Chongxi [rebirth]

After returning to the palace the next day, Li Fengqi sent craftsmen from the Ministry of Industry to repair the old house of the He family.Several craftsmen who are proficient in construction brought people to live in the He Mansion, writing and drawing all day long, discussing how to renovate this huge mansion, and ordered the assistants to measure the length and width, etc. The deserted mansion has added a lot of excitement. Very lively.

He Lanyuan was quite satisfied with Li Fengqi's knowledge and interest, and the gloom he had been holding back a few days ago was gone.During her short stay in the He Mansion, apart from visiting the scenery of Beijing every day, she would gossip with Ye Yunting about the past, and the mother and son got along much more intimately than before.Occasionally, Li Fengqi would force his way in. Although He Lanyuan felt that he was too boring, she thought that this showed the deep relationship between the two, so she let him go.

In such a flash, half a month passed.

After entering July, the trade policy between South Vietnam and North Zhao has been discussed and the general regulations have been determined. The remaining details can only be revised and adjusted after the official opening of the treaty ports.And He Lanyuan, who had been relaxed for a long time, also bid farewell at this time.

The sudden farewell, Ye Yunting was stunned for a moment, before regretting: "It's so fast."

These days, mother and son get along very happily, from unfamiliar and polite to familiar and intimate, He Lanyuan is like a mother in this world, she will read a book with him, sew new clothes for him, and make love for him. Cook a plate of pastries.

This was Ye Yunting's first experience of his mother's love and care, so when he suddenly heard that she was leaving, he was inevitably a little disappointed.

"It's been a long time since I've been out this time. There are still many things to deal with in South Vietnam." He Lanyuan looked at him with gentle eyes: "I'll see you again when I finish dealing with the matter."

The merger of the two countries may not be possible, so neither she nor Li Fengqi told Ye Yunting, lest he rejoice in vain.

Ye Yunting naturally understood her busyness, put away his reluctance, and said again: "There is news from my uncle that Ye Zhili wants to see you, do you want to see your mother before she leaves?"

"It's gone." When mentioning this old enemy, He Lanyuan's eyes no longer had waves, and she said calmly: "He has already got what he deserved, and it's useless to see him again."

What's more, Ye Zhili took the initiative to meet him, and He Lanyuan wanted to know what he would say.She didn't take those old things to heart, but if they were brought out from Ye Zhili's mouth, she would inevitably be shocked.

If so, it is better not to see.

"That's fine." Ye Yunting said, "Then I won't see you."

In early July, the South Vietnamese mission set off and returned with the exchanged credentials.

And Wang Qie got Ye Yunting's reply, and went to see Ye Zhili again.He also held an imperial edict in his hand, which was also given to him by Ye Yunting.

In the deepest part of the prison, the candles were burning brightly. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Ye Zhili struggled to get up. He pressed his face against the gap in the iron fence and couldn't look out. His eyes were wide open.

Footsteps sounded from far to near, but only Wang Qie was alone.

"What about her?" Ye Zhili hoarsely said.

Wang Qi's eyes were indifferent, and there was a bit of sarcasm at the corner of his mouth: "The Queen Mother He and her party have already set off for South Vietnam today."

Ye Zhili didn't believe it: "Didn't you tell her? Or is she afraid to even see me?" He parted his lips as he spoke, trying to make a mocking expression, but because he hadn't laughed for a long time, he was stiff and distorted.

These days, Wang Qie has seen such distorted expressions a lot. The more Ye Zhili suffers, the more anger he has accumulated in his heart can be vented.

But lately, he has also lost some interest.

"Don't you understand yet?" Wang Qi snorted lightly, piercing his self-deceiving explanation: "To Empress Dowager He, you are nothing more than an insignificant prisoner. Why do you want to set foot in this dirty prison?" ?”

He lowered his eyes and watched the expression on Ye Zhili's face crack a little bit: "It's just me, and I just treat you as something."

As he spoke, he unfolded the imperial decree in his hand: "It just so happens that your disposition has been decided today, just listen."

Ye Zhili's eyes were dull, and the voice passed by his ears, but he couldn't hear it clearly.Just looking at the king and his lips twitched, he finished reading the imperial decree.

"From now on, there will be no Duke of Qi's mansion." The king put away the imperial decree and said, "Your Majesty and the prince are merciful, allowing Qingniang to divorce her husband, and I will take back Qingniang's tablet. From now on, regardless of life or death, honor or disgrace, she It has nothing to do with your Ye family."

Ye Zhili, who was stunned like a puppet, started to move: "Guogong Mansion, Ye Family... This is impossible, you asked Ye Yunting and He Lanyuan to come see me! I don't believe it!"

