Chapter 864 If I Give Up

After the new year, on the surface, everything is in harmony.

However, as the emperor's condition gradually improved, Zian could feel the tense atmosphere in his heart.

In particular, after Lao Qi went to see the seventh prince and confirmed that the emperor's head was a little green and told her that he was going to enter the palace to meet the emperor, Zi'an felt that Lao Qi wanted to start the first shot after the calm.

Murong Jie intentionally staggered the time when he and Zi'an entered the palace for acupuncture, and he went to Xiwei Palace only after Zi'an left the palace for acupuncture.

The guards in Xiwei Palace are a little stricter now. When the Empress Dowager was here, almost anyone could enter the palace where the emperor lived, but no one bothered to enter.

When his condition was better, he took Eunuch Lu to help him. Although the minister hadn't entered the palace to see him, at least Murong Jie couldn't block the news that his condition was improving.

When Eunuch Lu saw Murong Jie coming outside the hall, he felt like he was facing a formidable enemy.

He thought that Murong Jie came because of his recent frequent trips out of the palace.

"My lord, you...why did you come here today?" Eunuch Lu couldn't speak fluently.

Murong Jie actually smiled at him, "This king is here to visit the emperor."

Eunuch Lu was startled, this smile...is a bit weird, the prince still smiles at him?

Murong Jie not only smiled at him, but also cupped his hands and said: "This king has never formally thanked my father-in-law. Thank you for your help in the past. This king will remember it in my heart. If I have a chance, I will definitely repay you."

Eunuch Lu's face was slightly pale. If the regent lost his temper, it would make people less afraid, but he smiled at him and bowed to him again, which made him feel hairy.

He forced a smile, "Your Majesty, you are too serious. This servant has never done you any favors."

After finishing speaking, he subconsciously looked in the hall, as if he was afraid that someone might hear Murong Jie's words.

Murong Jie didn't make things difficult for him, but just asked: "Is the emperor feeling better recently?"

"This... the situation is not very good, but it is a little better than before. Generally speaking, it is more serious."

After Eunuch Lu said this, he felt that it was unnecessary. The person who knows the emperor's condition best is the princess. How could the prince not know how the emperor's condition is?

This kind of self-disguise made him suspicious.

"Go in and tell me that the king wants to see him." Murong Jie said calmly.

Eunuch Lu was surprised, before when he came to see the emperor, he always went in directly, so where does he need to communicate?

So polite today, could it be...

Eunuch Lu's face was pale, and he begged in a low voice: "My lord, you and the emperor are always brothers, please..."

Murong Jie interrupted him, "Grandpa Lu, go in and pass on the message."

Eunuch Lu didn't go in, but knelt down.

Murong Jie naturally knew why he did this.

There are two reasons, either because he has been out of the palace frequently recently, and he has already contacted some ministers to overthrow him.

Or, he believed in his heart that he would be detrimental to the emperor.

Murong Jie stretched out his hand to help him, and said in a low voice: "If this king is really the kind of person who kills brothers and kings, Eunuch Bao will not risk his life to save this king."

Eunuch Lu was shocked, he raised his head and looked at Murong Jie.

"Go, go in and tell me that this king has never cared about the throne." Murong Jie said calmly.

Only then did Eunuch Lu get up suspiciously, and walked in slowly.

After the new year, the coldness of the winter has also slightly subsided, but the silver charcoal is still burning in the west hall, making the hall as warm as spring.

Empress Hu Huanling was serving the emperor to drink the medicine, when she saw Murong Jie coming in, she stepped aside, took the opportunity to slip out, her eyebrows were pleasing to the eye, she looked very cute.

However, she looked like a lowly concubine who had just entered the palace, without the slightest aura of a queen at all.

The emperor was sitting on the bed, with a brocade embroidered dragon and phoenix cushion stuffed on his back, and his face was green and white against the backdrop of his stone-blue satin cotton coat. His beard had just been shaved, his face was clean, and the red spots were not as clear as before.

The spirit is really good, but even the eyes are much brighter.

Murong Jie looked at him for a moment, then cupped his hands, "See Your Majesty!"

"The regent is exempt from courtesy, and will be given a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Both of them bowed politely.

The emperor spoke first, "The regent is so courageous. I heard that you are promoting free medical care, but I don't know, the money in the treasury is enough for you to toss for two years?"

Murong Jie smiled slightly, "The emperor is justified in worrying, such years of free medical care, the treasury's money is really not enough to toss about."

"In this way, the regent has a countermeasure?" The emperor looked upright, but there was no sarcasm.

"After two years, the medical insurance fee will be levied, and each person will be able to enjoy free medical treatment for one year at 30 Wen per year. However, this policy will only be implemented after the emperor's personal administration."

The emperor's eyes were slightly sullen, "The prince is a good man, so you want me to be a bad man?"

"How can this policy that benefits the people become a bad person?" Murong Jie said calmly, "Thirty Wen is not a big burden for the people, it is only about ten buns."

"The thirty renminbi can't fill the gap in the disbursement of medicine and the expenses of the Huimin Administration. The imperial court still needs to allocate a lot of money. Where does this money come from?"

"Your Majesty, the national treasury has a large amount of tax revenue every year. I believe that medical care is the most important thing. We can decide whether to proceed slowly or not to carry out large-scale construction projects."

What he was talking about was building some other palace and recruiting soldiers to buy weapons.

He had seen the preliminary drawings and building materials for the construction of the other palace. It would take three or four years and cost about nine million taels of silver.

The money in other palaces is still a limited amount, but recruiting troops and buying weapons requires a large amount of money to be spent every year.

The emperor's face was obviously covered with gloom, "The regent is trying to block all my escape routes."

"Your majesty is wise. You should know that it is not a way out. But for things that cost people money, the emperor has said before that if you don't do it, you don't do it. I really don't know if the emperor has changed or the world has changed."

The world will not change by itself, it is he who changes.

"You can let go of the other palace affairs, but the principle of strengthening the army and enriching the country will not be unknown to the Regent. You are from the military, and you should know how important it is to the country to have a strong army."

"My Great Zhou's soldiers and horses are already strong enough. What the emperor needs to develop are many capable generals, instead of blindly counting on old people or people who are jealous of the emperor. If you want to use them, feel free to use them. Good to change."

The emperor's eyes flashed, "I don't understand what the regent means."

"The emperor understands that these people, including the ministers and the Xiao family, are at least Xiao Xiao."

The emperor sneered twice, "The regent might as well make his words clearer. Now that the regent is in power, the government is almost in your hands. If I say no, I won't use it. As for Xiao Xiao, it's my Great Zhou's Zhen Guoda." General, how many local garrisons have been infiltrated by the old army? It is not an exaggeration to describe it as a response, and now I am married to the eldest princess. If I give up, the princess will say a few words about me outside, and my reputation will not be defeated."