Chapter 585: Concubine Duanrong: This really makes Chan Yue right.
Palace Garden, Shenwumen
The high-ranking officials who had left court rode carriages and headed home, while other lower-ranking officials, because it was noon and close to dinner time, made an appointment with their friends, gathered in twos and threes, and went to a restaurant to have a drink and a meal.
As officials went to court, news about the Beijing army's great victory in Henan and other places, and the successive recapture of Kaifeng Prefecture and Runing Prefecture, spread to the entire Shenjing City.
The sun was shining brightly today, and the city of Shenjing was already bustling with people. The shops lined up on both sides of the street were discussing the rebellion in the Central Plains.
In a restaurant with a plaque of "Drunken Immortal" hanging on it, in the private room on the second floor, several young men wearing silks and satins were changing glasses, talking and laughing.
After the land of Guanzhong entered March, the weather became completely warm, the wind was beautiful, and the spring breeze blew on their faces. Many young men in Shenjing City often made appointments with their friends to go out to the city for an outing to enjoy the willow trees and historical sites.
Feng Ziying, Liu Xianglian, Wei Ruolan, Chen Yejun and other young gentlemen sat around a table, and the atmosphere was lively and noisy.
Liu Xianglian asked, "Brother Ziying, the Beijing army has been in Henan for quite some time. Is there any news?"
Ever since that day when he saw Jia Heng leading the Jinyi Tiqi and returning from inspecting the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Lord of the Ning Kingdom had left a deep impression on the second son of the Liu family. During these days, thieves broke through the government of a province in Henan, causing the people of Shenjing City to
Everyone is paying attention to the situation in Henan, and Liu Xianglian is no exception.
Wei Ruolan said, "I haven't heard the news anymore. Two days ago, the military newspaper said that they won a victory at Sishui Pass and annihilated three thousand thieves. I guess by now the army has arrived in Kaifeng Fucheng?"
Liu Xianglian stared at Wei Ruolan with burning eyes and asked, "Brother Wei, my uncle has taken up the post of Commander-in-Chief of Yongying Camp. Do you know the details of the war?"
"Father is not on the trip to Henan this time." Wei Ruolan said softly. "However, my father mentioned it when he came back. He said that since Jia Jieshuai took control of the capital camp, the capital camp has become completely new, with great changes in military discipline and lack of drills.
After all the bad policies and the great improvement of military strength, in my opinion, the bandits are just a mob after all, with incomplete armor and cavalry. It is also a matter of how long it takes for the Beijing camp to defeat them."
Wei Ruolan's father, Wei Qi, commanded the Xiaoyong camp and stayed behind in Shenjing, and was not among the generals who went to Henan this time.
"The siege battle is extraordinary and cannot be said to last forever." Feng Ziying said worriedly.
"One hundred thousand troops from the Beijing camp went to the Central Plains to quell the chaos. This has been rare since the founding of the People's Republic of China. I think if it is delayed for three to five months, it means the general is incompetent." Chen Yejun picked up a wine cup with a hint of laughter in his voice.
He was cold, but there was a hint of envy on his handsome face that was not easy to detect.
As a descendant of the clan, he had never thought of supporting the emperor's rule and marching in all directions on behalf of the emperor.
At that time, Erjin Tuozi was high in the temple. Unfortunately, due to his clan status as the son of Prince Renhe, it was impossible for him to lead troops on expeditions.
Wei Ruolan said, "The city of Kaifeng is high and deep, with well-equipped defense facilities. I'm afraid it won't be easy to capture. Not to mention other things, the bandits will use swords and guns to force the people to go up to the city to help defend."
Feng Ziying said, "Thieves and bandits cannot win the hearts of the people. If the people are forcibly recruited, it will only lead to mass resistance. If the imperial court is defending and the thieves come to attack, even if there are more than ten thousand soldiers, if they understand the principles and inspire righteous people, the thieves and bandits will have to be hundreds of thousands."
Down."
"We have to fight like this for three to five months. We are afraid that the bandits will not guard the city of Kaifeng and move to other prefectures and counties, disrupting the local prefectures and counties. Then it will be difficult for the Beijing camp." Chen Yejun said quietly.
