When Zhang Yan came to Shanxi this time, she did not go directly to Xuanfu. Instead, she went west across the Taihang Mountains, then went north, passed Yanmen Pass, and Datong Prefecture, and then returned to Xuanfu, making a big circle.
Although many people in the court did not take this trip seriously, Zhang Yan really put their best efforts into it. She crossed the Taihang Mountains, entered Shanxi, passed through Fenyang, Taiyuan, and Datong Prefecture, and spent three days stopping and walking.
What she saw on the road made her a little sad.
Ever since arriving in Fenyang, numb-looking refugees have been passing by on the roadside. They are in groups of two and a half and don’t know where to go.
I asked people to inquire and found that most of these people were refugees from northern and western Shanxi. Most of them left their hometowns because the fields had no harvest and they really couldn't survive.
Along the way, the most common people I saw were beggars and homeless people.
There have been severe droughts and disasters for successive years, and the people are in dire straits. Before, I had only heard about these things, but when I really stepped out of the capital, I realized how difficult the lives of the people were.
It has been three months since the rogue bandits wreaked havoc in Shanxi, and the heavy impact is still there.
I saw children under ten years old on the roadside. They were wearing thin rags and had holes in their shoes. They were so hungry that they were just skin and bones because they had not had enough to eat all year round.
It is already a cold winter, how will they survive this difficult winter?
.......
After the motorcade arrived at Xuan Mansion, Zhang Yan did not stay in the mansion that had been arranged in advance, but stayed in the back hall of the capital commander's office.
Nowadays, the country's affairs are difficult, and if you can save money, save it, and Zhang Yan doesn't want to disturb the people too much. On the second day, after meeting with the officials of the Xuanfu, she summoned the commander-in-chief Hou Shilu alone.
Zhang Yan was eager to raise funds from Shanxi merchants, so she didn't want to wait too long. Hou Shilu knew that she was anxious, but he couldn't help much.
"Mr. Hou, I know that you have great prestige. Can you help me bring in the gentry and wealthy businessmen from all over the place to raise funds for the army?"
Hou Shilu's heart sank, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly and cup his hands and said: "It is my duty to raise military pay for the empress. However, I can't say whether those people will contribute the money or not."
Zhang Yan frowned slightly, looking a little sad, "Can't even Commander Hou speak?"
"Hey, in the past two years, those gentry and wealthy merchants would have betrayed their ministers to save face. But in the past two years, the imperial court has cut off the arms supply to Shanxi merchants and closed the salt wells at the beginning of the year. Although those people didn't say anything on their lips, they blamed the ministers in their hearts.
Speak for them!"
As Hou Shilu spoke, he secretly paid attention to the expression on Zhang Yan's face.
In fact, these words were also a secret complaint. Hou Shilu also had difficulties. At that time, he did not agree with the court's approach.
Shanxi gentry and wealthy merchants are extremely powerful. They have been supplying the nine sides for nearly a hundred years. There has been no trouble during this period. Now that the court suddenly wants to ignore the Shanxi gentry, it is simply playing the piano randomly.
The Shanxi merchants rely on the border, with convenient supplies, and the safety of the nine borders is closely related to their interests. Now to put them aside and replace them with others, isn't this not to seek the far away at the expense of the near?
The matter of collecting the salt wells was even more outrageous. The salt wells in the hands of Shanxi merchants had signed documents with the imperial court. Now the imperial court would turn against them whenever they wanted, and accept them whenever they wanted. Anyone else would be very angry.
The imperial court is so powerful that Shanxi merchants don't dare to say anything, but they can't stop others from scolding you secretly.
It's not that Hou Shilu doesn't want to take care of it, but he doesn't dare to take care of it. As long as he dares to say a word for Shanxi merchants, he will probably end up with the same fate as Qu Jiazhen and Zhang Yiming. As long as he is labeled as an eunuch, he will have to shed his skin even if he doesn't die.
Once a high-ranking general like him is captured because he is an eunuch, it will be a luxury to return to his hometown and enjoy his old age in peace.
Thinking about Qu Jiazhen's fate, Hou Shilu felt chilled. Did Qu Jiazhen do something wrong? He ended up being killed just because he had a good relationship with Zhang Yiming.
Hou Shilu saw clearly that he was completely wrong about people and things.
.......
There was something in Hou Shilu's words, and there was a bit of resentment in it. Zhang Yan was also an extremely smart woman, so she naturally heard some of it.
"General Hou, what are you dissatisfied with His Majesty?"
"I don't dare!"
Hou Shilu quickly lowered his head and cupped his hands. Seeing him like this, Zhang Yan shook her head gently.
"In the past, the eunuchs controlled the imperial court and made the whole court a mess. What's wrong with your Majesty's doing this?"
Zhang Yan didn't have a good impression of the eunuchs. Thinking of all the troubles she had experienced in the past, she hated the eunuchs, especially Wei Zhongxian and Ke Baba.
"Your Majesty is purging Chaogang, so I should have spoken nonsense. My dear, please rest, I will retire!"
"Well, I'm a little tired too!"
Hou Shilu bowed and stepped back. The moment the door closed, Zhang Yan's exquisite face became filled with loneliness and sadness.
To this day, Zhang Yan doesn't feel that she did anything wrong. If she had to do it again, she would still make the same choice. Thinking about her thoughts, she unconsciously put her hands on her lower abdomen, and there seemed to be tears flashing in her beautiful eyes.
.
.......
Queen Yi'an came to Xuanfu, and Hou Shilu, the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu, hosted a banquet in Zhangjiakou and sent invitations to many Shanxi gentry and wealthy businessmen.
At this time, a light snow suddenly came, making this troubled northern country even colder. Sometimes I really don’t understand God. I have been waiting for rain all year long, but in winter, snowflakes started to fall early.
.
Light snow was falling, and Queen Yi'an's carriage also arrived at Zhangjiakou.
Tie Mo was wearing a large black cloak, hiding behind the crowd with his hands clasped, his tall body intentionally or unintentionally blocking the people behind him.
After all, she couldn't bear Hai Lanzhu's hard and soft tactics, so he finally took her to Zhangjiakou. Today Hai Lanzhu dressed up deliberately, and a white cloak made her look extremely holy.
Tie Mo tried his best to block her, but a woman like Hai Lanzhu would leave a deep impression on others just by taking one look at her.
Hei Yunlong was really envious of Tie Mo's good fortune. He went to the grassland and got such a beautiful girl after a lot of hard work.
But this kind of bliss is not easy to enjoy.
Soon, Hei Yunlong rubbed Tie Mo's shoulder and raised his finger to point to the north. Tie Mo quickly raised his head to look, and his face changed drastically at this sight.
I saw a woman walking in the distance. She was wearing a gray fur hat and was wrapped like a rice dumpling.
Ah, Aqige!
Tie Mo felt that his head was going to explode. If Aqige had not come back sooner or later, why did she come back at this critical moment?
Empress Yi'an came to Zhangjiakou today, and almost all the famous people from Xuanfu and Datongfu came. It would be a joke if Aqige and Hailanzhu started to quarrel.
To Tie Mo's surprise, Aqige actually stopped ten feet away. She stared directly at Tie Mo with her beautiful eyes.
It seems to be saying: "Get over here, mother!"
Tie Mo was very depressed. Just as he was about to move, his arm was hugged by a soft arm.