Chapter 105: Great Zhou Military Parade
Wei Yan had been waiting on the long path outside the palace wall. The envoys from the Southern Kingdom who followed him looked at each other and wanted to speak, but they dared not say a word after seeing Wei Yan's gloomy face.
The group waited and waited, and finally a eunuch came to deliver the imperial decree, announcing that the envoys from the Southern Kingdom could return.
"Don't worry, sir. His Majesty just wants to keep the princess in the palace for a banquet." The eunuch who delivered the decree said with a smile.
Wei Yan pursed his lips and said nothing. After the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict left, the other envoys started talking one after another.
"Master Wei, we should hurry back to the post station. Tomorrow is the Great Zhou military parade, and there are many matters within the envoy group that await your attention."
"Yes, my lord."
The Emperor of the Great Zhou ordered the envoys from the Southern Kingdom to leave the palace, but the envoys wanted to leave the palace quickly, feeling that it was a place of trouble.
Wei Yan wanted to take the princess back very much, but he had to compromise. Now he was not in the Southern Kingdom, but in the Great Zhou, and there was nothing he could do.
Thinking of what the king said to the princess before leaving, it was useless for the queen to lose face and cry for help. Thinking of the princess who was distraught along the way, Wei Yan couldn't help but clench his fists.
"Okay," he said, "let's go back to the post station."
If he does anything...it will only cause more trouble for the princess.
Tomorrow is the military review of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and all the envoys must attend. Since the emperor summoned the Princess of the Southern Kingdom, I think everyone in the capital now knows that the Princess of the Southern Kingdom is in the envoy group, so the princess must attend safely tomorrow.
...
Yan Xuanyu asked the envoys to go back first. In addition to letting them feel that the Emperor of the Great Zhou had special feelings for the princess, he also wanted to take this opportunity to be alone to discuss things with Wu Yiqing.
"Your Majesty, would you like to serve the meal now?"
The two sat in the hall for a long time, and Wu Yiqing heard Li Zhongxian, the chief steward beside Yan Xuanyu, enter the hall to ask questions.
Yan Xuanyu was stunned. "It's time for lunch already? Go and tell them."
He glanced at Wu Yiqing and asked her, "Cook some southern dishes?"
Wu Yiqing shook his head. "Just follow your Majesty's usual diet. Your Majesty and I have many things to discuss today, so I'm afraid we won't have the chance later."
"Then go." Yan Xuanyu turned to Li Zhongxian and said.
He thought for a moment and then said, "Add two more dishes."
"Yes." Li Zhongxian glanced at Wu Yiqing and got the order to serve the meal.
After Li Zhongxian left, Yan Xuanyu smiled and said, "I don't know if you are used to the food I eat on a daily basis. If it gets out, others might think you are being treated with disrespect in the palace."
Wu Yiqing thought to himself, "What's the point of eating this?" It wasn't until Li Zhongxian led a few palace servants in and placed a few dishes on two square tables that Wu Yiqing understood why Yan Xuanyu said that.
A bowl of vegetable and shrimp porridge, a plate of pickled radish cubes, and three stir-fried dishes. Wu Yiqing remembered that two of the stir-fried dishes were added by Li Zhongxian at Yan Xuanyu's request, and they were served in duplicate.
In other words, Yan Xuanyu's meals on weekdays were even simpler than this...
This turned out to be the emperor's lunch.
No matter how calm Wu Yiqing was, he was no longer calm at this moment.
Yan Xuanyu received Wu Yiqing's shocked gaze. In fact, he couldn't finish all the dishes by himself.
He knew that people's table manners were still imprinted in their minds at this time. As for why he ate like this...
In fact, it had always been like this. When he first came here, he lost his sense of taste due to poisoning. Although he later recovered, he didn't have much of an appetite. He preferred this kind of food that made him feel comfortable. And how much could he eat alone? If he really followed the palace standards, it would be too extravagant and wasteful.
We haven't developed to the point where we can squander food at will - even if we do develop, we can't waste it.
There is no harm without comparison.
