After being exiled, I led my whole family to rebel.

Chapter 342 Strangers
When Jiang Yongkang walked slowly out of the old courtyard of the Jiang residence, he saw a man standing in front of him.

It was a young woman.

Xu Zhenying rarely wore a dress today, but her hair was still tied up high, revealing her full and white forehead.

The moonlight was dim, and the woman was like a frosted plum blossom in the snow, standing proudly in the world. The night breeze blew gently, and a strand of hair on her forehead moved with the wind.

Behind her stood a standard security team of twenty-four people.

Since arriving in Beijing, Xu Zhenying's security team has increased from twelve to twenty-four people.

These people would follow Xu Zhenying closely wherever he went.

Xu Zhenying also saw the young man coming out of the middle door.

After not seeing him for a long time, Jiang Yongkang seemed to have lost some weight, but he was still a handsome young man with green hair and a green shirt. When he approached, he could smell the fragrance of spring mountain osmanthus.

Xu Zhenying only then saw a few petals of osmanthus falling on his shoulders.

Jiang Yongkang was happy when he saw Xu Zhenying.

His stern eyebrows and eyes seemed to be stained with spring water, and his whole body softened a little. He couldn't help but quicken his pace and walked to the woman.

Xu Zhenying waved his hand and said to Yan Xuesong, the captain of the security team beside him, "Wait for me over there."

Yan Xuesong saw Xu Zhenying's gesture and retreated calmly.

But then, she immediately asked the other twenty-three people to be on high alert.

There is no other reason.

It was because Xu Zhenying's secret signal was to pretend to retreat, to be on guard secretly, and to kill him at any time!
In other words, His Highness does not trust Jiang Yongkang.

Xu Zhenying said to Jiang Yongkang again: "Let's go for a walk."

Xu Zhenying turned and walked forward. Jiang Yongkang was a little stunned at first, and then he slowly followed.

This is a quiet trail.

Most of the people living here are from official families. At this moment, they didn't know whose backyard they had walked into. They only heard the sound of flowing water within the courtyard wall. The moonlight was bleak, casting slanting shadows of the trees on both sides.

Although it is late autumn, there is still a hint of osmanthus fragrance in the air.

Jiang Yongkang is a man who is not good at speaking, and in this situation, he is even more silent.

But Jiang Yongkang seemed to be put in a frying pan.

He knew that Xu Zhenying would not appear for no reason.

It is even more impossible to reminisce about the past with him.

She must have come today to pronounce judgment on his crime.

Jiang Yongkang started fighting at the age of fifteen. He killed countless people on the battlefield and never frowned amidst the hail of bullets.

But at the moment, his heart was in turmoil and he even had the thought of deserting for the first time in his life.

After a long while, the voice of the woman beside him rang softly: "Did you go to the old house just now?"

"Yeah." Jiang Yongkang's voice was also a little vague. When he mentioned his family, the light in his eyes seemed to dim a little. "This house has been changed beyond recognition. It was even divided into two and two families lived in it. It doesn't look like what I remember. Only the sweet-scented osmanthus tree sticking out of the wall in the yard was planted by my father himself. Now the sweet-scented osmanthus is about to wither, but I can still vaguely see the voices and smiles of my family. I want to buy sweet-scented osmanthus flowers and carry them with wine... It doesn't feel like... a young boy's trip."

Xu Zhenying was silent for a moment before he said, "Your parents' graves can be renovated, and we can ask a senior monk to perform a ritual for them so that they can rest in peace."

Jiang Yongkang knew that Xu Zhenying was a staunch materialist.

Therefore, I knew that her words were just words of comfort.

Xu Zhenying is right. When a person dies, it is like a light going out. Once dead, he is dead. It is the dissipation of matter.

There is no six realms of reincarnation in this world.

All of this is done for the living to see, or to comfort the living.

"You are the only son of the Jiang family. You are old now, so you still need to consider your personal problems."

