Chapter 42： Visit Yuheng Palace

"The emperor has arrived—" Outside the Yuheng Palace, the voice of the servant of the Huangmen came singing.

The two people in Yuheng Palace were shocked.

Meng Shike turned his head and looked in the direction of the palace gate: "Empress, why did she come here suddenly?"

Bai Qingyang was also puzzled, and after thinking about what day it is today, he quickly calmed down: "Meet the driver first."

Li Zichou stepped off the chariot, followed by Lu Xiaoying and a group of palace officials.

Seeing the emperor's arrival, the guards of the imperial guards of Yuheng Palace raised their swords and saluted.

"Where is the queen?"

Commander Zhao stepped forward and reported: "Go back to the emperor, the empress is in the main hall. She..."

"Thank you Commander Zhao." Li Zichou didn't listen to him, so he climbed up the steps and stepped into the threshold.

"Hey...Your Majesty..." Commander Zhao was dumbfounded.

He hasn't said that there is the No. 2 man in it, what if the queen misunderstands...

Entering the queen's residence, Lu Xiaoying and the warriors with swords consciously guarded outside the palace gate.

"The concubine has met His Majesty, and Your Majesty is blessed and safe."

"Crassman Meng Shike, see the emperor."

Li Zichou was slightly taken aback when he heard Meng Shike's voice, then he walked closer and looked at the two people who were facing him, secretly thinking that he came at an inappropriate time.

Bai Qingyang, has Meng Shike been subdued?

"The Queen's love is free."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Zichou walked to the high seat and sat down, while the two people who were flat below him were thinking about each other.

Meng Shike was here, and Li Zichou suddenly didn't know what to say.

"Did I disturb the Empress talking to Meng Aiqing?"

Li Zichou consciously asked a dispensable question, but what she said scared Meng Shike's heart like a drum.

As a new Jinshi, he met with the concubine privately without the emperor's permission. At the least, he would be charged with arrogance, and at worst, his life would be lost.

Bai Qingyang also knew that he was in the wrong, so he could only choose to answer lightly: "Why, Your Majesty never does things abruptly."

Meng Shike lowered his head, and glanced at Bai Qingyang with a little horror in his eyes: What is Bai Qingyang talking about? Is it because I am afraid that one head is not enough for me to cut off?

Baigong, I don't understand what's going on in your daughter's head...she doesn't even want to explain it to the Empress.

Li Zichou felt a little funny after hearing Bai Qingyang's words.

This Bai Qingyang, if he couldn't see it, he would still feel guilty.

Li Zichou found it somewhat interesting that the heroine would feel guilty towards herself, and she was not as cramped as before.

"Nothing, sit down." Li Zichou said with a straight expression.

Bai Qingyang went down the steps: "Thank you, Your Majesty." But he was still thinking hard about how to explain to Li Zichou.

Meng Shike anxiously found a seat, facing Bai Qingyang, the three of them formed an isosceles triangle and sat in the hall.

Li Zichou glanced at Bai Qingyang.

She is wearing a pure white summer dress today, with a small bean-colored gold-woven horse-face skirt on the bottom, with peonies of various colors competing for beauty, and a cloak wrapped around her back in front of her arms, with the skirt fluttering.

Three thousand blue silks were tied together with hairpins and gold tins, which contrasted sharply with her flawless white neck and large clavicle.

He glanced at Meng Shike again.

The young man is wearing a cyan round-neck dark pattern jacquard wide-sleeved gown with a palace sash hanging around his waist, swaying cyan tassels, and Liuhe soap boots. The jade crown tied her hair, revealing a full and superior atrium, with sword eyebrows and star eyes, as if she were a god.

On the one hand, there is a graceful and graceful, light and unrestrained national beauty, and on the other hand, there is a modest and modest gentleman with a handsome face and an imposing manner.

A talented man and a beautiful woman standing together are really a perfect match, very seductive.

"Does Meng Aiqing have someone he likes?" Li Zichou asked suddenly.

Meng Shike took a tight breath, thinking that the Empress really suspected that she had an affair with Bai Qingyang, and this question had hidden murderous intentions.

What to do with this, he doesn't like Bai Qingyang, he's just here to report a job!

