The Promotion of Yuanchun in the Red Chamber

The temple name of the first emperor was Yingzong, which shows the status of the first emperor in the hearts of his subjects.

The country name of this dynasty is Daqi, and the Zhao family of the royal family is from Shandong.The country has been established for decades. Although there are wars from time to time, it can be regarded as peaceful and prosperous in general. Naturally, there is no shortage of virtuous and capable ministers in this year, and there are many scholars with strong character. His posthumous title and temple title are both fair.

Besides, the Holy Majesty has personally experienced the unreasonable partiality of the late emperor. Whether it was then or now, he has complained to his mother and concubine several times when there are no outsiders. The edict begins.

Even though the late emperor had no choice but to pass on the position of the current emperor, but in order to add trouble to the mother and son who "won a complete victory", he once secretly wrote an imperial edict, to the effect that if the current emperor cannot treat his brother well and is neither filial nor fraternal, It can be cut down by the clan.

In short, the Holy Majesty has never seen the real thing, and the news came from the eunuch who served the late emperor—of course, the father-in-law died within a few days after telling such secrets.

It is said that this posthumous edict was first preserved in the hands of the patriarchal order of the year, but the patriarchal order was still the elder of the late emperor.

The old man felt that even though the first emperor was unkind, the son's son drove his father out of his seat... The father and son are not the same, but the edict is better in his hands than in the hands of others.

So it was "safe and sound" for more than ten years, until the patriarch Ling passed away, and then the whereabouts of the will was unknown.The Holy Majesty has worked hard to govern for so many years, not to mention the return of the world, but it is almost the same. Who in the clan would dare to steal this "hot potato" and stroke the Holy Majesty's beard?Only the one in the south is ambitious and has enough capital to steal this "killer weapon" from the hands of the old clan's relatives or confidantes.

His Majesty was depressed, and he went straight to Chengqian Palace after coming out of the upper study.

The imperial concubine welcomed the sage in, dragged him to sit down, turned around and poured him tea with her own hands, "What's the matter?"

The Holy One served the tea and said bitterly: "I haven't found the last edict!"

The noble concubine laughed when she heard it, and lightly patted the Holy Majesty's shoulder, "If this 'killer' is not used well, it will be a reminder." It won't hurt your muscles and bones.

The sage also laughed when he heard this.

The imperial concubine said again: "Sooner or later, someone will show up with it, and at that time, you will be given the opportunity to send troops."

"Those who know my heart..." The Holy One patted Aifei's hand on his shoulder in relief.

In fact, the siege of the man in the south should have had results at the beginning of this year, but this man, who is worthy of being from the old Zhao family, is very strong, insisting on biting the elite sent by the Holy One, and sending troops to harass him from time to time.

In the central area of ​​Huguang, the Holy Majesty ordered the generals not to disturb the people and not to kill, which caused the war to drag on for more than half a year, until the Holy Majesty's cousin could no longer hold on... According to the news from the imperial physician present, this man was already terminally ill and under Not taking the poison is actually only a few days away.

Obviously, the fact that this man has been able to persist for so long is to allow his children to escape farther away. The Holy Majesty can't help but sigh with emotion: he is a good father.

Of course, the Holy Father is actually not bad.

But the edict still has to be chased, and his cousin's runaway children will be taken advantage of - but the cousin's sons who can stir up storms have already been caught.

It was not easy to make a decree on this matter, so the Holy Majesty simply wrote a letter to his son who was sitting on the front line, asking him to pay attention to it as much as possible. Of course, the main thing is the war.

But he said that Zhao Zhizhen's war was going well here, and he was busy with military affairs all day long, so he didn't think about it yet, and he didn't have time to pay back to the princess and his brother.

Anyway, it's all revenge, and he can't give up his personal interests because of public affairs, so he wanted to wait a little longer, at least wait until he returned to Beijing, and then received a secret order from his father... Fortunately, his father had no intention of embarrassing him at all, and now it's summer At the end, it won't be long before he can return to the capital: the snow always falls earlier in the north.

At the same time, Beidi also seems to have the intention to retreat, which can be seen by the fact that the front is retreating more and more.

Several powerful princes in Beidi are also arguing whether to continue this battle. Knowing that the highness who allyd with them has passed away, the benefits are enough anyway. In addition, the people of Beidi have been using the name of sending troops to go around in the past two years. The looting, plus what he wanted from the one in the south, probably felt that he had made enough money and needed to go back to digest it, so he didn't seem reluctant to back down this time.

Having said that, in the first place, fighting is a waste of money, so who would continue to do so if there is no benefit?

It was rare for Zhao Zhizhen to think about "not giving up" once: he led the elite cavalry to drive away the main force of Beidi for more than 200 miles, and then he packed his bags with peace of mind and returned to the capital with the first snowfall in the north.

