After rebirth, I made the princes cry

Yingshu looked at the plaque with the words "Nanzheng" on it.

Nanzheng was once the seat of Hanzhong County. Nanzheng was a city, not a wine shop or restaurant, but now Nanzheng Pavilion is just a restaurant in Hanzhong City.

"Who is the owner of Nanzheng Pavilion?" Yingshu asked.

"It is the Hanzhong Prefect. He is currently in the General's Mansion in Hanzhong entertaining your country's Right Deputy Envoy and the Commander of the Diplomatic Envoy." Gao was very pleased.

The prince couldn't help but said: "It turns out that the governor of your country can actually do business."

"In Zhao State, there are many princes and nobles who are merchants. Otherwise, places like Nanzheng Pavilion cannot be much different from ordinary restaurants and hotels." Gao had already walked into Nanzheng Pavilion with pride, and she became more and more brisk: "In the past in Luoyang, I have also seen many restaurants and hotels. The more places that entertain nobles, the more elegant rooms and compartments they have. Although elegant, they are not grand enough. The most luxurious place in Nanzheng Pavilion is the main hall in the front hall. Please take a seat, my two envoys."

Yingshu had just entered the beautifully decorated front hall when she heard a commotion outside.

He turned around and looked out the door.

At the other end of the street, in front of another restaurant, there was a domineering girl holding a long whip, whipping the male servant who was crawling on the ground. As she whipped him, the girl shouted, "It's because I brought a captive like you with me that I'm so unlucky. My mount was just walking on the road and was hit by bird droppings!"

The girl spoke Chinese, or elegant language, which Yingshu could understand.

The captives and slaves refer to the survivors.

"She is the sister-in-law of the governor of Hanzhong. It is said that the governor of Hanzhong has a concubine who is a descendant of the Han Dynasty. No one knows whether it is true or not. Liu Ji's father used to be a farmer in Hanzhong. He had no sons, only these two daughters. Logically speaking, a girl of the Liu family cannot be called the sister-in-law of the governor of Hanzhong, but the governor of Hanzhong is willing to give her the honor of the sister-in-law.

Although this woman has not married yet, the number of captives killed or injured by her in the streets is at least the number of a pair of fingers. She now treats the captives as cats and dogs. "

The Lord of Shenyuan Palace felt even more nauseous after landing than when he was on the boat.

When they returned to Hanzhong Posthouse, Dianjun pulled Yingshu aside and whispered, "I don't believe that people of the same clan would kill each other!"

Yingshu, however, felt that such things really existed.

There are also many nobles in Dayu who regard human life as worthless. They only care about the noble and the humble, and do not distinguish between the Chinese and foreigners.

"Before the Yi tribe invaded China, they also treated the common people of the same tribe as slaves, beating and killing them at will, treating them like ants. Even now that the six tribes have established their own country in our Chinese city-states, there are still distinctions between the superiors and the inferiors within their tribes. We are only in Hanzhong now. In addition to the survivors, the civilians we saw today were actually soldiers of the Qiang tribe. The Yi tribe is different from Dayu. They have always valued soldiers. What's more, now that they have many survivors as slaves, they will not treat soldiers as servants. My Lord, there are more survivors than Qiang people."

The prince was still puzzled.

"Among these survivors, some have already submitted to the Northern Han court. Some, like the little maid we met today, only know that she is a slave and is not aware that she is a survivor of Dayu. She no longer has any sense of home and country, but she must be eager to get rid of the life of slavery and oppression and completely lose her freedom. The Northern Han court used coercion to destroy them, and in fact, they were afraid.

When the Chinese nation unified the nine provinces, if the monarch was cruel, corrupt officials were rampant, and the people were living in poverty, riots would occur, which is why there were changes of dynasties. Even if there were no foreign invasions, there would still be changes of dynasties. "

The Palace Master heaved a sigh of relief: "That's why Ah Shu stopped me from rescuing that little maid today."