"Your Highness doesn't need to worry about this matter. You are only two years younger than me. The issue of succession is still unresolved. Elder Lin and Madam Xu are anxious to choose a husband for your Highness. Your Highness is under more pressure than me."

Xu Zhenying smiled nonchalantly, "It was just a casual remark."

Jiang Yongkang seemed to have found courage at this moment, "Your Highness, are you here today to give me a final judgment?"

Xu Zhenying hadn't said anything yet, but Jiang Yongkang interrupted her again, "If that's the case, can I make a few excuses for myself before I die?"

Xu Zhenying's deep eyes stared at him.

"I... was young at the time, and my family was in such a calamity. I was blinded by hatred and only thought about revenge. I knew your feelings for Zhaodi, but I still used you. But you should know that I am not a vicious person, otherwise I would have killed Li Zhaodi to eliminate the root of the problem. I also know that you feel that I betrayed you, but you were wavering at the time... I couldn't find any other roundabout way to resolve this matter."

The man's face was expressionless, but there was an undying sadness deep in his eyes.

"If I could do it all over again, I might choose a different path."

The two stood facing each other.

The man was a head taller than Xu Zhenying, but he was very cautious and humble, as if he was humble enough to sink into the dust.

Xu Zhenying smiled, but his words were somewhat cruel, "But Li Zhaodi will never have a chance to come back."

Jiang Yongkang was stunned, then his face turned pale.

"I know there are conspiracies and intrigues in this world, but I still choose to remain as innocent as possible towards you. You shouldn't use these methods against your own comrades."

Jiang Yongkang's body swayed slightly, and he seemed to be unable to stand steadily. "So if you are unfaithful once, you will never use me again?"

Xu Zhenying stared at him coldly with her eyes. The gentle night breeze and the desolate moonlight made her look out of reach.

Jiang Yongkang stood there.

It was as if he had returned to many years ago, when he was still hiding in the corner, watching his parents being slaughtered and could do nothing.

The bloody scene of him trying his best to escape appeared before his eyes again.

Many years have passed, and he is still that unarmed boy who can be slaughtered at will.

The youthful affection, the love that had never been expressed out loud, turned to ashes at this moment under the cold gaze of this woman.

"Tomorrow you will write a letter of resignation, using the excuse that you were injured on the battlefield and need long-term recuperation. Based on our friendship, I am willing to keep you respectable."

a long time.

It lasted so long that Xu Zhenying's limbs felt a little cold.

But her eyes were as alert as a tiger or wolf.

Then Jiang Yongkang's lips slightly stretched, he seemed to want to laugh, but his face looked sad and bitter.

He took a half step back and stood with his fists clasped, "Thank you, Your Highness."

————————————————————

As the year draws to a close, three good things are coming.

One reason is that this is the first Spring Festival after Xu Zhenying took over the country.

Second, all the territory occupied by Zhou Heng in the east was taken over. Third, the people of King Zhoushan in the west were completely eliminated.

Military reports came urgently from the east and west, and the daily court meetings were filled with joy.

The only flaw was that Jiang Yongkang, who had made great military achievements, fell off his horse due to drunkenness, and it was said that he was seriously injured.

Jiang Yongkang had also been injured on the battlefield, and this time his old and new injuries flared up at the same time, so he simply wrote a letter of resignation and requested to retire.

His Highness actually agreed.

This matter doesn't seem to be a big deal, but it still triggered several rounds of speculation.

Of course, the most common guess is that Jiang Yongkang has held military power for too long, and his achievements have frightened the emperor, so His Highness has done nothing more than giving up the power with a toast.

Therefore, even a wise king like Xu Zhenying could not avoid being killed by his lackeys.

The old ministers had just been purged, so those left were naturally obedient. Moreover, they had not yet passed the civil servant assessment, and their official ranks had not been determined. Their identities were awkward, so they naturally did not dare to plead for Jiang Yongkang.

