Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Aphrodisiac
Thinking back on last night's events, Liang Hanzhang still found them baffling. She knew that His Highness had always harbored a little girl in his heart, and she had been trying to find her for years, but to no avail.
But last night he actually asked himself if he had been sold to the Changsun Mansion.
How could this be possible? According to Li Cheng, the other party was already four or five years old. She didn't believe that a child of that age had no memory at all. As for her, her mind was blank. If it weren't for the man's explanation, she would have no idea that a young lady had spent such a long time with the prince so many years ago.
According to Yan Guang, he bought her from her parents when she was five or six years old. Due to famine and years of war, her parents had to abandon her to save themselves.
As for what she had said before Queen Wang and the Crown Prince, that she had been a slave and servant from childhood to various places and was later adopted by an old widow, these were all fabricated by her.
If she didn't say that, how could she convey her miserable life story, and how could she win the sympathy of the Crown Prince and the others? The truth was irrelevant. She was sold by her parents, that was beyond doubt.
She didn't even know her own surname or given name. Even this only name was given by Yan Guang. Yan Guang specifically gave her and her brother the surname Liang, because he wanted them to be branded with the mark of Liang State from their names to their bodies and even their souls.
It seemed that only in this way could he alleviate his hatred for the loss of his country and allow him to have a brief illusion that he was still the high and mighty prince.
The victors are the kings and the losers are the bandits. This has been the case since ancient times.
No matter how much Yan Guang resigned himself, he could not change the situation of defeat; he was just a trapped beast fighting. Not only was his force no match for the million-strong Jin army, but even if he could truly match it, he would not win the hearts of the people. The people's hearts are like water; they can carry a boat, but they can also capsize it.
The people, having been torn apart by war for so long, finally hoped for peace and naturally did not want to be plunged into turmoil again. In their eyes, it didn't matter who was the emperor; as long as they had land to farm and food to eat, that was enough.
Moreover, Emperor Hui'an has been implementing benevolent policies since he ascended the throne, developing water conservancy projects and encouraging agriculture and sericulture, making public and private granaries full and people's lives prosperous.
In the eyes of the common people, this was already a very good monarch. Who would want the prosperous days that were finally ushered in to be destroyed again? If rebellion breaks out, the borders and rivers will be in turmoil, and the people will suffer.
The reason she was still willing to risk her life for them was simply because her brother's life was still in their hands. Thinking of what Zanniang said when he visited Taoranju again, Liang Hanzhang's eyes gradually became cold and dark.
Qianyuan Hall.
Li Cheng seemed a little absent-minded. The emperor asked him several times in front of the dragon case, but he didn't respond.
"Crown Prince" Li Gu leaned forward slightly and looked down at his son with a frown.
Emperor Hui'an appointed Li Cheng as the crown prince not only because he was the eldest son, but also because he had lacked care for him since childhood.
Another, bigger reason was that he knew his son was diligent and pragmatic, meticulous in his work, honest and upright, and never did things perfunctorily.
These qualities might be unexplainable for a founding emperor. A founding monarch's most important qualities are ambition and courage, which allow him to shoulder the infamy and carve a bloody path through countless battles. Had he shown a soft heart, he would have been beheaded by now.
But founding a country is different from governing one. Governing a country relies more on governance, which is people-oriented. A ruler must have sufficient ability to manage the government and the borderlands. The prince fully possesses these qualities.
In other words, he was the perfect choice for the position of crown prince. The second prince, after all, had been raised and pampered by his parents. He lacked the sharpness and wisdom of an emperor, making him easily manipulated by court officials. Furthermore, he was simple-minded and impulsive. While he had some skill in military campaigns, he was unsuitable for governing a country.
He was suitable for leading troops and assisting his eldest son, but he was definitely not capable of holding the position of crown prince. Facing this crown prince who was becoming more and more handsome and whose governance was fair and peaceful, Li Gu often felt sincerely relieved.
At this moment, he was no longer the humble emperor with a sad face in the hall that day, but the Supreme Emperor. He was sizing up his heir with the eyes of an emperor, regardless of blood ties.
"Father," Li Cheng finally came to his senses from his chaotic thoughts and bowed.
"Didn't you get enough rest last night?" Li Gu saw that there were some dark circles under his eyes and couldn't help asking.
