Great Tang princess

Entering October, the imperial court has also entered a relatively busy period.

After all, after the autumn harvest is over, it seems that the end of the year is about to begin, the autumn exams in various places, the tax calculations across the country, and the year-end summaries of various departments, etc...

Although the emperor's work became much easier after the cabinet was established, overall, the imperial court became busier.

In the past few days, various meetings of the cabinet have basically continued, and they are dealing with affairs across the country every day.

First of all, of course, is Qiuwei, because the experiment of the provincial system will start next year, so this year, all regions are required to send more candidates, and next year's Chunwei will also expand a few places.

Now the working place of the cabinet is the original Menxia Province, which is now Luantai.

In fact, with the gradual concentration of imperial power, the original three provinces are gradually changing to two provinces.

Today's Wenchang Terrace, that is, Shangshu Province, still exists in name, but in fact it has almost completely merged with Fengge Luan Terrace.

It stands to reason that Zhongshu and the two provinces under his sect are the decision-making bodies, and Shangshu Province is the executive body.

But now because of the establishment of the cabinet, the three are almost completely blended together.

All decision-making and execution are handled by the cabinet, but because there are also many factions in the cabinet, it seems that there is not much difference compared with before.

To say that the only difference is that the efficiency has been improved a lot.

At least now they don't have to run around like before, and they can solve each other in the cabinet every day.

Of course, when there are disagreements, it is easier to fight than before.

In the cabinet meeting hall, there is a very long conference table.

This table was designed by Li Yuechen, and it was also for the convenience of their meetings and to improve work efficiency.

At this time, the officials sitting at the table are discussing the work planned for today.

Zhang Jianzhi looked at the document in his hand, and felt uncomfortable no matter how he looked at it.

Reluctantly, he put it on the table: "Now the army is written in a horizontal format. How could the sage agree to such behavior..."

Wu Sansi, who was diagonally opposite, immediately replied: "Your Highness said, this is for convenience, do you have an opinion?"

In fact, he didn't like it at first, but sometimes when he looked at some tabular data, he found that the horizontal version really looked comfortable.

In addition, the military is basically horizontal now, and after getting used to it, it doesn't matter.

This has also caused many young officials to switch back and forth between the horizontal version and the vertical version at any time.

It's just that Zhang Jianzhi, who is older, still can't bear it.

"you……"

Seeing that there was a sign of a quarrel, Di Renjie, who was sitting in the middle, had a big head, and helplessly picked up the tea bowl, used the bowl lid to shake the tea leaves from the water, and took a sip.

After taking a sip of tea, I instantly felt a lot more relaxed.

This kind of tea bowl was also specially made for them by the porcelain workshop, just for drinking tea.

Not to mention, at least in terms of enjoyment and treatment, the princess has never forgotten them, basically giving them the best.

"Okay, okay, the cabinet is important, noisy all day long, what's the point?"

Di Renjie spoke slowly, interrupting the quarrel that was about to start.

Then he brushed off the dust that might not exist on the sleeves of the purple round-neck robe, leaned on the back of the chair and asked softly, "What's the matter?"

"All the military districts have reported that the road construction project proposed by Her Royal Highness many years ago has been completed..." Zhang Jianzhi said while handing over the scripture scroll in his hand.

Di Renjie opened it, looked at it, and nodded slightly.

More than ten years ago, the princess proposed the policy of building cement roads across the country.

Responsible for this project is the logistics department of the army and a large number of captives and prisoners.

Today's cement roads have been built as far as Xiangyang and Yizhou, plus Shandong and the northern border. It can be said that with the combination of land and waterways across the country, no matter where you want to go, the efficiency is much higher than before. times.

With Dongdu and Chang'an as the center, there are basically concrete roads wherever you go.

Except for the fact that Guangdong, Guangxi and the Silk Road are too far away, other places, whether it is military expeditions or business trips, can greatly improve efficiency.

"This is a good thing, why such an expression?" Di Renjie asked.

Zhang Jianzhi shook his head: "Mr. Di doesn't know something. The road has been repaired. There are many reports from all over the country saying that local businessmen want to go out for business. This..."

In this era, in fact, the control of private travel is relatively strict.

Most people can't leave the land where they were born in their whole lives, and they don't have the opportunity to see the scenery of big cities at all.

