Jiuxi

Chapter 1050 Extra 14 [Ten Years] (Grand Finale)

The case of the Zhailin Wang family causing chaos in the imperial court shocked the world.

The emperor, taking into account the great contributions of Imperial Noble Consort Wang Chulong to Daqin and the royal family, did not carry out a massacre and implicate many people. He only dismissed Wang An, Wang Heng and more than 20 other members of the Wang family and punished them. The women and children of the Wang family were not implicated. As for the lineage of the emperor's uncle Wang Cheng, since they had never been involved in this case, naturally they had nothing to do with it.

Even so, the Wang family's power in the court was almost wiped out, and only a few people such as Wang Han managed to survive.

The more serious consequence was that the court used this case to liquidate the farms and properties of the Wang family of Zhailin, which was the foundation for their prosperity in the north for a thousand years.

At the same time, the Jiangnan families, including the Jinlin Li family headed by Li Gongxu, the Qingyuan Xue family headed by Xue Nanting, the Ningtan Ding family headed by Ding Hui, and the Longlin Gao family headed by Gao Huan, clearly supported the emperor's new policies, and actively cooperated with the court to liquidate more than 100,000 acres of land, return many privileges, further clarify tax responsibilities, and negotiate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the circulation of commerce in various places.

After nine years of preparation and planning, Lu Chen, now that the new policy has taken root in the hearts of the people, took advantage of the case of the Wang family of Zhai Lin to formally begin to resolve the millennium-old legacy of the aristocratic families and lay a solid foundation for the continued vigorous development of agriculture, handicrafts, and small industries and commerce.

The world is changing, and the palace is gradually getting rid of the sad atmosphere of Concubine De's death.

On a sunny early autumn morning, Lin Xi brought concubines and princes to the Qianqing Palace. Among the princesses, only Lu Xinyi was present.

"Stop standing, everyone sit down."

With a smile on his face, Lu Chen walked forward and took the hands of Lin Xi and Wang Chulong. This scene made the other concubines secretly sigh with emotion.

Of course, they knew what had happened to Wang Shi of Zhai Lin during this period. The emperor had been going to Yikun Palace more frequently recently. This action at this moment told everyone clearly that Wang Shi of Zhai Lin had nothing to do with the Wang family, the emperor's uncle, and had nothing to do with the imperial concubine.

Furthermore, he took action against the Wang family of Zhailin because of the Jinxiulou case, and secondly, he took the opportunity to clean up the aristocratic family system. It was justified and reasonable. On this basis, he did not implicate many others, so the Wang family of Zhailin should feel fortunate.

Wang Chulong was a little hesitant, because in public, the emperor and the empress were the absolute protagonists.

Lin Xi seemed to know her concerns and tilted her head slightly to smile at her.

Lu Chen whispered: "Tonight we..."

Lin Xi was startled, then came to her senses and pinched his wrist hard.

Lu Chen laughed loudly and took the two of them to sit in the main seat.

His hearty laughter calmed the princes' hearts. Although more than four months had passed, these young princes often recalled their experience in Qionghua Garden, and they couldn't help feeling a little nervous.

Looking at the calm and steady Crown Prince Lu Jiusi, the peaceful Second Prince Lu Chen who seemed like a different person, the poised Third Prince Lu Heng, the somewhat solemn Fourth Prince Lu Jing, the Fifth Prince Lu Jue who seemed to be silently thinking about arithmetic problems, and the slightly depressed Sixth Prince Lu Qi, Lu Chen couldn't help but curl his lips and said gently, "Since ancient times, the inheritance of imperial power has been the most difficult hurdle for the royal family. Even if our family can respect and love each other, we can't prevent outsiders from trying their best to sow discord among us."

After these words were spoken, the originally peaceful atmosphere became a little solemn.

Lin Xi, Wang Chulong and Li Bingxue were exceptionally calm. It was obvious that they had already known Lu Chen's arrangements for the day. As for the other imperial concubine, Luo Jiujiu, she was innocent and knew how to seek benefits and avoid harm. She had no intention of getting involved in the fight for the crown prince and had been able to live a peaceful life.

