The Red Mansions

Chapter 1643 Jia Heng: It’s the First Time I’ve Seen You

Chapter 1643 Jia Heng: This is the first time I’ve seen Zheng Rong…

Palace Garden, Changle Palace

Jia Heng argued with Empress Dowager Feng based on reason. In fact, by this time, Jia Heng had already completely established the political situation in the court.

In other words, since Jia Heng was performing with Li Xu, he had the power to decide when to clear the stage.

Because Jia Heng is the director, and Li Zan and Xu Lu are just actors, it is Jia Heng who decides when to call cut.

Empress Dowager Feng shook her head, her tone firm, and said in a deep voice: "No, the Wei and Liang clans forced Emperor Shizong to abdicate. The Song family's moral integrity is flawed and their reputation is ruined. Their son cannot bear the responsibility of the country."

At this moment, Empress Dowager Feng naturally did not know that Queen Song's son was also Jia Heng's child, but her current rejection of Queen Song's offspring was more due to the fact that the Wei and Liang clans had forced Emperor Chongping to abdicate.

Jia Heng frowned and argued, "Your Highness, how can you look down on a son because of his mother? Moreover, although Song Shi is not good at dealing with children, when Emperor Shizong Xian was alive, Song Shi was the mother of the country, helping Emperor Shizong Xian to manage the harem, and gave birth to three children. Even if she has no merits, she has worked hard. How can you blame Song Shi for the momentary confusion of the Wei and Liang vassal states?"

Empress Dowager Feng was silent for a moment.

Jia Heng's face turned serious, and he said, "Grand Empress Dowager Zeng, then Chen Luo will ascend the throne as emperor?"

Empress Dowager Feng said, "Zi Yu, why can't Ze'er ascend the throne? Now that Li Zan and Xu Lu have both been imprisoned, there is no one in the court or the public who wants to strip you of your title of prince. It would be a good thing for the Han Dynasty if Ze'er became emperor."

Previously, Li Zan and Xu Lu wanted to strip Jia Heng of his title of prince. Empress Dowager Feng believed that Jia Heng was so opposed to Chen Ze becoming emperor probably for this reason.

Jia Heng's face became solemn, his eyes were deep, and he said in a deep voice: "The civil officials deposed the son of Emperor Guangzong, whom we supported, and replaced him with Chen Ze. They were targeting me. If Chen Ze is still the emperor, won't he reverse the verdicts for Li and Xu one day? And harm me?"

At this point, even if Chen Ze promised never to overturn the verdict, it wouldn't work.

When Empress Dowager Feng heard this, her expression changed and she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

After all, he had been in the palace for many years, so he knew that this was not only a struggle for orthodoxy, but also a struggle for power.

It is impossible for Jia Heng to give in, because Chen Ze's legal legitimacy will come from Li and Xu, and one day in the future they will have to overturn the verdict for Li and Xu.

But at that time, Jia Heng's situation might have been quite miserable.

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, everyone in the court and the country is delighted that Chen Luo has ascended the throne."

At this time, Queen Song also took Chen Luo's hand and entered the warm room in the palace. The mother and son said to Queen Mother Feng: "Your daughter-in-law (grandson) greets the Empress Dowager Zeng."

Hearing this, Empress Dowager Feng turned around and stared at her daughter-in-law, whose face she had known for a long time. She looked at her for a while and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Queen Song pursed her pink lips and said, "I have brought Luo'er to see the Empress Dowager Zeng. Luo'er, kowtow to your great-grandmother."

Upon hearing this, Chen Luo kowtowed respectfully to Empress Dowager Feng and said in a clear and loud voice, "Grandson greets Grandmother."

When Empress Dowager Feng saw this, she sighed and said quietly, "Why do you have to force an old woman like me?"

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said loudly: "The Han Dynasty can no longer withstand too much turmoil. We need to decide the throne as soon as possible to calm the people. Otherwise, I don't know how people in the world will view the royal family's internal strife."

In fact, allowing the sweet girl Chen Luo to ascend the throne can, to some extent, help him offset the "hatred" of his mother-in-law, Concubine Duanrong.

After all, a fight between two sisters is much better than him fighting shirtless.

At this moment, Queen Song knelt down with a plop, raised her long black hair, and choked up, "Mother, I know I have done many wrong things in the past, but Luo'er is innocent. Now the court is turbulent and people are worried about peace. For the sake of the Han royal family and Emperor Shizong Xian's great cause of rejuvenation, please have mercy on Luo'er."

