Chapter 83 The Queen's Thoughts

After Zhao Ji left the hall, Wu Zetian sat in front of the imperial desk and fell into deep thought.

Shangguan Wan'er couldn't figure out the Empress' mood, so she didn't dare to breathe and stood by cautiously.

Wu Zetian suddenly broke the silence: "What do you think of what Zhao Ji said about Xu Shide?"

Shangguan Wan'er thought for a moment and replied cautiously, "Xu Shide has failed to find out the truth for more than a year and has failed the emperor's will. Whether he did it intentionally or not, he cannot escape the guilt of dereliction of duty."

The non-stick pan was still trying hard, and said something that was not wrong. But she also implicitly expressed her opinion: Xu Shide was not trustworthy.

Wu Zetian nodded and said, "Why should we be so secretive? I have thought about it. The Yue King's rebels have long been gone for who knows how many years. Even if there are a few rebellious members left, it is not a big problem."

"If you say that Li Xian harbors resentment and is connected to the Yue King's rebel party, I believe it. But if you say that he has joined forces with others to rebel, my son does not have the courage and ability to do so!"

Shangguan Wan'er complimented him at the right time: "Your Majesty is wise. The fact that Xu Shide has not been able to produce any real evidence in the past year can also prove this point."

Wu Zetian stood up and tossed her sleeves. "These inner guards have always used my will as a pretext to deceive their superiors and subordinates and act recklessly. Xu Shide must have learned Lai Junchen's tricks."

Lai Junchen's "Luozhi Jing" says: "If the matter is not big, it will not shock people. If you are not as good as many people, your achievements will not be obvious."

Fabricating stories out of nothing, catching shadows, making small cases into big ones, and then seeking credit and rewards are the traditional skills of cruel officials.

Shangguan Wan'er tried to figure out Wu Zetian's thoughts and asked tentatively, "Then why don't you arrest Xu Shide for questioning and let Zhao Ji take full responsibility for this matter?"

Wu Zetian stared at Shangguan Wan'er and said, "Only someone like Xu Shide can find out something and suppress the arrogance of those old villains recently. If Zhao Ji goes, I'm afraid he won't find out anything!"

Shangguan Wan'er knew clearly that the emperor wanted to investigate the prince not because he really thought he was plotting treason, but just wanted to find an excuse to suppress the old ministers of the Li Tang Dynasty.

Use Xu Shide to investigate whether the prince is doing dirty work, and then use Zhao Ji to monitor Xu Shide, and even protect the prince when necessary.

Wu Zetian's move was well-intentioned.

After all, in the original drama, the prince went to Huzhou to meet with ministers in secret, which is an indisputable act of treason, no matter what your reason is.

But Wu Zetian only punished the prince to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors after hearing Di Renjie's random excuse. This shows that she did not really want to kill the prince, but rather let him off the hook, which can be considered lenient.

Half a day later, Wu Zetian sighed again: "I just didn't expect that among the Qianniu Guards, right under my nose, there is actually a talent like Zhao Ji. If it weren't for Di Huaiying, he would have been buried."

After hearing what Wu Zetian said, Shangguan Wan'er understood what was going on and said, "A wise man's way of dealing with the world is like a needle in a bag. The tip of the needle is immediately visible. If General Zhao is in the bag, how can he not stand out?"

"Besides, General Zhao was promoted by Your Majesty at such a young age. This shows Your Majesty's ability to judge people. How can you say that he is being buried?"

Wu Zetian was delighted by the flattery and said, "Wan'er said it well. But I don't think it's appropriate to compare Mao Sui to Zhao Ji. Comparing him to Lord Pingyuan might be acceptable. Li Xian is lucky. If he succeeds to the throne in the future, he will most likely be in the cabinet."

Shangguan Wan'er was surprised again. It was a small matter to speak so highly of Zhao Ji. But to say that the crown prince succeeded to the throne revealed extraordinary information.

Wu Zetian finally got tired and said, "Wan'er, I'm tired, you go too."
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After Shangguan Wan'er received the order, her heart was in turmoil and she slowly walked down the hall with mixed emotions.

Zhao Ji had not gone far at this time, and Shangguan Wan'er quickly caught up with him, pulling him away from the palace servants, and looking for a secluded place to talk in detail.