"Your Majesty, I really couldn't sleep last night and accidentally delayed something important. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." Li Cheng thought about everything that happened last night and still felt extremely regretful and lost.
"It's okay," Li Gu wanted to continue asking, but he was worried that asking too many questions might annoy his eldest son. The relationship between the father and son was like a bridge carefully built, and on the surface, the father looked loving and the son looked filial.
If anyone exerted even the slightest force, the trembling bridge would be in danger of collapsing. The emperor straightened himself slightly to regain his royal dignity and asked his confidants, "What are your plans regarding the rebellious party?"
"Your Majesty, we are not to be feared by this small rebel party. In my humble opinion, you should send troops directly to the southwest to attack. We will beat these bastards so hard that they will piss their shit and cry for their parents!" The powerful voice of Yang Zhiji, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, rang out.
He was a military man, and he had a friendship with Emperor Hui'an who had helped him conquer the world. His status was extraordinary, so he didn't care much about what he said.
Emperor Hui'an remained silent, with a look of disapproval between his brows.
"Your Majesty, although the earthquake in the southwest has not happened long ago, the other side has suffered heavy losses. However, the situation has not been thoroughly investigated yet. I think we need to take a long-term view," said the Minister of Personnel Kong Yu, who has always been cautious.
The emperor still did not express his opinion and continued to ask the prince: "What do you think?"
"Your Majesty, I also think that we should not act too hastily. The Liang rebels must be destroyed if they have to be. Once we take action, we must wipe them out completely. The situation is still unclear now. If we rashly send troops to attack, not only will we fail to win in one fell swoop, but we will also suffer heavy casualties and put the people in dire straits."
"Moreover, Crown Prince Yan Guang has always enjoyed a good reputation among the people, the terrain in the southwest is extremely complex, and there is no telling how many treacherous people in the court are secretly colluding with the rebels. It is inappropriate to send troops at this time."
"We can't just sit back and do nothing and let it grow in power and endanger the country, right?" Li Gu said.
"Of course I won't sit idly by. I heard that Prince Yin believed in Taoism. During the reign of Emperor Li, he built Taoist temples and formulated a series of laws that benefited the Heavenly Master. Now that Taoism is flourishing in our dynasty, Taoists admire and believe in Prince Yin. In my humble opinion, we can first use public opinion to control Prince Yin and destroy his reputation. At the same time, we can send people to demolish the redundant Taoist temples and let the Heavenly Master return to his hometown to engage in farming."
"Secondly, send more spies into the southwest to investigate and infiltrate the enemy to see if we can get more useful intelligence."
Due to the influence of the previous dynasty, Taoism was now increasingly prevalent throughout the country, with countless Taoist temples of all sizes. Many common people, seeking to escape labor and taxes, often chose to become Taoists. Since Taoists were not only exempt from taxes but also received free grain and salaries from the court, this posed a significant threat to the government.
Emperor Hui'an had been troubled for a long time and could not think of a better solution. He was worried that excessive measures would provoke popular unrest, and he was also afraid that the measures would not be strong enough and would have little effect.
The prince's proposal now resolved the issue much more effectively. If the Taoists disobeyed, they could be charged with treason and collaborating with the enemy. With the might of heaven descending, no one would dare disobey. This would also completely destroy Yan Guang's reputation among the people, effectively killing two birds with one stone.
Emperor Hui'an had a hint of admiration on his face but didn't show it. He continued to ask his ministers for their opinions: "What do you think?"
"Your Highness is far-sighted. We, your servants, are deeply ashamed..."
"I think what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said is absolutely right..."
The majority of the people were in favor, and Emperor Hui'an himself thought this move was a brilliant one. He immediately issued an order: "As the Crown Prince said, I order you to take full responsibility for this matter. If you encounter any undecided matters, you can bypass me and give orders directly. I give you the power to act at your discretion."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Emperor Hui'an: "You all may leave first, the Crown Prince stay."
"I will take my leave first," the ministers withdrew one after another. Li Cheng stood in the middle of the hall, his eyes puzzled. He lowered his head and saluted, "I wonder why Your Majesty has kept me here?"
