Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 575 Jia Lian hesitates
Anhu Camp,

There were many sentries, and there were many lit bonfires around the camp gate. The flames were flying wildly, making a "cracking" sound.

The fire illuminated the camp, and the silhouettes of the patrolling soldiers stretched out.

On the east bank of the lake, the wind is also strong.

in the camp,
Many soldiers from the Beijing camp were patrolling back and forth. It was obvious that the martial law in the Beijing camp had been tightened. Many generals and generals at the camp came with their own soldiers to inspect the posts and dispatch the camps.

In the big tent,
I only heard the exclamations of Jia Lian and Wang Ren, and looked at their uncle who was changing clothes in disbelief.

Especially Jia Lian, who was most surprised in his heart. He had heard about Brother Zhen's Taoism. As for what Yan Guan said about raising demons, he just invited a wandering Taoist priest to make elixirs and cultivate Taoism. How could he cause trouble in the capital? Well, I don’t know if the Rongguo Mansion has been implicated.
"Uncle, where do you start talking about this? People in the two houses have heard a little bit about brother Zhen's cultivation in Ningguo Mansion. Refining alchemy and cultivating Taoism is not a big deal, so why are there officials talking nonsense and causing trouble in the capital? Then Rongguo Mansion How is it now?"

After several questions, Jia Lian's fair face took on an anxious look, his eyes showed concern and worry, his eyebrows were curled, and his hands were clenched tightly unconsciously.

Wang Ziteng was also a little frowning. The so-called monks and alchemists in Ningguo Mansion were just trivial matters. The civil and military struggles caused behind them, and the attitudes of His Majesty and the Supreme Emperor were most important.
I am even more worried about myself. If His Majesty really wants to punish Wu Xun, the person who leads the army south this time. Although there is a message from the palace that everything will remain as usual, he is still worried that he will be replaced midway. The emperor's heart is unpredictable.

After changing his clothes and putting on his coat, he silently walked back to the main seat and sat down. He looked at the two people in front of him, gained some momentum, calmed down and said,
"Why are you so anxious? It's just a deception by evil spirits. News came from the palace that the three divisions will be examined together. However, Marquis Luo Yun advised that Wu Xun should also send someone to examine together. In addition, the Imperial City Division,

Even if you go back, so what, the civil servants will be able to let Ning Guofu go. Not only will they not let go, but I also know that they will take advantage of the situation and seize the opportunity to seize your right to lead the army. At that time, you will be waiting The slaughtered lamb not only does not help, but also adds to the chaos, you understand. "

"Uncle, if that's the case, I'll wait and see if I can go back to my house and ask for the details before I come back. Someone from my house has sent a message and wants to go back by myself."

He gathered the memorials with his hands and said to Dai Quan who was waiting beside him,

There are seven people in charge of the trial, and they are not civil servants. They can do whatever they want. At least the Marquis of Xiangyang will stop them. The title is the lifeblood of the nobles, and he knows the importance. "

"Hmph, you are a group of people who are seeking fame and fortune. They have read all the books of sages and sages. I ask you, where are the troops from all over the country?"

"No, this time is the key. You must not return to the capital. You are leading the troops in the capital camp. The guest army is approaching. I have already written a list of the generals who will lead the troops south and submitted it to the cabinet for your Majesty's review.

Jia Lian has not returned to the capital for more than half a month, and he does not know anything about Rongguo Mansion. Wang Ren has lived in the camp for a long time with his uncle Wang Ziteng, and has not returned for more than a month. When he heard that Jia Lian wanted to return to the mansion, Wang Ren wanted to agree, but then When he came to his mouth, he changed his words again,

Jia Lian felt confident when he heard that the Marquis of Xiangyang was also one of the reviewers, but he didn't know why the three bureaus would agree to Luo Yunhou's intervention. It didn't matter. Seven people would conduct the review, so the inside story must not be known to outsiders.

