Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 878 I Don’t Like It
Yanchun Tower,
In the lobby on the second floor,
The poetry gathering was still going on. When a poem by Luo Yunhou was read out, everyone in the room was shocked. Just when everyone wanted to ask more questions,
A man hurried down the stairs, ran to Luo Yunhou, lowered his head and whispered;
"My Lord, the Governor wants me to report to you and return to the palace immediately."

Zhang Jinyu's heart tightened when he heard this, and he quickly asked;

"What happened?"

"My Lord, we are rushing from Wucheng, which is 600 miles away. The Emperor and His Majesty have already returned to the palace, and the Marquis's wife has also been escorted back by the Marquis' personal soldiers. They left in a hurry, so I haven't told you the details."

The centurion who delivered the message shook his head. How could a small centurion like him know these secrets? Zhang Jinyu quickly thought about where Wucheng was. After thinking about it, he felt unfamiliar. He had never heard of the name. Since it was an urgent journey of 600 miles, Wucheng might be gone in a few days.

Where can I sit still?

But when I looked up, I saw that everyone in the hall was looking over here. The two princesses seemed to be full of doubts and wanted to ask some questions, but it was troublesome.
Zhang Jinyu cut the Gordian knot and immediately stood up and saluted the two princesses.
"Your Highness, I have something important to do and I dare not delay you. I will take my leave now."

He winked at the captain beside him and was about to leave. This made everyone present frown. What could have made Luo Yunhou so anxious? Or was he leaving on purpose?

Princess Yongcheng Zhou Ying blinked her beautiful eyes and wanted to ask, but suddenly she thought of something and kept silent. However, the eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue nodded and said,
"In that case, my Lord, you should go slower."

"Thank you, Your Highness. I have no choice but to take my leave."

Anyway, they had talked and it was not considered as leaving without permission. Zhang Jinyu took a step forward and followed the others downstairs in a hurry. The carriage downstairs was already waiting for him. He quickly got on the carriage and headed for the palace.

This time,
Several princes were thinking, what could have caused Marquis Luo Yun to leave was nothing more than something in the palace, but today, there was nothing serious, what could it be?
While everyone was discussing, many servants entered the hall one by one to report to their respective masters.

An attendant quietly came in from the side of the Crown Prince Zheng and reported quietly;
"Your Highness, secret report from the capital, urgent dispatch from Wuzhou City, 600 miles away!"

"What, Wuzhou City?"

His eyes suddenly fell on the Prince of Han. Wuzhou City was under urgent pressure six hundred miles away. Could it be that the troops of the Taiping Cult were heading west?

Although he looked surprised, he controlled his thoughts.
"Keep staring,"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As the attendants left, several princes also got the news. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, they looked at each other and then left.

This scene was seen by the two princesses on the high platform. They were shocked. It seemed that the secret plan they had arranged in the capital was not as good as that of the other princes. A moment later, a secret report came from behind. Although they knew what was happening in the city, they were still a step behind.
"Sister, this is really interesting. There is a war in Jingnan, but Wuzhou City is being rushed 600 miles away. What do you think of this incident?"

Following Zhou Ying's complaining tone, Zhou Xiangxue seemed to turn a deaf ear and said to everyone;
"Everyone, the poetry meeting will continue. Is there anyone who can produce a good work?"

Although everyone was curious, the poetry reading was not over yet, so they had to discuss it in detail. However, the atmosphere of the poetry reading was gone.

Inside the palace,

In the Cabinet,
A father-in-law came to report,
"Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Lu, Mr. Zhao, His Majesty invites you."

"I know, let's get over it."

In the inner hall,
Li Chonghou, who had been sitting there with his eyes squinted, spoke in an old voice, causing the father-in-law who was delivering the message to bend his body a little more.
"Yes, Prime Minister, I will be waiting outside."

He retreated slowly and cautiously, while Lord Zhao and Lord Lu stepped forward and helped the Prime Minister up. Lu Wenshan greeted him carefully;
"Master Prime Minister, could you slow down a little?"

"Well, it's time to slow down. If you rush everything, you won't be able to handle anything properly. Now is a time of trouble, and I thank you for taking more care of it."

Li Chonghou stood up slowly with the help of a cane. He looked frail, but he had been on duty in the cabinet for three consecutive days, and everyone knew about it.

"Prime Minister, please don't do this. The cabinet still needs your support, and we should all follow behind."

Lu Wenshan stayed behind and followed closely. This was a nice thing to say.

