King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 714 Thirteen is gone
Zhu Jinghong was certain that he had never been so gentle in his life. He treated Daiyu like a piece of tofu, afraid that she would be broken if he moved too hard.

For several days, Zhu Jinghong worked outside during the day and almost always stayed in Hanxiangyuan at night.

But don’t get the wrong idea, he doesn’t need it every day. After all, Daiyu is really weaker than ordinary people.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year and the capital city became more and more lively.

Lights and decorations are hung everywhere, adding vitality to this snow-covered capital.

At the east gate of the capital, Sun Shaozu looked up at the situation in the city and felt deeply happy.

He stayed in North Korea for nearly two years. Although he was a local emperor for two years, the place was clean and had little fun, which made him very uncomfortable. Fortunately, these "hard days" are over.

Because Korea was indeed submissive, the garrison in Seoul had been reduced to two thousand men, and there was no need for him, a general of the fourth rank, to lead them.

He was given the title of deputy commander in the Andong Xingdusi because of the assignment of the garrison. Now this title has been rescinded and he can only be reappointed after returning to Beijing.

Of course, there is another possibility, that is, he holds the title of fourth rank and is idle at home. This kind of thing is not uncommon at all.

A fourth-rank military general is indeed powerful, but there are hundreds of noble families in the capital, and there are more people with the fourth-rank title than actual positions. Among them, there are many who are more capable than Sun Shaozu. If others are unemployed, he may also be unemployed.

But in this world, many times, it’s not just about strength, it’s more about one’s background, or whether one has someone to help.

On this point, Sun Shaozu was extremely confident, after all, he relied on the big tree of Xiangwang Mansion.

So the uncertainty he faces is where to take up the post next.

The fourth-rank military officers were the commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp, the deputy commanders of the local military commissions, the deputy commander of the imperial guards, and the commanders of the various guards of the Five City Military Commissions.

Of course there are some other positions, but they are all relatively niche and not very meaningful, so Sun Shaozu doesn't need to consider them at all.

In his opinion, he himself held the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Guard, so it was a natural thing for him to go to the Beijing Camp to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Guard.

Of course, what the final outcome will be depends on how Zhu Jinghong operates.

He has already boarded the ship of Prince Xiang's Mansion, and it is no exaggeration to say that they are deeply bound together. Naturally, he will follow Zhu Jinghong's lead in everything.

So now, Sun Shaozu sent someone to send his family back home, while he himself took a few close followers to the Prince Xiang's Mansion.

His so-called "family" were the two concubines he took in from Korea, who gave birth to a son and a daughter for him respectively.

His legal wife, Xia Jingui, has been alone at home for the past two years and now has no children.

Of course, none of this matters. Sun Shaozu arrived at Prince Xiang's mansion, reported his name, and waited outside the mansion. The guards did not let him in directly.

The reason was that Zhu Jinghong had a rule that generals above the fifth rank would not be allowed into the palace without his permission.

Of course, this is an unspoken rule. When more people run into a wall, they will stop asking for trouble.

Of course, setting this unspoken rule does not mean that Zhu Jinghong has no connection with the military generals.

After all, this is just the rule within the palace, and most of the time when Zhu Jinghong is not in the palace, he can interact with the generals in the imperial city, Shanglinyuan, and other princes' palaces.

Another important channel is the "madam diplomacy" that Baochai is responsible for.

Sun Shaozu waited for a few minutes, and then an eunuch came out of the palace gate and told him that Zhu Jinghong had something to do and could not meet him.

What is meant here is that it is inconvenient to meet, not that it is impossible as usual, but Sun Shaozu still had to return in disappointment.

In the inner garden of the palace, all the ladies of the palace gathered on a pavilion. On the stage opposite the pavilion, a woman was singing along with music.

The singing is melodious and the melody is gentle, which is really beautiful.

Of course, Baochai was sitting next to Zhu Jinghong, and on her left and right were two concubines, then three selected maids, and then four maids.

Xiangyun and Baoqin were sitting on Daiyu's left and right. The three of them didn't listen at all and were chatting in low voices.

"Sun Shaozu is your confidant. He came to see you as soon as he returned to Beijing, but you turned him away. This... I'm afraid it will hurt his heart!"

