Dafeng Night Watchman-Chapter 698 - : Marriage

Imperial study.

The young Emperor Yongxing sat behind a large desk covered with yellow silk with a solemn expression, listening to the report of the new Prime Minister, Qian Qingshu, the Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace.

After Wang Zhenwen recovered from his illness, the court recommended him to be the Prime Minister. After a fight among the parties, the position of Prime Minister fell to Qian Qingshu, the Grand Secretary of Wuying Palace.

Still Wang's party.

"There are many bandits robbing the gentry and noble families in various places. In Jiangzhou and Jianzhou, there are even people in the city colluding with bandits, opening the city gates and letting the bandits enter the city to rob.

"Roughly estimated, there are quite a few in various places."

Qian Qingshu, with a white goat beard, said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, please send troops to suppress the bandits, otherwise there will be chaos sooner or later. If the rear cannot be stabilized, the situation in Qingzhou will be dangerous. "

Members of Wang's party echoed one after another.

Members of each party were half silent and half echoed.

The bandits who robbed the scholar-official class undoubtedly hurt the nerves of the gentlemen..

"Your Majesty, think twice!"

Amid the shouts, Liu Hong, the Left Chief Censor of the Censorate, stepped out and bowed:

"The war in Qingzhou is in full swing. The court should do its best to help Yang Gong stop the rebels in Qingzhou. How can we waste national power to eliminate refugees and bandits when the court is short of money and food?

"It's just a group of rabble, it's hard to become a big trend."

Former members of the Wei party immediately echoed and supported the advice of Liu Hong, the current leader of the party.

Members of Wang's party immediately jumped out to refute:

"A mob? Now the refugees are a disaster, looting and robbing food, and they are already a force that cannot be underestimated. If left alone, the rebels of Yunzhou will arrive at the capital before the refugees and bandits."

The two sides started arguing. The imperial study was also called "small court meeting", which was more relaxed and casual than the morning court. The argument gradually turned into a war of words.

Emperor Yongxing watched coldly. To this day, Wei Yuan and Wang Shoufu died and fell ill, and the situation in the court was still that the two parties were fighting, and each party joined in the fun.

He swept his eyes over the ministers, his eyes fell on the Dali Temple, and said lightly:

"What do you think, Lord Temple?"

The eyes of the officials inevitably turned to the Dali Temple.

The Dali Temple was over fifty years old, and there was no white hair between his beard and hair. He was well maintained.

"Your Majesty, I think that we can adopt the policy of recruiting refugees and bandits, grant the bandit leader an official position, and let him lead his troops to Qingzhou to resist the rebels."

The Dali Temple said.

Emperor Yongxing pondered for a long time, and then said slowly:

"Let's put this matter aside for now."

After a pause, he said in a deep voice:

"The first line of defense in Qingzhou has been captured by the rebels, and Yang Gong failed to deal a heavy blow to the Yunzhou rebels. Can any of you tell me whether Qingzhou can be defended? How long can it be defended?"

No one answered.

Emperor Yongxing looked at the Minister of War and the Minister of Revenue with a sullen face:

"My two beloved ministers, I asked you to mobilize troops and food to support Qingzhou. Have you made any progress?"

The Minister of Revenue stepped out and bowed:

"It will take some time. Your Majesty, please give me another ten days."

Emperor Yongxing wanted to blame him, but when he saw the haggard appearance of the Minister of Revenue, he sighed in his heart and did not make things difficult.

He turned to look at the Minister of War and said lightly:

"Zhao Junru, who was recommended by Minister Xu, submitted a memorial to me yesterday, saying that he was suggesting that the troops supporting Qingzhou be led by him to attack Yunzhou by a detour and destroy the rebel base camp.

"What a rare general."

The Minister of War was startled. Seeing that Emperor Yongxing was smiling but his eyes were extremely cold, cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. He said in a hurry:

"I am blind. Please punish me, Your Majesty. "

Emperor Yongxing ignored him and asked him to keep bowing. He looked at the officials with an unpleasant expression:

"There is no food and no one who can fight. The court has been supporting scholars for 600 years, and only raised a bunch of you? Fortunately, the Western Regions did not send troops to invade, but only harassed the border of Leizhou.

