Hanhou

No matter how fiercely Zhou Yafu objected, Emperor Jing made up his mind, and the will of the knighthood finally came to Chang'an.The day after the decree was issued, Zhou Yafu fell ill again.Unlike the previous sickness, this time it was really bedridden.

Emperor Jing's attitude was quite intriguing. Hearing that the prime minister was seriously ill, he only sent eunuchs to the mansion, saying that the prime minister was well and recuperated, and then ignored him, let alone asking for warmth.

As the news spread, the officials in the DPRK and China began to feel alienated from the prime minister's mansion.

Although Zhou Yafu was arrogant, he was not without brains after all. When he noticed the change in the emperor's attitude, he was suddenly surprised.However, the situation has been settled, he excused his illness before, but this time, even if he recovers immediately, Emperor Jing will not allow him to hold the power of the prime minister.

With a heavy heart, Zhou Yafu became more and more ill. By the middle of January, he could hardly get up from the couch.In a short period of time, the originally burly and strong physique became thinner and out of shape.

The prime minister was seriously ill, but the court was not affected at all.

Liu She, the imperial historian, was further reused, and divided the power vacated by Zhou Yafu with the general Dou Ying.

The officials saw it in their eyes and knew very well in their hearts that according to Emperor Jing's attitude, Liu She would hold the prime minister's seal sooner or later.As for whether it is sooner or later, it depends on Emperor Jing's mind.

At the end of January, Liu Wu, the king of Liang, sent state officials to Chang'an to present a memorial of apology.

Since Yang Sheng and Gongsun Gui had already committed suicide, the assassination of Yuan An and other courtiers could only be settled hastily.Empress Dowager Jingdi reached a tacit agreement, and if she persisted in this matter, it would undoubtedly be a thankless effort.If Queen Dowager Dou is angered, it is estimated that she will lose her life.

King Liang handed over the memorial of apology, took the initiative to bear the stigma of indulging his subjects, and asked to reduce the kingdom's guards. Emperor Jing ordered relief, and the two brothers restored harmony.

At the same time, the firepower of the court was concentrated on King Linjiang again.

Different from before, Emperor Jing's attitude this time is very clear, and the King of Conquering Linjiang will enter Chang'an.However, it is stated in the decree that after the king of Linjiang entered Chang'an, he temporarily lived in Jiadi in the south of the city and did not leave the lieutenant's mansion.

Knowing the content of the imperial decree, including Liu She and Dou Ying, all the ministers were concerned, and even the clan members in Chang'an were relieved.All kinds of signs showed that although the emperor wanted to punish King Linjiang, he would not take his life after all.

In the propaganda room, Liu Che sat beside Emperor Jing, with a book of bamboo slips spread out in front of him, which was the military training report presented by Wei Shang.However, Liu Che's mind was not on military strategy.

"Archer."

Emperor Jing's voice suddenly sounded, and Liu Che suddenly came back to his senses, his face flushed red as he faced the most unread military training report.

"Did you get distracted?" Emperor Jing put down his pen, coughed twice, and drank half a glass of warm water.

"Father, my son is thinking about Uncle." Liu Che hesitated to speak, looking into Emperor Jing's eyes, as if all the thoughts in his heart were spread out in the sunlight, and he couldn't hide at all.

"Arong?" Emperor Jing paused slightly.

Liu Che felt even more nervous, clenched his fingers slowly, wanted to speak, but didn't know where to start.

"Who said what to you?" Emperor Jing asked.

"Return to father, no." Liu Che shook his head.

"Since that's the case, why do you ask?"

"Brother, brother really invaded the palace of Taizong Temple?" The words buried in his heart for a long time finally came out, and a thin layer of sweat broke out on the back of Liu Che's neck.

"How is it, so what if it's not?"

Emperor Jing's answer was unexpected, and Liu Che suddenly raised his head: "Father?"

"Archer, a king puts the country first and the people first. Everything else must be given up. If you are indecisive, you are doomed to fail."

"But brother..."

"Prince!" Emperor Jing shouted heavily, interrupting Liu Che's words, "A tree has branches, and branches have branches. If the main trunk is to flourish, the side branches must be cut off. You are still young, and you have a sword in your hand. High branches cannot. So, I am the only one who will cut it off for you."

Emperor Jing's words were quite straightforward, almost ruthless.

Liu Che was silent.

"Father, is it the same for Uncle Liang Wang and Prime Minister Zhou?"

"Of course." Emperor Jing nodded and said, "A sharp blade can only be used if it has a sheath. Wearing it without a sheath will hurt your body. Liang Wang's skills are high, and the prime minister is arrogant. You can't suppress it."