Feng Ziying said, "Brother, he has prepared for a rainy day and has already made plans. He should not reach that point."
In fact, in front of outsiders, Feng Ziying always refers to Jia Heng as her elder brother... ordinarily, he is like my elder brother.
"It's hard to say." As if he couldn't understand Feng Ziying's high regard for Jia Heng, Chen Yejun frowned and took a sip of wine.
Wei Ruolan saw that the two people's voices were a bit conflicted, so she quickly smoothed things over and said with a smile, "These people in the court are plotting this, so we'll just have a drink later."
As he spoke, he raised his wine cup and saluted several people.
Chen Yejun also raised his wine cup and said, "Meat eaters are despicable and fail to make far-sighted plans. The affairs of the temple are left to the care of Gong Gong."
Everyone just pretended not to hear Chen Yejun's "frivolous words".
While several people were discussing, they heard cheers and discussions coming from outside the box, which made Feng Ziying, Wei Ruolan and others stop talking and laughing, feeling surprised.
"What's the noise going on outside?" Wei Ruolan frowned, with a trace of displeasure on her handsome face. She called the boy and said, "Go and ask the shopkeeper if he will let you have a good meal."
The boy quickly left the box and asked the shopkeeper. After a while, he came back with a beaming face and said, "Sir, I heard that the imperial court won a great victory."
"What big victory?" Feng Ziying asked doubtfully.
The young man said, "It was the troops from the Beijing camp who recovered Kaifeng Fucheng and Runing Fucheng. The bandit leader Kou Xiao was either dead or captured. The chaos in Henan has been completely put down. This is what several censors who came back from the previous dynasty said."
As soon as these words came out, Feng Ziying was stunned at first, and then she looked ecstatic. Because of the excitement in her heart, her voice was trembling: "This is really a great happy event. This time, my brother is leading troops to Henan to sweep away the fallen leaves with the autumn wind."
It has greatly boosted the morale of our great men."
Chen Yejun's face was green and red, and he felt a burning pain, and his joints turned white when he pinched the wine cup in his hand.
Although his friends did not pay close attention to his arrogant words, Chen Yejun, who was arrogant and arrogant, could not pretend that he did not exist.
Liu Xianglian's eyes flashed with strange color, and she exclaimed, "It's really amazing. This speed of advancing troops is rare in ancient times."
As he spoke, he looked at Feng Ziying with burning eyes under his sword-shaped eyebrows, and asked, "Brother Ziying, can you help me introduce him to Jia Ziyu after the army returns home in triumph?"
Wei Ruolan was surprised and said, "Brother Liu, haven't you never made friends with these important officials in the court?"
"This Uncle Heng is different. I read his Three Kingdoms and thought this man could be a hero of the world." Liu Xianglian said with emotion.
His ancestors also came from a family of officials, but their family fortunes were in decline. When he saw him on the street that day, he suddenly had a thought: "A real man should be like this!"
If he wants to shine brightly again and show his ambition, this Uncle Heng is the Bole he is looking for.
A few years ago, the military discipline in the Beijing camp was poor and the generals were not in good order. Even if he had martial arts, he was unwilling to join the army. But now it is different. He has used what he has learned in his life to revive his family reputation.
Feng Ziying smiled and responded readily: "Don't worry, Erlang, I will introduce you to my brother when he comes back."
Everyone was discussing heatedly, but Chen Yejun was absent-minded and forced a smile.
At this moment, not only Feng Ziying was here, but as the news spread in the streets and alleys of Shenjing City, more than one million soldiers, civilians, and officials in Shenjing City were discussing this battle of liberation from the Central Plains.
Just as Emperor Chongping thought, the imperial court used thunderous power to resolve the chaos in Henan, which effectively inspired people's hearts, shocked Xiaoxiao, and restored the central government's prestige.
However, the joys and sorrows of human beings are not the same. Just when the entire divine capital was happily discussing the imperial court's suppression of the rebellion in the Central Plains——
Lu Li, a bachelor at the Imperial Academy, walked out of the palace with a dejected look on his face. Because he was preoccupied, he walked a little slower. Especially when he heard the pointing fingers from the officials behind him and the strange looks from the officials on the left and right, he felt even more agitated.
