The Second Master of the Red Chamber

It was not yet dawn, but Tiewang Mountain was illuminated by the fire.

The mighty long dragon meandered down from Tiewang Mountain along the southern road and headed straight for the capital.

Due to the large number of people, the journey was slow, and we only traveled half the distance by the time it was completely light.

Before the Ning Kang Emperor's dragon chariot, a general in golden armor came galloping: "Your Majesty, Jia Lian, the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and Wang Ziteng, the governor of nine provinces, are here to see you!"

"Xuan."

……

Jia Lian and Wang Ziteng walked side by side in the crowd. Without turning one's head to look, one could tell that they were the focus of countless people.

Needless to say, Jia Lian is very important. Wang Ziteng is also one of the few powerful officials of the first rank in the dynasty, and he is very powerful himself.

The key point is, how could he, the governor of nine provinces, appear here?

Because of Wang Ziteng's arrival, Emperor Ning Kang asked the team to stop and rest.

"Your Majesty, I, Wang Ziteng, kowtow to you."

The dragon chariot of Emperor Ningkang was a large carriage nine feet wide and more than twelve feet long. The chariot's top beam, which was supported by four beams and was carved with dragons and phoenixes, was hung with pearl curtains and draperies.

The curtain let in a little light, so Wang Ziteng could see two people sitting in the dragon chariot.

Hearing a rustling sound, Wang Ziteng, who was already kneeling, knew that it was the palace maid rolling up the curtain, and Emperor Ning Kang must be looking at him through the pearl curtain at this moment.

But Emperor Ning Kang did not speak, nor did he dare to look up and observe.

"How many people did you bring back to Beijing this time?"

Wang Ziteng didn't have time to think about why Emperor Ning Kang used the word "return to the capital". He immediately replied: "Your Majesty, I have brought back more than 32,000 soldiers and horses this time, led by three generals..."

"Well, what do you think now?"

"As a minister of the Great Wei, I shall be loyal to Your Majesty and the Great Wei, and I am willing to listen to Your Majesty's decision."

After Wang Ziteng finished speaking, although he could not see Emperor Ning Kang's expression, he guessed that Emperor Ning Kang should be satisfied. He felt that the atmosphere was less depressing.

Sure enough, Emperor Ning Kang said, "In that case, stand up."

Wang Ziteng wiped the sweat off his forehead, stood up and stood respectfully.

He didn't know that at this moment Emperor Ning Kang was looking at Jia Lian beside him. After getting a definite answer from Jia Lian, he looked at him again.

"You have inspected nine provinces for me over the years, which is a great contribution. I plan to promote you to a higher position.

You are also from the capital, so from now on you should stay in the capital and leave those hard jobs to others."

"Yes……"

"As for the position... Jia Lian should have told you about it. What do you think about becoming a general and serving as an assistant minister?"

"Your Majesty, I am also a Jinshi. If Your Majesty does not mind, I would like to join the cabinet and assist Your Majesty in handling state affairs from now on."

"Yeah, yes."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live the emperor."

After Wang Ziteng expressed his gratitude, he finally dared to face Emperor Ning Kang.

But when he looked up, he found that the Emperor Ning Kang in front of him was very different from his impression... He looked much older and haggard!

It seems that it is not easy for His Majesty either...

"Since you have chosen to stay in Beijing, don't neglect those tens of thousands of soldiers. I will give you one day to appease them and let them go back the same way they came. Don't cause any trouble."

"Yes……"

"How about this, it's not easy for them to come to the capital. I will order Feng Sheng to take out all the wine and meat in Juyongguan Pass. Just below the city gate, you will represent me and comfort them. You can go down and discuss the details with Feng Sheng."

After Emperor Ning Kang said this, Wang Ziteng was somewhat moved.

Only by actually arriving at the border can you understand how difficult it is for the soldiers at the border compared to those in the capital.

The fact that the emperor could sympathize with this at least proved that Emperor Ningkang was not an unjust ruler. Then he would feel better about betraying the order of the retired emperor and joining Emperor Ningkang.

……

Wang Ziteng took the order and left, and Jia Lian also prepared to escape.

"What are you going to do?"

"I remember that there are some matters that need to be handled at the Firearms Battalion..."

"We can talk about those things after we return to the city. Come up, I have something to ask you."

Seeing the young eunuch skillfully placing the carriage stool, Jia Lian could only apologize and step onto the dragon carriage.

"Come in."

"Yes……"

Wang Ziteng stood in the distance and watched this scene, thoughtful.

He originally wanted to wait for Jia Lian to leave together and then have a good talk with Jia Lian.

He had been away from the central government for several years, and this time he returned to the cabinet, the highest auxiliary government body in the court. Naturally, he needed to make friends with some capable people in order to gain a foothold in the cabinet.

In front of everyone, Emperor Ning Kang actually let Jia Lian get on the dragon chariot. He couldn't help but be surprised.

I believe there are more than one person who is as surprised as he is.

After glancing at the people around him who seemed afraid to look directly at the dragon chariot but had already memorized this scene, Wang Ziteng walked away.

