Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 616 How many women do you want to bring back?

Although along the way Yelu Yanxiu was like a monkey, being stared at by everyone.

But Zhao Mu did not treat her badly in terms of food, clothing and living expenses.

This is because he wanted everyone to see a noble princess who was captured by her, rather than a ragged prisoner.

There was no conversation along the way, and the group's carriage soon left Xiaoguan and arrived at the territory of Qi State.

Although they had reached the territory of Qi, there was no longer any "Qi" on the land of Qi. Instead, there was a flag with the word "Song".

However, this flag with the word "Song" on it has an extra black border compared to the flag of the Song Dynasty.

This was a method Zhao Mu came up with based on the "Eight Banners System" of later generations to distinguish himself from the orthodox Song Dynasty.

Although he hated the Jurchens, he thought that if his flag had "Qi" written on it, it would be the same as if it had not changed, but if it had "Zhong" written on it, it would not look right. So he simply added a black frame to the edge of the original Song Dynasty flag and used it as his own flag.

The name of his country was no longer "Qi State", but "Zhong Song". Zhao Mu was still the co-leader of the Western State.

Although Zhao Mu was in the Song Dynasty during this period, Huyan Rui and others were not idle in Lingzhou.

Firstly, they had defeated the Liao army and they still had a lot of aftermath to deal with. Secondly, all the states in the Western Regions came to Qi to pay tribute.

Zhao Mu's previous expedition to the west, annihilating the Uighur tribes, only made the Western Regions countries surrender. But this time, the powerful Liao Kingdom sent out its elite troops, but did not cause any serious damage to Qi, which made all the other countries see the strength of Qi.

When countries pay tribute, the strong are always respected.

Except for Gao's Tubo, Dali, and Xixia, which had long since pledged loyalty to the Song Dynasty and accepted the Song Dynasty's enthronement, these countries never sent envoys to pay tribute.

The rest of the Western Regions, such as the Eastern and Western Karakhanid Khanates, and the Tubo chieftains who had not submitted to Gao's Tubo and the Tubo Zamp, all sent people to Lingzhou City to pay tribute to the Emperor Zhong of the Song Dynasty, hoping to receive the strong military protection of the Song Dynasty in the future.

As for the tributes from the envoys of various countries, Hu Yanrui also listened to the words of the Queen of the West Palace, Li Qinglu, and accepted them all. He also opened the treasury and rewarded the states that came to pay tribute for the first time.

Anyway, when Zhao Mu swept through the Uighur tribes before, he looted a lot of gold and silver treasures. So Li Qinglu took out all these things and distributed them to the envoys who came to show their great power style.

On this day, Zhao Mu's royal carriage returned to Lingzhou City in a grand manner. The people of Lingzhou City all shouted "Long live the emperor" to welcome Zhao Mu's return.

Li Qinglu, Wang Yuyan, Mu Wanqing and others looked at Zhao Mu's returning team.

Mu Wanqing shook her head and said, "Alas! My husband has this bad habit. No matter where he fights, he has to bring back a bunch of women. I really don't know if his body can handle it."

Li Qinglu smiled and said, "It can't be helped. My husband will not plunder land or rob money during this Eastern Expedition. In order to show his victory, he will naturally bring back some women. Otherwise, how can he prove that he won?"

Wang Yuyan said, "Alas! This time it was a close call. If it weren't for Sister Huyan's bravery, we might have ended up like this. Being kidnapped by the Liao people."

Musa shook her head and said, "Don't worry about that. His Majesty has been on guard against the Liao people's attack before he left. Moreover, he has left the most elite Iron Pagoda in Lingzhou City. We will never fall here."

Li Qinglu asked at this time: "Oh, by the way! Where are sister Jinnu, Princess Qian, and Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju? Why didn't we see them coming to welcome His Majesty back to the palace?" Princess Anping said: "Because of the Liao people's attack on us and the capture of the Princess of Zhao, Jinnu said she had no face to see His Majesty, so she went back to the palace first. The four sisters Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju went down to welcome His Majesty. Princess Qian heard from Lord Xuan that His Majesty brought the lonely Princess Qian with him when he returned to the capital this time. The sisters reunited and followed him down."

Mu Wanqing saw the circle of women behind her and said, "Oh! I wonder how many women my husband will bring back in the future! I just got to know everyone clearly, and he brought someone new back. Really."

Hu Yanjin chuckled and comforted Mu Wanqing, saying, "Alas! This is the only hobby of my husband. Besides, it's better for him to be happy under our noses than for him to have an affair outside."

Mu Wanqing shook her head and said, "Oh! Now I really regret marrying him. If I had known he was such a playboy, I would have become a nun!"

At this time, A-Bi said, "Haha, Sister Mu is good in every way, except for this habit of saying one thing and thinking another. She can't change it."

Mu Wanqing blushed upon hearing this.

At this time, Li Qinglu said, "Okay! Let's save our worries. Except for my sister who is still having her period, everyone else should be ready to welcome the emperor. Just as Sister Huyan said, our emperor has no other hobbies. He just loves our gentle country. If he doesn't 'eat' everyone tonight, it means that those little demons in the Song Dynasty have been hanging out with him a lot."

The ladies were discussing on the tower of the royal city, and Zhao Mu's carriage had already slowly entered the imperial city. Then everyone hurried down to greet him.

After bringing Zhao Mu back, Zhao Mu held a grand banquet for the meritorious generals and the civil and military officials who stayed in Lingzhou in the newly built Jiying Hall in the royal city.

However, this time it was just a simple welcoming banquet. After all, Zhezong had already bestowed all the rewards that everyone deserved in Bianjing City. Zhao Mu did not need to give out rewards again.

After the welcoming banquet, Zhao Mu sent all the officials away and asked them to continue with their respective duties.

He returned to his harem and held his own small banquet.

He brought back a lot of gifts from the Song Dynasty to give to everyone, such as the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and the portrait of Wu Daozi copied from Prince Duan's Mansion. Then he gave all these treasures to people who knew how to appreciate them, such as his mother Zhao Ji and others.

As for other common people, Zhao Mu also gave some ordinary jewelry, jade, silk and satin and so on.

After giving rewards to everyone, Zhao Mu began to confer titles on his new harem.

After all, he brought back a lot of new people from the Song Dynasty this time. Although these people were nominally criminal women, Zhao Mu could not treat them badly because they had once served under Prince Duan.

Zhao Mu made his old lover Madam Liu and Queen Wang, whom he had abducted, his concubines.

The "Princess Xiao Chai" who came with Madam Liu also changed her surname to Zhao. She was named "Princess Yin'an" by her stepfather Zhao Mu, and was a perfect match for Zhao Mu's biological daughter "Princess Jinguo".

However, Princess Chai, Chai Yan'er, also likes her stepfather Zhao Mu very much.

Zhao Mu also conferred the title of talented people on Zheng Cairen, Wei Meiren and others.

As for other women, although Zhao Mu had used them, he did not give them titles. After all, Queen Wang, Concubine Zheng, and Concubine Wei were the three queens of Huizong, and giving them this honor was also to satisfy his vanity. Zhao Mu did not know the others, so naturally he did not need to give them titles.

As for his eldest sister-in-law, Princess Qian, although she had also gone to Wushan with Zhao Mu, she was still in mourning, so Zhao Mu had to be more cautious and placed her in the palace of Princess Qian. He did not give her a title, but Zhao Mu also promised that he would give Princess Qian a title after the mourning period was over.

(End of this chapter)