The same is true for businessmen today, most of the business families have their grandparents in that area.

But at the same time, businessmen are a group of smart people chasing interests.

When they saw that the road was repaired, they immediately understood what it would mean to them if they could bring their business to other places.

So naturally I started to write a letter to explain my request.

In these days, anyone who can expand their business a little bit cannot be an ordinary person, more or less they must have some background or someone who can talk, so naturally it has become what it is now.

Di Renjie nodded to express his understanding.

It is impossible for a businessman to travel with only one or two people. When the time comes, there will be at least a hundred or so people.

But most of these people are slaves, people who belong to status, come and go, there are too many maneuverability.

But this matter is related to the household registration issue, so it is naturally a matter of the household department.

So he turned his head and asked Princess Xuancheng next to him: "What does Your Highness think about this matter?"

Princess Xuancheng knew some of Li Yuechen's future plans, which had been discussed before.

So he didn't give his own answer right away, but said: "Why don't you report it to the saint."

Di Renjie nodded and approved the suggestion: "Well, let's put this matter aside for now, and report it to the saint at the court meeting next time. What else is there?"

……

More than half a month has passed in a blink of an eye, and the weather has been getting colder and cooler day by day.

Li Yuechen felt that it was time to enter the palace to have a hot pot meal with his mother, so he entered the palace the next day after October [-] passed.

When I came to Jixian Temple, I couldn't wait to say: "Mother, how about having hot pot for lunch?"

Wu Zetian tapped the table lightly twice: "Look at these memorials, how can I eat them!"

"Huh?" Li Yuechen came over, then picked up a book and flipped through it, "Is there any difficulty?"

"Recently, there are many more unresolved matters reported by the cabinet than before!" Wu Zetian replied.

Li Yuechen said with a smile: "My mother has changed! I didn't get tired of these things before."

"Hmph, since everyone is used to being idle, who wants to be busy anymore?" Wu Zetian laughed dryly.

In fact, most things can be resolved by the cabinet, but there are some things that they can't decide before reporting to the emperor.

For example, this repairs the road businessmen from all over the country and asks them to travel far to do business.

Seeing her daughter flipping through the memorial, Wu Zetian asked, "What do you think?"

"This matter is not urgent. It's best to wait until the tax system and household registration are completely reformed. The most urgent thing is to read the report from the Ministry of War first."

"I know that the countries in the Western Regions have requested to send troops, and this matter is up to you." Wu Zetian waved his hand to show that he didn't want to take care of it.

Anyway, she doesn't know anything about military affairs, so she might as well leave it to her daughter to deal with it.

Hearing this sentence, Li Yuechen sat next to him and talked about his thoughts.

In fact, it is very simple. It is to protest against Tubo and tell them not to invade the Western Regions.

Normally, anyone who can listen to you will be a ghost!At that time, there will naturally be an excuse to send troops, and then take it down.

Li Xian next to him asked: "Then if they are really obedient, why don't they stop here?"

"It's theoretically impossible!"

Li Yuechen replied: "It's still the same sentence. Tubo has a special geographical location and cannot be self-sufficient. If the country wants to develop, it must expand to the surrounding area. Otherwise, it must kill the redundant population in its own country..."

But it is impossible for any normal country to do this, because even if slaves are killed too much, it will lead to a decline in the country's labor force.

"But even if they really stop here, it doesn't matter, anyway, there are as many excuses as possible!" Li Yuechen replied with a smile.

In fact, this possibility is infinitely close to zero. As long as the Tubo royal family is not stupid, it is bound to be impossible to give up easily.

Besides, they must think that even if Da Zhou sends troops, it won't have much impact on them.

Under the influence of religious thinking, many Tibetans believe that the so-called altitude sickness is actually that they are protected by the gods, so that foreign enemies cannot invade them.

However, now not only the army has adapted to the climate there, but also has many high-tech weapons. War is a very simple matter.

In other words, today's Great Zhou is fully prepared for an all-out war.

The previously set plan can be implemented.

Wu Zetian nodded to show that he understood, and didn't ask any more questions.

Since I said I don't care, then I don't care, just fully cooperate with my daughter's actions.

