Huan Rong

In the first year of Taiyuan, in July, Bingzi, Qin Ce issued an edict to seal the Liu family as the queen, perform the ceremony of sealing the queen, and seal the harem.

On the day of the ceremony, all officials and family members entered the palace to congratulate the new queen.

Colorful silk was hung in front of the Jiaofang Hall, and under the stone steps, a brazier surrounded by three people was set up, waiting to be lit in the evening.The fragrant wind blows in front of the hall, and there are bursts of music in the hall, accompanied by the singer's tune, which is beautiful and tactful.

The eunuch's palace servants dragged lacquer trays and filed in silently, placing dishes and drinks in front of the set up couch.

After the officials and family members of each family entered the palace to salute, they entered the table according to their grades, and the concubines and concubines in the palace sat on both sides.

No matter how discord or quarrel arises behind the scenes, today they cannot turn their faces face to face. They must be friendly, smile at each other, and congratulate the new queen in unison.

At the banquet, Empress Liu raised her glass from time to time and invited all officials and family members to drink together.

Those who were invited rushed to raise their glasses, and they were all flattered.

The families that sent their daughters into the palace were even more surprised.

Looking at Empress Liu holding a wine glass, and then looking at her own girl sitting under the empress, a thought flashed in her mind: Could it be that the rumors are wrong, the empress is not a jealous person?

When mentioning this rumor, one has to mention the two surnames who were exterminated by Qin Jing.

It should be said that these two families were so bold that they not only resorted to various methods to kill people, but also sent their family members to spread rumors in order to ruin the reputation of the Liu sisters.

It's not that Qin Ce is ignorant of the actions of the two families, but he lets them do what they do, and ignores them most of the time.

Empress Liu and Concubine Liu Shu completely gave up on him.

On the surface, the emperor and the empress are very harmonious, and the piano is harmonious; behind the scenes, it's not much better if you don't talk about turning against each other.

Qin Jing set two big fires in Chang'an, which made people panic, and they couldn't sleep or eat, and they couldn't sit or sleep.

After the fire, seeing the tragic situation of the two families, no one dared to express their treacherous thoughts again, and the rumors stopped abruptly.Even if it can't be completely cut off, each family knows how powerful it is, and they have told their family members that they should ignore others, and their own families must not get involved again.

"Anyone with eyes can see how sharp the fourth highness's knife is. This knife hangs around the neck, so don't think about it. If you don't want to kill yourself, you can throw yourself into the river if you don't know how deep it is, and don't hurt your family!"

Empress Liu was in the palace, but the news was not blocked.Knowing the changes in Chang'an, he just smiled and didn't express much.The only thing worth noting is that the beauties from Lanlin Hall and Jiuhua Hall were summoned to speak in Jiaofang Hall, and those who performed well were summoned several times in a row.

Looking at all the noble families in the north, trying to figure out people's hearts, and training the beauties of the backyard, the Liu sisters dare to say that they are second, and no one may dare to claim the first.

Today there was a banquet in the palace, and the female relatives of various families came to the palace to congratulate, most of them had the idea of ​​"not seeking merit but seeking no fault".Follow the etiquette in every move, and don't give anyone the slightest handle.

Those who have girls in the palace are even more cautious, not daring to make a wrong step.Faced with Empress Liu's invitation to drink, I felt quite a bit of sincerity and fear.

It doesn't matter if you are sincere or just acting.

At the palace banquet, the attitudes of each family showed their respect for the queen.

There are only two or three families that are not as reserved as everyone else, but seem extraordinarily enthusiastic.One of them is the Qian family who used to find medicine for the queen, and the rest are Qin Yu and Qin Yu's wives.

Through all kinds of happenings in Chang'an City, these families gradually saw the situation clearly, and naturally stood beside Empress Liu, forming a natural alliance with the Liu sisters.

Empress Liu asked Qin Jing to leave, and took Qin Zhen and Qin Jue away, not because she didn't care about herself, but because she had been prepared.

The few sons are not around, so it is quite natural to keep in touch with in-laws and invite their daughters into the palace.Moreover, Qin Jing has no intention of getting married, and Qin Jue, Qin Jue, and Qin Yu's first wife will have to see each other one after another.