"Otherwise, the Western Regions army would have reached the capital by now."

When he said the last sentence, Emperor Yongxing shouted loudly.

The officials were silent, knowing that he was complaining that the money and food were not prepared in time and that he could not send troops to Qingzhou immediately.

If the treasury had money, the reinforcements would be on the way to Qingzhou at this time.

During this period, the Ministry of Revenue has been collecting taxes and squeezing the people's fat and blood. This is what the court will inevitably do in war, and it has been the same in all dynasties.

And such behavior is accumulating people's grievances and depleting national strength.

If the war can be settled, everything will be fine. Once the court is defeated, the people will resent and the country's luck will be consumed in an instant.

"The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly. The soldiers in the front are fighting with their lives. You have not prepared money, food and troops for a long time. Do you know how many opportunities will be delayed?"

Emperor Yongxing cursed.

The officials remained silent.

At this time, a clear light rose, and a figure appeared between the officials and the emperor. It was Zhao Shou.

He was wearing a Confucian shirt that was washed and white, but meticulous. His gray hair fell casually. The overall image was like a down-and-out scholar, or an old scholar.

Emperor Yongxing and the officials in the court were shocked. They did not expect Zhao Shou to "break" into the palace.

"Your Majesty!"

Zhao Shou smiled and bowed.

Emperor Yongxing calmed down and forced out a polite smile:

"The president does not come to the palace for no reason."

Zhao Shou smiled and said:

"The matter is already on your majesty's desk."

Emperor Yongxing looked down blankly and saw an extra memorial on the big case. He picked it up in surprise. When he looked up, Zhao Shou had disappeared.

The officials looked at Emperor Yongxing, waiting for his words.

Emperor Yongxing unfolded the memorial. As he read, his expression changed very vividly. He was stunned at first, then frowned. When he read the latter part, he widened his eyes, as if he saw something surprising.

Then the surprise turned into ecstasy.

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"Good, good!"

Emperor Yongxing was delighted: "With the addition of the elite Gu tribe, Qingzhou's urgent needs can be temporarily alleviated. Xu Yinluo has repeatedly surprised me."

Elite Gu tribe? Xu Yinluo........The officials in the hall looked at each other.

Qian Qingshu's eyes flickered, and he said:

"Your Majesty, is there any good news?"

Emperor Yongxing did not answer, but looked at the eunuch Zhao Xuanzhen who was holding the seal under the throne, and smiled:

"Circulate it to the gentlemen."

Zhao Xuanzhen took it respectfully. He was extremely curious, but he did not dare to peek into the content. He respectfully handed the memorial to the new Prime Minister Qian Qingshu.

Qian Qingshu looked calm, but he took the memorial very quickly. He unfolded the memorial and read it attentively. After a while, he took a deep breath:

"Minister Liu can have a good sleep."

Minister Liu was the Minister of Revenue who had aged several years and his hairline had moved up several centimeters since the cold disaster.

Hearing this, Minister Liu looked over and said anxiously:

"What does it say? Come on, show it to me."

Not in the same party as you... Qian Qingshu calmly handed the memorial to Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice behind him.

Minister Sun read it silently, his face was extremely complicated, with both joy and disappointment.

Disappointment was because the boy who was regarded as a thorn in the eye before was now an unattainable figure, the top master in Jiuzhou.

The memorial was circulated among the officials, and the old faces were relieved or extremely happy. The most excited one was Minister Liu.

"Good, good, in this way, the situation in Qingzhou will surely be alleviated, and I can also breathe a sigh of relief and sleep well......" Minister Liu almost cried with joy:

"Xu Yinluo can make the Gu tribe and Dafeng form an alliance, which is incredible, incredible."

His tone did not hide his admiration and praise.

The officials whispered.

"How did he get the Gu tribe to send troops at such a small cost?"

"The Gu tribe has a deep hatred for Dafeng, but this time they did not form an alliance with Yunzhou, but formed an alliance with Dafeng?"