"Haha, there's no such thing as holding on or not. The kingdom of Dawu is held up by your Majesty. Walk faster and don't keep your Majesty waiting for too long."

"Yes, Prime Minister."

The two of them waved their hands quickly, and the sedan chair outside had already been prepared.

After getting on the sedan chair, the three of them went to the Yangxin Palace together. However, on the way, they were still thinking about it. Today's summons was nothing more than the urgent matter of six hundred miles just now. Could it be that Wang Ziteng's troops had some news, whether they won or lost, or there was another reason?

Only Li Chonghou, after getting on the sedan chair, continued to lean there with squinting eyes, a gleam of brilliance flashing in his turbid eyes. This urgent report could not be from the southern part of Beijing. One reason was that there was not enough time. If Beijing and southern China wanted to fight, it would take three to five days to determine the winner. In this case, it was unknown whether it was Jiangnan or Shu.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Emperor Wu had already changed his clothes and returned to the imperial study, sitting quietly on the dragon chair behind the imperial desk. Dai Quan personally made tea for His Majesty and waited on him. Xiao Yunzi followed Dai Quan carefully, took out two secret letters from his arms and placed them on the imperial desk.

"Your Majesty, these two secret letters were sent to the capital from Wuzhou City in an urgent manner, 600 miles away. One of them was jointly signed by Wuzhou City's prefect Lü Shangru, co-prefect Xing Si, and Wuzhou City's garrison commander Ji Lan."

"Oh, it's him. I remember him. Last year, his performance was rated as excellent. The Ministry of Personnel asked him if he would go to Jiangnan to take up a post, but he shook his head and said no. Instead, he went to the inconspicuous city of Wuzhou. The person who went with him was Xing Si. The three of them signed their names together. I'm afraid something has happened."

Emperor Wu took the first memorial and examined it carefully. The signature was written by three people, and the seal was intact. He confirmed that the letter was not touched. However, Emperor Wu did not open it, but put it back on the table.

Dai Quan was waiting at the desk, pouring a bowl of brewed tea for His Majesty, and replied with a smile;

"Your Majesty is right. Wuzhou Prefect Lü Shangru and Associate Prefect Xing Si did exactly that. They left the blessed land of Jiangnan and went to Wuzhou City south of Anyang. Many people tried to persuade them to do so, but they refused to listen and were determined not to move. The Ministry of Personnel had no choice but to let them do what they wanted."

This matter caused a lot of uproar last year. Lord Lu even personally asked about it, but he still failed to persuade the two of them.
"This is a joke. Instead of going to a good place, you stay in a small place. Wuzhou City is a good place. Oh, and who sent the other letter?"

Emperor Wu shook his head. The things in the world are really bizarre. His agitated heart has now calmed down. He has not opened the envelope to check it.

Xiao Yunzi was confused. Today, he felt that his "godfather" and the emperor were a little different.

"Your Majesty, another secret letter was also sent to the palace from Wuzhou City, but the signature was a little strange. It was written by General Gu Ping of Jingnan and Qin Yunjiang, the garrison commander of Linyue Mansion."

Upon hearing that it was written by General Gu Ping of Jingnan, Emperor Wu held up the tea bowl in his hand and hovered it in the air. A wisp of hot steam rose from the tea in the tea bowl, looming. At this moment, it seemed as if time had frozen. Gu Ping, he was still alive! His heart sank.
It was still a little unbelievable. How did the dignified General Jingnan come to Wuzhou? And how did the Linyue Mansion's garrison commander Qin Yunjiang also appear in Wuzhou City?

During the brief moment of silence in the study, another eunuch in charge of the palace hurried into the imperial study, knelt on the ground, holding the secret door in both hands,

"Your Majesty, the Imperial City Department has an urgent report that the prefect of Linyue Prefecture, Li Cheng, the deputy judge Yang Luo, and the deputy prefect Lu Ren, have submitted a secret memorial and sent it out from Wuzhou City."

"Haha, interesting. They didn't come earlier or later, but now there are several of them. It seems that they have discussed it and presented it."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Although there was a hint of smile on the Emperor's lips, a frightening coldness was pressing out. Xiao Yunzi responded, hurried over, took the secret door, and carefully placed it on the imperial desk.

Emperor Wu stretched out his hand, tore off the seal of the secret gate, took out the secret letter, and began to read it.

