Chapter Fifty-Nine â The Emperor (9)
Chu Ting Xiu was surprised when he heard Yan Jing Ze say that he would be in mourning for three years.
âI was raised by the Empress Dowager, so I should stay mourning for her for a while longer.â Yan Jing Ze smiled.
If His Majesty really meant that, then for the next three years, he will be the only one by His Majestyâs side.
Chu Ting Xiu was so excited that he suddenly leaned toward Yan Jing Ze and gave him a kiss.
Yan Jing Ze: â!!!!â He suddenly remembered that he decided last night to make Chu Ting Xiu look good⦠why not do it now?
As soon as this thought occurred to Yan Jing ze, the little eunuch guarding outside came in and told him that the Ministry of Rites was coming.
These people were here to discuss the funeral of the Empress Dowager, and could not be shrugged off, so Yan Jing Ze could only let them in. âMen, bring a chair for General Chu so that he can sit with me.â
Yan Jing Zeâs table was very long, so he moved his own chair to the side and let Chu Ting Xiu sit next to him.
Chu Ting Xiu sat down calmly.
When the officials from the Ministry of Rites came in, they saw Chu Ting Xiu and Yan Jing Ze sitting together, and they were all shocked.
How could one sit beside His Majesty easily? General Chu is really up to no good!
However, Chu Ting Xiu was so powerful that they dared not speak out in anger and could only talk about the funeral of the Empress Dowager.
The officials all knew that the current Emperor, Chu Ting Xiu, and even King Ping, did not like the Empress Dowager. Therefore, they took the initiative to propose that the funeral of the Empress Dowager could be kept simple now that the state treasury was empty.
Without hesitation, Yan Jing Ze agreed: âLetâs do it.â
Probably due to the influence of the original owner, he really disliked the Empress Dowagerâ¦
When he said he wanted to keep everything simple, Yan Jing Ze thought it was all right, but never thought that the ministers would come up with many things to ask.
From what to use for incense burners to what specifications for rituals, mention about all the old examples.
Yan Jing Ze: ââ¦â
Yan Jing Ze found that he had studied too little, or at least he didnât know what they were talking about.
He was impatient to hear this, and simply leaned back in his chair, took off his shoes and put the footrest on Chu Ting Xiuâs lap.
With the table in the way, those officials couldnât see anyway!
Chu Ting Xiu: ââ¦.â
Yan Jing Ze didnât stop and used his foot to hook Chu Ting Xiuâs foot again.
The officials from the Ministry of Rites spoke slowly about the rules of the funeralâas soon as they looked up, they saw His Majesty leaning on the table, using his sleeve to block his face, so they couldnât see his expression, while General Chu was sitting with a straight face, seemingly unhappy.
Although neither of them spoke, it looked like⦠a sign of dissatisfaction with their arrangement?
The official from the Ministry of Rites was busy simplifying some of the procedures and asked carefully, âYour Majesty, is this possible?â
âJust do it.â Chu Ting Xiu directly said, âYou guys go down first.â
The officials of the Ministry of Rites left in a hurry, and when they got outside, they were a little worried. âThat Chu Ting Xiu today, isnât he taking His Majesty very lightly?â
âHe was acting like he was loyal before, but now the wolfâs ambition canât be concealed!â
âHaving just lost the Empress Dowager, His Majesty met Chu Ting Xiu⦠Alas!â
â¦â¦
While the officials at the Ministry of Rites were sticking up for His Majesty, Chief Steward Wang, who was standing behind His Majesty, was watching from the sidelines, hoping that General Chu would not suddenly rise up and hurt His Majesty.
At the same time, he was once again saddened by the fact that General Chu was really loyal and could endure this.
When the officials from the Ministry of Rites left, Chu Ting Xiu finally said, âYour Majestyâ¦â His voice changed a bit.
His Majesty⦠How could His Majesty do such a thing!