At this moment, a voice came from behind and called Lu Li, who was in despair, "Brother Defu."
Lu Li paused and couldn't help but turn around and look closely. He saw Xu Kai, a bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. He cupped his hands and said, "Brother Xu."
Xu Kai, who was in his early thirties, slender and handsome, came close enough to ask, "Brother Defu, why don't you go back by carriage?"
Lu Li looked gloomy. In front of his few friends in the Hanlin Academy, he smiled bitterly and said, "I want to go for a walk alone."
After the previous incident, his career prospects in the future were bleak, and he was already disheartened.
Starting from the Taizong Dynasty, following the example of the Ming Dynasty, the Hanlin Academy was used as a place to reserve talents, and Lu Li, as a Hanlin bachelor, was mostly trained as a reserve prime minister. In other words, after being transferred and honed, he might enter the cabinet in the future and become the central figure in charge.
However, after the previous incident, Lu Li knew that he had displeased the emperor and his reputation among the scholars would be affected.
Xu Kai's expression became silent for a moment. He also knew that Lu Li was in a bad mood at the moment, so he extended his hand to invite him and said, "Brother Defu, please get on the carriage and have a talk."
Not far away, a carriage suddenly stopped on the roadside, and two servants in rough clothes and short jackets were waiting with their hands down.
Director Lu let out a long sigh and followed Xu into the carriage.
As the wheels of the carriage rolled over the streets paved with bluestone paved roads, they made the sound of python grits. The noisy sounds of the streets also came from the bamboo curtains toward the carriage. Without the strange gazes from around, Lu Li's depressed mood was relieved.
Learned a lot.
Xu Kaidao said, "Brother Defu, there is no need to worry about the previous incident. Your Majesty is the Holy Lord of Zhongxing. He has a magnanimous magnanimity and will not sin because of the past. Now we have appointed good generals to regain Henan. In the future, we can also be energetic in the nine-border war."
As the Henan Rebellion was quickly put down, the inner evaluation of Emperor Chongping by officials from both the government and the public was quietly improving. He was inspired and promising, and had the ambition to rejuvenate the Han Dynasty.
Lu Li pondered and said: "Now that the emperor believes in martial arts and is very favored, I am afraid that it will be a disaster for the country rather than a blessing."
"The Holy One shines brightly for thousands of miles, and has a vast mind. Brother Defu, why should you worry about the sky? Since this dynasty, Wu Xun has granted four princes with different surnames, and they are hereditary. The title has been passed down for three generations, and now there is no trouble. "Xu Kai
persuaded.
Qing knew that this good friend in front of him was jealous of Jia Ziyu, who was not as good as the weak one but was in charge of the country's affairs.
However, military honors were originally awarded for war. It is not surprising that after a battle, he suddenly ascended to a high position and became famous for a while.
The only thing that worries him is the establishment of the Military Aircraft Office and the title of Minister of War. This is destroying the political system. Fortunately, His Majesty has also recruited civilian officials to be in charge of Privy Council.
Lu Li shook his head and said, "That being said, if a young man like Jia Ziyu succeeds... that's all. If he continues to talk about it, it will appear that Lu is too narrow-minded and intolerant of others."
As he spoke, he paused, looked gloomy, and said, "Now my career prospects are unclear, and I'm afraid I'll waste half my life without getting ahead. There are other people to worry about these state affairs."
Previously, it was a bit embarrassing.
Xu Kai frowned and said seriously, "I don't agree with what Brother Defu said. How can we, the scholars, lose our concern for the country and the people because of the ups and downs of the officialdom?"
As he spoke, he softened his tone and said, "Brother Defu just cares too much about these false claims. In Brother Yu's opinion, everyone will forget about this matter in a few days. Besides, Mr. Zhao Ge, the cabinet minister, also questioned the news before."
True or false, further away, on the day of King Wei's concubine ceremony...
