[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

A man should go out and venture out, so that he can know the people of insight and talent in the world. Those who live in the harem are not allowed to leave Kyoto by government order.

After Tu Yuanyi was reborn, he bravely walked out of the harem without any capital in his hands. Because of his orthodox identity and ideals, others would join him.If he shows a bit of arrogance, no, arrogance, he will be able to attract many people.He is much stronger than the man who crosses the hanging silk and dominates the stallion. He was an emperor for decades in his previous life, and the majestic temperament is something that the hanging silk stallion can't learn.

Tu Yuanyi intends to bring Shuofang under his true sphere of influence.Although this is a border town, it is actually a place where merchants gather. Mastering Shuofang actually grasps the economic lifeline of Mongolia.But this part of the interests is mostly in the hands of the royal family of Xining County.

In addition, the king of Xining County and General Yili have been married for generations, and they are the horns of each other. Unlike the people in Guannei, General Yili belongs to the Fan army.The ancestors of General Yili's Liang family were actually Qiang people, but they had admired China for a long time, and married a Han woman as their mother for generations, and they also regarded themselves as Chinese.During the great chaos at the end of the Ming Dynasty, all the heroes rose together, and the Tu family took over and joined the four kings to fight against the Hou Jin. At this time, the Liang family went west to the Hexi Corridor, conquered a piece of the world and became king.

When Emperor Taizong of Houtu attacked the Liang family, the Liang family saw that they were invincible. Under the help of the king of Xining County, the Liang family bowed their heads and proclaimed themselves as generals of Yili.

However, the Liang family is different from the honorable princes and princes in the pass. Although they are called "generals", they are actually a special existence between "fandoms" and "fiefdoms". of.

However, because of the tolerance of "General Yili" in this way, it brought a little "model" effect. Back then, the chieftain of Wusizang saw that Dazhou was powerful during Taizong's period, and his "four kings and eight princes" were like a cloud of fierce generals, and the pass was prosperous and prosperous. It is not comparable to the bitter cold of the plateau, so it is surrendered to the Great Zhou.In the Great Zhou Dynasty, Wusi Tibetan Capital Protectorate was set up and ministers stationed in Tibet were sent.As a result, the nominal territory of the Great Zhou Dynasty was larger than the modern one except for the north of Jilin in the northeast and Outer Mongolia.If you add the Fan vassal state, it does have a taste of "Heaven/Chaoshang Kingdom".

Tu Yuanyi didn't want to kill chickens and take eggs to harm others and benefit himself. If the king of Xining and General Yili were removed, the "Chinese barrier" would be gone. Then the northern barbarians could go straight to Heshuo, cross the Yellow River and drive straight to Chang'an. This is self-destructing the Great Wall.

But Tu Yuanyi was not happy to let the military and political power in the frontier fall into the hands of the king.

Therefore, after assuming the throne, he will step by step strengthen his influence over the central government and the border areas. Even if he cannot take back power in one step, he must also increase his sense of presence.

To be honest, Wang Ziteng is indeed talented. He actually did a good job in patrolling the border according to the order. The problems he saw and the context of his grasp were very clear. He did everything.

Therefore, Tu Yuanyi still brought him to accompany him this time, and his name was ranked after Sun Yuanwang, Minister of the Ministry of War and University of Wudedian, so let's not mention it for now.

However, this time Beishou was different from the previous two times. He intentionally showed the power of the sky and put on the majesty of the emperor. The vehicles were mighty and there were many people.There are dozens of entourages of civil servants and ministers; thousands of Jinyiwei, Gongshengjun, and Xichang personnel; and [-] Kyoto Imperial Guards, half of whom are yellow-shirted Chinese troops and half of which are red-shirted western troops.

Tu Yuanyi also graced the 180 six Xinkewu Jinshi to accompany them through training, and they are now compiled as military officers between the sixth rank and the ninth rank in the Gongsheng Army or the Yellow Shirt Army.Moreover, Jinshi who have already become editors or Shujishi also brought more than a dozen of them, and they were arranged to practice among the logistics management personnel. Now there are several Jinshi who are well-educated and well-educated as helpers for Jia Lian who is incapable of writing and martial arts. Such as Tan Qian and Jia Huan.