"We are unable to rescue her now. If we let her stay with us, she will fall into even greater risks. Lord, Gao's words and deeds today are very strange. She intends to let us see the tortures suffered by the survivors of the Northern Han Dynasty. She also intends to lead us to the human market and let us understand what Wumei Cang is. The little maid we saw today is indeed in a miserable situation, but if we are moved by compassion and keep her by our side, we cannot prevent her from being bought by someone with ulterior motives.

Just like I said, they will do anything to escape from their miserable situation! Jiang Tai will not harm the prince, but Gao is from the noble family of Northern Zhao.

Before reaching Chang'an, the conspiracy was already approaching.

"Thanks to Ah Shu by my side." The Lord of the Divine Yuan Palace sighed, "At that time, I really wanted to agree to Gao's request, but that little maid was so pitiful that I couldn't bear it."

"Gao chose today to test me. She is still afraid of Jiang Baiji. And I clearly showed my hard-hearted side today. She must know that her evil plan will not succeed. From now on, my lord, just pretend that you didn't notice anything. Or if you are not happy with Gao's words, just give her a cold look. It's all fine."

"I will listen to you, but Ah Shu, I also trust the Fifth Prince. It's not that I don't trust the Third Prince, but I'm not sure whether the Third Prince will act on impulse and keep someone who shouldn't be around. The Fifth Prince can't stop him."

Yingshu was not worried about this at all.

There is no need for the six northern countries to target the prince of Dayu.

There are seven princes in Dayu. The most important one, Sikong Beichen, is safely in Jiankang City. Although the third prince and Nanci both have the possibility of seizing the throne, the six northern countries are hoping for civil strife in Dayu. They will not remove the "stumbling block" on behalf of Sikong Beichen. Although Sikong Beichen may take the opportunity to eliminate the trouble, he does not have such great ability.

Moreover, the Third Prince should not have such broad sympathy.

In fact, the Lord of Shenyuan Palace has never really entered the arena of power. She would not understand that even some people in the poorest class have the most primitive and vigorous desires. However, the princes, even Nanci, would not easily trust a stranger, no matter whether the stranger was a noble or a slave.

This also applies to her.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, the delegation began to travel to Chang'an. Although the Baoxiade Road passed through high mountains and was winding, there was a post station every five miles, a pavilion every ten miles, and a post station every thirty miles. The entire route was built along the water, so there was no shortage of supplies and it could be used by horses and carriages. The Lord of Shenyuan Palace did not feel tired on this mountain plank road, and Yingshu was also very "adaptable". She even rode more and took less carriages, which made Gao look at her with admiration and praised her sincerely: "I didn't expect that the Left Deputy Envoy looked weak, but his riding skills were so amazing."

Even carriages can pass through. The plank road is not steep and does not require superb riding skills. However, riding a horse is more physically demanding than riding a carriage. However, it is not a march or a war, it is just a slow walk. How can Yingshu not handle it? She raised her eyebrows and said, "When we get to Chang'an, if there is a chance, I will really ask you to teach me the art of riding and shooting."

"The deputy envoy actually knows archery?"

"It is precisely because I am not proficient that I need to ask for advice."

"I have heard that ladies in your country are fond of music, chess, calligraphy and painting, so why is the deputy envoy so interested in riding and shooting?"

"Of course, I like music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but that doesn't conflict with my interest in archery. Born in troubled times, in addition to studying classics, history and fine arts, if I have the spare time, I might as well dabble in more skills."

At this time, the Peacock Terrace was visible in the distance. Looking at the pavilion on the high hill, Yingshu recalled what Sikong Yuehu had told her in detail while pointing at the map. When the north and south of the country were unified, the Peacock Terrace was a simple scenic spot and historical site. In the village under the high hill, there were two famous scholars, Hanxi Shuangyin, who had lived here for a long time. Shuangyin took a fancy to a boy from a farmer's family in the village and taught him all he had learned. Later, the boy left the countryside and went to Guanzhong. He was selected as an official and became a wise prime minister.

