[Red Mansions] The Road to Empress Dowager

Even if you are on your own, eating at the same table with the queen still requires a lot of psychological quality.However, Ouyang Lei, who was accompanying Lin and Tan, seemed to have gotten used to it, and could adjust the atmosphere in a timely manner.

After a round of exchange of cups and cups, Xin Xiuyan told them about her idea of ​​production and construction.She plans to carry out construction reclamation and production through two years of collective militarized management, and then carry out family joint production contract and land distribution.Since all refugees are resettled, the administration will be integrated to the big villages, and each big village will allocate the population according to the amount of cultivated land.

Because the resettled people are all refugees, there is no patriarchal law that cannot be applied, so the new resettlement people only need to obey the laws of the country and the management regulations of the Datong Army.If the civilians want to go back to their original place, they will be forced to do so, but if they are not under the jurisdiction of the Datong Army, there is no guarantee that they will be allocated land in the future.Generally speaking, for this right, civilians will also choose to stay in the Datong Army and work hard.

Tan Qian said: "The general is indeed a great talent."

Xin Xiuyan said: "I can't talk about great talents, they are still very rough, and there must be problems. Ideological education is very important. If there are fewer foolish people in the countryside, the White Lotus Throne will not be allowed to grow; if it is not for the gentry's domineering monopoly of civil rights, the imperial court It is not necessary to be blamed for the government's rebellion. Now that there is no order, there is no need to break the old order, we just need to establish a new order. The destruction of the old order actually shows that it is very problematic, I know You are all scholars, but sometimes people without the old thinking structure are more likely to accept new concepts. I also hope that you can emancipate your minds. Didn’t you Confucius also say “the world is one”? Our methods are different. The purpose is to Same thing. It doesn’t matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it can catch mice is a good cat.”

Lin Ruhai nodded: "Don't worry, General, we also came here with the intention of...studying."

Xin Xiuyan waved her hand and said, "We study together, we used to be relatives, but now we are doing business together, we are comrades!"

Lin and Tan have strong hearts, and they nodded in agreement. In fact, their upbringing did not talk when they ate or slept. Only rough people talked at the dinner table, but the queen was full of gangsters, what could they do?

If you want to dislike it, it is the emperor who dislikes it first, but obviously the emperor does not dislike it.

In the afternoon, Xin Xiuyan led the two of them to visit the training of the first battalion and the second battalion of the Datong Army. Now they have absorbed surrendered troops, and the team is very large.In order to be promoted, the non-commissioned officers and veterans of the former Datong Army showed their enthusiasm for work, which was very different from the officers and soldiers of other troops.

Some of the expanded new companies are running and practicing the formation; some are sitting cross-legged and listening to the training, and the training is almost like Xin Xiuyan's, but they are holding notes, and their thinking is not as smooth as Xin Xiuyan's, and they can set a set.These middle and low-level non-commissioned officers who were originally from the Datong Army were still required to know some words, and they had taken study notes before.

Seeing Xin Xiuyan coming to inspect, Zhang Hu and Wu Dafu hurriedly licked their faces.

After paying a military salute, Wu Dafu flattered him and said, "Military seat, why are you here, old man?"

The two followers of Xin Xiuyan not only become officials, but also high officials, so they are naturally in good spirits on happy occasions.

Xin Xiuyan said: "Blind your dog's eyes! This is Mr. Lin, Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and Mr. Tan, the official foreigner. How can you be rude?"

Zhang Hu and Wu Dafu hurriedly bowed their hands to each other: "Your Majesty, I see you two gentlemen."

Lin Ruhai said: "You two don't need to be too polite."

Shin Soo Yeon said, "How is the reorganization going?"

Zhang Hu said: "The training of the queue is not bad, but the ideological education is not so fast. Comrades understand that they are not as knowledgeable as the military seat after all. The ideological education work is not as good as the military seat. Fortunately, some recruits combine their own experience. I have been very positive in my early education.”

Xin Xiuyan said: "Comrades are just starting to do it, of course they are hands-on, and they will gradually improve in the future."

After visiting the school grounds, Xin Xiuyan let the two go back to rest first. They lived in another courtyard of the government office.

