Do You Know?: Rule the World

"Ming'er told my granddaughter that if it weren't for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, her biological mother, Wei Xiaoniang, would have nearly died in childbirth."

"There is such a connection. It shows that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a kind-hearted person. No wonder he would help us today." The old lady followed up with another sentence.

After Yanran returned to the house with the maid, Old Master Yu whispered, "Have you made any plans for Yanran's marriage?"

The old lady sighed softly, her face full of worry, "Given this girl's temper, I wouldn't trust her no matter which family she lives with."

"If she gets wronged in the future, there's no way she can expect her father and stepmother to take care of her."

The old master weighed the options for a long time and said, "I do have an idea, but I need to think it over carefully."

-

After the marriage between Changbai and the Hai family was finalized, another major event occurred that shocked the court and the public.

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

Zhao Zhen's face was as gloomy as iron, and he looked at the contents of the memorial with anger.

There have been some rebels in the southwest recently, and they even called themselves Emperor Zhaode. A group of them secretly fled to Yuzhou.

When Zhao Zongquan made the memorial, Zhao Zhen did not take it seriously and only ordered him to lead troops to suppress the rebels.

Unexpectedly, although this group of rebels was small in number, each of them was brave and good at fighting.

He kept hunting down Zhao Zongquan and his son Zhao Ceying, wanting to bring their heads back to the southwest and present them to Emperor Zhaode in exchange for fame and honor and a title for his wife.

Now that the heads of Zhao Zongquan and Zhao Ceying have been cut off, the arrogance of these rebels has become more and more arrogant.

Although they were just an inconspicuous and unpopular member of the Taizong clan, they were still members of the royal family after all.

In this way, the rebels cut off his head and used it as a sacrifice.

Since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there has never been such a humiliating moment. This is simply a slap in the face of the imperial court.

Zhao Han, Zhang Fu and other generals were in the hall. Zhao Han was not surprised by this.

After all, when Zhao Zongquan was being hunted by rebels and was on the verge of death, it was Gu Tingye who appeared in time to save them.

Now that Gu Tingye is safe and sound in Bian Jing, Zhao Zongquan and his son naturally don't have that kind of luck.

Chapter 116: Shen's Arrival in Beijing, I Want to See Hua'er

Han Zhang stepped out with his fists clasped, his voice sonorous and powerful.

"The Nung bandits are so rampant, I implore the government to send troops to suppress them immediately and restore order to the country's laws and moral principles!"

"I second the proposal!"

"I second the proposal!"

"..."

Zhao Zhen's brows were furious, and the memorial in his hand had already been deformed by his grip.

He kept weighing the candidates to suppress the rebellion in his mind. The leaders of the rebels were the Nong father and son, Nong Quanfu and Nong Zhigao.

Nong Quanfu was originally the governor of Tangyou Prefecture. Because he was blocked from showing goodwill to the imperial court, he turned to the State of Jiaozhi.

Now that he has grown stronger, he has occupied the mountain and proclaimed himself emperor, becoming an enemy of the imperial court.

Zhang Fu could no longer hold back and immediately stepped out of the line, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, this old minister is willing to lead the troops to suppress the rebellion!"

"The Duke of England is the pillar of the country. Why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken?"

"Now the main force of the rebels is still in Tangyouzhou in the southwest. The one in Yuzhou was just a small group of bandits who came prepared and have now fled back." Zhao Han spoke at the right time in a steady voice.

He clearly remembered that the Nong bandits had taken advantage of the palace coup of the two kings of Yan and Yong and the turmoil in the court to sneak in and capture Guixun and other places within three months.

But now the government is stable and the morale of the imperial guards is still high, so these rebels can't cause any waves at all.

"What does Your Highness mean?" Zhang Fu turned his head to look at him.

Zhao Han stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "In my opinion, it would be better to give the young generals in the court some opportunities to gain experience."

"Pei Hu, the commander of the Cavalry Battalion, is skilled in surprise attacks. Zheng Xiao, the second son of the Marquis of Zhongjing, is an expert in horse riding and archery. Furthermore, I would like to recommend Gu Tingye, the son of the Marquis of Ningyuan. He is not only an excellent rider and archer, but also well versed in military tactics."

"These three are enough to lead the troops to quell the rebellion!"

"Your Highness, the two veteran officials, Pei Hu and Zheng Xiao, think it's acceptable.

"But this Gu Tingye, a dandy who talks big and walks around in the palace, I'm afraid it's not appropriate for him to lead the troops."

Han Zhang's tone was full of doubt. Many court officials had heard that he had spoken up for Yang Wuduan.

Zhao Zhen stared at Zhao Han.

That day, when the eunuch returned from the Gu family to report, he secretly instructed Zhang Maze to find Gu Tingye's examination paper.

After reading it carefully, I felt that the writing of this author was full of the character of Fan Wencheng.

What is even more rare is that this boy actually stated in the article that he wanted to emulate Fan Wencheng, inherit his aspirations and continue his career.

Such ambition is rare among the younger generation and he is a rare talent.

He couldn't help but feel that his punishment on Gu Tingye was indeed too harsh in his momentary anger.