After Shuangyin's student retired, he returned to his hometown. Shuangyin had passed away at that time. The student remembered that his teacher once took him to the top of Peacock Ridge, allowing him to overlook the mountains and rivers from afar, and telling him that beyond the remote mountains and ridges, the prosperous and magnificent capital was not far away.

The Peacock Terrace was actually built by this student in memory of his deceased master.

Because the Peacock Tower was built on a high mountain, it was convenient for looking around and far. In the times of chaos and strife, the Peacock Tower near Wuling Pass served as a sentry post. Since it was a sentry post, not everyone could climb up the Peacock Ridge. Yingshu even stopped her horse and looked up at the Peacock Tower for a long time.

"Does the deputy envoy know about Peacock Terrace?" Gao asked.

Ying Shu then retracted her gaze, tapped the stirrup, and continued to walk with Gao: "I like to read miscellaneous books. I read about the story of Peacock Terrace in a travelogue. Just now, I heard from my lady that we will stay at Wuling Pass Posthouse today. I have been keeping an eye on it all the way. The shape of the Peacock Ridge is indeed like a peacock's tail, so I guessed that the terrace must be the Peacock Terrace built by Zhuo Gongji, a famous minister of Daji."

Yingshu originally had no intention of going up to the pavilion, but she deliberately showed her familiarity with the many obstacles on the Baoxiade Road, and she did have other intentions.

Unexpectedly, Gao said, "I passed by Peacock Ridge on my way to Hanzhong. Of course, I know there is a Peacock Tower on the Peacock Ridge, but I don't know when the Peacock Tower was built, let alone who built it. There is only a small village at the foot of Peacock Ridge, and the people in the village are all illiterate farmers. How could a famous minister of the Daji Dynasty come from there? Then I really want to climb the Peacock Tower to take a look. I'm sure the chief envoy will also be interested in climbing the ridge and listening to the deputy envoy's detailed account of this story."

So after arriving at Wuling Pass at noon that day, they took a short rest and then started climbing the mountain.

When the world was at peace, there was no need to station heavy troops to defend Wuling Pass, but now it was a time of strife and conflict. In addition to the farmers who had lived here for generations and made a living by farming, the villages under Peacock Ridge also had a number of soldiers stationed there, so they developed into towns. In fact, the villagers were also survivors, but this small village did not have fertile land, and the nobles of the Qiang tribe had no interest in such desolate mountains and wilderness. The villagers were lucky enough to have kept their fields and houses, but, compared to the peaceful times, they could not be said to be living and working in peace and contentment now.

Most of the grain, vegetables and fruits they harvested were supplied to the garrison as military rations. The young and strong men were responsible for cutting wood and building camps, and the women had to cook three meals a day and wash clothes for the garrison. Young wives and daughters were even more frightened and hid at home, not daring to go out. They must have suffered many brutal abuses by the soldiers.

Yingshu discovered that the young woman in charge of cleaning the inn where they would stay tonight was extremely beautiful and quite aggressive in her words and deeds, daring to reprimand those soldiers who were peeking their heads out.

When they returned to the post station from the Peacock Terrace, Yingshu called the woman to talk to her, and Gao listened beside them.

"Are you employed as a servant at the post station?"

"Your Excellency has a good eye. There are many servants in Wuling Pass, but only I can get paid. It's not because of my ability, but because of my husband. My mother-in-law is Qiang, and my husband is also half Qiang. He is now conscripted as a soldier, so I was hired by the post station. Not only am I exempt from military taxes, but I can also get a few dou of rice and a piece of silk every month."

"So, you are also of Qiang nationality?"

"Yes, my parents died early, and I was actually supported by my father-in-law and mother-in-law. When my father-in-law went to the mountains to cut wood, he met my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law followed her widowed mother and wanted to go to Shuzhou to live with her uncle who was doing business. Who knew that her widowed mother died of illness on the way. My father-in-law helped my mother-in-law bury her widowed mother. He thought he would be a good person to the end, so he simply sent my mother-in-law to Shuzhou to live with her relatives. Who knew that when they arrived in Shuzhou, they found out that my mother-in-law's uncle had lost money and sold the house at a low price to others. He disappeared. My mother-in-law was left alone, so my father-in-law had no choice but to bring her back. The two got married and lived together.