Even if Liu Che had guessed a little before, his heart sank at this moment.

The main trunk is luxuriant, and the oblique branches are broken.

For a king, what should be given up must be given up?

"After Gaozu, the Xiongnu has always been a big worry for me. I have a heart, but my ability is limited, I can only defend it, and I can't open the border. Since the establishment of the country, I need to be determined to expand the land." Emperor Jing sighed, "Archer, don't let I'm disappointed."

Liu Che raised his head and looked up at Emperor Jing with white hair on his sideburns. His throat seemed to be blocked by a stone, but his heartbeat continued to speed up. A burst of inexplicable emotions began to transpire, like a raging flame, burning all over his limbs in an instant.

"Follow the emperor's will!"

In Changle Palace, Liu Xun walked into the gate of the palace, and found that Wang Zhi was also inside, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Empress Dowager Dou leaned on the couch, her eyes slightly closed, she ignored Wang Zhi's flattery.

After Liu Xing saluted and took his seat, Chen Jiao and sister Yang Xin entered the hall one after another.Chen Jiao sat beside Empress Dowager Dou, Sister Yang Xin saluted, and sat behind Queen Wang according to her age.

The palace servants brought hot soup and steamed cakes, and silently retreated to both sides of the hall.If you don't pay attention, you will almost forget their existence.

Sensing that the atmosphere in the hall was not right, Sister Yangxin lowered her eyes, her expression was slightly stiff, and she dared not vent her breath.

"A prostitute, do you know why I called you?" Empress Dowager Dou said suddenly.

Liu Xun laughed dryly, and said, "I'm stupid, and my mother told me to do it."

"Yes." Empress Dowager Dou raised her hand to caress Chen Jiao's hair, and said, "The Son of Heaven intends to make Jiao Jiao the Crown Princess."

As soon as these words came out, there was a sudden gasp in the hall.

Wang Zhi clenched his fingers, turned his head and gave Yang Xin a hard look.

Realizing what he had done, Yang Xin's face turned pale and his heart beat wildly, but he couldn't help but glared at Chen Jiao.Thinking of her arrogance in front of him, he bit his lower lip hard, leaving a row of clear tooth marks.

"What does Aunt mean?" Liu Xun asked cautiously.

"The Son of Heaven loves Jiaojiao."

As soon as this remark came out, the joy on Liu Xing's face could hardly be concealed.Chen Jiao raised her head and saw Liu Xing's expression, her eyes were full of sarcasm.

"Queen." Empress Dowager Dou said in a deep voice, "What do you think?"

Wang Zhi lowered the corners of his mouth carefully, not daring to show half-smugness, and said softly: "The young lady is beautiful and intelligent, she is really a good match for the crown prince."

"You all think it's good, I won't stop this matter." Empress Dowager Dou changed the subject and said to Liu Xun, "Does Tangyi Hou's House intend to re-elect the princess?"

"What do you think, mother?" Knowing that Chen Jiao will be the crown princess, Liu Xing's brows were brimming with joy, and her tone became lighter.

"Yes." Empress Dowager Dou raised the corners of her mouth, turned her gray eyes to the direction of Queen Wang and Sister Yangxin, and said with a half-smile, "Before the emperor said, Marquis Pingyang is young and promising, and he is a good match for the princess. You may as well add more pieces Congratulations, make the three princesses."

Liu Xun promised with a smile, and his words were tricky, which made Empress Dowager Dou laugh.

Wang Zhi looked at Empress Dowager Dou, the previous joy and elation gradually receded, and his heart began to feel uneasy.The queen mother has always refused to agree before, how can she let go so easily now?Moreover, the eldest princess and the third princess have decided, what about the second princess?

Sister Yangxin had mixed reactions.

When Yang Xin met Cao, a handsome young man appeared in front of his eyes, his cheeks were slightly flushed.The third princess often lives in Jiaofang Palace, and knows little about Chen Tu, so she doesn't have much sense of reality when she hears that she is going to be engaged to her.

The second princess lowered her head, her face turned red and white.

Of the sisters sitting on both sides, one was married to Chehou, and the other was married to the son of Chehou and the eldest princess. It was decided by the emperor and the queen mother that they would be honored in the future.However, I was completely ignored, and my mother didn't even mention it. The anger and humiliation continued to rise, and it was almost uncontrollable.Looking up at the queen in front of her, resentment even arose in her heart.

She is older than A-mei, and about the same age as Chen Yu, so why not her? !

Even if she couldn't see her eyes, Empress Dowager Dou could guess everyone's reaction, her smile was cold.

