Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 571: Madam Liang (Special thanks to book friends 2024…6325 for their monthly tickets!)

Madam Huarui shed tears and said:
"Your Majesty is a rare benevolent monarch in history. Yu'er and her family are under your protection, so I am not worried at all.

I am lucky enough to serve Your Majesty in this life, and Yu'er is also filial. I am content with everything.

I only hope that I can meet your Majesty in my next life and become your good partner again."

Chai Zongxun knew that although Lady Huarui did not feel any resentment towards him for not taking her into the palace, she still felt regretful, so she hoped to continue their love in the next life.

Chai Zongxun said with tears in his eyes:

"My dear, I promise you! I hope you and I can be childhood sweethearts in our next life and continue our happy marriage! Then I will marry you in a formal ceremony."

Chai Zongxun comforted Madam Huarui for a long time, and seeing that she was exhausted, he told her to take care of herself and then returned to the palace.

Eight days later, on September 15, the 58th year of Kaixi, Lady Huarui died in Han Jiyu's mansion in Bian Jing at the age of 74.

After receiving the report, Chai Zongxun was sad for a long time, so he conferred the title of "Lady of Liang State" on Lady Huarui, gave her hundreds of rare treasures, buried her with the ceremony of the emperor's concubines, and held a public memorial service for Lady Huarui for one month.

"Prince of Liang" was the title given to Chai Zongxun when he was in the palace.

All the officials in the court knew about the relationship between the emperor and Lady Huarui, but it was not appropriate to expose it. At this moment, in order to please the emperor, everyone went to Han's house to pay tribute, making Lady Huarui's funeral as mournful and honorable as possible.

Many novels and dramas in later generations interpreted the legendary life of Lady Huarui. In order to avoid taboos, they had to use the super-standard burial ceremony for concubines when Lady Huarui was buried to imply her true relationship with Emperor Taizu of Zhou, Chai Zongxun.

On November 16, the 58th year of Kaixi, the three corps of the Longxiang Army that had conquered India returned to Bianjing.

In the war against India, the Great Zhou army annihilated more than 1.3 million troops from the Star Sect and various Indian states, while its own casualties were no more than 30,000, most of which were incurred in street fighting.

Also returning to the capital with the army were tens of millions of taels of silver and money copied from the treasuries of the "Pala Dynasty" and various small Indian countries, more than 3,000 rare treasures, and more than 2,000 beauties from the harem, which were escorted by the eunuch Geng Feng, the military supervisor, and other military officials.

The people of Bianjing stood on both sides of the streets to watch the triumphant army return, and it was difficult to make any move.

"Isn't India the birthplace of Buddhism? How come there are so many beautiful concubines in the harem?"

"It is true that Buddhism originated in India, but not all the local people became monks, let alone the local princes and ministers! They all have concubines in their harems."

"Hey, have you noticed? These Indian beauties who were escorted back to Beijing this time all have fair skin, which is very different from the dark-skinned Indians who came to our Great Zhou to do business!"

“You don’t understand this.

These concubines in the Indian harem were all "Brahmins", who were said to be descendants of the Aryans who ruled India during the pre-Qin period. They had the same ancestor as the Eastern Romans and were all white.

The Indians who come to our Great Zhou to do business are not of the same race or class, and they do not intermarry.

The people of my Great Zhou Empire are "Brahmins" when they go to India. As long as you can pay the betrothal gift, you can marry these Aryan women as your wives or concubines at will!"

In the afternoon, Chai Zongxun rewarded the troops at the Sheji Altar.

Liang Ying was already a duke, and his fief was increased to 15,000 households.

Wei Tuo and other commanders-in-chief of the 26th and 30th corps were granted the title of Duke and given fiefs of 10,000 households.

The eunuch Geng Feng, who supervised the army, was rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver, a house in Bian Jing, and was allowed to adopt a son to carry on the family line.

There were eight soldiers who were granted the title of marquis for their military merits, and a total of thirty-two soldiers were granted the titles of earl, vicar, and baron.

