Zhao Zhen had just fallen asleep, but was not asleep yet. A eunuch whispered outside the curtain, "Your Majesty, the Empress asks for a meeting in an urgent matter!"

Zhao Zhen didn't want to see him at first, but after a second thought, it seemed that this was the first time Empress Cao asked to see him at night, so he agreed, "Please wait for a moment, and I'll come soon!"

Zhao Zhen stood up again, and the two palace maids helped him put on a loose Zen robe, tied his hair slightly, and put on a gauze hat. Zhao Zhen walked towards the warm pavilion with the support of the palace maids.

The warm pavilion was brightly lit, and Empress Cao sat upright on the soft couch in her palace outfit, behind her, Gao Taotao seemed a little nervous.

Empress Cao didn't want to come to see the emperor at night. She didn't have this habit, but she couldn't help but begged her niece, so she had to lower her face and come to see the emperor at night.

In the palace, the relationship between the monarch and the subject is the first, and the relationship between the husband and wife is the second. So when Zhao Zhen walked into the warm pavilion, Empress Cao quickly stood up to salute. They could not tell that they were a couple at all. Of course, Concubine Zhang was different. She would act coquettishly and would hug Zhao Zhen’s neck, making Zhao Zhen feel like she was her husband.

Empress Cao could not see these. The two of them respected too much and had too much etiquette, which made them lose their humanity.

Zhao Zhen waved his hand, "The queen is exempt from gifts. Is there anything to ask me for so late?"

Queen Cao hesitated and said, "It's Princess Julu who has urgent matters to report to Your Majesty."

Zhao Zhen saw Gao Taotao, who grew up in the palace. When he first favored Concubine Zhang, Empress Cao wanted to present Gao Taotao, who was fourteen years old, to Zhao Zhen to replace Concubine Zhang, but was rejected by Zhao Zhen.

Gao Taotao was very beautiful and charming, enough to impress any man. If it weren't for Empress Cao's offering to him, Zhao Zhen might have favored her, but at that time Zhao Zhen's heart had been filled with Concubine Zhang, and he didn't want to have any interaction with Empress Cao anymore.

Now, Zhao Zhen was indeed a little regretful, but his body no longer allowed him to have any inappropriate thoughts, so he could only quickly suppress this regret in his heart. He didn't want to be seen by Queen Cao.

"Please sit down!"

Zhao Zhen smiled gently and said, "You don't have to be too polite to Taotao, just like when you were in the palace."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Gao Taotao felt a little calm. On her way to the palace, a long-depressed thought gradually matured in her heart. Since her husband seriously threatened her son's throne, why can't she replace her husband and defend her son's throne?

In fact, her idea was also activated by Fanning this afternoon. When she and Fanning were passionately entangled, Fanning said this in her ear, "You will become the most beautiful empress dowager in the Song Dynasty."

She did not understand the profound meaning of Fanning's words at that time, but it was like a long-sleeping seed, activated by the appropriate temperature and humidity.

This idea has matured in her heart, but she still needs to be recognized by the emperor.

Gao Taotao sat down and pondered for a moment: "The Prince of Julu has done something that should not have done these days, threatening the status of the royal heir. I have repeatedly considered it and decided to report this to Your Majesty. Please stop him!"

Zhao Zhen was obviously mentally prepared enough for Zhao Zongshi's behavior, and he was not surprised.

However, he was a little surprised by Gao Taotao's decision. This woman was actually exposing her husband.

"What did he do?" Zhao Zhen picked up the teacup and asked lightly.

"I found out that he had a close relationship with three generals of the guards during this period. Today, he actually transferred 1,000 taels of gold to each of them."

Zhao Zhen's hand shook slightly, and the ginseng soup in the teacup almost spilled out. His eyes instantly became severe, but it was soon covered by his usual indifference.

"Where is he that much gold?"

"He asked the Zhu family what he wanted, and it was also the Zhu family who told me about this."

Zhao Zhen nodded. He had known the relationship between the Zhu family and Zhao Zongshi for a long time. This was normal. When he could take the position of Emperor, wasn’t it just the Guo family and the Cao family who supported him?

The Zhu family obviously also wanted to invest in Zhao Zongshi, which was quite successful. At least Zhao Zongshi's son has taken office.

"I have assigned the Shenwu Army to the East Palace, so there should be no need for Zhao Zongshi to contact other troops!"

Gao Taotao already felt that his aunt was looking at her with a stern look, but she didn't want to lose the opportunity. She bit her lip and whispered: "He contacted the military, not for the needle."

Queen Cao sighed in her heart, this woman betrayed her husband, and I wonder if she brought her to see the emperor, was the stupidest thing in her life?

Zhao Zhen's pupils suddenly shrank into a line. Of course, he understood Gao Taotao's meaning, that Zhao Zongshi wanted to seize the throne of his son.

After a while, Zhao Zhen said slowly: "I am a little tired, you guys should step back!"

Empress Cao and Gao Taotao stood up to say goodbye, Zhao Zhen got up and walked towards his bedroom.

After walking out of the hall gate, Empress Cao said coldly: "You go back by yourself, don't come to me again in the future."

Empress Cao ignored her, turned around and returned to her bedroom.

