Only after the rebellion succeeded did they realize that this place was...

After accepting the assignment, Wang Ruofu's most pressing concern was that he could not bring Hualan into the palace first.

On her very first day as the Assistant Lady, she was so eager to bring her female relatives into the palace to serve as ladies-in-waiting and scribes. Her behavior was rather unseemly.

Moreover, the Sheng family is a family of scholars and intellectuals, and Sheng Hong is currently favored by the new emperor. In the current court and in the capital city of Tokyo, countless eyes are watching him openly and secretly.

In this situation, it is even more important not to make mistakes, so it would be best to wait a few days before doing this.

"Hua'er, I'm afraid you'll have to make do for now."

Wang Ruofu couldn't help but think to himself.

Then, she followed the Duchess of England and Princess Pingning to continue their busy work in the palace, which was quite fulfilling.

……

"How is it?"

Inside the Wende Hall.

With the last dozen or so memorials processed, Liu Hong felt relieved and couldn't help but inquire about matters within the palace.

Wang Ruofu was confident in his abilities, but the other two would ultimately need to be secretly monitored by the Imperial Guards and the Imperial City Guard.

"Your Majesty, the three assistant wives are managing things very well."

The chief eunuch bowed and replied, "The Duke of Yingguo and Princess Pingning are now very fair in their rewards and punishments. Under these palace rules, many of the female officials who were previously in the storeroom and the imperial study have also begun to be constantly questioned."

"If they are completely innocent, they will be released from the palace; if they are suspected, they will be handed over to the Imperial City Guard for further investigation. This can be considered commendable and a reasonable approach."

"As for that Madam Sheng, although she only assisted her a little, she still put in some effort."

"Her responsibilities are to fill the positions of female officials and scribes in various important places. With this Madam Sheng in charge, she will surely be able to guard this gate well."

The chief eunuch spoke softly.

Liu Hong nodded.

In today's world, even if the new Han dynasty seizes power from the Song dynasty, it will only have gained an advantage and appear to be an impenetrable force. However, even so, it is ultimately just a journey of a thousand miles, beginning with a single step.

The current Song Dynasty's several prefectures could not have been defended by the new Han Dynasty's rapid advance and conquest of all its armies, which would have prevented them from reaching the capital city of Bianjing.

Therefore, the new Han dynasty has only seized half of the Song dynasty's territory.

It is only because the capital was captured that it can be called a change of dynasty.

But in today's world, can the new Han dynasty truly secure its hold on the Song dynasty?

It is likely that, looking across the various prefectures, the many common people of the old Song Dynasty, as well as the prominent families and gentry in each prefecture, are still observing from all sides.

Not to mention, besides the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong who had already escaped from Tokyo, there was still a hidden dragon of the old Song Dynasty in the land of Yuzhou.

There are also many unresolved issues to be addressed outside of Tokyo.

If we look even further afield, to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun…

During the Qingli era, the Song Dynasty was already surrounded by enemies on all sides.

"Invite the Left Chancellor, the Right Chancellor, and the Grand Commander here."

As soon as the thought crossed Liu Hong's mind, he gave another order.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The chief eunuch immediately withdrew and disappeared.

In less than half an hour, the Left Chancellor Gongsun Bai, the Right Chancellor Han Zhang, and the Grand Commander Geng Jie arrived together.

Gongsun Bai and Han Zhang were dressed in crimson official robes and wore black gauze hats. Their faces were upright and honest, which made them appear dignified and showed their integrity.

Only the Grand Commander Geng Jie, because he had just been flogged, walked with a limp, even though he was strong and robust, and had to use a cane on his left elbow.

At first glance, he no longer had the bearing of a Grand Commander; instead, he evoked a sense of amusement and mockery.

"What has happened? Who has such audacity to render my Grand Commander into such a state?"

Liu Hong asked the question knowingly, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.

Upon hearing this, Geng Jie's cane wobbled and nearly bumped into Gongsun Bai.

Gongsun Bai caught it with lightning speed.

Although he was a scholar, he also knew a little about martial arts.

