Chapter 3, The Monstrosity of the Nation

In the first year of the Jing Tai era of the Southern Qi, on the eighth day of the third month, during late spring, at night

In the foreground, above the Phoenix Throne, beneath the hem of the Empress's azure skirt, a hint of gilded phoenix shoes is faintly visible—water-red, with gold filigree, adorned with colorful mandarin ducks, their emerald feathers vibrant and lifelike.

The three officials sighed, gazing at the horizon, when suddenly a shooting star streaked across the sky, a line of deep red cutting through the azure expanse.

Monsters emerge from the nation, who can slay them

Sangu silently turned his head

On this night, some descended from the sky to steal underwear, while others were caught in the act of stealing underwear. Aside from this, it was an otherwise ordinary spring night, with people sleeping soundly under different eaves, dreaming under the varying starlight of promotions, wealth, and the death of their wives.

The empress laughed heartily and grabbed the chest of a senior palace maid

"Is there anything else the Grand Minister of Works needs?" She smiled brightly at Zhang Ning, "What, is the outer court not busy? Do you have any advice regarding the affairs of my palace?"

The Empress Dowager waved her hand dismissively, saying, "Your Majesty, the night disturbances are not a trivial matter. Since he likes that wet nurse, summon her back again."

"Your Majesty, it is indeed forgotten." Li Qiurong's tone was as if she were saying that the cabbage had indeed been forgotten to be harvested

Li Qiurong immediately stopped in her tracks, remaining completely still

She was the one who served the Emperor that night; I remember that it was her on the night of His Majesty's passing. However, after that, His Majesty passed away, and Tong Shi forgot to record it. The Empress Dowager said this, her tone as casual as if she were talking about forgetting to harvest cabbage

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, leaning against the soft cushion of the brocade phoenix lotus. Suddenly, she wearily said, "I have heard that the Tai family had a remarkable encounter in the past. Although that item has not appeared in the world for many years, it is said that only the direct female descendants of the Tai lineage can possess it. Tai Shilan, if I am not mistaken, is the legitimate daughter of the main branch of the Tai family, correct?"

The third official's body trembled slightly, his feet frozen on the threshold.

With a single move of the Empress Dowager's hand, the golden red ruby adorned five-petal plum blossom long gauntlet swept through the air, leaving a brilliant trail of light, akin to the bloody shadow of a blade falling from the execution platform

The breathing of the three individuals came to a halt. The attendant shifted her gaze and exchanged a few words with the Empress Dowager before respectfully withdrawing. Just before exiting, she heard the Empress Dowager cheerfully say, "Bring the Emperor here"

The emperor, with his large head, kept rubbing against the palace maid's chest, and suddenly opened his mouth to take a bite, "Ah woo"

"Returning to the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty was born frail, and the imperial physician has stated that you need to be nourished with human milk until adulthood for your health to improve." Li Qiurong's tone was always as flat as a man's chest, raising concerns about whether his throat had been straightened out too early.

The roster was submitted again, and this time the Empress Dowager personally took up the red brush, drawing a heavy circle around a certain name on the right side, and also making a check mark that extended to the left.

What happened to that wet nurse? Wasn't it said that the emperor liked her very much? What caused her to be dismissed from the palace?

The copper lamp flickered, casting shifting shadows; the Empress Dowager's expression was one of poignant sorrow, while several elderly ministers wore wooden faces, their eyes downcast, their gazes sharp and focused only on the area within three feet in front of them.

Wait a moment

That night, the Grand Minister of Works drank all the wine stored in the palace and let out a long howl towards the sky

Do you still remember our old custom? The Empress Dowager leaned forward, as if chatting casually with the Chief Eunuch Li Qiurong beside her. After the late Emperor Taizu passed away, all those who had served in the palace were to follow him; those who had not received grace were to perform rituals to pray for the country's well-being. Is that the case?

She only made the decision in a casual manner after their Majesties had departed, yet she deliberately ensured they heard it, which demonstrated her resolve and was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision

Then let it be so. The Empress's tone was as if she were commenting on the pleasant weather

Yet they had no choice but to endure it

Burial sacrifice

"These three, however, are toothless tigers and fallen phoenixes; let them make a fuss..." She tilted her head to glance at her loyal subordinates, the smile in her eyes gradually fading, "In truth, I have only ever cared about one person."

