Chapter 5: Staying for spiritual practice and forgetting to return 1. Scheming
The Battle of Jiaozhi lasted until the spring of the 19th year of Jianwu, when news came that Ma Yuan had beheaded the two sisters Zheng Ce and Zheng Er, the leaders of the rebels, and was now continuing to hunt down the remaining members.
It took only more than a year to easily win the battle of Jiaozhi, which was so difficult to conquer. General Fubo made great contributions and became famous.
If we talk about the biggest and most rewarding thing I have experienced in the past two years as the queen, it is that there are rebellious parties everywhere in the country, and the rebels are constantly causing trouble. There are always small forces waiting for opportunities to make trouble in the local area, making it impossible to live in peace. For example, this time, a group of rebellious people in Henan, led by Shan Chen and Fu Zhen, captured Yuanwu City and called themselves generals.
"Your Majesty, the Prince is here!" A palace maid whispered outside the door.
I was stretching my fists and feet in the inner room, and stopped only after hearing this. Shanan handed me a towel and said to the outside, "Your Highness, please come to the hall and wait."
I gasped, "I told him not to report every day, why doesn't he listen?"
"This is the filial duty of a son! The prince is the heir to the throne, and he should be a role model for the people of the world. This is the right thing to do." Shanan muttered to me, and chose a blue long gown with curved hems for me. I nodded in agreement, then took off my soaked underwear, put on a clean middle gown, stretched out my arms, and put on the sleeves of the long gown. Shanan lowered her head, busying herself around the long gown, and finally tied the belt.
"This child is kind-hearted. Regardless of how much filial piety he has in coming to see me, at least he has no flaws in face and courtesy." After changing my clothes, I thought about it, turned back and smiled at Shannan, "You know what, I'm really afraid that he has no flaws."
Shanan understood what I meant: "No one is perfect in this world. No matter how careful he is in what he says and does, he will always find faults."
I was walking out when I heard this and paused: "This kid has been very nice to me. I don't want to throw dirty water on him for no reason."
"In fact, from my humble opinion, Your Majesty has probably already made up her mind!"
You are really worthy of being Shanan. These years of following me have not been in vain.
The curtain at the door was rolled up, and the maid knelt on the ground to put on my shoes. The sunlight outside was dazzling, but I was in a very happy mood. When I arrived at the front hall, as expected, I saw Liu Qiang sitting respectfully. When he saw me come in, he stood up and saluted, his hands were graceful, his steps were meticulous, and he was perfect without any fault.
The corners of my mouth curled up unconsciously. He waited for me to sit on the chessboard before he bowed and said, "Your son greets you, mother. How are you today?"
"good."
Good! Of course it’s good, it makes you feel refreshed, what’s wrong with that?
In fact, there is really nothing to say between him and me. He is not my biological son. He has never been close to me since he was 19 years old, except for the past year and a half when he ran in and out of my palace every day. This awkward relationship between stepmother and legitimate son without any emotional communication makes me a little depressed and a little worried.
According to Liu Qiang's habit, whether he is willing or not, whether he has something to say or not, he will always stay with me for half an hour. I just ask him about some routine family matters. When there is really nothing to say, I will also take the initiative to ask about his life.
"Is Liu Qiu one year old now?"
"yes."
"I heard that the Crown Princess is pregnant. I should congratulate you. You had two daughters before. I really hope that the Crown Princess can have a boy this time, which will be considered as your Majesty's eldest grandson."
Liu Qiang's expression gradually changed, his brows trembled slightly, and after a while he managed to let out a breath: "I hope so."
I know what he is afraid of - the Crown Princess took his pulse just yesterday evening, and it happened suddenly. He hasn't had time to report it to the Chief of the Imperial Clan. But today I spoke of it slowly and casually. How could he not be frightened?
"I miss Liu Qiu's child very much. When can you bring her here for me to see? Also, tell the Crown Princess to take good care of herself and not rush to the palace to pay her respects to me on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. I know that she is filial and that is enough. It is more important to take care of the baby."