Bai Qingyang listened with a normal expression. Li Zifu's question came from someone who was not kind, but her tone was clearly not angry at all. Bai Qingyang was a little confused about what Li Zifu meant.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the grassroots are devoted to making contributions and have no time to care about the relationship between men and women." Meng Shike skillfully said empty words.

Li Zichou: "Oh—that is, there is no more."

Meng Shike acquiesced, but heard the empress ask again: "What does Meng Aiqing think of the queen?"

As soon as these words came out, even Bai Qingyang, who was as calm as he was, got up instantly. Meng Shike was already kneeling on the floating floor tiles in the hall, as if he was about to be punished.

Meng Shike: "Your Majesty, forgive me! The grassroots dare not judge the empress at will."

Bai Qingyang: "Your Majesty must have misunderstood something. Master Meng took over the affairs of Yuheng Palace. He has official business and reports from his concubines. All the courtiers in Yuheng Palace can testify."

Li Zichou raised her eyebrows, she didn't misunderstand anything, but she simply thought that the looks of the two of them matched well, she wondered if Bai Qingyang would like a man like Meng Shike.

In the original work, Bai Qingyang did not have an official match, that is to say, she never fell in love with anyone in her whole life.

If she hadn't encountered so many accidents, she would have lived a more peaceful and smooth life than ordinary women, and maybe she would have found a good husband who was willing to grow old with her.

But in that case, Bai Qingyang's life would not be so exciting.

Judging from the degree of similarity in appearance, Meng Shike can stand with Bai Qingyang.

But Bai Qingyang is the pride of heaven, and Li Zishou thinks she deserves better.

Unfortunately, there is no such person in the original book.

But after she asked Zhou Huaijin to throw Meng Shike into Yuheng Palace, she really didn't care about him anymore, and didn't even assign him a job.

Now it seems that it is indeed necessary to carefully consider the positioning of Meng Shike.

"The empress is virtuous and virtuous, so I naturally trust you. But..." Li Zichou stopped teasing Bai Qingyang, and turned to Meng Shike, "Please excuse me, Mr. Meng, I have important matters to discuss with the empress. "

Meng Shike seemed to be pardoned, and he let him go without worrying about why the empress let him go. After thanking him, he quickly left the hall.

Xiao Le didn't know that the empress's honor had arrived, so she carefully walked into the hall with the freshly cooked Rizhu Xueya.

He was almost caught by a blue-colored figure passing by, and Xiao Le didn't even have time to stop him.

"Strange, why did Master Meng just come and leave." Xiao Le muttered in wonder, but turned around to see a woman in a black dragon robe sitting on a high seat in the hall.

Meng Shike hurriedly crossed the threshold, he didn't know whether he was walking too hastily, or he didn't stand firmly, so he fell forward all of a sudden. The guard guarding the door had sharp eyes and quick hands, and stretched out his hand to support him.

"My lord, slow down."

"Look at the empress and protect your empress." Meng Shike ordered in a low voice.

"yes."

"Thank you very much, look at me... I'm really rude." Meng Shike used his strength to straighten up, and thanked the guards.

The guard also stopped and replied politely: "Don't you dare, sir, go slowly."

After Xiao Le finished his salute, he was sent out by Li Zichou to see the scenery again.

There were only Bai Qingyang and Li Zichou left in the hall.

"What does the Queen think of Meng Shike?"

Bai Qingyang's eyelashes trembled slightly, the question was completely opposite to that of Meng Shike's presence just now.

She, Bai Qingyang, had never been so guilty in her two lifetimes. Li Zifu treated her well, and she didn't want Li Zifu to misunderstand her.

"Master Meng is well-read and memorized, but Shan Te is alone." Bai Qingyang replied conservatively.

"Then how about I accept him as a cabinet minister?"

Bai Qingyang was taken aback for a moment: "Chairman?"

This was a question that Li Zishou and Zhou Huaijin had discussed together a while ago: How to ensure that people with real skills can be used by her in the court where powerful ministers are replacing Daizu?

Thanks to Yang Dejin's knowledge of the original work, Li Zichou probably knows who is a good official. However, these people have different ranks and different government offices. It is not easy to use them collectively.

The answer Zhou Huaijin gave was to simply establish a new department to coordinate these people to directly serve the ruler.

Li Zichou thought about it—it could only be the cabinet.