Wang Qie watched him go crazy coldly, shook his head, and the hostility in his heart gradually dissipated.

Such a self-deceiving lunatic and useless person is no longer worth his effort.

"Tomorrow, I will personally inspect Duke Qi's mansion. From now on, there will be no Ye Family and Duke Qi's mansion in Shangjing." He turned around to leave, but just as he took a step, he remembered another thing, gloated and said, "By the way, I forgot to tell you just now. Soon, King Changning’s name will no longer be called Ye Yunting, but Helian Yunting.”

After speaking, Wang Qie took one last look at Ye Zhili's mad face, and walked out of the prison step by step.

"Take good care of the person, and I will come again on the day of execution."

***

No one knew how Ye Zhili went mad in the prison, but the day the Duke of Qi's mansion was raided, it was a lively scene for everyone to watch.

Ever since Ye Zhili was convicted and imprisoned, the doors of Duke Qi's mansion were closed.In the past, those servants ran away and scattered, only some old servants who really had nowhere to go remained.And the only two masters in the mansion are Aunt Feng and Ye Boru who are locked in the courtyard.

The servants guarding the yard ran away, and Aunt Feng was free.Ye Boru originally wanted to pack up the things and take her out of the Duke's Mansion to find another way out, but he didn't want to be arrested before leaving the city, and locked up in the Duke's Mansion with no way out.

It was not until the day of the search that the mother and son were finally free.

Wang Qie took the people from Dali Temple to inspect it himself, and every cent of the mansion was recorded in the book and entered the national treasury.

The mother and son were also carefully searched twice. Except for the clothes on their bodies, nothing of value was left behind.

Feng's sarcasm argued: "There is still my dowry here! I don't keep any of it, how will I live in the future?"

The officers and soldiers who searched laughed and said: "You are an outsider, you don't have any title, how can you still have a dowry?" He said, holding the scabbard against Feng's and pushing it out.

Ye Boru was afraid that something would happen to her, so he hurried to pull her, and said a few words in a rather serious tone.Feng Shi resented this son because of being grounded, and quarreled with him in the street.

Wang Qie ordered people to escort the confiscated gold and silver property out, and saw that the gate of the Duke's mansion had become a theater, and there were many people watching.

He frowned and scolded: "Your Majesty and the prince are kind-hearted. Ye Zhili's collusion with foreign enemies did not implicate the nine clans. He only demoted you to low status. If you continue to quarrel, follow me to the prison of Dali Temple one time!"

As soon as this remark came out, the mother and son who were still complaining to each other immediately stopped talking.With a fiery slap on his face, Ye Boru left Feng Shi behind and strode away.

Feng Shi, with disheveled hair, followed behind him in a small step, yelling and cursing while chasing him.

Wang Qi withdrew his gaze and ordered someone to take off the plaque and put a seal on the gate.

The plaque with gold letters on a red background fell down suddenly and broke into several pieces.From then on, there was no Duke of Qi's mansion in Shangjing.

***

As soon as He Lanyuan returned to South Vietnam with the mission, many ministers asked to see her.

After listening to his confidantes who reported the recent activities of these ministers, He Lanyuan's eyebrows were slightly cold: "Go and tell those people, Ai's family is exhausted, exhausted, and has already rested. If there is anything else, let them discuss it tomorrow morning."

The confidant was ordered to go out to spread the word, and He Lanyuan, who said she wanted to rest, went directly to the palace where He Lianjing was confined.

Seeing her coming, the servants in the palace saluted one after another, and one of them reported He Lianjing's movements to her.It was nothing more than crying, making trouble and going on hunger strike.

"Since he wants to die so much, Aijia will grant him this." He Lanyuan looked condensed, touched the dagger in his sleeve, waved away the guards, and entered the inner hall alone.

He Lianjing was lying on the bed sickly, when she heard the movement, she said weakly: "Get out, I don't want to eat."

"Your Majesty won't eat today, and there will be no chance if you want to eat later." He Lanyuan approached and looked down at him condescendingly.

Although it was said that he was quieted, he still held the title of King of Nanyue after all, and the people below did not dare to treat him too harshly, unexpectedly it made him develop a temper.

"Mother?" Hearing her voice, He Lianjing rolled out of the bed, kneeled in front of her, and begged: "Mother, I really realized my mistake. Give me one more chance. From now on, I will never forget everything." Listen to you."

Looking at him like this, it seems that he still doesn't know the news that has spread outside.

He Lanyuan lowered her eyes, hiding the coldness in her eyes: "It seems that no one has told the king that the Ai family has recovered the biological son of the late emperor."

He Lianjing was taken aback: "What?"