Chen Luo now crawled forward on his knees, hugged Empress Dowager Feng's legs, and cried, "Grandma."

Empress Dowager Feng lowered her eyes slightly and said in a sad voice: "Prince Wei, Chen Ze is talented, intelligent, kind and gentle, why can't he be made emperor?"

The old woman actually figured out that Jia Heng did not want the eldest prince to ascend the throne as it would be inconvenient for him to control the country's affairs, so he intended to choose a young prince.

Jia Heng said loudly: "Empress Dowager, Chen Ze was born out of wedlock, while Chen Luo was born to Emperor Shizong Xian's first wife. From a legal perspective, respect for elders is the foundation of long-term peace and stability in the country."

Empress Dowager Feng listened to the young man in the python robe talking and couldn't help but sigh softly.

This is forcing her, an old woman.

Seeing this, Jia Heng did not say anything else. He immediately looked at the eunuch serving beside him and said in a deep voice, "Come here, take the six seals of the empress dowager and prepare to draft the imperial edict."

As he was speaking, the eunuch came over from not far away, holding an apricot-yellow jade seal with a hinge in his hand. He then held it in both hands and walked closer.

Seeing this, Empress Dowager Feng's slightly chapped lips twitched, and she waved her hand gently, as if she was a little exhausted: "Take it over, and let the cabinet draft an order."

Seeing this, Jia Heng breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, she was Jinyang's biological mother, so he didn't dare to force her too much. If Empress Dowager Feng insisted on not agreeing, he could only forge an imperial edict.

Perhaps Empress Dowager Feng saw this and realized that even if she did not agree, he would still forge the imperial edict, so she simply agreed to it and temporarily resolved the conflict.

However, Empress Dowager Feng was probably dissatisfied with him.

After Jia Heng finished speaking, he said nothing more. He glanced at Queen Song who was kneeling beside him, and mixed emotions surged in his mind.

Jia Heng just stood up without saying anything else and left Changle Palace.

Queen Song also took her son Chen Luo's hand and walked quickly to the outer room.

After leaving the towering palace of Changle Palace, Queen Song frowned her willow-shaped eyebrows, and there seemed to be a hint of disappointment in her beautiful eyes. She said, "Why did the Queen Mother agree so easily?"

Jia Heng sighed and said, "Now that things have come to this, the Queen Mother can only accept her fate."

In fact, it is the lesser of two evils.

While the two were talking, they walked along the palace path with tall vermilion walls on both sides and returned to the palace where Queen Song lived. Looking up at Queen Song's graceful and gorgeous face, they suddenly had some thoughts in their hearts.

Jia Heng turned his head to look at Queen Song beside him and said, "Sweet girl, you are satisfied now, right?"

Queen Song glanced at her son in the distance, worry in her eyes, and thought to herself, "What about Zhen and her child?"

Chen Jie is actually the child of this little fox, so I'm afraid Zhen has already been filled with hatred for him.

Jia Heng said, "I'll go over and take a look later."

Although he prevented Chen Ze from ascending the throne, it did not mean that the outcome was decided.

When Chen Jie was dismissed, although he used a borrowed knife to kill someone, he was ultimately unable to hide it from Zhen Qing.

I'm afraid that right now, Mopan is so angry with him that his teeth are itching.

Queen Song turned her head and looked at him intently, and said, "Zi Yu, after Chen Jie was deposed, should we give him a vassal king to appease him?"

At this moment, the beauty is immersed in the joy of her son's upcoming ascension to the throne.

Jia Heng thought about it, his eyes flickered, and he said, "Then he will be crowned the King of Yan."

Queen Song hummed softly, her beautiful eyes gleaming like water, looking at Jia Heng like condensed dew, and said, "Prince Yan, this title is not bad."

As the two were talking, they entered the bedroom where Queen Song lived and sat down in the wing of the warm room.

Jia Heng gently took Queen Song's slender hand and said, "Luo'er, you need to teach him more."

When Queen Song lowered her head, her beautiful eyes were filled with a strong and hot fire of desire, and she said, "Zi Yu, wait a minute... don't leave."

Well, she would reward him well later.

Jia Heng felt strange for a moment, and gently reached out and patted Queen Song's round and soft breasts, feeling the indescribable elasticity. His bright eyes flickered and he said, "Well, I'll come to find you later."

Queen Song's slender eyebrows were as curved as willow leaves, and her beautiful eyes were full of charm and anger, but a feeling of joy inevitably welled up in her heart.

Her son will become emperor soon, and if nothing unexpected happens, he should be given the title of empress dowager.

