The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 414 Major Events
Xiao Yan paced from the dining room to the east kitchen, where he saw Ji Ruxue serving dishes, including a hot soup with meatballs, while Qian Wu was cutting green onions. Xue'er took a look and thought that she had cut them too long and should have cut them into smaller pieces. The two of them exchanged a few words in a low voice.

Several sturdy women were cleaning the kitchen, washing dishes, and washing vegetables in front of a wooden barrel. It must be said that this Yingwang Mansion, which originally belonged to Zhang Zhenniang, was quite large, and with just a few people, the kitchen looked particularly empty.

The woman who was washing vegetables in front of the wooden barrel noticed Xiao Yan first. She was stunned for a moment, then stood up immediately, her face turned red and she couldn't speak for a long time. It was the first time Xiao Yan came here, and he was actually a stranger to them, but they recognized Xiao Yan's face.

Previously, this was the Palace of Prince Ying, then the Palace of Prince Song, and now it has become the Palace of Prince Qin. In fact, it is just a change of plaque, and there is no change inside. The personnel affairs were initially handled by Yu Youshu. Xiao Yan had never been in charge of these, and it was not clear who among these people were the cooks and who were the assistants. However, they should be worried that the two mistresses Ji Ruxue and Qian Wu were busy here, making them look a little idle.

Xiao Yan smiled gently at the women who had immediately noticed him, raised his hand and waved it, indicating that they didn't need to salute, but Xue'er and Qian Wu had already turned around to look at him at this time.

"Alang?" Qian Wu looked surprised, but Ji Ruxue was much calmer and just smiled.

Qianwu said ashamedly: "Why are you here? Are you hungry?"

Xiao Yan joked, "I came to see if you guys were messing around here and occupied the kitchen, delaying other people's work."

"No, no..." A woman in a pure Kaifeng accent hurriedly explained, "The two mistresses are not fooling around. They are making soup seriously. It smells delicious. The kitchen is so big, we dare not delay us..."

Ji Ruxue then glared at Xiao Yan and said, "See, you are the only one who would say that we are fooling around."

Xiao Yan laughed loudly. Seeing him like this, the women didn't need to say anything and just bowed and left.

At this time, Ji Ruxue whispered to him: "What are you doing here, where is the princess?"

Xiao Yan didn't respond to her. He washed his hands in a basin, picked up the chopsticks and picked up a meatball to eat. Seeing him eating unreasonably, Ji Ruxue was beside him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, while Qian Wu just smiled.

The taste was unexpectedly good. Xiao Yan was a little surprised: "Who made it?"

Ji Ruxue crossed her arms and said nothing, but there was a smug smile on her face, so Xiao Yan looked at her with admiration, and then couldn't help eating a few more meatballs. Ji Ruxue immediately became anxious, and after much persuasion, she pushed Xiao Yan out of the kitchen.

When they returned to the hall, the table was already full of dishes. In fact, Ji Ruxue and Qian Wu only made two side dishes and a bowl of hot soup. Only then did Xiao Yan realize that the kitchen just now was only the inner kitchen. There was also a large kitchen outside, which employed more than twenty chefs to cook for the hundreds of people in the palace.

Ji Ruxue and Qian Wu saluted the empress meticulously and called her princess.

Xiao Yan asked Han Yanhui about the titles of Xue'er and Qianwu and found out that the title system for the current prince's wives and concubines is actually very simple. There is no such thing as a concubine. Below the princess is the fifth-rank "Ruren" and the "concubine" who has no specific rank. They are all titles for concubines. Compared with the prince's so-called Crown Princess, Crown Princess, Liangyuan, Chenghui, etc., the system is very simple.

Of course, the etiquette system actually has no constraints on Xiao Yan. Since there is no such thing as a concubine, then just have a concubine. The rank can be set at the second rank. No one will object anyway.

So after a few days, the imperial edict to confer titles on Ji Ruxue and Qianwu will come down. Xueer will be the concubine, Qianwu will be the concubine, and as for Bago...

