ushernet Chapter 439 Very Happy
Chapter 439 Very Happy
The Emperor enjoyed the meal very much. He looked at Zhang Shaoqing and said, "Zhang Shaoqing, I know you have suffered a lot in recent years, so I have a request for you."
The Emperor's words were very gentle, but who could accept the word "pleading"? Even if the Emperor was now a paper tiger, or someone who had been manipulated?
The emperor may be an empty shell without real power, but his imperial body is still there, and no one would dare to accept a plea!
So Zhang Shaoqing was so frightened that he trembled all over. Suddenly, Zhang Shaoqing put down his chopsticks and knelt down respectfully on the ground.
"Your Majesty, please don't say that. Otherwise, this old minister will feel very strange. Just say what you have to say. As long as this old minister can do it, I will gladly take off my official hat."
You have to understand that the reason Zhang Shaoqing has ended up in this situation is because he chose the wrong position.
If Zhang Shaoqing, as the Minister of War, had sided with the Empress Dowager when the Emperor and Empress Dowager were arm-wrestling, he wouldn't have been beaten so badly today.
To put it bluntly, Zhang Shaoqing was just an empty shell; the military power he held had long been firmly grasped by Wei Zhongxian.
The Emperor said, "There is a region that has suffered from floods this year, and the people's crops have yielded little harvest. I hope you will volunteer to go and help the people tomorrow."
"Your Majesty, I'm already this old, I really can't do it. Besides, there seem to be many more suitable people than me, don't you?"
Zhang Shaoqing was a little surprised, not understanding why the Emperor would entrust him with such an important matter. The Emperor smiled and patted Zhang Shaoqing on the shoulder.
“Zhang Shaoqing, the reason I did this is to prevent this matter from falling into Wei Zhongxian’s hands, and to prevent anyone else from getting involved. Otherwise, it will be really difficult to handle. You should know what I’m thinking.”
After the Emperor finished speaking, he looked at Chen Er and said, "So once Zhang Shaoqing successfully takes this matter down, I hope you, Chen Er, can go with Zhang Shaoqing to maximize the interests of the people. What do you think?"
Chen Er, of course, understood the Emperor's thoughts. The reason the Emperor had Zhang Shaoqing volunteer tomorrow was because the Emperor feared Wei Zhongxian and wanted to take over the matter.
This is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself, and there's a lot of money involved. Otherwise, how could Zhao Tianming's family have so much money in their pockets?
It's all because in recent years, Zhao Tianming has been using the guise of getting close to ordinary people to make a lot of money off them. Once Chen Er realized this, he understood the Emperor's meaning.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will do my best to accomplish what I can and will not let you down."
The Emperor was very satisfied with Chen Er's words. He patted Chen Er on the shoulder and then took a liking to Zhang Shaoqing, awaiting his reply.
Zhang Shaoqing pondered for a moment before saying, "If Your Majesty doesn't mind my age, then I will go in Your Majesty's stead. Besides, only I can handle this matter properly. Otherwise, who knows how much of the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver will end up in the hands of the common people?"
Zhang Shaoqing's words were slightly sarcastic, and the Emperor's cheeks flushed slightly. Indeed, the Emperor was always wary of Wei Zhongxian, so it was quite good that he had been entrusting these matters to Zhao Tianming.
But then again, Zhao Beixing and Zhao Tianming's group were originally irreconcilable enemies, but behind the scenes, Wei Zhongxian must have pocketed a lot of kickbacks from Zhao Beixing.
Otherwise, Zhao Tianming wouldn't have gotten along so well with the Wang family. Mentioning the Wang family would inevitably remind everyone of Wei Zhongxian, which shows just how far and deep Wei Zhongxian's influence had extended.
However, the emperor was also quite helpless about this, since things had finally taken a turn for the better, and his mood had improved considerably.
The Emperor was in a good mood and drank a few more cups. He then turned his gaze to Yang Xiaoqian, who was not far away. The reason why the Emperor's expression was slightly unnatural every time he saw this woman was because Yang Xiaoqian looked too much like his deceased beloved concubine.
That's why the Emperor had that expression when he saw Yang Xiaoqian that day. He was drunk, so he saw Yang Xiaoqian as more like his beloved concubine.
"My beloved concubine, do you still remember me? Come to my side quickly," the Emperor said, his eyes glazed over. He looked at Yang Xiaoqian and saw nothing but her deceased beloved concubine. His words startled Yang Xiaoqian.
Even Ma Dazhi, who was sitting next to Chen Er, was a little angry, but after all, he was the emperor.
What Ma Dazhi found unbearable was that the Emperor actually went up and tried to grab Yang Xiaoqian's hand, which startled Yang Xiaoqian.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing? I am not your beloved concubine, I am Yang Xiaoqian." Yang Xiaoqian's voice was trembling slightly, but although the emperor was drunk, he was still quite strong.
"You are my beloved concubine. Don't think I don't know. You've been avoiding me all along, haven't you? Come back to my side quickly, and I will love you even more."
The Emperor's actions surprised Chen Er, the Chief of the Imperial Guard. Of course, Chen Er didn't know what Yang Xiaoqian looked like, or whether she resembled the Emperor's deceased beloved concubine. However, Zhang Xingchen's expression was growing increasingly gloomy, but the Emperor's status was undeniable.
No matter how angry Zhang Xingchen was, there was nothing he could do to stop the emperor, but Chen Er couldn't sit still.
"Your Majesty, you're drunk. I'll take you home now. Besides, Yang Xiaoqian is Zhang Xingchen's woman. It's not appropriate for you to cause such a scene."
Chen Er spoke indifferently. Seeing that Zhang Xingchen's face was very cold, Chen Er immediately nudged Zhang Xingchen with his arm.
Chen Er was afraid that this honest and simple man might do something foolish, which would be bad, given the emperor's status.
No matter what outrageous things the Emperor does, if Zhang Xingchen dares to retaliate, he will be executed, a crime Chen Er cannot bear.
Chen Er is still quite grateful to Zhang Xingchen. If Zhang Xingchen hadn't shown him the right path back then, he probably wouldn't have his current status now.
The Emperor's bewildered eyes trembled slightly. As if he had just realized something, he quickly separated his hand from Yang Xiaoqian's.