The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 235 Victory
As the sun went west, on the two capitals road under Mount Li, beacon towers were gradually lit up, starting from Tongguan, and the peace fires were lit. Following that, several steaming horses galloped in the afterglow of the bloody sun, and the green-robed official in the lead raised his hand and shouted: "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

As they approached Chunming Gate, the city gate officer Dongfang Tai was about to shout at them, but the green-robed official did not rein in his horse. He shook the silk book and said in a stern voice, "Announce the victory! Who dares to stop me?"

"Please come in, sir!" Dongfang Tai quickly left.

The man in green robe flashed by and rushed out of Longchi Street for more than 200 meters: "Get out of the way! Get out of the way..."

At about the same time, several mules and donkeys also ran in from Kaiyuan, Jingyao, Jinguang, and Anhua gates, and the officials on the horses were full of enthusiasm: "The great traitor will be punished! Hengshui will defeat the enemy!"

"Make way, make way, the royal army is entering Luoyang!"

Amidst the chaos, many people shouted and tried to stop the messenger: "What?"

"Great victory, great victory at Hengshui! The emperor has recaptured the Eastern Capital..." The words were left behind by the horse galloping at lightning speed. The young woman selling cloth in the shop stopped bargaining, looked back at the street, and muttered the shouting that just sounded like hallucination: "Great victory..."

I couldn't believe it for a moment and asked the other customers in the store for confirmation.

"Really, really, that's what I mean..."

After getting the confirmation, the young woman's eyes filled with tears and she felt panic in her heart, fearing that she would receive news of the man's death.

"Announce victory! Announce..." The panting voice spread from Xingqing Palace to Taiji Palace, and then from Beique to Pingkangli, to Dongshi, and then from Danfeng Gate to Chengtian Street, passing Jinwuzhangyuan, and flying over Hanyuan Hall... The crisp footsteps echoed on the desolate palace walls. The disheveled official in a green robe, with his right hand still raised, ran staggeringly while repeating madly: "Announce victory..."

"What? What?" In the official residence, several red-robed officials came out and looked around. When they saw the main gate of the Secretariat and the ministers coming out in a line, the green-robed official's eyes spun and he suddenly roared, "We won!" He stumbled forward a few times, his body limp like noodles in a pot, and he foamed at the mouth, "We won, we won..."

"Carry him away, carry him away! Send him to the corridor of Jixianyuan to eat and rest." someone shouted.

The clerk felt around the green robe and handed the brochure and other official documents to Zheng Yanchang: "Prime Minister Zheng."

Holding the silk book with just over a hundred words, Zheng Yanchang's hands trembled uncontrollably until his old eyes became blurry.

Many past events come to mind:
In the 13th year of Xiantong, Zhang Gongsu usurped the position of commander of Youzhou. In the 14th year, Nanzhao invaded and Pang Xun started an uprising.

In the second year of Qianfu, Wang Xianzhi started an uprising. Huang Chao started an uprising. The army in western Zhejiang was in turmoil. General Tu in Chengdu was in turmoil. The army in Youzhou was in turmoil.

In the third year, the armies of Yuncheng, Guiguan and Jingyuan were in turmoil.

In the fourth year, the armies of Yanzhou, Hezhong, Shanzhou and Zhongwu were in turmoil.

In the fifth year, the armies of Datong, Zhenwu, Hunan, Hedong and Zhaoyi were in turmoil.

In the sixth year, there was another military rebellion in Hedong.

In the first year of Guangming, the armies of Jingzhou and Jiaozhou were in turmoil, and the armies of Zhongwu and Hezhong were in turmoil again. Chao captured Luoyang and Chao captured Chang'an.

In the first year of Zhonghe, the army in Fengxiang and Xuzhou rebelled, and the five states of Shou, Ming, Tai, Wen, and Chu were all in chaos. In the second year, the army in Xichuan, East Zhejiang, Weizhou, Lanzhou, Zhaoyi, Jiangxi, and Xuanshe rebelled.

In the third year, the armies of Weizhou, Hanzhong, and Caizhou rebelled. In the fourth year, the armies of Dongchuan and Fujian rebelled.

In the first year of the Guangqi reign, the armies of Cangzhou and Jingzhou were in chaos, and the four towns of Zhao, Yan, Jin, and Ding fought fiercely. The rebels of Qi and Bin looted Chang'an and burned the palace.