"It is a rule that you should not meet with military commanders unless it is necessary!"

Then, Zhu Jinghong looked at Baochai and said slowly: "Besides, I have another important use for him next!"

"Reuse?" Baochai wondered.

"There is an old commander in the Wucheng Military Division who will be retiring today... I plan to let Sun Shaozu take over!"

Baochai then asked, "The Five Cities Military Command is of great importance. If you let him take over, aren't you afraid that His Majesty will be suspicious?"

"Among the four-rank generals in the court today, how many have no connection with us? If we don't use Sun Shaozu, we have to use someone else. What's the difference?"

Zhu Jinghong said this in a casual way, but it contained a huge amount of information.

"That's true... but Sun Shaozu and the Xue family are relatives by marriage, so I'm afraid it's not appropriate to do this!"

Hearing this, Zhu Jinghong smiled, then looked at Xiangyun and said softly, "The Wucheng Bingma Division is divided into two divisions, and the niece of one of them... is in this palace!"

"As for the other one, Qiu Liang's son Qiu Hong, he also fought with me in Jinling and the Northwest!"

The two big bosses of the Five Cities Military Department have so many connections with Zhu Jinghong, so arranging a commander for them is not a big deal.

Zhu Jinghong then said, "Besides, I didn't ask for permission for this matter, but asked the Ministry of War to recommend it, so it doesn't involve us!"

"The Ministry of War is willing to recommend it?"

Zhu Jinghong smiled even more. He first looked at the people on the stage and applauded, then he replied, "Gao Zhiwen, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, joined my school when he was in Liaodong!"

Baochai then remembered the old things, nodded and said no more.

Zhu Jinghong was indeed very confident. With his current status, he was not afraid of anyone except the emperor.

But the more this happens, the more cautious he must be, otherwise it will easily lead to tragedy.

When Sun Shaozu returned home, he found out that there was a guest there today, his sister-in-law Xia Yuegui.

Xia Yuegui came alone to comfort her unfortunate sister, saying that the marriage with the Sun family made Xia Jingui very miserable.

The two sisters had been chatting for less than half an hour when they heard someone report that the master had returned, and then Sun Shaozu's wives, concubines and children arrived.

These things were enough to make Xia Jingui upset, but she still had to order people to clean up the residence and wait for Sun Shaozu to return home.

By the time Sun Shaozu comes back, another half hour will have passed.

"Master!" Xia Jingui came out to greet him and was respectful to Sun Shaozu.

"Ok!"

Sun Shaozu nodded, but did not act too angry because he already knew that Xia Yuegui was there.

Even though Xue Pan was a wimp, he was still the princess's brother, so if Sun Shaozu wanted to give face to Xia Yuegui, he couldn't be too rude to Xia Jingui.

As he walked in, Sun Shaozu asked, "I heard your sister is here? My brother-in-law is not here?"

"He sent the person away and left, saying he would be back to pick him up in a while!" Xia Jingui replied, looking frightened.

There was no way out. The rough treatment she had received from Sun Shaozu before had already left her with psychological trauma.

She had been feeling uneasy since she knew he was returning to Beijing.

"Brother-in-law returns triumphantly, congratulations!"

Xia Yuegui appeared outside the main room and looked at Sun Shaozu calmly.

Sun Shaozu bowed and said, "It turns out that my second sister is here. You are a rare guest!"

"My brother-in-law has been gone for two years, so he is a rare visitor!"

Sun Shaozu was about to speak, but Xia Yuegui continued, "My elder sister is so pitiful. She is looking forward to her brother-in-law coming back every day!"

"My brother-in-law came back today, and he also brought a generous gift to my eldest sister. The two children are so beautiful!"

Xia Yuegui had a smile on her face, but Sun Shaozu felt uncomfortable with Hu's sarcasm. However, he could not get angry because of the other party's status.

Although he couldn't deal with Xia Yuegui, he could deal with Xia Jingui, so he looked at the latter.

"Brother-in-law, do you know that my sister had an audience with the princess the other day? What did the princess teach her?"

"Please give me some advice!" Sun Shaozu looked indifferent.