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong was still checking the memorials of the past few days by the light on the desk, especially the memorials presented in the capital today, which were all from Jia Zhen of the State of Ning, and were of no use.

Seeing that Jia Lian had given up the idea of ​​returning to the capital, Wang Ziteng's face softened slightly and he ordered,
"You don't need to intervene in this matter. Take care of the affairs of the Beijing camp and prepare all the necessary supplies and food. In addition, transfer 10,000 horses and horses from the Kokang camp to supplement the troops, gather 20,000 soldiers, and wait for the guest army. Once we arrive, we can rest for at most one day and head south immediately, we can’t wait any longer.”

"Yes, big brother, I know how to do it."

"These are all rejected. I won't read them. They are nothing new and cliche. They are just trying to flatter you. If you have the drive to be strict, why should you act like an afterthought?"

What Wang Ziteng said was a bit heavy, and it also highlighted the power of it. If you go back at this time, the people in the Imperial City Department will definitely know. Your Majesty can see it clearly. Accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger. A saint is suspicious. How to know what is in his heart? It is better to stop with silence and strike later.

Wang Ren looked at Liandi's embarrassed expression and spoke to comfort him.

Wang Ren knows what his uncle means, and the Wang family will definitely not sit back and watch, but they can't take any action at the moment, otherwise they will not be able to save people. On the contrary, the Wang family will be trapped again, and they can only wait and see how the old Dukes of the Duke's Mansion solve it. It would be bad for Jia Lian to go back.

Dai Quan stepped forward in small steps, called to the eunuchs waiting at the side, carefully moved the memorials out, and arranged the imperial records for His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to be upset. Yan Guan has always been suppressed by civil and military officials. Now that someone is taking the lead, how can he bear it, especially when Yan Cong eats the first soup, and the others are not jealous. There must be some people who are dissatisfied, and there are more tricks. .”

After listening to what the two said, Jia Lian was also a little hesitant. What he said was reasonable. He couldn't solve the problem by himself. Thinking of the letter from Rongguo Mansion, he could only send a message to Wang Xifeng.

Inside the imperial city,

In the Hall of Nourishing Heart,

"Second brother, you'd better not go back for the time being. The situation in the capital is strange. We must not make a wrong step now. The Jia family is not going alone. Other Dukes' palaces, even the North King and the East King cannot stand by and watch, and they will definitely To help, even Marquis Luo Yun could not watch Ning Guofu being deprived of his title. The thought of seven people trying the case was the result of a dispute in the court. If you want to go back, you won't cause more trouble. Those officials in the court don't think so. .”

Emperor Wu was a little upset. These were all trivial matters. The real issue was from the south of Beijing. There might have been any changes in the guest troops entering Beijing from all directions. At this time, Emperor Wu became very suspicious.

Dai Quan even saw the clues, and his movements in arranging the memorial became more light and careful.

"Back to Your Majesty, Lieutenant Hongnong Dian's army was the first to arrive. Sizhou's army also sent people to inform them that there was still one day to go to Beijing. Only the two counties of Hedong and Hexi and the army of the Jiedu Envoy of Daliang City have not been seen yet. The sequence, I think, is still on the way.”

Emperor Wu leaned back in his chair, squinted his eyes, and repeated,
"On the way."

He snorted coldly in his heart. On the road, they might not be camping on the spot, waiting for news from the capital. Lu Daiyuan, Zeng Weilun, and Chu Guozhong, none of them are like loaches, cunning and cunning. These three people are not fuel-efficient lamps. Can you send people to knock on it again?

"Send a messenger again to urge the three groups of soldiers and horses to select a day to rush to Beijing. They must enter the capital within five days. There must be no mistake. One day late, kneel down at the palace gate to plead guilty."

Dai Quan bowed slightly and responded,
"Yes, Your Majesty, the old slave will send someone to deliver the order right now. It's just that Your Majesty, Prince Teng, the governor of the Beijing camp, sent someone to present the list of generals who will lead the troops from the Beijing camp to the south. When the old slave saw it, he stayed and asked Your Majesty Take a look."