In the second year, the armies of Hunan, Yanzhou, Heyang, Yicheng, and Eyue rebelled, and the emperor was killed in Qi and Bin, and most of the officials died. In the third year, the armies of Huainan rebelled, the army of Bozhou rebelled, the army of Zhenhai rebelled, the army of Hezhong rebelled, and the imperial guards rebelled.

……

In the second year of Dashun, Qi, Bin, Tong and Hua went to the capital.

Jingfu...

"After the emperor offered sacrifices and swore an oath, he marched to Hengshui and joined forces with Hezhong, Yiwu, and Chengde. Zhu Youyu led hundreds of thousands of troops to resist. The battle lasted from dawn to dusk. It was rainy and dark, with thunder and lightning. The emperor remained motionless like a mountain, while Zhu Jin bare-chested and entered the battle line... The enemy was greatly defeated, and 50,000 were captured and killed. The corpses piled up into a tower, and the cries shook the sky. Zhu Youyu led his troops and fled eastward..."

Seeing this, Zheng Yanchang's humiliation and complex feelings turned into a boiling blood, and he stomped his foot fiercely: "Come! Come! What a thunder! What a tower of corpses! Suddenly, news came from the outside that Jibei was taken back. When I first heard it, my clothes were soaked with tears. But when I saw my wife, she was worried and excited. She unrolled the poem book and was overjoyed!"

He threw the silk book again, clapped his hands, and shook his shoulders up and down, laughing foolishly: "Ah, it's done, I won!" Then he couldn't catch his breath and was about to fall. Lu Jian, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, rushed forward and shouted: "Hold on to Prime Minister Zheng!"

The officials were busy, pinching the philtrum and pulling the belly: "Prime Minister Zheng, Prime Minister Zheng, slow down, slow down..."

Don't be too happy.

After a while, Zheng Yanchang calmed down: "Hey, hey..."

Suddenly, Zheng Yanchang jumped up as if he had stepped on a red-hot iron: "Go, go to the Council Hall and gather all the officials!"

"Prime Minister Zheng, this is just a proclamation and a messenger, the news may not be certain..." Some people couldn't believe it.

Zheng Yanchang stroked his beard and snorted, "If it was someone like Song Wei, Gao Pian, or Shi Pu, I would have questioned him again and again. But if it's from the saint, I believe it without a doubt. The saint is an honest emperor."

"Quick, gather all the officials." Zheng Yanchang ran away, eager to announce the victory news to the world.

While we were still on the road, someone suggested: "This time we are showing off our imperial power in Heluo and gathering the princes in the capital of gods. It is truly the grand occasion of King Wu's conquest of King Zhou. We can immediately select envoys and send them to various roads to show off our power."

"No need, let the various departments copy it back themselves."

Immediately, another official said, "The barbarian and Han warriors fought bravely, and the princes respected the king and repelled the barbarians. It is appropriate to send ministers of the Southern Court and the Northern Court, female officials, and eunuchs and concubines of the Palace to Luoyang to strengthen the imperial court, help reward the emperor, and handle redundant matters."

Another person said, "Immediately dispatch the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Sacrifices, the Ministry of Rites and other ritual and music officials to Yuanqiu, Taiqing Palace and Jiashi to make arrangements in preparation for the grand sacrifice. They should also be dispatched to Dongjing to serve as the sage's minions and meet with the princes in case of emergency."

Another person said, "Wang Tan, Shi Yanci, Feng Shunliao, Li Zhen, Jing Xiang, Pei Di, Wei Zhen, etc., are either our own officials, or are members of noble families. Now they have been disgraced. For such traitors, I order the officials and the prefectures and counties where they are located to handcuff their families and bring them to the capital to execute them by mincing them, casting them into the palace, boiling them, or tearing them apart."

This was not an era where rooting out evil was popular. The punishments in the imperial system were limited to whipping, caning, imprisonment, exile, death, and amputation.

Under Li Shimin's insistence, even if someone committed treason, his family members would not be implicated - "If someone commits treason, his family members will be killed."

But the system is the system, and reality is reality. Just one Ganlu Palace - "even to the point of killing ministers, exterminating their clans, and the number of those who were abused is too numerous to count."

Each vassal state also had its own fancy ways of killing people.

During the Dali period, a cannibal named Gao Yu was arrested, and the court demanded that he be chopped into "pickles". Daizong refused to listen and beat him to death according to the law. As a result, the censor threw him to the pagoda in front of him - "Your Majesty's policies are lenient, so the court is not strict."