But now the imperial decree has been issued, and the king is not joking. Even if there is regret in the heart, it can only be hidden in the heart.

Zhao Han bowed and said, "Gu Tingye's arrogant words were just something he blurted out accidentally while practicing calligraphy in his study at home seven or eight years ago. After so many years, he can hardly remember them himself."

"As for your reputation as a playboy and dissolute person, I can only say that you can only judge a person by his appearance and not by his heart."

"The reasons behind this are complex and complicated, and I'm afraid only the Gu family themselves know best."

"Oh?" Zhao Zhen raised his eyebrows, and a meaningful look flashed in his eyes.

Several court officials also exchanged thoughtful glances at the same time.

There were many dirty things happening in the harem of every family in Bianjing City, such as the disputes over the legitimate and illegitimate children, the open and covert struggles between wives and concubines, and the inheritance of the family business.

It’s just that everyone kept their mouths shut and the news didn’t get out.

In the case of Ningyuan Marquis Mansion, all three sons are legitimate, but they have three different biological mothers.

Just think about it and you will know how complicated his backyard is.

Especially since Gu Tingye's biological mother was a daughter of a merchant family in Yangzhou...

Zhao Han's eyes swept over them lightly. Since this was a family affair of the Gu family, he shouldn't say too much.

After all, it was Gu Tingye himself who spoke up for Yang Wuduan, and this is irrefutable.

As for Xiao Qinshi's flattery of Gu Tingye, on the surface it was nothing more than the stepmother doting on her stepson too much.

To outsiders, this was actually proof of Xiao Qin's kindness and virtue.

Therefore, for some things, it is better to stop at the point.

Letting these shrewd court officials speculate on their own would trigger more associations.

Zhao Zhen's eyes flickered slightly, and he slowly stood up and said in a deep voice, "Well."

"Since you think so highly of Gu Tingye, I will do as you say."

"Issue an imperial decree, appointing Pei Hu as the envoy to Guangnan West Route, in charge of Guangnan's military and political affairs, and coordinating the suppression of the rebellion!"

"Zheng Xiao was appointed as the pacification envoy, leading the government troops to suppress the rebels."

"As for Gu Tingye, let him serve under Zheng Xiao for now. If he makes military achievements, I will reward him when he returns to the capital."

"Hang the heads of these traitors on the city wall of Yuzhou for public display!"

After a moment's silence, he added, "Also, Announce that Zhao Zongquan's widow, Shen, should come to the capital immediately. She should be given compensation for such an incident in Yuzhou."

"Your Majesty is wise!" All the ministers bowed in unison.

-

In early May, the warm breeze is blowing.

Gu Tingye and his party set out south seven days ago to Guangnan to quell the rebellion.

On the day of his departure, Gu Tingye held a spear and kept saying that he wanted to suppress the rebellion, make military achievements, and ask for an imperial decree for his biological mother, Bai.

Although Gu Yankai did not come to see him off in person, he had already secretly written several letters and sent his confidants to deliver them to various military camps in the southwest. The letters were sincere and he hoped that his old subordinates would take good care of him after seeing Gu Tingye.

The Eastern Palace is closed today, in the main hall of Ciqing Palace.

Zhao Han leaned against the rosewood couch, his eyes unconsciously falling on Hualan and Jing'er.

Hualan was wearing a goose yellow brocade dress and had curved eyebrows and eyes.

Jing'er showed his two baby teeth and waved his arms in the air, trying to grab the rattle in her hand.

Hualan deliberately held the rattle farther away, but Jingge didn't cry or make a fuss, but just crawled towards her in a crooked manner.

At this moment, a burst of quick and quiet footsteps was heard outside the hall.

Zhao Han frowned slightly and turned his head to look.

Shulan stumbled into the hall, her eyes red, her hair slightly loose, and tear marks clearly visible on her face.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty..." Shulan came to Zhao Han, crying and unable to speak.

Seeing this, Hualan quickly put down the rattle and asked the wet nurse to take Jing'er away.

Zhao Han motioned Shulan to sit down next to him and asked softly, "What happened?"

"Your Highness, my father wrote to me saying that my grandmother has not been in good health since the beginning of spring. The doctor said that my grandmother is...she doesn't have much time left. She only asks that she can see me again before she dies..." Shulan choked.

She knew very well that her grandmother was over eighty years old, a rare longevity, but she still felt heartbroken at the moment.

Zhao Han wiped the tears from Shulan's cheeks, sighed softly, and turned to look at Hualan.

"Report this to the Queen, and have her dispatch a famous imperial physician to prepare some fine medicinal herbs. Arrangements will be made for Shu'er to return to Youyang immediately."

Shulan was a concubine of the royal family, and her grandmother's death was a mourning for an outsider.

She could only leave the palace after obtaining the consent of Zhao Han and the Queen, and she must be accompanied by eunuchs and female officials.

And it is only for condolences, not for mourning.

Hua Lan nodded gently. "The eldest wife's wife has always been close to Grandmother. I think she will also go to Youyang. Can Grandmother and Sister Shulan go together?"

"You can arrange it." Zhao Han looked at Hua Lan. She has always been careful and cautious, so there would be no mistakes in such a small matter.