female concubine

In the 15th year of Qianyuan, Zhao Luting, the commander of the capital in front of the palace, went to the Northern Expedition as the Marshal of the Army and Horses.

At the same time, the emperor ordered the Privy Council and the Ministry of War to deploy the standing army to deploy in the southwest.

Hanging Palace

"The Fuzhi Hexi Protectorate ordered martial law to prevent Xizhou Uighurs and southern Tubo," Han Si presented a defense map, "This is the defense of the southwest. abnormal movement."

"The Ministry of Industry reported that the manufacturing department of Southwest Chengdu Prefecture has been moved to Gyeonggi. The ore used for smelting can be transported to Gyeonggi by canal, and the transportation of firearms also saves a lot of labor. The canal can ensure the timely supply of ammunition on the front line of northern Xinjiang." Emperor Han Sichao bowed his hands, "Your Majesty had the foresight to build the canal, and it is indeed the merit of all generations."

The war was going on, everything went extremely smoothly, and the court was unanimous in the outside world. The emperor looked at the defenses in the southwest except the northern border, rubbed his hands, "I hope there will be no natural or man-made disasters."

"The Northern Expedition was a war between countries. The Xiongnu and Turks have been the troubles of our Central Plains since ancient times. Since the Qin Dynasty built the Great Wall, they have not relaxed for a single day. The barbarians are as cunning as inexhaustible weeds. After being expelled, they come back again. , There are those who steal the country and proclaim their ministers and donate land, causing the barbarians to become bigger, the country is a state of etiquette, the people of the country are born in the soil and grow in the soil, even if they are humble, how can anyone dare to forget the country?"

"Having said that..." the emperor took out a book and spread it on the table, "It's not that everyone loves the country for selfishness, and everything in the world turns white to black. It's actually more hypocritical to cover up selfish desires with righteousness."

"On life and death, valuing oneself, keeping one's nature true..." Han Si picked up the book that the emperor placed on the table, and said in a daze, "The officials like Yang Ziju's theory?"

The emperor shook his head and got up, turned his back to Han Bang and walked to the side of the incense burner, "This book belongs to the late emperor, I will take it out occasionally to read, sometimes I think it makes sense, sometimes I feel contradictory."

Han Si put the book back, bowed his head and said: "Mencius said, Yang Zi took it for me, plucked a hair and benefited the world, if he didn't do it, Yang's for me, he has no king, and Mo's love is his father. No father, no king..." Han Si raised his head cautiously, "It's a beast."

The emperor turned around, with the green smoke from the incense burner lingering around his side, he laughed loudly and said, "All schools of thought are incompatible, how can they have the same views if they have different positions, and are hostile?" Picking out the faults of the other party and turning a blind eye to the good points, so as to eliminate dissidents, even if it is the way of a sage, this is the greatest selfish desire of the human heart."

Han Sihe folded his hands and bowed his head again, "Tigers can be fought, rivers can be crossed, but the heart is the hardest to fight."

The emperor put his hand on the incense burner and felt the heat coming out of the burner.

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Summer is about to enter, and the cold spring has caused officials to move out the charcoal basins.

A group of civil servants sat on low stools and raised their wide scarlet sleeves that were almost hanging on the ground, and stretched out their hands to bake on the charcoal fire, "The emperor is the most selfish person in this world."

Zhao Luting led the army to go out, and the capital was under martial law, which plunged the country into war again. The trade was stopped and the borders were closed. Always in panic and worry.

The officials of the Zhuhe faction sat around the fire, "Your Majesty launched a war to regain the homeland, so don't you have selfish intentions in it?"

"It's for reform and reform, so that future generations can see the achievements and let us know that His Majesty's actions are right."

"It is the common people who are suffering in the war. There are also many Han people in Northern Liao Dynasty. The merits of all ages are actually the faults of this world."

"But your Majesty must be right?" The officials shook their heads, "After so many years, the court and the court have all agreed. Since Zuo Sijian was relegated and Yushi Zhongcheng was demoted, the emperor has said the same thing, even if he is wrong. If one person dares to speak out and criticize, who still remembers the order of Emperor Tai. Zugao? Foreign relatives, eunuchs, women, and clans are not only unprepared, but also made them powerful."

