After rebirth, I made the princes cry

Since ancient times, when the country is in mourning, the court will be suspended but the state affairs will not be affected. The person on the throne cannot abandon the people because of filial piety. Jiang Tai therefore had a perfect excuse. He only needed to go to Shang'en Hall to go through the motions, and then his daily life would go on as usual.

However, during the three-day mourning ceremony, Jiang Tai could only handle government affairs in the Shangjing Hall behind the Shang'en Hall. Of course, white banners would be hoisted here. When Yingshu and others entered, they saw many ministers in mourning clothes filing out of the corridors on both wings. The palace maids and eunuchs waiting outside the main hall were also all in white. When they entered the hall, the brocade screens on both sides were replaced with plain gauze screens. Jiang Tai sat on the throne, but he had no intention of playing the role of a grief-stricken filial son. Of course, his expression did not reveal smugness. He was dignified and solemn, not hypocritical, and his manners were impeccable.

The hall was spacious and seemed even quieter because there were no idle people.

There was only Ran Guzhu sitting on a chessboard.

Yingshu knew why Jiang Tai needed Ran Guzhu to be present. Jiang Mo's plan to take back the throne was certainly not enough with the cooperation of Jiang Gaofan, a senior official who did not hold military power. From Ran Guzhu's current expression, Yingshu could not tell whether Jiang Gaofan had reached an agreement with this staunch supporter of Jiang Mo. She only glanced at Ran Guzhu's face quickly, and then stood behind the Lord of Shenyuan Palace, listening to the Lord's expression of "condolences" to Jiang Tai on behalf of the envoys from Dayu.

After the necessary rituals, it was of course time for Jiang Tai to introduce the main topic.

"After the death of our late master, according to the Queen Mother, our late master was still thinking about Prince Zhenyuan when he was dying. Prince Zhenyuan is still far away in Jiankang, and it is a pity that he could not make it in time for the mourning ceremony. However, it will take some time for the coffin to be placed in the mausoleum. I think that no matter what, we must welcome Prince Zhenyuan back to send the coffin of our late master back to the mausoleum. But at the beginning, Prince Zhenyuan asked to stay in Jiankang as a hostage to show our sincerity in negotiating peace. According to the agreement between the two countries, Prince Zhenyuan can only return to the court after our dynasty sends back the envoys of your country. But now the incident happened suddenly, so I summoned the envoys to discuss it."

China is a country of etiquette and has always attached great importance to funeral ceremonies. It is certainly not the case that they would know that their king and father Jiang Xiongying had passed away, but still force Jiang Mo, a filial son, not to return to the country to attend the funeral.

Sikong Yuehu is not present now, but the plan he laid out is proceeding step by step.

Sikong Mujiao was the first to express his attitude: "Such a regrettable thing has happened. Of course, our emperor can understand that your country has no choice but to suspend the peace talks. Your Majesty does not need to be embarrassed. I will submit a letter right away, and there is no need to wait for the emperor's order. As long as I can successfully pass through Wuguan and reach Xiangyang, the Xiangyang governor will personally escort Prince Zhenyuan out of the city."

The reason why Ying Shu and others did not take the more convenient Wugu Pass when they were sent to Northern Han was because they were worried about being intercepted by Northern Zhao’s army on the way. But now that Northern Han and Dayu have not reached a peace agreement, there is no need for Northern Zhao to intercept the envoys if they go through Wugu Pass to Xiangyang.

"The Right Deputy Envoy has misunderstood. I have no intention of suspending the peace talks. After the national mourning, the ceremony of worshipping the Emperor Shenzong's tomb will still be held. My idea is to send the two deputy envoys and the delegation back to Henan first..."

"It is not appropriate for us to return to Henan and leave only the Lord of Shenyuan Palace in your country." Sikong Mujiao refused without thinking: "Even if the two countries want to negotiate peace, after the funeral ceremony of your country is over and an auspicious date for the grand sacrifice is chosen, the Lord of Shenyuan Palace can come to your country again."