"Thank you for your consideration, mother." He looked dull and obviously frightened .
"The Crown Prince's tutor Zhang Zhan has been ill for almost two years and has been staying at home all the time. The Crown Prince's studies must not be delayed because of this."
Liu Qiang shuddered again, lowered his head and stammered: "With Zhi Yun supervising me...I dare not slack off or be lazy."
I couldn't bear to embarrass him any more, so I smiled and said, "It's good that you understand this principle. Go ahead."
"I'll take my leave."
I asked the eunuch to escort him out. When his figure disappeared at the end, Shannan snorted indifferently: "Zhang Zhan is clearly against the queen, and he is showing off to the emperor and the court officials. The queen might as well teach him a lesson by directly abolishing his official position, demoting him to a commoner, and expelling him from Luoyang."
I sneered: "It turns out that Shanan also loses his temper sometimes."
"It's not that I can't keep my temper... As the queen, do you still have to look at the faces of those prince's party?"
I stood up and walked towards the study room, and Sanan followed me.
"Zhang Zhan is highly respected and has a reputation for being a virtuous man. If we deliberately move against him, we will be unpopular. It is actually easy to deal with him. I have never worried that after Guo Shengtong is deposed, the remaining followers of the crown prince will be able to turn things around in the court and come up with some tricks."
There was a pile of bamboo slips on the desk. These were the files from the past two years. I asked Shanan to spend two days sorting them out. "I'm afraid the real storm is here! Can you see any clues?"
She shook her head in confusion, "I don't understand."
Looking down at the pile of bamboos, I pulled out four or five documents and threw them to Shannan. After reading them one by one, Shannan looked puzzled and said, "Shan Chen and Fu Zhen kidnapped officials and called themselves generals in Yuanwu City. Isn't Your Majesty planning to send troops to suppress them? Also, wasn't Li Guang, who once called himself 'Master Nanyue', killed by General Fubo in the 17th year of Jianwu? What does Your Majesty want me to see? Is there any connection between these two rebellions?"
I laughed. Although this woman's political acumen was not sharp enough, her alertness made up for this shortcoming perfectly.
"Is there really something wrong?" Her face gradually became serious. "I have read the news about these two rebellions, but I didn't find anything..."
"But you overlooked one person - Wei Si!" I interrupted her loudly and revealed the mystery directly. "This person is very famous among the people. He pretended to be a god and deceived the people. He said that he was a god who came down to earth. He recruited many disciples and formed a huge faction. At the beginning of the 17th year of Jianwu, your majesty had a stroke. Someone in the court proposed to summon Wei Si to the palace to exorcise ghosts and cure diseases for your majesty. Guo Shengtong accepted it. If your majesty had not recovered his speech and sternly refused, you and I might have had the honor to see this legendary wizard in the palace. However, Wei Si became more and more amazing afterwards. Of course, he could not escape death for boasting too much. At that time, hundreds of his disciples were implicated, which was also a sensational event."
Shanan held her breath and looked at me solemnly.
I nodded slightly and said with a smile: "In fact, Li Guang, who caused trouble in Wancheng two years ago, was Wei Si's disciple. At that time, he claimed that Wei Si was not dead and had already achieved immortality, which deceived many ignorant people to follow him in the rebellion. Similarly, Shan Chen and Fu Zhen, who are causing trouble now, are from the same school as Li Guang and are both Wei Si's disciples!"
"Ah..." She was horrified. "So, could it be that the unrest in these years was all premeditated? Someone is behind this... intentionally..."
I smiled particularly brightly, narrowed my eyes slightly, and said calmly and leisurely: "It's no longer the same as it was two years ago. What do you think, Shanan?"
"What is your Majesty going to do?"
I asked with a smile: "Do you think Zang Gong is suitable?"