In short, torture such as slicing, quartering, and extermination of the whole clan is not in the system and is not advocated, but that does not mean it is not used. This is essentially a society ruled by one man, and the bureaucrats have always believed that "if the criminal law is lenient, the people will not know morality and will only think it is a blessing."

Someone else said: "..."

"Prime Minister Zheng, there is one more thing." Lu Qian followed closely and took out a hemp letter from the envoy's official documents.

Zheng Yanchang took it and looked at it. He saw three lines of small characters written on it. It was clearly the handwriting of a saint: "A beautiful lady, I long for her day and night. But I cannot get her. I long for her day and night. I am so carefree, I toss and turn."

Lu Qian moved closer and whispered, "What does this mean?"

Zheng Yanchang pondered for a while and understood what the hint was. He covered his face and said, "He must have taken a fancy to Zhu Wen's wife and wanted to make her his concubine, but he was embarrassed to say it, or he was afraid of criticism, so he wanted the court to take the initiative to write a letter to explain it."

"Zhang the thief? She is the fake Empress Liang!" Lu Qian was immediately dissatisfied and said, "The son of the noble family, Cong Zhu, has now been lucky enough to seduce the saint with her beauty. It is a grace beyond the law that she is not killed, but she dares to seek the position of concubine?! Let us bow down to her and pay our respects? Empress Xiaoming was a concubine of the emperor. Although she gave birth to Emperor Xuanzong after being taken into the palace, she was not given the title during Emperor Xianzong's lifetime. When Emperor Xuanzong was enthroned, she was honored as the empress dowager. After her death, she was not buried in the mausoleum, and her spirit tablet was not set up, but only attached to the side garden. What kind of empress dowager is this? The saint is so whimsical! A prostitute left over by Zhu the traitor and the rebel army, a worn-out shoe, is treated as a treasure and wants to be married into the family. How can the saints put their faces? Concubine Shu, Concubine Xian, Privy Envoy, Xuanhui Envoy...what are they? This is unprecedented, and the Ministry of Personnel will definitely reject it."

Zheng Yanchang thought otherwise. He examined the hemp book and frowned, saying, "You are so carefree, tossing and turning... Judging from the words, Zhang the thief has already taken away six of her seven souls, and I'm afraid her mind cannot be changed. This is unprecedented... let's make another one. Empress Xiaoming's son can ascend the throne, so with Zhang the thief's favor and power in Liangdi, why can't he give her a concubine position?"

"How can you say that?" Lu Jian said, "Now that we have a strong army and the princes are loyal to us, we don't need to bother with the newly surrendered ones. In order to appease and win over the thief Zhang, is this in accordance with etiquette? Let alone the Southern Court, the hurdle of the female relatives is something that the saint cannot pass. The virtuous concubine and the people of Bian are sworn enemies, how can she sit at the same table with the thief Zhang and share a husband? Besides, the Privy Councilor and the Xuanhui Envoy have worked hard and made great contributions, but they can only be the wives of the Liang and Zhao countries. If the thief Zhang steals, the backyard will definitely not be peaceful. Do you think the country is not troublesome enough?"

The saint has really lost his mind!
"A king is selfless and has no outsiders. A sage thinks the world belongs to him alone, and the Daming Palace is his own gate? All kinds of rubbish are stuffed in there... As long as I am the Minister of the Secretariat for one day, I will not be able to submit this petition." Lu Xian objected.

Countless warriors and scholars risked their lives to make the present crisis come true. Now is the time to make a concerted effort to rebuild rituals and music, and to get rid of the old system and make new ones. I didn't expect that the saint had slept with two sisters-in-law, and the news spread all over the city, and now he wants to accept Zhang the thief. How come he is destroying his reputation now after agreeing to conspire to revive the country? He did these things when the dawn of revival was just beginning. If the saint had a prosperous Kaiyuan era, he would have humiliated his daughter-in-law!
"Then, how should we reply? The emperor sent back both the hemp letter and the proclamation at the same time, which shows how impatient he is." Zheng Yanchang sneered.

"According to me..." Lu Qian said coldly: "We share the same heart but live apart, and we will live our whole lives in sorrow. There are only these ten words."

"Xiangwen!" Zheng Yanchang raised his palm and scolded: "Fortunately, you are not by the side of the saint, otherwise, with the nature of your ancestor Lu Zhi, do you want to ask for ten years in Zhongzhou?" Lu Yan was speechless for a moment.

After talking about Lu Jian's dismissal, Zheng Yanchang said calmly, "Just pretend not to understand and ignore it. After repeated hints to no avail, we can only issue an internal decree to see whether Han Wei will write it or not, and whether the Privy Councilor will issue it or not."

