Chapter 5076: The Merit of Support
Chapter 5076: The Merit of Support
The eunuch walked hurriedly and hurriedly. He tripped over the threshold when entering the door and almost fell. He finally managed to keep his balance and took two steps at a time to reach the Queen and the Crown Prince. He knelt down with a plop and said breathlessly, "Your Highness, the Queen and the Crown Prince, the court has already reached a conclusion!"
The Queen's eyes widened and her slender white jade hands clenched subconsciously. The Crown Prince beside her was also extremely nervous.
"Tell me quickly, what is the result?"
The eunuch didn't even have time to catch his breath and hurriedly said, "The Grand Commandant asked Your Majesty in the Taiji Palace: Did Concubine Shen stop at the rank of Zhaoyi? If so, she can be promoted immediately. If not, she is firmly opposed! Your Majesty is speechless!"
Upon hearing this, Queen Su was both relieved and sad.
She was glad that Fang Jun was able to resolutely oppose despite the pressure from the imperial power, whether he was sincerely trying to protect the prince or to respond to her promise of "committing himself to him"; she was sad that His Majesty was determined to promote Concubine Shen, which showed how dissatisfied His Majesty was with the prince, and that he would rather promote an unborn prince than suppress the power of the Eastern Palace.
How could the love between father and son be so bad?!
The eunuch continued, "Afterwards, the Prince of Hejian spoke up, saying that the promotion to Zhaoyi was of great importance and far-reaching impact, and advised Your Majesty to put it on hold for the time being and make a decision after all parties have discussed it."
The Queen held the Prince's hand and asked nervously, "Does Your Majesty agree?"
"Your Majesty is receptive to advice!"
The queen's delicate body softened, she let out a light breath, and all her anxiety disappeared.
She understood that since this matter could not be forcibly passed in the court, the so-called "temporary shelving" was actually completely aborted. At least this time it would never be possible to implement it again. If Concubine Shen wanted to be promoted, she could only wait until she really gave birth to a prince.
Not to mention that the probability of giving birth to a prince is only 50%. Even if a prince is born, his status can only be promoted to Zhaoyi. It is basically impossible to directly ascend to the rank of concubine...
She naturally knew who the real hero was.
He held the prince in his arms and whispered in his ear: "Prince, you must remember what happened today. You must also remember that it was the Grand Commandant who risked his reputation and the possibility of being slandered as a 'powerful minister' by the world to eliminate the potential danger for the prince."
Crown Prince Li Xiang nodded heavily: "Don't worry, mother. The Grand Commandant is my master and a loyal minister to the East Palace. The Grand Commandant has protected me with his loyalty, so I will treat him as a national hero!"
As frightened and worried he was just now, he was as grateful to Fang Jun at this moment.
Although he was young and had not yet begun to formally intervene in government affairs, he had read many history books and understood how much risk and price it would take for a minister to confront the emperor with such a resolute attitude.
My heart is full of gratitude.
*****
"boom!"
"Crash!"
In a rage, Li Chengqian kicked over the table, and the cups and plates rolled to the ground, with fragments scattered everywhere.
Li Chengqian's face was distorted, filled with anger and because he accidentally hurt his foot, the pain was excruciating...
Concubine Shen's face turned pale. She walked lightly to Li Chengqian's side and supported his arm. Her voice was soft and weak, revealing her fear and uneasiness: "Your Majesty, why are you like this? Please calm down!"
Li Chengqian glanced at her and knelt on the mat without saying a word.
He didn't believe that there was no news from the outside court. She knew why he was furious but pretended not to know. This woman seemed a little pretentious and a little stupid...
But it doesn't matter. She doesn't have a prominent family background or a smart mind. He would feel more at ease if she could give birth to a prince.
Watching the maid rearrange the table and serve tea, Li Chengqian waved her away, then he exhaled and said apologetically, "I'm afraid I have to break my promise."
Concubine Shen sat at the side with her legs bent, pouring tea with her delicate hands, and said softly, "Your Majesty, are you referring to the promotion to Zhaoyi? In fact, I have no extravagant hopes. I only hope to serve Your Majesty and raise a child for Your Majesty. This is enough for my life. Whether it's Zhaoyi or concubine, those titles are just external things. I don't care."
Whether it was sincere or false, these words made people feel comfortable, especially after suffering a heavy blow in the court. Li Chengqian picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, and said with emotion: "Jieyu is knowledgeable and considerate of the overall situation. I am very pleased!"
He immediately recalled what happened in the court just now, and was immediately upset. He raised his eyebrows and gnashed his teeth, "Fang Jun, you are bullying me too much!"
The situation in the court had originally developed according to his plan. Many ministers had felt the miserable situation of him, a "weak man", being bullied by the ministers, and their positions had been shaken. With Liu Li's firm support, not many people would strongly oppose it.
However, Fang Jun stood up and even threatened to resign, completely breaking the situation he had created...
Fortunately, Li Xiaogong gave him a way out, otherwise he would have been humiliated and lost all his dignity by Fang Jun today!
Concubine Shen showed a hint of surprise in her charming and appropriate manner: "Is it the Grand Commandant who disregards Your Majesty's dignity and firmly opposes it? Alas, as a minister, I can certainly correct the king's gains and losses, but is it a bit too much to refute Your Majesty in public?"