Empress Liu is not optimistic about Qin Ce, but it does not mean that she will become decadent and be trapped in the palace and do nothing.

In fact, since she gave up on Qin Ce, she can do more.

In the middle of the banquet, an eunuch came in to report, saying that His Highness the Fourth Highness congratulated the ceremony and sent ten boxes of gold, silver and jewelry.

"Sister, why don't you let someone carry you into the palace to have a look?" Concubine Liu Shu smiled lightly, turned her head, and blinked at Empress Liu.

There is a cloud in the Book of Songs, Qiao Xiaoqian is beautiful, and beautiful eyes are looking forward to it.

Concubine Liu Shu at this moment is the truest portrayal.

"Okay." Empress Liu put down the wine glass and ordered the eunuch to carry the box into the hall.

Since Ah Zheng has this intention, she might as well be more scrupulous.Bring the things up so that the women of the family can see clearly, and if they are asked about it when they get home, there is always something to talk about.

It was rumored before that Qin Jing broke into Chang'an and emptied Fu Jian's private treasury. The state treasury and the private collections of various nobles were all wiped out.Qin Ce established the Chang'an system and proclaimed himself emperor, and although he gained a lot of treasures, some people still suspect that the big head was intercepted by Qin Jing.

Today's move seems to give people a handle, but it is actually a wake-up call for Chao Zhongwen Wu.

He did take the things, but Qin Ce didn't say anything. No matter how loud the rumors are, what can he do?What's more, the Qin Clan has long established a rule that the generals can keep part of the war gains.

Not all the treasures sent to Jiaofangdian came from Chang'an, half of them were obtained from the battles in Monan and the Western Regions.

Seeing these treasures with their own eyes, and thinking about Qin Jing's reputation as a fierce god, each family must carefully weigh and weigh what consequences they will have to bear if they dare to be like Xu, Yang, and Yu.

The eunuch was ordered to retreat, and after a while, ten wooden boxes were carried into the hall one after another.

The wooden box is simple in style and dark in color throughout.The cabinet is not engraved with any patterns, it is all natural wood grain.Only a layer of paint has been painted on the outer layer, and a layer of iron sheet is inlaid on the lid of the box, guarded by copper locks.The lock head is made into a beast head, which is very powerful.

The eunuch in charge of the queen's treasury stepped forward, took out the keys, and compared them one by one to open the boxes.

As the lids of the box were opened one after another, one felt the golden light and pearly luster.When the box containing the colored treasures is opened, the red and sapphires complement each other, making the color even more dazzling.

The music didn't stop, but the female relatives stopped talking and laughing.

Seeing the whole set of jade wares that the eunuch took out from the box, there were even gasps.

In terms of treasures and antiques, everyone present has seen quite a few, so it's not surprising.However, this set of jade wares is very old. Judging from the shape and texture, it is clearly earlier than Qin and Han, and it is more likely to come from the Spring and Autumn Period, or even earlier!

This is not just an ordinary utensil, but also a symbol of status.

This object originally belonged to Fu Jian's private treasury, but was taken away by Huan Rong before.When I met Empress Liu as a gift of treasures, thinking of reciprocating courtesy, I searched twice in the storeroom, and finally settled on this set of jade wares.

In Huan Rong's capacity, it's not easy to give it to Empress Liu directly, but to give it to Qin Jing to make it clear.

When the gift was given, Qin Ce had not yet entered Chang'an.Qin Jing had something to do, so he delayed.Today is the post-sealing ceremony, a banquet is held in the palace, and the female relatives of various families gather in the Jiaofang Hall. Qin Jing sent a congratulatory gift in response to the occasion, and added this set of treasures.

The eunuch presented the treasure, and a palace maid who looked like a barbarian knelt behind Empress Liu and whispered a few words.

Empress Liu paused first, and then smiled even wider. She rolled up her sleeves and picked up a jade hairpin, which she placed on top of the bun on the spot.Then he picked out a jade ring, handed it to Concubine Liu Shu with a smile, and said: "My son's filial piety, this jade can match my sister."

Concubine Liu Shu took the jade ring with a smile.

