Chapter 104: A big chapter of 6,000 words. Please subscribe.
"Father, what on earth is going on?"
In the study room of Wu Mansion, Wu Sangui looked at his father anxiously.
Apparently he was informed by Wu Xiang and had just returned from the military camp.
"well!"
Wu Xiang sighed and explained to him the rumors recently, as well as the day Zhu Cixiang came to the latrine in Wu's house and praised Chen Yuanyuan.
"Father, in this case, your Majesty's day was indeed a coincidence? It was not..."
Wu Sangui was furious after hearing this, but at the same time he breathed a sigh of relief.
What made him angry was that someone clearly didn't want him to feel better, so he arranged it deliberately. What he felt relieved was that His Majesty didn't come to see his concubine on purpose.
"My father has already investigated it. Your Majesty ate a bowl of rice bran that day, and I think he was upset because of it. But the key now is not whether your Majesty really likes Yuanyuan, but the attitude of our Wu family...
Alas! My father told you a long time ago that this girl is a disaster, but you refused to listen and insisted on bringing her back..."
Wu Xiang also looked helpless.
In the past few days, it was rumored that he had trouble sleeping and eating.
"Straight bitch, if you let me know who is having trouble with me, Wu Sangui, I will have to peel off his skin."
Wu Sangui was also itching his teeth with hatred.
He naturally understood what his father meant.
It's like everyone knows now that the Wu family has a unique treasure, and even His Majesty praised it when he saw it.
As a minister, no matter whether His Majesty falls in love with this treasure, he must take the initiative to donate it to show his loyalty.
If he continues to pretend to be deaf and dumb, what will the emperor think? Will he doubt the loyalty of the Wu family?
Thinking of this, Wu Sangui also looked angry and helpless.
"Father, what should we do now?"
"What else can be done?"
"This girl cannot stay in our Wu family no matter what, otherwise our Wu family will be killed by her sooner or later."
"But..." Wu Sangui was obviously reluctant to give up.
"You bastard, look at how promising you are, are you going to risk your future and the future of my Wu family for a woman?"
Wu Xiang cursed, hating the fact that iron was not as strong as steel. He had strongly disagreed with his son in bringing Chen Yuanyuan back.
Firstly, this girl had been in the palace, and secondly, after this girl was returned to the Tian Mansion by the Supreme Emperor, the Tian Guo Zhang, in order to raise the girl's worth, simply blew her up to the sky, and everyone knew about it.
Wu Sangui also drooped his head when he was scolded, with a tangled look on his face, and finally said helplessly: "Father, after all, my son is now a great general, and he is also a hereditary loyal and brave marquis. You can't give Yuanyuan directly to him.
Your Majesty?"
"In this way, the child will not be scolded as a treacherous servant of Lord Charming in the future?"
Obviously, although Wu Sangui cares about Chen Yuanyuan, compared with his own future and the future of the Wu family, this woman is not worth mentioning.
So I am more worried about my reputation being damaged, and I don't want to be looked down upon by others because I am a charmer seeking glory.
"This is really not easy to handle!"
Wu Xiang was also troubled for a while, and he hated those who gossiped. The key point was that what they said was the truth.
"Besides, the child and the imperial concubine already have a feud. If I present Yuanyuan to His Majesty again, she will definitely hold a grudge against the child in the future."
"That's right, that's right. You must not offend the imperial concubine again... Now, let's just send Yuanyuan to the imperial concubine's house. As for how to deal with the imperial concubine, it's none of my Wu family's business!"
Wu Xiang clapped his hands, and after speaking, Wu Sangui's eyes lit up.
It was common knowledge that he had a feud with the imperial concubine. It was normal to send a concubine there to make amends and serve the empress. In this way, his reputation was preserved and the Wu family's loyalty was also demonstrated.
It's simply the best of both worlds.
Arriving at Chen Yuanyuan's yard, Wu Sangui was still a little reluctant to give up. When Chen Yuanyuan saw his look, she knew that she was probably going to change hands again, and she had obviously heard the rumors.
Looking at Wu Sangui, he said calmly: "General, are you going to dedicate the slave family to your majesty?"
"Yuanyuan, I...well, I really shouldn't have listened to my father's words. I wish I had married you then." Wu Sangui sighed with shame on his face.
"Don't blame the general, maybe this is the fate of the slave family!"
Chen Yuanyuan smiled bitterly, and her smile contained endless sadness.
Ever since she was forcibly redeemed by Na Tian Guozhang and brought to the capital, she knew her future destiny.