Emperor Hui'an coughed lightly and said, "Your mother caught a cold. Luo Hua went to the palace to see her several times. Although she is almost well now, she keeps talking about you to me. If you are not busy, go to Changchun Palace to see her."
Seeing that Emperor Hui'an looked normal, Li Cheng had no doubts, assuming the emperor had kept him there to deliver a message for his mother. After bowing and taking his leave, he lifted his robe and stepped out.
Emperor Hui'an looked at his eldest son's receding figure with interest in his eyes.
This time when he arrived at Changchun Palace, there was no maid waiting outside the palace as usual. The entire palace was silent, with only the occasional sound of birdsong.
He walked to the door of the inner room and found that Nanny Lian Song was not there. He could faintly hear a few weak coughs from the inner room. Li Rong stood at the door for a while. Just as he was about to knock on the door to report, he heard the queen's hoarse voice from inside: "Is that Rong'er? Come in quickly."
Li Cheng pushed the door open and entered. He saw his mother lying on the bed, her face pale and frail. She was still trying to get up, but Li Cheng hurried forward to stop her, "Don't move, mother."
"Mother, you have caught a cold and should have a good rest. How dare I trouble you, mother?" As he said this, he stood up and walked to the side to get a cup of hot tea for Queen Wang to moisten her throat.
"How is your mother feeling now? What did the imperial physician say?"
Queen Wang straightened up and said weakly, "They said that an evil wind had entered the body, causing internal confusion. I prescribed some medicine and I'm taking it now." As she spoke, she covered her mouth and coughed.
Li Cheng took the teacup and carefully helped her calm down. He couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Didn't Father say that Mother was almost well? Why is she still in such a serious condition?"
"I'm much better now, but when I saw you, I was so excited that I couldn't help coughing a few times. Don't worry, my son." Queen Wang said gently, "By the way, I called you here for something important."
"oh"
"A few days ago, foreign tribes paid tribute to us with some blood-red wine. I heard it's extremely precious. Your father and I can't get used to it, so it would be a waste to leave it there. How about I take some back with me and have a few drinks with Fengyi when I'm free? I wonder if Fengyi can get used to it."
"Your Majesty, you should keep it for yourself. There are still some aged wines in the Eastern Palace. Fengyi has a low alcohol tolerance and gets drunk after just one glass. I guess he can't drink this blood-red wine."
He didn't know how much Liang Hanzhang could drink, but he guessed that since she came from a poor family, she would rarely have the opportunity to drink, so she must be unable to hold her liquor. So he said this in order to refuse Queen Wang's reward.
"It doesn't matter if you can't drink much. This blood-red wine is very beneficial to the body. Fengyi is so weak, and the weather is changing so much now. He should drink some wine to warm himself up."
Queen Wang spoke in a strong tone and immediately raised her voice to call out to Nanny Song: "Mammy, go and get some blood-red wine for the prince to take back!"
When Nanny Song heard the order, she immediately made arrangements. Before Li Rong could refuse, the other party had already put it in a sandalwood box and placed it in Li Fu's hands.
The prince: "...Okay, in that case, I will respectfully obey your command."
"My Queen Mother knows you are very busy with official duties, so I won't bother you any more. You look unwell, so I'm afraid you didn't get enough rest last night. Go back and have a good sleep." Queen Wang waved her hand, her voice loud and powerful, without the weakness from earlier, and her eyes still shone with a hint of cunning.
Li Rong looked at the blood-red wine sideways without paying attention. After a while, he bowed and left.
"Blood-red wine is a good thing. My son, remember to drink it with Fengyi!" The queen couldn't help but remind him.
"Your son knows."
When the two figures, one fat and one thin, completely disappeared around the corner, the queen had already stood up from the couch with a smile on her face.
"I think Her Majesty will hear good news soon!" Nanny Song knew the details of the matter and said with a smile.
"Alas, Cheng'er doesn't like women, so I, as his mother, have to work hard. Yesterday, Yu'er came to the palace to see me. The three-year-old boy was white and chubby and adorable. I also want to have a grandson." Queen Wang seemed distressed.
Furthermore, the crown prince is the foundation of the country. If the prince has no offspring for a long time, there will definitely be a lot of discussion in the court and the country.
She is also thinking about national affairs, Queen Wang thought as she stroked the teacup leisurely.
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