So at the second court meeting, the emperor announced a protest against Tubo's invasion of the Western Regions, and issued an edict to stop them.

As for whether they want to listen, we will not know until the next year.

……

In the next few days, Li Yuechen didn't go out, but stayed with Shangguan Wan'er in the princess mansion.

Her mother Zheng finally reached the final moment, and according to the medical school's diagnosis, she might not live until the end of the month.

So these few days Shangguan Wan'er asked for leave, and stayed at home with her mother, saying a final farewell to her.

Li Yuechen was also with her at home, so she wouldn't be too sad.

On October 28, snowflakes began to fall in the sky.

Early in the morning, Li Yuechen got up and practiced in the courtyard. Looking at the snowflakes in the sky, he couldn't help but sigh.

To be honest, Li Yuechen can be regarded as an atheist.

But she has practiced Taoism since she was a child, and as a Taoist priest, she has to admit that there are too many phenomena in this world that cannot be explained clearly.

At this moment, she had a premonition that Mrs. Zheng should leave today.

On the other side, in a separate courtyard of the Princess Mansion, Mrs. Zheng was lying on the bed, her breathing getting weaker and weaker.

Shangguan Wan'er knelt down beside the bed, holding her mother's hand, weeping silently.

The white-haired Zheng raised her hand and stroked her head with some effort: "Wan'er, don't be sad... In the past few years, being a mother can be regarded as a great blessing."

Shangguan Wan'er didn't answer, but just held her mother's hand.

"Not long after you were born, you followed your mother into the court. I thought you would be lonely all your life, but one day, when you fell into a dream for your mother, I saw an old fairy who told me that you would help an amazing woman. Weighing the power of the world... Now it seems that it has come true..."

When she was dying, she did not tell about the suffering of her life, but instead recalled some happy and interesting moments.

Shangguan Wan'er just stroked her mother's already weak hand, weeping silently.

Knowing that her voice gradually became lower and finally disappeared, she couldn't help crying.

At the same time, Li Yuechen in the courtyard also put down the weapon in his hand, ending today's practice.

Only then did Xiaodong slowly come over: "Your Highness, the other courtyard has just received news that the mother of the Commander Shangguan...has gone."

"Oh, I see."

Li Yuechen agreed, and after changing into a black round collar robe, he came to the other courtyard.

At this time, some young eunuchs and court ladies were already busy, planning to move the corpse outside.

Although Shangguan Wan'er's mother left, but this is the Princess Mansion, it is absolutely not allowed to build a mourning hall here, that would be too presumptuous.

Fortunately, Shangguan Wan'er had thought of this a long time ago, so she bought a house outside two years ago, and had to move the corpse there first, and build a mourning hall there.

Li Yuechen entered the room and saw that Zheng's body had been covered with a white cloth.

He waved to the other little eunuchs and maids around, let them go out first, and slowly came to Shangguan Wan'er by himself.

"Wan'er, my condolences!"

Shangguan Wan'er gently wiped away her tears, then turned around and gently raised her arms to hug her: "Your Highness, Wan'er has no relatives."

"Yes! You still have me!" Li Yuechen hugged her gently, comforting her.

……

The mother of the commander of the hidden guard passed away, and many people came to the funeral.

Many ministers and dignitaries came to the funeral in person to express their respect.

At the funeral, Li Yuechen also made an appearance.

Although it only appeared briefly, the ministers and dignitaries who attended the funeral couldn't help being secretly surprised.

Everyone knows that the princess loves bright red and has worn red for more than 30 years. The only exception is that the former prince and the first emperor wore mourning clothes for several years when they passed away.

But during the few days of Shangguan Wan'er's mother's funeral, she changed into a black crew-neck gown.

Such a simple matter is enough to show how special the relationship between the two is.

You know, her mother is a palace maid, and to put it bluntly, she is a servant girl who can let the princess change the color of her clothes, which is enough to show how shocking this matter is.

Li Yuechen also knew that this matter should not be overdone, the princess is a princess after all, so after the funeral, he changed back to the bright red round neck robe, so as not to let those people think too much.

After finishing the last class before the winter vacation, Li Yuechen walked out of the school, looked at the snowflakes in the sky, and thought to himself: I hope that the war next year can completely lay the foundation for the next hundred years.