Chapter 559: Talking about the World on the Licorice Stage

The news of Zhao Shixiong's public surrender could not be concealed, and there was no need to hide it.

On the contrary, the sooner this news is spread, the greater the positive impact it will have on the entire war situation in the State of Yu.

But Zhao Duan was not anxious and returned that night to report to the empress.

On the one hand, we need to wait for the imperial army to completely take over Yongjia Prefecture and confirm this matter.

In addition, you also need to get a good night's sleep, recharge your energy, and give your soul enough rest to cross the two places.

The next morning, when it was confirmed that the surrender had been completed.

Zhao Duan then used the excuse of seclusion and used visualization to return to the capital.

And this day happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival.

…

In the capital, deep inside the imperial palace.

Zhao Duan stepped out of the mural and his soul sank into the substitute who was sitting cross-legged beside the mural.

Then, he stretched his body, pushed the door open, walked out of the old building, and headed straight towards the Martial Arts Hall.

Today is a clear and cool autumn day with high sky and light clouds. The morning sunlight shines evenly on the palace walls and the air is slightly cool.

When Zhao Duan saw Eunuch Hai in the Wugong Hall, the old eunuch in a dragon robe was sitting on the steps, holding a pair of scissors and trimming chrysanthemum branches.

Seeing him come out, she raised her eyelids: "Are you back?"

Zhao Duan smiled and nodded:

"I've been busy in Taicang these past few days, but it's finally over. I'm preparing to see His Majesty."

Eunuch Hai glanced at him and smiled:

"Looking at the relaxed expression on your face, it seems you have good news. However, His Majesty is not in the palace at the moment."

"Not in the palace?"

"Have you forgotten? Today is a festive day, and there is a Golden Autumn Gathering during the day. Your Majesty is enjoying the occasion with the people, and you are also going to climb the mountain with the gentlemen."

Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment before he remembered this.

The Golden Autumn Gathering... is the capital's annual literary gathering. Sun Lianying mentioned it to him some time ago, but he didn't expect that the empress would also attend.

Well, with Zhenbao's personality, she would not travel for pleasure. She would probably participate in such gatherings in order to stabilize the people's hearts.

"Where is the Golden Autumn Gathering?" Zhao Duan asked.

Eunuch Hai raised his hand and pointed to the eastern suburbs:

"Leyouyuan, Gancaotai."

Then, the old eunuch in the dragon robe said without raising his head:

"If you're going, change your clothes and pay attention to your appearance. Your body will go bad if you don't move for more than ten days."

“…”

…

Zhao Duan quickly left the palace and returned to the imperial court as advised, preparing to change clothes and wash up.

Inside Lihuatang.

"Sir? Are you out of quarantine?" The secretary was surprised to see him come back.

The Yu Kingdom did not give holidays during the day for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the imperial guards were on duty as usual.

Zhao Duan said "yes", and a smile spread under the mask:

"Has anything important happened recently?"

Qian Kerou reported:

"There aren't any major matters, mostly the aftermath of the purge of traitors. However, you haven't appeared in the palace for some time, so some matters have been handed over to the Governor for handling. Besides... I did receive several invitations."

"Invitation?" Zhao Duan stopped and asked in surprise.

"Yes," the round-faced secretary took out a thick stack from the drawer and handed it to him:

"They're all different gatherings in Beijing inviting you to attend. Well, after autumn comes, there are a lot of gatherings in Beijing. The latest one is inviting you to climb the mountain at the Golden Autumn Elegant Gathering."

Zhao Duan picked them up casually and flipped through two of them. He unexpectedly found that several of them were from the Privy Council and the Imperial College.

Are these two groups of people still jumping around?

He smiled, threw down the invitation, and said:

"Go call the people on duty today. I'm going to change my clothes. We'll go to Leyouyuan to climb the mountain and join in the fun."

Anyway, I have to go see Zhenbao and report this matter.

Since he had time to climb the mountain, he decided to relax.

"Really?" Qian Kerou was so excited that she nodded like a chick pecking at rice, and ran to call for help as fast as she could.

Haitang from the Narcissus Hall next door brought her men to the Golden Autumn Gathering today. She was extremely envious, but unfortunately she could not leave her post without orders from her superiors.

