After the rebellion was successful, I realized that this place was the Red Mansion

Chapter 265 Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival, Parting at Last

The sky was beginning to lighten with the first light of dawn.

Hundreds of eunuchs and palace maids stood around, while the concubines looked at the emperor with sorrow and reluctance in their eyes.

Chu Yan said, "The Jurchens have been constantly invading our borders for the past ten years, and the previous dynasty has been unable to deliver a decisive blow, allowing them to grow in strength. It has come to the point where we have no choice but to fight." He paused, then looked at the tearful Xiangyun and said, "My personal command is a last resort. Firstly, the new dynasty has just been established, and the national treasury is empty..."

Logically, there was no need to explain the matters decided by the court to them, but Chu Yan still explained the internal and external situation, just to say one thing:

I have no choice but to fight another war to establish my nation!
After a long pause, Yuan Chun took the initiative to say, "The weight of the nation rests on Your Majesty's shoulders. Now that Your Majesty intends to personally lead the expedition, if we try to dissuade you again, it may be difficult to change Your Majesty's mind."

Chu Yan laughed and said, "I'll deal with the bandit chief this year and come back to celebrate the New Year with you all!"

The crowd felt a little relieved, and Empress Zhang said gently, "When my ex-husband was emperor, he never had the idea of ​​personally leading an army to fight a major battle. Now, His Majesty is so brave and heroic that he is personally leading the troops to the north to punish the rebel chief. We sisters can only pray for His Majesty day and night in the palace, hoping that His Majesty will return soon to bring peace to the country."

Chu Yan joked, "If I hadn't come back, you might have become the empress!"

Everyone around turned to look, and Daiyu quickly said, "With the expedition imminent, how can you say such unlucky things!"

Empress Zhang smiled and said, "Being His Majesty's Noble Consort is far better than being the Empress of the previous dynasty!"

Qin Keqing covered half her face with her fan and smiled charmingly, "That's true~"

Empress Zhang understood the implication, blushed, and rolled her eyes at her.

Chu Yan took Daiyu's hand and sighed, "It's just a joke. No one in the world has been born yet who can imprison me." He paused and said to them, "You should go back to the Grand View Palace. You can reunite with your family every day and won't feel so bored."

He then asked, "Yuan Chun, do you want to go home or stay in the palace? If you go home, I will let the Empress manage the six palaces, with Qinghe assisting."

When her name was suddenly called, Qinghe couldn't help but look at her emperor husband. She had actually been startled when he made the joke earlier.

But now he has entrusted the six palaces to his sister-in-law again, which shows that he trusts her.

Empress Zhang declined, saying, "I am no longer in a position to manage the six palaces. There are many concubines in the harem who are capable of managing the household. Your Majesty, please select another person to temporarily take charge."

Chu Yan said, "This is an imperial decree."

Empress Zhang was speechless and had no choice but to accept the reply.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "You're not sick, and I've found you some helpers so you won't get tired."

Empress Zhang sighed softly. Managing the six palaces was something countless concubines throughout history had dreamed of, but in her eyes, it was nothing more than a tiring job.

Yuan Chun then spoke, saying, "Now that I have married into the royal family, it is not appropriate for me to return home so often. I will remain in the palace and return to Daguan Palace for the New Year."

Chu Yan said, "Do as you please. You can continue to manage affairs with the Empress while you are in the palace." He looked at Baoqin and the others and said, "If there are any issues in the palace that you ladies find unpleasant, you can offer your opinions and discuss solutions. If you are still hesitant, just leave it for when I return."

This gives them the right to object, even though they are unlikely to use it, but they should still have it.

Then, he took out a gold token, put it in Daiyu's hand, and said, "This is a token to mobilize the palace guards. If anyone in the palace rebels, you can order the guards to enter the palace to quell the rebellion. If you are unsure, either wait for me to return or summon the ministers to discuss it."

Aside from palace matters, if the Left Chancellor Chu Ming sends someone to the palace requesting you to mobilize the Imperial Guards, you may agree depending on the circumstances.

Daiyu was stunned, and everyone else was also captivated by what they saw.

This is the real imperial sword.

When the emperor led his troops to conquer the Jurchens, the strongest force in the city was none other than the Imperial Guards who protected the palace. However, Chu Yan gave the power to mobilize them to Lin Daiyu.

Daiyu grasped his hand and looked at him, saying, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty, but I am just a young lady from a humble family, and I know nothing about military affairs. I am afraid I am not qualified to manage the imperial guards."

Chu Yan smiled and said, "If something really happens, the more than ten thousand imperial guards cannot be left idle. Someone needs to take charge of their deployment. Don't worry, the commanders of the imperial guards are loyal to me. Even if someone forges your orders to kill all the court officials, they will not do it. Giving you command of the troops is to give them a legitimate reason to fight."