"Last year, Your Majesty asked His Majesty to appoint him as the Grand Master of the Imperial Court. Did Your Majesty already have this planned?"
"Compared to the prince's followers, the only ones who are worthy of my trust are the old ministers who have been with me through thick and thin. It's a pity..."
I didn't say the following words, but Shannan understood that too many old ministers had died, and it was too late for me as the queen to do it. In the 15th year of Jianwu, Xiu Hou Du Mao was charged with cutting off military supplies and instigating his subordinates to kill people. He was dismissed from office, his households were reduced, and he was demoted to the rank of marquis in Canqu Township. I wanted to transfer him to Beijing, but I didn't expect to get the news that he had passed away at the beginning of this year. In addition to Du Mao, Li Zhong, who was sent to Yuzhang as a prefect, was even more regrettable. When Liu Xiu transferred him to Beijing, he didn't expect that he was seriously ill. He obeyed the imperial edict while sick, and finally fell ill after arriving in the capital. Not long after the news of Du Mao's death reached the capital, he also died of illness.
There are very few old ministers who followed Your Majesty in his campaigns in the past and are now able to serve me.
In the spring of the 19th year of Jianwu, Liu Xiu sent Taizhong Daifu Zang Gong to lead the Northern Army to besiege Yuanwu City. In addition to the Northern Army, the Liyang Camp Cavalry was also dispatched, totaling several thousand troops.
Not long after, Zang Gong submitted a memorial, saying that the enemy had sufficient food and grass and would be unable to attack for a long time, and asked the emperor for instructions. Liu Xiu then summoned the ministers, princes, and vassal kings to the main hall to discuss countermeasures.
The sun was setting gradually. I stood under the porch, teasing the flying pigeon in my hand. The carrier pigeon cooed, stretched out its hard beak, and pecked at the millet grains in my palm. The feathers on its neck kept shaking, and I stroked its soft feathers lovingly.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little palace maid hurriedly running up the stone steps in front of the West Palace, then found Shanan, who had been waiting for a long time, at the door, and whispered in her ear.
I withdrew my hand and raised my arm to release the pigeon into the sky. After the sound of flapping wings, the gray pigeon flew into the sky, and its figure gradually shrank into a small black dot and disappeared in the blue sky.
Shanan went upstairs with a smile on her face.
I tilted my head and asked with a smile: "Is everything settled?"
Shanan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty, your prediction is really accurate. The ministers all said that they should offer a large reward, but the King of Donghai only proposed to relax the siege, open a gap and lure the enemy out of the city. Your Majesty also agrees with the king's suggestion, but I can't help but worry. What if it doesn't work?"
"No?" I sneered. "How could it be impossible? A little witch is nothing. As long as Your Majesty is willing, the cavalry of Liyang Camp can flatten the entire Yuanwu City. This is a business that can only make money. Zang Gong knows how to deal with it."
"Yes, I didn't expect that Your Majesty and the Queen would be so thoughtful. I was worrying too much."
"You're right. Nothing is absolute in this world. We can't take it lightly. This time, we might as well take this opportunity to attack Huanglong directly!" Shanan didn't quite understand what I said. I laughed and didn't explain much. I just said, "Find a chance to invite Zhi Yun to come over."
"Zhi Yun? He is the prince's man..."
"It is precisely because he is the prince's man, and he is the most insightful person around the prince, and the one who knows how to guess the emperor's intentions the best, that is why we have to look for him."
"Your Majesty wants to..."
"Sometimes, it's easier to put pressure on the prince than on those close to him!"
As they were talking, they heard a commotion in the corridor. The eunuch stuck his head out of the door with an embarrassed look on his face and reported, "Empress! Princess Wuyin and Princess Nieyang are here. We wanted to stop them, but the princess beat us..."
Before he could finish his words, he heard a delicate voice scolding, "You are indeed an evil and cunning slave! You eunuch, how dare you spread rumors in front of my mother!" As she spoke, she kept hitting the eunuch with her pink fists.