"Although our dynasty is in mourning, we should not delay government affairs during the period of mourning. For example, the abolition of Wumei Cang, which the two countries have agreed to, cannot be delayed just because of the national mourning. If all the envoys from Dongyu return home, I am afraid that the people of our Han Dynasty will think that the peace talks between the two countries have collapsed, and all the efforts in the past will be in vain."

Jiang Tai didn't hesitate to kill Jiang Xiongying and transfer Jiang Mo, the thorn in his heart, back to the country first, just to force the Lord of the Divine Yuan Palace to stay. Naturally, he would not give up halfway just because of Sikong Mujiao's two words. He couldn't help but look at Yingshu...

The Left Deputy Envoy was unusually quiet today. Why did the Third Prince of Dongyu come out to lead the way?

Sikong Yuehu's plan was to let Yingshu attract hatred, but it was the hatred of the Yao mother and daughter, not Jiang Tai.

Yingshu looked solemn but said nothing.

"Even if one person must be left behind, the foreign ministers can stay in Northern Han and continue to promote peace talks." Sikong Mujiao's attitude was also unwavering.

Jiang Tai's temples swelled slightly.

"Is the Right Deputy Envoy still questioning whether my proposal for peace talks is out of ulterior motives and an attempt to harm the Lord of Shenyuan Palace?!"

"I have no such intention, but Your Highness is of noble status, even higher than the princes and kings in our country. Moreover, Your Highness is a woman. Our emperor will never allow Your Highness to be left alone in a foreign country."

Jiang Tai calmed himself down and forced himself to suppress the restlessness in his heart.

At this time he needed Ran Zhugu to express his opinion, but Ran Zhugu did not cooperate.

"The first condition for our dynasty to propose a peaceful diplomatic relationship is to invite the Lord of the Divine Yuan Palace to come to Han to preside over the grand sacrificial ceremony for the Emperor Shenzong's tomb. The abolition of the Wumei Warehouse and the pardon of Wumei Nu were also the first suggestions made by the Lord of the Divine Yuan Palace. Now there are many obstacles in the matter of Wumei Nu. I have heard that even the right deputy envoy was almost assassinated by Wumei Nu, and the one who won over Wumei Nu was a spy from another country.

Although the Right Deputy Envoy is the prince of Dongyu, he is not enough to convince the subjects of our dynasty. Only if the Lord of Shenyuan Palace is willing to stay in our dynasty and help our dynasty to hold a grand sacrifice ceremony, pray for the blessing of the Emperor Shenzong and protect the people of Han and Yu, can we thwart the conspiracy of the enemy countries that intend to alienate the diplomatic relations between Han and Yu!"

Sikong Mujiao now fully understood why Yingshu had to interrogate the guest Cao Ling in public at the envoy's post yesterday.

He raised his eyebrows high: "It is true that I was assassinated, but the assassin was not recruited by an enemy spy from another country, but by your country's guest Cao Ling! Before I could report this case to Your Majesty and ask for justice, your country suffered a great loss. Your Majesty, now you understand why I insisted on letting the prince return to the court first?!"

Ke Cao Ling did not report the incident to Jiang Tai. He thought that the post officers of the post station were all under his control and the matter would not be leaked to others.

"I'm afraid the Right Deputy Envoy has some misunderstanding. How could the Ke Cao Ling of our dynasty bribe a simple eyebrowless slave to assassinate the Right Deputy Envoy?!"

"Your Majesty, do you have to hold a public trial of this case during the national funeral?! That eyebrowless slave An Yu is still alive!"

Jiang Tai's temple bulged again.

"According to divination by our court's witches, the date of the grand ceremony cannot be delayed until October. If the Lord of Shenyuan Temple returns to Dongyu first, it will probably delay the auspicious date of the grand ceremony. If the Left Deputy Envoy insists, then for the sake of the Han Dynasty, I will have no choice but to be an unfilial son and temporarily not welcome the King of Zhenyuan back to the court."

Jiang Tai was unable to force Sikong Mujiao to surrender, so he had to put pressure on Ran Zhugu.