Two years old! At two years old, he is still drinking milk! With a bang, he smashed the wine jug, cursing for the first time in his life, "Drink, drink his mother!"

Yes. www.hetushu.com.

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, and a eunuch stepped forward, pushing aside the Emperor, kicking down the palace maid, and dragging her out. As they exited the palace gates, the eunuch even smiled at the three officials who stood frozen in place.

That night, the Grand Marshal practiced swordsmanship at the door, the sword energy whistling, adding the three hundred and eightieth mark on the study door

At the age of two! At the age of two, I had already started getting up at four in the morning to practice horse stance! He can't even walk yet!

Indeed, someone was promoted that night

The three officials walked slowly, not having gone far yet. They could hear the conversation inside; several people had expressionless faces, but the corners of their brows and eyes were subtly twitching.

In that moment, a name flashed through the minds of the three officials.

Knowing that she intended to cleanse the organization, aware that she aimed to eliminate dissenters, one did not expect it to happen so swiftly, so ruthlessly, and so resolutely

"My poor child," the Empress Dowager sighed with deep concern, "are you still having restless dreams? Master Zhang said last time that there are too many women in the palace, and the heavy yin energy is detrimental to Your Majesty's health. I originally thought that the women in the palace are quite pitiful; where else could they go? But now it seems..."

As the roster was closed, the name circled in red stood out prominently

That evening, the Grand Minister crushed his favorite jade walnut, and Xiao Se let out a long sigh

His wings of power spread wide, casting a shadow over the mountains and rivers of the Southern Qi, with no boundaries in sight

The palace maid replied smoothly, "To the Empress Dowager, His Majesty did not sleep well last night and has been crying continuously"

Ah... the victim of the assault could not control themselves, letting out a soft gasp. They soon realized the impending danger, kneeling in fear, their face as pale as death, yet they did not dare to utter a word of plea, only trembling as they clung to the emperor.

The "poor" little emperor, having gotten his hands on some rouge, giggled as he licked it, his pink tongue swirling around the edge of his lips

Indeed. The young empress, raising her smooth chin, displayed a fleeting expression of peculiarity in her eyes, "Rong Chu."

That night, the people in the three residences quietly speculated under the * map * and * book * about which wealthy young master, at the age of two, was still unable to walk, could not recognize characters, and still needed to drink milk

The Empress Dowager lazily glanced at the Emperor and said, "The Emperor is already 2 years old, why does he still need to be breastfed, and why is he so picky?"

The fate of a group of golden silk birds is determined by a glance from the most esteemed woman of the dynasty

The Empress Dowager Zongzheng Hui cast a glance at the list, remaining silent. Li Qiurong's sparse eyebrows drooped as she silently carried the roster down.

The Empress Dowager smiled faintly. Behind her, Li Qiurong presented a booklet, which contained the names of all the previous emperor's consorts. On the left were those who had been favored, and on the right were those who had not. A red line in between marked the boundary between life and death

The entire hall was filled with palace maids kneeling in a state of shock

We, the ministers, do not dare to betray the trust of the late Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The three ministers bow their heads, saying, "The Empress Dowager is currently with child, the late Emperor's posthumous son, so please be sure to cherish her well-being"

The three officials simultaneously let out a sigh of deep concern, reflecting on the upheaval in the Southern Qi court over the past month. The Emperor's sudden death, the Empress Dowager's ascension, and her swift assumption of power made them ponder how a mere woman could garner the support of the Inner Five Guards and the Outer Three Armies to seize the supreme position of Southern Qi.

Everyone shook their heads in unison

That night, within the bright yellow curtains, the peculiar child, who was two years old, unable to walk or read, and still needing to drink milk, disdainfully pushed away the rotating nurse, incoherently cursing, "Drink! Drink... Mother!"

That evening, the Empress Dowager in the Hall of Longevity casually smiled upon hearing reports about the events occurring among the three ministers of state

As the sweeping continued, the Grand Minister of Works, Zhang Ning, slightly stiffened his body

Sangu silently cursed the late emperor for dying so early, questioning why he had favored this woman before his death, allowing her to usurp great power and govern behind the curtain, while he helplessly retreated.

The old servant understands. Li Qiurong slowly bowed and withdrew, saying, The old servant will conduct a thorough investigation

Several esteemed officials, you are loyal to the country, and I have always felt at ease. The Empress Dowager lightly wiped the corner of her eye with her sleeve, saying, "The late Emperor passed away too early, leaving behind such a vast nation, with a lone child and a widow. Internal affairs are unsettled, and external territories are not pacified. In this chaotic world, how can I bear the responsibility..."

