The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 270: Various Affairs and Leisure

A minister who does not punish the enemy is not a minister, and a son who does not avenge his father is not a son. Serving the king is like serving one's father. A minister will not violate the king's loyalty or avenge his father. If the father is not executed, the son can avenge him. If the father is executed, the son avenges him, which is the way of pushing the blade. - Gongyang

The Xia people favored revenge, but those who suffered a tragic loss would not attack, instead carrying armor as a reminder. To avenge a loss, they would mix chicken, pig, and dog blood with wine and drink it from a skull. They would pray, "If revenge is sought, the grain harvest will fail, both men and women will become bald and leprous, livestock will die, and snakes will enter their tents." Those who were too weak to avenge their loss would gather their women, offer them wine and meat, and march toward their enemies. It was believed that female enemy soldiers were unlucky, so they would flee and file a complaint with the authorities. — "Xixia Shushi"

As the news of Sijian's murder and Gaozong Yi's self-proclaimed governor spread, the Pingxia Dangxiang and the three armies were delighted. These two brothers died a good death!

The Tangut nobles and officers of the Dingnan Army in Tongwan City gathered together to celebrate.

"My ancestors have ruled this land for three hundred years. My father, brothers, and sons have been in various states and prefectures, and have dominated the region. The Sigong brothers are only interested in profit and obey their superiors. If they continue to do this, once they are registered as ordinary citizens, their life and death will be bound by them."

"A tiger cannot leave the mountain, nor a fish can escape from the abyss. It is right to kill those who think of remonstrance today."

Tuoba Liufeng was full of heroic spirit, but at this point his tone changed, and he said with worry, "Many of the foreign tribes in the territory are waiting and watching. The Shuofang Army, the Tiande Army, the Hedong Army, and the royal family have surrounded us. As soon as they heard about the rebellion, they set out in the morning and arrived the next day. How can we resist them?"

But he could never have imagined that Ling, Feng and Jin didn't take this matter seriously at all.

The Tiande Army has been completely mobilized into North Korea and no longer exists.

The Shuofang Army had always considered themselves as heroes and thought they would be respected, but they were repeatedly suppressed. In particular, because Fengxiang and Tonghua were rebellious, they were hated and their clans were directly eliminated!

They had privately vented their discontent many times: "Our late emperor ascended to heaven, and Prince Ji was the most noble, eldest, and most virtuous of the Li clan's sons. The Sage was merely a bastard son of a beautiful woman. How could he possibly have stolen the throne? We should have gone to the capital with the likes of Li Maozhen to depose the Sage and support Prince Ji as the new emperor."

Moreover, although the emperor continued to support them after the abolition of the feudal system, he strictly restricted their activities and development and prohibited them from interfering in government affairs, which made the Shuofang Army even more unhappy.

If a warrior does not interfere in politics, can he still be called a warrior?
Moreover, the sage condoned Cheng Li, who was born a bandit from the East, in his attempt to take back the land and households that had been annexed by the soldiers, which made the Shuofang army even more furious.

The brave men from Shuofang are not peasants at all!

Without tenants, who would farm the land? Who would be the slaves? Were noble warriors and humble peasants toil away in the fields like a family? With so much land taken away, how would they survive? Would they wear hemp and eat wheat?
Bullshit!

They fought for Sheng Tang and guarded the border for the country, so they deserve privileges and preferential treatment.

With a knife in hand and a road under feet, being patient like a pig or sheep is not what a Shuofang warrior should do.

Li Keyong was already both pleased and annoyed by the momentum of the restoration. The court also made the daughter of the Zhao family, whom he had always looked down upon, the Defei, giving her the same status as his daughter, and rejected his request to appoint Wang Gao as a military governor.

Plus geopolitical concerns.

The three parties decided to unite and cause chaos.

While Li Keyong submitted a memorial suggesting that Gao Zongyi be recognized to put pressure on his son-in-law, he secretly provided support to the two thieves.