At this moment, Xia Jingui was extremely scared and just wanted her sister to shut up. She could have said something to stop her, but now she was too scared and Sun Shaozu was right next to her, so she couldn't say a word.

"The Queen said that a harmonious family is the foundation of everything. The man should be responsible for the outside affairs and the woman for the inside affairs. Only when they are harmonious can everything be well managed!"

"If the inside and outside are not harmonious, and the husband and wife are not harmonious, who would dare to use such a person!"

Xia Yuegui was really smart. She had learned in advance that Sun Shaozu was resigning and was most concerned about the official position change. Using this matter to point out to him would have a miraculous effect.

As to whether Baochai said this, it is not important at all in this matter because Sun Shaozu has no way to verify it.

That’s right, Xia Yuegui was just taking advantage of the power of others, and Sun Shaozu was angry but could only smile along.

He just said, "Second sister, I get along well with your sister and we have a close relationship... How can you say that we are not on good terms?"

Xia Yuegui smiled and replied, "Maybe I said it wrong, but as the old saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. It doesn't matter if I heard it wrong... But if it gets to the ears of the prince and princess, it will be a big trouble!"

"So brother-in-law, from now on...be a little more considerate to my sister!"

"This is natural, this is natural!" Sun Shaozu's smile became more humble.

No wonder Xue Pan was so obedient after being treated well. This woman is really powerful... Sun Shaozu sighed secretly.

He went to the Xia family to discuss the marriage. When he met Xia Yuegui, he thought she was weak, but he didn't expect that she had a gentle appearance but a strong heart, which was exactly the opposite of Xia Jingui.

At this time, Xia Yuegui continued, "My brother-in-law is knowledgeable and sensible, I don't think he will make things difficult for me!"

After saying that, she moved to the side of the road to allow Sun Shaozu and the other man to pass.

"Madam, those rumors outside are really abominable. Don't let them alienate you and me!"

After saying this, Sun Shaozu took Xia Jingui and walked into the room together.

Xia Yuegui followed him in, said a few simple words, and then tactfully said goodbye and left.

In the blink of an eye, a few days passed, and it was the sixteenth year of Zhengtong, and the Ming Dynasty ushered in a new year.

During the first few days of the first lunar month, the entire court had a holiday, but the officials were still very busy as they had to perform various sacrificial ceremonies with the royal family.

This year the emperor was lazy as usual, and all sacrificial duties were done by the crown prince, including offering sacrifices to heaven and paying homage to the tomb of Emperor Taizu, which had never happened before.

Of course, these things had little to do with Zhu Jinghong, because he had to coordinate various combat affairs, so he did not attend almost all ceremonies.

Zhu Jinghong was busy, and Baochai was also very busy. She was busy with banquets, returning gifts, favors, rewards, the treasury... all kinds of chores kept her busy.

During this period, Sun Shaozu and his wife, together with Xue Pan and his wife, went to Prince Xiang's Mansion to pay New Year's greetings, and this time they finally met Zhu Jinghong.

Taking this opportunity, Zhu Jinghong gave instructions to Sun Shaozu in person and instructed him to do some slightly unusual things.

Sun Shaozu was deeply bound to the Prince Xiang's Palace and had no choice but to go down this path until the end, so he simply agreed to everything.

In the blink of an eye, a few days passed and the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month arrived.

The capital city hung up colorful lanterns as usual, and the number of people visiting the capital was much greater than usual, because the emperor and empress would arrive at the Daming Gate tonight to accept congratulations from the people of the world.

Everyone wants to see the emperor and share in this great blessing, so more people will flock to the capital.

The Lantern Festival always made Zhu Jinghong feel uneasy, so he took precautions in advance, but the night passed peacefully.

On the 20th of the first lunar month, Zhu Jinghong met with the emperor and confirmed that he would leave Beijing on the 25th.

In just five days, Zhu Jinghong would be going on a long journey again. Some people in Prince Xiang's mansion were happy while others were sad.

Another happy person was Qiqi Genomin, because the two of them would accompany Zhu Jinghong to the northwest and take care of his food, daily life and other matters.

