klisemfg Chapter 357: She's about to give birth. I love her more than any of you.
Chapter 357: She's about to give birth. I love her more than any of you.
Not to mention that Xie Zhaozhao couldn't figure it out, even an old fox like Xie Anfeng didn't know either.
After the death of several princes, Emperor Hui vomited blood and was in a coma for several days. He never stood up again.
Court meetings were moved to the imperial study, and sometimes to the bedroom.
Later, everyone gradually had a strange feeling. The imperial court had always been taboo against the harem interfering in politics, especially the founding emperor of Daqian, who set the first taboo of the imperial court, which was that the harem was not allowed to interfere in the previous dynasty.
Even among the two generations of queens of the Wei family, there was no precedent of a hen crowing at dawn, but Concubine Xi began to interfere in government affairs.
Whether in the imperial study or in the bedroom, Imperial Concubine Xi was always there to listen in on every meeting.
At the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, it was suddenly announced that Concubine Xi would be the mistress of the harem. Everyone found it sudden, but not very surprised.
After the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, Emperor Hui's health deteriorated day by day, and his harem was deserted and needed someone to take care of it.
On August 16, the imperial edict to confer the title of empress was announced to the world, and all the officials in the court suddenly discovered a grim fact: Empress Xie had begun to review memorials and handle state affairs.
There was an uproar in the court.
The Imperial Censor tearfully advised Your Majesty not to make this move as it would go against ancestral rules.
Quoting from classics, he enumerated the disadvantages of women interfering in government affairs: If a hen crows at dawn, the country will no longer be in power.
Emperor Hui seemed to rely heavily on Empress Xie, and anyone who impeached the Empress would be punished with a stick.
Every day, there were officials who were carried back to the government office with their buttocks disemboweled, and some even cried loudly in court.
Elder Liu looked at Xie Anfeng and asked, "Master Xie, what do you think?"
Xie Anfeng righteously stated: "I think that although your majesty is slightly ill, the cabinet is working hard and can still handle state affairs. There is no need for the queen to interfere in government affairs."
Elder Liu breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately Lord Xie was not confused.
Most of the people in the court protested against Queen Xie's ambition.
Empress Xie did not back down and reviewed the memorial as usual.
The ministers' persuasion was futile. Lord Liu and Minister of Personnel Zhang (Zhang Yanyan's father) joined forces to resist Empress Xie's interference in government affairs. They no longer reported matters in memorials, and only discussed matters verbally if they could be reported orally.
It’s a pity that Emperor Hui was so old and senile that he actually issued an order to put Lord Liu and Lord Zhang in prison!
There are no absolutely honest officials or absolutely corrupt officials in the court, and who doesn't have three or five enemies? Elder Liu and Lord Zhang worked hard all their lives, and even after being imprisoned, a bunch of officials still praised them and said they deserved it.
Empress Xie had many supporters. Officials from all three departments and six ministries greatly appreciated her iron-fisted approach to fighting corruption, and there were many people praising her.
On the day when Lord Liu and Lord Zhang were imprisoned, Xie Anfeng knelt outside the imperial study and begged His Majesty to spare Lord Liu and Lord Zhang. They were both loyal ministers, and he hoped that His Majesty would not hurt their hearts.
He knelt for three hours and felt dizzy.
A pair of purple satin shoes appeared in front of me.
Empress Xie's voice came from above: "Your Majesty's words are golden, and the decree will not be retracted. Sir Xie, please don't embarrass Your Majesty, please go back."
Xie Anfeng asked indifferently: "Where is my daughter?"
"Why are you worried about being by my side?" Empress Xie said, "You want to save Elder Liu and Lord Zhang, so I can let them go with your majesty, but they offended your majesty and can be spared the death penalty, but they can't escape the punishment of life."
"The Queen is too nosy!"
"Master Xie is reluctant to let them be punished, so there is another way: I heard that the Zhang family has 30,000 servants. As long as he hands them over, he can be exempted from punishment."
Xie Anfeng looked up at his own sister. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked noble and dignified, but she was no longer as sunny and bright as she used to be.
"Your Majesty wants it?"
"Of course not!"
"What do you want his soldiers to do?"
"It's not that I want it, but he gave it to me in exchange for the life of an official."
"My lady, please leave some space for us so that we can meet again in the future."
"Master Xie is so kind and righteous. How about you give me 100,000 Xuanyi Guards from Xie's Mansion?"