Throughout history, the command of the Imperial Guards has always been of paramount importance, as it has been crucial to the rise and fall of dynasties.

The emperors made a variety of choices, entrusting the task to princes, such as Li Shimin, to eunuchs, such as in the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, or to imperial relatives. Without exception, they all entrusted the task to the people the emperor trusted most.

Although Chu Yan trusted many ministers, he was the founding emperor and was likely to set a precedent. Considering that future emperors were unlikely to leave the capital, he kept the power to mobilize the imperial guards in the palace and did not hand it over to outsiders.

Daiyu grasped it tightly and nodded, saying, "I accept it, and I'll remember your instructions!"

Chu Yan smiled, told her some things to pay attention to, and gave Yuan Chun and the others some more instructions.

As the sky gradually brightened, though I still had many things to say, I could never finish them all.

Chu Yan turned around and said, "One last thing, Zijuan, come closer."

Zijuan, who had been following at a distance, hurried over and Chu Yan took out a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle with a cloud and crane design and handed it to her: "This is medicine for your daughter. If she feels unwell, give her one."

Daiyu chuckled, and everyone looked at her. She blushed and turned away shyly.

Xiangyun smiled and said, "The Emperor is very thoughtful. He knew that Sister Lin wouldn't use much, so he entrusted the medicine to Zijuan to manage."

Zijuan smiled too, clutching the medicine bottle tightly in her hand.

She knew the preciousness of this pill. The girl had cried all day that day, and His Majesty stayed by her side. It was this medicine that cured her.

Chu Yan smiled and said, "You have one too." He then took out a small bottle and handed it to her, saying, "If any of the concubines in the harem are seriously ill and about to die, you can use this medicine to cure them as well."

Xiangyun was flattered and overwhelmed, knowing the preciousness of this elixir.

Empress Zhang bowed and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing upon us elixirs and miraculous medicines to save us from this emergency!"

The crowd then realized that the elixir was for them, a gift from the emperor, and they all bowed in respect.

Chu Yan thought about it again and realized there was nothing more to say, so he took out a letter.

"Whose letter is this?" Baoqin asked.

"It's from Xie Zhaojun." Chu Yan tore open the envelope. "She said she would open it when the banquet was about to end, but I've kept it until now to see what she's up to!"

Everyone was greatly surprised and looked over.

Chu Yan opened the letter, and three peace charms fell out. Bao Qin quickly bent down to pick them up and presented them to him in her fair palm.

"Interesting, keep it for now."

Chu Yan said, looking down at the letter.

"My lord, as if we were meeting, I bow my head in gratitude."

Xie Zhaojun's letter was written in a gentle and eloquent manner, and she spoke about three things.

First, he was told to be careful in battle, and that it was cold in Liaodong, so he should bring more clothes with him.

Secondly, she consulted divination and found unusual phenomena in the Hezigou and Shaershan areas, suggesting that she could send people to investigate.

Thirdly, a peace charm.

Finally, Xie Zhaojun wrote: "I fear I will not be able to go to the capital until April next year, when the river thaws. At that time, I will bow down before my husband and ask for his punishment."

After reading it, Chu Yan thought for a while before saying, "She's becoming more and more mystical."

As she spoke, she handed the letter to Xiangyun, who was the most curious. Baoqin, Daiyu, and the others couldn't help but crowd over to read it as well. Qin Keqing was a little slower, but she also used her height to crane her neck to read the letter, showing great curiosity about Xie Zhaojun.

After reading it, they looked at each other, speechless.

Chu Yan turned around and said, "Qingwen, Yingchun, come here."

The two women stepped forward. Baoqin, who had just picked up the amulets, guessed what her husband was thinking and handed two of them to her, giving the last one to Sister Lin.

Daiyu held a golden token in one hand and a peace charm in the other, her mind racing with thoughts.

Qingwen was equally puzzled as to why Consort Xie, who was far away in Jinling and whom she had never met, would send her a peace charm.

Yingchun simply accepted the gift without asking any further questions.

Chu Yanchao smiled and said to them again, "That's enough for this year's Mid-Autumn Festival moon viewing. Go back to sleep!"

The eunuchs hurriedly carried the palanquin over, showing that they were also tired.

Although everyone was reluctant, they had no choice but to board the palanquin and leave the island in the middle of the lake with Chu Yan.

After crossing the Seven-Arch Bridge, everyone returned to their homes, and the lively Mid-Autumn Festival banquet finally came to an end. Baochai walked towards the lotus pond and glanced at Chu Yan, who had returned to Zichen Hall. She wanted to ask Ying'er to do something for her, but seeing that Ying'er was also very tired, she had no choice but to give up.

