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The night was bright, and the sun was rising in the east. At this time, it was almost five o'clock the next day. Zhao Defang, who was sleepy, heard someone call out from time to time in her daze,"Your Highness, wake up quickly!" Your Highness, please wake up!"
At first, Zhao Defang, whose mind was in a blank state, thought that she was in a dream. However, when the soft voice drifted into his ears, he felt drowsy.
After a long while, Zhao Defang, who was slightly sleepy, finally couldn't take it anymore. Thus, he opened his sleepy eyes slightly, revealing only a small gap between his upper and lower eyelids.
It didn't matter when he opened his eyes. He really didn't know if he didn't see it, but he was shocked when he saw it. He was shocked to find that what entered his eyes was a young woman dressed in palace robes. Her pink cheeks were filled with a helpless expression.
Because Zhao Defang's consciousness was a little blurry, although he opened his eyes, he couldn't see clearly who this palace maid was. It was unknown if he was curious about who this palace maid was, or if he wanted to confirm if he was in a dream. Anyway, he reached out his hands and wiped his eyes.
When Zhao Defang opened her eyes again, she saw a few of them clearly. At this moment, the palace maid that greeted his eyes was the palace maid that had been with him for nearly a month. Other than sleeping in the same bed, she was almost inseparable from him.
"Cui, Cui 'er, I, why am I back in the Eastern Palace? He was even lying on the bed in the room? Aren't I drinking with the officials in the hall on the second floor of Shengping Building? Why am I here in the blink of an eye?”Zhao Defang, who had gotten up, first looked at the palace maid Cui Er who was close at hand, then looked around. When she realized that she was actually lying on the bed in the east wing room of the Eastern Palace, she immediately felt dizzy and asked the palace maid Cui Er in confusion.
"Your Highness, it is already the fifth watch of the second day. Last night, His Highness and the officials were drinking to their hearts 'content in the hall on the second floor of Shengping Building. They had finished the entire 20 jin jar of royal wine. After an unknown period of time, the official and His Highness were completely drunk and fell asleep on the imperial table.
"Six hours ago, the Empress sent an inner servant to the Eastern Palace to report. Cui 'er brought Li Qianjun and four Eastern Palace guards to carry Your Highness back. Under Cui 'er's service, Your Highness rested in the east wing room for a night.”When the palace maid Cui Er saw that she had finally awakened His Highness, her originally impatient mood improved slightly. When she suddenly heard Zhao Defang's question, she first stood rooted to the ground and was stunned. Then, she told him everything truthfully.
Zhao Defang, whose mind was blank just now, finally understood after listening to the palace maid Cui Er's words. She thought that she would really not get drunk after drinking a thousand glasses of wine with such low alcohol content in ancient times. However, the result was that if she ate too much wine, she would still be drunk and unconscious.
After resting for a moment, Zhao Defang, whose mind was gradually clearing up, suddenly seemed to have remembered something. She patted her head, and her face, which was filled with sleepiness, was immediately filled with anxiety.
It turned out that Zhao Defang remembered that when he was drinking with his father, Zhao Guanjia, in the hall on the second floor of Shengping Building last night, Zhao Guanjia asked him to attend the morning court at five o'clock today. As for why he was allowed to participate in the morning court, the Zhao family did not say it clearly. However, at that time, Zhao Defang had already guessed the reason in her heart. This must be related to the removal of the military power of Shi Shouxin and the other six.
At the same time, after his 16th birthday, he would also gather the officials and confer the title of King, just like his second brother, Zhao Dezhao.
At this moment, Zhao Defang felt both anxious and happy. He quickly asked the palace maid Cui Er who was standing beside the bed,"Cui Er, what day is it now?”
"Your Highness, it's almost dawn. The Empress sent a message last night, asking Your Highness to rush to the Purple Mansion Hall to participate in the morning court at the fifth watch of the next day.”Cui Er, who was standing in front of the bed, was anxiously asked by Zhao Defang. She hurriedly opened her red lips and replied.
This was really a telepathic connection. He had heard the words that Zhao Guanjia had said to him when he was slightly drunk, and then the palace maid Cui Er had said the words that the Empress had asked her to pass on. For Zhao Defang, the matter of him participating in the morning court at five o'clock should be confirmed without a doubt.
Then, he thought about how it was almost midnight. If he still stayed in bed, he would probably be late. Zhao Defang impatiently ordered the palace maid Cui Er, who was standing by the bed, to quickly change her clothes.
Since this was the morning court session, Zhao Defang, as a prince, should be wearing a set of court clothes. However, in a hurry, she was about to be late. How could Zhao Defang think of this? Even the palace maid Cui Er, who was usually able to think of everything, was already a little flustered. He only helped Zhao Defang put on her usual bright yellow brocade robe with wide sleeves, tied a brocade jade belt, wore a gold and silver fish bag, and put on cow boots. He did not even have time to wash up before rushing out of the Eastern Palace.
As Zhao Defang rarely went out of the Eastern Palace's main doors to run to the Imperial Palace area where morning court was held to play, he did not even know where the Purple Mansion Hall was. Naturally, he also did not know the way to the Purple Mansion Hall.