As a princess, Wu Yiqing certainly knew what the daily life in the Southern Kingdom Palace was like. Looking at the lunch on the table in front of her, Wu Yiqing did not feel neglected, but instead felt a sour and complicated emotion.
If she had any other thoughts in her mind before, they all disappeared at this moment.
Only someone like Yan Xuanyu should rule the world.
Wu Yiqing was still thinking to herself as Yan Xuanyu sat across from her at the table, sipping his rice porridge. The porridge was cooked to perfection, topped with fresh shrimp and seasonal vegetables, without any need for fancy cooking or seasoning, truly bringing out their delicious flavor.
Wu Yiqing came back to her senses when she heard the slight sound of dishes and chopsticks. She was summoned to the palace early in the morning. She had not eaten much in order to meet the emperor. Moreover, she had been worried recently, so naturally she could not eat.
It wasn't until she saw the steaming rice porridge served to her by the palace maid that she suddenly felt an unprecedented temptation and hunger.
The small dish on the table contained pickled diced radish, but compared to what ordinary people needed for saltiness and preservation, it had a more delicious taste.
Is this... really as simple as a simple meal?
Wu Yiqing was savoring the delicious taste in his mouth and was suddenly stunned.
She looked at Yan Xuanyu opposite her.
This was Yan Xuanyu's way of telling her, through this lunch, that you should think about what the people think! Yan Xuanyu was already the Emperor of the Great Zhou, yet he still used pickled radish to remind himself every day to care about the people. How much more so for others?
Yan Xuanyu, who was just not used to the so-called aristocratic delicacies and preferred to eat appetizers: Yes, that's it!
Wu Yiqing ate the meal in front of him almost with a pious heart.
I became increasingly clear about the path I wanted to take.
...
At Yan Xuanyu's instruction, the news that His Majesty and the Princess of the Southern Kingdom were alone in the pavilion spread out of the palace. It seemed that after being announced to the palace, the princess was very much liked by His Majesty.
"Next, you have to show it to the envoys from the Southern Kingdom." Yan Xuanyu said while drinking tea.
Wu Yiqing nodded and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty."
The rumor reached its peak when Wu Yiqing returned to the Southern Kingdom's envoy station.
Everyone saw the princess leaving the palace in a carriage drawn by six horses - this was an honor only enjoyed by those highly favored by the emperor.
Before the princess arrived at the post station where the envoys were staying, Li Zhongxian led his men there. One of the envoys recognized him as the palace's chief steward. Li Zhongxian smiled and said, "His Majesty is worried that the princess won't be used to the post station, so he sent us here to bring her some things."
After saying that, he waved his hand, and the people behind him came in one after another, changing the place where Wu Yiqing was temporarily staying into almost a completely different appearance.
Everyone had a lot to say about this unexpected change.
Seeing Wu Yiqing was unharmed and had brought back a lot of rewards, Wei Yan's face was not happy. After dealing with everyone, he whispered to Wu Yiqing: "Did the princess happen in the palace?"
Wu Yiqing said, "Nothing."
There was no more to say after this.
Her indifference startled Wei Yan, but he opened his mouth, but in the end he had no right to say anything else, so he could only say, "Princess, go to bed early."
Wu Yiqing was not indifferent after seeing Wei Yan, but was thinking about what Yan Xuanyu said to her in the palace today.
Available people....
The Wei family was indeed close to her maternal grandfather and her mother, and Wei Yan also took good care of her.
But...what she was going to do was to rebel against the king.
Wu Yiqing lowered his eyes and thought.
...
Yan Xuanyu didn't expect that he would also experience the "explosion" of literature.
He knew that there was a "marketing" component in his work, but he didn't expect that employees working too hard would not be a good thing.
At this critical moment of the Great Zhou military parade, everyone was already excited by the slightest movement, and his attitude towards Wu Yiqing was soon written implicitly in the capital's daily newspaper.
What about His Majesty falling in love with the Southern Princess at first sight...
When Yan Xuanyu heard this explosive news, he just wanted to hold his head in his hands. Isn't it better to be a good emperor? Why does an emperor always have to fall in love with a beautiful woman at first sight? Even more bizarre is that no one thinks there is anything wrong with it!