Xiao Yan glanced at Bago, who was sitting cautiously in the corner of the table like a punching bag.

Noticing his gaze, Baguo raised her head and glanced at him, then immediately lowered her head to pick up some food. Given her personality, she was so restrained that she only picked up the two side dishes in front of her. She didn't know who was putting so much pressure on her.

Only then did Xiao Yan clearly feel that the empress who was always gentle in front of him might be an extremely strong person to others.

In the afternoon, Xiao Yan ignored the court affairs outside and said that a general named Yuan Xingqin from Mobei had sent dozens of fine horses, so he planned to go to the North Garden of the Imperial City to ride horses.

He was newly married, so naturally no one would disturb him at this time. The Empress and Xue'er and others were happy to go out for fun, even though the Empress didn't even finish touring the Qin Palace.

...The weather is very good, it is the season of clear and cool autumn. The North Garden of the Imperial City belongs to the royal garden. However, it is called a garden, but in fact it is a large grassland located in the northeast of the palace.

Zhu Wen did intend to expand the palace and build some gardens for his entertainment. He even selected the location. He planned to build a palace and a forbidden garden in the alluvial pond at the end of the Jinshui River that ran through the palace, and integrate the surrounding gardens. Unfortunately, before the plan was implemented, he was dragged off the throne by the loyal General Xiao.

The terrain of the grassland is undulating. In the distance, the green gentle slopes reveal continuous black shadows of the city walls in the sunlight. The air is not particularly dry and the grass leaves have not yet turned yellow.

At this time, on the green grass outside the palace, a group of palace maids and eunuchs were hurriedly packing up their things. Ma Shaojian was holding a football and walking quickly behind Zhu Youzhen, who was full of anger.

It turned out that Zhu Youzhen had nothing to do, so he had just gathered a group of eunuchs to play football here. Before they had enough fun, Ma Shaojian came hurriedly to report that the King of Qin planned to bring his newly married princess to Beiyuan to ride horses.

"Damn it, this is the royal forbidden garden!" Zhu Youzhen wiped the sweat off his face and walked away in embarrassment, cursing inwardly.

Ma Shaojian smiled awkwardly and whispered to comfort him: "After all, the King of Qin sent someone to ask for instructions from His Majesty first, and it was after obtaining His Majesty's consent..."

Zhu Youzhen really wanted to slap this guy to death, how could he not agree?

Ma Shaojian also knew that he was talking nonsense. In fact, the grassland was not small in size, and there were some slightly repaired ponds scattered around, which could accommodate Zhu Youzhen to play football.

As they slowed down their pace, they saw the city gate open and a neat team of armored cavalry came in. Behind them were many people leading nearly a hundred horses, and they had already started to move in and work.

Zhu Youzhen's face trembled, and he shouted to everyone around him and hurriedly walked away with his face covered. He stayed in the same place with Xiao Yan only after he ate too much.

A moment later, a large carriage with all sides open came in slowly, pulled by four horses. There was a round umbrella on it. The empress sat under the umbrella holding Ji Ruxue's hand, and Qianwu, Bago, Guangmutian and Yangyantian followed on horseback on their left and right.

"That is..." The empress looked over and saw a group of people just entering the palace, and asked subconsciously.

"It should be the emperor." Ji Ruxue took a glance and said calmly.

The empress nodded and said nothing more.

When they arrived at the place that had been prepared long ago, the empress waved her hand to signal Guangmutian and Yang Yantian that they didn't need to support her, and she pulled Ji Ruxue lightly out of the carriage. Neither of them wore skirts, and it looked very convenient.

Some tables had been placed in front of a large screen. At the top was a rectangular table, and behind it was a soft couch. The empress took Ji Ruxue to the couch but did not sit down. Instead, she shielded her eyes from the sunlight with her hands and looked at the scenery in the distance.

A young military officer in armor and scarred face jumped off his horse and knelt on one knee in front of him: "Your servant, Li Mang, the governor of Yebu Su, kowtows to the princess."

