Volume 2 Chapter 14 Nanyang (Part 2)
Not to mention how troubled Liu Ji was, Lu Haowen had already uncovered the fourth note, and when he opened it, he saw the word "Guanxi". He did not dare to delay and handed the note to Yuwen Xuzhong.
I came to Nanyang to strengthen the army in Guanxi, but Guanxi had been separated from the imperial court for a long time. In addition to the fall of Chang'an, all the important officials of Jingzhao Prefecture died abroad. What is the situation there now? How many troops are there? Has it become a warlord separatist posture? Has it been completely taken by the Jin people?
Someone has to figure out these things and make corresponding countermeasures and arrangements... As I said, someone has to take responsibility for military and national affairs.
Therefore, Yu Wenxuzhong did not say anything and took the heavy note directly.
At this time, Mr. Lu finally uncovered the fifth and last piece of paper, and upon closer inspection, he saw the words "military marriage". Recalling the promise that Emperor Zhao had made to the soldiers on Bagua Mountain in the past, Mr. Lu understood that this was to encourage remarriage after sorting out the refugees in the local area, and to find wives for the soldiers in the imperial camp... He quickly grasped the piece of paper in his hand, ready to personally do this difficult task with his status as prime minister.
As for the other four gentlemen, they were all stunned, but they were too lazy to care about anything.
“Everything is urgent.”
The five people stood in the empty hall, silent for a moment, and finally Lü Haowen, as the prime minister of the secondary capital, felt obliged to do so. "But at this time, all the ministries, courts, temples, and prisons are seriously short of staff, so I think that while doing these things, we must also fill in the personnel..."
"The emperor had already issued an order in Caizhou to recommend talented people, but they have not yet arrived due to road problems, or simply have not received the order. Even the recommendation of local people in Jingxi was not started until Yin Shuke withdrew. And the officials in the imperial court were also used to fill the Jingxi." Yuwen Xuzhong reminded casually. "Who can be used to fill the central government at this time?"
Mr. Lu was speechless immediately.
Just like that, under Lan Gui's gaze, the five gentlemen sat together for another incense stick of silence. Finally, after hesitating for a moment and thinking it over, they decided to go back first and gather their own staff, friends, students, and familiar officials... Anyway, they couldn't do this job by themselves, so they could only scrape together some information and then draft a rough proposal. When the emperor came back at some unknown time, they would make a general report first and then talk about other things.
However, just as the five gentlemen turned around and prepared to leave, the chief guard Lan Gui could not help but coughed dryly amid the "cuckooing" sounds in the forest outside the palace: "Gentlemen, please stay!"
The five of them were all in a panic, but they had to turn around at the same time. In the end, Lu Haowen had no choice but to bite the bullet and speak: "Master Lan, does the emperor have any other instructions?"
"It's not the emperor's order. We discussed it yesterday and have something to tell the prime ministers." Lan Gui said carefully. "My dear gentlemen, the emperor is 22 years old this year, which is the prime of his life. Unfortunately, there is only one heir, and Madam Pan has to take care of the heir and be filial to the empress dowager on behalf of the emperor..."
The five people came to their senses before Lan Gui could finish his words. They had forgotten about this matter - after Emperor Zhao mortgaged his wife and children to Prime Minister Li in the southeast, he did not even have a woman by his side!
When Lan Gui saw that the five men understood, he also sighed beside the imperial desk with his hands folded, "Logically speaking, the emperor has repeatedly ordered that local women should not be asked for, and that palace maids should not be added without authorization. With Kang Lu's previous experience as a lesson, we, as eunuchs, know how serious it is and should not say too much. But in the past, we were just traveling in a bumpy way, and the emperor was mostly in the military camp, so it was understandable. But now that we have come to Nanyang and entered the temporary palace, there is no reason for a dignified emperor to not have a wife or a madam by his side, right? If this really goes on for a long time, I'm afraid that there will be improper rumors outside... We are really helpless and can only ask for help from you gentlemen."
There is no need to go on for long. I have heard rumors with my own ears that the government is inhumane at Bagua Mountain before... Lu Haowen wanted to say this, but he couldn't open his mouth.
How do you say this?
It is very necessary, because as Lan Gui said, whether it is to increase the number of royal heirs, to create a healthy image of a serious official, or even to make the official concentrate and stay in the palace more, it is necessary to find some people for the official to sleep with.
However, this kind of thing should have been privately indicated by you, Emperor Zhao, and then done by the eunuchs. At this time, the ministers outside the court could also impeach and advise, and everyone should do their job, and it should be good for you, me, and everyone. But why did you, Emperor Zhao, issue an express ban, and then the Ministry of Eunuchs put the blame on the prime minister?
Can a prime minister do such a thing? The prime minister is the head of all officials. He is responsible for handling military and national affairs, deciding political strategies, smoothing out conflicts among officials, and coordinating the yin and yang. How could he possibly find a woman for your Emperor Zhao? !
But what can we do then? Will the officials really be left alone?
Didn't you see that the palace built by Liu Ji had places for concubines and wives? If the emperor really didn't touch a woman in Nanyang, it would be an irresponsible act of the prime minister, right?
Several prime ministers could all imagine the impeachment tones used by the censors and idlers: Prime Minister So-and-so had several wives and concubines, several sons and daughters, but left the emperor a widow... It was too embarrassing to be dismissed because of this.
So let’s move on to the next topic: who is responsible for something that is bound to be criticized?
As a pearl-necked turtle dove flew into the hall and continued to coo, four of the five ministers simultaneously turned their eyes to one of them. Lu Haowen had no choice but to turn around and nod in response: "Don't worry, Mr. Lan. I am the prime minister and I will do my best. I will find a solution!"
Lan Gui felt relieved. The five gentlemen remained silent, each of them walking without stopping, and actually left the hall as if they were escaping. For a while, the only sound in the hall was the sound of cooing.
"Let's get started!"
At the same time, outside Nanyang City, at the foot of Yu Mountain, beside the Baishui River, the trees were green and the flowers were fragrant, and the voices of people were bustling. The Emperor Zhao, who had changed his cowhide belt, sat on the military platform with several trusted officials, pointing at the two people in front of him and saying with interest, "Since you two are talking the same thing, I will not be a bad guy. You can wrestle here. I and Taiwei Wang (Wang Yuan) and others are here to witness you. The winner will take over this position... But you must admit defeat and no further investigation is allowed afterwards!"
The two young officers under Qiao Zhongfu bowed in unison, turned their heads and looked at each other coldly, then went back to the stage and took off their armor amid thunderous cheers.
A moment later, both of them came up again, each wearing only a pair of ragged pants, revealing their tattoos and muscular bodies. The noise around them became even more deafening, but as the two men bent down together and approached each other until they were only one body length apart, for some reason, the originally noisy military camp suddenly became quiet.
However, as one of them suddenly kicked forward, a wave of sound swept across the entire camp again.