After saying that, he leaned aside a large pile of memorials on the imperial case, then took out a blue memorial from his arms, placed it in front of Emperor Wu, then stepped back a few steps, stood with his hands down, and held the Buddha in his arms. Chen Chen seemed to be aware of his master's caution. Thousands of threads were hanging down, not moving at all.

"If you don't tell me, I'm afraid I've forgotten this matter. I don't care how the Beijing camp plans to send troops."

When Emperor Wu asked, he opened the memorial and saw that in the first list of those leading the army, it was Jia Lian of Rongguo Mansion. It was him, and he asked again,
"Where is Jia Lian of Rongguo Mansion now?"

Dai Quan was stunned when he heard this. Why did he mention Rongguo Mansion? He thought of the list on the memorial. Jia Lian must be among them. He took a careful look at His Majesty's expression and replied,
"Back to Your Majesty, according to Wang Ziteng, the governor of the Beijing camp, there are 10,000 imperial troops in the Beijing camp, and they are ready to use all the cavalry. For the siege battle, the government troops will be used to fight, which can not only ensure the flanks of the army, but also March quickly, so the Beijing camp does not plan to bring infantry. As for Jia Lian, I dare not hide it. Jia Lian has been in the Beijing camp for more than half a month, and he is considered a good general."

"A good general is not considered a general. During the competition in the capital, his courage was commendable, but in the end he was a little too motivated. He can only be considered a lieutenant, not a general."

Emperor Wu shook his head. He didn't know why, but the Jia family finally had a leader, but he made no achievements. He didn't have the grace of the old prince at all, let alone lead the army. If they were all like Luo Yunhou, they would be like that. No, I don’t know what the elite soldiers on the Western King’s side are like, so I can only let Marquis Luo Yun suppress him.

"Also, the Beijing camp actually wants to use cavalry. It's good that the land south of Beijing is flat and the cavalry has a place to use it. Wang Ziteng still wins my heart. There are more than 100,000 people. It is enough for a battle formation without infantry. I won’t take the army with me, but we need to go fast, I don’t know what Gu Ping is like anymore, I’m worried.”

Rarely, there was a trace of worry on Emperor Wu's face. Thirty thousand soldiers rescued Lin Yue's Mansion. It was unknown whether the rebel army was defeated. What role Yu Shiyuan, the governor of Jingnan, played in it.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. Gu Ping has 30,000 elite troops anyway. Even if he is defeated, he can still retreat calmly,"

Dai Quan quickly comforted him and poured a bowl of hot oil tea for His Majesty.

"I will give you the seal of the memorial. I agree with the people on the list. Tell Wang Ziteng to prepare all the supplies and food. As soon as the guest army arrives, we will immediately assemble the army and go south."

"promise,"

Watching Dai Quan leave the study, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong's eyes were deep, and he actually said a name silently from his mouth, Li Chonghou, Li Chonghou, the chief minister of the cabinet. After two emperors, he had controlled the government for more than 20 years. Everyone only knew that he was old and fatuous. , remaining in the position of chief minister can only remain in the position, and new descendants grew up to form the two parties of the north and the south.

but,

Li Dang has always been hiding in the court. Liang Yun of the Inspectorate, Wen Yongyi, Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Bian Zhengru, the Minister of Rites, and even the Ministry of Punishments are also Li Dang. If the chief minister had not become old and weak and delegated power to the subordinates, perhaps he would still be there now. prestige.

He is old, and it is time to go back and enjoy his blessings. Those greedy money can be regarded as the court's favor to him. However, the last post must be controlled by me. What I said today, I think he also understands what I mean. North and South The battle between the township parties is still to come, and the matter of Enke will have to be postponed for a while.