He used to read books and read descriptions of people hooking up under the table with their feet, but he never thought he would encounter it himself.
Whatâs even more humiliating is that⦠he liked it so much.
Yan Jing Ze: âYou guys go out.â
Wang Zhong and the others immediately left.
âYour Majesty?â Chu Ting Xiu is embarrassed and anxious, what does His Majesty want to do? This is the study!
âYesterday I waited for you to eat but you never came, so I thought I must teach you a lesson,â Yan Jing Ze said.
Chu Ting Xiu was shocked, then one of his feet was grabbed and his shoes were taken off, while Yan Jing Ze also grabbed the bottom of his foot.
Chu Ting Xiu: ââ¦â Is this how His Majesty will teach him a lesson?
After several scratches, Chu Ting Xiu did not react, sighed, and said. âYour Majesty, I have been marching to war⦠and Iâm not afraid of tickles.â
Yan Jing Ze took off Chu Ting Xiuâs socks in response to his words. Only then did he discover that Chu Ting Xiuâs feet had many callus wounds, no wonder he wasnât afraid of tickles.
Seeing such a pair of feet, Yan Jing Zeâs previous flirtatious thoughts were all gone, leaving only his heartache.
âYour Majesty, itâs not clean,â Chu Ting Xiu said.
âItâs alright.â Yan Jing Ze held his feet in his arms and gently put on his socks and shoes. When he finished, he squeezed onto Chu Ting Xiuâs chair and hugged him, kissing him: âLet me hug you.â
â¦
Even if everything is kept simple, something like a funeral service for the Empress Dowager is still a must.
Even if itâs Yan Jing Ze, he still has to go through the motions.
As for the othersâ¦
Before Yan Jing Ze went over, he heard that King Ping had been crying in front of the Empress Dowagerâs coffin, and when he went over, he saw King Ping kneeling in front of the coffin with a broken heart.
On the other hand, Yan Jing Ze felt that he could not live up to his acting skills and immediately said. âKing Pingâs filial piety is praiseworthy. I have been feeling unwell recently, so I will leave the wake for the Empress Dowager to King Ping.â
The ministers all knew that His Majesty did not want to keep the wake, but they could not pick out any fault in his doing so.
When the Empress Dowager was alive, she excused His Majestyâs poor health and didnât let him go to court for ten years. Now that His Majesty is not well, it is okay not to hold a wake.
But King Pingâ¦
King Ping was confused.
He was going to keep the vigil, but the emperor didnât and made him stay here, which made him a little unhappy!
And he originally wanted the emperor to have a vigil with him and make the emperor seriously ill.
Forget about that, however, Yan Jing Ze followed with. âThe consorts are not young, and King Yong is still young, so it is permitted not to keep the vigil at night, but just let King Ping watch it.â
The youngest son of the late emperor, King Yong is already thirteen this year, which is not young.
King Ping: ââ¦â Why does he feel that the emperor is targeting him?
But when he thought this and looked at his timid older brother, he saw his older brother smiling at him, without the slightest difference.
King Ping could only thank the emperor and accept the order.
After strolling around for a while, he went back and asked Wang Zhong to prepare a meal to eat with Chu Ting Xiu.
Half of the table is covered with meat dishes.
âYour Majesty, you are not pleased with King Ping?â Chu Ting Xiu asked.
âCall me Jing Ze.â
Chu Ting Xiu: ââ¦Jing Ze.â
Yan Jing Ze: âHe has been speaking ill of you in front of me, saying that you are ambitious and that I should be careful of you, and that it would be better to get rid of you sooner⦠What do you think will happen to me if I lose you?â
Chu Ting Xiu was shocked.
Yan Jing Ze then said: âYou have to be careful of him⦠Right, you also have to watch your sister closely. She and King Ping have a close relationship.â
After the original owner killed Chu Ting Xiu, he married Chu Tinglan to pacify the northern army because Chu Ting Xiuâs soldiers were in a hurry to cause trouble.
