticize him, what can they do?
It's better than supporting a seven-year-old child to ascend the throne and having the harem rule behind the scenes, right? "
Xiao Ji was telling the truth.
This kingdom still belongs to the Xiao family. The ruler in the Mingtang is not only the younger brother of the late emperor, but also a founding hero who conquered the world together on horseback.
The late emperor said more than once, "Brothers should work together to rule the world."
The most important thing is that the Queen Mother supports the Emperor’s ascension to the throne.
The Empress Dowager is the biological mother of the late Emperor and the current Emperor, and she has no objection, let alone her subjects?
"Brother, do you think so too?"
Sang Wan's bright eyes stared directly at Xiao Ji without any concealment. There was inquiry, doubt, expectation, and fear in her eyes that Xiao Ji could not ignore.
She was afraid, afraid that Xiao Ji's ideas would be different from hers; afraid that they would have disagreements and become a rift because of this.
Xiao Ji met her gaze, not hiding his inner thoughts:
"I am a minister of Daxia, and also a citizen of Daxia. Only when the country is stable can the people live in peace. The death of the late emperor is an accomplished fact. The court needs a wise ruler, and the people need a wise ruler."
Sang Wan couldn't hide the sense of loss in her heart:
"Brother, if Zheng Yunlan and him were to do something, which side would you stand on?"
"My father's blood flows through my veins. He was a man of integrity, fighting alongside the late emperor to defeat enemies and break through enemy lines, saving the people from disaster in troubled times. He died while inspecting salt, dedicated to his country. His life was worthy of the title of king. I am my father's son, so I naturally stand with the people."
Xiao Ji held Sang Wan's shoulders with his big hands and looked straight into her eyes:
"Ah Wan, if Zheng Jinzhi ever disrupts the imperial court and disrupts the Xiao clan's rule, I will unceremoniously draw my sword and confront him. I don't want you to get caught in the middle and get hurt."
The cold wind penetrated into his bone marrow through the gaps in the carriage curtains, and Sang Wan's wound began to ache again.
The pain was like ants gnawing and biting her inch by inch, and she began to regret why she asked such a question.
"Brother, I'm just asking casually, you don't have to be so harsh."
She avoided Xiao Ji's eyes.
"Zheng Yunlan is going to be crowned queen, and the ceremony will be held after the New Year, on the eighth day of the first lunar month." Xiao Ji said, "The reason why Concubine Rong was able to come out is also the result of the game between the emperor and the Rong family."
"The Rong family has backed down." Sang Wan understood. "They are willing to give up the position of Queen to save Concubine Rong's life."
"The brief retreat was to allow the next attack to be fatal. The Rong family risked their lives to help the emperor ascend to power.
They would definitely not let the throne of empress stay in Zheng Yunlan's hands for too long. Once Zheng Yunlan gained a firm foothold and gave birth to an heir, he would be the legitimate son.
How would the eldest prince, the son of Concubine Rong, cope with this? The throne, the empress, the crown prince—with the vast empire at their backs, who would let go?
You met Zheng Yunlan today. What kind of person do you think she is? "
"I can't explain it." Sang Wan bit her lip lightly. "I just felt that in her eyes, besides sorrow, there was also endless hatred."
"Prince Yun claimed he was recuperating in his palace, but in reality he was imprisoned; Zheng Jinzhi was in the bitter cold of the northwest, and his claim of joining the army was no different from exile.
The lives of Zheng Yunlan's two sons were firmly in the hands of the government.
Even though she was favored, she had no official children yet. Why did Concubine Rong set her on fire? Was it really out of jealousy?
Xiao Ji asked cleverly.
Yes, why? When the emperor was King Zhao, his wife had no children. Rong Fei's son was the emperor's firstborn son. Now an adult, he left the palace and started his own household last year.
"She has an adult prince in her hands, so what she wants is not just the position of empress, but the position of crown prince."
Sang Wan's blood froze and goose bumps appeared all over her body: "Zheng Yunlan started that fire himself!"
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs has already investigated and found out that the fire was secretly set by a maid in Xifu Palace. However, Concubine Rong continues to protest her innocence. Zheng Yunlan was definitely involved."
Xiao Ji sighed, "If someone can risk her life, who can stand in her way? This inner palace will surely be filled with bloodshed from now on. Ah Wan, you are so smart, how could you just ask this casually?"
He looked at Sang Wan with complicated eyes: "If that day comes, which side will you stand on?"
Sang Wan was speechless. This question was like a boomerang, swirling back and piercing her with blood.
She almost forgot that Xiao Ji was an extremely sharp and intelligent person, and in front of him, her thoughts had almost nowhere to hide.
Seeing her pale face, Xiao Ji felt a little reluctant:
"Ah Wan, every step he takes is on the edge of a knife. That blood will not be shed in vain. He will take it back a hundredfold, a thousandfold. One day, he will return to this city through mountains of swords and seas of fire. If you don't make the right choice, how will you face it?"
"Brother, I'm the same as you." Sang Wan's voice was hoarse, but his eyes were firm. "I am the blood of our father, and I stand with the common people."
"You are worthy of being father's daughter, my good sister!" Xiao Ji was very pleased.
But I also want him to live.
Sang Wan didn't say it out loud.