Her seat was very close to Empress Liu, and she could hear clearly when the maids spoke.Knowing the meaning of Empress Liu's words, Dafang accepted the jade ring, feeling the warmth in his hands, he couldn't help saying: "Such a fine jade should be wrapped with some gold thread to match it, using silk is a waste."

While the two were talking, the eunuch presented several important treasures one after another.Empress Liu glanced at it casually, and let the eunuch take it down again.Although these are precious, she also likes them a little bit, after all, it is not as important as the jade.

The last wooden box was opened, and there were neatly arranged flat and long lacquer boxes inside.The lids of the boxes were opened one by one, revealing the contents inside, and the eyes of all the female relatives present were brightened.

"Something from the south."

"It looks like it's probably from Youzhou."

"really?"

"I heard that the Fourth Highness is with you..." A female family member noticed that she had slipped her words, and quickly stopped talking, no matter what people around her asked.

The bottom of the wooden box is marked with a silver building, which is unique to Youzhou.The box is covered with silk cloth, and contains all kinds of exquisite hairpins and rings. The gold and jade are exquisite, and the colorful treasures are dazzling.

"The child has a heart." Empress Liu laughed, and ordered the eunuchs to open all the wooden boxes, pick out a few, and give them to the Qian family and several in-laws and family members on the spot.

The recipient of the gift had a radiant face, a smile on his face, and he was determined to stand by Empress Liu.

The heart of those who have not received the reward moved slightly. Looking at Qian and the others, several thoughts flashed through their minds, and they had a new estimate of the situation in the court.

The city of Chang'an was equally lively.

The newly built square city is crowded with people, making it extremely noisy.

On both sides of the street, there are row upon row of shops with high guises, and shouts of different accents can be heard from time to time.Many Hu people drove their livestock into the city, got their number plates in front of Fangshi, and sold them in Luomashi.

On the second floor of the restaurant facing the street, Qin Jing and Qin Ju are sitting by the window.Qin Zhen and Qin Jue traveled with their elder brother, looked out of the window curiously, and sighed once or twice from time to time.

"In less than a year, Chang'an Fang City has become so prosperous, and my elder brother has contributed a lot." Qin Jing said.

"Where." Qin Yu shook his head, picked up the lacquer cup, and looked out of the window sideways, not looking very happy, "My brother only sees the surface, so I know this market is beyond my control."

"Brother, what do you mean by that?" Qin Jing asked.

Qin Jun put down the lacquer cup, a sarcastic smile flashed across his face.

"Have you ever heard about the Zhao family and the Sun family fighting for land?"

"I heard something." Qin Jing nodded.

"For a hundred hectares of fertile land outside the city, the two families mobilized private soldiers, killing or injuring dozens of people." The sarcasm on Qin Yu's face deepened, and there was a chill in his words.

"These are just two families. Since my father entered Chang'an, not to mention one thousand, there have been eight hundred similar things. The fields outside the city have not been clearly divided, and seeing the benefits of the market, they want to intervene openly and secretly."

At this point, Qin Yu's expression darkened slightly.

"This time, it's a concerted effort. First, we will work together to drive away the people I arranged to make room for each family to divide their interests."

"Father ignores it?" Qin Jing frowned.

That's all for the rest, how can I ignore matters related to taxation?

Qin Yu shook his head.

From disbelief to disappointment, and finally to cold teeth, but only a few months.

"Brother, what are your plans for the future?" Qin Jing suddenly changed the subject.

"Plan?" Qin Jun looked at Qin Jing, his expression was a little confused, and soon he had a flash of understanding, and said, "My brother is asking, do I plan to stay in Chang'an?"

"Brother, do you want to stay?" Qin Jing didn't deny it.

Stay?

Qin Jun looked out of the window again, looking at everything he built with his own hands but was stripped away, thinking of the bad things he had encountered in the past few months, his expression didn't change much, but his fingers clenched little by little.

What are you staying for?

Witness the intrigues and schemes of the court, and watch the struggle for power and profit of various families?

Qin Yu shook his head.

No, he didn't intend to stay, nor should he.

"Brother, do you have any suggestions?"

