Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 48 Undercurrent (4K)

Li Daoyuan put down the pen in his hand and took the invitation to join the Qinghe Palace's selection of talents handed to him by the old servant.

Li Daoyuan also didn't know whether it was Cui Guang or Li Chong who played a role in getting the Prince of Qinghe to send an invitation to him, a layman who was idle at home editing books.

But Li Daoyuan knew that as long as Prince Qinghe nodded, he could be reinstated and return to the court at any time.

Qinghe Prince Yuan Yi was in charge of the Menxia Province, whose original duty was to "offer advice and corrections", and it was the department responsible for the emperor's daily life.

The Menxia Province had six bureaus, namely Zuoyou, Shangshi, Shangyao, Zhuyi, Zhaishuai and Dianzhong. Among them, Shangshi, Shangyao and Zhuyi were responsible for the emperor's daily living, travel and medical treatment. They were internal agencies serving the emperor similar to the Huangmen system of eunuchs.

However, with the reforms of Emperor Xiaowen, the Menxia Province, the only one of the three provinces located in the Forbidden City, became a decision-making body that helped the emperor make plans and assist the emperor in handling court affairs, just like the Shangshu Office in the Han Dynasty.

The top-level official positions of "Sanqi Changshi" and "Jieshi Zhong", which were for nobles to start their careers, all belonged to the Menxia Province.

When Li Daoyuan first entered the officialdom, he was appointed Palace Attendant, offering advice to Emperor Xiaowen and promoting the vigorous Sinicization reform.

In other words, the Menxia Province was the channel for the top second-generation officials of the Northern Wei Dynasty to enter the officialdom.

It is also responsible for giving advice to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and is the department closest to the decision-making center.

The Ministry of Personnel also controlled the power to review the reports submitted by other departments. Yuan Yi, the Prince of Qinghe, was ranked first among the "Eight Dukes".
Of course, important affairs of the court could not be decided so easily. The reason why Prince Qinghe invited Li Daoyuan to join the court was to build momentum for Li Daoyuan and let all the officials know that he would return to the court.

Li Daoyuan was not excited about returning to the court, but became more worried.

He carved the two things he had advised Cui Guang and the two things Li Chong had told him on bamboo slips, preparing to offer advice to Prince Qinghe when he entered the court to select the best troops.

At the same time, the princes, princesses and their husbands-in-law of the Northern Wei in Luoyang were also invited.

The noble families with the surname Jia were also invited, and they all expressed that they would send important family members to participate in the entry and selection ceremony of the Qinghe Palace.

Most of the important officials of the Northern Wei Dynasty lived in the city. The reason was naturally that the inner city was closer to the imperial palace and the court, making it convenient for them to participate in political affairs. In addition, the city was protected by the Luoyang city wall and was safer than outside the city.

Jianyangli is outside the city because it is the area where the imperial guards and their families live. If all the Yulin Huben soldiers lived in the city, the nobles in Luoyang would be uneasy.

However, the mansion of Danyang Duke Xiao Baoyin was built outside the city, and he lived in Jinlingli near Siyi Pavilion.

Jinlingli is a neighborhood specially for southerners returning from the north to live in. Living here, Xiao Baoyin can hear the accent of his hometown and eat the food of his hometown.

It can be said that the Northern Wei Dynasty was quite good to the southern scholars who returned north. After Xiao Baoyin fled north, Emperor Xuanwu personally gave him his sister, Princess Nanyang, who was also the daughter of Emperor Xiaowen, in marriage.

Compared to Princess Lanling and her husband, who had a small quarrel every three days and a big quarrel every five days, Xiao Baoyin and Princess Nanyang lived in harmony and respect for each other after their marriage. They were a rare couple in the Northern Wei royal family.

Princess Nanyang personally carried the food tray to her husband's study.

On the food plate was the Southern Dynasty's Spring Dian, which was also how Princess Nanyang learned to make from the Southern Dynasty women who fled north. She pushed the door open and went in, and saw Xiao Baoyin still writing something.