………
The Imperial Concubine's Mansion was the original Chengguo Duke's Mansion, and it was just a few streets away from the Wu Mansion. Although the plaque still read the Protector General's Mansion, everyone was accustomed to calling it the Imperial Concubine's Mansion, and men usually walked around it.
of.
In order to avoid suspicion, the Red Lady only kept a thousand female soldiers and some palace maids in the mansion. She left the military camp every day and returned to the mansion at night.
This kind of treatment is truly unprecedented.
But almost everyone understood what was going on, so no one gossiped, not because they didn't want to, but because they didn't dare.
Chen Yan was killed more than three thousand times for a simple crime: spreading rumors about the emperor.
Obviously Zhu Cixiang wanted to use this to warn the world's literati, who dared to put a shit basin on the emperor's head.
"Empress, Wu Sangui is asking to see you outside the house!"
"Oh! What's that guy doing here?"
The red lady was stunned, this was the first man besides the little emperor who dared to visit her.
"Mom, he seems to have brought a woman with him," the female soldier added.
"Take him to the living room."
The red lady became even more curious, waved her hand, and then ordered someone to put her into military uniform before heading to the living room.
"I, Wu Sangui, come to see your empress. She is a thousand years old."
"My concubine Chen Yuanyuan has met the imperial concubine. She is a thousand years old..."
As soon as the red lady entered the hall, Wu Sangui quickly stood up and saluted.
Chen Yuanyuan, who was standing behind her, also quickly saluted and took a peek at the red lady, her eyes full of envy.
Both are women, this imperial concubine is about the same age as me, but their destinies are so different. If this imperial concubine is the woman who can best control her own destiny in the world, then she, Chen Yuanyuan, is the one who is least able to control her own destiny.
A woman.
Chen Yuanyuan couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
"No need to be polite, just sit down!"
The red lady waved her hand, glanced at Chen Yuanyuan, and was also amazed by her peerless appearance.
"Thank you, empress."
Wu Sangui sat down with his hands folded, while Chen Yuanyuan was still standing behind.
"Wu Hou, you didn't go to train troops and farm, but you came here to see me. What's the matter?" The red lady was as straightforward as before.
"I used to be ignorant and disrespectful to my empress. Now every time I think about it, I blame myself. Today I come here to apologize!" Wu Sangui said in the same direct manner as he cupped his hands.
"No need. I have already said that I have written it off. Marquis Wu should stop thinking about it and go back to training and farming with peace of mind!"
The red lady waved her hands and said indifferently.
She had long since forgotten about this matter.
Wu Sangui naturally heard that her words were true, but he could only say: "Your Majesty is magnanimous, I admire you endlessly, and I am grateful, but I know that my sins are serious, and every time I think about it, I wish I could..."
"Snapped!"
"Wu Sangui, are you done yet? You want to make amends, right? OK, I will do it for you today. Someone, pull me down and give you fifty military sticks."
Seeing his verbose and pretentious manner, the red lady suddenly slapped the armrest impatiently and shouted.
A row of female soldiers standing on both sides immediately rushed forward upon hearing this.
Chen Yuanyuan was so frightened that her whole body trembled.
Wu Sangui also stood up quickly, waved his hands and said urgently: "Goodbye, I misunderstood, the queen has misunderstood. I came to see you this time because I heard that the queen loves music. There happens to be a maid in my family who is good at it, so I came here to offer it to the queen. I hope you can
Your Majesty, accept it."
"What?"
The red lady stared at Chen Yuanyuan with a suspicious look on her face, and then at Wu Sangui. She didn't understand what was wrong with this guy. She loved music, so why didn't she know?
What's more, since he is a woman, if he wants to apologize, he should give him a war horse or a sword. What's the point of giving him a beauty?
"Sister Hong..." Hong Ling, the female general on the side, thought for a moment and then whispered into Lady Hong's ear.
Obviously, except for the military camp, Lady Hong only stayed in the mansion and had no contact with the outside world at all, so she was not aware of the rumors from the outside world. However, Hong Ling often went out and knew the recent events about the Wu family, and she also guessed the purpose of Wu Sangui's visit.
After hearing this, the red lady suddenly realized, and her face was surprised for a while, and then she came to Chen Yuanyuan and thought about it carefully with a hint of evil smile.
"Well! It's really beautiful and fragrant. I feel pity for you!"
"Wu Hou, are you willing to give away such a beauty?"