"Brother, if you can let go of the things in Chang'an, you may as well go to the Western Regions with me." Qin Jing said with a smile, "The world is so vast, why should it be confined to one state and one city."

"Western Region?"

"Yes." Qin Jing nodded, signaling Qin Zhen and Qin Jue to close the door, and called the guards to guard the door.Immediately dipped his finger in the tea soup and drew a few wet marks on the table.He moved quickly, and before the water stains dried up, a simple map appeared on the table.

"Is this the land of the Western Regions?" Qin Yu was surprised.

"This is Guzang, and you can go west to Ruoshui. Along the waterway, there are Wuxing, Zhangye and other counties. From Zhangye to the north is Xihai County. In the territory, there is Juyanze, which is a desert oasis. It was the place for farming in the Qin and Han Dynasties. "

"Xihai County is connected to Liangzhou in the south, Shazhou in the west, and grassland in the north. It is the main road connecting the grassland and the Western Regions."

Qin Jing's words have come to this point, there is no need to continue to speak, Qin Jun already understands to a certain extent.

"My brother doesn't occupy Guzang, but is optimistic about this place?"

Qin Jing nodded, leaned closer to Qin Ju and whispered a few words.The latter's expression changed rapidly, his brows were deeply furrowed, he sighed for a long time, and closed his eyes forcefully, with struggles, unwillingness, and relief in his expression.

"I understand what brother means, let me think about it for a few days."

"Okay." Qin Jing didn't urge, wiped off the remaining water marks on the table, let Qin Zhen and Qin Jue go back to the palace first, he was leaving Chang'an today, and settled in the camp outside the city.

"Why did you leave the city today?"

"To be honest, brother, I have already decided to leave Chang'an after the grand ceremony in the palace." Qin Jing did not intend to hide it, "I will stay in the camp for the next few days to facilitate the deployment of troops."

"But going to Shuofang?"

"No, let's go to the Western Regions first." Qin Jing said, "Tuyuhun and Chen Bing fought against Huan Han for two months on the frontier, and they won each other. The emperor of Han personally marched and will arrive in Hanzhong soon. I plan to watch the battle. and prepare for the future.”

"Father may not agree." Qin Yu said in a deep voice.

"My mother is here." Qin Jing was confident, and the subject changed again, "Brother said so, but you decided to go with me?"

Qin Jun glared at Qin Jing, and said, "You should call your mother."

Qin Jing didn't take it seriously, and raised her eyebrows at her elder brother.

"When you enter the palace tomorrow, brother, how about calling 'mother queen' in front of mother?"

Qin Yu was at a loss for words.

Empress Liu didn't like this title, and insisted that her son call her aunt, and Concubine Liu Shu did the same, saying "auntie" sounded close.If Qin Jun really dared to do this, [-]% of the time he would be stared at by his mother and aunt.

Just stare.

If Concubine Liu Shu's eyes were red, the consequences would be quite serious.

With an annoyed snort, Qin Ju grabbed the lacquer cup and drank it down in one gulp.Qin Qi's words flashed in his mind, so let the fourth brother not think about it, and get serious, it doesn't matter whether his eyes are wide open, or whether he is walking in a car, he will still fall into the pit.

Huan Rong didn't know that he was being "missed", so he had left Jingzhou at this moment and led his army into Liangzhou.

Nearly Wanzhou soldiers marched along the official road, with a well-organized military appearance and distinctive armor.

The horses neighed and the flags were fierce.

In the team, more than a hundred military vehicles lined up in a long queue. The black body, tall wheels, unusually thick panels and the silver light shining between the gaps proved to be extraordinary.

You don't need to get close to feel the chill.

The first few military vehicles are particularly different.

Wooden thorns wrapped with iron sheets on the wheel cross frame are specially used for battlefield arrays.When the cavalry charges, it is definitely a first-class killer.

The Son of Heaven walks in the procession, Huan Rong wears leather hats on his head, red shoes on his feet, black robes on top, and scarlet knees covering his bottom.Wearing a sword at his waist, he was sitting in the car, looking at the mountains in the distance, thinking about the battle report sent not long ago, his expression became more solemn, and his eyes overflowed with a bit of evil spirit.