At the same time, most of the elite transferred from the Central Army also returned from the north to the camp in the suburbs of Beijing, and Zhao Zhizhen's favorite general Li Jing was ordered to stay behind in the pass.

After all, I don't know if my father will fight against Beidi in the coming year, Zhao Zhizhen still left some elite soldiers and generals in the north.

But he said that the first thing to do when he arrived in Beijing was to pay homage to the Holy Majesty.

Just looking at the noble concubine's face, the Holy Majesty must like Lao Qi, not to mention Zhao Zhizhen is a calm and capable son who can always share his father's worries: In the past two years, this son has completely followed his requirements and stabilized the battle situation. He is greedy for merit and is not arrogant, and he will not form ~parties~selfishly indiscriminately... The Holy One has always raised this son as the King of Wu and the Worthy King.

After saying a few words, the Holy Majesty saw that his son looked good but couldn't hide his exhaustion, so he waved his hand, "Go to the palace to meet your mother and concubine, and then return home early to thank you."

Zhao Zhizhen bid farewell to his father, and went to Chengqian Palace first according to the order.

The noble concubine was much more direct than the Holy One, she took her son's arm, looked at it carefully, and then said, "It looks good to me."

Zhao Zhizhen also smiled, "Isn't it the same with the father?"

The noble concubine said: "I can't say it's smooth, but it's really a heart disease." She pointed her finger upwards, "The ancestor left a message that no one of the same clan is allowed to kill each other. If he can be unrighteous, your father must be unkind."

Zhao Zhizhen was silent: The late emperor lost the temple name of Yingzong... Father and emperor held his breath, Taizong and Shizu didn't dare to think about it, but Xuanzong and Xiaozong always wanted to give it a go.

Unlike his two elder brothers, he is not very eager for the throne, but he is not as uninterested in power as the third elder brother.

The imperial concubine saw her son looking pensive, she patted the back of his hand for fear of her son, "Go home and think about business, it's time for the concubine to tell you about the marriage."

Only then did Zhao Zhizhen raise his head slightly, "It all depends on the arrangement of my father, queen and concubine."

The imperial concubine said: "Arrange... just don't mess with the mandarin ducks."

To be honest, most of the marriages in the clan refer to marriages, and there are so many couples who refer to marriages that they live in peace, and there are indeed not many people with deep feelings, but it is rare to see Zhao Zhizhen and Liu Wei tearing up their faces so much that they are almost too lazy to talk. .

The imperial concubine always felt that she had treated her son badly.

It’s just that Liu Wei’s anniversary is still more than a month away. Zhao Zhizhen was wearing a battle armor when he was in Daying, and he was not allowed to wear sackcloth when he entered the palace to visit his mother... The imperial concubine talked about the remarriage with her son openly, and she was right. The married daughter-in-law didn't feel guilty at all.

Looking at the attitude of the mother and concubine, it is not difficult to guess the meaning of the emperor. Zhao Zhizhen originally wanted to use the excuse that the concubine is newly funeral, and the marriage will be discussed after two years... Now it seems that it is better not to bother.

But this didn't delay talking to his mother, his reluctance was already on his face, "It's rare that the mansion is more peaceful."

The imperial concubine really said: "Your father is anxious, and I am also anxious." After a pause, it was quite meaningful, "There is a princess in the mansion, and there are fewer people who care about it."

Zhao Zhizhen nodded helplessly.

The imperial concubine said again: "Your father chose the girl from the Hedong Jiedu envoy's family. I inquired about it once, and she is an honest girl. I will take a closer look at the general election next year." She thought about it, and it became more and more real, "Bei Di People's ambitions are getting bigger and bigger, and your father is planning a big battle... Han Hao, the Jiedu envoy of Hedong, will also help you.

This time, if the daughter-in-law is 'naughty' again, the concubine mother will personally take action to help your two apexes hold her firmly. "

These words really touched Zhao Zhizhen's heart.

As a prince, the prince who is still in charge of the army is not allowed to act willfully. Originally, it was not his turn to say that he was reluctant in the marriage.The concubine has already thought about him so much, how can he live up to his mother's heart.

It's just that the "two apexes" in the concubine's mouth made Zhao Zhizhen's cheeks burn slightly: Aren't his beloved concubine Yuanchun and his eldest son Zhao Han his apex...

Lao Qi is the pride of the imperial concubine, but as a mother, she always feels that Lao Qi has been too sensible and calm since childhood, and even a little... lifeless.

Seeing her son's appearance now, she felt relieved, and she still did not forget to joke, "Look, this blushing one."

Zhao Zhizhen raised his head and said solemnly: "Mother, my son is thin-skinned."