Besides, Jiang Yongkang is a new official in Jinzhou Prefecture and has little interaction with these people.

However, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao's methods are so tough, and he does not fall for the tricks of "slandering the emperor and selling one's integrity". They can hardly protect themselves now, and they act like turtles every time they go to court. How can they dare to say more?

Although the new officials of Jinzhou Prefecture had many speculations in their hearts, they were ultimately under the command of Xu Zhenying and they trusted Xu Zhenying very much. There were only many rumors among the top leaders who privately discussed that Jiang Yongkang must have made some political mistakes.

Otherwise, if what is quietly spread outside is true, that His Highness is killing the donkey after it has done its job, why did he only kill Jiang Yongkang?
There were many loyal military generals following Jiang Yongkang, such as Mo Jinchun, Lu Fei and others, who were quite prestigious in the army, but this time they were promoted and given salary increases.

Therefore, the new officials of Jinzhou Prefecture are more inclined to believe that Jiang Yongkang was benched because he made a mistake.

It has to be said that anyone who enters officialdom is a shrewd person and can naturally see the whole picture and guess the thoughts of those in higher positions.

No matter how secretive Xu Zhenying was in this matter, he could only shut outsiders up.

But in the end, the wars in the east and west subsided, the Xin Dynasty finally unified the country, and both the new and old ministers were naturally filled with joy and sang praises.

Who would ruin Xu Zhenying's mood at this critical juncture?

What's more, it is said that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao will ascend the throne and reward his ministers according to their merits after the new year.

The following month, after consulting with the Ministry of Rites and other ministers, Xu Zhenying changed the country's name to "Hua", established the capital in Bian Jing, and named the reign Kaiyuan.

Notices from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security were posted one after another, and almost all the officials in Jinzhou Prefecture who followed Xu Zhenying were promoted to a higher level.

The Xin Dynasty continued to use part of the official system of the Great Zhou Dynasty and established the Menxia Province, which was similar to the cabinet of the previous dynasty and was a confidential department directly managed by Xu Zhenying.

Xu Yinxi led the Menxia Province, while Zhou Houfang, Qu Min, Chang Yuanshan, Pang Xiaohua, Jiang Chaoping and others served as members of the Menxia Province.

The Menxia Province has 13 departments and 38 bureaus, including supervision, human resources and social security, education, national defense, construction, commerce, finance, propaganda, agriculture, medical care, civil affairs, criminal law, and statistics departments.

The entire palace was only used as an office location.

For the palace maids and eunuchs who were willing to return home, they were settled and compensated according to their length of service, and were arranged to return home in a unified manner to avoid encountering bandits and robbers on the way. For those who were unwilling to return home, they were all employed under the assessment system, signed a two-year contract, and were all transferred to reception staff.

More than half of the palace servants were dismissed before the New Year. Many of them had not been home for more than ten years, so they left in a hurry.

The palace became much quieter now.

Fortunately, the renovation project of the imperial palace was in full swing. The palace covered an area of ​​about thousands of acres of land. Xu Zhenying and people from the Ministry of Construction held more than a dozen meetings before finalizing the final renovation plan.

The palace eventually became a place for officials to work and hold meetings. Xu Zhenying even hung the words "Government Affairs Hall" in front of several entrances and exits, which naturally attracted the attention of the Ministry of Rites.

However, as a department that is about to be abolished, the Ministry of Rites has a very low presence.

The Ministry of Rites tearfully requested Xu Zhenying to perform the Fengshan Ceremony, but was rejected by Xu Zhenying. The Minister of Rites and others were almost killed on the spot. Qiu Ju'niang and others carried him on a stretcher to the medical school under construction for treatment.

However, the next day, rumors came that His Highness was actually preparing to completely disband the Ministry of Rites.

This has really stirred up a hornet's nest among the old ministers.