"Come here, please send a message to Nan Zixian, the grand scholar of Wuyingdian. All the students who come from the capital and are registered can receive two taels of silver from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for travel expenses. They will use the money from the sale of property in the Ministry of Internal Affairs this year to make up for it. Tell me Nan Zixian, Enke postponed it for a few more days until the army moves south."

Eunuch Yun, who was waiting at the door, hurriedly bowed and responded,

"It's Your Majesty. I'll go and deliver the message right now."

"Wait a minute, please tell me whether there is enough money for the scholars to take the exam."

Emperor Wu calculated that it would take nearly a month to postpone Enke, and it would take about ten days for the prince to go south. In this way, it is not known whether Enke can be opened by the end of April, which is a long time.

Xiao Yunzi bent down and bowed again, his mind turning rapidly. Your Majesty is going to delay Enke. If this news spreads, there will definitely be too many scholars coming to the capital to take the exam. Erliang is already a Dawu sergeant. One month's salary is enough.

"Back to Your Majesty, I feel that two taels of silver is already a lot. The monthly salary of Dawu's sergeants is only two taels of silver. I forgive you for being bold. Although your majesty's gift is good, but when word spreads, the number of scholars who are taking the exam this year will be inevitable. It’s the best ever, but I don’t want to take the exam, so for these two taels of silver, I might come.”

After saying this, Xiao Yunzi felt something was wrong and immediately knelt down and kowtowed, his face turned pale.
"Your Majesty, this servant is talking too much. He is talking too much."

"Ha ha!"

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong stood up and laughed,
Walked down slowly,

"After sitting for a long time, my body feels uncomfortable. I remember that I practiced some health-preserving methods with a Taoist priest before. The body shape resembles a crane. There are two scriptures under a thousand pine trees. The people drive money. Of course, reading is also reading money. Since If they meet the conditions for taking the exam, how can the imperial court turn them away?"

After walking a few steps and feeling a little warmer, he continued,

"This time Enke is unusual. I can't delay the imperial examination so that those scholars are unable to take the exam. Is this my fault? Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty is kind. Those who are rushing to take the exams will definitely be bathed in the Emperor's favor if they know the rewards His Majesty has bestowed upon them."

The color returned to Xiao Yunzi's face. He kowtowed and stood up. He was about to send a message. As soon as he reached the door of the Imperial Study Room, he saw a man hurrying into the hall. The two almost bumped into each other. Xiao Yunzi He hurriedly stabilized his body and took a closer look. These were not Nan Zixian, the bachelor of Wuying Palace, and Chu Nian, the bachelor. Why are they here?

"Master Nan, this is you."

"It turns out it's Eunuch Yun who has something urgent to report to Your Majesty."

Nan Zixian looked a little anxious, and Chu Nian behind him also looked a little restless. Eunuch Yun nodded and was about to turn around to report to His Majesty. The distance was so close, how could Emperor Wu not hear him?

"Come in, it's not urgent."

After hearing this, the three people at the door quickly entered the study. When they saw His Majesty pacing back and forth in the Imperial Study, Nan Zixian and the other two were unaware of the seriousness and hurriedly walked in and knelt down.
"My minister Nan Zixian (Chun Nian) comes to see Your Majesty. Long live my emperor. Long live the emperor."

"Pingshen, get up and answer."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The two stood up. Emperor Wu walked a few steps and felt better. He returned to the dragon couch behind the desk and sat down. Looking at the appearance of the two of them, he wondered what he could do.

"Your Majesty, I am here to ask whether the time for Enke's exam to start will be as originally agreed upon."

"Ok?"

Emperor Wu paused when he was about to pick up the tea bowl. He looked at Nan Zixian, the great scholar of Wuying Palace, who was standing in the hall. Why was he so anxious about this matter? He thought about Enke's exam questions when he and Luo Yunhou went out incognito. They were all sold with a price tag, so maybe he was among them!
"What did you think about it?"

(End of this chapter)