Ran Zhugu didn't care whether the Lord of Shenyuan Palace stayed or left, but he had now figured out Jiang Tai's conspiracy. Jiang Tai would definitely keep Xuan family in Northern Han. If he didn't take this opportunity to use the three Dongyu envoys other than Xuan family to exchange for Jiang Mo's return, the hostage Jiang Mo would definitely not have a chance to survive.

"Deputy Envoy Left once told Princess Zhenyuan that she believed our dynasty was indeed sincere in negotiating peace. Does Deputy Envoy Left still trust our dynasty now?" Ran Zhugu finally spoke.

Yingshu couldn't remain silent any longer.

"Whether the peace talks can be pushed forward is not something that other ministers have the right to decide. It's just that Your Excellency..." Ying Shu hesitated and turned her head to look at Your Excellency's expression.

"I have never worshipped my ancestors' tombs. The King of Northern Han is willing to worship the Emperor Shenzong's tomb. If he is really interested in establishing a permanent alliance with my country, I am willing to do my best to help establish diplomatic relations between the two countries."

Jiang Tai was visibly relieved.

Yingshu proposed her own proposal: "Your Highnesses, please return to the court first. I will stay with the Prince. Your Highness can report this incident to His Majesty. The Prince and I will wait for His Majesty's orders and act accordingly."

Keeping an extra left deputy envoy will not hinder Jiang Tai's plan at all.

Jiang Tai looked at Ying Shu deeply.

Among the four great ministers, the Left Deputy Envoy was the most cunning. Although Jiang Tai had been reminded by Madam Wei, he still suffered at the hands of Ying Shu. Jiang Tai didn't believe that even Sikong Mujiao had been alarmed, but Ying Shu still firmly believed that he would release Xuan family. Knowing that staying would mean being in danger, this cunning woman was willing to stay and take the risk.

Could it be that in Weiyang Palace and Chang'an City, she was still trying to escape?

Yingshu was kept by Jiang Tai for a while.

I am no longer in this spacious hall. Behind the hall is a garden with lush vegetation. It is the moment when the golden crow moves into the clouds, and the sudden wind fills the pavilions.

Yingshu was not afraid of the suppression from Jiang Tai at all.

"If the foreign ministers do not compromise, won't Your Majesty forcibly detain the prince?" Yingshu responded to Jiang Tai's question with a rather mocking tone.

"How can you say that he was forcibly detained? At most, he was not allowed to return to the court first."

"If the Prince of Zhenyuan does not return to Northern Han, the Ran clan will not agree. But the Ran clan will not blame Your Majesty for this, and will vent their anger on foreign ministers. If the Ran clan is willing to lead the army to attack Yizhou, Your Majesty can just sit back and watch the fire from the other side of the river." Ying Shu looked at the grass and trees outside the pavilion that were swaying in the wind. "Your Majesty is sure that our dynasty will be willing to make peace with Northern Han, so he used the bait of peace talks and the Prince of Zhenyuan to trick the prince into falling into his trap."

"Since Deputy Envoy Zuo has seen through everything, why doesn't he return home first?"

"Your Majesty, do you think I am willing to let you return to my country?"

"Oh?"

Ying Shu smiled softly: "For me, the mission of this mission is to promote the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. But if I force His Majesty to go back on his word, there will be no room for peace talks between the two countries. I can neither ensure that the prince returns safely, nor can I fight for any interests for the prince's country. As the left deputy envoy, won't I become the target of public criticism?"

"Isn't this the plan of Deputy Envoy Zuo?"

"Your Majesty, what do you think the foreign ministers are still planning?"

"In the future, I will be the mother of the country!"

Yingshu raised her eyebrows, her dark eyes seemed as calm as the night sky.

"No matter which of the two princes of Dongyu wins the title of Princess of Shenyuan Palace, they will become a huge obstacle for Guisujun to seize the throne. The Left Deputy Envoy and Guisujun are in love, so she will definitely be Guisujun's concubine in the future. The Left Deputy Envoy is unparalleled in talent and wisdom, so it is natural that he is unwilling to be the princess."

"A foreign minister does not deserve praise for his unparalleled talent and wisdom." Yingshu knows when to be humble.