The empress glanced sideways slightly.

She had already sorted out the so-called Yebushou. After Xiao Yan was crowned the King of Qin, he continued to integrate Yebushou. On the original basis, he set up a commander to supervise the affairs of Yebushou, a third-rank official, in charge of Yebushou across the country, directly under the Tiance Mansion.

Two assistant commanders, third-rank officials, were in charge of the night patrols and inspected the night patrols in various places to assess their merits and demerits. Two pacification envoys, divided into the northern and southern pacification offices, were in charge of night patrol reconnaissance, arrests, interrogations and prisons. They were fourth-rank officials who managed the intelligence network and issued "night flag inspections".

The number of thousand households varies, and they lead the night guards to sit in the camp. They are of the fourth rank and stationed in the key areas of each town, and they have jurisdiction over 100 households. The number of hundred households varies, and they manage the night guards. They are of the sixth rank and lead 120 night guards to carry out cross-border reconnaissance. The general flag, who manages the night guards' border patrol, is of the seventh rank and leads a team of 12 people, and patrols 30 miles on a daily basis. The small flag, the night guard's companion, is of the seventh rank and is the leader of a grassroots five-person team. He needs to be proficient in various local dialects and the language of the grassland.

Among them, the Ghost King serves as the commander; Duan Chengtian and Fu An serve as assistant commanders; Gongyang Zuo and Li Mang serve as pacification envoys. They are all powerful bosses in Yebushou, and they were also the followers of Xiao Yan since he started from the Bad People. Their abilities and loyalty are beyond doubt.

Li Mang was okay. The empress had heard of his name, but he was only responsible for supervising the imperial city. The other so-called pacification envoy, Gong Yang Zuo, was notorious. He was there to do the dirty work for Xiao Yan. It was estimated that many people in the court were hoping that he would die suddenly.

The empress praised Li Mang for a few words, and after he left, she whispered to Ji Ruxue, "Look carefully, sometimes people may not respect you just because you are the concubine of the King of Qin."

Xue'er nodded softly.

After a while, some targets were set up on the grassland, and then a few riders were seen coming slowly from the city gate. After they stopped, Xiao Yan, dressed in military uniform and a crown, fell off his horse. The riders beside him were several scholars and generals.

Ji Ruxue frowned slightly when she saw this, and was somewhat surprised that some officials would follow along.

In fact, it is not particularly strange. Xiao Yan's status is getting higher and higher now. His every word and action can easily mobilize a large number of people. It is normal to take the opportunity to win over some ministers.

After Xiao Yan was escorted over, he continued to walk towards the couch alone, while a group of officials saluted behind him with their hands crossed: "Your subjects, Han Yanhui, Jing Xiang, Li Ting, Zhang Wenwei/Yu Zhong, Li Si'an, and Tian Daocheng, greet the princess."

The empress smiled faintly and bowed: "You are all important ministers who assist the king to assist His Majesty, so there is no need to be polite."

Xiao Yan smiled at the girls shyly and lowered his voice: "Something big happened, so I had to call them here to discuss it..."

His voice was not loud, and only the Empress and Ji Ruxue could hear it clearly. The Empress just smiled slightly, but Ji Ruxue vaguely knew that Xiao Yan was probably apologizing to her.

"Should we leave?" the empress asked softly.

"No need." Xiao Yan shook his head, pulled the empress and Xue'er to sit behind the long table, and said to Li Mang who was on duty at the side: "Among the horses sent by Yuan Xingqin, there are several wild horses. Whoever can tame them will be rewarded with fifty strings of cash for each horse."

This was considered to add to the fun. Li Mang responded loudly with his fist clenched, and then selected a few people to train the horses, which was equivalent to performing a show for everyone present.

Bago was eager to try. She was wearing a military uniform, trousers and leather boots. She had originally planned to go riding, and it was boring to sit here.

"If Miss Liu wants to go, then go ahead." The empress looked at her with a smile.