After a while, Zhao Du'an changed into new clothes, rode a tall horse, and led a group of people in brocade clothes from Lihua Hall to the outskirts of the east city.

…

The Golden Autumn Gathering is the grandest autumn outing event every year.

In autumn, the people of Yu State liked to climb high places to enjoy the beautiful scenery and go on autumn outings.

On the festive day, the solemnity and tension in the capital caused by the war in the past few months were greatly relieved.

Early in the morning, every household puts dogwood branches on their doors, and the air is filled with a festive atmosphere.

"Mom, come out quickly, the carriage is ready, don't miss the time!"

Inside the Zhao family mansion.

Zhao Pan'er dressed up early in the morning, wearing a green jacket that wrapped around her neck and a beige long skirt. Her bright eyes flashed as she blocked the door outside her mother's bedroom and clapped her hands.

The door opened with a creak and Eugene Hua walked out.

The noble lady who was the mistress of the Zhao family wore a dark green long dress, her hair was black and tied up at the back of her head, and she was adorned with pearls, gold and silver jewelry, which made her look round and smooth.

Today is an autumn outing, and the noble ladies in Beijing have also agreed to gather in the eastern suburbs.

Eugene Hua represents the Zhao family, so it is reasonable for her to attend the banquet.

The mother and daughter went out hand in hand, got on the carriage, and headed out of the city under the protection of servants and maids.

After turning the corner and walking for a while, another carriage next to them, which was also guarded by servants, sped up a bit, approached, and drove side by side.

The curtain of the carriage next door was lifted, revealing a quiet and dignified woman, who was the wife of the Governor of the Grand Canal, Madam Ning.

"But is she the mistress of the Zhao family?" Madam Ning took the initiative to greet her.

Eugene Hua heard this and opened the curtain, her eyes lighting up:

"Mrs. Ning, are you going to the eastern suburbs too?"

After the Fengshan ceremony, the Governor of the Grand Canal, Ning Zechen, led his family and the Fengshan team north.

Afterwards, Ning Zechen went south again and rushed to the battlefield on the east side of the Huai River to stop Prince Jing's army.

His family, wife and daughter were settled in the capital, which happened to be not far from the Zhao family. Mrs. Ning had just arrived in the capital, and You Jinhua took good care of her, and the two families became increasingly familiar with each other.

The carriage was not going fast, and the two sides were moving side by side, just enough time for them to talk.

Madam Ning nodded, and suddenly a cute and innocent girl rushed out from beside her. It was Ning Zechen's daughter. Miss Ning, with her chubby face, had her eyes flashing and shouted:

"Sister Pan'er, let's go play together later."

Zhao Pan, who was in the carriage with him, also smiled and stretched his neck in response.

The two girls chattered and talked to each other from a distance.

Eugene Hua and Madam Ning looked helpless, and were troubled by the fact that their daughters did not have the elegance and grace of ladies from wealthy families.

While chatting and laughing.

The two families have left East City.

Outside the East City is East Mountain, which is gentle and almost a dirt slope. Pavilions and towers are scattered along the mountain road, and the scenery is superb.

This area was named "Leyouyuan".

On the mountain, there is an observation deck named "Licorice Terrace" which was built by order of the emperor three hundred years ago.

As soon as the two families arrived, they saw many cars and sedans parked in front of them, and a dense crowd of people gathering.

Scattered in Leyouyuan.

"Wow, there are so many people." Zhao Pan jumped off the carriage and sighed at the bustling crowd.

The innocent Miss Ning also ran over, her big eyes twinkling, and suddenly said:

"It's a pity that Dad is not here. In previous autumn outings, he always took us with him and sailed on the canal."

Upon hearing this, Eugene Hua and Madam Ning, two beautiful ladies with their own unique charms, who were walking behind, both had their eyes dimmed.

Ning Zechen was in the eastern war zone and Zhao Duan was in the western war zone. Both of them had important responsibilities and were unable to return to Beijing to reunite with their families.

Eugene Hua tried to force a smile and walked over to comfort her:

"Governor Ning is not here, so you have your aunt and your sister Pan'er to accompany you."

The dignified and quiet Mrs. Ning also smiled and nodded.

