Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 829 What's the Use of Face
Under the South Gate,

The troops on both sides put down their weapons, and the tense atmosphere instantly eased a lot. It can be seen that the prince of Zheng Wangfu is very powerful. The people who were watching from all sides stopped at a distance and did not dare to come over.

That's good, so that some rumors won't spread.

"Since the prince has an idea, I wonder what his solution is?"

Fu Yuancheng's nervous expression disappeared, he wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve and asked, "It's not a good idea to stop them here, so we need to discuss a safe method.

"How about this, my prince, can I take half of the troops into the city?"

Zhou Zhengbai spoke first to test the waters. If it worked, it would save money. Unfortunately, Fu Yuancheng didn't dare to agree. He shook his head and replied;
"Please forgive me, my lord. I dare not agree to this. Armoured men are not allowed to enter."

This was a final decision, causing Zhou Zhengbai to frown, and he simply refused to listen. He looked at Luo Yunhou, who was leisurely sitting on his horse, as if he was watching a joke, and turned around and asked;

"What does Marquis Luo Yun think?"

Zhang Jinyu wanted to see what other ideas the Prince of Zheng would come up with, but he asked her first.
"Your Highness is forcing others to do what he wants. Since Lord Fu said that we cannot enter, then we cannot enter. Your Highness should follow the Dawu Law and bring as many people as necessary. I wonder what rank your official position is. No, you need a title to come. I wonder what title your Highness has now. You should bring as many as you are required to bring."

Zhang Jinyu did not give him a problem. Civil officials could bring guards with them when entering the city, but they were not allowed to wear armor. There were also regulations on the number of people allowed to enter the city. If someone wanted to wear armor, it would be determined according to their title. However, for some reason, the nobles in the capital, the four kings and eight dukes, and the Duke of Zhenguo had no more than a hundred armored personal guards. As for the rest, some of them did not have even a single armored guard.

So the precedent is here, no one can say anything.
Seeing that Luo Yunhou was also in the same situation, Zhou Zhengbai felt a little tricky. He also knew that the man in the palace was extremely powerful, and he really didn't have a title. What should he do?

When I think of the Zongrenfu, I think of its rules.
"In that case, let's take a step back. According to the regulations of the Imperial Clan Office, the tribute teams of the princes from various places should be escorted by personal soldiers. According to the regulations, there should be 200 people. Then I will take 200 people into the city, and the rest of you can go back to the posthouse to rest. How about that?"

Since you cannot enter the city wearing armor, then don't go. No matter how many people there are, without the advantage of armor, how can you be so powerful? It will only make people laugh.

This proposal made Zhang Jinyu confused. How come he had never heard of these regulations in the clan government? He turned to look at Fu Yuancheng and asked;

"Master Fu, do you know what he said? Is this true?"

"Uh, Lord, I don't know either. General Han, do you know?"

Fu Yuancheng was unsure whether it was true or not, and he could not remember the past events. However, he remembered that Han Ling, the city gate guard, was also an old man in the military department. He should know, so he asked,
General Han was standing at the back, and when he heard the adults asking, he quickly clasped his fists and spoke;
"My Lord, my Lord, the Imperial Clan Court has indeed made such a rule. This was approved by the Supreme Emperor. In the past, the official roads were plagued by serious banditry, and the merchant caravans from various places suffered heavy losses. The caravans of several princes who offered tributes were also hijacked. Later, several dukes wrote to request troops to escort them, but it was inconvenient to mobilize troops, so the palace issued an imperial decree that any team that came to the capital to offer tributes could be assigned a certain number of troops according to the rank of the nobility. The number of troops for the prince's rank was exactly 200."

After hearing General Han's explanation, Zhang Jinyu and Fu Yuancheng looked at each other in silence. Is this true or false?
Zhang Jinyu touched his chin. How could he remember the court's rules? Each court had its own rules. Even if there were no rules, a word from the palace would do it. The emperor must be concerned about these filial sons and grandchildren. Damn it, if there were rules, there was nothing he could do.
"Sir, since there are rules, then we can only say yes. However, there are no thieves or bandits in the capital, so whether or not to wear armor is completely unnecessary. Just go in like this."

Zhang Jinyu didn't give in, but he didn't say it for sure either. Instead, he was ambiguous and tried to test the waters. When Zhou Zhengbai heard this, he smiled in his heart. This was a possibility. It was just a matter of negotiating the price.
"My Lord, are you kidding? Since there are rules, we should follow them. Soldiers in armor are not allowed to enter. We only have these weapons. Since this is our first time in the capital, we cannot come empty-handed. What do you think is appropriate?"