Princess Nanyang had been pampered for a long time and had a plump body. You couldn't tell at all that she had given birth to two sons. She exuded the temperament of a gentle wife.

Many of Emperor Xiaowen's children were outstanding in appearance, and as sisters they looked similar. Princess Nanyang was a mature and beautiful version of Princess Chenliu.

"Husband, please use some spring points."

Princess Nanyang held a plate of food and sat opposite Xiao Baoyin. Her husband had been fighting outside for a long time and had finally returned to Luoyang, but he wanted to continue his southern expedition all day long.

After giving birth to her second son, Xiao Baoyin never touched her body again. Princess Nanyang looked at her husband with resentment, but he did not even raise his head and continued to write furiously.

"My dear husband, now that the world is at peace and the war is over, why don't you rest at home?"

Princess Nanyang put down the food plate, moved behind her husband, grabbed Xiao Baoyin's shoulders and rubbed against him.

But Xiao Baoyin was as still as a stone, and said without raising his head: "The Liang thieves are insidious and cunning. The peace between the two countries is just a way to recuperate. I will write to the court and ask them not to let the Liang thieves live in peace. Just give me 10,000 troops to go to Shouyang!"

Princess Nanyang did not understand military affairs, but she had heard from her younger sister, Princess Chenliu, that although the Northern Wei had achieved a temporary victory after the Battle of Fushan Weir, the southern states of the Wei were also severely damaged, and the court was unable to pursue after the Southern Liang withdrew its troops.

In the Battle of Fushan Weir, Li Chong became famous throughout the world. Her husband Xiao Baoyin, as an assist, was also rewarded by the court. Her eldest son was also arranged to marry his brother Emperor Xuanwu's daughter Princess Jiande. The Xiao family had already become one of the top families in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

However, the Northern Wei's great victory was also a tragic one, as they only managed to hold on to Shouyang.

Over the years, the Northern Wei and Southern Liang had engaged in a fierce battle for Shouyang.

Shouyang was originally in the hands of the Northern Wei, but a few years ago, Chen Bozhi, a surrendered general of the Southern Liang, rebelled against the Northern Wei with Shouyang and returned to the Southern Liang because of a letter to Chen Bozhi from Qiuci of the Southern Liang.

The Northern Wei then recaptured Shouyang. The Southern Liang once again led a large army to attack Shouyang and built the Fushan Weir to prepare for a water attack on Shouyang. However, they were defeated because the Fushan Weir collapsed prematurely. The Northern Wei took advantage of the victory to consolidate the Shouyang defense line, but they were unable to continue the pursuit.

Her younger sister, Princess Chenliu, also said that no one in the court wanted to continue fighting against Southern Liang, and her husband's repeated petitions were doomed to be futile and would instead arouse the empress dowager's disgust.

But Princess Nanyang didn't know how to persuade her husband. She suddenly thought of her sister Princess Chenliu's suggestion: why not keep the prince consort at home and have another child?
When Princess Nanyang thought of this, her body became hot, but her husband was still like a cold stone and had no reaction at all.

"Husband~"

Princess Nanyang dressed up beautifully today, but her husband remained unmoved.

Xiao Baoyin continued writing, "In a few months, your brother, the Prince of Qinghe, will be selected to join the army. Now that the Prince of Qinghe has made an appointment, I can lead the army to the south as long as he agrees!"

"Would you like to go to the Qinghe Palace in the next few days? You two siblings should have a good relationship, right?"

Princess Nanyang was somewhat disheartened. She had married Xiao Baoyin because of his talent in both civil and military affairs. But now Xiao Baoyin was still only thinking about the southern expedition and completely neglected her.

She said angrily, "Prince Qinghe and I are not born from the same mother. Princess Lanling is the brother of Prince Qinghe."