"He always makes people look at him with new eyes. Although he is not like Wei Yuan, who can command the three armies and be invincible. But as a warrior, he is also a figure in the extraordinary field."

"With him and Jianzheng, Dafeng still has some hope..."

Emperor Yongxing smiled and said:

"Let the cabinet draft the alliance. Do you have any objections?"

The ministers said:

"Your Majesty is wise."

After the meeting, Emperor Yongxing's heavy mood for the past few days eased a little. The alliance between the Gu tribe and Dafeng was undoubtedly an exciting news.

But Emperor Yongxing still had something on his mind.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister Qian wants to see you."

Zhao Xuanzhen stepped into the bedroom.

Emperor Yongxing frowned and said, "Please let him in."

Since he didn't say it during the meeting in the imperial study, it means that Qian Qingshu has something to report alone.

Qian Qingshu, who has a white goat beard, returned to the imperial study under the guidance of the eunuch.

"What does Prime Minister Qian want to discuss with me alone?"

Emperor Yongxing asked without any expression.

Qian Qingshu said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, banditry is rampant in various places. If you don't send troops to clear it out, it will sooner or later cause a disaster. Now that the pressure on Qingzhou has dropped sharply, it is just right to divide the troops to encircle and suppress it."

Emperor Yongxing pondered in silence.

Qian Qingshu said loudly:

"Your Majesty, I am highly regarded by Your Majesty. I will die for Your Majesty."

Emperor Yongxing was slightly moved:

"Okay, then I will do as you say."

Such a straightforward reply made Qian Qingshu stunned, and he happily bowed:

"Your Majesty is wise."

Emperor Yongxing nodded:

"Your Majesty, please leave first. I am tired."

Looking at Qian Qingshu's back, Emperor Yongxing sat expressionless for a long time without moving.

The thing that stuck in his mind was what Xu Xinnian had proposed, secretly sending masters to organize refugees, turn them into bandits, rob merchants and gentry, and quell the increasingly rampant refugee problem.

If this decision of betraying the class is exposed, Emperor Yongxing will be alienated by his friends and relatives.

After weighing the pros and cons, he chose to give up.

But unexpectedly, someone in the court secretly implemented the strategy and reaped great results, and the scale was growing day by day.

"My enemies are not only the Yunzhou rebels."

Emperor Yongxing murmured in a low voice.

He knew exactly who the enemy was.

At the same time, he secretly made a decision that he could not delay any longer, and the marriage was imminent.

Xu Xinnian had already developed a different mind and secretly surrendered to the former fourth prince, now Prince Yan.

And his decision would inevitably affect Xu Qiyan.

If Xu Qiyan also defected to Prince Yan, his throne would inevitably be unstable.

Xu Qiyan was promoted by Wei Yuan, and Wei Yuan and the queen were old friends, firmly supporting the fourth prince, and Xu Qiyan had a good relationship with Huaiqing.

Now that Xu Xinnian has surrendered to the fourth prince...

The only way Emperor Yongxing can think of to break the situation is to marry his sister Lin'an to Xu Qiyan.

In this way, the throne can be stable.

......

Dexin Garden.

Not long ago, Huaiqing made some changes to the study room, moved in a sand table, a map of Qingzhou, and filled the desk with military books, including the "Art of War" written by Xu Qiyan.

Xu Qiyan claimed that this book was written by Sun Tzu, but Huaiqing knew where he got his grandson?

It was just nonsense.

As a princess, it was not easy to be so concerned about the Qingzhou war.

Huaiqing was not proficient in military tactics, and was even a layman in marching and fighting, but these days, she read military books and practiced sand table behind closed doors, and made rapid progress.

Of course, this was only an improvement in the overall situation. The actual deployment of troops required too much experience, and it was meaningless to talk about war on paper.

Behind the desk, the princess, who was wearing a simple long dress and had a cool temperament, unfolded the note with her slender jade fingers.

There were two things written on the note:

First, under the promotion of Xu Qian'an, the Gu tribe formed an alliance with Dafeng and sent troops to aid Qingzhou.

Second, Zhao Shou personally delivered the Qingzhou memorial.