The Shuofang Army spread rumors among the Qiang, Rong, and Dangxiang tribes within its jurisdiction, such as the Shucang, Shuini, Nizhong, Nanyousha, and Nvnumengle clans: "Pingxia is rebelling. Based on our understanding of the sage, it will surely harm everyone else. I'm afraid they intend to kill Pingxia first and then you."

Their purpose was to create confrontation between them and the imperial court.

As the saying goes, those who are not of our race must have different hearts, and some barbarians have intellectual disabilities: "The Qiang people are strong and easily agitated." - "The Qiang people have always been ignorant of education and have frequently invaded the western borders." As well as the violent attitude of the emperors towards rebellious barbarians, this kind of instigation is very easy to succeed, and there are cases where the northwestern barbarians have been exploited.

If all goes well, the regular army will withdraw midway and cooperate with the various rebel forces to directly attack Chang'an, kill the sage and replace him with a new emperor. If things go wrong, suppress the "barbarians".

After receiving the "early warning", the major tribes in the north were terrified day and night and were restless. They joined forces with the Dingnan Army and the Pingxia Dangxiang Army. The few parties then mobilized and coerced hundreds of hybrid tribes and powerful people.

"Please take advantage of the chaos in the Central Plains, form alliances and bargain with the emperor. Now that we have occupied Tongwan City, if we can defeat their invaders three times, we will be able to succeed!" Ye Lidao pointed at the map and said excitedly.

Everyone also had a resolute expression.

The imperial court bullies the weak and fears the strong, so as long as you have ambition, just do it. Otherwise, don't blame the imperial court for letting you down here and there.

The victor makes the king, might makes right, what else is there to say!

.........

Outside Yanxing Gate, on Bailu Plain, in an inconspicuous house in Taoyuan Village, Fu Cunshen looked at the swaddling clothes and clasped his fingers with Guo's: "Another son, our fourth son."

Maybe there are more holidays here, and Fu has already had Silang. Guo sat leaning against the bed, sweat dripping from her temples, and at this moment she looked gentle and virtuous: "You are still laughing, it's not good to have all sons, it's not complete, I want to have a daughter."

"Then have another child." Fu Cunshen handed his wife a cup of honey water.

"Let's talk about it later." Guo took a sip of water and asked while holding the copper cup, "What name should Silang take?"

Fu Cunshen lifted the swaddling clothes, looked at the copper cup in Guo's hand, and said, "Don't you want a girl? Why not just call her the copper cup?"

"Bah, you're so smart to come up with that." Guo said, "It's too vulgar and too ugly."

"Then - Jinzhan?" Fu Cunshen touched his chin and nodded, "Well, Fu Jinzhan, this is a bit highbrow."

Guo rolled her eyes and took the child over. "He is a descendant of the Heavenly King and a general of Chenzhou. Silang has such delicate features and looks so much like me. I like him the most. I will call him Yanqing according to his generation name."

"Fu Yanqing, Yanqing... is quite good, but—" Fu Cunshen hesitated and said, "Madam, you may not know that the Concubine's taboo name is Yuqing. It would be better to call her Yanlin. Lin means beautiful jade. The names of the three sons, Yu Yanchao, Yanrao, and Yantu, can also reflect your love for them."

"I don't." Guo said impatiently, "Shufei is not the second saint, why is she avoiding it? Oh, because Yan Chao is the companion of Prince De?"

"Correct."

"Humph, I told you when I first entered the court not to get involved with the kings."

"I remember explaining it to my wife. The saint mentioned it suddenly. It was in the public eye, so it was inconvenient to refuse."

"You are just soft-hearted!" Guo scolded, "You are soft-hearted to your subordinates, soft-hearted to your friends, soft-hearted to everyone! What happened to Dalang has already happened, so I won't bother with you anymore, and it won't happen again. Give me the porridge, I'm hungry."

Fu Cunshen handed over the rice and meat porridge: "Be careful, it's hot."

Guo ate silently and continued, "Now that we have four sons, this house is too small. I don't want to live in the village anymore. I meet farmers all day long, which is not conducive to raising children. The public security is also poor, and there are often thieves. Fu Jun is the head of the family, so we must think of a solution as soon as possible. Of course, the housing prices in the capital are high, and it is not easy to live in a big house. I understand that renting is fine."