He knew that his decision to cultivate Jia Lian was a wise one, which might bring huge benefits to his future career.

No, not just in the future. I'm afraid that this time, being able to successfully get rid of the crisis and even turning a disaster into a blessing by entering the cabinet has already benefited from this niece-in-law!
The Cabinet, that was the place he had dreamed of in the first half of his life. He never expected that after many twists and turns, he would finally take this step. Although, it was in a rather unconventional way.

Enter the dragon chariot.

When Jia Lian bent down and entered the chariot tent, he saw Emperor Ning Kang and the Queen both looking at him.

The difference was that Emperor Ning Kang still had a cold expression, as if everyone owed him money, while the Queen had a smile on her face and even nodded at him.

"sit down."

"I dare not..."

"Sit down if I tell you to."

Jia Lian sat down on the small stool opposite the emperor and empress.

Although the emperor's carriage was much larger than ordinary carriages, it was just a carriage after all, and Jia Lian was wearing general's armor. He felt quite embarrassed sitting in front of the emperor and empress with such a big horse and golden sword.

Mainly because it's too close.

Jia Lian felt that even if he was "disarmed" by the young eunuch before he got on the sedan chair, at such a close distance, he could kill both the emperor and the empress in an instant with his bare hands.

Emperor Ning Kang seemed to be a little uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything. He glanced at Jia Lian and said indifferently: "You did a good job this time." Emperor Ning Kang said it lightly, but even with his strong heart, he almost complained about himself.

Not only is it good!
Although he had anticipated that Jia Lian would succeed when he received the order and went down the mountain.

But he was still surprised that the problem of tens of thousands of troops from three parties, which had been a headache for him and other officials in the court, was safely resolved in just one day and one night.

It is no small matter for foreign troops to enter Beijing, especially when these foreign troops really come here on the "imperial edict"!

If it is not done well, it will cause a chain reaction. Once a chain reaction is triggered, it will cause troops from all over the country to rush to the capital to "serve the king and protect him". The consequences will be unbearable even for him, the emperor.

Now, as long as Wang Ziteng and other three armies retreat, even if there are some remaining foreign troops entering Beijing, they will not cause any trouble.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I am only doing my best to be loyal and serve Your Majesty."

Jia Lian spoke modestly, but he glanced at Emperor Ning Kang at an inappropriate time.

That look clearly showed that I hadn't done enough for you, and yet you were resentful towards me.

Emperor Ning Kang frowned slightly, but in the end he could only pretend not to see it. He changed the subject and asked directly, "What do you think about the successor of the Firearm Battalion and the Western Army?"

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Stripping Jia Lian of these two military powers was a consensus reached with Jia Lian last night. In fact, Emperor Ning Kang could have directly arranged a new appointment. The reason he asked Jia Lian at this time was just to take Jia Lian's feelings into consideration.

Needless to say, Jia Lian had been in charge of the West City Military Division for many years and there had never been any major trouble.

The Firearms Battalion was established by Jia Lian himself.

When talking about business, Jia Lian immediately became serious, thought for a moment and said: "As for the Firearms Battalion, I think the captain Su Keguang is very suitable. He was originally the commander of the Shenji Battalion who supervised the manufacture of firearms and has sufficient knowledge of firearms.

In addition, he is a cautious person, and I believe he can take on the responsibility of commanding the Firearms Battalion.

As for the Western Military Commissioner, there is not much to say. I believe Your Majesty and the Ministry of War know better than I who is qualified for the position.

If I really need to recommend someone, I think Fan Jin is a good candidate. He has worked in the West City Military Department for more than ten years and is well versed in all matters of the West City.

Although his current rank is a bit low, if Your Majesty wants a reliable person to stabilize West City, he is a good candidate. "

Although Jia Lian did not avoid relatives by promoting virtuous people, Emperor Ning Kang was very satisfied to hear it.

Emperor Ning Kang naturally would not think that Jia Lian would not know that he had directly ordered Su Keguang to bring all the artillery troops down the mountain to assist the Beijing camp in setting up defenses.

Jia Lian generously recommended Su Keguang at this time, which not only showed that he had no selfish motives, but also took care of the dignity of Emperor Ning Kang. After all, the person you value is also recognized by me, so naturally there is nothing to complain about.

As for the Military Affairs Department, when Jia Lian said the words "stabilize West City", Emperor Ning Kang knew that Jia Lian was really thinking about him and knew that he would have a lot of trouble after returning to Beijing this time.

It can also be seen that Jia Lian wants to continue serving and working for the court, otherwise he would not think about these things.

But there was no other way. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, he had to disarm Jia Lian. He wanted to make those who wanted to commit crimes in the name of Jia Lian's "grandson of the emperor" or "the emperor's appointment in times of crisis" turn their attention away from Jia Lian.

He really couldn't bear to kill Jia Lian.

That's why we have to do this.

Since he forced Jia Lian, a playboy, to work in the court, over the years, Jia Lian's ability to get things done has been completely recognized by him.

Capable, loyal...

Thinking back to yesterday morning, when Jia Lian rejected the retired emperor's solemn invitation in public and rode back to him alone, I have to say, I felt a little touched.