What can be done? He was the one who first spread the news.
But it is also beneficial for Wu Yiqing to return to the South.
Yan Xuanyu also asked Wu Yiqing's opinion. They could think of other ways. After all, the rumor would have an impact on Wu Yiqing. Wu Yiqing didn't care about it at all. As long as it could help her gain power, what did some rumors matter?
What's more, this rumor can help her gain a foothold in the Southern Kingdom and prevent her father from touching her.
Wuyi Qingyuan was more free and easy than Yan Xuanyu thought.
It also gave Yan Xuanyu a clearer understanding of how much Wu Yiqing was willing to give up everything to seize this opportunity.
The news that His Majesty was interested in making peace with the Southern Kingdom spread quickly, and the Southern Kingdom's envoys straightened their spines a little more when they met other people.
The envoys from another small country that was at odds with the Southern Country met the envoys from the Southern Country. Normally, the two sides would always quarrel with each other when they met, but now the envoys from the small country stood up and wanted to leave as soon as they saw the shadow of the envoy from the Southern Country, but the other party insisted on coming over to stop them.
So both sides had to pay their respects reluctantly - no, the envoys from the Southern Kingdom were still very willing.
One of the Southern Kingdom's envoys said proudly, "Oh, His Majesty gifted the Princess with many valuable jewels and palace cakes yesterday, saying they were all Her Majesty's favorite foods in the palace."
One of the envoys from the small country standing in the front was about to speak when he was stopped by his companion behind him. His companion whispered, "It's better to hurry up. Today is the military parade of the Great Zhou."
When the Southern Kingdom envoy heard this, he immediately became even more proud: "Because His Majesty wants to be with the princess, the Southern Kingdom envoy's position is also the best among the envoys."
Everyone: .....
Even if the other envoys were furious, they couldn't say anything on the surface. After all, they were still on the territory of the Great Zhou! Moreover...ever since the Turks were conquered, who hasn't been trembling with fear?
...
There were no clouds in the sky on the day of the military parade.
Behind Yan Xuanyu were the ministers, and spreading out to the sides were the various envoy groups.
He stood on the high platform. This was the best position, which could allow Yan Xuanyu's voice to be transmitted farther like a loudspeaker, and everyone could hear it more clearly.
Before the Great Zhou military parade began, Yan Xuanyu first had to boost morale. He briefly recounted what had happened since he ascended the throne, and then talked about the current atmosphere of the Great Zhou, using complicated and difficult-to-understand words.
As Yan Xuanyu spoke, the expressions of everyone present became serious.
Only Yan Xuanyu had only one thought in his mind: Don't let him know who wrote the manuscript from the Ministry of Rites!
This Ministry of Rites is here specifically to defeat him!
The key is that Yan Xuanyu needs to memorize the entire text.
Yan Xuanyu managed to maintain a dignified expression as he finished speaking. He added a few words of his own and said, "Today, I invite all the envoys to the capital to bear witness together!"
"boom--!"
As Yan Xuanyu finished his last sentence, a loud rumbling sound was heard, which startled the envoys and caused a brief commotion. It was not until they saw that the emperor and his ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty stood still like a mountain that they suppressed the momentary panic in their hearts.
The boom is a modified version of fireworks used as a salute.
At the front were the Imperial Guards, their faces covered with half-masks with black stripes. Despite their numbers, they made no sound, appearing silently. They all wore flying fish uniforms and embroidered spring swords on their waists—this was Yan Xuanyu's "smuggling in private goods." After all, I still remember the Jinyiwei in TV dramas as a child, who were so powerful they could fly over rooftops and walls.
For this purpose, Yan Xuanyu also created the Embroidered Spring Knife. After listening to Yan Xuanyu's description that "the blade is much shorter than the waist knives currently available in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the whole body of the knife is curved, and there are tassels at the bottom", Old Wu was very surprised. He thought that Yan Xuanyu also had some talent in weapons. Yan Xuanyu explained that he saw it from ancient books - after all, there are so many ancient books, it is impossible for anyone to have read all of them, doesn't this give him room to display his talents?