Geng Jie bowed deeply, enduring the pain in his buttocks, and forced a smile as he respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I am guilty. Your Majesty's punishment is justified."

"The escape of the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Yong will inevitably bring immeasurable troubles to our new Han Dynasty. It was a grave mistake of yours to neglect your subordinates. I beg Your Majesty to punish them severely."

"If I punish you, who will guard this vast city of Tokyo for me?"

Liu Hong glared at him and waved his hand impatiently, "Why aren't you giving my Grand Commander a seat yet?"

Geng Jie finally had a place to sit down. As soon as he sat down, he couldn't help but gasp, and the muscles on his face twitched.

Liu Hong's gaze shifted, looking at Gongsun Bai and Han Zhang.

The two bowed respectfully and replied in unison, "Your Majesty, the list of those to be conferred titles has been prepared and we await Your Majesty's instructions."

After the Xin Han army captured the old Song capital of Bianjing (Kaifeng), all the civil and military officials and ministers under Emperor Liu Hong were eagerly anticipating the upcoming investiture ceremony.

They have been waiting for their merits and rewards for a long time, and now it's time to make them satisfied.

Liu Hong snorted lightly, but replied, "We will discuss the investiture ceremony again when things have completely calmed down in the capital. The Ministry of Rites will select an auspicious day, and the three of you—the Left Chancellor, the Right Chancellor, and the Grand Commander—will jointly oversee this matter."

"Therefore, this investiture ceremony will not be in my hands, but in the hands of the three of you."

Liu Hong brought the matter to the attention of the three of them.

Now that the new Han dynasty has been established, it is a foregone conclusion that Emperor Liu Hong's power overwhelms that of his ministers.

Gongsun Bai, who was carrying a cane in his arms, immediately became serious.

With Han Zhang beside him and Geng Jie sitting on the couch, occasionally gasping for breath, the three hesitated for only a moment before answering almost simultaneously, "Your humble servants obey."

Liu Hong gestured for them to leave, and the three understood immediately, bowing and quickly retreating.

It's just that we've left the Wende Hall.

As the Left Chancellor, and arguably the head of all officials, Gongsun Bai couldn't help but furrow his brow, feeling somewhat caught in a dilemma.

Although the new Han army has now completely taken over the entire city of Tokyo, the various forces within the city are deeply intertwined and interconnected, so that even a small change could have far-reaching consequences.

If we take the wrong approach, Tokyo will not only be far from calm, but will immediately be thrown into considerable chaos.

Gongsun Bai subtly glanced at Han Zhang.

As the Right Chancellor and a veteran official of the old dynasty, the other party's stance is extremely crucial.

Just as the two were hesitating, Geng Jie, though a military commander, was also a warrior.

Although he was not reckless, he was the one who understood Liu Hong's feelings and his past behavior perfectly, with great flexibility and thoughtfulness.

"I hate you scholars the most, always so indecisive."

As soon as Geng Jie opened his mouth, his fierce and valiant aura as a military general was immediately apparent.

He patted Gongsun Bai's back with one hand to snatch the cane back, and put his other hand on Han Zhang's shoulder, almost using him as another human cane.

From a distance, the three of them looked like conjoined twins, a rather comical sight.

"His Majesty cannot tolerate any injustice."

Geng Jie said in a deep voice, "The matter of the capital city is small; the matter of the new Han dynasty is great."

"Your Majesty is not confined to this small city of Tokyo, but extends throughout the entire world. All land under heaven belongs to the king, and all people within the borders are his subjects."

"Gongsun Bai, His Majesty's temperament... could it be that you've already forgotten everything so quickly after entering this prosperous and beautiful city of Dongjing? Those who are dissatisfied, then just kill them all!"

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Geng Jie's eyes, and his words were filled with a strong sense of killing intent.

Gongsun Bai's expression remained resolute in the face of this.

As a civil official, he surprisingly agreed wholeheartedly and nodded emphatically.

Then, the two looked at Han Zhang.

The officials of the new Han army have full authority to handle matters, but they need to be a little more cautious with the old dynasty's forces.