Chen Jiao leaned on the side of the couch and had a panoramic view of the expressions of Princess Guantao and Queen Wang. Thinking of what Empress Dowager Dou said yesterday, the irony in her eyes deepened.Inadvertently seeing Yang Xin's slightly red cheeks, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Realizing that Chen Jiao was looking at her, Princess Yang Xin stared back immediately, her expression was full of hostility.

Chen Jiao snorted, turned her head and whispered to Queen Mother Dou.Then he looked at Xiang Yangxin again, his expression was half a smile but not a smile, it was five points similar to Queen Dowager Dou.

Seeing this scene, Yang Xin's expression changed slightly, and his whole body trembled faintly when he met Queen Wang's cold gaze.Gritting her teeth and lowering her head, she stopped looking at Chen Jiao and offered to give in.The anger and hatred in his heart kept rising, and one day it would completely erupt.

The crown princess was selected, but Liu Che's performance was extremely indifferent, and he basically didn't respond to Han Yan's ridicule and jokes.Apart from watching Emperor Jing handle government affairs in the proclamation room every day, Liu Che spent the rest of his time either studying with Taifu and Shaofu, or practicing riding and shooting with Cao Shi, Gongsun He and others.

Shangjun sent good horses, equipped with new harnesses, and the teenagers galloped and bowed among the forest gardens.Tired of shooting the target, he ordered the guards to drive away wild deer and small animals, and shot arrows all the way. Cao Shi and Gongsun He each got a wild deer, Han Yan shot a hare, but Liu Che was empty-handed.

After the hunting was over, the teenagers gathered together and saw the prince's empty quiver and horseback. Cao Shi and Gongsun He subconsciously blocked the wild deer behind them, while Han Yan laughed and pointed at the horseback and said, "Archer If you don't get anything, you still have to practice riding and shooting!"

Liu Che snorted, feeling a little uneasy on his face.

Gongsun He opened his mouth to make a relief, and the atmosphere just turned for the better.

The guards quickly set up a fire, and the prey they shot were washed and stripped, and roasted on the fire.

The teenagers sat on the ground, including Liu Che, who had no taboos. When the venison and rabbit meat were roasted, they cut them off with a dagger, dipped them in salt, and put them in their mouths.

Qi Tong sent the baked steamed pancakes, Cao Shi picked up one, cut it open with a knife, spread the sauce, sandwiched a large piece of roasted venison, took a big bite, and his cheeks bulged.

"This is Bianjun's way of eating." Swallowing the steamed cake in his mouth, Cao Shi explained vaguely, and then took another big bite.The palm-sized pancake was eaten by him in three bites.

Wiping the sauce from the corner of his mouth with his backhand, the boy quickly grabbed another one.

Motivated by Cao Shi, Liu Che, Gongsun He and Han Yan picked up steamed cakes one after another. Han Yan ordered Qitong to fetch pickled vegetables, put them in the cakes together, and found that the taste was even better.

"Doctor Taizhong went to Yunzhong County and brought back a lot of new food." After eating five steamed cakes, Gongsun He stretched out his hand and found that the wooden tray was empty.Looking around, he knew that his companion would not give it to him, so he could only tear off a rabbit leg, grab it with his hands, and chew it.

"The method of taming cattle, the new plow, and the new harness are all donated by Yunzhong County." After eating the steamed cake, Cao Shi also tore off a rabbit's leg, "I heard that there are poisonous smoke pipes in the Wei Taishou army, which are specially used to deal with the Xiongnu cavalry."

"By the way, the poisonous chimney seems to be presented by the son of the Zhao family in Shaling County." Gongsun He is the prince's surrogate, and his father and grandfather are in the army. The news is better than Cao Shi.

"Zhao Clan of Shaling County?" Liu Che stopped his movements, "Is it the son of the Zhao Clan who offered the method of taming cattle?"

"There shouldn't be two Zhao families in Shaling County?"

In the pre-Qin period, surnames and surnames were strictly distinguished, and the occasions where they were used were also strictly regulated.Clans are not high or low, and surnames are married, and they must not be confused.Taking the royal family of the Han Dynasty as an example, Liu is actually their surname, not their surname.Another example is Tao Hou Liu She, whose father was given a family name, not a surname.

Zhao Jiazu had a clan, so it can be called the Zhao clan.

Wei Qingmo's ancestors had no family name and no surname, and she only got the surname due to her merits when she reached her great-grandfather and grandfather. Strictly speaking, she cannot be called the Wei family, but only the Wei surname.

After the Qin and Han Dynasties, the surnames gradually became one.Today, the boundaries of surnames have long been blurred.The nobles in the court occasionally mention it, but as far as the folks are concerned, the surname is basically the same concept.