"As long as the empress likes it." Wu Sangui also looked embarrassed, thinking that I couldn't bear it any more!
"Haha, even if that's the case, I will accept it."
"Someone, take this lady down and put her in a safe place."
The red lady waved her hand.
Seeing that she accepted it, Wu Sangui breathed a sigh of relief and immediately left, not wanting to stay for a moment longer.
…
Qianqing Palace.
When he learned that Wu Sangui actually sent Chen Yuanyuan to the imperial concubine's house, Zhu Cixiang was almost shocked and had to praise his operation.
Naturally, he couldn't hide the recent rumors, and he also wanted to see how Wu Sangui responded.
If Wu Sangui is reluctant to let go of Chen Yuanyuan and chooses to hold on to Chen Yuanyuan, then he can rest assured in the future.
How much potential can a guy who only cares about women and women have? It's not worth being wary of.
But now Wu Sangui sent Chen Yuanyuan away without blinking an eyelid, and also gave it to the red lady. This not only preserved his reputation, but also showed his loyalty, which made him even more fearful and defensive.
There was no way, as the emperor, when the system was not perfect and the military power was not fully controlled, all the courtiers and generals must be on guard against suspicion, even the Red Lady was no exception.
If the red lady's defense strength is one and Zhou Yuji's is two, then Wu Sangui, who has a history of criminal records, is definitely as high as twenty, and now it is close to thirty.
And once anyone is over fifty, something must be done.
If Wu and his son knew what Zhu Cihong was thinking, they would probably faint from crying, and they would definitely shout that the power of God is unpredictable, the power of God is unpredictable!
In fact, Zhu Cihong was helpless about this matter.
It was obvious that all the nobles and upper-class people in the capital were jealous of the Wu family, so they started making noises.
As an emperor, it's really hard for him to interfere in such matters.
One thing is that the Wu family is in the limelight, so it's better to suppress it, otherwise it will be worse if everyone goes to fawn over the Wu family.
Secondly, everyone is not making up rumors, they are just stating the facts. Although they have bad intentions, they do not care about what they think about the matter.
As an emperor, he still has to be reasonable and law-abiding. At least on the surface, he has to convince people with reason. He still understands the principle that going too far is not enough.
If Chen Yuanyuan was Wu Sangui's wife, then he could use the pretext of instigating the relationship between the monarch and his ministers to severely punish those who made rumors and heckles.
But in ancient times, a concubine was, to put it bluntly, a plaything, an item, given to each other. It was normal, and he didn't want to make a fuss about it.
Just when Zhu Cixiang was thinking about whether to compensate Wu Sangui, Liu Xi's report came from outside the door.
"Your Majesty, Lu Fang is back."
"Oh, bring it in quickly."
Zhu Cihong urged.
Leave these little things behind immediately.
Lu Fang was the eunuch who was sent to Nanjing to collect food last time and escaped with a narrow escape. Zhu Cixiang thought of his loyalty and was sent to Henan to negotiate with the invaders as soon as Jian Nu was defeated. It has been almost a month now.
"My servant pays homage to the Emperor."
"Hurry up, Lu Fang, will King Chuang agree to give up Shanxi and Henan?"
If King Chuang is not willing, then he will have to ask the Red Lady to send troops south to deal with the thieves first. In this way, a new emperor will probably be enthroned in Jiangnan.
But no matter how anxious he was about the south, he would not allow King Chuang to continue to occupy the Central Plains and Shanxi.
It is a pity that now he has no shortage of troops and horses, but lacks food and grass. He cannot support a two-front battle no matter what.
Otherwise, with two armies heading south, why would there be such trouble?
"Back to your Majesty, this slave finally lived up to his command. After repeated threats and threats from the slave, the intruder was finally willing to submit and agreed to give up the provinces of Henan and Shanxi, and promised to evacuate them all by the end of October."
Lu Fang said quickly.
"Okay! You did a good job on your mission this time. I will definitely give you a big reward."
Zhu Cixi was overjoyed and praised him profusely.
It was a good thing that King Chuang was willing to compromise, so he could immediately let the Red Lady lead his army south.
After King Chuang fled all the way back to Henan, he was relieved when he saw that the Ming army did not pursue him. However, not long after, Zuo Liangyu heard that the Chuang army was defeated and prepared to go north to beat the drowned dog.
Who would have thought that at this time King Fu, Ma Shiying, and the Dukes of Donglin would all send people to win over him.
After some weighing, Zuo Liangyi decisively gave up the idea of raising troops to go north, and decided to actively participate in this political activity in Jiangnan.