He Lanyuan did not answer, but said slowly: "You entered the palace at the age of five, and I have raised you for 20 years, but you have disappointed me so much." While speaking, she pulled out the dagger from her sleeve, pressed the Overwhelmed by the horrified Helian Jing, he mercilessly cut his throat.

"Now that Yunting is back, it's hard to keep you."

She struck quickly and decisively.He Lianjing didn't have time to react, she could only open her eyes wide, clutching her neck and fell into a pool of blood.

He Lanyuan wiped off the blood, put away the dagger, and walked out of the hall in a leisurely manner.The palace guards outside saw her coming out covered in blood, and let out a low cry of horror. After reacting, they covered their mouths in horror, but their eyes could not help but glance into the palace.

"Your Majesty is seriously ill and died just now." He Lanyuan was not afraid of them watching.As soon as she returned to Nanyue, she came to deal with He Lianjing in order to cut off the last retreat of those ministers.

As long as He Lianjing is still there, these ministers will have thousands of reasons to persuade her. Instead of this, it is better for her to personally cut off this retreat.

There is no way for these people to retreat, they can only follow her forward.

……

He Lianjing's body was quickly restrained, and the death knell rang through the palace.

After He Lanyuan took a bath, she had a good night's rest.Early the next morning, a group of important officials were called into the palace to discuss the state affairs.

When those ministers got the news from those palace people, they were already stupid.Compared to Ye Yunting, who came out halfway and had a close relationship with Emperor Beizhao, they obviously preferred to support the puppet He Lianjing.

They asked for an audience yesterday to persuade the Queen Mother to think twice.

But who knew that He Lanyuan's movements were so fast and his strikes so ruthless!There was no room for them to react.

When a group of important officials met on the way into the palace, they all shook their heads with heavy expressions, and then sighed.

Once He Lianjing died, they might have no choice but to follow He Lanyuan's wishes.

The ministers who entered the palace had plans in mind, but He Lanyuan didn't just want her own son to become the king of Nanyue!

"This matter is absolutely impossible! It is said that they will become one, and the two kings will rule together, but what is the difference between this and the subjugation of the country?!"

"The queen mother is ruining my century-old foundation in South Vietnam!"

"If the Empress Dowager insists on doing this, we can only splatter the palace with blood."

A group of ministers were excited and spoke out against it.

He Lanyuan waited for them to finish talking, and then said: "It's all finished? Then let's listen to what Ai's family has to say."

She was already mentally prepared when Li Fengqi made this suggestion.Every step she takes now is within her expectations.Therefore, facing these angry ministers, she still looked indifferent, calm and unhurried: "Do you think Aijia's proposal is ruining Nanyue's country? Maybe some people think in their hearts that Aijia is doing this for their son, and even the ancestor's foundation is not important." Forget it. Right?"

Although those ministers were scruples and didn't say it clearly, He Lanyuan could see it clearly.

She laughed, and then said: "But have you ever thought about it, if there is no such relationship between Aijia and Yunting. Bei Zhao has already taken Xihuang and Dongyi, would she really leave Nanyue alone?"

"Some of you went to Beizhao with Ai's family. You should know exactly what kind of temperament Emperor Beizhao is. If it weren't for this level of in-law relationship, he would be able to send troops south in the next step and turn Nanyue into Beizhao. treasury!"

"But we may not be defeated!" A minister retorted, but his confidence was no longer strong enough.

"Let's not talk about the outcome." He Lanyuan said: "You just do the math. If there is a fight, how many people will be killed in Nanyue and how much money will be lost?"

The ministers were silent.

Seeing this, He Lanyuan knew that they knew it well.When these people encounter problems, they are often used to shifting the responsibility to others.But she would never recite this infamy, nor would she ask her son to recite it.

Just like what Li Fengqi said earlier, if there is no such relationship, Bei Zhao will attack Nanyue sooner or later.Although Beizhao was in trouble at home and abroad a while ago, Li Fengqi was born out of nowhere and wiped out Xihuang and Dongyi one after another.The voice of the people is extremely high, which can be said to have taken advantage of the right time, place and people.Although South Vietnam has the strength to resist for a while, it is not a long-term solution.

Although she didn't want to admit it, in fact Li Fengqi's proposal to rule the two kings together was actually the result of his compromise.

He is perfectly capable of swallowing South Vietnam whole.

This discussion failed to produce a result.A group of ministers entered the palace aggressively, but when they left the palace, they were like eggplants beaten by frost.

But He Lanyuan was not in a hurry, she knew that these people would compromise sooner or later.

If she agrees to her proposal, Nanyue and Beizhao will form an alliance in the name of marriage, and the status of these family officials in Nanyue will also be preserved.But I disagree, once the war starts in the future, these people may have nothing.

They already know the pros and cons in their hearts, but they just haven't recognized the reality.