Let's talk about the price, Zhang Jinyu's mouth twitched. It's really an honor to bribe in front of so many people. I don't know how much you can offer. Looking at the brothers from Bingmasi all around, they have never cooperated with each other before. Isn't this just asking for food with a bowl in hand? Bah, bah, begging for food, it's just a toll.

"Since the prince has spoken, I think the princes will not be short of the money. How much to give depends on the prince's wishes. More is better, less is not a problem."

Seeing that Luo Yunhou actually asked him for money openly, Zhou Zhengbai was a little confused. Is his money so easy to get? Is there some conspiracy? But thinking carefully, he was the one who set the trap. Since he dared to ask for it, why not dare to give it?
"Not much, I'll make the decision. Since I've just arrived, each palace will give 10,000 taels of silver. What do you think, my Lord?"

"Haha, the prince is indeed generous. In this case, we should obey your orders. These two hundred people can enter, but the rest cannot. As for the silver, take it now, or I am afraid that the prince will refuse to pay."

He waved his hand and asked a personal soldier behind him to ride over to ask for the money. Seeing the man coming, Zhou Zhengbai's face became a little stiff. He was indeed a difficult man. He made up his mind and took out five silver bills and handed them to the soldier who came.
"My Lord, please look carefully. There are five silver notes, not one less."

In just a moment, the personal soldier brought the banknote back. Zhang Jinyu took it and shook it in his hand, then held it up for inspection. It was a large note from the Sihai Bank, worth ten thousand taels, not bad.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness."

Turning to look at Fu Yuancheng who was hesitant to speak, Zhang Jinyu smiled and suddenly shouted loudly;

"My fellow soldiers, today is a rare day of celebration. My fellow princes, you have come to the capital to show your filial piety to your father. This has really moved the heavens. The heavens have also rewarded us with silver. We must accept it. It is also good to share in the joy. Sir Fu, how many brothers have come to the South Gate today? Do you also count those on the city wall?"

Fu Yuancheng didn't understand what the Marquis meant, but when he saw the Marquis asking about the number of people, he replied directly;
"My Lord, there are 3,000 men guarding the city gate, 4,000 soldiers from the South City Army, and 3,000 heavily armored soldiers borrowed from Lord He. They are all here."

"Okay, three thousand plus three thousand, and another four thousand, that's ten thousand. This Marquis has fifty thousand taels of silver in his hand, no more, no less, exactly five taels per person, regardless of rank, everyone will get one. Sir Fu, ask General Han to send someone to go to Sihai Bank to exchange the silver for the brothers, everyone will get one, but this Marquis doesn't want any, remember, everyone will get one."

Zhang Jinyu handed the banknote to Han Ling, the city gate guard, in front of the two armies. Han Ling was at a loss for a moment and looked at Master Fu Yuancheng. Master Fu nodded secretly and asked his deputy general to lead the troops to get the silver.
Just at this moment, Fu Yuancheng suddenly shouted,
"Thank you for the reward, Lord."

"Thank you for the reward, Lord."

suddenly,

The troops of the military forces on and off the city walls spoke at the same time, their voices were so loud that Zhang Jinyu was startled and he quickly waved his hands;

"Hey, I am also benefiting from the prince's help. You should thank him as well."

"Thank you, Crown Prince!"

Another loud shout,
Zhou Zhengbai's face turned from red to blue, and then from blue to white. He hesitated and asked;
"My Lord, can people come in?"

"Okay, you can go in, but let's make it clear that each palace will only have 200 soldiers, and the rest need to take off their armor and blades."

Zhang Jinyu nodded, and then signaled to Fu Yuancheng, who ordered the troops blocking the official road to clear the way.
Seeing that the road was cleared, Zhou Zhengbai clasped his fists.

"Thank you, my Lord. See you later. Hi."

He rode back to the team. When he first joined the team, Zhou Xingshan didn't give him a good look.
"Humph, you still lost money and soldiers, and you thought you could negotiate something, but in the end you were fooled by Luo Yunhou."

The remaining three were also somewhat puzzled. Why did they pay the money? They were at a big loss after talking about it like this. However, they didn't know that Zhou Zhengbai ignored them and directly ordered;
"Everyone, bring 200 soldiers into the city, and the rest of you, go back to the post station to rest."

Then, looking at the carriage behind, he asked;
"Teacher, what do you think?"

"Well, now that the talks are over, if the troops are not allowed to move in, then don't move in. Let's go back to the inn to rest. Let's do this. When we get to the Honglu Temple, we'll have a good rest. But in the evening, the Honglu Temple will prepare a banquet to welcome the princes. Why not invite Marquis Luo Yun, Marquis Xiangyang, and the other marquises in the capital to come over for a chat?"