Bago was startled and subconsciously looked at Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan smiled and pointed at the tallest of the wild horses from a distance and said, "If you can tame it, I will give you five hundred strings of cash."

Bago raised his eyebrows, stood up, and clasped his fists and bowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reward."

Seeing her confidently turn around and leave, Xiao Yan couldn't help laughing. Everyone watched the horse training, and Han Yanhui spoke first: "There is civil unrest in Jin... Li Siyuan and Li Sizhao of Tongwenguan are suspected of failing to kill their father. They are said to be dead, but the news is not known whether it is true or not. However, the intelligence now shows that the Western Army of Jin is approaching Taiyuan for no reason. The crown prince Li Cunxu has hurriedly led the Eastern Army to rescue. There may be a big battle in Hedong..."

It's amazing.

The empress calmly poured Xiao Yan a cup of tea, and then she understood why Xiao Yan said that something big had happened just now.

Li Ting took over and said, "The person guarding Luzhou is Li Siyuan's sixth brother Li Cunli. He has a close relationship with Li Siyuan. Now that such a big event has happened in Taiyuan, it is hard to say that he will not be panicked. In my opinion, this is an opportunity."

"Whole country attack Jin?" Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes.

Ji Ruxue subconsciously clutched the hem of her clothes.

Li Ting hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I do have this intention."

"I don't think the time is right yet..." Jing Xiang interrupted, "First, the source of this news has not been confirmed. It is not clear whether Li Keyong killed Li Siyuan or Li Siyuan escaped by luck. Second, the commander of the Jin army's western route is Zhou Dewei, whom Li Keyong trusts. This time, they are approaching Taiyuan, not necessarily to cause chaos. If our country rashly goes to war, it will affect the whole body and easily waste financial and manpower."

Zhang Wenwei also said: "Uh... Your Majesty, I have the same idea. Now that Qinchuan has just been conquered, even if we have made a lot of money, it will cost us a lot to pacify the various places. The newly acquired territory has not yet been completely stabilized. I think we can wait for a while before making any plans."

"I'm afraid that if we just sit and wait..." Li Sian crossed his arms and sneered, "We'll just sit and watch such a good opportunity slip away."

Zhang Wenwei gave a dry laugh. He knew that Li Sian had a cold and hard temper, so he naturally would not argue with him.

"General Li's words are not without reason." Jing Xiang stroked his beard and said calmly, "However, our dynasty has been at war for years, and all states have not been stable for many years. Now that the four directions are at peace, why don't we rest and recuperate for a while, wait until the people live in peace, the refugees have a place to go, and the national strength is stronger, then we can take Hedong in one fell swoop? There is really no need to take risks for a so-called good opportunity."

Jing Xiang seemed to be reasoning with Li Sian, but he was actually persuading Xiao Yan.

In fact, the reason is very clear. The Liang Dynasty is now rich and powerful. It just needs time to digest its gains. After a year or two, when the national productivity is improved, its national strength will be enough to crush the Jin State. There is really no need to start another war because of this sudden incident.

Several ministers were arguing endlessly. Of course, it was mainly Li Sian who kept talking nonsense and could criticize anyone. Han Yanhui's opinion was to remain stable and to spy on the strength of Jin State before making any plans.

Xiao Yan had a calm expression, and he listened quietly without interrupting them. The empress said to him softly, "If Jin wants to defend itself, it will be easy. If we want to take it by force, the price we pay will not be small."

Xiao Yan held his chin and thought carefully, but saw Yi Ye Bu Shou walking towards him quickly. After getting close to him, he knelt on one knee and clasped his fists and said, "Duan Chengtian is reporting urgently."

Xiao Yan waved his hand to let Han Yanhui and others continue to discuss their opinions, then took the report that Ye Bu Shou handed over, and after reading it carefully, he frowned slightly.

Zhang Zifan was kidnapped.

But Duan Chengtian and his men also captured one person.

(End of this chapter)