"I have often studied history books in recent years. Most of the emperors in the past can be divided into two types. Either they establish an heir early and do not give other sons any chance to have any ideas, or they watch the princes fight among themselves like raising a poison and try to find the strongest one among them. Judging from the current situation, it seems that I will not be able to escape this fate and will eventually follow the old path of my predecessors."

Lu Chen looked at the princes calmly and continued, "But I don't want to see a scene of fratricide. Originally, I wanted to wait until you were a few years older before telling me about my plans for your future. However, the Jinxiu Tower case made me realize that some people will not be patient enough to wait until the day you grow up. After all, it takes a long time to prepare for the battle for the throne. When the day comes when you really stand on the stage, it will be too late for me to reconcile."

This is a scene rarely seen in history books.

Although the princes are still young, they are destined to be precocious as they are born in royal families. Moreover, they learn from great scholars in the world and know more than ordinary teenagers.

Of course they knew that the emperor was extremely powerful, but now their father had broken the whole matter down to the smallest detail and explained it to them. No matter what they thought in their hearts, all the princes looked quite moved.

Lu Chen looked at the fifth prince Lu Jue and asked with a smile, "Have you made any progress in the past few months?"

That day in Qionghua Garden, Lu Jue took the opportunity of his birthday to make a request to Lu Chen, saying that he liked the mysteries between numbers more. To his surprise, Lu Chen actually agreed to his request directly. From that day on, he no longer asked him to read and practice martial arts every day, but only asked him to ensure the most basic exercise and reading, and the rest of the time could be used to study arithmetic.

Under the envious gazes of some of the princes, Lu Jue stood up and said, "Father, I have already learned the Tianyuan Technique and the Siyuan Technique, and am currently studying the Duoji Technique and Zhaocha Technique."

He then began to briefly explain the meaning of these arithmetic, and everyone in the hall looked confused.

Lu Chen could barely understand it. After all, he had excellent grades in his previous life before he was admitted to the military academy, and he also had to learn some mathematics knowledge in the academy.

Tianyuanshu is a high-order equation of one variable, Siyuanshu is a system of four-variable equations, Duoji refers to high-order arithmetic series, and Zhaocha is the finite difference method.

But Lu Chen was limited to understanding. He had not studied or practiced for so many years, so he could no longer give useful guidance to the eleven-year-old Lu Jue. So after encouraging Lu Jue, he turned to look at the Sixth Prince Lu Qi and said, "Because of the Jinxiu Tower case, you didn't celebrate your birthday this year. Do you want any reward from me?"

Lu Qi's throat moved and he glanced to the side nervously.

In front of Lu Chen and Lin Xi, Gu Wan'er did not dare to discipline her son without scruples, but she still gave Lu Qi a warning look.

Lu Chen saw the little movements of the mother and son and couldn't help laughing and said, "You should learn from your fifth brother and say whatever you want in front of me. Your mother won't blame you."

Lu Qi thought about it carefully, and mustered up the courage to say: "Father, I don't have the talent for martial arts. I hope to focus more on poetry and writing in the future."

"can."

Lu Chen nodded slightly and said, "I have asked the prince's stewards and teachers, and you are indeed not good at martial arts. In this case, I will not force you. From now on, except for the morning exercises, you don't have to practice with others, and you can concentrate on reading and writing."

Lu Qi was overjoyed and bowed quickly, saying, "Thank you, father, for your grace!"

At this point, most people understood that the emperor was obviously trying to tell them a very simple yet extremely important truth today: the royal princes did not necessarily have to set their sights on the position of crown prince. As long as you have legitimate likes and interests and are willing to immerse yourself in this field, the emperor would give you this opportunity, just like the fifth prince Lu Jue and the sixth prince Lu Qi.

Song Pei and Gu Wan'er felt relieved.

They are well aware of their own abilities, and also know that their humble family background cannot provide any support to their offspring. If they are caught up in the vortex of the struggle for the throne, they will most likely be crushed to pieces in the future. Naturally, such an arrangement now is the best outcome.

As for whether these two children can achieve success in their respective fields of interest, it doesn’t matter at all.

No matter what, they will have enough food and clothing in their lives, so what's wrong with staying away from the power struggles in the court?