……

When Chu Yan returned, he saw an altar set up in the courtyard. He looked up at the sky and said with a smile, "Perfect timing, the moon is still up. Hurry up and go inside to get the offerings!" Qingwen smiled and pulled Xiangling into the house to get the offerings and incense. Yuanyang, Fangguan and the others also helped. Soon they had prepared the offerings for the moon worship.

After lighting the incense and candles, Chu Yan led them in a bow.

Qingwen was delighted and said with a smile, "We've eaten the mooncakes and admired the moon, it's time for Your Majesty to rest. I'll help Your Majesty to bed."

Chu Yan shook his head and said, "I'm not going to sleep. Go and pack my luggage."

Everyone was taken aback and hurriedly asked again. Chu Yan smiled and said, "I will leave today. I have already been delayed for a few days because of the Mid-Autumn Festival. I cannot delay any longer, otherwise it will be difficult to march in the heavy snow. Go and pack some clothes for me to wear in the winter."

Qingwen exclaimed, "Why are you in such a hurry..."

But there was nothing they could do; they could only sigh and go inside to pack their bags.

Fangguan, instead of going to work, reluctantly took the Emperor's hand and asked, "When will Your Majesty return?"

"We'll be back before the New Year. Remember to behave yourselves at home. Also, if there's anything you can't decide, ask Miss Lin. She'll make the decision."

As Chu Yan spoke, he instructed Liu Wu'er, "Wu'er, go and ask the eunuch to bring me my horse, armor, and other equipment. Have someone escort me out of the palace gate later."

Liu Wu'er responded and went out.

Soon after, the pack was ready, and the warhorse and armor were also prepared.

As Chu Yan left, Qingwen and the others saw him off. Just as he stepped out the door, he saw a frail, delicate figure standing before the horse, her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at the gate and asked in a trembling voice, "Are you leaving?"

Chu Yan quickly stepped forward, took Daiyu's hand, and said with a smile, "Why are you here?"

Daiyu wiped away her tears and said angrily, "I knew you were leaving this morning. If you were going to leave tomorrow, you wouldn't have said those farewell words this morning. You would have waited until tomorrow. You kept it from us until today, which shows that you are reluctant to leave."

Her tears welled up again.

Chu Yan sighed, "Joy is pleasure, parting is pain. No one likes parting. Rather than seeing you sad and in tears, I'd rather leave quietly and let you scold me once."

Daiyu looked at him with her dewy eyes: "How do you know I won't shed tears? Since you're going to cry anyway, why did you leave so quietly, like a heartless person?"

Chu Yan lowered his head and kissed her, then smiled and said, "I finally managed to win Lin Daiyu's heart, how could I possibly let you down?"

Daiyu asked, "Why did you lie to me?"

Chu Yan laughed and said, "No, it was just a joke. I only managed to open my heart to Lin Daiyu by using all my tricks."

Daiyu smiled through her tears, recalling the past and looking at the person before her, her heart filled with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy.

She was happy that Chu Yan and she were soulmates, but saddened by their impending separation. She was also burdened by her past life and needed elixirs and amulets to survive, so she could not stay with him for long.

"How about Yu'er gives me a ride?"

Chu Yan put his arm around her slender waist and pressed his forehead against hers, asking her a question.

Daiyu naturally agreed, and he carried her onto the warhorse, with several eunuchs following behind carrying her luggage and armor.

"You should all go back and rest!"

Chu Yan said to Qingwen and the others, but they refused and insisted on escorting him to the palace gate, so Chu Yan went with them.

Along the way, the warhorse walked very slowly. Chu Yan lowered his head and nibbled on Daiyu's small, soft ear, saying tender words of farewell to her, which made Daiyu's tears disappear and her face turn bright red.

Even though the horse walked slowly, it eventually finished the journey. When it reached the north gate of Daming Palace, the palace gate was already wide open, and a group of guards entered the palace and saluted in front of Chu Yan's horse.

Daiyu's heart skipped a beat. She looked towards the door and saw more than ten soldiers in armor waiting for her. Chu Yan held her in his arms, and the chilling atmosphere outside the palace gates seemed to blow in, making her heart tremble.

But she also knew that it was time to say goodbye.

"Yu'er, I'm leaving."

Chu Yan spoke calmly, but his gaze lingered on her with reluctance.

Suddenly, Daiyu wrapped her arms around his neck, ignoring the surprised looks of everyone around her, and leaned in to kiss his lips tightly. Chu Yan could feel her trembling heart; a thousand words were contained in that kiss.

half an hour.

Daiyu dismounted, her cheeks flushed, and stood there, watching Chu Yan ride out of the palace gate. The sound of hooves echoed as he rode out of the palace gate. Only then did he turn back and bid her farewell with his eyes.