Another day later, another old man came from Huguang. It was Lin Ruhai's son-in-law Xiao Jingyun. He was transferred to Huguang for a year to train in the new army as a reserve for suppressing the peasant uprising.He now has 1 people under his command, who were selected from the Huguang Weisuo army and the village braves. They marched for [-] days and crossed the border between Huguang and Sichuan.At this time, there was no Chongqing city, and the two provinces bordered each other.

Xiao Jingyun obviously took on other tasks. After Zhao Wenlong and Li Ji captured Nanchong City, they were afraid that they would march into Mianyang in a blitzkrieg. After the first battle in Nanchong, they were always injured and their combat power declined. At this time, Xiao Jingyun's Huguang New Army could be dispatched Worked.

After taking down Nanchong and Mianyang, the White Lotus Rebellion in Sichuan was basically put down.Suining is now an important town in the rear, and of course Xiao Jingyun's new army must rest here.

Of course Xiao Jingyun was overjoyed to see his father-in-law and brother-in-law Tan.He had been away from home for another year, and Daiyu was pregnant with a second child at that time, but military affairs were the most important thing, so the husband and wife had to separate.It is said that Daiyu has given birth to a son for him now, but he has not seen it yet.

When Xiao Jingyun heard that the queen was also in Suining, he couldn't help saying happily, "Isn't the sage in Chengdu?" The emperor's important town in Chengdu also had to balance the military and political affairs of the military and political affairs. Mobilize all materials in the rear to support the war.

Tan Qian said: "The saint is in Chengdu, but the empress is here."

"It's too dangerous here. If the empress makes a mistake, who can afford it?"

As a man, Xiao Jingyun also had some taboos. Although he had heard that the empress was still alive, he had been in Huguang for a year and did not know the specific situation of the empress.

Tan Qian said: "I don't know what the emperor's intention is. The emperor sent the empress to manage the prisoners and refugees, and also ordered us not to reveal the identity of the empress."

Xiao Jingyun couldn't help but be dumbfounded: "How does this happen?"

Lin Ruhai said: "Xiangyu only needs to obey the emperor's decision, and don't question the empress's ability." Xiao Jingyun was already 23 years old at this time, and had the nickname Xiangyu.

Lin Ruhai stayed in Suining for a few days, and knew everything about the experience of the Datong Army and the Empress in the past two years, so she couldn't look at her with the eyes of an ordinary woman.

Tan Qian said: "You always want to see the queen, don't pay homage, and don't leak information to your servants."

Xiao Jingyun is the eldest son of the Hou family, he suddenly understood, and said: "The sage wants to use this to let the empress take power so that she can welcome her back to Beijing?"

The world is more harsh on women, not only men, but women are also harsh on women, not to mention those who call someone who is a bitch are all women.

In ancient times, not to mention that a country's reputation will be ruined after being reduced to the rivers and lakes, even ordinary ladies who have been reduced to the rivers and lakes for two years will know that there are only two ways to become a monk or die of illness.

The sage forbids the entire capital to talk about the queen, and there is no trouble now, because those who secretly oppose the queen and want their daughter to make a name for themselves in the harem think that the queen is dead, and the emperor is just not out of his grief.

But once the queen returns to Beijing, these people will secretly connect with each other, and use the name of etiquette and chastity to put pressure on the queen, a weak woman. The head, the queen can't argue with it, even if she can protect herself in the end, living with shame all her life is no joy.

But the queen has real power, and has enough meritorious service to confer the title of marquis and prime minister, those people can't touch her, and the queen's prestige among the common people will not make the queen fall into a situation of being alone.

Lin Ruhai and Tan Qian are of course smart people, they had already guessed in their hearts that the emperor had sent him to Sichuan to assist the empress, and they had also received a secret order from the emperor not to disclose the matter.

Lin Ruhai said: "The sage's empress's kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain, and the love of the emperor and empress is as deep as the sea. As subjects, we should share the worries of the king."

Xiao Jingyun nodded and said: "The empress was in trouble back then to save Yu'er. If we don't help at this time, Yu'er will not forgive me."

Even though Xiao Jingyun said so, when he saw the queen, his jaw still dropped, and he dressed in words and deeds. He was still the queen who was graceful and luxurious, and even walked in the style of a female bandit, which definitely did not conform to the aesthetics of women in the era. .

On the contrary, Xiao Jingyun was very surprised by the empress's orders and prohibitions. It is said that these people were brought out by the empress herself, not given by the emperor.