When she was young, she practiced some boxing and kicking with me. Although she was not very good at it, her punches were much more powerful than those of ordinary women. At this time, I could only hear the eunuch squatting on the ground, holding his head and screaming "Ouch! Ouch!" For a moment, I couldn't tell whether it was real pain or just a fake cry.
"Stop it!" Regardless of whether it was true or not, I always disliked my daughter's arrogant look. "What do you look like?"
Prince Yi retracted his hand, looking indignant, and wanted to open his mouth to argue for himself, but Liu Zhongli beside him grabbed his arm in time.
“Mom!” Zhongli dragged his sister into the room with a smile, “We didn’t know that mom was resting and didn’t want to be disturbed, so we mistakenly thought that this eunuch was deceiving us! Mom, please don’t be angry with us!”
She deliberately called me "mother" instead of "empress mother". How could I not guess that she was being nice? Although I was angry, she still coaxed me into calming down: "Where did you go to buy it again?"
The sweat on Prince Yi's forehead wet the hair on his forehead. Although Zhongli pretended to be calm, he was not much better.
"Why are you rushing to see me in such a hurry? What's wrong with you?"
Prince Yi turned his head to look at Zhongli, signaling with his eyes for his sister to speak, but he didn't expect that Zhongli bit her lips but remained silent. A blush appeared on her pale cheeks.
I was greatly surprised. My second daughter has always been outspoken and outspoken, with a cheerful and open personality and an unconventional way of doing things, but I have never seen her act so shy.
When Prince Yi saw this, he suddenly shouted loudly: "My second sister is bleeding, a lot of blood... Ugh!"
Zhongli covered his elder sister's mouth with his hand, his little face flushed with embarrassment.
I was stunned for a moment, then I understood something and glanced at Shanan. Shanan understood and waved her hand to expel the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall, then closed the door.
"Why are you blocking my mouth? I'm almost suffocating!"
"Who told you to talk nonsense?"
"I'm not talking nonsense. I'm telling the truth. You..."
Zhongli was so angry that she stamped her feet, covered her face and twisted her body. I happily pulled her over and hugged her in my arms: "It turns out that our Zhongli has grown up!"
Looking closely at the second daughter, her facial features are delicate and her eyes are gentle. She is no longer the naive child she used to be. I can't help but sigh that time really flies.
"Mother, will my second sister die?" Prince Yi asked with a worried look on his face. "The female doctor in the palace said it was okay, but I saw her whispering something to Zhongli, and Zhongli was so scared that his face turned pale..."
"Shaohun said," Zhongli argued with a red face, "You don't understand anything."
"I don't understand? Do you understand?"
I chuckled. Originally, when it came to girls' menarche , I had been paying more attention to my eldest daughter, Prince Yi. I never expected that Zhongli would come out on top.
"This is a good thing. There's nothing to be shy about." I touched Zhongli's little face. Her face didn't look very good. "Does your stomach hurt?"
She shook her head: "The nurse made me some sugar water, and now I feel much better."
It was rare for this child to be so calm. I was so happy that I couldn't help but smile and said, "Zhongli has grown up. This is a happy event. Tell me what you want..."
She blinked, and her big black and white eyes lit up: "Can you ask for anything?"
"Yes, as long as mother can do it."
"Mom will definitely be able to do it." She excitedly grabbed my arm and said excitedly, "As long as mom asks dad for help, dad will definitely listen to mom!"
I was surprised and was about to ask in detail when Prince Yi beside me also jumped up and said, "Yes! Yes! Mother, go and save Liang Song!"
I was being pulled by the two sisters and my head was almost dizzy. "You...you have to tell me what happened, right?"
"It's all because of that General Fu Bo's meddling! He said that Du Bao was not a good person and told my nephew not to have any contact with Du Bao. Now my father is very angry with Du Bao and he also scolded Liang Song and Dou Gu. They are so pitiful. I heard that they kept kowtowing and apologizing in the court today and they were bleeding..."