Xu Zhenying was surrounded by a mountain of memorials impeaching him. When he opened them, they were all exhortations from his ministers, such as "The duty of the emperor is nothing greater than propriety, propriety is nothing greater than division, and division is nothing greater than reputation", "With the vastness of the four seas and the multitude of people, they are controlled by one person. Even if one has unparalleled power and wisdom, no one dares not run and serve. Isn't it because propriety is the rule? Therefore, the emperor governs the three dukes, the three dukes lead the princes, the princes control the ministers, and the ministers govern the scholars and common people. The nobles rule the humble, and the humbles serve the nobles. The superiors command the inferiors, just as the heart and the confidants command the hands and feet, and the root controls the branches and leaves. The inferiors serve the superiors, just as the hands and feet protect the heart and the branches protect the root. Only then can the superiors and the inferiors protect each other and the country is safe. Therefore, it is said that the duty of the emperor is nothing greater than propriety."

Xu Zhenying also understood that the ancients attached great importance to etiquette, and even used etiquette to establish themselves and govern the country.

But she is a typical pragmatist, and in this matter alone, Xu Zhenying showed her tough approach.

As for the new ministers, even Old Lin and others had to temporarily avoid the area where Xu Zhenying's sharp edge was directed.

Although the old ministers in Bianjing City made a fuss, they did not dare to be too pretentious. Their previous tricks of claiming illness and not attending court could not fool Xu Zhenying.

Xu Zhenying has a strict attendance system. Sick leave requires a sick note issued by a certified doctor, and must be approved by superiors and submitted to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security before leave can be taken.

If you don't give a leave note, it will be considered as absenteeism.

If the absence accumulates to ten days, the employee will be asked to resign.

The old ministers in Bianjing City had a lot of grievances. They knew in their hearts that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was targeting them, but they could only swallow their anger and obediently abide by the rules of Jinzhou Prefecture.

It’s really hard to be an official under His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.

The city of Bianjing was bustling with activity, so Jiang Yongkang's affairs were soon forgotten.

Just like Hu Wei back then.

There was just a splash of water, and then nothing happened.

After all, the city of Bianjing was busy celebrating the festival, busy discussing His Highness's coronation ceremony, busy welcoming the generals returning from the east and west, busy discussing which young talent had been promoted today, and busy preparing for the official assessment in the spring.

History is like a rolling wheel.

Yesterday quickly vanished.

No matter how great your achievements are, they will eventually be buried in the dust of history.

"He actually... just left like that." Xu Zhenying looked at Jiang Yongkang's handwritten letter on the long table, she was still a little dazed.

Jiang Yongkang recuperated in Bianjing City for two months, but left Bianjing on the eve of the Spring Festival.

He didn't even inform anyone, and just left Bianjing alone, carrying a sword and a pot of wine.

He only left behind a letter, in which he said that he would travel alone with a sword to the ends of the earth and would meet again if the chance allowed.

Xu Zhenying suddenly felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife.

She stared at the letter in a daze. The handwriting was familiar to her, with its flamboyant and unrestrained style. They had been writing to each other non-stop over the years. He would talk about the difficulties he encountered at the front, and she would also talk about the situation in Jinzhou Prefecture.

She was familiar with his handwriting, just as she was familiar with him.

They were once the closest comrades-in-arms and supported each other.

But now... we have to be strangers...

Xu Zhenying felt sad and even confused. "Fourth sister, do you think I was too unkind to him?"

Xu Yinxi was reviewing the test papers for the spring civil servant assessment. Hearing this, he looked up and asked, "If you had to do it again, would you make the same choice?"

Xu Zhenying was stunned for a moment, then said firmly: "I will."

"All love and affection come together because of fate. After union, there will be separation, and impermanence cannot last long."

Xu Zhenying came back to his senses and stared blankly at the night sky outside. "That's right, the road ahead is long and difficult, but if you keep walking, you will reach your destination; if you keep walking, there is a future to look forward to. I can't be bound by the past——"

This road is destined to be lonely.