It is not appropriate to say the following words, but the meaning was conveyed. Even the emperor of the dynasty missed it, so what does it mean today.
Lu Li sighed, and after some persuasion from his friend, he felt a lot better in his heart. Then he felt a little surprised. He looked deeply at his friend opposite, suppressed the inexplicable emotion in his heart, and asked: "But now
I was ridiculed in the court.
Xu Kai thought for a while and said, "Brother Defu can find a job and be sent to another place. If he can make some achievements, then there will be no rumors and slander."
When Lu Li heard this, his expression changed and he was slightly frightened.
Nowadays, in the Hanlin Academy, he and Xu Kai are good at writing and often take part in the congratulations of important ceremonies. Now that he is gone, won't the person in front of him stand out from the crowd and stand out?
Xu Kai pondered and said, "I also plan to seek foreign posts. In the Central Plains, bandits are in chaos and the people respond. From this, we can see that there are many bad governance in local states and counties. As the saying goes, one term as an official will benefit one party. After the affairs in Henan are settled, he will become an official.
The ministry needs officials to increase the actual quota, and I would like to recommend myself to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and let the county magistrate of the seventh grade of Runing Prefecture be appointed to govern the county and benefit the people."
Xu Kaiguan lived as a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy. Even if he sought foreign posts, he would at least be a prefect. And as long as he had political achievements, he would be promoted quickly because of his glorious resume in the Hanlin Academy.
Lu Li was startled, and then his cheeks became slightly hot. Then he realized that he was judging a gentleman with a villain's heart. He suddenly felt a sense of guilt and shame coming from the bottom of his heart after introspection. He asked in a solemn voice: "But Brother Xu has been admitted to the imperial examination."
Since then, I have never held any local office, and the affairs of the prefectures and counties are complicated and complicated, which is not comparable to the Hanlin Academy of the Qing Dynasty."
Xu Kai looked solemn and said, "As long as you govern with benevolence, love the people like children, have strict laws and moral education, it is not difficult to achieve great governance in a county."
Lu Lili thought for a while and advised: "Brother Xu, different places have different centers, so it's better to be more cautious."
He still wanted to stay in Beijing to look for opportunities, but that was not possible. Even in the worst case scenario, Chongping would not be able to stretch out one day, and there would be... the next day.
Speaking of the King of Wei's grand ceremony, the Holy One vomited blood and fainted, and the country's foundation matters will be put on the agenda in two or three years.
These secret thoughts flashed through Lu Li's mind and were buried deep in his heart.
…
…
Daming Palace, side hall
Emperor Chongping went to the Hanyuan Palace to attend court and summoned all the civil and military ministers, Empress Song, Concubine Duanrong, Princess Jinyang, and Princess Qinghe to chat casually.
Because of Princess Jinyang's "discussion about size", Empress Song and Concubine Duanrong felt quite uncomfortable.
Congested.
"It's already noon, and it's time for Your Majesty to leave the court." Under her beautiful eyebrows, Empress Song looked into the distance with her beautiful eyes, and ordered Xia Shouzhong, who was standing not far away, "Send someone to the front hall to have a look."
Because Emperor Chongping met with the courtiers at noon today to show that "the dragon is healthy and I am fine", it was not the time for the court to discuss government affairs. According to the Empress of the Song Dynasty, she had discussed a few things with the ministers, so she should return to the harem, which was just the time.
The eldest princess of Jinyang and the princess of Qinghe were left to have lunch together.
Before the eunuch had left the side hall, the eunuch's thin, feminine voice suddenly came from outside the corridor eaves of the palace: "Your Majesty has arrived."
"What a coincidence." Empress Song smiled sweetly and said in surprise.
Not long after, Emperor Chongping was seen entering the side hall surrounded by a group of internal eunuchs led by Dai Quan.
The emperor's face was filled with joy and his steps were brisk.
Empress Song, Concubine Duanrong, Princess Jinyang, and Princess Qinghe all left their seats and stood up, looking at Emperor Chongping who came from outside the palace with a long face and a delighted face, and greeted each other with the greeting: "My concubine (my sister) has met your majesty."
"Pingshen." Emperor Chongping said briskly.
