Marriage

The Imperial Study.

The young Emperor Yongxing sat solemnly behind a large table covered with yellow silk, listening to the report from the newly appointed Grand Secretary, Qian Qingshu, a scholar of the Wuying Hall.

After Wang Zhenwen began recuperating from his illness, the court conducted an internal selection process. After a fierce struggle among various factions, the position of Grand Secretary fell to Qian Qingshu, a Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall.

They're still part of the royal faction.

"Bandits frequently robbed local gentry and prominent families in various places. In Jiangzhou and Jianzhou, there were even cases of ordinary people in the city colluding with bandits to open the city gates and let the bandits into the city to plunder."

Similar incidents occur in various places.

The goatee with white hair wrote in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, please send troops to suppress the bandits as soon as possible, otherwise chaos will ensue. If the rear cannot be stabilized, the situation in Qingzhou will be perilous."

Wang's party members readily echoed his sentiments.

Members of each party were divided, half remaining silent and half echoing each other.

The bandits who specifically plundered the scholar-official class undoubtedly aroused the nerves of these officials.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Amidst the shouts, Liu Hong, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"The war in Qingzhou is raging. The court should do everything in its power to help Yang Gong hold off the rebels in Qingzhou. How can we waste national resources to suppress displaced people and bandits when the court is short of money and food?"

"That's just a rabble; they're unlikely to amount to anything."

Former members of the Wei faction immediately echoed and supported the advice of Liu Hong, the current leader of the faction.

Members of the royalist faction immediately jumped out to refute:

"A rabble? The refugees are now a plague, looting and plundering, they've become a force not to be underestimated. If left unchecked, before the Yunzhou rebels even reach the capital, these refugee bandits will be at the city gates first."

The two sides began to argue. The Imperial Study meeting, also known as the "small court meeting," was more relaxed and casual compared to the morning court. The argument gradually turned into a shouting match.

Emperor Yongxing watched coldly. To this day, Wei Yuan is dead and Wang, the chief minister, is ill. The court is still divided into two factions, with other factions getting involved.

He swept his gaze across the assembled officials, his eyes landing on the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and said calmly:

"What insightful opinion does the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices have?"

The gazes of the officials inevitably turned to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was over fifty years old, but there were no gray hairs among his beard and hair; he was very well-preserved.

"Your Majesty, I believe that we should adopt a policy of amnesty towards the displaced people and bandits, granting official positions to their leaders and allowing them to lead their troops to Qingzhou to resist the rebels."

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review said.

Emperor Yongxing pondered in silence for a long time before slowly saying:

"This matter will be put on hold for now."

He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice:

"The first line of defense in Qingzhou has been captured by the rebels, and Yang Gong has failed to inflict a heavy blow on the rebels in Yunzhou. Can any of you ministers tell me whether Qingzhou can be held, and for how long?"

No one answered.

Emperor Yongxing, his face grim, looked at the Minister of War and the Minister of Ministry of Revenue:

"My two ministers, I ordered you to mobilize troops and supplies to support Qingzhou. Is there any progress?"

The Minister of Ministry of Revenue stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"It will take some more time; please grant us another ten days, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yongxing originally wanted to reprimand him, but after glancing at the Ministry of Revenue's haggard appearance, he sighed inwardly and refrained from making things difficult for him.

He then looked at the Minister of War and said calmly:

"Zhao Junru, recommended by Minister Xu, submitted a memorial to me yesterday, suggesting that he lead the troops supporting Qingzhou to bypass the main force and attack Yunzhou, destroying the rebel headquarters."

"He is truly a rare and exceptional military talent."

The Minister of War felt a chill run down his spine. Seeing Emperor Yongxing's smiling face but unusually cold eyes, cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. He said urgently:

"Your Majesty, I was blind and ignorant; please punish me."

Emperor Yongxing ignored him, leaving him in a bowing position, and swept his gaze over the officials with an unpleasant expression:

"We have neither provisions nor soldiers. The imperial court has been raising scholars for six hundred years, and this is the kind of trash we have produced? Fortunately, the Western Regions have not invaded our territory, but have only harassed us on the border of Leizhou."

"Otherwise, the Western Regions army would already be at the capital by now."

When he finished speaking, Emperor Yongxing shouted it out loud.