It's just that Tan Qian has a hard relationship, and he is often left in Yuqian to accompany him, acting as the deputy of Zhongshusheren.Everyone felt that the emperor was more or less partial to his brother-in-law.Fortunately, Tan Qian is very good at being a man, and the Jinshi of the same subject had been on good terms with him long before he married Su Fu'er, and they haven't excluded him yet.

But it is said that the imperial driver arrived at Shuofang City, and the royal carriage covered with bright yellow embroidered curtains cleared the way for the guard of Jinyiwei and entered the city at the Zhongnan City Gate.

The people in the border town lined up on both sides, watching the Son of Heaven patrolling, his majesty, Jinyiwei and Gongshengjun, all dressed in bright clothes.There are also yellow-shirted and white-shirted soldiers of the Imperial Guard from Kyoto, mighty and mighty, their armor glistening, full of murderous aura, and I can't help being in awe.

The beautiful eunuchs and maids of honor followed the nine-dragon umbrella and the seven-phoenix umbrella, and the golden-topped dragon-carved carriage shone brilliantly in the sun.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

"Your Majesty is a thousand years old!"

People have had the habit of kneeling for thousands of years, and Yuanyi, a feudal chauvinist, has not yet promoted equality for all—I don’t know if he has any plans to work hard for this in his lifetime, Xing Xiuyan doubts it.

At this time, Jia Huan and some colleagues also stood at the south gate to welcome them.Because Jia Huan and others followed Jia Lian to do the logistical preparations for the imperial driver, they instead came to Shuofang City ahead of time, entered the imperial driver's palace to do some preparations for picking up the driver, and arranged for the transfer of various materials.

Jia Huan worked with Jia Lian, and only then did he truly realize that it was not that they had to learn from him, but that he himself had a lot to learn.

Jia Lian started to work seriously, he was really exquisite and thoughtful in every way, and he was a cousin of a noble concubine, a celebrity in front of the imperial court, and he had real power in his hands, so he really enjoyed himself everywhere.

For the Royal Tour, the logistical pressure is heavy. Many tasks are flexibly transferred from the government and assigned to the firm to contract to ensure that the firm will make a profit. But don't think about talking too much, long-term business is good business.

Jia Lian is responsible for many things in this area. He knows many businessmen and is in charge of a large amount of project money. While he is saving money, the businessmen have to flatter him in order to do business.

Jia Huan, who came from a Jinshi background, just followed Jia Lian to do this, which made many of Jia Huan's colleagues feel ashamed. Fortunately, Jia Huan's concept was different from theirs, and he quickly became Jia Lian's good helper.

Jia Huan also wanted to soar into the sky, get promoted and make a fortune.But at this time, he and his colleagues knelt down to welcome the holy driver, and listening to the chanting "Long live the emperor, a thousand years old lady", I couldn't help feeling mixed feelings.

He never confessed his mistakes to her, after all, he still knelt down to her, the fate of his life is really unclear.

The imperial driving camp was set up in the other courtyard of the Prince's Mansion in Xining County. Tu Yuanyi ordered the House of Internal Affairs to keep everything simple, and he just wanted to put some decorations regulated by the emperor.

As for food and clothing expenses, there are also clear accounts. Except for special local tributes, they are all spent on money from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Household Affairs.

Tu Yuanyi brought a noble concubine and a concubine, so Xingyuan only set up a living room.Daiyu, Su Fu'er and Xiao Hou did not live in the other courtyard where Shengjia Xingyuan was located, but they also lived in a courtyard of the Prince's Mansion in Xining County.

It took a long time to settle down and rest. Tu Yuanyi ordered the local dust-cleaning banquet to be postponed for one day, so that people had to rest even if they were exhausted.

In the evening, Tu Yuanyi and Xing Xiuyan only had a simple dinner, afterward, Xing Xiuyan listened to him bragging about his ambition for a while, just smiled and said nothing.

Tu Yuanyi felt that there were not many people in the world who could convince this daughter-in-law who was born in China with his words, so he still used practical actions to throw his beloved daughter-in-law down and do all kinds of romantic things. She really saw her husband He begged for mercy again and again.

The next morning, she also had to get up. After Xing Xiuyan washed and dressed her apprentice Yuan Yi, she herself was washed and dressed by the maidservants in the dyeing room.