"Let's go to the military camp!" Chu Yan ordered.

The guards and generals mounted their horses, and the eunuchs handed their armor to the guards. As everyone mounted, dozens of horses neighed in front of the palace gate. Chu Yan pulled on the reins, making the restless horses circle the palace gate several times. After glancing at Daiyu's slender figure, he flicked his whip and galloped away.

The guards and soldiers rode alongside, heading west, and soon disappeared from sight.

The guard stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, please return."

Daiyu took a deep breath, suppressing her trembling body, and asked him, "When will Your Majesty lead the troops away from the capital?"

The general replied, "We will hold a swearing-in ceremony at the western military camp of the Daming Palace this morning, and break camp in about an hour."

Daiyu remembered that the military camp west of Daming Palace was not far from the city wall. She hurriedly turned back, but when she was only halfway there, she saw Baochai and Ying'er rushing over.

Baochai obviously guessed that the Emperor was leaving today, but he was a step too late and missed him.

She said, "His Majesty left without saying goodbye. When Yun'er and the others wake up, they will definitely complain that we didn't wake them. Why don't we send someone to tell them?"

Daiyu agreed, and Baochai hurriedly sent people to inform everyone. Soon after, Qin Keqing, Tanchun, Empress Zhang, Qinghe, Xiangyun and others rushed over, without even combing their hair, to see Chu Yan off.

Upon arriving, they found no one there. Daiyu pointed to the west city wall, and they realized what was happening. They hurried over and prepared to climb the wall to look towards the military camp.

However, upon arriving at the palace gate, the imperial guards standing watch on the palace walls stopped them, saying, "Please return, Your Highnesses! We cannot abandon our posts, and Your Highnesses' appearance should not be exposed. Please return to the palace immediately!"

Everyone was at a loss, and Empress Zhang said, "The palace guards have always been forbidden from chatting with people inside the palace to prevent collusion between insiders and outsiders, unless..."

She looked at Daiyu, and only then did Xiangyun and the others come to their senses, hurriedly looking at her pleadingly.

Daiyu hesitated for a moment, then, remembering that there was a military camp just outside the west city wall, she finally took out the golden token and had Zijuan hold it as she stepped forward, ordering the guards to temporarily leave the city gate tower.

The imperial guards did not disobey orders and quickly emptied the city gate tower, leaving only the palace gate to be guarded.

The concubines anxiously climbed the city gate tower and, looking into the distance, indeed saw soldiers lined up in the military camp.

Xiangyun's eyes were brimming with tears: "I can't even see my Emperor brother... I shouldn't have slept this morning."

Baoqin gazed into the distance, her sister stared blankly, and Wang Xifeng sighed, "The Emperor is heartless; he doesn't even say goodbye before leaving."

Ping'er smiled and said, "It is precisely because His Majesty is soft-hearted that he is reluctant to say goodbye to the girls."

Wang Xifeng rolled her eyes at her and said, "I'm not a girl!"

Everyone laughed for a while, then continued to look at the military camp. Although they were tired, they were not sleepy at all. Soon after, Aunt Xue and others arrived.

The crowd waited on the city gate tower until dust rose and more than 10,000 soldiers walked out of the camp one after another, with carts carrying supplies heading north.

A dozen or so fine horses galloped from the procession toward the gate tower of Daming Palace. Xichun hurriedly called out, "It's His Majesty!"

These words startled the concubines, who all came out of the city gate tower and stood on the city wall to look down. Sure enough, they saw that the person in the lead was the emperor!
He was clad in armor, tall and imposing, riding swiftly towards the city wall. He reined in his horse only when he reached the wall, looked up at them on the wall, and smiled.

"His Majesty!!!"

Qin Keqing shouted loudly and waved at him, while Consort Zhou wiped away her tears, her eyes also red from crying.

Baochai looked at the distant procession; there were swords and horses on one side, and here were a group of imperial concubines on the other.

"Brother Emperor, take care!!" Xiangyun shouted loudly.

Chu Yan did not speak. Although his voice could be heard throughout the city wall, he did not know what to say. He rode his horse around the city wall twice, waved to them, and then turned around and led his guards back to the group.

Daiyu quickly said, "Tell him to take off his armor and get into the carriage to sleep. He's been exhausted all night; how can he not sleep?"

Xiangyun and the others shouted loudly, and perhaps the Emperor heard them, for he turned around and waved to them from his horse.

Then, his figure blended into the group.

Baochai sighed deeply, feeling a void in her heart.

Many of Xiangyun and the others cried, and the crowd comforted each other. After a while, they descended the city wall and returned to the palace.

(End of this chapter)