The officials remained silent, knowing that he was complaining about the slow preparation of funds and provisions, which prevented them from immediately sending troops to Qingzhou.

If the national treasury had money, reinforcements would already be on their way to Qingzhou.

During this period, the Ministry of Revenue has already been collecting taxes and plundering the people's wealth. This is something the imperial court would inevitably do under the circumstances of war, and it has been the case in every dynasty throughout history.

Such behavior is accumulating public resentment and depleting national strength.

If the war can be quelled, everything will be fine. But if the court is defeated, public resentment will flare up, and the nation's fortune will be instantly depleted.

"The battlefield situation changes rapidly. The soldiers at the front are fighting with their lives. You have been slow to prepare supplies and troops. Do you know how many opportunities you are wasting?"

Emperor Yongxing launched into a tirade of curses.

The officials remained silent.

At this moment, a clear light rose, and a figure appeared between the officials and the emperor; it was Zhao Shou.

He wore a meticulously scrubbed scholar's robe, his gray hair hanging loosely, giving him the overall appearance of a down-on-his-luck scholar, or rather, an old scholar.

Emperor Yongxing and the officials of the court were taken aback, never expecting that Zhao Shou would be able to "break" into the palace.

"His Majesty!"

Zhao Shou smiled and bowed.

Emperor Yongxing composed himself and forced a polite smile:

"The dean doesn't visit unless he has a specific reason."

Zhao Shou laughed:

"The matter is already before His Majesty."

Emperor Yongxing looked down blankly and saw an extra memorial on the table. He picked it up in surprise, but when he looked up again, Zhao Shou had already disappeared.

The officials looked at Emperor Yongxing, awaiting his explanation.

Emperor Yongxing unfolded the memorial, and as he read, his expression underwent extremely vivid changes. First, he was completely astonished, then his brows furrowed, and when he saw the latter part, his eyes widened as if he had seen something astonishing.

Then surprise turned into ecstasy.

"Okay, okay!"

Emperor Yongxing was overjoyed. "With the addition of the Gu Clan's elite troops, Qingzhou's urgent crisis can be temporarily alleviated. Xu Yinluo has repeatedly surprised and delighted me."

The elite of the Gu clan? Xu Yinluo and the other officials below him exchanged bewildered glances.

Qian Qingshu's eyes flickered for a moment, then he said:

"Your Majesty, is there any good news?"

Emperor Yongxing did not answer, but looked at Zhao Xuanzhen, the chief eunuch below the throne, and smiled:

"Circulate this to all gentlemen."

Zhao Xuanzhen respectfully accepted the document. He was extremely curious, but dared not peek at its contents. He respectfully handed the document to the newly appointed Grand Secretary, Qian Qingshu.

Qian Qingshu remained calm, but he received the memorial with remarkable speed. He unfolded it and read it intently. After a while, he took a deep breath:

"Minister Liu can finally get a good night's sleep."

Since the cold disaster, Minister Liu had aged several years and his Ministry of Revenue had receded several centimeters.

Upon hearing this, Minister Liu looked over sharply and said urgently:

"What does it say? Quickly, let me see it."

Qian Qingshu, who was not in the same party as you, calmly handed the memorial to Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice behind him.

Minister Sun finished reading silently, his expression extremely complex, showing both joy and melancholy.

The reason for the disappointment was that the boy who was once considered a thorn in their side was now an unapproachable figure, a top expert in the Nine Provinces.

The memorial was passed around among the officials, and their faces showed either relief or great joy. The most excited was Minister Liu.

"In this way, the situation in Qingzhou will surely be alleviated, and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and get a good night's sleep," Minister Liu almost wept with joy.

"Xu Yinluo actually managed to get the Gu Clan to form an alliance with the Great Feng. It's unbelievable, truly unbelievable."

His tone made no attempt to hide his admiration and appreciation.

The men began to whisper among themselves.

"How did he manage to get the Gu Clan to send troops at such a low cost?"

"The Gu Clan harbors deep hatred for our Great Feng, yet this time they haven't allied with Yunzhou, but instead have allied with our Great Feng?"

"He always manages to impress people. Although he's not like Wei Yuan, who can command armies and win every battle, he's still quite a figure in the realm of the extraordinary as a warrior."

