Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

Chapter 901 Ode to Things

"Then prepare more people to take turns and keep a good guard!" Wang Anlu glanced at his nephew: "What's wrong? Do you think he should be handed over to the Three Judicial Departments for trial and conviction?"

“I don’t dare!” Wang Xiaojie lowered his head hastily: “But in my humble opinion, the evidence submitted by Raozhou is already quite conclusive—”

"Do you think that this is enough to convict the King of Poyang?" Wang Anlu looked at his nephew with a smile: "You think things are too simple. Let me put it this way, the court is no longer the same as it was in the past. Many things need to be considered again and again. If you are not careful, even the people behind will be implicated!" Having said that, he stretched out his right hand and drew a circle towards the palace behind him.

"The people behind?" Wang Xiaojie shuddered. "I understand, nephew. When we go back, gather some reliable people to take turns guarding Prince Poyang!"

"Well, go ahead!" Wang Anlu nodded: "Just a reminder, you probably won't be able to stay in the posthouse for a few days, at most two or three days will be enough!"

"Yes, yes, I understand!" Wang Xiaojie breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Wang Anlu's suggestion. He bowed twice to Wang Anlu's back and thought to himself, "What will happen in two or three days? What will happen in two or three days?"

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Princess Taiping's residence.

Moonlight sprinkled in the yard, the house was brightly lit, and Persian tapestries were hung on the walls on both sides. Princess Taiping was leaning on the brocade couch in the middle, her chin supported by her plump arms as white as lotus roots, and she looked at the blue-robed scholar in the hall with interest.

"At the end of the year, I stand under the eastern rocks, looking around with sadness. The sun sets in the west, and the grasses start to grow cold. There is a tall pine tree in the middle, which makes me sigh. It is a hundred feet tall, but has no branches. It stands alone and straight all its life."

"A hundred feet tall with no branches, a lifelong solitary and straight! Very good, very good!" Princess Taiping sat up, her luxurious dress outlining the beautiful curves of her waist and hips: "It's been a long time since I heard such an excellent five-character poem! Mr. Song, what is the name of this five-character poem? When did you write it?"

"Your Highness, the name of this poem is "Inscribed on Zhang Lao's Pine Tree". I wrote it down when I saw an old pine tree when I visited Mount Zhongnan more than a month ago!"

"I've memorized 'Inscribed on Mr. Zhang's Pine Tree'!" Princess Taiping said with a smile, "I really like this five-character poem. Please copy it for me, Mr. Song, so I can enjoy it from time to time!"

"As you wish!" Song Zhiwen responded, took out a scroll from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. The female official beside him hurriedly took it and presented it to Princess Taiping. The princess opened it and saw that it was the poem "Inscribed on Zhang Lao's Pine Tree", which had been written for some time judging by the ink color.

"Mr. Song, what are you doing?" Princess Taiping asked in confusion.

"Your Highness, when I first chanted this poem, I was very proud of it, so I copied it by hand and kept it with me to admire from time to time. However, I have also recited this poem several times in other occasions in Chang'an, but the response was mediocre. Good poems are rare, and it is even rarer to find a soulmate, so I plan to give this copy to Your Highness to show your appreciation!"

"This, this..." Princess Taiping was also moved by Song Zhiwen's words when she heard this. She nodded and said, "Okay, Mr. Song, I will accept your "Inscription on Zhang Lao's Pine Tree". I will never let you be unappreciated and unknown in Chang'an!"

Song Zhiwen was overjoyed when he heard this. Although his poems and essays were quite admirable, it was not enough to just write well if he wanted to make a name for himself in Chang'an. Without the recommendation of dignitaries, it would be useless. He had finally become a disciple of Princess Taiping, but he did not expect it to be so easy. He felt dizzy and bowed down quickly, saying, "Your Highness has been very kind to me. In the future, I will be a disciple of the princess and serve her like a dog and a horse!"

Princess Taiping was used to Song Zhiwen's servility. She had seen people like him most of the time since she was born. She waved her hand, signaling Song Zhiwen to leave, and asked the female official beside her, "Ah Sang, what do you think of Song Zhiwen?"

"It is indeed a good poem!" the female official said, "Five-character poems about objects are common, but it is rare to find such a poem that uses objects to express one's thoughts and is fresh and meaningful. There are no more than a handful of people in Chang'an who can write such a good poem!"