He also knew how to find a plausible reason for his "ambition": "In fact, it is not good for the Lord of Shenyuan Palace to stay in Dayu. The Lord of Shenyuan Palace's temperament is not suitable for the struggle for power. Foreign officials know that the Northern Han Dynasty has always retained the positions of priests, such as national witches, witch ministers, and even goddesses in the past. These priests are highly respected by the Qiang people.

Your Majesty has no intention of letting the Palace Master get involved in the court. For the Palace Master, it is actually best to occupy a high position but stay away from power. Your Majesty kept the Palace Master in the country, not because of our dynasty, but because of Northern Zhao. From this point of view, our dynasty and Northern Han share the same hatred for the enemy. The Palace Master just exchanged the Jiankang Palace for the Weiyang Palace. His honorable status and lofty position have not decreased at all, and he can avenge the blood hatred of his people who died in the massacre of Northern Zhao. I believe that the Palace Master is willing to stay. "

Anyway, there was no third pair of human ears at the scene. Even if it was bird ears, there was only Wen Ji's pair. Ying Shu's nonsense would not leave any hidden dangers.

She doesn't need Kang Tae's trust.

Even if she was eloquent, Jiang Tai would never trust her. Her words were meant to make Jiang Tai more confident.

The eight thousand elite troops led by Ran Qiji himself escorted the Third Prince and Nan Ci out of Wuguan, and it was also the eight thousand elite troops led by Ran Qiji who welcomed King Zhenyuan back to the country.

At the time of parting, neither the departing nor the remaining ones showed any reluctance to leave. However, on this day, Liang Hui was surprised that the tea prepared by the Lord of the Divine Yuan Palace was not wild tea. He asked, "Could it be that the wild tea was finished so quickly?"

"I actually can't get used to drinking wild tea at all." said Dianjun.

Yingshu looked over.

Dianjun finished a cup of tea in one breath and took a deep breath. "In the past, I had a strange personality. There were some things I obviously didn't like, but I felt that as long as I didn't hate them, I couldn't show it. In fact, I was not used to drinking wild tea at all, but at the beginning, because the wild tea was picked by Jiaoxujun, I couldn't show my dislike, and Jiaoxujun always added tea for me, so the misunderstanding became bigger and bigger."

When she said this, Dianjun looked at Xinsujun, but she once again realized that Xinsujun had no intention of talking to her at all. He always had a calm expression, not condescending, but indifferent too, as if no matter what she said, it was what she should do and could not attract his attention, let alone be worth his comment.

"So that's how it is!" Liang Hui looked very happy.

Yingshu drank tea and felt like she was in another space.

"Thanks to Your Excellency for explaining it, otherwise... I would be worrying about where to pick such wild tea in the future." Liang Hui's tone was jumping.

As the night deepened, Dianjun asked Yingshu, "Why doesn't he mind at all?"

Ying Shu knew which one the Lord was asking about, and smiled: "Do you mind if you don't want to tell the Third Prince the truth? Are you willing to tell him?"

In Dianjun's eyes, there was only the sad waning moon. What she said just now was addressed to two people. One of them seemed to be deaf to her words, and the other misunderstood her meaning again. She thought for a long time before deciding to refuse politely, but the result made her even more upset.

"Ah Shu, why do you think there are always people in this world who are attracted to those unattainable people and things?"

"Because everyone has the instinct to yearn for beauty. For example, the legend of Chang'e flying to the moon reflects people's yearning for the bright moon. For example, many people lament that flowers do not last forever, and they also hope that beautiful things can last forever."

"But people can never reach the Moon Palace, and they can never stop flowers from blooming and falling."

“But perhaps, the scenery in the Moon Palace is not as beautiful as when we look up at it from the human world, and the blooming and falling of flowers is itself a long cycle.”

According to legend, Chang'e, who landed on the moon, would miss the human world, regretting giving up the hustle and bustle but rushing towards solitude without hesitation. However, the "bright moon" she wanted to get close to was worth her unswerving and risking her life to run towards. Her best wish was to stand by it.

But there was no path in front of her.