Inside the carriage, Fan Wenhai sat with a glimmer of wisdom in his eyes. His deep words spread out, leaving the people outside puzzled. Why did he invite those nobles to the welcoming banquet?
Zhou Zhengbai thought about it, but couldn't figure out the reason, so he asked, "Teacher, when you mention other marquises, they are Marquis of Jinxiang, Marquis of Chuanning, Marquis of Huaiyuan, etc. If the Marquis' Mansion has been notified, should the Duke's Mansion also be notified?"

Logically, to invite nobles, the eight dukes in the capital must be notified, but the teacher did not mention it and only notified a few marquises. Except for Marquis Xiangyang and Marquis Luoyun, there was no movement from the other marquises. What was the purpose of inviting them?

Zhou Xingshan was still angry just now, but when he saw that the matter was settled, he quickly came back to his senses. Seeing Mr. Fan from Zheng Wangfu speaking, he thought about it and raised a question.
"Sir, what you mean is about Prince Zhongshun!"

The question made Xu Liangcai, who had already finished eating the chicken leg in the car, smile and praise;

"Finally someone has come to their senses. What Senior Brother is worried about is Prince Zhongshun. There will be a banquet tonight and he will definitely come. Senior Brother, I, and the staff of the various princes' palaces are not allowed to accompany him. If the prince wants to test him, he will definitely make a move. In this way, the princes will have no room for maneuver. So, please ask a few marquises to accompany him and deal with him. As for those dukes' palaces, we don't have the face to do that."

Xu Liangcai did not beat around the bush. After all, their interests were the same now. Dealing with the current situation was the most important thing. Only Zhou Yewen from the Song Palace was puzzled. He couldn't help but ask from the seat behind him.

"Gentlemen, we just had an argument with Luo Yunhou. Wouldn't it be too shameful to invite him to a banquet tonight?"

"What's the use of face? As long as the goal is achieved, it doesn't matter."

Xu Liangcai spit in disdain, not knowing how Mr. Xu Zigong, the teacher in the Prince Song's Mansion, had taught him.

"I understand, Master. When I get to the Honglu Temple, I will pass on the message to the marquises."

Then he looked at the team behind him and gave the order;
"Leave 200 guards in the palace, and the rest will return to the posthouse to rest."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As the troops of Prince Zheng's Palace moved, the other princes of the other palaces also ordered the army to turn back, leaving only the palace guards to guard the side and line up to prepare to enter the city.
The official road ahead had been cleared, and the remaining convoys were still quite full. In this way, the convoy slowly entered the city.

It can be regarded as a prosperous era of Dawu. At the feet of the emperor, teams of vassal kings from within the pass gathered here to offer tributes. It was the end of spring and the beginning of summer, with warm breezes blowing and it was extremely lively!
Zhang Jinyu also collected the bows and arrows and threw them to Ning Bian. Seeing the caravan coming, he looked up and saw several princes wearing brocade robes, golden crowns on their heads, and red cloaks on their shoulders. There was a unique aura in them. The caravan was huge, with vermilion lacquered red wheels, and fluttering flags embroidered with totems of various princely palaces, fluttering in the wind.

The carriage had a solid frame, decorated with bronze and inlaid with jade, revealing the nobility of the nobility. It was loaded with things and covered with canvas, but no one knew what was inside. On both sides were the cavalry guards of the royal palace. Although they were not wearing armor, they held long swords and had stern expressions. They were indeed elite troops.

Watching carefully, it is no wonder that when listening to the conversation of the nobles, they also had a solemn look when mentioning the vassal kings within the Great Wall. With well-trained soldiers, sufficient food, and money, who would not be jealous and fearful!
While thinking this, the leader, the prince of Zheng, Zhou Zhengbai, suddenly came up to him, bowed, and said;
"My Lord, please forgive me for what happened before. There is a banquet at the Honglu Temple tonight. I feel that I have a good relationship with you, so I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to have a small gathering at the Honglu Temple. In addition, I would like to invite the other Lords to come with us. Please do me a favor."

Without waiting for Zhang Jinyu to reply, he simply clasped his fists to express his gratitude, then rode his horse to chase after the team.

With his graceful and elegant figure riding on a horse, he is worthy of being the first prince of a vassal state, overpowering others.