Coming out of Chengqian Palace, Zhao Zhizhen naturally wanted to sit with Concubine Shu.

Concubine Shu was nagging, Zhao Zhizhen listened quietly with his head slightly lowered.She cared about Lao Qi, and began to worry about Xiao Twelve's marriage.

When Zhao Zhizhen heard about it, he said, "Why don't you ask the imperial concubine?"

Concubine Shu was startled, and immediately said in a low voice: "I don't dare to make the decision."

Zhao Zhizhen was able to say goodbye after listening to his parents' gossip.

Back at the palace, not only Chang Shi's staff, guards and other confidantes, but also Yuan Chun and Zhao Han came out together - daughter Zhao Xuan stood behind brother Zhao Han, much quieter than before.

But it was said that Zhao Zhizhen stepped into the gate of the palace, met his son, subordinates and daughter respectively, and then went to Yuanchun's courtyard... the period was more than half an hour.

Jian'er finally turned one year old. Since Liu Wei's funeral is not yet over, there is no celebration, but the whole family sits down and has a meal together.

I haven't seen him for half a year, and Yuan Chun doesn't know if this kid still remembers his father.Fortunately, Jian'er was very peaceful lying in his father's arms, holding his father's neckline as if he wanted to take a bite.

Zhao Zhizhen smiled and said, "It's sinking a lot."

After washing up and changing clothes, the two sat on the kang together, and Jianer grabbed a cloth tiger between the two to play by himself.

Yuan Chun said at this moment: "The prince has worked hard."

Zhao Zhizhen smiled, "It's okay. But the mansion is always the most comfortable."

Yuan Chun saw that the prince's face was not bad, so he slowly told about Aunt He's sending a letter of help - after that, Jia Min came to visit again, as if he didn't remember it at all.

Zhao Zhizhen propped his temples, with a smile on the corner of his mouth, "Master Lin has a heart." It's a pity that Master Lin is an important minister of the father and emperor, he had better not come to make friends.But it's most appropriate to be close to each other like this, but not too showy.

Yuan Chun thought for a while, and expressed his own opinion, "My uncle was once a censor of salt inspection, and there are many old stories in Yangzhou. If the deficit of the princess's natal family is a small number, it may not be passed on to my uncle's ears, and I will not let it go. My aunt came here to tell you something."

If the Fei family only corrupted tens of thousands of taels, or even 10,000+ taels, this kind of innocuous crime would at most make the Fei family suffer—but the Fei family is the prince’s family, and for 10,000+ taels, the prince’s face will be disgraced. Well, most people are not that stupid.

"That's right," Zhao Zhizhen continued to smile, "How many do you think there will be?"

Yuan Chun said softly: "One million?"

Zhao Zhizhen clapped his hands lightly, "Exactly."

Yuan Chun was silent for a while, but still said cautiously, "Does the Holy One know?"

"I guess I can't hide it."

"If brother Crown Princess gives up his place..." Yuan Chun thought it would be good to stop.

Zhao Zhizhen nodded, "Is your cousin planning this job?"

"That's not it." Yuan Chun was a little apprehensive: her natal brothers had their own thoughts, but she really couldn't control them.

Zhao Zhizhen stared at Yuan Chun for a long time, and suddenly laughed, "Don't be afraid. He is him, and you are you. Besides, people have their own ambitions, and you can't force them."

Yuan Chun's heart warmed up, "Thank you, my lord, for your understanding."

Zhao Zhizhen smiled and said: "This is too much." After a pause, he said again, "By the way, I haven't congratulated your brother for being promoted yet!"

Speaking of this, Yuan Chun couldn't help but smile like a flower, "I don't want to hide it from the lord, my natal family wants to stand out, I'm afraid most of them will depend on my brother."

Jia Lian took the provincial examination in Jinling, but failed to get the middle prize, but... came third in the examination.When the news came back to her natal family, both parents and sister-in-law were overjoyed.The son won the exam this year, and the Jinshi next year... Rongfu will be transformed from Wu to Wen, and the restoration of its former glory seems to be in sight.

Yuan Chun thought about this, and added a little emotion, "Zhongju is so happy... there are still a few outstanding children in the family."

This is not entirely true...Zhao Zhizhen told Yuan Chun how Jia Lian and Jia Rong behaved in the north: Jia Lian at least learned to listen more, watch more and talk less.

So Zhao Zhizhen said fairly: "It's not that he is not outstanding, at least he lacks good opportunities."

Yuan Chun also smiled, "My lord is always so considerate."

Zhao Zhizhen said in his heart: I am not considerate to everyone.

The palace is warm and cozy, and at the same time, the atmosphere in the study of Ningguo Mansion is extremely harmonious.