But not every prince is like the fifth and sixth princes. Some of them have not yet found the path that suits them best, or they just want to establish a career. How should they be arranged? Should they be forced to be idle and wait for death?
Lu Chen did not try to be mysterious and said to Dai Hong who was standing not far away: "Carry it in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Hong responded respectfully, and then directed several palace servants to carry a tall wooden frame into the hall.

Under the curious gaze of the princes, the palace servant lifted the curtain covering the shelf, and a giant map appeared before everyone's eyes.

Unlike the Qin territory map they had in mind, Qin only occupied the middle area on this map.

"Seven years ago, I had people start drawing this map, and it was not until this spring that it was roughly completed."

Lu Chen stood up and walked slowly to the wooden frame. Everyone in the hall stood up.

He looked at the magnificent map and said slowly: "The territory of the Great Qin is indeed vast, and it has reached the limit of what the court can control, but this does not mean that the world is free of worries. Continue to move forward for more than a thousand miles from the northwest border, there are the Jing Kingdom, the Xining Dynasty, and the Triya Khanate, where they are fighting each other. Further west, there are dozens of countries of all sizes. In the south of the Great Qin, there is not only the Nanzhao Kingdom, but also more than a dozen countries occupying the fertile land. In the vast sea east and southeast of the Great Qin, there are many magnificent and broad islands, which contain endless resources."

After hearing these words, some princes began to breathe faster.

Lu Chen took in their reactions and smiled, "And I always believe that this is not the most complete picture of the world. There are still large unknown areas in the world waiting for us to discover."

The second prince Lu Chen summoned up his courage and asked, "Father, can I go outside and take a look in the future?"

In the past few months, he and his mother Li Bingxue had opened their hearts and had in-depth conversations several times. On the one hand, he was indeed unwilling to be a prince who lived a mediocre life and waited for death. On the other hand, he also understood his father's intentions. As long as his eldest brother Lu Jiusi did not act recklessly, the other princes had no hope of shaking his position as crown prince.

Therefore, when Lu Chen finished speaking, Lu Chen was the first to react. This time, Li Bingxue did not obstruct him, but just looked at him with some relief and reluctance.

"Why not?"

Lu Chen looked at him gently, and then said to Lu Chen and the other princes: "You are all my sons. I cannot be absolutely fair. After all, there can only be one crown prince in Daqin, but I can at least try my best to help you find the meaning of life. You can follow your own heart. Whether it is arithmetic, poetry, painting, medicine, business or technology, I will not stop you from immersing yourself in the field you love. If you want to be like me, although there is no stage for you to display your ambitions in Daqin, there are these places."

He raised his hand and pointed at the map, marking the boundless lands to the west, southwest, south, southeast and east of Daqin in turn.

Lu Chen took a deep breath and said with great respect: "Father, you have thought deeply about us, and I will never let you down again!"

All the princes said in unison: "Thank you, Father!"

Lin Xi and other concubines looked at the scene of loving father and filial son, and the more sentimental ones couldn't help but shed tears.

At this moment, what they saw were no longer the royal family's descendants with their own ulterior motives, but a group of brothers who were closely united around Lu Chen and truly recognized Lu Jiusi's position as the crown prince.

"You are all very good. You have lived up to my good intentions."

Lu Chen glanced at the guilty Fourth Prince Lu Jing, and then said: "But you are still young, the most important thing now is to grow up hard, learn more skills in the Prince's Institute, and come to me for advice if you don't understand something. In short, I hope that my sons will have their own strengths. If they really don't have talent, it doesn't matter, just stay in the capital to accompany me. As for the second, third, fourth and you little guys, if you still have ambitions after you turn 18, then take the capital I have prepared for you and go out to sea to build your own territory."

"Let the dragon flag of the Great Qin Dynasty be planted all over the world!"

Lu Chen waved his hand and spoke in a sonorous and powerful tone.

The princes looked at their father with bright eyes, bowed in unison and said, "We will follow the instructions of our father!"

……

It was the early autumn of the eighth year of Datong.

On the northwest border of the Qin Dynasty, more than 200 miles west of Lingyang Province, there is a vast oasis, quietly guarding the northern trade route.

