As Guo Empress's voice fell, not only Cai Zhengni was startled to rise to his feet, but also the two people teaching the Xuejia skills in the distance, Cai Zhaoji and Feng Yuan, also stopped speaking for a moment.
Upon hearing the words, Cai Zhaoji walked directly back to her seat and sat down next to her younger sister. Feng Yuan, however, was deep in thought, unsure of what to do.
After receiving the emperor's permission, the empress dowager increased the number of concubines for the emperor, adding more women to the harem. As an unloved consort with just a beauty rank, what could she do?
In other words, in the palace today, besides Mao, Sun and Guo who came early, no one else can be considered 'favored' in the traditional sense. And the emperor himself seems to have devoted most of his energy to state affairs and military campaigns abroad.
Su Huan, who gave birth to the third son, Cao Shou, was also just promoted to the rank of a Jieyu by the emperor a few days ago, placing her at the same level as Guo Yao, and she wasn't even granted the position of Zhaoyi.
"Empress Dowager's words, I don't quite understand. My daughter, Huiyu, is just a little girl, plain and uneducated. How could she be worthy of serving the king..."
Guo Empress looked at her with a half-smile and a half-frown, her voice also gradually decreasing until it was no longer audible. Her lack of confidence was clearly revealed in front of the other few people.
Cai Zhaoji sighed in her heart, thinking that her younger sister was not doing well, and as an older sister, she had to speak for her.
The empress dowager's words were golden and jade, spoken directly in front of you in the main hall of Changle Palace. Is there any room for evasion in this matter? It's clear that your daughter Huiyu has been caught by the empress dowager's eyes. It is unknown whether it was the empress dowager's intention or someone else's idea.
"Your Majesty, Huiyu grew up under my watch, like a daughter of my own. The words about her being plain and unskilled are indeed humble, but it is out of fear for her future prospects." Cai Zhaoji sat up straight on the chair, looking at Empress Guo, "May I ask Your Majesty two things?"
"So beauty and virtue?" Empress Guo replied with a satisfied expression, "Zhaoji, what do you want to ask me?"
Cai Zhaoji said, "The emperor has already moved to Xu Chang, and everyone in Luo knows about it. Is the Empress Dowager going to Xu Chang Palace or the Beipoal for this?"
"The ladies will be sent to Xu Chang, and the emperor's temporary residence is likely there for a while," Empress Guo replied calmly.
Cai Zhaoji asked again, "Does the emperor still have a generous attitude towards the harem...?"
Zhaoji was originally going to ask about the emperor's fidelity, but found that the words 'long-term' had little to do with the emperor's profession. She simply changed it to 'kind'. She herself had suffered many hardships in her life and had never experienced the meaning of the word 'long-term'.
Sure enough, one longs for what one lacks, and that's what one most wants to ask about. Cai Zhaoji, who had a life full of wandering and misfortune, thought of this first when it came to her closest relatives in her later years.
She could ask the emperor if he was kind and compassionate, but what answer did she expect? The empress dowager's order and the command from the Beipoal couldn't be disobeyed. All she was doing was using this opportunity to save a little face for herself and her two younger sisters.
Empress Guo was more and more satisfied and pleased with Cai Zhaoji's question: "The last time the harem was enlarged was in the Taohua Yuan years. At that time, it was still the Empress Dowager and Wu Xuan Empress who chased after him for a long time, until the emperor acknowledged this matter. Now it is Taohua four years, three years later, and this time's enlargement of the harem is also persuaded by the Empress Dowager. Originally intended to bring in ten people for the emperor, but he only said five were enough."
"The Empress Dowager and Zhaoji are old acquaintances. Zhengji's husband's family has an old connection with the Feng family, which also has an old connection with the Empress Dowager's family. If the Yang girl can enter the palace, the Empress Dowager will certainly take care of her; there is no need to worry."
"Moreover..." Empress Guo smiled, "Women are expected to remain in their households until they marry. Their future husbands not only look at their families but also at their appearance. The emperor's appearance is self-evident; you all know it well in Luo."
Zhaoji and Zhengji, the two daughters, exchanged glances after hearing this and stood up together to bow and express their respects: "We shall follow the benevolent command of the empress dowager."
"Both of you may sit down," Empress Guo indicated with satisfaction, "There are many courtesies in the palace. In the civilian world, we would be in-laws, almost like one family."
"You two may rest assured that the Empress Dowager will have the ceremony performed at your home. With the officials coming for this purpose, I believe the etiquette will be sufficient," said Empress Guo.
"Thank you, Empress Dowager." Cai Zhengji said, "This matter is indeed significant. Please allow my sister and me to return home first and discuss this with our family."
"Good," Empress Guo nodded slightly.
...
Unlike the tense atmosphere in Luo and Jing, the war news has not yet spread to the north. The four regions of You, Bian, Ying, and Ji in the north are still immersed in the joy of stabilizing Liaodong.
For four hundred years since the Two Han dynasties, the so-called frontier achievements were felt most deeply not by the princely and noble families living in Chang'an and Luoyang, but by the people of the frontier regions such as You, Bing, and Liang.
For the people of Luoyang, the pacification of frontier troubles is nothing more than who has been promoted to a marquess, who has gained a fief, or who has gained power in the court.
For the people of the border regions, however, there is no longer a worry about the Huns attacking their territory, no longer a need to save their grain to feed the armies, and no longer a requirement to serve as laborers or auxiliary soldiers on the battlefield, making this a first-class good that is genuinely realized. The emperor in Luoyang is increasingly praised as a sage ruler.