He also believed that the emperor was wise enough not to fall out with China and foreign countries over such a matter.

"Besides, what do the rebel officers say?" Lu Jian changed the subject: "Tokyo has been recovered, and the credit will be revealed soon. We must prepare for a rainy day."

"This matter..." Wang Tuan, the Revenue Commissioner who had been watching the show, interrupted, "The Imperial Guards are unruly. Now only a sage can control them. This is not good for the country. Secondly, Li Keyong is still strong. I think it is better to appoint people according to their abilities to control the Imperial Guards. If you make enemies with Li Keyong, you can use him instead. It is more reliable."

Zhazhu, Xiao, Helian Weihuan, Kang Lingzhong, Tuoba Weicai, Yelu Chongde... The Hedong clique is now a military giant. If they fall out with Li Keyong, these people may not only not contribute, but also become a stumbling block. Moreover, the virtuous concubine has given birth to two sons. As the King of Dai grows older, their loyalty will probably shift to the virtuous concubine and the King of Dai. If Li Keyong enters the court again, the Hedong soldiers will follow...

There are pros and cons to marriage. Now the pros are getting smaller and smaller, and the cons are getting bigger and bigger, so we have to consider it in advance. Supporting the ambitious but rootless and completely isolated Bian people is not only in line with the principle of checks and balances, but also a knife to curb the army from sticking together.

But Zheng Yanchang thought about it and said, "Not appropriate."

"Why?"

"Now the relationship between the sage and Li Keyong seems harmonious, but in fact it is tense, and both sides are very sensitive. The sage is close to the people of Bian. Even if he has no intention of harming others, others will inevitably be suspicious and think that the sage wants to deal with them, or is preparing to deal with them. What is the explanation... It is nothing more than the court suppressing them, and the sage is close to them. They can instruct judges and some third-rank officials to severely criticize their crimes, and then find some people to quote scriptures and plead for them. Finally, the sage rejected them in public and showed his love. In this way, with the sage's credibility and the national system, the people of Bian will surely be relieved. The emperor's authority is already established, and the court's orders are resumed, and this group of people can't make any waves."

It also made Li Keyong and the people of Jin feel at ease, and made the sage and the court each have some affection for the people of Bian.

"Good, I will do it later." Lu Xian nodded and said, "Together with the feasible things mentioned by the ministers just now."

Zheng Yanchang stood up and said, "I will select the ministers right away and rush to Luoyang tomorrow. Lord Li will lead the army in Chang'an."

The issue of the Zhongwu Army's rebellion, the issue of the four towns of Yan, Yun, Xu and Hua, the issue of the Xiao Zhu thief, the aftermath of Henan Prefecture, Heyang, Ru and Zheng... all these matters still need to be discussed with the saint in person.

"only!"

******
As for the Daming Palace, ever since the saint left, even the flowers and plants in the backyard seemed to exude a bleak atmosphere.

Yang Kezhen has lost a lot of weight and often has a scowl on his face. Although he is still managing the Privy Council, the smile on his face is gone and he has returned to his usual nonchalant attitude.

Wenren Chuchu is cultivating immortality and has been in seclusion for more than ten days.

Yuwen Rou was busy with the autumn harvest in the forbidden courtyard.

Luo Fu and Yu Daolian each locked themselves in their own courtyards to study.

Nangong Chongyan's tears often wet her pillow at night.

Yin Ying is rehearsing a new song and dance in preparation for the victory performance.

Chen Chen was distracted.

Gao Mingyue is rearranging the decorations of Penglai Palace.

Forget it, he has too many women to count.

The six women, Concubine Shu, Privy Councilor, Concubine Xian, Li Zhaoyi, Wei Yi, and Zhao Ruozhao, sat on the steps all day long, looking at the imperial road below where the saint disappeared.

Countless times when Zhao Ruxin woke up, the scene of her husband leaving was in her mind.

The autumn wind blows down leaves, and a pine tree stands out in the sun, with red ribbons tied all over its gray trunk. Since Mr. Li left, the privy envoy has tied one on the tree every day. The first one she tied had faded after dozens of days of rain and sun, just like her mood, which was becoming more and more withered.

"Ah Zhao, how many are there?" asked Concubine Shu.

"He left on June 22nd. Today is August 12th, the 52nd." The plain-faced Privy Counselor, who was too lazy to put on any makeup and had her hair loose, stood on tiptoes and tied a red ribbon with small seal characters on it high up: "Maybe if we tie another one, he will return home."

