spend time

An hour later, Jiang Shaohua came out of the Duke of Anguo's Mansion.

Chen Jinyu accompanied the princess into the carriage and asked in a low voice, "How did the princess talk with Duke Anguo?"

Jiang Shaohua curled his lips and said, "This old fox was just trying to be nice to me. He said a lot of nice things to me. But when we really encountered an important problem, he refused to say a word."

For example, when she asked about the list of the Empress Dowager's cronies, the Duke of Anguo only vaguely mentioned a few of the most obvious ones and refused to reveal the ones hiding in the dark.

This is because they are afraid that she will win everyone over.

Chen Jinyu curled his lips after hearing this: "He's not very good at doing his job, but he's very alert when it comes to fighting for power."

Jiang Shaohua smiled leisurely: "No wonder he is nervous. The Empress Dowager is very fond of me now, and the Emperor trusts me so much. As long as I am willing to stay in the capital for a long time, the leader of the Empress Dowager's party will be replaced."

Chen Jinyu was a little nervous: "Does the princess want to stay in the capital for a long time?"

Jiang Shaohua smiled and asked instead of answering: "Do you think I should stay in the capital for a long time?"

Chen Jinyu had been trained by Jiang Shaohua's side for five years, and his vision and perspective were different from before. After a little thought, he said, "If the princess only wants to defend Nanyang County, she should go back as soon as possible. If the princess has lofty ambitions, she can't be too far away from the court. Even if she doesn't stay in the capital for a long time, she must have a deeper influence on the court. She must also have the confidence and freedom to come to the capital at any time."

Jiang Shaohua's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at Chen Jinyu deeply: "You are right."

Chen Jinyu thought that the princess indeed had greater ambitions and aspirations.

Some things cannot be said.

Chen Jinyu quickly changed the subject: "Where are you going next, Princess?"

"Zuo Mansion!" Jiang Shaohua uttered two words lightly.

……

After General Zuo was stripped of his official position, the Zuo family members were implicated one after another, and the family gradually became desolate and deserted. However, even though the Zuo family is not as prosperous as it used to be, it has been a military family for generations and will not fall into decline.

In the past few days, Prime Minister Wang returned to the court to take care of government affairs, and Jiang Shaohua's promise on behalf of the emperor to reinstate General Zuo in a period of time also spread quietly. The Zuo family's popularity quickly recovered, and more guests were willing to visit.

When the palace carriage stopped at the gate of Zuo Mansion, the Zuo family's doorman did not dare to be negligent. He respectfully took the visiting card with both hands and trotted all the way to deliver the message.

After a cup of tea, the main gate of the Zuo Mansion was opened, and General Zuo led the Zuo family, young and old, to welcome them.

Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly: "Everyone, please stand up."

The Zuo family thanked them for their kindness and stood up. Then they surrounded the princess and entered the main hall of the Zuo family.

Jiang Shaohua's eyes naturally fell on General Zuo's face. In the Zuo family, there were losers like Zuo Zhen, the wicked Zuo Yue, and many outstanding men. However, the only one who could really support the Zuo family was General Zuo.

Although he was dismissed from his post, people still respectfully addressed him as General Zuo when they mentioned him. This was due respect for a veteran who had been stationed at the border for more than a decade.

"I have heard of General Zuo's bravery and reputation." Jiang Shaohua smiled and broke the silence: "Today, I finally got to see General Zuo in person."

General Zuo is over 40 years old this year, and in terms of age, he is a military commander in his prime. He has been in charge of military power for many years, and he has developed a strong and aggressive spirit. Even though he suffered a heavy setback, General Zuo remained calm and composed. Hearing this, he bowed and said, "I am ashamed of what the princess said."

"The border army was defeated, Pengcheng was lost and massacred, all of which were my fault. I have been reflecting on my mistakes behind closed doors for the past few months, and the more I think, the more ashamed I feel." Jiang Shaohua said in a gentle voice: "General Zuo has been stationed in the border army for more than ten years, protecting the peace of Daliang's border and resisting foreign enemies. This contribution cannot be erased by anyone. As for the fault of the defeat, it cannot be entirely blamed on General Zuo. The Rouran cavalry was brutal and came and went like the wind, and the border army was really hard to resist."

"The fall of Pengcheng was caused by General Zhao's secret escape from the city gate. The imperial court has not found any trace of General Zhao to this day. Perhaps General Zhao had long been bribed by the Rouran people and was an internal supporter of the Rouran people. The combination of internal and external support led to the defeat of the border army."

Even though General Zuo was as loyal as a rock to Prime Minister Wang, he felt a pang of sadness in his heart when he heard such sweet words.

He was to blame for the defeat of the border troops, but he thought he had made the best choice.

"On that day, Pengcheng was defeated. One hundred thousand Rouran cavalrymen trampled Pengcheng. I had to retreat to preserve the strength of the border troops." General Zuo's eyes showed real pain: "Watching the Rouran people kidnap tens of thousands of people, I felt more uncomfortable than anyone else."

"But I cannot lead my troops in pursuit, otherwise, we will fall into the Rouran people's trap. Once the border troops suffer heavy casualties, even Sizhou will not be able to be defended."

Jiang Shaohua also sighed secretly.

When she heard the bad news that day, she was furious. But after she calmed down and thought about it, she realized that she couldn't blame General Zuo entirely.

The border troops were good at defending the city, but they were no match for the Rouran cavalry in terms of horseback pursuit and fighting. General Zuo had been stationed at the border for many years and knew best how powerful the Rouran cavalry was. The officials in the court who lived in the capital were only good at talking about military affairs on paper and had no idea how terrifying the 100,000 Rouran cavalry were.

"General Fan is a mature and prudent veteran," Jiang Shaohua said, "He is the best choice the court can make to take charge of the border army."

"I am here today on behalf of the Emperor to pass on a few words to General Zuo."

General Zuo immediately stood up and listened to the imperial edict with his hands clasped behind his back.

"The defeat of the border army has far-reaching consequences, and I have to deal with it. I hope General Zuo will not blame me." Jiang Shaohua's face was solemn and his voice was slow: "General Zuo has been stationed at the border for more than ten years. He has made contributions and worked hard. I remember it in my heart."

"These few months are like a long vacation I give you. Have a good rest. I will summon you to the palace to talk to you in a few days."

The so-called "after some time" of course refers to when the dragon's health improves.

Being summoned to the palace for a talk was a sign of reinstatement.

No one knew what General Zuo was thinking, but in any case, his face was filled with tears of gratitude and his eyes were red as he thanked God for the grace.

……

In the evening, Jiang Shaohua returned to the palace.

Perhaps because the court had been running smoothly recently, Emperor Taihe's worries had mostly gone away, and his health had also improved. Today, he was able to get up from his bed, and with the help of Eunuch Ge, he walked around the bedroom slowly, with a little sweat on his forehead, before returning to sit down beside the bed.

Jiang Shaohua smiled sincerely and said, "My cousin looks much better today."

Emperor Taihe said with a smile: "My cousin's arrival is like a panacea. No matter how serious my illness is, it can cure it."

Jiang Shaohua pursed his lips and smiled: "My cousin praises me like this, I will be proud."

After a few jokes, Jiang Shaohua told him about his trip out of the palace to meet Duke Anguo and Zuo Fu today.

Emperor Taihe did not comment on Duke Anguo, but only whispered: "In your opinion, can I win over Zuo Feng?" (End of this chapter)