Han Zhang is undoubtedly a good breakthrough point.

Han Zhang gave a wry smile, and under the gazes of the two men, he could only nod and reply, "Court officials are divided into civil and military officials."

"If military generals are of noble birth, the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion, the Yingguo Duke's Mansion, and the Qiguo Duke's Mansion have all been planned for His Majesty; the remaining Zhongqin Earl's Mansion and Yongchang Marquis's Mansion are considered more important."

"Most of the civil officials who were previously in the Chui Gong Hall have already been dismissed by His Majesty, so they can't cause any major trouble. The only one we really need to pay attention to is the Hai family."

"They were a family of upright officials for generations, strictly adhering to etiquette and law, and their reputation in the city of Tokyo was extremely high."

"As expected of Prime Minister Han, he truly knows every part of the capital city of Tokyo like the back of his hand."

Geng Jie was very satisfied with Han Zhang's answer, nodding and smiling as he expressed his further approval of him.

Han Zhang just gave another bitter smile, looking like he had a very hard life.

Gongsun Bai suddenly stepped forward, chuckled, and then added, "But Prime Minister Han still forgot to mention one person."

Gongsun Bai didn't joke, but paused slightly, turned to meet the gazes of Han Zhang and Geng Jie, and said with a smile, "The Marquis of Shunming's residence! Prime Minister Han, have you perhaps forgotten?"

"The former Song emperor is already a Marquis of Obedience, and he had previously bowed and greeted Your Majesty with smiles. How could he possibly harbor any intention of rebellion?"

Han Zhang's expression suddenly turned somewhat anxious. Previously, when he mentioned the Hai family and the other marquis, duke, and earl families, it was all quite ordinary. But now, when he mentioned the Shunming Marquis family, it seemed to have a rather unusual meaning.

"Gongsun Bai, what you mean is..."

Geng Jie leaned forward, and despite his minor injuries, he instinctively made a throat-slitting motion, which startled Han Zhang, who was standing nearby.

"Even now, they still won't let the officials off the hook?"

Han Zhang's voice was somewhat strained.

Gongsun Bai shook his head, glancing subtly in Han Zhang's direction, and continued, "It is not this official from the old Song Dynasty, but the current Marquis Shunming of our new Han Dynasty."

"This person is easygoing and content with what he has. Even if he is unwilling, he will probably only torment himself day and night. He may still have ambitions, but his old body can no longer bear them."

"The one who truly needs to be concerned is not him, but the empress from the old Song Dynasty, the mistress of the harem."

"The current Lady of Shunming, Prime Minister Han."

Gongsun Bai adjusted his sleeves and subconsciously turned his body towards the Shunming Marquis's residence and the former Song imperial family, settling down in the eastern part of the city of Dongjing.

His words were full of profound meaning.

Before long, they left the palace gate.

Han Zhang left first.

"What a pity for this Chancellor Han. He was, after all, an official of the old Song Dynasty. Once the situation stabilizes, he should retire and go home!"

Gongsun Baifa couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart.

Geng Jie didn't care about these sordid matters; a cold smile appeared on his face.

"Your Majesty? In the new Han Dynasty, only His Majesty should be called 'Your Majesty

"If the situation weren't stable, why would they temporarily rely on this former official of the previous dynasty? It seems we need to assign more people to keep a close eye on him! If he dares to plot any rebellion, hehe..."

……

Unbeknownst to them, the sky in the palace gradually darkened, and only when the octagonal palace lanterns were lit did the bright lights in the depths of the palace become apparent.

Liu Hong had already left the Wende Hall and arrived at the Funing Hall where he was staying.

This is the former sleeping quarters of the Song emperor. The furnishings have been completely renovated and replaced with the original arrangements from when he was in Jinling, exuding a familiar atmosphere.

However, just as Liu Hong finished his dinner and was about to rest, he suddenly looked up and saw that his personal attendant, the chief eunuch, had not yet left.

Normally, the other party is not such a clueless servant.

Liu Hong waved to him.

