The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 267 The handle

The emperor and empress took it seriously and dared not neglect her. They led a group of people to visit her, but the imperial physician only diagnosed her with indigestion and gently advised her to eat less.

Consort Chun lost face and personally went to find the source of the rumors. She discovered that the problem lay in Mingzhu Pavilion, so she started making a scene without any regard for the consequences.

She was certainly not targeting Zheng Xun; perhaps she even harbored the intention of helping her get rid of the parasites.

During this period, Zheng Xun was either traveling far away or in a coma, which naturally made some people's minds wander.

Liao Hongsheng and Lord Jiang seemed not to hear Zheng Xun's words and exchanged pleasantries as usual.

Zheng Xun smiled silently and changed the subject to business: "The morning court session will still be held as usual, but it needs to be changed to a large court session every five days, and the content of the smaller court sessions will be adjusted according to the proposed matters."

"But, Pearl Pavilion..."

"It's not in the Mingzhu Pavilion, but in the Fengqin Hall and the Imperial Study."

Liao Hongsheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Mingzhu Pavilion is some distance from the inner palace, some imperial concubines would walk around here, making it quite inconvenient for ministers to come and go.

"The Emperor can't do without Eunuch Li..."

"I will send Zhicheng over. Also, after I return, I will have the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review and Shen Jiaming come to see me."

Shen Jiaming was originally a trusted confidant cultivated by the emperor. In the past year, the positions in the court have changed several times, and he has even taken up the position of Left Vice Minister of State Affairs.

Liao Hongsheng respectfully replied, "Yes!"

He didn't ask Zheng Xun why he didn't see the Right Vice Minister of State Affairs. As a considerate minister, he only needed to know that the princess had her reasons.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

Because he realized that his attitude towards Zheng Xun was now similar to his attitude towards the Emperor.

When speaking to Zheng Xun, the Emperor only said that the Crown Prince and the others should consult Zheng Xun if they had any unresolved issues. However, when speaking to the ministers, the Emperor said, "Princess Yuanjia will oversee the country, act on my behalf, and carry out my orders."

Not long ago, Zheng Xun was just a junior prince, but now he is already acting as emperor. Anyone can see how much the emperor values ​​Zheng Xun.

His purpose today, besides wanting to visit the princess, was also to assess whether the princess's body could withstand her task.

Being an emperor is easy, but managing state affairs well is not.

In fact, many ministers secretly hoped that the princess would get some rest.

This accident terrified most people.

The reason why Liao Hongsheng and Lord Jiang insisted on vying for the opportunity to see the princess was that they did not want those people to get in the princess's way.

Having spent so much time with Zheng Xun, they knew her quite well.

She probably wouldn't be happy to hear others tell her to relinquish power.

Lord Jiang bowed his head and said, "There is a matter that requires the princess's decision."

Zheng Xun raised an eyebrow: "Speak."

"Grand Tutor, it seems unlikely that it will work."

Since his godson got into trouble, the old Grand Tutor has been deeply affected, and his health has been deteriorating.

He was already old and should have been enjoying his retirement, but the emperor disliked the division of power among the cabinet, so he allowed them to occupy their positions. The cabinet ministers were experienced and had made achievements, so none of them could bring themselves to ask them to step down.

Thus, the emperor felt at ease entrusting matters to his trusted confidants, and during his reign, the cabinet was essentially a mere formality.

However, the Grand Tutor was, after all, a veteran of three reigns, and he had contributed to the stability of the court during the reign of the previous emperor.

To avoid disheartening the meritorious officials, the emperor also had to express his attitude.

Zheng Xun didn't mention visiting the Grand Tutor, but instead said calmly, "Did he send you?"

The emperor was poisoned, but he didn't die. He's still quite lively, so he'll definitely take care of comforting the Grand Tutor himself.

The fact that Lord Jiang would specifically mention it to her must have been at the request of the Grand Tutor himself.