Good fellow, you are treating me so confidently. How come I have never heard of the banquet of Honglu Temple? What is the meaning of "borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha"?
In this moment of distraction,
The convoy entered the city gate, and General Han's men who exchanged the silver had already taken the silver back. When the boxes brought by several carts came near, the deputy general was full of joy and reported:

"My Lord, Master Fu, the silver has been brought. It is fifty thousand taels of silver, not a penny less."

Fu Yuancheng turned around and asked respectfully;

"My Lord, do you think of this silver?"

After hesitating, after all, the silver was for Marquis Luo Yun, a full 50,000 taels of silver. What if the Marquis was just joking?
Zhang Jinyu waved his hands. He didn't care about the money. If they said they would divide it, then they would divide it. If he took it back, he would have no face left.

"What are you standing there for? Stay here and don't go back. Take your men and give the money to the brothers in person. Each of them will receive five taels of silver to supplement their family income. Hurry up. You are not going to stay here and starve."

Seeing that Luo Yunhou had spoken, Han Ling quickly called a group of people and began to distribute silver. The soldiers who received the silver were all smiling, and the city was also full of joy.
"Master Fu, where is the Honglu Temple now? How come I have never seen it before?"

It’s strange to say, but I didn’t see any of the Honglu Temple, Guanglu Temple, and Taichang Temple in the palace. I didn’t even notice where the yamen was earlier.

"Well, it's right that the Marquis doesn't know. He was originally in the palace, but the palace was too small, so he moved out."

Fu Yuancheng thought about it and realized that the Marquis had come here from outside the Great Wall and had not had much time, so it was normal for him to not know much about it. So he took this opportunity to introduce it to the Marquis.
"My Lord, look to the west. At the foot of the west mountain of Yunshan is the Honglu Temple. It is mainly used to receive foreign officials who come to pay homage, tribute from various foreign countries, and the reports and thanks from officials and envoys.
The palaces of the princes were all taken over by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If the princes had no place to live when they came to Beijing, the emperor would issue a decree to build a palace on the west side of Yunshan Mountain, where the terrain was slightly gentler and the mountain was not high, and keep it for future use. Along with it, there were also Taichang Temple, Guanglu Temple, and Taipu Temple. Because of this, there were also officials from various temples on duty in the palace to serve the court.

Zhang Jinyu was a little confused after hearing this. The retired emperor really didn't treat silver as money. Building a palace on the West Mountain of Yunshan would cost a lot of money, which was equivalent to building a house on the mountain. The cost was more than three times that of building a house on the mountain. He really loved his sons. In this case, he really had to go and see the banquet tonight. As for the Anhu camp, he had to go and come back quickly, as there were some soldiers who needed to be checked.

"Okay, thank you for your explanation, Master Fu. It's getting late, so I'll go back first."

"You are too polite, my Lord. If you hadn't come to my rescue today, I don't know what the consequences would have been."

Fu Yuancheng's face was full of gratitude, while Zhang Jinyu shook his head, clasped his fists, and led his men to Anhu camp at full speed.

In the city,

The convoy in front was heading towards the West City in a long line, passing through the prosperous streets of the southern part of the capital. People gathered around curiously and at many street corners, children were chasing and playing, occasionally casting envious glances. The cries of hawkers along the street were endless. A glimpse of the prosperity of the capital could give a whole picture.

The faces of several princes changed in different ways. The capital was still the capital. The prosperity of their fiefdoms was just a drop in the ocean compared to the capital. The court still had confidence.

"Brother Shi, I thought the capital was still the same as before, but I didn't expect it to be so lively in recent years."

Zhou Yunfu, the prince of Chen, could not help but sigh. When his father left for his fiefdom, the capital was in turmoil, people fled, and the market was deserted and in chaos. Now, there is a world of difference.

Song Wang Zhou Yewen looked a little unnatural. He had participated in the events of the past, so he knew how depressed the capital was. Now it seemed that the tax revenue from the South City alone was enough to support the entire county.

"Yeah, it's changed a lot. I didn't take a good look before, but I didn't expect there would be so many people."

Actually, their guess was correct, but they were a little unaware that the students in the capital had not yet left, and many wealthy families from the Jiangnan Academy, as well as those who had come to watch the excitement of the selection of the courtesan, had all arrived in the capital. As a result, all the major restaurants and inns in the capital were almost full, so how could the capital not be crowded and prosperous?

This scene also made the two leading princes of the royal palace look thoughtful. At the same time, they thought in their hearts that the overall situation was in the court. It seemed that this time, their father's thoughts might be in vain. As for the Changle Palace, who could guess the thoughts of the retired emperor?

The convoy turned westward, and suddenly a captain shouted;
"Sir, Yunshan is in front of us, and on the west slope is the Honglu Temple!"

(End of this chapter)