For the first piece of information, Huaiqing had no fluctuations in her heart, because she had already known it.

But she chewed on the second piece of information for a long time.

The light at the door dimmed for a while, and the palace maid stood outside the study and whispered:

"Your Highness, the Princess, Prince Yan is here."

Huaiqing put the note into her sleeve, stood up, and took the palace maid to the inner hall.

In the inner hall, the imposing Prince Yan was wearing a purple robe and jade belt, and he was gorgeous and imposing. He held a cup of tea in his hand, and his temperament was solemn.

"How did Fourth Brother have time to come to my Dexin Garden."

Huaiqing said lightly.

After Emperor Yongxing ascended the throne, he "drove" all his brothers out of the palace, but his unmarried sisters could still stay in the palace.

Princes would not enter the palace casually.

Prince Yan waved away the palace maids in the hall and said in a deep voice:

"I heard that Xu Qian'an had formed an alliance with the Gu tribe and invited the elite of the Gu tribe to assist Qingzhou at a very low price."

Huaiqing said coldly:

"This is a good thing."

Prince Yan nodded:

"It is indeed a good thing. For me, it is not a good thing, but it is not a bad thing either. At most, I will wait for another opportunity. I came here today for another matter."

"Fourth brother, please speak."

Prince Yan said in a deep voice:

"Today, Zhao Shou entered the palace. The Supervisor has suppressed Yunlu Academy for two hundred years. Zhao Shou has only entered the palace twice in his life. One time was to force my father to issue a self-criticism edict, and the other time was this time.

"Huaiqing thinks, what does the Supervisor mean? "

Last time entering the palace was excusable, but this time, is it just to deliver a memorial?

Huaiqing raised her hand, letting her wide sleeves slide down slightly so as not to hinder her from serving tea. She took a sip slowly and said lightly:

"Fourth brother seems to have some guesses."

Prince Yan said "hmm", nodded and said:

"At this critical moment, the Supervisor may have to compromise with Yunlu Academy and let Zhao Shou serve as an official in the court. A great scholar at the top of the third rank is worthy of the Supervisor to lower his status.

"Fourth brother is looking for you this time because he wants to go to Qingyun Mountain with you to pay a visit to Dean Zhao Shou."

The words are quite straightforward. Huaiqing is half a student of Yunlu Academy and has studied in the academy for several years.

Zhao Shou will not refuse her face.

Huaiqing nodded:

"Even if my fourth brother doesn't look for me, I will look for you."

Prince Yan laughed: "Good sister."

........

Fengqi Palace.

Lin'an took two personal maids and walked through the courtyard into the cold and quiet Fengqi Palace.

She stepped over the threshold and entered the inner hall, and found that the hall was as deserted as the courtyard, and the number of maids and nannies was kept to a minimum.

Lin'an knew that it was her mother who was making things difficult for the queen.

However, since the emperor brother ascended the throne, the queen has completely lost her temper. No matter how difficult and bullying her mother was, the queen ignored it.

Lin'an originally thought that this was the queen's compromise. But one time, she heard her mother say in a weird tone that after Wei Yuan died, that bitch was like a dead person, which was really boring.

In the simple and elegant inner hall, the queen in plain clothes sat at the table and looked at her expressionlessly.

Lin'an hadn't seen the queen for many years, but in his impression, the queen was the same as Huaiqing, cold and aloof, not enthusiastic towards anyone. But not like now, nothing but indifference.

"Meet the Queen Mother."

Lin'an bowed respectfully to his nominal mother.

The queen was an extremely beautiful person. Even though her youth was gone, time seemed reluctant to destroy her beauty. Her stunning face had no traces, but instead had the precipitation of years.

"Your Majesty just came to see me."

The queen looked at the person in front of her, with a round face and charming peach blossom eyes. She was a woman who could seduce people without saying anything.

In comparison, her daughter Huaiqing, even though her figure and appearance were not inferior, was too cold.

"Brother Emperor?"

Lin'an was a little surprised.

The queen nodded slightly, her tone was calm:

"Lin'an has also reached the age of marriage, and Your Majesty is here for your marriage."

Lin'an's face changed suddenly.