Lord Jiang feigned regret, saying, "The Grand Tutor insisted that I deliver a message to him, but I felt sorry for him..."

"Jiang Zhuo, if I remember correctly, you are an imperial censor."

As an imperial censor, one should not get too involved in political affairs with other court officials.

Imperial Censor Jiang slid off the chair and knelt motionless on the ground.

“Why make such a big fuss, Imperial Censor Jiang? It’s just a casual question,” Zheng Xun said with a smile. “I’m more curious about what the Grand Tutor has on you.”

Liao Hongsheng looked at Jiang Zhuo in surprise, as if he wanted to shout that he was a fool!

Jiang Zhuo was so embarrassed he wanted to bury his head in the ground.

"Princess!"

He shouted, as if trying to stop something.

However, Zheng Xun was determined to watch him make a fool of himself. He didn't say anything, but his thoughts were still running through his mind.

It turns out that Lord Jiang was tricked some time ago.

[Tsk tsk tsk, how did I manage to create such a huge mess while I was away?]

Jiang Zhuo's face turned bright red.

Didn't he already resolve that? He doesn't want people to know simply because he doesn't want to lose face.

But the princess wasn't going to give him any face at all!

He looked to his friend for help.

Liao Hongsheng received his pleading look, silently looked away, and smiled.

Ah, that familiar feeling is back!

It's been so long since I heard the princess's heartfelt words; I miss her dearly!

[This matter is not really Jiang Zhuo's fault; the blame lies with his good-for-nothing younger brother, Jiang Yue.]

Jiang Yue is an ignorant and incompetent man who is a womanizer and a master of all vices, including drinking, gambling, and whoring.

Jiang Zhuo tried everything – beatings, scolding – but nothing worked. However, he couldn't just ignore his own younger brother, so in the end, he could only impose a two-pronged approach: house arrest and fines.

Since he couldn't go out without money, Jiang Yue naturally became "obedient." Jiang Zhuo thought he had found a way to control his younger brother, so he was overjoyed.

This time, Jiang Zhuo kept him locked up for too long. Jiang Yue begged to be released, swearing that he wouldn't cause trouble, and Jiang Zhuo softened.

Who would have thought that Jiang Yue would let loose and spend three nights in a brothel, completely forgetting about home?

On the morning of the fourth day, Jiang Zhuo found out his whereabouts and went to the brothel to arrest him. Jiang Yue was frightened and escaped by climbing out of the window, but he was spotted by the brothel's thugs on the way. He ran very fast and was not caught.

As a result, Jiang Zhuo, who went to arrest the person, was unlucky. Not only was he caught red-handed by the boss who was collecting debts, but he also got several scratches on his face.

Liao Hongsheng looked at Jiang Zhuo's face with curiosity.

Jiang Zhuo glared at him, suppressing the urge to dodge.

Liao Hongsheng stared at it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out, and he began to have some doubts.

Fortunately, Zheng Xun thoughtfully explained:

Don't let Jiang Zhuo's current respectable appearance fool you; he actually wears a thick layer of makeup on his face.

Liao Hongsheng's gaze was intense, and Jiang Zhuo had no doubt that if the princess hadn't been there, he really would have reached out and wiped his face.

Jiang Zhuo finally managed to persuade the madam to calm down, but he didn't have enough silver on him and had to send someone back to get more.

He was an official appointed by the imperial court, and court officials were not allowed to frequent prostitutes, so he dared not keep accounts.

As it happened, the Grand Tutor learned of this matter.

The Grand Tutor didn't threaten him with this matter; he merely mentioned it tactfully and then asked him to pass on a message.

In order to cover up the matter, Jiang Zhuo had no choice but to agree to his request.

A hint of surprise flashed in Liao Hongsheng's eyes.

If the Grand Tutor wanted to see Zheng Xun, there were clearly more legitimate channels, but he insisted on having Jiang Zhuo deliver the message privately.

Liao Hongsheng didn't believe he meant well.