Xiao Baoyin murmured, "Princess Lanling? The family of Prince Song Liu Hui? I don't have much friendship with the Prince Song's mansion, but I can give it a try."

Xiao Baoyin once again planned to offer advice to Prince Qinghe, and said to Princess Nanyang: "You go back to sleep first. I will sleep in the study today."

The silk handkerchief in Princess Danyang's hand was almost torn to pieces, but seeing that her husband was unmoved, she could only leave alone.

In the Siyi Pavilion not far from the Danyang Palace, the Rouran King Anaguiji sat on the ground and looked at his subordinates and asked:
"How's the matter of borrowing troops going?"

One of the subordinates said tremblingly: "The important officials of Wei have accepted our gifts, but no one has spoken for us regarding the borrowing of troops."

"waste!"

Anagui said angrily, and his subordinates fell to the ground, trembling all over. Anagui's luck was indeed bad. After inheriting the position of Khan, he got a shabby family property.

The Rouran tribes were divided, and the Gaoche Kingdom rose. Not long after Anagui became Khan, he fled to the Northern Wei with the treasures of the royal tent.

Now Anagui visited the important officials of the Northern Wei Dynasty, hoping to persuade Queen Mother Hu to send troops to help him regain the throne of Rouran Khan.

But now in the court, General Li Chong of the Cavalry had clearly expressed his opposition to helping Anagui regain the throne of Khan. Li Chong, relying on the prestige of the victory at Fushan Weir, was now the military figurehead of the Northern Wei Dynasty. With his strong opposition, other important officials did not dare to express their views.

But Li Chong was greedy for money and lustful, and he turned a blind eye to the treasures and beauties presented by Anagui. How could he not let go? This made Anagui increasingly annoyed.

The day will come when the treasures in the king's tent will run out. Every day longer that he stays in the Northern Wei, his influence on the grassland will be reduced.

At this time, a subordinate said: "Khan, the King of Qinghe is the leader of the Eight Dukes. As long as he nods in agreement, the court will agree to send troops."

Anagui thought for a moment and said, "Go get my hunting falcon!"

Everyone was shocked. This hunting falcon was Anagui's most precious pet. When he first came to Luoyang, a Northern Wei merchant offered it a hundred gold coins, but Anagui refused to sell it.

A spirited hunting falcon was brought into the room. Anagui stroked the falcon's feathers and said, "I will use it to show its power when we go hunting! Then I will give it to King Qinghe!"

In the residence of Zang Shucheng Hou Gang, he was playing with the glass given by the Rouran King Anagui.

This glass is completely different from the opaque colored glass from the Central Plains. It is transparent and flawless white. It is said that it was sold to the Gaoche Kingdom from the distant Qin Dynasty. It was the spoils of the previous generation of King Rouran when he conquered the capital of the Gaoche Kingdom.

This glass was also Hou Gang’s favorite gift, but he wiped the glass clean and put it in a wooden box.

"Grandpa! This is your favorite treasure! Do you really want to give it to King Qinghe?"

Hou Gang’s son Hou Yuan said reluctantly.

Hou Gang said sternly: "It's because of you, the rebellious son, that I was dismissed! Now that you want to be reinstated, of course you have to curry favor with Prince Qinghe!"

Hou Yuan lowered his head. In the past, he had fought against a Han Chinese Yulin Lang in the Yulin Army. The Hou family was a Xianbei clan. During a conflict, Hou Yuan lost his temper and took out the armor from the armory to fight with the Han Chinese Yulin.

Taking armor out of the armory was a capital crime. At that time, Hou Gang's positions were Shizhong, Fujun General, and Weiwei Qing, and Weiwei was also the commander of the garrison troops in charge of the Yulin Huben Imperial Guards.

In order to prevent his son's misfortune from affecting himself, Hou Gang took the initiative to arrest the Han Yu Lin Lang, intending to pin the crime of armor-wearing fighting on him.