Fu Cunshen did not respond immediately. Instead, he frowned and looked at his wife picking at the small grains of sand on her teeth with some disdain: "Pay attention to your eating manners... Madam is from an aristocratic family."

boom!
"How dare you say that!" Guo slammed the bowl onto the bedside table and said sternly, "I'm from the Taiyuan Guo family. Was I like this before I married you? Who do you think you are? As your wife, what etiquette do I need to talk about?"

"Madam." Fu Cunshen couldn't bear it anymore and glared at his wife, but Guo glared at him without giving in.

The couple stared at each other for a long time, and finally Fu Cunshen looked away: "I just gave birth, don't be angry."

Guo's mood calmed down, but she leaned on her knees and sobbed, "Other capable men have had unsuccessful careers, mostly because they lack opportunities and connections. You have them but don't use them. Zhazhu and the others entered the court at the same time as you, and held similar positions. And now, you don't show your loyalty to the Sage, and you refuse to attend banquets hosted by other generals. You just focus on fighting and even bought a house outside the city..."

Fu Cunshen hesitated to speak: "I worked alone for more than ten years before I got married and became a Zhonglang. I did all this with my own hands, not by scheming. As long as you do your best, what is meant to come will come naturally."

"You're right either way."

"Okay, okay, let's eat first." Fu Cunshen was so annoyed that he made another bowl of hot porridge and comforted her gently, "I'll find a way to get the house. Don't worry about your future. I may not be good at other things, but I have some experience in fighting. I'm confident that I can become a Jiedushi."

Guo looked at Fu Cunshen with a feeling of half satisfaction and half anger.

"By the way, the saint may have to go on a northern expedition in a few days." Fu Cunshen said, "I can't accompany you for long, madam, so take good care of yourself." "Who to beat?" Guo's heart tightened.

"A lot." Fu Cunshen shook his head and said, "It is said that Sikong is also an imaginary enemy."

Guo said with a sigh, "Who are you helping then? You are a member of the Yi Er Army."

Fu Cunshen remained silent.

Fu Cunshen changed his master three times without any psychological burden, and his descendants served whoever entered Bianliang. Fu Yanqing called Yelu Deguang a saint, and when the soldiers in Yecheng mutinied and Emperor Yin called for help, he did not say a word.

Overall, the Fu family has a strong professional ethics. As long as they come to you, they will abide by their duties. But when a major ruling crisis occurs, they mostly stand by and watch. Of course, this is normal in the Five Dynasties, and almost everyone is a fence-sitter.

"I know what you are thinking." Guo looked at her husband's expression and said in a serious tone, "But I want to tell you that as a minister, you need to know the order of loyalty. Is it more important to be a saint or to be a minister? Is it more important to be a country or to be grateful to the former master?"

"I understand." Fu Cunshen nodded.

He had also thought about it. As long as he was not allowed to appear in front of Hedong, and the Tang Dynasty did not fall, he would work for the Li family.

On the contrary, asking him to deal with Li Keyong is not possible for the time being.

If the empire must perish, he will not die with loyalty.

Samurai are simple people who live to kill. They don't understand politics, are not interested in politics, and don't need to be responsible for politics.

"If loyalty is not absolute, it is absolutely disloyal," Guo warned. "In the struggle between the emperor and the powerful ministers, you are on the emperor's side, so you must not behave in public. Otherwise, even if the saint is not afraid of it, his minions will find it difficult to tolerate you."

.........

The war is imminent.

The palace was in an uproar again. The army was gathered, civilians were conscripted, and weapons, armor and food were shipped one after another.

The functional structure of the Security Institute was also newly released. On the afternoon of March 9, Yu Wenrou went to Wangxiantai to play music. As soon as she arrived on the fifth floor, she heard a burst of laughter from a man and a woman in a room.