Starting from the fifth year of Datong, the merchants of Daqin bravely traveled westward under the protection of the border troops and established a trade route leading to the far west. They transported various commodities that were gradually maturing in the country, and then brought back abundant gold and silver as well as local specialties that were of high quality and low price from the far west.

At first, the merchants did not dare to do so because they knew that the remnants of the Jing Kingdom had established a foothold in the far west. The other party had a blood feud with the Qin Dynasty for decades. In addition, the Jing Kingdom was destroyed by the Qin Emperor. If they went to the other party's territory to do business now, wouldn't they be seeking their own death?

However, important officials of the court told them that the people of Jinglian would never make things difficult for merchants like them, and that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would take the lead in leading them to open up this trade route. Only then did some big merchants who dared to take risks join in.

Today, those merchants who first followed the Imperial Household Department on their journey westward have already made a fortune, attracting more and more merchants to take this route.

The once desolate and deserted Western Regions has now become quite lively, with a constant stream of merchants and travelers coming and going.

Half a month ago, 10,000 elite troops from the northwestern border of the Great Qin appeared in this oasis, bringing a piece of news that made the merchants even more excited - His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qin will come here in person to discuss the next step of in-depth cooperation between the two countries with the Queen of Jing Kingdom.

The Weaving Bureau and the Western Regions Bureau had already deployed scouts within a radius of 300 miles three months in advance. In addition, there were 20,000 Tiger Guards on high alert in Lingqing City in the southeast to deal with any possible unexpected situations.

In the southeast corner of the oasis, a large tent stands on a gentle slope.

A woman walked slowly towards us in the bright sunshine.

She was wearing a tight outfit that outlined her tall and slender figure. The imperial guards outside the tent did not dare to look at her for too long. Qin Zilong, the minister in charge of the imperial guards in the palace, bowed his head and said sideways: "Please."

The woman nodded expressionlessly and walked in.

Qin Zilong sighed secretly and waved to others, indicating that everyone should go out and stay as far away from the big tent as possible.

Lifting the heavy door curtain and walking into the tent, the woman couldn't help but frown, because this scene brought back some complicated memories.

It was on the battlefield ten years ago. She walked into a similar tent full of humiliation, where she agreed to the conditions of losing her country in exchange for a new life, and lost her virginity - although the latter was her own initiative, thinking about it now makes her thoughts surge.

"Don't get me wrong, the conditions here are limited, and I can't waste manpower to build a temporary city."

A calm voice woke the woman from her memories.

She looked up and saw an ordinary table not far away. The man sitting opposite her had a handsome face and a natural dignity.

"Hmph." She uttered a crisp syllable through her nose and walked over to sit down on the other side of the table.

Lu Chen, who was 38 years old at the time, looked at the woman's face.

She was five years younger than him, and was certainly no longer a young, youthful girl, but time had not been harsh on her and had not left any obvious signs of ageing on her face.

Perhaps because she is already a mother, she looks more mature and graceful, and there is a kind of liveliness in her eyes that is not usually seen, which makes her look extremely charming.

"Since you like watching it so much, why don't you come back to Xiayou City with me? I will make you the Imperial Consort of Dajing."

Qing Yu Huaijin raised his eyebrows slightly and couldn't help laughing softly.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "I haven't seen you for ten years. I didn't expect you to be in such good shape."

This is a bit unpleasant to hear.

Qing Yu Huaijin said angrily: "Are you trying to say that I'm old?"

"I didn't mean that. I was just praising your method of keeping your youthful appearance."

Lu Chen picked up the pot and poured wine, then pushed a wine cup in front of Qing Yu Huaijin, and then said: "I originally thought that you would cry your heart out when you saw Qing Yu Zhongwang, but now it seems that you are very calm."

Before entering the big tent, Qing Yu Huaijin had already gone to a place in the northeast of the oasis to meet her brother Qing Yu Zhongwang. The brother and sister chatted for a whole morning, expressing their feelings of longing for each other after separation.

"Why are you crying?"

Qing Yu Huaijin said calmly: "I know he has lived well in the past ten years, and he also knows that I have established a firm foothold over there with my people. By the way, I have something I would like to ask you for help."