Jia Zhenzheng had a happy conversation with the eldest son of Han Hao, the Jiedu envoy of Hedong.But Jia Zhen once again convinced from her son Jia Rong that the Seventh Prince was somewhat "cautious and independent": usually he rarely helps, but at critical moments, he may be able to help.

But... the prince and the elder brother of the princess do not get along very well, but he has never done it himself. Jia Zhen thinks that if he can give the elder brother of the princess a ready-made handle, the prince will take care of it for the sake of this matter. The next son Jia Rong.

Coincidentally, Young Master Han, who was sitting opposite Jia Zhen, also looked down on the Crown Princess and her brother - the reason is very simple, domineering, arrogant, ugly, unwilling to let people get close to the Crown Prince, not to mention, because the Fei family caravan passed by Hedong, and They have caused trouble for the Han family several times.

The Han family will not have trouble with the prince, but if they find an opportunity to settle the matter with the Fei family, there is no problem at all.

As for Jia Zhen's acquaintance with this young master Han, it was because of Wang Ziteng's matchmaking.The two of them had to plot against the princess' brother, the "well-known" eldest son of the Fei family, and they hit it off right away.

The Feijia caravan smuggled salt and iron to the territory of the Beidi people. In addition to taking the northern line at the pass, they would also go out from the pass at the east of the river through the official road.The Han family kept a rough idea of ​​how much salt and iron they had smuggled over the years.

It's a pity that the Han family is a big official in the frontier, and their contacts in Beijing are still limited. Of course, no one dares to come forward and bring this matter to light.

But Jia Zhen dared, at least he could see the prince.The two discussed a plan overnight, so Jia Zhen really picked an auspicious day, and handed over all the evidence that the eldest son of the Han family had handed over to him in one go.

The crown prince took the booklet, his gaze froze for a moment, and then he was silent for a long time, "People's hearts are not old." Then he laughed at himself and asked Jia Zhen, "Aren't you afraid that I will turn my face?"

Jia Zhen said solemnly: "I'm afraid. But I'm even more afraid that His Highness will be deceived by villains."

After sending Jia Zhen away, the prince sat in the study for half a day: no one knew that the confidant he trusted was actually a greedy villain, and even relied on his own reputation to deceive and cheat... half a day is not enough to worry about.The prince is actually chilling now, he has just saved this brother-in-law, who knows that the seventh brother left the northern camp, and then sent a caravan to go out to make a profit!

It's a pity that he can abandon the elder brother of the princess, but he can't abandon the entire Fei family. It just so happens that Jia Zhen handed in the "Certificate of Voting", so it's good to let them check each other.

In fact, what he really valued was the new scholars after next year's competition. As for Xungui...his good brother was trapped in Xungui's circle and couldn't extricate himself.

It's just that although there are many nobles around the eldest prince, what he really cares about is the generals leading the troops.

Right now the eldest prince is writing a letter to Wang Ziteng in his study: Encourage him to make more friends with local gentry and merchants, and at the same time the generals in the camp are also working hard, so they should keep in touch.

Wang Ziteng who received the letter naturally would not neglect, he did not say that he was at ease at the gate, but he did win over some people - in the name of the eldest prince.

And Jia Lian saw with his own eyes the Seventh Prince's confidant Li Jing going to his uncle Wang Ziteng's banquet in the middle of winter... He was stunned for a moment, went back to his home and hesitated for two days, and finally wrote to his cousin Jia Zhu letter home.

Of course, there is a reason why Jia Lian cared so much just watching Wang Ziteng and Li Jing having a meal together.Jia Lian wrote very clearly in the letter to Jia Zhu: After Wang Ziteng took office, he found out the culprit of the broken leg, and began to collect money with confidence. Although Jia Lian knew who Wang Ziteng was backing, the money went to Fei's family. On, he felt very inappropriate.This time, he came forward to deliberately make friends with the general guarding the gate, and this person is also the seventh prince's confidant...

One must know that Jia Lian had considered for a long time whether to follow the prince or favor the seventh prince.Wang Ziteng is on three boats like this... Jia Lian must ask Ji Yu's cousin.

Half a month after receiving the letter, Jia Zhu carefully read his brother's letter from home, and when he replied, there were only four words about Wang Ziteng: leave him alone.

And Zhao Zhizhen had learned about the news of Prince Teng, the governor, from the superstition sent by Li Jing early on, and the reply was also the same four words: don't pay attention.

If Wang Ziteng could easily buy Li Jing, Zhao Zhizhen wouldn't need to bring his soldiers, but at the end of the year, when the joy was happy, someone contacted Li Jing quietly... This time Zhao Zhizhen couldn't sit idly by: He is the eldest son of Han Hao, the governor of Hedong, and the eldest son of the Han family.

The author has something to say: The concubine's maiden name is Fei, this is really a cold joke...