Seven, seven, she silently chanted the saint in her heart.

However, the saint did not do as he promised the privy councilor before leaving that he would write to her every few days.

The Privy Councilor has written more than a dozen letters expressing his longing for her, but has not received a single reply.

He is busy. The Privy Councilor comforted herself in this way. But what the Privy Councilor did not know was that when she was carefully choosing her words to write the letter, her husband, whom she missed day and night, was rolling around with a wild woman, chatting and laughing.

When you come back, I will introduce you to Zhao Wumei and Zhao Qimei who are visiting Beijing. I will let these lively, gentle, smart and young girls take my place...

The Privy Councilor smiled slightly and said that the word "take care of" was not enough.

After tying the red belt, the Privy Councilor put down his heels and turned around to comfort Concubine Shu, Concubine Xian and Concubine Li Zhaoyi. They had been slept together with the dog emperor many times, and they knew each other very well. They knew when to urinate, what their natures were, who was sensitive, who liked to bark, so they had a good relationship in private.

"I'm so worried about him, I'm so scared..." Concubine Shu pressed her forehead against the pine tree, her eyes red.

"Don't worry, he is the son of destiny and will always be able to turn danger into safety." Although the Privy Councilor appeared calm, he could not conceal the resentment in his eyes and the devastation on his face.

"Alas..." Wei Yi, who was always clever and daring, also leaned against the tree, coaxing Concubine Shu and Concubine Xian, who was several years younger than her, and comforted each other.

Li Zhaoyi stood aside, silent.

The love that Ah Zhao had given her was originally hers, but it was lost inexplicably.

In recent years, the couple had only slept together a few times, and Yuwenrou had repeatedly persuaded them to be equal. And she was very perfunctory, just like completing a task, lying there like a dead fish, letting her move on her own. Li Zhaoyi reflected thousands of times, but could not find the reason, but her heart was still on the saint, and her passionate love had never diminished. For the saint, she could actually try any new tricks, and for the saint, she could even die.

How I wish he could change his mind. It's not that he has to change his mind, but I hope he can give her some of the tenderness he showed to Ah Zhao, Luo Fu, and Chong Yan. Just a little bit will be enough...

The cool wind made the colorful ribbons on the trees rustle, as if they were cheering and warmly welcoming the return of their lover... However, a long time passed, and the imperial roads and squares on both sides were still empty, with only palace servants passing by hurriedly from time to time and temple servants sweeping up the fallen leaves.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard behind them. The five women turned around at the same time. It was an official from the Privy Council who rushed over and said, "Privy Councilor, there's a note from the outer court."

The Privy Councilor's heart sank and he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost cut through his palms.

Please don't let it be the bad news of defeat...

"A proclamation announcing victory! The emperor has defeated the bandits of Xiao Zhu at Hengshui. This is the proclamation copied by the outer court... In addition, the envoy announcing victory has brought back an imperial decree that concubines above the rank of beauty who wish to go to Luoyang may go with the officials. Prime Minister Zheng will lead some ministers to set off tomorrow..."

The Privy Councilor no longer paid full attention to what was said specifically.

Wei Yi smiled like a flower and jumped up.

Xian Fei and Li Zhaoyi were overjoyed and hugged each other: "That's great, that's great..."

Shock overwhelmed their joy; the Privy Councilor and Concubine Shu were unable to even laugh; the former closed his eyes and pinched his thighs tightly, while the latter banged her head against the tree, making a loud banging sound against the trunk.

"Sister, what are you doing?" Wei Yi pulled Shufei away.

"I, I..." Concubine Shu was speechless. She just turned around, thinking about what clothes to wear, what makeup to put on, what expression to use, what tone to use, and what look to give him so that he would be impressed when they met, at least not lose points...

The flower path has not rained for two months, the locked door is now opened for you
The fiery breath of past life suddenly flooded into my mind and heart.

Zhao Ruozhao, who was walking beside with his head down, looked innocent and indifferent. He couldn't help laughing a few times, then stopped and looked at the radiant people, thinking in his heart: Peach blossoms are blooming in clusters without an owner, who loves the deep red or the light red?

The sadness in Daming Palace was suddenly swept away, and it was filled with joy, anticipation and agitated passion.

Sin!

　During this period of time, one chapter of 6,000 words is three days' worth of work. Every time you see one-third of it, I slow down. It's not because I'm lazy, I don't write, it's just that I have too many trivial things to do. After these few days, I will return to the previous state.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)