Such ministers who are capable, loyal and, most importantly, young are rare in the court.

Emperor Ning Kang was reluctant to use such a minister.

Therefore, he had to lock up Jia Lian first to prevent him from making mistakes under the instigation of villains.

Emperor Ning Kang felt that within a year, he would be able to eliminate most of the evil spirits in the court, and then release Jia Lian to do real work and important things!
Without discussing the matters of the Firearms Battalion and the Military Department with Jia Lian in detail, Emperor Ning Kang immediately asked about the details of Jia Lian's trip, which would make it easier for him to arrange the aftermath.

After a long while, seeing that the emperor and his ministers had almost finished talking about their business, the queen, who had been silent all this time, suddenly smiled and said:

"As expected, the Marquis of Zhenyuan is the one who can please Your Majesty. When I saw Your Majesty talking to the Marquis of Zhenyuan, your complexion improved a lot."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Ning Kang snorted and said nothing.

The Queen then said to Jia Lian, "You are also a blessed child. Even among His Majesty's princes and princesses, I have never seen anyone who can sit in front of His Majesty and talk for such a long time. It shows that His Majesty really likes you. You must not let His Majesty down for his favor to you."

Noticing that Emperor Ningkang's expression had changed, and that he obviously didn't like what she said, the Queen changed the subject and said with a sigh and sadness, "It's a pity that I was unlucky. The prince I gave birth to died young, and I haven't been able to raise another child for so many years to share the worries of his father. That's why Your Majesty has to work so hard."

After hearing what the Queen said, Emperor Ning Kang also thought of his second son who died young. He sighed, took the Queen's hand and patted it to comfort her.

The Queen wiped her tears and looked at Emperor Ning Kang and said, "It's all my fault for bringing this up again. Just now, when I saw Your Majesty talking to the Marquis of Zhenyuan, I couldn't help but think of our son. If Ruan'er were still alive, he would probably be as old as the Marquis of Zhenyuan..."

Emperor Ning Kang had no choice but to put his arm around the Queen's shoulders and comfort her softly.

At this moment, he was no longer an emperor, but just a husband who comforted his wife who missed her son.

In front of the ministers, the queen seemed a little embarrassed. She broke away from Emperor Ning Kang's embrace, wiped her tears, and after tidying up her appearance, she suddenly said to Emperor Ning Kang in a negotiating tone: "Your Majesty, I have an unreasonable request..."

Emperor Ning Kang looked at her expression, as if he understood something, but he said nothing.

"Since the Marquis of Zhenyuan is the descendant of the retired emperor, he is naturally a member of the royal family. It just so happens that I like this child very much, and he is the same age as Ruan'er, so why not adopt him to my lap? From now on, not only will I have a capable and filial child to see me off to the grave, but Your Majesty will also have a child to rely on to share your worries and solve your problems..."

After hearing what the Queen said, Jia Lian finally understood. No wonder he felt that the Queen always looked down on him.

He was still puzzled in his heart, because he had seen the same look in the Queen's eyes when he was in Aunt Xue.

Although you, the Queen, are very elegant, dignified and gentle, but as His Majesty's first wife, you must be at least fifty years old. We are not suitable for each other.

Now that he knew that the other party was not interested in him but wanted to be his mother, Jia Lian felt relieved and his mind became active.

Emperor Ning Kang's face also became unusually serious, with his brows furrowed, as if he was thinking.

The Queen took the opportunity to look at Jia Lian and asked, "You heard what I said. Are you willing to be my child?"

Jia Lian blinked his eyes and said swiftly, "It is a great blessing for me to be favored by the Queen. How can I say I am unwilling?"

Before the Queen could be happy, she turned around and found that Emperor Ning Kang's brows were getting deeper and deeper.

The Queen thought for a moment and said, "If Your Majesty feels that adoption is inappropriate, you can just adopt him as your adopted son..."

Emperor Ning Kang shook his head and looked at the Queen apologetically: "Let's talk about this later."

Emperor Ning Kang had always wanted a prince like Jia Lian, so when the Queen first proposed it, he was really tempted.

But as he thought about it, he realized that it was not right.

Now is a turbulent time, and the prince has just died.

Regardless of Jia Lian or the Queen, their respective identities are extraordinary. If the Queen were to adopt Jia Lian as her son at this time, it would not only make him and the Queen seem too deliberate in winning over Jia Lian, but would also send a very dangerous signal to the outside world.

The Queen was a woman who could act on her feelings, but as the Emperor of Wei, and one who had just forced his father to step down and whose position was shaky, he had to consider more.

The situation is already chaotic enough, and he doesn't want to cause any more trouble.

The Queen knew Emperor Ning Kang very well. She knew from his expression that there was no room for further discussion on the matter. Although she was very disappointed, she did not say much.

Before Jia Lian had time to think through the pros and cons of becoming the empress's adopted son or adopted son, Emperor Ning Kang rejected his proposal. It would be awkward for him to stay on the dragon chariot at this time, so he could only leave in embarrassment. (End of this chapter)