They had already recruited 1000 captives, swallowed 2 people with more than [-] people, and Xiao Jingyun was surprised by how they managed to show some performance in a short period of time.

The queen sneaked in and invited them to watch the Cuju competition of the Datong Army, which aroused the enthusiasm of the officials in the rear of Suining.Then the Huguang New Army, Datong Army, and Sichuan Weisuo Army also held a friendly match. The Huguang New Army lost badly because they had practiced skating before.

Xiao Jingyun believed that the combat ability of the new army was by no means inferior to that of the Forbidden Army, but even the Guards Army couldn't win in the Cuju arena, which made Xiao Jingyun's face very ugly.Even Lin Ruhai, who was an old husband, blushed.

Xiao Jingyun couldn't help training the Huguang New Army fiercely, but found that more than 2 Datong Army had already received the mission to help the huge "Production and Construction Corps" go up and down to the countryside to reclaim wasteland, build roads, and build houses.

It was the first time for Xiao Jingyun to see such an army that had such a strong morale after being transferred to work as a civilian.Instead, he studied the opponent calmly, and found that the promotion system and salary system of the opponent's army were very complete.If you want to climb up from the bottom, this road is smooth; even if you can't climb up successfully, they can still guarantee a good salary.

Especially in terms of ideological education, they surpassed the loyalty to the emperor, patriotism, and devotion to the country advocated by the Xichang eunuchs. They also added material, not only talking about it, but also talking about why it was so.

This made Xiao Jingyun, the grandson of the great general Xiao Lang, look at the queen with admiration, and he no longer dared to pretend to be helping her to gain credit, but absorbed her practical things.

When Xiao Jingyun stayed in Suining for 20 days, there was a military report from Nanchong that the city of Nanchong was broken, and the "Southern King" of the White Lotus Sect in Nanchong City had been killed.

When Xin Xiuyan heard this number, her vision went dark, she really wanted to pass out, but the soldiers under her were very excited.

Fortunately, Zhao Wenlong and Li Ji also needed to replenish their military resources, and each swallowed up 1 people. After the screening of the remaining 4 people, there were still more than 3000 people. Xin Xiuyan held a rear meeting and voted for 5000 people for Yin Jun and 5000 for Xiao Jingyun. People, let the third and fourth battalions swallow the rest.The most difficult thing is the resettlement of civilians, which consumed most of their energy.

At this time, we can only use all available people, and even the second hero who protects Xin Xiuyan with him also takes the lead, and each takes [-] civilians to resettle the wasteland.

Fortunately, during the First World War in Sichuan, the court prepared for two years. At this time, civilians were resettled, and enough grain seeds were prepared in the rear. It was August at this time, and corn, radishes, and cabbage could still be planted, and there were ducks, rabbits, etc. The animals that are easy to raise are divided up and brought to the village to raise.In winter, if all goes well, these refugees can be self-reliant.

The imperial court successfully captured Nanchong before the Mid-Autumn Festival, which was enough to deter the bandits from all over the world, and the small groups of bandits were recruited more. The leaders of these people were appointed as small local officials. On the contrary, it is much simpler.

Before winter, the Red Shirt Army, the Jiannan Road Forbidden Army, and the Huguang New Army three major armies overwhelmed Mianyang. The Bailian Religious Army in Mianyang was inferior to Nanchong, and the city was besieged for three days and broken.

Another 10,000+ people are waiting to be resettled. The human hunger instinct cannot wait for the officials of the household department to measure the land first. Therefore, Xin Xiuyan can only formulate a basic temporary system, and the logistics department will lead 1 people to reclaim wasteland with a company. .She set up the assessment regulations for "Political Achievement", and she herself is an assessment team, leading guards and running to villages and towns to supervise, research or guide.

In winter, it is finally realized that there is basically no need to adjust food to relieve the common people. All the corn, vegetables and rabbits bred in large numbers in the mountains and forests can allow the common people to survive this spring and winter.

However, Xin Xiuyan, whose physical fitness has always surpassed that of ordinary people, lost ten pounds due to the daily inspections on the road.

Just inspected a newly built village in Mianyang, and because Mianyang is a big city that produces phosphate rock, she also went to that area to dig in search of ore veins according to modern memory. She plans to build a phosphate fertilizer plant in Mianyang next year to support Sichuan in the future. Agriculture continued to develop.

