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Chapter 844: Extra Inspection (I)

On the sixth day of April in the eleventh year of Zhaoping, the weather was fine and it was a good time to travel. Everything would be auspicious.

Her Majesty the Queen of Daliang left the capital.

The thirty thousand Nanyang guards, neatly dressed in silver soft armor, riding tall horses, holding sharp weapons, with sharp eyes, exuded the murderous aura and sharpness unique to the First Army of Daliang.

Prime Minister Chen and Shangshu Feng led important officials to see the emperor off.

The instructions had already been given several times. Jiang Shaohua didn't like to be long-winded, so he just smiled and said to Prime Minister Chen Feng Shangshu: "I will be gone for a year at the shortest and two years at the longest. I will entrust all the affairs of the court and the prince to the Prime Minister and Shangshu."

Prime Minister Chen and Shangshu Feng bowed together and accepted the order with solemn expressions.

This scene was very similar to what happened more than a decade ago. The young and energetic Princess Nanyang led her personal guards to inspect the counties. They were gone for half a year, and all the trivial affairs of the Nanyang Palace were entrusted to the two chief officials.

More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye. The princess has long been the emperor of Daliang, wise and decisive, a wise ruler. The two chief officials, one is the prime minister of Daliang, and the other is in charge of Daliang's money and taxes. They are the most loyal ministers of Her Majesty the Empress, and the biggest confidence for her to leave the court and go out of Beijing for inspection.

The ten-year-old Crown Prince Jiang Ning stepped forward, reluctant to leave: "I will often write to my mother and father in the future."

Jiang Shaohua responded with a smile.

Cui Du nodded repeatedly: "Dad will definitely write a letter to Baoer too."

That’s right, Marquis Changning was also among the imperial entourage.

When Prime Minister Chen was making a list of ministers to accompany him, Cui Du was not on the list at first. Cui Du went to the Prime Minister's residence and actively and strongly recommended himself.

Chen Chengshi laughed at that moment: "Marquis Changning wants to accompany the emperor, just tell the emperor."

Cui Du replied seriously, "If I ask the emperor privately, it would be just whispering in his ear. It would be disrespectful if it gets out. Now, I am here to discuss this with the prime minister as the Minister of Agriculture of Daliang."

"In the past ten years, I have taught many disciples and cultivated countless high-yield grain varieties. Now the imperial farm is running well, so it won't be a big deal if I leave for a year or two."

"Besides, I want to travel around Daliang and survey the land in various states and counties. I can cultivate crops that are more suitable for the soil in different places according to the different soil types."

Prime Minister Chen also responded sternly: "Minister Cui is devoted to the country and the people, and is loyal. How can I not help him?"

As a result, Cui Du was listed on the list openly.

When the court officials saw Cui Du's name on the list, their first reaction was, "No wonder the Empress has never taken a male lover. The Emperor's husband is watching her so closely that the Empress has to follow him when she goes on tour. He must be afraid that the Empress will meet some beautiful boy during her inspection!"
All the ministers mocked and joked in their hearts but no one showed it on their faces. They all praised Marquis Changning for his loyalty to the people.

Marquis Changning was very thick-skinned and didn't care at all that his ministers laughed at him behind his back. He packed his luggage happily and set off today.

Her Majesty did not like to ride in a carriage, so she rode a horse. Marquis Changning was now an excellent rider, and he followed behind Her Majesty on horseback.

Occasionally, Her Majesty the Empress turned her head and saw her husband's brilliant smile.

Cui Du was the same age as her, and he was also 27 years old this year. His youthful appearance had long since faded, and his body had become as broad as that of a young man, and he was now a mature man.

But his smile was still as bright and clear as when he was young. Looking at him, Jiang Shaohua's mood brightened.

Jiang Shaohua smiled at Cui Du, and Cui Du smiled back even more brightly. However, he was very sensible and never walked side by side with Her Majesty the Empress in front of everyone, so as not to damage Her Majesty's dignity.

After walking for half a day, they dismounted to rest. Cui Du then strolled to his wife and asked with a smile, "It's been half a day since we left the city. How do you feel?"

Jiang Shaohua smiled brightly: "It's like being out of a cage, free and happy."

Cui Du laughed with joy.

When Jiang Shaohua was young, he traveled around a lot, spending more than half a year out of the year, just like a free eagle, flying wherever he wanted. After sitting on the throne, he had to be calm and measured in his words and deeds, not to damage the dignity of the royal family, not to bring down the emperor's prestige. He got up early and went to bed late every day to work on state affairs. In the past eleven years, hasn't it been like being trapped in the most luxurious cage in the world?

Jiang Shaohua had been planning to go on tour seven or eight years ago. The Rouran were beaten to the point of being unable to raise their heads, Daliang was at peace, and the Empress Dowager Zheng and Prime Minister Wang had passed away one after another. The Crown Prince was growing up and could take over the court on behalf of her, the emperor. All the conditions were in place. She could finally leave the capital.

How comfortable it is to be free.

The itinerary of the inspection was decided after repeated discussions between Prime Minister Chen and Minister Feng and other important officials. The number of miles to be traveled each day, where to stay, and the route of the inspection were all planned clearly.

Jiang Shaohua has a copy of this itinerary, and another copy is in Chen Jinyu's hands.

Chen Jinyu was transferred from Yuzhou to Beijing and was appointed by the emperor to the Ministry of Rites. The Minister of Rites was absent due to mourning, so Chen Jinyu took over the position.

Wang Jin became the Minister of Personnel at the age of 30. Chen Jinyu became the Vice Minister of Rites at the age of 30. Moreover, Chen Jinyu was the highest-ranking female official and had the most favor from the emperor, which was enough to be recorded in history.

Chen Jinyu shoulders a heavy responsibility. She has to worry about the daily schedule arrangements and the emperor's daily life.

Ma Yaozong loved his wife dearly and followed her around running errands. In the evening, he massaged his wife's back and legs, and brought her tea and water. He was very considerate.

Cui Du was even more considerate. He didn't care about anything else and followed Jiang Shaohua every day. As soon as Jiang Shaohua raised his eyelids, he would come over.

Lu Zhen, the emperor's attendant, has had a lot more free time.

Daliang has 40 states, 300 prefectures, and more than 1,000 counties. It is impossible to visit all of them one by one. The principle of inspection is based on the state. When you arrive at the state capital, you can randomly check one or two counties. There is no fixed standard for which county to check. It depends purely on the mood of Her Majesty the Empress.

Therefore, after the emperor's inspection was announced to all states and counties, all the governors, county governors and county magistrates became nervous.

The most nervous ones are the garrisons in various places. With so many counties, Her Majesty the Empress cannot inspect them all, so she can only conduct random inspections. There are forty garrisons, but Her Majesty the Empress has stated that every garrison must be inspected.

This also shows how much importance Her Majesty the Empress attaches to the army.

In the past, the garrison was short of manpower and had low combat effectiveness, and was not worthy of being compared with the elite troops stationed in the capital. The only one worth mentioning was the Nanyang Army.

However, after Her Majesty ascended the throne, she placed high hopes on the garrisons in various places. Not only was the military pay sufficient, but she also sent guards to the garrisons for training. Over the years, some of these guards returned to the guard camp, while others stayed in the garrisons to serve. Today's garrisons are much more powerful than before.

Jiang Shaohua moved forward and settled down in the Yizhou military camp.