Yu Wenrou was startled, and immediately identified these voices as the Saint, Concubine Shu, Concubine Xian, Luo Wenxuan, Zhang Xin, Ling Xian, Wei Yi, Lun Qinxun, Zhao Ruyu, Lai Mei, Ranxiang, Zhao Yanran, Zhao Ruozhao, Shangguan Shen...

Hearing these people laughing and gasping for breath, Yuan Yin, who was visiting Wangxiantai for the first time, was shocked.

Yu Wenrou quickly said, "It's inevitable to make noise when playing cards. Playing cards is a game invented by the Holy Lord."

"I see." Yuan Yin forced a smile and said, "Yes, it's normal for a game to make some noise. I was overthinking it—"

But halfway through her speech, her lips began to move and she could not continue, because the content of the conversation in the room was really -

"Haha, A Lian, A Xin, Ruyi, you guys lost too. You lost more than you won when you beat me alone."

"Humph, you know my sister is a novice, but you don't give her more leeway. And why are the saints' cards always better?"

"Every shuffle is under your watch, don't lose."

"There is no shame in love when there are many people."

"I only have my underwear left, I owe you one."

"We agreed on this beforehand, so don't make any noise. And Concubine Shu, you owe me this from the last game."

"Damn it! I'm asking for it!" Concubine Shu's shy voice came out: "You don't mind..."

"Ahem." Yu Wenrou swallowed and said, "Ayuan, things are not what you think. The Sage King is definitely not a pervert."

However, the dumbfounded Yuan Yin could no longer hear.

Is this too good at playing?
Although the moral integrity of the Li Tang royal family has always been low, it is just a legend after all. Seeing it with his own eyes, Yuan Yin couldn't help but be dumbfounded, pointing at the lewd and charming scene behind the door: "... To be honest, I need to spend my whole life to heal these few breaths of experience."

For the saint, Rounu is helpless. It is clear that when he is licentious, he can only be described as a completely unpersonable poet of the paper-cut department.

"I thought I was innocent enough, but it seems I'm not." Yuan Yin covered her face and said, "We in Wei Bo are simple and honest, and we are more traditional. I'll leave first."

Yu Wenrou held her back and said, "There is also official business to report."

Although she was also an old lady who had experienced a lot of things, she still did some ideological work before she sighed and knocked on the door.

The room was filled with smoke and people couldn't be seen clearly.

"I want to do everything in the world, and I want to satisfy all the beauties in the world." Emperor Li slept lazily on the beauty's thighs, eating the grapes peeled by his wife and concubines one by one, and then touching Luo Qian's charming face. Ling Xian said: "Life is short, enjoy it while you can."

Luo Qian smiled and snuggled into the saint's arms: "Don't think so. This chaotic world is so scary. Your Majesty needs to be careful."

No response awaited.

"Knock, knock, knock." There was a knock on the door.

The saint had no choice but to push Luo Qian away in dismay, tidied his clothes and sat back behind the table.

Yu Wenrou pushed the door open and was greeted by a strong smell of alcohol, lust, powder, body odor, and incense.

In the mist, Concubine Shu was sleeping like a dead dog, reeking of alcohol, with her arms and legs spread out, and she was not even wearing any clothes.

Song Ya held the pipa and sang melodiously.

The floor was full of clothes, toys, and cards.

Sheng Sheng and Zhao Ruozhao sat around the table, while the other women sat or lay on the carpet.

Except for the saints, most of them are really out of control. When you see her, just take a look at her!

Rounu's face suddenly turned dark, and she walked up to drag Emperor Li out of the pile of meat and out of the smoky room.

"What does your majesty wish?"

The saint was silent for a while: "Is it because I didn't call you Rounu?"

Rounu stamped her feet in anger: "I want to say that you should exercise some self-control and focus on the real things instead of being obsessed with women..."

"I'm just spending time with my family, isn't that considered a serious matter?"

Yuwen Rou was choked: "I am smart enough to reject advice, and I have words to cover up my mistakes. I cannot argue with Your Majesty."

"Don't worry, I know what to do." The saint pinched her face, took the memorial in his hand and began to read it.

(End of this chapter)