When she returned to Suining, Tu Yuanyi was visiting her from Chengdu in a low-key way. In fact, he came here once during the Mid-Autumn Festival, stayed for two days and then returned to Chengdu.At that time, he was busy with her even more, and the two of them didn't have time to be together for a long time.

Tu Yuanyi greeted her out of the gate of the government office, and when she saw the faint dark circles under her eyes, he couldn't help feeling distressed.Why is her queen's path more borne than any woman's?

He didn't say anything, just looked at her and smiled silently, and then said to her, "Are you tired? I'll carry you back to your room."

She smiled lightly: "Okay."

When he turned around, she leaned on his back, put her arms around his neck, and murmured on his shoulder: "Half of Sichuan is so difficult to govern, and you still have ambitions to win the throne and become the emperor, a heavy burden for a country. I'm not afraid of crushing you."

Tu Yuanyi felt a little sour in his heart, and said, "With you accompanying me and helping me, I won't be broken."

She complained slightly: "The dream of time travel is obviously to be the concubine of Prince Xiaoxiang, but you are not qualified for Prince Xiaoxiang at all..."

Tu Yuanyi smiled slightly and said, "If I can't be the prince of Xiaoxiang, how about I be the prince of seven o'clock?"

"you dare!!"

Tu Yuanyi said softly: "You are light, is it because your breasts are small? There is not much meat in the first place, so you can't lose any more...

She was shocked immediately, turned into a shrew, hooked his neck, grabbed his ears, and said, "How dare you dislike me! If you have any crooked thoughts, I will kill you and take the child to remarry!!"

"Easy, let go! Let go!"

After returning to the house, before she had time to wash up, she fell down on the couch and fell asleep in the dark, and Tu Yuanyi didn't bother her.

Tu Yuanyi went to the study to help her deal with many official documents, but Lin Ruhai came to see him.

Lin Ruhai reported on the current household registration issues.After the war, a small group of refugees came out one after another, but these people were not organized and managed by Xin Xiuyan, but were arranged by the Ministry of Households with Xiao Jingyun's new army, and there were quite a few of them.

Added together, there are nearly a million civilians who have been re-registered.

Lin Ruhai said: "Although the current land is registered and registered, the people will definitely open up wasteland, and the newly added land will be difficult to control."

Tu Yuanyi said: "The undeveloped mountain land is jointly owned by the imperial court and the local government, and no individual can develop it at will. If it is to be developed, it must be rented at a price. The rent is [-]% for the court, [-]% for the province, [-]% for the government, and [-]% for the county. [-]% and [-]% for villages and towns.”

Lin Ruhai said: "Would it be more than [-]% for the village and town level?"

Tu Yuanyi said: "To strengthen the smoothness of imperial government orders, we must support the finances of the countryside. The queen has implemented so many administrations to the villages, and so many people need to be supported. If the finances of the villages and towns collapse, the queen's painstaking efforts will be the last. It's useless too."

Lin Ruhai nodded, and said: "The law that the empress practiced in Sichuan is completely different from that of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I'm afraid we need to revise the "Laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Tu Yuanyi said: "Sichuan's law should not be implemented in a hurry to the whole country, it will definitely not succeed. Even if the law is to be revised, it should be limited to Sichuan first. It is not appropriate for the queen to come forward. What I mean is that Ai Qing came forward to meet with you." The officials of the three departments will complete it together, and the queen can give you some suggestions for revision in private."

After the Yang Huaigu case, Xing Xiuyan's prestige in the Third Division is still good, but it is impossible for them to obey Xing Xiuyan's orders.Lin Ruhai has administrative experience in Sichuan, and the cabinet minister who was born in Tanhualang couldn't be better.

Lin Ruhai knelt down and said: "The ministers will definitely do their best to live up to the emperor's grace!"

Tu Yuanyi said: "Aiqing doesn't need to be so polite. Seeing that it's the twelfth lunar month, it's time to go back to Beijing. Aiqing and Zaihou are going to buy some Sichuan local products to bring to their wives and children at home. Then let you take half a day off .”

Lin Ruhai couldn't help but burst into tears with gratitude, and suddenly asked a bit rashly: "Is the Empress going back to Beijing too?"