But the happiest person was Zhen Qin, because she was confirmed to be pregnant, and it had been almost two months.

There were a lot of people who were worried. Those who couldn't go with Zhu Jinghong were all very worried and wished they could stick with Zhu Jinghong for the last five days.

Five days passed quickly. Zhu Jinghong said goodbye to his family and entered the palace accompanied by Baochai. He was about to formally bid farewell to the emperor and empress.

When he arrived at the Qianqing Palace, the emperor and the empress were already waiting for him. There were no other court officials present at this moment.

Everything that needs to be said and explained has already been said.

So after the meeting, the emperor only said "return safely and triumphantly", and the rest was said by the empress, who gave instructions on almost every aspect.

She sewed her clothes tightly before leaving, fearing that she would return late... Mother's love has always been like this, and Zhu Jinghong was deeply moved.

This explanation took a full half hour and finally ended after the emperor reminded him.

"Come back safely!" the emperor added four more words.

Then, Zhu Jinghong kowtowed again and turned to walk out of the hall.

As soon as Zhu Jinghong walked down the steps outside the palace, the Queen herself chased after him, which forced Zhu Xianming to follow him out as well.

"Qingyin, slow down!" Zhu Xianming was extremely worried.

Fortunately, after leaving the hall, the queen just leaned on the railing and looked at him, and did not chase down the stairs.

It was not until Zhu Jinghong and his wife walked out of the palace gate that Yang Qingyin turned around and said with a sad face, "Thirteen is gone!"

Her health was already very poor and she had to rely on herself on a daily basis. She didn't want to make the emperor worry about her.

Zhu Jinghong will be out of Beijing for at least half a year this time, and she is worried that she will not be able to hold on and will not be able to see her son's triumphant return.

Zhu Xianming didn't know about these situations, so he couldn't understand the queen's feelings and just thought that she was reluctant to part with her son.

"Let's go...it's cold outside, let's go inside and talk!" Zhu Xianming comforted.

Zhu Jinghong was also unaware of these situations. At this moment, he and Baochai were slowly walking out of the outer palace.

This was the last time he and his wife spent together, so they didn't want to be disturbed by others, and the eunuchs and maids followed them from a distance.

"We must be on guard against the Crown Prince. In recent months, I have informed all parties. If necessary... you can take my secret order and lead the troops to quell the chaos!"

"I have made a list of the generals that can be transferred. You know where they are!"

Hearing that Zhu Jinghong had prepared all these, Baochai changed color and asked, "Will the Eastern Palace rebel?"

"We must be on guard!" Zhu Jinghong sighed.

Although the possibility is very low, he cannot guarantee that the prince will go crazy. After all, even a rabbit will bite when it is cornered.

"I know. Don't worry!" Baochai replied, but she was actually a little nervous inside.

Zhu Jinghong guessed it, so he comforted him: "You can rest assured, I am just making some preparations, I don't think this will happen!"

"Ok!"

"Also, you have to take good care of Lin and the others, and don't let them quarrel..."

"And you have to take good care of the children, especially..."

In fact, Zhu Jinghong had already said these words a long time ago, but he said them again.

Soon the two of them arrived outside Donghua Gate, only to find that the prince and others were waiting there to see him off.

"Thirteenth brother, you are traveling to the northwest this time with a heavy responsibility... I wish you a triumphant return to Beijing!" the prince said solemnly.

"Thank you, Fourth Brother. Thank you, everyone!"

After some polite farewells, Zhu Jinghong got on the carriage alone and drove out of the palace gate under the attention of everyone.

Baochai stood there, watching the carriage go away. Although she was strong enough, tears rolled down her cheeks at this moment.

At this moment, Yuanchun appeared behind her, supported her shoulders and said, "Don't be sad, Thirteenth Brother will return triumphantly!"

"Of course I will!" Baochai replied.

But at this moment, Yuanchun only hoped that Zhu Jinghong would not come back, and it would be best if he died on the battlefield.

Princess Rui Chen Zhi didn't say anything at this moment, but her gloomy expression made it clear that she was holding back.

As for Prince Rui Zhu Jingyuan, he did not return home this year according to the imperial order and is still making money for his father in the southeast.

(End of this chapter)