"Then when will Your Majesty prepare to leave for the south?"
"Ten days later."
"So urgent?"
The red lady's face changed, and she felt really uncomfortable. She didn't expect that she and the little emperor would be separated again just after they got together.
"Alas! I can't bear to be separated from my beloved concubine. I want to stay a little longer, but time is not waiting for me. If it is delayed for a long time, something may happen in Jiangnan."
Zhu Cixi also sighed lightly. He had arranged everything he could and was waiting for the red lady to come back.
He originally planned to leave for Nanjing in three days, but after thinking about it, he postponed it for seven days.
After all, the two of them hadn't seen each other for more than a year. As soon as the red lady came back, he left immediately. It was really too realistic and hurtful. She was just using her as a tool.
"Your Majesty is right."
Thinking that she had only been in Huguang for a few months, the literati and merchants in Jiangnan had begun to win over military generals. Although the red lady was extremely reluctant to give up, she still nodded in agreement.
"When the world becomes stable, my beloved concubine and I will no longer have to be separated like this."
Zhu Cixiang said with the same reluctance.
This time, the Red Lady did not return to her imperial concubine's residence, but followed Zhu Cixiang directly back to the palace.
Empress Zhou, along with Liu Xinlan, Lan Duoer and their three children, were already waiting at Qianqing Gate.
"My son, I pay homage to my mother."
The red lady knelt down on one knee and bowed to Queen Zhou.
"Ying'er has worked hard all the way, get up quickly."
Empress Zhou didn't care about her nondescript way of greeting her, and helped her up affectionately.
She felt very complicated about this daughter-in-law. She was both unhappy and somewhat grateful to her.
Because she knew that Xun'er could secure the throne and preserve the Ming Dynasty. This red lady had indeed played an important role that could not be replaced by others.
"Little sister, little brother, I have met the emperor's sister-in-law."
Immediately afterwards, Princess Kunxing and her two younger brothers bowed to the Red Lady.
This prompted the latter to return the salute quickly and said: "No, no, no, it's my turn to salute to their two highnesses and princesses."
"Well, although my beloved concubine is only the imperial concubine, it is appropriate to bow to the empress, the emperor's sister, and the two emperor's brothers."
Zhu Cixiang saw the four of them being humble to each other, so he had no choice but to stand up and say with a smile.
The red lady was no longer modest, but she felt a hint of warmth and the feeling of going home in her heart.
"Beloved, this is Duo'er."
"What are you still waiting for, Duo'er? Hurry up and see the gift!"
After Zhu Cihong introduced her, he saw her staring straight at the red lady with a glint in her eyes, and was stunned on the spot, so he had to remind her.
Everyone couldn't help laughing when they saw her appearance.
Empress Zhou frowned slightly. She was really displeased with this young girl from the Tumote tribe. She didn't like her no matter how she looked at her.
Not only did she wander around the palace all day long, but she also went out hunting on horseback from time to time, showing nothing like a concubine.
If Hong'er hadn't kept her from being too strict, she would have wanted to give her a lesson and punish her.
"Oh, Duo'er has met the imperial concubine sister." Ran Duo'er came back to her senses and hurriedly stepped forward to follow the example of the red lady, kneeling on one knee and saluting, with a pair of smart eyes full of admiration.
"Sister, you don't have to be polite!" The red lady helped her up, looked her up and down, then grabbed her hand and said with a smile, "Sister is really a lovely person."
"Really? I'm also worried that the imperial concubine sister won't like me either." Ran Duo'er said happily. After speaking, she peeked at Queen Zhou with a hint of fear in her eyes. Apparently she was often secretly taught a lesson by Queen Zhou.
Her look really made Queen Zhou very angry, but she just glared at her fiercely.
"Sister is so beautiful, especially when this armor is worn on her, she looks better than any other general." Randall said with an envious look.
"If you like it, sister, I'll give you a set."
"Okay, okay!" Randall cheered happily.
"Ahem..." Queen Zhou couldn't help coughing lightly. She would never let Ran Duo'er imitate the Red Lady.