Empress Song greeted him with a smile. She noticed the joy on Emperor Chongping's face and asked curiously: "Your Majesty, what kind of happy event is this? Why is his face so happy?"
I was also surprised at the bottom of my heart. Could it be that the previous court reported some happy news?
Concubine Duanrong also looked at Emperor Chongping who was in a happy mood with a surprised look on her face. Her bright and clear eyes under Chunshan's dark eyebrows were shining with a hint of doubt.
The eldest princess of Jinyang also looked at her royal brother, her eyes filled with hope, and there were some vague guesses in her heart.
Sure enough, Emperor Chongping looked happy and said in a brisk tone, "Zitong, just now Ziyu Feige passed a letter."
Hearing the message from Fei Ge, Empress Yurong of the Song Dynasty was stunned for a moment and said in surprise: "Isn't it true... is this new?"
I thought to myself, no wonder His Majesty was so happy. It turned out that the reason was Ziyu's flying pigeon delivering the message...
Thinking about this, I can't help but feel a little bit disgusted. It's all thanks to me. What kind of woman makes Your Majesty think about her like this? She doesn't know... what to do.
Without waiting for a few people to ask questions, Emperor Chongping looked excited and said in a brisk tone: "It's Runing Mansion. It's back in the hands of the army. The chaos in Henan has been completely put down since then. The inner troubles are gone. Ziyu fought this battle cleanly."
Neat and neat, no sloppiness."
As soon as these words came out, Empress Song was bright, her narrow phoenix eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, and she couldn't help but let out a soft "ah".
The beauty spoke softly, with a melodious and graceful tone, like an oriole emerging from the valley.
That snowy and jade-skinned face was overflowing with surprise, its peach cheeks were dizzy, and it was as beautiful as clouds, and said: "Your Majesty, this is truly a double happiness."
We just talked about the recapture of Kaifeng Fucheng, and now even the nests of thieves and bandits have been destroyed by the army, and Runing has been recaptured. This is really a wave of good news.
Concubine Duanrong's beautiful face also showed joy, her cool and beautiful eyebrows smiled slightly, and she said: "It's true, Jieyin just happened to be here.
Princess Jinyang's beautiful eyes narrowed, and her beautiful hibiscus jade face also showed a look of joy.
With his ability to lead the troops to put down the rebellion, she was not surprised, but it was so quick that she was a bit unexpected.
Emperor Chongping sat down on the embroidered pier, his face still stern, and said, "When I got the flying pigeon letter at noon, I was thinking about it. Ziyu had said before that he would first send light cavalry to attack the bandits' nest.
, cut off the enemy's rear route to prevent the bandits from scattering.
Escape... But after so many days, there was no news from Runing Mansion. Instead, the good news from Kaifeng Mansion came first. I was worried that something would go wrong, but I didn't expect that today, now, both places
Again, the bandit leader Kou Xiao was also wiped out."
At the end of the sentence, the emperor couldn't hide his excitement. The excitement and briskness in his tone could even be felt by the eunuchs in the side hall, and they were all happy for it.
At this moment, all the dark clouds in the sky really disappeared.
The beautiful eyes of the eldest princess of Jinyang shone under the willow leaves' slender eyebrows, and her graceful and beautiful face showed a look of joy. She said softly: "Brother, your Majesty, Runing has recovered, and the situation in Henan is probably settled."
Emperor Chongping turned to look at Princess Jinyang, nodded and said: "Yes, I thought it would be delayed for a year and a half, but then... Fortunately, Ziyu led the cavalry army and quickly defeated the trouble.
, it can also be seen that the Beijing camp has become a strong army, and the battle with Donglu in the future will be somewhat settled."
Even if the bandits are far from comparable to the Donglu who were raging in the north, the fact that the officers and soldiers could defeat them quickly shows that their combat power has greatly improved, not to mention that they are led by a general like Ziyu. In a word, the future
Can be expected.
Empress Song said softly, "Since your Majesty succeeded to the throne, you have worked hard and devoted yourself to the affairs of the country. Now it is time to bear fruit."