Because at this time, he had already found out clearly that the new emperor had made uncles to almost all the generals who were suppressing thieves, but he had forgotten Zuo Liangyu.
How can Marshal Zuo, who has an army of millions, endure this?
Originally, he planned to defeat the intruder, then find a reason to write a letter to plead guilty, and congratulate the new emperor on his enthronement.
But now that those people in Jiangnan want to start a new business, he naturally has to go over with a bundle of firewood to support them.
Seeing that Zuo Liangyu did not take advantage of the situation and hearing that Jiannu had entered the border, King Chuang completely relaxed and began to lick his wounds, but he also kept an eye on the situation in the capital.
When the news came back that the Ming army had defeated more than 100,000 slave slaves in Tongzhou and that the leader was still the red lady, King Chuang almost fainted from fright.
Because at this time, he had less than 150,000 troops in his hands, and most of them were holding bamboo spears.
Not to mention the Red Lady and Wu Sangui, even Gao Jie and Zuo Liangyu may not be able to win. Fortunately, at this time, the Ming Dynasty sent envoys to negotiate.
Without much hesitation, King Chuang agreed to become a vassal and give up Shanxi and Henan.
His control over Shanxi was not strong to begin with, and some places had already directly changed their policies. Once the Ming army arrived, I'm afraid everyone would have to switch sides again.
Although Henan is a little reluctant to give up, this year's drought and locust plague have not only failed to harvest much food, but have become a burden. In addition, there is no danger to defend. It is better to return it to the Ming Dynasty and directly return to Guanzhong to gain a year or two to recuperate.
"My ministers, Gao Jie and Liu Liangzuo, come to see Your Majesty!"
"Well, you two dear ladies, please sit down if you are of equal height!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Gao Jie and Liu Liangzuo carefully sat down on the small stools. Each of them only received half of their buttocks. They were wondering in their hearts, why did Your Majesty summon them so urgently?
"Two dear friends, today the invaders have sent envoys to Beijing to ask for surrender and surrender, expressing their willingness to submit to the Ming Dynasty and withdraw from Shanxi and Henan provinces. Now the north is full of waste and waiting for prosperity, and it is not appropriate to use weapons again. I thought about it again and again, and agreed to the invaders' proposal.
Please surrender and let him live in the northwest temporarily.
However, this thief is ambitious and untamable. The reason why he submitted and surrendered this time was probably due to the situation, and he wanted to use a delaying strategy to retreat to the northwest to accumulate strength.
I want you two to lead the army to guard Henan and Shanxi, train troops and prepare for war, are you willing to go?"
Zhu Cixiang didn't hesitate and spoke directly to the two of them.
He planned to ask Gao Jie to guard Henan. This guy and King Chuang had an undying feud for his wife.
Even if he surrenders to King Chuang, Gao Jie will never surrender, so it is most appropriate for him to guard Henan.
Shanxi was guarded by Liu Liangzuo.
The two of them are also considered veterans. If they are to guard the two provinces, at least there won't be any big trouble within the two provinces.
"I will never give up even if I die!"
Both of them quickly stood up and paid their respects.
In fact, after staying in the capital like this with nothing to do all day long, the two of them wished they could leave the capital as soon as possible.
Although the two of them were a little surprised that His Majesty would accept the intruder's invitation to surrender, they were not surprised either.
Because news has now spread in the capital, that is, the southern provinces have not come forward to congratulate the new emperor on his enthronement, and even plan to establish a new emperor, so your Majesty must solve Jiangnan first.
"Well, get up!"
"I have no worries about you two dear friends. This time I will allocate 60,000 shi of food and 300,000 taels of military pay to each of you. After arriving in the two places, you must strictly restrain your subordinates. If there is another incident of looting the place,
Son, don’t blame me for not remembering your military exploits when the time comes!”
Zhu Cixiang nodded, and his tone was quite harsh at the end.
This time, he planned to allocate a year's worth of food, grass, and military pay to the two of them at once, and sent an eunuch to oversee the monthly payments.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I will strictly control my soldiers. If there is any violation of law or discipline, I am willing to bring it up to see Your Majesty!"
The two of them quickly assured each other.
Now that His Majesty has five armies and 300,000 tigers and soldiers, the two of them cannot have the slightest hint of rebellion.
"Well, I hope you will keep your word and don't destroy your future for small profits. Go back and tell the soldiers so that they can practice with peace of mind. In three years at most, I will allocate their land in place!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After the two of them left, Zhu Cihong began to have a headache again.