"Let's close the door and talk about these complaints to our own people. Don't take them outside, so as not to be heard by those who care, or your Majesty's Imperial City Secretary, I heard that there is another one outside the prison. The prison of the Imperial City Division is dedicated to interrogating court officials who have been corrected by the Imperial City Division."

"Is this to use cruel officials in a peaceful and prosperous age?"

"Who knows, anyway, it's always good to be cautious in your words and deeds."

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Han Bang retracted the defense map into his sleeves and bowed out from the Chuigong Hall. The Sizheng Zhongchao servant at the door bowed his hands and followed Han Bang to leave.

"Today, Mr. Xiang took a lot longer to report to His Majesty than usual. It has been nearly two hours."

Han Bang returned to the Ministry of War, twisted his waist and sat down, "In addition to some military affairs, he talked with His Majesty about other things, and then talked about academics."

"Your Majesty is the son of heaven, and the scholars he has come into contact with are all the best in the country, and his teacher is also a master of Confucianism." Lu Jian squatted on the low table beside him and brewed a cup of strong tea. Academically, it can be seen that he is highly talented."

Han Bang looked at the steaming tea on the table, and took out the book given to him by the emperor today from his sleeve, "I don't know what His Majesty's intentions are. In recent years, His Majesty's thoughts have become more and more difficult to guess."

"Yang Zhu theory..." The female officer looked at the signature on the book.

"Does Lu Zhizhong also know about Yang Zhu and Yang Ziju?"

"From the Spring and Autumn period to the Warring States period, a hundred schools of thought contended, but Yang Zhu's theory had the tendency to return to Mo if not to Yang, and the lower officials had read some of his books."

Han Bang stared at the book, "In the theory of life and death, it is said that if there is life, there will be death. Everyone is like this. In life, there are differences between virtuous and foolish, poor and humble, but death is all rotting bones. Yao Shun is no different from Jie Zhou."

"I don't agree with you," the female official bowed to her and denied, "A person's life and death are momentary, how can those who bloom and die compare with the mediocre? Don't compare it." Then he continued: "Maybe some people will argue that it doesn't matter if a person turns into a handful of loess after death, whether it is famous or notorious, but people don't know how to live in the world after death. The Avici Hell mentioned by the Buddha is still the Taoist soul returning to Yincao." The female officer took a step forward, "It's all just people's imagination."

"The lower official guesses that what the officials want to convey is," the female officer looked up at Han Bang, "the officials want to act rashly, and they don't want to be bound by rules and regulations, and they don't want to be swayed by others. trust."

Han Si rolled up his sleeves and looked down at the book, "What Lu Zhizhong said is almost the same as what I guessed in my mind, the official..."

The female official continued his words, "The reform is on the cusp of the storm, and the officials let the Xianggong be the assistant without pushing him to a high position, and handed over the only eldest son to the Xianggong for guidance, and their intentions are also good."

Han Bang raised his hand on the table and smiled at the female officer: "Sure enough, the knowledge and insights of the older people are not comparable to those young people. It is really a shame to let Zhizhong stay in the Ministry of War to copy documents, but now the war is coming. Chunwei has also stopped, and the Ministry of War is most short of people, so we have to work hard for Zhizhong."

The female officer raised her folded sleeves to cover her cold face, bowed and said: "My lord loves you, and I will help you wholeheartedly."

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In April of the 15th year of Qianyuan, Zhao Luting stationed troops to Youzhou. The troops were divided into three groups to attack Zhongjing in the center, Shangjing Road in the west, and Liaoyang Prefecture in Tokyo in the east. In Beijing, Zhao Luting personally led the elite navy across the Bohai Sea to attack Tokyo.

On the first day of June, the East Palace.

Early in the morning, the princess residence supervisor of the Princess Qin's mansion came to the East Palace in person.

"The villain has seen Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess."

Seeing an acquaintance, the princess nodded gently, and asked the family caringly, "Is mother okay?"

"Return to Your Highness, Elder Master, everything is well."

The crown princess clutched her skirt, "Mother must be very worried when Daddy is out fighting, but it's a pity that I, a daughter, can't be by my side all the time."

"For the Elder Lord, the well-being of Her Highness the Crown Princess is the greatest comfort to the Elder Lord." The Dujian only waved to the seat behind him.

First, two fourteen or fifteen-year-old servants brought a painted golden basin covered with brocade, with flowers and grasses inserted on it, and five men and two girls tied with terracotta were placed on the brocade. A bunch of millet stalks is in full bloom in the pot.