"With him and the supervisor in charge, there is still some hope for the Great Feng Dynasty."

Emperor Yongxing laughed and said:

"The matter of the alliance will be drafted by the Cabinet. Do any of you ministers have any objections?"

Gentlemen:

"Your Majesty Sagacity."

After the meeting concluded, Emperor Yongxing's heavy mood, which had been weighing heavily on him for days, eased slightly. The alliance between the Gu Clan and the Great Feng was undoubtedly an encouraging piece of news.

But Emperor Yongxing still had something on his mind.

"Your Majesty, Chief Minister Qian requests an audience."

Zhao Xuanzhen stepped into the palace.

Emperor Yongxing frowned and said, "Please let him in."

Since this wasn't mentioned during the discussion in the Imperial Study, it means Qian Qingshu had something to report to the Emperor privately.

Qian Qingshu, sporting a white goatee, returned to the Imperial Study under the guidance of a eunuch.

"What matter does Chief Minister Qian wish to discuss with me privately?"

Emperor Yongxing asked without any expression.

Qian Qingshu said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, bandits are rampant in various regions. If we do not send troops to suppress them, it will inevitably lead to disaster sooner or later. Now that the pressure on Qingzhou has been greatly reduced, it is the perfect time to divide our forces to encircle and suppress them."

Emperor Yongxing remained silent in thought.

Qian Qingshu said loudly:

"Your Majesty, I am highly regarded by you and will serve you with my life, even unto death."

Emperor Yongxing was slightly moved:

"Very well, then we shall do as you say, my dear minister."

Such a prompt reply surprised Qian Qingshu, who then gladly bowed.

"Your Majesty Sagacity."

Emperor Yongxing nodded.

"My dear minister, you may leave now. I am tired."

Watching Qian Qingshu's retreating figure, Emperor Yongxing sat expressionlessly for a long time without moving.

The matter that was weighing on his mind was what Xu Xinnian had once proposed: to secretly send skilled individuals to organize refugees into bandits, plunder merchants and gentry, and quell the increasingly rampant problem of refugees.

If this decision to betray his class were to be exposed, it would alienate Emperor Yongxing from all his followers.

After much deliberation, he chose to give up.

Unexpectedly, someone in the court secretly implemented the plan and achieved great success, with its scale growing day by day.

"My enemies are not only the rebels in Yunzhou."

Emperor Yongxing murmured softly.

He knew perfectly well who his enemy was.

At the same time, he secretly made a decision: he could not delay any longer; a marriage decree was imminent.

Xu Xinnian has already harbored ulterior motives and has secretly pledged allegiance to the former Fourth Prince, now Prince Yan.

His decision will inevitably affect Xu Qi'an.

If Xu Qi'an also defectes to Prince Yan, his throne will certainly be in jeopardy.

Xu Qi'an was promoted by Wei Yuan Wei Yuan, who was an old friend of the Empress and a staunch supporter of the Fourth Prince. Moreover, Xu Qi'an had a good relationship with Huai Qing.

Now, Xu Xinnian has once again sought refuge with the Fourth Prince.

The only way Emperor Yongxing could think of to break the deadlock was to marry his younger sister Lin'an to Xu Qi'an.

In this way, the throne can be secure.

Dexinyuan.

Not long ago, Huaiqing made some renovations to his study, bringing in a sand table, a map of Qingzhou, and filling his desk with military books, including Xu Qi'an's Art of War written by Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an claimed that the book was written by his grandson, but Huaiqing knew that he had no grandson.

It's just nonsense to fool people.

It is truly remarkable that a princess would be so concerned about the war in Qingzhou.

Huaiqing was not actually an expert in military strategy, and he was a complete novice in military operations. However, in recent days, he had been studying military books behind closed doors and practicing on sand table, and his progress had been extremely rapid.

Of course, this is only an improvement in the overall perspective. Actual troop deployment relies too much on experience, and theoretical discussions are not very meaningful.

Behind the desk, the princess, dressed in an elegant long dress and exuding a cool and aloof air, unfolded a note with her slender fingers.

The note contained two things:

First, under Xu Qi'an's influence, the Gu Clan formed an alliance with Great Feng and sent troops to aid Qingzhou.

Second, Zhao Shou personally delivered the memorial from Qingzhou.