Zhao Panxu was a few years older and considered herself the elder sister. She grabbed Miss Ning's hand and said with a smile:

"Yes, we are."

Miss Ning's frustrated expression eased slightly, and she spoke quickly:

"My mother said that my father is heartless for not coming back. Sister Pan'er, is your eldest brother also heartless for not coming back?"

Zhao Paner: “…”

Eugene Hua: “…”

Madam Ning's body swayed slightly, her face pale. She hurried forward to cover her daughter's mouth, trying her best to force a smile:

"My little girl can't speak, don't take it seriously..."

"Wuwuwu..." Miss Ning tried to struggle, but her mother suddenly spanked her on the buttocks, and her eyes immediately became misty.

Feeling very aggrieved: Mother just said that father has no conscience.

…

At this moment, the highest point in Leyouyuan is also the highest point on the hillside with the best scenery.

This is where the Licorice Terrace is.

The Empress Xu Zhenguan of Dayu arrived today with all her ministers to celebrate with the people.

A canopy was erected on the licorice platform, and tables and chairs were arranged there. Plates of fruits and pastries were placed on the table covered with yellow silk.

Xu Zhenguan was dressed in a dragon robe and wore a golden crown. He was majestic, graceful, and beautiful beyond compare.

The narrow and long phoenix eyes on the fair face overlook the scenery of Dongshan in the distance. In autumn, the mountains are red or yellow, and there are large fields of chrysanthemums in full bloom. The sky is clear and the air is fresh, and the scenery is excellent.

Next to the empress, Sun Lianying, wearing a dragon robe and a hat, holding a whisk in his hand, replaced Mo Chou's ecological niche.

On the other side of the empress, the ministers of various ministries headed by Yuan Li and the ministers of the third rank and above of the court headed by Ma Yan took their seats in order.

There were also fourth-rank officials such as Mei Jijiu of the Imperial College accompanying him from a further distance.

Grand Tutor Dong Xuan did not come to climb the mountain because of his old age.

"After this autumn, winter will not be far away, and it will be three years since I ascended the throne."

Xu Zhenguan withdrew his gaze from the beautiful scenery in the distance and sighed with emotion at the sound of the light and elegant music.

Without waiting for the people around to join in the fun, the empress changed the subject and said:

"The capital is located in the north, and crops mature late. It's autumn harvest time across the Huai River right now. In previous years, grain ships bound for the capital would have clogged the docks before early winter, but this year, I'm afraid not a single grain will be delivered."

Upon hearing this, the ministers on the Gancao Terrace all felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

The Minister of War spoke first:

"Your Majesty is concerned about state affairs, and so are we. However, a few days ago, Privy Councilor Xue defeated the Jiancheng rebel army. With his ability, he might be able to conquer half of the Huai River before winter comes. The Huai River is rich, and we can survive the winter just by storing grain."

The other officials also spoke up in agreement.

Only the Minister of Revenue, who was in charge of money and grain, remained silent and pulled his beard with worry.

Xu Zhenguan shook his head, but he knew in his heart that these words were just comforting.

How could the war on the front line be won by just talking like these Beijing officials do?

As the emperor, she had read the memorial written by Xue Shence himself.

In the memorial, Xue Shence clearly relayed the details of the battle and also expressed his concerns about the upcoming war situation.

According to Xue Shence's judgment, his victory at Huaishui was fake.

There was a factor that Prince Jing Xuwen took the initiative to give in.

In other words, Prince Jing had no intention of fighting to the death with Xue Shence, nor did he want to bring out the elite troops of Jiancheng Dao.

Obviously, Prince Jing understood that the court's biggest weakness was supplies, and what it lacked most was time.

Therefore, he would rather give up some territory and retain his strength. His purpose was to buy time, and when the imperial court encountered problems due to lack of supplies, he would send elite troops to launch a counterattack.

However, the grain, gold and silver in the three counties that Xue Shence had recaptured had already been transferred away by Prince Jing.

In other words, what Xue Shence took back was nothing more than a hole and a burden covering three counties.

Although it seems like a great victory, the real situation is not optimistic.

These... people outside don’t know, but these important officials from the six ministries naturally know.

Although the war seemed to be going smoothly and the situation was good, the imperial court was actually in a precarious situation.