For the sake of stability, other officials in the two provinces can remain temporarily stationary, but the governor must send one.
After thinking about it, there really is no suitable and trustworthy civil servant.
Zhu Cixi also secretly lamented that almost all the civil servants who could be used in the Ming Dynasty had been tortured by his father, so that now he could not even find a governor.
In the end, Zhu Cihong had no choice but to call Li Banghua and Ni Yuanlu over and ask them to patrol Shanxi and Henan.
He didn't know the abilities of the two people, but at least they were loyal. He would rather keep ignorant, corrupt and mediocre officials by his side than let them cause trouble in the local area.
The only troublesome thing is that the two of them, one is the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who is also a cabinet scholar, and the other is the Yushi of the Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. When they go to patrol a province, they don't agree with the system.
In fact, he also wanted to send a governor of Huguang to take charge of the two lakes.
After all, if he remembered correctly, Zuo Liangyu would be dead in March next year.
The gathering and placement of his millions of people must be arranged in advance so that there will be no chaos.
But if it is possible to find talented people to governor a province, then it is absolutely impossible to find talented governors in the capital who are knowledgeable about military and civil matters, capable, and loyal. Even if you look around the Ming Dynasty, it is difficult to find them.
"My dear friends, I know I have wronged you a little, but the current national situation is difficult, and you are the only officials who can reassure me and take on important responsibilities."
"Since I am trusted and respected by His Majesty, I will not hesitate to demote myself to a third level!"
Seeing His Majesty say this, both of them were very moved. They also understood that His Majesty did not want to assign them, but that there really was no suitable candidate.
In fact, the two of them are not opposed to going to Henan and Shanxi.
Because now I stay in the capital and have nothing to do. Apart from going to the Yamen to drink tea and chat every day, I do nothing at all. It is better to go to the local area and do some practical things.
"You two dear ministers have misunderstood. I am not demoting you. You still go to visit the two provinces with the title of Grand Bachelor and Censor of Zuodu."
Zhu Cixiang quickly explained that this was also a compromise he thought of. After all, the court system could not be disrupted.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Please also ask Your Majesty to give instructions on the government affairs of the two places!"
"Actually, it's nothing. At present, in several northern provinces, the most important thing is stability and less hassle. My only request is that no more people starve to death.
I will give each of you 300,000 taels of silver. Remember, this money is not used for salary, but for emergency relief. You can also each recruit a standard camp of 2,000 people for deployment, if there is any turmoil.
, you can also ask the two generals to send troops to assist!"
As for tax collection, Zhu Cixiang didn't expect two people to supervise it. He had Jin Yiwei and Dongchang himself.
At present, Zhu Cixiang will not make any big moves in the four northern provinces because he can no longer afford the trouble.
The best option is not to let local governments collect taxes, strictly supervise and implement them, and let the gentry in various places lead the people to slowly recover their strength. After all, the gentry and the people are closely dependent on each other.
Otherwise, no matter how good the policies are by civil servants and eunuchs, if they are implemented, they will turn into policies that are harmful to the people and will only aggravate the situation in various places.
So doing nothing is the best policy.
After the two left, it was already dark, and Zhu Cixi also drove to the imperial concubine's mansion. He was going to capture the red lady tonight no matter what.
There is no other way, the army will move south in three days at most.
This one hundred thousand Chinese army can be said to be the most elite army in the Ming Dynasty.
Once you reach Jiangnan, you will definitely not be able to come back in a short time.
He can't go there in person now. Emperor Gao is far away today. To say that he is completely relieved is definitely a lie.
Although the red lady has a strong character and attaches great importance to love and righteousness, the two of them are only in name only, not to mention that the girl likes literary talents, and there are as many talented people as dogs in the south of the Yangtze River who are suave and charming.
If he was abducted, half of his country would be gone, and he would have to faint from crying.
Although there is a risk in sleeping her, it is smaller after all.
However, apart from the Red Lady, there really is no more suitable candidate. Although Zhou Yuji and Huang Degong are also loyal, whether they are loyal to him or to the Ming Emperor remains to be discussed.
What's more, both of them are loyal people. When they arrive in the south of the Yangtze River, even if they have a large army, they may not be able to let go when facing those moral gentlemen.
The Red Lady came from a lower class, and her generals and soldiers were all rebels. She hated the gentry and landlords deeply, and she was a natural sharp weapon against hypocrites who talked about benevolence, justice and morality.