Li Zichou: "But isn't there already an Imperial Academy?"

Zhou Huaijin: "The Imperial Academy has been established for a long time, and the personnel are mixed. What you need, Your Majesty, is a more streamlined and more efficient auxiliary group."

Li Zichou thinks so.

The truth of Meng Shike's answer at the Sumen Palace really opened Li Zichou's eyes. It is not good to keep Meng Shike by his side, nor is it good to leave him aside.

On the one hand, I'm really afraid that he has evil intentions, and on the other hand, I feel sorry for his real talent and learning.

Li Zishou expressed his worries to Zhou Huaijin: "But will those people in the court stop them in every possible way?"

Zhou Huaijin's answer was: "Since the functions of the cabinet and the Imperial Academy are similar, there shouldn't be too much resistance between the DPRK and China. Leave it to me, and I can settle it."

The current Imperial Academy is still configured in the late emperor's time, and Li Zichou's reorganization is too troublesome, time-consuming and labor-intensive.

It is indeed better to set up another cabinet. The cabinet ministers are the monarch's secretary, offering advice and advice to the monarch, but they only hold a vacant position, do not hold real power, and their status is average.

Let Zhou Huaijin preside over the cabinet, the organization should be refined, and the personnel should be simplified.

Meng Shike's entry into the cabinet was the only way Li Zichou could think of, to keep an eye on him all the time, and to get ideas from his mind.

Of course, Meng Shike was thrown into Yuheng Palace by herself. If she wanted to use him, she naturally had to seek Bai Qingyang's consent, that's why she came to Yuheng Palace today.

"Your Majesty won't hold courtiers and concubines privately meeting outside men?"

On the contrary, Li Zifu looked at her in surprise: "I have already said that I believe what the queen said, why should I pursue it?"

Bai Qingyang pursed his lips, remembering that he left the palace privately, this person also exposed it indifferently, never punished himself, and never asked what happened.

"His Majesty…"

"Ok?"

"On the night of Qujiang, the ministers and concubines left the palace privately, did His Majesty know?" It sounded like a question, but the meaning in the words was very certain.

Li Zichou paused for the teacup he raised, and he didn't expect the topic to change like this.

It's a matter of old age, why did she say this?

Li Zichou knew that if he denied it, Bai Qingyang would definitely not believe it. How clever Bai Qingyang is, his ability to figure out people's hearts and make decisions is unparalleled in the world.

So Li Zichou admitted generously: "I know."

"Your Majesty also knows why the concubine leaves the palace."

"Yes, I know that too."

"Your Majesty has never questioned his concubines."

Bai Qingyang knew that it was she who should plead guilty to Li Zichou.

Li Zichou thought for a while, and said: "The queen has her own way of doing things, I trust you, and I don't worry."

Bai Qingyang remained silent.

This Li Chou has completely the opposite character to the Li Chou in the previous life. The violent Li Chou has a strong desire to control and has no trust in himself.

And this Li Fu, rather than trusting herself, it's better to say that she doesn't care about these things at all, and she doesn't care about what she has done.

Bai Qingyang lowered his head and pursed his lips, not knowing what was in his heart...

Among the hundred or so people from the Zuo Battalion of the Forbidden Army who came to guard the Yuheng Palace, none of them had Li Zifu's eyeliner, and Bai Qingyang checked it several times.

She was too sure of herself.

She has her ideals and pursuits, and she can achieve her goals with or without herself.

She allowed herself to get in touch with politics, and didn't care about going out of the palace privately, or even meeting other men, because these things were nothing to her, right?

Bai Qingyang originally thought that she could become friends with Li Zichou, even if it was just the friendship of gentlemen.

Now it seems that there is still a sad barrier between them.

But she clearly disregarded the respect of the emperor, and saved herself by diving into the water...

Bai Qingyang couldn't figure out how she thought of him.

"Empress?" Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a long time, Li Zichou asked.

Bai Qingyang concealed the emotion between his brows, and replied flatly: "Thanks to His Majesty's great love, my servants are afraid."

The author has something to say:

Yang Dejin: Xie Zhi and I have started playing dungeons, and you two are still arguing in Xinshou Village?

Li Zishou: Ah...

Bai Qingyang: Hmm...

Meng Shike: So I turned around and walked towards the mountains.