Lu Chen looked into her eyes and said frankly, "I can't help you with this matter. Qing Yuzhongwang doesn't want to go. In fact, I sent someone to ask him two years ago that I could send him to the Far West to reunite with you, but he refused. He said that staying here would allow Daqin and Jingguo to maintain their current relationship. At the same time, his physical condition does not support long-distance travel of thousands of miles. He can live a few more years if he rests and takes care of himself."

Qing Yu Huai Jin remained silent.

She knew very well that her brother really cared about the former. He did not want Jingguo and Daqin to be in conflict again. Otherwise, he would insist on going to the West to be with his relatives even if he could only live for a month.

Lu Chen continued, "Respect his decision. You have seen it with your own eyes. I did not treat him harshly. Instead, I specially sent someone to help him recuperate."

Qing Yu Huaijin sighed and said, "Thank you."

"If you really want to thank me, why not do something practical."

Lu Chen smiled slightly, and before Qing Yu Huaijin could misunderstand him, he said, "For example, we could open up a protected area in the far west as a transit point for Daqin's goods."

"I knew you had no good intentions."

Qing Yu Huaijin rolled his eyes at him, picked up the wine cup and sipped the fine wine.

"You can't say that."

Lu Chen shook his head and said, "This is a mutually beneficial thing. Daqin can certainly benefit from it, but won't your Jing country benefit from it? If it weren't for the help of Daqin's firearms in the past two years, could you really stop the counterattack of Abra? Mie Gudi and Xi Lie only learned three of your father's skills, so it's natural for them to deal with those small countries, but as far as I know, they suffered a lot of losses when facing the Trians at the beginning."

Qing Yu Huaijin looked at him steadily, then smiled charmingly and said, "What else do you want?"

"Again?"

Lu Chen said seriously: "Let's talk about business first."

"Pooh!"

Qing Yu Huai Jin spat lightly, bit his lower lip and said, "Do you really think I cherish you? Do you know how many handsome men there are in my palace? Which one is not taller and more powerful than you? Which one is not more considerate and sensible than you?"

Lu Chen looked at her with a smile.

Qing Yu Huaijin then remembered the hateful guy in front of him, and specially arranged a group of people to stay in Xia Youcheng openly. Although they could not touch her most important secrets, at least they would know whether there were those handsome men in her palace.

"so annoying."

Qing Yu Huaijin stood up, walked around the table with the wine cup in hand, supported the table with his other hand, looked at Lu Chen and said, "Chen'er is ten years old."

Lu Chen stretched out his hand and pulled Qing Yu Huaijin, who sat on him. He said slowly, "Let him have a brother or sister while I am still young."

She held the wine cup in front of Lu Chen, watched him drink the wine in the cup, then put down the cup and put her arms around his neck.

Lu Chen looked at her star-like eyes, picked her up and said in her ear: "Take a shower first."

Qing Yu Huaijin seemed to have just noticed that there was something mysterious in this big tent. There was a bathtub in the corner and a bed behind the screen. He couldn't help but sarcastically said, "What a hypocritical man."

"You're no better."

Lu Chen sniffed her hair. Of course it was impossible for her to smell fragrant after traveling hundreds of miles.

Qing Yu Huaijin couldn't help but laugh.

Lying in the bathtub, she let Lu Chen help wash her tight body carefully and gently.

Looking at his focused profile, Qing Yu Huaijin's eyes showed a throbbing, and he whispered: "In fact, I know that you don't love me. It's just by chance that we have this bad fate. Many years ago, I made up my mind to cut off my attachment to you. I originally wanted to die in your hands, but I didn't expect such a change. At this point, love or not is actually not important. In the end, I have become your woman."

Lu Chen stopped moving, and the gentle sound of dripping water continued.

Qing Yu Huaijin continued, "You want to make Daqin the most powerful dynasty in the world. As long as it does not harm the fundamental interests of Dajing, I will cooperate with you. After all... Chen'er is also your son. I think when you outline the blueprint, you can always leave a place for him."

Lu Chen turned his head and looked at her. After a long pause, he said, "Ten years ago, I really didn't have any romantic feelings for you. At most, I thought you were complicated and a woman with a story. But since then, whether you believe it or not, you have been in my heart. Later, I often heard news about you and knew that it was not easy for you over there. I also learned that Chen'er was growing up healthily day by day. How could I be completely indifferent?"