The Embroidered Spring Knife certainly has practical uses. After all, Yan Xuanyu saw it on TV and paid more attention to the aesthetic aspect. After Mr. Wu's improvement, this knife is indeed easy to use.
Everyone in the Great Zhou was familiar with the Embroidered Uniform Guards, who were directly under the command of the emperor. However, the official system of the Great Zhou was now complete, and each city was developing steadily. Yan Xuanyu no longer needed them to do things all the time, so now the Embroidered Uniform Guards, in addition to their patrol duties, were dispersed to various places.
The government also repeatedly told the people of Da Zhou that if they encountered danger, they could seek help from the patrolling Jinyiwei. So the Jinyiwei could be said to be able to save people and cats and dogs.
The people of the Great Zhou were used to the occasional appearance of the Jinyiwei in black uniforms on the streets, but when they saw them today, all the people watching from afar felt a sense of strangeness!
Ever since the news of the military parade in the capital spread throughout the Great Zhou, many people rushed to the capital not wanting to miss it. After all, the military parade must be watched by the people, so the Jingzhao Yin urgently led people to build a huge place specifically for people other than officials and envoys to watch. Of course, no noise was allowed, and there were officers and soldiers watching nearby to prevent anyone from causing trouble at this time.
No one was making a noise at this time. Since the sound of the salute, everyone held their breath and stared at the parade ground. The ground was some distance away from them, but they could still see something.
Not only did the people watching from afar hold their breath, but so did the envoys on the platform.
When the Jinyiwei passed by, they were like dark clouds, giving them a strong sense of oppression.
But this is just the beginning.
After the Jinyiwei passed by, the two phalanxes behind were soldiers trained by Yuan Kang. Now there is no such thing as "Yuan Family Army". Many generals on the border have been specially trained by Yuan Kang under the instruction of Yan Xuanyu, and the same is true for the soldiers under these generals. Many soldiers have also been integrated into the original Yuan Family Army. Compared with before, the soldiers are really united.
Unlike the silent steps of the Jinyiwei, the soldiers' orderly footsteps seemed to resonate with people's hearts. Not only were their footsteps consistent, but even the amplitude of their movements was similar. From a distance, they looked full of energy and spirit, and at the same time, they had a bloodiness formed through fighting.
The soldiers formed the largest phalanx, followed by people from the suburban camp. Their movements were certainly not as orderly as those of the soldiers in front, but the focus was not on them, but on the weapons in their hands. There were several types of swords alone, and some envoys didn't even know what they were. The most special one was a crossbow that was carried by two people.
Of course, Yan Xuanyu would not take out the weapon he had just made. Since the improved crossbow was made, this crossbow has been eliminated by the camp outside the city because it is large in size and not very flexible.
The appearance of the silver-gleaming swords and knives makes people feel cold in their hearts. They can’t imagine if the soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty have such weapons. Will they be able to fight?
Unlike others, Wu Yiqing chose to cooperate with Yan Xuanyu, so that these soldiers and weapons of the Great Zhou would not be used in the Southern Kingdom. But when Wu Yiqing saw the last phalanx, she was stunned.
Not only her, everyone was silent.
The last team was full of veterans and remnants, but they still tried hard to make concessions and align themselves.
The remaining soldiers were wearing new clothes, their faces were rosy and they were in very good spirits, which showed that they were really well taken care of.
The military parade of the Great Zhou Dynasty could have simply shown others how powerful the Great Zhou Dynasty's military was, but there was such a group of people in the last team.
Some of them even supported each other as they walked forward.
The injuries they suffered became a symbol of their fighting for the Great Zhou, so the people of the Great Zhou should not forget them.
Today's military parade of the Great Zhou Dynasty not only greatly shocked the envoys, but also the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Those people of the Great Zhou Dynasty who were fortunate enough to see the military parade in the capital remembered this magnificent scene with their own eyes.
After watching the military parade, the various envoy groups had different thoughts, some wanted to curry favor with the emperor, while others were wary of him.
If the envoys from the Rongdi tribe still had some hope before coming to the Great Zhou, they felt a chill in their hearts after watching this military parade.
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