"Only one palm's worth. You think highly of him!" Princess Taiping said with a smile, "The poem is good, but what about the man?"

"People?" The female official smiled and said, "Your Highness, do you think that Song Zhiwen is worthy of the saying 'A hundred feet tall without a single branch, a life of loneliness and uprightness!'?"

“Hahaha!” Princess Taiping laughed. “That’s right. Song Zhiwen was just scheming and servile. It really has nothing to do with what he said in his poem. As the ancients said, ‘Poetry expresses one’s aspirations.’ He definitely doesn’t count that as well!”

"So what do you plan to do with him?" asked the lady-in-waiting.

"Let him try it in the guesthouse first!" Princess Taiping said with a smile.

"Princess, didn't you just say that he was scheming and servile?" asked the female official.

"That's right, but this kind of person is easy to use!" Princess Taiping said with a smile: "As long as you give him a high position and generous salary, he will do whatever you ask him to do. Unlike people with integrity, they don't do this or that, and they are not easy to use!"

As they were talking, a guard from outside walked into the hall, bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have something to report!"

"Say it!"

"General Murong sent someone to report that the Prince of Poyang has been escorted to the post station near Guiyifang and is under strict guard!"

"Prince Poyang? My nephew Shouwen?" Princess Taiping asked.

"It's this person!"

"My sister-in-law is really cruel and ruthless, but unfortunately she is a little timid!" Princess Taiping smiled and said, "Go back and report to General Murong, and ask him to secretly monitor him and don't let anyone harm him. Everything will be decided after Huliang comes back!"

"Yes!" the guard replied and left. Princess Taiping yawned and said, "A-Sang, can you calculate for me how many days Huliang has been in Fanyang?"

"We set off on the 13th of last month, so it has been 22 days already!" the female official replied.

"Twenty-two days? It turned out to be only twenty-two days!" Princess Taiping sighed, "I thought it had been more than a month! Oh, my grandfather is really something. He didn't celebrate his fifty-year-old birthday, but he wants to celebrate his fifty-one-year-old birthday!" "I guess the Prince of Hejian wants to do something big, so he asked you to go!" said the female official with a smile.

"That's right!" Princess Taiping nodded. "I thought so too, but I don't know how big a thing Grandfather is going to do. He is a man who always keeps things secret. I'm afraid he doesn't even tell his own son!"

The female official laughed dryly twice, but did not dare to continue. Although she could be considered as Princess Taiping's confidant, she also knew that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger. Even though Princess Taiping was fine now, if she turned against her, she would be dead.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. Ah Sang, you are really boring!" Princess Taiping threw the scroll that Song Zhiwen had just given her aside in boredom: "Just keep it in the study. Although he is not a good person, his poems are still good!"

Luoyang, Heyang Bridge.

The sky was as dark as the shadow of Mount Mang. The drizzle fell incessantly, drowning out the sound of horse hooves and blurring their faces.

Hu Liang sat in the carriage, the candle flame opposite him swaying with the rise and fall of the floating bridge. He closed his eyes, his mind was already in a mess.

"General! The garrison commander of Heyang is waiting outside. Do you want to see him?" The guard's voice came from outside. Hu Liang hesitated for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Forget it, I'm a little tired, so I'll leave now!"

"Follow the order!"

Hu Liang could vaguely hear the sound of questions and answers coming from not far away. He was a little tired of these comings and goings. Of course, the most important thing was that he had more important things to do right now: how to get the court to approve his father's appointment of Yuanbao as the governor of Jiaozhou.

The governor of Jiaozhou is not a popular position, and many people even regard it as a place of exile. But no matter what, he is still the governor of a state, and Yuanbao is only in his early twenties. If he wants to handle this matter properly, he still needs to spend some time. The simplest way is to let his wife come forward and bargain with the empress dowager. Women are more skilled in dealing with women. Thinking of this, Huliang couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Of course, compared to the grand plan announced by his father in Fanyang, a governor of Jiaozhou is nothing. Thinking of this, Huliang couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. In his father's plan, Yanliang, Yuanbao, and Xutuo all had clear tasks, and all he needed to do was to control the political situation in Chang'an and provide political explanations for the next expansion. Is this the arrangement his father made for him? Thinking of this, Huliang couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. After the Qinling clan was destroyed by the Tibetan Zamp, the strength of the Tibetans declined greatly. Why didn't his father let him destroy them in one fell swoop and eliminate the trouble forever? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh.