Whenever he thought of this, Xu Zhenguan couldn't sleep. He felt his heart was heavy and he had no strength in his body.

"Over on Xiping Road, the Duke of Zhenguo sent a message back saying that Prince Hejian is still holding on?" Xu Zhenguan changed the subject.

Yuan Li said:

"The people of Xipingdao are tough and the local underworld forces are strong. Although the Prince of Hejian has won over many underworld forces, they are all scattered. If the Western Regions had not dared to relax, the forces under the Duke of Zhenguo would have wiped them out long ago."

Compared with the two rebel forces in Huaishui, the battle situation in Xiping Road and Tieguan Road was much better.

King Yanshan of Tieguandao had the least number of troops, and they were pinned down by Luo Kedi who was blocked in Beicheng. They could not move south for a long time, and they were on the verge of exhaustion.

As for the Prince of Hejian in Xiping Road... according to the memorial of Tang Daren, the Duke of Zhenguo, this person was not a capable person. It was just that after the civil strife in the state of Yu, the Western Regions began to become restless.

Even though Princess Wenzhu continued to exert influence, she still could not suppress the Western Regions countries' eagerness to make a move and gain benefits.

Therefore, Duke Tang had no choice but to divide his troops, keeping an eye on the Western Regions while restraining Prince Hejian.

Leading to insufficient manpower.

Xu Zhenguan snorted coldly:

"The Prince of Hejian is simply waiting, hoping to wait until the imperial court collapses and the situation on the Huai River turns, then he'll look for an opportunity. While the snipe and the clam fight, the Prince of Hejian wants to be the winner. With such a narrow mind, how dare he covet the throne?"

All the ministers nodded and agreed with this judgment.

Everyone understands that the battle situation in the Huai River will not only affect one place.

Whether it was the King of Hejian, the King of Yanshan, or the King of Chen who ruled Binhai Road, they were actually all watching the outcome of the Huai River battlefield.

A third-rank military officer from the Privy Council suddenly said:

"Your Majesty, do not worry. With Privy Councilor Xue here, the rebels will never succeed."

Suddenly, officials from the imperial court and the military on the Gancao stage spoke up one after another, expressing similar views.

During the conversation, he kept exaggerating the importance of Xue Shence, as if the future fate of the court depended on Xue Shence.

This is the military officials fighting for greater power. Since Xue Shence's great victory, the military officials headed by the Privy Council have been on the rise.

In public, he repeatedly suppressed civil officials.

"That's wrong. Although Xue Shence is the commander-in-chief, Commander-in-Chief Zhao has more victories. Now he's in charge of the western front. Given Commander-in-Chief Zhao's past abilities, there might be a breakthrough there."

Suddenly, the new Minister of Personnel spoke.

As the member of the imperial party who succeeded Li Yanfu after he stepped down, he keenly sensed the slight displeasure in the empress's brow, so he spoke up and tried to turn the situation around.

The Minister of War said with a smile:

"Commander Zhao is a man of extraordinary talent, known to all the officials in the court. I have also heard that Commander Zhao has indeed accomplished something significant recently."

Immediately, he revealed the latest information that Zhao Duan had sneaked into Yongjia City, assassinated the military supervisor, and rescued the Yongjia prefect.

There was no lack of praise in the words.

However, these were clearly flattery, but when heard by everyone, their meaning changed.

On the one hand, Xue Shence won a great victory on the front battlefield.

On the one hand, Zhao Duan sneaked behind enemy lines to assassinate and rescue people... Although it was indeed amazing and worthy of admiration...

but……

Everything is afraid of comparison.

Comparing the two, what Zhao Duan did in Yongjia seemed somewhat...

Being petty.

The words of praise used by the Minister of War therefore had a hint of irony.

Unfortunately, others have no way to refute it.

Seeing this, the court military officials became more and more proud. The deputy privy councilor of the Privy Council suddenly looked at Ma Yan at the table and said with a smile:

"I think that what Governor Zhao did was more than just this.

For example, the newly appointed Chief of Police at the Imperial Court's Lihua Hall is said to be a subordinate of Governor Zhao. He has done quite a bit of extraordinary things.

Come on, has this person come today?"

(End of this chapter)