Qing Yu Huaijin's eyes were slightly red.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "If you say that I have a deep affection for you and miss you day and night because of your tenderness to me, this is definitely a lie, but as you said, you are my woman, and you and I will have an inseparable bond in this life."

Tears fell from Qing Yu Huai Jin's eyes, but she had a genuine smile on her face. She stepped forward, leaned on Lu Chen's shoulder, and murmured, "You want me."

Lu Chen helped her dry her body, then carried her to the bed behind the screen.

While they were embracing each other, Qing Yu Huaijin kept staring at Lu Chen's face.

She wanted to engrave this face in her heart.

……

More than half a month later, the Emperor of Qin and the Queen of Jing finally reached more than 20 important agreements on future trade between the two countries.

This process seemed very difficult, but in the eyes of Qin Zilong and the soldiers of the Qin Imperial Guard, the two supreme beings did not seem to be busy at all. They spent the whole day either strolling around to appreciate the vast scenery here, or sitting on the grass somewhere to chat lazily.

Such times are naturally relaxing and pleasant, but they always come to an end.

For some reason, compared to when he first arrived at the Oasis, Qing Yu Huai Jin now looks more radiant and has an especially charming lazy temperament.

She looked at Lu Chen quietly, and a faint smile gradually appeared on her face.

Lu Chen walked up to her and opened his arms, and Qing Yu Huaijin snuggled in his arms obediently.

She asked, "Will we meet again?"

He replied, "Of course. In two years, when Chen'er is older and the situation over there is more stable, you can bring him here for me to see. In addition, I want to build a new city several dozen miles to the west to create more convenient conditions for merchants from the two countries to travel."

Qing Yu Huaijin looked up at him, knowing full well the other implication of this decision, and said with a smile, "Okay."

A long kiss.

Although he was reluctant to leave, Qing Yu Huaijin still broke free from his arms, waved his hand and said, "Goodbye, Your Majesty the Emperor of Qin!"

Lu Chen smiled knowingly.

The scene that emerged in his mind many years ago in the northern suburbs of Heluo, when the captive Qing Yu Huaijin bought his freedom with two thousand horses, and he had the same tone and expression before leaving.

The years pass, just as they did back then.

Qing Yu Huaijin climbed onto the horse, took one last look at Lu Chen, and raised his hand to press on his chest.

Lu Chen said loudly: "Take care."

"Ah."

Qing Yu Huaijin spurred his horse and galloped away surrounded by a group of guards.

Only when her figure disappeared into the vast sky and earth did Lu Chen turn around and move forward.

Qin Zilong approached and said, "Your Majesty, the imperial guards are ready. Shall we return directly to the capital now?"

Lu Chen looked at the clear sky in the east and said calmly: "Go to Yanxi Province. A huge natural coal mine has been discovered there. I have asked officials from the Science and Technology Bureau to do preliminary exploration there. With the help of this coal mine, the workshops in Yanxi Province and even the surrounding areas can develop rapidly, and the construction of a new official road from Yanjing to the capital can also be put on the agenda."

Qin Zilong responded respectfully.

Just at this moment, several riders came galloping from the southeast, raising a cloud of dust. The leader was Jiang Sheng.

He quickly dismounted and came to Lu Chen, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, urgent news from the capital!"

Lu Chen took it calmly, opened the secret letter calmly, and soon a smile appeared on his face.

This letter was written by the Crown Prince Lu Jiusi himself, and was co-signed by Queen Lin Xi and Imperial Noble Consort Wang Chulong.

The letter only said one thing: after nearly eight years of unremitting efforts by hundreds of elites from the Science and Technology Bureau, the first primitive steam engine finally appeared on the land of Daqin.

The smile on Lu Chen's face became brighter and brighter. He patted Jiang Sheng on the shoulder and said loudly: "Go back to Beijing!"

Qin Zilong was slightly puzzled, but he never questioned the emperor's decision, and immediately responded: "I obey your order!"

Lu Chen looked back to the west, then retracted his gaze and strode forward.

His story is not over yet.

There is a new journey and a better world ahead.

……

……

……

(Complete the book.)
(End of this chapter)