Huaiqing remained unmoved by the first piece of information, as he already knew it.

But she pondered the second message for a long time.

The light at the doorway dimmed slightly, and the palace maid, standing outside the study, said softly:

"Your Highness, Prince Yan has arrived."

Huaiqing put the note into his sleeve, got up, and went to the inner hall with the palace maid.

Inside the inner hall, the imposing Prince Yan, dressed in a purple robe and jade belt, exuded nobility and held a cup of tea in his hand, his demeanor composed and serene.

"Fourth Brother, what brings you to my Dexin Garden?"

Huaiqing said calmly.

After Emperor Yongxing ascended the throne, he "expelled" all his brothers from the palace, but his unmarried sisters were allowed to remain in the palace.

Princes rarely come to the palace.

Prince Yan dismissed the palace maids in the hall and said in a deep voice:

"I heard that Xu Qi'an has allied with the Gu Clan and, at a very low cost, has brought in Gu Clan elites to aid Qingzhou."

Huaiqing said coldly:

"That's a good thing."

Prince Yan nodded.

"It is indeed a good thing, but for me, it's not exactly a good thing, but it's not a bad thing either. At most, I'll just have to wait for another opportunity. I've come today for another matter."

"Fourth Brother, please speak."

Prince Yan said in a deep voice:

"Zhao Shou has entered the palace today. The supervisor has suppressed Cloud Deer Academy for two hundred years. Zhao Shou has only entered the palace twice in his life: once to force his father to issue an edict of self-reproach, and the other time."

"What does Huaiqing think the Supervisor means by this?"

Your visit to the palace last time was understandable, but this time, is it merely to deliver a memorial?

Huaiqing raised her hand slightly, causing her wide sleeves to slide down a bit, so as not to hinder her from serving the tea. She took a slow sip and said calmly:

Fourth Brother must have some suspicions.

Prince Yan grunted in agreement and nodded as he spoke:

"At this critical moment, the supervisor will probably have to compromise with the Cloud Deer Academy and allow Zhao Shou to enter the court as an official. A great Confucian scholar of the third rank is worth the supervisor lowering his standards."

"Fourth Brother is looking for you because he wants to go to Clear Cloud Mountain with you to pay a visit to Dean Zhao Shou."

To put it bluntly, Huaiqing is practically a student of the Cloud Deer Academy, having studied there for several years.

Zhao Shou wouldn't refuse to give her face.

Huaiqing nodded:

Even if Fourth Brother doesn't look for me, I will still come to find you.

Prince Yan laughed, "Good sister."

Phoenix Palace.

Lin'an, accompanied by two personal maids, passed through the courtyard and entered the quiet and desolate Phoenix Perch Palace.

She stepped across the threshold and entered the inner hall, only to find it as deserted as the courtyard, with the number of palace maids and nannies kept to a minimum.

Lin'an knew that her mother was making things difficult for the Empress.

However, ever since her brother the emperor ascended the throne, the empress has completely lost her temper. No matter how much her mother bullies and mistreats her, the empress ignores it.

Lin'an initially thought this was the Empress's concession and surrender. However, she overheard her mother saying in a sarcastic tone that after Wei Yuan's death, that wretched woman was like a dead person, utterly boring.

In the simple and elegant inner hall, the Empress, dressed in casual clothes, sat at the table, looking at her with an expressionless expression.

Lin'an hadn't seen the Empress for many years, but in his memory, the Empress was the same as Huaiqing—aloof and cold, never warm to anyone. But not like now, where nothing but indifference prevailed.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Lin'an respectfully bowed to his nominal mother.

The Empress was an extremely beautiful woman. Even though her youth had faded, time seemed reluctant to destroy her beauty. Her stunning appearance remained untouched by time, instead bearing the marks of years.

"His Majesty just came to see me."

The Empress looked at the woman before her; her face was round, her peach-blossom eyes were charming and amorous, and she was a woman who could seduce people without saying a word.

In comparison, her daughter Huaiqing, though no less beautiful in figure and appearance, was too aloof.

"Emperor brother?"

Lin'an was somewhat surprised.

The Empress nodded slightly, her tone calm:

"Lin'an is of marriageable age, and His Majesty has come to arrange your marriage."

Lin'an's expression suddenly changed.