Then Chu Ting Xiuâs subordinates were brought in by King Ping as a matter of course, and Chu Tinglan poisoned the original owner to death, so that King Ping could be said to have become emperor without having to sacrifice a single soldier.
Now, none of that has happened yet. In fact, the original owner ended up in that situation, it was his own fault. Truth be told, Yan Jing Ze doesnât hate King Ping that much, so if King Ping stops here, he can let King Ping go, but of course, itâs inevitable to toss this guy around a bit.
âYou said Tinglan?â Chu Ting Xiu was shocked.
Yan Jing Ze nodded his head.
Chu Ting Xiu looked at Yan Jing Ze with complicated eyes.
He knew nothing about his sister and King Ping, but His Majesty did.
The Empress Dowager, whose condition he had asked about just a few days before and who was in reasonably good health, suddenly died. The people in the cold palace also died together, but His Majesty was not surprised, and it was probably His Majestyâs hand that did it.
He knows too little about His Majesty.
Chu Ting Xiu once again took the initiative to kiss Yan Jing Ze: âYour Majesty, I will stay tonight.â
Yan Jing Ze: ââ¦â His dear is really too enthusiastic!
Chu Ting Xiuâs injury better heal for a few more days. Yan Jing Ze didnât want to do anything, but Chu Ting Xiu was too enthusiasticâ¦
On this night, there was no shortage of red quilt waves.
The next day, while King Ping was at his vigil, Yan Jing Ze found some courtiers and had them beaten up. He also had people go outside the palace to develop their influence.
The emperor, who had not done much before, began to extend his claws.
The ones who were called to the meeting by Yan Jing Ze, although many of them did not support King Ping before, they also didnât think highly of Yan Jing Ze. When they were called, they were knocked upside down by Yan Jing Ze, and all of them broke out in a cold sweat.
They should not have underestimated His Majesty!
Now that His Majesty has started to extend his hand, they wonder what will happen to Chu Ting Xiu and King Ping?
Could it be that Chu Ting Xiuâs opposition to the establishment of a queen is due to dissatisfaction with His Majesty?
Meanwhile, Chu Ting Xiu met King Ping.
In the beginning, when Chu Ting Xiu was still fighting everywhere and never entered the capital, King Ping had already paid attention to Chu Ting Xiu, and even set up a trap to coax Chu Ting Xiuâs sister.
When Chu Ting Xiu entered the capital, he even found someone to get close to Chu Ting Xiu repeatedly.
He didnât expect Chu Ting Xiu to be so loyal to Yan Jing Ze that he didnât even take the bait at all.
He was afraid of being exposed, so he could only restrain his thoughts and wait for Chu Ting Xiu and his brother to suffer a double loss.
Recently, the matter finally came to a head.
Although he doesnât know what exactly happened, Chu Ting Xiu was wounded in the palace, and today he opposed the establishment of the Queen in the courtroomâ¦
Between these two, there must have been a conflict.
King Ping, in his mourning clothes, stopped Chu Ting Xiu.
Chu Ting Xiu asked, âWhatâs the matter, King Ping?â
King Ping said, âGeneral Chu, I have recently obtained some good gold sore medicine⦠General you are a military general, you can certainly use itâ¦â
King Ping and Chu Ting Xiu chatted.
Chu Ting Xiu didnât pay much attention to King Ping in the past, but today he chatted with King Ping. When Yan Jing Ze was mentioned, though he didnât say anything, his brows were furrowed.
King Ping was more and more pleased with the situation.
He had already heard from Chu Tinglan that Chu Ting Xiu did not want to marry her to Yan Jing Ze⦠Chu Ting Xiu is a very honest person, so itâs possible that he has discovered something dirty. It is also possible that his opposition to the establishment of a Queen is related to this!
If he can recruit Chu Ting Ziu, why should he worry about the failure of his grand plan?