The secret letter reported what happened after Lin Yuefu was besieged, and how General Qin Yunjiang led his troops to break out and join forces with General Gu Ping of Jingnan who was fighting in Luoye Valley. When they rushed back to Chenzhou, the city had already been lost, so they had no choice but to go to Wuzhou.
The memorial was written in a sloppy handwriting, and it seemed that it was written in a hurry. Although it was not written in details, Emperor Wu had already understood the general meaning. Gu Ping led his troops south but did not rescue Lin Yuefu from siege. This meant that the enemy army was too powerful to be defeated, so retreat was reasonable. But why didn't they withdraw to Linshan County City? How was Chenzhou City lost?

Lin Yue Mansion was in front and Chenzhou City was behind, with bandit troops both in front and behind. It was unbelievable how Gu Ping led his troops south.

I couldn't help but turn my eyes to the two unopened secret letters. Although I was puzzled, I didn't open them.

It was at this time that the eunuch in charge came to report;
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister, as well as Lord Lu, Lord Zhao, and Marquis Baoning, have already arrived outside the palace."

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"noise!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Not long after the eunuch who delivered the message left, a sound of footsteps was heard outside the imperial study. The one leading the way was naturally the Prime Minister Li Chonghou, followed by Lu Wenshan and Zhao Jingwu, and Kang Guichen, the Marquis of Baoning, with Ling coming in at the end.

Several people entered the imperial study room one after another and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. Long live the Emperor Wu."

"Stand up, Dai Quan, and give the elders seats."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Of the people kneeling on the ground, Lu Wenshan and Zhao Jingwu stood up first, helped the Prime Minister up, and carefully placed him on the stool brought by Eunuch Yun. After the Prime Minister sat down firmly, the two of them only sat halfway, leaving only the Marquis of Baoning standing there.
However, when the people arrived, Emperor Wu did not speak. Although everyone was puzzled, they did not make a sound. At this time, the hall seemed quiet.
The front yard outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation,

Zhang Jinyu took a breath, her legs trembling, and she cursed in her heart. Next time, no matter how good the two princesses said, she would never go. Everyone had a chair or stool to sit on, and she had never seen anyone sitting on their knees. Not only did her legs get numb from sitting, but she also shivered when she walked down the stairs.
After taking a breath, he looked up and saw that he had arrived ahead. Fortunately, he had not been delayed for too long. The imperial court had been unlucky this year. There were many disturbances everywhere, and the Taiping Cult had also caused unrest. He did not know what the local officials did for a living. They were good at nothing but trying to make money.
Thinking of this, he stamped his feet and walked in.

As soon as he entered the palace, the eunuch who had been waiting for him came to greet him with a happy face.
"My Lord, you are here. His Majesty is waiting for you in the Imperial Study."

"Please wait, sir. I wonder who else is coming here."

Zhang Jinyu thanked him and secretly handed over a hundred-liang silver note. The eunuch in front of him hurriedly took it with a big smile on his face.
"Your Majesty is so generous. I thank you for your reward. In front, the Prime Minister, Mr. Lu, Mr. Zhao, and Marquis Baoning have arrived first."

Zhang Jinyu nodded slightly after whispering the message. It turned out to be from them. It seemed that the so-called urgent report was about both military and political affairs, that is, where was Wuzhou City?
in a blink,
Arriving at the door of the Imperial Study, Zhang Jinyu straightened his clothes. He had come in a hurry and had not changed his clothes. He took a deep breath and walked in. He walked around the screen and saw several people sitting in the hall. Only the Marquis of Baoning was standing at the back.
I didn’t dare to look at it more.

Take a step forward and kneel on the ground.

"Your Majesty, my Lord, I am Zhang Jinyu."

The cheers from the mountains had not yet ended when Emperor Wu waved his hand.

"Get up, stop these empty formalities,"

"Uh, thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhang Jinyu took a breath back, kowtowed, stood up, and walked to the side of Baoning Hou to wait. He was a little confused and wanted to use his eyes to ask Baoning Hou what was going on, but Baoning Hou was out of character today, his eyes looked at his nose and his nose looked at his heart, and he was unmoved. It was strange.

"Since everyone is here, I won't say much. There are two urgent reports from Wuzhou City. One is written by the prefect of Wuzhou City, and the other is written by General Gu Ping of Jingnan in Wuzhou. The two letters are unopened. I will show this letter to the Prime Minister first."