Over the years, my mother-in-law has forgotten that she is Qiang. She has gotten used to the life in Quetai Village and has gotten along well with the neighbors. If it weren’t for the fact that so many soldiers were stationed in Wuling Pass, causing chaos in Quetai Village and nearly humiliating me, my mother-in-law would not have wanted to admit that she is Qiang. "

Gao pretended to be surprised: "The people here are all good people. How could a good woman be raped by a soldier?"

"I don't know that the law protects the people of good ethnicity. I only know that the people of Qiang ethnicity are given preferential treatment."

Yingshu tilted her head and looked at Gao: "My lady, you are very interested in the deeds of Zhuo Gongji, a famous minister of Daji today. I suddenly remembered that I forgot to mention one thing. During the reign of Emperor Shizong of Daji, the expedition to Xiongnu was launched and the Xiongnu was driven out of Mobei. In a battle in which the Xiongnu was defeated, three Xiongnu princes were even captured. At that time, many ministers suggested executing the Xiongnu princes and beheading them. Only Zhuo Gongji disagreed, saying that China is a country of etiquette and should not humiliate and kill prisoners of war. Emperor Shizong adopted Zhuo Gongji's suggestion. Two of the three princes later became ordinary citizens of Daji and were granted land and houses to live and work in peace and contentment. The youngest prince was very talented, and Emperor Shizong actually allowed him to study scriptures with Prince Daji. Later, this prince became Emperor Shizong's trusted minister and loyally assisted the young emperor until he came to power, creating a beautiful story between the monarch and his ministers."

Yingshu used the historical story of Emperor Jishizong magnanimously forgiving a Xiongnu prince as an example, and had no direct connection with the Qiang tribe. However, Gao was born into the Northern Zhao nobility, and she was a descendant of the Xiongnu.

Point to end.

Whether it was the Xiongnu or the Qiang tribe, women of aristocratic origin actually had the power to be involved in politics. For example, the queen of Northern Zhao could even occasionally participate in court disputes. But Gao was not a noble of the Qiang tribe after all. Although she married a high-ranking official of Northern Han, Jiang Tai certainly would not allow her to be involved in politics. Even if Ying Shu intended to propose that the king of Northern Han should treat the survivors of Xiyu well, there was no need for her to argue with Gao and waste her time.

She smiled and asked the woman, "Among the people in Wuling Pass, your family is the only one that has been treated specially. Did your neighbors in the past envy you for this?"

"They all envy my family very much, and have never harbored any jealousy or hatred. They all know each other well, and know that my family and husband are good people. They still do not regard my family as an outsider. But my family feels very uneasy, because although we have become Qiang citizens, we are still powerless and cannot help our neighbors at all. I only hope that the Lord, the two princes, and the deputy envoy will know the suffering of the survivors... Since the nobles are sent to the Northern Han Dynasty to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries, they can persuade the Han emperor to stop condoning the Qiang people to oppress the survivors."

Every citizen has his share of responsibility for the rise and fall of a country. This is the moral principle that the emperor uses to educate his subjects. However, when Guanzhong and Qinchuan were under the rule of Dayu, many people could not get enough food to eat, could not wear clothes to keep warm, and had to kneel down and pray to God for mercy in order to live and work in peace. The ruler and his ministers of Dayu could not protect these people, and after losing half of their territory, the disaster of the country's destruction fell directly on the people, and they suffered directly.

Nobles and ministers such as He Ao, Zhang Jiutong and Zheng Bei still lived a life of luxury and indulgence, and never cared about the suffering of the people. How desperate these survivors must have been, as they had been waiting for no relief for so long.

At dinner, Yingshu had no appetite.