I turned my gaze to Shanan, who nodded slightly at me and quietly walked out of the hall.
Prince Yi was still chattering away, and I couldn't make sense of what she was saying after listening for a long time, so I stopped her and turned to ask Zhongli, "What exactly is going on? Tell me everything in detail, and don't hide anything. If you do, I can't help you."
Zhongli's expression was gloomy, and her eyes flickered. After a moment, she knelt in front of me and bowed, saying, "I dare not hide anything, but I beg my mother to look at my face and let my father show some leniency and spare Liang Song and Dou Gu."
She was eloquent and well-organized, far more rational than the impetuous and one-sided words of the Prince of Yi. It turned out that the cause of the incident was a letter written by Ma Yuan, who was in Jiaozhi, to his nephew, in which he taught his brother's sons Ma Yan and Ma Dun and warned them to be cautious in dealing with others. The letter mentioned two people as examples, one named Long Shu, who was the magistrate of Shandu County at the time, and the other named Du Bao, who was the Sima of Yueqi at the time. Ma Yuan told his nephew to learn from Long Shu rather than Du Bao.
This was originally a very ordinary letter, but someone had reported Du Bao to the emperor for his frivolous behavior and causing chaos among the people. The letter mentioned Ma Yuan's letter admonishing his nephew, and used it to impeach Liang Song and Dou Gu for their friendship with Du Bao. Liu Xiu showed Liang Song and Dou Gu both Ma Yuan's letter and the memorial, and the two young men were so frightened that they kept kowtowing until they bled.
After hearing this, I didn't say anything immediately. I deliberately changed the subject and jokingly said, "I can understand that Prince Yi is angry because of Liang Song, but why is Zhongli so nervous?"
Prince Yi smiled secretly and poked his sister with his elbow. He never expected that Zhongli was not shy or pretentious at all. Instead, she said generously: "Mother, you also said that your daughter has grown up. Your daughter likes Dou Gu in her heart, so she naturally prefers him."
I laughed out loud: "From the tone of your voice, do you still want to ask the emperor to grant me marriage?"
"When my daughter was very young, she said that she wanted to marry Dou Gu when she grew up, just like my father vowed to marry my mother. This is not just empty talk!" She said it very seriously. I stopped smiling and looked at her in a daze. For the first time, I felt that my daughter in front of me had really grown up.
"Mother knows." I patted their hands lovingly. I glanced and saw Shannan coming back, so I said, "Go back first. Mother has her own plans."
The two were overjoyed, and after bowing, they left hand in hand. Along the way, the two sisters talked and laughed, and were very happy.
Shannan came up to me and said, "I've asked someone to check, and it's the same as what Princess Nieyang said just now, but General Fubo's original words are a little different from the retelling in the letter. General Fubo's evaluation of Long Shu and Du Bao in his letter was very good, praising Long Shu for being loyal and cautious, and praising Du Bao for being chivalrous and righteous. He just warned his nephews that if they imitate Long Shu's words and deeds, even if they can't imitate him, they can still learn some caution and seriousness, just like if they can't carve a swan, they can imitate it like a wild duck; but if they imitate Du Bao, if they can't imitate him, they may end up drawing a dog instead of a tiger, and become frivolous, so I told my nephews not to learn from Du Bao."
I was silent, staring out the window, where bright light shone into the hall. Shanan stood quietly beside me, not saying a word to disturb my thoughts.
After a while, I sighed and stood up from the couch. "No matter who is right or wrong in this matter, it is not worth making a fuss about it. However, there is one question that I cannot understand. Why did Ma Yuan's family letter fall into the hands of the person who submitted the impeachment memorial? It was just a family letter. This whole thing was just a small matter of children making friends. Is it worth making such a fuss?"
I looked back and gave Shanan a faint smile. She didn't expect me to ask such a strange question. She was speechless for a moment and was stunned.