On the other side, Jia Heng stood up, walked out of the palace and went outside.

Palace Garden, Kunning Palace——

Gusts of cool autumn wind were blowing in the courtyard. At some point, the weather turned gloomy and the autumn rain began to fall, hitting the leaves of the sycamore trees, making a crackling sound. In the silent palace, the atmosphere became even more quiet and peaceful.

Zhen Qing was wearing a scarlet dress at the moment, and her long black hair was tied into a bun, which was beautiful and graceful. However, her face, as white as snow, was not made up at all, and she looked somewhat haggard.

Not far away was his son Chen Jie, with his head lowered in frustration.

Zhen Qing looked up at the drizzling autumn rain outside the window, and for a moment, she felt inexplicably melancholy.

At this moment, a young eunuch with a pale face and no beard quickly entered the hall and whispered to Zhen Qing, "Madam, the Prince of Wei is here."

When Zhen Qing heard this, her heart was inexplicably shaken. She felt anger surging in her chest, as if she had found a way to vent it at this moment.

While the beauty was speaking, she turned her head with long black hair like a waterfall, and her narrow, clear phoenix eyes were full of ferocity and resentment.

This bastard is finally here, she must fight with him later!

Accompanied by the familiar footsteps that sounded from far to near, after a while, the young man in a black and red satin brocade robe, with a heroic and upright figure, came from outside with a leisurely look.

"Jia Heng!" Zhen Qing looked at the young man in the python robe almost gritting her teeth, with traces of resentment bursting out from her red eyes.

Jia Heng: "..."

Good guy!

Mopan's eyes turned red. How much did he hate him?

Jia Heng asked, "What's wrong? Your eyes are as red as peaches."

However, before he could finish, he saw a delicate figure like a fire phoenix, suddenly threw herself into his arms, then stretched out her two hands and began to scratch his face.

Seeing this, Jia Heng was furious and scolded, "Why are you going crazy here?"

As he spoke, he held Zhen Qing's graceful body and controlled her. While speaking, he came to the soft couch covered with a silk quilt.

On the other side, Chen Jie said in a clear and urgent voice: "Godfather, don't bully the Queen Mother."

Jia Heng lowered his voice and whispered into Zhen Qing's ear: "The child saw you do this."

Zhen Qing's snow-white face showed some shame and anger. She clenched her fists and hit Jia Heng's shoulders like raindrops, and shouted, "What are you doing here? Let us die."

This bastard, what did he say to him at the beginning? He said he wanted to lure the snake out of its hole and catch Li Zan, Xu Lu and other civil officials in one fell swoop, but in the end, Jie'er's throne was still abolished.

Jia Heng gently controlled Zhen Qing's plump and delicate body, and then, without saying anything else, he winked at the female official standing beside him, and then went to the warm room surrounded by a brocaded glass screen.

Jia Heng said, "You are fine, but you are talking nonsense about life and death here."

Zhen Qing raised her beautiful eyebrows, her eyes were deep, and she said, "Don't change the subject. Now that you are back, let our Jie'er return to his position."

Jia Heng said, "Sichuan rebelled first because of Jie'er's appointment as emperor. Later, Li Zan and Xu Lu instigated the imperial guards to rebel. No matter what, Jie'er is no longer suitable to be emperor. Otherwise, the whole country would be in chaos."

Zhen Qing said anxiously: "But we can't let Jie'er's throne be abolished."

Jia Heng sighed, but did not respond to Zhen Qing.

As the beauty spoke, she had already pulled Jia Heng's arm, and said in a firm and persistent tone: "Anyway, I don't care, you have to restore Jie'er to his position immediately."

Jia Heng said, "Just now, I have ordered the Jinyifu guards to arrest Li Zan and Xu Lu and put them in jail."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Qing's hand that was pinching Jia Heng loosened slightly, and her narrow, clear phoenix eyes lit up slightly. She asked, "When will Jie'er be restored to his position?"

Jia Heng showed some discomfort on his face, and said, "The Queen Mother has just agreed to enthronize Chen Luo as the emperor."

Zhen Qing: “???”

No reset? No reset, what is this bastard doing here? Is he trying to piss her off?

As Zhen Qing spoke, her beautiful eyes, which were somewhat cold and charming, were filled with an indescribable anger. She said, "After all this fuss, you actually want to let that bitch's son ascend the throne! What do you mean by luring the snake out of its hole and catching it all in one fell swoop? You clearly want to change the cage and give Jie'er's throne to Chen Luo."