The little servant presented the golden basin to the princess, and the prisoner bowed and crossed his hands and said, "May my daughters be blessed with many sons."

Then another servant came forward with a food box and bowed to the princess, then opened the lid, and there were still hot steamed buns inside. The prison guard crossed his hands and bowed again: "I would like to share the pain of giving birth to my daughter."

Immediately after the two servants brought the rolled sleeping sheep and crouching deer, the prison guard clasped his hands again and said, "I hope my daughter can sleep peacefully."

In the end, the servants presented the baby's clothes and quilts one by one, and the prison guard stepped forward and bowed to the crown princess, "The Elder Master said that he does not want to give birth, but only wishes the girl to be safe and well."

By this time, the Crown Princess was already sobbing and supporting herself on the side table, all the complaints about her parents in the past were swept away, and most of them were the heartache of not being able to be filial to her parents.

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In mid-June, Kunning Palace

The war made the atmosphere across the country extremely tense, and everyone in the palace walked cautiously and hurriedly.

As soon as the East China Sea at the junction of heaven and earth was pierced by a ray of white light, people from the palaces of the inner courts hurried to and from the palaces with lanterns.

"All blessings, Your Highness."

"All blessings, Your Highness."

The crown prince greeted An Shibai as usual, and was more diligent than ever since he left for the expedition. He not only greeted him in the morning and evening, but even came from the East Palace to taste the emperor's meal at noon.

"Crown Crown Prince Wei Xu respectfully invites Sheng An," the crown prince knelt in front of the emperor's seat who had just got up and washed, "How is Sheng Gong today?"

"I'm safe." The emperor took the residence report from the servant.

The crown prince then turned to the other queen again, "How is your majesty doing today?"

"My peace."

On one side, Princess Fuqing greeted her elder brother, "Greetings to the prince's elder brother."

"Sister Ann."

Xiao Youqing got up and helped the prince up, and asked with concern: "How is the princess?"

"Mistress Lao remembers that the Crown Princess is resting in the Eastern Palace under the careful care of all the imperial physicians and the Neizhi Bureau. Everything is fine."

"The princess is about to give birth, this month is the most critical, you have to spend more time with her, don't come to us during this period, and come to say hello after the baby is born, and your father and I won't blame you."

"The son will go back to the East Palace to accompany the Crown Princess after dinner with his father and mother, and it should be fine if he spends the whole night with him. She can understand that, and often blames herself for not being able to come with her son to greet his parents."

"We all know that she is pregnant, so don't feel too guilty, it's the same for both of you."

"Yes."

The crown prince stepped forward and helped his mother to sit down, "My son has gone to Fanlou these days to taste some of their new dishes. The ingredients are simple but the taste is delicious. Thinking about the tightness of the war, let the Shangshi Bureau take care of it." The recipe is done."

Several halls went straight up and opened the lids one by one. The crown prince sat on the chair. The emperor looked up, sat up, picked up the chopsticks and tasted it, then nodded again and again, "Dalang has a heart."

After the emperor left, the crown prince and Princess Fuqing dared to move their chopsticks. The emperor took a few sips of porridge from the porcelain bowl and then put it down, "You should know about Zhao Luting's naval attack on Liaoyang last month, right?"

The Crown Prince put down his chopsticks and cupped his hands towards the Emperor, "Go back to Daddy, my son knows."

"Let everyone in the East Palace learn to be smarter and stop talking nonsense."

"Yes."

a few hours ago

It was still hazy outside the hall. In the dark night, a national horse was galloping on the official road of Hebei West Road, and the bells were ringing. Direct delivery on the post road.

After handing over the military report sealed in a bamboo tube, the exhausted post envoy fell off his horse, and was immediately picked up by several soldiers on duty in the delivery shop and carried to the shop to rest.

The man who was tired and lay down grabbed the crow-green quilted jacket worn by the soldiers, "Leave me alone, go and see if the horse is okay, if the horse is exhausted to death, the national horse will be punished."

The post envoy who received the military papers rushed to Gyeonggi with whips, and the hazy night was gradually dissipated by the sun. The national horse galloped to the gate of the Imperial City Palace and rang the bell: "The Northern Army News, I need the Son of Heaven!"