All soldiers were rewarded with a minimum of 200 taels of silver, and their ranks were promoted three levels. Soldiers who died for the country were given a pension of a minimum of 500 taels of silver, and their tablets were enshrined in the "Temple of Heroes of the Great Zhou Empire."

Disabled soldiers were given retirement benefits and a monthly subsidy of three taels of silver to support them for life.

Army commander Han Jiyu was promoted to commander-in-chief of the 36th Corps for his military achievements, and was granted the title of Duke and a fief of 10,000 households.

After rewarding the three armies, the whole army returned to the Longxiang Army's garrison in Bianjing, and Chai Zongxun summoned Han Jiyu in the Yangxin Palace. Han Jiyu was very sad because he did not return to Beijing before his mother, Lady Huarui, passed away and was unable to fulfill his filial duties by her bedside.

After seeing the ceremony, Chai Zongxun said:

"Yu'er fought for the country and was unable to see your mother off to her final journey, so you don't have to be too sad.

I have issued an edict to confer upon your mother the title of "Lady of Liang" and to give her a grand funeral, so that she will have no regrets."

Han Jiyu cried:
"Thank you, father, for your grace! Mother has worked hard all her life to raise me. I would like to guard your mausoleum for three years to show my filial piety. Please allow me to do so."

Chai Zongxun nodded slightly and said:

“Yuer is filial.

Now that Tianzhu has been pacified, there will be no war in our Great Zhou for decades. I have agreed to Yuer guarding your mother's tomb for three years."

After Han Jiyu took his leave, the military supervisor eunuch Geng Feng came to meet him.

Chai Zongxun listened to Geng Feng's report on the details of the expedition to India.

Geng Feng said:
“Your Majesty, during this war against India, I led the Military Virtue Division and the Military Police to monitor military discipline for Your Majesty. More than 300 soldiers violated military regulations and were beheaded according to the law.

Only Your Majesty knows it clearly. "

Chai Zongxun said:

"I, the Ministry of Secrets, and the Military Cabinet have all checked the files of those who violated military regulations, and there is no injustice or wrongdoing.

Strict military discipline is the foundation for maintaining a country's military's strong combat effectiveness and must never be relaxed.

You did a great job! You must always strictly uphold the laws and military discipline in the future."

Chai Zongxun asked about the customs and practices of India.

Geng Feng said:
"Your Majesty, the climate in India is hot, with high temperatures all year round. In South India, rice can be harvested three times a year, and the products are abundant.

However, the local princes and nobles exploited the people too much and set extremely high tax rates. The nobles such as the "Brahmins" lived a life of extravagance and luxury, while the people lived in thatched stone houses, working all day and barely making ends meet.

When natural disasters occur, people are left without food or clothing and have to sell their children.”

Chai Zongxun nodded slightly and said:

“If there is something wrong with a society’s distribution system, no matter how hard people work, they cannot change their miserable fate of being exploited.

Although I have retained the caste system that has been passed down for thousands of years in Tianzhu, after the establishment of local governments, I will soon implement my Great Zhou's new policies, and the local people will gradually become richer and live a good life. "

After Chai Zongxun read the list of silver and treasures seized in this expedition, he immediately summoned more than 2,000 Indian beauties to meet him.

In a moment, these more than 2,000 Indian beauties were brought into the Hall of Mental Cultivation from the front yard of the imperial palace by eunuchs and imperial guards.

After the meeting, Chai Zongxun saw more than 2,000 Indian beauties, all of whom were the most beautiful in the world, and most of them were between sixteen and thirty years old.

During the nearly five-month journey to Bianliang, these Indian beauties were taught basic Chinese and court etiquette by the Wude Division.

Chai Zongxun casually chatted with some Indian beauties and saw that they were all extremely frightened. After asking them in detail, he learned that in India, where there were hundreds of countries and constant wars, human life was worthless, and women had an especially low status. Women captured by enemy countries were punished as slaves and had a miserable fate.

Chai Zongxun smiled and said:
"Don't worry, my dear ministers! India is already under my rule, and you are also my people.

There is no slavery in our Great Zhou, and the status of women is much higher. With your looks, you can live a life of luxury in our Great Zhou."

(End of this chapter)