"My family once had a feast with Marquis Tao, and Marquis Tao mentioned Shaling Zhao's son, saying that he was only a young ladle dancer. What to do." Gongsun said in a congratulatory manner.

"If I enter the frontier fortress, I will definitely meet with him." Cao Shi bit off the hare's leg bone and chewed it.

"Poison chimney, the method of taming a cow," Han Yan read back and forth, and suddenly asked, "Could the new harness be related to him?"

"Ayan thinks too much." Gongsun He laughed.

"Thinking too much?" Han Yan disapproved.But seeing that Cao Shi and Liu Che were both on Gongsun He's side, they could only shrug their shoulders and did not continue to insist.

Zhao Jia, who was far away in the border county, did not know that he had become the topic of Liu Che, Cao Shi and others.At this moment, he was busy clearing the snow with everyone in the livestock farm, and "digging" out the wooden house under the snow.

"Fortunately, Mr. Lang had the foresight to have the roof reinforced in advance. Otherwise, the barn would have collapsed in such a heavy snowfall." Uncle Xiong said while shoveling up the frozen snow with a wooden shovel.

According to common sense, after entering January, the snow should have decreased.However, the weather is not beautiful, and the heavy snow is still one after another.Often when I wake up overnight, the door is blocked by snow, and I have to climb out the window first to clear the snow away before I can push the door open.

Due to the sufficient reserves of cattle, sheep and grain, no one died of starvation in Zhao's and Wei's villages.

In Yunzhong County, Wei Taishou ordered the release of grain.However, unlike in the past, the people who received the grain had to go to the clerk's office to register to receive the wooden token, and paid labor according to the amount of corn they received.If you have the craft of blacksmithing and making farm tools, you can get an extra wage.

The notice was posted, and the news spread quickly, and there were many discussions in the county, but the effect of the implementation was quite good.

For those who have no food at home and cannot hunt in heavy snow, such regulations make them feel more at ease.After all, Wei Shang's prestige and reputation are there. They work hard and don't worry about not getting food.As long as the work in the city continues until the spring plowing, they can exchange their labor for millet. Even if they don't have enough to eat, they don't have to worry about their families starving to death.

In contrast, labor is required, and heavy work is likely to be done, and those who want to be cheap will naturally be discouraged.

The heavy snow brought troubles to the border residents, but it also blocked the way for the Huns to go south, buying more time for the border counties to deploy their defenses.By the end of January, the troops in Bianjun had doubled, and Wei Yue's cavalry had increased to [-].More than a hundred scouts scattered out, and if there was any trouble, they would be discovered immediately.

The leader of the other tribe was enshrined by the imperial court, and the whole tribe seemed to have been beaten to death. Not only did they tell the various routes to the south, they also told the general strength of the Huns' headquarters and other tribes, and even asked to join the frontier army to help detect signs of the Huns. .When the Xiongnu went south, the whole tribe would take up arms and join the battle.

By the end of January, the heavy snowfall began to decrease, and the snowmelt period was approaching, making the atmosphere in Border County even more tense.The number of caravans coming from the south did not decrease, but increased.

Holding the wooden sign given to him by Wei Yue, Zhao Jia walked unimpeded across the border. He went to the resident of other departments several times to market goods, and found that the pasture near the Beacon Tower had been cleared out and a small market had spontaneously formed.Besides the Qiang people from other tribes, some Wuhuan people and Gaoche people also came here after hearing the news, making the market even more lively.

Not long ago, Yunzhong City dispatched scribes with newly made city flags to circle a boundary around the market.After the snow melts, a village fortress will inevitably be built here.

The circled boundary includes the grassland of the neighbors to the north, and the big brothers in the cloud said that this is not a problem at all.After drawing the territory, it is his own. At most, it is troublesome to change the map.As for whether the Huns are happy or not, that's none of their business!

To put it bluntly, they have disliked each other for decades, and they are happy to see the Huns so angry that their liver hurts,

Send troops?

The Huns won't come if they don't enclose the pastures?Obviously impossible.That being the case, it's better to circle a few more yuan and hand it over to other departments that come to descend to graze.In order to keep their pastures, they will also fight the Huns desperately.

After clearing the snow near the wooden house, Zhao Jia asked someone to set up a car, and prepared to take coarse cloth to trade with other departments.

Several fast horses came galloping from the north suddenly. The riders on the horses had bird feathers in their heads. They passed outside the livestock farm and saw Zhao Jia running over.

Hearing the knight's words, Zhao Jia's heart shuddered. He turned his head and looked to the north, and took a deep breath, his internal organs were frozen cold.

After the severe winter, the Xiongnu finally came.