Jia Heng said, "What are you talking about?"

There are really many different millstones. The phrase "changing the cage and replacing the bird" is quite appropriate.

Zhen Qing was very excited and said fiercely: "If you return my Jie'er's throne, I will bite you to death..."

As she spoke, the beauty wrapped her arms around Jia Heng's neck and started biting him.

Jia Heng quickly dodged the beauty's "bite", then turned aside and scolded, "Are you born in the year of the dog?"

Zhen Qing's cheeks were red as clouds at this moment. At this moment, she was almost angry and scolded: "When you hooked up with me, didn't you know? I worked hard to carry your baby for ten months, and you treat me like this?"

Jia Heng: "..."

Jia Heng gently put his arm around the beautiful lady's shoulders and said, "Now the whole court is against it, and I can do nothing about it."

Zhen Qing said coldly, "You hold a large number of troops in your hands. If you don't let Li Zan and Xu Lu depose the emperor, who in the court would dare to say no? You asked me to cooperate with you in such a play, but now you tell me that there is nothing you can do. You are really a fool!"

Jia Heng said in a deep voice: "There are more than one Li Zan and Xu Lu in the world. Since Jie'er ascended the throne at the beginning of the year, the nine provinces have been in turmoil. If Jie'er ascends the throne again, I am afraid that such things will continue to happen one after another, which will be detrimental to the stability of the country and society."

Zhen Qing's face was filled with anger, and she said in an annoyed tone, "You only know how to make excuses for yourself. I was fooled by you in the beginning."

As she spoke, the beauty put her arms around Jia Heng's neck and tried to bite him.

Jia Heng said: "Jie'er is indeed not suitable for the throne. He was lucky to have been the emperor for a while. Why should we talk about other things?"

Zhen Qing sneered, her eyes fixed on Jia Heng's expression, and she said in a deep voice, "In my opinion, I'm afraid you just want to take this position yourself. You're just trying to do this."

Jia Heng said, "Nonsense."

The millstone originally had a heart with seven holes.

Zhen Qing's jade-like face was as cold as frost, and she said unhappily, "If you had no rebellious intentions, you would have assisted Chen Ze in ascending the throne and become your loyal minister and righteous man, and you would not have established a young emperor, so that you could control the government."

Jia Heng said: "Chen Ze is not young anymore. I am afraid that in two or three years, he will be very wary of me. Today's confrontation in Wuying Palace is the first time we have seen his true colors."

This is why it is impossible for Chen Ze to ascend the throne.

Zhen Qing nodded and said in a deep voice: "Although he is Xianning's brother, he may not be able to tolerate you in the future. The emperor is the only one who is supreme. You are interfering in politics with your relatives."

When Jia Heng heard this, he remained silent for a while.

Zhen Qing said softly: "Jie'er is different, he is your child, and father and son are connected by heart."

Jia Heng: "..."

You are waiting here.

Zhen Qing asked, "Is it true that Jie'er's throne cannot be restored?"

At this moment, the beauty seemed to know that some things were difficult to change.

Jia Heng raised his eyebrows, a thoughtful look on his face, and said, "Jie'er will be named the King of Yan, and he will stay in the capital and serve you from now on."

Even if he becomes emperor in the future, he will confer titles of king on his sons.

Zhen Qing's snow-white face kept changing, and her voice was somewhat sarcastic. She said, "King Yan, what do you think Chen Luo will be crowned as in the future?"

This bastard just wants to be the emperor himself, and all of this is just a prelude.

Jia Heng did not respond to Zhen Qing's words, but turned around and said, "I'm glad you're not angry anymore."

Zhen Qing raised her emerald eyebrows, her narrow, clear phoenix eyes were dim, and she said, "Who said I'm not angry?"

But even if I'm angry now, it's actually not of much use.

Jia Heng gently embraced Zhen Qing's slender shoulders, turned his eyes to look at the beauty, and whispered: "Don't think about those things."

Zhen Qing immediately opened Jia Heng's hand, her eyes showing annoyance, and said, "Don't touch me first."

While Jia Heng was speaking, he embraced Zhen Qing's delicate body, looked at her soft and slightly moist lips, and suddenly moved closer, kissed those lips, and captured the unbridled and enchanting breath.

Zhen Qingqiong snorted, and two blushes appeared on both sides of her face. Under her emerald eyebrows, her beautiful eyes were filled with shame and anger.

Jia Heng gently stroked the plump and soft flesh of the beauty's clothes and walked towards the embroidered couch in the inner room.

……

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