The saying that the border regions produce loyal ministers is not an empty one.
From the summer to the autumn, the literati in each county and county of the four border states wrote countless articles praising the emperor in various literary gatherings, county schools, and county schools. However, most of these works have no artistic value and are not worth sending to Luoyang by officials who understand matters.
Man Qiong dispatched Jiang Wei, Cao Shuang, and Cao Zhao after the three men outside of Quanzhou City. He then led a large force along the designated route.
By the evening of the eighteenth day, when Jiang Wei, Cao Shuang, and Cao Zhao caught up with Man Qiong after bringing Ke Bining's head, Man Qiong's army had only reached Dongping Shu.
The head of Ke Bining was brought to the main camp, and the news that Ke Bining had surrendered was communicated to all the camps by Man Qiong's messengers. For the central army, whether Ke Bining lived or died made little difference. He was just another barbarian chieftain.
However, for the three thousand men of the Huns, this news was even more shocking. Liu Bao, who knew the details of that night in his own tent, broke out in a cold sweat. He became increasingly horrified at the military might of the Wei dynasty and recited 'Long live our emperor' over and over again.
"Met General." After having eaten and bathed, wearing fresh clothes, Jiang Wei and Cao Shuang were summoned into Man Qiong's camp by his messengers.
"Mm. Zhao Bing, Zhao Yu, you two can sit down. I also want to talk to you about border affairs," Man Qiong pointed to the seats in front of him.
"Thank you, General, for the seats." The two men said their thanks, and then sat on either side of Man Qiong in front of him.
Man Qiong asked, "Is Changsi still in Shanggu Prefecture wrapping up this matter? When will he lead his army back?"
Changsi refers to Cao Xu's son Cao Zhao.
Cao Shuang bowed and said, "According to the schedule, I estimate that my brother Changsi will return on or around September 20th."
"On the one hand, it is necessary to pursue and capture the escaped Xianbei people in the vicinity to prevent chaos and provide an explanation to Shanggu Prefecture. On the other hand, I must wait for General Tian's troops to arrive, so that we can deliver the captured Xianbei prisoners along the way to General Tian, who will then decide how to distribute them."
"These small matters all require time. If it weren't for my brother Changsi at the rear to finish them off, we wouldn't have been able to catch up with you today."
Man Qiong nodded and said, "All three of you are young and talented military officers of Wei. Zhao Bing is steady and courageous, Zhao Yu is wise and decisive, Changsi is prudent and mature. Before sending you out on this mission, I didn't expect that all three of you would handle this matter so well."
Seeing Cao Shuang and Jiang Wei smile, Man Qiong continued, "Ke Bining's suicide is the best outcome for both him and the Great Wei."
Cao Shuang bowed and said, "When I saw Ke Bining hold a knife to kill himself, I was still in disbelief for a long time. If only I had known this then, why endure so much suffering? He is indeed an uncommonly wise person after Tan Shiheshuai. Why did he have to quarrel with the Wei?"
Man Qiong snorted in derision and shook his head: "It's a good thing that Zhao Bing asked such a question. The old man has known General Du for more than thirty years, and it seems that General Du hasn't told you these things."
Cao Shuang was even more puzzled: "What has he said?"
"Many things in the world are not reasonable!" Man Qiong said: "The world is full of diverse things, and people have ten thousand kinds and kinds. There are loyal and undefeatable people, and there are strong and direct ones. However, most people are just the kind of people who follow the waves and drift with the current. Whether it is loyalty or rebellion, it depends on the situation or one's own speculation, without a fixed idea!"
Jiang Wei and Cao Shuang listened to Man Qiong's words, and their expressions gradually became serious.
"Take Ke Bining as an example," Man Qiong continued, "If he wanted to rebel, why should he have obeyed the emperor's command when he was at Yannan? The Great Wei couldn't have done much about it. He could have easily escaped north to the Northern Grasslands or west to the Western Regions without any problem. The grasslands are so vast, and the sky so vast, couldn't there still be a path for him?"
"But he was simply greedily clinging to his tribe's achievements, unwilling to confront the Wei. He pretended to be obedient and went on the offensive, step by step. From Yanmen Pass to Youbei, from Liaodong to Quanzhou, he got deeper and deeper into a difficult situation. There was no more room for him to hedge his bets. One day he rebelled and then died."
"People like this, I have seen many over the years, and most of their ends are to be limbs apart."
When it comes to the experience of eliminating opponents of the Great Wei, in the current court, Man Qiong would dare to claim first place, and no one could be second. The words that come from his mouth have persuasive power as if they were edged with gold.
Jiang Wei sighed lightly: "Even if this person is dead, it is unclear how the people of the three tribes on the north of Yunnan and Bian provinces, namely the Xianbei, Wu Raven, and Xiongnu, will react. After all, in the past ten or twenty years, the Wu Raven tribes that had submitted to Wei and some other Xianbei tribes like Budugen were dependent on Ke Bining's influence to maintain their obedience to the government."
Man Qiong laughed and said: "The border affairs are not something for two officers like you to worry about. However, you are both young and talented officers, so it doesn't hurt to tell you. The imperial court has two plans for this matter."
"For the various tribes such as the Xianbei, Wu Han, and Xiongnu, the court plans to draft conscripts for military service in the future. If any tribal chief has ambitions and refuses to comply with the call-up, the court will dispatch troops to subdue and eliminate them."
"At the same time, the court is also doing a pilot program in Yanmen County. The four counties that were evacuated to the interior during the end of the Han dynasty will eventually be resettled with Han people." (End of this chapter)