"General, we are almost at the posthouse!" The voice of the captain of the guard came from outside the carriage. Hu Liang hummed, and suddenly thought of his wife. A smile appeared on his face. No matter what Ding Yue's background was, she was still very gentle and considerate to him. If he could give her a surprise, she would definitely jump into his arms excitedly, beat his chest, and complain that he had traveled too far.

"No matter what, I'm finally back!" Hu Liang said to himself. The carriage stopped, he stretched and got off the carriage.

In addition to providing food and lodging to traveling merchants and officials, the posthouses of the Tang Dynasty also served as a distribution center for ship information. Hu Liang finished soaking his feet and was about to go to bed to rest when he learned from his subordinates that the King of Poyang had passed by here a few days ago and had arrived in Chang'an. Hu Liang's face suddenly turned ugly when he received this news, and after a while he sighed, "I really caught up!"

On the fifth day after Li Shouwen was escorted to Chang'an, Hu Liang also returned to Chang'an. He first met his wife and accepted Princess Taiping's gentle complaint: "Did you forget about my mother and me when you went out this time?"

"That's impossible!" Hu Liang smiled and said, "How can I bear to do that?"

"Hmph!" Princess Taiping pursed her lips, but a hint of smile appeared on her face: "How is it? Is Grandfather in good health?"

"Very well, there are few white hairs, and the teeth are all good. I think it is in better condition than my own body!" Hu Liang smiled bitterly and said, "Father enjoys his life in Fanyang, but he leaves all the things to me. He is really smart!"

Princess Taiping laughed and said, "You can't say that! Isn't it true that the old man trusts you? Otherwise, why doesn't he let someone else do it? By the way, he called you over this time. What plans do you have?"

"Well! Actually, there is only one thing. I want Yuanbao to be the governor of Jiaozhou!"

"Yuanbao? Is he your brother? The one who used to be the governor of Cangzhou?" Princess Taiping asked, "He must have offended my father, otherwise why would he want to be the governor of Jiaozhou? That's a wild place!"

"No! Father plans to use military force against Zhenla and other southern barbarian countries! Then he will give land to my brothers and the children of meritorious officials. Yuanbao will be the governor of Jiaozhou to lead the army!"

"What?" Princess Taiping was shocked. "How can that be possible? My grandfather is in Hebei, so far away from Zhenla. If we have to pass through countless states and counties on the way to the army, I'm afraid many of them will die of illness!"

"Don't worry about that. Father plans to transfer troops from the sea, sailing from Cangzhou or Dengzhou to Jiaozhou! He has spent a lot of time on the ships in the past few years, so there should be great progress!"

"The army will go by sea?" Princess Taiping said with a wry smile, "Auntie is really creative. Didn't you try to persuade him?"

"How can I persuade him about this kind of thing!" Hu Liang sighed, "Besides, he doesn't just rely on new-style ships. This time he showed us something new, which really opened my eyes!"

"What is it? A hot air balloon or a telescope?" Princess Taiping asked with interest.

"It's much more powerful than those two!" Hu Liang sighed and described the flintlock rifle he had tested. Finally, he said, "This thing can kill the enemy within a hundred steps, even if he is wearing armor. Moreover, when it is fired, the sound is like thunder and the fire splashes everywhere. It is really breathtaking!"

"How could such a sharp weapon exist in the world?" Princess Taiping sighed, "If you hadn't told me this, I would never have believed it!"

"Father asked me to bring back two as tribute to the court. You can try shooting them twice tomorrow!" Hu Liang said, "I roughly understand what father means. He hopes that the other children will stay far away so that they will not fight each other for the inheritance. He will never change his identity as a minister of the Tang Dynasty in his life!"

"Yes!" Princess Taiping nodded. "By the way, you know about the Poyang Prince, right? The Queen Mother sent someone to bring him to Chang'an and charged him with treason. What do you think should be done?"

"No matter what, King Poyang is also the blood of the late emperor. If he is not really plotting a rebellion, we must save his life!" Hu Liang said.

"You think so too! That's good!" Princess Taiping said with a smile, "The newly appointed governor of Raozhou is the confidant of the Empress Dowager. The rebellion must be his doing!"

"Let's send someone to check things out first! Where is Prince Poyang now? The Ministry of Justice Prison or -?"