Although Zhao Defang didn't know the way, Li Heiniu, who had been a servant outside the Purple Mansion Hall for a few years in the Eastern Palace, was familiar with the road. When he saw that he had just walked out of the Eastern Palace's main door, Zhao Defang stopped in her tracks. She stood there anxiously and stomped her feet. He, who was standing under the porch of the Eastern Palace's main door, carefully walked up.
Li Heiniu did not know why Zhao Defang got up so early today. Only when he asked in a concerned tone did he know that the Fourth Prince was rushing to the Purple Mansion Hall to attend the morning court session but did not know the way.
Seeing that he had a place to use his skills, Li Heiniu naturally went to lead the way for the Fourth Prince. Thus, Zhao Defang followed the guide, Li Heiniu, and the four Eastern Palace guards who followed behind the two of them to protect him. The group of six people walked as fast as flying and hurried in the direction of the Purple Mansion Hall.
By the time Zhao Defang walked out of the Eastern Palace's main door, it was already the fifth watch. At this moment, in the Purple Imperial Palace, all the martial and literary ministers who had been informed to attend the morning court session the night before had already arrived. However, it was already past the fifth watch, but Zhao Guanjia had not come to court for a long time. Immediately, the yawning ministers were puzzled and began to whisper to each other, trying to guess the reason why the Zhao family was late for the morning court session.
The reason why it caused the civil and military officials in the Purple Mansion Hall to privately discuss the late arrival of the Zhao family was that before this, the Zhao family would arrive at the Purple Mansion Hall punctually at the fifth watch of the first and fifteenth day of each month.
But today, after all the civil and military officials in the Purple Mansion Hall waited for nearly a moment, they still did not see the arrival of the Zhao family's official. How could they not be suspicious? Even Prime Minister Zhao Pu, who was usually experienced and prudent, could not help but whisper to the civil and military officials standing around him,
"Lord Zhao, in the middle of the night last night, I suddenly received a message from someone from the palace saying that there would be an impromptu morning court session today. However, it was already past the fifth watch, but the official was late. Lord Zhao, you are the current prime minister. Was there a mistake in the palace's message? Don't tell me that we've been waiting in the hall until dawn, and the officials won't rush over to attend court?”A chubby official standing beside Prime Minister Zhao Pu had a sleepy expression. After yawning a few times, he poured out a lot of bitter water to Zhao Pu, who was in deep thought, and asked with a bitter face.
"Assistant Minister Li, don't spout nonsense. When had there been any mistakes in the palace's message before? Yesterday was the sixteenth birthday of the official's fourth prince, Defang. Perhaps the official was too happy and got up a little late.
"We are all ministers, so we can't casually guess the holy will. We will wait here for a moment. If the officials still haven't arrived after two hours, I'll definitely go to the Funing Palace where the officials sleep and ask for a meeting with the emperor on behalf of my colleagues.”Zhao Pu, who had been waiting anxiously, had a calm expression on his face. He glared at the chubby Assistant Minister Li and reprimanded him.
After being reprimanded by the usually stern Prime Minister, the chubby Assistant Minister Li was usually a talkative person. Because he was an old minister of the previous dynasty and had contributed to supporting the official to become emperor, he was given a third rank official position as the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites.
As the Ministry of Rites was originally a leisurely yamen, Fatty Li was also the right assistant minister, so without any real power in his hands, it was naturally an empty position that was neither salty nor light. As an old official of the previous dynasty, it was already lucky enough that he was not dismissed from office after the change of dynasty. Since he had an official position and did not need to do anything, and he could get a considerable official salary, for a person who had no competition with the world, he naturally enjoyed himself.
This Fatty Li had always been successful. He had almost no enemies among the ministers of the court. He smiled at everyone. When he saw someone with a higher official position than him, he cupped his hands and asked. When he saw someone with a lower official position than him, he also took the initiative to greet him. Naturally, the ministers of the court were not hostile to him.
However, the only bad thing was that this big-bellied Fatty Li didn't have a door on his mouth. At the same time, he was also a chatterbox. Among the ten sentences he said, seven of them would make people feel uncomfortable.
When the other ministers of the same dynasty gradually got used to Fatty Li's temperament, they didn't care about him. Not only that, even Zhao Guanjia felt that this Fatty Li, who smiled at everyone, was a heartless person. Even if he occasionally heard this Fatty Li's complaints about him, he would just smile and not be angry.
"Lord Zhao, why do you take it so seriously? I was just casually saying it. Not to mention that the officials haven't arrived for two hours, even if they haven't arrived for twenty hours, we officials naturally have to wait here. I was just venting my grievances, please don't blame me.”Fatty Li saw that Prime Minister Zhao Pu was obviously angry. He quickly cupped his hands and apologized.
Seeing that Prime Minister Zhao Pu was really a little boring, Fatty Li avoided him. When he walked to the middle of the ministers who were waiting in another row in the Purple Mansion Hall, he happened to walk to the side of Prince Jin, Zhao Guangyi.
When Fatty Li took a closer look, he saw that the only son of King Jin Zhao Guangyi was standing there with his eyes closed and not talking to the others around him. He smiled and walked towards King Jin Zhao Guangyi. He said with a smile,"Your highness, your only son is standing here alone and not talking to the other lords around him. How boring is this? Wangye, if you think highly of this lowly official, why don't you say a few words to this lowly official to pass this boring time.”
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