"The Xie Mansion has never had 100,000 Black Guards. All of them have gone to the northwest to attack Wei this time... Your Majesty is already the mother of the country, what else are you not satisfied with?"
"I am not ungrateful! I am only concerned about the safety of Daqian." Empress Xie said solemnly, "Your Majesty is in such a bad condition, and the affairs of state cannot be delayed for a day. He trusted me and entrusted me to handle the affairs of state. You all stood up and criticized me to pieces. What unforgivable crime did I commit?"
There were no other officials outside the imperial study, but there were secret guards and imperial guards.
The two of them spoke in low voices, but Xie Anfeng stopped talking to her.
It's not that he hadn't thought about retiring and drawing a clear line between himself and Queen Xie, but he was the patriarch of the Xie family, and he had to protect the entire Xie clan.
The war in the northwest had not yet been finally won, and his son-in-law and eldest son were still on the front line.
His daughter is still in the hands of the queen.
He cannot leave the court, he must protect Xie and the children.
He cannot just take care of himself, he must mediate in the court.
Even if the world thinks that the Xie family has evil ambitions, he cannot back down.
He must try his best to keep the Daqian court from being in chaos and temporarily tolerate Queen Xie's interference in government affairs.
Empress Xie looked at him for a long time without saying anything, and sneered: "Whether you agree or not, I will live for myself."
She turned around and left in a daze. Xie Anfeng shouted, "Zhao Zhao is innocent. She is about to give birth. Considering that she has respected you as her mother since she was a child, I beg you to let her go back home."
Empress Xie said without even turning her head, "Master Xie, you are worrying too much. I am not like you who treats her as a pawn of the Xie family. I love her more than any of you."
*
Xie Zhaozhao knew nothing about what was happening inside or outside the palace.
There were people guarding the Wenhui Hall where she lived.
All the food, clothing and other expenses were the best, but she was not allowed to leave the palace or return home.
At first, Xie Zhaozhao hoped that Queen Xie would come and discuss leaving the palace with her, but later she stopped mentioning it.
Empress Xie had met Xie Anfeng and came to Wenhui Hall. Seeing Xie Zhaozhao walking back and forth in the courtyard, she said distressedly, "You are heavy, why are you walking back and forth here?"
Xie Zhaozhao said softly, "The baby is about to be born. Aunt Chai and Uncle Chai said that if I walk more, the birth will be quicker."
"I heard that Yu'er's wife had a difficult birth of twins. Was it your palace doctor who delivered them?"
"Well, the Xie family's doctor and female doctor had no experience in delivering twins, so they asked Aunt Chai to come in."
"There are many imperial doctors who are good at gynecology, so you don't have to worry." Empress Xie said, "When you give birth, Gu Lao San will definitely not be able to come back. Whether he is here or not, I will not allow anything to happen to you."
Xie Zhaozhao smiled and bowed to Empress Xie: "Your Highness, I thank you."
Empress Xie sat for a while and asked the imperial physician to take Xie Zhaozhao's pulse. The imperial physician said that Xie Zhaozhao would give birth in the next few days.
Empress Xie also arranged for four palace maids to serve here, and all the female doctors were in place.
Xie Zhaozhao did not object to any of her arrangements. She just took Yuanyuan and Lu Feiyan and walked step by step in the square Xingning Palace.
She counted all the bricks in the Xingning Palace and walked on the paths countless times.
Even the flowers and plants in the palace were counted dozens of times.
Finally, on August 29th, she began to have stomach pain.
The entire Xingning Palace was suddenly filled with imperial physicians, female doctors and palace maids. Empress Xie was in charge personally, and female doctors and palace maids were coming in and out.
Xie Zhaozhao bit her lips in pain, but still insisted on walking around until the baby was born.
Empress Xie was even more nervous and at a loss than her. She held a string of Buddhist beads in her hand and kept twirling them with her eyes closed.
Yuanyuan and Lu Feiyan stayed beside Xie Zhaozhao the whole time. Xie Zhaozhao said to Lu Feiyan, "It may take some time for the baby to be born. You and Yuanyuan should take turns to rest."
A female doctor named Su Xiao also laughed and said, "Yes, some people were in pain for three days before giving birth!"
Lu Feiyan obediently went to the small room next door and lay down to sleep.
As soon as she entered, she saw a "Lu Feiyan" who looked and dressed almost like her waiting there.
Lu Feiyan quickly changed into a palace maid's outfit, holding a basin, lowered her head, and quickly left Wenhui Hall with Su Xiao.