***

The tug-of-war between He Lanyuan and the ministers lasted for more than a month.

When I came back, it was late July, and the Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed in a blink of an eye.

These days, the morning and the morning are still the same, but she no longer listens to the government behind the curtain, but directly sits on the throne and takes charge of the government on her behalf.No one mentioned the matter of choosing a successor from the clan.

While drinking tea, He Lanyuan wrote a letter to Li Fengqi, informing him that the situation in South Vietnam had been settled and that they could start discussing the specific matters of the marriage between the two countries.

A few days later, Li Fengqi received the letter and was in a good mood, so he took the letter and went to look for Ye Yunting.

Ye Yunting was shocked and at a loss when he saw the letter.

"When did this happen?"

Li Fengqi paused, and said nonchalantly, "It's what happened before my mother returned to South Vietnam, didn't I tell you?"

Ye Yunting looked at him suspiciously: "Of course not."

"That's probably because I forgot in a hurry." Li Fengqi smiled: "If you really want to marry and form an alliance, there are many things to discuss and consider. Why don't you think about where you will be when the time comes?"

"..." Ye Yunting couldn't see that he deliberately kept it from himself before, but after thinking about it, he didn't bother to get angry with him anymore.Gouging him out, he continued to read the letter.

Then he said: "Then do I have to go back to South Vietnam first?"

Only then did Li Fengqi think of this incident, and said not very happily: "When you are almost ready, you can go back. Counting the back and forth on the road, it will take more than a month."

This is still the fastest. After all, it is a major event involving the two countries, so it cannot be sloppy.

Moreover, he and Ye Yunting didn't get married back then, so this time they have to make it up.

……

At the end of August, Ye Yunting set off for South Vietnam.

On the seventh day of September, he arrived in Nanyue smoothly. Three days later, he held a succession ceremony and honored him as the king of Nanyue.

In mid-September, Beizhao envoys arrived in the capital of South Vietnam and presented their marriage certificate.Emperor Zhao of the North gave half of the land of Dongyi and thirteen treaty ports as a gift, and please make a hundred-year friendship with the King of Nanyue.

The king of Nanyue readily agreed.

The marriage between the kings of the two countries has been a century-old friendship, which is unprecedented.

This marriage caused a sensation in Nanyue and Beizhao, but Emperor Beizhao was exempted from taxes for three years because of his big marriage, and he had many measures to benefit the people one after another, so the market was full of blessings and praises; I know very well, but I heard that Emperor Beizhao used half of Dongyi's land and treaty ports as the wedding ceremony, and they are all looking forward to the big wedding day.After all, the benefits of Emperor Beizhao's move to the people of Nanyue are also real. The people of Nanyue still remember the prosperity of the business exchanges with Beizhao.

On the tenth day of October, the day of the big wedding.

The kings of the two countries are married, and they are not happy to marry.The wedding ceremony was held in Suiyang, the accompanying capital—after several discussions, Suiyang County in Lingnan was selected as the accompanying capital, which was called "Xiajing" as opposed to Shangjing.

There was originally a palace in Suiyang, but after it was expanded and repaired, it became the second palace.In the future, the courtiers will also be here.

The wedding ceremony of the two was also held here.

Li Fengqi arrived in Suiyang half a month in advance with the aristocratic family and courtiers from Shangjing to start preparations for the wedding.

Because Suiyang is still some distance away from the capital city of Nanyue, Li Fengqi set off early the night before the wedding, and arrived in the capital at the auspicious time the next morning.

At this time, Ye Yunting had already changed into complicated wedding clothes, and stood side by side with He Lanyuan in front of the palace, behind them were the civil and military officials of South Vietnam.

Li Fengqi got off his horse and raised his hands to the top of his head amidst the chorus of the ceremony officer, and said with a smile, "I'm here to pick you up."

Ye Yunting returned the same salute, eyebrows curved: "It's just in time."

The two walked towards each other at the same time, clasped their hands, and walked side by side to the ancestral temple - they first worshiped their ancestors in Nanyue, and then went to Suiyang.

The civil and military officials of the two countries merged into one group and followed behind the two.Several ceremony officials recited the congratulatory speech loudly, and their high-pitched voices even overwhelmed the ceremony and music.

In front of the ancestral temple, two red figures stood side by side, and under the guidance of the ritual officer, they went through the complicated ceremony step by step.

At the last moment, the two solemnly made an oath in front of the ancestral tablet and bowed their heads in worship.

During the movement, the hem of the Zhenghong wedding dress of the same standard overlapped, and the high bunch of black hair fell down and tangled at the end.

Just like the oath they made in front of their ancestors in the past.

Live up to the world, live up to your family and country, and live up to your ministers.