Emperor Chongping waved his hand and said, "It's just to quell the internal troubles. There are still many things that need to be done in the future."
It is gratifying to put down the rebellion, but the Han Dynasty's internal and external troubles have not diminished at all.
Concubine Duanrong pursed her pink lips, suddenly remembered something, turned to look at Li Chanyue, and said in surprise: "Didn't Chanyue say before that Runing Mansion has been captured, this... Chanyue really got it right.
?」
As soon as these words came out, a pair of bright eyes fell on Li Chanyue first. A bright smile was hidden in her eyebrows, and her beautiful eyes were soft and shining. She was none other than the Empress of Song Dynasty.
But she still had a pair of narrow, clear eyes, and ripples of deep thoughts appeared in circles in her eyes, and she sighed softly in her heart.
Chan Yue, the child, looked at Wen Wen quietly, but her mind was clearer than anyone else's.
Princess Jinyang's eyes narrowed and she thought.
Li Chanyue was in a daze because of the news about the recovery of Runing Mansion. When she heard the words of Concubine Duanrong, her heart skipped a beat, and she was stared at by several eyes. Her beautiful eyebrows were slightly lowered, and a trace of panic appeared on her pretty face.
It was as sweet as blood and extended to the earlobe. She said delicately, "Auntie, I just think that Mr. Xiao Jia must have some plans. It was just a random guess. Who would have thought that Mr. Xiao Jia... is so powerful."
Mr. Xiao Jia is so powerful, literary and martial arts, and is almost unrivaled among his peers. No wonder my cousin ignores what others say.
Thinking of this, Li Chanyue's joy dissipated a little, and instead she felt a little disappointed.
If my cousin is betrothed to Mr. Xiao Jia, she will get married in the future. In the first month of the year, she will go to visit Sister Nanyang. Sister Nanyang and her consort are married by chance, and their temperaments are not compatible. It seems that they are not living a happy life.
I don’t know what kind of person she is entrusting in the future. Maybe he is not as good as Mr. Xiao Jia...
Well, what is she thinking about?
Empress Song looked at Li Chanyue, who was a little embarrassed, her beautiful autumn eyes sparkling, and her heart became more and more fond of her. She chuckled and said, "How can Chanyue be so accurate? It can be seen that she really has a small mouth like a magpie."
"
Such a little girl is such a lovable and good child.
After hearing Queen Song's words, everyone chuckled and looked at Li Chanyue kindly.
Being watched by everyone, Li Chanyue's cheeks were slightly red, and she couldn't help but tighten the silk handkerchief embroidered with lotus flowers, feeling a mixture of shame and joy in her heart.
Emperor Chongping also glanced at Li Chanyue, and his expression softened a bit.
Chan Yue, this child's mouth, seems to have been opened today, and she can speak accurately every time.
Empress Song smiled, turned to look at Emperor Chongping, and said softly, "Your Majesty, with the recovery of Runing Mansion, are Ziyu and Xianning coming back soon?"
As soon as these words came out, everyone stopped talking and laughing, and all looked at Emperor Chongping in unison.
The smile on Emperor Chongping's face faded slightly, and he muttered: "After the arrests, there are still follow-up matters to calm the people. It will take a few months to completely sort out the mess.
I have given Ziyu the title of Minister of the Ministry of War, so that he can be the governor of Henan's military affairs and handle the aftermath."
He had previously conferred the title of governor to Ziyu, and he also had plans to see how talented he was in internal affairs.
I have had nothing to do these days, and I have also thought about the first meeting between the emperor and his ministers in the study room of the Ming Dynasty Palace after being introduced by Jinyang. Ziyu seemed to have great respect for reforms and innovations, but his generals were slightly superior and attracted attention, so that he
Subconsciously overlooking the ability to govern or the talent of a king.
Of course, young famous generals are common in history, such as champions, but it is rare to see a prime minister who is not as young as a weak champion.
Because government affairs are different from leading troops to fight, let's see how he behaves in Henan.
At this moment, the thieves and bandits have been wiped out, and the rice grains to appease the people have been obtained from the Zheng and Wei vassals. The next step is to see how he can appease Henan.