Li Chengqian paused for a moment while holding the teacup, then put it down, frowned and said in a deep voice: "The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. This is the ancestral precept of the Tang Dynasty. Concubine, please do not overstep your authority!"
Concubine Shen was startled and hurriedly explained: "How dare I interfere in government? It's just that the Grand Commandant refuted Your Majesty in the court, causing Your Majesty to lose face, and I feel the same way!"
"presumptuous!"
Li Chengqian was furious and shouted, "Why should I need you to empathize with me? Although the Grand Commandant refuted me, his loyalty to me is unmatched in the world! Just do your own thing, take good care of yourself, and take good care of your pregnancy. If I hear you slandering important officials again, I will never let you off easily!"
After saying this, he stood up and left without paying attention to Concubine Shen's gentle, white lotus and pitiful attempts to keep her.
He really wanted to beat Fang Er to death today, but he was also very clear in his heart about Fang Jun's loyalty to him and to the Tang Dynasty.
Is it wrong to try your best to protect the East Palace?
From the perspective of imperial interests, there is nothing wrong with it.
No one knew better than him the harm caused by the instability of the Eastern Palace and the change of the crown prince. The reason why he promoted her to the position of Concubine Shen and even placed high hopes on the prince still in his womb was just to check and balance the Eastern Palace.
In any case, Fang Jun was a loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty.
How can we allow a woman in the harem to point fingers, praise or criticize others?
Concubine Shen chased to the door and saw Li Chengqian walking away without hesitation. Her pretty face was full of disappointment and dejection. She turned back and sat down in front of the table. She gently placed her hands on her belly and rubbed it, muttering, "It must be a prince. Mother can only count on you. You must do your best..."
He also thought that the Eastern Palace was protected by powerful ministers like Fang Jun. When his son was born in the future, which minister could fully assist him and help him compete for the throne?
*****
Li Chengqian returned to the Wude Hall, bathed, changed into casual clothes, and sat alone in the imperial study drinking tea and fortune-telling.
He was angry that Fang Jun did not care about his reputation as an emperor, and he was also annoyed at the ministers' double-faced behavior, especially Liu Xiangdao!
He could see everything clearly from his seat on the throne: the people in the Censorate, led by Liu Xiangdao, first watched coldly, and then became restless. If Fang Jun had not stepped forward, the one who would have opposed him in front of all the ministers would have been the Censor-in-Chief, whom he had supported and had high hopes for!
Although Liu Xiangdao finally took down the step set up by Li Xiaogong by virtue of his status as the Imperial Censor, Li Chengqian did not appreciate it at all.
Wang De walked in quietly and said softly, "Your Majesty, the Grand Commandant requests an audience."
"That bastard still has the nerve to see me?"
Li Chengqian was immediately furious and yelled at everyone.
Wang De bowed in silence, trembling with fear.
"Let him get in!"
"Here."
Wang De then bowed, stepped back three steps, turned around and walked out to convey the order.
After a moment, Fang Jun quickly stepped inside, came to Li Chengqian, and bowed to the ground: "Your Majesty, I am here to see you, and I beg you to forgive me!"
Li Chengqian sneered. He did not ask Fang Jun to stand up as he did in the past. Instead, he sat behind the desk and said through gritted teeth, "So you are the Grand Commandant. I wonder what crime you have committed?"
Fang Jun said respectfully: "In the palace, I openly contradicted your majesty and lost the dignity of the monarch and his subjects. I am guilty."
"boom!"
Li Chengqian slammed the desk hard, frightening Wang De at the door so much that he trembled all over...
He angrily scolded: "Are you accusing me of being stubborn and self-willed and of not listening to opposing voices?"
"Wei Chen dare not."
"What else are you afraid of?"
Li Chengqian became increasingly furious and shouted, "I don't blame you for opposing me, and I can allow you to refute me in the palace, but you actually threatened to resign. Do you really think I dare not dismiss you and expel you from Chang'an?"
Fang Jun knelt on the ground, took off his futou and put it aside as he did in the Taiji Hall, and said with emotion: "Your Majesty is the ruler of the world and the king of a country, so you can deal with me at will... But Your Majesty has wronged me. I am not threatening Your Majesty with resignation, but I really resign and ask to retire."
Li Chengqian was stunned and looked at Fang Jun suspiciously, feeling a little at a loss.
Does this guy really want to resign?
It would be impossible for others to be Grand Marshal, Duke of Yue, Shangshu Pushe... these are already the pinnacle of a minister. To go one step further one would have to be crowned a king... But if Fang Jun did this, it would be possible.
This person has never cared about power or status, and all the power he has is just for doing things. Today, the empire is strong and prosperous, with military power covering the four seas and the eight wildernesses. It can be said to be a prosperous era unprecedented in history. It seems that as long as he follows the steps, he can prosper forever.
For the time being, it seems that Fang Jun does not have any urgent pursuits.
Resigning from office and traveling around the world might be a good opportunity to enjoy life.
Li Chengqian touched his short mustache and asked tentatively, "Don't play tricks on me, you bastard. Do you really think I can't see your trick of retreating to advance?"
(End of this chapter)