I don't know what the Emperor Wu meant by letting Prime Minister Li read the letter first. Zhang Jinyu was a little confused, but as His Majesty just said, the letter was written by General Gu Ping of Jingnan in Wuzhou City. The general is still alive. Finally, there is news. Unfortunately, it came at the wrong time.
Zhang Jinyu could guess that the old foxes in the palace must understand. Seeing Eunuch Yun bringing the secret letter to the Prime Minister, Li Chonghou did not refuse. He first opened the memorial of the Wuzhou prefect, took a quick look at it, and passed it to Lu Wenshan beside him. Then he took the letter written by Gu Ping. His hands shook a little when he read it, but he still passed it to Lu Wenshan.
The two secret letters were passed between several people, and finally fell into Zhang Jinyu's hands. Seeing the solemn expressions of the people, Zhang Jinyu was mostly curious. He first read the first secret letter, which simply said that a large army suddenly emerged from the western mountains and came from the south of Beijing. There was no key point. In this case, it was the next one.
As soon as he opened it, there were stains of blood on it, and the notes were sloppily written, obviously written in a hurry. At a glance, it was nothing more than about General Jingnan leading his troops south, encountering a bloody battle and breaking through the Taiping Sect. Only the last sentence made Zhang Jinyu a little frightened. How could Yu Shiyuan, the governor of Linshan County, defect to the enemy? Yu Shiyuan was an old minister in the court. His seniority was comparable to that of several cabinet ministers. How could he defect to the enemy and to which enemy?

Although he was shocked, he pretended to be calm and handed the letter to Eunuch Yun beside him.

Eunuch Yun took the secret letter and returned to the imperial desk. He spread the letter on the table, then stepped back, lowered his head and said nothing.

"The words of the Supreme Taoist Lord are true. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. There are some things that you cannot decide, and neither can I. But Heaven can decide. For example, although I have not read these two memorials, you read them first. I don't want to read them, and you may not want to read them either. But since you have read them, I will certainly read them too. The monarch and his subjects make the decision. Prime Minister, what do you think?"

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong touched the two letters, and the contents written on them caught his eye. The governor of Jingnan, Yu Shiyuan, surrendered to the enemy. Who did he surrender to? This was also a guess in the heart of Emperor Wu. How many people in the world could persuade him?
This question,
The atmosphere in the imperial study became more solemn. Zhang Jinyu was confused. Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. Is this the true words of the Supreme Taoist? Is it true? Also, shouldn't urgent memorials be checked immediately? Why do we have to wait for the cabinet to read them first? I can't figure it out.

He secretly glanced at the Baoning Marquis beside him, standing there motionless, contrary to his usual behavior. Just as Zhang Jinyu was secretly observing, the Prime Minister sitting in front of him coughed and replied;

"Ahem, what your majesty just said is a wise saying. Now the state affairs are getting more and more difficult. Every time I make a decision, I am walking on thin ice. I can empathize with you. Wuzhou's memorial is nothing more than the matter of Jingnan. Gu Ping's troops have gone through life and death to rescue the officials of Lin Yuefu. They should be rewarded. However, they lost Lin Yuefu and the favorable situation in Jingnan. Naturally, they should be punished. One reward and one punishment, the merits and demerits offset each other."

I don't know if it was Zhang Jinyu's illusion, but the Prime Minister's answer was obviously irrelevant. It seemed that he was not discussing who was meritorious and who was guilty.
Sure enough, Emperor Wu sneered and continued to ask;

"As expected of you, Prime Minister, you have explained the matter in just a few words. Is this what I am asking about? I don't care about merits or demerits. What I am asking about is Yu Shiyuan, the governor of Jingnan, a veteran minister of two dynasties. You said he defected to the enemy. Who did he defect to?"

This questioning was obviously directed at the three civil servants. Zhang Jinyu's heart tightened and he was a little stunned. Then he realized that who could believe that a governor would surrender to the enemy? The key point was that once he surrendered to the enemy, Linshan County would inevitably fall, and Wang Ziteng's troops would be in danger. It was impossible to tell whether Taiping had taught them to set a trap, surround the enemy and attack the reinforcements, or to conceal the truth and attack from both inside and outside. Isn't this like throwing a meat bun at a dog, which will never come back?

"Your Majesty, I do not believe what Gu Ping said. From the letter, I can see that he led the troops south from Jingnan. Although he encountered hardships along the way, he did not return to the county city. There are three suspicious points, so I dare not agree with it."

The Minister of War Zhao Jingwu stood up, bowed, and spoke in a sonorous and powerful voice!

(End of this chapter)