The chief eunuch immediately bowed and stepped forward, a smile appearing on his face. With practiced ease, he took out a letter that had just been delivered to him from his robes.

"Your Majesty, Miss Hualan's letter has arrived."

The letter was respectfully placed in Liu Hong's hands, the sealing wax intact, and no one peeked at it.

Liu Hong casually pulled out the letter and placed it in his palm, then began to examine it carefully, starting from the first line.

Although he had been busy all day and was exhausted, looking at the letters he usually wrote in his hand felt like a stolen moment of leisure.

That weariness, surprisingly, provided the energy for what followed.

Liu Hong's eyes were bright and piercing, and the more you looked at him, the more focused he became.

The letter contained the young woman's innermost thoughts, and the deep emotions expressed between the lines were so intense that they touched the heart.

"Ziguang, the Sheng family has now entered Tokyo and is no longer in their original location of Yangzhou."

In the vast Song Dynasty, war raged in many places. It was said that the people of the new Han Dynasty had captured several more prefectures and had completely surrounded the area around the capital city of Tokyo.

We have been exchanging letters for several years. I originally thought that once you passed the imperial examination, you would come to the Sheng family to propose marriage and marry me. But now that you are not long enough to live, I don't know if we will be able to express our feelings to each other again.

A young lady should be reserved, but with the city in a state of panic, I, a young lady from the Sheng family, can only express my feelings through paper and ink.

Ziguang, I hope you receive this message. I hope you are safe and well while you are away. I do not seek fame or fortune to enter the Song family's imperial court. I only wish for peace and tranquility in this place. I can rest in peace now.

The signature is: Hua Lan.

……

Chinese people have always valued modesty, especially in both ancient and modern times.

In the traditional household, a girl's marriage was arranged by her parents and a matchmaker, which was the mainstream practice.

As the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, Hua Lan's courage to write this letter was immense, a courage no less than entrusting her entire reputation to this "vagrant" outside.

If the letters are discovered, she will suffer the same predicament as before, having "an affair with a man outside the family."

In other words, Wang Ruofu already doted on Hualan, and the timing of the discovery of this matter was rather special. Subsequently, the chief eunuch sent by Liu Hong gave the Sheng family many hints.

That's why it didn't cause a big fuss within the Sheng family; instead, they kept quiet and didn't spread the word.

Under normal circumstances, this would probably have become a scandal within the household long ago.

As the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, Hua Lan's situation will also affect the marriages of the other children in the family.

The following orchids, such as Rulan, Minglan, and Molan, and even the two brothers Changbai and Changfeng, may not be able to reach higher ranks, and even a match of equal rank has become a luxury.

When a family declines, this is how things end up.

As for the fact that the letter only arrived today, Liu Hong could understand.

They probably arrived in Jinling first, then discovered he was no longer there, and then traveled from one post station to another before finally arriving in the present city of Dongjing.

Several months have passed, which is quite fast.

If it were an ordinary family, the saying "A letter from home is worth a thousand pieces of gold" would not be an exaggeration.

Thoughts swirled, and Liu Hong's emotions were stirred once again.

At this moment, Liu Hong, who was adept at handling all kinds of political affairs, hesitated repeatedly when copying this reply.

As he put pen to paper, the strokes flowed with varying degrees of lightness and heaviness, revealing the immense debt of gratitude owed to this beauty, a debt so difficult to repay.

He wrote for nearly half an hour.

As midnight approached, Liu Hong slowly finished up.

Only after the ink had dried did he feel relieved enough to hand it over to the chief eunuch.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty! Even if it costs me my life, I will do everything in my power to deliver this letter safely to Miss Hualan."

The chief eunuch carefully placed the letter inside his robes, his tone extremely solemn.

"You talk too much, you old servant. Now hurry up and go."

Liu Hong waved his hand dismissively.

The chief eunuch chuckled like an honest man and then hurriedly withdrew.

Liu Hong took off his outer clothes, lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed), closed his eyes, but was still thinking deeply.

And so it goes.

Even within the Sheng family, Hua Lan could finally live a completely peaceful life.

No one will bully her anymore.