Zhao Ji had just escaped from Wu Zetian's blame, and it was like escaping from a tiger's mouth. He was still frightened and just wanted to leave the palace as soon as possible.

"Talented man, we should be careful in the future. If His Majesty knew that we were so close, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to get away with it just by saying it today."

Shangguan Wan'er was so sad when she heard this, and her face was full of pity. "General, you are so hurtful when you say this."

Zhao Ji was a little overwhelmed by the tea that he had accumulated over twenty years of experience.

He took a deep breath and said, "Please forgive me, talented sir. I'm leaving!" After saying that, Zhao Ji turned around and left.

"General, please stay. I was just joking. I have something important to tell you." Shangguan Wan'er quickly stopped Zhao Ji and said.

Zhao Ji stopped helplessly after hearing this.

After all, I still have to work in the court in the future, and I can't offend this woman.

Shangguan Wan'er saw Zhao Ji looking aggrieved and chuckled, "Chengyuan just argued with His Majesty in the hall, but I admired him very much. The officials in the government hall were no better than him. Why are you afraid now?"

Zhao Ji sighed and said frankly: "It's a matter of life and death, I have no choice but to do it."

The language logic and wording of those words were learned from the No. 1 non-stick pan in the Ming Dynasty. It would be difficult for Zhao Ji to say it himself.

Both of them were ministers suspected of forming cliques for personal gain, and both had a suspicious monarch, but the situation Zhao Zhenji faced was much more dangerous. If we learn from his experience here, we can make a light matter out of a heavy matter.

Shangguan Wan'er smiled and comforted him, "Put your heart at ease. His Majesty compared you to Di Gong today, and after you left, he praised you and compared you to Lord Pingyuan. He said that if the crown prince succeeds to the throne in the future, you will be able to be among the ministers."

Zhao Ji heard this and a gleam flashed in his eyes: "Your Majesty said that the prince will succeed to the throne?"

Shangguan Wan'er smiled, very satisfied with the political sense of the man in front of her: "Yes, that's what your majesty said."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji quickly shook his head and said calmly: "The prince is the crown prince, but he is only the crown prince."

Shangguan Wan'er looked at Zhao Ji and nodded repeatedly, feeling that this potential stock in front of her had appreciated in value again.

She understood what Zhao Ji meant. Wu Zetian's words were meaningless. Unless Li Xian ascended the throne and took power, it would be nothing. The empress could change her mind at any time.

"But this at least shows what His Majesty's attitude is towards the Crown Prince now, and it will also facilitate your next actions." Shangguan Wan'er said.

Zhao Ji nodded and thanked him, "That's true. Thank you for telling me this."

Shangguan Wan'er walked closer with a smile on her face and said softly, "Don't be so distant. Can you call me Wan'er from now on?"

Zhao Ji's eyelids twitched, and then he responded respectfully: "How dare I act rashly?"

Shangguan Wan'er was not angry when she saw this. Instead, she smiled and said lightly, "Since that's the case, I won't force you. Please be careful when you go back and find out something about Xu Shide or the prince as soon as possible."

"Then you must come to the palace to find me as soon as possible, or meet His Majesty directly, and don't let Xu Shide get there first again."

Then, her tone became serious: "Your Majesty is a suspicious person by nature. If you want to truly gain her trust, you must give up something and make a statement. Do you understand?"

Zhao Ji lowered his head and fell into deep thought, as if weighing the pros and cons.

After a moment's silence, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if gathering all his determination.

Shangguan Wan'er looked at Zhao Ji's hesitation and persuaded him, "Your Majesty just wants to use the Crown Prince's matter to suppress the old ministers in the court, but the Crown Prince himself will be fine. You kept saying in the palace that you wanted to repay His Majesty's great kindness, now is the time to share your worries."

Zhao Ji heard this and suddenly opened his eyes. There was a dangerous light flashing in his eyes and his tone was extremely cold: "I understand... I understand! In the next two or three days, Xu Shide will definitely make a move, and the prince will definitely be implicated. I will come to find the talented person again when the time comes."

Shangguan Wan'er smiled and said, "Okay, then I will wait for the general's good news."

　Thanks to the big brother "Sifang" for the reward again and again.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)