Gao Taotao also breathed a light sigh. She would not care about her aunt's attitude. At least she had successfully set a defense in the emperor's heart tonight. No matter how hard Zhang Yaozuo tried, she would not affect her son again.

Gao Taotao's steps became very light, and at this moment she suddenly longed to see the man again.

The next morning, Zhao Zhen had just finished washing and was sitting at the table for breakfast. An eunuch said next to him: "Your Majesty, Grand Master Zhang said that it is urgent to ask for a meeting, which is related to the country!"

Zhao Zhen nodded, "Let him come to see me!"

Because of Empress Wen Cheng, Zhao Zhen was very tolerant of Zhang Yaozuo. Although Zhang Yaozuo made mistakes again and again, as long as he did not violate Zhao Zhen's bottom line, he would let Zhang Yaozuo go. Even the last time Zhao Xu was assassinated in Yingtian Prefecture, Zhao Zhen suspected that it was Zhang Yaozuo's planner, but because he had no evidence, he left it alone.

Soon, Zhang Yaozuo arrived hurriedly, and he knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, the King of Julu Zhao Zong really intends to rebel, and I have conclusive evidence!"

Zhao Zhen was stunned and then realized why Gao Taotao had to see him overnight last night, just to be ahead of Zhang Yaozuo. This woman is amazing!

At this moment, Zhao Zhen's impression of Gao Taotao completely changed. Gao Taotao's decisiveness and ruthlessness were so he could not hesitate to draw a clear line with his husband in order to protect his son, which made Zhao Zhen amazed.

Zhao Zhen said lightly: "Is it that serious?"

"Your Majesty, Zhao Zongshi instructed Li Weizhen to come forward for him and colluded with the Left Guard General Qin Yougong, Wu Jinhan and the Right Guard General Liu Zhi. Yesterday, Zhao Zongshi gave the three of them one thousand taels of gold each. Weichen Youqian shop records, and the evidence is conclusive."

Last night, Zhang Yaozuo bribed a manager in the Zhu family's money shop and got the account records of Zhao Zongshi and three generals. Of course, without Fan Ning's secret release, Zhang Yaozuo could not get these records.

Zhao Zongshi took the account record and looked at it. That's true.

"I know this, I will deal with it at my discretion. You can step down first!"

After Empress Wen Cheng passed away, Zhao Zhen saw things and missed others, so he was unwilling to live in the left palace. He moved to Empress Cao's right palace. The right palace was full of Empress Cao's people, so of course no one would inform Zhang Yaozuo.

Zhang Yaozuo didn't know that Gao Taotao had already taken the lead last night. He put down his secret letter and account records, got up and retired.

Zhang Yaozuo was extremely proud. He knew the emperor very well. The calmer the emperor was, the more he asked nothing, which meant that he valued this matter and would definitely investigate it thoroughly.

"Zhao Zongshi, Zhao Zhongzhen, I'll see where you father and son will run?"

Zhao Zhen did not go to the imperial study today, but stayed in the imperial study of the Qilin Palace, waiting for the investigation results.

This kind of thing cannot be made public, but can only be carried out in secret, and even the prime minister cannot say that the person sent out was Zhao Shiyou, the general of Qianniu, who was the great-grandson of Zhao Pu, the founding prime minister. He has been with Zhao Zhen for more than 40 years and is Zhao Zhen’s most trusted general, no doubt about it.

At this moment, footsteps came, and a loud voice came from outside, "Your Majesty, I am back!"

"Come in!"

A general with white hair and hair came in from outside. It was Zhao Shiyi. He was over 60 years old and was still full of energy and seemed to be stronger.

He knelt down on one knee and said, "I have completed the investigation!"

He stepped forward, placed three confessions on the imperial case, and then stepped down, "This is the confession of the three!"

Zhao Zhen turned over his confession and said, "Let's talk about it first!"

"The Weichen secretly arrested Qin Yougong, Wu Jinhan and Liu Zhi, and brought them to the secret camp for interrogation. According to their confession, Zhao Zongshi did have the idea of ​​replacing the emperor's heir. He first supervised the emperor, and then ascended the throne as emperor with the support of the three of them, and promised them the honor and glory and wealth. In addition, each of them did receive a thousand taels of gold given by Zhao Zongshi yesterday."

Zhao Zhen walked to the window with his hands behind his back and restrained the overwhelming anger in his heart. In fact, he had long realized this risk that once Zhao Xu ascended the throne as a minor, Zhao Zongshi would likely become the supreme emperor. In order to avoid this, Zhao Zhen decided to implement the Eastern Palace discussion and use the method of a minister to solve the transition problem.

But Zhao Zongshi finally touched Zhao Zhen's bottom line. He actually wanted to seize the throne of his son. Zhao Zhen thought of Gao Taotao, who left a deep impression on him. This is a good woman, decisive and wise, and her son's interests are above everything else. Perhaps she can help Zhao Xu through that special period.

Zhao Zhen sighed softly, and for the sake of the Song Dynasty, he had to make a decision.

"Qin Yougong and the other two were secretly executed. Zhao Zongshi was seriously ill. He immediately sent him to Hongqing Palace in Nanjing for recuperation. You personally send him to Hongqing Palace. After you arrive at Hongqing Palace, you will give him a cup of crane red!

"I obey the order!"

Master Zhao made an appointment to leave in a hurry.
Chapter completed!