Before breakfast, the First Prince and Second Prince came to pay their respects.In the past in Kyoto, the prince was raised strictly. He had to get up to study when he was young, and Tu Yuanyi also had to go to court early. If Tu Yuanyi didn't go to their mother or concubine at night, he usually didn't have to worry about it—but Tu Yuanyi hardly knew how to do it. go.Therefore, it is rare for them to show filial piety when they go on tour.

Xing Xiuyan was wearing an ivory brocade gown and a simple bun with a bead flower on her head. When she left the inner hall, Tu Yuanyi was training her son.

Probably because his eloquence failed to convince Xiao Mipian yesterday, now that he sees his son coming to pay his respects, he uses it on his son.

The general purpose is to let them know the vastness of the world, the hardships of the people, and the surrounding enemies. As the sons and grandsons of the dragon, they should take the world as their own responsibility and not limit their vision to a small area.But Tu Yuanyi said again: "Since you have come out of Beijing, you should learn more practical knowledge from practice. I told you not to read dead books, but it didn't let you come out to have fun."

Tu Yuanyi found out that his daughter-in-law was here, so he stopped talking. The two princes hurriedly stepped forward and bowed down to pay their respects.

"I send my greetings to the imperial concubine, the imperial concubine is auspicious."

Xing Xiuyan said lightly, "Get up."

"Thank you, Concubine Guifei!" The two princes raised their hands respectfully, and then took a step back politely.

Xing Xiuyan sat down next to Tu Yuanyi, feeling very happy, and said: "The two princes are still young, and it is rare to come out, even if they are fond of playing, it is normal. I was also fond of playing when I was young."

Tu Yuanyi said: "Don't be a bad example." Xing Xiuyan was playful when he was A Piao, because a ghost whose body is not in control can't write a novel, and no one will read it when he is practicing. Naturally, he was so bored that he wanted to sneak out to play.This used to give Tu Yuanyi a headache. In the first two times, he found that "Mrs. Yazhai" was missing. He was so anxious that he used tracking symbols to find her and pick her up to go home.

Xing Xiuyan said with a smile: "Young people love to play, and they have to play when they don't miss their homework." In modern times, there are Saturdays and Sundays, and Tu Yuanyi's Prince Academy has to go to school every day except for three festivals, two birthdays and illness.Moreover, they got up to study at the beginning of Mao, and it was about the end of the hour after reviewing their homework. It was even more pitiful than when she was a child.The princesses are a bit better. Apart from the three-day and two-life breaks, the class time is shorter and the exam difficulty is lower.

At this moment, Zhao Quan brought breakfast to the table and put it in front of the table. Xing Xiuyan said: "The three of you, father and son, eat."

"Where are you going?" Tu Yuanyi frowned slightly.

"I put them inside to eat."

"Sit down, stop tossing."

Xing Xiuyan didn't want to make his father and son feel uncomfortable. If they were placed in modern times, they would look like stepmothers and their original spouse's sons.Although Tu Yuanyi arranges overloaded studies for them, she seldom cares about them in life. She only occasionally has cheap sympathy for them, and she has never been interested in showing "step mother love" intimately.

Served by Xue Jue and Jin Yao, Xing Xiuyan served freshly ground red bean, walnut, black sesame and soy milk. She took a steamed bun and cut it open with a knife, but she added some homemade fermented soy sauce (copycat old godmother), It's delicious.

Tu Hui's palms were sweaty, and he glanced at her secretly, but she was biting down, Tu Yuanyi didn't dislike her eating, which didn't fit the image of a lady, and he ordered Jin Yao to serve her a bowl of mutton soup ready.

"Don't be picky eaters."

Ganshan's mutton soup is too strong for her, even if she likes to eat strong dishes, but they are Sichuan hot pot and Hunan stir-fry, not mutton steamed buns.

Bei Xun didn't bring the imperial chef here, and there are cooks who cook Changfeng-style dishes in this place, but the mutton soup made doesn't suit her taste.

Fortunately, Jin Yao brought her "Old Godmother" for dinner.As for the delicacies of "Red Mansion", a few chickens and a dish of eggplant, even a royal concubine like her thinks it is a sin.You must know that this is an ancient time with backward productivity, and it is not possible to sell chickens in three months from the chicken farm.Tu Yuanyi is also relatively frugal, and his daily food and use are not like Jia's mansion at all. When Xing Xiuyan talked about the extravagance of Jia's mansion, he was very disgusted.