"My slaves pay homage to the imperial concubine." Liu Xinlan also stepped forward to salute upon seeing the opportunity, breaking the awkward atmosphere.
"Sister is seeing someone else."
The red lady is only twenty-five years old this year, a little younger than Liu Xinlan. She also knows that she is actually the little emperor's first woman, so she doesn't treat her as an outsider at all, and takes her hand and talks affectionately.
"No, no, no, etiquette cannot be abolished. Your Majesty has broken this slave, so I'd better call you Xinlan."
However, Liu Xinlan quickly waved her hands in fear.
"Okay, we're all members of our own family, so we can call each other casually in private." Zhu Cihong waved his hand.
As a modern person, he didn't care much about the strict rules of the royal court. In the future, if there were more concubines, he would definitely have to abide by the daily etiquette.
But Liu Xinlan and Hong Niangzi are both his great contributors and veterans, so they don't want to restrict them too much and want to make their lives easier.
As for Randall, considering the hundreds of thousands of cattle, sheep, and horses in the Tumut Department every year, as well as the large amount of leather, she can be a little more indulgent.
Immediately, everyone arrived at the side hall of Qianqing Palace, where a table of delicacies was already laid out.
"Everyone, please step back."
"Mother, sit down first..."
Zhu Cihong sent all the maids out and began to invite Queen Zhou and a few others to sit down.
Although the dishes were rich, it was only a large round table, similar to an ordinary family banquet at a wealthy landowner's home.
Obviously Zhu Cixi prefers the whole family to sit together and eat together, rather than being alone.
Since he became the emperor, he naturally had to follow his own preferences, not the preferences of the ancients.
For this kind of family sitting together to eat together, even if Zhu Cihong likes it only once a month, everyone feels very warm.
Even Queen Zhou was no exception. She didn't criticize her too much and chose to turn a blind eye to the match between Red Lady and Ran Duo'er.
In the next few days, Zhu Cihong and Hong Niangzi were almost inseparable, staying together day and night.
While being gentle, Zhu Cixiang did not forget to explain many matters after she left. Liu Xinlan was responsible for business matters, and Queen Zhou was responsible for government affairs. The Red Lady was mainly responsible for military affairs and dealing with some emergencies.
So after he left, although Queen Zhou was nominally in charge, in reality it was the Red Lady who made the decision.
As for why the harem cannot be involved in politics, let’s talk about it later.
"My dearest concubine, this is a military manual compiled by me for daily infantry drills, new military laws, military ranks, battlefield command communications, marching and fortification, and other logistics-related matters. I named it the Shenwu Military Manual. There are four volumes in total. You
Let’s see if there is anything we need to add first…”
As Zhu Cixiang spoke, he handed her four military books with a look of pride on his face.
This military book was compiled by him combining ancient and modern times. It took him several months to compile it. Compared with other military books that focus on strategy, his military book is mainly used to regulate the army.
"Oh, His Majesty actually compiled a military book himself..."
The red lady's eyes lit up and she immediately became interested. She picked up the first volume called Infantry Drill Code and started to read it carefully.
In fact, it is a military book. In addition to the infantry drill code and military law, it is more appropriate to call it a military reform plan, which adds up to only a few hundred thousand words.
So in just over an hour, the red lady read it carefully from beginning to end.
"How is my concubine?"
"Your Majesty, this military rank system is really refreshing and comfortable to listen to. It should be able to better inspire the soldiers' competitive spirit. Other aspects are also very reasonable and easy to understand. It's just that there are many training subjects in this infantry drill.
, I don’t quite understand its function.”
Compared with other generals who almost praised Zhu Cixiang to heaven after seeing it, the red lady said it truthfully.
"Haha, I knew my beloved concubine would say that. Let's go, I will take you to see the training of the disciples in the martial arts hall, and you will understand the importance of those projects."
Zhu Cixiang said, holding her hand and heading towards the martial arts lecture hall.
Those events are naturally some modern queue training, and of course they have been reduced. For example, goose-stepping is completely unnecessary. It is more about allowing soldiers to form good execution habits.