Tu Yuanyi couldn't help feeling sour in his heart, his phoenix eyes gleamed with water, and said: "Next year, Sichuan should be settled, and her meritorious service will also be rewarded in Beijing..."

To really love someone, it is far-reaching, just like parents who really love their children, no matter how distressed they are, they will never spoil them.In the position of queen, in Xin Xiuyan's situation, material doting is far from enough, but to care for her dignity as a human being and help her realize her dream.

Lin Ruhai couldn't help her eyes getting wet, and said, "Mother, she...is too bitter."

Tu Yuanyi sighed, "Go down."

In fact, it was Lin Daiyu who wrote letters to her father and husband, repeatedly asking about the queen's current situation. Because of the queen's current status, they could only be vague.Lin Ruhai also thought that the queen would suffer before the princes and princesses reached their first birthday. Whether it was an adult or a child, it was really pitiful.

He hoped that the queen would go back, and deliberately used the "name of forming a party" to connect with his colleagues and friends in the court to protect the queen to the end, but the emperor's situation was far from satisfied.

Xin Xiuyan didn't wake up until the next morning. The eunuch next to her had prepared hot water, and she washed away the dust of the past few days.

Tu Yuanyi waited for her to eat breakfast, looking at a table of her favorite food, he couldn't help but whet his appetite.If it is said that she was a bit noble and elegant before, but now she is more and more down-to-earth, Tu Yuanyi just serves her soup and vegetables.

After dinner, Tu Yuanyi told her that he was going back to Beijing in a few days, Xin Xiuyan couldn't help being stunned and said, "Then when will you come back?"

Tu Yuanyi looked indifferently, and said: "I won't be coming again in the short term, there are still many things in Beijing."

Xin Xiuyan bit the chicken leg, stared blankly for a while, and said: "Does the emperor trust you, or... you want to return to Beijing to find a sense of presence in order to become the emperor?"

Tu Yuanyi sighed: "Xiuxiu, the prince Xiao/Xiang you dreamed of does not exist. In this world, if you give in, others will bully you; if you don't fight, others will not give it to you; if you shrink back, there is an abyss behind you." When you killed the seven leaders of the White Lotus Sect so resolutely, it was because you understood that you can either conquer others or become a slave, there is no third way, isn't it?"

Xin Xiuyan said: "I don't want you to be busy, and I don't want to see you for a long time."

Tu Yuanyi hugged her into his arms and said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll be waiting for you in Kyoto."

Xin Xiuyan said: "Your father...is he still dissatisfied with me?"

"In fact, you are the most beloved daughter-in-law of the father, and he even likes you more than the princess. But a person needs to have a beginning and an end, and you must not be able to leave Sichuan now, right?" .

"I really love me, so I can't give you a side concubine."

Tu Yuanyi smiled and said: "Whoever wants me to accept a concubine, our children will cry for them."

Xin Xiuyan raised her head and asked back: "Did you raise our child to be such a coward? By crying?"

"What's that for?"

"Of course I went to demolish their houses! Their mother, I am the commander now! Even the production and construction corps, I have tens of thousands of people under my command! They are not Qiong Yao's hero and heroine, okay?"

Tu Yuanyi stroked her eyebrows and said, "The child cannot imitate your banditry."

Xin Xiuyan said: "You can't raise your child too sissy!"

Tu Yuanyi smiled.

Knowing that Tu Yuanyi was going to leave, Xin Xiuyan also took time out to prepare gifts for the children. As for relatives and friends, she should leave them to Tu Yuanyi, because she couldn't remember who they were and who liked what.

Xin Xiuyan brought some high-quality Sichuan brocade as a tribute, sewed robes for the three children, and asked women from the former Datong Army to make some children's army uniforms designed by her.

Tu Yuanyi stayed until the fourth day, and couldn't hold it any longer, so he had to set off. Lin Ruhai, Tan Qian, Xiao Jingyun and others also followed Shengjia back to Beijing. The government affairs in eastern and northern Sichuan were all under the direct control of Xin Xiuyan.

A few days later, the imperial decree came down, appointing Yanxiu as the "Governor of Sichuan", the prime minister of Sichuan military affairs, including the government affairs of eastern Sichuan and northern Sichuan.At this time, the war was just over, Yanxiu had already proved his ability with practical actions, and there was no opposition from the officials in the capital, so the imperial edict was issued smoothly.