It was said that her youngest child was gravely ill, and the old servant worried that she might also have an underlying ailment, so he simply sent her home. Li Qiurong squinted her eyes, recalling the astonishing waves of her former wet nurse.

The Empress Dowager raised her head in surprise, as if she had just now noticed that the three ministers had not yet left

At the age of two, I had already begun reading the Four Books, while he couldn't even recognize his own name completely

"Your Majesty, I have not made a single mistake." Li Qiurong's weathered orange peel-like face remained unmoved by the eight winds

You said ... ...

Zhang Ning closed her eyes and swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat

The period of national mourning has just passed, and the entire palace is adorned in white. The Empress Dowager sets an example, her hair styled elegantly, with silver hairpins that are as pure as snow. However, beneath this dress, there is unexpectedly an abundance of splendor

The Grand Minister of State, Zhang Ning, turned halfway at the threshold and saw a palace maid carrying the two-year-old emperor. The Empress Dowager glanced at her son and suddenly said: "Why does the emperor look so pale?"

The cruel old practices that have long been abolished, this woman actually mentioned them so casually

Yes

As Zhang Ning turned around, halfway through the motion, she was stopped by Situ Wei, who firmly pulled her sleeve, preventing her from finishing her sentence.

Tai Shilan

Rong Chu

The three characters "I in the palace" were bitten down heavily, like biting into a piece of beef tendon, rolling between the teeth, and drawing out a hint of blood's metallic scent

Such a person, who would dare to easily entrust them with trust

The atmosphere in the palace was somewhat grim, with only the laughter of the emperor echoing. He buried his large head into the chest of a palace maid, causing a series of thuds.

One day, if this woman, whose smile conceals a hidden malice, truly uses her delicate hands to reshape these vast mountains and rivers, who will be able to stop her, and who can save the land to the south, the Blue Dynasty

That night, the three high officials of the court, having vented their frustrations on https://m.hetushu.com, coincidentally gathered in the courtyard, observing the dim moonlight, which was cool and luminous, yet ominously tinged with a faint red at the edges, resembling the diluted blood of the heavens, as if washed by the vast Milky Way.

The Duke of Jin of the Southern Qi, no one knows good or evil, no one knows joy or anger, no one knows the depths of his heart, not involved in court or politics, yet holds underground power that others find difficult to reach, not engaged in political affairs, yet capable of easily influencing the political landscape

The tone seems to be scolding, yet there is not a hint of displeasure to be heard

This is a provocation, and also a warning

Sangu silently listened, thinking to himself, the drama has arrived

The convulsions continued until the three returned to their residence

The three officials turned back, glancing at Your Majesty's smooth little face and eyes that showed no signs of redness or swelling

Zhang Ning couldn't help but take another glance at that lovely child, whose round head rested on the chest of a palace maid. With a pair of bright, sparkling eyes rolling around to observe the people in the hall, the child's cheeks were so rosy that it seemed as if the warmth from last night was about to burst forth. How could there be even the slightest hint of "ugliness"?

The emperor suddenly lost his embrace, blinking and with a slight grimace, as if he were about to cry. A slender palace maid hurriedly stepped forward to lift him up, his large head glancing at the flat expanse before him, disdainfully turning away.

"As instructed." Li Qiurong's tone was as if she were merely commenting on the pleasant weather

Your Majesty is still young and has just ascended the throne. In the Jingyang Hall of the Southern Qi Imperial Palace, the young Empress Dowager, with a slightly protruding abdomen, sits upright and speaks softly to the three elderly ministers in attendance. The late Emperor's decree states that the three dukes shall serve as regents, all elevated to the rank of Senior State Officials, and granted the authority to enter and exit the palace and present matters in a confidential manner. Henceforth, the realm of Your Majesty will be entrusted to you all.

The little emperor looked up and, laughing, reached out to touch the red lips of the palace maid who had applied rouge.

This pertains to the affairs of the inner court, and the Empress Dowager possesses the authority to make independent decisions. If she dares to act against the will of the world in this matter, she will certainly not allow anyone to obstruct her.

I heard that he has a new wet nurse, and he often cries at night? The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows, not appearing to be worried, but rather as if she recalled something that made her somewhat unhappy