However, the scale of the fight was large, and there were many witnesses. It even caused conflicts between the Xianbei and Han people. Hou Gang tortured the Han Yu Lin Lang for three days and three nights, but the other party still refused to plead guilty and finally died in the prison of the Weiwei Mansion.

Because of the case of torturing Yulin to death, Hou Yuan was impeached by the Imperial Censor-in-Chief Yuan Kuang and was originally sentenced to death.

The Han nobles compromised and were unwilling to force them too much. Empress Dowager Hu summoned Han officials who were familiar with criminal law to discuss the matter. Chief Justice Pei Yanjun quoted from classics and used the excuse that Hou Gang tortured his subordinates but did not kill them intentionally, but accidentally caused death while performing his duties, so he only dismissed Hou Gang from his post, and Hou Yuan was only expelled from the Yulin Army.

Hou Gang was demoted to the lowest position, but recently he was reinstated as the Chancellor of Zang Shu because of his relationship with Yuan Yi, the favorite of the Empress Dowager.

Hou Gang certainly didn't want to be a Zang Shucheng who guarded the armory. Recently, he had been trying to curry favor with Qinghe Prince Yuan Yi, hoping to be recommended by Qinghe Prince for a more important position.

Hou Yuan has calmed down since the last incident. He said, "Grandpa, I heard that Li Daoyuan was recommended by Li Chong and he is also vying for the position of Henan Yin!"

Hou Gang smiled and said, "It would be better if Li Chong did not recommend him. If Li Chong had recommended Li Daoyuan, my father's position as the governor of Henan would have been secure."

Hou Yuan looked at his father in confusion, and Hou Gang said:

"After the assassination, the Queen Mother was uneasy. Don't you think there are too many Han ministers in the court?"

"Moreover, the governor of Henan is in charge of the city gate officer, an important position that controls the troops in the capital. How can we let a Han person take this position?"

"As long as I get the recommendation from the King of Qinghe, the position of Henan Yin will be secure!"

The curfew had no effect on those high-ranking families. The servants of important officials holding various pass badges shuttled back and forth in Luoyang City, and undercurrents surged in the city.

As an ordinary Yulin soldier, Su Ze ended his rest and dressed neatly early and went to the armory.

After paying the "armor money" as a tribute, Su Ze put on his armor and gathered at the palace gate again.

However, the captain Xi Ping who was assigned to the guard duty this time had died, but his disappearance did not cause any waves, and the captain brought a new captain today.

"Lu Zheng is your new captain."

After the captain read out the appointment, he left quickly, but the Han soldiers who had been guarding the Chenliu Princess's monastery with Su Ze began to feel indignant.

"Why isn't Su Ze the captain?"

"Another nationality is here to serve as team leader!"

Facing the unconvinced lower-level soldiers, Lu Zheng was not as tough as his predecessor Xi Ping. Instead, he called Su Ze and said:

"It is said that you, Su Ze, are outstanding in martial arts. Do you also want to participate in the selection of the Qinghe Palace's entry?"

Lu Zheng? This name is also on the list of people who bribed the steward of Qinghe Palace. Could it be him?

Su Ze looked at Lu Zheng and didn't want to have too much contact with Lu Zheng, so he crossed his hands and said, "Yes."

Who knew that Lu Zheng would lean over to his ear and say, "I want to participate in the selection of forwards as well. When I enter the Qinghe Palace, I will recommend you to be the captain, how about that?"

"As long as you help me when I am selecting the strikers, I will get you into the Qinghe Palace if I have the chance in the future."

Su Ze was stunned for a moment, then immediately said loudly and seriously: "King Qinghe is selecting the best soldiers, and when selecting the best soldiers, of course everyone will be selected based on their own abilities!"

"it is good!"

"well said!"

Hearing the Han soldiers cheering from the lower ranks, Lu Zheng's face changed and he said, "You bastards! Su Ze, and the rest of you, go guard the city wall!"

There are at least 6000 words updated in the past few days. Thank you for your support.

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(End of this chapter)