Although Tu Yuanyi has major shortcomings, he is really sincere towards her. He once wanted to raise Xing Xiuyan like Jia's family, just because he was worried that his wife would dislike him for being stingy.But she has her own ideas about eating a dish, and she will instruct the cook to do something, which is definitely not extravagant.Her own small accounts of the Ganlu Hall and Lingbo Hall are also very clear, and there is not much money to be greedy, but it is common for her to reward people in the right way, and working under the imperial concubine is a face everywhere in the palace , no one dared to bully, and the people under him were not dissatisfied.

Xing Xiuyan stretched out her hand and pushed it, and said, "It's early in the morning, how can I drink this kind of thing? You can drink it."

A ray of light flashed across Tu Yuanyi's phoenix eyes, and said: "You are so picky about food that you are so weak." The man is romantic by nature, thinking about her begging for mercy last night.

Xing Xiuyan said: "Where is my writing weak? I don't want to run 800 meters too easily."

Only then did Tu Hui and Tu Xian know that their father and imperial concubine Chen did not "eat without talking" when eating together.But they dare not interrupt.

The four of them ate breakfast, and the princes thanked them for the meal and respectfully took their leave.

……

Tu Yuanyi went to summon the civil and military officials of Shuofang, and many wives from the other courtyard where Xing Xiuyan stayed in Xingyuan also came to see him.

She had to change into a noble concubine-grade dress. After the complicated etiquette, she changed into a regular dress, and asked Ziyue to comb her into a beautiful chaoyun near-fragrant bun, with black hair in a high dish, but she didn't wear those Gorgeous golden phoenix hairpin, only a few silver hairpins, pearl flowers and buds are inserted, and the headband of the matching clothes is tied.

Mrs. Xiaohou, Daiyu, and Su Fuer accompanied her to see these orders.The princess of Xining County, the Lord of Jin County and two concubines, the wife of the governor of Suining and two daughters, the wife of the governor of Suining and a daughter, the wife and daughter of the prefect of Shuofang.

A group of female relatives held a banquet in the back garden of Xingyuan Bieyuan. During the golden autumn, the courtyard was filled with various chrysanthemums.

Although the wife of the magistrate of Shuofang County has the lowest rank, she has a clever mouth to talk about the scenery of the border city,

It is interesting to talk about the marriage customs of the northern barbarians, which are different from the "three books and six rituals" of the Han people.Xing Xiuyan used to be very interested in geography and folklore, and because she was a novelist, she also knew about these aspects, but it was not so vivid, and she listened with great interest.

Just as she was talking, Zi Yue came back with a few little maids holding things. She just arrived yesterday, and she didn't even have time to open the salute after settling down.

As a noble concubine, Xing Xiuyan accepted the tribute from her head, so naturally she also had to reward the female relatives, which was also a courtesy.

Some novelty-designed jewelry was rewarded. The madam and the young lady are slightly different according to their grades, but they will never make people look ugly.

Before noon, the people dispersed, and she only left Mrs. Xiaohou, Daiyu, and Su Fuer back in the room to talk.

Mrs. Xiaohou suggested: "Your Majesty, why don't we go out and play in low clothes, it's boring to stay in the yard."

Daiyu's face was blushing, she became familiar with this future mother-in-law along the way, she was afraid that she might say a wrong word or take a wrong step, but she found that her mother-in-law was the most unruly person.

Xing Xiuyan smiled wryly and said: "Where can I go out? The Jinyiwei and the Gongsheng army are surrounded by layers, the saints will definitely not allow me to go out by myself."

Mrs. Xiao Hou said: "The saint is busy. If the empress wants to go out, I have a way to keep the gods and ghosts unaware."

Su Fu'er only felt that her three views were upside down, and said worriedly: "Ma'am, your empress is a rich man, how can she go out casually, in case something happens, who can afford it?"

Mrs. Xiao Hou said: "How can something happen if I'm here?"

Su Fuer secretly thought: It seems that something will happen if you are here, right?

Daiyu also persuaded: "Ma'am, you have to go out...to play, don't tempt your empress, the saint will blame you then."

Mrs. Xiao Hou said: "Good Yu'er, let's go out to play by ourselves, without bringing your mother."

Daiyu: ...